Teachers union, fired teachers sue Chicago for racial discrimination

[Rockntractor]

The Chicago Teachers Union is supporting three recently fired black teachers who are suing the city for racial discrimination.

Donald Garrett Jr., Robert Green and Vivionell Brown Jr. lost their jobs because of the Chicago Board of Education’s turnaround program, which replaces most of the administrative and teaching staff at low-performing schools.

These turnarounds tend to hit schools with above-average numbers of black faculty members, and they have contributed to a 10-percent reduction in black teachers in the past decade.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/12/28/te...#ixzz2GOhtuHnI

[ReinMan]

Just so I got this straight...

If they're hiring, and the distribution of teachers hired follows the local demographic, that's OK, even if racially weighted policies are required to achieve it...

But if they're firing, and the proportion of teachers impacted follows the demographics as above, that's discrimination?

Make perfect lib/left sense, I suppose...

[Starbuck]

I just smile to myself when teachers rail against their dismissal. Hell, you gotta be so bad to be fired as a teacher that your hope for employment anywhere else is dim.

On The Other Hand: Speaking as one from a whole state full of "low performing" schools I have to say that the problem most of the time is the students themselves, and of course the students are driven (or not) by their parents attitude. I think it's hopeless. I don't think anyone will ever take the area that produces low performing schools and turn the school around with any regularity. Might happen once in a while, but not often.

When politicians and school boards get involved, it gets worse. Their common attitude is, "Oh, My God! The students are flunking algebra II? We've got to start teaching calculus!"........."What?! They can't read? Teach Advanced English Literature!"

[Lanie]

Just so I got this straight...

If they're hiring, and the distribution of teachers hired follows the local demographic, that's OK, even if racially weighted policies are required to achieve it...

But if they're firing, and the proportion of teachers impacted follows the demographics as above, that's discrimination?

Make perfect lib/left sense, I suppose...

The teacher's union sucks.

[SaintLouieWoman]

I just smile to myself when teachers rail against their dismissal. Hell, you gotta be so bad to be fired as a teacher that your hope for employment anywhere else is dim.

On The Other Hand: Speaking as one from a whole state full of "low performing" schools I have to say that the problem most of the time is the students themselves, and of course the students are driven (or not) by their parents attitude. I think it's hopeless. I don't think anyone will ever take the area that produces low performing schools and turn the school around with any regularity. Might happen once in a while, but not often.

When politicians and school boards get involved, it gets worse. Their common attitude is, "Oh, My God! The students are flunking algebra II? We've got to start teaching calculus!"........."What?! They can't read? Teach Advanced English Literature!"

Long ago I used to teach English. The kids couldn't spell their own names, but I was supposed to teach them lit. I departed teaching as soon as I fulfilled my contract.

Fast forward to when my sons were in high school. They were so lib there, allowing the kids to wander the halls on "projects". I went to the principal and told him that I didn't want my kid doing those independent studies, wanted him with his rear in a seat in a class actually learning something, like formulating a clear thought and writing concisely and clearly. I didn't want him wandering around, going to the smoking walk.

It worked. My son was published in a magazine after college and was noted for his writing skills. That independent wandering wouldn't have helped. I don't think they liked me for not being PC and speaking my mind. Tough.

[ReinMan]

Long ago I used to teach English. The kids couldn't spell their own names, but I was supposed to teach them lit. I departed teaching as soon as I fulfilled my contract.

Fast forward to when my sons were in high school. They were so lib there, allowing the kids to wander the halls on "projects". I went to the principal and told him that I didn't want my kid doing those independent studies, wanted him with his rear in a seat in a class actually learning something, like formulating a clear thought and writing concisely and clearly. I didn't want him wandering around, going to the smoking walk.

It worked. My son was published in a magazine after college and was noted for his writing skills. That independent wandering wouldn't have helped. I don't think they liked me for not being PC and speaking my mind. Tough.

I remember doing Independent Study English in high school. Of course, at that time, you couldn't get into IS English until Senior year, and it was a privilege you earned with previous years' grades.

We owed three papers over the course of the year: one novelist, one poet, one playwright. Each was to be at least at the late first/early second year college level, at least 75 pages long.

Kudos to you on maintaining a high bar for your son's education, even if the school didn't.

The worst thing that ever happened to education was the elimination of rote methods, and the adoption of new teaching 'techniques' designed to 'nurture' students and 'build self-esteem'.

Seems that the teachers need the false re-assurance of their value as much, or more than the students...