Note to All Permanent Excessed People without an Assignment
Please make sure your contact info is updated on the Hub to assist in facilitating this process. Any questions, please email Caren or Michael.
Rehiring of Provisional Teachers
Re-hiring of provisional teachers continues through December, and typically hundreds of the current population of non-renewed teachers will be rehired from this now through December. This point cannot be overstated: The hiring and rehiring of provisional teachers continues for the next six months. In the meantime, remember to sign up for unemployment benefits if you are eligible. Collecting unemployment benefits has no effect on whether or not you are hired back to work.
BTU Summer Hours
The BTU office is open all summer, except for legal holidays. Officers and staff are available throughout the summer.
BTU Summer E-Bulletins
E Bulletins continue periodically throughout the summer, albeit on a generally-reduced schedule or whenever important information needs to be disseminated.
Check out the BTU’s Summer Evaluation Assistance Institute
The BTU membership authorized a week-long summer institute to be held the week of August 8 -12, 2011. The institute would run from 8:30 – 12:30 on these days. The purpose of the Institute is to assist permanent teachers who are having evaluation issues. The goal is to focus on the specific prescriptions that are in the evaluations that are rated as “Does Not Meet Standards.” Here’s a list of FAQs.
- What is the purpose of the Institute?
To assist teachers in implementing the prescriptions contained in their evaluations and assist in preparation for upcoming observations and evaluations. - Who should consider applying for assistance?
Any permanent teacher who received an evaluation(s) with a rating of “Does Not Meet Standards” should apply. These individuals will be evaluated by November 15, 2011. - Why should I apply?
If I received a rating of “DNMS,” I need to do something to turn my teaching performance around. This is an opportunity to work with fellow professionals to deal with specific individual prescriptions and issues that the evaluator sees as a concern. This is an opportunity to rescue and/or rejuvenate my career. - Who is sponsoring and facilitating the institute?
The BTU is sponsoring the institute and the facilitators are BTU members. The participation, conferences, discussions and strategies are confidential and not shared with the BPS. The goal is to assist individuals who are experiencing evaluation issues. - How do I get involved?
Apply online and submit an application. For more information contact Patrick Connolly. - When is the Institute? Where?
The Institute will run from August 8 – 12, 2011. Sessions will run from 8:30 – 12:30 daily. Institute will be held at BTU Hall.
Health Insurance ‘Reform’ on Governor’s Desk
As of today the municipal health plan, which is part of the overall state budget package, lies on the governor’s desk for approval or veto. The proposed heath insurance changes are troublesome, and even though the Boston agreement is protected through 6/30/2015, the new law “ whatever it turns out to be “ will affect us upon the expiration of the Boston agreement. Read a State House News report on the issue as the governor ponders what to do.
Fallout from High-Stakes Testing: Atlanta Embroiled in Test-Cheating Scandal as 178 Teachers and Principals Cited for Cheating
A report released yesterday by Georgia Governor, Nathan Deal, asserted that 178 educators in Atlanta, including 38 principals, cheated on state standardized tests. All told, 44 of 56 schools investigated were found to have cheated.
A report from today’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution says:
“Across Atlanta Public Schools, staff worked feverishly in secret to transform testing failures into successes. Teachers and principals erased and corrected mistakes on students’ answer sheets. Area superintendents silenced whistle-blowers and rewarded subordinates who met academic goals by any means possible.
Superintendent Beverly Hall and her top aides ignored, buried, destroyed or altered complaints about misconduct, claimed ignorance of wrongdoing and accused naysayers of failing to believe in poor children’s ability to learn.
For years – as long as a decade – this was how the Atlanta school district produced gains on state curriculum tests. The scores soared so dramatically they brought national acclaim to Hall and the district, according to an investigative report released Tuesday by Gov. Nathan Deal…”
Here’s an TV interview with federal Education Secretary Arne Duncan, in which he says the widespread cheating was systemic and that it would be improper to blame all of the teachers, the vast majority of whom do a good job. In fact, Sec. Duncan mentions that all teachers are ‘not to blame’ so many times…he is almost believable. On the other hand, it is a mistake to focus on what teachers did or did not do “ the test taking NCLB culture, the intimidation, and high stakes nature of it all encouraged the cheating.
Read an article from the Atlanta Journal-Constituton about how teachers were bullied at the Atlanta’s Parks Middle School and you will see how difficult it may have been for some staff who were threatened and harassed to avoid cheating.
So spare us, Mr. Duncan, the not-all-teachers-are-bad distraction. Instead let’s look at the high stakes testing culture that created this scandal.
Read an update on the Michelle Rhee’s DC testing scandal, dubbed Erasergate.
Local Charter School Supporter Offers Roadmap for Purchasing School Buildings
The Pioneer Institute, a local pro-charter think-tank, offers advice to charter school operators looking for real estate in a recent policy briefing:
“Founders of charter public schools are educators and visionaries. They imagine schools that offer varying learning environments, where novel approaches stimulate creativity and students reach their full educational potential. They share their ideas with others, concepts catch fire and eventually enough people take the leap. It’s at that point that dreams meet reality and charter founders realize creating an actual school is a magnificent goal, but an arduous process. Particularly challenging is finding or constructing a physical place to teach the students…
Recommendation # 1
“Give charters a chance at closed school facilities With shifting populations and budget cuts, many cities are consolidating public schools, leaving others vacant. Boston is considering a school closing and merger plan that would leave eight buildings empty after the 2010-2011 school year.”
Read the full PI policy brief.
From the OIIT Office: Laptops for Learning (L4L) Update
As of July 6, OIIT is pleased to announce that nearly 3500 BPS eligible staff have participated in the Laptops for Learning (L4L) MacBook Exchange. While we are thrilled with this deployment rate, there are still some ‘Version 1’ L4L laptops that need to be returned to OIIT immediately as the June 30 return deadline has now passed. The current financial value of the laptops will be used to finance toward the purchase of ‘Version 2’ laptops saving the district money. ALL ‘Version 1’ L4L laptops need to be returned to OIIT ASAP, regardless of participation in the L4L MacBook Exchange. If you still have your ‘Version 1’ laptop, please call the OIIT Service Desk to make arrangements to drop off your laptop.
For those of you who are newly eligible for the L4L program or who wish to exchange your laptop for a new model, please stay tuned. We will be posting workshops to MyLearningPlan in the upcoming weeks. For questions regarding the L4L program, please contact Krissy Matthews at OIIT Professional Development Opportunities.
Workshops have been designed to familiarize participants with the latest software on their new L4L and how to seamlessly integrate technology into their instructional practice. A number of summer workshops are still available to teachers to support the integration of various technology tools either as stand alones or via the Summer Technology Pathway to Proficiency. Visit MyLearningPlan to register for next week’s sessions.
- TEC_WS: (L4L v2) Introduction to Mobile Interactive White Boards (Mobis)
- TEC_WS: (L4L v2) Using iWeb to Showcase Student Work
- TEC_WS: (L4L v2) Publishing Student Work Using Preview
- TEC_WS: (L4L v2) Educational Apps for Your New Laptop and/or iTouch Device
- TEC_WS: (L4L v2) Universal Design and New MacBook
US Teachers Work Longer Instructional Hours than Their Global Counterparts…And Then Add 800 Hours of Preparation
Students across the U.S. are enjoying or getting ready for summer vacation, but teachers may be looking forward to the break even more. American teachers are the most productive among major developed countries, according to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development data from 2008 – the most recent available.
And that’s just the teaching hourstime teachers spend on instruction. Including hours teachers spend on work at home and outside the classroom, American primary-school educators spend 1,913 working in a year. According to data from the comparable year in a Labor Department survey, an average full-time employee works 1,932 hours a year spread out over 48 weeks (excluding two weeks vacation and federal holidays).
Read more from the Wall St. Journal.
SOS March on July 30
Attend the Save Our Schools March in DC alongside colleagues from all over the country on July 30. The BTU will reimburse up to $200 pp for expenses. Questions, please email here.
The BTU Online
Visit the BTU website at www.btu.org.
Sign up for our e-bulletin. Those who sign up are joining a protected list, which will be used for the purpose of sending these e-bulletins only. The list will not be used for any other purpose.
Sincerely,
Richard Stutman
President
Boston Teachers Union
rstutman@btu.org
617-288-2000