Cuomo: I would fire teachers

Utica newspaper editorial board does a sit down with Governor Cuomo.

http://www.uticaod.com/article/20150225/NEWS/150229629/?Start=1

“… Right now we have a 99 percent effective rate for teachers,” he said. “That can’t be when 30 percent of the students are effective. “

Once again Cuomo is throwing out the misleading statistic comparing percentage of effective teachers versus the percentage of students who are “proficient” on the state tests which use a politically motivated cut score to determine the passing level.

Great replies from others:

“Teachers are not manufacturing a product,” said Deborah Dowling, president of the New Hartford Teachers’ Association. “We are educating children who come to us from varying backgrounds. We do not have uniform raw materials like in a factory. We are dealing with the varying needs of human beings.” 

Utica Teachers Association President Cherie Grant said Cuomo has failed to “engage in serious, meaningful dialogue with parents and teachers about constructive and positive changes.”

“The real issues are the devastating impact of poverty on student achievement, the inequalities of how state aid is distributed and the chronic underfunding of public education,” she said.

State Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-Rome, said he believes there is a need to focus on and improve the education system in the state, but he doesn’t like the governor’s emphasis on testing. “The question is, how should it be structured,” he said. “The experts here are superintendents, teachers and school board members and we should listen to their concerns.”

Doubtful the Governor will listen…..that is why we must fight back…..

And the public supports teachers over Cuomo:  http://www.syracuse.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/02/poll_ny_teachers_are_not_the_problem.html