Diane Ravitch, Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos

According to Jim Hightower, yellow stripes and dead armadillos are the only things you'll find in the middle of the road. And yet Jessica Levin, happily bad-mouthing Diane Ravitch over at Huffington Post, paints corporate reformers as occupying some middle ground. Levin, ruminating on Ravitch's book while showing little to no evidence she understands it, actually cites Michelle Rhee as one of these moderate voices. I'm reminded of another quote:

When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him.

~Jonathan Swift

Ms. Levin appears to represent one of the first dunces to venture forth into the arena after having purported to read Ravitch's book. Levin finds hitherto unsung nuance in reforminess:

Ravitch claims all education reformers are bent on promoting privatization, vouchers, and for-profit schools. However, most of those I interviewed have little faith in market solutions to improve schools systemically. They won't actively oppose vouchers because they refuse to tell poor parents what they wouldn't tolerate hearing themselves: "Your kids must stay in this failing school while we spend a decade trying to fix it." But many talked about vouchers and for-profits as distractions more than game changers. 

So let's understand this. The corporate reformers oppose vouchers, but won't say they do. The important thing is what they think, not what they do, and of course to move the kids from so-called failing schools. Whether or not they address the underlying issues that cause low test scores, like poverty, learning disabilities, or lack of English, is of no consequence. Whether the schools prove better, equal, or worse than the "failing" schools is also unimportant. Note also that Levin says nothing whatsoever to suggest these "moderates" oppose privatization or for-profit schools in any way whatsoever. Yet she has the audacity to refer to Ravitch as "simplistic." Simplistic is a word I'd use for anyone uncritically viewing Levin's piece.

Levin further contends that reformy folk does not overemphasize testing. I'm not sure which astral plane Ms. Levin resides in, but in this one high-stakes tests determine whether or not schools stay open, and whether or not teachers remain employed. Levin praises Race to the Top, which enables this. She seems blissfully unaware there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that there is any validity whatsoever to value-added ratings.

Even as Teach for America inductees actively steal the jobs of laid-off Chicago teachers, Levin musters the audacity to suggest that it does not endorse any radical agenda, and implies that Ravitch is delusional to suggest anything of the sort.  Doubtless if scab labor took Levin's job, or jobs or her friends and family, she'd beam with approval.

What really amazes me about this column is the complete and utter ignorance of the role of unions. Levin characterizes them as obstructionist, but I've watched as my union embraced mayoral control, and then supported it again after it was fairly well-established as an anti-democratic disaster. UFT had a hand in writing the state evaluation law and boasted that "objective" measures only made up 40% of a teacher rating. They must have forgotten that any teacher failing that 40% must be rated ineffective overall. UFT supported charters, and even co-located to start one. UFT supported a failed merit pay program. Of course, that's not all that unique, since all such programs have failed. And UFT supports Common Core, which adds yet another layer of testing to the tangled web that appears to have eluded Ms. Levin.

If this is the best they can muster against Diane Ravitch, they'd better hope that absolutely no one reads her new book.

Thank Goodness for Private Insurance Companies

Of course, there are many reasons we should be grateful. The thoughtful and reflective individual at left offers but one point of view (though I personally was not aware Mr. Frank was a medical doctor, let alone the questionable quality of the services he appears to offer). The United States now stands alone among industrialized countries as the last bastion against that awful universal health coverage that's infected our neighbors. Thank heavens for that:

An Oklahoma man who lost an eye and a leg in Iraq says the giant insurance company AIG refused to provide him a new plastic leg and fought to keep from paying for a wheelchair or glasses for the eye in which he has 30 percent vision.

It's an honor to bail out AIG, as I suppose they're finally showing precisely what they're going to save money on. And regularly enlisted soldiers ought to know that President Obama, like his predecessors, doesn't plan to waste federal money on making sure they get VA coverage either. Not only can't we cover everyone, like most countries, but we can't even cover those who've risked their lives fighting our wars.

Nonetheless, we've got billions to bail out insurance companies that nickel and dime us over whether or not they should provide us the coverage they actually get paid for.

And if you like the way AIG protects its profits, just wait until GHI-HIP is allowed to convert to "for-profit" status. Part-time UFT President Randi Weingarten thinks that's a great idea, but wants to make sure her patronage mill gets a sufficient portion of the IPO before throwing her support behind it.

So finally, we city workers can have the sort of private insurance our neighbors have. Lucky us. If you run into Ms. Weingarten, don't hesitate to thank her in advance.

Watch Your Step

Emblem Health, which you may know better as GHI or HIP, has resubmitted its proposal for privatization. This is very bad news for the overwhelming majority of NYC employees. Don't count on support from the UFT because Randi Weingarten's prime concern is how much cash the IPO will bring her well-oiled patronage mill.

If you're looking for someone who supports working people, check over here for the coalition to save our health care. They're more than happy to tell you what you can do to help. Evidence suggests that privatization benefits only the shareholders, and does so by passing higher costs onto policy holders, i.e. you and me.

This is the biggest issue facing working city employees right now. In 05 Ms. Weingarten demonstrated her willingness to give away virtually every gain the union had made over thirty years for a compensation increase that failed to meet cost of living. Sacrificing our health care, however, goes beyond the pale.

When her minions come to visit your school, remind them their job is to fence off the cliff, rather than push us over it.

Tragedy!

Poor William L. Jews. His compensation package for leaving his position as CareFirst CEO has been cut by more than half. This means Mr. Jews will not get the $18 million severance he was expecting, but will receive less than 9 million bucks. Can you imagine having to get by on just shy of 9 million bucks? I mean, you can't even buy a decent Santa Barbara estate for that kind of money anymore.

Why was this outrage perpetrated? Well, it seems CareFirst is a nonprofit health provider, like New York's GHI and HIP:

In a 65-page order, state Insurance Commissioner Ralph S. Tyler wrote that CareFirst's board had violated a 2003 state law requiring executive pay for the nonprofit to meet a "fair and reasonable" standard. The decision marks the first test of the law, which was passed by legislators furious with Jews for trying to convert CareFirst to a for-profit entity and sell it to a California company.

The proposed deal to sell CareFirst included $39 million in potential bonuses for Jews and led to sharp criticism over the insurer's pay to executives, which helped to scuttle the deal. While executive pay has skyrocketed on Wall Street, lawmakers and regulators have argued that CareFirst should be held to a different standard. The company is the region's largest insurer, but its nonprofit status means that its mission should be to provide affordable and accessible health insurance, they contend.

So that, apparently, is the problem. Had Mr. Jews been successful in converting the company to "for-profit" status, he'd have been able to collect his 18 mil, and policy holders would have been left to pay the tab one way or another. In fact, NYC employees, most of whom are covered under GHI and HIP, are facing a very similar situation.

UFT/ AFT President Randi Weingarten is fighting privatization right now. That's because she'd like a larger share of the IPO to feed her Unity/New Action patronage mill, which now has to sputter by on less than a hundred million per annum. And heartbreaking though her situation may be, the fact is that "for-profit" status will most certainly mean price-hikes and care reduction for most of the city's employees.

There is an intrepid group of teachers fighting this money grab and you can find them right here. Here is their most recent newsletter. And here's something you can do tonight, if you're so inclined:

Our next meeting is Friday July 18th at 6:30pm at 339 Lafayette St. Buzzer #11 Please email us at noprivatization@yahoo.com or call (718) 869-2279

If you're a teacher, don't be afraid to reach out and let Ms. Weingarten know you oppose privatization. Ms. Weingarten, living in a rah-rah Unity cocoon, is blissfully unaware that there are working teachers who can envision the future. Her double-pensioned sycophants are not about to educate her, so it's up to us.

We are teachers, after all. But you're also doing it for the police, the firefighters, and all the hard-working people that make the city what it is.

A Worthwhile Reform

Eduwonk has a very thoughtful post about the possibility of using adjunct teachers to help out where needed. I was leaning against this idea until he mentioned that a rational health care system might make it easier. With that, I couldn't agree more. I happen to work as an adjunct, but I certainly couldn't afford to do so in lieu of my regular gig, which provides me and my family with health insurance.

In fact, I know people who work as paraprofessionals not for the salary, but simply for the insurance. I was speaking with one and telling her she might do better as a teacher.

"Teach?" she said. "Who needs those headaches?" And if that's how she feels, she shouldn't do it. Of course, if she didn't need the insurance she might be able to afford doing something she liked better.

Here's my response to Eduwonk:

Amen to your notion of a rational health care system. I think if we were to have such a thing, we’d have a lot more common ground on educational issues. Many things would be possible in a country like that, and I hope we live in such a place one of these days.

The reality, though, is UFT President Randi Weingarten is looking at privatizing the NYC healthcare network, and her prime reservations seem to relate to how big a cut will reach union coffers and a very short-sighted temporary stop on turning over the company. It’s sad Ms. Weingarten feels she can’t operate her patronage mill on a piddling 80 million a year.

Still, it’s remarkable that her myopic vision indicates teachers need what the rest of the country has. Particularly in terms of health care, the rest of the country needs what teachers have, and the sooner the better.

Let's say a prayer that Ms. Weingarten doesn't get her way and sell us off for the usual pittance she manages to negotiate. I'd say more money to pay her propagandists and sycophants ought to receive the lowest possible priority from working teachers (who might get sick one of these days).

The Letter

Dear GHI/HIP subscriber:

As you know, GHI and HIP have merged. Therefore, we're delighted to be able to offer you the benefits of both companies. GHI subscribers will now be able to visit HIP doctors and hospitals with no copay, and HIP subscribers will now have access to the GHI network of providers if they wish to pay the copays.

Did you receive that letter? Me neither. That's because this merger was not done to benefit subscribers. It's the precursor to a "for-profit" status, or privatizing your health care. The benefits of privatization consist primarily of an IPO. This may bring cash to the UFT, which now has to squeak by on as little as 80 million a year. Heartbreaking though that may be, if your heart were to break, literally, you'd need to get it fixed on even less.

GHI/HIP privatization is the single most unconscionable and witless venture Ms. Weingarten and her merry patronage mill have ever embarked upon. It's bound to hurt union members and their families if no one stops them. Check Save Our Health Care on a regular basis. Find out the status of the privatization grab, and find out where demonstrations will be held this Saturday, July 12th.

Sleep With One Eye Open

That may be good advice for working people in New York City. GHI and HIP are embroiled in a project to merge and adopt "for-profit" status. It's hard for any objective soul to imagine privatization will benefit those of us, 90% of city employees, who utilize these services.

When Americans can't get insurance because of pre-existing conditions, when the number one cause of bankruptcy is catastrophic medical emergency, and when people are literally dying because they are uninsured, more "for-profit" entities are hardly the answer.

You'd think that union leaders would be looking out for their members. But you'd be sorely mistaken. There's a huge windfall here in the form of an IPO, and union leaders have an eye on precisely who will be reaping the considerable profits:

The municipal unions are also looking to share in what has been estimated as up to a $5 billion windfall from an IPO if the new company becomes a for-profit. There was actually some internal friction a couple of years ago after a group of uniformed union presidents led by Sergeants' Benevolent Association head Edward Mullins supported a bill in Albany that would have allowed Service Employees International Union Local 1199 to share in a significant piece of the windfall if HIP became a for-profit. While Local 1199 is one of the state's largest unions and a political powerhouse in Albany, it represents only about 2,000 city workers, and there were concerns expressed by Ms. Weingarten and others that it might wind up with a disproportionate share of the IPO money.

The amount of money the unions receive is not remotely as important as maintaining affordable and adequate coverage for working people. I see precious little evidence Ms. Weingarten and other union leaders are giving this adequate consideration. It's true Ms. Weingarten has written tepid missives hoping that the company would not be sold (at least not immediately):

...rumors persist that upon conversion there will be a “flip” of both the management and control of the converted entity. That is unacceptable. At a minimum, a multi-year “freeze” must be imposed as a condition to the grant of any approval.

Once again, though, Ms. Weingarten's chronic myopia fails to protect working people. Not to belabor the obvious, but what happens after this "freeze?" Ms. Weingarten brought us the ATR mess, and endorsed an entirely ineffectual "hold harmless" clause which failed to help the hundreds of teachers now caught in this unnecessary limbo. She also declared victory on the class size issue on the basis of a nebulous unenforceable law that proved 100% ineffectual.

And here's a little more of Ms. Weingarten's letter, looking to enrich union coffers:

As I noted in my February 8 letter, our initial concern remains that if the state, through your agency, approves conversion, both New York City and its unions must share in the proceeds since it was their assets and business that made possible the current financial viability of HIP-GHI. Any approval, therefore, must make provision therefore.

There is certainly monetary benefit for shareholders in "for-profit" status. But it doesn't take a genius to know who will pay so others may benefit. Now Ms. Weingarten, who makes many times the salary of any teacher, has little reason for concern. But you and I had better keep an eye on her.

Ms. Weingarten is much admired by Rod "The NEA is a terrorist organization" Paige because she gave Mayor Bloomberg everything but the kitchen sink in 2005 (She's saving the sink for his successor). Whether or not she worries about the welfare of those she ostensibly represents, her complete and utter lack of foresight is ignored at our peril.

And, no kidding, our very lives are at stake.

Documents? We Don't Need No Stinking Documents!

As NYC Educator posted yesterday, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli found in an audit that the KIPP Academy Charter School in the Bronx paid nearly $70,000 dollars for staff development trips to the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.

KIPPsters claim donated private funds were used for the overseas staff development trips but according to the report "auditors could not determine if this was the case because donated funds were not accounted for separately from state aid."

Lack of documentation seems to be a chronic problem with the KIPP Academy. The state audit also found the following deficiencies:

* lack of documentation of criminal background checks for seven employees at the school;
* an unclear policy regarding the competitive bidding process that resulted in the awarding of four contracts totaling in $181,584 without the benefit of competition;
* no written policies and procedures to determine and approve salary increases;
* missing or incomplete overtime records;
* no system to track employees’ sick or personal leave accruals; and
* no written policies and procedures or Board approval for employee bonus and stipend pay.

Notice how the KIPPsters just can't seem to provide much documentation for how they hire people, what kind of criminal background checks they do on hirees, how they pay them, how they dole out bonuses, how they dole out no-bid contracts or how they track sicktime/overtime.

Apparently the KIPP Academy Charter School in the Bronx, supported by free-market proponents who want to privatize public education in order to bring the efficiencies of the free market to the public education sphere, have taken the whole free enterprise thing to heart and are running the school with "Enron-style accounting."

You remember Enron-style accounting. That's where business CEOs and boards lie, cheat and steal from stockholders/customers all the while living high off the hog on their ill-gotten largess. You keep the documentation to a minimum, put all the bad stuff "off the books" so that regulators don't see it and have another drink on the poor suckers who don't know any better.

Currently Enron-style accounting is back in the news because many financial institutions like Citigroup, Wachovia, WaMu, JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Bear Sterns and Merrill Lynch are using the "off the books" documentation method to avoid having to list billions of dollars of losses they've taken in the mortgage mess.

Apparently the post-Enron, post-Tyco, Post-WorldCom, post-Adelphia regulation that free marketers are always complaining about (Sarbanes-Oxley) didn't actually take care of the fuzzy documentation problem on Wall Street. Eventually these venerated financial institutions will probably have to acknowledge they've lost billions, but for now they play a game of hide and seek with the losses.

And KIPPsters, backed by Wall Street CEOs and hedge fund managers who have created and/or enabled this fuzzy documentation environment where truth is held off the books and money losses do not become real until you acknowledge them, have learned their lessons well from their free market masters.

Keep the bad stuff off the books. Keep as little documentation as possible. Complain about regulation. Shrug when regulators come and ask for the documentation. Extol the free market. Continue to hand out the no-bid, no-competition contracts. And most importantly, cheat the poor suckers who are providing you with the money for your operations.

POSTSCRIPT: One of the more disturbing findings in the audit is that the KIPP Academy couldn't provide documentation for the criminal background checks of seven employees.

The school lists 25 employees on its website, so they couldn't provide auditors with criminal background check documentation for 28% of the staff!

I don't know about you, but in this day and age I don't think I'd want to send my kid to a school where they don't know if the math teacher is an upstanding citizen or a felon.

Apparently the boys and girls running KIPP don't have the same concerns.

More Than Meets the Eye

This story got my attention, but not enough of it. Now-bankrupt Platform Learning got over 63 million bucks for tutoring, though the no-bid contract from Tweed projected a mere 7.6 million. When you look a little closer at the Platform Learning Leadership Team, you find that both of its major executives are former employees of Edison Schools.

Despite the repeated insistence of DoE employees from Chancellor Joel Klein on down that they are not privatizing NYC schools, there is a definite pattern emerging here. When you consider that Joel Klein saw fit to appoint former Edison Schools president Christopher Cerf (who conveniently sold his interest in Edison only the day before he took questions from a parents' group) deputy chancellor, it doesn't take a Sherlock Holmes to figure what the pattern is, either.

When you consider the city paid Platform more than it would've cost to preserve the use of Randall's Island for New York City's 1.1 million schoolchildren, the priorities of this administration become crystal clear.

I only wish the residents of this city, along with the New York Times, would clean their windshields a little so they could see too. Fiscally bankrupt is one thing. Morally bankrupt is altogether different, and our kids deserve better.

Gracias al ángel misterioso