Perdido Street School:
Perdido Street School Week
Anti-Tenure Lawsuit Groups Battle Each Other
The NY Post reports of dysfunction among the anti-tenure groups fighting to end teacher protections in New York State:The powerhouse law firm that was supposed to represent parent advocates suing to overturn the state’s teacher tenure laws has withdrawn from the case, The Post has learned. One of the parent advocates, Mona Davids, charged that the firm Gibson Dunn pulled out after “bullying” by ri
YESTERDAY
Joe Nocera Turns Against Test-Based Accountability
How often do you see something like this from a Times opinion page columnist?What should teacher accountability look like?We know what the current system of accountability looks like, and it’s not pretty. Ever since the passage of No Child Left Behind 12 years ago, teachers have been judged, far too simplistically, based on standardized tests given to their students — tests, as Marc S. Tucker poin
AUG 28
NYSED Releases District-By-District Principal/Teacher Evaluation Ratings Nine Months Late
Jessica Bakeman at Capital NY:ALBANY—Teachers and principals in New York's large, urban school districts received lower ratings on the first year of state-mandated evaluations than their counterparts in other districts, according to data released Thursday by the Education Department....The state education department released data in October 2013 showing statewide averages for teacher evaluations.
Quick Poll On UFT
This "Quick Poll" is on the UFT website: Which classic television show most accurately portrays the high school experience? Fame Buffy the Vampire Slayer The Wire (Season 4) Freaks and Geeks My So-Called LifeI don't really care about that poll, so I didn't respond to it, but it did give me the idea for our own little "Quick Poll" here at Perdido Street School blog:Which cl
Time To Send Tony Avella To The Political Trash Heap
I have nothing but disdain for the the Independent Democratic Caucus, the group of breakaway Dems that governed with Republicans and helped Governor Cuomo with much of his pro-Wall Street, pro-education reform agenda.The member of the IDC I have the most disdain for is Tony Avella, the "maverick" who stuck the knife into his fellow Dems earlier this year when he joined the IDC, allegedly
AUG 27
Eva Moskowitz Can't Pay Rent For Her Charter Schools But Can Afford $31 Million For New Offices
Eva Moskowitz criticized Mayor de Blasio as a hater of children in the latest issue of More Magazine (whatever that is): Controversial Success Academy CEO Eva Moskowitz attacked Mayor de Blasio in an interview with More magazine, calling him a "former operative of the teachers' union." "At best, we've prevented the mayor from acting on his hostility in the most dramatic, consequenti
AUG 26
Cuomo Signed NYSUT Leadership Pension Giveaway At Same Time Evaluation Deal Was In Works
When I first learned about Governor Cuomo signing the NYSUT leadership double pension giveaway, I figured there was some quid pro quo going on between the governor and the union leadership to get him to sign off on it.Tonight we learn from Jessica Bakeman that there was indeed a quid pro quo:ALBANY—Under a law approved in the final days of this year's legislative session, New York State United Tea
UFT Decides Not To Challenge The "Stop Common Core" Ballot Line
Looks like UFT President Michael Mulgrew wanted to punch GOP gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino in the face over the "Stop Common Core" ballot line but decided not to:ALBANY – The major New York City teachers union considered challenging Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino’s attempt to create a Stop Common Core ballot line, but decided against it....“We challenge petitions
AUG 25
NYSED Looks To Make 40% of APPR Evaluations Based On State Tests
The APPR teacher evaluation system in New York is split so that 60% is based on "subjective" measures like classroom observations and (in some districts) student surveys while the other 40% is based on "student performance."The "student performance" APPR component is divided into 20% that is based on state tests and 20% that is based on "local assessments."T
AUG 24
Only State That Haven't Started Common Core Testing Are Eligible For Flexibility In Teacher Evaluations
Okay, here's an update on the late Friday post about New York not being eligible for the newly announced "flexibility" on teacher evaluations that Arne Duncan posted about on the USDOE website.First a recap. State of Politics linked to a Jessica Bakeman report at Capital NY on their Friday Extras round-up:New York is one of two states not eligible for new “flexibility” policies announced
Daily News: Cuomo Not Much National Stature For White House Run
From the Daily News: While Cuomo publicly dismisses talk of a candidacy, his people have hardly discouraged such speculation. A 2016 scenario goes like this: Hillary Clinton chooses not to run, blowing the Democratic field open. The problem for Cuomo, party activists and Democratic insiders say, is that he has done little to put himself in a position to be a national candidate, while other Democra