Category Archives: Education Policy

Thanksgiving

This is a wonderful time of year to focus on the positive rather than the negative.  Family, friends, good health, a warm home, and plentiful food are at the top of my list. For all of that, I’m thankful.

 

I’m also thankful to the legislators of Washington State who have seen fit to reward me for being an accomplished teacher.  Two of my sisters are teachers for our neighbor to the south. They have at various times asked me about National Board Certification and the support and rewards that come with the process. Sadly, in Oregon the only compensation for the arduous and expensive process is the personal, intrinsic satisfaction one receives from completing a difficult task. No wonder there were only 222 NBCTs in that state at the end of 2007, as opposed to 1801 in Washington. (See http://www.nbpts.org/resources/nbct_directory/nbcts_by_state) This certainly doesn’t mean that there aren’t thousands of accomplished teachers in Oregon.

 

My bonus this year contained an additional five thousand dollars, thanks to the insight and understanding of Washington legislators regarding how difficult it can be to work in a high needs school. For that, I am also thankful.

 

For so many years, teachers have felt underappreciated and undervalued. Washington State is striving to change that. I’m thankful to be living in a state where I feel valued for the time, energy, love, and passion I put in to my job.

School Funding: Is remediation what disadvantaged students are lacking?

Tide pool
I applaud the authors of this
funding proposal
, a group of legislators involved with the Joint Task Force on
Education Funding
, for acknowledging, “One of the most pernicious failings in education
is the divergence in educational attainment between children of modest means
and those with more money.” I’m just not sure that remediation is the answer.

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ProCert or ProCertifiable?

According to OSPI, “The Professional Certificate (ProCert) is designed to help teachers demonstrate they have a positive impact on student learning. It is an individualized, classroom-based process that focuses on increased skills to impact student learning rather than credits. ProCert expectations apply state-wide, focus on student learning, and emphasize closing the achievement gap and reaching student learning goals. It is fully aligned with Washington’s expectations for K-12 student learning. Through ProCert, teachers demonstrate their competency in the 3 standards of Professional Certification: Effective Teaching, Professional Development, and Professional Contributions.” http://www.k12.wa.us/certification/Teacher/procert-program.aspx

Beginning in 2001, new Washington teachers have had to complete the ProCert program (or National Boards) to be able to apply for continuing certificate. Isn’t a university-educated and trained teacher “professional” enough? Isn’t holding a Washington state certificate “certificated” enough?

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You Cannot Measure with Measure 60 (ORE)

Picture_2I do not usually have a newspaper in my house. I usually do not read the newspaper. However, on this cold, wet Sunday, I read the newspaper. You see, it was left there by a guest and I am glad they did. I was able to read about Measure 60 in Oregon. Not our state you say, well, it is only one state away from Washington, and not too many away from the others.

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Standards for ALL Beginning Teachers

Recently, there has been much written about teacher certification – and the different pathways that teachers can take to receive their initial (or advanced) certification.  Here in our own blog, National Board Certification has even been highlighted. So, it was with great interest that I began to follow the Washington State Professional Educators Standards Board’s (PESB) discussion about teacher certification, especially online teacher certification.

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