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Did anyone from E4E ever get tenure? What a bunch of hateful, unloyal people. If they taught in my school they would be shunned. Shame on them.

I still do not understand why any teacher believes that a new evaluation system is needed to help teachers improve and grow. I have worked in two different schools and been observed by 5 different administrators under the current S/U system. 3 out of the 5 gave very useful and helpful feedback to me based on those observations, particularly in my first 3 years as a teacher. If an administrator is experienced and knows content and pedagogy they will give you good feedback.

If you are really for whatever reason obsessed with your students standardized test “growth” you can just look at the data on ARIS yourself. If you really feel that “Danielson” is the end all be all of teaching, then pick up the rubric and use it to self reflect or as a guide when writing your own lessons. E4E you are a bunch of fools…

Oh wait, you are not fools you are just a group comprised mainly of teachers who are no longer working and are doing this as an easy cash grab, and likely a stepping stone into some ed deform job or politics.

Dear Senator Flanagan,

I truly feel that there’s no need to speak to inexperienced teachers, where the majority are out of the classroom. Since your in L.I., I strongly suggest that you speak to a highly respectable, knowledgeable, experienced educator. The educator I’m referring to will explain to you the extreme, damaging flaw behind the APPR and that educator is Carol Burris.
I am baffled that you would even entertain the E$E group especially since their motives are pushed by $$$$ and their need to have this new evaluation in place so they can use it when they become “administrators” or some out-of-classroom position.

Carol Burris understands teaching, understands pedagogy, and understands the importance of feedback which helps her teachers to grow professionally. Therefore, Senator Flanagan, you should not engage in conversations with a group that knows nothing about evaluation.

Ms. Burris was featured in the following blog where she wrote an article in the Washington Post, “Forging ahead with a nutty teacher evaluation Plan.”
http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2012/02/carol-burris-principal-on-new-ny-state.html

Of course, no one in their right mind would put E$E above the experience of this award-winning principal because of her leadership abilities. Right, Senator Flanagan.

Who is E4E think they are kidding? YOU DO NOT SPEAK FOR TEACHERS ! If you want some type of legitimacy, get your butts back in the classroom ASAP ! @ Progress, veterans my foot ! Please don’t insult hard working veteran teachers, these E4E people left because they could not handle the pressure. I am a TFA who started in 2002 and I am still teaching. I am a veteran not YOU!

Your kidding three veterans out of how many? Take the Gates money and put it where the sun doesn’t shine. Why are these three brave is it because they are selling out? Its not brave, there is another name for what they are doing. They are only interested in themselves but if we wait long enough they will leave and find something else to complain about. Its funny in the whole state its only in the city where this is an issue. I wonder why maybe its this dysfunctional mayor and his education policies that have created this mess.
This isn’t progress, Progress this is selling out too big money.
Progress you are a e4e shill so just admit it.

Now this is a comment that is intelligent and doesn’t come with a hidden agenda

Before I retired in 2007 I spent many years as a reading specialist. One of my duties was assessing students in the fall, throughout the year and then again in the spring. By doing these individual assessments, I found that most children made adequate progress during an academic year. The problem of course, was that so many started the school year significantly below grade level. Many started kindergarten much behind and never caught up to more privileged peers.
If the state wants to evaluate teachers on the basis of student test scores, then teachers should insist on individualized tests that are professionally administered in the fall, several times throughout the year, and at the end of the year. These tests must be secure, professionally administered and graded. They must be designed to test a child’s progress at school as opposed to out of school. The tester needs to be able to factor in outside circumstances (e.g. “Jose went to Mexico in November and came back in March.”) Sound expensive? Oh, well. At this time, there is no ten-dollar group test that can measure a child’s academic progress as well as the effectiveness of the teacher. If tests are to be used for “high stakes” teachers need to insist on their accuracy.

I think an appropriate title for this document would be: American Horror Story. Enuff, kudos for finding and posting this document. I realize that few will take the time to read it through and fewer will realize what they are looking at, but this is conclusive evidence of the debasement of the dialogue about education in this country.

How pathetic that our system allows this level of systemic abuse and deviousness to be cloaked as “concern for our children”. This group rivals the subjects of “To Catch a Predator” for their debauchery.

It looks like Evan and Sydney get paid a base salary of approx. $74,000, but there’s some consulting fees that they also rake in if I read it correctly. I would estimate that they make close to $95,000+ a year as E$E consultants. No wonder they like their gig. When they were in the classroom, they were making less than $62,000 a year.
Thanks for the info. Will definitely post the pdf on other blogs.

This is not correct information. She teaches at a DOE school currently, and during her career taught at a charter school only for a year or two. She’s also a great teacher who absolutely loves what she does. And, she is part of E4E because she cares about our profession and the students she serves. I am not part of E4E, but I would like to have an evaluation system that helps teachers grow- as long as administrators are properly trained how to use it. Can we have a discussion about the proposed evaluation system and what it might look like in practice rather than picking at fellow teachers?

I also question the label “teacher advocacy group.” It seems to me such a group would advocate for teachers, and that this would entail giving teachers choices and voices. I fail to see how placing their fate in the hands of Andrew Cuomo, John King, Bill Gates, or indeed anyone whatsoever accomplishes that.

The proposed evaluation is based on the work of Charlotte Danielson. Of course, none of the DOE people have been certified by the Danielson Group, and they are applying it in many schools to rate teachers in violation of contract. The DOE set up a group of Talent Coaches (usually former principals removed from schools or from Networks) to spread their incorrect interpretation of the Danielson Framework about the city. Many Principals, particularly ones who are the products of the Leadership Academy, use this incorrectly as a gotcha system rather than as it was intended, to reflect and improve best practices based upon feedback and constructive conversations between teachers and administrators. To increase the trust and positive feelings, a firing squad consisting of these Talentless Coaches and the Administration come in to a teachers’ room in groups of 7 or 8 and proceed to tell the teacher the kids weren’t engaged when one kid out of 25 didn’t raise his hand. The combination of a malevolent DOE plus an inexperienced crop of adminstrators who have hardly taught, eager to please their masters, make for a most toxic mix. Read the Danielson Framework text. The first thing sweet Charlotte says is there needs to be trust between the District / Administration and the Staff, it’s the most important thing. Apres Bloomberg, this might have a chance to be an improved system. As it stands now, it looks like it might just get off the ground as his behind is just about out the door. As far as needing an evaluation system that helps you grow – Sarah, what teachers need to grow in their craft is quality PD, an experienced Administration that knows what matters and can convey it, and one that does not penalize innovention or experimentation. Where administrators are not threatened by strong staff members and quality teachers, and they reward those people instead of trying to show them who is boss. All of these are rarities in the NYC DOE. It’s the people that convey the knowledge, not the system. Many APs do not hold pre observations, they are not lesson specific, they don’t come in to offer suggestions off the record, and they come to post observation with the writeup already done. Peer observations and interventions often only come as administrators are trying to build a case for incompetence against one of the staff. Helpful suggestions can be offered on the S/U model – many don’t bother to do it, they are just running to do the principal’s bidding and knocking one more chore off the honey do list.

They are in essence appointed by Shelly Silver. Let’s stop pulling the wool over people’s eyes. Election by a few people is an appointment.

Will Gotham be covering the NYCORE conference on March 16 where Karen Lewis will be the keynote speaker? NYCORE is a real grassroots teacher advocacy group but gets no coverage by Gotham. You might as well call the Broad Foundation a teacher advocacy group.

Education committee of the Assemby announces vacancies, anyone can apply, public interviews, the committee selects a candidate, joint meeting of Assembly & Senate vote.

Right. Like Silver doesn’t have final world. There’s the world of real and the world of make believe.

Still very little details given to anyone about the 3am agreement. Demand details. What did the UFT and DOE agree to? http://www.change.org/petitions/uft-and-nyc-doe-share-the-details-of-the-teacher-evaluation-agreement-proposed?utm_source=guides&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=petition_lonely

Yikes. I’m a teacher with tenure who’s an E4E member and I don’t _feel_ hateful. Shame on me?

Thanks Mr. Kotter!….you said it all!