VOL. 38, NO. 4 | WINTER 2014–2015 www.aft.org /ae Restoring Albert Shanker’s Original Vision for Charter Schools PAGE 4 14 19 24 32 37 Addressing the High-Stakes Asking for Help Librarians as Children’s Teaching Gap Testing in Class Teachers Literature WHERE WE STAND SEASON’S READINGS! Give the gift of reading this holiday season and register with First Book at www.rstbook.org/AFT. If you teach, work, or volunteer in a school or community program that has at least 70 percent of its kids living in poverty, register today and choose from thousands of new, high-quality books, school supplies, and more for 50–90 percent o retail prices! Together, we can help to reclaim the promise of public education by giving the gift of reading. Share My Lesson is now oering an expanded collection of early childhood education resources! These FREE instructional materials will help preschool teachers, parents, child care providers, and school support sta address the instructional needs of toddler to pre-K learners. Find resources from early childhood educators as well as content from these great contributors: • Sesame Street • Colorín Colorado • Hispanic • Storyline Online Information and • WonderGrove Learn Telecommunications Network Early Learning • Professor Garfield Collaborative Foundation www.sharemylesson.com/EarlyChildhood WHERE WE STAND Worth Fighting For RANDI WEINGARTEN, AFT President FROM CONNECTICUT TO ALASKA, we endorsed would get them there. ey anti-union, free-market ideologues and Florida to Pennsylvania, our union en- didn’t see that the candidates we sup- oligarchs. And they will do everything in gaged in the midterm elections big-time. ported were the ones who are in it “for the their power to take us out, dismantle our I was proud to stand with our members as nurse on her second shift, for the worker infrastructure, divide us from the commu- we knocked on doors, made calls, talked on the line, for the waitress on her feet, nity, and consolidate their power. to our friends and neighbors, and cast our for the small-business owner, the farmer, We are going to face some real attacks ballots on behalf of our schools, our kids, the teacher, the coal miner, the trucker, and challenges, but we can’t just go into our families, and our communities. the soldier, the veteran,” as Hillary Clinton defensive mode. We faced a lot of these As the results came in on Nov. 4, we famously said in 2008. attacks in 2010, but we didn’t hunker watched as many of the candidates we It’s critical to remember that, in these worked for lost. It was hard to see but, elections, not everything was washed upon reection, not hard to understand. away. In fact, in places where voters were National elections inevitably turn on given the chance to weigh in directly on the choices voters make between the their values, they resoundingly sent a We must engage more of economy and national security, between message that they are on the side of work- our members—because our hope and fear. This one turned on the ing families and public education. Alaska, economy, particularly people’s fear and Arkansas, Illinois, Nebraska, and South members are the union. uncertainty about their future. Despite Dakota increased the minimum wage. the fact there’s been 54 months of pri- Massachusetts granted workers paid sick vate sector job growth, median family leave. Missouri rejected an initiative that income has fallen during the Obama would have abolished due process for down; instead, we were solution-driven presidency, just as it did during both teachers. and community-engaged, and we be- Bush presidencies and the Carter presi- In California, voters re-elected State came a stronger union. dency. As New York Times columnist Superintendent of Public Instruction We need to think about everything we David Leonhardt said: “When incomes, Tom Torlakson over a candidate backed do through the lens of whether it’s good the most tangible manifestation of the heavily by Wall Street interests intent on for kids, schools, working families, and economy for most families, aren’t rising gutting teachers’ union rights and worker our communities. And our job is to keep … Americans don’t feel good about the protections. In Pennsylvania, anti-educa- communities and voters with us on the state of the country. When they don’t tion and union-busting Gov. Tom Corbett values, issues, and solutions we share. feel good about the country, they don’t lost badly after battling a multiyear com- We must be solution-driven, by being feel good about the president, and they munity groundswell resisting his attempts willing to solve problems, to innovate tend to punish his party.” to destroy the state’s public schools. to make things better, to nd common According to exit polls, 63 percent of Poll after poll has shown us that people ground when possible, and to engage voters believe that our economic system actually want public schools. People actu- in conict when necessary. We must generally favors the wealthy, yet virtually ally love their teachers. People believe connect with our community and make the same percentage voted with the party that a strong public education system community our new density. And we that is known to represent the interests lls an essential role as an anchor of must engage more of our members— of the wealthy. ose exit polls also democracy, a propeller of our economy, because our members are the union. showed that people want more public and the vehicle through which we help all e next few years won’t be easy. If school funding and a higher minimum children achieve their dreams. there’s one thing we know, it’s that power wage, yet they voted for candidates that But we face a new reality where right- never yields without a ght. To change the oppose those things—out of frustration wing, anti-worker interests won big, and balance of power, we must ght harder or a desire for change, or because they felt their No. 1 target will be unions. We know and smarter, and stand together. the Democrats didn’t have a compelling their playbook. We know that even though We will never stop ghting to reclaim economic message or solutions. the labor movement doesn’t have the the promise of an America where, if you While voters want an economy that density or power by ourselves to change work hard and play by the rules, you can works for everyone and not just the the trajectory of our economy, we are still support your family and ensure that your wealthy few, in many of the highly con- the rewall that thwarts complete control children will do better. I think we can all tested races they didn’t believe that those of our economy and democracy by the agree that is a promise worth ghting for. AMERICAN EDUCATOR | WINTER 2014–2015 1 Download this issue for free at www.aft.org/ae. VOL. 38, NO. 4 | WINTER 2014–2015 www.aft.org /ae OUR MISSION e American Federation of Teachers is a union of professionals that champions 4 Restoring Shanker’s Vision fairness; democracy; economic for Charter Schools opportunity; and high-quality public education, healthcare and public B R D. K H P services for our students, their families Initially conceived to enable teacher innovation in and our communities. We are committed educating students from diverse backgrounds, to advancing these principles through many charter schools today are a far cry from this community engagement, organizing, vision. ey reduce teacher voice and further collective bargaining and political segregation. Because research shows that students activism, and especially through the work have a greater chance of building knowledge and our members do. skills in schools that empower teachers and RANDI WEINGARTEN integrate students, charters have the potential to President promote student success, if redirected toward their LORRETTA JOHNSON original intention. Secretary-Treasurer MARY CATHRYN RICKER Executive Vice President 6 Why Teacher Voice Matters AMY M. HIGHTOWER Editor JENNIFER DUBIN 14 Want to Close the teachers compared with students Managing Editor Achievement Gap? from lower-class families, educa- MIKE ROSE Close the Teaching Gap tors can take steps to ensure that Contributing Writer all students receive support in JANE FELLER B L D-H SEAN LISHANSKY managing challenges at school. Copyeditors An international survey nds that LAWRENCE W. MCMAHON compared with their counterparts 28 Studying the Ways Students Editorial Assistant around the world, U.S. educators JENNIFER CHANG Get Help with Classwork Production Manager teach in higher-poverty schools, B S D. S MICHELLE FURMAN receive less feedback and support, Graphic Designer have larger class sizes, and spend JENNIFER BERNEY more time in the classroom. 32 Beyond the Stacks Production Coordinator AMERICAN EDUCATOR (ISSN 0148-432X, USPS 008-462) How Librarians Support is published quarterly by the American Federation of 19 The Professional Educator Students and Schools Teachers, 555 New Jersey Ave. NW, Washington, DC B J F 20001-2079. Phone: 202-879-4400. www.aft.org Pushing Back Against High Stakes Letters to the editor may be sent to the address above for Students with Disabilities or to [email protected]. An elementary school librarian B B T AMERICAN EDUCATOR cannot assume responsibility for shares how she collaborates with unsolicited manuscripts. A special education teacher classroom teachers, provides Please allow a minimum of four weeks for copyright discusses New York state’s toxic resources for special projects, permission requests. Signed articles do not necessarily represent the testing environment and explains and helps students directly. viewpoints or policies of the AFT.