Now that Cathie Black has referenced Sophie's Choice and the Holocaust in a talk she gave to parents in Tribeca the other night about how difficult school funding and spacing issues are going to be, it makes me wonder just what other "solutions" she has in mind for the various "problems" she faces as chancellor.
The ATR situation, for example.
Seriously, she has stated quite openly that when it comes to a problem, she is going to make a choice in which one sides lives and thrives, the other side gets sent off to, well, you know.
Could there be a group of people more emblematic of that kind of choice than the ATR's?
You can bet she (or Bloomberg, who is pulling the strings connected to her alcohol-soaked head anyway) will be looking for ways to finish those folks off and get them off the payroll.
I think the same can be said for veteran teachers. If you have 15+ years in the system, you are on her hit list.
Meanwhile back at Tweed, they're yucking it up over the unreliable TDR reports they plan to release to the press and bucking it up with over $2 million dollars in bonus money.
Apparently there are no Sophie's Choices down at Tweed.
Nope - just lots of money and laughs.
And back in the schools, bedbugs run free, PCB's leak from the lighting fixtures, the chancellor jokes about birth control as a solution for overcrowding and references Hitler's Final Solution when talking about the "tough decisions" she has to make.
Not even Tom Wolfe could write this stuff up and get away with it in a novel entitled the Bonfire of the Cathies.
But somehow, Bloomberg and Black are getting away with this.
So far.
We'll see how much longer.
I can't imagine she's making too many friends or allies these days with the stupid things she says.
She might find that New Yorkers have their own solution to the problems in NYC public schools - getting rid of Cathie Black.
She may become such an embarrassment that they have to let her go, but policy regarding the Final Solution to the Public Education Problem will remain.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, we should hope that she stays as long as possible. Every day she's there, she discredits Bloomberg a little more, leaving open the possibility that something will crack and expose these people for the predators and parasites they are.
Our school has been without a science teacher for 4 months. Our principal gave the kids a big textbook and said to study on their own until we could find a science teacher. In all of the ATR pool there was not one science teacher who could come in and teach these kids? They will not be able to sit for the January Regents because they didn't have a teacher for 4 months. So after months of searching -- where did we finally find a science teacher - Alabama. Yep -- we're importing a young, newly minted science teacher because we didn't want to use the ATR pool.
ReplyDeleteThat's outrageous...don;t know how this is legal...where is the union in publicizing these abuses...? Well, the reality is that "the contract" is long dead..although it exists on paper. Chapter leaders don't enforce or grieve anything...for fear of retribution from empowered principals...teachers are forced to do coverages and not getting paid for them...and so many other breaks with the contract...and nothing is done about it...With the dam breaking on the micro level, no wonder the macro has also collapsed...
ReplyDelete...and the idiot district reps come walking around in a blatant dog and pony show...like they're doing ANYTHING at all to enforce the contract...twits...they are collecting their double pensions...and/or whatever other perks they garner...
ReplyDeleteI agree with Michael. The longer she stays on, will prove that she is completely unqualified to run a large school system. She will continue to open up her mouth and make off the cuff remarks, clearly not understanding the components of education.
ReplyDeleteThere will be a point when Natalie Ravitz may not be able to defend Ms. Black's statements anymore.