Randi Weingarten Responds
Andrew Rotherham follows developments in education reform closely, and we’ve discussed the work the American Federation of Teachers is doing to strengthen teaching and learning. On occasion, he’s even written about our efforts to improve teacher quality. But unfortunately, rather than acknowledging our leadership in these areas, Rotherham willfully ignores our work, as sadly it doesn’t fit his current narrative.
But that doesn’t mean this serious, comprehensive work is not under way. Rotherham knows the AFT has done what we said we would do — we have developed a comprehensive teacher evaluation and development program, and we have revamped tenure and aligned it to the due process system. We have done the necessary and rigorous work to improve teacher quality.
Rotherham’s complaint that you cannot discuss poorly performing teachers without being accused of teacher bashing is a crude attempt to set up a straw man, a transparent ploy to
Read more: http://ideas.time.com/2011/10/25/randi-weingarten-responds/#ixzz1boWzMPmU