Today everyone is chattering about this sharply worded piece wondering why prominent education historian Diane Ravitch seems to really have it in for Joel Klein in New York City. Kathryn S. Wylde, president & CEO of the Partnership for New York City, lays out a critique comparing Ravitch’s past statements with her recent criticism of the Klein reforms. People should be allowed to change their minds and I assume Ravitch will respond explaining her positions. So stay tuned…it could be a debate as big as New York City!
Update: Second day action. NY Sun’s Elizabeth Green reports that Wylde is in cahoots with city officials, though what Green lays out is hardly unusual, compiling a list of public statements and writing by a critic to document it is not a foul, and Leo Casey attacks. The bigger question is when will Ravitch respond? Rumor is in the NY Post tomorrow…stay tuned. Update II: Rumor true. More here.
UFT’s Leo Casey Wants Open, Lively Debate?
Guess what? He won’t find it at UFT Delegate Assemblies or Executive Board meetings or just about anywhere in the UFT. Here’s what he wrote on Edwize about Kathryn Wylde’s assault on Diane Ravitch:
“Education policy thrives in a vigorous, dynamic public sphere where ideas and initiatives — new and old, good and bad, half-baked and well-formulated — are subjected to open, lively debate and contestation. What is essential in this sphere is that it is the policies, not the persons advocating them, which are the center of debate.”
Nice to know the red-baiting attack on Kit Wainer, Randi Weingarten’s opponent in the last election, by Casey’s Unity Caucus was not personal. Ditto Casey’s attempt to brand an entire opposition Caucus as Nazi sympathizers because of the colors used on their web site.
Casey goes on to say, “It seems that for some, markets should rule all education — except for the free marketplace of ideas. There, their monopoly must go unquestioned and uncriticized.”
The UFT leadership attempts to suppress debate on a consistent basis. How much open, lively debate and contestation was there at the October Delegate Assembly over the merit pay deal as Unity Caucus faithful hooted and hollered to close debate as soon as they could. They rejected attempts by delegates to go back to their schools to discuss the issue before voting.
In the UFT open lively debate consists of springing something on the delegates without any advance notice on the agenda even after months of discussion with the DOE, taking an hour to have the president present it, and “allowing” less than a half hour to talk about it before voting.
Or how when Jeff Kaufman from an opposition caucus rose to amend a resolution there were immediate calls from Casey’s Unity Caucus that he did not have the right to make an amendment, followed by about a hundred violations of Robert’s Rules by Randi Weingarten as she constantly interjected herself while Jeff attempted to talk.
Wylde unfairly called Ravitch hypocritical. Call Casey and the rest of the UFT hierarchy hyper-hypocritical.
Free marketplace of ideas indeed!
Norm Scott
http://ednotesonline.com/
I’m always amused by Leo Casey’s calls for civility. When I quoted the LA Times stating that teachers were throwing tenure out the window, Mr. Casey accused me of making up facts to suit my daily rant. When I reminded him of this on Edwize, his reliable team of censors deleted my comment.
It’s remarkable that Mr. Casey can blatantly libel working, dues-paying UFT members and then repeatedly condemn the politics of personal attack.