What’s Missing in Chicago Debate

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1. Mike Klonsky says:

   September 16, 2012 at 5:45 pm

   Pedro Noguera claims that the CTU, “has not been willing to acknowledge that more learning time and a clear and fair basis for judging teacher effectiveness are legitimate issues that must be addressed.”

   I’m a big fan of Pedro but his latest criticism of the union is not only ill-timed, but dead wrong as well. The union doesn’t oppose “more learning time” for students as Pedro Claims. From the start, they supported the idea of a longer, better school day (see the Ward Room (http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/CTU-Contract-Longer-School-Day-163588976.html) including more art, music, physical education and recess, similar to the school day at the private school where Rahm and board member Penny Pritzker send their children.

   The union’s approach to a longer school day moves well beyond and improves upon the mayor’s top-down imposition of more seat time on teachers, students and parents. It is true that union has opposed the idea of a longer school day and year without any added compensation for teachers as mandated by the board.

   Pedro’s other poke at the CTU for supposedly not offering an alternative approach to improving “teacher effectiveness” is also misleading. The union, with research support coming from the CReATE group of researchers, has put forth important ideas for transforming the current inadequate evaluation system (See CReATE member Isabel Nunez’ commentary in the Sept. 12 Sun-Times http://www.suntimes.com/news/otherviews/15107882-452/standardized-test-scores-are-worst-way-to-evaluate-teachers.html).

   What makes Pedro’s criticism so unfair, particularly at this time, is that the union has taken on both the more-seat-time issues as well as new approaches to teacher evaluation at great risk during the current contract negotiations. Perhaps he isn’t aware that since the passage of Sen. Bill 7, Chicago teachers are legally barred from negotiating over anything except wage/benefit issues.

   Pedro would do well to read the union’s excellent document, “The Schools Chicago’s Students Deserve” to better understand where the CTU is coming from. The report can be found at http://www.ctunet.com/blog/text/SCSD_Report-02-16-2012-1.pdf

   Mike Klonsky

   Reply
2. mklonsky says:

   September 16, 2012 at 5:52 pm

   Diane,

   Pedro Noguera claims that the CTU, “has not been willing to acknowledge that more learning time and a clear and fair basis for judging teacher effectiveness are legitimate issues that must be addressed.”

   I’m a big fan of Pedro but his latest criticism of the union is not only ill-timed, but dead wrong as well. The union doesn’t oppose “more learning time” for students as Pedro Claims. From the start, they supported the idea of a longer, better school day (see the Ward Room (http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/CTU-Contract-Longer-School-Day-163588976.html) including more art, music, physical education and recess, similar to the school day at the private school where Rahm and board member Penny Pritzker send their children.

   The union’s approach to a longer school day moves well beyond and improves upon the mayor’s top-down imposition of more seat time on teachers, students and parents. It is true that union has opposed the idea of a longer school day and year without any added compensation for teachers as mandated by the board.

   Pedro’s other poke at the CTU for supposedly not offering an alternative approach to improving “teacher effectiveness” is also misleading. The union, with research support coming from the CReATE group of researchers, has put forth important ideas for transforming the current inadequate evaluation system (See CReATE member Isabel Nunez’ commentary in the Sept. 12 Sun-Times http://www.suntimes.com/news/otherviews/15107882-452/standardized-test-scores-are-worst-way-to-evaluate-teachers.html).

   What makes Pedro’s criticism so unfair, particularly at this time, is that the union has taken on both the more-seat-time issues as well as new approaches to teacher evaluation at great risk during the current contract negotiations. Perhaps he isn’t aware that since the passage of Sen. Bill 7, Chicago teachers are legally barred from negotiating over anything except wage/benefit issues.

   Pedro would do well to read the union’s excellent document, “The Schools Chicago’s Students Deserve” to better understand where the CTU is coming from. The report can be found at http://www.ctunet.com/blog/text/SCSD_Report-02-16-2012-1.pdf

   Mike Klonsky

   Reply
3. Urbanlad (@urbanlad) says:

   September 16, 2012 at 6:30 pm

   What else is needed?

   Common sense. Something that doesn’t seem to exist anymore, and if it does it’s in very short supply amongst those who need it most.

   Reply
4. Querculus says:

   September 16, 2012 at 10:20 pm

   Love. Understanding. Creativity. Personal Growth. Diversity. Respect. Each of these things is either missing, deadened, or actively quashed in the brave new world of education as the profiteers envision it.

   Reply
5. Laura Chern says:

   September 16, 2012 at 10:31 pm

   An elected school board would be a good way for citizens to determine the direction of public education in their Chicago.

   Reply