Remember Bloomberg and he had lunch and the rumors had it Bloomberg might be up for vice-presidential consideration? I'd bet it was all about mayoral control, charterization, privatization, and union "control". This rich mayor affects and seems to be able to coerce everyone, (City Council, NY Legislature, NY Senate), right up to the President of the United States. I truly thought Obama would be stronger than this when he got my vote. I thought he was going to fight for the people and make changes for the better of ALL. Educationally, he has acquiesced to the FEW.
Now is the time for all teacher unions to ban together and start a writing campaign to Obama. His approval ratings are starting to fall--mostly due to the economy--but that I would venture will take some time to improve. However, this is non-negotiable.
And don't think Randi isn't behind this move too.
I suggest that all the unions band together on this issue. The use of test scores solely as a means of assessing the quality of the employee has already led to the Connecticut court decision on the firefighters testing to be unconstitutional. The court made it clear that a standardized test in no way is a valid instrument of assessment if it is the only instrument used. Likewise, more and more universities and colleges are limiting the importance of the ACT/SAT scores as a primary determining factor for admittance.
For those who are teaching in a testing grade I recommend that they start the test prep the first day of school and make sure you document it. You cannot protect the kids unless you protect yourself first.
I voted for Obama, too, even though it was clear he knew next to nothing about how to improve our failing educational system. But the alternative was surely worse. So here we are, forced to listen to the Duncan/Rhee et al. agenda favoring charters and privatization, more testing, etc., and on some mad quest to find these super-teachers who do not exist, but if they did, would surely save our kids. Meanwhile, we must get rid of the "do-nothing" teachers (I've never actually met one, but they assure me the system is rife with them) and their pesky unions.
I get the feeling that nothing much will change over the next 4-8 years of an Obama administration - they don't have any answers, and frankly, I don't know anyone who does. It's a sad state of affairs, but I just don't see any light at the end of this tunnel. Meanwhile, another generation of kids are getting robbed of a decent education, and we can only stand by and watch while trying to do the best for the kids we teach.
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