Rhode Island teachers are facing a huge fight..loss of union rights, tenure, job security.

[madfloridian]

Not surprisingly this is happening under a superintendent from the Eli Broad Superintendents Academy. Amazing how often teachers' rights disappear more quickly under the leadership of these superintendents.

From the Providence Journal:

New regulations in R.I. will change face of teacher contract talks


Education Commissioner Deborah Gist wants contracts to change.
The Providence Journal / Connie Grosch

Education Commissioner Deborah A. Gist is on a collision course with Rhode Island’s teacher unions over new orders about what must be included –– and what is no longer allowed –– in teacher contracts.

The clash could soon affect as many as 15 Rhode Island school districts, including Providence, Warwick, East Providence and Central Falls, as they attempt to hash out new contracts under markedly different rules.

A series of new state regulations pose a direct challenge to cherished union rights, in particular seniority and long-term job security. They require that all administrators and teachers be rigorously evaluated every year. Those found to be ineffective are given help and, if necessary, removed.

.."According to Gist, “When we say we are going to make every decision in the best interest of students in Rhode Island, that’s not just a motto.”

Here is Deborah Gist's page from the Broad website.

Deborah Gist

Her bio is impressive, her respect and caring for public school teachers is not impressive at all.

And there's that talking point again...about being for the students. I resent that because it sounds like teachers don't care about students. It's a meme from the "reformers".

Besides, it's not about the kids to them at all....it's about profit and privatizing.

Another well-known Broad superintendent grad is John Deasy in Los Angeles. He has moved up the ladder quickly in spite of questions about his masters and his time in Maryland.

From Mike Klonsky's blog:

Gates' man in L. A.

Actually he is already Superintendent, I believe.

His title is Dept. Supt., but there's little doubt that Broad Fellow and Gates Foundation implant, John Deasy is running the show in L.A. Supt. Ramon Cortines can hardly be found in the latest controversy around the L.A. Times public ranking of individual teachers based solely on student test scores. Deasy is all over it.

During a presentation to the board, recently appointed Deputy Supt. John Deasy said the district would move quickly and planned by October to begin issuing confidential scores to employees that would be based on a "value-added" analysis of student scores on standardized tests. He also said the district would include value-added scores for schools on campus report cards that are issued to the public. (L.A. Times).

Here's my post about Deasy, after he he bailed out of Prince Georges County, Md. two years ago for a soft landing at Gates. I guess they felt he was ready to go back on the field. Most interestingly, they have the power to decide when and where.

Here is a page full of links about Deasy and things that should have factored into his choice as school superintendent.

Links about John Deasy

Need more of a refresher? Here:

Explosive New Robert Felner Scandal Brewing
Update On the Deasy Shenanigans at UofL
Breaking Deasy Update: Ramsey Appoints Review Committee
The Robert Felner Story Hits the WaPo
Felner-Deasy Update — Petrosko Off & More
Felner Speaks, Ramsey Has Foot-in-Mouth Disease
Update: John Deasy’s Resume Is Jacked Up
New Robert Felner Tidbits Re: UofL
Breaking: Deasy Steps Down From Sup. Job
More on the Faux PhD Snafu at UofL
The Robert Felner Scandal and Internal Damage Control at the University of Louisville
Update on Alleged Degree Fraud at UofL
Thoughts on UofL’s Unfortunate Degree Scandal

The links lead to articles. None of these mattered. He is boss of L. A. teachers.

The Perimeter Primate blogger has written a lot about the Broad effect on public educations. This type of superintendent is often harming teachers. You can click the link of their names for the status now.

Broad featured superintendents

"Featured graduates"

Bobb, Robert (Class of 2005)
Brizard, Jean-Claude (Class of 2007)
Carter, Arnold "Woody" (Class of 2002)
Cerf, Chris (Class of 2004)
Deasy, John (Class of 2006)
Gist, Deborah (Class of 2008)
Goodloe-Johnson, Maria (Class of 2003)
Levenson, Nate (Class of 2004)
Malone, Matthew (Class of 2003)
Melendez de Santa Ana, Thelma (Class of 2006)
Olson, Kimberly (Class of 2005)
Peebles, Thandiwee (Class of 2002)
Porter, John Q. (Class of 2006)
Sheffield, LaVonne (Class of 2002)
Sims, Deborah A. (Class of 2005)
Ward, Randolph (Class of 2003)
Wise, Joseph (Class of 2003)

Several are having questionable results, are alienating teachers, and I believe a couple have been asked to leave...Goodloe-Johnson is one. Joseph Wise parted ways with his district and is now with Edison Learning. Bobb is doing harm in Detroit as emergency financial manager who is given academic power.

Rhode Island teachers have been treated so badly, a whole school was fired. Those who were hired back were still not given respect.

RI teachers who were fired had to assemble and listen to their names read out loud.


Dale Dearnley has taught science at the high school for the past four years. Earlier this year, she was fired from her job

Last February, the board of trustees for Central Falls, Rhode Island, voted to fire all of the teachers and staff of Central Falls High School after the school had been persistently labeled as low achieving.

..."In total, 93 members of the faculty at Central Falls High School were laid off. They gathered in the school auditorium and listened to the Executive Board call there names out, one by one. They wore red, the school color, as a sign of unity, but for the teachers it was a demoralizing moment.

..""The people that agreed that I needed to be fired have never been in my classroom, never spoken to me" Dearnley said. "As a matter of fact, my name was pronounced wrong....It was just so devastating to hear all these teachers that have been dedicated and I know and love and their names aren't even being pronounced right. It was devastating," Dearnley added.

Shamefully, President Obama and Arne Duncan praised this move to fire good teachers.

President Obama thought it was wonderful that every educator at Central Falls High School was fired. At an appearance before the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on March 1, the President applauded the idea of closing the school and getting rid of everyone in it. At the same meeting, President Obama acknowledged Margaret Spellings, who was President George W. Bush's Education Secretary, because she "helped to lead a lot of the improvement that's been taking place and we're building on."

Well, yes, the President is right; his own education reform plans are built right on top of the shaky foundation of President Bush's No Child Left Behind program.

I do not believe teachers would be subjected to these humiliations around the country if there were a political party standing up for public education.