Permanent certification is gone - teachers with permanent certification have to "register" with NYSED every five years showing they have done 100 hundred hours of "rigorous" PD.
Tenure is gone - two "ineffective" ratings and a district may have a teacher fired in 90 days. Three "ineffective" ratings in a row and a district must move to have the teacher fired in 30 days.
The same geniuses who brought you the mess that was the Common Core roll-out and gave a liar named "Dr" Ted J. Morris Jr. MA, Ph.D, MSW a charter school are now in charge of creating a new evaluation system that links tests scores and observations, including one from an "outside evaluator," by June.
Teachers who teach subjects and/or courses that do not end in state tests will be evaluated by "Student Learning Objectives" that will be developed by NYSED.
If a teacher comes up "ineffective" on the test-based component, they may opt to have students take another test approved by the state, but no funding will be provided for the test:
The budget describes the following as eligible options for the second test: “state tests or assessments developed or designed by the state education department, or that the state education department purchased or acquired from another state; an institution of higher education; or a commercial or not-for-profit entity.”
The optional "second test" idea is in the evaluation system in order to put the onus of overtesting onto teachers according to a Cuomo official.
Education aid increases are tied to the new evaluation systems being in place in individual districts by November.
“No school district shall be eligible for an apportionment of general support for public schools from the funds appropriated for the 2015-2016 school year and any year thereafter in excess of the amount apportioned to such school district in the respective base year unless such school district has submitted documentation that has been approved by the commissioner by November fifteenth, two thousand fifteen,” the bill says.
Students may not be instructed two years running by "ineffective" teachers.
There's more - and it's all bad.
You can see the rest of the mess here at this Capital NY rundown by Jessica Bakeman.
This is what UFT President Mike Mulgrew called "victory."
This is what Assembly Dems passed with "heavy hearts" last night.
If it wasn't clear to you before this that teachers have been abandoned by their union leadership and the politicians we support both financially and politically, it should be now.
A lot of blame to go around, but I'll opine that it's time oath-signing Unity chapter leaders think long and hard about what part they are playing in the demise of this profession.
ReplyDeleteThey won't. They'll be loyal right until the end. And it's clear from the rhetoric emanating from 52 Broadway that the UFT thinks this is "victory."
DeleteSeriously, can someone really give a true feedback answer on the importance of tenure, at this point? I mean, isn't just a "word" now? There's no tenure logistically, correct?
ReplyDeleteNope - just as "permanent" certification isn't actually "permanent" anymore.
DeleteThe express termination is reminiscent of the clause in the last contract for ATRs. I knew this was coming for everyone. How can this, by any stretch of the imagination, be a victory ?
ReplyDeleteEverything's a "victory" for Mulgarten and Unity. What do they care? They're not subject to it.
DeleteAs usual, we are paying for our own destruction. We are paying the salaries of our enemies. We have allowed and continue to allow these our union officials and our elected politicians to destroy what we have. We need to get off our phones and do something. about this.
ReplyDeleteYes - both the union leaders and the pols live off our dime.
DeleteSen Dems passed the budget with "heavy hearts" and without having time to read it but they still passed it. I have no sympathy for them. I am sick of hearing them lament on the news this morning about lack of time to read the budget. Our state "leaders" just crushed whatever little respect and dignity we had left.
DeleteRBE...You included the link to the "heavy-hearted" Assemblymembers. I think that the torture in their souls and the devil's fork in their hearts deserves at least a brief acknowledgement here so that we, their constituents and the objects of their despair, can take a moment in silence to consider, and honor, their individual Profiles in Courage. I challenge anyone to slander these fine representatives of the people by claiming that our politicians in Albany stand some where between toads and vultures. Think clearly, please, before you harm the reputations of toads and vultures in the comparison:
ReplyDelete"ALBANY—Members of the the Assembly’s Democratic majority, with a few exceptions, supported a budget bill that overhauled state education law at the urging of Governor Andrew Cuomo. But they weren’t happy about it.
One by one, Democrats rose to describe their grave concerns about the bill—which creates a new educator evaluation system, rolls back tenure protections and makes it easier to fire teachers. One lawmaker even held his nose as he voted.
But, they argued, the final agreement was better for public school teachers and students than Cuomo’s original proposal and it was better to accept some changes than risk a late budget.
“How delicate is the balance between compromise and dysfunction?” said Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski, a Democrat from Rockland County, while explaining his “yes” vote late Tuesday night. “Depending upon how you look at an issue, compromise can become dysfunction or good government, and forcing a late budget can be dysfunction or good government.
“I do not believe that teachers can be blamed for problems that are largely socioeconomic,” he continued. “My colleagues and I in the majority—we advocated, we agonized, we pushed, we pulled, we fought to make a bad situation better. We eventually stared reality in the eye, knowing that not only could a late budget perhaps mean a government shutdown, but also a late budget could mean a full implementation of Governor Cuomo’s reform agenda, without many of our hard-fought improvements.”
"Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, a Bronx Democrat, said the bill was much better than it had been even days earlier during the tedious negotiation process. So “despite the misgivings that I have with many of the provisions … I will hold my nose and vote yes.”
Another Bronx Democrat and a former teacher, Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, called the bill “terrible” and said the chamber’s impending approval was “a shame.” But because of the significant increases in school aid woven into the bill, “It is wrong to vote against it.” He voted aye.
Mulgrew gave them the cover by saying it wouldn't be held against them. If NYSUT AND the UFT had fought the budget, some of them might have thought twice about voting yes. Might still have passed, but I bet it would have been a heavier lift.
DeleteJust read his statement 'releasing' legislators from any concern about supporting the bill. Let's see, a few words come to mind: traitor, Quisling, collaborator, incompetent, Machiavellian, duplicitous, Devil-man.....A few thoughts come to mind, none practical: impeachment, arrest and trial, tar-and-feathering, decertification. revolution, hit-job.
DeletePiece of dirt, dirt bag, filth, scum, yes, collaborator is a really good one.
DeleteThe question that comes to mind is How do these people live with themselves?
Huh, maybe Mulgrew's stance has to do with the dirt that they have on him. Remember his activity at Grady and then elevating the little lady to a post that she had no training for. How bout his sister?
#REJECT IT campaign
ReplyDeleteIf the districts REJECT IT, we don't get the $$$. That's fine. Rather REJECT IT and not have these new reforms. Wouldn't most districts want this? What happens if by "mid November" districts REJECT IT?
ReplyDelete#REJECTIT
ReplyDeleteIf you have not already listened to William Calla, this is a must see video. He explains the seeds of the destruction of public education: Bill Clinton passed legislation encouraging hedge fundies to donate to charter schools. With the donation they would receive 39% off their taxes. In addition, foreign nationals who contribute $500,000. to a charter school would automatically be eligible to immigrate, along with their families, to the US.
ReplyDeleteHere is the link, forward to William Calla.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWlSEDENTQ0
No more Punchy Mike
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dol.gov/olms/regs/compliance/ElecOfficer/elecofficer.htm