Obama and Duncan heap praise on Bloomberg and Klein and site the latter's efforts at school "reform" in NYC as a model for the country. By "reform" these four gentlemen seem invariably to mean privatization ( in the form of charter schools), and breaking the teachers' union. They don't call it that but they know and we know that that is what they mean.
But does it sound as though the school system described below is capable of even *recognizing* where "reform" might be needed? Much less carrying out said "reform"?
I found this buried on page 68 of today's hard copy of the Daily News ( next to the death notices). The News is published by a billionaire crony of Bloomberg named Morton Zuckerman ( You guessed it: another prominent and virulent anti-union "reformer".) Today's lead editorial( 14 paragraphs!) : ritual trashing of the teachers' union and warnings of dire consequences for the NYS legislature didn't change the education law in NYS to weaken the union and allow for double the # of privatized..... I mean *charter*... schools.
Department of Education backs $206M no-bid bus contract with bribe-linked Logan Bus Company
by Rachel Monahan
daily news staff writer
Friday, December 18th 2009, 4:00 AM
*
A City Department of Education panel gave the green light to a $206 million no-bid contract with Logan Bus Co., whose employees bribed city inspectors and a mobbed-up union.
A lawyer representing eight other bus companies - including Amboy Bus Co. and Pioneer Transportation Corp. - immediately said they would file suit to block the contract.
"What you are being asked to do is wrong," lawyer Steven Shore warned panel members before the vote. "In direct return for ... unlawful payments, Logan received awards of numerous bus routes."
After being given immunity from prosecution, Logan Bus Co. owner Michael Tonabe confessed to the FBI that his employees greased palms to secure more bus routes.
Read more:
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/12/18/2009-12-18_educrats_ok_bus_deal_with_bribelinked_firm.html#ixzz0a618DzIz