Reactions to Obama's call for immigration reform. Fixing California's teacher layoff process. Anthem Blue Cross plans premium rate hikes. Later, for improved classroom instruction, Stanley Fish says, DON'T rate my professors.
President Obama's call for immigration reform: Will Congress answer?
This morning President Obama called on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation. Although he asked the legislature in May to begin work on a bill this year, he gave no specific timeline in this morning’s speech. He did emphasize, however, that an immigration overhaul is dead in the water without GOP support. Will Republicans in Congress get behind the effort? Reps. Bilbray and Becerra join Larry to debate how—and when—immigration legislation should be tackled.
Guests:
Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-California’s 50th District, Chairman of the Immigration Reform Caucus
Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-California’s 31st District; Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus
Fixing California’s teacher layoff process
Low-performing schools are often staffed by newer teachers, and since layoffs in a school district are based on seniority, those newer teachers are usually the first to go. Under a bill introduced by California State Senator Darrell Steinberg, layoffs at the lowest-performing schools could not exceed the average percentage for their district. Proponents say this requirement would keep low-achieving schools from being adversely affected by layoffs, but teachers unions want to keep seniority rules, and Governor Schwarzenegger and LAUSD want to be able to lay off the least effective teachers. How should districts staff their schools?
Guest:
Darrell Steinberg, President Pro Tem of State Senate, California State Senator, 6th District. He is the sponsor of SB 1285
AJ Duffy, President, United Teachers Los Angeles
Anthem Blue Cross revives plans to hike rates
California’s largest for-profit health insurer, Anthem Blue Cross, announced yesterday a revised plan to increase rates an average of 14 percent and as much as 20 percent for its policyholders. This is two months after the agency discovered numerous mathematical errors in its initial rate plan, which called for an even larger 39 percent increase. Anthem argues that rate hikes are "necessary and unavoidable" while customers are outraged by the seemingly excessive increases, stating Anthem is focused on corporate, rather than patient, welfare. The Department of Insurance, headed by Steve Poizner, will closely review the new plan, but ultimately the department has no authority to block rate increases. Should Anthem Blue Cross be allowed to impose such steep rate hikes, and are they really called for?
Guests:
Daryl Ng, Spokesman for Steve Poizner, California Insurance Commissioner
Robert Zirkelbach, Press Secretary, America's Health Insurance Plans, a national trade association representing nearly 1,300 health insurance companies
Jamie Court, President, Consumer Watchdog
DON’T rate my professors: Do student evaluations improve—or impair—education?
Texas has developed a plan to implement student evaluations in public schools, allocating funding according to student satisfaction. But, students don’t consume education the way they do a hamburger, warns Stanley Fish in The New York Times. Teacher evaluations, he worries, only account for present satisfaction, but cannot possibly predict what a student will find valuable decades after a course’s completion. How much weight should be placed on students’ evaluations of their teachers? Will student-consumers incite snappier, more relevant instruction? Or will thought-provoking pedagogy fail to make the grade?
Guest:
Stanley Fish, columnist whose opinion piece appeared in The New York Times. He is a professor of law at Florida International University and the author of 11 books, most recently "Save the World On Your Own Time," on higher education