I don’t know Michael Weston, but I love his comment below.
He is a teacher in Hillsborough County, Florida, which received many millions of dollars from the Gates Foundation to pilot a new teacher evaluation program.
Bill and Melinda visited the district and expressed great pleasure at the compliments directed their way. They don’t seem to realize that 1) educators are very polite (as a rule), and 2) people are starstruck in the presence of billionaires.
But Michael Weston knows the score.
He decided enough is enough, and look what he is doing:
I am the Union Rep at my high school (in Hillsborough County). Just two hours ago I was explaining to some members that there was absolutely nothing (except running for School Board) I could do about:
1. High school science teachers being evaluated by a former sixth grade teacher.
2. That no consideration is given to how long you have been teaching a particular class, nor how many different class preps you have.
3. That a sleeping child will count against you, but God forbid you touch the child’s desk or anything else that may call attention to a particular kid.
4. All of the teachers being fired this year for poor evaluations are over 40.
5. Since it is a totally subjective rating, they can kill you based on your style vs their style.
etc, etc. etc.
And why is there nothing I can do as their Union rep? The Hillsborough Teacher’s Union is a full participant and support of this nonsense.
So, I filed to run for School Board. Someone has to stop this.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
So you can teach in a district school AND serve on the achool board. Could never happen in Good Ole Boy Delaware!
Not possible in CT either, unless you lived in one district and taught in another. Hmmm….
You are my kind of person. Congregulations on choosing to run for the school board as people who care and know the subject need to make the decisions.
For years I’ve believed that the biggest problem with educational policies is that educators aren’t making them. So I did a little research on Texas law concerning teachers running for school board and found out you CAN run for the board while teaching in the district, but if you win, you must resign your position before being sworn in as a trustee. So… I filed to run for my board two weeks ago. The election is in May. I know this isn’t possible for everyone to do, but for those of us who can, the time is now. Take the Classroom to the Boardroom! Michael Weston, more power to you!
Wonderful Lisa! The regular ebb and flow of political / public opinion tides are too slow for public education to survive in this country, UNLESS we take matters into our own hands. We put three teachers in the Florida Legislature this year. I intend to be the first active teacher on the Hillsborough County School Board.
We should get in touch. I have learned quite a bit about the process.
Michael,
Post a website where people can send contributions.
I will be first to do it.
Diane
Thank you so much for your support Diane! I hope you know how very much those of us in the trenches appreciate exposure you bring our problems, and the hope you give us for a halt to the madness.
I hope that others will follow Lisa and I. I too will contribute to any pro-public education, anti-Gates/Rhee teacher running for office.
I am in the process of moving my website, michaelweston.org to a new host. It should be back up and running this Saturday.
Thank you, Michael! I appreciate your well wishes, and you can contact me at lisamyers.org@gmail.com or at http://lisamyers.org. I am quite relieved at the moment because no one has filed to run against me in the election. I teach at a 2A district in Texas, and sometimes our elections can get pretty heated, so if I can run uncontested, it will be ok by me!
Initially, my colleagues were shocked that I would consider leaving the classroom, but as I’ve shared my reasoning, something I haven’t seen in a while is starting shine in the teacher’s eyes: hope. I’m sure you’ve witnessed the same.
Again, thank you so much for the encouragement, and I’m looking forward to hearing from you!
Oops…. *something I haven’t seen in a while is starting to shine in the teachers’ eyes: hope.
Our union’s management have sold us out–a long time ago.
Same Same…no different in Denver!
Wherever you can do this, teachers, please do the same. Be like Mike!
The evalution team, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_the_Children_Shall_Lead
Good luck
Go Mike, go!
We are pulling for you!
“So, I filed to run for School Board. Someone has to stop this.”
Michael Weston, if I lived in your district, you would have my vote. What do you need?
Good for you Mike!……You have my vote in spirit!…..I have longed believed our union in NYC sold us out……and for what?…..Trips to Albany and other conventions at my expense?
Thank you, Michael, for being brave enough to speak up for those who remain silent out of fear of retaliation. We all know that not ‘getting with the program’ and ‘buying in’ could cost us evaluation points. The Emperor’s New Clothes come to mind when I think about what is happening in Hillsborough County and I’m glad you are able and willing to speak the truth.
Thank you for speaking up when the rest of us are too afraid to. We all know that if we don’t ‘get with the program’ and ‘buy in’ that it could cost us precious evaluation points, which in turn could ruin our reputations as educators. It reminds me a lot of The Emperor’s New Clothes… Again, thank you for being willing to speak up for teachers in Hillsborough County!
It’s too bad you didn’t know that Dan Rather would be highlighting the Gates’ financed “new evaluation program” in Hillsborough County, FL on his AXS.TV show tonight (Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013). Perhaps Michael Weston (and other teachers) can contact him about how it’s actually working particularly at the HS and middle school levels.
He highlighted a 2nd grade teacher in Hillsborough County and showed a teacher/evaluator conference. This may work well for primary teachers but surely anyone evaluating HS subjects needs to be a teacher of that subject at that level. Otherwise it’s just nonsense.
Rather reported that the Gates Foundation gave the district millions for this 7 year program. One would hope that in 7 years the results would indicate if the program works. Unfortunately, it sounds like getting rid of teachers is part of the 7 year plan.
By the way, the first segment of the show reported on Garfield HS in Seattle and their MAP boycott.
I beg to differ. Anyone evaluating elementary school teachers should understand what is developmentally appropriate for children of that age. Too many administrators think that young children need to be taught something once-in a lecture, no less- and then they should be able to regurgitate this new “knowlgdge”. I have heard too many times from too many administrators that, “Second-graders should be able to do that!” when, in fact, they haven’t spent any time working with kids of that grade.
Of course, it would help if I spelled knowledge correctly!
Lehrer is correct… the Charlotte Danielson rubric we use does not work so well in the primary grades (K-2). The goal for most ‘exemplary’ ratings is to have the students take responsibility for their own learning. This is a great goal… except 5-8 year olds are still trying to take responsibility for their own bodily fluids, personal space, etc.
Good for all those here running; I’d welcome the company. A word of warning from three years on the local board here in Worcester: there’s only so much you can do on some of what you’ve listed here. If your evaluation system is anything like ours, much of it is coming straight from the state as a result of Race to the Top.
Nonetheless, certainly well worth having your voice on the board! Best wishes!
OK – I finally got my campaign website moved over to the new host. I still have some pages and material to add, but the basics are there. My story, contact info, contributions, etc. Please stop by.
michaelweston.org
Way to go Mike!!!! Give Gates and his crew a good swift kick in the pants for us!
I agree. Kick them out into the Ort Belt.
I don’t know George – that stuff occasionally comes back as long-period comets. I will need some extra help to kick them totally out of the gravitation effects of our solar system.
I like the way you think in celestial mechanics. After all that is reality and very interesting. Wait until we run into Andromeda.