On+The+Back+Burner

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= NO TEACHER LEFT TO TEACH! = =

= =Governor Corbett wants to tie teacher evaluation, pay, and dismissal to one standardized test.=

=He's at it again. He cut [|$860 million from public schools]. Slashed more than 10,000 educator positions.=

=Now, it gets worse.=

= Gov. Corbett pushed House Bill 1980 through the House Education Committee yesterday - a bill that will make student performance count for 50% of teachers evaluation scores. =

=We may not be Wisconsin or Ohio - not yet anyway - but we are facing the same type of fights, just doled out in different doses.=

=Gov. Corbett and his allies aren't going away - and neither is their war on public education. These ideologically driven attacks will only stop when we fight back.=

=Enough is enough! Call your legislator now=

=GOP Legislators Contact Info= =More Republican Legislators=

=The message:=

= "Hello, this is_ and I am a constituent of Representative _. I am asking that he/she vote no on House Bill 1980 in its current form because it relies too heavily on one test." =

=It's time to fight back. Tell your state representative to oppose HB 1980 in its current form.=

= Additional Points for Consideration: =
 * =House Bill 1980 would revise the current teacher evaluation system in Pennsylvania. While PSEA has called for changes to the teacher evaluation system since 2010 with our 20/20 Vision for the Future document and again in our Solutions That Work proposal released in June of this year, we must oppose the current version of House Bill 1980.=


 * =The bill requires that 50 percent of an educator's evaluation be based on student performance, which could result in a significant portion of a teacher's evaluation being based solely on the PSSA test. This is a significant concern considering the many factors that impact student learning and test scores that are completely outside of the control of teachers.=


 * =More than 100 school entities - many of whom are PSEA locals - are participating in the PDE pilot program that is currently underway and expected to be completed in June 2012. We question the need to rush any legislation through the process so quickly given the timeframe of the pilot. But if such legislation is going to be adopted by the committee, we urge that it create a valid and reliable teacher evaluation system that promotes best practices for educators in the classroom.=


 * =PSEA supports the use of valid and reliable evidence from multiple sources to evaluate classroom, school, and district quality. House Bill 1980 does not ensure validity of test measures, nor does it do enough to guarantee that multiple measures of student performance will be used for evaluations.=


 * =Teachers should be accountable for those things they can control. There are too many variables affecting a student's or a group of students' performance to assign all of the difference to a teacher.=


 * =PDE currently is conducting an evaluation pilot program which is expected to conclude in June of 2012. House Bill 1980 will silence the voices of educators and administrators and nearly 100 school districts that have voluntarily signed up to be part of this process. Please don't silence their voice.=

=States Grading Teachers More Stringently, Using Numerous Measurements=

= EMERGENCY! = = = = The State Senate voted 27-22 Wednesday, 10/26/11, to fund private school tuition with money that otherwise would go to public schools. =

= The controversial bill now moves on to the House. =

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= Two-thirds of Pennsylvanians oppose vouchers, including Republicans. A vote for vouchers is a vote for higher property taxes, for more state spending, and against their constituents, so it makes sense that some Republicans in the Senate oppose them. Not to some. Ultra-right wing lobby “Citizens Alliance is running radio and TV ads that target two incumbent Republican senators, Patricia Vance of Camp Hill and Gene Yaw of Williamsport,” the //Post-Gazette// noted yesterday. “With those elections more than a year away, though, this effort seems to be aimed at diluting opposition to taxpayer-funded school vouchers. Leo Knepper, the group's executive director, told reporter Tom Barnes that vouchers are ‘only a component’ of its problems with the lawmakers. But why else fire those salvos now, as lawmakers take up Gov. Tom Corbett's school agenda?” =

= Republicans control both the Senate and the House! They've accepted millions of dollars in campaign contributions from voucher supporters like the Koch Brothers and Michelle Rhee. If they really want to, they can pass this. =

= First, Governor Corbett cut $860 million from public education. Now, instead of restoring those cuts, he's pushing legislation to drain hundreds of millions more from our schools. =

= Senate Bill 1 is the same bill we fought earlier this year - a costly, = = unproven program that two-thirds of Pennsylvanians don't want. =

= Please activate your local phone chains so that members call their state = = senators and Representatives and deliver the following message: =

= I am calling to ask Representative _to oppose SB 1 and to tell his/her = = leaders that Pennsylvanians don't want vouchers. Our schools are still = = reeling from the Governor's $860 million in budget cuts. A costly, unproven = = and unpopular voucher plan will drain even more money from public education. = = Can I count on Representative _to oppose SB 1? Thank you. =

==

=GOP Legislators Contact Info= =More Republican Legislators=

=State Sen. Jay Costa: Floor Remarks on Senate Bill 1= media type="youtube" key="Q_wskVr2G58" height="480" width="640"

= For more on how vouchers were ineffective in Milwaukee, click here: =

=State Senate approves tuition vouchers= =Pa. Senate to consider bill on school vouchers= =School Voucher Bill Nearing a Senate Vote=

=Focus - School Vouchers=

= = = = =News= =home=