Upcoming Events
Thu., Jul. 31, 2008Happy Hour with Gov. Bob Wise
Happy hour with former West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise to discuss his new book, Raising the Grade: How High School Reform Can Save our Youth and our Nation.
Location: Boucarou Lounge, 64 E. 1st St. (between First and Second Aves.)
When: 6:00 PM
Tickets/More Info
January 1, 2008
Panderpalooza, Big Apple Style!
It really is a fascinating phenomenon, this whole YouTube thing. It has the potential to make things very difficult for politicians who engage in the age-old practice of letting wackadoo stuff fly out of your mouth to appease your audience.
Last summer, we got to watch the presidential candidates "take one for the team" by pandering up a storm at the National Education Association's annual Representative Assembly in Philly.
Now, courtesty of YouTube we get to watch a prominent NYC politician pimp himself on behalf of the lowest-performing teachers in the NYC schools (the ones even NYC teachers and union leaders complain about!)
Robert Jackson is a City Councilman from Northern Manhattan, chairman of the council's education committee (what used to be an interesting committee, before he took over), and the heart and soul behind the well-intentioned Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit in NYC. In the clip, he comes out strongly against "weeding out the worst teachers" from the classrooms serving the city's 1.1 million public school children.
Perhaps it is worth noting that the elite private school that his daughter attended in NYC probably doesn't put up with teachers who aren't adequately serving the kids. Also worth noting that the lawyers Jackson is protesting only get involved after teachers have an earlier chance to improve their skills.
A recent issue of City Hall newspaper warned us that Jackson is weighing his options since he is term-limited out of the council in 2009. Can't NYC Democrats find politicians who are a bit more pragmatic? (Being a complete hack can't be all that much fun for Jackson either!)
