Oppose
the Elimination of Elected Governance! Last week, as tens of thousands of students were to be denied high school diplomas by a government that has failed to meet its responsibility to provide education, New York passed legislation imposing a control board on the city of Buffalo. The board will have sweeping powers over all aspects of city life including layoffs, contracts, public education, and all finances. The state is trying to justify the attack on elected governance by repeating that the main issue is one of "no money," just as it also tries to cover-up its inability to govern by reducing last week's Regents testing fiasco to "technical problems." In both cases, the real issue is one of who is in control and who and what is being represented. One of the aims of the control board is to target city workers, teachers, and their unions, imposing more cuts and layoffs. Revealing that it is government that is failing to represent the people, the main aim of the board, written into law, is to guarantee millions in payments to the banks. The board may well be a "model" for other cities in New York and across the country. It may also be a means to further eliminate governance through regional mergers. Given this reality, one cannot help but wonder if the state's arbitrary labeling of schools as "failures" is also a means to justify more cuts and elimination of School Boards. Statewide more people are countering these attacks and demanding Cancel the Debts to the Banks! Stop Paying the Rich! Increase Funding for Social Programs! A key feature of the Buffalo control board is that it eliminates elected governance in the city. In effect the current government bodies will exist but have been swept from power. The office of the Mayor, Common Council and School Board will be reduced to mere consultative roles with no decision making power. Without any authority from the people a coup took place that transferred all power to a state control board run by the banks. Not one elected city official said a peep in protest. The whole situation reveals the crisis that politicians who serve the aims of the rich face - with no solutions, they increasingly show themselves as unfit to govern. In this light, labeling generations of youth "failures" is an effort to train them to submit to the outright dictate of the banks through executive authority. "Failures" cannot govern, cannot represent the people - true enough, but it is the rich who are the failures, having proven themselves unable to govern, incapable of solving any problem. The rich are utilizing the control board to try and resolve the crisis in their favor, by eliminating elected governance. For the people to solve the crisis in their favor, what is needed is increasing their representation and decision-making role. There is a crying need for the collectives of the people themselves to advance the fight for democracy. This means that teachers and education workers, students and youth, and their parents, along with all the collectives of the people, must not only oppose the elimination of elected governance but also become politicians themselves so as to change the character of representation at this time. This direction was evident in the demand that Education Commissioner Mills get out, and that students, teachers and parents get in . to make the decisions! Educators, students and parents already know from the experience of the last week that representation begins by taking stands in favor of the people, demanding an end to the state's arbitrary "standards" and an increase in funding for schools now! EDUCATION NEWS Rochester Over 300 students, teachers, school administrators, parents, activists, and others from Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse converged at East High School, Rochester, at 3:30pm, Tuesday, June 24, for a spirited one-hour rally to condemn and oppose the arbitrary standards and scoring schemes of the state's punitive testing regime. Together they demanded immediate actions to reverse the harm caused by the latest round of testing and to find solutions that raise the level of education, not lower it. Rochester Regents' Revolt was the title of the rally, with the hundreds present representing many thousands more statewide demanding that education meet the needs of the youth and that arbitrary standards and testing be eliminated. This year an exceptionally large number of students across the state were to be denied graduation based solely on the June 2003 Math A and Physics Regents exams. Both exams were given June 17. Far from learning from the experience of last year where hundreds were denied graduation, the state persisted in imposing tests and scoring schemes that are becoming more arbitrary each year. Some schools had hundreds take the test and none pass. Wealthier schools also saw large percentages who did not pass. Across the state, parents and teachers are giving one example after the other of how "high stakes" testing is contributing to lowering the level of education and devastating the youth. The injustice and opposition to this most recent attack was such that State Education Commissioner Richard Mills decided to scrap the test for seniors. Superintendent of Fairport Schools, Dr. William Cala, said he was not satisfied with the commissioner's decision, explaining, "We have major issues with the ninth and the tenth graders as well." Cala added that the exams and testing in general are damaging for everyone. "Our demands are: Throw out the exam and throw out Mills," he said. The hundreds who came out in protest June 24, after Mills' decision, reflect not only the widespread anger with the arbitrary testing but also with the state's inability to solve any of the problems of education. One after another teachers, parents, and others at the rally expressed their outrage and demanded alternatives. Math and Physics teachers spoke about the devastation caused to students and teachers alike by "high stakes" testing, pointing out how the state's arbitrary standards and scoring schemes have nothing to do with modern education. Parents also spoke to the harm caused to the youth from the intense emotional and psychological duress the arbitrary testing imposes. They are faced with having their year's work dismissed based on a single test which itself is not representative of the knowledge students require. Assemblyman David Koon, D-Perinton, who attended the rally, also said Mills' decision did not address deeper flaws in the education system. Those at the rally and people protesting statewide are demanding increased funding for education and elimination of the arbitrary tests and standards, whose main role is to lower the level of education and force more youth out of school. Some are also making the connection between the current situation of permanent war abroad, forcing youth out of school through testing regimes, and laws mandating increased military recruiting in schools. Together, people are demanding Education is a Right! They want Mills out and students, parents and teachers in, to make the decisions. New
York State Regents Exam By the end of the week of June 16-20, schools across New York reported that fewer than half and often not even a quarter of students passed the Math A Regents. Under the state's arbitrary requirements, students who do not pass these tests, regardless of their year-long work, are denied high school diplomas. A massive outpouring of resistance has met this year's injustice. Teachers, parents and students have provided many examples showing that teaching to the tests is directly lowering education. They have also denounced use of the tests to target the students, blaming them for the failure of the state to provide the education needed and demanded. Everywhere, people are persisting in demanding the elimination of the "high stakes" testing and arbitrary standards for graduation. They want the level of education raised and are demanding the funds necessary for this. According to a letter from Rochester City School District Superintendent Manuel Rivera, "Zero out of 300 students passed the exam" at Wilson Magnet High School, "a school ranked 49th in the nation by Newsweek Magazine." He further reported that 25 out of 300 students passed the exam at East High School; 24 out of 103 students passed the exam at Franklin High School and 6 out of 221 students passed the exam at Marshall High School. "Suburban and rural districts are seeing similar results," according to Rochester's Democrat & Chronicle. Bob Lowry, associate director of the state Council of School Superintendents remarked, "It's not just a handful of people. It appears to be happening all over the state." He added, "There are fairly affluent suburban districts that are reporting passing rates at 20 percent." Last year, as many as 281 Buffalo seniors - or nearly 14 percent of the graduating class - were denied graduation based solely on the Math A Regents exam. Educators and students statewide report that the exam was unduly difficult, unrelated to the curriculum, and incoherent in many areas and sections. They add that the test in no way serves to measure the level of education students have attained. Educators also continued to oppose the physics and social studies exams as arbitrary and destructive. They said the Math A Regents fiasco simply more sharply revealed the problems with the entire testing regime in New York State. People are demanding in ever-greater numbers an immediate halt to this punitive, humiliating and anti-enlightenment set-up. Following the widespread condemnation of these attacks on education, the NYS Education Department, in a memo e-mailed to superintendents around the state, denied the stand of parents, students and teachers that the testing is arbitrary. Instead, the Department promised to send the tests back to the test designers for validation. James A. Kadamus, Deputy Commissioner of the State Education Department, said, "We are confident that the test is consistent with the approved test design and assesses the mathematics content required by the NYS learning standards." The following day, Kadamus sent a memo to public school superintendents and charter school administrators informing them that, "At the direction of Commissioner Mills, SED [State Education Department] is conducting a series of analyses in response to the concerns raised regarding the June 2003 Math A Regents exam." In an effort to block growing opposition to the state's arbitrary testing and standards, he diverted attention to technical issues. "Our analyses will focus on three issues: the difficulty of individual items, the cumulative difficulty of the items, and a comparison of student performance across exam administrations," according to the New York State School Boards Association website. As educators, parents and students increasingly organized themselves to defend their rights, Commissioner Mills finally admitted June 24 that the Math A Regents exam had problems. "I think we made some mistakes with this exam," he said in a statement. "It's up to us to identify and correct them." He blatantly ignored the stand of educators and youth that the problem is the arbitrary standards and testing regime themselves. As one person put it, "This situation is unacceptable, and we are taking action now to protect the children." In an effort to block the demand for elimination of the arbitrary standards and lessen the outrage with this year's results, Mills is allowing districts to disregard the Math A exam scores and instead use local math class grades for seniors. Younger students will be required to take the exam after another year of study, news sources report. Few were fooled by this action and hundreds demonstrated the very next day, advancing their demand to eliminate arbitrary standards and increase funding for education now. Kick
Military Out of Schools! In New York and California this past week, the high toll on youth of "high-stakes" arbitrary state testing and the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) showed itself, as thousands of youth were denied graduation while being welcomed into the military. While the arbitrary and unjust attack on youth with the "high stakes" testing is well-known and increasingly opposed, the military testing occurring in high schools is not as well known. It is being greatly increased, alongside the increased recruitment directly in the high schools mandated by the NCLB. The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is administered through out the country. Neither schools nor the military are required to notify parents of the testing and much of it is done without the knowledge or consent of parents. Last year, the ASVAB was administered to 1.25 million students in 14,000 high schools, about 90,000 more students than took the ACT college entrance exam. The test is a recruitment tool. Its results, along with student information and a questionnaire concerning the students' future plans, are turned over to the military for recruitment purposes. It is estimated that at least 25% of those taking the test will be recruited into one of the branches of the military. Recruiters are especially targeting those most vulnerable - those forced out of school, with no job prospects and unable to afford college. Numerous increased financial incentives, bribes, have been provided. In addition, the military has started giving themselves a "civilian" face in the schools, sending retired military veterans into the schools as "civilians." The No Child Left Behind Act as well as a military bill further facilitate recruitment by requiring all high schools to turn over student information. The law also includes provisions to cut federal funding to schools that do not comply with the military. While the law allows for parents to "opt out," it is becoming clear that this is not a real option for large numbers of people. The schools either do not inform parents, or do so only after they have already turned over the information. The Salt Lake Tribune, for example, recently reported that several school districts turned over complete lists of all seniors to the military without notifying parents. Then, the following term, when they finally informed parents of the option to "opt out," they did so after the information had been sent. The "opt out" also requires parents to tell the schools no, instead of the normal requirement of the school being required to get permission from the parents before acting. OPPOSE ELIMINATION OF ELECTED GOVERNANCE For
Your Information On June 20, the New York State Legislature passed legislation imposing a control board on Buffalo, the state's second largest city. The Board will take power July 3. The bill itself was crafted behind closed doors June 16, by the well-known trio of enforcers for the banks, Governor George Pataki, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno. The board is to control the City of Buffalo, the Buffalo Schools and other related city bodies such as the Municipal Housing Authority. It will have sweeping powers to dictate cuts to social programs, layoffs, wage cuts and veto contracts. To accomplish this coup, the State is "legalizing" the board's usurping the authority of the city's elected representatives. The board's powers are detailed in Senate Bill S5695, introduced June 19. City Workers, Teachers & Unions A press release from the Governor's office listing the board's powers includes: - Downsizing the City and school district workforce, and imposing a hiring and/or wage freeze, irrespective of existing contracts. - Accepting or rejecting any new collective bargaining agreement involving the City or the School District, as well as participating in the binding arbitration process for contracts. The timing of the board's imposition means that in the next year, the board will have power over contract negotiations with almost the entire city and school workforce. The majority of city workers, members of AFSCME Local 264, have been without a contract since June 2002, and are now going to binding arbitration. Water department workers with Teamsters Local 265 and city engineers have also been without a contract since June 2002. All school district contracts including that for teachers will expire June 30, 2004, and at least two other contracts with city employees will expire at the end of the 2003-04 fiscal year. The board has veto power over any contract agreed to. Guaranteeing Payments to Banks While Cutting Social Programs The premise of the Board is that "maintenance of a balanced budget by the City of Buffalo is a matter of overriding state concern." Throughout the legislation reference is made to a "balanced budget," closing the "spending gap." The mechanisms of the control board make clear that: 1) "balancing" the budget will come through more massive cuts and attacks on city workers and teachers, 2) that the State government is further absolving itself of any responsibility to fund the needs of the City, and 3) payments to the banks from public funds are guaranteed. First, City government will be required each year to submit a four-year "financial plan" to the board governing every aspect of spending, including the schools. The board may decree modifications to the plan or simply impose its own financial plan. This "plan," in turn, will govern the yearly budgets for the city. "In no event shall the city operate under a budget that is inconsistent with an approved financial plan," the legislation states. This is backed up by provisions threatening suspension, firing or even criminal charges against any official or employee of the city or schools acting outside the "approved financial plan." The board can issue debt for the city but only for "cost-cutting" measures. Despite these unprecedented powers, the legislation goes several steps further in ensuring that debt payments are made to the banks. The board, not the City, will be the recipient of all funding from the State, as well as the City's portion of sales tax collected by the County. The legislation details priorities for the board, referred to as the "authority:" "First to pay debt service on the Authority's bonds, notes or other obligations, then to pay the Authority's operating expenses not otherwise provided for, and then, subject to the Authority's agreements with the city, to transfer the balance of revenues not required to meet contractual or other obligations of the Authority to the city as frequently as practicable." The Governor's office elaborates that the board will ensure the City "charts its course toward sustainable budget balance - free from dependence on annual increases in State assistance." The legislation also specifies that the State will not be responsible or liable to the City or its residents for board actions. For the financiers, the legislation pledges payment. "The State does hereby pledge and agree with the holders of any issue of bonds, notes or other obligations ... that the State will not limit, alter or impair the rights hereby invested in the authority to fulfill the terms of any agreements." Term & Power to Executive The term of the control board as proposed leaves it free to exist indefinitely. Its control exists until, for three years in a row, the City has balanced budgets and keeps access to the "financial markets." It must do both despite even more cuts in state funding. In one sense, Wall Street, through Moody's Investor Services is being granted direct decision-making power on governance for the City, as they unilaterally determine "access." Even if these requirements are met, the control board would continue for an "advisory period" until the year 2037. Full powers would return if the city fails, or appears likely to fail, to have a balanced budget or make a payment to the banks. All of the above aims and powers of the board are to be codified in law. This reality and its impact on governance is being covered up as officials and the media focus instead on composition. As well, concentration of power in the hands of the executive is also being hidden. The nine member board will have a majority of appointees by the Governor, eliminating even a "consultative" role for City, County or State legislative bodies, the school district, unions or anyone else. Pataki appoints 5 members, one seat each goes to the Mayor, Erie County Executive and State Comptroller. The legislature, meaning Bruno and Silver, fill one seat. A Buffalo resident expressed the views of the people, saying having the control board control the City is "like having criminals watch your house while you are away." [Home] [Education Is A Right] [Teachers Forum Updates] [Upcoming Events] |
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