PEP Jan. 26: NAACP Mic Turned Off, Sullivan Makes His Point

In this 3:37 second extract, Patrick Sullivan chastises David Chang after mics are turned off from speakers from the NAACP.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR0eHLefS5k

Excuse video quality: Lousy location to shoot from - constantly having to move around to avoid blocking isles, bad lighting, cheap camera and downsized quality for faster processing.

Friday Night Fights! from CAPE

Our pals at CAPE have been monitoring communications between Joel Klein, PEP member extraordinaire Patrick Sullivan, and parent activists - CEC 1 president Lisa Donlan and CEC 15's Jim Devor. Both were at the fantastic parent conference sponsored by Leonie Haimson's Class Size Matters yesterday (Sat.) I have 3 hours of delicious tape. Norman Siegel wowed them all, as did all the others.

I also want to say a few words about the amazing people at CAPE, who are holding a rally in Red Hook on Tuesday at 4:30 on the corner of Richards and Sullivan followed by the Public Hearing (same day 1/19) which begins at 6, sign ups to speak begins at 5:30. If you can make it show them your love for they are standing up for all. I will be there to tape it.

CAPEers have been willing to put themselves on the line. Amazing when we hear about the fear teachers have. Julie, a CAPEer, was one of the signers of the document that led to the court ruling that gave us the right to walk a picket line this Thursday at Bloomberg's residence. It was wonderful to hear Norman Siegel tell her at a meeting Thursday night, "You have me for life for doing this. If there is one hint of retaliation I will be there for you."

I can't tell you how many people contact me with complaints about the union and the DOE but are paralyzed by fear. What does it mean for a 10 year teacher with a long career ahead to take such action? It means the kind of guts and moxie that has been missing from all too many of our colleagues and certainly from our union.

Also, kudos to GEM and ICE member and 11 year teacher Seung Ok for signing on as a contact person for the rally. It was Seung who followed a parent at Maxwell's lead and proposed the demo at Bloomberg's in the first place. Ironic since the Unity Caucus slugs at Maxwell are urging administrators there to "go after" Seung. (Mark my words. Mulgrew will turn out to be as big a thug as any leader in the past.) Whenever I offer to keep Seung's name out of it, he says, "I'm not afraid." There are times his passion causes him to "lose it" at the DA, but there are few people I've met in the last few years who I have more respect for. He is running on the ICE/TJC slate for VP of Vocational Schools (Mulgrew's old position).

The emergence of Julie and the other CAPEers and people like Seung has provided strongly needed rank and file leadership to THE RESISTANCE. Give us even a hundred people like them and we have a game changer.

CAPE says:

What were you doing on Friday night? PEP member Patrick Sullivan, Joel Klein, CAPE members from PS 15, Lisa Donlan from CEC 1 and Jim Devor from CEC 15 were having a lively discussion regarding the forced co-locations and extensions of charter schools in our public schools beyond the agreements made to their respective communities while knowingly, over crowding, shrinking, and undermining, successful community schools. Please take note as to how Mr. Klein completely ignores the parent letters and voice in this discussion. His narrow view of the issue, and lack of attention to any real substance, only highlights the Orwellian nature of the destructive school policies he and his boss propagate across our great city. The public, Borough Presidents and PEP members should take note of the Chancellor's disregard of stakeholder voices. We should all question BloomKlein and their policies, particularly the school closures-charter invasions-drive to privatize movement that they blindly seek to implement. The time is now! Enough is Enough! We must fight to protect public education, the pillar of our democracy. WE are in this for ALL children.
The full transcript is below.
Friday Night Fights!

PEP Rally for Patrick Sullivan

The NYC so-called rubber stamp Board of Education is known as the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP). Most are appointed by Mayor Bloomberg. Five are appointed by the borough presidents. Patrick Sullivan is the Manhattan borough rep and until recently has been the lone voice truly representing parents. At the Dec. PEP meeting held in the north Bronx, Patrick again led the charge, but this time he had some support. A bus company that has been convicted of bribes and a contract for software for prof. development are challenged by Patrick. The crowd responds and Klein, Michael Best, David Chang and the other rubber stamps look nervous. If they want to be rubber stamps let's not let them be comfortable about it. Will future PEP meetings ever be the same?

You know that Der-ick Je-ter chant at Yankee Stadium? When you're done watching this video, chant Pat-rick Sull-i-van, Pat-rick Sull-i-van.

Videos from Panel for Educational Policy

I finally got to cut up all the parts of the tape I made at the Sept. PEP and post them as individual videos (all less than 10 minutes) on you tube. Here are the direct links.

Speakers from the public get 2 minutes to make their point.

TAGNYC (Teacher Advocacy Group) Speak out to Klein.
3 members do a continuous statement lasting over 6 minutes and they make their point.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2LGTWXaPr0

Norm Scott on Teacher Quality at the Sept. PEP
I go over so often to talk about this issue which everyone, especially our union leaders, seems to feel is the key ingredient. Not so - teachers will fit the usual bell curve of quality, just as doctors and lawyers and all other jobs do. Lowering class size will result in an immediate uptick on teacher quality in many cases.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwsO-zoA7o0

Staten Island CEC 31 rep critiques Tweed on SLT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExhZPELoolk

Betsy Combier and Polo Colon have been regulars at the PEP and follow up here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jHY_PPNvx0


Patrick Sullivan is the Manhattan rep on the PEP (one of 5 borough appointees - the rest are appointed by Bloomberg) and can go into questioning in depth.

Patrick Sullivan and Chris Cerf on teacher turnover
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuT0ePlToR8

Patrick Sullivan and James Leibman on parent surveys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11q3uZtePCE

Patrick Sullivan at PEP on Military recruitment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FI9CT8bbEtg

Patrick Sullivan and Christopher Cerf at the PEP

Christopher Cerf, NYCDOE head of Human resources explains a new service of the DOE using some nice jargon - like they "blue skied it." Huh? Patrick Sullivan asks him whether teacher retention/turnover in each school has been accounted for. "No" says Cerf. Wonder why not? But he says it will be. Start holding your breath.

To Cerf/Klein, when many teachers vacate a school they consider it a plus for the principal who got rid of all those senior (expensive) teachers who once felt they had a union and might infect the new teachers with the disease.

Sullivan and Liebman Jousting Match at PEP

Manhattan appointee Patrick Sullivan and Tweed Chief Accountability Officer James Liebman joust at the Panel for Educational Policy meeting in September over the interpretation of parent surveys - do parents want more or less test prep? Were desires for lower class size purposely minimized?

Some of the looks on Patrick's face are priceless as Liebman dissembles.
Are you surprised to see te fog roll in and out as Klein and Liebman talk?
And note Klein's usual attention to his Blackberry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11q3uZtePCE

Military Recruitment Resolution at the PEP in NYC

Patrick Sullivan, Manhattan rep on the Panel for Educational Policy, presents a resolution on military recruitment at the PEP meeting, Sept. 24, 2007. Joel Klein suggests it be tabled. Patrick explains why he wants to have a vote. It loses by a 6-3-1 margin. Patrick compares level of enforcement of cell phone ban to DOE enforcement of military recruitment regs as Patrick gets the last word.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FI9CT8bbEtg

See Patrick Sullivan's report on the meeting:

Note: video removed due to some complaints it slowed the loading of this blog.

A Smoking Bush

Hedging my bets if the post on parochial schools offends the higher powers. Couldn't find a burning bush but found the next best thing in the back yard. Not a bad view from the rear window. One more reason to never leave home.

But, alas, I may have to. Can't resist tonight's PEP meeting at Tweed to watch lone Klein critic on the PEP, Patrick Sullivan, question Klein about the small school grad rates and other goodies. I may even bring along a video camera.