Pet Worth: This Month's Highly Adoptable Animals
New Whole Foods to Open Up Exactly Where it is Needed Least
Jack Evans Hops Aboard a SmartBike at Bike Lane Unveiling
The Weekly Feed: Experimentation Edition
Morning Roundup: Change Edition
As promised, here are some images captured by DCist photographer Francis Chung during Thursday afternoon's Washington Teachers Union-organized protest outside the John A. Wilson Building.
The protesters' beef is with D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee's mostrecent round of layoffs, which saw almost 400 school employees abruptly lose their jobs just a month into the school year. Rhee and Mayor Adrian Fenty say the firings were necessary due to an unexpected budget gap. Angry teachers and their supporters say the budget excuse is just a pretext for carrying out plans to rid the school system of older teachers. Earlier this week, Rhee sent out a letter trying to explain how and why all this happened, but the protesters still came, hoping to convince more of the public of what they believe: that Rhee and Fenty are lying, and that these laid off teachers were treated unnecessarily badly.
The turnout's been estimated at over 1,000, with the large crowd certainly loud and spirited, but for the most part orderly and respectful. The one exception DCist saw was a woman who vociferously heckled AFT President Randi Weingarten during her speech. She was apparently disgruntled about the quality of her children's education, and was soon escorted away by event staff.
The WTU this week filed a lawsuit against the city over the recent layoffs.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
I find it Rhee-volting that certain teachers don't Rhee-alize they don't have guarant-Rheed employment for life. Talk about Rhee-tarded monkeys.
Love how they're saying this is an age-discrimination thing against teachers with tenure, when most of the teachers who were fired were only hired within the last 6 months. The only good thing to come from this protest is that Fenty just lost a whole buncha votes.
I've seen this protest before. This is totally a Rhee-run.
Monkey, how many DCPS teachers have you really met who are actual residents of the District of Columbia? I had one tell me she was from Northeast for months until I asked her about her license plates- turns our she lived in like Mt Ranier in MD. DCPS teachers can't vote for Fenty from PG County.
Yeah - but I don't think that Fenty and Rhee are winning the spin battle on this one. And that casts a larger shadow than just teacher votes. That said, no one looks strong enough to step up and challenge Fenty and his war chest.
I like me some Rhee-se's Pieces®. I did my Rhee-search and found out I can but 2.75 llbs for $11 at Amazon.com
+1
the only thing that terrifies me is that these people will prevail, and the DCPS will spiral even farther downward, expecting less and less from our students, teachers, and everyone else involved. wake up, people, the entire system should have been nuked and rebuilt from the ground up ages ago.
I talked to our principal about one of the teachers she fired. Turns out that while she had seniority she had been getting terrible reviews for the last 7 years with no attempts at improvement.
Another parent told me that one of the Teach For America teachers was terminated at her school. The TFA teacher had only just been hired last year but had no evidence that she had made any attempts to take part in TFA training, seminars or proceed with teaching certifications.
This protest is nothing more than another attempt to get out of work by teachers who work much less than their counterparts in MD and VA and get results far below what their MD and VA counterparts get. Good riddance Friends of Harriette Walters.
I saw the protest on the news last night and have to comment that most of the people at the protest came in on chartered buses with staff from the unions whose leaders spoke. There was a small handful of teachers, parents and students who should be encouraged to not skip school. The union personnel do not care about the kids. They have yet to prove to me as the parent of a DCPS student that they do. I want the best not only for my children but also for all of the children and so far under Rhee the schools are doing much better than they were before she was appointed. Rhee has shown me that she does care by improving things.
And another thing. That dude behind the podium has more Chins than a Chinese phonebook.
Where have all these people been for the past 30 years while DC schools spent more than nearly any other district in the nation, yet was consistently ranked last or close to last.
Oh. Yes. They were collecting DCPS or union paychecks.
When they weren't embezzling millions.
I'm tired of the teacher's union. Something, a lot of things actually, is/are not working when the kids' test show they are the dumbest in the nation. But they have the most $$$/child spent on education in the country. How do they expect real support when they couldn't even muster correct grammar at this rally? One of the cries: "Fired up! Can't take it no more." Fuck you - I hope you all never have jobs again teaching any children!
Wow, great comment.
Well said, Sordid.
Rarely is the question asked, 'Is our children learning?' - G.W. Bush
that was pure genious
While I've been disappointed with Fenty's style and some of his choices, the fact that these defenders of the old status quo seem to be the most virulent of the anti-Fenty crowd is what makes me stick with Fenty. I get the distinct feeling from most anti-Fentyites that while they also would like a less imperialist mayor, that's about all we'd agree on. If they could point to a candidate that pushed the same progressive platform as Fenty, but with less face-palm moments, maybe I'd reconsider, but until then count me out.
amen, reid. at the end of the day, i'll take an imperialist, ivory-tower sitting mayor over a clone of an ineffectual waste of politician clown like barry.
The Mayor's imperialist b/c he's got this sort of dead weight sucking on the government teat to deal with.
So what if he's not all warm and fuzzy. We had that with Brazil, Barry, Chavous, Cropp, etc. All of them were great at smiling and tsk tsking about problems.
But they don't fix them.
I've been wavering on fenty too and have no strong reason to support him over Gray, if Gray ran. BUT I won't support anyone who campaigns on throwing Rhee out. She needs more time to fail or succeed... she's still right in the middle of this. I'll note that I hear more parents talking of trying the local DCPS school... anecdotal, but there it is.
So how might one go about having political yard signs made that say something like, "Pro-Rhee and I vote". (Or something pithier... I'll let that up to the more cunning commentariat.)
My office has a balcony that overlooks Freedom Plaza, so we see all the protests that happen there. I have to say that this was one of the biggest, most impressive looking, and most well organized. Too bad their cause wasn't a good one. We refrained from dropping eggs or yelling at them (the anti-gay marriage people, who I'm sure will come out of the woodwork eventually, might not be so lucky).
This is AFSCME/WTU flexing its muscle, and not much more. The Mayor is more of an SEIU kinda guy.
Winning sign:
"No justice no teach!"
Of course they aren't teaching anyway, but...
What's unfortunate is that residents like us, who could have gone down there and booed and heckled the rally, actually had to be at our jobs because we don't have the unreasonable expectation of getting lifetime employment if we do a crappy job.
damn, dls, that hit the nail on the head!
Show us your performance reviews, clowns. Then we shall discuss whether you deserve your job. Seriously, you have to be skeptical of anyone who is against a merit based system.
VIDEOS of Rally to Save Public Education: Parents Students Teachers are Angry at Mayor Fenty and Chanellor Rhee http://bit.ly/hHFY5
"Rally to Save Public Education"?
WTF do you think you're kidding? DC Public school enrollment has been dropping steadily for the past 30 years. Even after DC's population stabilized, it's only under Rhee that DCPS enrollment has come out of free-fall.
You'd think WTU should want to be part of that, as union jobs depend on that at the most fundamental level. But apparently not.
yeah, i'm sorry carlos, but trying to rebrand this as a rally to save public education is a lie. it's a rally to save the jobs of entrenched public educators.
the truth shall set you free.
Rhee-treat ladies and gentlemen, or we may Rhee-m you a new one.
the only thing that terrifies me is that these people will prevail, and the DCPS will spiral even farther downward, expecting less and less from our students, teachers, and everyone else involved.
Acai Detox Extreme
awesome, the spambot is quoting me now!
I am a current DCPS elementary school teacher. I’ve been in the district for 3 years. I am not tenure or a “target” of the Rhee RIFS – But I have been extremely frustrated under Rhee. I applaud her for making changes I can agree that DCPS needs that but change cannot be accomplished without the support of teachers.
I find it shocking at how many people have made comments about supporting Rhee and the lack of good teaching in DC. Outsiders to the school system and classroom are so quick to judge the classroom teachers. That is the major problem with our school system: outsiders make policies and judgments that do not even understand how the classroom works and the current demands on teachers. I would advise that DCist readers find a DCPS teacher and actually ask them what it is like under this administration. Maybe you will get a better understanding.
Well, then, newcomer. Please accept this DCPS parent's hearty "Welcome to DC". You say in your three years in DC you've been frustrated under Rhee? I do feel for you, really. A long standing horribly dysfunctional system is in flux and reform, and you are in the middle of that. I'm sure it's frustrating.
But imagine for a moment, if you will, how you would have felt if you were in DCPS for longer than three years. You'd have seen your union leaders embezzling millions from you. You'd have seen DCPS scores and enrollment in free-fall. You'd be used to parents- DC's middle class- fleeing DC to avoid your schools. You'd have seen political lip-service but no substantial meaningful attention paid to improving what was widely recognized as one of the absolute worst public school systems in the country.
As frustrated as you are now, I hope you understand how we got to where we are, and why we need to press forward. We hope you will support this.
Thank you.
Oh I have seen that. But let's not put all that on the teachers. In my time here, I have witnessed a lack of accountability from parents, biased evaluations from principals, an incompetent HR department, poorly designed and implementation of instructional programs and as in ANY profession, weak employees. But it is completely unfair to say that it is the "teachers" that are the fault in this system. I am not "new" to teaching, just new to DCPS and believe me the systems that take responsibility and are accountable from top to bottom are those that function. Lets look further than just the teachers.
Yes, yes, it takes a village. I think everyone agrees on that.
But you say you're a teacher, not a social worker, a managerial efficiency consultant, a budget analyst, etc. DC has those, and reform in those offices has also made the news, just FYI.
BTW, as you've been here 3 years, I'm sure you'll recall the recent central office layoffs.
As I recall, WTU was very vocal in opposing those, too.
dowtown rez- I think the two of us obviously know this is a much more complicated and political issue. That is does take a village- ultimately we want the same thing: better schools and to see change.
But judging by some of the comments on this blog others are not so informed.
Both sides are at fault for listening to one-sided propaganda or pushing their own agenda at the cost of our education system. If more residents and DCPS Employers actually acted like you and realized reform is needed that we "all" need to do our part, parents, teachers, children and administrators, then my support is there without doubt.
westtoeast: of course we all realize that "all" need to do their part, but the leadership of the union likes to oversimplify things when they discuss this in the media, especially when they're trying to drum up support from the residents of the city.
i think it's safe to say that people's opinions pro- or anti- union in this dispute is based in large part on the actions and words of the union leadership, not because of any misunderstanding or lack of knowledge and intelligence on our part.
I don't think the frustration you see here is specific only to teachers. This particular event involved firing teachers, but the frustration from DC residents is with the entire system. Yes, some of that is bad teachers, but a whole bunch is decades of overpaying maintenance and janitorial staff, then having to have citizens show up for 'fix up days' to do the work the maintenance staff never did all year, from decades of stunning waste, corruption, arrogance, and incompetence in the central office staff, of having principals tell residents it's not her job to worry about her school grounds being used to deal drugs after hours (as the principal at Tyler Elementary on the Hill did a few years back, refusing to even lock the gates to the high traffic drug areas when asked to do so).....
The list goes on and on.
And Rhee is the first sign of hope many of us have seen.
So if I have to pick sides, as the WTU is insisting, it'll be with Rhee, not against her.
The rally was held after school hours. No one had to skip work to do this.