Age Discrimination of Teachers

Age Discrimination of Teachers

Tony Danza’s book, I’d Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had, shows that there are discriminatory policies in the retirement policies of Philadelphia, and most likely Pennsylvania, schools.  When teachers stay beyond a fixed amount of time, then they are penalized on their pensions.  When teachers lose pension money like this, then that is a major flaw in the system.  Experienced teachers are the ones who make the education system work efficiently.  They help train new teachers and show students how to be successful.  Pushing them out in their prime years to let young, inexperienced, and lower-cost teachers take over is hurting students and putting undue stress on the system.  Conservatives blame unions for messing up the system while money seems to be more of a driving force.  Even in Texas where I live and work, there is a bias against older teachers mainly due to the extra amount of money they earn with their years of service.  Getting rid of your Rocks of Gibraltars, your experienced teachers, will only hurt the system and short change students who will miss out on the wealth of knowledge that has been built up through years of learning how to teach effectively.

California Teacher Unions and Recent Legal Ruling

California Teacher Unions and Recent Legal Ruling

A California court decided to change the way teachers are dismissed in three areas:

1.     Ending of the process of laying off teachers that relies only on seniority,

2.     Taking away extra job safeguards that are not available to other school and state employees, and

3.     Eliminating the tenure process as it now exists; this process starts at 18 months when teachers are either terminated or become tenured with strong job security.

The present system has been in place with the passage of state laws and the negotiation of union contracts.  For reasons that only this particular judge can explain, he has changed the process used in California schools.  It sounds like there has already been a procedure in place to eliminate of sub-standard teachers.  It may be a complicated and long process but that can be a good thing.  There are times when teachers need protection from over-zealous administrators who want to do away with teachers who do not agree with them in any number of areas.  If you have ever faced down administrators, as I have as a high school teacher, you know that it is good to have help in your corner.  Taking away rights is not the way to a better education system in this country.

Dallas ISD Home Rule Initiative - Some Thoughts

Texas – Dallas ISD Home Rule Initiative

Why is Dallas trying to go the charter school/district route?  The given reasons from the groups trying to do this are to get around some of the state regulations that supposedly inhibit learning and teaching in the district.  This option was included in state regulations to give districts the chance to go the charter school route.  There are a series of steps to follow to use this method and because of that this option has not been tried in Texas.  So Dallas leaders are trying a grand experiment.  But is it really an experiment or rather a way to take over the district for their own reasons?

The district has a large budget, approximately $ 1.5 billion.  They also have a large number of teachers and personnel, around 10,000 teachers and 10,000 support personnel.  What will happen to all these real people?  My guess is that there will be a reduction in personnel in the district with a proportionate decrease in expenses.  Plus, many experienced teachers will either leave or retire which is probably one of the goals of this experiment.  The local teacher unions, really associations since Texas is a right-to-work state with no contracts between districts and unions, have gone to court to slow this process down.

Who will control all these funds currently used for the district?  What expenses will be cut so other projects can be implemented?  Who will make decisions concerning the budget and personnel?  These are all questions that need to be addressed before this really big change is undertaken in Dallas.

Dallas ISD New Teacher Evaluation - Survey Part - A Thought

Submitted to Dallas Morning News for Letter to the Editor consideration:

"Let me see if I have this correct.  Teachers in Dallas ISD will now be graded by evaluations, test scores, and student surveys?  Surveys, really?  If you have had the opportunity to parent teenagers, how do you think you would be rated by your kids as a parent?  If you scored better than 50 %, then you are probably not doing your job correctly.  But we want to put the careers and pay grades of teachers in the hands of adolescents through these surveys?  Be afraid, high school teachers, be very afraid.  Maybe the surveys can be used collectively to measure how different methods work but to base important decisions concerning careers on these surveys is just wrong.  And speaking of surveys, how would the superintendent, Mr. Miles, an Army veteran, like to have his troops rate his leadership of their unit?  Officers, like teachers, must sometimes make tough decisions concerning their charges.  And not all of those decisions will be applauded by the governed."

I believe that Dallas ISD is trying to do some kind of clean-out of teachers in the district.  Not only are they doing this Home Rule push but they are disrupting the normal business of teaching in a very radical way.

UIL Eligibility in Texas - Where's the Justice?

UIL Eligibility in Texas – Where is the Justice?

Situation

Family in Denton moved from attendance zone of one high school to another in same district; main reason – older daughter was being bullied and nothing was being done about it in school #1; younger daughter was softball player and was denied the chance to play for school #2 - coach at school #1 did not ‘clear her release’; appeal to UIL State Executive Committee was denied.  (Denton Record-Chronicle, March 20, 2014)

Analysis

It appears that the coach, along with administrators, at school #1 are being vindictive and refusing to allow a good player to transfer to another district school to play softball even though the main reason for the family move was related to the older daughter.  The “system”, meaning the UIL and its ruling bodies along with the school district, permitted a major denial of justice in this case.  Why was the coach allowed to deny the student’s release?  Administrators have the duty to look after the welfare of all their students and not the won-loss record of their coaches.  The fact that the older daughter was bullied with no protection provided by the school is also a major indicator that problems exist at Denton High School.  Where are the district personnel in this whole mess?  Where is the superintendent and his staff?

My Experience

Let me say up front, I know nobody involved in this case, only what I read in the local paper.  But I have seen the system worked for the benefit of those in the system.

I was a teacher at a high school that was labeled, “Unacceptable”, in school rankings.  Under Texas law, students are allowed to move to other schools within the district.  All of a sudden, our best athletes were being recruited to change schools “for academic reasons."  I am sure that the coaches had the best interests of the players and their families at heart.  (wink,wink)  Well, at least their own won-loss records.  We take our sports seriously down here in Texas.  Win and coaches get promoted, better positions, and pay raises.  Lose and you are out, back to teaching remedial math.  School leaders feel that if students can benefit, then great.  But if they get hammered by the system, then that is just a casualty of the sports war.  That’s the way the real world works and students are learning that injustice is alive and well at all levels.

Recommendation

I have not heard an update to this story.  If the parents had the desire and resources, meaning money, they could pursue this in court.  They may see some justice for their daughters.  I believe they did the right thing by moving to protect their older daughter.  They did not intend to hurt their younger daughter and probably assumed that the system would protect her as well.  This is what happens when adults pursue their agendas to the exclusion of common sense and compassion for the students under their care.

Proper Use of U.S. Military Force

Background

On March 17, 2014, U.S. Navy SEALs' rescued a Libya oil tanker that had been hijacked by militia that was opposed to Libya’s government.  Their government had lost control of the major oil ports and breakaway militia was attempting to sell the ship’s oil on the black market to finance their war with the Libyan government.  Navy SEALs' were able to board, capture and disarm the three Libyans who had taken control of the ship and return the ship to Libyan government control.

Analysis

There are times when it is appropriate to use US military power to further our own agenda in the world.  These operations can be debated and usually are, either internally or in public.  For instance, our invasion of Iraq for supposedly having weapons of mass destruction is an example of this action.  If there is an honest and open discussion of options available to us, the U.S., when situations like this arise, then, hopefully, we can make informed decisions about the proper course of action to take.  In the case of the Iraq invasion, the primary reason turned out to be incorrect.  There were secondary reasons for that invasion, but with hindsight those may not be enough to have justified our actions in this case.

But there are other times when we can fill the role of “World’s Policeman” in an appropriate manner.  This case with the Libyan tanker is one of them.  It helps that the U.S. was invited into this situation by Libya and Cyprus.  Some countries are not always able to step up to conduct operations such as this one without assistance.  If an organization like the U.N. is unable or unwilling to help others, then this is a great example of when it is appropriate for the United States to step in and keep the Wild, Wild West of the World from becoming a bully paradise where stronger nations take advantage of weaker nations.

Next Step

Now for your input.  What is your take on this Libyan situation?  When do you think it is appropriate for the U.S. to use military force?  Should we act unilaterally or need an invitation first?  Thank you for your replies.

Yadda, the cat, A Eulogy

Eulogy for Yadda, our cat

He was a feral cat but a good companion over the years, through several moves into and out of houses and apartments, experiencing the ups and downs of life along with his human buddies, my wife and me.

When we first adopted him and his mate, Charlie, we thought Yadda was a female cat because he was so small.  We named ‘him’ Pinata but later shortened it to Yata, or for me, Yadda, because that’s how Texanese is spoken here in Texas.  He grew and grew and when I saw him trying to mate with Charlie, we checked and guess what, he was really a boy growing into cat manhood.  What a shock.  A trip to the vet was next up for him.

We have had many different cats through the years, introducing them to humans - us, sometimes neutering them, letting them grow up if they were kittens, and then finding homes that would love them as much as we did.  But occasionally we would keep them as family.  Yadda and Charlie fell in that category.  They were both very feral and did not ever totally accept the moniker of tamed house cat.  Which is something we can all learn from.  To stay somewhat independent of what is out there in the world and to be our own bosses.

He was a good companion through some tough times that we went through and always stayed with us.  Thanks, Yada, for the memories, we will cherish them and what you meant to us forever.  May you rest in peace, good buddy, and may the mouse-chasing in the afterlife be fun and fulfilling.  Go get ‘em, tiger.