RIF may benefit some kids

Submitted by wildcat on Thu, 10/02/2008 - 19:37.

The fact that teachers are losing their jobs due to the incompetence of other people is horrible. Many wonderful teachers will be fired through no fault of their own. However, the fact that seniority won't be the sole criteria for keeping a teacher is actually a good thing for kids. I worked in DISD for many years and saw some of the best veteran teachers in the world, and some of the worst. Keeping a teacher just because he/she has been on the job longer is a disservice to the students and to the profession. The only possible silver lining in all this mess is that some weak teachers may finally be forced out. If we want the best for kids, we have to have the best teachers - and sometimes those aren't the ones who have the most years in.........let's be honest.

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What Criteria?

Submitted by keepingitreal on Sun, 10/05/2008 - 20:12.

How do you know if a teacher is "good"? If you are depending on the evaluations given by their friends then you do not understand. Some evaluations are good because the principal "likes" the individual...They're too subjective to be utilized!

You can't depend on CEIs because they're flawed from the inception. Besides, no other school district uses them and truthfully, they will not stand up in court...not enough research went into the creation and use of them.

Seniority/ Credentials are the only fair ways to elimanate teachers. It's true that some teachers need to go. They should have removed long before RIF talks. Perhaps they would have been gone if the folks (campus administrators) had been given the authority that cooperate managers are given. Too many write ups and you're on the carpet and out the door.
Uh oh, these are the same individuals who give their friends great evaluations with no thought of their actual performance.

Schools being leveled.

Submitted by koteach on Thu, 10/02/2008 - 20:54.

Cary Middle School is truly being leveled. There are approximately 40 people being cut. This has to be the largest or one of the top campuses being affected. Sure the enrollment is down by half but downtown must have known this was going to happen when they built Medrano and did bother to redraw attendance zones. Half the Cary students went to a new school where they hired a new administrative staff and teachers. Shouldn't Cary's staff been split and sent to Medrano? Not only would this have made solid financial since but these teachers knew the kids and could have continued with the tremendous gains academically that have been made. Now dedicated teachers and administrators are going to just be cast aside. The students are the ones who are truly suffering. Cary has been ready to meet their obstacles head on and begin building a school where students fill safe and academically challenged. Don't rip everything away from a school that is moving forward.

Let's be honest ....

Submitted by ccob on Thu, 10/02/2008 - 20:28.

"Keeping a teacher just because he/she has been on the job longer is a disservice to the students and to the profession"

... Any more so than keeping a teacher who is unqualified (*) just because he or she can "relate" to the students better than one of those who might have been on the job longer ???????

(*) cannot pass certification requirements and does meet "highly qualified" status (no degree in teaching area)

I totally agree with you

Submitted by wildcat on Thu, 10/02/2008 - 21:20.

I totally agree with you that the teacher you're citing shouldn't be in the classroom. My point is that if a teacher with fewer years on the job is a better teacher than a teacher with more years on the job, keep the teacher with less years. It's got to be about which person can make the most impact on student achievement..........if that person has been on the job 5 years or 25 years shouldn't matter......it's who can do the job. Ask yourself, which teacher would you want YOUR child to have?