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Thursday, March 1, 2012

Test scores. No honor. Just blame. « Fred Klonsky

Test scores. No honor. Just blame. « Fred Klonsky:

Test scores. No honor. Just blame.

I can tell you that every teacher I know is outraged at the past week’s events in New York. The publication of phony evaluation data based on phony test scores by the New York Times. The attack on individual teachers by Rupert Murdoch’s Post.

It is a witch hunt. And teachers are the new witches.

It was therefore very ironic on Monday night when our school board recognized honor schools in our district. Including mine.

I have often mentioned that I teach in a great school. We are small, with less than 400 students. We have terrific


Video: Despite growing public outcry, Chicago schools closed.



Cuts to retiree health insurance. IEA? Anybody home?

If you’re looking for action in response to Illinois Governor Quinn’s cuts to state aid to retired teachers’ health insurance, don’t go to the IEA website.

No emails from IEA’S Government Relations either.

Deafening silence.

Two things:

Go to the petition site and let the governor know that retirees should not have to double their payments when they and current teachers have paid and are paying their share.

Then, if you’re a delegate to the IEA RA vote for the Organizers’ New Business Item. Or contact your delegates


Dear President Obama: Dump Pritzker.

Dear President Obama,

On February 21st your campaign announced the naming of six national co-chairs from Illinois.

The list included Bill Daley, Sen. Dick Durbin, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Penny Pritzker, Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Alan Solow.

Yesterday Unite Here, which represents hotel employees at Penny Pritzker’s Hyatt Hotels, revealed that Penny Pritzker underpays the property taxes on her Chicago 7-bathroom mansion.

This is the same Penny Pritzker who refuses to come to an agreement with the union that represents the hotel