Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "A Very Plainvew Blog is All Yours......":
Suzala, Please post this separately.
I wonder if our board will be using these guidelines as well. Perhaps if they did it would raise the low level of teaching that is evident in some classrooms.
" While state law outlines the general procedures for awarding tenure to teachers, the details are left to individual districts. “We’ve turned what had been a joke interpretation of the state law,” Mr. Bloomberg said, “to make it something that you have to work hard, earn, and show that you are better than the average bear” to get.
Under the city’s new standards, teachers are rated on a four-point scale as highly effective, effective, developing or ineffective, based on students’ tests scores, classroom observations, feedback from parents, and other factors. (Previously, they were simply rated satisfactory or not.) Principals, who make recommendations on tenure, and supervisors, who make the decisions, were allowed to give tenure only to teachers who were rated effective or better for two consecutive years.
But as city officials predicted that the new policy would improve the quality of the teaching force, the results raised questions about its current state since so many teachers up for tenure were not rated effective.
The teachers’ union, defending the performance of its workers, objected to the way some of the evaluations by administrators were performed, and said..."
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/28/nyregion/tenure-granted-to-58-of-eligible-teachers-in-city.html?src=recg
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Are you kidding? The BOE does not have the courage to stand up to the PCT . The next contract that the negotiations have been kept so quiet will probably have the BOE once again caving into the PCT. We need some one who does not have any children in the school to draw up a petition to be put on the ballot for staggered term limits for all of the BOE members. The reason I say for someone with no children is so there would be no repercussions on any resident's children.
ReplyDeleteThey already have staggered term limits for all BOE members. If you note, every member is not up for election at the same time...it's typically 2 or 3 at a time.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of what guidelines are put into place for teacher evaluations, if an administrator wants a certain teacher to get tenure for political reasons, nepotism, sexism, racism, and any other ism, the teacher will get tenure. How effective the teacher is, how much hard work and effort the teacher puts into it is secondary to what the administration wants. In other words, if your uncle is the superintendent or your brother-in-law is on the board, they'll make it happen. Student test scores? They'll give who they want the best classes so for sure they'll be rated effective.
ReplyDeleteIf an administrator doesn't like a teacher for any reason, all the isms or perhaps the teacher works too hard and too effective making the principal's niece look bad or has enough years of solid "highly effective" experience to be rendered expensive, then insufficiencies will be found.
Whatever the law says, it will neither protect the good teachers nor eliminate the bad.
That is why we need term limits on the BOE. Some of them have been there far too long
ReplyDeleteBy the 2012-13 school year, all teachers in New York State have to be evaluated as either highly effective, effective, developing or ineffective. It's the law.
ReplyDeleteMr. Rosenfeld, I'm glad to see you follow this blog. I hope you read the posting about playground safety. If a child gets hurt or worse, the teacher on recess duty will be held liable. I know you won't comment about this on the blog but please look into the matter. It's in the best interest of both your teachers and the students.
ReplyDeleteWhile teachers are not liable as you suggest, we are, nevertheless, interested in the safety of children. I will be looking into this upon the return of the teachers. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I'd be happy to talk to you, if you wish to call me at 349-1310.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mr. Rosenfeld. Perhaps we're talking semantics here. If a child gets hurt or G-d forbid kidnapped, the teacher on duty might be sued for negligence, have his license come into question or at the least, develop an immediate reputation for poor supervision of children and thus be on "community watch" for a long time. None of these scenarios would be preferable or fair to the teachers on duty. Thank you for taking it seriously. So as not to have any negative repercussions on my children for bringing this matter up, I'll refrain from calling you but thank you for the offer. Unlike many on this blog, I don't have a vendetta against you.
ReplyDeleteA teacher is responsible for the safety of children under his or her care and thus is liable if a child is injured as a result of the teacher's negligence. If a child is hurt as a result of another's negligence (For example, if a tree branch suddenly falls down), then the building administration is responsible if negligence can be proven. Admittedly, this is a gray area but teachers do share some responsibility in child safety. One would hope a combined effort would be made by both administration, teachers' union and parents to ensure nobody's liability is ever called into question in that appropriate safety measures are maintained at all times and thus the issue of who's liable never comes to the table because dangerous situations are curtailed if not eradicated.
ReplyDeleteFrom what has been posted about the playground, it is clear that the situation needs to be addressed. Children should not be allowed to play in unsupervised areas under any circumstances. Aides should not be standing in clusters socializing with each other. They should be assigned to certain areas. The one on ones should remain within a few feet of their assigned children at all times. All gates should be locked. The administration should be making random visits to ensure all safety procedures are being followed at all times.
I'm not so sure that this should be put onthe teachers. The "lazy" aides who are hired for the 2-3 hours a day and really are there to do nothing but chat amongst each other should be "fired" if they are caught doing this. They are there to do a job, not socailize! Do that on your own time. There should be investigators sent out periodically to check to make sure they are doing their jobs that they are paid very well to do.If they can't do their job for the 2-3 hours a day they work, then go to Starbucks to gossip!
ReplyDeleteAnd be assured that nobody checks the play equipment for drug paraphernalia. The rear of Stratford is becoming a haven for illegal activity. Take a look at the stuff on the playground and in the playground equipment.
ReplyDeleteI think school security needs to do a better job.