http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/01/24/district-threatens-teachers-with-insubordination-charge-unless-they-issue-bullshit-standardized-test Comments On: District Threatens Teachers with "Insubordination" Charge Unless They Issue Bullshit Standardized Test by Anna Minard en-us Copyright 2013 The Stranger. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, The Stranger readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact The Stranger. webmaster@thestranger.com (The Stranger Webmaster) Sun, 26 May 2013 00:00:01 -0700 Sun, 26 May 2013 01:45:00 -0700 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Posted by Tyro]]> Fri, 25 Jan 2013 06:04:20 -0800 The Stranger
First, he doesn't have the high ground. He can try to say "They should communicate their concerns in the appropriate way" but they did that. For years. The district leadership refused to even meet with them. So that dodge isn't available to them.

Second, the teachers are right. The MAP test - which may well have value for other teachers or students - does not have any value for the ninth graders at Garfield. It's simply an undeniable fact.

The superintendent had two clear choices:

1) He could have ignored the boycott and met with the teachers. In that case the whole issue would have just faded from the headlines, it would not have received national press attention or all of these letters of support. The he could conduct his staged "review" of assessments, found the MAP inappropriate for 9th graders, and the whole issue would return to obscurity.

He didn't do that. He chose option 2:

2) He acts all tough and authoritarian, threatens the teachers with discipline, makes bigger headlines, attracts support for their cause from all around the district and the nation, riles up the teachers just before labor negotiations start, and paints himself into a corner on the staged "review". Now the review has to show that the MAP has value - regardless of the facts - or the superintendent put in the position of disciplining teachers for being right. He has politicized the "review". Since no rational process can reach that conclusion, but he has to reach it to save face, he has to reach an irrational conclusion.

This is just going to get uglier because he didn't show leadership - just authority.
Posted by Charlie Mas]]> Fri, 25 Jan 2013 05:58:06 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Mister G]]> Thu, 24 Jan 2013 22:37:57 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Will in Seattle]]> Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:45:57 -0800 The Stranger Posted by pfffter]]> Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:45:49 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Charlie Mas]]> Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:36:55 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Just Jeff]]> Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:35:26 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Tent_Liberation_Army]]> Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:13:11 -0800 The Stranger
Who's in the staff directory under "I" [eye]?
Posted by rob!]]> Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:51:08 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Don't you think he looks tired?]]> Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:50:16 -0800 The Stranger Posted by pfffter]]> Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:19:55 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Kenny the 3rd]]> Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:13:28 -0800 The Stranger