Six of CCSD's seven New Teachers of the Year. Thanks to CCEA union bosses perserving seniority-based layoffs, these seven teachers are about to receive pink slips. Photo from Las Vegas Sun.
First, congratulations to Judith Alfaro, Daniel Cano, Edward Savarese, Chris Reger, Alison Zelton, Brad Keating, and Taylor Pfatenhauer for being named Clark County School District’s New Teachers of the Year.
Second, you're fired.
That doesn't make any sense, does it? Of course not, but thanks to a recent victory for the union bosses in the Nevada State Education Association and the Clark County Education Association that's exactly what's happening.
Last week, the seven teachers listed above were honored by the CCSD Board of Trustees as the best new teachers in the District. While these teachers received plaques applauding their accomplishments, they are among the lowest teachers on the seniority totem pole.
Regardless, after an unelected, unaccountable arbitrator from California rewarded CCEA's stalling tactics by siding with the union in arbitration, CCSD announced it would be forced to lay off up to 1,000 teachers. Thanks to the efforts of union bosses to preserve seniority in layoffs, only 38 teachers with disciplinary problems will be released before seniority-based layoffs begin.
Since there are less than 850 first year teachers, seven of CCSD's best new teachers will be getting pink slips.
This means that, unless attrition allows CCSD to hire these teachers back, hundreds of children — and these could be your children — will have less effective teachers and that hundreds of children will learn less next year.
Thanks union bosses!
Students vs. union. Your child vs. union bosses. An effective education for your child or dues for the Nevada State Education Association.
Those are the stakes. Those are the sides.
We stand with students.
Where do you stand?
2 comments:
Just a couple observations...First: the photo that you used only has six (6) of the seven (7) teachers included--maybe the 7th is already gone?
Second: Why is the union the bad-guy in all of the press. Both CCSD and the Union agreed to the procedure to be used to resolve an impasse, not just the Union. Also, both the Union and CCSD agreed to the Arbitrator that was selected, not just the Union. And finally, the independent Arbitrator is being characterized as some sort of incompetent oaf--why? He looked at each sides arguments; followed the letter of the agreement between the parties in resolving the impasse; ruled based on the facts he uncovered. Just because it did not go the way the CCSD wanted it to go, should not make the Union out to be the bad guy. What it does is make the CCSD the epitome of a "Poor loser"!
You have the title correct "best NEW teachers". These best NEW teachers, as good as they are, are still less effective that 95% of experienced teachers. And most of the new teachers are VERY ineffective. I agree we need a procedure to get rid of the 5% of experienced teachers who are ineffective. The problem: administrators and CCSD big bosses are NEVER in school buildings and in classrooms to see who is not effective. They are more interested in PR campaigns, political advancement, saving their own Hugh paying jobs, and looking at data. The truth sir: we have the ability to remove BAD teachers. It simply requires administration to be in classrooms and doing the jib they were hired to do. Yet, everyone is too busy. Write about that.
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