LaborPains.org

You remember high school, right? Awkward relationships, spirited sporting events, the occasional field trip. And, of course, the reason that you were there: classes, papers, and, a couple of times a year, an exam.

Testing remains an integral portion of every student’s life. One has to know the material in order to advance in their studies. What is an exam but a form of accountability for our nation’s children?

If we are going to hold our kids accountable for learning, it’s only fair that we do the same for their educators. This makes intuitive sense to anyone with a job in the real world: We all have evaluations, and we all know someone who has been let go for failing one.

Just because something makes sense doesn’t mean it won’t have enemies, however.

Consider the recent proposal by New Jersey to hold teachers accountable for their teaching. It’s pretty basic stuff: In order to qualify for a boatload of federal cash, NJ officials have suggested creating a bonus pool that would award teachers based on the quality of the education they provide. This isn’t a plan to fire teachers or eliminate tenure; instead, it would reward excellence. As the New York Times writes,

In addition, the state would offer financial incentives to teachers willing to work with large numbers of struggling students, and designate the most effective educators as “master teachers” and “master principals.” It would also create a new breed of in-district charter schools known as Achievement Academies, which would be authorized by local school boards and led by teachers.

This commonsense measure to reward those who perform is meeting all of the usual opposition from recalcitrant teachers unions. This comes from the New Jersey Education Association:

“Anyone concerned about the existing over-reliance on standardized testing that plagues public education should be alarmed at this proposal,” said NJEA President Barbara Keshishian. “This proposal will call for more and more testing, in all subject areas, in all grades, and teachers’ very careers will be riding on the scores.”

Some may be tempted to ask “What over-reliance? Teachers are held almost entirely unaccountable for the success or failure of their students.” And we would agree! But it’s useful to get a glimpse into the mindset of those who are attempting to stifle efforts at helping our nation’s schoolchildren and stand in constant opposition to rewarding teachers who actually perform well.

Photo via ccarlstead

One of the more shocking aspects of the Race to the Top application process is the way that teachers unions across the country have decided to fight against their school districts receiving more money. In Massachusetts, for example,

the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, one of the two statewide teachers unions, has now urged its affiliates not to sign on to the [Memorandums of Understanding laying out the state's application] and, worse, to withdraw their commitments from Round 1.

 

This is a particularly regrettable development as AFT Massachusetts represents teachers in many of the urban districts including Boston, Lawrence, Salem, Lynn, and Lowell that could benefit most from participation.

Colorado is facing similar problems:

Sometimes, school districts force troubled schools to hire tenured teachers who can’t find jobs elsewhere. The bill would end that and allow principals to only hire teachers they approve. Teachers who can’t find a job after two hiring cycles would be placed on unpaid leave until they can find an assignment.

 

The Colorado Education Association, the state’s largest union, opposes the bill. It says the details about how teachers will be evaluated should be worked out first, arguing there’s a lack of trust between administrators and teachers after years of reacting to the latest test scores.

At a time when education funding is about to drop by 6.4 percent, the union says districts and the state doesn’t have the money to cover yearly evaluations and new ways to develop new assessments besides the state’s current standardized tests, the Colorado Student Assessment Program.

What is there to gain from winning Race to the Top funding? Well…funding!

Two states that changed their teacher evaluations, Tennessee and Delaware, won $600 million in the first round of competition.

It’s amazing: Teachers spend years complaining about being underfunded, and when the chance comes along to rectify the situation unions cross their arms and stymie progress.

Photo via Extra Ketchup.

The Wall Street Journal hit the National Education Association today with an interesting analysis of how the nation’s largest teachers union spends its political funds. The NEA’s “Ballot Measure/Legislative Crises Fund,” drawn from teachers’ paychecks, is used to advocate a partisan agenda that includes opposing tax cuts and spending millions fighting against school choice.

None of this should be surprising, as long as you remember that the NEA is a fundamentally political organization working to maintain the status quo and keep teachers and failing schools unaccountable. As the Journal writes:

“It’s a shame the NEA doesn’t spend as much money and effort trying to improve lousy schools as it does trying to keep taxes high.”