The teachers union agreed to a new contract that includes a raise and concessions on evals. (Tribune)
This week’s This American Life episode focuses entirely on Paul Tough’s new book. (This American Life)
A former adult ed administrator proposes a “radical” alternative to new GED tests. (GS Community)
A rundown of the players in New York City education politics and how they’re aligned. (Schoolbook)
Mayoral hopeful Tom Allon agrees with FDR that public union strikes are “intolerable.” (HuffPo)
An ATR member explains the disappointing turnout at the latest teacher recruitment fair. (NYC Educator)
Despite evidence of success, a new report on school turnarounds shows little reading growth. (EdWeek)
A researcher offers advice for teachers to rewire their expectations about high-need students. (NPR)
New York City school employment has been spared relative to the rest of the public sector. (Greg David)
Tension over CUNY’s new curriculum is causing dissension among the teaching ranks. (NY World)
Max
RE: The Chicago Teachers Strike being over. I really do not see a big victory for the Chicago Teachers. Student test scores will still account for 30% of Chicago teacher evaluations. It seems that all the teachers unions across the country are making a huge deal about having a strong “appeals” process for poor teacher evaluations when the fact is that there is absolutely no way a teacher can appeal poor student test scores as these are completely objective in nature. Who cares that you have the right to an appeals process if your appeal will be shot down due to the fact that your students did not do well on some standardized test? The fight should be at the state level, not the local level, as it is the state lawmakers who hold teachers careers in their hands by the rules of law that they create.
Nycdoenuts
One of the things they won -and it is win in every sense of the word- was books for their kids on the first day of school. Were it not for the strike, their students wouldn’t have that.
Guest
They can also appeal if the wrong kids are listed, kids appearing in their class a week before the test…all those little games.
They can appeal the other part of their evaluations. You don’t think the teachers in NY will be appealing their 60% of their score if it is low?
They also go NO MERIT PAY!!! That’s a big deal.
NYCparent
Memo to SchoolBook — Re “The Players” in NYC education — you named just two non-”Education Reform” (or, as many NYC education advocates see it, pro-privatization) groups, and left out heaps of others, including CEJ — Center for Educational Justice — and GEM — Grassroots Education Movement, makers of the “counter-film” ”The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman.” What’s up with that?
PS — I am responding here since, like one of your commenters on the SB site, don’t like having to comment through FB.
Moaning Mona
The NYC Parents Union should be renamed the NYC Parent Union.
Pogue
Who the heck is Tom Allon, and is he the Peter Lemongello of mayoral candidates?
Max
Thanks for the info. I stand corrected. It seems that Chicago will do it’s best from now on to refrain from stacking new kids/wrong kids on test lists. However, 30% of a Chicago teachers evaluation will be based on test scores. (As long as no games are played, these test scores can’t be appealed as they still are objective in nature) As for NYC teachers, only 13% of teachers will have a chance to “appeal” a poor rating.
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