Teachers should not evaluate their colleagues. I can’t imagine that any contract would permit that. It certainly would be the death of any solidarity, collaboration, etc. Ditto for parents and students.

IMO, the current focus on evaluations is a back dooor way to dismiss veteran teachers for the purpose of retaining inexpensive new teachers.

Once again, veteran teachers did not create this crisis.

Can you please explain to me how Measure G had anything to do with merit pay???? At least assure us you don’t teach government or civics.

What is so bad about Merritt Pay, what if it was based entirely on how your colleagues evaluated you (I realize this is unrealistic but so is following and repeating rhetoric that you don’t understand and that you clearly haven’t thought through. Please stop polarizing every issue, just because it works for Rush Limbaugh doesn’t mean it is the best way to shape discussion.

I thought that school funding already allotted more money to schools that serve less affluent students, for example. I recall seeing stats that showed vast differences in funding between schools in Oakland already. If I remember correctly, schools like Edna Brewer Middle School actually were getting much less funding than many of the other schools (Katy published a funding list, I think, about a 1.5 yrs. ago).

I am curious about what concrete ideas that this group has to make things more equitable or “fair” as I am not sure that some of the already less well funded schools would be able to withstand further allocations aways from their sites.

I can tell you that the OEA DOES offer organizing skills and leadership workshops. NO ONE SHOWS UP!! I’ve been to several and, if you’re lucky, there are 10 people at these workshops. They are free and informative. The schedule was handed out at rep council at the start of the year. Several had to be cancelled because distinct lack of interest expressed by the body.

As for eboard, there is competition for every position open except for Secretary and Seat 2. If you want to get rid of the more strident elements of the eboard, I suggest you vote for those people who running against those you disagree with.

Re #11 Teachers are uniquely qualified to evaluate site administration on this point. It is one of the most important qualities of a principal; they do not serve strictly as a technical advisory and budget director. Principals must be able to work effectively with staff for a school to really work well. Teachers daring to suggest that they be able to evaluate this characteristic do not “want the supervisors role” as you stated. While principals do have a complex and demanding job, some of us do understand what their job is (not that it means we want to or could do it).

While I have some reservations about some of these suggestions, it would not be about this one single point. The site admin needs to be a member of the “team” not just in charge of it. Just as teachers can grow and improve from a principal’s evaluation, the reverse is also true. I would hope that principals would actually embrace this point.

Parents and students can not fully understand the job of a teacher and from what I see from being in my children’s school, teachers do not fully understand the role of the principal.
If a teacher wants the supervisors role they should get hired in a supervisors position.