It seems that gadfly, education deform blogger, and poster boy for the psycho-pharmaceutical industry Anthony Krinsky has found a new person to create fantasies about. That person is student and parent advocate Mona Davids.

When we last visited the fantasy world of Anthony Krinsky we explored, then easily debunked, his criticism of Mona. This past Saturday, February 11, Krinsky again created innuendo and fantasy in again defaming and defiling Mona.

But Krinsky does not know Mona. To paraphrase Mona, she is "a black mother of a public school student running a grassroots parents organization fighting for a quality education for all children in NYC, children who also happen to be majority black children."

I think the point Mona might be making is that she, a black woman, a woman that lives in an urban setting, a woman with a child, knows more what is best for a school system that is majority black than a condescending, white, trust fund parasite, suburban, childless, Ivy League grad, smart ass.

Krinsky speculates, or at least fantasizes; What are we to make of a teacher union supported parents organization calling itself "NYC Parents Union" that had no support or endorsement from Ben Austin's Parent Revolution organization.

Firstly, we here at SBSB suggest that a extra dose of Lithium should be taken by the erstwhile writer. This perhaps will help to calm the nerves and bring the writer back to a reasonable reality. But we are diverting from the accusations made by Krinsky, and the facts in this case.

Krisnky whined that Mona's organization, NYC Parents Union is "teacher union supported." Using the English language in a correct manner, this would imply that only teachers unions, and in particular the UFT, are the only supporters behind initiating and supporting NYCPU. Yes, Krinsky probably got his information from a New York Post article, but then again we all know how loose with facts The Post is. Besides, if NYCPU were in fact solely supported by teachers unions, why then does Mona use Word Press templates in her do it yourself website? We here at SBSB suggest that Krinsky do some fact checking and actually prove this statement. Perhaps Krinsky wishes that a more glitzy look to her website is in order? Perhaps akin to his own blog?

But what else is Krinsky whining about? Oh yes, what does Ben Austin and Parent's Revolution have to do with Mona's website? Krinsky, are you appalled that Mona had the temerity to use the word "Revolution"? Or do you think that any organization advocating for parents must be approved by your idol Ben Austin. Oh, just as an aside. Parents Revolution disavows you at every chance they get and does truly hope that there is some sort of intervention in your very near future.


It seems as though Mona Davids and her teacher union backers are quite comfortable perpetrating this deception

What deception? Someone can't be pro parent? I am pro-mental health and mean it. I truly support those in our community that have undiagnosed bi-polar disorders. I truly support those that have been diagnosed with narcissistic and malignant personality disorders as well. I don't need the mental health professionals to tell me to do it, I support these troubled people because it is the right thing to do.

But Krinsky decided that as the arbiter of all that he thinks is sane to have a litmus test for Mona. Krinsky demands that Mona answer; Do you support rewarding individual teaching performance (ie. paying great teachers more and laying off bad teachers regardless of age)?

Let me take a stab at that question. Krinsky, can you even articulate what a great teacher is? Is it statistically possible to have only great teachers? What about darn good teachers? Can you articulate what a bad teacher is? Oh, and please don't give us that fantasy you created about West Philadelphia High School. We all know it never happened. 

Do you support policies that encourage the non-unionized, independently run schools (ie. charter schools and private school scholarships)?

Did you know that Mona has, or at least had, a kid in a charter school? Did you know that Mona fights for charter school parents to have PA's which many charter schools deny the parents even though it is state law? So many charters though are non-unionized, yet only 20% of charters do as well or as better than the local traditional public school. Krinsky, would you want a .200 hitter batting cleanup for your baseball team? 

Krinsky goes on and shows that he thinks he understands trade dress law; There can be no doubt at all that this is a premeditated plan to impersonate reform organizations and trick parents into supporting the status quo.  Would such a hijacking of "StudentsFirst" and "Parents Union" fail a "likelihood of confusion" test under US trademark law?

Yeah, this was a good laugh. However, on Governor Andy (I Love The Kock Brothers) Cuomo's website he has a "NY Students First Page " (3rd tab from the left). So does Florida State. So does the Minnesota state colleges and universities. So does this book written in 2007. It must suck to be swaddled with facts. But to quote Neil Peart from the 1993 song Roll The Bones, "A fact's a fact Jack, from Nome to Rome."


In an arena where credibility matters, Mona Davids is proving that her depravity has no limit.

Mona has more credibility in  one blood cell than Krinsky has in his entire body. This coming from someone that seems incapable of writing factually, a person that creates what the story shall be in his mind, a person that has no problem criticizing teachers yet is scared to put his money where is mouth is. Please Krinsky, share with the world your credibility. Not as you see it, but with hard verifiable facts. 

Does the consumer protection bureau need to protect poor families from predatory scammers like NYC "Parents Union"?


Call! Oh God this is just so funny. Please, I am peeing all over myself! Someone get me a Depends. PLEASE!!!!



I expect that StudentsFirst will protect their brand to the fullest extent of the law.  Both infringements must be tried case in the court of public opinion.

Oh the hyperbole, oh the hyperbole!!!!

To go on to another topic, we here at SBSB wish to let everyone know that May is Mental Health Month in The Untied States, but it is never too early to reach out to those who are close to us and encourage those to seek out treatment for their disorders. Be it bi-polar disorder, schizoid effective disorder, some type of personality disorder, or even one coping with low self esteem from a severe Freudian physical shortcoming, help can be had.

There are many avenues available that such a person as described in the above paragraph can receive help. Seeing a trained psycho-therapist several times a week can do the trick. So can traveling to Vienna and seeking out a team for intense personal care. Also, there are many psycho-pharmaceuticals out there that are FDA approved and known to help those with such disorders. And the old stand by, electro shock therapy ain't gonna hurt.

So if you know someone whose life is being controlled by his mental disability, if you know someone that lies, distorts reality, a person that will not back up his accusations to someone's face, this is the time for you to have that intervention and help that person be rid of their mental disorder.

On November 11 I wrote a defense of Mona Davids related to the stunning fact free story written by intrepid New York Post reporter Carl Campanile on November 10.

The next day I get an email from Anthony Krinsky, author of the Edobserver blog telling me I had just been made famous by him. Wow, I said to myself, how did  this happen? Krinsky wrote a post debunking what I had written as well as the tenets of Mona's organization New York City Parents Union. As I was reading this I was quite curious as to how the 5-10 people that read Krinsky's blog will assist me in creating fame and was perplexed that Krinsky blames everything on the teacher's unions.

In response to one of the most important matters in education today, and #1 on the chart for NYC Parents Union is class size. Krinsky wrote;  Smaller class sizes is their hall-mark achievement.  This policy is singularly responsible for doubling education spending and teacher union membership, without budging the needle on student achievement even 1%.  Common sense, research, and the staffing policies of the best charter schools make it clear that spending more money per teacher on better teachers, is far more effective than putting more mediocre teachers in a school building.

So, you believe that this is some plot to keep teachers in their jobs and to increase the membership of unions?  There are many studies I can cite to show that reducing class size is the best way to go, but there is much anecdotal evidence nationwide to prove it. But you do contradict yourself. You decry spending more and more money yet you want teachers to be paid more. Do you really believe that teachers go into teaching for the money?


You mention student achievement not going up one percent, well who do you think makes the decision on which curriculum teachers must use?



 And please don't think charters are the giant balm that they are. Only 20% of charters do as well if not better than neighborhood schools. Plus in charters you have much less students with IEP's, ELL's, and behavior problems than you do in a traditional public school. These students are the ones that benefit the most from smaller class size.

 On more teaching, less testing Krisnky shares; No teacher accountability for performance.


Tests should be used to assess students needs, not to evaluate teachers. Their are too many variables in children and their lives for even a Noble prize scientist to use as a control. How shall we evaluate police officers? Firefighter? Please share.

Expand Pre Kindergarten and Early Intervention Programs. Krinsky got me laughing; True meaning: Create more union jobs.


 Geez, wanting children to have access to education at such a young age is appalling, eh? Reaching out to students that have disabilities that can be corrected or reduced so their education is not more expensive in the long run I guess is just plain wrong.

Krinsky's take on Qualified and Experienced Educators and Educational Leaders; Make sure that super-capable and enthusiastic Teach For America candidates cannot be placed (every year, 90% of applicants -- over 35,000 teachers are NOT placed annually)  so that under-achieving, union-brainwashed teacher ed-school grads can keep all the jobs for themselves.

Super capable? What makes a TFA'er super capable? Did you know that TFA candidates go through 50 hours of training in August? That is 2 hours a day, 10 hours a week, for five weeks. Would you this amount of training acceptable for your doctor? For police officer? For a psychiatrist? For your auto mechanic? Surely not. Besides, please share a link with us that confirms that 35,000 teachers each year are not placed.

Anthony, you are wonderful at pointing out all that what you believe is wrong. You keep on blaming the unions, but have you ever read any contracts? You claimed on my radio show that the UFT contract is over 400 pages long. You were off by 200.

What is your solution? What is it you are doing right now other than kvetching on your blog? If you feel so strongly about this why not teach. Show us all how it is done and how easy you think it is. Many will be looking to hear your take.

A new name is out there amongst the deformers, Harvard grad Anthony Krinsky. I had Anthony on my radio show (which will return after the 1st of the year) back on August 23. He was a gracious guest and a good sport.

The name Anthony Krinsky might sound familiar to some. He has a blog and a website, StopUTLA. Anthony also appears to be a disciple of Ben Austin out there in Los Angeles and presumably is head over heels with Michelle Rhee.

You also might have read of Krinsky in Whitney Tilson's blog. Whitney seems to have a big man crush on Krinsky. I mean who wouldn't. But Whitney likes to quote Krisnky from time to time.

The last week or so Krinsky and I have had a tit for tat, back and forth email exchange with stayed pretty friendly yet quite opinionated. I do wish to credit him for being quite the mensch in inquiring about the status of my wife and I thank him for that. But one thing gnawed at me. I missed asking him a question when he was on my radio show.

If you listen to the recording of that evening at about 44:50 in Krinsky shares with me how in 1994 he as an Americorps member was volunteering in West Philadelphia High School. He shared this with me in response to be asking what he has done for the "cause."Never mind that he called the students "hooligans," but he was quite proud of his involvement.

On the show Krinsky said that he took students who couldn't even read a ruler and taught them to add and subtract fractions during the homeroom period over, I would guess, several weeks. I say several weeks because in his email Krinsky claimed 15 hours of work. This is what confuses me. Maybe things have changed, but when I was in high school homeroom was no longer than 20 minutes and we were basically just there for attendance, the morning announcements and any business that needed to be taken care of. Where was the time to educate these students into adding and subtracting fractions?

On the radio show I asked Krinsky if there was anyway to verify that this took place. Now I had forgotten that I had asked him this question and asked him last week to verify his service. Last week Krinsky shared with me that the organization he was with is known as WEPIC, or as he later said which the acronym stands for, West Philadelphia Partnership, and that either a Blain Stoddard or Krinsky's WEPIC manager Mike Connelly should be contacted for verification. The crack team has spent numerous man hours scouring the ends of the earth and have been unable to find entities known as WEPIC, The West Philadelphia Project, or even Blain Stoddard or Mike Connelly.

But in listening to the recording of the show tonight, when asked if there was anyway to verify Krinsky's involvement with West Philadelphia, Krinsky flat out said, "No." Strange isn't? Even stranger is Krinsky also sharing with me that he was forced to leave WPHS by the union for doing too good a job.

What else is strange is that Krinsky claims that he was with Americorps during this time at WPHS in 1993-1994 school year. However, according to the Americorps website, President Clinton did not sign the Americorps bill until September 1993 and the first class of 20,000 Americorps members does not start serving in its 1,000 communities until September of 1994. This totally contradicts Krinsky's timeline.

We here at SBSB have many answers for Anthony Krinsky. How did you assess that these students learned how to add and subtract fractions? Did the students retain this information? Was teaching of this task done in isolation? Were simple fractions, common denominator used, or were these mixed fractions? Was this done with any visuals? What were the math levels of these students? How many students exactly did you teach? Was it whole class or in a group setting? And even more curious, why would Krinsky leave this remarkable feat off his LinkedIn page?

We here at SBSB look forward to hearing about Anthony Krinsky's version of reality. We welcome him to respond in the comments box and look forward to all 5 readers of his blog to respond as well.