OntheWilderSide

The eloquent and educated opposition to Governor Cuomo’s plan can be found at this video:
More Than A Number: An Educational Symposium

_____________________

The regular media portrays this as Governor Andrew Cuomo vs. The Teachers’ Union. It is actually Govenor Cuomo’s bad ideas for children, battling the Teachers’ Union sell-out and compromise over the children. There are parents, grassroots teachers, and principals fighting these measures to test students more.

Live now:
http://www.wgrz.com/news/article/155970/37/LIVE-VIDEO–NYSUT-Says-Deal-Close-on-Teacher-Evaluations-

_______________________________________

For more logical review of this scheme to tie your child’s test score to your teacher’s job rating and job, see the following post:
http://www.onthewilderside.com/2012/02/15/more-than-a-number-concerned-educators-gather-to-examine-standardized-testing-and-teacher-evaluations/

Teachers, parents, and students: Now is the time to boycott standardized tests! They are trying to shove these tests down your throat, so that their contributors in the testing corporations can continue to profit, and donate to their campaigns.

_______________________________________

Live Blogging and thoughts:

Ha! The Governor will give schools “bonus points” if they do what he wants sooner. That kind of arrogance, and holding out carrots for professionals who are committed to their work, is part of the problem.

As someone pointed out at the More Than A Number event last night: One of the major indicators of how a student will perform is their poverty level. Who will give the Governor and politicians a grade for how they are helping the economy? The teachers and teachers’ unions should evaluate Governor Cuomo (aka Governor 1%)

Governor Andrew Cuomo compliments a union leader by saying the person was “extraordinarily reasonable”. Oh! My! If you are a union person, and a conservative, teacher-bashing politician calls you that, I think it means that you sold out faster than most people.

“Encouragement, that’s a good word”, says Governor Cuomo. Where is “encouragement” measured in these teacher evaluations? Answer: Nowhere. At More Than A Number, a lot of people pointed out that the politicians and business leaders they have inserted into the education community focus so much on numbers, that values such as encouragement, leadership, and integrity will be unmeasured, unvalued, and ignored.

In the city, they have made a process that appeals will be handled by a new, independent panel that reviews the evaluations. So, now, they have to invent, staff, and fund a new organization. How about using the money in the classroom, instead of for more bureacracy?

This decision is truly bad for New Yorkers and for educators nationally, who it will affect. I think (and kind of hope) that a lot of teachers will just quit. But, also that parents will wake up to how their children are being used as pawns, and either boycott standardized tests, or leave the public school system. This hyper-testing system is bad and damaging to the psyche of children.

Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, Education, local, new york, New York State Politics, News, politics, progressive politics Tagged: | Education reform, Governor Cuomo, national education issues, New York State United Teachers, NY Board of Regents, NY politics, NYSUT, school testing, standardized testing, student test scores, teacher evaluation, teachers union