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Jackson No UFT-Baiter: New Schools Chair Outside Axis of Eva Jackson No UFT-Baiter New Schools Chair Outside Axis of Eva
Chasing Pataki His first order of business is to do whatever he can to get the state to follow through on paying the court-ordered $5.6 billion it owes the city. Before he was elected to the Council, Mr. Jackson was the lead plaintiff in the suit brought by the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, the group that produced that judgment. "The bottom line is, despite a $2-billion dollar surplus, the Governor failed to allocate towards the court order," Mr. Jackson said, referring to Governor Pataki's decision to appeal the ruling. "He could have been proactive - instead he's looking to play politics. We're terribly upset about it. We plan to make it our major focus." Mr. Jackson suggested building on much of the work done by his predecessor, Eva Moskowitz, but also suggested he will have fewer hearings with more follow-ups. "I think that Eva held an awful lot of hearings," he said. "I'm going to take a look at the entire list, and follow up. The [Department of Education] needs to know we're going to follow up." But in a statement that should warm the heart of United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, Mr. Jackson backed away from Ms. Moskowitz's scrutiny of her union's contract. Ms. Moskowitz enraged the UFT by holding hearings three years ago focusing on provisions of that contract that she claimed hurt education. In contrast, Mr. Jackson has had a warm relationship with the UFT. 'Won't Focus on Unions' "I think Eva worked really hard on important issues," Mr. Jackson said. "But my focus is not going to be on the unions. My focus is going to be on DOE." Ms. Weingarten could not be reached for comment, but the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators was extremely pleased by the selection. "Councilman Jackson's passion for education is un rivaled," CSA Vice President Ernest Logan said in a Jan. 19 statement. "He knows the issues, and he's not afraid to ask the tough questions and hold people accountable. He wants the best for our children. We need that type of strong leadership, because many checks and balances have been removed from the system." Show Him the Money Mr. Jackson does not feel the committee is the place to discuss contract issues. "It's not the union contracts - the primary situation is funding," he said. "I'm not in any position to evaluate the union contract. I was not at the table. Not only that, they have one signed and sealed. The parties deal with any problems in negotiations. That is where to deal with it." The issues he is most eager to deal with besides the CFE are parental involvement and class sizes, with plans to hold hearings on both in the near future. Beyond that, he plans to build his schedule around the issues of the entire committee, noting that only two committees are larger than the 19-person education group. "I plan on trying to assess the needs of the members, not only of the committee, but the council overall, and come to a consensus," he said. Wants Rapid Response As for DOE's role, Jackson believes it is up to top school officials to provide transparency, giving details before meetings begin, so that questioning and digesting material does not need to take place at the same time. "I was not satisfied. I don't think anyone was satisfied," Mr. Jackson said of DOE's response times on requests for information. "I've criticized DOE officials on their lack of response time. I expect realistic responses when they come before me." In the meantime, Mr. Jackson is not concerned about negative press as he pursues his educational agenda - taking a scathing editorial in the New York Post about his friendliness toward the UFT especially well. "If the Post criticizes you, you must be doing something right," he laughed. |
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