U.S. to Focus on Equity in Assigning of Teachers

New York Times ^ | November 10, 2014 | MOTOKO RICH

[reaganaut1]

The Obama administration is directing states to show how they will ensure that all students have equal access to high-quality teachers, with a sharp focus on schools with a high proportion of the poor and racial minorities.

In a letter to state superintendents released Monday, Deborah S. Delisle, an assistant secretary at the Department of Education, said states must develop plans by next June that make sure that public schools comply with existing federal law requiring that “poor and minority children are not taught at higher rates than other children by inexperienced, unqualified or out-of-field teachers.”

States last submitted plans to address such inequities in 2006, but data shows that large disparities persist.

“It is important to remind our states that one step in front of the other is the way to begin to deliver for all our students,” said Catherine Lhamon, assistant secretary for civil rights, in a conference call with reporters. “We are all dismayed by the lack of compliance and lack of satisfaction and delivery on this point.”

The Education Department will send each state data collected by the department’s Office for Civil Rights showing rates of teacher experience, certification, absenteeism and salary by school as well as student access to taxpayer-funded preschool and advanced courses in math and science.

The administration is also urging states to look at teacher evaluations to determine whether those who receive lower ratings are disproportionately assigned to schools with high proportions of racial minorities and students in poverty.

But the only requirement of states is that they ensure that teachers are equitably distributed based on experience and credentials.

Education advocates said such measures could limit improvements in the quality of instruction in struggling schools.

[kearnyirish2]

Here in NJ Americans are desperate to get those public school jobs (especially in ghettoes, where the pay is much higher); the schedule, pay, and benefits are much better than most jobs, and no work is required.

[Wuli]

again, “disparate impact” and not negligence or discrimination raises its ugly head

and if the schools can’t comply, what will Obama tell the governors they have to do? bus kids across the state???

[Whenifhow]

This article might be related to the implementation of executive order from July 2012. While the focus of the article below is on race based discipline, there may have also been language in the executive order about “equalizing” teachers. “Reparations” ?

Obama backs race-based school discipline policies
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3109644/posts
http://dailycaller.com/2012/07/27/obama-backs-race-based-school-discipline-policies/

Here is one form of the implementation:
Minneapolis now requires superintendents to approve any suspension of ‘minority’ students
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3225438/posts

http://americanthinker.com/blog/2014/11/minneapolis_now_requires_superintendent_of_schools_to_approve_any_suspension_of_minority_students.html

and
http://dailycaller.com/2014/11/10/separate-and-unequal-minnesota-school-district-to-review-all-suspension-of-black-and-brown-students/

[SoCal Pubbie]

Liberals’ ultimate goal is the complete Federalization of everything.

[hinckley buzzard]

Good and experienced teachers will quit before accepting an assignment in a combat zone. What part of this don’t they get?

These are essentially the same mentalities that thought if you give trays of boring and tasteless garbage to children for lunch, and prevent them from eating things they like, you will not end up with truckloads of uneaten food thrown out every day.

IOW, the liberal mindset: they see individual humans as cookie cutter pieces on a game board, to be manipulated at will.

[hinckley buzzard]

For troublemakers, put them in a cell and turn the TV on. It's a lifestyle they'll just have to get used to.

Most of them already are.

[hinckley buzzard]

If this persists, the WH may not have teacher union support in 2016

The White House couldn't care less about 2016. Remember that, and the next two years will make a lot more sense.

[I want the USA back]

The federal government should not have any say in how schools are run. There is no need for a federal “education” department.

[cherry]

I don't know what what "high qualified" teacher means.....what studies tell us what "high qualified" means?....

do the kids grades go up exponentially with a "high qualified" teacher?...are Sat scores higher?....

who determines "high qualified"???

because what I suspect is simply being a solid unionista teacher can get you all kinds of accolades....nothing to do with smarts, or difficult subjects, or teaching classes that actually require a lot of hard scientific knowledge....

what obola really wants is a national mandate that teachers that teach in the inner city get extra stipends from the govt, like many thousands of dollars...

that'll show em.....