Data Link Stink Mounting in California
Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Walters has a good summary of the controversy regarding any link between student achievement data and teachers in California. The state law is clear. The Obama administration’s position is clear. And the California Teachers Association’s position is clear, as evidenced by this speech from CTA President David Sanchez this week:
“Paying and evaluating teachers based on a single test score does not improve student learning and does not help attract and retain quality teachers in lower-performing schools! And we will not stand for it.
Secretary Duncan is also a little confused about California’s law for tracking student and teacher data. You may have read something about this as Secretary Duncan has been threatening to prevent California from qualifying for some federal education grants. What Secretary Duncan doesn’t understand is that California law doesn’t prohibit linking student and teacher data. In fact, it already is linked at the local level.
California law also doesn’t prohibit the use of student assessments in evaluating teachers, but if and how that is done is bargained at the local level.
The CTA Board of Directors has already appointed a member and staff workgroup to guide our efforts throughout the reauthorization. CTA will also be making sure NEA holds strong and does what’s right around NCLB.”
The last sentence is intriguing. CTA may be concerned that a deal between NEA and the Obama administration at the national level might bend a little too much.
I still believe this will all be papered over, but I’ve underestimated Obama on education reform before. If he sticks to his guns in California, it’s going to get very interesting very quickly.
August 8th, 2009 at 12:56
I keep reading that “California law already allows this”, but I can’t find it in ed code. The closest I can find is Section 44662e, which states, “The evaluation and assessment of certificated employee performance pursuant to this section shall not include the use of publishers’ norms established by standardized tests.”
So is Sanchez saying you can gather the data on how my students perform, but you can’t evaluate me on it? And what about those 6 districts I keep hearing about that somehow use student data to evaluate teachers? I can’t figure out what they’re doing, what Sanchez is saying, and how that relates to the ed code.
Color me lost.
August 9th, 2009 at 05:42
Hi Darren: I understand your confusion. If not for teacher apathy and confusion the CTA wouldn’t exist. And the NEA is little more than a lobby group for itself anyway. Sanchez won’t stand for “it.” is a joke (on us his members) Sanchez came to our district If he won’t stand for it, he’ll definitely roll over for it. Most educators will. I am about to loose my counseling position of 11 years do to the wrath of our local president because I blew her cover off her agenda to force the idiots at our DO to lay off 300+ tenured teachers rather accept a furlow (read don’t touch the salary schedule.) She never informed membership. No Vote – until I began writing editorials, bloggs, and someone broke out an illegal district wide email the Sup. let run rampant for 3 hours. She knew we were being deceived and wanted the backlash for her own agenda. The DO couldn’t make public what was about to happen due to the rules of the negotiation. All this just a few days from being presented to Board. But the president held out until I called for a picket of the union office in broad daylight. Then she was forced to minimize the number slaughtered. Our usually buffoon like School board for once did the right thing in late May and sent them both back to the table. The DO had some people take it personally. Fed up and with the blessing of the superintendent, they told the local to shove it. They would violate the contract if that’s what was needed and she would except the conditions they gave her (more or less). The All Powerful President wimpered and called Sanchez. He came and practically begged, for our newly empowered Sup. to not make the unprecidented MID-SUMMER LAYOFFS. it was disgusting and disturbing. But the lay offs start. Only the DO is to poorly run and understaffed to make much headway. But when the Administrative law judges get back later this month we will be collectively F….ed. They kicked open a door that will allow layoffs at will through Jan.1 and beyond. Nobody is allowing us to know the true number of layoffs. Further the DO announced they would take furlough days as well. But not on student days. It would be suicide should mom have to pay for a baby sitter for johnny. This probably happening behind closed doors all over the state.
Despite Rush and all the right wing talking heads repeating with indignent fear ‘the teacher’s union’ is an uncontrollable monster with influence to crush democracy itself! To rewrite the constitution in the blood of our children! The truth is NEA and CTA are impotent. Its all a sham. Despite 330,000 members and a multi-million dollar annual income, David Sanchez couldn’t muster the clout to sway the thinking of a board of education in a bankrupt city of less than 200,000 people. That’s why Arnold gutted us with such impunity. This is the true design behind NCLB. Although, frequent valid and objective testing is good. It left the districts without the money to carry it through. But has huge federal penalties associated with not meeting its unobtainable timeline. It was meant further crush the pubic’s opinion of the only original and progressive idea this country has ever had come to fruition. The idea of all children receiving a free and appropriate education. The foundation of our middle class and the reason most Americans can read and still choose not to. We aren’t over paid we are simply under represented even by ourselves for ourselves. As to fighting for their rights. Very few members (with the possible exception of the CFT AND the only real teacher’s UNION in California – the UTLA) will refuse to protest in public let alone authorize a strike action. Please not that! It is common knowledge amongst anyone associated with state politcs or education that teachers cross their own lines like they are the entrance to Disneyland.
I am unlike our intrepid host, am strong believer in the union concept. I believe the CFT is a more member oriented and proactive Association or para- professional… no, still not a union but… What ever, more community involved. I wrote to our local when the cover up was leaked to me and told them that and I was looking into the options despite the questionable no-raiding agreement in California with the AFL CIO.
May be our only hope is a military coup.
Seriously, the only hope at least for the near future is do what Warren Buffett told Arnold he must do to acheive any fair solution. Toss out prop 13 and write a law more inline with the other states. When Arnold crawled out from under the conferenece table 10 minutes later looking carefully for any one with a gun he said. ‘No, mister girlie man, I think I have a better Idea.’
August 9th, 2009 at 05:44
with regard to my previous rant. It’s 4am. Please forgive the spelling.