De Blasio unveiled the Campaign for Universal Pre-K and Afterschool along with a new website and accompanying promotional video which was sent to tens of thousands of people by actress Cynthia Nixon, one of the campaign's leaders. The goal is to convince New Yorkers to support a tax hike to fund the programs. In addition to Nixon, other recognizeable names include film directors Roger Altman and Harvey Weinstein; singer John Legend; Al Sharpton and 25 advocacy groups, on of which is the Children's Aid Society.
De Blasio called achieving universal pre-K the "centerpiece of my campaign, the centerpiece of this transition and it will he the centerpiece of our government.
I know de Blasio really wants his pre-K program and he will use anybody he can to help him acheive that goal.
That said, putting deformers Weinstein (who has complimented President Obama for his "aggressive education reform") and Legend (who sits on the TFA and Harlem Village Academy boards and is a huge proponent of RESET - “Real-Time Use of Data, Expectations not Excuses, Strong Leadership, Effective Teaching and Time on Task") on his pre-K push team makes me think "Hmm, better keep a sharp eye on this de Blasio guy."
yet, half of those people who is organizing their campaign have children who are attending (or attended public schools)... for example Cynthia Nixon, whose children went to PS 87 on the UWS, and currently are in public high school and middle school.
ReplyDeleteProminent deformers named means we need to watch this guy very carefully.
DeleteNixon was one of the first people to back him along with the Alliance for Education. But look at the backstabbing already taking place. And I wouldn't be surprised if Weingarten was also behind this. The question is....
ReplyDeleteIf deBlasio does turn towards deform, what will the teachers of NYC do? Will they rise up against UNITY and the Democratic Party? Most likely not.
Probably not, no. Just as they have refused to do w/ Obama.
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