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Group sponsors new Emanuel strike ad, while another group funds ads thanking teachers

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* A group called Education Reform Now Advocacy, which is the political arm of Education Reform Now, Inc., is running a new TV ad in Chicago featuring Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Hizzoner talks about the strike and what was accomplished.

Watch…

* Script…

Like all Chicagoans, I’m glad the strike is over.

These were difficult negotiations, but here’s what we achieved.

A full day for our kids, so they can meet their full potential.

Principals will have the freedom to hire the best teachers.

Parents retain the right to choose the best school for their kids.

And for the first time, student achievement will be part of a teacher’s evaluation.

Change is never easy, and this contract certainly wasn’t.

But more time in class and more accountability is the right deal for our kids.

[Via]

Discuss.

…Adding… Sun-Times…

The mayor said the contract cost an additional $74 million — compared with $129 million for the last contract — because of changes in sick days, vacation days and a new wellness plan.

“We have other tough things to do, I never denied that we didn’t have tough things to do,” he said “but I can’t sit here and say in the first five minutes of this contract we negotiated that I can tell you exactly what’s going to happen four or five months from now.”

Emanuel would not speculate whether higher cigarette and amusement taxes would be needed.

“No, we’re going to make other changes,” he said. “I don’t know today and I’m not going to stand here but we know what we can afford and what we’re going to do and we’re going to make changes throughout the system.”

…Adding More… I may have already posted this one, but the Progressive Change Campaign Committee is running a TV ad thanking the teachers…

…Adding Even More… Stantis’ new cartoon…

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Sep 19, 12 @ 4:25 pm

Comments

and there begins the Mayor’s favorability ratings going up, what was it he said, never waste a good crisis? well this time, he shows HIMSELF to be in command

Comment by in the know Wednesday, Sep 19, 12 @ 4:36 pm
He appears almost normal when he remembers to take his medication.

Comment by Bill Wednesday, Sep 19, 12 @ 4:36 pm
The only thing worthwhile is the cartoon.

Comment by walkinfool Wednesday, Sep 19, 12 @ 4:45 pm
Emanuel is still the loser in all this. He didn’t get everything he wanted and came across as a mean-spirited union hater. Rich’s poll shows most of the public supported the teachers, particularly parents with children in CPS. So Emanuel cornered the angry older white vote. Is that big news?

Comment by DuPage Dave Wednesday, Sep 19, 12 @ 5:11 pm
Stantis is spot on!

Emanuuel, through state legislation and forceful methods to push change in CPS, achieved most of his goals for public schools. He could at least show appreciation for public school teachers and their difficult challenges; they ended up with a net loss as a result of this engagement.

Comment by Wensicia Wednesday, Sep 19, 12 @ 5:13 pm
Political careers have ups and downs. This was a downer for Rahm. His career is far from over, but like his former boss, the POTUS, he inherited quite the mess. In the future, he needs to consider carefully who he aligns himself with. The the well heeled reformer network was no help to him in this disaster.

Comment by Loop Lady Wednesday, Sep 19, 12 @ 5:25 pm
Instead of taking out ads, why don’t these political groups use the money to put air conditioning into a classroom or pay for music programs at a school on the West Side?

Comment by Lakeview Wednesday, Sep 19, 12 @ 5:36 pm
Loop Lady, you are a wise one.

Comment by amalia Wednesday, Sep 19, 12 @ 6:18 pm
Lakeview is right.
The strike is over.
Time to work together to fix the problem.

Comment by Skeeter Wednesday, Sep 19, 12 @ 6:21 pm
Rahm, like our current POTUS, didn’t “inherit” anything. IIRC, he asked for this job.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Wednesday, Sep 19, 12 @ 6:41 pm
Pretty good script for the ad.

Lack of background audio was a mistake.

So to, I think, was using Rahm. He seems completely insincere. Some officials can pull off the 30 second ad talking straight to the camera. I think Rahm finds it painful to sit still for that long.

The teachers’ ad is miles better.

And what to say about the Stantis cartoon?

It reminds me again what I said before: its much harder to caricature all teachers as obese black women after 25,000 teachers of all sizes, shapes, colors and ages have been out picketing for seven days in every neighborhood in the city.

That’s the biggest game-changer.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Wednesday, Sep 19, 12 @ 6:51 pm
I’m a little surprised that Emanuel cut a spot funded by Education Reform Now.

They’re not exactly a disinterested group.

They’re the hedge-fund guys who have been pushing charter schools expansion in New York for quite some time.

There’s a lot of money in charters schools, from management contracts to tax credits to vending.

It’s been a battle royale in New York for a while now.

The chairman of Education Reform Now until a few months ago, Joel Klein, is also head of News Corps. education division that’s developing all sorts of material for sale to schools.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Sep 19, 12 @ 7:03 pm
BTW, does anyone know ANYTHING about “Education Reform Now”?

When ever I see an out-of-state nonprofit whose “charitable” contributions jump from $1 million to $10 million in a year, my Spidey senses go off the charts.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Wednesday, Sep 19, 12 @ 7:03 pm
@wordslinger -

Ah, thanks, that helps a great deal.

Yep. News Corps just got ripped for an op-ed backing Rahm Emanuel where they failed to mention that CPS has over $3 million in contracts with a News Corps subsidiary to provide standardized testing. The very same standardized tests that are to be the basis for the teacher evaluations, from what I understand.

Small world!

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Wednesday, Sep 19, 12 @ 7:08 pm
I have been on the side of the teachers against Rahm so I’m probably biased, but is anyone else annoyed that the strike is over and we’re STILL getting these ads?

I was just thinking last night during Letterman how thankfully the Rahm ads bashing teachers would finally be over, and now I see one of these Education Reform Ads during Survivor.

Rahm isn’t even up for election in November so can’t he and his supporters just chill out for a while?

Comment by hisgirlfriday Wednesday, Sep 19, 12 @ 8:12 pm
I just can’t recall a previous time when a top office-holder cut a spot to address a public policy issue that was funded by a particular advocacy group.

He couldn’t go on Chicago Tonight?

These guys are lobbyists for charter schools. Read the NY Times article below and you’ll see a couple of years ago they hired Bradley Tusk to do just that in Albany.

Whether it’s Democrats for Reform or Education Reform Now, they’re all the same crew hooked up with Mayor Bloomberg’s charter school push.

What do a bunch of New York hedgies care about Chicago schools? There’s a lot of money in pushing privatization in schools, as the money boys in the Reuters article will tell you.

And there’s a sweet federal tax credit for building charter schools, too, as outlined in the NY Daily News.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/10/nyregion/10charter.html?pagewanted=1&_r=moc.semityn.www

in.reuters.com/article/2012/08/02/usa-education-investment-idINL2E8J15FR20120802

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-05-07/local/29438011_1_charter-law-albany-charter-state-aid

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Sep 19, 12 @ 8:50 pm
@Lakeview

You seem to think that education reformers actually want to have better instruction for students and an environment where one can truly be capable of learning. The status quo, with minor swings on way or another, is good for everyone because the current power structures stay in place and everyone can feign outrage and raise money.

Comment by Aaron Wednesday, Sep 19, 12 @ 9:36 pm
==I just can’t recall a previous time when a top office-holder cut a spot to address a public policy issue that was funded by a particular advocacy group.==

That’s exactly what I was thinking tonight, Word. This is a group that’s pushing for charter schools to advance their own financial interests, IMHO. Education Reform Advocacy Now is a major client of DC lobbyist group Blank Rome LLP, which also counts among its major clients Edison Learning, a charter school company with a track record of promising big improvements in schools, then failing to deliver those improvements. At least Chicagoans know who Emanuel stands with now, in case that wasn’t already clear. What’s next? Privatizing police and fire services so some more Wall Street guys can make another load of profits off the public dole?

Comment by OldSmoky2 Wednesday, Sep 19, 12 @ 9:36 pm
The first commercial was cut in a charter school, right?

Rahm got a longer school day? That’s true, but were the teachers contesting that last week or on Monday and Tuesday of this week? That issue was settled last year or earlier this year.

@Word, Rauner said on Chicago Tonight that there’s no money in this, for him, he’s basically doing all of this out of the kindness of his heart—because he cares.

Oh yeah, Six Degrees of Separation nailed it.

Comment by That's so small of him! Wednesday, Sep 19, 12 @ 11:29 pm