Well now that we've got all the platitudes and seats at the table Hillary could dig out of her AFT tote bag and fling off the back of the USS Pantsuit I feel my innate teacher cynicism approaching Diogenesian proportions.
At NEApalooza Hill has publicly thrown down against those nasty money grubbing charter schools and all of the no goodniks who dare to profit on the backs of children unfortunate enough to be enrolled in these high stakes testing madrassas. But she's not against the good charters, you know those other ones that are nice to kids and pay teachers well and ummm, well, I mean, yeah -- those! Yeah she thinks those are swell! None of the teachers in the audience at NEA's farcical gala seemed to know what the hell she was talking about either but there were some teachers who booed her passive aggressive mention of "good charters."
Color me amused too by the frantic tweets from BATs HQ desperately trying to distance themselves from anti Hillary chanting and cat calls. Word is they are looking into rebranding themselves PoliteAss Teachers. The one goddamned time these weenies should have raised holy hell with a mic check or an all out raucous call and response chant and what do they do? Squeak, squeak...
But I hope you all see how Hillary operates my dear pedagogues. It's the same exact bullshit she pulled here in New York when NYSUT handed her a mic and she promptly laid a big wet kiss on Andy Cuomo's arse. Here's how it works peasants: Your union "leadership" flings themselves at candidate Clinton with premature nominations that were nothing more than some shadowy cabal of bootlickers and hangers on voting Aye! on Weingarten and Lily's command. Rank and file are completely shut out of the process but are welcome to come hear the unindicted one's half hearted promises of better pay and teacher input on policy in a Clinton administration. But make no mistake plebians you are going to have your noses rubbed in the dirt before Hillary Clinton drops the mic (how Mulgrewesque). She did it at the NYSUT RA with that Cuomo is a great guy crack, then tried to browbeat the grumblers in the crowd with an imperious shrug and a Heyyyyyy, c'mon... At NEA's hoedown she plants a bit wet one on the charter lobby's arse. Think that wasn't intentional? Think it was some kind of Freudian slip? It was Hillary's own version of the dog whistle the other guys use when they want to make racial slurs. Except in this case Hillary is signaling all the dozing dogs of DFER and their compadres to say don't think my slumming with these dopes means anything. You are still my boys!
And forgive me again but I am going to commit a repeat blasphemy when I say I am really not losing any sleep chasing my fellows down to sign a petition that demands Hillary meet with Diane Ravitch. How can you not love Saint Diane? She can be a great asset and a powerful advocate. Problem is though she still thinks Randi Weingarten is a union firebrand while all of the sentient teachers I know who keep themselves informed know Wienie as a poser and an opportunist who could have taught General Dostum of Uzbekistan a few tricks about switching sides in the middle of a battle. It's as if DR still believes in Santa Claus and we are either unable to break through her denial or afraid the truth would devastate her. I saw this tweet the other day and bless her heart cause I know it's in the right place.
At NEApalooza Hill has publicly thrown down against those nasty money grubbing charter schools and all of the no goodniks who dare to profit on the backs of children unfortunate enough to be enrolled in these high stakes testing madrassas. But she's not against the good charters, you know those other ones that are nice to kids and pay teachers well and ummm, well, I mean, yeah -- those! Yeah she thinks those are swell! None of the teachers in the audience at NEA's farcical gala seemed to know what the hell she was talking about either but there were some teachers who booed her passive aggressive mention of "good charters."
Color me amused too by the frantic tweets from BATs HQ desperately trying to distance themselves from anti Hillary chanting and cat calls. Word is they are looking into rebranding themselves PoliteAss Teachers. The one goddamned time these weenies should have raised holy hell with a mic check or an all out raucous call and response chant and what do they do? Squeak, squeak...
But I hope you all see how Hillary operates my dear pedagogues. It's the same exact bullshit she pulled here in New York when NYSUT handed her a mic and she promptly laid a big wet kiss on Andy Cuomo's arse. Here's how it works peasants: Your union "leadership" flings themselves at candidate Clinton with premature nominations that were nothing more than some shadowy cabal of bootlickers and hangers on voting Aye! on Weingarten and Lily's command. Rank and file are completely shut out of the process but are welcome to come hear the unindicted one's half hearted promises of better pay and teacher input on policy in a Clinton administration. But make no mistake plebians you are going to have your noses rubbed in the dirt before Hillary Clinton drops the mic (how Mulgrewesque). She did it at the NYSUT RA with that Cuomo is a great guy crack, then tried to browbeat the grumblers in the crowd with an imperious shrug and a Heyyyyyy, c'mon... At NEA's hoedown she plants a bit wet one on the charter lobby's arse. Think that wasn't intentional? Think it was some kind of Freudian slip? It was Hillary's own version of the dog whistle the other guys use when they want to make racial slurs. Except in this case Hillary is signaling all the dozing dogs of DFER and their compadres to say don't think my slumming with these dopes means anything. You are still my boys!
And forgive me again but I am going to commit a repeat blasphemy when I say I am really not losing any sleep chasing my fellows down to sign a petition that demands Hillary meet with Diane Ravitch. How can you not love Saint Diane? She can be a great asset and a powerful advocate. Problem is though she still thinks Randi Weingarten is a union firebrand while all of the sentient teachers I know who keep themselves informed know Wienie as a poser and an opportunist who could have taught General Dostum of Uzbekistan a few tricks about switching sides in the middle of a battle. It's as if DR still believes in Santa Claus and we are either unable to break through her denial or afraid the truth would devastate her. I saw this tweet the other day and bless her heart cause I know it's in the right place.
But C'mon Diane, who are you directing this at? Me? Jim Horn? Kevin Glynn? Or any of the other disillusioned and battle hardened chalkboard grunts who know what's really going on? Is it intended to convince the hundreds of thousands of teacher Berniecrats whose voices were drowned out by Weingarten's Hillary endorsement that Randi is kind of like Bernie but with a worse haircut? Seriously, who is the target audience for this rhetorical spitball? I am baffled. What I am clear on though is Diane Ravitch's message is the same. Randi's great and Hillary's going to be great too just as soon as she sits down for a latte' with Diane Ravitch. It feels to this pedagogue like Diane Ravitch is trying to back door those of us who still haven't forgiven Weingarten for that phony endorsement by showing us Weingarten attempting to engage in some Bernie like anti-corporate activism. Forgive me if I don't buy it. Ravitch pumping up Randi Weingarten as a friend of the working schlub and showing us what a mensch she can be is like your mom telling you she's buying you Roebucks instead of Levi's cause they're just as good plus she can put them on her Sear's card. Thanks Mom, Love you. No, really I am going to wear them just not today...
I am not signing the petition. I am not marching in DC. I am tired of watching the sheep march to the slaughter. I am confused by the simultaneous support of ESSA and opt out. Had the test and punish machine not been reauthorized, opt out would have passed into the bin of history. HRC will outdo a Race to the Top with more goodies for those high quality "not for profit" charters and more bullets for the army of traditionally credentialed teachers.
ReplyDeleteAbigail Shure
Your Bat paragraph had me in stitches, Sean. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, DR's relationship with RW is a serious flaw that stains her brand, dammit.
Clinton is the greatest threat. Ever.
ReplyDeleteShe already has the connection to do serious damage. I agree
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