By Tom
We learned recently that Governor Gregoire decided to postpone Washington's application for the Federal Government's Race to the Top grants. The first round of applications is due in January. The second round is due in June. So the question is, what's the next move?
As I see it, there are two choices.
By Mark
I look with envy at my peers in the math department.
Sure, I know they have the same issues I have as an English teacher: kids who don't turn work in; hours of planning, prep, and grading to do; a state standardized test looming over our heads.
But, there's one thing they have that I really want.
You probably won't find many Algebra II students who cannot do basic work with monomials and reverse order of operations. In Geometry, the kids are all likely equally confounded at first by the mysteries of Pythagorus. In Algebra I, more often than not I think the kids at least have basic number sense.
Or, perhaps it is better put this way…
In that Algebra I class, there's probably not a kid sitting there running advanced differential equations through his head while everyone else solves for x. If that kid were spotted, you better believe that his teacher would bump him up to somewhere that he could be both more challenged and better served.
But in an English 9 class, just because their birthdays fell within a given year, a kid who can immediately spot the nuances in Scout's narration in To Kill a Mockingbird and by the end articulate how the novel is a coming-of-age tale about the collapse of childhood illusions is sitting next to a kid who still thinks Scout is a boy and Atticus is African-American.
by Brian
Back in September I wrote a post called How Much Math Does a Man Need? I questioned the wisdom of requiring every student to take and pass Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra 2 in order to graduate from high school, beginning with this year's freshmen. Today state superintendent Randy Dorn wrote a guest editorial in the Seattle Times, and posted on OSPI's website his proposal for changing the math and science graduation requirements. He proposes using a two tiered model, already in use in Massachusetts, to provide students in Washington the opportunity to graduate with either a ranking of "proficient" or "basic" math skills. Proficient will be the goal for all students, but under this proposal the student with basic skills will continue to take additional math courses, and still be able to graduate.
I think the superintendent has taken a huge step toward setting the bar for high school graduation at a realistic level. For far too long we have been telling too many students that they were below standard in math, when the problem was not their skill level, but how hard the WASL was. We were giving the same test to students in Algebra 2 and Pre-Algebra. It didn't matter what course they were taking; they all got the same WASL. Now they will take end-of-course exams over the math they have just learned, and they will be judged to be at a proficient or basic level. That seems a lot more fair.
I'm still not convinced that everyone needs to take Geometry, but this would be a vast improvement. (And thank goodness Algebra 2 has disappeared from the required list).
I applaud the Superintendent's honest and realistic recommendations, and I hope the Legislature will consider them carefully.
By Tom
A recent story brought my attention to a brand new issue. Teachers are now selling their lesson plans to each other on-line. Some of them are making some pretty good money at it, including an English teacher from California, who brought in an extra $36,000 by selling his plans.
It's an interesting story, to which I have several reactions:
By Guest Blogger Sarah
The NBCT Policy Symposium is behind us, (whew), but now the real work begins (isn’t that how it always is…just when you think you are done, there is more to do, it is just like my laundry situation). The Symposium was an opportunity for 100 NBCTs from around Washington to become educated about the policy decisions that will be made regarding how to best implement ESHB 2261. It was a big, big deal and honestly, it was big, big day. The day before the Symposium, I, along with 20 other NBCT teachers, had a discussion with Governor Gregoire, Governor Wise (former Gov of West Virginia and now chair of National Board) & Superintendent Dorn. This provided an opportunity to speak to decision makers about the possibility of NBCT’s voices being a part of education reform in Washington State. Each of these leaders listened closely and respectfully to each of us and challenged us to become leaders beyond our classrooms, our schools and our districts.
What really sticks with me is Governor Gregoire saying that Legislators need teacher mentors to educate them about the important issues of education. What a terrific idea. But honestly, I think a lot about the barriers and not always about the possibilities and I need to get over that. I think about people’s lives already being full with teaching, parenting, trying to eat right and get enough sleep – being a “Legislative Mentor” is probably the furthest thing from our minds, realistically, but I wonder- would the efforts put in now make a difference down the road? Would becoming legislatively active and aware and influential, create a school system in Washington state that would ensure our students were prepared for the world they are going to, and maybe even lighten our day to day load by having smart, teacher influenced, educational policy?
by Luann
A few years back, some colleagues and I previewed a new way to look at student work with my colleagues. I learned more, brought the practice into my classroom, and saw significant, steady growth in my students approach to learning and study habits. We all learned more, I was given the opportunity to offer this as professional development in my district. Those of us who worked together to implement this practice in our classrooms and departments saw student gains in achievement and engagement. Those of us who made honest use of this practice did, anyway…….but not any more. Why not?
by Brian
I love my job, but I really hate having to eat lunch in thirty minutes. It must be nice to be able to meet friends away from work and sit down for a leisurely hour. But 30 minutes for lunch is just a synecdoche for the larger problem: the traditional 6 period day used in most of our high schools. It's not only hectic, it's inefficient. Think of the organizational skills that our students must have to keep track of 6 different subjects every day. And with 125 to 150 students per day, even if I had common planning time with my colleagues in the math department, which I don't, how could I collaborate with them when my time is devoured by my own classroom responsibilities. The schedule creates isolation, even for brand new teachers who would benefit the most from collaboration. So why do we keep using it? And what does it have to do with teacher quality?
By Tracey
Maybe having a parent around all the time won't help you in school. Yesterday's NY Times article, Parent's Unemployment Stress Trickles Down to the Children suggests that it won't, especially when they're feeling stress about being unemployed. I was struck by this statistic which came from a research study from the University of California, Davis. Fifteen percent of children whose parents lose their job are more likely to repeat a grade. This is among children of parents with a high school degree. Another study mentioned in the article reported that the children of single mothers who were unemployed were more likely to drop out of school. With the unemployment rate at 9.3% in Washington (Sept. 09), this impacts all of us.
I teach both honors and standard language arts. For some time now I've been struggling with the concept of what makes an "honors" kid honors? What makes a "regular" kid regular?
It's certainly not intelligence. With the exception of some of my regular students who eat so poorly they're kind of out of it, I would say my regular kids are as intelligent if not more so than my honors students. My honors students are just better educated and more sophisticated. It's not simply academic skill, since some of my honors students write like third graders and aren't strong readers. It's not motivation, because some of my regular kids get to school despite tremendous obstacles, and some of my honors students do the bare minimum. Two months ago I started to wonder would happen if I persuaded the counseling office to turn my regular class into an honors class. Labels matter. An honors class is like riding in the first class carriage of the train. Being there gives you status. Being seen stepping off gives you status, and that feels good. Am I capable of teaching well enough that my regular kids could succeed in an honors class? I decided to give it a try.
By Tom
Mrs. Rooney was my third grade teacher. We spent all day with her, from September through June. She was tough, smart and observant. She knew me well, and was able to tell my parents about all the wonderful things I would accomplish once I began to "apply myself."
Today I teach third grade, and my students endure the entire day with me. I teach language arts, math, science and social studies. And sometimes art.
I'm what's called a "generalist." I have no specialty. I'm supposed to be as good a math teacher as I am a writing teacher. The prevailing wisdom in this country is that children in the younger grades benefit from the stability and constancy of a single teacher who teaches every subject. The prevailing wisdom also holds that once a student enters seventh grade or so, the benefits of having a subject-area specialist outweigh the benefits of having the same teacher all day long.
But that wisdom is being challenged. In fact, up to 20% of our nation's grade school students, some as young as six, are moving from room to room, just like their high school brothers and sisters, taking their classes from specialists.
Why?