I feel that it is crucial and my job to keep you informed at such a tumultuous time in public education. Below I have included specific articles and video’s in case you haven’t seen them.
As some of you may already know, Governor Cuomo declared war on public education and teachers yesterday in his State of the State address. During his re-election campaign, the Governor referred to public education as a monopoly that needed to be broken up. Yesterday, as he rolled out his "2015 Opportunity Agenda," he made good on both his rhetoric and his plan. While the attacks he rolled out may appear to be proposed, he will push their implementation through the NYS budget process. This makes it very difficult for lawmakers that value public education to oppose these proposals.
In a letter dated December 18, the Governor, through his Director of State Operations, asked the Chancellor of the Board of Regents, Marryl Tisch, and the outgoing Commissioner of Education, John King, to support his education agenda. In this letter, he spoke of using his power in the state budget process to force changes that would include a new APPR law, revisions to the tenure law, the 3020-a process, and an increase in charter schools. As I pointed out previously, he has also added an attack on teacher pensions.
Yesterday, the Governor announced that a new APPR would be implemented. This new evaluation system would replace the current system which was developed through the collective bargaining process just a few short years ago. He referred to our current APPR as "baloney." This new system will be comprised of two sections. The first part would make state tests worth 50% of our evaluation and the second part would be based entirely on observations. A state-wide system will be put into place that would mandate the dismissal of a teacher that receives two consecutive "ineffective ratings." The APPR system that the HCSTA negotiated with our district and which we are currently revising will be replaced by this system.
The Governor went on to announce that there will be a longer probationary period for teachers prior to the granting of tenure. The probationary period will be extended from three to five years and teachers will be required go through a re-certification process every several years.
He has also called for raising the state's cap on charter schools from 460 to 560. As you know, these are publically funded schools that are privately run. They drain needed funds from our public schools and they don't have the oversight and scrutiny that public schools have to endure. In fact, they have no oversight at all!
HCSTA colleagues, the time to take action is NOW! Please start by subscribing to the NYSUT Member Action Center (MAC). This will provide you with access to up-to-date information on action being taken state-wide and how you can help. It also includes ways you can help perpetuate the conversation using your Facebook and Twitter accounts. Please join me by subscribing to the MAC and by downloading the MAC App for your Android or iPhone. Using the App or Web-Based services, you can object to mandatory field testing, support our coalition partner NYSAPE's objection to the Governor's misguided education agenda, and watch NYSUT's new TV ad.
We have Regional officers traveling to Albany this weekend to work with other leaders from around the state on strategies to combat these attacks. On January 28, Matt D’Augustine, Dom Maiorano, Virginia Ericco-Bouji, Aggie Seneway (community liaison) and I, will be attending a meeting with other local leaders to continue working on the implementation of these strategies. One of the strategies that has already been discussed and agreed to is to hold two local forums in Monroe County in February and/or March. We will be inviting Governor Cuomo and our local legislators to these forums. I will provide you with the details of these forums as soon as they are scheduled and hope you can attend and join us.
The time to stand up to the Governor is NOW! The time to defend our rights as educators is NOW! The time to stand up for students is NOW! Please help me send the message that blaming teachers for failures in education and in the education system is not productive! Together we can create a better future for our students, but the Governor's agenda of continuing and strengthening a top-down assessment-based model of education that places the blame soley on teachers is not the way!
Please take the time to get informed as this will affect each and every one of us