Got Hereos

Looking for some heroes members? Look no further than these teachers from Trumbull Connecticut who said: Thanks, but no thanks.
That sums up the letter fired off last week by some Trumbull teachers who have decided being recognized by Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now, an education reform advocacy group that favors charter schools and changes to teacher tenure laws, isn't such a great thing.
Here is the link.
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Teachers-reject-education-award-3357555.php

In November, Trumbull High School was recognized in three top 10 lists -- for best academic performance among low-income, Hispanic and African-American students -- published by the group, also known as ConnCAN. The New Haven-based group has released such lists for six years.

The recognition comes with a citation that is available for viewing on the school's website.

At first, staff members were proud to be recognized for doing their part to close the nation's worst achievement gap.

That all changed last week, said Nick Banks, a Trumbull High English teacher and union vice president, when he and others started looking into ConnCAN after the group threw its wholehearted support to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's education reform plan. That plan would increase funding for charter schools, in part by making local districts contribute financially toward their operation.

Malloy also wants to link student achievement to teacher evaluations and force teachers to re-earn tenure -- or the right to due process -- every five years. Banks said he heard ConnCAN's chief operating officer, Patrick Riccards, state repeatedly that for the reform plan to work, it had to be an all-or-nothing proposition.

That prompted Banks and eight or nine union representatives at Trumbull High to craft a letter to ConnCAN, which received approval from Tammy Baillargeon, president of the Trumbull Education Association.

Signed by TEA, the letter, in part, states: "We do not recognize or value your opinion of our performance and we view our inclusion in your 2010 State of Education Report as an opportunistic ploy to further promote your privatized agenda on the backs of hardworking public school teachers.

"Our inclusion in your list is not what inspires us to succeed with all of our students; it is our drive as highly trained, highly qualified educators to provide a rich public education for our students, free of the influence of corporate agendas," the letter continued.

Banks said he is not one to turn away a compliment but simply does not want an award "from these people."

Rather than an educational advocacy group, Banks said he considers ConnCAN to be a business out to "profit off of the public education system."

Riccards said Thursday the award is not the teachers' to return.

"We provided an award to Trumbull High School," he said. "It's unfortunate that the leadership of the local union doesn't want to be recognized for the fact that they are doing a good job."

Riccards said ConnCAN is a nonprofit advocacy organization that wants to ensure all students have access to great public schools.

"For too long, all we've done is talk about what's wrong in public education. This is one of the times we get to applaud those doing a great job," he said.

Never before, he said, has anyone tried to turn down the award.

Banks said Trumbull High principal Robert Tremaglio was surprised when teachers told him of their request to give the award back. Tremaglio could not be reached for comment. The teachers plan to meet Friday with Superintendent Ralph Iassogna.

In an email, Iassogna said the district is pleased with the growth in student performance and extremely proud of the hard work and efforts of the staff. He did not comment directly on the ConnCAN recognition.

Banks said the teachers also intend to go before the Trumbull Board of Education on Tuesday to read their letter to ConnCAN into the record

Every state has some Privatizing Charter Group like ConnCAN.  They are are actually a lobbyist group they show up at every leglslative hearing pushing their let beat up on teachers and public schools leglislation. They claim to represent the parents, but everyone who shows up is emplyed by them. 
Read more: http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Teachers-reject-education-award-3357555.php#ixzz1nMy2Fyp7

What really makes these teachers heroes in my book is they are not only rejecting an award, but sending a very strong public message to Connecticut's Governor Malloy and his new Commissioner of Education Stefan Pryor a message that taking over 20 million dollars from regular public schools to give charter schools makes no sense.  Connecticut is talking about rewriting tenure rules, new teacher regulations, and evaluating teachers based on valued added state mastery test scores. The talk is 45% of a teacher's evaluation will be based on testing.
Connecticut legislative hearings have been overflowing with testimony from parents, teachers, university faculty members, and community groups questioning the governor's new proposed school reform initiatives, and the state's application for an NCLB waiver.
 

You can even sign their petition against privatizing public schools as well.
http://www.change.org/petitions/keep-private-companies-out-of-public-education 

If you are wondering what the Walking Man is listening to on his walk today it   is Mariah Carey's Hero:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IA3ZvCkRkQ 

Teachers are my heroes,
Jesse