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Saturday, January 9, 2016

BATs LEGISLATIVE ACTION TEAM WEEKLY UPDATE - Badass Teachers Association

Badass Teachers Association:

BATs LEGISLATIVE ACTION TEAM WEEKLY UPDATE


NATIONAL LEVEL

On Monday, January 11th the Supreme Court will hear Friedrichs vs. CTA.  In a nutshell, if the Court rules in favor of Friedrichs we will become a RIGHT TO WORK NATION.  It is important that we all spread the word about this.  Here are some materials that you can share which describe what this case is really about! 

http://www.badassteacher.org/the-art-of-deception-friedrich-vs-cta/

http://badassteachers.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-deception-goes-deeper-friedrichs-vs.html

http://edit.aflcio.org/Blog/Political-Action-Legislation/What-s-This-Friedrichs-Case-Really-About

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/09/us/politics/union-fees-friedrichs-v-california-teachers-association.html?_r=0

http://www.thenation.com/article/this-supreme-court-case-could-make-all-public-unions-right-to-work/



STATE LEVEL NEWS

Massachusetts- Amy Wolpin

Charter School Expansion (H3804)




"A bill raising the cap on the number of charter schools allowed to operate in Massachusetts was passed in the House in the 2013-’14 session, but did not pass in the Senate. [Gov] Baker has come out in favor of raising the cap, as has Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. Both testified in favor of the bill in October.



In recent months, senators have been holding a series of closed-door meetings in an attempt to find common ground on the issue in the current session. On Monday [1/4/16], Senate President Stanley Rosenberg said he is trying to determine if there is enough support for the bill to bring it up, adding it is a “politically and substantively complicated issue.” The Senate may very well opt not to take up the matter this session, leaving it instead to the voters to decide. A referendum calling for the cap to be raised will likely be on the ballot in November 2016."



http://www.wbur.org/2016/01/06/key-2016-bills-massachusetts-legislature


Alabama- Terri Michal Rector





Sen. Del Marsh (R-AL) has released a bill he will propose in the upcoming legislative session beginning on Feb. 2. The RAISE Act is a Performance Pay scam that basically will pay teachers up to $4,000 a year in increased salaries and stipends to give up their tenure. It will also tie students assessments to evaluations through a VAM formula. Up to 67% of the teacher's final score will be based on student assessments. The bill also will allow for the revocation of tenure for new teachers that chose the tenure pathway instead of the performance pay pathway if they have two poor evaluations in a row. It does not stipulate any specifics on what actions will take place to aid teachers that are struggling, it simply states the teachers should 'seek PD' and that they will reimburse up to $1,000 for PD for teachers that score in the lowest category. Of course, since they can fire teachers that do not have tenure for any reason I doubt they will be dishing out too many thousand dollar bills. It also increases the number of years it takes to earn tenure from 3 to 5.


http://www.alreporter.com/marsh-unveils-controversial-tenure-reform-bill/



Hawaii - Mireille Christianne Ellsworth 






Hawaii State Teachers Association announced last month its bill for Schools Our Keiki Deserve ("keiki" means children in Hawaiian). Our state president, Corey Rosenlee, announced tBadass Teachers Association:

How Standardized Testing is Contributing to the Rise in Charter Schools – Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance

How Standardized Testing is Contributing to the Rise in Charter Schools – Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance:

How Standardized Testing is Contributing to the Rise in Charter Schools

More and more charter schools are appearing around the country, and in many cities, such as in Philadelphia (alternet), they are replacing public schools that have been shutdown.  For the most part, these school closings are due to low standardized testing scores that give government officials reasons to underfund and close schools (almost always in poor, inner-city communities).  These two issues are closely related: schools that have lower test scores generally get less funding than schools who do well; this in turn gives under-funded schools even fewer resources, essentially setting them up for failure.
Both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama have passed legislation that requires public education to rely heavily on testing (procon).  Bush passed the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002, mandating that public schools in all 50 states annually test their students.  In 2009, Obama passed Race to the Top, a program that makes schools compete for extra funding based on test scores.  Because of both of these programs, many schools have been forced to shut down, paving the way for private corporations to make profit off of investing in charter schools without thinking of students’ best interests.
The way that charter schools are run allows private companies to invest in them.  These corporations do so because they gain huge profits from it.  In 2000, congress passed a bill (alternet and shadowproof) that included the New Market How Standardized Testing is Contributing to the Rise in Charter Schools – Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance:

Are Charter Schools Todays Version of Sub Prime Mortgages? - YouTube

Are Charter Schools Todays Version of Sub Prime Mortgages? - YouTube:

Are Charter Schools Todays Version of Sub Prime Mortgages? 






Mark Naison debunks Charter School mythology in this episode of Education News. Comparing the Charter School explosion to the subprime mortgage collapse, Naison reveals the startling failures and false promises of the Charter mystique.





Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/9/15



CORPORATE ED REFORM



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YESTERDAY

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Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/8/15
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