I'm not much for conspiracy theories. Yet I read that the new Common Core
may lower test scores, and see the mad rush for the UFT to adopt a junk science evaluation system, and I wonder whether or not it's sheer coincidence. It's pretty clear to me, when corporate astroturf groups like Students First NY and E4E (and whatever else they're calling themselves this week) push the new system, that it won't benefit anyone but those looking to privatize education. I can fervently hope the UFT declines to give in, but frankly I can't anticipate any way this could be workable.
The fact that I may have as little as 20% crap in my evaluation is hardly reassuring. In fact, given that neither New York State nor Common Core bothers to differentiate between native English speakers and ESL students, I'm kind of concerned about all my ESL-teaching brethren (and sisteren, of course). Given we live in a country that doesn't think we should test Common Core before enacting it in over 40 states, a country that has imposed
