wow we made it national

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/state_edwatch/2012/03/buffalo_schools_illustrate_difficulties_of_new_ny_evaluations.html?cmp=SOC-SHR-FB

PEARSON, INK

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alan-singer/cuomo-common-core-and-pearson_b_1293465.html?ref=education

SAY IT

… NOW IS THE TIME TO “GET EACH OTHER’S BACK”, --THERE ARE FORCES LINING UP TO ATTACK YOU, YOUR JOB, YOUR PERFORMANCE AND YOUR ABILITIIES AS A TEACHER. WE ALL ARE UNDER FIRE AND IT’S NOT THE FRIENDLY KIND…

THE CORPORATE PROLIFERATION OF BULLYING INCLUDING THE RIP OFF OF THE CENTURY AND SUBSEQUENT ECONOMIC COLLAPSE--- HAS MADE KIDS LOSE FAITH IN ANY GOVERNMENT OR SYSTEMS OR ADULTS FOR THAT MATTER,… AND WE ARE PUTTING SCREWS TO TEACHERS? THE ONES CLOSEST TO THEM?

WHAT’S THE GRADUATION RATE FOR THE KIDS THAT DO SHOW UP ? HAS ANYONE CRUNCHED THOSE NUMBERS?--- I BET WE DO A GOOD JOB,…INSTEAD THE ENTIRE SYSTEM COMES TO A HALT BECAUSE OF A SINGLE ISSUE SEEN COMING DOWN THE PIKE YEARS AGO. THIS GROUNDWORK WAS LAID DILIGENTLY BY THE PREVIOUS ADMINSITRATION OVER THE PAST 7 YEARS … IT’S AGENDA CONTINUES TO ERODE AT THE CORE LIKE CARPENTER ANTS AT THE CENTER OF AN I-BEAM.

IN OTHER WORDS, WE’RE GETTING’ PLAYED. WE NEED TO VOTE ONLY ON SOMETHING WE UNDERSTAND THOROUGHLY; THE DOCUMENT PRESENTED IS THOROUGHLY CONFUSING. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT AND TO WHOM?—THAT IS WHAT WE NEED TO ASK STATE AND LOCAL LEADERSHIP. THIS DOCUENT DOES NOT ANSWER THIS QUESTION.

ATTENDANCE ISSUES, ARE MANY… ARE WE TALKING ABOUT REALITY HERE? IN 19 YEARS OF TEACHING I HAVE SEEN LESS PARENTS I CAN COUNT ON 2 HANDS. WHAT OTHER MITIGATING FACTORS WILL WE INCLUDE? --WHAT IF THE KID’S PARENT IS IN JAIL? --WHAT ABOUT SUSPENSIONS? --KIDS ON HOME INSTRUCTION? STUDENTS IN IN-SCHOOL SUSPENSION ROOMS? --WHAT ABOUT THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE CLOSE TO 40% SPECIAL ED? --WHAT ABOUT ANY RELIEF FOR THESE LOW PERFORMING SCHOOLS? EVERY INCH WE STEP FORWARD WE ARE PUSHED BACK A FOOT. TEACHERS ARE TIRED OF IT. FINALLY WE ARE GETTING WISE TO IT…

IF IT TAKES A VILLAGE, THEN WHY ARE WE SINGLING OUT TEACHERS?

SOMEONE NEEDS TO START TALKING ABOUT THE REALITY OF THESE KIDS LIVES’ …SOMEONE NEEDS TO TALK ABOUT POVERTY AND LEAD PAINT THEN TALK ABOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION; SOMEONE NEEDS TO START TALKING, PERIOD, ABOUT CHILDREN, NOT MONEY AND POLITICS. SOMEONE NEEDS TO START TALKING ABOUT GANG-INFESTATION, DRUG USE, CHARACTER EDUCATION TO START…SOMEONE NEEDS TO JUST SAY IT, THAT IS THE SHAME OF THIS NATION. IT IS TIME FOR THE TRUTH. …. IT IS TIME FOR THE HARD GRAPHIC TRUTH ABOUT THE SITUATIONS ON THE GROUND, NOT IN COURTROOMS OR ON THE LOCAL NEWS-- IT IS TIME FOR THE REALITIES TO BE TOLD, TO BE PUBLIC AND TO DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY ACROSS THE BOARD, SINCE WE ARE” ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL “NOW…. .IT IS BY DESIGN WE ARE AT THIS POINT IN HISTORY…

ONE VOICE IS RADICAL, MANY VOICES ARE A CHOIR. IT IS TIME WE START SINGING TOGETHER. TIME TO START TALKING ABOUT THE CONDITIONS IN OUR SCHOOLS ….THE VIOLENCE, THE THINGS OUT OF COMPLIANCE, THE LEVELS OF CHAOS…THE LIST GOES ON. THE THINGS IGNORED….

BUT WHO WILL LISTEN? . NOW WE ARE BEING HUNG OUT TO DRY, THROWN UNDER THE BUS, TOSSED INTO THE FIRE. WE’VE BEEN LIED TO BEFORE, WHY WOULD WE BELIEVE THE DISTRICT NOW? PRIOR PRACTICE TELLS US DIFFERENTLY…

THESE ARE PLAYBOOK REFORM TACTICS. THESE ARE DESIGNED TO DIVIDE AND CONQUER. THEY ARE DOING JUST THAT…INTENTIONALLY PITTING EACH OTHER AGAINST ONE ANOTHER . WE’RE FALLING FOR THE TACTIC NOW TWICE, REACTIONARY AS USUAL!! THE GROUNDWORK FOR THE COLLAPSE WAS APPARENT 5 YEARS AGO, WHERE WAS THE OUTRAGE THEN? WHERE WERE IMPORTANT VOTES AND A TEACHER VOICES THEN?? THE PREVIOUS SUPERINTENDENT’S AGENDA IS STILL PLAYING ITSELF OUT AS HE BASKS SOMEWHERE –LIKE A WALRUS BLOATED WITH TAXPAYER DOLLARS , (REMEMBER FOR ARMS THAT DON’T REACH FOR THE PHONE UNLESS THEY GET PAID TEN GRAND, NOW THAT’S PUTTING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES FIRST) HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO CALL MR. WILMERS TO ASK HIS ADVICE? WE SHOULD ASK…?

NOT TO DWELL TO THE PAST, BUT ONE MUST UNDERSTAND THE PAST IN ORDER TO OBTAIN ANYTHING IN THE FUTURE, KNOWLEDGE OF COURSE BEING THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THAT THING TO OBTAIN….

THE KNOWLEDGE WE NEED NOW IS TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE STATE IS STEALING OUR DEMOCRACY THROUGH CARROT AND DANGLE TECHNIQUES USING THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR AS A MOTIVATOR FOR ACHIEVMENT, WHICH RESEARCH TELLS US IS BOGUS.

ABSENCES? IS THIS REALLY ABOUT ABSENCES? HOW SICK ARE TEACHERS OF EXCESSIVE ABSENCES.? YES, HUGE PROBLEM. WE ARE ALREADY SWALLOWING THE KIDS THAT ARE THERE MORE THAN 80% OF THE TIME AND DO NOTHING???. WHERE ARE CLASS CUTS INCLUDED IN THE CALCULATIONS FOR THE TEACHER EVALUATION? WITHOUT THAT, HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS ARE HUNG OUT TO DRY, OR DEAD IN THE WATER—WHO IS DOING THESE CALCULATIONS?

NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT THE REAL ISSUE –THAT IS---- WHAT MAKES YOU A GOOD TEACHER…HOW DO YOU MEASURE HUMANITY? YOU ARE A GOOD TEACHER NO MATTER WHAT,… IF YOU’RE A GOOD TEACHER. YOU MAKE MIRACLES HAPPENS. NO THREAT OF REPERCSSION WILL MAKE ANYONE OF YOU “WORK” HARDER. YOU JUST WORK YOUR HARDEST ALL THE TIME….BUT YOU DO GET MORE EXPENSIVE…TEACHING IS A WAY OF LIFE, IT’S A MINDSET, IT’S AN IDENTITY, NOT A NUMBER, A STAT OR A STEREOTYPE ….BUT NOW ALL IT IS IS ABOUT NUMBERS.

WE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THOUGH WHO KNOW THE TRUTH… IT IS TIME TO TELL THE TRUTH. BY VOTING TO ACCEPT THESE TERMS FROM THE DISTRICT FOR THE STATE WE ARE IN ESSENCE SITTING IN THE BOXING CORNER, OUT OF BREATH-- ELBOWS ON THE ROPES –THROWING IN THE WHITE TOWEL,. WE’VE COME THIS FAR, …THIS IS OUR TIME

BY SLIDING THIS THROUGH ON A LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AT 4:30 THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL---WE ARE ALREADY LOSING THE NEXT ROUND IN THE FALL. WE SEE THE M.O.U., WE READ IT, WE ALSO HAVE READ , HEARD , BELIEVED MANY LETTERS, STATEMENTS AND COURT ORDERS BEFORE …NO ONE IS INCLINED TO BELIEVE ANYTHING IN “GOOD” FAITH OR IN WRITING WITH A DISTRICT THAT HAS DONE NOTHING BUT CHEAT IT’S TEACHERS FOR OVER A DECADE, …!!!

THE TIME HAS COME TO STOP THE INSANITY. VOTE WITH A CONSCIENCE FOR THE BIGGER RIGHT AND BIGGER WRONGS OF THIS ISSUE. IT’S ABOUT MUCH BIGGER THINGS THAN MISSING KIDS AND A FEW MILLION…

REMEMBER A VOTE THEIR WAY IS THE DAY WE LOSE OUR SOLIDARITY …THEN WE WILL ALL BE WAITING FOR SOMETHING AND IT WON’T BE SUPERMAN.

VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS

TELL US YOUR STORY!

IN ROD WE TRUST?

The absolute decimation of one of the foundations of this nation-the profession of teaching- is scary. Even though it's never been highly esteemed, teaching has never taken such a beating in recent memory. Demanding teachers are responsible for students who are not present is ludicrous. What's even crazier already , that teachers have agreed to, it that they will be responsible for those who are there everyday and do absolutely nothing. No one seems to be taking this important factor into account. Pundits and para-professionals are aghast we won't take out the attendance clause. However, no one is talking about the fact that approximately half the students actually present everyday do nothing and fail anyway...What about those numbers? Where's the "mitigating factor" for apathy? How does one measure apathy? Is it on a sliding scale depending on your backstory? Or is it the same for all, no matter what your story is, no matter who's in jail and no matter who's been shot or who died. No matter who beat you up, no matter how many times you moved. No matter how long your father, brother, uncle is in jail...No matter what?

If anyone out there thinks teachers do not already drive kids home, call them, pick them up in the morning, talk to their parents all the time, fundraise for the, etc., you name it then you are wrong. The majority of teachers go above and beyond the call of duty. Our work day doesn't end. We don't punch in or out. We are always punched in. Always thinking, always planning...Always on call. Pundits like Rod Watson's naive opinion piece this week in the Buffalo News is embarrassing to say the least, for him. It shows the lack of knowledge surrounding the immensely complex issue of urban education. It is, an enigma because of bad politics and money not teachers and absent students. Get real Rod...Take a walk around a school before writing such uninformed nonsense.

DIRTY TACTICS

We can keep track of those kids missing school on a particular day, but there is a larger problem with the attendance mess in Buffalo Schools. That is those throngs of students showing up everyday and doing nothing. They show up 80% of the time and hundreds after hundreds have failing grades across the board.

Have too many of these kids in one class and you're a goner.

What mitigating factor is taken into account with teenagers being teenagers?What will be considered official factors, decided by government entities, what "growth" means, technically. No one knows what it means, nor are they saying if they do. It's either a really big secret or no one has a clue. Yet in the news this past week we have seen quotes and headlines such as "Pity the students", "the pope" and "barmitzah". Also the Buffalo News got into the ugly truth about what the district really is afraid of, and the quote from district leadership read something like we can't blame parents "entirely". Maybe they meant blame the parents just a little? This pins blame squarely on the backs of teachers like a "kick me" sign. Another quote referred to when students are engaged attendance improves. Is that breaking news?

Finally, since when has this been such an issue? Since it became part of an accountability formula forced upon workers from the federal level by dangling carrots and encouraging division. Attendance has always been a problem, now it's in a pinhole of discovery because it fits a political agenda? Let's be careful where this leads us folks. Remember the idea is to divide and conquer. Don't let the tactic work.

WHERE'S CAT STEVENS?

The attendance “mess” (as The Buffalo News headlined it), has been a mess for years. Thanks to James Williams who saw fit to make attendance not even a priority by firing all the Teachers that actually have that job Title. Where was the outrage from Sam Radford’s parents then? This wave of panic reaching its crescendo has been in the works for the past 5 years. Inventing new names of High Schools, closing this one, opening it under a new State ID number, it’s all old news. It’s all part of the habitrail web trapping urban districts into the dangling carrot routine over and over again. The Failure Train…Everyone is on it.

The Buffalo News had the audacity to run "Pity the students” as a running headline in March 9, 2012. On the Opinion page, right there underneath Warren Buffett’s name.

Here’s some of the inciteful, unsourced rants and language designed to elicit derision:

“Instead, the union council of delegates jammed a thumb in the eyes of every student of the Buffalo School District.” Instead of worrying about teacher’s thumbs, why aren’t we worried about the big finger pointed at The State Leadership, local leadership and those pontificating without sources? Another favorite from the piece reads… “But it only accounts for 20%, and there is an appeal process for teachers who feel their evaluations are unfair. Where’s the threat to a capable teacher?” Last anyone checked the law in effect for Fall of 2012-2013 school year automatically changes student performance to 40% of your evaluation for any school with RTTT funding. Not to mention the great faith teacher's have in "appeals " processes when it comes to their jobs.

Finally teachers are realizing after being ambushed by the Feds what is happening albeit 5 years too late. The seeds sowed by Willliams are popping through like early bulbs on a nice sunny day in February. Hard to believe, but there they are, alive and well, shooting out with new growth. The seeds of derision when we are talking about our children. Now that’s an agenda to be proud of… We are steps away from dismantling the district, shattering it to privatize out our childrens’ futures, (willingly and in a hurry mind you)…

The best two sentences in this editorialist slander include: “(In that regard, it would be fine with us if school administrators were also subject to an evaluation system that includes the performances of absent students).” The “performances” of the “absent students” is the only part that confuses me. I also wondered who they were referring to exactly when they said "fine with us…" Finally the crux of their argument is revealed with the biased, unabashed line: “The right leadership from BTF President Phil Rumore would have made all the difference, but that’s like asking the pope to conduct a bar mitzvah.” I cringed while typing such inciteful language. Is this an Educational Crusade of the billionaire? Ramping up its efforts to divide and conquer the machine barrels through, with one agenda and it has nothing to do with those missing children….