Peter Greene is not impressed with the Cuomo Task Force report on the Common Core, the tests, and teacher evaluation. He calls it a “nothing Sundae.”
He goes through the recommendations one by one. But his big beef is that the report does not question the value of the CCSS, does not question the testing, and does not get to the problem of test-based accountability for teaching. The report assumes that the problem all along has been poor implementation, not that any of the fundamental ideas need to be changed or dropped or replaced.
Another blogger points out that the Task Force report includes this curious statement:
The Education Transformation Act of 2015 will remain in place, and no new legislation is required to implement the recommendations of the report, including recommendations regarding the transition period for consequences for students and teachers. During the transition, the 18 percent of teachers whose performance is measured, in part, by Common Core tests will use different local measures approved by the state, similar to the measures already being used by the majority of teachers.
The blogger writes:
Yes, tests will still count for 50% of a teacher’s evaluation.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
If the part about the Education Transformation Act is correct, then why is NYSUT so “giddy” about the recommendations of this task force. It’s getting to the point that I’m so disgusted with how NYSUT has representing me I almost don’t want to pay union dues anymore….thoughts anyone?
You may not have to. Friedricks v. California Teachers Association to be decided soon.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/friedrichs-v-the-california-teachers-association_562a7847e4b0aac0b8fcd9ee
You may not have to.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/friedrichs-v-the-california-teachers-association_562a7847e4b0aac0b8fcd9ee
Completely agree about NYSUT, (and Randi and the AFT.) It’s hard to figure out what their endgame is. It often doesn’t appear to be directly connected to improving student and teacher lives in the classroom.
If you’re an advocacy organization, tasked with advocating for teachers and their students, then the most you could say about the news from Washington (ESSA) and Albany (Cuomo’s report) is a cautious “Let’s wait and see.”
To brand either piece of news as a “victory” is confusing and misleading, bordering on “WTH.”
(imho)
http://b-loedscene.blogspot.com/2015/12/more-great-news-from-planet-weingarten.html
Bravo! Peter Greene slices and dices the latest, stale serving of Albany-style baloney then serves up the red hot truth concerning the “Cuomo Task Force”.
But let me take a moment to summarize the main recommendation of another not-so blue ribbon panel that has been considering the Common Core fiasco…the “Ogozalek Task Force” which consists of, well….just me.
My Task Force has a simple recommendation, really. And, it involves any human who might be charged with hiring a superintendent or principal or teacher in the near future. Like, what if I was running a school and needed to fill a position?
Question numero uno on my list if I had to interview candidates would be: PLEASE DESCRIBE FOR ME WHAT YOU HAVE DONE SINCE 2011 TO CRITICIZE, OPPOSE AND OTHERWISE PROTEST THE LUDICROUS COMMON CORE REFORMS THAT HAVE DAMAGED OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS? In other words….where were you when the Common Core crapstorm was raining down hard and what did you do to try to protect our kids? And, please provide the evidence.
I can think of people on this blog I’d hire in a heartbeat -people whose intelligence and courage have truly inspired me. It’s been humbling to see how hard some people around me have been fighting to help our children.
End of my report.
From the article:
“It’s a big bowl of nothing, and it’s not even a new bowl.”
Hell, even the nothing isn’t new.
A “nothing sundae” – I refer to such things as a bowl of sugar free jello…a big bowl of zero.
There have been many times in history when people in some degree of desperation and delusion paid more attention to percentages and metrics, forms of data, than their own humanity. Some more tragic than others; at least one was unspeakably tragic and of epic proportions. Unfortunately, the present is another of those times.