Joel Klein has just as little regard for parents as he does for teachers
The New York Times has reported about the blogging backlash that has occurred as a result of the rumor that Chancellor Joel Klein may be considered for Secretary of Education.
They report that parents, educators, and others have been expressing their concern and list several links to parent and teacher sites that have been writing about it. David Cantor, the chancellor’s press secretary responded with the following:
The chancellor has spent the last six years building a school system focused on the needs of kids. Along the way he’s angered adults with entrenched interests in policies that have never worked. That’s a trade he’ll make every time.
Now, the DOE has been using this line of defense against teachers for a while - but now they’re using it against parents?
What arrogance.
I imagine that when you live a life that is completely out of touch with the children and families you are supposed to serve, then you can easily dismiss their concerns. Yet to accuse parents as ‘adults with entrenched interests in policies that have never worked’ is a new low.
Even for Klein and his cronies.
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Comments
You say you know precious little about the day-to-day workings of the DoE. I thought you were an expert. That’s the way you write.
But, apart from how you interpret the “adults” Cantor’s referring to — this chancellor has avoided the one thing everyone knows kids need: smaller class size. Oh yeah, and the programs he’s cut, and the schools he’s displaced other schools with, and the special ed violations he tolerates. It goes on, it’s a pretty long list.
If you call any of these “entrenched” policies — how about funding them for a change, and then we’ll judge if they work or not.
Once a shil, always a shil.
Eugenes last blog post..Keep educating Obama
Ok, did you read the article?
The article listed criticisms from the parent blog, proudparenting, two educators and then Leonie Haimson who is a parent.
The article ended with ‘Asked about the criticisms, David Cantor, the chancellor’s press secretary, said in an e-mail message…’
It didn’t say, ‘asked about the criticisms from employees’
Most interesting that you automatically assumed that it was dissatisfied employees.
Most of the negative comments have been from parents as teachers have been too afraid of retributions to comment publicly. But you should hear what they say privately. And not just the entrenched long-time people but the newer people too who see right away the system Klein set up is disfunctional.
Norms last blog post..ATR "Rally" Changed to Candlelight Vigil
I suppose I’ve just heard both sides of the story, and am hesitant to jump to the title’s conclusion without a little more background (specifically, what question prompted the quote). The title of the article and the references in it refer to a broader spectrum of “bloggers”, including both parents and employees, such as Woodlass.
MariaG - I work in an urban district in Northern California.
Now, I’ll be the first to say that I’m not from New York and know precious little about the day-to-day workings of the DOE. However, I just read the article and have not come to the same conclusion about Cantor’s quote. I interpret “adults” to encompass various types of employees that are disaffected by Klein’s decisions - such as administrators, central office workers, teachers, counselors, etc. But maybe you can shed more light on it.