There’s been a lot of debate going on over by Gotham Schools regarding censorship and the influence of corporate funders and sponsors. Today, Mustafa, a regular commentator to Gotham Schools was banned and is now sorely missed.
What do you think about Mustafa being banned?
Sound off your thoughts in our comments section below.
February 12, 2011 at 12:25 AM
Keep speaking the truth Mustafa.
February 12, 2011 at 1:04 AM
Thank for this, really.
Bottom line is this, I’m pro-teacher, pro-union, and all for due process and seniority. I understand the ordeals that teachers before went through to get us the rights and respect we have today. I’d like to see our schools get better, but that’s going to take community input and not just theoretical edicts dictated by those with wealth and influence who rarely set foot into public schools. I have a lot of problems with the current adminstration at Tweed. I can’t just say they’re all smoke and mirrors, as something far more diabolical is afoot. We been barraged with: manipulated statistics, schools set up to fail, media manipulation, false grassroots organizations funded by hege funds, emerging entities that never had any previous interest in public schools now looking to make a buck off them, nonstop teacher and union bashing, accountability for everyone except those at the top, and the creation of a two tiered system where a small number of NYC children are treated substantially better than all of the others. All of this has occurred under the guise of “Children First”. This has all been done by a few with either no, or very little true educational experience. The children, parents, and educators of NYC shouldn’t be experimented upon.
I’m an outspoken critic of this and it’s often impossible to find a media forum that will allow it.
Though the source of their funding has always been suspect, I thought Gotham Schools might be that place. It now seems I was wrong.
Those of you that have seen my posts or have conversed with me know that I never push past a certain point where things get ugly and that I also like to infuse my posts with a little bit of humor. Heck, the worst thing I ever wrote on GS was a suggestion that perhaps Klein and Polakow-Suransky should compete in a WUM (Worlds Ugliest Man) of education contest and my suggestion was partially based upon their practices. And I still stand by that.
Perhaps GS has had enough of me criticising the endless media pieces singing the praises of Bloomberg, Cathie Black, charter schools, Klein, Rhee, E4E, and the hedge fund guys.
It doesn’t matter, I won’t be silenced. I can’t be banned…I know all about Proxy IPs.
When GS bans “Mustafa 2: Electric Boogaloo” I’ll be back with “Mustafa 3: Return of the King”.
Again, much thanks for this piece. Everyone should know that GS deletes posts and bans people when they have a different view. It’s not an open ongoing dialogue on education. What’s their connection with Whitney Tilson? And, what the heck does Whitney Tilson know about education?
February 12, 2011 at 9:20 AM
Mustafa rocks and he can’t be banned because he knows all about Proxy IPs (whatever that is).
February 12, 2011 at 10:09 AM
Appalling, but unfortunately not surprising, that Gotham Schools often provides stenographic services to people like Bloomberg, Klein, Black, et al., whose actions are materially harmful to huge numbers of people, yet gets on its high moral horse to censor someone whose comments are always insightful, and quite mild given the crimes he is addressing.
As for how this comes about, look no further than their hedge funders.
February 12, 2011 at 10:29 AM
The problem is Bloomberg controls the media. His bffs control the Post and Daily News. But, they can’t fully control the web or the blogs. If Gotham Schools is now controlled by Bloomberg’s rich friends and don’t want views that support teachers and public education, then be upfront about it and not allow comments on your E$E propaganda postings.
The same deformers funding Gotham Schools fund Education Reform Now (ERN).
February 12, 2011 at 11:39 AM
I don’t know why they ban Mustafa. I do know they’re primarily a showcase for Educators 4 Excellence, who really don’t need any help. They’re always featuring columns from one of them who’s the worst writer I’ve ever seen. Meanwhile people really trying to change education for the better get short shrift. They’re disgraceful and biased, and it wouldn’t be so bad if they would just admit it. Until they do they are just like Fox News.
February 12, 2011 at 2:27 PM
Well I was told any piece I wrote could not be anonymous. I emailed the editor with my piece of writing alot with my name because the editor said she would publish a piece. However in my piece i refuted Blacks contention that substitute teaching is not real teaching and the politics inside a school. I never even received an email back and that was the last time i submitted a piece of writing to gothamschools. And I was in the PEP meeting reading their live blogging and it was terribly inaccurate even deceptive. I realize they have a anti public schools perspective.
February 12, 2011 at 3:34 PM
It’s like the anti public schools perspective is status quo and any variation from it is unacceptable or radical or something.
February 12, 2011 at 3:41 PM
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February 12, 2011 at 10:09 PM
I for one have been banned, or under the moderators gaze.
I met Anna Phillips at David Pakter’s hearing. The sight of her looking down her nose at me and calling my blog obscene showed what she and GS truly are. Afer I wrote this:
http://southbronxschool.blogspot.com/2010/04/open-letter-to-anna-phillips.html
I was soon relegated to the trash heap of being “awaiting moderation.” This continued for quite a while and whilst emailing Anna I got doublespeak as to why.
Not to long ago I learned that Anna Phillips shared her opinion of me to Whitney Tilson.
http://southbronxschool.blogspot.com/2011/02/questionable-ethics-of-anna-phillips-of.html
I wrote this after after using ip proxies (sorry Mustafa, I did it first) and not hiding who I was.
A question for those who might be in the know. Since Gotham and its parent are a 501(c)3 aren’t they obligated to share who their donors are?
Mustafa, please contact me.
February 17, 2011 at 9:18 PM
I’d like to know how Mustafa gets around the proxy IPs – I left a comment recently about that mouthpiece, Natalie Ravitz, on a GS column, and saw that it was “awaiting moderation.” All I said was that I wondered if Ravitz actually believes the drivel that comes out of her mouth but my comment needed to be “moderated”? Could GS have been offended by something I said about a “very short lease”? You go Mustafa! Mustafa cannot be banned!
February 17, 2011 at 9:19 PM
Typo alert – “leash,” not “lease.” Sorry. Mustafa cannot be banned!