In his weekly radio interview, Mayor Bloomberg said that wants to hold teachers’ feet to the fire. He wants them evaluated by the scores of their students and he wants their ratings published. He is furious that the union has been unwilling to agree to a pact. He says he will cut the budget if they don’t comply.
This teacher read the post and replied:
“I can not believe his language. Evaluation is something every professional adult is subject to, provided that the evaluation is done in good faith, by a fair measure, by trustworthy evaluators. The minute you say you want to hold my feet to the fire, I know you don’t want to see whether or not I’m a good teacher, celebrate my skills and help me improve my weaknesses – you just want me out.
I can not stand another month of being beat up every time I open a newspaper, after spending hours (my own time) writing awesome and engaging lessons, and creating materials (since the DOE gives me nothing) that are specific and responsive to my specific and real population of students. Stay up til 1am planning lessons, read the newspaper, cry on my way to work, spend a day in my classroom trying to build confidence and faith that the world is open to them, that the system is not rigged, that if you work hard, go to college, grad school, pick a decent and socially responsible profession you will succeed, be fairly compensated, and respected. Go back, read the paper, cry again. It is really awful, Mr. Bloomberg. You have no idea.
“Hold my feet to the fire”. What are you threatening with budget cuts? I already pay for all my own school supplies. I buy class sets of text books. I haven’t had a nickel raise in three years, even as my rent goes up and the subway fare raises again. You’re going to make this worse for me somehow? You want me to quit?
After you’ve completely destroyed the professionalism of teaching, once you’ve rallied the press to declare that anyone who goes into teaching is corrupt and suspicious, lazy and stupid – what kind of amazing self-confident and self-respecting recruits are you hoping to replace me with?”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
This teacher speaks for so many! Mayor Bloomberg, please listen and do the right thing for educators, students, and parents.
Ditto! He said it all.
I just had an “I don’t know how much longer I can continue to be beaten-up every day” conversation (cry session) with a friend. It almost completely mimicked paragraph four. I am tired, my friends. Soul-weary tired.
Bloomberg is a bully. It’s as simple as that.
How do we counter these bullies?
In the Great Public Schools of NJ test scores will be 50% of the teacher evaluation, as per the recommendation of Governor Christie’s “task force”. The 50% figure and the rest of the recommendation were almost word for word ALEC created. The 50% number was also only a starting point! The task force recommended it be increased: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Task Force report presents recommendations for improving student achievement in New Jersey by revamping our educator evaluation system. Our recommended system is based on the knowledge that educator effectiveness is the most important in-school factor for improving student achievement. New Jersey, like the vast majority of other states, does not have an evaluation system that accurately differentiates the effectiveness of educators. High-quality evaluation systems for our teachers and principals will enable districts and the state to vastly improve personnel decisions, such as the awarding of tenure and the setting of compensation levels, and drive significant improvements in student learning.
The report consists of four sections: teacher evaluations, principal evaluations, conditions for success, and next steps.
Teacher Evaluations
In the first section, the Task Force recommends the development of a new teacher evaluation system that is based entirely on student learning; that is, all measures used to assess effectiveness should be linked to achievement. Initially, it would comprise equal parts teacher practice (inputs) and direct measures of student achievement (outputs). Over time, however, the Task Force encourages the state to increase the percentage of the evaluation contributed by measures of student achievement.
Who is holding his feet to the fire for his lackadaisical response to helping housing residents and evacuating nursing home residents properly?
Amen, First! No, he is too busy pontificating about “hold(ing) teachers’ feet to the fire” & contributing money to other states (and just what business of that is his?) to help the Koch brothers privatize education! Help the people he serves? Not King Bloomberg (your consistent illustrations have him to rights, NYC Educator)–the people of NYC are, after all, his subjects.
And what he has subjected them to is absolutely criminal.
Diana, you fight a bully by punching back in the face. The UFT is so bad at the PR game. They continually let Mayor Napoleon set the agenda. They should be out there screaming every day….follow the money, look how much of this money goes to Murdoch, Pearson, and everywhere but the classroom. They should be screaming about the fact that this is just trying to bust the union, whatever it takes, scream it out. They are much too interested in playing nice. I say enough worrying about what the press has to say, they are all in Bloomberg’s pocket, they are not going to come out for us, no matter what.
I want to know who is HE REALLY ANGRY AT????????….. that the Teachers (including Paras) & Students are paying such a price for his ANGER to DESTROY the Educational system.
THE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF PAPER WORK… IS A SAD <SAD REALITY THAT…
Teachers have become his secretaries, the students are his DATA Files, and the educational system has become his corporation.
I WANT TO KNOW…WAS IT SO BAD THAT ALL THE EDUCATION he & everyone else who received a public education…THAT BAD??????
I THINK NOT!!!
His feet must have been burnt off by his self evaluation in response to Sandy! His saying “No” to a presidential visit, “No” to FEMA setting up prior to Sandy and “No” to FEMA trailers for temporary housing for Sandy “Victims” (even as DOH officials report that they are more concern about the inside air people are breathing in their damaged homes!). Oh, but he did want the Marathon to happen!
The questions I have been asking politicians here on Staten Island the last few days are, “How many of our residents have been displaced by Sandy?”, “How many have been displaced away from their community?”, “Is there enough housing?”. The response from one courageous politician was, “we don’t know” all the others are hopefully out trying to find the answer.
I would have thought this would be on a priority list from the MAYOR’S OFFICE(?0 with winter’s coldness quickly approaching. However I am happy to report, watching ABC News last night I found out how many Twinkies were left! Perhaps Mayor Bloomberg doesn’t care about Twinkies but what is he doing to make sure all are in temporary housing soon? For this we should hold his ass to the fire because he already burnt off his feet!
It is time to organize a mass rally against Bloomberg. Teachers, parents, students, hit the streets. I’m certain other groups will chime in. A radio announcer called him “Barfbag” on a major station yesterday. I have heard the general populace say they wish him dead. When was the last time we had a mayor so detested? And when has there been a mayor who so consistently criticized us? He is the originator of the demonization of teachers. Somebody please tell him that he already created his legacy, “The creator of the demonization of educators”. Can you hear the dualing banjos playing?
I wish a slightly different version of this sadly wonderful piece of writing could be in the form of an Op-Ed in the NY Times or the Washington Post– policy elites who don’t frequent this Go-To DR blog need to read, and re-read, this. Michael Brick’s recent column on The Madness of Grading Schools gives me hope that the Times might occasionally allow in some non-Kool-Aid drinkers on this subject. Thank God teachers are in it for the love and care of their students and learning and not for affirmation from the clueless political class– God help our teachers.
He sounds like Maine’s mayor – are they quoting each other or what?
They all get their marching orders from the same source(s?). ALEC is probably the biggest player, but there’s probably others.
Good Morning- If we all worked on a Rubric judging how the Mayor and Governor handled Hurricane Sandy we would all feel much better. We could also complete the Rubric on Bobby Jindal as for his handing of Hurricane Katrina. That should all be made public. I sense an over-arching theme here.
I am an elementary principal and we advise the children who are being bullied to stand up to them. We them that there is strength in numbers. We tell students who stand by and do nothing to help the person that is being bullied that they too are guilty of being a bully. We are teaching Sephen Covey’s Leading In Me at the elementary level, so students will learn to do the Right Thing. The Dignity For All Act addresses bullying issues for children and young adults. We need to listen to what we are teaching the children– continue to stand together and voice our concerns. We will be heard. We will not allow a Mayor or a Governor or a State Education Department or a Secretary of Education or the President deprive our children of a childhood and their right to free public education. United We Stand.
Marge
From http://www.girlshealth.gov/bullying/stopping/tipstext.cfm:
Be strong! Bullies like to upset people, particularly those who can’t stand up for themselves. Be in control so that the bully won’t feel in control. It’s important to feel confident and have good self-esteem. Even if you don’t feel it at the moment, acting like you do will help. You may find that you are pretty good at handling a bully after all, and the next time you won’t have to fake the confidence.
I am not a teacher but a mother of three .. My three children go to school … Budget cuts have hurt so many already including all children that go to school… My girls can’t even get all the services they need now so keep cutting enventualy tey to will end up applying for disability because they won’t be able to stand on there own .. School supplies are funded by parents and teachers .. Really Bloomberg you are sick … but yes go ahead and build more condos while you are at it ..
I’m not a teacher but a mother of 3. My children’s teachers have been wonderful. Principals have been helpful. The DOE has done nothing for my family other than create chaos, pain and suffering. One has to learn to become a liar and a hypocrite to get crumbs. It is a systematic way of beating us down and of dummying our children. Take the DOE back from the city. There will be no progress as long as the Mayor has complete control. Megalomaniacs belong in a psych ward, not in education.
Wait, is this the same Angela Peralta who is suing with NYC Parents Union Mona Davids and Sam Pirozzolo to have these wonderful teacher’s tenure removed? This is a great comment that should be used by the defense. http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1212617/nyc-parents-union-class-action-lawsuit.txt
That’s a story, huh?
There is a lot to be angry about, but, Bloomberg, you are totally missing the target. It is obvious from your piece that you do not know what you are talking about. You have not spent time in the classroom. You have not talked with teachers and administrators to find out what it is like in schools today. You need a teacher to educate you.
Mayor Bloomberg, this is exactly why the people of NYC have voted consistently against allowing a mayor to serve 3 terms – it creates an egotistical, power hungry, corrupt, delusional dictator . Since YOU are in control of the education system in this city, have come up with all the “new” tests, budget cuts, and ridiculous accounting systems being used, then perhaps we should rate YOU by how well the children score. Maybe it is time to hold YOUR feet to the fire & demand better conditions for our children and their teachers!