A reader just informed me about her blog, which describes the changes in Hawaii.
Justice Louis Brandeis long ago referred to states as “laboratories of democracy,” where new ideas could be tried out, to succeed or fail. Each state could try out social or economic experiments without peril to other states.
Now, a stifling blanket of standardization and conformity is covering the land. Read about Hawaii and you will be shocked and saddened to see the same tired ideas that are in your own state.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I liked their signs, ‘you can’t put students first, if you put teachers last’.
LikeLike
After reading that the end game is clear:teacher churn and burn. The children suffer. Then what?
LikeLike
Chillingly familiar here in New Haven, Ct. except the union management is in on it. Many teachers here are incredibly docile.
LikeLike
Yes, the docility is widespread here in NYC, too, and disturbing to see.
I’ve also noticed a tendency among some of my colleagues, all excellent teachers with progressive instincts, of just not wanting to know what is happening, and equate being informed with being “negative.”
Younger, newer teachers seem overwhelmed with the ever-increasing demands being placed upon them, trying to survive and achieve what may turn out to be the mirage of tenure. Half or more of them will be gone within five years.
Many senior people are counting the days till they can punch out, and therefore can personally afford to be a little more detached.
That leaves mid-career teachers, with time invested in the profession but with retirement a long way off, facing an increasingly harsh desert to cross.
It’s an intentionally demoralizing climate for everyone.
As an institution, the old NYC Board of Education was often cruel, but it was usually the incidental, indifferent cruelty of a large bureaucracy, and political channels to contest that indifference existed. Now, the neoliberalism-infused Department of Education is actively malevolent, and there is little recourse anywhere.
LikeLike
Extremely well stated.
LikeLike
“I’ve also noticed a tendency among some of my colleagues, all excellent teachers with progressive instincts, of just not wanting to know what is happening, and equate being informed with being “negative.””
This is SO very true. I’m getting labelled as quite a negative person at my school, due to my discussions of what’s happening.
And at my previous school I was told not to be so “negative” in the faculty room (an assistant principal had ratted me out), because I was talking about what was happening.
LikeLike
Diane, I believe I read that Hawaii rejected RTTT. For their State to get waivers for NCLB, the schools would have to implement evaluations based on standardized test. This seems to have conflicting issues with their act 51.
My question is basically what happens to states that do not waive NCLB yet do not meet the 2014 100% pass?
LikeLike
Extremely well said.
LikeLike
Oops, that was meant for Michael. 😦
LikeLike
No, RTTT is alive and kicking our butts in Hawaii.
LikeLike
l grew-up, went to elementary- and high school (Jupiter), and now live and teach (Palm Bay) in Florida.
Unless I am woefully misinformed and blindingly out-of-touch with our state’s and district’s policies, I do not recall us teachers having ANY voice in how to configure our evaluation process (VAM), nor do we feel our vote on any contract since the 2006 – 2007 (perhaps) school year has made a discernible impact. It is said that our union “continues to lobby for the rights of teachers and the betterment of students,” or some such blather, but we just do not see it.
We are disheartened, dispirited, and, well, dissed.
LikeLike
The problem is with who we send to represent us in Tallahassee! There is no longer a Teapublican supermajority to bulldoze terrible legislation through the Florida House and Senate. The FEA, wuth the help of other Labor and Parent groups blocked bad leguslation last year, and will have to do so again this year. FEA supported 21 candidates in the last election and elected 18 of them. There are more teachers in the state legislature than ever before. We must continue to organize teachers and SRP/ESP to vote for EDUCATION friendly candidates and their economic well-being.
LikeLike
Diane, tomorrow the President is having a Fireside chat via the internet. Perhaps followers of this blog would like to submit questions about why he is continuing RTTT, etc. Here is the address to follow: https://plus.google.com/events/ck7p5i47e2pfqlq4bkk6lo8sml8
LikeLike
When the politicians call for more accountability, I always want to hand them my school’s accreditation report. Teachers, counselors, principals, and librarians evaluating schools! Why do we all pretend that process has not been going on for decades already?
LikeLike
The state of Hawaii did not reject RTTT…. Teachers are not happy with the policies the state is pushing on us (without listening to what teachers think of course). Teacher evaluations based partially on standardized test scores are a big part of the reason the union and state can not agree on a contract. Teachers have been without contract for years… and they are currently in negotiations again.
My passion for teaching is dwindling… the state and media are out to make good teachers look like a dying breed in order to push the RTTT policies including teacher evaluation/pay/job security based on test scores….. Its disheartening and exhausting. It should be about the love for teaching… but it is turning into a political showdown where one side seems to think half of teachers in Hawaii are doing a poor job.
Here’s some propaganda as an example: http://www.hawaiifreepress.com/ArticlesMain/tabid/56/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8865/Hawaii-Teacher-Absenteeism-2ndWorst-in-USA.aspx
The days absent in the data provided included days out for professional development… but they conveniently leave that explanation out.
Here is some data on teacher retention in Hawaii before this recent contract dispute and RTTT reforms began :
Of the 1,591 new teachers hired in 2006, only 715 are still active. The following year, 1,465 teachers were hired but just 691 are still active.
The data shows that 20 percent of the teachers hired in 2011 have already left. Fifty-five percent of the teacher class of 2006 are gone.
I FEAR WHAT IT TO COME of education in Hawaii… being one of the disheartened teachers…. Many good teachers will hit the road.
LikeLike
i’ve been talking public schools and Hawaii for a couple of years now. Granted Hawaii follows the Mainland trend wise, but here we are. I have left comments here and on my FB page (Kuhio Kane). Also, see Hawaii Teachers Working to the Rules FB site. I work as a contractor with Hawaii in education. If I can be of help, let me know.
LikeLike