First Florida, now Colorado. Obama's RTTT is pissing teachers off across the nation.

WE'RE TIRED OF BEING SCAPEGOATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_14893603

If you had any doubt about the motivation of the Colorado Education Association when it comes to teacher tenure and evaluation reform, wonder no longer.

The CEA is playing what it considers to be its trump card. By announcing last week that it will refuse to support the state's second-round application for a $175 million federal Race to the Top grant, the union is showing its true colors.

The union, which knows its support is a big factor in whether Colorado will get this much-needed funding, is digging in its heels against a reform bill that would make it easier to get rid of poor teachers.

The CEA wants to control the process, and it apparently doesn't care who gets hurt along the way.

If the CEA were serious about devising a fair system of evaluating teachers, they would focus on the details of that process instead of throwing up barricades in an effort to kill the bill introduced last week by state Sen. Michael Johnston, D-Denver.

We suspect that they would prefer to keep the venue of final approval for any and all reforms in the state legislature, instead of the state Board of Education. The teachers union has far more influence with lawmakers, many of whom depend upon the CEA's support and manpower during election season.

The bill, as introduced, gives the Board of Education far more control. And Wednesday's 7-0 vote by the board to support Johnston's measure is an indication of the influence the union would have there. Not much.

An op-ed by Education Commissioner Dwight Jones published in The Post last week voiced support for Johnston's bill, buoying its chances for passage. The union didn't like that either, and accused Jones of throwing teachers "under the bus."

We support the Johnston bill, and can't say strongly enough that it's not an anti-teacher bill. It calls for the kinds of reforms that would help develop good teachers into great teachers, and eventually ensure a quality teacher in every classroom. Its passage also would better position Colorado to get Race to the Top money, but that's merely an added incentive to approve a smart bill.

The proposal, which has been kicking around since January in draft form as policymakers worked to get union buy-in, would change the way teachers are evaluated and change the way they get and keep tenure. The union called its introduction "hasty," which is hard to fathom.

Among the controversial issues is the definition of an effective teacher. It is the linchpin for the rest of the system. The reform mandates that at least half of a teacher's evaluation depend on academic growth of that teacher's students.

If such legislation had passed in advance of the first round of Race to the Top funding, Colorado may have gotten money in that round, and it likely would have been a significantly higher award.

Water under the bridge, to be sure, but the lesson to be learned is that the state cannot let another opportunity pass by in an effort to kowtow to a teachers union that has an agenda that can only be construed as obstructionist.

funds. It is a lose/lose situation no matter how you slice it.

AND it would seem that those that do the worst may be the ones that need the help the most.

I am still angry at the choice of Arne Duncan as secty of education.

I can't stand Arne.