Weingarten Condemns Firing of 241 D.C. Teachers
The announcement today that 241 District of Columbia public school teachers would be fired under the school system’s new evaluation process raises questions about Washington, D.C., School Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s “penchant for firing teachers rather than providing supports to develop their skills,” AFT President Randi Weingarten said. This brings to nearly 600 the number of district teachers Rhee has fired in just over a year.
Weingarten said:
Firing teachers en masse may sound to some like strong action is being taken, but in the absence of real professional supports and valid teacher evaluations systems, it simply perpetuates a destructive and failing strategy.
