May 5, 2011 Consultation Agenda

HOUSTON FEDERATION OF TEACHERS

Please include the following to May 5, 2011 Instructional Consultation agenda:

1. Reduction In Force

The district needs to implement a new hire freeze in job duty codes where there are teachers whose positions have been eliminated for budgetary reasons. The freeze will remain in effect until such a time when everyone in that duty code is placed.

2. New Teacher Evaluation

HFT urges the district in the strongest possible way to delay the implementation of the new teacher evaluation. There is not nearly enough time to train everyone involved in the use of this new instrument. As of this moment there are still more questions than there are answers concerning how this evaluation system will be implemented. The lives of students and teachers will be negatively affected in ways we can only imagine if this system is implemented improperly. No industry would implement such a radical change in employee evaluation without first testing it in a pilot program. What is the hurry? This needs to be done, if at all next year, on a small scale where the problems can be identified and fixed.

3. Testing

This information should not be a surprise to anyone but must be pointed out. Standardized testing is eliminating six weeks of instruction in the high schools. Starting with mandatory SAT testing, TAKS, AP, LTF, EOC, senior finals, regular finals etc. instruction in most schools, if it can take place at all, is put on the back burner. How long can we continue to give up better than a month of instruction without paying a huge academic price? I have included a copy of the May testing Calendar from Carnegie Vanguard High School. Not because Carnegie is unusual, but because it is the school I am most familiar with. The only thing unusual about Carnegie is the fact that each student is enrolled in at least one AP course, most are enrolled in multiple AP courses, and a few are enrolled in as many as seven AP courses. When is there time to learn?

4. Contracts

We are well inside the 45 day notice of non-renewal. When will teachers receive their contracts?