Singled-out L.A. Unified teacher shares skills with colleagues

[TomCADem]

Source: LA Times

Months before, Aguilar had been featured in a Times article as one of the most effective teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District at raising student scores on standardized tests. Many of his students, the article noted, had vaulted from the bottom 30% in the district to well above average.

The article contrasted Aguilar's performance with that of the teacher next door, John Smith, who ranked among the district's least effective teachers. Pupils in both classes faced similar challenges in the poor, predominantly Latino community.

When the article appeared — followed soon after by a database ranking about 6,000 Los Angeles elementary school teachers — it ignited debate nationwide. Educators, teachers unions and experts warned that publicly rating teachers would pit one against the other.

Seven months later, Broadous teachers and the principal say the opposite has occurred. They've noticed a new openness to talking about what works, an urgent desire to improve. "It's encouraged them to collaborate," said Eidy Hemmati, the school's intervention coordinator.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-broadous-teachers-20110403,0,4961288.story

---

WARNING! CORPORATE MEDIA NARRATIVE THAT UNIONS ARE BAD!

Here is an article by the LA Times spreading the propaganda that it's creation of a database to individually identify and rate teachers is a success. The idea is that such a database promotes transparency in the government.

Of course, the LA Times then uses this article to assert as fact that unions are to blame for resistance against reform and improvement in public education. It is no wonder that so many in the public have jumped on the anti-union, anti-public employee band wagon.

[EFerrari]

1. Good catch. n/t

[PopeRatzo]

2. Check the erasures on the tests

This week a story broke that there have been an unusual number of erasures on tests in charter schools from incorrect to correct. McGraw-Hill, the maker of the tests, says that it's a statistically impossible number in fact.

When you've got teachers who are paid based on the test scores of the students, and are eligible for bonuses of $8000 to $10,000 for good test scores, you also create a situation where there's a great deal of motivation for teachers to cheat.

I wonder if this is what's happening in Aguilar's case? Has anyone looked to see how many test answers were corrected after the students handed them in?

[roody]

3. He is going to get behind on the Pacing Guide,

using so much class time for thinking.