The three biggest lies: 1. The check is in the mail. 2. Rahm didn’t know. 3. ESSA means teacher evaluations aren’t tied to student performance anymore.
Scratch #1. Do people write checks anymore? We aren’t exactly first adopters and we haven’t ordered new checks for years. Plus, I think there is one mail box within four-square miles of my house.
There once was one on the corner of Fullerton and Kedzie and one on Palmer Square. Now, I think there is just one by City Lit bookstore. And the post office on California.
The folks who work at the Logan Square post office are very pleasant, even if it takes twenty minutes waiting in line to buy stamps.
Why do I buy stamps? Habit.
So, no checks. No mail.
Two.
Rahm says he had nothing to do with the firing of Troy LaRaviere.
By the way, I said hi to Troy last night at The Hideout where CPS teacher Erika Wozniak and Joanna Klonsky (who The Chicago Reader proclaimed The Best Political Flack in Chicago) interviewed newly elected State Representative Theresa Mah. They are the bad-ass version of Ben Joravsky and Mick Dumke’s First Tuesday at the same location.
Troy was at The Hideout, but plenty of folks were at his former school expressing their anger about the whole process at a meeting with CPS officials.
Rahm didn’t know about the Laquan McDonald video. He didn’t know about Barbara Byrd-Bennett. Or fugitive City Conptroller Amer Ahmad.
If it were up to Rahm, we would change Chicago’s motto from Urbs in Horto to Et Ego Nescieban.
Three.
The NEA claims ESSA ends the practice of evaluating teachers based on measures of student performance.
Baloney.
In states like Illinois, where union leaders went along with Arne Duncan and pushed legislation, that link is now written in stone. It is the law. Nothing in ESSA undoes that.
Fred Klonsky 
Did he say he didn’t know about the video or he did not see the video? Subtle and hair splitting but important, at least to the political folk if no one else.
So teachers should not be evaluated on student performance? “Splain” Lucy!!
Clyde
Yes, Clyde. You are hair splitting. http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2015/12/03/is-rahm-lying-about-the-laquan-mcdonald-video
And let me explain, Desi. It is junk science to use one measurement tool designed for one purpose (putting aside for the moment whether these standardized tests are either reliable or valid) – the measure of student learning – and use that same measurement tool to measure something it was not designed or intended for: the quality of instruction and teaching. Those are two different things, since many other factors impact what and how well a student performs. Unless you use your meat thermometer to figure how fast your car is going. Now you might do that. But expect to get a speeding ticket.
Does my heart good seeing reliability and validity being referred to.
Ahhh, reliability and validity. Those pesky yet necessary test measurements. rahm doesn’t know about those either.
Two questions, Fred. My friend and I (both ret. CPS teachers trying to keep our pensions) would like to find those Troy t-shirts. Any idea how? Besides going to Blaine and hoping someone is outside selling them.
Second, sadly for me, could you translate et ego nesciebam. Never took Latin back in the day. Maybe I should google it?
Thanks, Fred.
I think Blaine parents did the t-shirts. Can’t help you there.
Et ego nesciebam, or as my Jewish grandparents would say, “Vas gevaust?” Who knew?
OK I did not know. Got it. Made me laugh.
Now, the t-shirts.
I didn’t realize I could become tri-lingual reading your blog! How great is that!