The powerful New York State United Teachers union and the Alliance for Quality Education — which is partially funded by NYSUT — plan to host a series of forums for parents and educators “to fill the void caused by the cancellations of PTA-sponsored forums” by state Education Commissioner John King.
The union’s membership is not a big fan of the way the state has implemented the Common Core; opposition to the plan was the driving force behind a spring rally on the Empire State Plaza that attracted thousands. NYSUT has called for a three-year moratorium on the use of state test scores as a component of a teacher’s evaluation.
Locations and dates for the evening events will be announced shortly. SED said on Wednesday that it was trying to develop a new format for the commissioner’s forums that would prevent them from getting as shouty as things got a week ago in Poughkeepsie.
Since the leadership at all the unions (from the UFT to the NYSUT to the AFT to the NEA) are such big fans of Common Core, I can't imagine these forums will be too different than the John King/PTA Common Core town halls.
True, NYSUT leadership has called for a three year moratorium on the high stakes attached to the Common Core tests and the new teacher evaluation system.
But they have pushed the Common Core State (sic) Standards as heavily as NYSED, the Regents, the USDOE and the Gates Foundation.
If the leadership was holding these forums to really hear the complaints parents and teachers have about the Common Core standards, the curricula that is being developed and rolled out for those standards by SED, the Common Core tests, and the teacher evaluation system that is inextricably tied in to the Common Core reforms, that would be swell.
Alas, I have my doubts that any forum "hosted" by Dick Iannuzzi and NYSUT will be anything but a snow job/propaganda-fest for the Common Core.
Dick at the NYSUT, as well as Mike, Randi and Dennis at the other unions, don't want to do anything to make their benefactor Bill Gates unhappy.
All you have to do is follow the money and see how much these union leaders are getting from Uncle Bill to know whatever criticism they have about the Common Core will be of the "Fix it, Don't Kill It" variety.
Many of the teachers and parents I have communicated with over the Core are of the "Core Can't Be Fixed, Must Be Ended" camp.
What a load of cr*p. This is just a scam to make it look like the NYSUT and the UFT actually cared about what the rank and file and parents have to say about common core. In fact, they were part of the cabal to sign on to it in the first place. They did not fool me in the past and they don't fool me now. The good thing is that the word is finally getting out to both parents and the common rank and file that common core is not worth the paper it was written on.
ReplyDeleteYup - more union p.r. to divert attention from their own culpability in the reform crimes.
DeleteBottom line, our local, state, and national union leaders screwed up big time. They are trying extremely hard to fit a square peg in a round hole where creating a forum by them would change the smell of s**t in the hopes that others will accept the s**t. It is time to tell our union leaders that they must reject every reform that is presented to them by the Gates et al and to finally get on the side of education and educators.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree.
DeleteOh good we get to hear Dick yell "Get it right!!!!" a bit more. Should be "Get it the F out!"
ReplyDeleteToo bad the Badass Teachers can't host it.
Iannuzzi is so full of crap on this, it's coming out his ears.
DeleteWe let Dick slide last time he came to Buffalo preaching his gospel of concession, appeasement and surrender. If they thought Lil John got grief in Duchess County wait and see what Mr. Sellout gets in B-lo. It will be direct and unflattering. Promise.
ReplyDeleteI think that;s what we need - to put not just the SED and Regents on the defense, but the UFT, NYSUT, AFT and NEA leadership as well.
DeleteMay I join the Core Can't Be Fixed Must Be Ended Group? The scripted materials I have seen are a disaster for English Language Learners and Special Education students. They take all the fun out of teaching.
ReplyDeleteThe scripted materials are a disaster in 9th grade too. I had a math teacher tell me for the first time in 13 years teaching, she feels she has lost the entire class. They just don't understand what is going on and because of that, they don't care. Plus they act out. Similar things happening in ELA.
Delete