Well, that's where the teacher evaluation talks between NYSUT and Cuomo are according to NYSUT President Karen Magee:
ALBANY—The president of the powerful statewide teachers union said talks about a moratorium on using Common Core-aligned tests scores in performance evaluations are “in a better place” than they were earlier this week.
Karen Magee, president of New York State United Teachers, said Wednesday she is “guardedly optimistic” lawmakers will amend the state-mandated teacher- and principal-evaluation system before the legislative session ends next week.
“Representatives from both NYSUT and the governor's office are in constant communication regarding teacher evaluations,” she said. “We're looking to get the moratorium in place.”
Magee said there has been progress since Monday, when Governor Andrew Cuomo said the Legislature wouldn't tackle any major initiatives in its final days, and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said it was unlikely the evaluation changes would get done.
“We're in a better place than we were on Monday,” Magee said. “No details at this time. Nothing is firm. The communication lines are all open.”
Cuomo's office did not return a request for comment.
In the meantime, Cuomo reiterated on Wednesday that no major legislative work will be done by the end of the session:
ALBANY—Governor Andrew Cuomo said his sharp words about Senate Republicans at last month's Working Families Party convention were an “aberration,” and acknowledged the legislative session is likely to end without any action on major items on his agenda.
“We don't have a robust agenda that we're working through. We did what we really needed to get done in the budget," Cuomo told reporters on Long Island.
"I would have liked to see public finance pass," he added. "I would have liked to see the Women's Equality Agenda passed, including a law that guarantees a woman's right to choose in this state. … I would have liked to see a Dream Act. I'm not overly optimistic on what we're going to get done.”
He didn't mention an evaluation fix that he would like to get done, nor did he say one was on the agenda.
And time is running short.
While a moratorium may be of help to individual teachers who are in danger of getting whacked because of student test scores, it does nothing to address the real purpose behind these exams, which is to bring about such high failure rates - as demonstrated last year with the 4th and 8th grade tests - that public schools and their teachers are "proven" to be failures, and opened up to further demonization.
ReplyDeleteThe so-called reformers have already admitted to this, as when Rick Hess was indiscreet enough to admit on his blog that the real intention of the Common Core is to make suburban parents lose faith in their local public schools.
NYSUT is either oblivious and / or is being played. If it truly represented teachers and students, it would call for repeal of the Common Core and the exams it is a vehicle for.
I had second thoughts on calling this lady Karen Magoo but now that I am getting a flavor of her game I think it will stick. Is she the only one walking into walls believing up is down and left is right and everywhere all over? You can bet Mulgarten knows the real score he just isn't letting her see the secret scrolls. Not to flog the deceased equine but Michael points out a moratorium fails to address the real issue. Ah but since when has NYSUT ever made it a point to address real issues. On a related note I received an email from my union president regarding that much ballyhooed cursive writing article he seems to think all the kids are talking about on the internets and the facebook...
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