The United Teachers of Los Angeles has steadfastly refused to allow its members to be evaluated by the test scores of their students. Unlike the district leadership, UTLA understands that scholars have found that value-added assessment is inaccurate, invalid and unstable. By this method, excellent teachers may be labeled “ineffective,” and poor teachers who teach to the test may be labeled “effective.”
Despite intense pressure by the Los Angeles Unified School District leadership and the federal government, UTLA has insisted that its members should be evaluated by evidence-based methods, not by “value-added assessment” that has not been proven to work anywhere.
UTLA refused to sign off on the district’s request for $40 million in Race to the Top funding, which would have subjected its members to value-added assessment.
UTLA recognizes that accepting $40 million for RTTT would eventually cost the district hundreds of millions of dollars to comply with the federal government’s mandates. This has been the experience of other districts, where teachers have been laid off and class sizes have increased solely because of compliance with RTTT requirements.
Because it has remained true to principle, because it insists on evidence-based evaluation, because it insists on honest accounting for the public’s dollars, UTLA is a hero of public education and joins the honor roll.
We need more unions with a backbone and a brain to stand up to this massive effort to diminish the public school teacher and our union. And to think that we are the one’s who educated these union-busters. Like Rodney Dangerfield said, ” hey, I get no respect”.
What about the school district of philadelphia’s blue collar workers SEiU32BJ District 1201 that just gave back in wages and concessions over $100 million dollars over the next 4 years? Now that’s a Union that is helping and understands public education.
How is “giving back” wages and concessions “helping … public education?
Dennis,
Are you a teacher, administrator or support personnel in a public school?
Thanks,
Duane
Dennis Biondo-Administrator
Dennis has been employed with the Philadelphia School District since 1987. He’s been an Electrician for over twenty years. Dennis was the 1201 Maintenance Executive Board representative for nine years, winning 2 elections, In November 2009 he was elected as the At Large Representative for all of District 1201. He also sat on the 1201 grievance committee for 6 years. In January 2007 he was appointed as the Administrator of the District 1201 Health and Welfare Fund by the Fund Trustees. Dennis oversees all of the Fund’s daily operations and staff. He takes care of Prescription Drug Program, the Retiree’s Prescription Card and COBRA Program. He is an AFL-CIO delegate, sits on the AFL-CIO Round Table Organizing Committee and the SEIU State-Wide Endorsement Committee. He is the the Vice President of the Pennsylvannia Eastern Administrator’s Association and one of the Fund Director’s of the Delaware Valley Health Care Coalition.
What about SEIU32BJ District 1201 that just gave $100 million over next 4 years in concessions and give backs ? Now that’s a hero Union helping children and understanding Public Education #phillyeducation — Why would you take down my post or comment? I don’t get it.. Are you for public education? Are you for Union? What do you stand for and whats your purpose if you keep taking this post down? It’s por public Ed and pro Union???? It’s already all over FB.. Thank You
Who took your post down? Please let me know.
This one won’t let us post a comment🙂 today.
I heard an interview on the radio today with the UTLA president Warren Fletcher. He emphasized that they estimate it would cost the district $43 million up front to meet the requirements for the $40 million RTTT grant, then ongoing expenses from now on.
The interviewer wanted to know what’s the difference between districts that did apply for the grant and LAUSD, who couldn’t send in their grant application without the union approval. I wanted him to say that the other districts can’t do math, but he said that California schools are in such bad shape economically that we just can’t afford to do what RTTT wants us to do.
The interviewer asked, “Are you saying that the federal policy is a flawed policy?” Fletcher said yes.
$43 million is a very low estimate of what RTTT will cost LA to implement
Diane,
You bring up an interesting point. Has anyone on either side or in the middle done a study regarding the costs to implement RttT?
Seminole County, Florida’s union president has also withheld her signature from the district’s RTTT proposal. Applause!
Another hero union is The Buffalo Teachers Federation, with Phil Rumore as the leader. The BTF has been standing firm against this nonsense for years.Everytime there was an appeal, the BTF won the case. Right now they are fighting a “turnaround” transfer of 54 teachers from 3 schools.
Add Clark County Education Association in Clark County, Nevada. They also refused to sign off. Of course the reporter for the anti-union Las Vegas Review Journal has a different way of spinning it. Check out lvrj.com
Great choice LA teachers! Your classrooms would have never seen any of the Race to the Top funds and in exchange you would have given up all rights to a fair and valid evaluation system. I believe Palm Beach county recently withdrew their application for RTTT. Unfortunately, the Miami teachers union president and our superintendent should be given an award for biggest “eduwhores.” They continuously sell out the teachers and students in favor of “winning” this ridiculous grant. You can read more about “Personalized Learning, Race to the Top part II, the Saga Continues…” at http://kafkateach.wordpress.com.
Too bad the Washington Teachers Union in DC signed off on DC’s RttT grant.(This was the first system where we saw the effects of VAM – teachers cheating and being terminated.) I guess we can thank Michelle Rhee and her toady, now Senior Fellow at StudentsFirst George Parker for that. I hope more unions stand up and truly fight and protect their members from this (remember this classic 1980’s gem?) voodoo science.
And what evaluation and score do we give to those dedicated teachers who volunteer to teach under achieving students like special ed, or ELD classes. I have a full load of 165 students with an average reading score in the 3rd grade range, but I teach ELD/SADIE 9th graders. My scores are usually lower then the students in our class that is designated “Honors “. Who will teach the lower? Today many new teachers are given the best students as they start out.. not that they are great, or even average teachers.