After going through the new system in a bit of detail, she concludes:
1. Make decisions based on outcomes: what will result in the best “scores” for your staff? (What tool? Who will the target population be? How will they be measured?)
2. Make decisions based on what will bring you together: do not allow these decisions to divide you. Stand in solidarity together, take care of each other, and do what benefits students and teachers collectively. (What tools/population/measurement model can you choose that will impact teaching and learning the least and can be applied evenly and fairly across subject and grade level positions?)
3. Decide to get involved: I am convinced the overwhelming majority of educators, after navigating this evaluation system, will be moved to action. Do not get discouraged; do not believe we cannot affect change. Whether you donate, sign a petition, attend a rally, come to a meeting, run for office, or join an organization– the time is now to stand up and fight the tidal wave of attacks on public education.
If only our current union leadership could communicate to teachers how best to protect themselves in what is going to be a very challenging and dangerous school year for everybody - students, teachers and administrators - as well as Julie Cavanagh does.
So true. The leadership, like the DOE, has no clue. It's "wait and see" with them, and then, when the damage has occurred it will be "told you so".
ReplyDeleteBoth = Innefective and Destructive.
The UFT and AFT leadership are partnering with the oligarchs to negotiate the terms of exploitation for teachers.
DeleteRight now, those terms are all on the side of the oligarchs.
APPR is slowly and relentlessly splintering the cohesiveness within our school. APPR has forced us to spend more time focused on our individual performance rather than the performance of the whole school community. There is growing resentment between staff. All assessments are not created equal. Let's be honest! A super secret NYS ELA Assessment is not equal to a teacher produced final assessment. How do you equate these tests? You can't yet NYS is and places a great deal of weight in the APPR process on assessment results. APPR is eroding the positive, collaborative education in our school.
ReplyDelete