Comments on: The Picador Precedes the Matador: The Toreadors Begin To Encircle Mayoral Control http://www.edwize.org/the-picador-precedes-the-matador-the-toreadors-begin-to-encircle-mayoral-control Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:46:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: NYC Educator: Leadership http://www.edwize.org/the-picador-precedes-the-matador-the-toreadors-begin-to-encircle-mayoral-control/comment-page-1#comment-65411 NYC Educator: Leadership Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:45:44 +0000 http://edwize.org/the-picador-precedes-the-matador-the-toreadors-begin-to-encircle-mayoral-control#comment-65411 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] it appears they're already flying the white flag of surrender. This week, UFT bigshot Peter Goodman suggested on Edwize that anyone who wanted mayoral control to expire was "cynical.""Cynical" denotes having no faith in [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%--> [...] it appears they’re already flying the white flag of surrender. This week, UFT bigshot Peter Goodman suggested on Edwize that anyone who wanted mayoral control to expire was “cynical.”"Cynical” denotes having no faith in [...]

]]> By: paulrubin http://www.edwize.org/the-picador-precedes-the-matador-the-toreadors-begin-to-encircle-mayoral-control/comment-page-1#comment-65401 paulrubin Thu, 20 Mar 2008 03:23:32 +0000 http://edwize.org/the-picador-precedes-the-matador-the-toreadors-begin-to-encircle-mayoral-control#comment-65401 The debate shouldn't be about Mayoral control. The debate needs to be about having a collaborative system of control that takes into consideration the expertise and needs of all the interested parties (the students, their parents, school administration, teachers, central DOE administration and the politicians) and do more than pay them lip service, give out surveys and make dictatorial pronouncements. We elect our Mayor to run the city and he appoints a Chancellor to run our schools. That doesn't mean they aren't accountable to heed the wishes of those they govern and for better or worse that is the way this administration comes off. They have forgotten that the children belong to their parents, not the politicians. It's also not just a local problem. The absurd emphasis and inappropriate usage of standardized testing is a national problem that has grown out of a desire to attach numbers to what is a complex art and to draw conclusions from tests that are flawed for this purpose. Businesses perhaps can operate in a system that is governed by numbers and profit and loss. Children aren't widgets or provided services. So the debate shouldn't just be about who's in charge. It needs to be about working as a team and making educationally sound decisions. Plenty of good ideas have come out of the Bloomberg administration but they are simply too arrogant to keep what's obviously good and change what's obviously not and that's why there's even a debate about mayoral control. The debate shouldn’t be about Mayoral control. The debate needs to be about having a collaborative system of control that takes into consideration the expertise and needs of all the interested parties (the students, their parents, school administration, teachers, central DOE administration and the politicians) and do more than pay them lip service, give out surveys and make dictatorial pronouncements.

We elect our Mayor to run the city and he appoints a Chancellor to run our schools. That doesn’t mean they aren’t accountable to heed the wishes of those they govern and for better or worse that is the way this administration comes off. They have forgotten that the children belong to their parents, not the politicians.

It’s also not just a local problem. The absurd emphasis and inappropriate usage of standardized testing is a national problem that has grown out of a desire to attach numbers to what is a complex art and to draw conclusions from tests that are flawed for this purpose. Businesses perhaps can operate in a system that is governed by numbers and profit and loss. Children aren’t widgets or provided services.

So the debate shouldn’t just be about who’s in charge. It needs to be about working as a team and making educationally sound decisions. Plenty of good ideas have come out of the Bloomberg administration but they are simply too arrogant to keep what’s obviously good and change what’s obviously not and that’s why there’s even a debate about mayoral control.

]]> By: jd2718 http://www.edwize.org/the-picador-precedes-the-matador-the-toreadors-begin-to-encircle-mayoral-control/comment-page-1#comment-65400 jd2718 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 01:53:18 +0000 http://edwize.org/the-picador-precedes-the-matador-the-toreadors-begin-to-encircle-mayoral-control#comment-65400 Four choices, but the first three are to keep mayoral control? I kind of think there are two choices. Jonathan Four choices, but the first three are to keep mayoral control?

I kind of think there are two choices.

Jonathan

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