By Kristin

We're all trying to come to terms with the fact a young man shot his way through locked doors and used tiny bodies for target practice.  My mind goes so far, and then stops.

And I try, like any person, to think of possible ways to prevent this from happening.  I think of ways we can improve mental health care, ways we can entertain young people without letting them think killing is thrilling, and ways we can keep weapons whose only purpose is killing large numbers of human beings out of the hands of the untrained, the unfeeling, and the disconnected.  I try to think of ways to protect my own 6-year old first grader, whose body, when I look at it, doesn't seem to have enough real estate to sustain eleven bullets from an assault rifle.

But the solution proposed by the NRA, to put armed guards at schools, is the absolute worst solution I've heard of.

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By Tom White

There’s a family at our school from the Ukraine. Each
morning, the mom walks her five kids to our school, drops off the two oldest
children at the flagpole and then walks back home with the three youngest. But
before she leaves, she swings past my classroom to check on Alex. She looks
through the window, catches his eye, and smiles. Then she waves to me and
repeats the same procedure outside her other son’s room. She wants to make
sure they made it safely into their classrooms. Later, when school’s over, she
waits for her two oldest kids at the flagpole, and she smiles at me when she
sees Alex. And I smile back.

The Ukrainian mom does not sign permission slips for her
sons to go on field trips. She’s not comfortable with the idea of letting them
leave the school, so she usually keeps them home on those days.

Last week, while I was collecting permission slips for an
upcoming field trip, Alex asked to spend the day in his older brother’s
classroom so that he wouldn’t have to stay home. I spoke with the other teacher
to make the arrangements and we talked briefly about the family. We agreed that
the Ukrainian mom was “over-protective.”

That’s right. We derisively called this wonderful mom “over-protective.”

This one got to me more than the others. Maybe it was the
proximity to Christmas. Or maybe it was the age of the victims.

Or maybe this time we have to face the fact that we’re
entirely unable to protect our most innocent and our most vulnerable from our
most evil. And their weapons.

Like you, I’m supposed to go back to school tomorrow and
talk to my students. I’m supposed to make them feel safe. I’m sure I’ll think
of something. And we’ll get through the day, and then the week and then the
year.

But I’ll tell you this: I have no idea what to say to the
over-protective Ukrainian mom when I see her at the flagpole.

I’m not even sure I’ll be able to look her in the eye.

By Tom White

The American Federation of Teachers (the other teachers’
union) recently came out with a
proposal to have the National Board develop a pre-service evaluation for
teachers. They believe that by testing prospective teachers before they enter
the classroom, we can elevate the level of our nation’s teachers and thus
improve student learning. For obvious
reasons, the National Board (and by proxy, Pearson, Inc.) would
be more than happy to develop – and sell – another pre-service evaluation. And
they would probably do a pretty good job of it. For their part, the AFT wants
this new test to “raise the bar,” giving induction into education the same
status and complexity as induction into law. I disagree.

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By Kristin

Seattle has rolled out "Student Growth Ratings." Some teachers are devastated, some confused, and the vast majority are unaffected.  Next year all 4-8 reading / math teachers and all 9th grade algebra teachers will receive SGRs. These teachers are called, "Teachers of Tested Subjects."  Despite the HSPE being THE big test students need to pass before graduation, 10th grade LA/Math teachers are not considered "Teachers of Tested Subjects." Last week some teachers were told they had "low," "typical," or "high" student growth. Watch this overview video if you are curious.

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By Tom White

According to a recent
report by the Strategic Data Project out of Harvard University, National
Board Certified Teachers make an enormous impact on their students. To wit: “On
average, NBCTs outperform other teachers with the same levels of experience by
0.07 standard deviations in elementary math.” While that might mean something
to you, I was not the “numbers guy” in my family. That would be my brother
Steve. Fortunately, the Strategic Data Project saw me coming and offered
this translation: “These effects are roughly equivalent to two months of
additional math instruction.”

If that’s true – and I have no reason to doubt Harvard
University – that means that the State of Washington is getting an enormous
bargain. Let me try to explain:

First we have to accept elementary math data as a proxy for
general teaching effectiveness. We also have to assume that the data can be
generalized from Los Angeles, where the study was conducted, to Washington,
which is where I live. I see no reason why we can’t accept either premise. So
we can presume that NBCTs in Washington are having a positive effect equivalent
to two additional months of instruction. Two months of instruction is roughly
20 percent of the school year, which means that NBCTs are 20 percent more
effective than their non-NBCT colleagues.

The average teacher’s salary in Washington is about $50,000.
Let’s assume for now that compensation is provided as an exchange for the
effect teachers have on their students. If NBCTs have a twenty percent greater
effect on students than non-NBCTs, it stands to reason that NBCTs are worth twenty percent more. If I’m not
mistaken, twenty percent of $50,000 is $10,000. Therefore, in a perfect world,
NBCTs should be earning $10,000 more.

They aren’t. In Washington State, NBCTs receive an annual
stipend of $5,090. There are currently 6,173 NBCTs in our state. Paying them each
a bonus costs us a little over $31 million. Obviously, that’s not nothing, but apparently
it’s only half of what they’re worth. Washington State is getting more than its
money’s worth. Twice as much.

That’s what I call a bargain. And it’s something worth
remembering as the legislative season heats up and lawmakers are looking for
stuff to cut.