On another post Aonymous wrote:
"Emerging Findings from the Measures of Effective
Measures of Effective Teaching Project (MET)
March 6, 2012
Presented by Paulette Poncelet
http://www.pps.k12.pa.us/14311059122535553/lib/14311059122535553/Education%20Committee/2012/March/MET-EdCom-March-2012v5.pdf
Teachers might be interested in this presentation presented by Paulette Poncelet with assistance from Linda Lane, Jeri Lippert, and Jeannine French.
Questions from Board members were limited and essentially the responses contained words but not answers (a problem typical at Board Meetings).
Regina Holley asked a very relevant question about the “support” process for teachers in the evaluation milieu. J. French indicated that the process is still incomplete in that area. (Yet they claimed to be a “model”?)
There were very few in attendance even though it was held in Conference Room A.
And, contrary to the requirements of the Sunshine Law the Education Meeting was not published on the PPS Calendar.
The meeting was a great disappointment. It appears that meetings are held for the purpose of “documentation” of a meeting held.
Contrary to claims of PPS, they are not leading the nation in this effort, not are they being held up as a “model.” Quite the opposite is the reality. Just ask the folks at PDE. The PR machine functions well but rarely reflects truth or reality.
What can be done about this, those of you who believe the press releases?"
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15 comments:
How many certified observers does PPS have? Unless there are many at each building who have been fully indoctrinated in the process can it be a fair system?
Teachers are open target, how many teachers have been fired with out any support. These people would not know effective teching if it hit them in the face. None of them were in the classroom very long, one was a gym teacher at Baldwin. She has never even taught in a urban classroom. I am going to see if any them taught in an urban setting. What a ship of fools. The School Board has been brain washed all except Brently and Holy.
I hate working for these people, they are nothing but leaches, they are not educators.
They are living off the Gates/Broad gravy train, and killing public education in this city.
The kids are the ones losing out
Speaking of Conference Room A, what happened today in the continuation of the Fadzen hearing?
When are pps teachers and citizens of pgh going to wake up. The gates/broad plan is a joke that will cost most teachers their job and ruin our schools. Our only chance is to vote the current mob out. Watch as this election is fixed by the pft. Parents of pps kids need to step up and confront the board who signed off on all of this. If this is not stopped now pps will cease to exist. (one of gates goals). Pgh teachers are under assult and watch soon as a teacher up for dismissal Takes matters into their own hands. It is true most teachers in pps are spineless and greedy. Watch out for the ones who need their job.
People should rate administrators on effective disipline. Opps, sorry there is no effective disipline in our schools.
Our schools are becoming Zoo's because displine is frowned upon. If Principals suspend kids they might not get their bonuses or lose their jobs.
It is a nasty cycle. Disrespectful idots are taking away the educational opportunity of others who want to learn do not act like bunch of criminals.
The Pela's skipped disipline
What kind of teachers can't spell discipline? (Four times is not a typo.)
It would be interesting to know why this person can't maintain discipline and needs others to do it for him/her.
"Zoo's" and "criminals" says more about this person than they realize. Time to go.
Anon 3:44, how can you be sure the anon before you was a teacher? I know I am not a teacher and I have been gently redirected and once or twice rebuked when I have been off-the-mark here. When our names are all anonymous.. well, you see what I mean?
To answer 3/8/12 3:46
I am not sure how many certified observers there are across the district, but I do know one thing: They are currently training/certifying the CRI's and plan to do the same with ITL2's. Of course, it is against contract, and I believe, state law to have a peer contribute to your summative rating as a teacher. Where is the union on this one? I think I hear crickets.
The last bulleted comment on MET
“Multiple measures will be used for teacher evaluation in Pittsburgh starting in 2013-14 pending state legislation regarding teacher evaluation.”
Pittsburgh is serving as a model as state and federal policy focuses on effective teaching-for what need or reason?
We as citizens need to lobby Harrisburg against this mandate and acquire a better rating system.
All the ITLS and CRIS are Union reps-ironically, they are protected-in protecting their own tosh. They are only interested in that good philosophy about the me-me. Not me-but you will loss out.
Where is the PFT-maybe Mark Sammartino can bring a better result????
Anon 10:13 pm: You're wrong, ITL2s and CRIs are not also all union reps. There are over 20 CRIs at both Brashear and King each. You think they have 25 union reps at each school? You sound foolish. Direct your frustrations at the administration, not at the teachers. Teachers in this district are working their butts off to do a decent job against all odds -- hostile work environments, hostile administrators, a hostile public and media. Do we really need to get crap from people on this forum where many of turn for some sanity?
Again, from PDK: Here is an article, on VAM, worth reading from the nation's BEST education periodicals!
Clearly, PPS has NOT done the research, which was quite evident at the Education Meeting.
http://www.kappanmagazine.org/content/93/6/8.abstract
The latest from kappanmagazine.org
MARCH 2012 ISSUE
In this issue, we focus on teacher evaluations . . .
1) “Linda Darling-Hammond and her colleagues shine a light on challenges involved in evaluating teachers, especially using value-added models (VAMs).”
"EVALUATING TEACHER EVALUATION"
by Linda Darling-Hammond, Audrey Amrein-Beardsley, Edward Haertel and Jesse Rothstein
Abstract:
"There is a growing consensus that evidence of teachers’ contributions to student learning should be a component of teacher evaluation systems, along with evidence about the quality of teachers’ practice. Value-added models (VAMs), designed to evaluate student test score gains from one year to the next are often promoted as tools to accomplish this goal.
However, current research suggests that VAM ratings are not sufficiently reliable or valid to support high-stakes, individual-level decisions about teachers. Other tools for teacher evaluation have shown greater success in measuring and improving teaching, especially those that examine teachers’ practices."
(LINDA DARLING-HAMMOND (ldh@stanford.edu) et al . . . )
The same issue has a great piece on
2)"Parent trigger" laws that have forced reforms in some schools come with their own baggage, writes Andrew Kelly."
Not one of the individuals who presented this information would know effective teaching if it were to bite them in their collective backsides. I find it wildly hilarious that former gym teachers, principals, school psychologists, and 1st grade teachers would pretend to understand what it is like in even a marginal school, let alone one rife with discipline problems....the kind of schools they are loathe to visit.
Where is the public outcry?
400 teachers are about to be fired to keep this ponzi scheme rolling. Doesn't any parent in this city care about the education of the children? Doesn't even one have the courage to question board members or Lane herself? Isn't there one citizen of this city who will refuse to take the public relations-style answers that will initially come?
Just when will a citizen of this city stand up and refuse to go along with the pack mentality embraced by the cowards at Bellefield Avenue and say loudly that TEACHERS ARE NOT THE PROBLEM?
These were rhetorical questions. I already know the answers to each. It's been clear for years and is even more lucid today. Pittsburgh residents could care less, as long as their taxes aren't raised a couple of dollars and there is money for a Steeler shirt, some beer and the cable bill.
Old Timer: There is at least one educator (and probably more) who speak out at every opportunity, here and elsewhere. Letters, emails, testimony, phone conversations, etc have addressed the issues with those responsible for decisions at PPS including Linda Lane, Board members, multiple community groups, and even the news media.
However, it will remain an "exercise in futility" without a mass outcry from citizenry across the city who have children our "failing" schools. (The people with power have their children in CAPA, Sci-Tech, Obama, and private or parochial schools.) The majority are uninformed since the media is completely controlled by Central Office. PPS has one successful department and that is PR. PR has been funded at the highest levels to distribute propaganda and hyperbole to the extreme. It is never challenged by any investigative reporter in this city. What will change that is the question and the challenge!
It is important to gather "official" research that supports claims contrary to the PPS agenda. That is why the article was posted.
Anon March 10, 2012 8:52 AM
The foolish ones that do not realize the 25 at each school will be part of the ADMINISTRATION as raters of teachers.
Alternatively, “connectiiveness” a Union buzz word OR with relationships ties to the Central Office or Board. Beyond your cubby of 2 schools look at the endorsement sheet for President Nina and over 224 Union people are listed.
Do not give us the huge numbers-those teachers at the two schools you mentioned got there for more than just the money as extra change above their salary-will they all make it as raters?
I hope not -they need to weed them out-and really hone this rater title to a better level of the present showmanship. This is more than just a show for actors as raters of teachers.
Let us refrain from building Union reps-sorry to utilize that analogy-but if you look very closely-the highly influential Union bodyguard have their people in the right positions for Rise to be successful without tarnishing their personal ratings as classroom teachers.
As logic would state, it is better to be one of them and have protection. As for Brashear and King-a select group connectively acquired nice positions at Brashear-while others had to leave for unforeseen world of horror.
There are a several brilliant teachers that have made it on their own without coattails of the Union or politics-but many are the ones that will be somehow have their careers dismantled by layoffs or other methods called teacher ratings from RISE.
1;48 - None of this is "wildly hilarious." If true, and there is certainly enough evidence to support the situation as being widespread, it is sad beyond words.
For every problem cited, we should be coalescing behind a serious, plausible solution.
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