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silent treatment

July 29, 2011

Mulgrew: Mayor’s tenure tone not conducive to evaluation talks

by Philissa Cramer, at 4:51 pm

Far from living up to its promise, the city’s tenure reform in fact amounts to a quota system for teacher evaluations, UFT President Michael Mulgrew said today.

Mulgrew was responding to comments made by Mayor Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott during Bloomberg’s weekly radio address this morning. They said they expect the number of tenure denials to rise next year.

Mulgrew questioned how they could predict more denials when evaluations for teachers up for tenure next year have not yet happened. He said that Bloomberg’s comments signal that the city has set up a quota system for teacher evaluations rather than using them as a tool to help educators improve.

“If it’s more about setting up a set of numbers for political reasons … then what they’re doing is wrong,” Mulgrew said. “If they’re already predetermining they’re setting this up with quotas, that’s absurd.”

The number of teachers who receive poor ratings could change when an evaluation system mandated under state law goes into effect. That is supposed to happen in September, but first the union and the city must agree on the system’s terms.

Mulgrew said they are nowhere near an agreement, even after reaching a deal for 33 low-performing schools two weeks ago. In fact, he said, he still has not had any discussions with city officials about a systemwide evaluation system.

And he said Bloomberg’s and Walcott’s comments today make him less amenable to entering negotiations.

“I’m not going to work with them if they’re doing it as a gotcha system,” he said.

Asked to comment on Bloomberg’s characterization of tenure as a relic of a very different era, when persecution for political reasons was prevalent, Mulgrew said he thought the mayor was unaware of the realities of working in city schools.

“I find a lot of the mayor’s comments to show a complete lack of understanding about what teachers and schools are about,” he said.

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  • Ralph

    I’m in one of those 33 schools, I just want to thank you for throwing a few thousand of us “under the bus”, who cares about the Race to the Top money.  I guarantee almost all of it will go to the EPO. 

  • Jeff S

    …then why did you agree to the new evaluation system in those 33e schools?  Aren’t those teachers deserving of the same job protection as others?  And are you saying there is nothing you can do or wish to do about the large number of teachers who were extended by lackey superintendents who never saw them work who simply were following the orders of the Emperor and his Superintendent of Schools ( the term Chancellor should be reserved for political leaders).

  • Jeff S

    …then why did you agree to the new evaluation system in those 33e schools?  Aren’t those teachers deserving of the same job protection as others?  And are you saying there is nothing you can do or wish to do about the large number of teachers who were extended by lackey superintendents who never saw them work who simply were following the orders of the Emperor and his Superintendent of Schools ( the term Chancellor should be reserved for political leaders).

  • nuff said

    The City is now hiring people to train Principals how to evaluate Teachers based on the State regs.

  • Vote NO!

    Where  did  you  see  this?

  • bee

    Are they hiring “people” or Bloombergbots?

  • Ms. A

    It is a mistake to continue to believe that Mulgrew & Co. are in the business of advocacy and the like.

    The UFT’s business is self- aggrandizement. It’s business(automatic union dues) is nothing short of legalized racketeering.

    They are shameless pigs who line their pockets, play with language all while posturing as if they plan on fighting for educators’ civil rights.

    Their inefficiency and lack of action in regard to critical issues does not surprise me. It shouldn’t surprise you either!

    Wake up folks….

  • DOE CIRCUS ACT

    They are hiring FAILING principals as NETWORK LEADERS.  That’s the reality.  The names will be revealed shortly.  Imagine a principal who has gotten an F at his or her school, now becoming an individual who is appointed at a higher position who visits other schools and “works with them.”
    Oh boy are we gonna have some fun on this web site come September.  The public should know what is really going on, and they will. 

  • Jeff S

    Correct me if I’m wrong.  Several years ago, a bill was passed prohibiting the DOE from using student test scores in tenure decisions.  As part of its caving in for the Race to the Top funding, this was allowed to lapse.  Of course we now see what the ulterior motives of the DOE always are i.e. to do whatever they can to get teacherxs.  Does anybody doubt for one second that Prncipals have been given quotas of how many teachers to extend and that in many cases if there was a brave Prin cipal who tried to do the right thing, some lackey of a Superintendent was sent in to countermand the Principal.  Am I missing something here?

  • ASTRAKA

    “I find a lot of the mayor’s comments to show a complete lack of
    understanding about what teachers and schools are about,” he said.

    I find a lot of Mulgrew’s actions to show a complete lack of understanding about what the teachers in those 33 schools will go through this fall. He is helping Bloomberg destroy our profession.

  • Anonymous

    What do you men by “the names will be revealed?”  I’m interested!

  • Philip Nobile

    As long as Mulgrew is the topic, anybody out there notice that he has  been oddly silent on all the cheating stories? Walcott has called on whistleblowers to come forward with cheating info, but not Mulgrew? Does this mean he has no position on his members who inflate late  scores and fake credit recovery?

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