April 11, 2013 Official Minutes/Report

*** Official video recap of Assemblyman McLaughlins Education Summit may be accessed by clicking here or visiting: http://bit.ly/EducationSummitNY ***
1. Opening Remarks Powerpoint Presentation a. One of the goals is to get money into the classroom b. Are the statistics out there indicative of the reality educators are facing? c. There needs to be an awareness of the correlation between education and the job market d. APPR doesnt actually advance education i. Are the standards effective? ii. Are educators being forced to teach to the test? e. What impact do unfunded mandates have on teachers? f. Stress on students and teachers due to the common core 2. APPR as done on message of necessity a. There was reference to Nation at Risk it seems as if history is repeating itself similar to No Child Left Behind and its not fixing the problem but making the problem worse b. It seems that private companies are profiting from this education crisis, leaving children and teachers in a state of chaos c. It is taking the enjoyment out of learning for children, leaving behind only stress, which could cause potentially serious damage (I.e., stress on teachers, children, parents, PTSD) d. The focus has shifted off of making kids love to learn and their natural inquisitiveness is getting beat out of them e. Teachers are lowering their standards now because of the game being played they feel that they need to downplay their standards in the front end to show greater grown in the back end f. The energy expended to create this program should be focused toward districts that actually need the help because this blanket program for all districts is harming those districts that are performing well g. There has been no real discussion on what actually constitutes growth and no real consistency when this program was implemented, there was no growth model given thus lowering morale, increasing anxiety and increasing stress h. The fact that a teachers effectiveness in the classroom is being reduced to three numbers is frustrating i. This program is making principals less visible and less accessible since their time is being so consumed with APPR documentation and 1

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evaluations there is no issue with teachers being evaluated but it is the way that it is being done that is overwhelming Educators and Administrators are being forced to put too much time away from being effective in the classroom in order to make them more effective There needs to be a better way to conduct evaluations in order to redirect precious lost time back to students When they are evaluated, teachers only have one shot to meet all of the listed standards with no recourse allowed for external factors that may occur and are outside of the teachers control (I.e., just an off day for students) The evaluations are trying to put intangible values in a tangible form, such as a teachers passion for teaching this demoralizes teachers and administrators i. They are trying to reach children but educators need to focus now on how to evaluate themselves Educators are teaching to a test based on the common core and are therefore being forced to forget the fact that kids may be dealing with issues at home that can affect their focus in school The evaluation process itself is confusing and there is no communication between administrators and teachers and districts We cannot act as if poverty isnt an issue different districts face different problems but no one is taking that into consideration i. Assemblyman McLaughlin: What about creating a safe harbor for those school districts who face such hurtles as poverty? This program makes all different types of teachers become literacy teachers (due to excessive word problems, I.e., in math), yet literacy teachers are not held accountable, if they even exist in some districts. The results for each exam are still on the shoulders of the particular teachers subject. i. There is great inequity in the testing realm between state testing results and in-class testing results They are realizing that there can never be too many highly effective teachers because then that school will be red-flagged the system doesnt work The state is asking educators to do more with less and it is becoming harder and harder to do If the state was going to implement this, they should have had a plan ready before commencing the program Keeping the tests a mystery is hurting the students because teachers cannot teach what they need to know it makes them feel like the state does not trust them It is making teaching generic It is a system that is knowingly destined to fail therefore it was obviously not thought out well

i. The Commissioner says that he expects scores to go down and students to do poorly but APPR isnt being adjusted to reflect it x. Some teachers are not allowed to make the tests to measure their own classrooms even though they are the ones who know their students the best so it is no longer learning, but rather, regurgitating y. The amount of teaching necessary to cover all of the information being tested is disheartening and leaving kids behind because there is no time to give that little extra help i. This is forcing kids into higher level thinking and theres no time to catch up z. It puts the value of 3 months worth of learning into a 2 hour test aa. The assessment piece of the program is working against its intended goals so the positive agenda of APPR is being lost in assessment and the cumbersomeness of its implementation i. We should show learning over a span of time, not just one test bb. The people making these decisions are not educators and furthermore, educators were never even brought into the discussion or planning process even though they are the ones most impacted by the program cc. Everyone is missing the big picture no one is complaining about being observed, it is everything else that comes with the observation dd. Deadlines make no sense a new plan is required to be submitted before knowing if the previous years plan was effective ee. This encourages mediocrity 3. Common Core federal push a. At the heart of the common core is sound teaching practice so it is theoretically liked particularly in its push for collaborative learning and sound teaching but it is not aligned in its implementation i. Therefore, implementation of the common core is the problem b. The training needed has not trickled down to the people on the ground there needs to be a course of action that will allow teachers to help teachers develop effective plans i. There needs to be professional development for teachers by teachers but thats not what is actually happening ii. Teachers are willing to work together but the assessment causes isolation amongst educators because their scores are dependent upon their own students so the stress on teachers is increasing. There is no longer a willingness to open up to come together iii. Professional development is now only aimed at focusing on APPR instead of discussing teaching tools to help students the system is broken c. Assessments are now being done but no guidance is being given as to the curriculum this is leading to some instances where eighth graders need to take 2 separate math classes d. Again, there is no communication between what is being implemented and teachers or parents

e. If its only the common core that is being expected then we are doing right by our children but the assessment aspects ruins the beneficial qualities i. The assessment seems to be driven by people who seek to profit from available education funds ii. If we stay true to the common core, then kids will learn critical thinking skills but the assessments pervert its delivery f. There is no clear way to blend the common core with the current curriculum and it is frustrating i. Nothing is coming together and it feels like mass chaos g. There have been many changes and it seems that they are trying to figure it out as they go (trying to build a plane while in the air) i. Re: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/thedangers-of-building-a-plane-in-theair/2011/09/30/gIQAojqWAL_blog.html ii. Video Referenced: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3hge6Bx4w h. They are being assessed on something they dont know they are going to be assessed on so teachers have lost confidence on state assessments, which hurts the best kids whose scores are then being scaled to a lower grade than what they deserved i. Maybe the state is expecting a little too much from these children j. Blanket and generic teaching dismisses students who learn differently and frustrates children because they are becoming tired of trying and failing the bar is too high and you are going to see children give up earlier and earlier k. Seems as if cheating is built into the plan because if youre strategic enough then you wont get a bad assessment result l. If teachers give into focusing on the score, then they are going to be worse teachers and students wont learn m. It is not fair that scores will still count even if kids dont go to school the teacher is still held accountable for that childs score n. The Governor giving competitive grants is pitting district against district, which is disturbing when there are districts that are still struggling and in need of professional development because there are no resources to compete i. The huge amount of money that was promised to go toward education is a lie ii. A lot of districts dont even qualify for some of the competitive grants or dont have the same resources as other districts to compete fairly iii. This kind of attitude shouldnt belong and doesnt work in the education realm o. Special education students still have to take the same tests, which is ridiculous, cruel, abusive and is sending the message that the state is willing to leave kids behind

i. Does it no long follow the IEP regulations then if the tests still need to be take pursuant to state mandate p. Troy School 2 Example: best example of damage that could be done and shows the result of schools being forced to ignore the issues kids are facing at home such as poverty q. The documentation requirement takes time out of classroom teaching and teachers are only human so theres only so much to give r. School districts should be deciding what their students should be learning, not a generic nationwide plan s. Suggestion: NYSUT should work with legislature and legislators should spend a day with a teacher and shadow them to know what the reality of APPR and common core testing is really like t. When legislators are removed from whats actually going on, they are out of touch because they do not have to deal with the problems u. We are no longer fostering vocational training for kids who dont function as effectively in a structured school environment or who do not desire to go to college i. Those that do try to utilize BOCES must wait too long and may not even be able to utilize it because there is only enough money to allow a limited number of students in v. Kids need to be critical thinkers for the jobs of the future and right now, kids arent being made into critical thinkers, only test takers and it is the assessments aspect that distracts them from critical thinking i. We need teacher driven and teacher made assessments created out of teacher think tanks take this power out of the hands of private companies and put it into the hands of the people who have experience in education 4. Unfunded Mandates a. Computer-Based Testing its a money maker for companies who provide the hardware, software, bandwith, etc. i. How can school afford the number of computers necessary for the testing required ii. There is an issue with the necessary spending of 5% of the school budget on technology iii. What about schools who lack the infrastructure to support such testing? (I.e., rural districts with no or limited internet access, schools who dont have the room for the number of computers necessary, etc.) iv. How can assessments even be made on computers since multiple choice questions do not allow for the proper testing capacity and isnt really good testing v. What happens to those students who do not have computers in their homes and do not know how to type on a keyboard? It is a timed test and much of the time is going to be wasted on figuring out the computer. Furthermore, schools will not be able to afford

typing classes and many if not most schools have already gotten rid of their typing classes vi. Give the districts the option to take this on, dont mandate it vii. It ignores what teachers want to use to teach their students b. Calculators theres a requirement that a graphic calculator be on hand for each student but one calculator is $100 c. Use of ipads may be beneficial but there are too many moving parts to adequately implements it d. Text Lists for High Schools different now and includes books that have never been taught in schools before so if teachers want to use them, they must purchase the books themselves, which can be expensive e. Special education teachers are being encouraged not to classify or identify students anymore as there are too many hoops to jump through and collecting and data takes a full year. The teachers who work with the kids know that there is a problem but they cant do anything to help for one year f. Lengthening the School Day will never work since kids will lose focus but the state should be more supportive of summer programming (11th month programming) i. It would help for transportation to be covered as well as free/reduced lunches ii. Maybe use of trimesters with credit-recovery between each trimester would be a good response to longer days/time iii. People are just afraid of change g. Dont get rid of mandates, fund the mandates get rid of the bad ideas and fund the good ones h. Charter Schools they are not held accountable or responsible and are not forced to observe the same requirements, which is not fair i. Students and teachers are allowed to be creative the way public schools cant ii. There shouldnt be an application process and kids shouldnt be kicked out because of issues such as drugs or pregnancy as public schools must still deal with these issues if they arise 5. What is going to happen to schools that become insolvent?