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Ok this whole thing made me laugh. A principal probably from the academy and three e4e teachers. Sorry only two one is leaving because she left the teaching profession for more money. Where is this fair and balanced? There is another side but who is scared of dissent? This entire article is a crock of you know what. 

I saw this last night and was disappointed in Inside City Hall, which usually is a very fair presentation. Mejias (teacher on the far left) mentions quite briefly that all three teachers appearing on the program are E4E members, but nothing more is said about this.

The purpose of the panel was to highlight the feelings of real teachers in these 24 schools so it seems misleading to have a panel filled with people whose views are substantially different from the majority of NYC teachers, especially when due process and seniority (the very issues that E4E members and most other teachers disagree on) are central issues. Unless they knew the politics well, members of the general public watching NY1 did not get an accurate picture of real teachers’ frustrations with turnaround or hear about why turnaround had the potential to destroy the careers of many effective but experienced teachers.

“…Lori Wheal, a “master teacher” who was told she could stay on at M.S. 391 but is leaving for the policy arena instead.”

That is hilarious. 

Any discussion on how to get rid of the ineffective principals? Teachers do not grant teachers tenure. Hold the adminstrators to high standards.

All of these comments are from people who clearly haven’t even watched the video they are commenting on. I am an E4E member, and I’m a proud UFT member as well. One of the E4E teachers on the panel even talks about protecting union structures such as due process. All we are asking for is for our union and our district leadership to come together and stop playing political games. Change is coming, and we have a choice to either lead it or let it lead us. 

Lainie, did you even watch the video? Mike talks about how Bloomberg’s leadership isn’t necessarily the smartest approach in closing schools either. Hmmm…Bloomberg must really have ‘em in his pocket. 

The problem with E4E in this context, the turnarounds and the whole deform debate, is that neither teaching excellence nor the mighty small faction of ineffectives has anything to do with real solutions to the urban school problem. And to imply otherwise is to drive the debate back to its infancy.
Oh, I read the NY1 description of the video, which I won’t waste time watching. Nice to ‘see’ some degree of diversity of opinion. Too bad the principal is a genuine twit. In what industry is it as unclear as it is in education what the quality of the service really is, how to measure it and/or qualify it in a way that stands up to various schools of thought, how to hire people who can handle and not take advantage of this? Do people think that big corporations who invest heavily in people, train them and provide many years of experience, just fire them over low stats or poor performance during an off year? Many will give warnings, adjust goals, establish thresholds, move to different departments, shuffle personnel, etc. Then, if all else fails, discuss transitions out.
And all this in, yes, a bad economy!

I am sorry, but while I respect your right to your political beliefs, it is clear your group does not speak for the majority of NYC teachers. All the founders/leaders who run your organization (who are paid to run it) left the classroom after 2 or 3 years. Also, they almost all came from TFA, which means they spent almost no time in schools before teaching. Also, any group that is as small as yours, and just starting up, that gets a one million dollar Gates grant, has to raise some suspicion.

Watching this interview, it seems like you three have done a lot of work to help your schools – thank you Dan, Lori, and Mike for standing up for the profession and our kids. I’m  a teacher and UFT chapter leader at a school that was going through the turnaround process (not “closing” – calling it that was terrible for my students who, as Mike said, internalize that feeling). By year’s end the kids were ready for our “new school,” and the teachers were too – everyone was ready for a new start. The fact that the politicking of adults

I’m also an E4E member who was skeptical at first (probably due to all the conspiracy theories I received in my inbox from Unity hacks), but what I know now is that everyone who is posting is talking from a lack of experience with the organization. They are a welcoming, safe space for debate – and who says they are not representative of teachers’ opinions? If not them, then who? The Unity caucus who is on its last breath and relies on retirees voting them into power?! No. Read for yourself, covered by Gotham - http://gothamschools.org/2010/04/09/and-the-uft-election-envelope-please/

The UFT is supposed to be a representative, democratic organization. E4E is the beginning of teachers actually having a professional voice in this city, instead of just being bullied by those who see themselves as “rank and file” – what a demeaning term for a professional!

So its ok to take millions from the Gates Foundation to work against your fellow educators. So these three lasted a little longer then the average.
If the economy got stronger you all would be gone thrown out with the wash water.Good riddance to bad rubbish.
You have not won anything and you won’t. One day you will realize how wrong you are.

You teach for two or three years, tell everyone how much you really know about education, get your masters and when the kaka hits the fan you teach yoga in the suburbs. They have no solutions  and thats why they will never be successful in anything they do.They have a master (Gates) and they have to do what they are told. 

 You are a UFT chapter leader at one of the turnaround schools and you are ok with it? You are ok with the premise that a large part of the teachers are to blame? On their premise to do this, their claim is at least 50 percent of the teachers in these schools, YOUR school, are incompetent and to blame. If you believe this then in fact YOU are the incompetent one as both a teacher and union rep. Credibility is gone. The “kids were ready to move on”. Of course they will move on. Either way. They are kids and do not know better. In fact members like you are the problem and your statements above prove it.

 And you are so caring? How do you say what the DOE and the reform is working in these 24 schools?? Everyone working there knows the reform that has been going on in these schools is basically cheat as much as you can. Give credits as much as you can. Do not allow failure. If a student misses 3 weeks of school, no problem, give them a packet. Presto- Reform. I do not know about this reform in other schools. Troubled schools are different. And that you do not recognize that is quite scary. Like the others that go along with this in these 24 schools, you are either clueless or just looking out for yourself.

I am confused. E4E members below said they are pro union just not for union politics. I agree. But then you support the turnaround? You support the premise that over 50 percent of teachers in the schools are bad?? I have seen bad teachers but to say that over 50 percent are the problem is not just an exaggeration. That is just a LIE. And who are the “good” teachers? The ones with 90 percent passing percentage with 55 percent attendance?? Those are the ones considered good in these 24 schools. If a teacher had 55 percent attendance would that teacher be considered good?? So E4E, are you for preparing kids for the real world, or are you preparing kids to make you look good?? Please explain…..