Chicago Teacher's Union Strikes... Expects to Continue to be Rewarded for Incompentancy

by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny

Chicago teachers went on strike Monday. Rational individuals should ask themselves why the teachers union would think it reasonable to ask for more pay, benefits, or anything else for that matter when 71% of students are deficient in reading at the 8th grade level and 80% are deficient in math. It seems to this writer that they are expecting rewards for their incompetence.

Doesn't it seem reasonable that under performing teachers be fired (as happens in business) and replaced with individuals who are competent and care enough to teach our youth? Thus preparing them to compete in a globally competitive environment?

CNS News - Seventy-nine percent of the 8th graders in the Chicago Public Schools are not grade-level proficient in reading, according to the U.S. Department of Education, and 80 percent are not grade-level proficient in math.

Chicago public school teachers went on strike on Monday and one of the major issues behind the strike is a new system Chicago plans to use for evaluating public school teachers in which student improvement on standardized tests will count for 40 percent of a teacher’s evaluation. Until now, the evaluations of Chicago public school teachers have been based on what a Chicago Sun Times editorial called a “meaningless checklist.”

In 2011, the U.S. Department of Education administered National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests in reading and math to students around the country, including in the Chicago Public Schools. The tests were scored on a scale of 0 to 500, with 500 being the best possible score. Based on their scores, the U.S. Department of Education rated students’ skills in reading and math as either “below basic,” “basic,” “proficient” or “advanced.”

Nationally, public school 8th graders scored an average of 264 on the NAEP reading test. Statewide in Illinois, the 8th graders did a little better, scoring an average of 266. But in the Chicago Public Schools, 8th graders scored an average of only 253 in reading. That was lower even than the nationwide average of 255 among 8th graders in “large city” public schools.

With these NAEP test results, only 19 percent of Chicago public school 8th graders rated proficient in reading while another 2 percent rated advanced—for a total of 21 percent who rated proficient or better. {Read More}

Public sector teacher unions continue to demand more while refusing to address the deficiency in their performance as a whole. Such is the wonder as well as the curse of public sector unions. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was absolutely correct when he warned against public sector unions. In the 21st century we are beginning to see why. I'm quite certain that he would be pleased with Wisconsin and their current governor.

Via: Memeorandum