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Randi Weingarten, Teachers Union Head, Sounds Off On Atlanta Cheating Scandal
In an article published in the Huffington Post by William McGuiness on Tuesday, April 2, 2013 at 7:18 PM EDT, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, blamed "test-crazed" education policies in sharp comments released Tuesday regarding a massive standardized-test cheating scandal in Atlanta.
In a joint statement Tuesday, Weingarten and Verdaillia Turner, president of the Georgia Federation of Teachers, declared, "Standardized tests have a role in accountability, but today they dominate everything else and too often don’t even correlate to what students need to know to succeed." They added that school districts in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere have put "enormous pressure" on teachers to improve scores.
Common Core: Do What It Takes Before High Stakes
In her latest column appearing in the New York Times, AFT president Randi Weingarten writes about the promise—and the possible pitfalls—of the new Common Core State Standards. If implemented properly—namely, by ensuring that frontline educators are prepared to teach these rigorous new standards—we can provide all children with the problem-solving, critical-thinking and teamwork skills they need to compete in today’s changing world. If not, they will end up in the dustbin of abandoned reforms. Read her full column.
Teachers support Common Core and moratorium on stakes
Three-quarters of public school teachers surveyed support the Common Core State Standards, yet just 27 percent said their district has provided them with the tools and resources necessary to teach the standards, according to the results of a new AFT poll.
Healing Our Healthcare System
In her latest column appearing in the New York Times, AFT president Randi Weingarten talks about the accomplishments to date of the Affordable Care Act, even in its early stages. And she discusses the vital role that nurses and healthcare workers—the AFT is one of the largest unions of nurses in the country—play in enhancing patient care and improving the healthcare system. Read Weingarten's column.
Comprehensive Alternatives to Parent Trigger
The Parent Trigger legislation is resulting in a rift between parents, teachers and in some cases, the community through-out the country. Our goal is or should be to comprehensively improve schools in a collaborative and sustainable manner. If “choice” and improvement of schools are the goals, then an alternative to the Parent Trigger legislation is in order. Please find enclosed a suggested alternative model to the Parent Trigger. This model is a collaborative, comprehensive approach.
HB 123: Parent and Teacher Empowerment Act "Parent Trigger" Proposal
Background: "Parent trigger," a concept first enacted in state legislation in California in 2010, lets the parents of students in a low-performing school collectively to petition the state or school district to allow for alternative school governance, like conversion to a charter school. Now enacted in a handful of states nationwide, parent trigger is supported by corporate backers like the Koch brothers.