REGENTS FRET OVER DEADLINE—Capital’s Jessica Bakeman: “The State Board of Regents has a lot to do and not enough time or resources to do it, members said Monday during their first meeting since the new state budget was passed. Cuomo and lawmakers included in the spending plan extensive changes to education policy, particularly a new teacher- and principal-evaluation system, and charged the board and the State Education Department with implementation. ... The law requires the department to develop and the board to approve regulations detailing the technical aspects of the ratings by June 30. … Much of the discussion at Monday's board meeting centered around that June deadline, and how difficult it would be to meet. Some members suggested the board ask lawmakers for more time.” http://capi.tl/1yoGnX4
The reason why there is a June 30 deadline for the new evaluation system is because Cuomo wants to be able to show how "tough" he is on the education "industry" (as he calls public schools.)
He doesn't care if the Regents have enough time or resources to get the evaluation system up and running by the deadline.
He cares only how he looks tough.
But he should care about the concerns the Regents expressed yeserday, because they're giving a pretty good indication of what's going to happen if they're forced to come in with something by June 30.
It's going to be a mess.
And it's going to be Cuomo's mess, through and through.
He's the one that forced the system as part of the budget and tied education aid increases to district/union agreements by November.
He's the one that created the June 30 deadline for the state educrats and Regents to get the system up and running.
When the system is half-assed through, he should realize that he's not going to be able to blame SED and the Regents for implementation problems, as he did with Common Core.
Since he insisted on this system and shoved it through on his time table, this is going to be his mess and he's going to take the blame for it.
I think Cuomo wants the Regents to fail to come up with a plan by the deadline. He wants to further demonize the Regents. There is no way he will take the blame or "own" anything. Think back to December when Cuomo floated out the idea of the governor seizing the powers of the Regents. Skelos and Flanagan chimed in with supportive words within hours. Cuomo would love for this situation to become a fiasco and then place the blame elsewhere and use it as an excuse to make his move.
ReplyDeleteAlternatively, giving them more time could allow them to do a better job and make it more of a thorough F'ing of teachers. It could remove some of the half-assed-ness of it. (Don't get me wrong, it's all a piece of garbage). Cuomo's goal is to fire more teachers, demoralize them, and break their union. Period. Giving the regents time could work towards that purpose. Watch out.
ReplyDeleteI love it. What a mess. Disaster in education. Amazing how disgraceful this is and no one gives a shit
ReplyDeleteThe solutions are 1) large numbers of opt outs and 2) large numbers of winning law suits.
ReplyDeleteDon't rely in #2. Maybe #1, but never count in the courts. This stuff is too political and Cuomo, the reformers, etc have too many tentacles into the courts.
ReplyDeleteThe Assembly "owns" the Regents. The Assembly controls the election of Regents. The Democrats control the Assembly. As far as Cuomo is concerned, anything that makes the Regents look bad can later be pinned on the Assembly Democrats and Speaker Heastie--after all, the Governor pressed to have his agenda and proposals adopted lock-stock-and-barrel in the budget legislation and it was the Assembly, and to a lesser degree the Republican Senate, that wanted to pass the hot potato along to the Regents.
ReplyDeleteSo, though I'd hope the mess would be laid square at the feet of the governor, I wonder how the press will play it since we already know how the governor will play it.
Huge opt out numbers being reported in Suffolk County. 65% opted out at Sachem, one of the largest suburban districts in the state. Similarly huge numbers at other very big districts. 80% opted out in Comsewogue.
ReplyDeletePort Jefferson- 50%
ReplyDeleteRocky Point- 50%+
North Babylon- 41%
Mount Sinai- likely in the 40% range
Longwood- likely in the 40% range
Patchogue-Medford- 60%+
Comsewogue- 82%
Now hearing Rocky Point was over 70%
ReplyDeletehttp://m.uticaod.com/article/20150414/NEWS/150419668
ReplyDelete