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UTLA Files Action Against District Over Teacher Evaluations*
The teachers union has filed an unfair labor practice charge against LA Unified over the new teacher evaluations. The union took the complaint to the Public Employment Relations Board, or PERB, a quasi-judicicial state agency that hears public employee disputes. In addition to the legal action, the union has distributed letters for teachers to give to their...
By Hillel Aron | August 21, 2013
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One Thing: Deasy Survey vs. Stull Evaluation
Here’s the UTLA survey on LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy’s performance that’s going out this week: For comparative purposes, here’s the current teacher evaluation form used by principals to evaluate teachers (as part of the so-called “Stull evaluation”).
By Alexander Russo | May 2, 2013
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More Failing Teachers Pushed Out Under Deasy
From LA School Report contributor Hillel Aron: “Bad teachers are rarely fired. In the 2005-06 school year, according to LAUSD’s human resources division, just six of L.A.’s army of 34,000 teachers were dismissed, and 10 were convinced to resign. In 2006-07, those numbers were three and 15…. “Without fanfare, the school district famous for its...
By Samantha Oltman | April 11, 2013
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Dueling Evaluation Memos from Union, District
On Friday, LAUSD sent out an announcement about the new teacher evaluation program that the district and the teachers union agreed to earlier this year, clarifying its position on the use of student achievement data. Now, UTLA is denouncing the district memo for “attempt[ing] to discredit UTLA’s internal materials to our membership while also continuing...
By Alexander Russo | March 20, 2013
Investigation: Nearly 1,000 Native Children Died in Federal Boarding Schools
Podcast: What a Mentorship Mindset Can Do for Student Motivation
Black and Hispanic Voters Say Democrats Aren’t Focused Enough on K-12 Education
Teen Activist Rhea Maniar on the Power of Abortion to Turn Out Young Voters
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Board Candidates Fault Process, Not 30% Figure
On Friday, LAUSD issued a new guidance telling principals to make student achievement 30 percent of a teacher’s evaluation starting next year. Almost immediately, UTLA President Warren Fletcher objected, arguing that the 30 percent figure was too high and a district-wide process was overly prescriptive. Since then, the LA TImes has reported that District 4 School Board...
By Hillel Aron | February 18, 2013
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Implementing the Teacher Evaluation Deal
Last week, classroom teachers voted overwhelmingly to approve a new system of evaluations, which include data from California Standardized Tests. “I’m gratified our members ratified the agreement that clearly states, individual AGT (Academic Growth Over Time) scores will not be used as part of a teacher’s final evaluation,” said UTLA chief Warren Fletcher in a...
By Hillel Aron | January 22, 2013
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Reformer Calls For Stronger State Evaluation Law
Former Washington DC schools superintendent Michelle Rhee credits LAUSD and UTLA for making progress with their tentative teacher evaluation deal but describes it as”falling short in many ways” and cites it as an example of the need for a “strong statewide policy governing teachers’ performance evaluations.” Read below for the full statement from Rhee, who is now...
By Alexander Russo | December 13, 2012
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Deasy Predicts Evaluation Deal
Superintendent John Deasy said this morning that he expects a tentative agreement with UTLA over a new system of teacher evaluations, as mandated by the court in Doe v. Deasy, at some point in the next four days — just before the deadline set by the judge. “I’m not a betting or predictive kind of guy,...
By Hillel Aron | November 29, 2012
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Teacher Talks: What Happens If They Can’t Agree?
The deadline set by Judge Chalfant for LAUSD and UTLA to agree on a teacher evaluation system that satisfies the requirements of the Stull Act is December 4 — less than a week away. Neither side is saying how the negotiations are going – other than, well, “they’re going.” That sounds good, but the district and...
By Hillel Aron | November 28, 2012
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One Thing: The Return of AB 5
Many Washington insiders would disagree pretty vehemently with SI&A Cabinet Report‘s assessment that the Obama administration will try for a comprehensive overhaul of No Child Left Behind, but the news outlet’s latest article (Stakes likely go up on teacher evaluations in Obama’s second term) is still a good reminder that key policy issues like including...
By Alexander Russo | November 27, 2012