Friday, November 12, 2010

UFT Teacher Union Day AFT - A Union of Professionals - UFT Teacher Union Day

AFT - A Union of Professionals - UFT Teacher Union Day

UFT Teacher Union Day

AFT Pres. Randi Weingarten
Nov. 7, 2010
United Federation of Teachers

Exactly 50 years to the day that the fledgling UFT went on strike against the Board of Education for the first time, the union on Nov. 7 celebrated its own members at its annual Teacher Union Day Awards Ceremony. AFT President Randi Weingarten received the Charles Cogen Award.

Thank you, Michael. And thank you all. Being with my UFT family always feels like coming home. Teacher Union Day was always my favorite of the UFT rituals because it is a way to honor our own—generation to generation. I was honored to present the Cogen award each year I did, so you can imagine that receiving this honor makes this one of the most special days of my life.

Randi Weingarten receives the Charles Cogen Award from UFT president Michael Mulgrew. Photo by Miller Photography.

I’d like to first say a few words about the man for whom this award is named, Charles Cogen, as well as my two predecessors Al Shanker and Sandy Feldman. All three were presidents of both the UFT and the AFT. Charlie led the strike that secured bargaining rights for the city’s public school teachers. But that strike and the work that lay ahead was not about the fight—it was to secure a voice for teachers, and a greater measure of economic dignity for them, and to use collective bargaining as a tool to secure conditions that improved teaching and learning. (Sound Familiar?) Sandy and Al are best remembered by others for their clout and savviness in building this amazing union, and the bread and butter work they did for the members.

And although Charlie, Al, Sandy and I were very different in personality and style, we share much in common. We saw (and see) the labor movement—and teachers unions, in particular—as the cross-section—the pivotal catalyst—of economic and educational opportunity. One the great equalizer for young people, and the other the great equalizer for working people.

Al and Sandy dedicated their lives to make our country a more just place, and for public schools to be places of greatness. They fought for kids as much as they fought for the adults who served them. They knew that the fight for economic security and professional dignity that workers rightly deserve went hand in hand with the fight to ensure that our schools and our public institutions were the best they could be. And speaking of dignity and respect, no group of workers deserves that dignity and respect more then the educators of our city, our state and our nation, who because of what they do everyday in their classrooms, and every night at home preparing, are the

Peggy Conlon: Getting the Public to Care About K-12 Public Education (VIDEO)

Peggy Conlon

CEO, The Advertising Council

Posted: November 12, 2010 05:38 PM

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Whatever you think about Waiting for 'Superman' -- whether you saw the documentary or read some of the buzz -- you can't deny that it's absolutely thought-provoking.

When first approached to make the film, Director Davis Guggenheim declined. And that's not hard to understand -- public education, he said, is "a storytelling quagmire."

We've faced a similar struggle at the Ad Council. Figuring out the "hook" to engage Americans around public education is no simple task, and we've spent a few years trying to figure it out.

Our challenge is this: How can you drill down an incredibly complicated issue -- education, climate change, obesity -- to a simple message that motivates the average American to do something? And what's the something?

Many people tune out when they feel overwhelmed by an issue like education or the environment -- how can reading to a kid or changing one light bulb possibly make a difference? Especially when

Education Week: Why I Will Not Teach to the Test

Why I Will Not Teach to the Test

—Bob Dahm

It's Time to Focus on In-Depth Learning, Not Shallow Answers

By Kelly Gallagher

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In the midst of controversy surrounding “value added” teacher assessment, which flared recently following the Los Angeles Times’ public teacher rankings, the real issue is often overlooked: The state tests being used to evaluate student progress—and, in turn, the effectiveness of teachers—virtually ensure mediocrity.

Consider the following California 10th-grade-history standard: “Relate the moral and ethical principles in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, in Judaism, and in Christianity to the development of Western political thought.” How long do you think it would take to teach this standard before a classroom of 16-year-olds reached a thorough understanding? Weeks? Months? Consider another social studies standard: “Compare and contrast the Glorious Revolution of England, the American Revolution, and the French Revolution and their enduring effects worldwide on the political expectations

t r u t h o u t | Business Culture and the Death of Public Education: The Triumph of Management Over Leadership

Business Culture and the Death of Public Education: The Triumph of Management Over Leadership

Friday 12 November 2010

by: Henry A. Giroux, t r u t h o u t | Op-Ed

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. (Photo: Angela Radulescu / Flickr)

The recent news that Mayor Bloomberg has anointed Cathleen P. Black, the chairwomen of Hearst Magazines, as the new chancellor of the New York City school system is another high profile example of how much business elites in the United States despise public education and its traditional role as a guardian of civic values, democratic politics and public culture. It appears that Black's only suitability for the job is that she has "extraordinary qualifications as a manager," has "marketing prowess" and has participated "in a mentor day with Michelle Obama at a Detroit public school and, several years ago, [served] as 'principle for a day' in a school in the south Bronx."(1) This appointment could provide fodder for a skit for "Saturday Night Live" if it were not both true and tragic. Of course, there is a larger script here that points to the increasing power of

The Educated Reporter: Leaving charters behind in Chicago.

Leaving charters behind in Chicago.

by Linda Perlstein

Linda Lutton of WBEZ and Sarah Karp of Catalyst Chicago collaborated on a project about the student attrition rate at the city’s charter schools, which is higher than at traditional schools. It is a worthwhile listen and read, given how often people talk about charters “pushing out” or “counseling out” students but rarely have substantive reporting behind those comments.

It’s not that the schools portrayed in these pieces actively encouraged these kids to leave (although at least parent quoted seems to be saying that). Higher standards certainly played a part. It’s hard to imagine how to hold on to a student who says, after leaving her charter for a regular school, “I like it a lot better. It’s so much easier. I don’t have to worry about stupid things. ... And I don’t be waking up every morning like, ‘Oh my God, I

California Teachers of the Year 2011 - Year 2010 (CA Dept of Education)

State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Names Five
Educators as 2011 California Teachers of the Year

SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today named five remarkable teachers as the 2011 California Teachers of the Year.

"Our California Teachers of the Year are amazing instructional leaders who have a great passion for helping students reach their full potential," O'Connell said. "They each have unique ways of teaching and thinking that inspire their students to love learning. The Teachers of the Year inspire me, and I hope they inspire veteran teachers and encourage future teachers to follow their footsteps into the classroom."

The 2011 California Teachers of the year are:

Shannan Brown teaches fifth grade at Thomas Edison Elementary School, San Juan Unified School District, in Sacramento (Sacramento County).
Darin Curtis teaches eighth grade physical education at Tierra del Sol Middle School, Lakeside Union School District, in Lakeside (San Diego County).
Beverly Gonzalez teaches fourth grade mathematics and writing at Santa Fe School, Baldwin Park Unified School District, in Baldwin Park (Los Angeles County).
Jennifer Kelly teaches eighth grade physical science at Middletown Middle School, Middletown Unified School District, in Middletown (Lake County).
Khadir Rajagopal teaches ninth through eleventh grade mathematics at Grant Union High School, Twin Rivers Unified School District, in Sacramento (Sacramento County).

Detailed biographies are attached.

One teacher is selected to serve as the state's representative to the National Teacher of the Year Program. O'Connell chose Curtis to represent California in the national competition. The National Teacher of the Year winner will be selected next spring by the Council of Chief State School Officers. Candidates will be honored at a White House ceremony.

"Curtis' application addresses how important it is for districts to include physical fitness and health programs in their curriculum," added O'Connell. "He understands how critical it is to instill healthy habits in children at a young age, especially at a time when one in four children do not engage in physical activity. I agree with Curtis' statement in his application that, ‘There is nothing more important than the health of our children.'"

The California Teachers of the Year Program began in 1972 to acknowledge the growing complexity of challenges faced by the profession and the need to promote collaboration among teachers to address challenges. The program is also designed to encourage new teachers to enter the field.

The competition is open to educators who teach prekindergarten through grade twelve. County offices of education nominate winners through their regional Teachers of the Year competitions. A state selection committee reviews candidates' applications and conducts site visits to evaluate the teachers' rapport with students, classroom environment, presentation skills, and teaching methods, among other criteria. The teachers are interviewed at the California Department of Education in Sacramento. The State Superintendent selects the five awardees.

The 2011 California Teachers of the Year will be honored at a special recognition event to be held in the spring.

For information on the California Teacher of the Year program, please visit http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/sr/ct/index.asp.

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Friday, November 12, 2010