The time was coming... I'm not currently in the classroom, and although I created this site to keep my hand in education, I'm finding that my time could be better spent other places. I love teaching, and blogging about tips and resources has been fun, but I'm focusing more heavily on my health right now. Feel free to join me at Juicy Alligator. I will leave this site up till my domain name expires next year--I know that there are some great tip sheets and other resources here... You can still contact me through the "contact us" page. Take care!
In the meantime--check out some of the best on Entrecard... Below is another great site to check out!
El Milagro, one of my favorite blogs, had included this video with a recent post. It is a powerful video that could be used in the classroom in a variety of ways--it is also a personal reminder of the truths that we hold dear...
"Too often we excuse those who are willing to build their own lives on the shattered dreams of other human beings..."
Couldn't resist... I had to take a peek at the Eduwonkette blog today, even though she's not on my typical list to read--and she's still stirring it up with her readers. Here are the questions she's posed:
"1) Will eliminating tenure increase the quality of teachers in DCPS? Where will this fleet of new exceptional teachers come from? Do principals have incentives to keep the best teachers? Will principals nix “bad” teachers, or will teachers who are outspoken take the fall, too? Might it not be prudent to make investments in improving the teachers that we have, rather than just replacing them in large numbers?"
I like her spirit here, but let's get real for a moment. Principals have to show success, too--they aren't going to randomly fire teachers just because they are "outspoken" or they don't like them... And as for improving teachers that we have, Michelle Rhee's plan allows for teachers to make improvements--If a teacher can't get the swing of it in a year or two, maybe education isn't the right career--I'm all for teacher training, but charity cases is another thing altogether. Money is tight; teacher training costs money. If a teacher is going to suck the budget because he or she is not qualified, shouldn't a principal be allowed to make a decision that supports the learning taking place in his or her school?
"2) What are the implications of arbitrary firing for the teaching profession overall? As John Thomspon wrote, “It does not take many arbitrary decisions to destroy a career before you poison the entire well of teaching talent. Would you commit to a career and buying a house etc. if you had a 2 or 3 or 5% chance per year to run afoul of someone who could destroy your career?”
Well, like I said, there isn't much pay off in arbitrarily firing teachers. Look at the press Dr. Siebens has instigated--I would think that principals would make decisions about their staffs that would be well thought out--Arbitrary? Maybe unpopular in some cases, but its doubtful that masses of teachers will be fired unjustly.
3) What do we learn from examples like Art Siebens? Is his experience reason enough to abandon the idea of eliminating tenure? How many mistakes are too many? And what kind of appeals system should be in place?
My response is that Dr. Sieben's experience is not enough to abandon the idea of eliminating tenure. Dr. Siebens might not be teaching at the school of his choice, but he does have a job, doesn't he? I'm still a bit confused as to why there isn't more discussion about the students that are falling through the cracks because of poor performing teachers left in the system because of "tenure." The greater good people! It's about kids--it's about creating a system that works for kids--not just the adults that collect a pay check. Teaching is about guarantees, it's about educating your students... If a teacher isn't doing his or her job, her or she should be let go. And if in the process a few, and it is my predictions that there would be very few instances similar to this one, are transferred or let go, I'm gonna side with the kids.
Hello? The system is broken. D.C. schools are a mess. If they keep doing what they've always done, they'll keep getting the same result--which is evidence enough for me to vote for Plan B.
So D.C. and Michelle Rhee continue to get quite a bit of blogging press. Today, I happened upon Eduwonkette's blog post titled, "In the name of reform?" where she pokes at Rhee's Plan B.
"Yet right under Michelle Rhee’s nose, her own theory of action – that principals will always pick the “best teachers” – has been tested by the case of Dr. Art Siebens. Few things manage to keep this groggy, dissertating kid awake once my head’s hit the pillow. But the case of Siebens, a biology teacher at Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington, DC for the last 18 years who was not rehired when the school reconstituted 20% of its staff last spring, is haunting for the glimpse it offers into the brave new world of unchecked principal autonomy."
Now, again, I haven't worked in D.C. schools, nor do I plan to, but I think Rhee is being unfairly criticized. Look, first off, this Dr. Siebens probably is an outstanding teacher, but I don't think all the facts are being presented here. Who was the principal that dismissed him? Was it an acting principal, or as one reader suggests, was a central office decision based on needs of the school as a whole?
"Haunting?" I'm not sure if giving principals autonomy in designing and managing their own staffs should be considered haunting. Is the idea that Dr. Siebans losing his position disheartening? Yes, but if he's as good an educator as he's being described, he'll land on his feet.
Principals should have the ability to put together a staff that meets the needs of the community in which they serve. When principals' hands are tied, yet they continue to be held accountable to legislation like NCLB--that's more like "haunting" to me.
As near as I can see, Rhee is trying to pull the education system in D.C. out of the gutter. I'd like to ask where the stories are that name the students that have been poorly served by under performing schools. Where are the blog posts pointing to the names of kids that are sitting in high school classes that can't read? Now, that's haunting! And what's the solution? Keep on protecting the teachers that aren't pulling their weight?
I understand that this man was well-liked and was considered a consummate professional, and if it were me that was losing my job, I'd be pissed off, too. But we need to look at the greater good here.
How does Eduwonkette suggest D.C improve learning in these failing schools when clearly principals are burdened by apathetic teachers taking up staffing slots; they have been nearly impossible to get rid of before Rhee's Plan B.
There are some naughty words, but the message is great!
Thomas Petra just launched a website titled Real World Math. I poked around on it a little and was impressed. He has some pretty cool ideas!
"This website is designed for educators who wish to extend the concepts of the math curriculum beyond the pages of the text. Google Earth is the dynamic tool that will be used to accomplish this. Within this site you will find lesson ideas, examples, and downloads for mathematics that embrace active learning, constructivism, and project-based learning while remaining true to the standards. The initial focus will be for grades 5 and up, but teachers of younger students may be able to find some uses or inspiration from the site. The scope of this site is mathematics, but many lessons lend themselves to interdisciplinary activities also."
Right off the bat a lesson on U-boats from WWII caught my eye. It's true that many of the lessons here can be used with more topics than math.
If you're not a math teacher, check out the lessons under "project-based learning" first. Looks great Thomas--thanks for the heads up on Classroom 2.0!
I stumbled across three posts by Doug Noon on the NY Times feature Lesson Plans. If you have a chance, take a look--or you can check out Doug Noon's site, Borderland. I was intrigued by the press he's receiving by bloggers like Russo, so I took a peek.
I was surprised by some of the comments, I should clarify that, by one of the comments left for him, so I decided to quote it here...
"Call me old-fashioned, but it really troubles me that this phrase, “Me and him sat and talked about Spore…” was not jointly corrected by teacher and pupil before posting on the web. It’s a correction that’s easy to teach. Simply ask the writer how he would put it if the other person’s name were not there — “Me sat and talked”??? In general I found the blogs boring and trivial. Are the pupils not encouraged to give their notes some focus — to share the interesting things they learned (in this instance about the ecology of the place they visited)? A mere recitation of “We got on a bus. I sat with …. It was cold… ” is hardly worth writing, much less posting for the whole world to see. Most sixth graders can learn to write more interesting observations than this. — Mary Sears"
Old fashioned? I have another word for it... Cover your ears grandma! I guess she's missed the point. What is she getting out of ranking on a clearly gifted teacher and 6th grade students? Should they not start somewhere? And Ms. Sears is not likely the audience for these young writers, so why is it she thinks that she should be titillated by their work in the first place? I think that Noon and his students should be celebrated for their accomplishments thus far. To learn to write well is to do. Noon is instilling in his students an appreciation for the written word. Syntax and usage will come with time... While Noon is engaging his student writers, he is also exposing them to 21st century literacy skills--priceless. Thank you Doug Noon for all you do for kids!
Rhee Bypasses Talks, Imposes Dismissal Plan Some Teachers Will Go on 90-Day Review by Bill Turque Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, October 3, 2008
If you've been following my blog, you know that I'm following the actions of D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee. What a renegade! So yesterday, her threat to bypass the labor negotiations rang true as she put her own measure into effect. Rhee gives teachers that are performing poorly 90 days to shape up or get shipped out. She has even budgeted for "helpers" to keep principals on track as they move through the process of letting teachers go. Go figure... Well, she did warn D.C. schools that she meant business. I'm impressed. I mean, I'm not working in D.C., so I might feel differently if I was... And come to think of it, if I was a teacher in D.C., I'd probably be pretty peeved.
The union is standing firm, citing it's need to ensure due process protections for its teachers. But the problem is that Rhee's initial proposal, one that nets teachers a pretty hefty salary boost, has never come to a vote. Now, I've said this before, but I'd gladly be willing to put my practice up for inspection year-over-year if it meant that I was going to double my salary. Reality check--Rhee can't fire everyone, not even a fraction of the teachers teaching in D.C., and still keep the schools working. The ones that are ripe for pickin' are the teachers that are not doing their jobs--plain and simple. My opinion is that it really shouldn't be as difficult as it is to let a teacher go that isn't performing.
I have known some apathetic teachers, and frankly, I wouldn't let my daughter in some of their classes. I've witnessed teachers yelling at kids, calling them names, losing their cool--I've watched as teachers have put video after video in each day as kids come to class to learn.
I agree that there should be certain measures in place to help teachers that need it, but we shouldn't treat them as charity cases. Half of our state budget goes to education--we should demand the best we can get for our children.
Whew! Regardless of my weigh in, there are two sides to this coin--I can't wait to see what happens next! :)
Teachers to Be Measured Based on Students’ Standardized Test Scores By JENNIFER MEDINA Published: October 1, 2008 www.nytimes.com
"New York City is beginning to measure the performance of thousands of elementary and middle school teachers based on how much their students improve on annual state math and reading tests."
It does stand to reason, as we become a nation obsessed with testing, tracking teachers and their students' test scores will follow.
"To avoid a contentious fight with the teachers’ union, the New York City Department of Education has agreed not to make public the reports... nor let them influence formal job evaluations, pay and promotions."
That's a relief! Likely, as administrators gain more power to let poor performing teachers go--as in Michelle Rhee's plan B--administrators will have a harder time looking past teachers that have below average test scores.
I know that the district that I worked in followed teachers testing scores--which seems natural. Administrators want to know how effective their teachers are--it's a measure of success.
One problem that I had with the process in the state that I taught in is that the state does not let the teachers, school or district see the actual tests that the students have taken. The school scores are public record, but teachers and students can't question the results--that is unless it is the 10th grade exam that determines graduation.
It seems to me that teachers need to see how students performed on the test if they are to make informed decisions about how to change their practice. It has also always bothered me that the scoring process is off site, and that teachers that I know are not as qualified as I am are scoring the exams that my students have taken. (Even so, there have been few test scores that I have questioned).
But if states are going to start to evaluate teachers based on their scores, they should be prepared for the backlash that will occur when students don't perform as their teachers expected. I'm sure you've had the experience of a student that you knew was going to do well on a state test that ended up barely squeaking by, or possibly didn't pass at all. Testing methodology, relevance, and assessment protocol will surely come into question.
I've been tracking my scores for 9 years; in 2006/2007 every one of my student passed the reading and writing exam. This past year, only one student did not pass the reading exam--you'd better bet that if my evaluation was on the line I'd want to see that test and know why the student didn't pass! If merit pay is attached to test scores, as it looks like is in our future, things could get worse... Interesting stuff; teachers should be paying close attention.
Every once in awhile, I go back and check out what's new on some of my favorite sites. 21st Century Schools has some new curriculum units for the fall. They are project-based, and if they're not quite right, one of them is sure to inspire.
21st Century Schools' website is a great resource--if you want to break in to the consulting business, or if you're already consulting and want to broaden your reach, they are calling for more applications. I like this site because it reinforces what I know to be true about education in the 21st century. It looks like they are starting a new blog on their site, with contributing bloggers like Scott McLeod. If you get a minute, check it out!
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