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| UFT ad congratulating BloomKlein on test scores (Ed Notes) |
Weingarten Gives Credence to the BloomKlein Testing Myth... Ed Notes, June 28, 2008
Mulgrew comments on 2015 test score gains:During the Bloomberg years, state and city test scores exploded, to the point that in 2009 nearly 70 percent of city elementary and middle school students were supposedly proficient in reading, and more than 80 percent were proficient in math – results that Bloomberg and his allies in the “school reform” gang could not stop boasting about.
The UFT and experts warned that these results were smoke and mirrors,"
This was shortly before Randi took over the AFT and I commented in my June 2008 post:
Expect more of this obfuscation on the national level - she will use carefully parsed language to give the impression she agrees with you but then do something to totally contradict herself. Watch the role she plays and what she ultimately accepts when NCLB gets discussed again. As long-time Randi watchers, the Ed Notes crew can pretty much write the speech now.Here is what Randi was saying at the time:
Even Randi Weingarten, the president of the teachers’ union, lavished praise on the mayor and his chancellor. “What we’ve seen in the last seven years is a cohesion and a stability and resources that we did not have beforehand,” she said...Even as late as 2009 when the test score inflation was obvious to nearly everyone, she still believed in it:
"This is a day to celebrate; for kids and teachers in particular, but also for all those who played a supporting role, including parents, administrators, Chancellor Klein and Mayor Bloomberg. This dramatic increase in math scores is further evidence of the importance of quality teachers being able to use a strong, consistent curriculum," said UFT President Randi Weingarten... Randi's comments after inflated test results released in 2007
In 2008 Randi actually took out a full page ad in the NYT, hailing the test score gains. In a full page ad in Thursday’s New York Times, Weingarten’s United Federation of Teachers congratulated students on their progress ...
http://nypost.com/2008/06/30/the-uft-vs-success/
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/
The UFT web site has been purged of Randi's comments but they appear in the official press release by the DOE:
http://www.nyc.gov/portal/
Diane Ravitch was skeptical at the time in this post on nycpublic school parents blog:
I suggest that we wait patiently to see whether the recent gains on the state tests are reflected on the national tests when the results are posted in November 2007. In the meanwhile, I suggest that Governor Spitzer think seriously about creating an independent agency to administer tests and report on test results, one staffed by top-notch psychometricians who take neither credit nor blame for test results in the state and local districts.Diane Ravitch , http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2007/06/diance- ravitch-reflections-on-math. html
Here are excerpts of the Ed Notes posts at the time for those who don't click on links:
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The UFT Survey Says...
When
Joel Klein was appointed as Chancellor and even though he had zero ed
background, the UFT cheered instead of taking a stand and calling on the
state Ed department not to grant a waiver (something ed notes, by the
way, called on them to do.)In the early years of BloomKlein, when it was clear these people had no clue about education, many of us called on the UFT to hold a vote of "no confidence" in Joel Klein as Chancellor. Nadaa!
The UFT wanted to continue to play nice. Now, with the sun about to set on BloomKlein, the UFT does a survey. Jeez!
The survey on Joel Klein and the Tweedles is out and guess what? Teachers are unhappy with the Klein administration.
I'm pretty disappointed about the only 80-something percent, as I thought it would be in the mid-90's, demonsrating that the CEO of the DOE has no support, a big would be a big no-no in the corporate world the Tweedles want to play in. Still. Klein's numbers rival George Bush's. How about Bush for next Chancellor? He was the "education" president?
The UFT
took out a full-page ad in the Times (see below). But so what? Does the
public really care if teachers are unhappy? They think it is a good
thing and a sign Klein is doing a good job.The UFT might as well dig a hole and throw the money in. The money wasted on PR. There will be a couple of short articles in the press for a day or two and it will all be forgotten. Jeez!
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Weingarten Gives Credence to the BloomKlein Testing Myth
Ed Notes has been pointing out for over 10 years that the UFT/AFT is for the testing craze and it extends back to Al Shanker's jumping on board the Nation At Risk Report in 1983. That is why they speak empty words about NCLB which they supported. Ed Notes brought resolutions to the Delegate Assembly and wrote extensively on this issue from 1996 on. At one DA I spoke about the evisceration of the curriculum in elementary schools, especially in science and social
studies and the place broke into applause - and that was a year or more (my memory sucks) before BloomKlein came on the scene.From the June 27 NY Times article on the teacher surveys:
Ms.
Weingarten conceded that it had been “a good year in terms of academic
success for kids.” Indeed, on Monday, she stood by the chancellor’s side
to celebrate the striking gains the city’s students had posted on state
math and reading exams. But on Thursday, Ms. Weingarten used the survey
to suggest that climbing test scores were not enough. “Let’s focus on
educating the whole child, not simply on test results,” she said.
You do see the game she plays. Say one thing and do another. Stand next to Klein when he gets the bogus Broad prize or brags about phony test scores and try to claim some credit, but then turn around the next minute and say, "oh my, all those tests." Weingarten says one thing to teachers and parents - "too much testing, too much time practicing, it is the curriculum, "etc. but stands next to Klein to help legitimize the sham.
It's all about obfuscating the issues to confuse people.
Call this playing both sides against the middle - which is where the interests of teachers who see first hand the testing sham that is going on. Why didn't the UFT survey ask whether teachers believed the test scores were real? Did they think it was easy? Relaxed rubrics? Full-time practice that could pump up scores? How about giving a random sampling surprise test the 2nd week of September to check on what was retained?
Expect more of this obfuscation on the national level - she will use carefully parsed language to give the impression she agrees with you but then do something to totally contradict herself. Watch the role she plays and what she ultimately accepts when NCLB gets discussed again. As long-time Randi watchers, the Ed Notes crew can pretty much write the speech now.
What will never take place is a democratic discussion in any official body of the UFT as to what the position of the UFT/AFT should be.
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Where are the Unity slugs telling me to forget the past?At that time Mulgrew was the clear heir apparent so don't say he is not Randi.
