Death before truth: Political correctness in America

Renew America ^ | 10-08-10 | Paul A. Ibbetson

[1pitech]

So, is the L.A. Times the culprit in this story, or is it some really bad teaching? You won't hear any apologies from the teachers union United Teachers Los Angeles for Miramonte's poor teacher performance. Instead, they are demanding that the L.A. Times stop posting teacher evaluations. Without the now-controversial publication, educators such as Ruelas would still have been evaluated on the criteria of respect and likeability. Is this the yardstick of evaluation that is in the best interest of the students of Miramonte? It certainly would have been more politically correct.

[Dante3]

It was the teacher's decision to commit suicide.

This is not to defend the teacher or PC. I am just wondering how the evaluation was made. Was it by anonymous students with an agenda or by an objective supervisor? And on what criteria?

One of my professors was well organized, well prepared, and fair. Yet anonymous student evaluations were published that gave him low marks, claiming, among others, that he was unclear as to test dates - even though the dates were listed on the course outline and he announced them several times. Several of us students agreed that it was a dishonest hatched job. Something like that should not be allowed. Seems privacy laws would stop anonymous publishing of information about people who are not public figures.

[Pontiac]

Seems privacy laws would stop anonymous publishing of information about people who are not public figures.

Seems to me if you get a publicly funded paycheck your work place performance should be public record.

Unless it effects national security the public has a right to know the that their tax dollars are being spent wisely.

[Pontiac]

The Ruelas case brings the point home. Who is to blame for the death of Rigoberto Ruelas? If we take the example being modeled by the teachers union, it is not only the unfairness of the evaluation system that found Ruelas lacking as a teacher, but more so the audacity of the L.A. Times for reporting his deficiencies. Nowhere in the teachers union's politically correct assessment of this incident do we hear them talk about holding teachers accountable for their own actions.

I very much doubt that this teacher committed suicide only because the paper published an unflattering evaluation of his performance as a teacher.

No he had other reasons. Perhaps he was had a bipolar condition. But this is a teacher’s union taking advantage of a tragedy to combat accountability be finally thrust upon their members.

This opportunism clear and simple. Unions fight accountability at every turn. Accountability threatens their incompetent members.

[Dante3]

Yes, but not on basis of anonymous accusations.

[Dante3]

I read on the Internet professors being evaluated on how “hot” they are. I am not kidding. IRRC, it was U. of Alabama, but I cannot swear to it - it was several years ago.

[Eldon Tyrell]

I’m struggling with this one - which group has lower credibility - the LATimes or the Teachers’ Union?

Who gives a cookie what either one have to say. Put the data on the internet.

[Pontiac]

Yes, but not on basis of anonymous accusations.

Here is a link to the series of articles that the LA Times did on the teacher evaluations. Apparently the Times did their own analysis using government test score data.

LA TIMES: Grading the Teachers: Value-Added Analysis

[Skooz]

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