It is understandable that Governor Cuomo has a grudge against teachers: they didn’t endorse him in last fall’s campaign. So, naturally, he wants to destroy the teaching profession in his state by imposing a burdensome, invalid teacher evaluation system, written by his staff to inflict maximum pain on every teacher.
If he acted like an angry bully, the Legislature acted like fools.
Why did the Legislature go along? Many legislators said they voted reluctantly and “with a heavy heart.” Others made statements showing they didn’t really know what they voted for. The backlash has been fierce from parents and teachers.
In this article, principal Carol Burris shows how thoughtless and mean-spirited this legislation is.
She writes:
“The New York State legislature celebrated the Eve of April Fools by making a bad teacher evaluation system even worse. With the exception of a few principled members, the rest of the Senate and Assembly fell in line, without care or concern for the consequences their “reform” would bring. More remarkably, by the time debate was done, it was obvious that many legislators had no understanding of what they were voting into law.”
Testing will count for 50%. Principals will be sent to evaluate other principals’ staff.
“Of one thing you can be certain. The NYSED created growth-score and measures will produce a bell-curve. This will produce the “differentiation” that the chancellor and governor crave. You can also bet these scores will not be a valid or reliable measure of teacher performance. After all, that is the hallmark of APPR.
“The other half of the evaluation will be the result of two required and one optional observation. One required observation must be done by a teacher’s administrator or principal, and the other by an “independent” evaluator from outside the building. When school officials complained that using outside observers was an unfunded mandate, the glib reply was just swap administrators among schools.
“Let’s think about that plan. For districts like mine with one high school, swapping administrators might mean that the elementary principal would observe our IB Physics teacher and I would watch a kindergarten class. Without any knowledge of the curriculum, students, and the teacher, we would do a high-stakes observation.
“As we principals go on the road to observe teachers in other schools, we would leave our students and teachers without leadership if a crisis were to occur. This would be especially difficult in some areas of rural New York, where schools are far apart. With observations an hour in length, pre- and post-observation conferences and travel time, schools would be without their principals for days given the number of observations we are now required to do. Apparently the governor is not worried. When parents call and I am observing a teacher across town, I will tell my assistant to forward the call to him.”
The legislators should not make excuses. They should be ashamed of themselves and repeal this punitive and unworkable plan.
Parents are right to be outraged. This is another reason to opt out.
Who will want to teach in Néw York?
Time for the PTAs across the state to invite in their Assembly members and Senators for Townhalls so they can explain themselves. I’d love to hear the Assemblywoman who said teachers could go work at McDonalds explain THAT.
What does it say about a government that makes war on it’s teachers? A war on it’s community controlled schools? A war on it’s parents and taxpayers? A war on it’s children? A war on it’s own democratic condition?
NY Teacher, please don’t be offended. Beware of auto correct. It is ITS, not IT’S. I am thrilled to see another example of Diane’s quote popping up. I hope it spreads like wildfire. Let’s make sure our spelling and grammar are perfect so that our opponents can’t make snide remarks.
Appreciate your correction but after Cuomo’s agenda was rammed through the legislature, the last thing I’m worried about is a snide remark about a misplaced apostrophe. Thank you anyway.
First they made war on Iran (see Mossadegh, 1953) and I didn’t speak out.
Then they made war on Viet Nam, and I didn’t speak out.
After that they came for Chile in 73 and I didn’t speak out.
And then Panama, Grenada, Nicaragua and I didn’t speak out.
And more recently Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Somalia, and many others and I didn’t speak out.
And now, channeling Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Kim Jeungs ??, the government comes for the teachers and I can’t speak out-out of fear.
This country runs on wars, aggression and avarice.
(all apologies to Niemöller”)
Te olvidaste de Guatemala y El Salvador. 😔
Just among the most egregious.
Correct, and many others were left off, just too many of them, unfortunately, especially for those who have suffered from our imperialistic insane aggressions.
Great vid, love Billy too.
The point to take away, is to fight, to REALLY FIGHT corrupt thugs like Cuomo and the banksters and charter school whores who grease his palms.
Appeals, letters, peaceful protests, dissenting blogs are expected and
tolerated as safety valves that can be lived with. Real threats to the system are what’s needed.
First steps to take…….
1. Teach to your contract ! Don’t start your school day one second before your negotiated contract time to start. Don’t end your school day one second later than your negotiated contract time to finish.
2. Don’t work on anything school related when you’re not on school time; you’re not getting paid for that. Your time at home should be yours to serve you.
Remember that unless you fight and stop the abuse of “ed reform”, your students will suffer even greater work related hardships (lower wages, longer work hours, fewer benefits, less respect and dignity) when they become the next generation of workers including teachers
.
Communist Teacher,
You know, I always thought we teachers should do exactly that. Teachers do so much extra and now it’s almost expected of us. But most teachers have that altruistic spirit that’s hard to tame. I’ve often thought that teaching to the contract is the only card we have to play now.
I can’t do that unfortunately. 120 essays don’t correct themselves. I work in TX with no union. We get turnaround times assigned to essay grading. It is impossible to get it done teaching 6 classes with one conference. Plus my poor kids would never get feedback.
“So, naturally, he wants to destroy the teaching profession in his state…”
What is natural about his reaction and response? I may be angry or upset that some people did not vote for me, but am I not still called to work for all the people, not just the ones who like me? A politician who throws such destructive temper tantrums because people don’t do what he wants them to needs to be disciplined and sent to his room. I hope that NYers act to see that this little boy is never let loose on the rest of the country.
Diane’s remark was meant to be sarcastic, I’m sure.
“Diane’s remark was meant to be sarcastic, I’m sure.”
I am, too. I was not responding to the writer but to the words that I could hear coming out of mouths of appeasement. I did not make that clear at all. I apologize, Diane, for appearing to take issue with your introductory remarks. I got caught up in my own righteous indignation. Thanks for correcting me, Sharon.
No worries, 2old2teach. Emotions are running sky-high this week. Peace to you and everyone!
“This is going to be one of the greatest legacies for me and this state when all is said and done,” said Cuomo, who withstood weeks of protests fueled by teachers’ unions and other anti-testing critics.
A direct quote from Cuomo in The Daily News April 2, 2015
Now why do think he’s doing all this???
According to Peter Greene, the outside evaluators don’t even have to be educators: http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2015/03/ny-have-evaluation-will-travel.html Heck, why not use the $11.00/hour Pearson test scorers during the off season?
That’s funny!
A new job for substitute teachers?
(There is such a substitute teacher shortage in the Buffalo Public Schools, that “some college” is enough to get you a job.)
And I’m sure that with all the added stress, many teachers are using their sick days or are out on long term leave with work related ailments.
Ellen #DontBlameThem
How about using unemployed circus clowns?
Some of them are very good at juggling chainsaws
Cuomo is busy.
Some basic science and history: there will be an equal and OPPOSITE reaction to this decision made by Emperor Cuomo and his foolish legislative slaves…This is obviously another example of a lack of historical understandings.
I believe what is going on in education today and especially in NYS fits all of the criteria to be marked as FOLLY… the commitment of foolish acts, especially as defined as noted historian Barbara Tuchman did in her book, THE MARCH OF FOLLY.
I imagine they have never read the classic, in which Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Barbara W. Tuchman grapples with the pervasive presence, through the ages, of failure, mismanagement, and delusion in government.
Tuchman explains that for acts to be classified as folly (defined as “the pursuit of policy contrary to the self-interest of the constituency or state involved”), acts have to be conducted over a period of time, not just in a single burst of irrational behavior; conducted by a number of individuals, and not just one deranged maniac.
Additionally, there have to be people alive at the time who pointed out correctly why the act in question was folly. We certainly know that to be true.
It may take a while, but mark my words. IT WILL HAPPEN. History is filled with backlashes equal to or stronger than the action, especially the most foolish ones.
The quote from Assembymember JoAnne Simon in Carol Burris’ article may be in an email to a constituent, but it is also on HER Assembly website!
http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Jo-Anne-Simon/story/62575/
Seriously?!?! Do these people know what they are doing? It’s outrageous!
If any hope can be given, Ohio did the same a few years ago. King Kasich vowed to “break the backs of teachers” and demanded teachers take out a full page ad apologizing for not supporting him in the first election. In rolled the far right regime with education committees calling schools socialism and proposing teachers lose their license based primarily based on test scores. Teacher bashing became a state past time with media in Ohio demonizing teachers in op ed after op ed. A similar evaluation system was installed with a 50% test component and punative rubric with unattainable rankings.
Forward a few years and Ohio is still fumbling around in the legislature trying to create a teacher evaluation system. The percentages are constantly revised – 42.5%, 35%, 25% – bizarre student surveys are introduced with little relevance, loopholes, patches and fixes for each variation on the classroom. Now portfolios are in the mix with self evaluations, principal swaps, shared attribution. Parents are confused with the plethora of tests which no one seems to know when results will be available, how the infrastructure will be established, and what the results means (if and when they becone available). Education policy is now fragmented between 3 separate bills along with occasional edicts from ODE. The system is in chaos – but isn’t that the point?
I’d call Ohio a clown show, but that would insult clowns who, unlike our leaders, take their craft seriously.
The Buffalo Teachers Federation had reached out to the local State Legislatures and asked them to vote this measure down, then posted the results. Many did support the BTF resolution, but a few supported Cuomo’s policy. I was surprised that one of the City Reps, Crystal Peoples, would vote for this evaluation system. You would think she would have the backs of the mainly minority school district.
Ellen #WonderWhatSheWasThinking
This is such a bad policy, it’s tempting to believe that it’s real purpose is to stress existing systems by establishing conditions of churn, creative chaos, and general confusion, so that free market style disaster capitalism can thrive.
Has anyone thought of the long term repercussions? Even if we go to an all charter school system – who will be left to teach our children?
Riddle me this:
A school sends its principal out on the road in a “swap”, but one school has drastically more teachers than the other.
At the school with the larger population, not all observations are completed, even though they dedicated their principal to going out and making lots of other observations.
Who is responsible if this was a 1:1 swap? The school who couldn’t afford a dedicated evaluator? If it’s “round robin” then who can claim the blame if not everything is done since noone was directly responsible for a particular swap or job getting done.
Second, will Principals be reimbursed for travel time for long distances? Gas money?
What is the job of a principal now at a particular school if they are responsible for the results of their school but only have power over teachers they will see once and never again?
Notice in the “matrix” that the “observation” side doesn’t dictate how the “independent” evaluation and the Principal’s evaluation will be combined to determine “effectiveness” – from Cuomo we know that the independent side will outweigh the principal at least 3:1.
Also notable, we agreed to APPR based on the “multiple measures of effectiveness” but now we are down to one required test, a second test that is blameable on the district and optional, and a 1 day evaluation from someone who knows nothing about the school, content, curriculum, community, children, or teacher.
And our livelihoods swing in the balance. Isn’t human experimentation illegal?!
Cuomo’s plan is the work of an spoiled and impetuous child. It is an absolute logistical nightmare. Unworkable is an understatement. Its only a matter of time until many parts of this plan and its self imposed deadlines are quietly walked back.
On the only atom of silver I can see is that any local stuck in contract negotiations, Cuomo has supplied them with a surprisingly long lever as the November deadline holds state aid increases hostage. Money desperately needed by districts.
Let me try that last paragraph again.
The only atom of silver in the lining of this very black cloud I can see is that any local stuck in contract negotiations has been supplied with a surprisingly long lever as the November deadline holds state aid increases hostage. Money desperately needed by districts.
Yeah, not just those contracts up for renewal, but what about current contracts not up for renegotiations this year? I don’t understand how it will be possible to get any teacher or teachers’ association to approve changes to binding contracts already in place.
Any labor lawyers out there who care to comment?
The article ends with, “Who will want to teach in Néw York?..” I would ask “What principal would want to be an administrator in a NY school?” Instead of leading your school, you are beholden to your school but are reduced to being chained to a canned rubric which you must carry with you as you drive from school to school observing teachers you don’t know teaching subjects that you may or may not be familiar with. Wow, Cuomo is the biggest bully around for creating and enforcing his idiotic policies. Don’t we have anti-bullying laws??????
Wondering why these heavy-hearted legislators can’t simply come up with a new bill to counter the issues weighing them down.
Is there a link which indicates how one’s legislators voted on this horrible NYS budget?
NYC Mother,
I will get a list and post it.
Thank you so much Diane. And, thank you for everything you do to support public education!
http://perdidostreetschool.blogspot.com/2015/04/nysed-can-do-moral-character-review-if.html?m=1
A moral character review for failure to notify NYS of a change of address? We have officially fallen down the rabbit hole Alice.