Back in 2010 President Obama and his basketball playing buddy, Arnie Duncan, dangled $4.4 billion dollars to the States if they would link teacher evaluation to the Common Core standards, this was labeled Race to the Top (RttT). Eventually 48 States took the bribe and the leader was New York State, which received $700 million dollars, thanks in a large part to the UFT who supported the State proposal. Interestingly, none of the money actually went to the classroom but was used to develop the high-stakes Common Core tests, pay for consultant fees like Pearson, and to evolve the "Junk Science" as part of the teacher evaluation system. Did our union even bother to poll the members about what they thought? Of course not. The union leadership knew that the members would have voted overwhelmingly against RttT, yet the union leadership supported this ill-fated venture and UFT President Michael Mulgrew even stated that he would punch Common Core critics in their face! Yes, the very same Michael Mulgrew who claimed victory when the City was forced to evaluate teachers on 22 components of the Charlotte Danielson rubric when the Bloomberg Administration only wanted 7, yet Michael Mulgrew claimed victory again when it was reduced from 22 to 8, go figure.
Across New York State parents are "opting out" their students from the destructive high-stakes Common Core tests and on Long Island 50% "opted out" with 75% doing so because of the teacher evaluation tie-in. Yet our UFT President did not support the "opt out" movement despite the State teachers union (NYSUT) doing so. The reason is that our union leadership supports the APPR and is willing to throw some teachers to the wolves as long as the union leadership gets what it wants for themselves, the power to do as they please. Already 70% of the teachers subject to peer valudators (the rat pack) in the approved teacher evaluation system have been deemed "ineffective" and since the burden of proof is now placed on the teacher rather than the DOE as in the past, expect most, if not all of them to be terminated in their 3020-a hearing. Of course Michael; Mulgrew claimed victory yet again despite Michael Bloomberg outmaneuvering him by getting the APPR without negotiating a contract as promised by our leadership.
Finally, our UFT President claimed victory one more time when the new APPR now requires the "Junk Science" to be 50% of a teacher's evaluation and even allowed the Democratic leadership who dominates the State Assembly to vote for it. With friends like Michael Mulgrew and his cronies who needs enemies?
11 comments:
Chaz, remember that the evaluation law passed in 2010 linked a new evaluation system with a new contact. Unfortunately we had a new evaluation system imposed on us by Commissioner King and our expired contract was amended. We had leverage three years ago to get the 4% and 4% but our union did not pursue this.
Chaz, I read on another blog that 12 New York State districts have had their new evaluation changes approved by the NYSED. Is there any way to find out what these new new evaluation plans look like? (Such as exactly how many observations are going to be done) Since these districts have had their new evaluation changes approved by NYSED, they can be viewed as a "template" of what could happen in NYC. Any info on this is much appreciated since teachers here in NYC are being totally left in the dark as to the immediate possibilites of our evaluations.
I think we have an issue with the retro pay that nobody mentioned. Because the target will be moving, and as they are paying us, the retro owed is going up, not down, the 12.5+12.5+25+25+25 doesn't work out. Lets say someone is owed $24K as of this first payment, they get 1/8 which is $3K, leaving a balance of $21K. Over the next 2 years, lets say they are owed another $10K, thats 31K. 2017 payment of 1/8 is approx $3,875, leaving a balance of approx $27K. Now they accrue another year of retro from 2017-2018, lets say its 6k, total balance is $33k. Now we have the 3 payments in 2018-2019-2020, of 25% each. 3 payments of approx $8,250, that equals $24,750, meaning that person missed out on about $8k of pay. Because the amount is going up, those last 3 payments must be 33% each, not 25% each. They stupidly, as far as i know, simply added the percents up to get 100%, but it is incorrect in this situation.
The third teacher quit in the school I'm in. After having her classes I know why. The students are completely out of control, they curse out the dean and refuse any demands. The dean pleads and begs. I have to get out of this place.
Recent UFT paper states that retro is accrued from 2009 - 2015..indicating that there is a total amount that is in place for each of us..after that the 8% is in our salaries. As you know, the retro money will be paid in 5 installments beginning Oct. 15, 2015,(12.5%) 2017 (12.5%), 2018 (25%), 2019 (25%), and 2020 (25%)...
You act as if RTTT was a choice that the union, state and local made It was made by our governor with or without our support. What you pretend to fail to realize is that the majority of public school parents probably upwards of 90% would not see and hear about what the $700 million was used for and would definitely hear all over the place that the unions tried to block $700 million that could help their kids. You also act as though the union is in charge of writing state law. You see and know the national narrative against us already and also know that as far as dollars and cents to spend to create that narrative we can't compete. It seems you are not too naive to know that, so I guess you are just purposely deceptive. SAD:( good luck to you and may you please begin to see the big picture not just the parts of the picture you want to see and think about the future. Why don't you inform people about how an excessed teacher, from closed schools or other wise are treated in other teacher union locals compared to what the UFT has battled for and kept in place. In NYC thanks to our union an ATR will never be terminated solely on the basis of a time line as to whether or not they have retained an appointment. I think you will be hard pressed to find that protection anywhere else. The No Layoff clause of our CBA, our contract. I know I know it's fun to throw stone at leadership but let's not do the false propaganda bit. Have a great weekend Chaz.
Anon 2:13
The State union. dominated by the Unity faction cooperated with the State and could have stopped RttT by not approving it in their contracts and tie it up in courts for a decade. They saw the $700 million dollars and sold out the profession.
I believe you need to go back and read the events that led to the State getting the RttT funds.
No, I addressed that issue. We could have tried to block the 700 million that way. I know your problem. Youre decision making process is short sighted. You need to see the forest through the trees. We would have no contract, no retro (which is not a guarantee in a contract) and have been demonized by the press and then the pulic, the parents, like I stated in my previous post(that doesn't sound like a very good outcome even if you're thinking short term) Instead the fact is that due to the increased attention given to the situation because of the stakes placed on teacher's evaluations coupled with the fact that the press did not have the ability to demonize us about the money, led to the publics overwhelming support for the teachers. There have been and will be many times that we are at a stalemate with DOE and/or NYSED. Like a pendulum stuck in the middle. In these situations it is typically the parents energy that swings that pendulum and we want it swinging our way. We need to think about 10, 20, 50 years from now. We are stronger when the parents stand with us locally, statewide, and nationally. When information about the stakes attached to testing for teachers and students was shared with the public and since the press wasn't able to use us as a scapegoat about the money. The pendulum swung our way and now the conversation in the public and the actions of the public are finally about the fact that standardized testing should not have high stakes attached to it for students or teachers. Sometimes you make them think they're winning by sacrificing your bishop, because you know, that bishop, wasn't needed to win the match, giving it up was. Keep playing checkers my
No, I addressed that issue. We could have tried to block the 700 million that way. I know your problem. Youre decision making process is short sighted. You need to see the forest through the trees. We would have no contract, no retro (which is not a guarantee in a contract) and have been demonized by the press and then the pulic, the parents, like I stated in my previous post(that doesn't sound like a very good outcome even if you're thinking short term) Instead the fact is that due to the increased attention given to the situation because of the stakes placed on teacher's evaluations coupled with the fact that the press did not have the ability to demonize us about the money, led to the publics overwhelming support for the teachers. There have been and will be many times that we are at a stalemate with DOE and/or NYSED. Like a pendulum stuck in the middle. In these situations it is typically the parents energy that swings that pendulum and we want it swinging our way. We need to think about 10, 20, 50 years from now. We are stronger when the parents stand with us locally, statewide, and nationally. When information about the stakes attached to testing for teachers and students was shared with the public and since the press wasn't able to use us as a scapegoat about the money. The pendulum swung our way and now the conversation in the public and the actions of the public are finally about the fact that standardized testing should not have high stakes attached to it for students or teachers. Sometimes you make them think they're winning by sacrificing your bishop, because you know, that bishop, wasn't needed to win the match, giving it up was. Keep playing checkers my friend.
I guess you are one of those Unity people;e that claim victory when our due rights get eroded but not as much as the ed deformers want. I bet you also claimed victory on the 50% of our evaluation based upon junk science.
We obviously see things differently.
Anon 8:28 makes a good point Chaz. You pretend not to see bigger picture. Easy to criticise when u dont have to make tough calls, like whether to say no to 700m $ and lose all parental support.
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