NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio defended the city’s teacher-tenure system after a California judge ruled yesterday that the Golden State’s teacher protection laws were unconstitutional.
I would expect corporate education reformers and their hedge fundie backers to attack tenure here soon, but probably wait until the California case plays out first so that they can see the best tact to take here.
But you can bet we'll have a similar case launched in NY.
I know many teachers are pissed at de Blasio, angry over the contract, some still mad about the snow day.
Some have argued, quite plausibly, that the new contract weakens tenure protections for teachers.
Still, one point about the politics I want to say here:
Would the last mayor have defended the city's teacher-tenure system publicly in the wake if the California ruling?
Has Cuomo?
Or Obama?
Be that as it may, DeBlasio gave us a vile contract. Period. That says it all about him to me. Watch what I do, not what I say.
ReplyDeleteWords are cheap. Our president knows that.
If anyone is to blame for the contract I believe that Mulgrew and all the UFT members who voted for it are the ones to blame not De blasio!
DeleteDeBlasio has been weak about defending the public schools, and while I'm not yet completely cynical about him, if I was I'd say that his comments are intended to mollify teachers while the so-called reformers get ready to declare open warfare here in NYS.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy but not at all suprised to hear that Mayor de Blasio is defending NYC's teacher-tenure system. At the UFT Spring Conference a month or so ago, de Blasio showed up unexpectedly (to most in the audience anyway) and he went on and on about how much respect he has for teachers. He talked about how he and his wife wouldn't have made it through the difficult middle-school years with his own kids if it hadn't been for their public school teachers. I believe his words were sincere and I think it's great that we finally have a mayor that supports our public schools and respects the difficult work of public school teachers. Now we just have to worry about those outside the city and it's a big worry.
ReplyDeleteMary
Where, might I ask, do you think the groundwork for the contract came from? This same contract never would have passed muster if it was Bloomberg presenting it. Why is DeBlasio better than Bloomberg for having put it on the table?
ReplyDelete