Dear Rahm, let's look at a page of articles about J. C. Brizard, your new education CEO.

[madfloridian]

There are so many, and they are so not complimentary. One has to wonder who advised you on this selection.

Webliography: J.C. Brizard


Picture from Eric Zorn's article at the Chicago Tribune. "To those who are concerned that this set of links is too skewed toward negative and hostile coverage of Brizard's tenure in Rochester, I invite submissions of links to other stories and assessments. Post those in comments."

This update begins with several recent news stories and commentaries

Chicago Tribune-- New CPS chief leaves old district mired in questions, controversy Brizard heads for Chicago with few tangible achievements, many unfulfilled pledges by Diane Rado and Joel Hood (print headline at the top of Page One today was " CPS’ new boss faces skeptics – NY district left with falling test scores, fiscal woes"):

When Rochester City Schools Superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard departs to take charge of Chicago's public school system, he'll leave behind a largely broken school district with dismal test scores, shaky finances and a fractured relationship with teachers....A Tribune analysis of state and district records shows that even the accomplishments Brizard has heralded in his short time in Rochester are not what they seem.

Chicago Sun-Times editorial-- New CPS chief’s record exaggerated:

Brizard arrived in Rochester in January 2008. That year, 52 percent of students graduated. The 2010 rate is expected to be 51 percent. The 2011 rates come out next year....Elementary test scores are up some, and more students are graduating after five or six years of high school than in the past. But Brizard also struck out in a bid to close schools and start merit pay for teachers....He comes to Chicago with ideas, experience and energy, but let’s not pretend he has worked miracles in Rochester.

Also included is one from Rochester, NY, which claims that Brizard owes them $100,000 for quitting.

Zorn includes more links from Rachel Barnhart at ABC's affiliate in Rochester.

State Test Scores Plummet, Erasing Gains

The state released test score data for grades 3-8, and scores plummeted statewide. The giant drop in scores is because the state toughened grading, after a consultant’s study showed the bar was set too low and the tests did not accurately measure students’ knowledge. Fifty-three percent of students statewide met or exceeded state standards in English Language Arts in grades 3-8, dropping from 77.4 percent last year. In mathematics, 61 percent of students statewide met or exceeded standards in grades 3-8, compared to 86.4 percent last year. In the Rochester City School District, 25.3 percent of 3-8 graders met or exceeded state standards on the ELA test, compared to 56 percent last year. In grade 8, 21.1 percent met or exceeded state standards in ELA, compared to 43.1 percent last year. The city’s scores were the lowest among the Big 5 school districts. The RCSD also saw big declines on the math test. Twenty-eight percent of 3-8 graders met or exceeded standards, compared to 63.4 percent last year. Only 14.5 percent of city 8th graders met or exceeded standards, compared to 42.9 percent last year.

RCSD Budget Deeply Cuts Arts, Music, Foreign Language

The school board analysis, discussed in a finance committee meeting last week, shows 46 percent of music teachers, 42 percent of art teachers, 35 percent of foreign language teachers and 19 percent of physical education teachers would get the ax. The school board staff used a detailed district-wide and school-by-school list of positions to come up with the numbers. Some schools would have no art or music. Other schools would have no librarian. Counselors, special education, ESOL, and English were also hit hard.

There are a lot more articles at the link.

Apparently Rahm is just ignoring all the fuss about J. C. Brizard. Here is a video clip in which he is walking away from reporters questioning his choice.

Run Rahm, Run!

That's a trademark characteristic of the education "reformers.".

They simply do not care what we think.

[xchrom]

1. Time for moderate democrats to come clean: they're about privatizing schools.

They could care less about education.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. The Rahm boat has sailed.

Of course it's f'ed up.

[Annata4Peace]

3. Rahm has always been an idiot

Let's not forget that when asked he said he would have voted for the Iraq war even knowing the intelligence was wrong.



MR. RUSSERT: You voted–you said you would have voted for the war if you had been in Congress.

REP. EMANUEL: Right.

MR. RUSSERT: Now, knowing that are no weapons of mass destruction, would you still have cast that vote?

REP. EMANUEL: Yes. Well, you could have done–well, as you know, I didn’t vote for it. I still believe that getting rid of Saddam Hussein was the right thing to do, OK? But how you go about it and how you execute that war is the problems we face today.

[autorank]

4. "They simply do not care what we think. " Right. That's because...

...we are nothing to them. k*r

[madfloridian]

5. They have a goal, an agenda for education.

There is no room in that agenda for concern about students or teachers.

[autorank]

12. When a politician touts education as their theme

It usually means they want to destroy public education.

These same people restrain public education by their idiotic demands on text books and
teaching. Bunch of anti intellectual louts!

[Enthusiast]

6. Had I been a Chicago resident

I would have voted against Rahm, even if I had to vote Republican.

[Jakes Progress]

7. Screw children. Screw unions. NeoDem Platform

These people (including the WH) have us in their pocket. They know that we will vote for them regardless of what they do.They will vomit up something about the bogey man on the other side and just grin, believing they have you screwed to the wall. You would never dare vote against them, so they are free to chase their corporate money.

Basically you don't matter. They don't care. Screw you.

[placton]

10. not me

I jumped out of the pocket, friend, as we all should. We are being played for suckers, and the only way to stop is to not vote for these DINOs.

[Jakes Progress]

11. But they don't think we'll jump.

It's obvious that they don't care about education or solidarity. Our problem is that they don't think they will ever be called on their deeds. Too many worship the man and have no real moral center.

[JackDragna]

8. I always love the ol' "merit pay for teachers" idea.

..where "merit" is always tied to standardized test scores. I wonder how music, art and phys ed teachers are supposed to show their worth. Oh, wait, I forgot: there's no value to any type of knowledge that can't be measured by our new god, Bubble Sheet. Oh Bubble Sheet, thou shalt show us the way to wisdom, Amen.

[roody]

13. Don't forget science and social studies. Oh wait.....

it's not on the tests. Never mind.

[madfloridian]

9. Here is the 2-page statement sent to reporter by Rahm's transition team.

http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/files/brizard-record.pdf

It says almost nothing.

The reporter said they also sent links of complimentary articles.
The links are all from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. The titles don't seem that substantive, but it's apparently a pay site. I am not going to pay to read the articles.

The links are about halfway down the very long Chicago Tribune article by Zorn in the OP.