Tag: teacher unions

How are school districts adapting teacher work policies for emergency closures?

Posted on by coreeducation

Understandably, the sudden closure of schools has been both immeasurably difficult and confusing for students and adults alike. The first priority for most school districts has been ensuring the safety and nutrition of their students, but now the focus is increasingly on how to keep students learning–and that requires forging teacher policies to address issues Read more about How are school districts adapting teacher work policies for emergency closures?[…]

Share

Teaching Experience Matters More Than We Used to Think

Posted on by coreeducation

Two new research studies that evaluated vast amounts of data both concluded that teachers continue to improve over the course of their careers. The prevailing wisdom from previous research, which many teachers and teachers unions have disputed, said that teachers improved in their first several years of teaching, but then plateaued. The studies looked at Read more about Teaching Experience Matters More Than We Used to Think[…]

Share

Vergara vs. California Verdict

Posted on by coreeducation

A California judge ruled Tuesday that teacher tenure laws deprive students of their right to an education under the California state Constitution. The decision hands teachers’ unions a major defeat in a landmark case, one that could radically alter how California teachers are hired and fired and prompt challenges to tenure laws in other states. Read more about Vergara vs. California Verdict[…]

Share

AFT Says It Will No Longer Accept Gates Funding

Posted on by coreeducation

The American Federation of Teachers, to date the recipient of more than $11 million in Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation largesse, will no longer accept Gates funding, Politico has reported, citing increasing criticism from members. This is a real case of “put your money where your mouth is”, or in this particular case, “don’t take Read more about AFT Says It Will No Longer Accept Gates Funding[…]

Share

Vergara vs. California: Teachers Unions on Trial

Posted on by coreeducation

An oft-cited question in education circles is how much poorly-performing teachers are able to continue to collect paychecks because of tenure systems and powerful teachers’ unions.  This question becomes even more contentious when it is combined with the argument that more poorly performing teachers usually teach at underprivileged schools. In other words, the inability for Read more about Vergara vs. California: Teachers Unions on Trial[…]

Share

Teacher Leadership Initiative Launches

Posted on by coreeducation

The National Education Association (NEA), Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ), and National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) are launching a groundbreaking initiative to advance teaching as a 21st-century profession. The Teacher Leadership Initiative (TLI) will support accomplished teachers in leading effective pedagogical, policy, and union reforms. In the 2014 pilot year, TLI will engage Read more about Teacher Leadership Initiative Launches[…]

Share

Conservative, Suburban School Reform: Can it work?

Posted on by coreeducation

A suburban Colorado county, Douglas County, has taken conservative school reform efforts farther than any other large school district has before. Douglas county, which has 65,000 students, making it larger than Washington DC schools and as large as Detroit schools, has pursued an aggressive program of school vouchers and market-based pay for teachers. Furthermore, they Read more about Conservative, Suburban School Reform: Can it work?[…]

Share

Education Evolving Launches “Teachers in Partnership” Initiative

Posted on by coreeducation

Education Evolving wants to give teachers a larger role in their schools through a model that they call “Teacher Professional Partnerships.” Consider the following three propositions: 1. If teachers are to be accountable for student learning, teachers should control what matters for student learning. It’s a serious mistake to be trying to push accountability down Read more about Education Evolving Launches “Teachers in Partnership” Initiative[…]

Share

What role will teacher-voice groups play?

Posted on by coreeducation

A new report by Kaitlin Pennington of the Center for American Progress highlights the increase of teacher-voice groups. These groups allow teachers to continue teaching while also having a chance to impact education policy more directly. Furthermore, they provide current teachers with more active leadership positions. In addition, these groups allow for a greater multiplicity Read more about What role will teacher-voice groups play?[…]

Share

AFT Weighs In on Common Core

Posted on by coreeducation

As arguments about Common Core abound, Randi Weingarten, the President of the American Federation of Teachers, recently called for a moratorium on “the stakes associated with Common Core assessments until the standards are properly implemented and field-tested.” Here is more from the AFT press release: Weingarten delivered this call in a speech sponsored by the Read more about AFT Weighs In on Common Core[…]

Share

AFT Moves Forward with Bar Exam for Teacher Candidates

Posted on by coreeducation

AFT President Randi Weingarten recently reaffirmed the AFT’s commitment to increasing the standards for teacher certification. In a follow up to our previous post, American Federation of Teachers calling for an adoption of a bar exam for aspiring teachers, following are Randi Weingarten’s recent comments on the AFT executive council’s adoption of the report on Read more about AFT Moves Forward with Bar Exam for Teacher Candidates[…]

Share

AFT calls for Bar Exam for Teacher Candidates

Posted on by coreeducation

The American Federation of Teachers, led by President Randi Weingarten, has recently published a report entitled “Raising the Bar: Aligning and Elevating Teacher Preparation and the Teaching Profession.” This report calls for a more rigorous process by which teacher candidates would be certified. The process would consist of the following steps: Teachers demonstrating subject area Read more about AFT calls for Bar Exam for Teacher Candidates[…]

Share

Teacher raises: What works best?

Posted on by coreeducation

A crucial question at the nexus of the issues of student achievement and battles between school districts and teachers unions is the issue of teacher pay scale.  A helpful study by Jason A. Grissom of Vanderbilt University and Katharine O. Strunk of the University of Southern California has recently delved deeply into this question and Read more about Teacher raises: What works best?[…]

Share

How strong are US teachers unions?

Posted on by coreeducation

The Fordham Institute for advancing educational excellence has teamed up with Education Reform Now to draft a detailed report on the strength of teachers unions throughout the United States.  The authors, Amber M. Winkler, Ph.D. , Janie Scull , Dara Zeehandelaar, Ph.D., claim that this is the “most comprehensive analysis of American teacher unions’ strength Read more about How strong are US teachers unions?[…]

Share

Gill and Chaplin Author Op-Ed on Teacher Evaluation

Posted on by coreeducation

A Pittsburgh Post-Gazette op-ed on teacher evaluations, authored by Mathematica senior fellow Brian Gill and senior researcher Duncan Chaplin, recommends comprehensive teacher evaluation that not only relies on achievement gains but also other valid and reliable measures. Multiple measures are a buzzword, but Gill and Chaplin unpack the options, which include locally developed curriculum-based assessments Read more about Gill and Chaplin Author Op-Ed on Teacher Evaluation[…]

Share

LAUSD Ineligible for Race to the Top Funds

Posted on by coreeducation

Recently, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) submitted its Race to the Top-District proposal without the signature of the United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA). The move will make them ineligible for $40 million in funding. The controversy between LAUSD, headed by Superintendent John Deasy, and UTLA, headed by President Warren Fletcher, surrounds exactly Read more about LAUSD Ineligible for Race to the Top Funds[…]

Share