New York TeacherMay 7, 2015
Volume LVI, Number 9
Cover Stories
Teachers critique this year’s ELA, math tests
[[nid:89500; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; float: right; styleName:nyt_medium]]This year’s English language arts tests, given April 14–16, were just as excessively long and tough as last year’s, teachers reported, leaving many angry and exasperated. Math tests did not get the same bad reviews.
“Days two and three of the ELA were horrific, developmentally inappropriate,” 3rd-grade teacher Donna Zucconi wrote on Facebook.
“I have some solid level 4 students and high level 3 students,” wrote 6th-grade teacher Terri McKee. “They could not finish any part of the ELA with enough time to check over their work. That tells me there is something fundamentally wrong with the tests.”
“I had a tear-soaked 8th-grade ELA exam,” wrote middle school teacher Philip Davies.
The three-day ELA exam was especially hard on students with disabilities and English langu…
The optics of opt-out
Parent anger at high-stakes testing stoked by Governor Cuomo’s test-focused education agenda has fueled a growing opt-out movement in New York State.
Strike up the 'iBand'!
Music teacher Adam Goldberg has created a technology band at PS 177, a District 75 school in Fresh Meadows, where some students play traditional instruments and others play the iPad. Playing music on the iPad provides a unique form of self-expression for special needs students.
Latest News
3% pay increase on May 1
On May 1, UFT members employed by the DOE received a regular wage increase of 1 percent coupled with a 2 percent wage increase that is the first step of the phase-in of the 8 percent retroactive rate increase arising from the 2009–11 period.
Head lice
There are some simple steps and school-wide policies that you can follow to decrease the likelihood that the children you teach will get head lice -- or spread it to other children if they get it.
Chicago schools chief suspends controversial contract
Interim Chicago Public Schools CEO Jesse Ruiz on April 22 suspended the controversial $20.5 million professional development contract at the heart of an ongoing federal probe that led his predecessor to temporarily step down.
Atlanta educators sentenced in cheating scandal
Eight former Atlanta educators received harsh jail sentences on April 14 for their role in a 2009 cheating scandal that a state investigation concluded had involved 178 teachers and principals at 40 schools across the city.
Florida governor scales back testing
Responding to a groundswell of opposition from parents, Florida Gov. Rick Scott (right) on April 14 signed into law legislation that will scale back the state’s standardized testing.
More in News Stories
Feature Stories
Noteworthy graduates: Andrea Hecht, public interest lawyer
Long after middle school is over, most adults still shudder at those cruel and capricious years. Not Andrea Hecht, who looks back with reverence to lessons learned at Louis Armstrong MS in East Elmhurst. “We were taught social responsibility to yourself, to your classmates, to the bigger world and to the earth itself,” says Hecht, now 37. “We learned not to make assumptions about anyone, but to learn ab…
Connecting with parents
This school year, with the new time set aside in the UFT-DOE contract for parent engagement, educators at PS 17 in Astoria have been able to take their efforts to the next level.
Including Aedan
The experience of Aedan, a kindergarten student with Down syndrome at PS 3 in the West Village, serves as a model of what is possible for some students with disabilities — if the stars are aligned.
Around the UFT
‘A wonderful chance to say thank you’
Shanker Hall reverberated with enthusiasm and lots of pride as hundreds of colleagues, families and friends paid tribute to the outstanding educators honored at the UFT’s inaugural Academic High Schools Awards Celebration on March 27.
UFT Career and Technical Education Youth Empowerment Day
The UFT’s Career and Technical Education Department threw a Youth Empowerment Day on March 28 to introduce high school students to more attainable career possibilities.
District 21 Scholarship Fund Dinner Dance
Six chapter leaders were honored on April 16 at the District 21 UFT Scholarship Fund Dinner Dance, an annual event in which the school communities in the southern part of Brooklyn gather to celebrate their own.
BRAVE Video Awards
Students and their teachers gathered at the UFT on April 17 for the BRAVE Video Awards ceremony, with screenings, pizza, popcorn and plaques.
District 24 Scholarship Dinner Dance
The annual District 24 Scholarship Dinner Dance puts “a spotlight on all the wonderful things that are going on in our district,” says UFT District 24 Representative Rosemary Parker.
You Should Know
Secure Your Future
A legacy that benefits us today
The United Federation of Teachers in March celebrated our 55th anniversary − 55 years since New York City teachers united for their joint welfare and to provide strong support to the children they taught. One of the many areas in which the union has made a huge difference for members is retirement security.
Opinions
President's Perspective
Fixing federal law to solve a crisis
High-stakes testing was not part of Johnson’s vision for our schools; it was introduced by the Bush administration in 2001. And it has been a disaster.
VPerspective
Hope for a more orderly lunchroom
As educators, you know that the cafeteria is, without question, a reflection on the tone and climate of a particular school. The DOE has introduced a pilot school lunch program at a handful of schools across the city this year to try to change the culture of the lunchroom.
Opinion
Opinion
Cuomo’s parent revolt
The anti-testing furor in New York State has reached new heights, thanks in large part to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his total disinterest in what parents and educators say students need.
Editorial Cartoons
Teaching Resources
Linking to Learning
Tech resources for art and music
These tech resources for art and music content are helpful for both licensed arts teachers and those seeking to incorporate arts content into other subjects.
Research shows
Decorating classrooms for success
A new study of classroom design finds that lighting, student ownership of space and air quality, in that order, have the most impact on student achievement.
Teacher to Teacher
Thinking aloud
Think alouds are also a great way to assess if your students are understanding the material. If they are able to explain how they reached their answer, then you know they wholly understand what are you teaching, rather than just taking a guess.
Building Your Career
Building Your Career
Reflecting on assessments
When my students take any kind of assessment, we start by annotating the directions and questions to ensure that everyone understands what they need to do.
New Teacher Articles
Although end of year looms, there’s still plenty to do
Between report cards, summer projects and cumulative records, there’s a lot to keep in mind in the final months of the school year.
Retired Teachers News
Be vigilant — or be ‘snatched’
[[nid:89617; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; styleName:large]]I have asked Richard Mantell, the UFT vice president for middle schools, to share with you his very important newsletter message to his colleagues.
— Tom Murphy, chapter leader
When I was growing up in Brooklyn I used to love watching old black-and-white science fiction movies with my father.
My all-time favorite was “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (the 1956 original, not the 1978 remake). The film was a 1950s propaganda piece about the need to remain vigilant against the spread of communism. But its message has strong parallels to attacks today on labor unions.
In the film, mysterious pods replace people while they sleep. These “replacement people” look the same but are devoid of emotion and appear soulless. People literally become shells of their former selves. To prevent losing oneself, a person must remain awake and neve…