How is Danielson Being Used at Your School? MORE Calls for Reports From the Field

Ah, that's it! Monkeys are using the framework. The monkeys in question are the Bloomberg-era administrators who have spent no more than three years in an actual classroom. A framework crafted by a non-educator to be used by non-educators in order to judge actual educators. This makes perfect sense in the crazyland that is the NYC DOE. This is part and parcel of the deskilling of education. Not only are teachers in danger of being deskilled by being subject to Danielson but principals now are being deskilled by mindlessly ticking off a checklist. It seems as if many administrators are embracing this deskilling. -- Assailed Teacher

And UFT and DOE agree on Danielson (see below).

More from Assailed Teacher:

And never forget who helped to bring Danielson into our schools. It was our union and their Unity leadership who allowed Danielson to be used in 33 "struggling schools". When administrators in other schools started using it, the union cried and complained. Why did they complain? When you open the window you shouldn't be annoyed when flies get in.

From the MORE Blog

Calling All Teachers!

Help us file our “Reports From the Field” on MORE’s blog next week!

How is Danielson being used at your school? On your colleagues? On you?

We are hearing alarming reports about how Danielson is being used against our colleagues all across the city. While we anticipated this occurring, we’re still very concerned with what we are hearing. We are interested in hearing from you about how you have experienced the Danielson Framework being used in your classroom or your school.

Send us you testimonials! Help us make your experiences as public as possible! Click here to send us your testimonial. It will only take a moment and the experience you share can help colleagues all across the city.

Here is one "testimonial" I just received.

Not only is Danielson being used against teachers, so is the faux reading and writing program from Teachers College. Elementary teachers are slaves to this HORRIBLE excuse for a reading and writing program that has left our students ILLITERATE. Then we are BLAMED when our students do not succeed.

I recently made a presentation. People were genuinely unaware of the horrors of what's been going on in our schools. I brought up how NYC public schools for the most part DO NOT have curricula for reading, writing and math. And completely unqualified admin have been hired who either didn't know or didn't care of the harm being inflicted

But the fact is that inept admins were hired in order to remove coherent curriculum from our schools, then USE Danielson and TC and even that awful Everyday Math program to target teachers. UFT has not exposed this. But THIS is at the heart of the matter in my opinion. UFT looking the other way while teachers are being stripped of their ability to teach effectively. A total set up for failure for both students and teachers.

Talk about this and I believe you will really reach all the teachers.

Teachers are tired of not being able to teach.

Most of us (above age 30) at elementary level are sick about this. These kids are not being educated!!!! No content is ever taught. Kids learn it on their own through independent reading or partner work.

Then you have a wretch like my principal claiming she "loves" the TC "philosophy". BULL SHIT - she loves that there are so many avenues she can use to target a teacher since it's so lacking.

The UFT and DOE has just come to a deal regarding the use of the Danielson framework for observations prior to an agreement over evaluations. There doesn't seem to be anything new here but the understanding between the two parties is a bit more formalized now. Of course, any deal on evaluations will supersede this. Before you read the email sent out by the UFT, note this comment from a MORE chapter leader which indicates what total bullshit the UFT tosses at people:

No 6 in the Stip [See jpg below]. says that no reference to Danielson is allowed in formal obs. YET, when an AP wrote up an post ob of a member of mine and gave her a U, the post ob included cut and paste sentences from the Danielson rubric. The UFT said they will NOT pursue my grievance for this member to Step 2. 

Why?

Why indeed? Good question to ask your (formerly) friendly District Reps when they visit.

Dear Colleagues,

 

Attached is a copy of an agreement between the UFT and the DOE concerning the use of the Danielson rubric for both pilot schools and non-pilot schools.

 

This stipulation was a result of an Improper Practices Charge brought to PERB against the DOE.

 

I will summarize:

 

      1. For all schools, pilot or not, Danielson ratings of Highly Effective, Effective, Developing or Ineffective (known as HEDI) cannot be used or linked to any official rating, tenure determination or disciplinary proceeding.

 

    2. No observation for pilot or non-pilot school can be placed in the official file using the HEDI rating scale.

 

    3. Classroom observations for the file cannot include any reference to Danielson's rubric or a HEDI Rating.

 

    4. For pilot schools, no observation using the Danielson rubric can be placed in a teachers official file.

 

    5. For non-pilot schools, observations reports cannot contain verbatim language of any Danielson rubric or the language of the Danielson's Framework for Teaching or any HEDI rating. (In other words, it shouldn't be used at all!)

The stipulation outlines a complaint process that is a little different than our regular grievance process.  [ISN'T THIS A CHANGE IN THE CONTRACT THAT SHOULD BE VOTED ON BY THE MEMBERS?] So, read it carefully and share this information with your members.

 

Please make sure that you bring this document to the attention of your principal, especially the ones that insist on seeing everything in writing.