Tag: MORE

MORE than a Test Score!

Our friends from the MORE Caucus of the UFT will be hosting a forum on standardized testing on Saturday, February 1st in Manhattan.  Rob Pearl and I will be headed in to represent the PJSTA.  We’d be happy to have any other PJSTA members join us.

Here are the details via MORE’s Facebook page…

Find out how you can stop the overuse of High Stakes Testing in your school, and join the citywide effort to focus on real teaching and learning.

Panel and workshops will discuss:

What are the effects of high stakes testing on students, teachers and school communities?

What are solid alternatives to standardized testing that already exist?

How can we be active in the fight for a better educational system for ALL students?

Hear and speak to educators and students from schools where standardized tests are not used to make major decisions. There’s overwhelming evidence to support that collaboration trumps competition when it comes to bringing out the best in all of our students.
Together we can stop the corporate standardization of education and create a responsive educational system that serves the needs of our young people and communities.

11:00-11:15- Welcome and Introductions!

11:15-11:45- Key Note Speakers

11:55-12:55- Workshops Round 1 (Diverse range of workshops for everyone)
* Portfolio Based Assessments (Middle/High School): Presented by educators from a Consortium High School (Non-regents based public high school)
* High Stakes Testing 101: The Truth About Testing- Presented by Change the Stakes
* Why the UFT should fight “Advance”: Presented by MORE’s Contract Committee
* High Stakes Testing and Zero Tolerance Policies- Promoting Restorative Justice
in our schools: Teacher’s Unite
* Building Student Voice and Empowerment: NYC Student Union: Building Student Unions on your own campus. Let’s build a network of collaboration for collective action to have our educational demands met.
* Portfolio Based Assessments in Elementary Schools- Presented by elementary school educators in the current progressive network

1:00-2:00- GET PLUGGED IN! Round 2 (Great place for people who are already plugged in to different community based groups and for those who are looking to learn more about how to get actively informed.)
* MORE- Movement of Rank and File Educators:
* Change the Stakes
* NYC Student Union
* Teachers

2:00-2:30- Endnote Speakers and Closing

2:30-3:00- Mingle and Meet- bake sale and connect at the water cooler

LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE!
*Workshop organizers subject to change depending on demand.

Change the Stakes http://changethestakes.wordpress.com/
Movement of Rank and File Educators http://morecaucusnyc.org/
Teacher’s Unite http://www.teachersunite.net/

Signt MORE’s Petition Against NYC Teacher Evals

Our friends at the MORE Caucus have begun to circulate a petition calling for a moratorium on the new teacher evaluation system in New York City.  The PJSTA stands in solidarity with our brothers and sisters from MORE and opposes any teacher evaluation system based upon standardized test scores.  Please take a moment to sign their petition.  To read a bit about their evaluation system click here.

Notes on the “Students, Not Scores!” Rally

Just a reminder, not that you should need it, that tomorrow is the “Students, Not Scores!” rally that grew out of Dr. Rella’s letters following the release of the NYS Common Core test scores.  The rally begins at 12:00 and is at Comsewogue High School.  There is an enormous crowd expected, so carpool, arrive early, and park wherever you can.  Speaking will be Dr. Rella, PJSTA President Beth Dimino, NYSUT President Dick Ianuzzi, and several others.  New York State Assemblymen Steven Englebright and Al Graf will be there in support.  Kudos to politicians willing to put their neck on the line to stand up for what’s right.  Be sure to thank them and to vote for them if you live in their district.  Not all politicians have the guts to do what they are doing (I am looking at you John J. Flanagan and Ken LaValle!)

Spend some time to make some signs tonight for tomorrow’s rally.  Be creative.  Have fun.  I know of at least one group of PJSTA members having a sign making party tonight.  If you want in let us know in the comments or email Beth Dimino.

Be sure to wear your PJSTA garb tomorrow (or BAT apparel if you are cool enough to own any!)

There is not much more to be said.  Tomorrow has been a long time coming.  The general public is finally catching on to what teachers have known for several years now.  To quote Karen Lewis, who seemed to speak for all of us during the CTU strike last year, “We’re tired of being bullied, belittled, and betrayed.  We have done everything asked of us, yet we continue to be vilified and treated with disrespect.”  Tomorrow’s your chance to fight back.  I know I wouldn’t miss it for the world!

Some new links of note:

Students Not Scores! now has a website!  Click here to view it and sign the petition.

Port Jefferson School District Superintendent, Dr. Ken Bossert weighs in on test scores here.  Feel free to set the commenters straight.

The UFT’s MORE Caucus has been a tremendous help in getting the word out about this rally.  Please visit their site.  They stand for everything that is right in education and we would all benefit if they were at the helm of the country’s largest teachers union.

MORE Presidential Candidate in the NY Times; More on Seattle

Michael Powell with a great read in the New York Times about Mayor Bloomberg’s fight with the UFT.  Julie Cavanagh, a teacher in Red Hook, Brooklyn, who is running for UFT President this year as the MORE caucus’ candidate, was quoted several times in the story, including this gem…

“The ‘bad teacher’ narrative as a way of explaining what’s wrong with our school system gets really old,” Ms. Cavanagh said. “Our union has taken a stance that we will collaborate and compromise and that is shortsighted when the other side seems bent on destroying you.”

Julie Cavanagh during her appearance on MSNBC this fall.

More news from Seattle where Garfield High School teachers have decided to boycott standardized tests that they were to be evaluated on…

  • Superintendent Jose Banda has issued a warning to teachers who fail to administer the tests, threatening them with a ten day suspension.  The insistence of the teachers to go through with the boycott in spite of such threats makes their actions even more heroic.
  • NEA President Dennis Van Roekel, president of those Seattle teachers’ parent union, has finally broken his silence on the matter with this statement of support…
“Today is a defining moment within the education profession as educators at Seattle’s Garfield High School take a heroic stand against using the MAP test as a basis for measuring academic performance and teacher effectiveness. I, along with 3 million educators across the country, proudly support their efforts in saying ‘no’ to giving their students a flawed test that takes away from learning and is not aligned with the curriculum. Garfield High School educators are receiving support from the parents of Garfield students. They have joined an ever-growing chorus committed to one of our nation’s most critical responsibilities—educating students in a manner that best serves the realization of their fullest potential.
“Educators across the country know what’s best for their students, and it’s no different for our members in Seattle. We know that having well-designed assessment tools can help students evaluate their own strengths and needs, and help teachers improve. This type of assessment isn’t done in one day or three times a year. It’s done daily, and educators need the flexibility to collaborate with their colleagues and the time to evaluate on-going data to make informed decisions about what’s best for students.
“If we want a system that is designed to help all students, we must allow educators, parents, students and communities to be a part of the process and have a stronger voice in this conversation as they demand high-quality assessments that support student learning. Off-the-shelf assessments that are not aligned with the curriculum or goals of the school are not the answer.”

The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman

This movie was produced by Brian Jones and Julie Cavanagh.  Ms. Cavanagh is the MORE Caucus’ candidate for President of the UFT and Mr. Jones is their candidate for secretary.  MORE stands for Movement of Rank and File Educators.  Read more about them and their positions here.

You can watch Ms. Cavanagh’s appearance on MSNBC’s Up w/ Chris Hayes here.