More reasons to Fire MGJ and Recall several School Directors

The peer reviewed study on TfA and my letter to Director Sherry Carr contain more reasons to fire Seattle Schools' Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson and Recall several Seattle School Board directors.
Teach for America a False Promise

11-27-2010

On this question, studies indicate that the students of novice TFA teachers perform significantly less well in reading and mathematics than those of credentialed beginning teachers.

From: Teach For America: A Review of the Evidence
by Julian Vasquez Heilig -- University of Texas at Austin
Su Jin Jez, Ph.D. -- California State University, Sacramento
June 2010


Dear Seattle School Director Sherry Carr,

You stated:

"One of the research documents said: If you are looking to close the achievement gap, it is important to invest strategically in evidence based "reform options". I believe that we are doing that through the work in our strategic plan".

This appears to be another example of cherry-picking from a research document.


Thank you for referring me to the research document above to which you referred, the Helig study published in June 2010.

I am really confused as to your motivation in voting for TfA. This seemed like a great amount of effort to do absolutely "ZERO" to address the SPS's ongoing failure to provide proven effective instructional materials and practices with effective interventions for those students struggling in Low Income schools.

Why the Board allows the administration to fraudulently mislead the public on proposals like NTN, and then the Board votes for proposals like NTN and TfA as an answer to under achievement is bewildering.

You and five other directors voted for TfA.

Now you send me a peer reviewed study published in June 2010, which contains numerous reasons to vote against TfA and NOT a single reason for bringing TfA to Seattle.

What can be your justification in voting for TfA? You just sent me the title to a "Peer Reviewed Paper" that clearly demonstrates TfA should NOT be in Seattle? Why did you vote for TfA?

As I said in my testimony another experiment likely to damage students is not needed.

Please explain this. As things stand without a credible explanation this 6-1 TfA Board decision will likely be appealed in Superior Court.

Sincerely,

Danaher M. Dempsey, Jr.


Here is the Executive Summary of
Teach For America: A Review of the Evidence
by J. V. Heilig and Su Jin Jez.
http://www.box.net/shared/xl8ep791k4


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The Board no longer amazes me with its failure to make decisions based on evidence because this has become a recurrent practice.

The abdication of duty on the part of the Board collectively and Directors individually to confront the Superintendent over her frequent deceptions continues and grows worse.

Many members of the Public will continue to seek "Recall" of Directors that so often fail to act in the best interests of the students in the Seattle Schools.

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Correction:
I referred to Helig's June 2010 Study as peer-reviewed. While it addresses peer-reviewed articles, the study "Teach For America: A Review of the Evidence" is NOT peer reviewed.