Re: RTTT impact and resistance: Houston, PA, FL

[aburke5054@aol.com]

 The article from Houston says that teachers will be evaluated "partly" on students' test scores. That's a big difference from evaluating teachers only on students' test scores.  People who blur this important difference run the risk of appearing to be propagandists rather than serious discussants of educational policy.

Art


-----Original Message-----
From: Monty Neill <monty@fairtest.org>
To: ARN-L <arn-l@interversity.org>; arn2-strategy <arn2-strategy@yahoogroups.com>; epata@interversity.org
Sent: Wed, Jan 13, 2010 1:28 pm
Subject: [arn-l] RTTT impact and resistance: Houston, PA, FL


From ASCD:
Houston considers firing teachers for not improving test scores
The Houston school board is expected to vote Thursday to allow teachers to be 
fired if they fail to improve student test scores over several years using a 
value-added measuring method -- a plan proposed by Superintendent Terry Grier. 
However, a local teachers union president is questioning whether the proposal is 
legal, saying a Dallas teacher who was fired over low student achievement was 
rehired in 2008 after it was determined that factors other than teaching 
contributed to her students' performance. Houston Chronicle (1/11) 
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6810465.html

and:
Pennsylvania teachers unions agree to back state on reforms
Pennsylvania's largest teachers union -- representing 483 of 500 districts -- is 
encouraging its membership to support the state's bid for up to $400 million in 
Race to the Top funds by agreeing to adopt education reforms such as turnaround 
strategies for struggling schools and tying teacher evaluations to student 
performance. "These funds can help provide our students with the kinds of 
opportunities that suburban students already enjoy," said Jerry Jordan, the 
president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, which is also supporting 
the bid. "Such programs can help close the achievement gap and increase the 
graduation rate." The Philadelphia Inquirer http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/81300712.html

But Broward County FL will not apply to be part of FL's hoped-for $ in the race 
to the trough effort. 
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/broward_race_to_the_top_011310-20100112,0,4395470.story 

and Bob tells me: "Looks like more than a dozen of Florida's 67 school districts 
(= counties) have applied to participate in the state's Race to the Trough bid 
-- of the 53 that have submitted applications, only five got endorsements from 
their local teacher union." 


Monty Neill, Ed.D.
Interim Executive Director
FairTest
15 Court Sq., Ste. 820
Boston, MA 02108
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fax 857-350-8209
monty@fairtest.org
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