The Answer Sheet: teachers unions


Posted at 01:32 AM ET, 01/07/2013

Bloomberg likens teachers union to NRA
By Valerie Strauss
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, blaming the teachers union for stalled talks on a new teacher evaluation system, expressed his anger on his radio show by comparing the United Federation of Teachers to the National Rifle Association. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, has asked him to publicly apologize.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:32 AM ET, 01/07/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Michael Bloomberg, teachers unions, Weingarten Demands Apology

Posted at 10:34 AM ET, 11/16/2012

Chris Christie, Randi Weingarten (and Bradley Cooper) on new Newark teachers contract
By Valerie Strauss
Here's a video of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten talking -- along with actor Bradley Cooper of all people -- on the MSNBC program "Morning Joe" about the new teachers contract they negotiated in Newark.

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:34 AM ET, 11/16/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Morning Joe, On 'Morning Joe', Teacher Contract, Teacher Evaluation, teachers unions

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 01/26/2011

Things I’m sick of hearing

By Valerie Strauss
It’s time for school reformers to find new ways to attack their critics. It’s getting tiring hearing the same old refrains, which go something like this.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 01/26/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Achievement gap, Achievement gap, Achievement gap, Achievement gap, Achievement gap | Tags:  charter schools, data-driven reform, michelle rhee, president obama, school reform, standardized tests, teachers unions

Posted at 11:15 AM ET, 01/06/2011

NCLB's 9th anniversary: 'Will there be anything we will need to remember after the test?'
By Valerie Strauss
Nine years ago this week president Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act. Take a look at what it wrought.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:15 AM ET, 01/06/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  congress and nclb, esea, esea reauthorization, national education association, nclb, nclb reauthorization, no child left behind, standardized testing, teachers unions

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 11/18/2010

Teachers give 'Superman' director an earful
By Valerie Strauss
"Waiting for Superman" film director Davis Guggenheim asks teachers to tell him what they about his education film -- the one that scapegoats teachers -- and they let him have it.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 11/18/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Anthony Cody, Anthony Cody | Tags:  anthony cody, attack on teachers, charter schools, davis guggenheim, superman, teachers, teachers unions, waiting for superman

Posted at 04:00 PM ET, 09/16/2010

Why 'Waiting for Superman' premiere was chilling
By Valerie Strauss
Something chilling happened at the Washington D.C. premiere of "Waiting for Superman" that involved Michelle Rhee and the A-list audience.

By Valerie Strauss  |  04:00 PM ET, 09/16/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  D.C. Schools | Tags:  adrian fenty, al franken, arne duncan, charter schools, d.c. schools, david axelrod, fenty and gray, george miller, melody barnes, michelle rhee, movie premiere, obama and refoms, obama reform, president obama and school reform, research and education, research on charter schools, rhee and gray, superman film, superman premiere, teachers and unions, vincent gray, waiting for superman, what will rhee do?, when will rhee leave?, who will replace rhee

Posted at 05:30 AM ET, 06/22/2010

Ravitch to Obama: 'Change course before it is too late"
By Valerie Strauss
Education historian Diane Ravitch talks about meeting thousands of teachers and parents who are "unhappy, frustrated and demoralized" at the Obama administration's education policies. And she explains what she would tell President Obama if he gave her the chance.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:30 AM ET, 06/22/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch | Tags:  arne duncan, death and life of the great american school system, diane ravitch, diane ravitch's book, no child left behind, obama blueprint for reform, race to the top, teachers, teachers unions and reform

Posted at 02:58 PM ET, 05/23/2010

Charters vs. public schools: Behind the numbers
By Valerie Strauss
In a New York Times magazine article today, writer Steven Brill compares a charter school in Harlem with a traditional public school which is housed in the same building. He says the student populations are the same. They aren't.

By Valerie Strauss  |  02:58 PM ET, 05/23/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools | Tags:  brill and story about unions, brill's story and charter schools, charter schools, steven brill story, the new york times and brill story, the teachers unions last stand

Posted at 11:36 AM ET, 04/15/2010

New York to close teacher 'rubber rooms'
By Valerie Strauss
New York City will close the "rubber rooms" it has maintained where teachers sit doing nothing while collecting pay and waiting for disciplinary hearings, the Associated Press is reporting.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:36 AM ET, 04/15/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Teachers | Tags:  NY rubber rooms, New York teachers, rubber rooms, teachers, teachers and rubber rooms, teachers unions

Posted at 09:09 PM ET, 03/30/2010

How about merit pay for parents?
By Valerie Strauss
One teacher's idea: Take funding for merit pay and move it from the teacher column into the parent column to provide more incentive for parents of low-performing students to follow-through in helping their children succeed.

By Valerie Strauss  |  09:09 PM ET, 03/30/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Teachers, Teachers | Tags:  parents, teachers, teachers unions