Arne's money will reward states that get unions to go along with his school reforms.

[madfloridian]

Talk about a way to set up tensions between administrators and unions and the ill-informed public. Parents don't understand what is happening, teachers are just beginning to catch on....and Arne Duncan is setting up unions as scapegoats to take the blame if the district doesn't get part of his money.

I can't believe this is happening in a country that has been known for its public education.

Using unions as scapegoats.

From Labor Notes:

Race to the Top: Unions Asked to Play Ball for Education Dollars

Education Secretary Arne Duncan stands ready to dole the cash out to states that most closely model his prescriptions: seeding new charter schools, opening up to alternative certification programs like Teach for America, tying teacher evaluations more closely to student test scores, and instituting merit pay provisions. States and local districts also score points in Duncan’s book by outlining plans to close or hand over schools with low test-score performance to charter operators—forcing entire teaching staffs to re-apply for their jobs in the process.

I forgot to mention that Teach for America only requires as far as I know a two year commitment to teaching. That effectively keeps new teachers pouring in and does away with the need for us old experienced teachers who earn too much to suit Arne.

The contest, says Obama, puts education funding “in competition,” and will award 15 states in April. Round two of the contest will begin in June.

In a nod to teachers unions, both of which lent support—uneasy at times—to the Obama candidacy, Race to the Top awards states that get unions to sign onto applications. The results have been neither uniform nor smooth. Dozens of local and state unions refused to sign agreements in support of state applications, claiming they were not privy to the details of the hastily forged plans—some comprising more than 1,000 pages.

That is not a nod to unions, that is putting the survival of teachers' unions in jeopardy.

Dozens of local unions opposed Race to the Top for fear of vague state and district proposals that could endanger existing collective bargaining agreements and lead to unprecedented privatization. Ten states and hundreds of districts and local unions bowed out, unwilling to exchange autonomy for the promise of federal dollars. Vermont education officials and unions deferred to the second round of the contest, claiming that the money promised was not worth the required changes to their structure. Vermont does not allow charter schools to operate.

As expected, unions are facing the brunt of the “obstructionism” charges. How can labor stand in the way of big-time federal aid, especially when state and local revenues have been decimated by the recession?

Teachers' unions make a handy and convenient scapegoat.

Duncan right away set up set up confrontations with unions.

He targeted CA and NY because of their laws saying that teacher evaluations should be based on more than just students' test scores.

Legislatures in New York, California and some other states have enacted laws that limit, to one degree or another, use of student achievement data in teacher performance evaluations. Both national teachers’ unions oppose the use of student testing data to evaluate individual teachers, arguing in part that students are often taught by several teachers and that teacher evaluations should be based on several measures of performance, not just test scores.

..."California could lose out on millions of federal education dollars unless legislators change a law that prevents it from using student test scores to measure teachers' performance, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is expected to announce in a speech today.

He is forgetting that students are being given far too much power when their test scores decide everything. From my own experience:

I will never forget that two boys in my class informed me they would not take the FCAT. This was two weeks before the test. They said they hated testing, and no one could make them do it. The principal talked to them, so did the parents and the guidance counselor. We could not get them off the testing list, so they brought the score down for the whole class. Luckily that was the year I retired, and I never bothered to check out the class scores.

I am sorely disappointed in Arne Duncan. I think he does not really care about the teachers and finding true and honest ways to find out their skills and abilities. Because using the unpredictable nature of student testing is surely not going to do it.

This is a Democratic administration pitting school administrators and often parents against teachers and unions. It is wrong, and it is not the way to accomplish real change.

[msongs]

1. no wonder Obama didn't give any details of his education policy in the SOTUS nt

[madfloridian]

9. It is not a popular policy at all.

He is literally selling out public education to corporations.

[Ildem09]

2. i'm offically disillusioned

what exactly makes this administration democratic again. and mot democratic in the bullshit DLC way but in the actual party of FDR way?

[madfloridian]

8. Not happy with the education policy at all.

:shrug:

[madrchsod]

3. his charter schools and public schools in chicago have been a failure.....

i always thought his idea`s were leading to separate and unequal education but it`s far worse than i thought.

if this continues the future of education maybe progressive community home schooling of children.

[Freddie Stubbs]

11. Worse than Chicago public schools?

[tonysam]

17. Arne's a flop. n/t

[omega minimo]

4. they are insane and want us all to join them

[jgraz]

5. I predict that Arne will be the *worst* hire of the Obama administration

Worse than Geithner, worse than Summers, worse than Rahm. He's going to be the one who finally brings down public education in the US.

[madfloridian]

6. I agree that he will bring down public education.

And that's a shame.

[tonysam]

19. Not just "will be" but IS. n/t

[madfloridian]

7. Great comments about the "new" education ideas....it's blame the teacher.

From the NYC Educator, a great comment:

"As a former high school teacher, some of my students had after-school jobs. If a teenager didn't show up to his afterschool job on time, didn't wear the work uniform, and didn't act appropriately at work, the blame would fall on the teenager if he got fired. No one would blame his boss. On the other hand, if the same kid didn't show up to class on time, didn't pay attention in class, and didn't do homework, somehow the TEACHER is considered to be responsible.

-Attorney DC

Amen!

More:

Saber rattling time

Mayor Bloomberg has made an offer to the teachers--a 2% raise on up to 70K for each of two years, and nothing above that. For teachers at max, that's a 1.4% raise per year, even though the tabloids will keep shouting 2%.

If we don't jump and say "Thank you sir, may I have another?" he'll fire 2500 teachers. A few days earlier, he was firing 8500 teachers. So in some strange way, we seemed to be making progress.

Then Joel Klein sent an email to the principals rationalizing this whole thing--we're closing the budget gap and teachers are paying for it. Never mind all that collective bargaining nonsense. We don't need no stinking UFT, or CSA.

As he just proved by closing 19 schools, against the will of everyone who spoke at public forums, he's Mayor Bloomberg and he does what he wants, when he wants, how he wants.

I was just thinking about Arne's goal that mayors should have total control of schools.

I was thinking of a nearby mayor who bases every decision on his Southern Baptist religion, believes teaching evolution is sinful, has a Confederate flag in his home.

[saracat]

10. tried to rec but was too late.This is chilling madflo and folks don't seem to want to look at it.

Arne Duncan is a GOP sock.If we keep the nation dumb , they will vote GOP. That is a proved fact.so why are we doing this? And why is everyone afraid to ask questions?

[madfloridian]

12. People are turning their heads to avoid seeing the destruction of public schools.

They simply will argue that it is ok rather than admit that our party is following through on the education policy of the Bush family.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/5046

[tonysam]

18. Or, more likely, they think that just because a politician has a "D"

after his or her name, he or she must be okay on this issue.

Neoliberal poison about public education has infected both parties.

[saracat]

36. People are turning their heads about a lot of things, this being one of the most important

I have just about given up.Kudos to you for keeping trying.A good speech and a claim to a win are all that matters.Apparently what a politician does after he is elected no longer matter is he is playing for the home team.

[Gman]

13. Is there anything at all that you like about the Obama administration?

I mean, after all, you started complaining about it less than 48 hours after the election in 08. Is there anything at all?

[tonysam]

16. Do you know anything about his education policy? If you do, you'd know

it is actually worse than Bush's.

[cjbgreen]

14. Arne and Obama PLEASE LISTEN!!!!

What is sad regarding the Obama policy is that it misses the point. Yes, teachers make a difference, as do effective leaders. Effective leaders work to create conditions which improve student achievement and teacher effectiveness. Numerous studies identify conditions that foster teacher effectiveness including teacher preparation, mentoring, content knowledge, yes class size, a school culture that values continuous learning and improvement. i Research focusing solely on the teacher is not strategic, limiting, narrow and can undermine teacher performance.

More disturbing is our executive branch not speaking out about the impact of poverty. Anyone who works with children whose families have lost their homes, lack adequate health care, food, and experience violence must acknowledge that these conditions increase the risks for children to succeed. In order to respond and address the conditions effective schools need to provide food, health care, community safe havens. The bashing of teachers limits any conversation regarding the needs of children. I understand and respect the reluctance to address these issues. I appreciate the fear that to acknowledge the needs of our poor may in some way excuse those teachers who give up or blame their own lack of will on the children. I also appreciate the enormity of these challenges and how easy it is in our society to find a scapegoat. But this approach, will not work and it will waste money and destroy a system of community schools, a public school system that in numerous situations has overcome the hardships endured by the students they serve. The Supreme Court recognized the value of bringing our community together and not siphoning students off into Charter Schools that represent special interests. t

The Duncan approach is a business model, and assumes that a carrot and stick approach works with teachers. Arnie read the research! Teachers are not motivated by carrots! Teachers (most) want to succeed! Any parent with more than one teacher has probably known the teacher that was perfect for one of their children and not so great with the sibling. One size, one measure is not the answer. Yes, support student achievement in schools! Support effective teaching, encourage learning communities that measure individual student progress with multiple measures over time!! Create communities that work together to assure student success! Support our Public School System don't siphon off students, teachers and dollars. Please for the sake of all children promote best practice. Great public education can bring our society together!!.

[tonysam]

15. THAT'S the problem. The unions have been "playing ball" too long

with districts and administrators. They need to be REAL unions with REAL clout representing TEACHERS.

Teachers should not be spending hundreds of dollars a year in union dues, only to have those union heads cut deals with district administrators.

[cjbgreen]

20. unions

Tonysam,
I think Unions should support the profession of teachers which means that they advocate for the kinds of conditions that support learning and student success which of course is why teachers teach. We don't blame doctors in Haiti for the patients that die who under normal circumstances would survive with appropriate doctor care. We should not blame teachers (although teachers should strive to educate every child regardless of the circumstances). I think we agree, but I don't think Unions should protect incompetent teachers.

[tonysam]

21. They don't protect "incompetent" teachers--or ANY teachers

who are faced with termination. You would be surprised--horrified, in fact--if you knew just how two-faced and dirty union heads can be.

Besides, what constitutes "incompetence"? I laugh at that, for the person who says it usually isn't aware of the dirty politics and workplace culture in public ed. The people who define it in education are the principals--who are far more often than not total assholes who just try to get teachers out who they don't want, or, as in yours truly's case, they are afraid of standing up to HR and simply throw me out illegally to get the HR assistant superintendent off her back. Then HR and the district's general counsel have to fabric a case in order to "win" a hearing which is rigged and which there is no real due process at all. That's why you have "tenure," which doesn't protect teachers so much as it protects school districts from more lawsuits than they already face because of principals breaking the law. It puts a brake on principals' worst impulses.

Principals, by contrast, have almost total job security and total power to ruin teachers' careers, unless it is truly egregious or they piss off their superiors. School districts are run like the military; unlike school districts of yore, they don't value creativity in teachers. They're run top down, and God help the teacher who dares to question his or her principal.

[cjbgreen]

23. incompetence

I do agree that there are dirty politics! And that incompetence is not descriptive. Unions are necessary and important to maintaining a balance of power and equilibrium. Management and Unions involve people and personalities and both have flaws. Charter Schools eliminate checks and balances that do limit the abuse of power. Project Hope, Kevin Johnson's schools in Sacremento is an example of the abuse of power.

[Imajika]

22. Sorry, but, teachers unions represent teachers...

...not kids.

Obama is sympathetic to the teachers unions because, like all of us, he values workers being able to organize.

Teachers unions will do for their membership everything they can to provide them the most pay, the most security, the best working hours possible, etc, etc. This is because they represent teachers, not kids.

Just because the NEA complains about Obama's education policy's does not make those policies wrong. I swear it seems like far too many people will buy lock, stock and barrel everything the teachers unions say - for no other reason than that they are unions.

The teachers unions tend to be inflexible, will defend horrible teachers that should be fired, detest seeing teachers measured against their peers (as is the case in most jobs), resist altering failing institutionalized methods and procedures, etc, etc. All that is fine. That is the unions job, there is nothing wrong with how they operate. But that doesn't make their actions good for the kids, it makes them good for the teachers.

School administration and the unions should be adversarial, as both have different priorities. People should recognize this. Teachers unions are designed to benefit teachers. They most certainly care about kids, but at the end of the day their reason for being is to advocate for teachers - not kids.

If I lived in most any major city I would do anything I could to avoid sending my kids to those public schools. Something has to change, and just throwing money at the schools is not the only answer. The teachers unions are just going to have to accept that Obama means to shake up the status quo. Good on him for it too.

[cjbgreen]

24. teacher unions

I've never been a member of a teacher union. I've worked with non-union organizations and I've worked with unionized organizations. Labor and management can and should share the same goals, just like doctors and nurses and hospitals. Management at its worst can serve only itself, self-aggrandizement etc. The same can be said of unions. Attacking either side misses the point and purpose. There is a common goal and good. All unions are not the same, all management is not the same. Leadership brings people together by focusing on shared goals and creates winning situations. I've worked in organizations with and without unions where both groups labor and management work together. Absent shared goals and responsibility everyone looses.

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[tonysam]

26. Which "horrible" teachers "who deserve to be fired" and are defended by unions?

In your expert opinion, I DESERVED to be fired because I was a shitty teacher, and never mind state law was violated by the principal, the union contract was violated by the principal, due process rights were violated by the principal, federal FMLA law was violated as my illness was covered by that law, and the district's administrators committed crimes including bribery, likely forgery, subornation of perjury, and perjury to keep this incompetent principal on the job. Additionally my "mentor," who wasn't even at work a good deal of the time, lied and defamed me repeatedly on the stand and also destroyed evidence including my plan book and a folder in which I had all notes I took from meetings and the agenda items.

In short, this principal didn't know what in the hell she was even doing; she had never even disciplined a teacher before, and she had been a principal for about five years at this point. When she was on the stand at my hearing, looking a deer in the headlights and hyperventilating and lying her butt off, she said she had "never been through this before, and I don't EVER want to go through this again." Puff, puff. I thought to myself, "Cry me a river, lady. You're pulling down almost a 100 grand a year, and here I am living off of food stamps, no car, and getting energy assistance. YOU have it rough? Spare me." Of course the union's executive director, the one who was bribed with a cushy job working for the HR head, lied about my UI eligibility, hence the food stamps, etc., but I did eventually file for UI and got it.

Naturally the hearing officer ruled to keep her and allow my firing to stand. ONLY in public education is it the case the more supervisors screw up, the better they do. She's over at a different school now, probably to avoid having to give me any kind of reference, but she isn't out of the woods. She can brag about her vacation to Hawaii belly bumping with the giant manta rays, but the day of reckoning is coming.

I just laugh at opinions like yours because they are not based on a bit of evidence. You have to really be on the inside to understand education, and Obama and his shitbag education secretary are horrible on this issue.

[cjbgreen]

28. horrible administrators

I've been on the inside, there are horrible things done to people who need to be protected. Power is and can be abused. And everyone looses when that happens. I'm sorry you had to endure this treatment. No one should.

[brentspeak]

27. Your post is one long RW talking point n/t

[Hannah Bell]

29. "Obama is sympathetic to the teachers unions" = baloney.

like the rest of your post.

[Catshrink]

30. Obama has put his education policy in the hands of someone who has never taught.

He doesn't know the job, know what works in the classroom and what doesn't. Instead, he relies on test scores that only offer a narrow slice of information. Not only that, to get this narrow bit of information, school take time away from teaching to cram for the tests that don't really measure much of anything.

The reason many teachers are flabbergasted and distraught over Obama's education policy is that the only people who have no voice are the teachers, those who know the job best. He listens to policy wonks, cranks, politicians, business people, etc., but has not listened to what teachers are saying. Instead, they ignore our concerns and are setting it up to do away with those with the most experience. This isn't a job that can be learned in a year or two -- the only way to become an effective teacher is to do the job, reflect on what works and what doesn't, make the necessary changes, and keep going. Not all classes of kids are the same, not all demographics respond to instruction the same way. There is no "one size fits all" in education. So far, all I've heard from Arne is words -- bs jargon spewed as if it has some lofty meaning.

Arne doesn't know jack. By the time Obama has figured out that this emperor has no clothes, he will have managed to cede control of education to corporate interests. We know how that will turn out.

[LWolf]

33. Of course our unions work to provide us with the best pay and working conditions they can.

That's their job. The assertion that unions protect "horrible teachers" is a flat out lie. Unions insist on a just process to remove teachers. A fair trial, if you will. Unions do not protect teachers who are found guilty of "horrible" actions when that process is used.

Working conditions in the classroom can be tough. Why should we be trying to degrade those conditions further?

The fact remains that when working conditions are better for teachers, they are also better for kids who depend on those teachers.

If educators were in charge of education reforms, students would thrive.

[sulphurdunn]

35. Of course we can all accept,

as an article of faith (I suppose), that HIGH QUALITY charter schools exist for the benefit of children and not the owners of the charter school corporation. After all, isn't that what private corporations are about? You know, service to the community, because their owners and investors would never bribe public servants or exploit their customers for money. Right?
:rofl:

[LWolf]

31. And we've been pointing this out for quite some time.

Who is listening? Who cares enough to stop this weapon of public education destruction?

I'd like to point out that the first round of stimulus $$ was used to backfill serious budget deficits caused by the crashing economy. Not enough to make up all that difference, just enough to slow the crash a little. At least some jobs were saved, which DOES stimulate the economy.

What, exactly, does using "stimulus" money, intended to stimulate the economy, as a weapon to force states to adopt destructive policy, do to improve the economy?

RTTT is a bully's tool to take over 50 blocks and further union-bust and privatize public education.

[EFerrari]

32. Too late to rec, I'm sorry.

:kick:

[cjbgreen]

34. The Challenge

I've written objections to MR as the public face of reform because she represents the worst of educational leadership and models bullying, intimidation, fear, self-aggrandizement, the end justifies the means (kind of like torture). Does this reform effort really produce gains for all students (or select students)? What happens to the students who leave? Who are they? Do students want to come to school? Is this reform for a few (that bumps up test scores, or reform for all?) Lets look at longitudinal data, teacher turnover, parent involvement, etc.? Crime, violence? So here is the challenge - examine the claims! examine the data! Are there takers? Hold administrators, teachers, policy makers accountable! Don't just accept their claims. We already know that Rhee lies about data, what about the student achievement data? Truth to power!
A request to all readers who care passionately about education to find the facts regarding conditions and factors that support student performance so we can shift the conversation away from bashing teachers! Hey if bashing teachers really works ... then prove it by explaining how the school, community, and all students succeed. I know that when leaders are bullies there is a trickle down impact!! Fact or opinion! This is a call out to everyone who cares! Examine the claims of student achievement in DC? We all know that data can mislead and be played with. If it is true, the MR style of leadership works then we need to embrace and support what works? Any takers? I'm not talking about biased investigation, but investigation that examines one's own biases and the biases of all participants.