On another post Anonymous wrote:
"
new topic please-- Seniority and the AA community
http://www.aplusschools.org/stay-informed/state-legislators-hold-forum-in-pittsburgh-to-discuss-seniority/
Please
do not be fooled by the Gates funded A+ schools. Since 2006 this
administration has done nothing to help the schools-- but it has
especially hurt our African American community.
In destroying
seniority you will leave administrators and principals (PELA
principals!!!!) choosing the cheapest, least educated teachers they can
get. These teachers will have no commitment (past the two years as in
TFA to move to a better job) Read through this blog and realize that the
like of D. Hardy and the PELAs will be choosing your teachers. Half the
reason that there is no other is that the highest seniority teachers
got chucked out. The other half of the mess is that the principals are t
old to dump back on the new rookie teachers- so indeed, new science
teachers quit.
Show me what A+ has done for the AA community. Most
members of that community are the first to say-- things were better
before Roosevelt-- not perfect-- but better than today."
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11 comments:
A+ schools is anti-teacher. I agree that they have caused harm to students in many ways. Too bad most of the public trusts that they are unbiased advocates. Seeing as they are funded by Gates, I believe they are part of the effort to undermine our schools and help create a charter school market for Mr. Gates. They are very good at fooling the public and manipulating information and data to suit their purposes and agendas. They NEED to be outed for what they truly are. A "fake" watchdog/ advocacy group that is truly advocating for more Gates/ central office style of misguided reform.
A+ schools at it again. They sure do love to manipulate and twist or omit information when it suits them. Ester Bush an Carey Harris wrote a letter to the tribune urging the approval of a state bill to change teacher seniority.
http://triblive.com/opinion/letters/6785424-74/teachers-1722-districts#axzz3Dd0wNL2Y
The letter states:
...because in 2012, Pittsburgh Public Schools was forced to let go of 16 excellent teachers and recall 11 failing teachers because of antiquated seniority provisions in state law
Now on the A+ site referenced in the original post is the following statement:
Esther Bush, the President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh remarked, “We’re here tonight because in 2012 Pittsburgh Public Schools was forced to knowingly let go of sixteen excellent teachers...
Citing a Pittsburgh Public Schools’ report from that year that showed that while twelve of the distinguished teachers were able to be rehired off of the furlough list, eleven teachers that had received unsatisfactory ratings also were brought back.
The fact is 12 of the 16 were HIRED back!! The letter to the tribune conveniently leaves that information out.
And what percentage of total teachers were these 16 individuals, and how reliable (objective) is the "excellent " rating? Was fidelity to questionable scripts a factor in deciding who was excellent and who was failing?
Interesting 10:09. Watch Carey Harris in the video at about 26:28 say that most of the 16 WERE hired back.
And, yes questioner, the excellent rating is based on junk science. The evaluation system is not proven to be reliable yet they expect us to change legislation to allow it to be used to make furlough decisions.
Why are we even debating how to get rid of teachers? Have you noticed the class sizes? We need MORE teachers, not less. A+ is a political machine--taking lots of money from questionable sources.
at 53:00 grove spoke about "economic furlough" as not being a factor and then the "protections" afforded the favorites of administrators. on this blog there have been posts that lead readers to think finances drive some negative evaluations. with classrooms overcrowded no evaluation system can be considered reliable.
it is hard to believe there is not
some level of the buddy-system still at work. this is a pretty small town and very driven on relationships. as long as observations are a part of the evaluation system the system is suspect.
This has been the goal from the very beginning of Broad/Gates, Roosevelt/Lane. DO AWAY WITH SENORITY and therefore, in fact, the UNION. Why is this a surprise? It doesn't seem to register with Nina and Tarka before her but that has always been something that they really feel must happen and then, as if by magic, all scores will improve dramatically, discipline problems will decline and the racial achievement will finally close greatly. That is their belief and has always been so. They never really kept this a secret.
I agree-- this has been a goal of Broad Gates-- but I HAD respect for Ms. Bush and the Urban League-- who until now seemed to have the welfare of African-Americans- especially the youth population as a primary objective.
Countless times in the past, teachers- though the union, have spoken out for black students and fought for equality. Now I feel they are totally snowed by A+-- who have not yet shown any interest in the welfare of Black students.
Time to revisit this great article about the Broad Foundation from Seattle.
A Parents Guide to Broad Foundation Training Program:
https://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/a-parent-guide-to-the-broad-foundations-training-programs-and-education-policies/
Sure why not get rid of the most qualified people in the district! The ones with seniority that are training new teachers! Seniority should happen from the lunch lady to the top! It is fair and the right thing to do! People just love destroying what works and create a failing system! Why do the right thing? Keep being unfair and gruel because the system is going to completely fail!
Its Good When It Comes Down to picking whos first...Seniority is very important in Congress. Under the seniority system, committee chairmanships and other influential positions are decided on the basis of how long a member has been in Congress. The seniority system was created to weaken the power of the Speaker of the House, which had become almost dictatorial. The system provides for an orderly hierarchy and ensures that committee chairmen are sufficiently experienced. Seniority also has its drawbacks: it limits the opportunities for talented young members of Congress to make their mark. Seniority also makes Congress less responsive to reform because power is concentrated in the hands of older, established members.
The idea is that seniority eliminates favoritism in the workplace!!! Imagine that politics and favoritism in the Pittsburgh Public Schools? No, that would never happen! The Pittsburgh Public Schools do everything by the book and this is why we are such a strong fair school district! Its a joke!
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