From the St. Petersburg Times
by Ron Matus
Opposition is heating up statewide as the Florida Legislature closes in on monumental changes to the teaching profession.
On popular blogs, some teachers are even pushing for Florida to follow Wisconsin, where tens of thousands of protesters have descended on the state Capitol.
If some of the current legislative proposals don't change, "Do I believe public employees will descend on Tallahassee? Yes," said Kim Black, president of the Pinellas teachers union. "It could be a hurricane, we just don't know what category yet. People are organizing."
The Pinellas teachers union has scheduled a "save our public schools rally" in Pinellas on March 4, the Friday before the legislative session begins on March 8, while other local teachers unions are planning similar events. Rallies to support teachers, firefighters and police officers are being organized around the state for March 8.
"Our students don't understand the constant bullying of their teachers and quite frankly, neither do we," says a flier for the rally in Pinellas, which is slated for the same intersections that hundreds of teachers flocked to last year to protest Senate Bill 6.
SB 6 — passed by the Legislature and vetoed by former Gov. Charlie Crist — would have dramatically changed how teachers are hired, fired, paid and evaluated. Gov. Rick Scott has said he would have signed it, and a new version is moving fast through legislative committees.
Lawmakers will also consider requiring teachers, police officers and other state and county workers to chip in up to 5 percent of their pay towards their pensions.
Florida teachers are closely watching events in Wisconsin. Many Wisconsin schools have closed because teachers are attending the rallies. Schools in Madison closed last week after 1,000 teachers called in sick.
So far, legislation to curb collective bargaining rights has not surfaced in Florida. But in a 20-page list of proposals, Scott's education transition team recommended that teacher evaluations be removed from the bargaining process, and that bargaining be limited to salaries and benefits.
The Florida Constitution recognizes the right of employees to bargain collectively.
Ron Matus can be reached at matus@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8873.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/with-eye-on-wisconsin-florida-teachers-gear-up-for-rallies/1152921
Showing posts with label florida teachers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label florida teachers. Show all posts
Monday, February 21, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Teachers Grading Parents, whats next strapping kids to pigs and pushing them off cliffs?
Can we please have have reforms that are meaningful and realistic. They say in teacher school to tell the kids there are no stupid questions. After 11 years as a teacher I can say without a doubt, there are stupid questions. Just because our legislators think of an idea it does not mean they should try and make it into a law. -cpg
From the Sun Sentinel
by Rafeal Olmeda
I'm trying to think of a policy that would be more destructive to the teacher-parent relationship than the one proposed yesterday by State Rep. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland. I can't.
Stargel filed a bill in the Legislature that would require teachers to grade parents on their level of involvement in their kids' education. Because apparently getting these two critical groups (parents and teachers) on the same team can best be served by having one judge the other.
"Without proper parental involvement in all aspects of a child's life, the child's prospects to be a well-equipped and useful member of society are greatly diminished," the bill states.
That is true. It's also irrelevant to the bill, which would require teachers to grade parents on "their response to requests for meetings or communication, their children's completion of homework and preparation for tests, their children's absentee and tardy rates and their children's 'physical preparation for school,' including a good night's sleep and appropriate meals."
Let's look at those factors one at a time in terms of the status quo:
* Response to requests for communication: Is there something stopping teachers from writing "We really need to talk about your child's progress, performance and behavior" on their report cards now? Grading a parent on responsiveness does nothing but build walls of defensiveness. It is not a constructive change.
* Children's completion of homework and preparation for tests: Is it possible, even remotely, for a child to get an F in homework and a parent to get an A? Or for a child to get an F on a test and a parent to get an A on preparation? If not, then what does grading a parent tell us that we don't already know? Nothing.
* Their children's absentee and tardy rates: Again, can a child do well in these areas while the parents fail? Can the parents do well while the children fail? If the parent's performance is inextricably tied to the child's, what added value do you get by judging the parents? None.
*Children's 'physical preparation for school,' including a good night's sleep and appropriate meals: A student's behavior (staying awake in class, for example) can already be noted in a report to parents. A student's diet and nutrition are, frankly, none of the school's business outside the school walls. While I respect the fact that children need proper nutrition, as a parent I resent the notion of a teacher grading the meals I provide for my children. Teachers are not equipped to judge the nutritional values of the meals provided to the hundreds of students in their care.
Teachers have enough of a challenge doing their jobs without the added responsibility (and no added compensation, I'll bet) of antagonizing parents by assigning them grades.
The idea of grading parents is a terrific conversation starter. But it's a lousy public policy.
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/educationblog/2011/01/time_to_start_grading_parents.html
From the Sun Sentinel
by Rafeal Olmeda
I'm trying to think of a policy that would be more destructive to the teacher-parent relationship than the one proposed yesterday by State Rep. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland. I can't.
Stargel filed a bill in the Legislature that would require teachers to grade parents on their level of involvement in their kids' education. Because apparently getting these two critical groups (parents and teachers) on the same team can best be served by having one judge the other.
"Without proper parental involvement in all aspects of a child's life, the child's prospects to be a well-equipped and useful member of society are greatly diminished," the bill states.
That is true. It's also irrelevant to the bill, which would require teachers to grade parents on "their response to requests for meetings or communication, their children's completion of homework and preparation for tests, their children's absentee and tardy rates and their children's 'physical preparation for school,' including a good night's sleep and appropriate meals."
Let's look at those factors one at a time in terms of the status quo:
* Response to requests for communication: Is there something stopping teachers from writing "We really need to talk about your child's progress, performance and behavior" on their report cards now? Grading a parent on responsiveness does nothing but build walls of defensiveness. It is not a constructive change.
* Children's completion of homework and preparation for tests: Is it possible, even remotely, for a child to get an F in homework and a parent to get an A? Or for a child to get an F on a test and a parent to get an A on preparation? If not, then what does grading a parent tell us that we don't already know? Nothing.
* Their children's absentee and tardy rates: Again, can a child do well in these areas while the parents fail? Can the parents do well while the children fail? If the parent's performance is inextricably tied to the child's, what added value do you get by judging the parents? None.
*Children's 'physical preparation for school,' including a good night's sleep and appropriate meals: A student's behavior (staying awake in class, for example) can already be noted in a report to parents. A student's diet and nutrition are, frankly, none of the school's business outside the school walls. While I respect the fact that children need proper nutrition, as a parent I resent the notion of a teacher grading the meals I provide for my children. Teachers are not equipped to judge the nutritional values of the meals provided to the hundreds of students in their care.
Teachers have enough of a challenge doing their jobs without the added responsibility (and no added compensation, I'll bet) of antagonizing parents by assigning them grades.
The idea of grading parents is a terrific conversation starter. But it's a lousy public policy.
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/educationblog/2011/01/time_to_start_grading_parents.html
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Michelle Rhee Lacks Civility
From the Palm Beach Post opinion page
By Jac Wilder VerSteeg,
What can Michelle Rhee bring to Florida besides confrontation?
Confrontation can be necessary. When Dr. Rhee took over as chancellor of Washington, D.C.'s, notoriously awful public school system, she needed to confront the teachers union, complacent administrators and uninvolved parents. But Florida's schools aren't like those Dr. Rhee took over in 2007. In fact, judging by the measures that Jeb Bush initiated and the Legislature and Gov. Crist perpetuated, Florida's school system has become one of the nation's best.
Dr. Rhee lost public and political support and resigned her D.C. post in October. Cresting on the notoriety she gained in those battles and from laudatory treatment in the Waiting for Superman documentary, Dr. Rhee formed a national advocacy group, StudentsFirst.org. This month, the lead item on that organization's website is "StudentsFirst partners with Gov. Rick Scott to reform schools in Florida."
Dr. Rhee said her organization "put our first stake down in Florida" because Gov. Scott shares her commitment to improving teacher quality, increasing school choice and school accountability. But jump to the state Department of Education's Web page, and this is the lead item: "Congratulations to Florida's teachers for their extraordinary efforts in helping the Sunshine State achieve a fifth-place national ranking on the 2011 Quality Counts report by Education Week." That ranking "follows a continuing trend of improvement that has seen Florida move from 14th in 2008, 10th in 2009 and eighth just last year."
Given the "extraordinary efforts" by Florida teachers, why are legislators, Gov. Scott and Dr. Rhee treating teachers like lazy, union-protected incompetents who need to be punished? Confrontation wasn't the right approach on merit pay a year ago. If confrontation is what Michelle Rhee believes Florida needs, Florida doesn't need her.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/editorials/dont-pick-d-c-type-schools-fight-here-1184007.html?cxtype=rss_editorials
By Jac Wilder VerSteeg,
What can Michelle Rhee bring to Florida besides confrontation?
Confrontation can be necessary. When Dr. Rhee took over as chancellor of Washington, D.C.'s, notoriously awful public school system, she needed to confront the teachers union, complacent administrators and uninvolved parents. But Florida's schools aren't like those Dr. Rhee took over in 2007. In fact, judging by the measures that Jeb Bush initiated and the Legislature and Gov. Crist perpetuated, Florida's school system has become one of the nation's best.
Dr. Rhee lost public and political support and resigned her D.C. post in October. Cresting on the notoriety she gained in those battles and from laudatory treatment in the Waiting for Superman documentary, Dr. Rhee formed a national advocacy group, StudentsFirst.org. This month, the lead item on that organization's website is "StudentsFirst partners with Gov. Rick Scott to reform schools in Florida."
Dr. Rhee said her organization "put our first stake down in Florida" because Gov. Scott shares her commitment to improving teacher quality, increasing school choice and school accountability. But jump to the state Department of Education's Web page, and this is the lead item: "Congratulations to Florida's teachers for their extraordinary efforts in helping the Sunshine State achieve a fifth-place national ranking on the 2011 Quality Counts report by Education Week." That ranking "follows a continuing trend of improvement that has seen Florida move from 14th in 2008, 10th in 2009 and eighth just last year."
Given the "extraordinary efforts" by Florida teachers, why are legislators, Gov. Scott and Dr. Rhee treating teachers like lazy, union-protected incompetents who need to be punished? Confrontation wasn't the right approach on merit pay a year ago. If confrontation is what Michelle Rhee believes Florida needs, Florida doesn't need her.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/editorials/dont-pick-d-c-type-schools-fight-here-1184007.html?cxtype=rss_editorials
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