I've been meaning to start this new series called Doenut Of the Week for a while now. Today is as good a day as any. You see, each week, I'd like to recognize one reform-minded person for committing or suggesting an act that is so ridiculously silly that it would be laughable were the idea nugatory. With that in mind, here is one Tweet worth sharing that may well last to the first award.
Geoff Decker from Gotham Schools (@GDeckernews) saw some proposed changes to the state's APPR value added formula. Decker's tweet highlights one of the proposals:
"Another big change to measuring student learning: high mobility and truant students will be in. Previous model tossed them out of equation"
Nice! They are thinking about counting those students that urban teachers could never get to come to school in the first place against that teachers' APPR score when it comes to standardize exams. (I'm so psyched).
While it's way too early to get mad at this (it may not make it through the approval process at all. Heck, I may have even read it wrong!), the mere fact that it's being discussed means that the first Doenut Of the Week might very well go to Commissioner John King of NYSED 'For perseverance in establishing the principle that teachers be fired if they can't get their students to school sufficient to pass a test'
Then again, it's only Monday. Something better may come along ;D
If I remember correctly, this was part of the fight King and the NYSED had with Buffalo teachers. They didn't want truants in the APPR formula. King argued that truants had to be in the formula.
ReplyDeleteAs has been usual with APPR and ed policy in general, King wins.
So glad that the UFT abdicated APPR negotiations to John King and the NYSED.
I'm sure that imposition will go so well.
DOENUTS and Reality-based,
ReplyDeleteDo any of you know specifically what the Buffalo agreement says about attendance? I tried searching for what their agreement says but with little luck. Only thing I could find was word that they might want to weigh attendace for chronically absent students at a lower rate than that of someone who attends regularly. Any info would be appreciated.
Check in with the B-LoEdScene blog on this blog roll on the Buffalo story.
ReplyDeleteFrom Sean Crowley of B-Lo
ReplyDeleteApril 22, 2013
MEMO TO: Buffalo Teachers
FROM: Philip Rumore, President, BTF
RE: Buffalo News Article
As usual, The Buffalo News and Commissioner King are seeking to start controversy where there should
be none.
The MOU is legal, other districts have similar MOU’s patterned after ours and we have no intention of being browbeaten to retreat from the signed agreement.
What part of last year’s process, such as:
• it was untried and new,
• no one knew how the State would factor in standardized tests,
• some entire school districts, teachers and schools were wrongly judged
developing or ineffective and,
• this year the Commissioner has stated that State scores are projected to drop
significantly,
…. don’t they understand?
If we have to fight them, we will. What a disgrace that they use the threat of withholding money from our students to further damage our schools. If they want a fight … bring them on.
PR:ls