Bill de Blasio (Photo: Facebook)
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, a likely mayoral candidate in 2013, didn’t mince words when Roberto Perez recently asked him about Mayor Michael Bloomberg and teacher evaluations. The Mayor specifically referred to the United Federation of Teachers in his recent State of the City speech while calling for various education reforms.
“I was very disappointed in the Mayor’s speech, I have to tell you that,” Mr. de Blasio began. “I think the Mayor, after 10 years, has sort of re-declared war on the UFT. And I could not understand why that was productive.”
Mr. de Blasio contrasted Mayor Bloomberg’s style with that of Governor Andrew Cuomo.
“I think Governor Cuomo has shown us what a forceful but still cooperative approach looks like,” he said. “I think he’s gotten a lot done by saying to labor, and saying to a lot of other interests, there’s a way to get on the same page.”
Although Mr. de Blasio also criticized the Mayor on other issues, including paid sick leave, living wage legislation, and fingerprinting food stamp recipients, he did say he was “pleasantly surprised” by Mayor Bloomberg’s call for an increase in the minimum wage. ”I was glad the Mayor called for an increase in the minimum wage,” he said. “Bluntly, it sounded like a pretty minimal increase.”
The comments come as the UFT is engaged in an aggressive $1 million television ad campaign targeting the Mayor.
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It has been the “decade of idiocracy” where many people have been aggravated with layer upon layer of bureaucracy (so much for having a businessman in full control). Much money has been spent on outside consultants or unfriendly website programs. Little money has trickled down into the classroom in the form of technology that could be used daily to help the students learn. Many classrooms still have old chalkboards and teachers still use a piece of chalk to present a lesson. We are, therefore, teaching high technology oriented students with 3000 year old technology. In the past I have dreamed of a desktop computer in front of every student. Then, a laptop in front of every student. Now, an I-pad in front of every student. The idiocrats do not understand – the changes need to be in the classroom, the front lines, not in expanding the bureaucracy in Brooklyn. It has been a very disappointing decade. Many of us were hoping for better results; rather, we received more layer upon layer of paperwork, draining the energy and creativity from dedicated principals, supervisors, and teachers. The DOE is good at spinning the success stories of certain schools (small/charters). However, in an organization as large as the New York City DOE there will always be pockets of success. The DOE chooses to focus on and spin the success schools that adhere to their present policies in regard to school structure. Yes, indeed, it has been the “decade of idiocracy.”