Walking the Walk on School Reform

[tonysam]

More anti-teacher propaganda from a publication which doesn't know SQUAT about teachers, evaluations, or public school culture:

The shortcomings of evaluations were laid out last year in an eye-opening study by a New York research group, the New Teacher Project. Where they can be said to exist at all, evaluations are typically short, pro forma and almost universally positive. Poorly trained evaluators visit the classroom once or twice for observations that last for a total of an hour or less. Nearly every teacher passes and the overwhelming majority of teachers receive top ratings. Yet more than half the teachers surveyed said they knew a tenured teacher who deserved to be dismissed for poor performance.

The process shortchanges students, who are saddled with ineffective teachers. It also hurts the careers of the talented beginners who rarely get the help and guidance they need to become master teachers.

This is bullshit; mine weren't short, pro forma, and completely positive. There were always areas to target; this is SOP with ALL evaluations.

And WHO, praytell, founded the New Teacher Project? If you said D.C. tyrant and chancellor Michelle Rhee, you are absolutely correct.

What a bunch of filthy propaganda.

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[tonysam]

1. If you want to know what she really said, here is the video from AFT

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Note that the Center for American Progress ISN'T all that pro-teacher.