Wow, the Times Union being in the tank for the superintendent was really on display this week as he got three separate editorials supporting him. Talk about circling the wagons to protect the anointed one.
It's easy to debunk most of the sited data used to justify their support too. Yes the grading system is terrible but we can use it to compare ourselves with other large districts that have to play the same terrible game of which for the most part are doing better than us, yes we did have encouraging NEAP scores but they were so encouraging the district saw fit to replace the old curriculum with the universally reviled Engage NY, then yes our graduation rates up but they were heading up before Superintendent Vitti got here and so are everybodys, everywhere.
To be honest I don't blame the super for the districts grades which have dipped marginally under his watch, though I am not sure that's why he was brought here or expected after three years. I blame him for his terrible ideas and policies. We don't need to blow up our neighborhood schools to bring families back, the curriculum he picked is terrible, teacher morale is rock bottom and discipline is worse than ever and under his watch charter schools have increased over 300 percent.
Furthermore he's not passionate about public schools as evident by his constant association with charter schools, Teach for America, The New Teacher Project and Gary Chartrand entities and people who would privatize our schools given the chance and he throws ideas like paint against a wall hoping something will stick. Is this really the best we can hope for? The Times Union is like the captain of the Titanic telling his passengers everything was fine after they hit the iceberg.
Finally I wonder if anybody at the Times Union bothered to talk to any teachers. And let me suggest before the Times Union prints any more misleading all is well we have the man for the job editorials that they should.
Of course the Times Union did not speak with any teachers. Silly Chris.
ReplyDeleteChris, you are right. I thought the same thing this week when I saw the articles. I'm very disappointed in Mark Woods, I always enjoyed reading his column, but not anymore,(he even has a kid in public school if I'm not mistaken). Morale is very low and at our school we have our annual fun fest and only three teachers have signed up for the dunk booth. Sad!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right. Throw out curriculum that was movingus nationally, 3rd on 4th grade NAEP for a curriculum from a state that is 10th on 4thgrade NAEP.
ReplyDeleteChris the money men are in support of Vitti, and they are they runs the media, so of course the media is going to give a one sided view of Vitti. Did you notice, no one mentioned that the district is having to pay a coach to teach him how to a huge portion of his job???
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