Brief Thoughts on the New Evaluation System from a shlemiel who can't tell the difference between a MOSL and a SHLIMASL - Betsy Has an Answer to Eval Issue - privatize and don't bother

My thought for the day: Let's throw everything we can at what we view as a bad teachers but ignore the actions of a bad principal who can fuck up an entire education community.

What's the difference a shlemiel and a shlimazel? The shlemiel spills the soup, the shlimazel is the guy he spills it on.

Question: which describes Mulgrew and the UFT/Unity Caucus after the latest eval system was announced? Maybe both.

Every teacher evaluation system is full of flaws as long as self-serving, corrupt, incompetent, abusive and downright evil supervisors are allowed to flourish.

I told Joel Klein to his face numerous times at PEP meetings that as long as he allowed abusive principals to flourish every attack on a teacher becomes suspect, even when they are justified. We must have confidence in the people making these judgements.

The CSA by defending bad principals and covering up for them taint the good ones.
 
I don't know much of anything about evaluation systems - since I was working it was a U or S - somehow some kids learned and some didn't and no matter how many teachers they try to hound out of the system - or not - nothing much will change in terms of learning. So the massive waste of time and money by fed, state and local ed depts on trying to judge teachers by supervisors and data crunchers takes away funds that could go to actually helping all kids learn.

Betsy DeVos offers the solution actually - privatize everything and don't monitor any of it. You see, monitoring is only for public schools. Don't think that all this monitoring distraction of time and money is not part of the BIG PLAN to end the life of public school systems.

It is bothersome that so many fighters against ed deformers fall into the trap of thinking that THERE MUST BE MONITORING OF TEACHERS BEYOND WHAT WAS DONE FOR A 100 YEARS. Somehow people like me and my friends in a working class neighborhood in East New York Brooklyn in the 50s and 60s survived that - through good, bad and indifferent teachers. I know, I know -- the poor schools are plagued with so many bad teachers that if we replaced them by an entire staff of teachers from a school in a rich area - VOILA!!! I taught at my school for 27 years and saw good, great, so-so, some poor and a few very rare totally incompetent teachers who didn't last very long.

Very few bad teachers last very long past tenure. The job is so bad for them that they mostly find their way into the least amount of teaching possible - and principals use them for that - some are actually good at things when they are away from kids. Many bad teachers end up as supervisors who are also bad supervisors but at that point the powers that be don't really care. Let's throw everything we can at what we view as a bad teachers but ignore the actions of a bad principal who can fuck up an entire education community.

Hey Dalton teachers, have we got a deal for you?

Elfrank-Dana: Advance will fail because of its hopeless departure from sound construction

John Elfrank-Dana is chapter leader of Murry Bergtraum HS, a school squarely in the target zone of the Bloomberg/Tweed mantra of  "Let's do what it takes to make the school fail so we can close it and give the building to Eva Moskowitz."

John, who created the short film, Advance - sent this to his principal:

The faculty votes DEFAULT (growth).

We know it's no fault of your own, but this choice between the lesser of evils has been a needlessly convoluted process. This pseudo choice, between Pepsi or Coke, attempts, but fails, to create the illusion of freedom, of empowerment. Advance will fail because of its hopeless departure from sound construction and its underlying faulty premise; that test scores can measure true student achievement and quality teaching.

Speaking for the faculty,

--
John Elfrank-Dana
UFT Chapter Leader
Murry Bergtraum High School
www.elfrank.org

MOSL Tov, John.

What Did You Talk About in School? Not How to Teach Johnny But MOSLs, Growth, Goals and BS

 Most people were shocked and upset about the MOSL system... Teacher report on first day PD.

I have no clue what a MOSL is -- any relation to Mozel (luck)? I

don't think luck is in the offing. More like Shlimossel (unlucky guy) where some unlucky teachers are going to get chopped.

The first days back for teachers used to be about getting ready for the kids. Setting up your room to create a welcoming environment, etc. There was so much to do, aside from the usual stuff like lesson planning.

Oh, there was always the usual bullshit from the principal about her vision -- repeated year after year almost word for word -- but that was at most 2 wasted hours where you could maybe get some paperwork done (though once she called me out as I did a roll book and ordered me to put it away -- I can multitask you know -- and when I kept doing it she charged me with insubordination -- that's another story for another time).

But it is a new ball game in the schools. It's not about kids, it's about MOSLs and how you as a teacher will be rated.

Now MOREistas have been very tuned in to the issue but the rank and file have not and may feel they are getting hit with a truck. [I'll post some comments from other teachers later who actually view this as a better thing than what came before.]

Here is a sample from one teacher about how yesterday went:

The PD on Danielson and MOSL was overwhelming to say the least. Most of the chapter was not tuned in all summer and found the presentations difficult to digest. 

 

Most people were shocked and upset about the MOSL system with most teachers coming to the conclusion that they have no control over their evaluations if they are not in Regents class.

 

I can say that out of staff of 70, 60 signed the [MORE] petition [calling for a moratorium].

I didn't pick up, in my first 1000 reads of the MOSL guide, that English/ESL teachers are required to use the NYC performance assessments  (page 14 and 16 for state measures) so this is going to mean more work for ELA/ESL teachers having to give the baseline and final (taking way learning time) and grading.

For the the MOSL committee it seems the most fair, and we understand this entire system is rigged there is no fair equation, but whats easiest, brings upon the least amount of additional work, and spread the pain evenly would be using the Regents scores and growth model as 40 % (20 school wide, 20 lowest third and Regents classes use individual as the target)

Does someone know what a sample "goal" would be if we chose that model- ay links you can share.

I do understand goals mean more work, but just want to offer committee concrete examples which I can't find in the book, it seems only 2 pages 42/43 is dedicated to this.

My suspicion is there isn't much difference between growth and goal, other than goals is much more work VAM/growth has more wiggle room. There's also safety in the herd, if everyone does VAM, we're better off doing it

I also suspect the samples on page 14/15 may be the best options.

 

 

Julie Cavanagh Analyzes Teacher Evaluation Options

If only our current union leadership could communicate to teachers how best to protect themselves in what is going to be a very challenging and dangerous school year for everybody - students, teachers and administrators - as well as Julie Cavanagh does. ....Perdido Street School blog

Decide to get involved:  I am convinced the overwhelming majority of educators, after navigating this evaluation system, will be moved to action.  Do not get discouraged; do not believe we cannot affect change.  Whether you donate, sign a petition, attend a rally, come to a meeting, run for office, or join an organization-- the time is now to stand up and fight the tidal wave of attacks on public education.... Julie Cavanagh

Julie has spent a lot of time this summer learning the ins and outs of this mess. She shares her thoughts in this post on the MORE blog which I am cross posting.

This is not only about Julie's wonderful work in breaking all this down but also expresses Julie's philosophy of working together which so attracts people.

Make decisions based on what will bring you together:  do not allow these decisions to divide you.  Stand in solidarity together, take care of each other, and do what benefits students and teachers collectively.

This is important stuff to working teachers but for people like me the details give me a headache. But if you want clarity, read this all the way through. Julie's piece should actually be a pamphlet.

The Noose or The Sword: Choosing Your Evaluation

by morecaucusnyc

Analysis and Guidance Regarding Teacher Evaluation Choices and Decisions

By Julie Cavanagh PS15k Chapter Leader

I have yet to meet a parent, teacher or student from a school community who tells me they believe the new teacher evaluation system being implemented in NYC is a good thing, for anyone.  It seems most people understand this system is nothing more than another cog in the wheel of a machine with one clear purpose:  the destruction of our public education system.  This system and the accountability and testing measures and movement preceding it, reduce our students, our teachers and our schools to numbers and data, dehumanizing our schools and our profession. 

There is a growing movement that says, “Don’t feed the beast! Deny the data!” My heart lies with this sentiment, but in terms of the teacher evaluation framework, it may not be the right one.  Let me be clear, this system is irrevocably flawed, and the illusion of choice is no choice at all.  But while the system is fundamentally flawed and hurts our schools and profession, we can choose to participate in order to mitigate the damage to individual teacher jobs as well as our schools and students.

MORE members and allies have received multiple requests for guidance and analysis concerning the decisions UFT members and local committees must make regarding the teacher evaluation system.  Below I attempt to lay out, as I see them, the pros and cons of the choices individual teachers and school-based evaluation committees must make in the coming weeks.  This is by no means complete and it would be immensely helpful if folks offer their additional comments, analysis, and suggestions in the comment section!

The Lay of the Land

There are basically three “paths” to journey on as you make decisions as an individual UFT member and as a committee: