Wednesday, May 30, 2018

ASSEMBLYWOMAN JO ANNE SIMON RESPONDS TO OUR EVAL PETITION

Assembywoman JoAnne Simon from Brooklyn has responded to our petition on Moveon.org. She touts the Assembly Bill as a fix for what is wrong with teacher evaluations. Her response is copied in full below.

This is her email address if you want to set her straight about Danielson observations, HEDI and student test scores still being part of teacher evaluation even if their bill becomes law.

Simonj@nyassembly.gov

I write in response to your correspondence regarding NYS Teacher Evaluations.

There is legislation A.10475 that seeks to improve the evaluation system. This bill will allow school districts and teachers to negotiate an effective and fair evaluation system to meet the diverse needs of students and communities throughout the state. The legislation removes the mandate that state created or administered assessments be used to evaluate a teacher’s or principal’s performance. The Commissioner of Education would be required to promulgate regulations providing alternative assessments for districts that choose not to use state assessments. The bill eliminates the use of the state-provided growth model in a teacher or principal’s evaluation. All teachers would be required to have a student learning objective (SLO) consistent with a goal-setting processdetermined or developed by the Commissioner. The legislation also eliminates the use of certain rules to determine a teacher or a principal’s overall rating, and makes permanent provisions that prohibit ELA or math state assessments recorded in grades three through eight from being included in a student’s permanent record. By removing the assessment mandate, local school districts and teachers would be able to negotiate an evaluation system that better serves the needs of their students and community.

Be assured that I share your concerns regarding how our state evaluates the performance of our students and teachers. There is no one size fits all when it comes to teaching and we need to celebrate our diverse student body as the asset it is. It is past time to stop putting so much of our teachers’ energies into testing and let them teach our students.

Please do not hesitate to contact me again on matters of mutual concern.

Very truly yours, 

Jo Anne Simon 

Member of Assembly

13 comments:

  1. Bottom line: We are fucked for the very long haul. What this means is that the the friggin' NYSUT and the UFT tossed what they thought to be a good change to our evaluations to the legislature and they bought it hook, line, and sinker. They think this is what the rank and file want since "our" unions asked for this, However, we all know this is total bullshit. HEDI is still here. There is no chance to return to S/U now. Basically, we are stuck with this shit unless Nixon gets elected. I really hate to say this but I now really am thinking about pulling my dues.

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  2. NYSUT and the UFT sold us out. I thought I had better faith in the NYSUT but it is obvious now that I do not. They should have asked for a repeal of our current evaluation system and demand a return of evaluations to local control. Seems like NYSUT wants the much hyped, "seat at the table" just like the UFT. I am disgusted beyond words.

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  3. As a teacher with a special education license, I am deeply concerned about the evaluation system and I do not trust "local" or "district" level control in determining any future changes to our evaluation system. This system is horrible for all teachers except maybe teachers of AP. Judging ESL/IEP teachers on the test scores of their students is ridiculous!

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  4. Since the uft WRONGLY ASSUMES what the rank and file wants, let them keep up the streak by WRONGLY ASSUMING that the rank and file will remain in the union.

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  5. UFT and NYSUT are spineless.

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  6. You all want to know something? Nobody is reading these blogs and that means our death sentence is just around the corner. How sad indeed. All the young newbies are at yoga classes right now and the veterans are sipping on Scotch and counting down the days till' retirement. Game over.

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  7. This was the final nail in the coffin for the UFT in my world. I am DONE. My dues are going to be going elsewhere. Sorry UFT, you had your chance and you blew it.

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  8. People are starting to wake up. The UFT doesn't like it. We need to start a real union.

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  9. I hope people actually DO something besides "waling up". Write a letter, call the UFT, sign a petition. Time is running out before the new change to the evaluation law takes place. As of now, it looks like we are screwed. (HEDI will still be in place, no return to S/U in new law)

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  10. Where is the buyout-severance? Get me the fuck out of here.

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  11. Check the UFT dues on the july checks, up to $62.70 per check. What a scam.

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  12. After today, 5 instructional days remain...Resignation for me. Not really look to drop dead of a heart attack or have other life long medical problems dealing with a bunch of losers.

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  13. Like anything else involving politicians, this is all smoke and mirrors, a big nothingburger.

    As long as student performance on tests factors in the evaluation, it is a junk science system.

    Could you imagine if ShopRite was graded on how well its customers cooked the food people buy? Or how about DMV employees being penalized when the drivers they serve crash their cars?

    Part of the problem is teachers put up with this crap but also that a significant portion of the public believes in this nonsense, and worst of all, our administrators.

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