State after state is imposing new teacher evaluation systems that have never worked anywhere else; new pay structures that no one understands; eliminating collective bargaining rights; removing tenure to make it easier to fire teachers.
All of this is allegedly to “improve” the teaching profession.
But this is what is happening on the ground. Bill Gates, if you are reading this, can you please explain? Arne Duncan, this is what you brought about through your Race to the Top, perhaps you could explain.
Can anyone explain how these measures improve the teaching profession?
I’m a first grade teacher in Indianapolis. We cannot even get anyone to explain to us what the new pay structure is for our school district. We know we will no longer be given pay increases…..we’ve been told nothing about bonus pay, or starting salaries. Our union has no power since our legislature stripped it in this last session. I understand that we want to hold teachers accountable, but I think it is not unreasonable to expect that I be at least told what my pay structure will be so I know what to work towards. I’ve earned a masters degree, two separate certifications and have 16 years of experience in inner city schools. I do what I do because I love it and I make a difference. I’m tired of being demonized and demoralized in the press because I want to know whether or not I am going to be able to continue to support my family. These new evaluation systems are so complicated and at the same time vague and ambiguous. I’m in the process right now of writing my state approved forms for my administrator for part of my evaluation and I’m overwhelmed by what I must now do. People believe all of this paperwork and bureaucracy is going to make better teachers, but in reality it is driving people from the profession. College enrollment in education programs has dropped dramatically over the last 5 years. Who would want to be a teacher in this climate? I don’t know about Chicago and DC, but in Indianapolis, we are all frustrated and worried about the future of our schools.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I know you are not naive, so please stop pretending.
These people are are not trying to improve public education.
They have a prior agenda — and it has nothing to do with that.
All the facts in the world will not change their agenda.
They cannot hear you. They do not care.
Amen.
This has absolutely nothing to do with teacher quality. This has everything to do with:
1. Destroying unions;
2. Destroying public education;
3. Hijacking tax funding for education to for-profit corporations;
4. Control of the public to perpetuate the 1%.
But Bill and Arne won’t say that in public.
In Australia we have a phrase “teacher bashing” and it seems the practice is well established in the USA as well. I often wonder why it is that among the professions teaching is so often held in so little regard. We don’t hear of “accountant bashing” or “veterinary surgeon bashing”, so why “teacher bashing”? Is it because teachers are largelyaid for out of the public purse? If so, why don’t we see the same level of antagonism towards firemen, nurses or public servants? All teachers learn early on that they are unwise to reveal at a dinner party that they teach. They will instantly find themselves under examination or attack for most of the problems of the world.
It’s because it is a female-dominated profession and women all too often are doormats and don’t fight back when they are treated like dirt.
I heard that teacher-bashing is common only in English-speaking countries. Could this be true? If so, why?
In the United States teaching at the k-12 level is low status but teaching at the college level is very high status. It’s likely because teaching children is dominated by women, does not afford professional autonomy and is relatively low paid.
I think I am developing a new, bolder approach as a teacher of 14 years with too many degrees to even be a teacher.
To anyone who would tell me what to do. Shut your mouths, I know better than you. I am licensed, certified, with multiple degrees. Rather than you tell me what to do, I am going to tell you what to do.
Teachers have power in Finland for a reason, because they are trusted as teachers. Everyone does their part – there is trust – legislators helps curtail poverty, families motivate kids to learn, and there is low teacher turnover. Schools are successful because their society and culture are successful.
Until other people in the U.S. start doing there jobs, and until somebody with as much experience, degrees, and respect among fellow teachers, parents, and students as I have in my back pocket, then I don’t want them to say one word to me. They will silence their mouths, and I will dictate the terms.
I am an experienced teacher with more knowledge of how to educate young people in the fingernail of my pinky finger than most people have in their whole bodies.
To anyone who wants to tell me anything about education. Shut your mouth. I know what I am doing, and I will do it regardless of what you want me to do because I AM THE BOSS.
Finland’s teachers will be treated the same way…just give it time.
The privatization of the public good is a WORLDWIDE phenomenon.
Bill has lots of money,therefore he is omnicient. Arne has a friend in the White House, therefore he “has it made”. Neither knows anything about professional education, therefore we are “scrod” ( past pluperfect subjunctive …of what we are.)
If we all keep blogging and writing letters supporting our teachers, we may be able to delay turning our country over to the egotistical oligarchs .
“Scrod (Past pluperfect subjunctive)”? Were we to have been scrod? Were that she had been scrod???
Scrod, from wiki: Scrod (also schrod) was originally any young (2.5 lb/1.1 kg or less) cod, haddock, or other whitefish, split and boned.
I kinda like scrod to mean split and boned because that is what it seems the privateers want to do with teachers.
Chuckle.
Everyone screams about teacher accountability–what about Administrative accountability!
Equating the concept of teacher evaluation with the issues this teacher describes is misleading. Too often, those that are most vocal and whose opinions are looked to by others to inform their own, over generalize and inaccurately communicate around teacher evaluation. Individuals on the extreme ends of both sides do it and they know it, but do it anyway to support their position. This is of course the case in most public debates.
In reality, teacher evaluation is simply about a better understanding of the impact of individual teachers on their students. Even student growth measures don’t just use “test scores” as many say. Standardized test scores are the input to value-added models that attempt to isolate the teacher’s impact during their time with those students, controlling for students’ starting points and even demographics if desired.
Will data from teacher evaluations likely inform employment decisions and compensation in some places in the future? Yes. Will it also lead to better, more individualized support for teachers based on their specific needs? Yes.
The teacher in this account is angered by the district’s poor engagement and communications efforts around the new evaluation system. Even he or she acknowledges an understanding of those wanting greater accountability for teachers. He or she never actually mentions the teacher evaluation system.
The teacher is also angered by the “attack” on teachers. However, it is the extreme positions taken by BOTH sides of this argument that contribute to teachers being demonized. Can we do a better job of understanding a teacher’s impact and holding them accountable? Yes. Are teachers solely responsible for eliminating poverty among their students or system-wide? Of course not.
As is nearly always the case, positions closer to the center are more accurate and provide the foundation for a better path forward. Unfortunately, they just don’t get a lot of press.
If data-based teacher evaluations–consisting in large part of student test scores–is so wonderful, why don’t any of our elite private schools do it?
Let’s be unreasonable…I think it is past time. It is time for teachers to take a stand somehow, even without a union if necessary.
I have recently (this morning) decided to take a stand. I am more intelligent and hard working, with more degrees (in education), than any person in my school, and have taught for more years than most of the individuals in the county office.
I am the authority. I know more about education, and what needs to be done in education, than anybody I currently know on a personal basis. It is time to start dictating the terms.
Holding teachers accountable for student performance of ANY kind, in any shape or form, is not appropriate. This is not an extreme position from the “center”, it is the correct position, period.
No other country on the face of this earth holds teachers responsible for how students perform. This is a diversionary tactic to run veteran teachers as myself out of the profession and welcome newbies, and a revolving door of labor, for which there is no tenure, pension, or lifelong medical benefits. It also aids in the current agenda to shut down public schools, which is the true intent of all current reform efforts.
Teachers do not need any more accountability than any other professional position. Education is about INPUTS, not about OUTPUTS. We can’t control what our students do with the knowledge we offer them.
I say we move more towards the FInland model of education, which really, is just our model from many years ago.
You’re talking out of both sides of your mouth. “Even student growth measures don’t just use “test scores” as many say. Standardized test scores are the input to value-added models that attempt to isolate the teacher’s impact during their time with those students, controlling for students’ starting points and even demographics if desired.”
In other words, you put student test scores into some fancy formulas and somehow you can magically isolate the teacher’s impact. But the formula *starts* with student test scores. So you are using “just” student test scores, right?
Anyway, I’m sure you know by now that the alleged “science” behind these value added measures is a bunch of bunk, right? And if you don’t already know, you have but to look back through Diane’s blog a few weeks – she’s posted plenty about it.
In the meantime, knock off the false equivalency nonsense. No, answers toward the “center” aren’t necessarily more accurate or a better foundation for a path forward when one side (the Republican Party) is so far to the right that it’s falling off the earth and the other side is to the right of Richard Nixon (the Democrats). In such a case, if you actually want a “center” position, you have to go way back to the left.
Oops – this was meant to be a reply to “lets be reasonable”, not to your post, Diane. Sorry!
I agree on both points.
Admittedly, value-added measures of student growth are very new and there is disagreement as to their validity. This is why in the majority of new evaluation systems, teacher practice and other measures are weighted more heavily, in some cases much more so. In Chicago for example, all teacher evaluations in year 1 will be based from 75% to 100% on teacher practice. Even in three years, student growth will only be weighted 30 to 35% and only 20% will be based on standardized-test value added measures. The remaining 10 – 15% will be based on assessments created by CPS teachers.
I agree that the current political situation in our country is disturbing and I more or less agree with your characterization of it, especially in education. My opinions about “the center” are directed to both sides.
First, I know of only one evaluation system in the country, D.C., where test score based measures are even equal in weighting to teacher practice measures consisting of in-depth classroom observations. In nearly all other districts that I’m aware of, teacher practice is weighted more heavily and in many cases significantly. In Chicago for example, classroom observations will account for between 75% and 100% of a teacher’s rating next year.
Now, I’m admittedly less familiar with practices at private schools. However, I would bet they administer student growth assessments and they use those assessments as a data point to understand a teacher’s effectiveness (if informally) and also to inform instruction and professional development for teachers. I’m sure good private schools also use frequent classroom observations against research-based instructional frameworks like Charlotte Danielson’s as another data point.
They likely don’t use data based teacher evaluations for employment decisions because they don’t have to. They can hire and fire whomever they want and aren’t under the same legal constraints as large public agencies like public school districts.
Private schools also aren’t under the same financial constraints. Due to high student tuition, they can more easily afford to pay teacher salaries. Now, I would agree that there is great inequity in the levels of resources received by public schools, especially in low-income communities, when compared to many private schools in more affluent communities. We all must continue to fight for greater equity there.
However, we must also face reality. It is a fact that school districts and states are in extremely dire financial situations. They must increasingly explore how to more effectively allocate limited resources. We all have our opinions as to how well they are doing that. The overwhelming majority of a district’s budget goes to teacher salaries. I have very mixed feelings about performance based compensation. It is natural that they’d want to understand varying levels of performance among teachers and explore how to apply those limited financial resources to teachers doing the best job and schools with the greatest need. They would logically want a data-based method for allocating those resources to make better decisions and for public accountability.
“In Chicago for example, classroom observations will account for between 75% and 100% of a teacher’s rating next year.”
If you’re going to act like such an expert, you could at least get your facts straight. State minimum in Illinois is either 25 or 30% (can’t remember which, too lazy to look it up) of a teacher’s evaluation must come from student test scores. The strike enabled the union to negotiate their level down to the state minimum or just above, down from the 50% that CPS wanted, but they weren’t able to eliminate student test scores altogether. And, by the way, since the “science” behind all this is junk, why should even 1% of teacher evaluations be based on it?
“They [private schools] can hire and fire whomever they want and aren’t under the same legal constraints as large public agencies like public school districts.”
I don’t know about that – have you seen the union contract for the Lab Schools where Obama used to send his kids (and Emanuel still does)? I think they’re under a lot of “legal constraints” too.
“It is a fact that school districts and states are in extremely dire financial situations.”
Yeah, that’s why CPS can afford to spend $500 million a year on charter schools. And I don’t even want to know what we’re spending on testing and test prep. Please. School districts are only cash-strapped when it suits their needs. When someone like Emanuel or Duncan has a pet project in mind, suddenly the cash is available.
You may add Florida and Louisiana to your 50% list.
My understanding is that the legal minimum of 30% towards student growth will not go into effect until year 3 of implementation.
If the teachers at Lab School are unionized and have a contract, then I agree that administrators there would be under legal constraints closer to those of a public school district. I assume that in most private schools though, there is no collective bargaining agreement with teachers.
I can’t comment on CPS’ spending level towards charter schools. I unfortunately do believe that the district is in an extremely difficult financial position.
The point is there is no reasonable place for high stakes or VAM in teacher evaluations at this time because the metrics and assumptions made about the metrics used are invalid. We don’t even need to consider reliability since a measure has to be valid first. In other words, teachers are being judged on false, inaccurate information. No amount of inaccurate information should be included in an evaluation.
It’s not reasonable to be unreasonable and that is exactly what standards, standardized testing, grades and grading, and sorting and separating out student according to some bogus, totally invalid “measurements”. First of all Wilson has shown the complete invalidity of the above mentioned activities. Start with an invalidity, end with an invalidity or in other words a falsehood. Now for this rural Spanish teacher that equates plain and simply to “Caca in, mierda out”.
If you wish to enlighten yourself a little come and join me as I summarize and discuss Wilson’s “Educational Standards and the Problem of Error” over the next months. I am doing two chapters a month. There has been no rebuttal whatsoever to his demonstrating at least thirteen sources of error in the whole process, of which only one would render the process invalid, much less thirteen. See “Promoting Just Education for All” at revivingwilson.org .
Enough BS. Obama has shown us what he will do. He is nothing but a “straw man” President. He has sold us out.
@mooseinsquirrels: In attacking the problem, it’s important to outline the ultimate motives of those who’d destroy unions, etc. Otherwise, it sounds as if teachers see themselves as the primary victims. My hope is that we can refine our rhetoric in a way that makes plain the stakes for society generally.
Some in the 1% do see a big money pie of which they’d gladly enjoy a slice. But destroying unions and demeaning the profession are primarily steps in the industrialization of education. Students are raw materials, teachers are workers on the assembly line and computers are robots. Efficient manufacture demands standardized tools, techniques and outputs. Unions create friction and therefore must be eliminated.
Degradation, not destruction, is the likely outcome for public education. The system will be partially privatized, but others will profit as contractors with what remains of the public system. Just as KIPP will never accept Diane’s challenge to take over an entire system, the smarter education entrepreneurs will avoid taking over the entire system when they peel off some kids, generate feel-good numbers, and collect a profit.
Ultimately, we must convince parents in all classes that 1) education is best when it draws out the talents and passions of children, and 2) the industrialization of schooling has the effect (and perhaps the design) of squelching them.
@lets_be_reasonable: Your analysis tacitly accepts the industrialization of education metaphor. Teacher quality is measured by product quality which is measured by how much someone will pay for it. I propose we rehumanize the product and reject any value-added metric. It’s sickening.
I’d like to second the “Amen”. First year teacher in Indianapolis, second career. Scared I made a big mistake!