NJ’s Our View is wrong! TELL survey results are coming in and it’s bad news #netDE #edude

The TELL (Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning) survey has been sent to each school’s representative with the Delaware State Education Association, the state’s largest school employee union.

Thanks to a comment (Prop Joe) on the previous post, the NJ’s Our View piece is slightly inaccurate. All Delaware public school teachers were invited to take survey even charter school teachers. Our View mades sounds like only DSEA member teachers were taking survey.

Our View did say the following but the reference to DSEA making it look like only DSEA members were taking survey made things confusion.

Delaware educators and their administrators have less than a week to tell state officials what they need to perform their jobs better.

Also again thanks to Prop Joe here is a link to Tell Delaware Survey Index claiming to tracking % of surveys by districts schools. Friday February 15 ,2013 is  last day for survey and 35.46% of Delaware eligible educators so far completed survey. 

Update!!! Go to the survey link page and at the bottom you’ll see Rodel’s logo. Why? This survey is being paid for federal RTTT dollars not private. Just goes to show you how Jack Markell is Rodel’s lapdog with a leash reaching all the way to Wall Street.  

Kilroy never claimed to be a journalist but sometimes I question the News Journal’s claim #netDE #edude

Before I go into one of my daily rants I want to point-out, this blog has nothing to do with journalism and I am not a journalist in any terms. However, though I know the News Journal follows a certain Journalistic protocol I must say today’s News Journal’s “Our Opinion”  is classic SHIT!

Educators should seize chance for improvement Feb. 8, 2013 9:57 PM, News Journal Our Opinion

Delaware educators and their administrators have less than a week to tell state officials what they need to perform their jobs better. And they get to do it without the fear of retribution or disdain. To be heard, these state employees in 19 public school districts get to unleash their thoughts in an anonymous survey through Friday.

Teachers and administrators who play into the Wall Street’s Ponzi scheme Race to The Top aren’t committed to serving children and just furthers an agenda to erode public education to justify an education system that is being anchored in Wall Street. Yet many of these teachers, administrators and school board members blame Dover, Washington and the system. Well let’s clear up one of these right quick! The “system” includes them! To appease politicians like Jack Markell many get on their hands and knees and follow Markell as if they are going to be protected. “Anonymous survey” my ass! If it were truly anonymous anyone could long into the system and complete the survey. And if it weren’t controlled the raw date would be released immediately after the set time-limit. But no, God forbid that! Anytime eyes with access reviewing surveys before information is made public you can bet your ass that data can be manipulated. 

The TELL (Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning) survey has been sent to each school’s representative with the Delaware State Education Association, the state’s largest school employee union.

So does this suggest only DSEA members are going to be surveyed ? Teachers at charter schools not allowed to participate and what about teachers in private schools who are reluctant to teach in public schools? Markell claims we need the best and brightest teachers serving our children. Perhaps those teaching in private and charter schools have valuable input and perhaps without it the survey is skewed!?

“Great teaching is critical to great student learning. But it’s a real challenge to expect excellent teaching without providing teachers with the supportive working conditions they deserve,” Secretary of Education Mark Murphy said.

I can be honest here, I far from an expert on education and even as one who enjoys writing, I not qualified to write greeting cards! However, “Delaware” Secretary of Education Mark Murphy whose teaching experience is limited to three years as a gym teacher and administration experience limited to two years as a principal does not qualify him as “Delaware” Secretary of Education. Wait stop! My bad! By Delaware law says he is qualified. And let’s not forget, Murphy has Vision!  Too bad it’s 20/15 not 20/20! Now we must ask, why are we setting the so-called bar higher for teachers, student and even parents when the state has such a low bar for the secretary of education qualifications? 

Brave employers value brutal honesty, the kind of healthy assessment that leads to efficient productivity.

Well I wonder what would happen to a News Journal employee who tell’s the big NJ guy to stop being political bias and to allow real journalist voice without some editors working to protect the big guy’s political position? Teacher don’t need a political seeded survey to be brutally honest! The Markell teacher honestly tour should be in an open public form and verbal for all to hear! Damn there I go again! Stop! I forgot teacher being openly honest get black-balled from the profession.  

Proceeds from the state’s 2009 Race to the Top grant – of which Delaware was among the first winners in the nation for its commitment to education reform – are funding the survey, including the results’ compilation and publication.   

Perhaps we (taxpayers) should have funded this survey before applying to Race to The Top in efforts to start Race to The Top on the right foot. But no! Judas had us all covered! The News Journal got one thing correct! RTTT is a “grant” and I must ask why Delaware laws were changed for the long-term to support a four-year limited federal grant? The acknowledgement by Markell the survey needs to be anonymous to protect teachers proves education leadership in Delaware is corrupt! 

This is a rare opportunity that every eligible employee, who cares about the environment of a classroom and the promise it holds for academic excellence, should seize upon. So don’t be wasteful.

The only ones taking this survey should be wasted! Like on drugs! As far as “promise” I can assure you, I promise some young bright teachers full of energy and drive to make a difference will be SCREWED! 

 This is not the time to settle old grudges.

Code for the union to stop thinking of themselves and forgive Judas! 

The promise of confidentiality should unleash a much-needed brain dump of fresh ideas for better policies and related procedures.

So what happen to the promise once the “union” gave up the right to strike? The more and more I read this NJ Our View the more it sounds like it was written by Skipper or the charter school hospitality queen.

Too often, the fear of being a troublemaker, a whiner or just a lack of confidence is the difference between progress and continuing mediocrity.

OMG ! I think Judas wrote this wonderful “Our View”.

Teachers if you really want to be heard stand as one with “VOICE” ! Damn there I go again  I forgot, you stood together as one and endorsed Jack Markell for a second term. My biggest suggestion to new teachers is, don’t go in debt and if you are living with your parents don’t move out! Delaware public school system is crumbling at it’s foundation.