tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post4587440592818192756..comments2024-03-24T11:39:28.574-04:00Comments on NYC Public School Parents: Bloomberg's damaging education proposals to cost $350 million per yearPatrick Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10631038958645725010noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post-45352341231960160652012-02-11T21:49:29.019-05:002012-02-11T21:49:29.019-05:00Did any of you ever consider the possibility that ...Did any of you ever consider the possibility that at these 33 schools, AT LEAST half the staff ought to be fired?<br /><br />Bad teachers are the reason schools are bad. It's not the kids, people. Wake up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post-11301021280314172312012-01-15T12:26:24.111-05:002012-01-15T12:26:24.111-05:00...And education....And education.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post-67045972295797343982012-01-15T12:25:43.097-05:002012-01-15T12:25:43.097-05:00Another way to destroy middle class.Another way to destroy middle class.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post-34864654655258503252012-01-15T08:06:06.941-05:002012-01-15T08:06:06.941-05:00Mayor Bloomberg throws out these proposals to cove...Mayor Bloomberg throws out these proposals to cover up the fact his educational policies have been a complete disaster and has destroyed the system.He and his friends in the print media has chosen to make the teachers and their union the scapegoat for the destruction of the system.They never give you policies to improve the system,but always insist on closing schools,more space for his friend's charters, and dismissing teachers.To give principals the right to arbitrary dismiss teachers will take away all teacher's rights won under the existing contract. The principal can now threaten teachers and do what they wish.<br />Merit pay will pit teacher against teacher in an effort to get more money and hurt the children even more as teachers will no longer help each other nor share ideas. <br />The sad part is while this is going on our school system continues to decline and many of our children are unprepared for college or life after graduation from high school.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post-59730466610956129602012-01-14T16:24:59.399-05:002012-01-14T16:24:59.399-05:00I see what you're saying about the merit pay p...I see what you're saying about the merit pay proposal and what it will cost. <br /><br />Perhaps this is a case of free market ideology trumping sense.<br /><br />Or perhaps they want to move forward with merit pay in order to put into place the precedent that in order to get a salary increase, teachers have to show they have increased test scores (or grad rates or some other measure of "effectiveness.") <br /><br />Under the current contract, steps and differentials and longevity still count. <br /><br />I suspect in the next contract, the city will attempt to dispense with those completely and move toward a base + bonus system.<br /><br />It's possible they'll try this with private money first, used as a "bonus", gin up some positive p.r. on the program, then move to put that system in place in the next contract negotiation over the current pay structure.<br /><br />It costs more in the beginning, but ultimately once they get rid of steps, differentials and longevity and replace them with a base + bonu system, they save money.reality-based educatorhttp://perdidostreetschool.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post-71667958845041599742012-01-14T15:00:49.928-05:002012-01-14T15:00:49.928-05:00I agree w/ most of what you say, reality-based, bu...I agree w/ most of what you say, reality-based, but the merit pay proposal is extremely expensive any way you slice it and will not lower costs in any way, any how. They generally do want to squeeze the budgets but at the same time make extremely expensive -- and wasteful -- proposals that will cost millions.Leonie Haimsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17317355552298136811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post-78395482636928500152012-01-14T14:14:23.277-05:002012-01-14T14:14:23.277-05:00This has never been about teacher quality and this...This has never been about teacher quality and this has never been about the RttT money.<br /><br />This has always been about labor practices - specifically giving the city the right to fire any teacher at any time for any reason.<br /><br />You can bet if the NYSED gives Bloomberg the green light to close those 33 schools and send 1700 teachers to the ATR pool, we will again see a concerted p.r. effort from the mayor and his reform allies at the think tanks, foundations and media outlets that its time to drain that pool by firing everybody who cannot get a job within a set amount of time.<br /><br />And as you point out, with the Fair Funding System in place, principals are NOT going to hire veteran teachers ever.<br /><br />Not with the budget cuts the way they are.<br /><br />So any vet who gets let go is never going to get hired at another school and it is in the interest of every principal to evaluate veteran teachers as "ineffective" so that they can save money in their budgets.<br /><br />The fix is in.<br /><br />Howard Wolfson can send midnight tweets about the Times editorial all he wants to try and prove his boss is right on this - he knows the Times people, like the Murdoch people and the Zuckerman people, are ALL on the same side of this labor issue - give the city and the state the right to fire any teacher at any time for any reason.<br /><br />When you look at the labor practices of the papers themselves, it's not difficult to see why they have the stance on the education that they have. <br /><br />Bust the unions. Squeeze labor. Lower costs. Raise profits for the 1%.<br /><br />That's what this is about.reality-based educatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01712885202661371924noreply@blogger.com