Comments for EAGnews.org :: Education Research, Reporting, Analysis and Commentary http://eagnews.org EAGnews.org provides hard-hitting educational research, reporting, analysis and commentary you won't find anywhere else. Thu, 17 May 2012 16:01:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Michigan teachers union miscalculates, or lies about, cyber school profits by IlonaE http://eagnews.org/michigan-teachers-union-miscalculates-cyber-school-profits/#comment-255 IlonaE Thu, 17 May 2012 16:01:00 +0000 http://eagnews.org/?p=1970#comment-255 OBVIOUSLY the Unions can't read a financial statement.  Wonder what their books look like? OBVIOUSLY the Unions can’t read a financial statement.  Wonder what their books look like?

]]> Comment on Michigan teacher faces federal lawsuit for attempting to enforce political correctness by McDonough Jim http://eagnews.org/michigan-teacher-faces-federal-lawsuit-for-attempting-to-enforce-political-correctness/#comment-254 McDonough Jim Thu, 17 May 2012 15:59:00 +0000 http://eagnews.org/?p=1964#comment-254 hang her! hang her!

]]> Comment on Teachers union wants to get its grubby mitts on charter schools by VIKINGATHEART http://eagnews.org/teachers-union-wants-to-unionize-charter-schools-to-improve-teaching-and-learning-but-were-not-buying-it/#comment-253 VIKINGATHEART Thu, 17 May 2012 14:53:00 +0000 http://eagnews.org/?p=1894#comment-253 Never do they say their real agenda, all unions, is to force everyone into unions.  Socialistic countries are the only ones who have an overall union.  This is a fact that they do not want others to know. Never do they say their real agenda, all unions, is to force everyone into unions.  Socialistic countries are the only ones who have an overall union.  This is a fact that they do not want others to know.

]]> Comment on Teachers union wants to get its grubby mitts on charter schools by markthog http://eagnews.org/teachers-union-wants-to-unionize-charter-schools-to-improve-teaching-and-learning-but-were-not-buying-it/#comment-252 markthog Thu, 17 May 2012 12:59:00 +0000 http://eagnews.org/?p=1894#comment-252 Imagine, in a country like the US where we have the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, teachers in public schools are forced to join the OEA/NEA even if they don't agree with the precepts of the organizations.  If membership was not forced, these union organizations would go out of existence in a very short time. Imagine, in a country like the US where we have the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, teachers in public schools are forced to join the OEA/NEA even if they don’t agree with the precepts of the organizations.  If membership was not forced, these union organizations would go out of existence in a very short time.

]]> Comment on One step forward, two steps back in New York City by Student Advocate http://eagnews.org/one-step-forward-two-steps-back-in-new-york-city/#comment-251 Student Advocate Thu, 17 May 2012 11:49:00 +0000 http://eagnews.org/?p=1942#comment-251 24 schools, 4 distinct boroughs, thousands of dedicated teachers, 24 distinct bodies of students in need of additional support( in immigrant and minority neighborhoods) 1 constant; The EDUCATION SYSTEM WITH IS INEFFECTIVE POLICIES.  You do the math.    We do need a change.  4 year graduation rate is an unrealistic standard to hold schools where a third of their populations are made up of: English language learners, Students with low literacy levels (socially promoted from junior high), Students with learning disabilities (diagnosed and undiagnosed), just to name a few of the core issues affecting achievement.    Laying off all the teachers, keeping the most senior (who may not be effective) and playing musical chairs with the rest and claiming that there will be new talented educators on staff, is a poorly thought out solution.   The new schools will fail as well if the City does not make some policy changes.  The suspension policy allows students to return to school even if they have not served their suspensions, leaving schools with unreformed and in some instances chronic offenders who are just at home or in the streets for days, months and in severe cases, up to a year.  The government agencies in place to try to create accountability for truant students (ACS, PINS) are ineffective.  It's time for the City to take responsibility and start to "TURNAROUND" the right things.  Stop looking only at the numbers.  There are root issues affecting these outcomes and it can't be that all the teachers in these 24 schools are to blame.  Ask the mayor to spend a day in one of these schools and talk to the students and their parents.  24 schools, 4 distinct boroughs, thousands of dedicated teachers, 24 distinct bodies of students in need of additional support( in immigrant and minority neighborhoods) 1 constant; The EDUCATION SYSTEM WITH IS INEFFECTIVE POLICIES.  You do the math.    We do need a change.  4 year graduation rate is an unrealistic standard to hold schools where a third of their populations are made up of: English language learners, Students with low literacy levels (socially promoted from junior high), Students with learning disabilities (diagnosed and undiagnosed), just to name a few of the core issues affecting achievement.    Laying off all the teachers, keeping the most senior (who may not be effective) and playing musical chairs with the rest and claiming that there will be new talented educators on staff, is a poorly thought out solution.   The new schools will fail as well if the City does not make some policy changes.  The suspension policy allows students to return to school even if they have not served their suspensions, leaving schools with unreformed and in some instances chronic offenders who are just at home or in the streets for days, months and in severe cases, up to a year.  The government agencies in place to try to create accountability for truant students (ACS, PINS) are ineffective.  It’s time for the City to take responsibility and start to “TURNAROUND” the right things.  Stop looking only at the numbers.  There are root issues affecting these outcomes and it can’t be that all the teachers in these 24 schools are to blame.  Ask the mayor to spend a day in one of these schools and talk to the students and their parents. 

]]> Comment on Wisconsin’s Kenosha schools: Governor Walker, please help! by Bj http://eagnews.org/wisconsins-kenosha-schools-gov-walker-please-help/#comment-250 Bj Thu, 17 May 2012 01:30:00 +0000 http://eagnews.org/?p=1436#comment-250 Walker is destroying wisconsin.  Only the rich are going to be able to afford college.   He is taking wisconsin backwards. Walker is destroying wisconsin.  Only the rich are going to be able to afford college.   He is taking wisconsin backwards.

]]> Comment on New report exposes union labor costs that are sucking the life out of Detroit Public Schools by fed up http://eagnews.org/new-report-exposes-union-labor-costs-sucking-the-life-out-of-detroit-public-schools/#comment-249 fed up Thu, 17 May 2012 00:19:00 +0000 http://eagnews.org/?p=1764#comment-249 This is absolutely a one sided report!  Perhaps a little research would have given this report some credibility. As it stands it's rediculous. Last year a collegue had-get this- 57 fifth grade students for the entire year. As yet there has been NO over size payment. I am tired of the teacher bashing. We work longer hours than have been reported, in fact most have no social life at all due to grading papers, lesson plans and meetings and workshops that are mandatory. Personally, I spend about 25 hours outside of the classroom on work that isn't part of my paycheck. Stop bashing the people that need the most support to get the job done but recieve the least. This is absolutely a one sided report!  Perhaps a little research would have given this report some credibility. As it stands it’s rediculous. Last year a collegue had-get this- 57 fifth grade students for the entire year. As yet there has been NO over size payment. I am tired of the teacher bashing. We work longer hours than have been reported, in fact most have no social life at all due to grading papers, lesson plans and meetings and workshops that are mandatory. Personally, I spend about 25 hours outside of the classroom on work that isn’t part of my paycheck. Stop bashing the people that need the most support to get the job done but recieve the least.

]]> Comment on Virginia school board votes to sue deadbeat parents by Sooziekayh http://eagnews.org/virginia-school-board-votes-to-sue-deadbeat-parents/#comment-248 Sooziekayh Wed, 16 May 2012 21:44:00 +0000 http://eagnews.org/?p=1948#comment-248 I am a parent, teacher, and local school board member. I say "hooray" for a school district with the guts to do the only thing that will "turn schools around" : get the parents to do their job! I usually agree with EAGnews, but their constant railing against teachers - and their support for the ridiculous assumption that teachers are the cause of student underperformance - is just plain wrong. Yes, teacher unions wield way too much power. The contracts between districts and unions, and the preponderance of state and federal laws protecting teachers who need to be "jettisoned" have contributed to our problem. But as a classroom teacher I can tell you that when students won't even pick up a pencil, and when parents' constantly excuse their lack of successful discipline with "I'm a single parent, I go to school and work, I don't have time, what am I supposed to do..."  well, you end up with 20% of your classroom NOT learning, and doing their best to disrupt the learning of the other 80%. It IS the parents' job to raise kids who are ready to be successful in school. Why is that so hard to understand? I am a parent, teacher, and local school board member. I say “hooray” for a school district with the guts to do the only thing that will “turn schools around” : get the parents to do their job!
I usually agree with EAGnews, but their constant railing against teachers – and their support for the ridiculous assumption that teachers are the cause of student underperformance – is just plain wrong.
Yes, teacher unions wield way too much power. The contracts between districts and unions, and the preponderance of state and federal laws protecting teachers who need to be “jettisoned” have contributed to our problem.
But as a classroom teacher I can tell you that when students won’t even pick up a pencil, and when parents’ constantly excuse their lack of successful discipline with “I’m a single parent, I go to school and work, I don’t have time, what am I supposed to do…”  well, you end up with 20% of your classroom NOT learning, and doing their best to disrupt the learning of the other 80%.
It IS the parents’ job to raise kids who are ready to be successful in school. Why is that so hard to understand?

]]> Comment on Parent report cards should not divert attention from the need to fix schools by Virginia school board votes to sue deadbeat parents - EAGnews.org :: Education Research, Reporting, Analysis and Commentary http://eagnews.org/parent-report-cards-should-not-divert-attention-from-the-need-to-fix-schools/#comment-247 Virginia school board votes to sue deadbeat parents - EAGnews.org :: Education Research, Reporting, Analysis and Commentary Wed, 16 May 2012 18:37:06 +0000 http://eagnews.org/?p=1793#comment-247 [...] more recent example of “pin the blame on the parents” comes from Tennessee, where state lawmakers passed “parent report card” legislation that asks parents in two of the [...] [...] more recent example of “pin the blame on the parents” comes from Tennessee, where state lawmakers passed “parent report card” legislation that asks parents in two of the [...]

]]> Comment on President of Connecticut Parents Union dismayed by passage of so-called reforms by Vromano2005 http://eagnews.org/president-of-connecticut-parents-union-dismayed-by-passage-of-so-called-reforms/#comment-246 Vromano2005 Wed, 16 May 2012 15:05:00 +0000 http://eagnews.org/?p=1922#comment-246  The unions and politicians have resurrected the triangle trade of colonial days.  This time around, the taxpayers and the children are the slaves and the Unions are the confederacy feeding off the bones of those they deny the miracle of 1776: "life, liberty and the pursuit of..."   It will take another civil war to restore the constitutional republic that was constructed by our forefathers to preserve those unalienable rights.  Indeed, because of the teachers' unions, "Wee are in rats alley where the dead men lost their bones. Vince Romano vromano2005@yahoo.com   The unions and politicians have resurrected the triangle trade of colonial days.  This time around, the taxpayers and the children are the slaves and the Unions are the confederacy feeding off the bones of those they deny the miracle of 1776: “life, liberty and the pursuit of…”   It will take another civil war to restore the constitutional republic that was constructed by our forefathers to preserve those unalienable rights.  Indeed, because of the teachers’ unions, “Wee are in rats alley where the dead men lost their bones.

Vince Romano
vromano2005@yahoo.com 

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