TEACHER EVALUATIONS LINKED TO TEST SCORES! HB 1033 will be heard in House Education Committee tomorrow. Take Action Now to Stop HB 1033!!!
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Wednesday, April 28, 2010
KEEP UP THE PRESSURE – SAY “NO” TO HB 1033
Thursday, April 22, 2010
STOP HB 1368 NOW!
TAKE ACTION NOW TO STOP HB 1368!!!
New House Bill by Representative Jane Smith continues Gov. Jindal's Anti-Public School Agenda | |
HB 1368 would call for mass firings and closure of neighborhood public schools. | |
HB 1368: Gov. Bobby Jindal and Rep. Jane Smith call it the "Educational Red Tape Reduction Act," and they claim it's intended to "reduce burdensome regulations." In fact, HB 1368 calls for the mass firings of teachers and support professionals and the closure of neighborhood public schools. Under this radical proposal, schools and school districts would be able to apply for and obtain waivers of most any and all state laws and state board policies. This could include, for example, such "burdensome regulations" as those that require school districts to participate in retirement and group health insurance programs. And in exchange for this "flexibility," at least half of the schools covered by waivers would be required to either:
Join the LAE campaign to PROTECT LOUISIANA PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Tell lawmakers to reject HB 1368 and the reckless, deceptive gimmicks it comprises. | |
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Analysis: Jindal takes on teacher unions
The governor describes his education agenda this legislative session as a way to improve school, teacher and student performance. It could just as easily be described as a list of everything the unions oppose: promotion of charter schools, teacher evaluations tied to student test scores and public schools' ability to sidestep teacher salary schedules and tenure rules.
The head of the Louisiana Association of Educators called the governor's agenda "anti-public education and teacher-bashing."
Two bills are drawing much of the ire from the unions: one measure would make public schools function more like charter schools by letting them get waivers from state law and education policies and another would rate teachers in part on student test scores and make it easier to dismiss them if they fail repeated reviews.
While not surprising that a Republican governor doesn't embrace the positions of union groups, Jindal's package of education proposals this year is considered an all-out assault against them.
Before the legislative session started, criticism began.
The head of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, Steve Monaghan, sent the governor a letter complaining about the bill that would let schools and school districts apply for a four-year waiver of state laws or statewide policies.
"We were hopeful that the coming legislative session would be more collaborative and less contentious," Monaghan said in the letter. "That hope is not reflected in the proposals outlined in the so-called Red Tape Reduction Act."
Monaghan said teachers haven't complained that areas like teacher salary schedules, teacher certification and student-teacher ratios -- areas listed by Jindal as regulations that could be waived -- are impediments to student achievement.
Jindal described the measure, sponsored by Rep. Jane Smith, R-Bossier City, as a way to shrink burdensome regulations on schools that can inhibit academic improvement. Low-performing schools would have to improve student's standardized test scores when having the waiver, or face takeover by the state. Higher-performing schools that don't improve while having a waiver wouldn't be able to get it renewed.
"So often we've heard from schools that complain that we give flexibility to charter schools or we've heard from public schools that the state only helps them through the recovery district when it's time for a state takeover," the governor said.
Joyce Haynes, president of the LAE, said educators believe the changes would allow for mass firings of teachers.
"One thing I've learned as a teacher for over three decades is that one person's 'red tape' is another person's important protection for students and schools," Haynes said in a statement.
If the teacher groups weren't jittery enough, Jindal's also pushing a bill by Rep. Frank Hoffmann, R-West Monroe, that would rewrite the evaluation process for teachers.
The bill would require annual evaluations for teachers starting next year. At least 50 percent of that review would be tied to student performance data and whether students are improving their scores on accountability tests.
"The bottom line is, let's reward those teachers, let's reward those classrooms where our students are learning," Jindal said.
Teachers currently get formal evaluations at least once every three years -- but those aren't specifically tied to student performance data. If a teacher meets the standards for three years, they get tenure, a type of job protection that makes it much more difficult to be fired.
Hoffmann's bill would upend that system, though teacher unions dispute that standardized tests are an appropriate method for grading student achievement.
That doesn't really matter. Jindal doesn't seem to be trying to curry their favor much anyway.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: Melinda Deslatte covers the state Capitol for The Associated Press.
Friday, April 16, 2010
KEEP UP THE PRESSURE!
URGENT MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT HAYNES - TAKE ACTION NOW!
KEEP UP THE PRESSURE - IT'S WORKING - Say NO to HB 1033 | |
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It's just wrong to base teacher evaluations, certification and recertification on student standardized test scores. Many factors affect student test scores that teachers have no control over, including attendance, nutrition, family support, and student motivation. As Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida put it yesterday when he vetoed similar legislation in his state, "teachers [would be] in jeopardy of losing their jobs and teaching certificates, without a clear understanding of how gains will be measured." As lawmakers in Baton Rouge consider this recycled element of Gov. Jindal's failed Race To The Top application, your calls and e-mails are making a difference. In a sure sign that legislators are feeling the heat, LAE learned yesterday that backroom talks are taking place between proponents of HB 1033 and the Louisiana Federation of Teachers on some sort of "compromise" on this deeply-flawed, highly-unpopular proposal. The leaders of the Louisiana Association of Educators, however, remain committed to the teachers and support professionals they represent and the students they serve; LAE will not compromise on core values and good instructional practices. Please join LAE in the campaign to PROTECT PUBLIC EDUCATION and urge lawmakers to reject HB 1033. | |
Friday, April 9, 2010
Take Action! Stop Rep. Hoffman’s House Bill 1033
IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED!
Contact Key House Education Committee Members on HB 1033 | |
Stop Rep. Hoffman's House Bill 1033 | |
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Many LAE members have contacted Representative Frank Hoffman regarding House Bill 1033. Now it is critical that LAE member advocates contact key House Education Committee members and tell them to stop HB 1033. It's bad for educators and students. House Bill 1033 attempts to impose all the flaws of Race to the Top. Rep. Hoffman's bill, which is a product of Governor Jindal, attempts to subject all teachers and administrators of Louisiana to the failed policies, plans and regulations the US Department of Education rejected in the state's Race to the Top application. Representative Hoffman's statement that good teachers will love the bill and bad teachers will hate the bill is a classic example of not understanding teacher concerns about appropriate use of standardized assessment and teacher accountability. House Bill 1033 seeks to establish an unequal and inconsistent measure of teacher performance and effectiveness by basing 50% of a teacher's evaluation on student test scores and would allow a teacher's evaluation to become public record. Research does not adequately show that basing teacher evaluations on student test scores is an effective indicator of best practices. Student testing is designed to be diagnostic, and this bill misuses testing as a tool to invoke punitive measures against students and teachers... Bottom-line: HB 1033 scapegoats and demonizes public school teachers and administrators in Louisiana schools. HB 1033 is bad for Louisiana teachers and public education. Take action now!!! Send key House Education Committee members an email by composing your message below. It's critical that members of the House Education Committee hear from LAE members on HB 1033. | |
Take Action Now!
HB 1033 by Rep. Frank Hoffman Resurrects Race to the Top Application
What USDOE rejected, Hoffman/Jindal want for Louisiana House Bill 1033 filed by Rep. Frank Hoffman, R-West Monroe, is a bill LAE strongly opposes.
House Bill 1033 attempts to impose all the flaws of Race to the Top. Rep. Hoffman's bill, which is a product of Governor Jindal, attempts to subject all teachers and administrators of Louisiana to the failed policies, plans and regulations the US Department of Education rejected in the state's Race to the Top application.
Representative Hoffman's statement that good teachers will love the bill and bad teachers will hate the bill is a classic example of not understanding teacher concerns about appropriate use of standardized assessment and teacher accountability.
House Bill 1033 seeks to establish an unequal and inconsistent measure of teacher performance and effectiveness by basing 50% of a teacher's evaluation on student test scores and would allow a teacher's evaluation to become public record. Research does not adequately show that basing teacher evaluations on student test scores is an effective indicator of best practices. Student testing is designed to be diagnostic, and this bill misuses testing as a tool to invoke punitive measures against students and teachers... Bottom-line: HB 1033 scapegoats and demonizes public school teachers and administrators in Louisiana schools.
HB 1033 is bad for Louisiana teachers and public education.
Take action now!!!"
Send Representative Hoffman an email by composing your email on our LAE CapWiz system or call Representative Hoffman Now at 1-318-362-4130 and tell him to withdraw HB 1033.
Withdraw House Bill 1033
House Bill 1033 seeks to establish a measure of teacher performance and effectiveness at the state level that will cause schools to evaluate
students and teachers solely on a limited test which limit teacher
instructional practice, narrows the local curriculum, and labels teachers, students and schools alike as failures.
Research does not adequately show that basing teacher evaluations on student test scores is an effective indicator of best teacher practices.
Student testing is designed to be diagnostic, and this bill misuses
testing as a tool to invoke punitive measures against students and
teachers.
Withdraw House Bill 1033.