Bill Gates Pushing RIFs Based on Student Test Results in Washington State: Senate Bill 5914

[Hannah Bell]

In February, the Gates funded organization the League of Education Voters and yes, the Gates funded PTA, were pushing for the approval of two bills that proposed to determine teacher layoff’s by student performance, test scores, and to permanently fire teachers if there was a school closing. You can read the post Legislative Update and Action that I wrote regarding those two bills.

Fortunately, because of a quick response by many after reading that post and the action of others, the bill didn’t make it into hearings. But, as they say about the legislative period in Olympia, it ain’t over ‘til it’s over. The same folks are back with another bill but this time with a fancy title that makes it sound so wonderful. How could anyone not like a bill that is titled the “Excellent Teachers for Every Student Act”? Really.

Here’s the skinny on this high sounding bill.

Reductions in Force (RIF): The bill states that during a RIF, when there is not enough money to pay for teachers and teachers have to be laid off, that the teachers with the lowest evaluations, meaning lowest student test scores, should not have their contracts renewed. Talk about high stakes testing! Even President Obama has a problem with this idea although his Secretary of Education doesn’t and has been pushing this with his Race to the Top agenda...

http://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com/2011/04/08/legislation-action-alert-senate-bill-5914/

[leftstreet]

1. What exactly qualifies Gates as an education expert?

K&R

[Hannah Bell]

2. if you're rich, you're qualified at everything.

[JDPriestly]

3. An education bill inspired by Enron.

Remember how Enron laid people off by having them evaluated by their peers with everyone knowing that the "losers" would be laid off.

[pnwmom]

4. So the teachers who agree to teach students in the poorest neighborhoods

are most at risk of permanently losing their jobs.

Wonderful.