Newark Teacher Gives Thanks and Advice to Ravitch

"Here is my advice to teachers who are unfairly rated by the spurious method called 'value added assessment': Sue them."....Diane Ravitch: From One Teacher to Another: VAM is Junk Science

When your union cannot/will not back you up and in fact cooperates with the people looking to kill you, it makes fighting back for most people very difficult. Diane Ravitch never puts herself in a position to hold the unions accountable, while jumping at the chance to make Randi Weingarten look good when she utters a mere word that can be hung on to give the impression she is fighting. Like that big cheer when Randi said she would not take certain Gates money (but will take the rest.)

Here a Newark teacher has a small bone to pick with Diane's advice to sue.

Are you serious Diane Ravitch? As a Newark teacher, I am faced with the real possibility of a layoff. State Education Commissioner Chris Cerf left an equivalency request on the table for his successor David Hespe. State District Superintendent Cami Anderson has filed for a waiver to circumvent the laws and our contract pertaining to tenure and seniority protections in order to lay off one thousand teachers in the next three years. In addition to the upcoming layoff, TEACHNJ the tenure reform act provides for tenure revocation for teachers rated ineffective, or partially effective in two consecutive summative evaluations.

Will the Newark Teacher's Union (NTU) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) file a class action lawsuit on behalf of the cohort of laid off teachers for wrongful termination? Will another class action lawsuit be filed on behalf of teachers whose tenure has been revoked? If it weren't for the betrayal of AFT President Randi Weingarten, operating in collusion with the NTU in advocating for the "historic contract," Newark teachers most likely would not be in this perilous predicament.

Would I personally file a lawsuit for wrongful termination? If I were to lose my primary income stream, I would be overwhelmed by my financial obligations. I would be required to procure health insurance. Therefore, I would hardly be in a position to lay out thousands of dollars to retain an attorney to sue the State of New Jersey taking into consideration that my chances of prevailing would be slim.

I read your blog religiously Diane Ravitch and I am thankful to you for your prolific blogging. I am glad you switched to the minor leagues to serve as our umpire. I enjoy my new make-believe friends; Chris in Florida, Louisiana Purchase and NY teacher. I appreciate your national perspective. Please reconsider your legal advice.

A Newark Teacher