The Education Action Group believes that the New York City teachers union’s impending lawsuit over the release of teacher ratings exposes its true motivation to protect sub-par teachers and preserve the failing system.
New York education officials’ made the bold move to release rankings of 12,000 fourth through eighth-grade teachers recently to inject more accountability into an education system plagued by huge union-related costs, terrible graduation rates, and thousands of teachers that simply collect checks to do nothing.
The financial and other abuses the teachers unions perpetuate on public schools is a national problem that can only be corrected when citizens have unfettered access to all information available to make informed decisions. Transparency is critically important to ensure that all students receive the best education possible.
The New York City teacher rankings would, like recently released Los Angeles teacher ratings, lay the groundwork for a more transparent, effective public education system.
Unfortunately, the NYC teachers union, the United Federation of Teachers, has vowed to take the issue to the State Supreme Court in Manhattan today because UFT President Michael Mulgrew contends that the system is “unreliable and in a developmental stage,” the New York Times reports.
New York City residents should be appalled that union bosses are working overtime to shield their eyes from this important information. What Mr. Mulgrew doesn’t seem to understand is that his members work for us – his organization wouldn’t exist without public tax dollars – and we demand to know how teachers are doing. The union’s policies have condemned millions of students to a life of poverty, and the public isn’t going to stand for it anymore.
The union’s attempt to block the teacher effectiveness rankings and the best hope of inspiring fundamental change is despicable.
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