While my esteemed colleague may not be buying the numbers coming out of the Big Apple, parents and students are. Mayor Bloomberg announced today that a survey of parents and students revealed that a "vast majority" (according to the New York Times) of New Yorkers were "satisfied" with their schools. While we can only hope the results of said survey may prove to be worth their whopping two-million-dollar price tag, the real kicker was the response of Randi Weingarten, president of the United Federation of Teachers, to the finding that 94 percent of parents surveyed were happy with their child's teacher:
"The fact that parents think so highly of their children's teachers also indicates how selfless our educators are," Ms. Weingarten said. "They give their all despite feeling that the central administration isn't listening to their concerns."
Did I miss something? Here's a thought. Maybe the reason parents are happy with their teachers is that Bloomberg's system works and teachers are responding in kind.
