In our Reclaiming Public Education forums we have been talking about issues that are critically important to our members, and we are beginning to plan actions. We are facing one such issue now: the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's "performance-based" licensure proposals.
How would you feel about the prospect of losing your license to teach - not just your job - based on your evaluation and/or your students' test scores? Several versions of just such a proposal were outlined in a document called "Design Principles and Policy Options" released by DESE on October 20, one day before the first of several DESE-controlled "town halls." These town halls are part of DESE's plan to propose a "performance-based" licensure system in the spring and implement it by October 2015.
Members who attended the October 21 town hall in Springfield noted that the session was tightly controlled and that educators were invited to express their views on "the pros and cons" of the various plans, but were not invited to say, "No. It is an outrage to suggest tying licensure to performance." Despite DESE's constraints, we are urging members to register here to express their views loudly and clearly. Please review the Design Principles document carefully before attending. Here are the remaining dates and locations:
- Thursday, 10/23 - Central MA (Worcester Technical High School) 4:30 pm-7:00 pm(Capacity of 75)
- Saturday, 10/25 - Boston (Simmons College) 9:30 am-12:00 pm (Capacity of 90)
- Wednesday, 11/19 - Metro Boston (Malden High) 4:30 pm-7:00 pm
- Thursday, 11/20 - Southern MA (Bridgewater State University) 4:30 pm-7:00 pm
Click here for more information on the proposals and MTA's messages about them.
It is time to organize! Besides registering for a town hall, get the word out. Please engage at least two members in conversation about these proposals. Building reps, this would be a great time to hold a 10-minute meeting to make sure our members are informed.
If you attend a town hall, please send a report to MTA's Beth Shevlin (eshevlin@massteacher.org):
Who was there? What questions were asked? How many people spoke out against the proposal? How well were you being listened to? Were your remarks being recorded?
Our response to these plans will not be limited to the DESE-controlled town halls. Stay tuned for more organizing efforts to come. For now, speak up and spread the word!
6 comments:
Educators need to wake up and fight back against this onslaught of outrageous ridiculousness!!!
Today was a sad day for New Bedford's Educators. Most of them entered buildings hoping to gain insight and answers to questions they have accumulated while working through the City's newly adopted reading series. Did the city really misuse there budget once again? Did they spend so much on this new series that they could not afford to bring back trained individuals who have used the series to provide Professional Development ?
One by one, the lights in the educators eyes dulled, as they realized the day's events were being lead by their very Principals. Principals who have not taught with Reading Street. They had no pearls of wisdom to offer their educators from their knowledge of the series. Amazing, how on earth could this happen? How under the leadership of Pia Durkin, were the standards lowered so, how did this day managed to fit the 'sense of urgency' and need for 'rigor' that New Bedfords teachers have been held to uphold?
It was truly a let down. The sad part was the principals were better than the RS trainer for 3-5. At least they raffled off a gift card.
Don't you think that some of our numble administrators are already using evaluations as a way of weeding people out. I have three evaluations from the past school year and 11 evaluations from prior years that says differently. (Retired) And I did mean numble, not humble because they're not!
This reading series is not going to help,too much testing,boring for the children,you can see it in their faces.this reading series was a mistake.wonder who got a kickback from this one?
Pear$on Always Earning
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