Siena Poll Finds Just 18% Of NYers Trust Andrew Cuomo To Set Education Policy

From the same Siena poll that found Cuomo's job approval rating at 47%-51% and a 15% plurality looking to kill Common Core in NY State (49%-34%) comes this:

Voters trust education professionals over politicians to set policy, according to a new Siena College poll.

As Gov. Andrew Cuomo considers taking a greater role in developing education policy, 38 percent of voters say they most trust the state Education Department to set policy, while 23 percent say they most trust the Board of Regents. Eighteen percent put their trust in Cuomo, and just 8 percent trust the Legislature with setting the education agenda.

Cuomo is gearing up for what is likely to be a bloody fight also involving the Legislature and public school teachers over the direction of the state's system. It follows another bruising education battle over the implementation of the Common Core standards.

18%.

Not exactly a winning endorsement for Governor Cuomo's taking the reins of education policy.

And yet that is in effect what he is set to do in just a few hours with his State of the State/budget speech.

He's going to have some "harsh words" for teachers and schools, reiterate as he said yesterday that the public school system is the "single greatest failure of the state" and push proposals to "break" the system.

While the Legislature has to sign off on these proposals, he can push much of what he wants through the budget process and force much of it through.

And yet, only 18% trust him to set education policy.

Remember too that this is a governor who won re-election with the fewest votes of any governor seeking re-election since FDR in 1930.

Nonetheless, he's going to look to push through mandate-type reform that essentially destroys the public school system and the teaching profession.

18% trust him to set policy.

Fewest votes of governor seeking re-election since FDR in 1930.

But pushing a mandate-type reform to blow up the school system.

Cuomo Plans Destruction Of Public School System In New York

Does that headline seem extreme?

Check out what Cuomo said yesterday:

Cuomo has said repeatedly that he’s dissatisfied with what he calls the “education industry”, which he labeled the most “sophisticated political machine” in Albany. Cuomo, who has tangled with the teachers union in recent months, reiterated those concerns on Tuesday.

“It probably has been the single greatest failure of the state in many ways,” Cuomo said.

Cuomo says reform, including an overhaul of teacher performance reviews and fixing bad schools are at the top of his agenda. And he says simply spending "more money" is not the answer. He says it’s been tried in the past, with little improvement.

“And you know what it’s gotten us?” Cuomo asked. “A larger and larger bureaucracy, and higher salaries for the people who work in the education industry.”

The public school system is an education industry that is the single greatest failure of the state.

With that kind of rhetoric out of him yesterday, expect him to call for the complete destruction of the public school system today in his State of the State/budget speech.

Here's some insight into what's coming.

Anybody think a Twitter campaign is going to beat this assault back?

Me, not so much on that idea - at least not as the main strategy to fight back against Cuomo's outrageous assault.

The one saving grace out of all of this is, Cuomo's looking to push this all across the state.

I wonder how his "reforms" are going to go over in Scarsdale, Harrison, Larchmont and places like that?

Are parents there, most of whom do NOT think their schools are failing, going to go in for Cuomo's reform agenda that forces more evaluation compliance and test stress?

We'll see.

More later.

Andrew Cuomo Calls Public School System "Single Greatest Failure Of The State"

In case you're thinking tomorrow won't be an all-out assault on public schools and public school teachers, see this statement from today:

Cuomo has said repeatedly that he’s dissatisfied with what he calls the “education industry”, which he labeled the most “sophisticated political machine” in Albany. Cuomo, who has tangled with the teachers union in recent months, reiterated those concerns on Tuesday.

“It probably has been the single greatest failure of the state in many ways,” Cuomo said.

Cuomo says reform, including an overhaul of teacher performance reviews and fixing bad schools are at the top of his agenda. And he says simply spending "more money" is not the answer. He says it’s been tried in the past, with little improvement.

“And you know what it’s gotten us?” Cuomo asked. “A larger and larger bureaucracy, and higher salaries for the people who work in the education industry.”

As I pointed out earlier, one of the biggest concerns New Yorkers have with education is the Common Core implementation - 49% say it should be stopped while only 34% say it should continue.

Unstated by Cuomo is how the "failure" he claims for New York schools is in so many ways tied to Common Core - the CCSS tests that were rigged for 70% failure rates, the CCSS rollout by NYSED that even Cuomo acknowledged was a mess.

It's a shame the teachers unions support Common Core - sure would be a great pushback against this extreme rhetoric out of Cuomo.

At any rate, I wonder if he isn't going to overdo it with this rhetoric?

Seriously, the public school system is the "single greatest failure in the state"?

I dunno, maybe he's polled this and thinks he's got a winner here.

But it seems to me to declare the public school system the single greatest failure in the state is going to find some decent pushback from a lot of ordinary New Yorkers who don't see that about their own schools and may wonder how it is that Cuomo can claim this a year after he blamed SED and the Regents for the poor Common Core rollout.

John Flanagan Promises An "Aggressive" Legislative Session On Education Policies

Count me skeptical that Flanagan will be anything but Cuomo's reliable ally on "breaking" the public education system:

During a CapTon interview last night, Senate Education Committee Chairman John Flanagan said state lawmakers are willing to work with Gov. Andrew Cuomo on education reform, but warned the governor not to propose anything too “draconian” when it comes to overhauling the system.

The Long Island Republican declined to say what might constitute going too far in his mind, noting Cuomo has yet to really tip his hand – other than the everything-but-the-kitchen sink letter his administration sent to the outgoing education commissioner and regents chancellor late last year.

...

Flanagan said he wants to wait to see what Cuomo has to say in his State of the State address, which was delayed from yesterday to Jan. 21 due to the death of the governor’s father, former Gov. Mario Cuomo.

Flanagan said he'd rather see legislative bills on ed policy rather than Cuomo sticking changes into the budget process, then said this:

The senator said there’s “no question” that it will be a “very aggressive” session where education policy is concerned. So, buckle up.

Great - just what we need for an education system that has already undergone dramatic changes over the last few years - an "aggressive" legislative session to push more dramatic changes.

Bet that most of those "aggressive" changes will get stuck into the budget - just the way Cuomo stuck the last APPR stuff there.