Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Cuomo's Evaluation System - Forever Is A Long Time

So Cuomo said he will put through a budget amendment that gives the NYSED the right to impose a teacher evaluation system on NYC in perpetuity.

That's right - forever.

According to Gotham Schools, the governor said if the mayor and the UFT can come to an agreement before June 1 on an evaluation deal, then the NYSED will not impose a system.

If they cannot, then Commissioner John King will impose a system of his own design before the start of the 2013-14 school year.

And the governor says this right will be given to the NYSED forever.

I repeat - the governor says this right will be given to the NYSED forever.

If NYC is ever without an evaluation system in place, Cuomo says the NYSED will step in and impose one - just for NYC.

Couple of things here:

First, the Race to the Top law does not give the NYSED or the governor the power to impose a system.

I understand that an increase in state aid can be tied to an agreement, but does putting forth a budget amendment to a one year budget give Cuomo the power to take local negotiation between union and district away and give it to the NYSED in perpetuity?

I am not a lawyer and I could be off base here completely, but how does a one year budget amendment give the governor the right to supersede the Race to the Top law?

Second, Mulgrew hailed the news in a statement:

 “We’ve seen the kinds of plans the state has approved. We are comfortable with them because they are about helping teachers help kids, which is something that we don’t often hear from the city,” Mulgrew said. “So while I would prefer to get to a negotiated settlement, with this in place I know a deal will get done.”

So he's happy that King will get to impose whatever system he wants for as long as he wants and the NYSED will now have the power to impose an evaluation system onto NYC teachers forever.

I can't imagine the MORE people will feel that way about this new power being given to the NYSED.

But judging by the Mulgrew statement, I would assume that the UFT will not sue over this budget amendment.

Or even be unhappy about it.

The E4E's and the ed deformers are happy tonight that Cuomo is going to give the NYSED the power to impose a system.

That the UFT President is as happy as they are really tells you how out of touch the UFT leadership is.

3 comments:

  1. Here is the gist of the problem: The UFT is going ALONG with this plan. The Triborough Amendment would, (should) keep and honor our current contract that is is place until a new contract is negotiated. Since the UFT is agreeing to let Cuomo's plan, there will be no basis for a lawsuit as the UFT is allowing this to happen. If the UFT did not agree to allowing Cuomo to add this to the budget, then there would be grounds for a lawsuit. The UFT is thinking that whatever Cuomo puts out will be better than what they can negotiate with Bloomberg. That way, the UFT can save "face" with the rank and file. The UFT can also say that the whatever new deal is put laid out by Cuomo is better than what Bloomberg wanted and thus we all win in the long run.

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  2. No one is really shocked by this are they?

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  3. Not only is the UFT going along with these career killing evaluations, but they are doing it when there has not been a new or current contract negotiated. This makes the UFT "ineffective" for the rank and file. I will, after the mayoral primary, change my voter registration from the Democratic Party to independent due to this horrible dictatorial DINO governor and our awful betraying elitist president. This country is so screwed, because democracy, according to Thomas Jefferson, is based upon an informed electorate. Our electorate will not be informed because it's better to report Kardashian butt news than an analysis of what's happened to what used to be education. There's a paralysis of analysis in our society.

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