Assemblyman Thomas Abinanti, a Westchester Democrat, released a statement Thursday insisting that King step down amid harsh criticism that the commissioner has ignored parents' and teachers' grievances around the Common Core and related testing.
"For quite some time, Education Commissioner John King has closed off all meaningful conversation with parents, educators, administrators, and elected officials who have highlighted serious deficiencies in State Education Department policies," Abinanti said. "He has exhibited a conscious disregard for their concerns.
“He should be listening, educating where criticisms are unfounded, and adopting changes where criticisms are valid,” the lawmaker continued. “His rigidity makes him unsuited for the position of Education Commissioner. Commissioner King should resign immediately."
...
Abinanti's wasn't the only call for King to step down. He joins Sen. Jack Martins, a Long Island Republican who on Tuesday said in a statement that King is not meeting New Yorkers' leadership needs.
“At the moment, New York needs a caring pragmatist willing to address real concerns raised by caring parents and educators who see a system being manipulated from above to the detriment of their children,” he said. “Unfortunately, we have John King.
“He should immediately reschedule these forums, or he should immediately resign,” Martins finished.
New York State Allies for Public Education, a policy group advocating against overreliance on testing and the sharing of student information, also denounced King, calling him “a disgrace to the field of education” and claiming he is “no longer able to conduct himself in a manner that is consistent with the principles and ideals of the American democracy.”
King and SED are trying to schedule 10 "differently structured meetings" to give parents a chance to discuss Common Core with him.
The truth is, the damage is done already - King can no longer carry the education reform agenda in this state.
The Poughkeepsie meltdown and calling parents "special interests" were the final nail in that.
Unless King suddenly shows a completely different side to him than we have seen so far (I am right, Everyone else is wrong!), I do not see him repairing the damage done in the last week+.
RBE check out Newsday as it has a story that the state is going to run a website exposing teacher evaluations for 2012-2013 and Tom Dunn is quoted. More crap from those who wish to destroy the profession.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the head's up - I posted about it here:
Deletehttp://perdidostreetschool.blogspot.com/2013/10/nysed-says-theyll-look-for-ways.html
Lil John is a 5 alarm greasefire and as you astutely noted earlier in the week no reformers are exactly pulling a hamstring in their rush to defend him. Old Gepetto, aka Bennett, his puppetmaster, has claimed race bombs were thrown but has nothi to substantiate it, he has also claimed Lil John is in demand worldwide, that he's full of integrity and calls for his dismissal are both silly and stupid. Well Bob seems you're the only one who thinks so.
ReplyDeleteTisch pre-empted him today with the new Common Core meeting announcement - called Gannett to say they were happening before King and SED could get the official announcement out. The Regents are going to be at all these things - another sign how King is no longer trusted to carry the Common Core propaganda burden alone.
Delete