One educator’s trash, another’s treasure

Earlier this week, a source sent us the following e-mail, topped with the subject line “going around the school system.” Funny how one group says “THE END OF TEACHING AS WE KNOW IT!” and means crisis, while another says essentially the same thing and means progress.

Here’s the e-mail:

THE END OF TEACHING AS WE KNOW IT! Michael Mulgrew (The Antichrist of teaching) The following are two paragraphs directly from the UFT/NYSUT press release: UFT President Michael Mulgrew said, “The current teacher evaluation system doesn’t work for teachers – it’s too subjective, lacks specific criteria, and is too dependent on the whims and prejudices of principals. We worked with the State Education Department to create a more objective system that would apply across the state, with strict limits on the role of standardized tests.” Under the proposed system, teachers and principals would receive one of four ratings:  “highly effective,” “effective,” “developing,” or “ineffective.”  The evaluations would play a significant role in a wide array of employment decisions, including professional development, tenure determinations, selection for leadership opportunities, supplemental compensation based on a career ladder, and termination. The goal is to construct an evaluation system that can be customized to the professional development needs of every teacher. It’s quite clear that this will lead to a “merit pay” system. Now he’s agreed to end the Rubber Rooms(making it far easier and quicker for the DOE to fire teachers) and we will have a new evaluation system that will CLEARLY lead to “merit pay.” What did we get for all of OUR giving? Nothing. We have no contract, no extra pay and we didn’t even vote on any of this…some union! Every other NYC union and even the MTA got 4% raises over the current 2-year period. The only feasible way to fight this is to end your COPE payments. If you want the form see me. UNTIL WE GET A VOTE, SAY NO TO COPE!