February 2016
OCCTA union brothers and sisters, teachers, parents and social workers attended the OCPS School Board meeting on February 9th to protest the teachers' undeserved scores. Also showing support were staff from OCCTA, FEA and AFT, Ulysses Floyd representing the OCCTA-Retired, the Osceola County Education Association President Apryle Jackson, and OCEA Executive Director Michelle VanderLey.
Five of us spoke to let the board members know that teachers felt disrespected and demoralized by the scores, that the evaluation system is inconsistent and unfair, and to request corrective action. (My message was also sent to all OCCTA members.)
One parent, a former OCPS teacher who attended the meeting to speak about student testing, was so moved by the speakers' messages that she used much of her time to denounce the scores and support us.
One parent, a former OCPS teacher who attended the meeting to speak about student testing, was so moved by the speakers' messages that she used much of her time to denounce the scores and support us.
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| OCEA President Apryle Jackson speaking at the OCPS School Board meeting. |
OCEA President Apryle Jackson caught the attention of the board when she related how she has tracked the flow of teachers between OCPS and Osceola and predicted she would be welcoming more teachers from Orange County to Osceola this year. Osceola had 45.7% of their teachers rated as highly effective.
When responsible and ethical parties cause harm to others, they admit the error, apologize and take action to provide corrective remedies.
Unfortunately, the District responded to the teachers' outrage with a barrage of defensive messages. A video message from Superintendent Jenkins sent to all teachers added insult to injury. That was followed by an automated phone call that the superintendent made to OCPS teachers' personal phones. Many who received the call considered it another unapologetic sound bite. As if that wasn’t enough, during the School Board meeting Dr. Jenkins defensively stated that the District would be sending out a 'News You Could Use' release to all teachers in another attempt to justify the deplorable scores.
In fact, the ‘News You Can Use’ email message that the District sent to all OCPS teachers suggested that OCCTA was also to blame for the ridiculously low evaluation scores because both the District and the union bargained the evaluation system. It put the blame on the deliberate practice scores, which the District claims is the main reason that only 2.4% of all OCPS teachers earned a highly effective score.
Additionally, the message contained several inaccuracies. The state did not require an inclusive model, as the District falsely claimed in its first 'News You can Use' message. In fact, last year OCCTA contacted the Florida DOE and got a statement in writing to clarify that the decision of whether the professional development scores are inclusive or additive is decided at the district level (in bargaining) and not dictated by the state.
The District sent out he second "News You Can Use" that falsely stated, "Deliberate practice counts 20 percent of the overall teacher evaluation."
It does not!
Additionally, the message contained several inaccuracies. The state did not require an inclusive model, as the District falsely claimed in its first 'News You can Use' message. In fact, last year OCCTA contacted the Florida DOE and got a statement in writing to clarify that the decision of whether the professional development scores are inclusive or additive is decided at the district level (in bargaining) and not dictated by the state.
The District sent out he second "News You Can Use" that falsely stated, "Deliberate practice counts 20 percent of the overall teacher evaluation."
It does not!
Senate Bill 736 mandated that an evaluation-based performance pay system be implemented in each school district. In 2011 OCCTA and the District agreed to an evaluation system which the teachers and OCCTA expected would be implemented with fidelity and fairness. Instead, teachers have been subjected to a system that is inconsistent, unfair and has been changed from year to year.
For years OCCTA’s attempts to reform the flawed and broken evaluation system have been met with resistance from the District at the bargaining table and in committee. Since the system was initiated, the District has made unilateral changes to the evaluation system, as recommended by the Marzano Evaluation System vendor, LSI. These changes have helped to grow confusion and mistrust. They have also been the cause of grievances that OCCTA has filed.
The District's response to the outcry over the low scores is viewed as another example of why there is a lack of trust between the teachers and their employer.
OCPS teachers' scores were so out of step with other state school districts that OCPS teachers have been held up for humiliation. As a result of the low scores, 97.6% of OCPS teachers are also disqualified from any state bonus plan, such as the Best and Brightest Scholarship Program.
OCPS teachers' scores were so out of step with other state school districts that OCPS teachers have been held up for humiliation. As a result of the low scores, 97.6% of OCPS teachers are also disqualified from any state bonus plan, such as the Best and Brightest Scholarship Program.
Teachers will not forget that their administrators told them that their observation scores would be lowered, no matter how many videos or ‘News You Can Use’ emails or other propaganda techniques the District employs. Teachers know the truth. This very public denial and defense is causing another rift that is sure to result in even more teachers leaving Orange County Public Schools.
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| Social worker and OCCTA member Phyllis Mills (left) spoke about the need for an evaluation system for instruction personnel. OCCTA Pammie Guess attended the meeting to support consistent and fair evaluations. |
Please contact your school board member to express your views on the evaluation system and the OCPS teacher scores. The following message was sent to all OCCTA members:
2.4% HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TEACHERS???
IS OCPS KIDDING?
Last night CTA members and staff delivered their messages of outrage and disappointment to the school board over the recently released news that only 2.4% of Orange County teachers were rated as highly effective. Our school district administration bought the line from LSI that no teacher would be hurt by a bad grade. But they were wrong.
Evaluators told teachers last year that they were directed to give lower scores. Now the district wants you to believe that the union agreed to lower teachers’ ratings. Wrong again.
Now that the results of the punitively applied evaluations are public, OCPS management is pointing fingers again instead of taking responsibility for its actions and inactions which led to Orange County Teachers having the least percentage of highly effective teachers in the I-4 corridor. Only Dixie and Union counties, which have less than 200 teachers each, had lower percentages of highly effective teachers in Florida. OCPS management blames the union for having negotiated the evaluation system in the first place.
The passage of the fatally flawed Senate Bill 736 required that performance pay be implemented in each district. Orange CTA and teachers agreed to a system with the understanding that Dr. Jenkins, her staff, and LSI would implement the evaluation system honestly, objectively, and in a way that encourages exceptional effort rather than discourages and defeats hard working Orange County teachers.
Your union encourages you to critically examine communications you may receive in the coming days from Dr. Jenkins and her staff.
Now is not the time for statistics to make the insult worse. Now is the time for the administration and the school board to work with us to develop a system that respects and encourages the teachers in Orange County whom the School Board hired and trained.
Let the School Board know how you feel.
OCPS School Board Member Phone Email
Dr. Barbara Jenkins, Superintendent (407) 317-3209 supt@ocps.net
Bill Sublette, Chairman (407) 317-3236 William.Sublette@ocps.net
Joie Cadle, District 1 (407) 317-3236 joie.cadle@ocps.net
Daryl Flynn, District 2 (407) 317-3236 Daryl.flynn@ocps.net
Linda Kobert, District 3 (407) 317-3236 Linda.kobert@ocps.net
Pam Gould, District 4 (407) 317-3236 Pamela.gould@ocps.net
Kathleen “Kat” Gordon, District 5 (407) 317-3236 kathleen.gordon@ocps.net
Nancy Robinson, District 6 (407) 317-3236 nancy.robbinson@ocps.net
Christine Moore, District 7 (407) 317-3236 christine.moore1@ocps.net
1020 Webster Avenue
Orlando, Florida 32804
Office: (407) 298-0756 Fax: (407) 290-8799
Read: Orlando Sentinel, Orange Teachers Angry About Evaluation, 2-10-16
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