This post has been edited.
Since my post, “Trouble In Ed Reforn Land,” appeared online yesterday hinting that AG Eric Schneiderman’s consolidation motion in the teacher tenure cases wasn’t sitting well with Campbell Brown and the heavy hitters behind her Partnership for Education Justice (PEJ), I was informed late Wednesday afternoon that attorneys representing plaintiffs in Wright v State of New York had filed a letter advising the Court that they did not oppose the consolidation motion.
The Davids plaintiffs are declaring victory. But that letter was filed with the court back on August 22. So, why all the drama if the letter was filed last week Friday afternoon?
Perhaps, this Mona Davids statement in today’s Washington Post might explain PEJ’s discomfort.

“We have very different reasons for filing this lawsuit,” Davids said. “We want to improve [educational] outcomes for all our children. We don’t need to get rid of tenure. We also want to work on improving our neighborhoods.”

As I wrote in my previous post, it appears that the teacher tenure reform stage isn’t big enough for two. The pesky Mona Davids and her independent NYC Parents Union have irritated charter school supporters with their lawsuit to force co-located charter schools to pay rent. Until Governor Cuomo’s intervention last winter, a successful outcome would have cost charter schools thousands of dollars. Many of those charter school players are now backing Brown’s PEJ. The notion of having to work with Ms. Davids probably causes many of them to grind their teeth. Just ask Randi Weingarten, the UFT and the city Department of Education.
Sometimes the righteous are blinded by their own light. I’d recommend that Ms. Brown and Ms. Davids don pairs of Blu-Ray HD glasses and work out a deal.
The stakes are too high.
PEJ Consolidation Letter – on behalf of Wright v State of New York plaintiffs
Michael Benjamin is a columnist and blogger as well as a former state legislator who represented the 79 AD, 2003-2010.
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