post strike

• Business community unhappy

• Pushed in a “get-tough” board

• Non-educator superintendant—Alan Bersin

– Former federal prosecutor

– Friend of Clinton and Gore

– SDEA not consulted

Post Strike

• Bersin given carte blanche

• Based on NYC District 2

• Invited Anthony Alvarado from NYC as chancellor for instruction

Supt. Bersin

• Balanced Literacy• All elem. teachers required to teach it for 3

hours/day• Balanced Literacy Coaches in each school • SDEA protested

Curriculum

• Added constructivist math– Double-periods in middle schools

• Secondary 2-3 period literacy blocks• Summer school• Longer days

Blueprint for Student Success in a Standards-Based System

• From administrative layoffs• Shifted Title I funds– Fired 600+ paras

• Gates, Hewlett, Carnegie, Broad

Funding

• Bersin disdained teacher buy-in• Command and control• “You don’t cross a chasm in

two leaps”• “Do it fast; Do it deep; Take no

prisoners”• “You’ve got to jolt a system.”

Top Down

• Arrogant, condescending, disrespectful, • Bullied by grade switching, evaluations• Forced jargon: “I am a reflective practitioner”• Teacher negativity did not soften over time• 90% of principals replaced• 1/3rd of the teachers left

Impact on StaffTeachers felt exhausted, stressedClimate of fear and suspicion

• Bersin threw Alvarado under the bus (’02)• Appease angry teachers• School board majority shifted• Bersin fired

Decline and Fall of Bersin

• Gains were modest– less than statewide ave.• High schools test results did not improve• Dropout rate increased

Academic Results

• In the buildings

• CBA not an obstacle to reform

• Connect with parents, neighborhood

• Fight layoffs with allies

• Focus on organizing, bargaining, enforcement

San Diego EA Today

SAN DIEGO EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

WEA STAFF PRESENTATION – JUNE 16, 2011

vs.

2006 2011

Key Factors Allowing For SDEA’s Involvement:• Built the capacity to organize in the community & have developed strong

relationships city-wide (Central Labor Council, Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice, Equality Alliance, SDOP, etc.).

• Elected “adequate” people to the School Board through grassroots campaigns

• Demanded and received “hands off our contract” agreement with partner organizations as pre-condition for our involvement

• The contract is NOT the problem so it won’t be even discussed as part of a solution

SAN DIEGO EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

WEA STAFF PRESENTATION – JUNE 16, 2011

Questions

IdeasSuggestions

Rebuttal