Reply #1: Here's more about the atmosphere of suspicion and fear caused by turnaround policy.

[madfloridian]

I never thought in my wildest dreams that our own party would be doing this to experienced teachers. It is a hostile environment. Could someone tell me if they will care more about such disruptive reforms after the election? Will people feel freer to speak? Or not?

Hubby and I are planning to vote for Obama as president. I don't know what else we could do and not harm the country. But there's a hardness in my heart this time. I think our nation has turned into one that disrespects education and also looks down on teachers. I think Reagan started it. I think it is coming to fruition now.

From Gotham Schools blog:

Job interviews—and protests—continue at ‘turnaround’ schools

Each committee asks each teacher five to 7 questions, according to teachers at several turnaround schools. Questions range from, “How do you differentiate instruction for special education students or English Language Learners,” to, “How have you implemented the Common Core in class?” Kearns said. Ann Looser, the chapter leader at Lehman, said she has been preparing for the worst.

“I’m giving out my email a lot more, and getting way more requests for references. The kids keep asking us, ‘are you going to be here?’ I’m looking at other jobs right now,” she said, shrugging. “Everything’s getting phased out, phased in, or co-located.”

Martin Haber, a teacher from Dewey, told me he decided he would not interview for his position after he received a letter from the school’s new principal, Kathleen Elvin, saying he would likely receive an unsatisfactory rating this year because he had too many absences. Dewey’s longtime principal, Barry Fried, was ousted mid-year.

“I know I’m going to be out of there, because of my age and because of my salary,” he told the assembled protesters. “It’s a disgusting, demoralizing process.”

Parents are learning that good established teachers are arbitrarily laid off. Being a good teacher is not what it is about. It's about cheaper teachers. It's about teachers who are more compliant and who don't speak out much.

Here is a comment from a very angry parent.

As a parent I am outraged by this whole process. My daughter will be entering her senior year at a "turn-around" school and no information has been disseminated to the students or parent as to their future. Good teachers are being sacrificed along with those students who are reaching the end of their high school education. And the worst part is my questions are being evaded by the Administration at her school. Who thought up this absurd program? Has any school succeeded?

I say to that parent that this is the policy of our Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan. It's wrong, and it's dangerous.

Another very astute observation in the comments:

Actual requirements for turnaround school teaching positions: Young; untenured; familiar enough with current buzzwords to get by; willing to work ten or eleven hours a day; willing to work weekends and several weeks during the summer; willing to be a parent to students to make sure they attend school, arrive on time, and behave properly.

Older teachers, those with families, and teachers with other responsibilities need not apply.

We heard from someone in the Florida Democratic party for the very first time today. The woman asked my husband if we wanted to work locally for the campaign of Obama. There was no mention of Bill Nelson. My husband said we would vote for Obama, but that his wife was extremely angry about the dismantling of public education.

Her answer was that Obama's education policy was the best ever.