Listening to Nathan Saunders makes me crazy

Anonymous
I heard WTU President Nathan Saunders this morning and wanted to hit my head on a wall. Every time I listen to him I feel like my child's education is in danger and I need to figure out a way to get out of DC. Do other parents feel that way?

http://wamu.org/news/11/06/30/wtu_president_criticizes_dcps_teacher_evaluations_ahead_of_ratings_release.php
Anonymous
Wow. Racism? Really? I haven't seen the IMPACT form to know the criteria, but from what I've heard and read it's based on best practices and student improvement shown on several standardized measures. Just because the number of teachers who come up short are mostly AA women, I"m not sure that's a basis for racism. I'm not AA, but I'm a teacher and I think I'd be offended if my union leader lumped me in with ineffectual colleagues based on my gender or anything else, which is basically what he's doing by saying that the evaluations are racist. Perhaps the influx of AA women in the profession back in the 90's when the teaching field was less competitive attracted people to the job that weren't as well prepared or perhaps years of complacency on the part of admin. fostered years of underperforming students and teachers who were fine with the status quo as long as they didn't have to go to trainings or prove themselves. I know many who fit this description who are white and work in my district staffed with majority white women. If our evaluation system resulted in more white women failing, I'd assume that had more to do with the culture of the system than the measurement. (basic statistics) I'm curious to see his specific justification for that claim.
Anonymous
Yeah, I heard him on Kojo's show on WAMU last year. He's essentially the "id" of the WTU's dead-wood contingent. There was a battle for the soul of the WTU in the last election: On the one hand, there were the teachers who were interested in strengthening the system and DCPS teachers' reputation, and providing a great education to children. On the other hand, there were the Old Skool teachers who see DCPS as a guaranteed lifetime jobs program that's primarily there to serve adults.

The latter won the election, but fortunately most of the accountability (e.g. IMPACT, bonuses, etc...) stuff had already been passed so the WTU is largely irrelevant now.
Anonymous
From the article:

Saunders has used provocative language in the past, talking about teachers' "blood on the floor" and that the WTU "has teeth" and "will bite." He says using that kind of language "is an issue of communication and style."

"The unfortunate thing is, I'm a victim of the media that only wants short bites. So when I say 'blood on the floor,' people pick that up," he says. "Then that causes folks to go into, 'Well, what is he really talking about? In what context?' And so, that's been a good thing."


I'm sure all the people who criticized Henderson over "ain't" will be out for Saunders' head. What a buffoon this man is. In the unlikely case that WTU gets any traction at the local court level in pursuing this hypothetical lawsuit, I look forward to them getting their asses handed to them at the district level.

I can't even imagine what the Supreme Court as currently composed would have to say about the Saunders' argument that teachers should exempt from accountability because they're disproportionately black and female.
Anonymous
What percent of teachers actually participated in the election? Heard it was pretty low. I can understand why.
Maybe if Saunders gets booted an the next election he too can go work for Rhee like George Parker.

Teachers deserve better union leadership. I wish there was something I could do as a parent.
Anonymous
Wow, really?

OK, I think that teachers should have performance based evaluations - like the rest of the professional world - but am not sure IMPACT has hit the mark more than 60% (so lots of room for improvement) but I really do not see how it is racist? If the majority of the teachers are once gender and race (women are often teachers, and DC is largely African American) of course they are going to lose their jobs in larger numbers than asian men for example.

It is sad that everything is all wrapped up in this, rather than finding how to better support the low performing teachers improve their performance
Anonymous
blood on the floor isn't ungrammatical and kaya described school reform as a bloody battle, so maybe they're even on the blood score.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Wow. Racism? Really? I haven't seen the IMPACT form to know the criteria, but from what I've heard and read it's based on best practices and student improvement shown on several standardized measures. Just because the number of teachers who come up short are mostly AA women, I"m not sure that's a basis for racism. I'm not AA, but I'm a teacher and I think I'd be offended if my union leader lumped me in with ineffectual colleagues based on my gender or anything else, which is basically what he's doing by saying that the evaluations are racist. Perhaps the influx of AA women in the profession back in the 90's when the teaching field was less competitive attracted people to the job that weren't as well prepared or perhaps years of complacency on the part of admin. fostered years of underperforming students and teachers who were fine with the status quo as long as they didn't have to go to trainings or prove themselves. I know many who fit this description who are white and work in my district staffed with majority white women. If our evaluation system resulted in more white women failing, I'd assume that had more to do with the culture of the system than the measurement. (basic statistics) I'm curious to see his specific justification for that claim.


You don't sound like a teacher
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Wow. Racism? Really? I haven't seen the IMPACT form to know the criteria, but from what I've heard and read it's based on best practices and student improvement shown on several standardized measures. Just because the number of teachers who come up short are mostly AA women, I"m not sure that's a basis for racism. I'm not AA, but I'm a teacher and I think I'd be offended if my union leader lumped me in with ineffectual colleagues based on my gender or anything else, which is basically what he's doing by saying that the evaluations are racist. Perhaps the influx of AA women in the profession back in the 90's when the teaching field was less competitive attracted people to the job that weren't as well prepared or perhaps years of complacency on the part of admin. fostered years of underperforming students and teachers who were fine with the status quo as long as they didn't have to go to trainings or prove themselves. I know many who fit this description who are white and work in my district staffed with majority white women. If our evaluation system resulted in more white women failing, I'd assume that had more to do with the culture of the system than the measurement. (basic statistics) I'm curious to see his specific justification for that claim.


You don't sound like a teacher


No, not a DCPS teacher but one in a functioning school system. How can an evaluation be racist? Of course the majority of the teaching population is from a "protected" group... DC is largely AA as well. He really could help teachers improve IMPACT and provide imput on what works/not but is going down the racism track
As far as racism in IMPACT, Saunders points to a portion of the Civil Rights Act that deals with laws that disproportionately affect a group of individuals who are part of protected classes, including women and African-Americans.

"I believe that once we get all of the data in hand, potentially we will see an effect on African-American women schoolteachers that is indirectly related to where they teach, how they teach and things of that nature," he says



Also, you may be able to tell as well that I am not AA... but I would be SUPER offended if it was implied (and it seems to be in this law suit) that I need special protection to do my job becuase I am incapable of performing at the same level professionally as teachers of another race.

Once again, improve IMPACT, do not get rid of the whole thing.
Anonymous


Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Wow. Racism? Really? I haven't seen the IMPACT form to know the criteria, but from what I've heard and read it's based on best practices and student improvement shown on several standardized measures. Just because the number of teachers who come up short are mostly AA women, I"m not sure that's a basis for racism. I'm not AA, but I'm a teacher and I think I'd be offended if my union leader lumped me in with ineffectual colleagues based on my gender or anything else, which is basically what he's doing by saying that the evaluations are racist. Perhaps the influx of AA women in the profession back in the 90's when the teaching field was less competitive attracted people to the job that weren't as well prepared or perhaps years of complacency on the part of admin. fostered years of underperforming students and teachers who were fine with the status quo as long as they didn't have to go to trainings or prove themselves. I know many who fit this description who are white and work in my district staffed with majority white women. If our evaluation system resulted in more white women failing, I'd assume that had more to do with the culture of the system than the measurement. (basic statistics) I'm curious to see his specific justification for that claim.


You don't sound like a teacher


No, not a DCPS teacher but one in a functioning school system. How can an evaluation be racist? Of course the majority of the teaching population is from a "protected" group... DC is largely AA as well. He really could help teachers improve IMPACT and provide imput on what works/not but is going down the racism track
As far as racism in IMPACT, Saunders points to a portion of the Civil Rights Act that deals with laws that disproportionately affect a group of individuals who are part of protected classes, including women and African-Americans.

"I believe that once we get all of the data in hand, potentially we will see an effect on African-American women schoolteachers that is indirectly related to where they teach, how they teach and things of that nature," he says



Also, you may be able to tell as well that I am not AA... but I would be SUPER offended if it was implied (and it seems to be in this law suit) that I need special protection to do my job becuase I am incapable of performing at the same level professionally as teachers of another race.

Once again, improve IMPACT, do not get rid of the whole thing.


Now you really don't sound like a teacher -- anywhere - who would assume that the problems of another system were mainly due to inferior teachers.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:From the article:

Saunders has used provocative language in the past, talking about teachers' "blood on the floor" and that the WTU "has teeth" and "will bite." He says using that kind of language "is an issue of communication and style."

"The unfortunate thing is, I'm a victim of the media that only wants short bites. So when I say 'blood on the floor,' people pick that up," he says. "Then that causes folks to go into, 'Well, what is he really talking about? In what context?' And so, that's been a good thing."


I'm sure all the people who criticized Henderson over "ain't" will be out for Saunders' head. What a buffoon this man is. In the unlikely case that WTU gets any traction at the local court level in pursuing this hypothetical lawsuit, I look forward to them getting their asses handed to them at the district level.

I can't even imagine what the Supreme Court as currently composed would have to say about the Saunders' argument that teachers should exempt from accountability because they're disproportionately black and female.


Sorry, can't believe Saunders said teachers should be exempt from accountability -- sounds like an interpretation from someone who already doesn't like Saunders, or maybe doesn't like unions in general. remember, teachers were accountable before IMPACT - they had evaluations and a system in which they could be terminated because of poor performance.
Anonymous
My word if the WTU is thinking like this then what is the CSO thinking? In regards to the principal union the majority who have been fired/non-reappointed under Rhee/Henderson have been AA females. This is evident it can be disputed or disregarded but the CSO President has not brought that to the forefront because it is not the main issue. The issue is that the process is wrong and not that the pigment is in error.

This BWC (Black when convenient) need to have the issues to be thrust in the forefront is such a lazy way. The workforce dynamics and demographics speak for itself, shoud we assume that Saunder picked Peterson because she could be the token white. No, that would be the furthest from the obvious. To describe the past washington teacher union presidents in two words. Let's see you had the wig-wearing, the suck-up and now the the dumb-ass. I advise everyone get their innoculations over the summer for the upcoming "foot in the mouth diseases" that will be spread by the WTU.
Anonymous
I meant to say "it can't be disputed and disregarded."
Anonymous
What kills me about Saunder's is that he does not seem to care about the generations of AA and Latino kids who are screwed by an ineffective system. They are the one's who should be able to scream and sue this damn city.
Anonymous
News flash - peterson is not white.

News flash - just because saunders cares about teachers doesn't mean he doesn't care about AA and latino kids. it's possible to care about both.
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