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“Ruben brosbe shortcomings are a shock to him” for a proper retort

A parent whose remarks were published as an NY Post oped in support of the teacher data reports has also renounced the accuracy of the resulting piece.

I think you are wrong about the reports (they are meaningless and worthless to us as teachers, but will stir up a storm of stories and propaganda about “low-scoring” teachers – based on meaningless information);

and I think you showed poor judgment speaking to the Post.

Releasing the scores WILL spark a conversation. But will it be the kind we need to have? I don’t think so. It may bring parents out of the woodwork (FINALLY?!?!) but not for the right reasons, and anything from their end will be short-lived, as they still will continue to be shut out.

You ended with “The truth is, effective teaching is about much more than helping students score well on state tests. The best teachers I know act as role models and inspirations for their students. They teach their students how to respect one another, take pride in themselves, love learning, constantly question and search for answers. The teacher data reports will never be able to quantify this impact. If we’re going to honestly discuss effective teaching we can start by recognizing this fact.” So how can you say that the TDRs can’t quantify what is the most important part of our job, while supporting the release of these reports? F.Y.I. I work with a few educators who embody all those things you cited, but didn’t do so well on their TDRs. They do not deserve the humiliation that will come with that info plastered all over the papers. My friends are very disheartened and I can’t blame them. And the Post is the biggest teacher-bashing piece of trash around- how could you think they would present your piece in an honest light?

Ruben states in the Post that parents should know their child’s grade and academic growth. Well, I agree but this is called a report card. Every term parents are informed of a child academic growth from one report card to the next and the final report card is a culmination. Why should these TDRs be made public when report cards are data driven information for parents and this procedures has been done for many, many years! With this information it’s enough. Having TDRs published is nothing but putting teachers in the stockades so they can be humiliated publicly.

Where’s your outrage? Why do I feel that Klein’s malicious intent to publish the TDRs is just as bad as cyberbullying; he’s trying to bring shame to the teaching profession.

I feel that Ruben has another lofty goal and it will definitely be very far from teaching. I would like for Ruben to publish his grades when he was in elementary, middle and high schools. Also publish your college transcript since you believe in going public with TDRs. Let’s see your teachers’ grades.

It’s a witch hunt. And, worst case scenario is putting the names of all people at their jobs, in the newspapers, in regards to their performances. Foolish data all over the place, driving society’s psyche.

Many agree that it’s the student’s effort that plays a huge part in their academic success. Do we publish that data? No, it’s cruel, it’s nasty, and it doesn’t help.

“Conversations” should be calm, humble, and productive processes. Publishing names in newspapers is an aggrandizing witch hunt.

No teacher should ever be for that.

We really need to think about this in context.

What is context?

Well, part of that is the different goals, objectives and desires of various parties. No question. But part of context is the other programs and procedures in place. 

So, how useful are these reports, given the other information available to parents? Is there is enough other info for them to make sense of the reports? Is there is so much other info available that they complicate a barely understandable situation?

More generally, does the value of releasing these reports outweigh the downside(s)? Is anyone willing to actually go through the advantages AND the disadvantages, and try to evaluate that question from their perspective?

Ruben is living in gaga land… to think that newspaper readers/media consumers will bother, after seeing teacher data reports, to do their homework and consider all the variables that, in the end, make publishing such reports a total joke. Even if a few well meaning parents or civilians, in this edu-war zone Obama has unleashed, wanted to consider all the variables, it isnt humanly possible to do so. You just cant wrap your head around all the things that come into play.

To think that folks can and folks would if they could! Unfortunately, he does not think. He has not thought this through.

Question for Ruben: And how do you think this will impact teaching, as a whole, the whole teaching community, when it comes to fairness in having this (unfair) practice applied, since it cant be fairly applied across the board, to all teachers, of all grades, in all subjects?

Will you judge pre K teachers by their students progress the previous year, based on a Mommy Report Score?

Oh lol and give me a soft place to bang my head! It cant be done fairly, Ruben, it just cant! 

What a mess these fools in power have unleashed upon us, and how unhelpful to have actual members of the teaching profession buy into it, like fish who aim for the frying pan.