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Union Does a U-Turn
Seems that the writing was on the blackboard for the U.S. teachers’ unions and they have changed their position on using student achievement to gauge teacher evaluations. The National Education Association (NEA), the largest teachers’ union has joined the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) in accepting evaluating teacher effectiveness based on more value-added concepts:
“In passing the new policy at its assembly here, the 3.2 million-member union, the National Education Association, hopes to take a leadership role in the growing national movement to hold teachers accountable for what students learn - an effort from which it has so far conspicuously stood apart.”
BUT they oppose using standardized test scores as the measure of that learning. Understandably, they will want to control what mechanism will be used to evaluate teachers. Go figure.
Don’t fool yourself about NEA
NEA had to do something spectacular to save face after that outrageous statement by Bob Chanin about their “power”. The YouTube went viral for all these years since 2009 internationally. It’s not because they care about chidren ... etc.
This is what I wrote for our blog in the Vancouver Sun recently which also mentioned this so-called “breakthrough”
Here are two recent views about the status quo known as “teacher power”.
1. See Vancouver Sun letter, Saturday, July 2. 2011, entitled — “BCTF’s first priority is to fight for its members’ rights” http://www.vancouversun.com/business/BCTF+first+priority+fight+members+rights/5039960/story.html
Mr. Hochstein, President, Independent Contractors and Businesses Association of BC quotes the well-known view of an American teacher unionist (now deceased) Albert Shanker— “When schoolchildren start paying union dues, that’s when I’ll start representing the interests of schoolchildren.” The letter concludes — “Don’t believe BCTF’s public relations spin that their pending strike is about students. Their negotiations are about union rights that put the priorities of students last.”
2. From America again we hear about another teacher unionist, Bob Chanin (40 years at NEA HQ), declare loud and clear, to a standing-ovation crowd of over a thousand members, “… It is not because we care about children and it is not because we have a great vision of a great public school for every child. NEA and its affiliates are effective advocates because we have power … “ See YouTube “It’s Money & Power, Not Education’’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwxiRXqH_hQ
It is largely because of Mr. Chanin’s message going viral amongst critics and legislators (and internationally) that the National Education Association, the largest union in the US, has had to “save face”. Their recent endorsement of teacher performance evaluation partially using student standardized tests is a strategic opportunistic move. Don’t hold your breath. The NEA won’t be any model of cooperative reform any time soon. Their approval is theoretical with a lot of ultimatums, for example — no existing standardized tests currently meet NEA’s criteria. Convenient excuse!