NYC tabloids want to publish test-score rankings... as in LA.

[Smarmie Doofus]

Bloomberg and Klein wish to help them.


The union is going to court to block 'em.

Here's the kicker: the state has officially described the testing results..... ON WHICH THE RANKINGS ARE BASED.... as "invalid."

These are the same STATE test results that showed *phenomenal* improvement in Math and in ELA yearly over a nine year period... while objective measures showed no improvement at all. The same test results that EVERYONE ( and his/her grandma) knew were invalid. The same results that teachers were TELLING everyone who would listen were invalid for nine years.

The same test results that Bloomberg, Klein, and the tabloids were crowing about for nine years and pointing to as "evidence" that NYC school "reform" was "working".

*"Invalid"*. INVALID. The *state* now AGREES that the scores... and the TESTS..... were INVALID.

Someone wake me the F. up. Pinch me, slap me, throw water on me . Anything.

This from a union email today:


>>>>>One of those challenges is upon us now for the 12,000 4th through 8th grade English and math teachers who have been part of the Teacher Data Initiative and received Teacher Data Reports (TDRs).
The Teacher Data Initiative is a pilot program to design a tool (TDRs) to assist teachers in their classroom work — a report meant only for them. But now, as a result of several Freedom of Information Law requests, the DOE is planning to release these reports to the media with all the names attached. As you may know, this was recently done in Los Angeles, and once the reports were published, it was inevitable that news outlets here in New York City would file for the same information.
The possibility of this data being publicly released is deeply troubling, and we will be in court on Thursday to try and block it. It comes down to this — releasing and publishing these flawed reports does absolutely nothing to improve our schools or practices, and serves only to add to the growing confusion among parents and to further vilify teachers.
The Teacher Data Reports are significantly flawed in their current form due to the problems with state tests and inaccuracies within the data that the reports are based on. Not only have the state test scores been found wildly unreliable, but teachers are also finding corrupted and missing data in their reports.
What’s more, education experts agree that existing value-added systems such as TDRs are not yet reliable or valid, and they also agree that test scores by themselves can only represent a small segment of the complex work that you do. Education isn’t just about preparing students for tests. Education is about preparing students for life. A child is more than a test score, and we are there to help children learn and grow to be productive citizens. We will never give up that fight.>>>>>>>

[Orlandodem]

1. I put this wave of anti-teacher hysteria on Obama. It goes all the way to the top

We helped get him elected. I can get him unelected in 2012.

[Smarmie Doofus]

5. Don't remind me.

He didn't invent it but he and the cabal around him are exploiting the SHIT out of it.

What get's me is my email cache is loaded w. nat'l DEMS... including Obama himself... begging for $$$$.

Let's see: I should send $$ to people who want to make it easy to fire me on the strength of of data that THEY KNOW TO BE BOGUS.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Some *interesting* comments on the thread in GD

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4582053

[Catshrink]

3. Right

the same old ignorant crap. It's perfectly valid to compare the scores of a teacher of AP students and one of "average" or sped kids. Fucking morans.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. My favorite

The one claiming if piano students don't practice it's the teacher's fault.

[Catshrink]

7. It's right up there with it's the teacher's fault if the kid is absent.

Right. An 18 year old who won't get his butt out of bed in the morning and it's my fault. How stupid!

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. With elementary kids, the parents are sometimes too lazy to get up and get their kids off to school

But that's our fault as teachers.

When they miss the bus, that's out fault too.

And of course when they don't do homework, we teachers are to blame.

[Smarmie Doofus]

6. I'm on the case. n/t

[Catshrink]

9. United we stand, my friend.

[Hangingon]

12. Since the teachers in question are public employees...

I find the irony of your bumper sticker striking.

[Hannah Bell]

10. goes to show, the deformers aren't interested in facts. they're mcCarthyites.

[Catshrink]

11. We're just a bunch of union commie symphatizers.

It's the same witchhunt. Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the TEACHERS UNION?