Randi Weingarten
On teacher evaluations, Quinn wants a 'minimal' role for test scores, and a sunset provision
"There is no parent or community input in the current administration," said Randi Weingarten, the former UFT president who leads the union's national organization. "People are actually more angry when the mayor is as duplicitous as he is with this. When you pretend to talk to people when you actually don't. [Former mayor Rudy] Giuliani was actually more forthright because he would say he's not listening to people." More
(3)Teachers union: Bloomberg undermined himself on gun control
Here's video of the press conference at which teachers union officials and elected Democrats criticized Michael Bloomberg's comments likening the leadership of the U.F.T. to the National Rifle Association. More
Bloomberg throws cold water on a Clinton-endorsed infrastructure investment
Yesterday, former president Bill Clinton and Shaun Donovan, Obama's housing secretary and Hurricane Sandy point person, hailed a New York City teachers pension fund commitment to invest $1 billion in regional infrastructure. More
At a press conference on infrastructure, Bill Clinton vaguely disputes a 'Times' report about Hillary
It was at the very end of a press conference in Harlem this afternoon that Bill Clinton got a Hillary question. More
Chris Christie criticizes Romney, praises the teachers union
Governor Chris Christie made some news this morning when he became the latest Republican governor to disavow Mitt Romney's contention that President Obama won the race with "gifts" to minority constituencies.
"You can't expect to be a leader of all the people and be divisive, okay?" he said on "Morning Joe."
"You have to talk about themes, policies that unite people. And play to their aspirations and their goals and their hopes for their family and their neighbors. More
(2)'Stay where you are': Hurricane Sandy recedes, but the serious damage is done
Lights have gone out in Manhattan and Brooklyn and streets are covered by water, just part of the damage from Hurricane Sandy that will cost the city and state many millions of dollars to begin to fix. More
Quinn confirms that she's open to sharing teacher evaluations, to Weingarten's surprise
This morning, a Post article said of City Council Speaker Christine Quinn that she was "the only prospective candidate who left the door open for the public to get access to teacher evaluations."
I highlighted that fact in a tweet directed at Randi Weingarten, who is the head of the national teachers' union in Washington and who, for years, held the same position in New York City. More
(1)Dan Malloy, who refused to take a no-tax pledge, says his communication with Cuomo could be better
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy sees at least a few unseized opportunities for collaboration between himself and Governor Andrew Cuomo.
"I think we should all agree that we dislike New Jersey," Malloy told a breakfast meeting of the Association for a Better New York this morning, to howls of laughter from a crowd that included former governor David Paterson, former Port Authority director Chris Ward, and American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten. More
(2)As Duncan, Bloomberg and others meet in D.C., Weingarten notes she's in the classroom
Right now, Obama's education secretary, Arne Duncan is hosting a panel discussion in Washington about urban education reform with several mayors from across the country, including Michael Bloomberg, Rahm Emanuel of Chicago and Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles. More
F.A.Q.: Is there such a thing as a rational debate involving Michelle Rhee?
Andrew: She told me, "For me, it's first things first." There's an appeal to that argument—I can see why she's had some much success in bringing others along with her. On the other hand, is this present moment making teaching an appealing profession to enter in the first place? Are we giving the "good" new teachers the tools they need to be successful in the classroom? And are we creating expectations for the profession that are possible to meet? Or are we just going to keep firing people ad infinitum? More
