Crains New York - May 6, 2013 - (Page 10)

OPINION Reality check for teachers I n asking that teacher-accountability measures be suspended while public schools implement new academic standards, union leader Randi Weingarten last week used a business analogy to appeal to an audience of New York executives. Just as companies field-test new products, she said, teachers should get years to iron out wrinkles in the new standards without their job performance being judged. Memo to Ms. Weingarten: Don’t even go there. If public education were to operate like a business, Ms. Weingarten and her unionized teachers would never stand for it. Businesses don’t need two years of hearings and a team of attorneys to fire incompetent workers. Businesses don’t tolerate employees who disparage company policy and clash with supervisors. Businesses don’t pay nearly 100% of employees’ health care costs, give them half the calendar year off and guarantee them robust retirement benefits for life. Most of all, businesses don’t exempt workers from being accountable for their performance, even when rolling out products. For Ms. Weingarten to invoke business practices as she seeks open-ended amnesty reveals a profound disconnect from the realities of the private sector. But let’s set that aside for the moment and ask: Does it make sense to hold no one responsible for effective teaching during the transition to the new Common Core State Standards? Heck no. Ms. Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, need only ask her members whether students would try harder if there were no grades, and all CRAIN’S ONLINE POLL kids were guaranteed diplomas and high-paying jobs. “Love of learning” goes only so far with middle-schoolers. There have to be consequences for failure—for teachers, too. Common Core is strongly supported by teachers, who helped craft the new model. It moves away from rote memorization and toward critical thinking, problem-solving and working in teams—skills young people need to thrive in the fast-changing global economy. It’s a refreshing and overdue reform. But it is not rocket science. Indeed, it promises what teachers have long sought— the freedom to engage students in ways that captivate and inspire them.Teachers who can’t do that should be sent packing forthwith, not given years to see if they can figure it out.Those are years their students will never get back. The Bloomberg administration, to its credit, will still give extra attention to the 10% of schools and students who scored the lowest on the statewide tests given last month, even though the exams were revamped to reflect the new standards and not everyone knew what to expect. Any good business routinely addresses its low performers. That’s a memo Ms. Weingarten shouldn’t have missed. A union seeks to duck accountability on school reform COMMENTS Still time to kill trash plan newscom NO TO WASTE STATION WHAT EFFECT WILL NBA PLAYER JASON COLLINS’ COMING OUT AS GAY HAVE ON SPORTS? NOW THAT he has opened the door, expect other pro players across sports to come out. THE DOOR may be open a crack, but each sport, team and fan base is different. It will be years before gay athletes come out regularly. Date of poll: April 30 181 votes 48% 52% FOR THIS WEEK’S QUESTIONS: Go to www.crainsnewyork.com/poll to have your say. 10 | Crain’s New York Business | May 6, 2013 Your April 22 article “Upper East Side won’t hear defeat on waste-transfer station” missed the mark and ignored the effect tens of thousands of residents can have. Construction of the ill-advised waste station is far from a done deal. The city will have new leaders in January who can reverse the terrible decision to build a garbage dump that will become a stomping ground for up to 500 garbage trucks a day in a dense residential neighborhood. These dieselburning trucks emit carcinogenic soot, which causes premature death, asthma attacks and heart attacks, particularly among children and senior citizens. A new coalition, Pledge 2 Protect, made up of residents, organizations and businesses working to protect the health and safety of New Yorkers, will ensure the East 91st Street transfer station never comes to fruition. Major waste facilities do not belong in any residential neighborhood in the city. —kelly nimmoguenther President, Pledge 2 Protect PENSION FUNDS ARE OK The suggestion that New York City’s pension funds have “struggled during the tenure” of Comptroller John Liu (“John Liu cuts to the Chase,” April 15) is based on a considerable misreading of the data. Since Mr. Liu took office, the funds’ assets under management have increased by approximately $37 billion, to $137 billion. Over the past three fiscal years, their rate of return has averaged 13%. To compare our returns solely to those of the S&P 500 is misleading, as diversified portfolios that reduce volatility may underperform particular markets in any given year. Despite market difficulties in recent years, our funds have CRAIN’S NEW YORK BUSINESS editor in chief Rance Crain publisher, vp Jill R. Kaplan EDITORIAL editor Glenn Coleman managing editor Jeremy Smerd deputy managing editors Valerie Block, Erik Ipsen assistant managing editor Erik Engquist senior producer, news Elisabeth Butler Cordova news producer Amanda Fung contributing editor Elaine Pofeldt columnists Greg David, Alair Townsend crain’s health pulse editor Barbara Benson senior reporters Theresa Agovino, Aaron Elstein, Lisa Fickenscher, Matthew Flamm reporters Chris Bragg, Matt Chaban, Daniel Geiger, Andrew J. 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The quota is the issue, because it forces officers to find crime where there may not be any. Anyone who’s done sales knows the pressure to hit your minimums. Officers should focus on crime, not on making captains look good at Compstat. —officer’s wife CRAIN’S WELCOMES SUBMISSIONS to its opinion pages. Send letters to letters@crainsnewyork.com. Send op-eds of 475 words or fewer to opinion@crainsnewyork.com. Please include the writer’s name, company, address and telephone number. Entire contents ©copyright 2013 Crain Communications Inc. All rights reserved. ®CityBusiness is a registered trademark of MCP Inc., used under license agreement. CRAIN COMMUNICATIONS INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS chairman Keith E. Crain president Rance Crain treasurer Mary Kay Crain Cindi Crain executive vp, operations William Morrow senior vp, group publisher Gloria Scoby vp/production, manufacturing David Kamis chief information officer Paul Dalpiaz founder G.D. Crain Jr. (1885-1973) chairman Mrs. G.D. 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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crains New York - May 6, 2013

THE INSIDER
IN THE BOROUGHS
IN THE MARKETS
BUSINESS PEOPLE
REAL ESTATE DEALS
SMALL BUSINESS
OPINION
GREG DAVID
REPORT: DIVERSITY
THE LIST
CLASSIFIEDS
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
SOURCE LUNCH
OUT AND ABOUT
SNAPS

Crains New York - May 6, 2013