tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628172601886929098.post8917976851801681306..comments2024-03-29T06:21:22.494-04:00Comments on Perdido Street School: Newsday Survey: 43.6% Of Students On Long Island Opt Out Of State Tests So Farreality-based educatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01712885202661371924noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628172601886929098.post-81750873554387823692015-04-17T10:02:33.601-04:002015-04-17T10:02:33.601-04:00By Gerald Benjamin - 2002
The Mandatory Constitut...By Gerald Benjamin - 2002<br /><br />The Mandatory Constitutional Convention Question Referendum: "No" in New York in 1997<br /> <br /> Voters expressed little confidence in government; turnout at the polls was consistently abysmal. Legislative elections rarely offered real choices; incumbents almost never lost. Gridlock was the norm in a state legislature that featured the most persistent divided partisan control in the nation. The state budget had not been passed on time in thirteen years. 1 The state personnel system was sclerotic. A torturous local government web - a "system" in name only - diffused accountability and drove up costs. State and local taxes, especially local property taxes, were among the highest in the nation. 2<br /><br />The result of all this was a state and local service delivery system that was expensive, inequitable, and often inadequate. Education is the best example. Mean per pupil education spending was very high. 3 Children in the suburbs were well served, or at least had a fighting chance. But most children - especially minority children in urban centers - were simply not being educated. 4<br /><br /> Yet, when asked in 1997, in the midst of these conditions, to vote on the question "Shall there be a convention to revise the constitution and amend the same?" New Yorkers responded with a resounding "No." The vote was 929,415 in favor of a convention, to 1,579,390 against. 5 Perhaps even more tellingly, a plurality of citizens who came to the polls in that year - 1,693,788 of them - simply ignored the question entirely! 6Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628172601886929098.post-51194000668778650942015-04-17T09:59:45.847-04:002015-04-17T09:59:45.847-04:00In 1997 the constitutional convention referendum l...In 1997 the constitutional convention referendum lost 62-38.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628172601886929098.post-57550195164752570942015-04-17T09:19:44.329-04:002015-04-17T09:19:44.329-04:00The Newsday numbers are low. Some of the largest d...The Newsday numbers are low. Some of the largest districts, which had very large opt-out numbers did not submit data to Newsday, i.e. Commack. (There are many others, including the largest suburban district in NYS.) <br /><br />For some reason, certain districts with huge opt out numbers do not want to see them highlighted. Newsday noted that 25 districts did not report (and some that reported only indicated a percentage, not a gross number.) When all is said and done, I stand by my belief that the opt out number is in excess of 100,000. My home district saw 55% of students opt out of the ELA exam and officials said that last year the math opt out figure was 30% higher than the ELA. They expect even more to opt out next week.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628172601886929098.post-72643943832779082512015-04-17T09:16:26.558-04:002015-04-17T09:16:26.558-04:00There was talk on this blog yesterday about Cuomo ...There was talk on this blog yesterday about Cuomo "isolating" retirement tiers and cutting benefits, etc., to get back at teachers.<br /><br />That is utter nonsense. A constitutional convention is not being called in 2017. There will be a ballot question and a statewide referendum in November 2017 to determine if the people want such a convention called. It would actually occur at a later date. <br /><br />Any such convention is not limited to a pre-planned agenda. The entire document is open to change. Let's remember that the Assembly and Senate members are also in the retirement system and their benefits mirror those that we have. I seriously doubt it would pass federal muster if the benefits of one group of government employees was cut and not another. Not going to happen.<br /><br />Organized labor as a whole helped produce a resounding No vote on the last constitutional convention referendum. It can be expected that those on the right and left will both come out to turn it down. For example, the convention could try to outlaw abortion, enshrine provisions of the Dream Act, enact term limits on the state legislature, provide for initiative and referendum or for the recall of elected officials, etc. <br /><br />The last thing that any politician wants is a constitutional convention. With the general low regard the public has for politicians, there could be some really "bad stuff" coming out of any such gathering when it comes to politicians.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628172601886929098.post-68481620887423327432015-04-17T09:04:38.403-04:002015-04-17T09:04:38.403-04:00If that is true maybe we can sue them. Break the u...If that is true maybe we can sue them. Break the unity monopoly and turn the UFT to an organ of workers struggle...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628172601886929098.post-198491989273532322015-04-17T08:58:45.608-04:002015-04-17T08:58:45.608-04:00The key is starving the data beast. Mulgrew knows ...The key is starving the data beast. Mulgrew knows that. Why not help his members??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628172601886929098.post-3141027384285635732015-04-17T08:35:39.680-04:002015-04-17T08:35:39.680-04:00Well, now we really know whose side their on, don&...Well, now we really know whose side their on, don't we?Michael Fiorillonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628172601886929098.post-14954509221303115522015-04-17T08:28:34.260-04:002015-04-17T08:28:34.260-04:00The UFT is sending out bu**sh** threats that we wi...The UFT is sending out bu**sh** threats that we will lose funding if we support the opt out. They imply that it is racist to do so a la the Gates people. "testing is a civil right" etc etcAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628172601886929098.post-80884467158174167802015-04-17T08:10:16.401-04:002015-04-17T08:10:16.401-04:00It would be nice to just get back to instruction--...It would be nice to just get back to instruction--helping kids to learn!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628172601886929098.post-61026420623047446042015-04-17T08:09:07.139-04:002015-04-17T08:09:07.139-04:00Get on his case right now about being on the wrong...Get on his case right now about being on the wrong side of history...this is a vulnerable moment for leaders...call him out. Give other a chance to get behind your public demands for real leadership!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628172601886929098.post-66422250909861119432015-04-17T08:07:26.786-04:002015-04-17T08:07:26.786-04:00The key is to drive the numbers higher for Math. ...The key is to drive the numbers higher for Math. We should also be calling for Cuomo and Tisch to cancel the Math exam as we are now forcing districts to waste huge amounts of money for tests that are defective--and cannot be used for teacher evaluations. I know it is a long shot--but even Tisch and Cuomo might have enough sense to walk this nonsense back in the face of huge opposition to their testing regime.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628172601886929098.post-54538883604243494992015-04-17T07:54:59.354-04:002015-04-17T07:54:59.354-04:00Assembly Dems in NYC getting Mulgrew's blessin...Assembly Dems in NYC getting Mulgrew's blessing to vote yes. Does it get any more obvious who the guy is batting for ??<br /><br />What did he promise Dems in return for that vote ? Money, endorsements during election time ?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628172601886929098.post-54397333174670194282015-04-17T07:48:19.104-04:002015-04-17T07:48:19.104-04:00Mulgrew not encouraging opt out directly to blame ...Mulgrew not encouraging opt out directly to blame for more parents in NYC not opting their kids outAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com