Archives for category: New York
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New York: Teachers Speak Out, and Parent Applauds

By dianeravitch
March 24, 2016 //
18

A parent in New York asked me to recognize the wisdom and courage of the district’s teachers.

I am glad to do so and to place the Corning Teachers’ Association on the honor roll of this blog for supporting the rights of parents and the interests of students.

 

 

Here is her letter:

 

 

“The Corning Teachers’ Association sent the following position statement to all members. As a parent in the Corning-Painted Post School District, I am grateful for their courage to share facts regarding NYS Grades 3-8 standardized testing.
“The CTA memorandum is an example of what needs to happen across NYS if teachers want REAL change instead of relying on empty promises outlined in the NYSED “tool kits”, flyers, and rhetoric from Commissioner Elia.
“Until there is REAL change in NYS classrooms, the opt outs MUST continue. Teachers supporting parents who are refusing the NYS standardized tests are supporting children and the future of public education.
“Will you please consider posting the CTA Position Statement on your blog? It is with hope that teacher associations in other school districts across NYS will have the courage to do the same.

“THANK YOU for all that you do every day to support children and educators!

“Kind regards,

“Lynn Leonard

“M E M O R A N D U M

 

“TO: Members of the Corning Teachers’ Association
FROM: CTA Executive Council
DATE: March 18, 2016
RE: New York State grades 3-8 Testing Position Statement

“We, the members of the Corning Teachers’ Association believe in academic rigor supported by engagement and the enchantment of learning. We believe that it is our responsibility to provide sound educational practices for our students, and we are to be held accountable to these practices.

 

“We believe that a strong curriculum provides time and resources for social and emotional development, practical skills, project-based and authentic learning opportunities, deep exploration of subject matters as well as a focus on social and cultural concerns. Our ultimate goal is to foster a high-quality public education system that prepares all students for college, careers, citizenship and lifelong learning, thus strengthening our social and economic well-being.

 

“We believe that the large amount of learning time that is lost through administration of these high-stakes test is not what is best for children. Mandated New York State standardized testing is an inadequate, limited and often unreliable measure for student learning. While we acknowledge that the test results are currently not tied to a teacher’s evaluation, teachers are still not given the professional freedom to design or score such tests. The delayed results are not available for use to drive further instruction or give meaningful feedback to the stakeholders.

 

“We believe that New York’s children belong to their families. We support the right of parents and guardians to choose to absent their children from any or all state and federal-mandated testing. We support the right of teachers to discuss freely with parents and guardians their rights and responsibilities with respect to such testing.

 

“The Corning Teachers’ Association will, to the best of its ability, protect and support members who may suffer the negative consequences as a result of speaking about their views of such testing or about the rights and obligations of parents and guardians with respect to such testing.”

 

Categories Education Reform, Honor Roll, New York, Opt Out, Parents, Standardized Testing, Teachers and Teaching

Carol Burris: The Coming Collapse of Corporate Reform in New York

By dianeravitch
March 23, 2016 //
27

Carol Burris, executive director of the Network for Public Education, has been active in the resistance to New York’s state’s reliance on high-stakes testing for several years. As a high school principal, she helped to organize other principals across the state in opposition to test-based evaluation of both principals and teachers. About 40 percent of the state’s principals signed the petition opposing the so-called Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) based on test scores.

 

In this article, she describes the recent dramatic turn of events in New York. This state led the way in corporate-style reform. For many years, the Board of Regents–the state’s governing body for education–has strongly supported standards, testing, and accountability as the key to statewide success. Since the passage of charter legislation in 1998, the charter sector has grown, especially in the state’s urban districts. The leader of the Regents, Merryl Tisch, is a member of one of the city’s wealthiest and most philanthropic families. Tisch was a member of the Regents for the past 20 years, and chancellor since 2009. She pushed hard to win a Race to the Top grant of $700 million. She pushed hard for Common Core and rigorous testing. She selected David Steiner of Hunter College as Commissioner of Education, then pushed him aside and selected John King. She said it was all about the kids, particularly the poor kids. She thought that high standards and rigorous tests would be good for them.

 

But then came the parent opt out rebellion, and state officials went into a frenzy trying to figure out how to placate the angry parents. As it happened, Tisch lost her most powerful political ally in the legislature, and suddenly the landscape began to change. There are 17 members of the Board of Regents. Less than a year ago, six of them signed a letter protesting Governor Cuomo’s demand for tougher testing, accountability, and teacher evaluation policies. (A seventh member gave conditional support to the dissidents.) At the time, the dissidents seemed to be fighting a steep uphill battle, with the governor and the board majority opposed to their ideas. A month after the issuance of their letter, the board hired MaryEllen Elia as state commissioner to replace the unpopular John King. Elia was well known as an ardent advocate for high-stakes testing, the Common Core, and test-based accountability.

 

Burris explains in her article the miraculous revolution that occurred in less than a year.

 

Tisch announced that she would not run for reappointment by the Legislature. One of the dissidents, Dr. Betty Rosa, announced that she wanted to succeed Tisch. The possibility of Rosa winning seemed far-fetched. But incredibly, she was elected in a secret ballotmby the Regents on a vote of 15-0, with two abstentions.

 

As Burris writes, Rosa has been critical of the Common Core, high-stakes testing, and test-based evaluation. She was supported by the parents in the opt out movement.

 

The dissidents have taken charge.

 

Burris writes about her personal interactions with Betty Rosa, who is a career educator:

 

Rosa was one of three Regents who voted against the teacher evaluation system known as APPR. In 2011 she met with principals and actively listened to our concerns. As a former administrator, she understood why the practice was bad for kids, and never waivered in her opposition, referring to the inclusion of scores as “poison.”
In 2013, she publicly spoke out against the Common Core, accusing the State Education Department of manipulating data and ignoring successful schools in order to create a myth of massive failure to support their reforms. And last year she led a group of seven Regents (all women and nearly all career educators), in opposition to Cuomo’s revision of teacher evaluations. The seven created a position paper of dissent regarding the Governor’s law that increased the proportion of test scores in teacher evaluations, and six of the seven voted against the New York State Education Department’s revisions.

 

Burris predicts what she expects from Rosa. She calls it a “sea change.” I call it a miracle.

 

 

 

 

 

Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Common Core, Corporate Reformers, New York, Privatization, Testing

Rosa: “I Would Opt Out”

By dianeravitch
March 21, 2016 //
17

Betty Rosa, the newly elected chancellor of the New York Regents, met with reporters after her election. 
When asked, she said that if she were a parent and not a member of the Regents, she would opt her. Her children are grown. 
In a secret ballot, Rosa received 15 votes, with two abstentions.
It is a new day in New York. Rosa’s election is a sharp rebuke to the corporate reformers who have controlled the state for many years.

Categories Education Reform, New York, Opt Out, Resistance

New York: Opt Out Leaders Stunned by King’s Approval

By dianeravitch
March 16, 2016 //
25

To say the least, John King had a rocky tenure as Commissioner of Education in New York. He managed to alienate parents with his abrasive, top-down style and his unwavering commitment to the Common Core.

 

Reporter Jaime Franchise spoke with leaders of the Opt Out movement, and all expressed astonishment that he was nominated and confirmed for the post as Secretary of Education in light of his performance in New York.

 

“Jeanette Deutermann, a Long Island parent, founder of the Long Island Opt-Out Info Facebook page, and co-founder of nonprofit New York State Allies for Public Education, blasted King’s ascension Tuesday via her popular Facebook page.

 

“It is inconceivable that a man synonymous with failed education policies could be promoted to the highest education post in our nation,” she slams. “The incompetence of John King as New York’s SED Commissioner was epic, and New York will be cleaning up the mess he made for years to come. The silver lining may be the igniting of an education uprising across the country the way his leadership, or lack thereof, ignited New York.”

 

“That “ignition’ is the robust, pro-public education and anti-Common Core movement that sparked parents, educators, and students to organize, protest, and take action against the education reforms they believed were undermining public education.

 

“Michael Hynes, superintendent of Patchogue-Medford schools, finds the idea of King as U.S. Secretary of Education “beyond appalling.”

 

“It’s really scary to think that that gentleman, and I’m being kind by saying that, has the potential to reframe or to move forward with what Arnie Duncan has started,” he told the Press in January. “This is a guy who is pro-charter, his kids go to Montessori school. I really believe he doesn’t know anything about public education. And now potentially will set policy nationwide.”

 

 

 

 

Categories Common Core, Corporate Reform, Education Reform, John King, New York, Standardized Testing

Utica: A Newspaper That Understands Education!

By dianeravitch
March 13, 2016 //
11

I have read so many misguided and ignorant newspaper editorials about education in the past few decades (including some in our leading newspapers) that I am always surprised and delighted to read an editorial that shows a deep understanding of the challenges of teaching and learning.

 

I hereby put the editorial board of the Utica, New York, Observer-Dispatch on the blog’s honor roll for sanity and clear thinking.

 

In this editorial statement, the newspaper writes that the politicians, policymakers, and pundits should stop blaming principals and teachers for low test scores. If they want to pin blame on someone or something, the editorial says, blame the state.

 

It says:

 

One can’t help wonder whether the powers that be in the state Education Department and Legislature have a firm grasp on reality. Do the bureaucrats and politicians who write the education policies and approve the laws ever step inside a classroom? Do they ever visit the troubled schools they pass judgment on?

 
They most certainly should — and not just for a photo opportunity. They should spend some serious time in the classrooms of these struggling schools and shadow the principal and other school staffers for a few days to see what issues might be contributing to the “underachievment” other than nebulous scores on half-baked standardized tests.

 
They’ll most likely see that the school’s problems aren’t due to the principal, teachers or other educators involved in the process.

 
But, hey, somebody has to be blamed, right? It certainly couldn’t be the state’s fault, could it?

The latest scarlet letter has been scribbled on the blackboard at Utica’s Kernan Elementary School, which has been downgraded to “priority” status after dropping from “good standing” to “focus,” last year. Under state law, Kernan is now required to implement a Whole School Reform model, which can be implemented several ways (options mandated by the Legislature), ranging from replacing the principal and half the staff to converting it to a charter school or closing the school entirely and sending students to higher achieving schools.

 
Really? The people who hand down these silly mandates are the same ones who won’t allow struggling schools to apply for additional aid until they become “persistently struggling.” That’s like telling a struggling student they can’t get any help until they fail the course. And they’re the same ones who hold back Foundation Aid to schools — Utica is owed $47 million, but who’s counting? — that has resulted is barebones staffing and slashed programs year after year.

 
Unbelievable. Do these people really think that changing the school staff will turn things around at this inner city school in one of Utica’s poorest neighborhoods? Or do they just not get it?
How do you spell ‘poor’?

 
News flash: Utica is a poor district. That doesn’t mean we should ignore schools that struggle to provide our children a basic, sound education. What it means is that the powers that be — starting in ivory towers in Albany — need to stop using educators as scapegoats for a failing system.

 

Read on.

 

Really, how is it to declare that you can’t get any extra support until you fail? How dumb is it to think that the way to help a struggling school is to fire people?

Categories Education Reform, Honor Roll, New York

Opt Out Truck Coming To A Neighborhood Near You

By dianeravitch
March 12, 2016 //
11

This roving opt-out billboard can be seen driving around New York.  If you see it, give a honk of support. The truck and billboard are sponsored by New York State Allies for Public Education, a coalition of 50 parent and educator groups. NYSAPE led the historic opt out movement last spring, which persuaded the families of some 220,000 or more students to opt out of the state tests. State officials were stunned. Governor Cuomo created a task force to help him get out of the mess, which caused his poll numbers to plummet. The state Board of Regents split over the issues of high-stakes testing, and the chancellor of the Regents announced her resignation. A supporter of the parents who opted out is likely to be chosen as the new chancellor in a few days.

 

Parents will opt out again in 2016 because despite the stunned reaction of public officials, very little has changed. The testing goes on. The absence of useful information continues. The tests are still too long. And NYSAPE’s truck is rolling again.

Categories Education Reform, New York, Opt Out, Parent Groups, Standardized Testing

Merryl Tisch: I Did It for the Kids

By dianeravitch
March 11, 2016 //
64

Merryl Tisch is stepping down as Chancellor of the New York Board of Regents, ending a 20-year tenure on the board. The New York Times interviewed her about her time in office.

 

Tisch led the state’s effort to win Race to the Top funding. The state received $700 million, promising to increase charters, adopt the Common Core, create a longitudinal database for students, and evaluate teachers by test scores.

 

She promoted high-stakes testing, test-based teacher evaluation, charter schools, and everything expected by Race to the Top. And she didn’t just comply, she truly believes that testing, Common Core, and accountability will increase equity and reduce achievement gaps. She did it for the kids.

 

“She tried to do too much, too fast.

 
“That is Merryl H. Tisch’s appraisal of her tenure as chancellor of the Board of Regents, the top education post in New York State, as she prepares to step down at the end of the month.

 
“Her critics say the same thing.

 
“A champion of the Common Core learning standards, Dr. Tisch, 60, pushed for the creation of new, harder tests based on those standards and for teacher evaluations tied to students’ performance on the exams.

 

“That set off a backlash in which a fifth of the eligible students sat out the state’s third- through eighth-grade reading and math tests last spring. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, once her ally on using test scores in teacher evaluations, did an about-face….

 

““If anything, I fault myself for being ambitious for every child,” she said.”

 

 

Categories Charter Schools, Common Core, Education Reform, New York, Race to the Top, Standardized Testing, Teacher Evaluations

Why the Historic New York Opt Out Will Continue

By dianeravitch
March 10, 2016 //
24

Jessica McNair, a board member of New York State Allies for Public Education–a coalition of fifty parent and educator groups–explained why the opt out movement will not back down this spring. In 2015, about 20% of all eligible students refused the state Common Core tests. That was about 240,000 students. That shook up the state leadership, who have been busily devising ways to appear to placate the angry parents of New York.

 

Bottom line: Despite promises and threats, nothing has changed for the children. “Shortening” the tests translates into dropping one question. Making the tests untimed for students with disabilities mean these children will be tested even longer than before.

 

Testing will continue to be the central driving force in the schools.

 

Opt out will not disappear. It will become the norm, if NYSAPE is successful.

Categories Common Core, Education Reform, New York, Opt Out, Parent Groups, Standardized Testing

New York Regents Set to Select New Chancellor, Fresh Ideas

By dianeravitch
March 8, 2016 //
8

According to press reports, the New York Board of Regents will select veteran educator Dr. Betty Rosa as Chancellor at its meeting next week.  Rosa was born in Puerto Rico and educated in New York City. She has been a teacher, a principal, and a superintendent in the public schools in the Bronx. She has taught English language learners and children with disabilities.

 

Rosa was a member of the dissident group of Regents who questioned high-stakes testing, test-based teacher evaluation, the Common Core, and other aspects of the corporate reform movement. With her real-world experience, she brings a fresh perspective to the board that oversees education in the state.

 

She has the strong support of parent leaders in the opt out movement.

 

 

Categories Common Core, Corporate Reform, Education Reform, New York, Opt Out, Parent Groups

Carol Burris: Who Is John King and Why Was His Tenure in New York So Stormy and Controversial?

By dianeravitch
February 22, 2016 //
26

Carol Burris, who is now the executive director of the Network for Public Education, spent decades as a teacher and an administrator. She retired last year as principal of South Side High School in Rockville Center, New York. She helped to ignite the “principals’ revolt” against the state’s adoption of a test-based teacher and principal evaluation system; she and another Long Island principal, Sean Feeney, drafted a letter of protest that was eventually signed by nearly 5,000 principals across the state, about 40% of the total.

 

In this post, Burris explains what happened during John King’s time as State Commissioner of Education in New York, and how he alienated parents, teachers, and administrators. King was recently nominated by President Obama to serve as U.S. Secretary of Education.

 

Listening to others–especially parents and teachers–is not his strong point. More than anyone else, Duncan managed to ignite the massive opt out movement in New York last spring. He deserves credit for getting parents so riled up that one of every five eligible students refused the state tests, that is, about 220,000 children in grades 3 through 8.

 

Based on his record in New York, Burris predicts that we can expect more of the same from the Department of Education…or worse.

Categories New York, Opt Out, Parents, Resistance, Teacher Evaluations, U.S. Department of Education
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