Teachers want Chancellor Klein to do a better job
Jun 26, 2008 3:14 PM
Five out of six New York City public school educators feel that Chancellor Joel Klein and the Department of Education are not providing schools and teachers with the resources and supports they need to provide high quality education, according to a recent survey by the United Federation of Teachers.
Using the department’s own Learning Environment Survey as a model for evaluation, the UFT sent questionnaires to its 100,000 of its members at the city’s 1,450 public schools this month asking them to evaluate the chancellor and the department just as teachers and principals were evaluated last fall.
“Accountability has to be not only top to bottom, but bottom to top as well,” said UFT President Randi Weingarten in explaining the reason for the survey. “Last year when the Department of Education issued school progress reports, basing their grade in part on the Learning Environment surveys, they focused entirely on the evaluation of school-based staff. In order for accountability to be valid, it must be a full 360-degree evaluation of everyone involved in education. The chancellor and the leadership of the Department of Education must be held accountable for the performance of schools just as principals and teachers are.”
“Wherever possible, we used the exact wording of the DOE survey to create our questions in an effort to be completely fair and objective,” she added. “Educators placed their completed surveys in secret ballot envelopes to ensure the confidentiality and accuracy of the results.”
Some 61,257 educators filled out the confidential evaluation in the week between June 10 and June 18, and the results were tabulated by the American Arbitration Association, the same organization that tabulates and verifies teacher votes in union elections and contract ratifications. Key findings include:
- 85 percent of the respondents do not believe that Chancellor Klein provides the supports and resources they need for success in the classroom.
- 82 percent say that the chancellor and the Department of Education are not focused on educating the whole child and 85 percent say his emphasis on student testing has failed to improve education in their schools.
- 80 percent say that the chancellor is not doing enough to promote order and discipline in schools.
- 84 percent say the chancellor does not work to support school efforts to reduce class size and provide educators with the tools they need to teach children.
- 80 percent say the chancellor fails to prioritize the learning needs of all students, including English Language Learners and special needs students.
- 76 percent fault his efforts to invite parents and community members to play meaningful roles in setting goals and making important decisions about the education of their children.
- 85 percent of the respondents fault the chancellor’s management and ability to keep the school system running smoothly while 75 percent say he does not communicate a clear vision for it.
“The survey results speak for themselves, but some key themes ring out,” Weingarten said. “One is that our teachers feel that the chancellor needs to do much more to provide the supports they need in the classroom. Another is the need to educate the whole child and put testing in its proper perspective. And they also want the chancellor and the DOE to make a greater effort to involve educators, parents and the community in making decisions about education in their schools.”
Weingarten said the UFT shared its findings with Chancellor Klein. In a letter to the chancellor the UFT urged him to address the concerns educators raised in this survey and incorporate an evaluation of the DOE as part of any future plans to track and improve accountability.
“We hope Chancellor Klein will accept these findings in the constructive spirit in which they are offered,” Weingarten said. “We sincerely believe that any plan to make accountability a cornerstone of school reform should encompass everyone involved in the education of children.”
