Jeff Bergosh Blog: NY Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo Takes on Education Establishment with Bold Reform Plan

Guidelines

I am one member of a five person board. The opinions I express on this forum are mine only, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Escambia County Staff, Administrators, Employees, or anyone else associated with Escambia County Florida. I am interested in establishing this blog as a means of additional transparency to the public, outreach to the community, and information dissemination to all who choose to look. Feedback is welcome, but because public participation is equally encouraged, appropriate language and decorum is mandatory. Although this is not my campaign site for re-election--sometimes campaign related information will be discussed, therefore in an abundance of caution I add the following :

Monday, March 9, 2015

NY Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo Takes on Education Establishment with Bold Reform Plan

Multiple news outlets are reporting this morning on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's bold, aggressive school reform plan.

According to this New York Post article, Many African-American ministers are lining up behind Cuomo:

"A powerful group of black preachers is backing Gov. Cuomo’s education-reform plan to tighten teacher accountability, fix or replace low-performing public schools and open more charter schools, The Post has learned. The ministers said they will spend the month of March preaching the educational gospel to their congregants in church services and to the public at large in order to counter union and legislative opposition to Cuomo’s tough-love proposals. The state budget is due April 1. 'Christ was always in favor of the poor,” said Rev. Johnny Green of Harlem’s Mount Neboh Baptist Church'. "

And of course the unions and entrenched special interests and educrats are howling mad about these reforms, because part of Cuomo's plan may include a tax-credit scholarship component. From an article in the Glen Falls, NY Post Star:

“The governor has declared war on students, parents and educators,” said NYSUT President Karen E. Magee said in a news release. “He has done it through his inflammatory anti-teacher rhetoric, and through his proposed budget that pushes the agenda of his billionaire backers. Make no mistake: We will not back down. We stand united in our commitment to standing up for what all kids need. Adequate investment in our schools, an equitable distribution of aid, and working to close the achievement gap is where our focus should be — not on increased testing, backdoor voucher plans and penalizing teachers and schools.”