Despite the rainy weather, early morning start, and day-before-Thanksgiving scheduling, the CAP event with Secretary Duncan and NYC Mayor Bloomberg was standing room only. Going in it wasn’t at all clear what the actual purpose of the event was (Ed Trust’s Kati Haycock was on the panel as well). As it turned out, it was a stage for Bloomberg to make some important announcements.

Secretary Duncan’s opening speech was generally his ARRA/RTT talking points–not bad by any means, just not hot-off-the-presses new. Of note, he once again name-checked Louisiana for its strong use of data. He also said that RTT isn’t so much about states competing with one another as it is about each state building consensus within its borders for major change.

Mayor Bloomberg made the big splash, announcing six steps he intends to pursue–reforms, he believes, that will help his city’s students but also better position his state for RTT funds.

1. Higher salaries for high-performing educators and those in tough-to-staff subjects
2. Ending seniority-based layoffs
3. Reforming (not ending) tenure to allow for the removal of low-performing teachers (and addressing the “rubber room” problem)
4. Raising state content standards
5. Lifting the charter cap to allow for 100 new schools over four years and giving charters access to facilities
6. Turning around 10 percent–not just 5 percent–of the city’s lowest-performing schools and ending the “absent teacher reserve pool”