Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Clemente follow up

Driving past Clemente last night, we couldn't help but notice the big heart sign on the wall saying, WE LOVE OUR GREAT TEACHERS. But after Rahm's Monday massacre, where about 20 of those great teachers were given pink slips, we have our doubts. Now we learn that the school is being used by CPS as model for youth development. I'm sure teachers like Kevin Hough had nothing to do with that.

Next up for the fired teachers  --  Attending today's board meeting, a hoped-for meeting with Ald. Joe Moreno, and a sit-down with Principal Sorensen, the union and board lawyers on Tuesday.

6 comments:

  1. On what basis did this principal fire these tenured teachers? Does anyone know how their positions were "redefined"? Want to know details.

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  2. Notice how the reduction of SCC infractions took place this year, under Principal Sorensen's leadership. I am sure the Sorensen leadership team, along with all those Tilden teachers she brought had nothing to do with that decline either, huh?

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    1. That's because the data is manipulated and reported incorrectly - and everyone knows it!

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    2. As someone that worked with the data, that is not factual and provable. Can we keep this about facts? Yes, we lost teachers and no one wants that to happen. We had a good year that was not easy, because we have many obstacles and many areas of growth in addition to areas to build on and we aren't finished. This bashing and lies does not help us as teachers or union members and it does not help our kids.

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  3. Did her team have anything to do with the decline in ACT scores after they rose for the past 3 years without her and her cronies?

    She "redefined" their positions by saying they needed additional certifications for the classes that were going to be taught, it was mostly the social studies department. So the teachers were hired years ago because they had the correct certification, then she came in and said they needed to teach different classes so new certifications were needed.

    Last year, she fired several counselors under the same guise. Counselors had a type 73 and if they didn't have a teaching certificate, she fired them. She then rehired new counselors with both a teaching certificate and a counseling certificate.

    She fired several special education teachers under the same guise as well, even though that is considered a separate department from social studies and those cuts should have gone by seniority if there was a decline in enrollment. Special education teachers only need a HOUSSE endorsement to teach a subject, along with their special education degree.

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  4. The school did not test all students the previous year. Over 20 SPED students did not test and several Juniors were programmed as 10th graders, so that they would not take the test. This year they all tested with the Juniors, because they needed to and that is what should have happened the previous year. The school lost positions. That is unfortunate. The work was a learning curve for us, but it is important work. Counselors teach a class that is vital to help increase post secondary options and opportunities, we didn't have that in place before and I think it helped many students that I didn't see get it as easily in the past.

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Agree? Disagree? Let me hear from you.