At the UFT Democratic Mayoral Candidate forum,
UFT representatives asked several questions of each candidate. They asked for
the candidates’ opinions on school govenrance and mayoral control. They also
asked about how they plan to dealwith disenfranchised parents and teachers.
Contracts and raises were discusses as wellaswhy the UFT should support them.
Here are my notes on the answers each candidate gave.
Bill DiBlasio-
Governance-
We never got to see how mayoral control would have worked in a system that was
inclusive. Checks and balances need to be in place. Central board should have
real say. I am thinking of mayoral majority with set terms. PEP has to be able
to have a real say. CEC should have community board like powers that are
central roles for closures. Districts and superintendents need to matter again.
Superintendents and districts have to be strengthened. No waivers, must be
educators.
Disenfranchised
parents and teachers- first mayor with kids in unlicensed schools in history of
city if he is elected. Honoring the teacher profession again. Letting the city
know that tone has to be changed. Work with uft. Stop the grading of schools
and standardized testing focus to free up teachers energies again. Change
discussion to teacher retention not teacher evaluation.
Contracts
- we are going to walk into a difficult economic situation. More labor
contracts open than ever before in history of the city. Tough decisions will be
made in conjunction with uft. "You deserve justice.""We will do
it together."
Bloomberg
policies - Mayor went astray profoundly, and never recovered. At a certain
point he was no longer serious and his bluster got the better of him. School
system stalled. I propose a total restart. A tax on the wealthiest New Yorkers.
A guaranteed after school seat for middle schoolers in budget.
How will
you restore relations with teachers and city- familial feelings need to be
explained to city. These are " your kids" supporting, developing and training teachers
who want to keep learning. Helping the many who are devoted to keep getting
better.
What
would you keep intact ? Mayoral control
with changes. Get rid of consultant expenditures. When SHE tells you how much
she wants to stop assaults of teachers, you should ask her where were you the
last 12 years as you helped him every step of the way.
ATRS-
teachers left without placement due to budgeting. I want to see those teachers
back in the classroom.
Why
endorse? We have been together throughout. We share a fundamental understanding
about education. You are the good housekeeping seal of approval. Who was with
you? Who was consistent? Did they stand up for teachers? Did they challenge
Michael Bloomberg? It's our time manhattan has been favored too long. Outer
boroughs have 70 percent of democratic candidates. There will be a run off. In
a run off I can build a strong coalition.
Christine Quinn
Governance- mayoral control hasn't reached its full
potential. I would like to see is us move to municipal control. City council
should have ultimate power. Leave
structure as it with commitment to not remove people if they disagree. Will not
rule out wavers.
CEC and
co-location - CEC are in essence are
similar to community boards. Won't rule out co-locations.
Raises-
come 12/31 no contract will be set. Private fair process for negotiations .
Everything on tabe with recognition we will all work together. We need to recognize
the hard work you have done.
Disenfranchised-
stop the attack the teacher rhetoric. We can disagree agreeably. I have never
been a teacher and I don't know what it's like. I need your help to direct me
how to do that. We don't need more consultants. Study where we document your
successes. 4 point plan on how to reform gifted and talented. Teachers should
suggest who goes into gifted and talented. Sends a message saying respect the
voices of teachers as the ones who know what needs to be done. Middle school
quality initiative has worked, and we are expanding it.
Are you
willing to make a commitment to stop closing schools? Won't rule it out. It
shouldn't be a policy or goal. Take data and analyze on a regular basis and
then using 20 million used to close schools but invest in schools years before
that reality comes to pass. The focus needs to be on the potential and where we
can go.intervene years in advance not 6 months before.
Critique
policies. They are not inclusive. Community school model reinforces the second
family feeling about schools. Parents and staff need real opportunity to have
voices heard. Evaluations cannot be majority based on testing. Peer evaluation,
observation and it should have a sunset. Focus of evaluation should be on how
to help teachers be the best they can be. Mentor teachers - senior teachers to
help first years
Phase 1
reform- recipe for disaster. Failure. Doing more with less ends up doing less
with less. I'll admit I am not really familiar with this but I will see what
council can do right now about this.
Endorsement-
if I get this endorsement I want to do everything I can as mayor to make
schools the best they can possibly be. We need to enter into a new partnership.
I will go in together even if not endorsed.
Sal Albanese - retired 11 year teacher
Governance
- I do see change. Fixed terms for panels and making sure there are teachers
and parents of children from public schools. I want mayoral control so I can
fix what he has broken. No waiver for chancellor. I spent 11 years in
classroom. I don't need a political consultant to tell me what to say here.
It's about the rapport you establish with students. It's not about widgets.
Kids are complex and dynamics are complex. Chancelor needs to be educator to
units and this.
I don't
particularly like co-locations. Won't support without majority support from
community.
What
will be different and the same- I have tow daughters that are teachers. Why
does mayor talk like that about us. I am going to respect teachers, not
chastise them. Education is a priority. We will fund schools adequately.
Education is the answer to a lot of our problems, jobs and crime. Resources
need to be given to help teachers feel like professionals.
Contracts-
all civil servants need to get retroactive pay. That's part of the respect.
It's not only about what you say, it's about compensation. It's not 8 billion,
its really 4 billion. Modify pension system.
Disenfranchised-
I will start with PEP. Knowledgeable panel with fixed terms. Parents will know
where to go. Set up local networks to find accountable contacts with local
emphasis.
1 policy
you disagree with the most- totally against the way PEP program is set up.
Against the tone concerning teachers. I do agree with mayoral control.
Testing-
against high stakes testing. Stresses out the teacher and principals. Teachers
can be evaluated on others things and this has caused a demoralization process.
We need music and art programs. Testing has to be part but not end all and be
all.
Endorsement
- education will be my priority. Only candidate actually in this union. I also know how important the uft
is, you are the most effective political action apparatus around. I a. Not
accepting money form lobbyists. Once you get to city hall indebted to
lobbyists, you can not accomplish much. I am an indecent on city council for 15
years. I will be an independent mayor.
John Liu –
Governance- Staten Island may be the smallest borough but
this is the biggest uft forum turn out. I put out my own study before uft put
theirs out. Restructure PEP. Fixed terms. Mayoral control because it is
currently in place. Most important responsibility. No waiver for chancellor.
Not just as matter of state law, it is just common sense. I am looking to
follow the rules and do what is best for children. Look for talent in NYC. I am
looking for someone who is homegrown.
Co-locations-
I have never been a fan of co-location. I was fooled for first
years in council. I was excited by mayors opening schools. I didn't realize the
schools didn't come with buildings.
Raises-Take
care of fixed costs. Salaries come first. Mayor failed to take care of this
fundamental fiscal responsibility. Absolute failure. On January 1 cut consultant
fat from the doe. Lets use that to take care of the people who spend their
lives taking care of our children. 8 billion dollars in retroactive pay
increases to pay out. I will negotiate in good faith to figure out the best
solution. I don't think we will get to the entire 8 billion but I am confidant
it won't be zero either.
Low
income area issues- if you look at the budget, review budget top to bottom to
find new means. Many 3 year olds get preschool, but not low income families.
Start at 3 all the way to high school. Not victim of digital divide.
Alternatives for college for those who can't. Expectations should be in place
for colleges ambitions for everyone. We have to take kids all the way though to
college. Cradle to care approach. And I have the provisions in
peoplesbudgetnyc.com.
ATR
crisis- majority of people in ATR wants their due process and wants to ENT back
to teaching. We need to bolster due process and help things go more quickly.
Excesses teachers victims of way school budget works. I believe in rewarding
and valuing experience. Current strategy is to get cheapest teachers, I will
develop a new model.
School
closing- I think the policy is ridiculous. There is going to be ups and downs.
The schools needed more help, but they continued to marginalize those schools.
Evaluations
system- I spent most of my career was in private sector, not politics. Each
system has always been about identified strengths in the private sector. Not a
system to get rid of teachers quickly. That's not an evaluation system that's a
punitive system and has no place in our schools. Mayor cost us 250 million just
to make a pont. It was wrong. The system
should not be overweighted by test scores.
Disenfranchised-
we are public school parents. They do nationwide search for most expensive
consultant possible charged to our taxpayers. I am looking to restore the
learning environment. That starts with trusting teachers to teach. I am an
immigrant. I was born in Taiwan. In Asian countries, teachers day are national
holidays! They are valued above all else. We have to have a change in attitude.
You have to let teachers teach. Go ask teachers first before changes.
Endorsement-
how will I win with investigation on
campiagn . Four years of investigating, listening in on my phones for 18
months when mob bosses get tapped for 2-3 months. I am proud of my campaign.
Tabloids will come after me, but reality is I am ready for it. I am the uft
candidate in every election. You made a huge difference in my career as
comptroller. I am looking to create positive change. I will be pushing them
very hard. I am going to stick to my guns and fight for the changes I believe
are necessary.
Bill Thompson-
Governance-
former comptroller and former president of BOE. Current composition doesn't
work. Give me six fixed term members. My members will not be commissioners.
Mayoral appointed parent members as well. No waivers for chancellor. No
chancellor is is an educator since Rudy crew. Changes are accomplished because
what you did, not chancellors. Currently no larger educational vision. There is
no education leader in this system now. Chancellor puts forth an educational
vision, and then we can work toward it. The public wants to help. We won't get
there without them.
CEC-
co-location: they should have been involved in closings and co ocations. School
closings are not a policy, they are an admission of failure. It is a
dereliction of duty. Superintendants need to be in power again. The only thing
that ties schools together re networks. I have yet to understand how that
works. We need a place for parents to go gt information. A master principal for
the principals. Staten Island should have 2 school districts. Can't let 1400
schools float on their own, answering only to networks.
Raises-
it is clear you have gone 4 years w/o contracts. He is leaving us behind the
proverbial 8 ball. He didn't cave into the special interests no he didn't do
his job. Do you deserve raises. To do this we need to sit down with the
leaders, open the books, go through the books together. What type of fiscal
situation are we really in? We need to
bring contracts back in house, no more outsourcing. Go through the budget line
by line. Bring what doesn't work dollars in house. It is not going to be
business as usual. There needs to be trust own both sides. We need a period of
collaboration again like we did in the 70's.
Disenfranchised- we haven't had a mayor who has worked with al
l city workers in 20 years. Mayor needs to be accessible and seen. We should
get out of tweed. Doesn't hold ay good memories in our educational system memory.
I am not going to be a mayor who sits back. I will be in schools, visiting
schools seeing what is working. My mom was a NYC public school teachers for 30
years. Change the tone.demonization and finger pointing of teachers needs to
stop. What does letting teachers teach again really mean? You became teachers
to change lives and change the direction of the city. We need a mayor and
chancellor who understand that there probably isn't any harder work than
teaching. My mother gave everything tht she had to her students. Involving and
reaching out to parents and teachers is how to change the tone.
ATR-
1500 teachers floating around. A lot of them are experienced. They are cut
because they cost twice as much as a new teacher. The shift needs to be that
experience does matter. I wan texperienced teachers dealing with our children. One proposal I put forward is to
put experienced teachers in tougher schools, give incentives. This is NOT merit
pay. merit pay hasn't worked anywhere in this nation.
Endorsement-
I know what education can be in NYC. This system that has gone through 4 reorgs
in 8 years. We need to change direction. I want to reempower superintendents. I
want to create parent univeristies. Smaller class size in earlier grades 3-5.
We know this works! Bloomberg wated to be the educational mayor. Well that ship
sailed a long time ago. Education needs to be collaborative. I want NYC to be
the education city. Not the education mayor. Once people looked at us for the
education lead. We exported ideas. It was different. It was about education and
teacher. I want to bring value back to
our public schools. We need to work collaboratively. I realize the most
important thing is who will stand in front of our children every day. I will
win with your help and your support. With our support there is no doubt. My
campaign is surging and catching fire. With your help we will stay above 40
percent and stay out of a runoff. We will be the education city again.
