Michael Mulgrew LOVES this new evaluation system.
Seriously, he does - he told us in an e mail today:
As you all are aware, this new system was the result of binding arbitration presided over by state Education Commissioner John King when we could not come to an agreement with Mayor Bloomberg on a teacher evaluation system required by state law. Mayor Bloomberg never wanted an evaluation system that could help teachers. He only wanted a system to beat up teachers
But the state teacher evaluation law is clear in its intent to support the work teachers do inside the classroom, and that is exactly how we plan to see it used in New York City.
It was clear to every teacher in the room in my school yesterday that the new Advance teacher evaluation system imposed by John King and hailed by Michael Mulgrew does nothing of the sort like support teachers.
It is a "gotcha" system plain and simple, so complex and convoluted in how it is devised that not even the "experts" in the school who sat through hours of NYCDOE explanations about the system could properly explain how the test score components are going to work.
That Mulgrew is defending this system in an email at all tells you all you need to know about how much the UFT is invested in it.
Mulgrew and Iannuzzi helped devise it, they stood on stage with Cuomo after he forced them to drop the successful lawsuit they had mounted against the Regents over the testing component that went above and beyond the RttT law, Mulgrew was happy to see King named an "independent arbitrator" who got to impose a system of evaluation on NYC teachers and once the nightmare system was imposed by Reformy John, Mulgrew attacked anybody who criticized the system.
He keeps saying this system has "multiple measures of evaluation" - but when test scores trump all else (get declared "ineffective" on the test score components and you have to be declared "ineffective" overall!) , there are no multiple measures of evaluation.
In effect, the 40% testing component is 100% if you come up "i-rated" on it.
Why doesn't Mulgrew criticize that component? Why does he paper over the problems in this system?
Because this is Mulgrew's baby, pure and simple and he likes it.
Sure, he says he wants to make sure the implementation is fair and just.
But what the hell does that mean?
When you have a system that is totally unworkable, complex, convoluted and inexplicable to parents and teachers, how do you make sure the implementation is fair and just?
I have written that I think that many teachers who have been largely apolitical about union politics are going to be politicized and radicalized after a couple of years of this system.
I saw that in the room yesterday as administrators tried to explain this Advance system to people.
Compare Mulgrew's email to UFT members with what Julie Cavanagh wrote last week about the APPR Advance system.
Everybody in the PD room yesterday agreed more with Cavanagh's characterization of the system than Mulgrew's.
They can bring Leo Casey back to sling all the crap they want about how the system scrapes the skies.
People know a "gotcha" system when they see it.
And that's what the Advance APPR teacher evaluation system is.
Mulgrew is corrupt.
ReplyDeleteTeachers are SICKENED after seeing the Advance presentation today by a "talent coach" .
It absolutely is a GOTCHA system. Teachers have had it with all the lies.
Go ask the teachers in your school on Monday if any of them are aware that 40%=100%. They will be shocked to hear this. Ask them if they know that Mulgrew created this. They will be shocked at the answer. The sad reality is that the majority of teachers have their friggin' heads in the sand and now they are gonna' pay the price. It is sickening. Lastly, I love how Mulgrew wrote in the email that "there is a stronger due process now in place". What a load of crap that is. Tenure is now meaningless. Teachers will be living in fear for the next 3 years. The only hope is that a new mayor might, I mean might, be able to cut down some of the most unworkable aspects of the evaluation. However, Mulgrew and the Unity crew would have to push for that and God only knows if that will happen. Does, Mulgrew realize that if things keep going this way that the UFT will be gone and replaced by private, at will employee's who pay NO UNION DUES?
ReplyDeleteAnd Mulgrew does not give a flying hoot. He will just get himself a nice job with Student's First.
DeleteGo Unity!
You mean the teacher evaluation plan that nearly 85 percent of my fellow staff members knew very little about in terms of specifics? You mean the teacher evaluation plan that when I asked the committee helping decide the MOSL what our leader Mulgrew thinks we should pick -stood silent because no such advice was given. You mean the teacher evaluation plan that both the union and doe officials don't understand themselves? Heck - Ravitch doesn't even understand it! You mean the one that as a result of helping create and never once speaking out about the new evaluation's junk science and sometimes impossible requirements for the highly effective category forever changes tenure as we knew it because now incompetency is defined in data and numbers and no longer has to be proven by the administrator (a task that would be difficult if you were indeed a good and caring teacher). Is this the imbecile you are talking about - Michael Mulgrew of the Unity Caucus? Of course it is!
ReplyDeleteOkay, I can complain with the best but let's DO something. Every teacher needs to contact the powers that be whether it be Commissioner King or the Regents or your local politicians and your union. Contact them not once, not twice but each and every day until they get the message LOUD and CLEAR. A fair evaluation plan has a place in schools but it CAN NOT include the testing piece. It is NOT equitable. We educators need to make lots and lots of noise for what is fair and right. No noise = no change.
ReplyDeleteForget complaining to King or the Regents. They are immaterial. Their power emanates from the politicians elected in the legislature and the governor's office. Pressure must be put to bear on those politicians - again and again and again. I call Shelly all the time about this stuff. Same with Skelos. Same with my assembly member and state senator. I leave messages for Cuomo. Leave 'em for Harkin in D.C. too. Until these pols fear for their jobs, nothing will change. But that can be made to happen - them fearing for their jobs, I mean. I suspect after a few years of the insane testing that APPR requires, that could happen. The protests in Port Jefferson Station needs to happen all over, however.
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