Gee, Arne. How do you feel about the tempers flaring at the Memphis schools job fair?

[madfloridian]

This is your education reform in action, Arne Duncan. Does it make you proud to see all those long-time teachers in their 50s unable to get jobs after devoting themselves to their careers?

I hope they do file those age-discrimination lawsuits..I will be among the first to offer financial support.

They are being laid off and replaced by trainees from TFA. Yes, this is your reform in action. Proud of it, are you?

Tempers boil over at Memphis City Schools job fair

Police were called to calm a disturbance at a Memphis City Schools job fair Friday when about 70 experienced teachers were told there were no openings.

"When I heard that, I turned around and told all the teachers in the auditorium that we need to file a class-action suit," said Dennis Paden, 54, an 18-year classroom veteran with a master's degree.

"Most of the teachers, if not all, were over 50. Several were in wheelchairs. It's a classic case of age discrimination," said Paden, who was told to leave the fair at American Way Middle because he was causing a disturbance and being belligerent.

....Teachers said the flare-up reflects anger over changes that allow the district to hire new teachers over senior staff to help meet "curriculum needs."

One of the comments after the article hits the nail on the head.

"As a result of the teacher shuffling, all sections of physics at Ridgeway High were dissolved this week ... Students were told Friday, a week before the quarter ends, that physics classes would no longer meet."

Ridgeway, isn't that supposed to be one of the better schools in the MCS?

How could an accredited high school not offer Physics? Isn't that sort of like educational malpractice?

As for Dennis Paden, I'd have him teaching my children any day. We can use passionate, interesting history teachers out in the new suburban schools. We could also use someone like him at my children's private school (that is within about a 10-minute drive of his home).

Who's Dennis Paden? Here's his letter today about being treated disrespectfully and being without a job in spite of glowing references. He says the superintendent calls them "lemons."

From the Commercial Appeal today:

I am one of the many Memphis City Schools teachers whose official status is "surplus teacher." Supt. Kriner Cash derisively refers to us as "lemons." For him, it may be a joke. For cash-strapped taxpayers it is no laughing matter. By my conservative estimate, his misuse of resources will cost you in excess of $6 million.

Last year I taught advanced placement U.S. history, African-American history, economics, U.S. government and two regular sections of United States history. My other duties included coaching the debate team and serving as head coach for our varsity baseball program. It was a grueling schedule that I accepted as a professional challenge. I did not complain. I was proud to be a team player. At the end of the year when my principal told me that my A.P. class would be discontinued and that as a result of other staffing cuts he needed my slot to hire a football coach, I was stunned. I was placed on the surplus list and have yet to be hired at another school despite glowing recommendations, a master's degree in my subject area and a résumé packed with career experience in virtually every area related to the social sciences. My evaluations contain no deficiencies.

In my opinion as a retired teacher, and in the opinion of those teachers I speak to who are still in the classroom....it is past time for the person in charge of all this mess to be fired.

From day one Arne Duncan started by attacking teachers' unions. He only went to charter schools, he hung around with the reformers and praised documentaries like Waiting for Superman in which teachers were treated insultingly.

I am sick inside over the way teachers are being treated. Memphis is one of the worst. My thoughts go out to them.

And kudos to the Memphis Commercial Appeal for these articles.

[midnight]

1. K&R Never hire a basketball coach to do the job of leading our Education dept...

[reggie the dog]

5. football coach wasn't it

a master's certified teacher to teach history or a football coach to teach history, in the usa it is an easy choice, football is more important than history in the usa... in france the schools do not waste any resources on sports, all sports teams are run by the towns/regions and have fuck all to do with the schools, in school you have physical education class and that is it for sports

[Plucketeer]

24. So - so - so - so - SO

SPOT ON!!!! Sports are fine - just NOT a requisite for a good education. SO MUCH money wasted that could be better spent on education! You want your kid to play football? Fine. YOU pay for it out of your pocket.

[rpannier]

2. K&R

Thanks for keeping us posted

[reggie the dog]

3. the moral of the story, learn to grow pot

i have a master's degree too, and have been teaching in europe in universities, traditional school and international schools in France for 8 years yet when i sent in resumés to teach in chicago i get no call backs and one email to explain that i am overqualified.... i got a master's and went to europe to be "refined" and that makes me overqualified to teach high school students..... at least i have learned how to grow good quality outdoor marijuana here in the south of france, that skill can be used to make money grow on trees in any country.... and to think my parents paid over 30 000 for my education.... at least i have no student loans to repay..... thank you so much for that mom and dad, i just wish i could use the degree you paid the tuition for to get a job in my birthcountry, but oh well, i will just stay here in france and teach ESL

[FreakinDJ]

8. True - but a sad testimonial to the state of our education system

[reggie the dog]

4. the moral of the story, learn to grow pot

i have a master's degree too, and have been teaching in europe in universities, traditional school and international schools in France for 8 years yet when i sent in resumés to teach in chicago i get no call backs and one email to explain that i am overqualified.... i got a master's and went to europe to be "refined" and that makes me overqualified to teach high school students..... at least i have learned how to grow good quality outdoor marijuana here in the south of france, that skill can be used to make money grow on trees in any country.... and to think my parents paid over 30 000 for my education.... at least i have no student loans to repay..... thank you so much for that mom and dad, i just wish i could use the degree you paid the tuition for to get a job in my birthcountry, but oh well, i will just stay here in france and teach ESL

[Tyrs WolfDaemon]

6. K&R Thanks for keeping us updated on all they are doing.

[Sherman A1]

7. Simply beyond absurd

not surprising, but absurd.

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. Similar stories in many districts. This is just sick.

I'm working with a handful of TFA replacements this year. It's disgusting that anyone with a brain thinks they can waltz in and do a comparable job - or even do better - than the experienced teachers they are replacing.

It's like an alternate universe where up is down, in is out and everyone smiles and pretends the kids are okay.

[Starry Messenger]

10. recommend.

[liberalhistorian]

17. Starry, doesn't this just make you physically ill?

As distressing as my retired-teacher stepfather's condition is, being in a nursing home with dementia at an early age, not knowing anything or anyone anymore, the ONE comforting, saving grace is that he isn't seeing what is happening to the profession he gladly dedicated a lifetime to and to which he gave his all and then some. My retired-teacher mother, OTOH, is fully able to see what is going on and it just breaks our hearts every day. It makes me so angry and sick that I can hardly see straight.

Mom, however, said she and her colleagues have seen this coming for a very long time and that the attitude toward them, before she retired, was growing more and more hostile, especially against those with the most experience and most success. She says that nowadays there's little conception of teaching as a PROFESSION, and a profession that deserves the same respect accorded to other professions. And without teaching, there'd be no other professions. I just don't get how people think they can trash and demonize a profession left and right, and strip away what little they have, and then complain that bright, qualified people aren't going into the profession and that good ones are leaving.

People used to wonder why I didn't follow in my parents' footsteps and go into education. But even decades ago, I saw what they went through every day and had no intention of dealing with that and getting nothing in the way of decent compensation, respect and appreciation. No amount of summers and holidays off would ever make up for that. My mother got so burned out that she retired over ten years earlier than she really should have, but it was either retire or enter a nuthouse, frankly. Now most of their pensions goes to pay his nursing home costs, since Medicaid thinks she has a lot more money than she actually does, and she has little left to live on each month after forty years of dedicating herself to this profession.

And I wonder what our "buddy" the Stubby thinks about all this. Can't wait to see him on this thread and his justifications for this utter bullshit.

[Starry Messenger]

48. Yes it does.

I can't even properly convey my anger here on DU, I'm sure I'd get deleted and banned. Everything this Administration has done regarding education makes me heartsick. Give your mom a hug for me. :hug:

[Tatiana]

11. I'm mentoring my third TFAer. This sucks.

The first two quit; one in the middle of a semester, the other before finals near the end of the year. Most of these people do not belong in front of classrooms. I have only met one TFAer I would consider qualified to teach, and honestly that is because she went back to school and actually took some classes on her own about education, educational theory & practice. Many TFAers believe the hype about themselves as "saviors" and do not feel like they need the sufficient educational background in order to practice the teaching discipline. It's sad for our students who deserve top tier, qualified instructional professionals.

Piece by piece our public education system is being dismantled by a Democratic administration. That should make us all very angry.

[Supersedeas]

12. balancing education malpractice and the priorities of bean counters

[Irishonly]

13. I really despise Duncan and his cronies

I become ill when I read about the destruction of the school system

[Jakes Progress]

16. I'm getting that way about the guy who gave him all that power.

I get ill when I think of the things I told teachers three years ago to get them to vote for Obama. I didn't know they were all lies.

[Irishonly]

26. Teachers are angry and they have every right to be

It's been over 12 years since I was in a classroom so I didn't have to suffer through NCLB and all of the nonsense that has kept on going and going and going. I know that some of the union leaders have said they back President Obama but I am not sure that is going to happen with the rank and file. I belong to a community action group and I have never seen the teachers in the group so angry, disillusioned and disheartened.

[TruthTeller]

57. me too! nt

[progressoid]

14. WTF?

"As a result of the teacher shuffling, all sections of physics at Ridgeway High were dissolved this week, said 13-year chemistry teacher Talya Brown."



Racin' to the top!

:grr:

[madfloridian]

15. Yep. Race to the Top...get rid of physics classes.

Ain't it great?

[xocet]

25. Amazing!

It looks like the University of Memphis might be able to help out regarding that physics class:

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/oct/06/university-memphis-offers-restore-physics-program/?partner=popular

[madfloridian]

31. Glad to hear that. Thanks for the article.

What a mess is going on now as the billionaires take over without any planning or real data to go on.

It was not this bad under GWB.

[Divernan]

34. Cannon fodder & fast food workers don't need no stinkin' physics!

[madfloridian]

18. Article from Aug. .They fired the teacher of the year.

They applied for money from Bill Gates, and it had strings attached.

http://soetalk.com/2011/08/17/in-memphis-clashes-between-new-and-experienced-teachers/

Article originally from the Commercial Appeal:

"When Memphis City Schools accepted millions of dollars from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to improve teacher effectiveness, it agreed to tap new pipelines for attracting teachers.

But after at least 190 teachers with no experience were hired over 100 teachers with lots of it, school board members wanted to know Monday if jobs were earmarked for some of the new teachers—and what they are supposed to tell angry constituents.

“Out of North Memphis, I’m getting this phone call: ‘How can you let the teacher of the year last year go when you’re hiring people who don’t have experience?’” board member Sara Lewis said after the meeting. “That needs to be explained to people. People don’t understand. Our issues are (getting) accurate and adequate information.” While Supt. Kriner Cash did not say whether some positions were intentionally left open for Teach for America and other talent partners, he said the process for filling positions was “open and transparent,” and he reminded board members that he has said if any highly qualified teacher is not permanently placed, he will see to it himself that he or she will be.

When the district applied for $90 million from the Gates Foundation in 2009, its proposal said that 30-35 percent of new hires would come from talent pipelines that produce high-quality teacher applicants. In 2009, the district expected it would hire 190 teachers from those sources this year alone. Next year, the number jumps to 235."

Well, guess what? TFA is one of those "pipelines" of talent.

My anger grows.

[TriMera]

19. K&R. n/t

[MichiganVote]

20. Obama fees his 1% by trashing teachers thru Flunkin' Duncan. No surprise.

Its all about a campaign money trade off.

[chervilant]

21. For me,

your posts provoke both anger and a bittersweet memory of WHY I want to teach. I grieve for our precious children.

Our entire nation should be vociferously protesting this administration's disgusting destruction of public education.

[madfloridian]

23. I feel so bad for those still trying to survive in the system.

And so few seem to care at all.

[n2doc]

22. Only the rich and their sycophants are allowed to get angry over things

The rest of us better shut up and take it, or the police will be by for a little 'attitude adjustment'.

[chervilant]

74. Yeah, well,

I just discovered that one of my comments on this thread was deleted, even though I was soooooo careful not to violate any of the rules. hmm... Likely the poor wee manny whose post I refuted whinged about getting his wee tootsies trod upon.

(and I've seen so much vitriol toward our dear madflo go unchallenged...)

[a2liberal]

27. K&R (n/t)

[moonbatmax]

28. No openings? At a job fair?

:shrug: Then what's the freakin' point? :shrug:

[TBF]

29. I guess this will be the silver lining if Pres. Obama is voted out in 2012 -

this idiot will be replaced.

[Starry Messenger]

35. He'd fit into a Republican Administration too.

Maybe they'd keep him. :hide:

[TBF]

38. That's a very good point. nt

[saras]

51. If it's a straight-up Republican and not Tea Party that wins, they can keep ALL his cabinet.

[chervilant]

75. Oh, noes!!!

Have a care, my dear! Someone will trot out Teh List!

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Doremus]

32. K&R Thanks again for keeping us informed. Bookmarked.

[KG]

33. change we can make believe in!

[Sportsguy]

36. K & R!

Jesus Christ, what a mess.

[Tsiyu]

37. Thanks for keeping DU updated on education issues

This is sickening to hear. They don't even try to hide their grab for money, or their disdain for experienced teachers.

They don't even try to hide their lack of concern for students, either. The physics thing hits close to home. I couldn't get physics, trying for pre-med a long, long time ago. I'd never been exposed to Calculus, Trig, etc., because of the low standards in my Georgia school. This is a hardship (and neglect) these kids endure due to greed and a surplus of shortsighted, naive people running the show.

If I were a teacher, I'd be tempted to use homeschooling/charter laws to start my own school until the public puts the public back in the schools.

K&R

[sad sally]

39. No surprise - remember some of his history.

Nonetheless, for the better part of the last year, the federal government has been looking at Chicago Public Schools (CPS). I have no idea why the Feds, who began the process while George Bush was still president, are investigating a public schools admission process. I questioned the first reports on this months ago right here in this column. What is there that you can steal while getting a kid into a selective-enrollment school that is worth the price of a federal probe? I still don’t know, but I cannot rule out the billion-dollar deficit Arne Duncan, the former CEO of (CPS) left behind. Nor can I ignore the shocking suicide of the last president of the Chicago School Board, Michael Scott, who was subpoenaed to appear before the investigators but shot himself before doing so. Since the Department of Justice is no longer serving for a republican administration, it is only a matter of time before this investigation fades away; you know that as well as I do. However, along the way a secret list personally maintained by Arne the Duncan was uncovered.

Apparently Duncan’s heralded school reform model included getting the children of politically-connected parents into one of Chicago’s fifty-two selective enrollment schools. The other 410 schools clearly should be avoided. They ain’t been reformed yet. Though Duncan jets across the country admonishing school districts far and wide for their poor academic performance and demanding they repent and repair their horrid institutions just as he did in Chicago, those of us who live here know better.

Duncan, who never taught school, does however apparently know a good one from a bad one. Indeed, he kept a forty-page log in his office, personally notated by him with the initials A.D., to help certain people get into one of the small percentage of genetically engineered schools in Chicago that really provide an education as opposed to adolescent warehousing. For some reason only half of Chicago’s fifty useless aldermen were in the log for preferential selection. The twenty-five who weren’t are probably angry about that. How did AD divide up the aldermen, since the entire City Council is democrat save one independent who can’t even get his own garbage picked up much less those of his constituents.

Continue reading on Examiner.com Federal investigation of Chicago Public Schools reveals a secret Arne Duncan clout list - Chicago Public Education | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/public-education-in-chicago/federal-investigation-of-chicago-public-schools-reveals-a-secret-arne-duncan-clout-list#ixzz1a8Y7Ay4B?du

[Gabi Hayes]

44. holy hannah....never heard about that, and I live around there.

cant believe the local RW radio hasn't made a stink about that (guess they don't care about PWB doing things like Arne did....he's one of them, after all)

thanks for this post, as well as the link!

[madfloridian]

46. Thanks for that post. It is alarming. Now it's been loosed on the country.

I just read that a new university study has shown that during the last 20 years of "reform" there has been little change in Chicago schools. I need to find the article.

[liberalhistorian]

66. That's the thing that infuriates me the most about

Pirate Duncan-he's never been in a fricking classroom! How in the HELL can you be an education CEO/"leader", much less head of the national department, if you've never actually taught in a damned classroom!!! And why would you even listen to such a person? Can someone please explain that one to me?

That was one of my parents' main complaints, that, despite being professionals with a degree and years of experience in the classroom, no one ever asked them or any other teacher they knew what advice they had for improving education and/or which practices work best and what would help. Everyone listens to businesspeople and executives and fancy administrators who have never been on the other side of the desk in a classroom or who hadn't been in a long time, and no even thinks to ask those actually in the trenches. Why the fuck anyone listens to what Bill Fucking College Drop-out Gates has to say about teaching, let alone cares, is simply beyond my level of comprehension.

[KamaAina]

40. Is this any way to run a railroad?

Paden interviewed for a sixth-grade teaching job at Kate Bond Middle. He was not hired because he has no experience with middle school students.

Since he was surplussed last spring from the history department at Manassas High, he's been teaching business courses, which he is not certified to teach, at Frayser High.

"Last week, they told me maybe I'd be teaching French next week. I don't know the first thing about French."...

:wtf:

[Uncle Joe]

41. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, madfloridian.

[Riley18]

42. Everyday at work is a challenge. Teachers are doomed. We cannot keep

up with the ridiculous demands. I feel like I am in a hostage situation. Every meeting results in more student "data" which translates to more money for some politically connected company. All I want to do is teach my students new things each day, and all I am allowed to do is teach to tests. Meanwhile, I know that although I have over $30,000 in student loan debt to become a teacher, it is highly unlikely I will retire from the job.

[madfloridian]

43. My heart aches for those still teaching. It really does.

I have never despised anyone as much as I do Arne Duncan.

He has put so many good teachers under such stress.

Best to you. :hug:

[TruthTeller]

59. Thank You! nt

[liberalhistorian]

67. Not only has it put good teachers under tremendous stress,

it is fast deterring potentially good ones from even considering the field. Yeah, that's the way to get good people in a classroom. Trash, demonize and scapegoat the profession and take away everything that makes it bearable. Bleh.

[madfloridian]

79. No one should even consider that field right now.

It is so stressful to teachers right now.

[Remember Me]

45. The damage this one man is doing / has done is incalculable

I shudder to think of the long term consequences -- an entire generation, except for the well-to-do of course, basically lost. Eternity in hell would be too good for him.

[NuttyFluffers]

47. Failure by Design to usher in Privatization.

Is there any other sane conclusion?

[reACTIONary]

49. Question: I noted TFA in the OP and other posts...

Such as "They are being laid off and replaced by trainees from TFA." I didn't know what TFA is so I looked it up. I found out that Teach For America accepted about 5,000 "teachers" into their program in 2011 (Wikipedia, Teach for America). Thousands less in previous years. When I look up the stats on teachers, I find that "Kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, and secondary school teachers, held about 3.5 million jobs in 2008" (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

I can see why teachers would be annoyed at having to put up with, let alone train, some prima dona kids who are probably more enthusiastic than prepared. And are probably in for a rude awaking about the realities of life. But how can a program that brings in only 5,000 trainees per year be used to lay off and replace a profession that has 3.5 million in their ranks? It doesn't seem like a real threat.

[madfloridian]

52. Oh, well, then....

just a few career teachers laid off now and then. Just a few....

No problem. Right?

And only 50 million from the federal government last year? Just a little bit.

[reACTIONary]

53. What do you mean by 50 million?

According to the BLS there are only 3.6 million teachers, not 50 million. What are you referring to?

It certainly is true that teachers are getting hit hard by the recession (everyone is, and local governments in particular). That doesn't seem to be the fault of Teach for America, however, unless I am missing something. Every profession has to bring in new, young folks and encourage them to join the ranks. I don't see why getting 5,000 young folks a year involved is a major threat or big concern. It doesn't sound like the current situation can be blamed on this program, and I don't see how this program could be construed as an attempt to lay off large numbers of teachers and replace them with cheap labor. But maybe I don't understand it very well.

[madfloridian]

55. 50 million dollars.

No, I don't think you understand it well.

This sentence tells me a lot.

"Every profession has to bring in new, young folks and encourage them to join the ranks."

[reACTIONary]

56. Maybe I don't, but I read the Wikipedia article about it..

... and it doesn't seem to be anything to be upset about. It certainly is true that every profession has to, over time, get the next generation involved. The teaching profession isn't growing right now, due to the economic hard times, but the population is, and more teachers will be needed.

The other thing about the program is that it is a two or three year stint for kids who might otherwise not be exposed to public education or teaching from the inside. If they go on to other professions, they will carry this experience and their understanding of the difficulties that exist with them and will become advocates for education and for teachers in the future.

I can see it being a short term difficulty when we are experiencing economic hard times, but I don't understand the degree of resentment or anxiety expressed about this over-all.

[madfloridian]

58. No, this reform movement is not "short term" because of the economy.

It is the dismantling of public education.

Once experienced teachers are gone, replaced by temps, then there will be a new day in education.....teachers will be short term, little training.

[reACTIONary]

65. I read the Wiki article on TFA and I looked at the numbers...

...the idea that TFA is an attempt to "dismantle public education" seems pretty far fetched. It certainly couldn't be used to replace experienced teachers with short term temps.

I don't see it doing anything other than letting some kids who might not have considered a career in education a chance to find out what it is like.

[msanthrope]

70. Welcome to DU. Facts in an education thread???? You brave soul. nt

[liberalhistorian]

80. As if Wikipedia is a rock-solid

reliable, viable, academic source. Bleh. Try being a teacher for one day and see how long you last.

[Name removed]

62. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[roody]

63. The TFAers are being used as scabs.

[msanthrope]

69. But the article isn't about TFA--it's about surplus teachers, all in the same union.

There's a pool of surplus teachers. Not all of them got reassigned. But they are all getting paid. There's no TFA involved.

[reACTIONary]

71. According to the Wiki article on TFA...

...(which may be inaccurate, but is the only source I have) the TFA'ers are paid the same as any other teacher filling the same job. I'm not very informed about labor issues, but that doesn't fit my idea of a scab.

[roody]

77. better paid scab than the customary ones

[quakerboy]

64. What you are missing

Sending under trained persons in to be teachers does not help students. Nor does canning experienced teachers in preference for under trained persons in a pilot program build our educational system. That is not the next generation.

There are teachers out there looking for work, when this work is being handed to the unqualified members of this union busting pilot program. That is harmful

That's without even getting into what they are doing to the teachers still working.

[reACTIONary]

72. Your reponse makes sense to me...

... under trained, fresh-off-the-boat kids aren't going to make good teachers. Of course, whether or not they are under trained and what level of training is necessary are factual questions that I'm not in a position to assess. From participating in discussions about education outside of DU I realize there are a lot of folks who do not appreciate the level of skill and the dedication required to be a good teacher.

Still, based on what I've read about it, I think the program is being unfairly characterized. 5000 kids serving a two year stint is not going to bust any union. It is as if carpenters were to feel threatened by Habitat For Humanity.

[quakerboy]

73. Theres a big difference

Habitat for humanity is serving a small portion of people who would not otherwise be served. This program is displacing trained teachers. Because that is the objective of this program.

Is it their published, stated objective? No. Who in their right mind would get behind that as a stated goal. But is it the goal of those ensuring the funding and directing the operations of the program? That I would argue is a solid, strong, resounding YES.

As I said, this is a pilot program. If they can bring in 5000 under trained, unqualified kids, paid lower than industry standard and kick out as many qualified and almost fairly paid teachers, without a backlash, then they can do it again next time with more. They can do it across the board. And that is the problem. And it should be a major problem for anyone who cares about what happens 10 year from now, or who plans to survive long enough to need a dr when they are elderly, or have caregivers.

There is a plus side of this equation, for those of us old, wealthy, or lucky enough to have received a real education. We will always have a step up on the newer additions to the work force and life in general. In that we are able to understand basic facts and thinking, problem solving, rather than just having been trained in how to best complete standardized tests.

[reACTIONary]

78. Since the published stated objective of the program...

...seems to be consistent with the way they operate, I wonder how you are able to discern the true objective of the program. Who is it who is behind the unstated, covert objective? Who is the "they" who is trying to undermine the teaching profession? Is this being financed by the Koch brothers? What is the evidence?

The economic situation is not very good at the moment, and public school funds are being cut as a result, so anything that challenges the status quo is going to be unsettling. Nonetheless, every time I look further into the big picture, the more puzzled I am about the degree that TFA is perceived to be a threat to experienced, practicing teachers.

I looked into how many new teachers are hired each year, due to growth in the number of teaching positions and due to teachers retiring. I found a report, Projections of Education Statistics to 2020 Thirty-ninth Edition, published by the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Educational Statistics (http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2011/2011026.pdf). The relevant data is in table 16 on page 53.

It appears that projections (starting with 2011 and going forward) are running a little over 400,000 new teacher hires per year (2011 on) with about 27,000 on average being due to expansion of the number of teachers needed and about 390,000 due to teachers retiring or other wise leaving the profession. These are averages from 2011 out, but there is steady, if not spectacular, growth, of about 0.7% being projected. According the bureau of labor statistics "The number of jobs for teachers is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through 2018. Many teachers will retire, creating more job openings."

Given these numbers, it doesn't seem credible that a program like TFA, which produces 5,000 teachers a year, is currently "displacing experienced teachers" since something close to 400,000 experienced teachers seem to displace themselves each year by retiring or moving on to something else. Given that 27,000 or so new teaching positions come into existence each year, the threat from this program seems even less credible.

The recruiting pool this program seeks to engage (college graduates from elite schools that have not focused on education as a career choice) does not seem too promising for the sort of growth that would be required to actually create a 400,000 plus stream of new hires every year. And if the information I have is correct, they are being paid prevailing wages, not lower than industry standard. If they ultimately decide to stick with the profession they will probably end up joining the union anyway.

There are many overt, direct, ideologically motivated threats to public education that have emerged, such as the push for school vouchers. These need to be vigorously opposed. However, TFA just doesn't seem to be one of them.

[chervilant]

76. hmm...

My ignore list has grown by leaps and bounds since I started following your commendable documentation of what is being done to public education during a DEMONCRATIC president's administration...

[slipslidingaway]

50. knr ...

but I believe policy is set from the top.

[Auntie Bush]

54. They're getting rid of Physics and Advanced Placement classes...and we wonder why

our kids are doing so poorly in relation to the rest of the world. I can't imagine why.

[Enthusiast]

60. Kicked and fucking recommended.

Right on!

[VPStoltz]

61. All this blah blah about bad teachers...

I've been teaching (as a second career) for almost 16 years.
Over that stretch there have only been TWO teachers in my school (with a turnover of about 50-60 during that time, maybe) who just didn't make the grade.
They were both just short of retiring. TWO!
This is ALL about canning teachers to take on cheaper ones.

[msanthrope]

68. How is any of this Arne's fault? These surplus teachers are still getting paid--for doing nothing.

Before the job fair, a record 154 city school teachers were on the extra or "surplus" list, including 76 added this week based on drops in enrollment.

Eighty-one found jobs at the fair that MCS holds several times a year to match displaced teachers with principals looking to hire. The 73 still standing will be assigned other jobs in the district at their current pay until permanent placements are found.

Keith Williams, president of the Memphis Education Association, says it's possible teachers placed Friday will be bumped when seniority rules kick in.

He says the district cannot afford to pay teachers their full salaries to decorate bulletin boards and monitor playgrounds. "At some point, someone is going to have go home," he said.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/oct/01/tempers-boil-over-at-schools-job-fair/


According to the article you posted, of the 154 surplus teachers, less than 100 even bothered to register for the job fair. How is that Arne Duncan's fault?

I get that you don't like Arne Duncan. But posting tales of woe, and then reflexively blaming Duncan doesn't persuade people of reason.