MORE/Change the Stakes Teacher Lauren Cohen: NYSUT Clamps Down on Free Speech

I agree wholeheartedly that, if I am unhappy with my union, it is my duty as a member to work for change. I am a candidate for UFT Elementary Executive Board on the MORE (Movement of Rank and File Educators) slate, so I hope to do just that! ... Lauren Cohen

Lauren, that a teacher could receive a threat for openly speaking about her educational philosophy is an outrage, and not just a violation of your rights. As a parent I consider it my absolute right as well to freely discuss with the educators in charge of my children's schooling ALL aspects of curriculum, assessment and teaching methods -- anything and everything that affects teachers' work with my children. Anyone who interferes with that free speech is in my view guilty of an egregious violation of my fundamental rights as a parent. Thank you for standing up to the bullies, and as the taboos that have constricted open discussion between parents and teachers in our schools fall away, parents and teachers together can show our children how a free and open society really works. ----- Jeff Nichols, NYC Public school parent on Change the Stakes listserve

Lauren Cohen sparked a bit of controversy with her post at The Chalk Face regarding NYSUT president Richard Iannuzzi's email warning to union leaders about the dangers their members might face in giving advice to parents about opting out.

One could take this warning 2 ways. As a "be careful out there" or as a "threat." Either way you look at it, there is a perception that the lack of a sense of support for teachers who might have moral and political reasons for opposing the high stakes testing craze leaves these teachers "out there."

Julie Cavanagh had similar feelings as I posted on Sunday where she raised the frightening thought that even her speech at the Forum at the Earth School later that day could fall into the realm of Iannuzzi's warning. That didn't stop her from making a fabulous speech however.

The Moral Imperative: Julie Cavanagh Opts in on Opt Out Issue

Just a bit about Lauren Cohen before getting to her Chalkface post. We met her a year ago when she attended the GEM teacher evaluation forum and since then she has been very active with Change the Stakes and as a member of MORE. As the "recruiter" for the MORE elementary Executive Board slate I was excited when Lauren accepted our invitation to run, joining a list of great teachers and activists. Lauren has spent years working for an ogre lunatic of a principal and was heading out of country to teach. When she sent out a round of resumes she bravely included the fact that she was an opponent of high stakes testing and an activist. She said she would rather leave the country to teach if she didn't get a job with a principal who appreciated not only her great teaching ability but also her activism, which went hand in hand. And she got a job at one of the more progressive schools in the city. Lauren exemplifies so many of the MORE people. Great teachers. Great activists.

So here is Lauren's somewhat remarkable letter home to parents followed with her reaction to the Iannuzzi letter which was forwarded to her. There are some interesting comments at TCF below her article taking Iannuzzi's side on this.

NYSUT Clamps Down on Free Speech

April 16, 2013 By Lauren Cohen 23 Comments

 

http://atthechalkface.com/2013/04/16/nysut-clamps-down-on-free-speech/

Dear Readers, I would like to share with you an email I sent last week to my class parents:

April is the cruelest month…
I doubt the NY State Education Department had T.S. Eliot in mind when they made the state testing schedule, but it does seem appropriate. Even with trying to keep test prep – oops, I mean “Defense Against the Dark Arts” – at a minimum, there’s so much I feel obligated to do! [Other 5th grade teacher] and I were talking about the uncertainty surrounding the content on the math test, and she put it really well, “If we see a question on the test about the one thing that we chose not to review, we’re going to feel like we failed our students.” But then I look back at my plan book and realize that we haven’t had a full period of Social Studies in weeks, and I wonder if I’m making the right choice.

Village Voice Reports on MORE Sunday Event

Whatever the ultimate size of the boycott this year, disquiet about standardized testing will remain a live political issue. MORE, the "social justice caucus" of the United Federation of Teachers, organized Sunday's meeting and is running Julie Cavanagh as the underdog candidate .... as president of the nation's largest teachers' union. Cavanagh, a special education teacher in Red Hook and the charismatic and media-friendly director of the documentary The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman, has clearly identified standardized testing as an issue that unites parents and teachers. "The testing boycott movement is happening!" she told the audience. "The movement of social justice to take back our communities is happening! Parents and teachers are leading the way, and unions better get behind them." --- Village Voice

Read the entire Voice piece here.

Portelos goes where NYC Press corps fears to tread: Is Test Tampering Rampant in NYC too?

The DOE and UFT better get that boy out of the rubber room they "abolished" and back into a classroom before he has time to research all 1700 schools.

Oh, you will hear how the press can't afford investigative journalism. Here is a study of one school.

Imagine how many people were put on the Atlanta case. But not in Rhee's DC. And not in Klein/Walcott's NYC. And not in Duncan's Chicago. Only Beverly Hall will go to prison. Who is at fault here in NYC? Well, we know what is more important. Tracking down where Leonie sends her kids to school.

Time to shackle Rhee and Klein and send them away.

Meanwhile, check out the blog roll and listserves for the growing opt-out movement which will make some news today.

Is Test Tampering Rampant in NYC too?

By fportelos on April 16, 2013 in Uncategorized

The buzz on the street is that these high stakes tests are being tampered with and may be soiled with cheating.

Why would anyone want to cheat on a test? I mean don’t let the words high stakes fool you. It’s not like these scores are tied to graduation, promotions, termination and bonuses? Oh wait…yes they are.
Take a look at what I gathered, in five minutes, while playing with a spreadsheet I downloaded from http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/tools/report/default.htm and Excel. . I’m all about data and using it as long as it’s accurate. Maybe it’s the engineer in me.

Change the Stake's Fred Smith on Common Core and Duplicty of Tisch, Surransky, King and Walcott

When Bill Gates, the entire DOE/SED mafia, Obama and the UFT/AFT all line up on the same side, forget the details, just run like hell. Sorry, don't run. Attack back.

Aside: Just in from a teacher

Today is the beginning of testing day and also the beginning of what will eventually become a crescendo of resistance by parents, some of whom are not just opting out but claiming child abuse. The other day I heard a story that the DOE had denied a request for a 10-minute break for the 3rd grade test, which is longer than it need be because some of the question will not count, instead being used to field test questions for future use.

I met Fred Smith, the king of knowledge of the field test issue,  many years ago when he started coming to ICE meetings with his research on the fallacies of the testing program. Why did he come to ICE? Because from its very beginnings in late 2003, and before that when Ed Notes took up the issue from its founding in 1997, the impact of high stakes testing on children and teachers was a primary issue, unfortunately ignored by the UFT and even the opposition parties, New Action and TJC. (In fact that fact was one of the driving forces in the founding of ICE.)

As ICE morphed into GEM in 2009, Fred became even more active and helped start the GEM Change the Stakes committee, which has become a leading wedge in the growing parent revolt against high stakes testing, which the common core agenda now leading the way.

When Bill Gates, the entire DOE mafia, Obama and the UFT/AFT all line up on the same side, forget the details, just run like hell.

One commenter on the MORE site raised the issue of why MORE has not taken a stronger stand on Common Core. I know I have tried to raise it but the agendas always seem so busy that we never got to discuss it. I still think there is a portion of MORE not truly aware yet. I felt we should have made the UFT support for CC a campaign issue. But so many issues, so little time.

After Friday night's very hot Change the Stakes meeting, with 30 people, mostly parents, coming from all parts of the city, Fred put this piece together which the wonderful Valerie Strauss published


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/04/16/common-core-testing-begins-in-ny-but-are-exams-ready-for-prime-time/

Seattle Teacher Jesse Hagopian at "The Schools NYC Children Deserve"

What a story Jesse has to tell as he followed Julie Cavanagh's speech. And  Brian Jones said so many great things as moderator.

Julie touched on her remarkable journey of activism that has pushed her to being a widely popular choice amongst the ed activist community for UFT presidential candidate. https://vimeo.com/64072670

More videos available from the panel:

Janine Sopp from Change the Stakes: https://vimeo.com/64121656

Angelo Pinto on the School to Prison Pipeline: https://vimeo.com/64139315

Plus the Q and A including a 5th grader with a letter about testing to Walcott: https://vimeo.com/64231032




Seattle Teacher Jesse Hagopian at "The Schools NYC Children Deserve" from Grassroots Education Movement on Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/64119075

E4E, John King, the State Ed Department Undermine Parents, Teachers and Students

MORE handed out this  leaflet at the E4E/John King event a few weeks ago. I never published it but did get a chance to make the point to Evan Stone about just how aligned E4E and the UFT leadership were on so many issues: common core, teacher evaluation, trusting John King, just to name a few. No wonder they didn't run in the elections. They already have a caucus representing their views: Unity.

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E4E, John King, the State Ed Department Undermine Parents, Teachers and Students

If children keep arriving in school with these deficits, no amount of money or teacher evaluations may be enough to improve their lot later in life…. NY Times, April 3, 2013

With a growing parent revolt and teachers in Seattle refusing to give meaningless tests we wonder why E4E continues to support an insane testing and evaluation policy that harms children down to pre-k and beyond by calling for enormous funds to be spent on a wasteful testing and teacher evaluation process that shifts funding that could be used to close the gap before the child even reaches school.

It’s “poverty, stupid” and E4E and John King want to waste public money on playing “gotcha” with teachers when in reality the “teacher is most important factor” argument is disproven time and again. Why do King and E4E shun the “class size is the most important factor” argument? Or shifting the enormous sums wasted into true support for children? Because that would mean shifting real resources into the classroom and the political, not educational goals of enriching the educational-industrial complex which is funding groups like E4E takes priority.  The elites pushing these deforms send their kids to schools with low class sizes, little testing and no measures of teacher effectiveness.

An April 3 NY Times article in the business section affirms the errors and dishonesty of King and the people running and backing E4E. Excepts below.

Investments in Education May Be Misdirected

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/03/business/studies-highlight-benefits-of-early-education.html?_r=0

Julie Cavanagh Speech at "The Schools New York's Children Deserve"

Julie was interrupted numerous times by applause and received a standing ovation. I am publishing her speech first but there were so many other great speeches. Hope to get them all up by tonight.

Jullie Cavanagh Speech at "The Schools New York's Children Deserve" from Grassroots Education Movement on Vimeo.

NYC Opt Out Press Conf Today, NY State Opt-Out Day, Tuesday, April 16th

We've been supporting the opt-out movement which will over time impact and undermine the ed deform game. See my upcoming videos from the Earth Day event yesterday.

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**Media Advisory**

NYC Parents Fed Up With High-Stakes Tests to Announce Boycott

Press Conference Monday

Contact:          Jane Hirschmann, 917.679.8343, kaneri46@gmail.com

                        Jen Nessel, jnessel@ccrjustice.org

April 12, 2013, New York – New York parents who say they are fed up with high-stakes tests will hold a press conference on Monday to announce they are joining with parents across the state to boycott the increasingly controversial tests that are set to begin the following day. The action is an expansion of the boycotts initiated last year when parents first opted out of the tests and then refused to allow their children to be field-tested by the Pearson Corporation.

WHAT:           Press conference 

WHO:             New York City parents who plan to boycott the tests by opting their children out

WHEN:           Monday, April 15, 12:00pm

WHERE:         Bloomingdale Family Program

                        125 West 109^th St. (between Amsterdam and Columbus)

                        2^nd floor, take stairs to the left of the entrance

WHY:             Parents have had enough of the high-stakes tests. Their children are forced to spend days taking each year and the excessive time spent in the classroom focusing on test preparation.  Parents from across the city are "choosing to refuse" to have their children take the high stakes standardized tests and joining others throughout the state saying no more! 

###

The Moral Imperative: Julie Cavanagh Opts in on Opt Out Issue

From a Chicago CORE teacher

A teacher who, in conversations with students or parents, takes a position on testing contrary to the school district's educational program may potentially be charged with misconduct or insubordination and could be subject to disciplinary action. --- Richard Iannuzzi, President, NYSUT

Ultimately opting-out and boycotts are a parent choice. However, teachers do have a role. There is a moral question, I feel, in our cooperating with these tests (it is one of the reasons I left the testing grade).  -- Julie Cavanagh

Is Iannuzzi doing his job by protecting teachers?

The UFT leadership supported a version of the MORE resolution supporting Jesse Hagopian and the Seattle teachers. [I'm running out now to tape it.]

Cavanagh says:

True. However, and we will hear this from Jesse Hagopian at a forum @ the Earth School today, teachers in Seattle were supported by our union local and national union in terms of their boycott and they suffered no consequences bc the superintendent found it was the districts responsibility to admin the test, not the teachers.

I can't help but feel this letter is another form of external pressure, a scare tactic-- even trying to control what we say outside of the job if it is in reference to a "scheduled test". So for example, if I say at today's forum "I think parents should boycott the ela and math exams next week and the week after" I could "get in trouble"?!?!?!

Ultimately opting-out and boycotts are a parent choice. However, teachers do have a role. There is a moral question, I feel, in our cooperating with these tests (it is one of the reasons I left the testing grade). This is also interesting from a Chicago teacher activist on this issue of morality and testing:
 http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2013/04/michelle_gunderson_offers_pled.html

And what then of the SLT from BK that issued a statement on testing? A parent on our SLT asked for opt-out and the larger issue of testing to be on our SLT agenda next time. Should I now, given this letter, only sit silent and not play an active role in that meeting? ... 

Real losers are the kids... Their teachers are being handcuffed to harmful policies and threatened/warned about speaking out. Teachers will keep their jobs, but our children are robbed of adults working (or at least trying to) in their best interest. Parents and their children's teachers must work and advocate together. I don't care what NYSUT or anyone else says; I not only have the freedom to publicly state what I believe, I have a moral responsibility to the children and families I serve to do so. --- Julie Cavanagh

MORE Ex Bd Middle School candidate Francesco Portelos says:

Is he [Iannuzzi] kidding?  No surprise since he backed this.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJE_dy1Ca8M&feature=youtube_gdata_player

MORE Ex Bd Elementary School candidate Jia Lee (who is hosting today's event with Jesse and Julie and Brian at the Earth School) says:

I am a mandated reporter of child abuse, and I WILL call ACS on the State Department of Education if they don't stop this nonsense! ....This is citizen speech that is not being done during work time AND we are using our personal emails and addresses.

Principals have signed similar petitions. In addition, other petitions exist on this matter. 

If anyone still does not want to risk whatever disciplinary action comes, we must all respect that; however, we must remember that non-action based on fear will not help to change what we know is unjust. 

I can re-forward clips of principal, Jean McTavish, speaking out, as well as, Willa Powell, school board member, speaking out- all done as citizens (done off duty). 

There is power in our numbers! 

Elections, shmections, this is why I am a proud MORE, working with these amazing people who stand up for themselves, the students they teach and their parents. True social justice unionists. True social justice unionism.

MORE has received support from many teachers who are fed up with the tepid UFT response on the testing issue.

If you read my last post (Choose to Refuse: Rocking the World of Ed Deform as Parents Revolt Against Testing Child Abuse), you can see that with testing week coming, the opt-out movement is gaining steam. What can/should teachers play in these confusing scenarios if parents ask for advice? Do teachers play the role of DOE/school spokesperson, thinking of the interests of the school, ie. parent of potential low scorer vs high scorer? Or the interests of the child/parent?

Some MORE people like presidential candidate Julie Cavanagh tries to live as much of her professional and personal life within the social justice umbrella as possible.

Below the fold: Iannuzzi's letter.

Subject:        NYSUT Alert from President Iannuzzi on "Opting Out"
 

Choose to Refuse: Rocking the World of Ed Deform as Parents Revolt Against Testing Child Abuse

Parents: CHOOSE TO REFUSE! -- Change the Stakes

I've got to find my button: My child puked on your high stakes test

Let me remind you that at 3PM Sunday, at the Earth School on the Lower East Side, Jesse Hagopian who led the Seattle teacher test boycott, will be
appearing with MORE presidential candidate Julie Cavanagh, who will take time off from collecting for COPE, defending people from grievances, and  preparing a major speech at the upcoming DA. MORE candidate for UFT Secretary Brian Jones will moderate.

I got back from the MORE meeting before 5PM today but find myself a day late and a meeting behind. So I'll report on Friday night's wonderful Change the Stakes meeting that on a rainy Friday afternoon/evening attracted 30 parents (mostly), some teachers and field test maven Fred Smith where the major topic was opting out of the tests, or as some are referring to it as CHOOSE TO REFUSE.

People told awful stories of sickened young children and even one about a child who refused to take the test and wrote he would kill himself on the test booklet.

At a CEC meeting on Staten Island the other day with the increasingly disgusting Shael Polokow-Suransky, over a hundred parents were angry at the DOE -- until slick talking Shael turned them against the school administrators and teachers by claiming Tweed isn't pressuring them and even telling them not to pressure kids -- so blame the school. 160 closed schools and thousands of ATRs over the years and no consequences?
What a snake this guy is. As a matter of fact, he looks like a snake (where's the photoshop team?)

Teachers should wake up and smell the Refusenik roses. The reign of terroor will end when masses of parents choose to refuse and Pearson and other profiteering ed/industrial complex firms stop making money on the backs of the children. No one cares much when teachers are under attack. But the children being abused, that is another story.

Ed deformers say they believe in Choice don't they? Make them live up to their lying words. Do Eva Moskowitz minions believe in choice enough to allow Success parents to choose to refuse?

Below, is parent activist Janine Sopp's email to attendees of the CTS meeting with opt-out sample letters for parents to turn in this week. There are so many mixed messages from different principals about consequences that I can't keep up with them on the CTS listserve.

First some other links of interest.

Evidence That Testing Has Spilled Over Into Child Abuse

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/04/07/principal-to-parents-dont-buy-the-bunk-about-new-common-core-tests/

Video: Rochester School Board Member opts her kids out of #commoncore exams; doesn't want them to be guinea pigs http://shar.es/JgqTq

This is beautiful.  If I were an administrator sitting at my breakfast table, opposed to the whole opt out movement and trying to quell the movement in my own district, I would have choked on my bagel when I saw this quote this morning:   "That's what I'm really trying to get out to the public.  If you feel your child should not have to take this test, then they can refuse it. There are actions that parents can take, and should take, to make sure there are no consequences or retaliation against them."
Wow.  She also represents Rochester on the State school board association.  Go Willa Powell!
--
Dave

Leonie posted:  Opting out of testing: NO consequences for children, teachers or schools this year

And the principals are in revolt too. Over a thousand people were at Hofstra on Weds for the Carol Burris/Leonie Haimson, etc event: More than a number. Here are some links:

• View a video of the entire panel discussion: youtu.be/m9MGK4zvH-Q
• Download the Presentation used during the event through this link.

And here is Janine's email to attendees at the Change the Stakes meeting:

Thank you for coming to this city wide meeting of parents and teachers to support families who are refusing to have their children participate in this years state tests.  It was amazing to meet all of you who are new to us and who shared your personal stories about the experiences with your children and schools on the issue of high stakes standardized tests.  Though each of us is having a unique time contemplating and navigating this action in which we may have different outcomes, one thing is for sure, we'd all like to see an end to the over reliance of these tests, that our children stop suffering because of them and that we create a more sound and just education for them.  

I'm attaching two versions of the "refusal" letter * for you to use and share widely over the coming days.  Please email me if you have decided to refuse the test for your children with their school and grade.  If and when you've been able to connect and organize with other parents, please become the point person who collects the same information and share it with us as well.  Since you've been to this meeting, it works best if we have you as the point person for communication purposes, but please include their contact information if you can.  Please also let us know if you or others would be willing to speak to the press. 

The full minutes of the meeting will be forth coming but I wanted to be sure we have your contact information in place.  We encourage you to scroll all the way down and sign our petition and join our CtS open forum to stay connected on these issues.  Below are the links to our Twitter and Facebook pages, which will be used to announce actions and events and to post articles and important information to share about HSST.  Our website is full of information as is TOFT (Time Out From Testing).  Our organizations are collaborating to make this year's Choose to Refuse a strong statement about the rights parents have and the kind of education parents want for their children.  

We encourage you to send our press release/announcement to any contacts you have with the press.  Often times local or community networks are perfect and powerful tools, so no venue is too small.  Consider organizing something with your church, synagogue or mosque, daycare center or other local organizations that care about children.  As Lisa North said tonight, we are building a movement from the ground up to counter act the policies coming from the top down (or something to that effect!) 

We will send you an email announcing the press release as well as upcoming action planning and actions.  There is much to be done and not much time so we welcome and encourage your input and involvement.  Let us know if you have special skills that might be helpful in our organizing efforts (ie:  translation, graphic design, writing, art making, phone calling, other ideas).

We'll be in touch soon,
Janine 

Below are the opt-out letters for parents.

Video: Gary Rubinstein Uses Data to Smash Teacher Data Reports, Introduced by Julie Cavanagh

Did you know that the always awesome Gary Rubinstein is running with MORE as an AFT/NYSUT Convention delegate?

In this video, Gary uses statistics to expose TDAs in a WOWSER performance. As Julie points out, Gary is another one of the amazing crew who have young kids at home, enforcing a  next-gen MORE theme: we are teachers and parents.

You should never miss Gary Rubinstein's Blog where, as a 20-year TFA alum he exposes so much of their propaganda that the people running that joint consider him a major threat since he attracts TFA readers. Gary will tell you right up front that it was the 20th Anniversary TFA event in Feb. 2011 where ed deform reigned that opened his eyes.

GEM had our own TFA spy, who is also running with MORE for Exec Bd,
there who blogged directly from that event -- click the tab at the top of this blog to read all her reports.

I'm sure it is due to the UFT role in the ed eval fiasco that turned Gary into a MORE supporter. Too bad we have little chance of winning as in a future world Gary could be at a next year's version of this weekend's NYSUT event our dues are paying for so he could explain to our city and state union leaders what a losing proposition Unity has signed onto.

Well, I'll let you watch Gary's videos I taped last April at the same event with Carol Burris and Leonie Haimson and others. This was Julie's last hurrah before going into last trimester hibernation. I'm sure Unity slugs expected her to be at the DA while delivering.

http://vimeo.com/40754465



GEM/PAA/CSM Teacher Evaluation Forum: Gary Rubinstein from Grassroots Education Movement on Vimeo.

"I Am Not a Crook," Rhee Heading for Perp Walk?

I imagine some of you think this Rhee "head on Nixon body" photoshop I keep up on the Ed Notes sidebar was just done.

In fact David Bellel did it for me many years ago fairly early in her reign as DC supt. I was so sure it would come in handy time and again.

I think we did them for Joel Klein, Chris Cerf, John White. We never thought of Beverly Hall but should have. In fact I know so much about who cheated and when in some districts here in NYC, cheating going back way before BloomKlein years, there would be many indictments.

For instance, the DOE has been sitting on a story for years about a high school principal who openly forced her teachers to cheat under threat of U ratings. And many did. There are tapes and whistleblowers but silence.
The DOE fired the principal for some semi-bullshit excuse while covering up the cheating and in fact going after some of the teachers who were under threat of losing their jobs.

Best of all, the network people knew exactly what was going on and no one has paid. In fact, one of the awful network people was recently put in charge of one of the few remaining large high schools as a "closer." Meaning she will use her "skills' to make sure that school can become prime real estate foe Eva Moskowitz (who as far as I am concerned is also eligible for a perp walk just for lying about the wait lists which are used to steal public money.)

And the press? Too busy worrying about where Leonie sends her kids to school.
 
I think I wrote sometime around 2004 that one day Joel Klein will be taken out of Tweed with his coat over his head. I wasn't thinking only of cheating scandals but of all kinds of money being funneled to funny places. Just look at the ed scandals on cheating the city. (I can't list them all). One of my failed predictions, but if we had an ed press corps that would dig as deep as some reporters are digging at Leonie Haimson, we would have seen that happen.

Now while we see every indictment in Atlanta with some extraordinary investigations and also some extraordinary punishments being meted out, all the people indicted are black or Latino/a. Don't think the race issue will not surface -- I know Rhee is also not technically white, but.....

I posted this Bruce Dixon Black Agenda report last week

Why Was Atlanta's Beverly Hall Indicted For Racketeering While Michelle Rhee Won't Be?

We know the ed deformers will make excuses for the darling Rhee. And so it has begun, as RBE reports at Perdido:

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Fordham Institute's Flypaper Makes Excuses For Rhee

You knew they would, right?


Since the John Merrow report of the secret cheating memo the Rhee story has snowballed. Here are a slice of reports (Excuse the formatting, I'm off to the MORE meeting.)

Diane Ravitch has been all over the story:

Diane Ravitch's blog

What John Merrow Told Education Writers

A City Council Hearing Is Not Enough

By dianerav

April 13, 2013 //

5

Will the cover up succeed?
Read this in the New York Times.
The DC City Council will hold hearings. But hearings are not the same as a professional investigation as was conducted in Atlanta.
Rhee deserves the same scrutiny as Hall.
Given the fear and intimidation reported by John Merrow, hearings will not get to the bottom of this mess.
Who will investigate?

Are the Data Scrubbed and Cooked?

By dianerav  

Strauss: Time to Subpoena Witnesses in DC Cheating Scandal

John Merrow on Chris Hayes Discussing Rhee

By dianerav

April 12, 2013 //

38

A reader sent this comment and a link to Chris Hayes’ interview with John Merrow:
“MSNBC’s Chris Hayes had John Merrow on his 4/12 evening show, ALL IN and the conversation was simply brutal towards Rhee….Chris very articulately pointed out how M Rhee rose to the top of the Ed Reform movement with only 3 years of limited personal experience in education. He ended his commentary by noting, in detail, how DC schools are in far worse condition today because of Rhee’s questionable policies……… like a cool breeze in a desert!
John was fabulous….Chris Hayes noted he would be following up with John Merrow in the future…stay tuned! “
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/all-in-/51362794#51523921

 

Perdido Street School

Michelle Rhee And MSNBC
-----------
Jersey Jazzman

Michelle Rhee's Day Has Finally Come

--------------

Michelle Rhee's Terrible Awful Day

By Charles P. Pierce

at 10:00AM

Read more: Michelle Rhee Cheating Scandal - Michelle Rhee's Terrible Awful Day - Esquire http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/michelle-rhee-cheating-scandal-041213#ixzz2QHOL6PPG

MORE Video: Michael Mulgrew endorsing teacher evaluation based on tests and subjective observations

When asked why are we being evaluated on junk science test scores, UFT President Michael Mulgrew responded "We have to, its the law." Did he mention he helped push that law through?

Vote MORE

MORE Updates, April General Meeting Saturday, High Stakes Testing with Julie and Jesse on Sunday

Come see the only group in the UFT with democracy in action as MORE is transitioning towards post-election mode with tomorrow's meeting being a combo of election experiences, structural changes (so far a year with no formal steering committee which certainly hampered some decision making in the elections but still kept us ticking), talk about the mayoral endorsement issue for the upcoming DA and other issues.

Saturday 4/13 12:00-3:00

224 West 29th st 14th Floor

NYC

Open meeting 

Please join us for this very important meeting

The UFT elections are here- we will discuss our current strategies and share stories of our unique experiences in electioneering. We will also phone bank together to help get out the vote. The UFT leadership will be endorsing a mayoral candidate soon. Let's decide how we want to approach this critical decision in the upcoming election. We will also offer proposals for a steering committee and visions for building MORE into a stronger movement. 

Sunday 4/14

And on Sunday, that do-nothing, know-nothing Cavanagh who won't speak at the delegate assembly is completing her weekend by appearing with Seattle test boycott teacher leader Jesse Hagopian at this MORE/Change the Stakes sponsored event at the Earth School where MORE elementary school Ex Bd candidate is chapter leader. Leading parent advocate Janine Sopp will be speaking too. This event will be moderated by MORE candidate for UFT Secretary Brian Jones. You know those MOREs, so lazy.

The Earth School 600 East 6th Street

New York, NY 10009 Between Ave B and Ave C

Come to either event to see Julie and possibly Jack. You can also play with Jack if the meetings bore you. Bring baby food.

MORE victory party, April 25 at a bar near the vote count
So we are also planning a Victory Party right after the count is completed on April 25. No, we don't expect to be running the UFT on July 1 but there is certainly something to celebrate no matter the vote count. Like our very existence and the process by which we got to this point. Somehow things got decided and accomplished without a formal structure.

Being somewhat of a control freak, does this make me comfortable? Hell no. With election coming to an end it is time to get down to organization building. And I will predict right now --- if MORE doesn't get some of this done in the next 6 months it will find itself adrift like other caucuses have ended up. I will offer advice based on lessons learned.

Informal Election analysis, Friday April 26, 4:30 PM, Skylight Diner, 34th St and 9th Ave.

This began as an ICE event for those wonks who want to talk about the election results the day after but it is open to whoever wants to come and chat as we will discuss the good, the bad and ugly of this election round. The space we use can seat 20 but if there are more wonks than we expect people can break into tables of 6 or so.

MORE intends to hold a more formal analysis in May.

Carol Burris is State HS Principal of Year, Change the Stakes Meets Today

Carol Burris at GEM/Change the Stakes Forum

Video below of Carol Burris with an intro by a very pregnant Julie Cavanagh at a GEM April 2012 forum on teacher evaluation. (And Julie still had 3 months to go - Jack was a big boy even before he was Jack).

Of course to Unity slugs it is way more important for Julie to speak at a stage-managed Delegate Assembly than to organize a forum bringing together Carol, Leonie Haimson, Gary Rubinstein and Arthur Goldstein (who couldn't be there due to a death in the family).

New York’s High School Principal of the Year, Burris is now a candidate for the award of National High School Principal of the Year, an award sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. A principals institute and awards ceremony sponsored by NASSP and MetLife will be held in Washington, DC this fall. ---The Patch

How exciting if Carol wins the national award. What a strike against the ed deform industrial complex. Carol has pointed to the major ills of the common core and the state testing system. She has criticized the unions for going along, which led to an attack on her by Leo Casey. Here are some links: Setting The Record Straight On Teacher Evaluations: Scoring - Edwize 

defender of the faith leo casey defends indefensible - ICEUFT Blog

iceuftblog.blogspot.com/.../defender-of-faith-leo-casey-defends.html

Feb 24, 2012 – Besides Long Island Principal Carol Burris, who co-wrote the principal's letter ... The UFT leadership answers this by trotting out Leo Casey, ...

Leo Casey “Sets the Record Straight” on the New Teacher ...

theassailedteacher.com/.../leo-casey-sets-the-record-straight-on-the-ne...

Feb 22, 2012 – Over at Edwise today Leo Casey, Vice President of the United ... principal Carol Burris of the new teacher evaluations here in New York State.

1. 
   

   
   

   ATTENTION NYC TEACHERS: YOU HAVE BEEN HAD BY YOUR .

   theassailedteacher.com/.../attention-nyc-teachers-you-have-been-had-...

   Jan 30, 2013 – Remember when Carol Burris criticized the UFT for agreeing to a system ... Here is Leo Casey addressing Burris' point about our schools being ...

Hey, getting Casey agitated is enough reason to give Carol this award. I can't tell you how many supervisors who I respect are shaking their heads at the union's going along with the state evaluation system -- even they think the union is leading its member to slaughter. But I guess it might take another landslide win by Mulgrew followed by the slaughter to get the message across --- that only a strong opposition will force the UFT to act in defense of its members. Sorry for turning a great event for Carol into a political diatribe. So back to Carol.

Carol Burris is part of Change The Stakes, the group fighting his stakes testing and working with parents opting out. CTS it a unique group with teachers, parents and administrators -- the best you can find. We are meeting today at 5:30 rm 3389 at CUNY if you are interested. (Small room so email me if coming.)

I have shot some video of Carol. Here, MORE's Julie Cavanagh introduces Carol Burris at a GEM/Change the Stakes Teacher Evaluation forum in April 2012. In this segment Julie also reads a statement from Arthur Goldstein who couldn't attend due to a death in the family. (I will put up the other segments from this event in a separate post.)

http://vimeo.com/40748945


GEM Teacher Evaluation Forum Carol Burris Statement from Grassroots Education Movement on Vimeo.

Here is my interview with Carol in her office at her school. I told her when I interviewed her last May, "I would come out of retirement to work for you."




HST Film Carol Burris from Grassroots Education Movement on Vimeo.

Burris' 2012 book, Opening the Common Core: How to Bring ALL Students to College and Career Readiness.

http://www.amazon.com/Opening-Common-Core-Students-Readiness/dp/1452226237

NOTES: MORE MEETS TOMORROW AND HOSTS SEATTLE TEACHER TEST BOYCOTT LEADER JESSE HAGOPIAN ON SUNDAY. CHECK MORE BLOG FOR DETAILS.

Brooke Parker: Standardized Tests Make Age-Inappropriate Demands on Kids / “They’re designed to fire teachers”

Leaving aside the absurdity of explaining what “on track for college” looks like to children who say “Justin Bieber” when asked what they want to be when they grow up, Walcott would have gotten his message across more succinctly by simply sending a barf bag to parents.

The good news for parents is that the “opt out” movement is growing across NYC, the state, and the country, as increasing numbers of parents are learning about this issue and refusing to allow their children to be tested. 

--- Brooke Parker

Brooke Parker does what the UFT doesn't. She is right on the front lines in the battle to defeat ed deform, especially over the Moskowitz family invasion of Williamsburg-Greenpoint. Here she says flat out:

Standardized Tests Make Age-Inappropriate Demands on Kids / “They’re designed to fire teachers”

http://thewgnews.com/2013/04/new-standardized-tests-make-age-inappropriate-demands-on-kids-theyre-really-designed-to-fire-teachers/

Posted by The WG News + Arts on April 11, 2013 in Commentary, Education, In The Paper, Issue 41 · 0 Comments

By Brooke Parker

This year, the parents of public school 3rd to 5th graders received a letter from Chancellor Dennis Walcott offering suggestions on how to ease test anxiety in their 8- to 10-year-olds. Walcott’s talking points included, “Let your child know that these tests are meant to be really hard. That’s because they are designed to measure whether students are on track for college and a good job when they finish high school.” Leaving aside the absurdity of explaining what “on track for college” looks like to children who say “Justin Bieber” when asked what they want to be when they grow up, Walcott would have gotten his message across more succinctly by simply sending a barf bag to parents.

What makes this year’s tests so different that they require a preparatory letter from the Chancellor? For starters, no one is prepared for them. The tests will be based on the new Common Core Standards that New York State implemented this year. The new curriculum was released only a little over a month before the test is to be administered. Principals and teachers are panicking, but not to worry, they got a Walcott letter, too, acknowledging that “these tests will be more difficult to pass,” but assuring educators that, somehow, these tests were in the best interest of their students.

For those of you who may not know what’s involved, kids will sit for 540 minutes (90 minutes a day, for 6 days) taking tests in English and Math. This is more test-taking time than is required to finish the SATs and the LSATs combined. Parents are talking about the enormous stress their kids are under, stress we parents never had because the state tests, back in our day, were short and diagnostic, with no high stakes attached. It’s clear to all involved that the students’ scores will suffer, and that will be taken into consideration, but a lot still rides on those test results, including the possibility of summer school, promotion to the next grade, and which middle schools they’ll be eligible to attend. For teachers, their jobs are on the line, since a significant portion of teacher evaluations is based on how students’ test scores improve from year to year. For schools, poor test scores will put them at risk of closure.

Walcott tells us that these new tests, aligned with the new Common Core Standards, will set a “baseline for measuring our students’ growth” (read: so that we can judge teachers with the scores) and that the results will help both teachers and parents support our children’s learning. Yet, under the current contract with Pearson (one of the largest for-profit test publishing companies in the world), the tests will be kept secret. Since teachers and parents will never see which questions students got right or wrong, the tests are utterly useless as a tool to support student learning. We’ll also never be able to judge if these compulsory tests, paid for by our tax dollars, are fair or reasonable. Leaks from last year’s test revealed a nonsensical series of questions based on a ridiculous text describing a race between a hare and a talking pineapple. Pineapplegate would have been laughable if the stakes were not so dead serious.

The switch from using tests to diagnose an educational problem to using tests to punish students, teachers, and schools reveals how big business would like us to think about public education and poverty. If the problem with public education is poverty, then we’ll need to spend more money to address how poverty impacts the classroom. On the other hand, if we decide that people remain poor because there’s a problem with public education, then schools, not poverty, are the crisis, and reforming education becomes very lucrative. We can now test students, transform the curriculum, and test students some more, offer professional development aligned with tests, and when the test scores don’t improve, redesign the curriculum, which will require new tests. Sound familiar? The one constant in this spending cycle is the unquestioned use of standardized tests to measure learning. I’ve come to cringe any time I hear the ka-ching that accompanies the terms “rigor,” “high standards,” and “accountability,” when applied to education.

There’s big money in testing to ensure high standards for our children, a regular flow of public dollars into private hands, even as repeated budget cuts force our children into increasingly crowded classrooms. Pearson aggressively lobbied to get their $32 million dollar contract to administer tests in New York, not to mention the lucrative sales of the packaged curriculum they developed for their tests. Tracing the money trail through profitable relationships is like a family tree in education reform, from Race to the Top to Teach for America to charter schools to online colleges.

Pearson is right there, pushing their tests and profiting along the way.

The good news for parents is that the “opt out” movement is growing across NYC, the state, and the country, as increasing numbers of parents are learning about this issue and refusing to allow their children to be tested. Still, it’s scary and impossible for some parents to have their children opt out. In NYC, opting out is a slight misnomer as, unlike a do-not-call list or unwanted mail, there is no legal provision to opt out of state standardized tests. Instead, parents refuse or boycott the tests for their children, keeping them home from school on testing weeks or pulling them out of school when testing begins. Having a legal and standardized opting out mechanism would allow kids to have the 540 minutes as class time, rather than test time.

As it turns out, just as secret as the tests themselves is the information that parents who can refuse the tests (3rd, 5th, and 8th graders) will not be at risk for having their children held back. There is, in fact, a portfolio assessment that allows students to demonstrate their strengths and learning, and which accurately and holistically addresses how they’ve done over the school year. Go figure. Testing isn’t the only way to measure students. Lots of parents might have liked to know that in their Walcott letter.

For more information about standardized tests in New York, why there is a growing movement against them, and what we can do to return to learning in the classroom, check out Fairtest.org, changethestakes.org, and nystoptesting.com

Gotham Links to Bogus Charter School Wait List Reports

An appropriate analogy might be if Harvard began referring to the 32,994 students it didn’t admit this year as a “waiting list,” then added that number to the 32,270 it didn’t admit last year, giving it a “waiting list” of 65,264, or a fiercely urgent case for lifting the Crimson Cap.

I propose that any charter that currently has fewer students enrolled than it has capacity to educate welcome some of the students on the waiting list effective tomorrow. Presto! The list just got smaller. See how easy that was?

-- EduShyster, The Waiting List for Superman?

Ooops! There goes those low numbers at KIPP as Gary Rubinstein has been reporting. Anyone for joining EduShyster in ending the charter attrition game?

The April 9 Gotham Schools Rise and Shine had this link to a NY Post report:

The Success Academy network of charter schools says more than 12,000 families applied. (Post)

Will Gotham Start Linking to National Enquirer?

Hey, I have an idea. Why not pull Geoff Decker off the Leonie Haimson beat so he can check out the truth of these claims?

I left this comment:

Why not report Success has a 12 million waiting list? Link to ANY Post article no matter how biased or untrue?

Here is the kind of reporting from EduShyster one might do vs chasing after Leonie Haimson:

The waiting list to enter academies of excellence and innovation in Massachusetts has now grown so long that policy makers have no choice but to respond to the growing waiting list by making policy that reflects the extraordinary length of the waiting list. Except that some actual reporting this week by the Boston Globe revealed that the waiting list is more fiction than fact. The story follows on the heels of this devastating expose in Chicago in which a reporter dismantles claims of a 19,000 charter wait list in Chicago, the length of which is now being used to justify charter expansion even as public schools are closed in that city. EduShyster looks at the list that wasn't and offers some excellent tipsfor reducing the wait time for students who are actually on it. Read more. http://edushyster.com/?p=2340

EduShyster is one of the astute and funniest bloggers around.

Her post credits @TonyBontheMIC for providing her with the title to this post. Check out his musings on the same topic here. 

ICE Slams Unity Indifference to Representing Members

It is one thing that the DOE has evolved the U rating appeals system as a kangaroo court. It is another that our Unity colleagues remain complicit and actually contribute to the loss of our members rights. --- Kaufman at ICE

Jeff Kaufman talks about what he has to do to defend a U-rated ATR where Jeff had to lead the UFT "couldn't care less rep" to water where she (reluctantly) drank. And the U rating was reversed. Now if the UFT had any gumption at all it would blast the name of the supervisor all over the place and demand that no ATRs be put under that thumb.

"U" Rated ATR Wins Appeal Despite "Unity" Representation

While there are plenty of reasons to vote for MORE and dump the "Unity" stranglehold on our membership perhaps the most compelling is the refusal by our leadership to properly represent our members.
Witness Samuel Richardson. Mr. Richardson (not his real name) is a 24 year veteran Social Studies licensed high school teacher who was excessed from a closing Brooklyn school 3 years ago. As with his colleagues he was assigned as an ATR and forced into nomadic purgatory where he shuffles from Brooklyn high school to Brooklyn high school on a weekly basis.
Last year he made it to my high school, Aspirations, and after we got to know each he explained that he had received an unsatisfactory observation for a lesson he was clearly set up. The story was all too familiar. With little notice Mr. Richardson said he would be observed in a class he was the substitute teacher for two days. The next day he was ushered into another class (a much more difficult class behaviorally and academically) and told to teach his lesson before the teacher and observer.
The subject of the lesson had nothing to do with what the class was studying at that point and needless to say the class was somewhat unruly. His observation report was written as if he provided no meaningful instruction and had no classroom management skills.
He reluctantly showed me the observation report. I tried to schedule a meeting with this ATR supervisor to no avail and by the time June rolled around he was given a "U" rating for the year. His supervisor saw him a total of 3 times (twice in the week he was observed) and engaged in no meaningful conversation with him the entire year. The U rating sheet referred only to the observation report and his perfect attendance record.
Throughout the next several months Mr. Richardson and I have been in communication. We regularly discussed appeal strategy and ways to reverse this rating. When he received notice right before the Easter break that his hearing would be today he called me. We met and I gave him a package of materials including the Rating Guide and several court cases dealing with arbitrary U ratings. 

A retired teacher [UFT rep] called him to meet with him and "prepare" for the hearing. He had one meeting with this advocate and gave her the materials I gave to him. He pleaded with her to call me.
Yesterday, on the eve of his appeal, a received a phone call from this "advocate." Our conversation was not pleasant. She accused me of cross-examining her and finally stated "if I do all you want me to do I would have no time." I then asked her how she would have felt if she, while teaching, had received a U rating and her advocate told her she had no time for her case. Silence.
It is one thing that the DOE has evolved the U rating appeals system as a kangaroo court. It is another that our Unity colleagues remain complicit and actually contribute to the loss of our members rights.
Advocates are taught to read statements (written by some knucklehead with no legal training) to the U rating appeals officer. They are not given the materials, training or time to adequately represent our members. The jobs are reserved for the Unity faithful in their retirement. In fact there is even a rule that lawyers are not allowed to argue for members.
As a result it is easy for the DOE to affirm almost every U rating appeal and since no record is ever made that would be valuable in Court most appeals to Court are denied.
I just got off the phone with Mr. Richardson who told me how the hearing went. The advocate submitted the papers I had provided him and according to Mr. Richardson used many of the strategies we discussed. There was actual questing of the rating officer and at the end of the hearing Mr. Richardson was informed his rating would be reversed.
A vote for Unity is a vote to not only perpetuate this system but actually codify it by placing a quota on appeals and needing Unity's permission to appeal. This is America?

 

MORE's New video

Thanks to a MORE high school teacher with a professional background for doing this.



 http://youtu.be/2BSY1sG8-vQ

Here is the MORE announcement.

The UFT ballots have arrived or will come in the next few days. Place an X in the MORE box if you believe in Positive Leadership of our UFT that will save public education from profit driven reform. If you believe the UFT should organize with parents and communities to serve the best interests of our students then you believe in MORE. It’s time for a new contract that improves our working conditions and our students’ learning conditions. Our students are not test scores, nor are they “common” or “standardized”. We will not sign on to policies that harm our children and turn teachers into test prep machines. Our schools are not businesses that should be closed. Educators need a strong union that stops the onslaught of paperwork and denial of tenure to good teachers. The UFT must protect our members from administrators who harass their staff each and everyday. Our students deserve smaller class sizes and better schools, a union led by MORE will fight day and night until our children get the education they deserve. Vote MORE- tell your colleagues to the same because every vote counts!

Norm in the Wave: UFT Election Season: The Game is ON as Mulgrew Ducks Debate

April 5, 2013
http://www.rockawave.com/news/2013-04-05/Columnists/School_Scope.html

UFT Election Season: The Game is ON as Mulgrew Ducks Debate

By Norm Scott

Recently a reporter asked me why a 10-year retiree is still doing this UFT union stuff. “I’m crazy,” I told her. Probably as a result of hitting my head while attempting to walk under my house to see if it meets flood standards.

Every three years, the United Federation of Teachers holds an election for 12 officers, 89 Executive Board members and some 700 AFT/NYSUT convention delegates. With ballots going out on April 3 and due back by April 24, we have reached that point once again. Full disclosure: I am a member and activist with Movement of Rank and File Educators (MORE) a new group challenging the ruling Unity Caucus party which has held onto power for over 50 years, a longer run in power than any banana republic dictatorship. Unity controls 100% of every single elected position in the union, the kind of control that excites the envy of people like Pinochet and Putin, who aims to turn what’s left of Russian democracy into the UFT model, one reason I check my food for radioactivity when I dine at UFT Executive Board meetings.

So, I have these 60,000 MORE leaflets in the back of my car, all of which must go into the school mailboxes of teachers all over the city. Luckily, there are many people taking most of the leaflets off my hands, leaving me to handle most of Rockaway and Howard Beach schools. I have such joy running around to schools and I make sure to treat myself to a snack after each school visit. By the time I lose the extra weight we’re ready for the next election. This is the 4^th election I’ve worked in since 2004 and here’s hoping I get a life before the next time – yikes – 2016, when we’ll be preoccupied with the Hilary Clinton presidential campaign.

MORE’s presidential candidate is 13-year special education teacher Julie Cavanagh, the first time an elementary school teacher has run for UFT president. Her opponent, Michael Mulgrew, was appointed to take over the union by Randi Weingarten when she jumped to the AFT Presidency. Mention Randi around Mulgrew supporters and they say, “Randi who?” Ah, such short memories of the woman they backed on every single position as she took the UFT down the dangerous road  of collaboration on ed deform.

When Julie Cavanagh challenged Mulgrew to a debate, he didn’t respond. The NY Post headline called him “chicken” and reported, “a top aide to Mulgrew confirmed that the incumbent would not debate Cavanagh. Instead, Mulgrew’s political handlers offered to have one of the subordinates from his Unity Caucus debate her.” People who have seen Cavanagh in action in local, national TV appearances and in other venues understand Mulgrew’s reluctance.

Cavanagh in an email to Mulgrew said: “While we have differences and disagreements concerning education policy and union democracy, we both are committed to our union and the children we serve. In that spirit, we should be able to engage in an open conversation during election season so we can ensure our fellow members are informed and engaged. To this point you have ignored outreach regarding your participation in a debate or question and answer town hall with me. I would like to directly and formally ask you to participate in such an event. I believe that our members deserve the opportunity to ask questions of their presidential candidates and I strongly believe this kind of open and honest discourse strengthens our union: an educated and engaged membership that is listened to and participates makes us stronger.” My guess is Mulgrew will opt for an uninformed, non-engaged membership that is not listened to.

Putting together MORE over the past year has been an adventure, blending a variety of  multi-generational teachers. 50% of NYC teachers leave within 5 years. Once past this point people start thinking like lifers which changes one’s perspective. Some think about getting out of the classroom, especially given the assault on classroom teachers in the attempt to hold them accountable when the sun doesn’t shine. Some see becoming a supervisor so they can torture teachers instead of being tortured.

Julie Cavanagh, four years ago, was headed in this direction until she witnessed an invasion of her school by a charter school run by the son of a billionaire with influence with Bloomberg. That gave her an up-close-and-personal look at the Bloomberg privatization agenda. The lack of response by the UFT to the needs of her school opened  her eyes to the failures of the union, leading to an understanding that the monster of corporate education deform cannot be fought until the UFT throws all its weight into the battle. That will never happen until there is a progressive leadership in charge.

Norm blogs at ednotesonline.org