Wednesday, January 14, 2009

More on N.Y. charter teachers unionizing

The New York Times ran a big story this morning about the teachers at KIPP charter schools who have organized a successful union drive.
Several teachers at the two schools — KIPP Amp, a middle school in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and KIPP Infinity, a middle school in Harlem — said the union organizing drive came about because they wanted a stronger voice on the job and because the demands on them were so rigorous. They also said that they wanted to insure a fair discipline and evaluation system. Read the rest here...
Duncan on NCLB
“I have seen the law’s power and its limitations,” Mr. Duncan said. “I agree with the president-elect that we should neither bury N.C.L.B. nor praise it without reservation.”

(NYT)

Lynch on Duncan

Chicago Teachers Union reformer and former CTU prez Deborah Lynch, had this to say about the new secretary of education:
His entire approach has been to close underperforming schools and turn their management over to outside organizations, many with no track records of school reform. Yet during his tenure, the Chicago Public Schools graduation rate remained stubbornly at barely 50 percent.
(Sun-Times)

2 comments:

  1. I looked for the Obama quote Arne Duncan said he agreed with. When did Obama say, "We should neither bury N.C.L.B. nor praise it without reservation."

    Here's what Obama said in his main education speech: These past eight years will be remembered for misguided policies & missed opportunities. We still have no real strategy to compete in a global economy. Just think of what we could have done. We could have made a real commitment to a world-class education for our kids, but instead we passed “No Child Left Behind,” a law that--however well-intended--left the money behind and alienated teachers and principals instead of inspiring them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great point brother of mine. Perhaps Duncan was thinking of himself as Anthony speaking at Caesar's funeral and only trying get us to lend him an ear.

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