Perdido 03

Perdido 03

Friday, September 26, 2014

Cuomo Will Lead A Witch Hunt Of "Failing" Teachers In His Second Term

Here's a preview of the second term shenanigans we can expect from Governor Andrew Cuomo with his vaunted APPR teacher evaluation system:

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Tuesday the state’s new teacher evaluation system will need to be refined, but he said he would like to see more data before pushing for any changes to the state law.

Cuomo said he sees value in the teacher rankings, but said critics who question how 94 percent of the state’s teachers can be “highly effective” or “effective” have a valid point.

“I’m excited that we started,” Cuomo said of the teacher evaluation system put into effect during the 2012-13 school year. “And I think once we start to study it and learn it and refine it – because there’s no doubt it needs refinement, not everybody can get an ‘A,’ it can’t be – I think it’s going to be a very valuable tool.”

His solution?

Study the "data" and push for statewide changes, taking away local control:
 
“The way we’ve done it the first few years is they’re negotiated locally. There is no statewide negotiation,” Cuomo said during a meeting with editors and reporters at The Buffalo News. “Each district negotiates it’s own criteria within certain mandates. So the suggestion was the way they negotiated it may be too loose because everyone’s doing well, and I think that’s a valid question.”

Cuomo stopped short of saying he would recommend specific changes to the evaluations.

“I think we have to understand what’s happening,” Cuomo said. “We don’t really have solid data back because we just started.”

A commenter on the Buffalo News story writes the following:

60% of the teacher evaluation system is based on "Other measures of Effectiveness score" in which a teacher has a formal observation, an informal observation, and provides various artifacts (which are rated by the principal) that prove that a teacher is doing what he or she is supposed to be doing in class. So if a teacher is doing their job, yet the students are "failing" the state assessments, then whose fault is it. There's no possible way the students or parents should share any responsibility in this, right? In my opinion it is very possible for teachers to be effective yet have students who are failing. Especially in impoverished districts. This sounds like just another witch hunt. More of the same. I guess they don't think they'll be able to get enough teachers fired.

APPR is supposed to be based on "multiple measures" of so-called performance, something we have heard trumpeted from the leaders of NYSUT and the UFT, that teachers are not being evaluated solely by test scores.

But Cuomo's framing this system just as the deformers are framing the system - test scores are the only valid measure and if many students are failing the new Common Core tests (despite the tests being rigged by NYSED and the Board of Regents to have just that outcome), then the teachers of those students must be failing as well.

Beware the second term, folks - as the commenter at the Buffalo News story notes, this is a teacher witch hunt that we have coming and Cuomo's going to be the head hunter.

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that I have written over and over again that APPR was always devised to fire as many teachers as possible.

It wasn't a mistake that they rolled APPR out at the same time they rolled out the new Common Core tests that they rigged for 70% failure rates.

The one thing the deformers didn't count on was a revolt in the suburbs over the Common Core tests and the Common Core Standards themselves.

After a year of furor over the CCSS, they had to de-link the Common Core test scores from APPR for teachers of 3rd-8th grade students.

But make no mistake, the link is coming back and it will turn into a bludgeon they will use on you.

Calls from deformers and editorial boards to "tighten" up APPR will eventually lead to "refinements" of the system, as Cuomo called them - in short, rigging APPR the way the Common Core tests were rigged to come out with a pre-determined outcome of "failure."

Another commenter at the Buffalo News story wrote:

It does beg the question, how many "ineffective" or "developing" individuals are there in other professions? How many "ineffective" or "developing" teachers would be enough? Like you said, witch hunt.

Indeed.

19 comments:

  1. The witch hunt is in progress in Newark. This is the second year of the new evaluation law in NJ. There are currently 64 Newark teacher tenure cases with lots more to come in June.

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    1. And it seems no matter what the citizens of Newark want, the politicians and oligarchs will do whatever they want there. It's a disgrace.

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  2. And I bet our union already knew this before the primary. Even with their non-endorsement, it was obvious when they helped him secure the WFP ballot, they have no qualms about the future of public school teachers. They think they can get charter teachers to join their union with a watered-down contract. The real sin in all this is that teachers in general are stupid. Take a survey of most of the teachers in NYC and you will find many of them have no idea what is going on behind the scenes. Ask them about Teachout, and you will get a blank stare. As them about ALEC or about ATRs and you will get blank stares. Ask them if they voted in the last UFT election, and you will get blank stares. These people are the reason Randi and Mulgrew have all the power and they are banking that teachers remain uninformed.

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    1. Most teachers are political MORONS!

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    2. I agree, many teachers I know are very uninformed politically. I suppose overall many Americans are uninformed, but you'd think people who teach others would be informed about politics - especially the kind that directly affects them. Alas, it's not so.

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    3. Is this a common core mathematical formula?
      uninformed politically = moron

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  3. The funny part is that Cuomo keeps running on a platform of mandate reduction, which means he will strip away every institutional support that was put in place for needy kids. He has already done it to the adult disabled population which will be in major distress by January, in a year proclaiming a surfeit of tax dollars. I have no problem believing we are next.

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    1. Yes, that's part of the plan. Strip away the money, lop on more and more mandates, stretching school staffs thin - then declare the whole thing failing when things inevitably tear.

      It's evil - it's also a consciously carried out plan.

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  4. Cuomo's OWN WORDS:

    "...not everybody can get an ‘A,’ it can’t be – I think it’s going to be a very valuable tool..."

    Now, of course, he is speaking about teachers--but can't this argument be used to undermine the entire premise behind evaluating teachers?! If not everybody can get an A, then why are teachers expected to have all of their students get As? Why are we being evaluated on this very illogical expectation? Can someone point this out to Cuomo and other reformers?

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    1. I used you're insightful comment for another post:

      http://perdidostreetschool.blogspot.com/2014/09/cuomo-not-every-teacher-can-get-a.html

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  5. Not every Governor can get an "A" or even a :"B" or even a "C".
    In fact, NY State governors have had a great track record of "F's".
    Sheriff Andy's posse of corrupted crooks and liars line their pockets with our tax dollars.
    This bumbling idiot can ride the subways all he wants...with 50 bouncer bodyguards surrounding him.
    I didn't trust his old man and I certainly don't trust him.

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    1. My favorite is when Paterson goes on the attack - here's a dude that got where he is on his name and connections. Complete buffoon who should be in prison. Spitzer before him belongs in prison too, though at least he went after some Wall Street crooks as AG. All Paterson ever went after was sex and money.

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  6. Teachers have only themselves to blame if this truly happens for being so dumb and trusting our "union". They're all selling us out and teachers are too dumb to see it. They're happy staying in their little bubble.....until the policies hit THEM.
    Teachers: get ready to dig deep into your pockets to hire private attorneys.

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    1. Agreed, we've done it to ourselves by not sending the crooks in the leadership packing and by failing to fight the politicians who look to destroy us.

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  7. Andy is conveniently forgetting that he is the one that forced 700 school districts to negotiate with their union to establish a new system. Now he acts like the system he forced upon districts is not an utter failure--he just wants to get through the election without having to be held personally accountable for the mess he has made of NY education--just like he wants to say the CCC is good--but the implementation was poor. Typical Cuomo, blame others...just what real leaders would never do.

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    1. My favorite displace blame moment for Cuomo came this week when he accused Astorino of "politicizing" security when Rob criticized Christie for holding two pressers with Cuomo

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  8. Cuomo just wants to make it so that he is not the only person in NY royally failing. Rob Astorino for Governor!!!

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    1. I think the legislature, the NYSED and the Board of Regents are all failing too - plenty of company for Cuomo!

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