Thanks UFT!

UFT = evil. Looks out for own interest, not best interest of kids.

The unions are dragging the city and state into disaster.

Of course, they've been dragging the kids into disaster for decades. Nobody seemed to notice until the bill came due.

"Of course, they've been dragging the kids into disaster for decades."

There's only so much that teachers are expected to accomplish when PARENTS aren't doing their jobs at home.

Parents are obviously a large part of the equation, but there are plenty of lousy teachers who can't educate the children of involved parents either.

If teachers are going to use the excuse of "it doesn't matter what we do", then get rid of all of 'em and replace 'em with minimum wage folks. Obviously that is ridiculous, but so is your assertion.

Good teachers will be able to get over obstacles within reason.

But the lousy teachers are still there, and we can't get rid of them and replace them with better teachers.

I'm a former NYC public school teacher. Matt & somewhereelse both have it right. I think what many people on this board forget is that there is a savage inequality in our public school system. I have a Masters Degree from Teachers College, Columbia, and I taught in Mott Haven in the Bronx where the kids sometimes come to school as a blank slate. Seriously, not knowing their colors and shapes (!) let alone a number or a letter. It is hard for teachers of these kids to be compared, performance wise, with those of the kids at P.S. 234, 87, 6, etc. who come to school as little Einsteins comparatively. It is a huge burn out, somewhereelse. So, yes, good teachers (I was one) can get over some obstacles, but once we're burned out we go to calmer waters leaving the neediest kids with the teachers who can't get jobs in the better schools. See the problem?

That said, there are some lazy ass teachers in the system because the union protects lazy-ass teachers. HOWEVER, teachers jobs do need to be protected if we're going to decide a teacher's worth based on test scores when we wrongly assume that all kids are starting on an equal playing field.

My point is there is not an easy fix for this, no matter who we point the finger at.

true, its complicated... but we can start with what we KNOW needs to be done... like break the corrupt grip of the UFT.

They are an obstacle to pretty much every positive idea.

for instance... charter schools.... which have shown to work WONDERS in some cases in situations exactly like this...

"So, yes, good teachers (I was one) can get over some obstacles, but once we're burned out we go to calmer waters leaving the neediest kids with the teachers who can't get jobs in the better schools. See the problem?"

why is it we have a charter school cap again?

Charter Schools have "worked wonders" for a number of reasons. The parents who take the time to get their child into a charter school obviously place a high value on education. I work at a fantastic public school in Brooklyn. 88% of our students pass the readng exam, and 97% pass the state math exam. Some neighboring charter schools sent letters to our students offering a placement in their school. Our low scoring students did not get these letters, nor did our high scoring Special Ed students. A few times this year we have gotten student who have been asked to leave the charter school. A few were found to have learning an emotional diabilities. Of course the stats for charter schools look good when they can hand pick their students and kick them out if they are having problems.

Not all charter schools "hand pick" students.

Take a look what's going on in the Harlem empowerment zone.

> A few times this year we have gotten student who have been asked to leave the charter school.

And this is considered a bad thing? OF COURSE there should be requirements for staying in a school.

> A few were found to have learning an emotional diabilities

What's a diability?