New York City: Free global math education for one Grade 6-entering student at every middle school

http://globaleducationforyou.wordpress.com/mathematics-initiatives-new-york-city/

On the accomplishments of Bloomberg and Klein: Whitney Tilson’s letter to Education Next

March 3, 2008

 

To Education Next:

 

As someone who has both observed and been deeply involved with efforts to improve public schools in New York City, I read “New York City’s Education Battles” with great interest. Overall, I thought it was an excellent article that fairly presented both the successes and hiccups of the reform efforts led by Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Klein.

 

In their efforts to do what is best for children, Bloomberg and Klein have been willing to take on powerful entrenched interests that are happy with the status quo and fight to maintain it. To cite only a few examples, Bloomberg and Klein:

Words of wisdom and courage – from the greatest President the country will never have?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/opinion/28mike.html?

I’m Not Running for President, but …

By
MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG

Published: February 28, 2008

WATCHING the 2008 presidential campaign, you sometimes get the feeling that the candidates — smart, all of them — must know better. They must know we can’t fix our economy and create jobs by isolating America from global trade. They must know that we can’t fix our immigration problems with border security alone. They must know that we can’t fix our schools without holding teachers, principals and parents accountable for results. They must know that fighting global warming is not a costless challenge. And they must know that we can’t keep illegal guns out of the hands of criminals unless we crack down on the black market for them.

The vast majority of Americans know that all of this is true, but — politics being what it is — the candidates seem afraid to level with them.

New York City DOE steadfastly promoting accountability, despite UFT opposition

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02272008/postopinion/editorials/the_ufts_real_gripe_99503.htm

February 27, 2008 — The New York City teachers union is on the warpath.

And, no, the United Federation of Teachers isn’t demanding longer hours during which to teach students.

Or insisting that teachers be allowed to give more homework.

Instead, in prime-time TV ads that began airing this week, the union protests that poor, fragile young people are being tested too much.

Don’t believe it.

What really has the union so upset is that one element of the city Department of Education’s ongoing accountability drive entails tying teacher evaluations to student scores on standardized tests.

New York Measuring Teachers by Test Scores

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/nyregion/21teachers.html?pagewanted=all

By JENNIFER MEDINA

Published: January 21, 2008

New York City has embarked on an ambitious experiment, yet to be announced, in which some 2,500 teachers are being measured on how much their students improve on annual standardized tests.

Sharpton: I’d welcome a Bloomberg run centered on education

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2008/01/04/2008-01-04_sharpton_id_welcome_a_bloomy_run_centere.html

How many successful people do you know in your line of work or your neighborhood who do not have a high school diploma?

Education as a civil right needs strong articulation by a leader willing to say it like it is…

Whether you are black or white, Republican or Democrat, it is undisputed that those with the most education have the best chance of realizing their dreams, and that race becomes less of a factor for those most educated.

While I am not endorsing Mayor Bloomberg for President, I am endorsing the idea that a Bloomberg candidacy centered on education as a civil right would be good for America.

Charter Schools Outshine Others as They Receive Their First Report Cards

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/20/nyregion/20charter.html

Education officials, acting under the city’s new system of accountability, released report cards on Wednesday for several charter schools, with the majority receiving A’s and B’s, but one school in Queens getting an F.The grades came more than a month after Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein released grades for the rest of the city’s public schools. Officials said that they had always intended to release grades for charter schools, but that it had taken longer to make sure the data was complete and accurate because the schools are privately run, though publicly financed.Just 14 of the 60 charter schools in the city received report cards, but school officials and supporters of charter school said that the grades showed that the schools were outperforming their traditional counterparts.“As a group, they skew higher,” said Michael Duffy, who oversees charter schools for the city’s Education Department. “I think that charter schools are all about accountability. It’s baked into their DNA. They are data driven and focused on how their students are doing, so it’s not surprising to see them do well.”