A lot of attention in the NYC area today on the issue of class size. Teachers and parents outside my kids' school (and citywide) conducted informational picketing to support a citywide referendum on class size reduction requirements. Lots of hand-wringing over soon-to-be-departing Teachers College Prez Arthur Levine's op-ed in today's NY Daily News, in which he accuses the UFT of playing politics by pushing the issue now. (He suggests it is to get gubernatorial candidates who want the union's endorsement to hop on the bandwagon by agreeing to pay for smaller classes now, when promises are easy.)

On the flip side, Edwize suggests Levine, himself, is playing politics with his "mean-spirited" missive.

There are plenty of debates to be had (and you know they will take place) regarding how high a priority the city should place on the size of its classes, and even whether or not amending the city charter to mandate class sizes makes sense. (The Chalkboard happens to be a fan of small classes, generally speaking.)

What I don't understand is the knock on "playing politics" - by either side in today's debate. (Or the instinctual defensiveness about being accused of playing politics. It reminds me of when liberals used to be ashamed to be called the L word.) We're talking about public education. If you don't get things done through politics, you don't get things done. Period. The Campaign for Fiscal Equity case itself, which Levine notes is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pump cash into NYC, is political. It's about money, who gets their paws on it, and whose ideas pick up the most traction (for better or for worse.)

Do you think the universal pre-K providers, the education colleges that Levine himself refers to as 'cash cows' for their universities, etc. are just going to sit back and quietly let a new governor deal with the CFE issue without including them? Of course not. If you believe in something that has to do with public education, you fight for it through the political process. You make sure your ideas, and your institutions emerge as part of the plan.

It's just the way it is. Got it, Chuckie Boy?

(PS - It would seem that since successful public charter school people spend an awful lot of time talking about accountability, they should be trying to get in on this political conversation too.)

UPDATE: AFT Michele says advocating for smaller classes doesn't mean other reforms/initiatives have to be ignored, and Eduwonk suggests Art Levine must be a jerk, because Eduwonk took a similarly jerky position recently. Also lots of folks are predicting that Teachers College will make out just fine under whatever CFE settlement makes its way through the process. That's a good bet.

UPDATE II: More proof that politics is necessary. The court system didn't come through for the smaller class size lobby.