Mayor Daley and Chicago Public Schools CEO Ron Huberman had a press conference discuss preliminary 2010 Chicago Public Schools Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) scores. June 23, 2010, at 9 a.m @ Jonathan Burr School.
Ron Huberman is asked by a reporter why he fired 54 Lead Literacy Teachers, the top teachers in the school system, last Friday(6/18/10) and at today's news conference made statements that only unsatisfactory teachers will be fired. Jackie Heard, Daley's media person abruptly ended the press conference.
Here are is the story on the firing of the Fifty-four master teachers from WBEZ 91.5
CPS Lays Off Top Teachers
Produced by Linda Lutton on
Friday, June 18, 2010
Chicago Public Schools’ best teachers have fallen victim to budget cuts. Fifty-four master teachers were let go as the district struggles to plug what it says is a $427 million hole.
http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/...
Now today
CPS chief wants to lay off worst teachers first
By Azam Ahmed, Tribune reporter
Wednesday June 23, 2010
While layoffs are not a certainty, the school district has an estimated half-billion-dollar budget deficit.
Huberman is using the Illinois school code as his rationale for the last-minute switch. Under the code, "performance ratings or evaluations" is one of several criteria to be considered in layoffs.
"We have been struggling with the fact that these layoffs were going to mean that many of our most enthusiastic teachers might ultimately be the ones who lose their job," he said. http://www.chicagotribune.com/...
I met with the laid off teachers Monday and Tuesday night, none I spoke with have less than superior ratings (highest you can have as a teacher) all hold multiple degrees and certifications to teach in the State of Illinois. All were doing exactly what Ron Huberman talked about in the press conference: mentoring and helping guide teachers using superior instructional methods to improve student performance and as was stated at the press conference scores have gone up according to CPS graphs.
So I ask am I crazy or what!
Friday this guy fires the best teachers in the system and three days later he says he will only fire unsatisfactory teachers and use the best teachers in the system to help improve teacher performance.
UPDATE: Got an email that there might be more teachers that the 54 that were fired last Friday.
The 54 Coaches mentioned in the article, I don't believe are the same as the SCRMA Coaches. We SCRMA Coaches (called Literacy Coaches who total over 100), are also citywide but work in the schools to support teachers of grades K-8...not 1st and 2nd year teachers only (as the article suggests). Brunswick is not the head of our program. The director of ORLA (Office of Reading Language Arts) is Paul Whissett, who used to be over the Library Department. So, I don't know if this article really refers to all of us or not--different program, although we all fall under the title of "citywide" Coach.
Mayor, Huberman tout ISAT 'preliminary' results on day of Board of Education meeting
press conference story
http://www.substancenews.net/...
here is the entire video of today's press conference