Ever since Governor Snyder signed the new law, now known as Public Act 102, changing the accountability levels of teachers and creating a council to create the assessment tool for teachers, we have been waiting patiently to hear who will sit on this committee. The final appointee to the Governor's Council on Educator Effectiveness was made today. Here's how it looks: the governor gets to appoint three people, the House and Senate each get to appoint one person, and the state superintendent gets to appoint one person.
Governor Snyder has appointed Mark Reckase, a professor at Michigan State University and expert on measurement and quantitative methods. Professor Reckase has been conducting research on computerized adaptive testing. One can assume that this appoinment is to assist with the student testing piece that will tie student test scores to teacher effectiveness. Ugh! More testing and data collection. It makes me want to scream!
Snyder has also appointed Nicholas Sheltrown of National Heritage Academies of Grand Rapids. National Heritage is a for-profit charter school company that runs charter schools in Michigan and seven other states. Mr. Sheltrown also has a background in "performance technology" as he is listed in the staff directory for Grand Valley State University as a Performance and Technology Specialist. Looks like another "bean counter" type to make sure the teachers are doing their jobs. The fact that this guy works for a for-proft company makes my stomach churn!
Snyder's final appointment was made today. He appointed Deborah Ball of the University of Michigan School of Education. She has been an elementary teacher, and she specializes in math instruction. It looks like Snyder wants us to get those math scores up! While I don't really have any reasonable objections to this appointee, her math focus makes me ponder.
The others members of the council are Senate appointee, David Vensel, principal of Jefferson High School in Monroe. The school's website didn't have much information about him at all. I think that maybe in these fiscally tight times, the district hasn't put a lot of effort into their website. Maybe this guy has teachers' interests at heart, maybe not?
The House appointtee is Dr. Jennifer Hammond, principal of Grand Blanc High School, and president of MASSP. In other words, not a friend of teachers. The MASSP lobbied heavily for the new teacher tenure laws, and they got what they wanted! She is "one of them."
The state superintendent's office has appointed Joseph Martineau who works for the Michigan Department of Education in the Bureau of Assessment and Accountability. Again, another math person. As far as I can tell, no one on this council has any English or social studies background. Sorry all you English and social studies teachers out there, I guess we are out of luck!
I only hope with all my heart that these people do nothing to further damage the public school system in Michigan. Well, I can hope, can't I?
Friday, September 23, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The Story That Should Have Been Written
This is the story that should have been written about Linden's school board meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011. Instead, the story was about how Mancino's donated free coupon's for good student behavior. Give me a break...
The media center was filled with teachers of a single mind, dressed singularly in the color black. It was very obvious to anyone that it was intentional. The meeting was called to order. The school district's superintendent was noticeably absent.
The meeting proceeding very quickly with the agenda being approved, then moving onto the recognition of the fall sports coaches by the athletic director, Cathy North. Then came public comments.
LEA president Meg Walton took the podium and gave a very rousing and emotional speech about the district's inability to settle a contract. She raised several salient points about the union making a minimum of four offers while the school board has only has only made one offer. That offer is a substantial pay cut, plus a hard cap on insurance, something much more drastic than is required, considering the district's fund balance. In fact, the district voted just about a month ago to lower the fund balance to 3% in order to save teacher jobs. Apparently, they want to build it back up again. In the past, the district' fund balance has been as low as 2%.
After, Ms. Walton's speech the audience stood and gave her a hearty round of applause. Two other teachers also took the podium and spoke on the issue of a lack of contract.
It should be evident to the Linden School Board that the teachers are not happy with the current situation. Even some parents are not happy, as was evidenced by two parents addressing the board about the very large class sizes at Linden Elementary.
I hope the board was paying attention...
I hope the public realizes that it is not the teachers' fault that there is no calendar and no contract. Of course, they might, if the media did its job....
The media center was filled with teachers of a single mind, dressed singularly in the color black. It was very obvious to anyone that it was intentional. The meeting was called to order. The school district's superintendent was noticeably absent.
The meeting proceeding very quickly with the agenda being approved, then moving onto the recognition of the fall sports coaches by the athletic director, Cathy North. Then came public comments.
LEA president Meg Walton took the podium and gave a very rousing and emotional speech about the district's inability to settle a contract. She raised several salient points about the union making a minimum of four offers while the school board has only has only made one offer. That offer is a substantial pay cut, plus a hard cap on insurance, something much more drastic than is required, considering the district's fund balance. In fact, the district voted just about a month ago to lower the fund balance to 3% in order to save teacher jobs. Apparently, they want to build it back up again. In the past, the district' fund balance has been as low as 2%.
After, Ms. Walton's speech the audience stood and gave her a hearty round of applause. Two other teachers also took the podium and spoke on the issue of a lack of contract.
It should be evident to the Linden School Board that the teachers are not happy with the current situation. Even some parents are not happy, as was evidenced by two parents addressing the board about the very large class sizes at Linden Elementary.
I hope the board was paying attention...
I hope the public realizes that it is not the teachers' fault that there is no calendar and no contract. Of course, they might, if the media did its job....
Friday, September 16, 2011
When is enough enough?
More attacks on public education, especially teachers, have been taking place here in Michigan. It wasn't enough that the Republican-dominated legislature has passed and Republican Governor Rick Snyder has signed into law sweeping changes in teacher tenure and evaluations in June. No, while the legislature did take a break from the onslaught temporarily this summer, they have been back at it full-steam-ahead during the past week and a half.
First, Sen. Pavlov introduces a package of bills (SB 618-624) that further deconstruct public education as we know it. This package of bills does a number of things such outsourcing teachers (yes, hiring teachers from a private company), lifting the cap on charters, lifting the restrictions on cyber schools, allowing foundation money to go to private schools, and requiring public schools to participate in a statewide schools of choice, with restrictions on turning down out-of-district students.
What these bills essentially say to current public school teachers and the parents of the children who attend these public schools, is that ANYTHING GOES!! It doesn't matter about teacher quality, more taxpayer money going to private companies or private religious schools, or even real, face-to-face contact with students. No, none of this matters because the legislature is "reinventing" public education in Michigan, by bypassing unions, siphoning money to private companies and forcing money-strapped districts to accept expensive out-of-district students without any additional funding. No, this is what is best for the students of Michigan. Our trusty legislators are education experts, you know, because they themselves have been through the public education system and send their children to public schools (Ooops, they send their kids to private schools, don't they?).
It gets even better...A few days ago, both the Senate and the House introduced bills that would prohibit the collection of unions dues through a payroll deduction. Why? It's not that this costs school districts any money. It's not because it would benefit students in any way. No, it is only because the MEA supported the recall effort of one of their own, Rep. Paul Scott. This is nothing more than retaliation for a successful attempt to get the recall of Rep. Scott on the November ballot. Paybacks. I'm pretty sure it won't stop here.
If you are a public school teacher, or the spouse of one, or the friend of one, or a parent of public school students, you need to let our Michigan legislators know that this attack on public education and public school teachers must stop! Please, contact them and let them know that you value our public school system.
I have included a video of MEA President Steve Cook's message to members taped earlier this evening. He encourages everyone to get involved. It is no longer acceptable to sit by and do nothing.
First, Sen. Pavlov introduces a package of bills (SB 618-624) that further deconstruct public education as we know it. This package of bills does a number of things such outsourcing teachers (yes, hiring teachers from a private company), lifting the cap on charters, lifting the restrictions on cyber schools, allowing foundation money to go to private schools, and requiring public schools to participate in a statewide schools of choice, with restrictions on turning down out-of-district students.
What these bills essentially say to current public school teachers and the parents of the children who attend these public schools, is that ANYTHING GOES!! It doesn't matter about teacher quality, more taxpayer money going to private companies or private religious schools, or even real, face-to-face contact with students. No, none of this matters because the legislature is "reinventing" public education in Michigan, by bypassing unions, siphoning money to private companies and forcing money-strapped districts to accept expensive out-of-district students without any additional funding. No, this is what is best for the students of Michigan. Our trusty legislators are education experts, you know, because they themselves have been through the public education system and send their children to public schools (Ooops, they send their kids to private schools, don't they?).
It gets even better...A few days ago, both the Senate and the House introduced bills that would prohibit the collection of unions dues through a payroll deduction. Why? It's not that this costs school districts any money. It's not because it would benefit students in any way. No, it is only because the MEA supported the recall effort of one of their own, Rep. Paul Scott. This is nothing more than retaliation for a successful attempt to get the recall of Rep. Scott on the November ballot. Paybacks. I'm pretty sure it won't stop here.
If you are a public school teacher, or the spouse of one, or the friend of one, or a parent of public school students, you need to let our Michigan legislators know that this attack on public education and public school teachers must stop! Please, contact them and let them know that you value our public school system.
I have included a video of MEA President Steve Cook's message to members taped earlier this evening. He encourages everyone to get involved. It is no longer acceptable to sit by and do nothing.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Save Our Schools March in Washington D.C.
My transformation into a political activist would not be complete without attending a rally and march in Washington D.C.!
My friend and I drove to Washington D.C. this weekend to attend the Save Our Schools March. It was hot!! The temperature in D.C. was 104 degrees on Friday. Luckily, it wasn't quite that hot on Saturday, the day of the march, but it did go into the mid 90's that day.
We didn't stay right in the city, so we had to drive in and try to find a place to park. It was crazy! All of the public parking garages were closed, and the meters had a two hour limit. It was almost as if the city did not want us there. We eventually found parking several blocks away and had to walk in the scorching heat to the Ellipse where the rally took place.
There were about 5,000 people who attended. We saw people from all over the U.S. My friend and I went around and took pictures of all the different signs people were carrying. Let me tell you, Wisconsin was very well represented! I think that what has happened in that state has truly awoken a sleeping giant! The signs reflected the passion of people who have been under attack recently:
They set up a stage and Jumbo Tron screen for the crowd. They also set up white tents to offer a little shade. The Washington Teachers Union provided hand-held fans and free water to everyone. We saw people who were passing out information about the Socialist Labor Party. We saw others who were trying to drum up support to bring back the Glass-Steagall Act (banking reform legislation designed to stop speculation). There were also a few signs that supported impeaching President Obama. These events bring all kinds of people!
Why were we there? What were we marching for? Educators and parents and supporters were there to march for equitable funding of schools, to cease the continued privatization of public education through increasing charter schools, to cease the use of high-stakes testing in evaluating teachers and schools, to end the faulty law known as No Child Left Behind. These "reforms" are not going to improve education in America.
Attendees of the rally heard inspiring speeches from some big names in education: Jonathan Kozol, Diane Ravitch, and Deborah Meier. We also heard from others who have been involved in other rallies across the country. One was a student from Students for a Democratic Society. These people are the ones who occupied the capitol building in Madison this past winter. Comedian Jon Stewart recorded a message for teachers that was played on the Jumbo Tron screen, and we had a surprise visit from celebrity Matt Damon!
Both of these celebrities are children of teachers and had words of support for us. There were many speakers who slammed Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. I can only hope he listens!
After the speeches, we marched. In the heat. To the White House.
Actually, we walked around the White House and back to the Ellipse. In front of the White House were two other groups protesting, Syrians and Israelis! They were separated by barricades and were shouting back and forth to one another. We marched right up the middle of them! It was a little bizarre. I thought we would stop in front of the White House and chant or something, but we didn't.
After the march, my friend and I got out of the heat and went back to our hotel in Virginia. There was a meeting on Sunday to discuss the movement's next step, but my friend and I had a long drive back to Michigan. Unfortunately, we could not attend this meeting. I will have to follow up with this through the internet.
Did Washington hear us? I'm really not sure if the march had an impact, but it made me feel like I was doing something. I am participating in political life. I have become aware of important issues, and I have taken a stand on them. I wish MORE people had been there this weekend. I am discouraged by the apathy that I see around me. What is it going to take for people to start to take notice and speak out against the attack on the public sector? I am hoping that more people will read my blog and become aware that we need to speak up! Please pass this on!
My friend and I drove to Washington D.C. this weekend to attend the Save Our Schools March. It was hot!! The temperature in D.C. was 104 degrees on Friday. Luckily, it wasn't quite that hot on Saturday, the day of the march, but it did go into the mid 90's that day.
We didn't stay right in the city, so we had to drive in and try to find a place to park. It was crazy! All of the public parking garages were closed, and the meters had a two hour limit. It was almost as if the city did not want us there. We eventually found parking several blocks away and had to walk in the scorching heat to the Ellipse where the rally took place.
There were about 5,000 people who attended. We saw people from all over the U.S. My friend and I went around and took pictures of all the different signs people were carrying. Let me tell you, Wisconsin was very well represented! I think that what has happened in that state has truly awoken a sleeping giant! The signs reflected the passion of people who have been under attack recently:
Why were we there? What were we marching for? Educators and parents and supporters were there to march for equitable funding of schools, to cease the continued privatization of public education through increasing charter schools, to cease the use of high-stakes testing in evaluating teachers and schools, to end the faulty law known as No Child Left Behind. These "reforms" are not going to improve education in America.
Attendees of the rally heard inspiring speeches from some big names in education: Jonathan Kozol, Diane Ravitch, and Deborah Meier. We also heard from others who have been involved in other rallies across the country. One was a student from Students for a Democratic Society. These people are the ones who occupied the capitol building in Madison this past winter. Comedian Jon Stewart recorded a message for teachers that was played on the Jumbo Tron screen, and we had a surprise visit from celebrity Matt Damon!
Both of these celebrities are children of teachers and had words of support for us. There were many speakers who slammed Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. I can only hope he listens!
After the speeches, we marched. In the heat. To the White House.
After the march, my friend and I got out of the heat and went back to our hotel in Virginia. There was a meeting on Sunday to discuss the movement's next step, but my friend and I had a long drive back to Michigan. Unfortunately, we could not attend this meeting. I will have to follow up with this through the internet.
Did Washington hear us? I'm really not sure if the march had an impact, but it made me feel like I was doing something. I am participating in political life. I have become aware of important issues, and I have taken a stand on them. I wish MORE people had been there this weekend. I am discouraged by the apathy that I see around me. What is it going to take for people to start to take notice and speak out against the attack on the public sector? I am hoping that more people will read my blog and become aware that we need to speak up! Please pass this on!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Collecting Signatures, Part II: An Interesting Twist
As I wrote in my last post, I have been working on the petition drive to recall Rep. Paul Scott and Gov. Rick Snyder for the past week. Today took an interesting turn. Apparently, Rep. Scott is beginning to feel the pressure and he has decided to "press" back. While working at Grand Blanc High School this afternoon, a car arrived carrying two Paul Scott supporters, one with a video camera, and one with flyers. I know that they had just as much right to be there as we did. We couldn't ask them to leave. Their tactic was to stand right next to the parking lot (before the petition table) and video tape signers as they walked toward out table. The video taping was meant to intimidate (I believe) the signers. The other gentleman would give a flyer extolling the virtues of the new teacher tenure law while the other guy video taped. Most people just laughed at them. A few of them refused the flyer and told them that Paul Scott has to go! I saw two people leave without coming up to the petition table. I'm not sure if they wanted to sign, or if they were hecklers. My partner was really nice to the two gentlemen. She offered them ice cream and pizza that we had. They declined. These two were not rude or bullies. The organizers of the petition drive were a little worried, but these two had little, if any impact on what we were doing.
Also of note, our group had set up another signing location in Grand Blanc today in front of a party store. Paul Scott's people proceeded to call the party store and threaten to not shop there anymore unless the petitioners left. These are the types of desperate tactics that are being used by the Paul Scott camp. This tells me that he is worried, indeed! It gives me the motivation to keep up the work we have been doing!
Also of note, our group had set up another signing location in Grand Blanc today in front of a party store. Paul Scott's people proceeded to call the party store and threaten to not shop there anymore unless the petitioners left. These are the types of desperate tactics that are being used by the Paul Scott camp. This tells me that he is worried, indeed! It gives me the motivation to keep up the work we have been doing!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Collecting Signatures
Thursday, July 21, 2011 launched the recall effort for Rep. Paul Scott from District 51. I don't live in his district, but many of my colleagues do, and I think this man has done more to damage public education than any other current legislator. I am helping in the recall effort! This is the first time I have participated in something so political, but I feel compelled to do so.
I volunteered to work collecting signatures yesterday at Grand Blanc High School (ironically, Paul Scott graduated from Grand Blanc High). One of my colleagues and her sister have been very active in the Recall Snyder campaign. We had petitions to recall Rep. Paul Scott, Gov. Rick Snyder, and a petition to repeal the Emergency Financial Manager law (Public Act 4). The weather was muggy and rainy. Other volunteers said that business at this location had been very steady throughout the day. There seemed to be a lull because of the rain. I grabbed an umbrella and a sign and stood on the side of Saginaw trying to bring people in to sign petitions. Many vehicles honked their horns at us; others would wave or give a thumbs up as they drove past. I felt very encouraged by all of this! One woman slowed her car down and proceeded to shake her head at me. I could only imagine what she was saying to me. This didn't matter because I realize that not everyone is unhappy about how the state is currently being run.
I held the sign for about an hour. A slow stream of vehicles turned into the high school parking lot to sign. The rain had stopped and the sun was peeking out from the clouds. I was asked to take over collecting signatures because one of the volunteers had to leave. Business was picking up because many people were on their way home from work.
What I found interesting was listening to what people had to say as they approached the table. There were so many who were very angry at Rep. Scott for the arrogance that he has displayed. Some people shared stories of coming in contact with Rep. Scott when he was campaigning , or one of the times he visited schools. One mother told of a story when Rep. Scott visited her daughter's school to speak and brought candy, but he didn't bring enough candy for everyone. Her daughter was really upset! I gave her a recall Paul Scott sticker. Another citizen who was an older gentleman came up to the table and said, "I want to know why he didn't marry the woman he got pregnant!" I know these stories have nothing to do with Paul Scott's politics, but they do reveal the level of animosity the public is feeling toward his character. They are signing the petition.
Some people don't agree with what we are doing and want to voice their opinion. One older man pulled his car into the parking lot but didn't get out. When we went up to talk to him, he just wanted to complain about what we were doing. Another younger voter stopped by and actually approached the table. He wanted to argue about the cost of public pensions. We told him to have a good evening and he left. For every head shake or complaint, there were at least twenty-five others who wanted to sign. I left yesterday evening feeling like I had really made a difference.
We collected hundreds of signatures yesterday. It was only the second day, and we were only one location. We have until August 5, 2011. I'm not sure if we can get the required 8,000 signatures, but at least I will know that I tried. I will volunteer more during the next two weeks. If you live in Rep. Scott's district and you want to sign, join the recall Paul Scott Facebook page to find out locations of petitions. If you want to get involved, you can also volunteer. We need all the help we can get!
I volunteered to work collecting signatures yesterday at Grand Blanc High School (ironically, Paul Scott graduated from Grand Blanc High). One of my colleagues and her sister have been very active in the Recall Snyder campaign. We had petitions to recall Rep. Paul Scott, Gov. Rick Snyder, and a petition to repeal the Emergency Financial Manager law (Public Act 4). The weather was muggy and rainy. Other volunteers said that business at this location had been very steady throughout the day. There seemed to be a lull because of the rain. I grabbed an umbrella and a sign and stood on the side of Saginaw trying to bring people in to sign petitions. Many vehicles honked their horns at us; others would wave or give a thumbs up as they drove past. I felt very encouraged by all of this! One woman slowed her car down and proceeded to shake her head at me. I could only imagine what she was saying to me. This didn't matter because I realize that not everyone is unhappy about how the state is currently being run.
I held the sign for about an hour. A slow stream of vehicles turned into the high school parking lot to sign. The rain had stopped and the sun was peeking out from the clouds. I was asked to take over collecting signatures because one of the volunteers had to leave. Business was picking up because many people were on their way home from work.
What I found interesting was listening to what people had to say as they approached the table. There were so many who were very angry at Rep. Scott for the arrogance that he has displayed. Some people shared stories of coming in contact with Rep. Scott when he was campaigning , or one of the times he visited schools. One mother told of a story when Rep. Scott visited her daughter's school to speak and brought candy, but he didn't bring enough candy for everyone. Her daughter was really upset! I gave her a recall Paul Scott sticker. Another citizen who was an older gentleman came up to the table and said, "I want to know why he didn't marry the woman he got pregnant!" I know these stories have nothing to do with Paul Scott's politics, but they do reveal the level of animosity the public is feeling toward his character. They are signing the petition.
Some people don't agree with what we are doing and want to voice their opinion. One older man pulled his car into the parking lot but didn't get out. When we went up to talk to him, he just wanted to complain about what we were doing. Another younger voter stopped by and actually approached the table. He wanted to argue about the cost of public pensions. We told him to have a good evening and he left. For every head shake or complaint, there were at least twenty-five others who wanted to sign. I left yesterday evening feeling like I had really made a difference.
We collected hundreds of signatures yesterday. It was only the second day, and we were only one location. We have until August 5, 2011. I'm not sure if we can get the required 8,000 signatures, but at least I will know that I tried. I will volunteer more during the next two weeks. If you live in Rep. Scott's district and you want to sign, join the recall Paul Scott Facebook page to find out locations of petitions. If you want to get involved, you can also volunteer. We need all the help we can get!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
How I Became a Political Activist
What is it that turns complacency into passion, apathy into action? This is the question I have been pondering about myself lately because a fire within me has been stoked, and I have been participating more in political life.
Let me begin by saying that I was born and raised in a very conservative, Mormon family. I always knew that I was not like my four siblings. I joked around that maybe I was adopted or that I had a twin that lived with another family. In a word, I was a rebel. I did not want to go to church on Sunday, or Wednesday, or Saturday, or whatever day had some church function. I wanted to play, or do whatever I felt I was missing out on by going to church. My rebellious nature has been difficult to suppress, even though my parents tried. It has popped up time and time again in my life, always to be pushed back into submission.
My parents and family are staunch Republicans. I’m sure they always vote Republican without question. I, too, have voted Republican without giving it much thought. I turned eighteen in 1984 and missed the presidential election by one month. I would have voted for Reagan because my parents voted for Reagan. Instead, I had to wait until 1988 to vote in my first presidential election. I voted for H.W. Bush, just like my parents. Honestly, I was too egocentric to give politics a second thought in the 1980s. I did my duty and went home. It wasn’t until the 1990s that my life made a turn left.
I got divorced. The youngest of five, I was the last to get married and the first to get divorced. Needless to say, my family did not support divorce as an option, but they loved me and tried to understand how I could leave my husband of only three years to seek a better life. My parents even gave me some financial support during this transition. Ironically, three of my siblings got divorced from their spouses after I got divorced. It was as if I blazed a trail for them. Only one of my sisters is still married to her first husband.
Getting divorced forced me into independence. Actually, I was already there, I just didn’t realize it at the time. I needed a career that could support me because it was obvious that the idea that a husband would support me was not a reality. Luckily, I didn’t have any children with my first husband, and I could make decisions that only affected me.
I went back to school to become a teacher, and this is where the liberal side of me was brought to the surface. It was always there, but nothing of note triggered it to come forth. Even when I joined the MEA in my first year of teaching (in a large urban district), I did not participate in any union activities. When officer election time came, I just filled out the ballot. I didn’t even know the people who were running.
It wasn’t until I got a job in a small, rural district that things began to change. In my new job, the union members were much more involved than in the big city district. We were expected to attend union meetings, something I had never done before. We were expected to serve on committees, also something new to me.
My new job also offered new opportunities to make new friends and teach new courses. I have to say that this combination is what has brought about the most change for me. A few years ago I was asked by my principal to teach AP U.S. History. I had always taught English (with one exception, I taught economics for one year), and I was flattered and nervous about such an undertaking. I would have to become an "expert" on U.S. history in a very short time in order to teach a college-level course. I accepted the challenge.
At the same time as this, I came to know the department chair of the social studies department much better. We began to eat lunch together and most of our conversations focused around teaching methods we used in our classes. My first year teaching AP was very stressful, and my friend (who also teaches AP) was there to offer words of encouragement to get me through this formidable first year. This friend and department chair is also my local union president.
During the last year, issues within the political world and the educational world have quickly changed course. Changes are happening both at the national level and the state level and both have been the topic of conversation at lunch with my dear friend. Last year our state adopted the Common Core Curriculum Standards which means yet another curriculum shift, a shift toward a national curriculum, taking away much of the local control of curriculum. Michigan elected a Republican governor to office, and both the House and the Senate have the Republican majority. This has easily allowed the passage of legislation that will change the status quo in education in Michigan.
Most of these changes will not benefit students. The details of this have been the subject of other blog posts, but it is this current political atmosphere that has caused me to do things that I have never before done. My first activist function was attending a grade-in at a mall in Lansing. We wore red shirts and parked ourselves in the food court for three hours to grade papers on a Sunday afternoon. There weren't very many participants that first time, but I was interviewed by the local news station about what we were doing at the mall. I told the reporter that this is the way many teachers spend their Sunday. We wanted the public to know that we didn't just work from 8-3 Monday through Friday.
For my second activity, I attended a union rally at the Capitol building in Lansing in April. It wasn't just teachers in attendance, but many unions. We held signs and chanted, "That's not right!" as we listened to speakers. It didn't really accomplish anything, but it made me feel good that I was showing my discontent with what was going on.
On the local front, our union has been involved in negotiations for a new contract for over a year. We decided as a group to do a few activities to make our feelings known to the administration. We got t-shirts that were red and had "Linden United" on the front. We did informational picketing, passing out cards to parents as they dropped off their children in the morning. We had union meetings advising our members to write to their legislators about the anti-teacher legislation that was pending.
I e-mailed both my senator and my representative (both Republicans). I attended another rally, this time an MEA rally that was the biggest rally at the Capitol since Snyder took office. It was barely mentioned in the news media. Finally, I decided I should go to the Capitol and try to speak to my senator in person. This is something I never would have dreamed of doing even a year ago. Of course, I didn't get to speak to him and the vote passed the legislation, so my efforts had no effect. What's next? I will continue to write about issues that are important to teachers and students. I want to get involved in the recall effort against the governor and some of the legislators. Basically, it is just the beginning for me because I have discovered that I cannot allow myself to sit by and be complacent or apathetic about what is happening in this state and in this country. Hopefully, my voice will make a difference...
Friday, July 1, 2011
A 'Shameful' Day in Michigan: The Day That Teacher Tenure Was Dismantled
The shame for Michigan begins on June 30, 2011, when lawmakers passed a set of bills (HB 4625-4628) that drastically alter the teacher tenure laws in Michigan. In essence, teachers will now have little protection against being fired other than for reasons "not arbitrary and capricious," the lowest standard for removing an employee.
I went to the Capitol on Thursday with my good friend and local union president to experience first-hand this legislative process. It was a new experience for both of us. I was both fascinated and horrified at what I witnessed. I had contacted my senator, Senator Jim Marleau (R), and expressed my concerns about these bills that I knew would soon be brought to the Senate. Amazingly, I received an email from one of his aides that stated that Sen. Marleau did not support these bills, but instead, supported Senate Bill 503 which was true tenure reform. I was greatly relieved to hear this, however, SB 503 was dead in the water. I desperately tried to speak with my senator in the lobby yesterday, waiting for hours with numerous other lobbyists. Sen. Marleau never left the chamber to speak with constituents.
When the Senate came to vote on these bills, we sat in the gallery and watched the proceedings. I was shocked at how disrespectful the Republican side of the floor was toward the Democrats. As several Democrats got up to speak to the issues, Republican senators were milling about, having conversations with others, not even paying attention to what was being said. I guessed that this was because they had already made up their minds how they would vote. I should add here that Representative Paul Scott was seen going in and out of the Senate Chamber schmoozing with Sen. Pavlov and Sen. Marleau. At one point, I saw Sen. Marleau pat Rep. Scott on the shoulder. As you may know, Rep. Scott is heavily involved with Michelle Rhee's organization, Students First, which helped to get this legislation on the books. I was disgusted.
There are only 12 Democrats in the state Senate, and every one of them voted against these horrible bills. When Coleman Young, II (D) took the podium, he gave an amazing speech about how these bills will not help the children of Michigan. He received a rousing round of applause from the gallery. Lt. Gov. Calley then warned us in the gallery that we are not allowed to demonstrate inside the Capitol and if it continues, we would be removed. Sen. Gleason (D) also gave an emotional speech where he stated that this was a "sad, shameful day in Michigan."
Watching the voting was like watching a sporting event. My eyes were focused on the the "scoreboard" as senators punched in their votes. We watched as their names lit up either green (for) or red (against). Some of the senators hesitated, creating suspense in the gallery. I posted the results on my Facebook page as it happened. My senator voted for every one of those bills, even though his aide had told me that he didn't support them. That's politics, and that's why I never want to be a politician. The final score was HB 4625: 25-13, HB 4626: 25-13, HB 4627: 20-17, and HB 4628: 20-18. As you can see, some Republicans did not vote the party line.
After voting was concluded, a few Democrats got up to speak. They wanted their comments on the official record as to why they were against the legislation. At his point, several of the Republicans packed up and left, even though the meeting had not been officially called adjourned. The Senate floor was noisy and it was difficult at times to hear what was being said. This, to me, was the ultimate sign of disrespect. They got what they wanted, it was late, time to go home...
MEA lobbyists had a debriefing after session adjourned. The defeat of the day was very heavy in the room. MEA officials tried to give us a pep talk, but it was not an easy sell. Lu Battaglieri, MEA executive director, told us to not forget what happened. He told us that the battle was lost, but not the war ( a little cliche, but very appropriate). He also said to tell everyone we know what happened in order to hold those who caused it accountable. That is the purpose of this blog. I want all of my friends to know that the MEA and its supporters tried very hard to fight this legislation, but we failed. We now have new battles on the horizon...
I went to the Capitol on Thursday with my good friend and local union president to experience first-hand this legislative process. It was a new experience for both of us. I was both fascinated and horrified at what I witnessed. I had contacted my senator, Senator Jim Marleau (R), and expressed my concerns about these bills that I knew would soon be brought to the Senate. Amazingly, I received an email from one of his aides that stated that Sen. Marleau did not support these bills, but instead, supported Senate Bill 503 which was true tenure reform. I was greatly relieved to hear this, however, SB 503 was dead in the water. I desperately tried to speak with my senator in the lobby yesterday, waiting for hours with numerous other lobbyists. Sen. Marleau never left the chamber to speak with constituents.
When the Senate came to vote on these bills, we sat in the gallery and watched the proceedings. I was shocked at how disrespectful the Republican side of the floor was toward the Democrats. As several Democrats got up to speak to the issues, Republican senators were milling about, having conversations with others, not even paying attention to what was being said. I guessed that this was because they had already made up their minds how they would vote. I should add here that Representative Paul Scott was seen going in and out of the Senate Chamber schmoozing with Sen. Pavlov and Sen. Marleau. At one point, I saw Sen. Marleau pat Rep. Scott on the shoulder. As you may know, Rep. Scott is heavily involved with Michelle Rhee's organization, Students First, which helped to get this legislation on the books. I was disgusted.
There are only 12 Democrats in the state Senate, and every one of them voted against these horrible bills. When Coleman Young, II (D) took the podium, he gave an amazing speech about how these bills will not help the children of Michigan. He received a rousing round of applause from the gallery. Lt. Gov. Calley then warned us in the gallery that we are not allowed to demonstrate inside the Capitol and if it continues, we would be removed. Sen. Gleason (D) also gave an emotional speech where he stated that this was a "sad, shameful day in Michigan."
Watching the voting was like watching a sporting event. My eyes were focused on the the "scoreboard" as senators punched in their votes. We watched as their names lit up either green (for) or red (against). Some of the senators hesitated, creating suspense in the gallery. I posted the results on my Facebook page as it happened. My senator voted for every one of those bills, even though his aide had told me that he didn't support them. That's politics, and that's why I never want to be a politician. The final score was HB 4625: 25-13, HB 4626: 25-13, HB 4627: 20-17, and HB 4628: 20-18. As you can see, some Republicans did not vote the party line.
After voting was concluded, a few Democrats got up to speak. They wanted their comments on the official record as to why they were against the legislation. At his point, several of the Republicans packed up and left, even though the meeting had not been officially called adjourned. The Senate floor was noisy and it was difficult at times to hear what was being said. This, to me, was the ultimate sign of disrespect. They got what they wanted, it was late, time to go home...
MEA lobbyists had a debriefing after session adjourned. The defeat of the day was very heavy in the room. MEA officials tried to give us a pep talk, but it was not an easy sell. Lu Battaglieri, MEA executive director, told us to not forget what happened. He told us that the battle was lost, but not the war ( a little cliche, but very appropriate). He also said to tell everyone we know what happened in order to hold those who caused it accountable. That is the purpose of this blog. I want all of my friends to know that the MEA and its supporters tried very hard to fight this legislation, but we failed. We now have new battles on the horizon...
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Caution: Unfair Teacher Evaluations on the Horizon
On Wednesday, June 21, Representative Tim Melton (D) introduced HB 4796 which deals with how teacher evaluations would be conducted in Michigan. There are several problems with this legislation. First, it is not based on sound principles that will show the effectiveness of teachers, nor will it improve the quality of teachers by retaining the best and brightest individuals in the profession. This legislation is aimed at getting rid of "ineffective" teachers by using a methodology of "gotcha" instead of trying to help teachers improve their practices.
Under this proposed legislation, teachers will be evaluated annually, with a mid-year "progress report" that rates a teacher as "highly effective," "effective," "minimally effective," or "ineffective". Beginning in 2013-2014 school year, this annual evaluation will consist of 25% of the teacher's evaluation being based on student growth data. This amount increases to 40% in the 2014-2015, and then to 50% for the 2015-2016 school year.
What IS student growth data? According to this document, it is either the state test (MEAP, MME) or for subjects not tested on these assessments, it is a locally developed assessment.
One very troubling section of this proposed legislation is the section that deals with the available student growth data. It states that student growth data should be available for at least three years, but if there isn't data available, then the evaluation will just be based on the data available for that teacher. What this means is that if you are a brand new teacher, you won't have data available for you for three years, so they will just use your first year data. The next year they will use your first and second year, and if you make it to the third year, then they will have their three years of data on you. Using student growth data to evaluate a teacher after only one year is not fair or objective. Nearly half of teachers leave the profession during the first five years. Is this policy going to make retention any better? Doubtful.
I guess the larger question here is why are legislators putting so much emphasis on student growth data? As of last year, there were 21 states where districts used student test data as part of teacher evaluations. The testing craze began with NCLB legislation, but really kicked in when President Obama made it a requirement for states applying for the Race to the Top funding. Michigan changed the law about teacher evaluations hoping to get the funding, which we didn't. Now, we need to figure out how we are going to conduct the annual evaluations. HB 4796 is not the answer.
Since the NCLB legislation, there has been plenty of data collected around the country from districts using student test data. One such example is Dade County, Florida. In a study of the data from 2000-2005,only 33% of teachers who ranked in the top 20%, stayed there the following year.. The same effect was found on the opposite end of the scale. Teachers who ranked in the bottom one year, did not the following year. This data points to some of the problems with relying on student test data to evaluate teachers: it isn't reliable information. The Department of Education conducted a study that shows that even when three years of data are collected, one in four teachers will be mis-ranked because of the unreliability of the data.
The really scary part of all of this is the percentage of student growth data being proposed. By 2015-2016, this legislation proposes to use 50% of student growth data in a teacher's evaluation! In Washington D.C. last year, 150 teachers were fired based on their performance. In Washington D.C., they use 50% of student test data in their teacher evaluations. Therefore, teachers were fired in Washington D.C. after being evaluated using unreliable information. We should not be placing so much emphasis on student test data. If student test data is to be used, I believe it should not count as more than 20% of the total evaluation. Other more important factors should be considered. Number one on that list should be classroom observations and feedback from an administrator.
Finally, everyone wants to have excellent teachers and excellent schools. There is no argument about that. Michigan legislators need to listen to the people who are in the front lines every day, not listen to people who are out of touch with the realities of teaching. There is information available about using testing data to evaluate teachers. It just needs to be considered before passing "reforms" that will not strengthen our educational system.
Sources:
1. "House Bill 4796 (2011)." www.legislature.mi.gov.
2. Bialik, Carl. "Needs Improvement: Where Teacher Report Cards Fall Short." WSJ.com. 21 Aug. 2010.
Sources:
1. "House Bill 4796 (2011)." www.legislature.mi.gov.
2. Bialik, Carl. "Needs Improvement: Where Teacher Report Cards Fall Short." WSJ.com. 21 Aug. 2010.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Can Gov. Snyder Save Detroit Public Schools?
Today Governor Snyder unveiled his plan for failing schools in the Detroit Public School system. This announcement was made with the Emergency Financial Manager for DPS, Roy Roberts. Snyder is looking at the bottom five percent of schools in Detroit and created a new "authority" he calls the Education Achievement System (EAS) to take control of forty-five failing schools in Detroit. This acronym is funny to me because when my husband worked in retail, he had an EAS system in his store. This system alerted security when shoppers try to leave the store without paying. Maybe an EAS system is exactly what DPS needs?
Snyder's plan involves using Eastern Michigan University as a resource to help train teachers who need it, and it also relies on "philanthropic" investment by members of the business community to offer scholarships and job training to Detroit students. He also promises a balanced budget for DPS in five years.
Is this what will "fix" DPS? I doubt it. What I would really like to know is how much the appointees (11 of them) will make being on the EAS Board? Can I get on that board because I'm pretty sure that those people will make more than I do. And, I bet the people the governor appoints don't currently work in DPS or are familiar at all with its unique problems. The board is going to give administrators in these failing schools more authority to hire and fire teachers (quickly), so the state may be looking at some lawsuits from fired teachers. Maybe Snyder is really banking on the anti-teacher tenure laws going through so he won't have to worry about that one? One thing's for sure, I would not want to be a teacher in one of those failing schools right now.
I predict that in five years DPS will have a balanced budget, but test scores and graduation rates will not have improved much. The one thing that Snyder is really missing is dealing with the violence and poverty in Detroit. No EAS Board is going to solve that...
Snyder's plan involves using Eastern Michigan University as a resource to help train teachers who need it, and it also relies on "philanthropic" investment by members of the business community to offer scholarships and job training to Detroit students. He also promises a balanced budget for DPS in five years.
Is this what will "fix" DPS? I doubt it. What I would really like to know is how much the appointees (11 of them) will make being on the EAS Board? Can I get on that board because I'm pretty sure that those people will make more than I do. And, I bet the people the governor appoints don't currently work in DPS or are familiar at all with its unique problems. The board is going to give administrators in these failing schools more authority to hire and fire teachers (quickly), so the state may be looking at some lawsuits from fired teachers. Maybe Snyder is really banking on the anti-teacher tenure laws going through so he won't have to worry about that one? One thing's for sure, I would not want to be a teacher in one of those failing schools right now.
I predict that in five years DPS will have a balanced budget, but test scores and graduation rates will not have improved much. The one thing that Snyder is really missing is dealing with the violence and poverty in Detroit. No EAS Board is going to solve that...
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Beginning of Summer
Yesterday marked the beginning of another summer vacation for me. I have been a public school teacher for nearly 15 years, and the end of the school year is highly-anticipated by me as well as my students. This year was no exception.
Some people feel jealous when I talk about having my summers off. What these people fail to realize is that summer vacation is necessary for teachers and students to rest, process, and gear up for the next school year. I truly do not have three months off because I will spend the summer doing quite a bit of reading. Yes, some of it will be for my own pleasure, but often I read new material or material that I haven';t read in several years in preparation for the next year. I also will work on curriculum writing. This seems to be a never-ending process because of changes sent down to us by the state. Sometimes I even take college classes to renew my certification. Thankfully, I don't need to do that this summer!
If you feel a twinge of jealousy because I don't have to get up and go to work tomorrow, please keep in mind that most of my work is compressed into nine or ten months and that I need to decompress in order to be at my best at the beginning of next year.
I will be posting some of my musings here throughout the summer. Many polarizing events have been taking place around the country regarding education recently. I feel the need to express my thoughts about some of the situations facing teachers in the near future, so stay tuned!
Some people feel jealous when I talk about having my summers off. What these people fail to realize is that summer vacation is necessary for teachers and students to rest, process, and gear up for the next school year. I truly do not have three months off because I will spend the summer doing quite a bit of reading. Yes, some of it will be for my own pleasure, but often I read new material or material that I haven';t read in several years in preparation for the next year. I also will work on curriculum writing. This seems to be a never-ending process because of changes sent down to us by the state. Sometimes I even take college classes to renew my certification. Thankfully, I don't need to do that this summer!
If you feel a twinge of jealousy because I don't have to get up and go to work tomorrow, please keep in mind that most of my work is compressed into nine or ten months and that I need to decompress in order to be at my best at the beginning of next year.
I will be posting some of my musings here throughout the summer. Many polarizing events have been taking place around the country regarding education recently. I feel the need to express my thoughts about some of the situations facing teachers in the near future, so stay tuned!
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