Ohio Third Graders Face Retention Ultimatum

PBS recently ran a report on the new 3rd grade reading gaurantee.

Watch Ohio Third Graders Must Learn to Read or Repeat the Year on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

This exchange with the Senate Education Committee chair was interesting

PEGGY LEHNER: I'm hoping that we can put some additional money in.

JOHN TULENKO: How much is it going to take?

PEGGY LEHNER: I think, frankly, we might be looking at $50 million, 60 million.

JOHN TULENKO: Lehner also acknowledges educators' other concerns about the reading guarantee: lack of preschool and parents who don't do their part.

There are so many questions around this.

PEGGY LEHNER: Sure.

JOHN TULENKO: Do you ever feel like you are stepping out on a limb on this one?

PEGGY LEHNER: It is a risk. And I think we have to take a risk. We have to change what we are doing, because what we have been doing is not working.

JOHN TULENKO: Can you give us a guarantee that this will work?

PEGGY LEHNER: Of course not. Of course not.

The budget will be a good opportunitiy to right some of these problems.

Survey finds parent-teacher relationships strong--Teachers given grade of "A"

Parenting magazine and the National Education Association today announced the results of a groundbreaking joint survey* of 1,000 public school parents and educators that explored the roadblocks to effective parent-teacher communication. When parents were asked to “grade” their relationship with their child’s teachers, nearly half (45 percent) gave the teachers an “A,” with the majority on both sides categorizing the relationship as “great” and “open.”

Despite the strong relationships, the survey revealed that the two sides differ on some key issues. Sixty-eight percent of teachers reported difficulty in dealing with parents. A similar percentage of parents–63 percent–reported they’d never had difficulty with teachers. More than one-quarter of parents stated their biggest challenge has been teachers’ perceived lack of understanding for their concerns, while one in three teachers cited parents’ lack of understanding of their child’s issues as their biggest challenge.

The survey also revealed that:

• Nearly two out of three parents say their child’s teachers offer a supportive response to concerns when they are expressed, and that teachers are willing to help resolve concerns; nearly 80 percent of teachers consider parents to be supportive.
• Nearly 88 percent of parents consider their child’s teacher a partner in achieving success in school, but just over half of teachers, 54 percent, feel that parents do their part at home to ensure that kids get the most out of classroom learning.
• The majority of parents, 8 out of 10, feel their child’s teachers are well equipped with the skills necessary to communicate with them.
• Although 48 percent of parents feel that their opinion is always taken seriously by their child’s teachers, only 17 percent of teachers feel their opinion is taken seriously just as often by their students’ parents.

More at the link.

Due process protects you

A retired teacher sent this short note to us about the dangers of SB5 removing due process protections. Yet andother reason why SB5 is unfair.

I began my teaching career when collective bargaining did not exist in Ohio. I witnessed a situation where an excellent teacher (later Maine teacher of the year) was accused by a student of an inappropriate action. The student was under intensive psychiatric care at the time. Without (or even with) witnesses, this 10 year teacher was given the choice to resign or be fired. No hearing or due process was legally required without collective bargaining. Every colleague was confidant that the accusation was groundless. With no options, this professional moved on, at great loss to our profession.

Without due process rights anyone can find themselves in this same situation because of an argument with the principal, because of age or health concerns, or because of assigning a student a grade that disagrees with a parent's assessment. Negotiating working conditions, and not just salary, improves our professional contributions, improves our advocacy for students, and improves our health and safety on the job, as well as the health and safety of our students.

Kim Cellar
Retired teacher

If you have a story or thought to share, drop us a line at admin@jointhefuture.org

Gov Kasich "I'm done talk, talk, talking

How big of an empty promise was the Governor's offer to sit down with labor and discuss a meaningful compromise? ProgressOhio captures his flip-flop on tape.

From the Governor's press conference Wednesday 17th August, 2011

Governor Kasich, "We're inviting them to talk. We think that would be a good thing for all of us to sit down, see if we can reach some agreement."

Governor Kasich, "erm, when I was approached, err, by, by, er, by, the former Speaker Joanne Davidson, about should we sit down and talk, I said are you kiddin' me? Absolutely we should talk."

On February 26th, 2011 the Governor appeared on the Bill Cunningham radio show and told a very different story. Roll the tape.

Bill Cunningham, "Even at this late date in February are you willing to sit in a room with the representatives of the public employment unions, waway from the television and away from the radio and listen to the legitimate concerns of those that..."

Governor Kasich, interupting, "Listen, I've heard their concerns, I mean it's on TV and in the newspapers everyday. I know what their concerns is, they do not want ot give up the right to collectively bargain."

Bill Cunningham, "Meet with them Governor, You've got to get in a room with 'em Governor."

Governor Kasich, "Bill, Bill, let me explain to you. I'm not gonna let you put me in a position to say that I don't listen. I've listened. I've Heard. I've made a decision. It's not like I'm not talkin' to people. But y'know we spend a lot of time in Ohio talk, talk, talk ,talk, talkin'..."

Bill Cunningham, "And the Governor's done talkin', you;re walkin?"

Governor Kasich, "It's time to do some things."

Here's the video

As if to punctuate the insincerity of the offer ot find a compromise, here's Speaker Batchelder quoted in the WSJ regarding the offer to repeal then deal

Republican House Speaker William Batchelder rejected the unions' suggestion to craft a new law. "That dog won't hunt," said Mr. Batchelder

Urge your lawmakers to do the right thing. Call 888-218-5931 and tell your lawmakers NO DEAL until they repeal SB 5.

Update

The Governor, Speak and President sat alone waiting for a meeting they knew was not going to happen. They even went to far as to create silly cardboard name tags. When asked if they would repeal SB5 so negotiations could happen in an atmosphere of trust they said no to repeal first because it's an "ultimatum" and we would "lose leverage".

Three men, sitting alone. That's what is has come to for the proponents of SB5.

The concerns of a first-year teacher

As I enter my first year of teaching, I am frustrated — like many teachers in America — by the lack of respect for my profession.

I know I will face the “shorter days, more holidays, and long summer break” comments that have long been directed at teachers, but I can handle those. (My Dad preached Socrates when I was a kid — “I know nothing, except the fact of my ignorance” — and I’ve bought into this philosophy.) People who assume teaching is easy don’t understand the complexities of the profession. But when I read commentary from people inside the education reform movement, it seems clear that some of them choose to ignore the facts.

Some education reformers dismiss and often insult the vast, peer-reviewed literature written by education professors, teacher researchers, and others. What is so maddening is that these reformers know that the research exists, choose not to give it a second of their time, and then have the gall to say teachers aren’t putting students first. By refusing to give credence to research that comes directly from classrooms, reformers are effectively silencing teachers. This is the kind of disrespect I cannot stomach.

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Sen. Mark Wagoner (R) responds to JTF

State Sen. Mark Wagoner (R) wins the silver medal for being the second legislator to responsd to our recent letter. Here it is.

Thank you for your e-mail regarding House Bill 153, the state budget bill. I always appreciate hearing directly from constituents.

Creating a balanced state budget that provides value to taxpayers and improves the quality of our government’s services will be no easy task, and your input is important to me. House Bill 153 is currently undergoing hearings in the Senate Finance Committee. As you can imagine, my office receives a large volume of e-mails, letters, and phone calls regarding the budget. Although I do not have the pleasure of serving on the Finance Committee, please know that I value the information that you share with me. I will certainly keep your concerns and suggestions in mind as I continue to monitor developments in the budget closely.

Thank you again for your email. I encourage you to contact my office at (614) 466-8060 if you would like to discuss the budget or any other issue in further detail.

Sincerely,

Mark Wagoner
Ohio Senate
2nd District

Didn't really answer our questions either does it?