Open Thread Tuesday
What's on your mind?
Tuesday Open Thread
The speaker list is up for the Board meeting tomorrow; not as packed as I thought with just four people on the waitlist. The majority of the speakers are speaking on high school boundaries (with several wanting to talk about Ballard High). There are only three of us speaking about the Green Dot resolution asking the City to not grant the zoning departures that Green Dot has requested. It's me, long-time watchdog, Chris Jackins, and the head of the Washington State Charter Schools Association, Patrick D'Amelio. (I knew Mr. D'Amelio when he headed the Alliance for Education and Big Brothers and Big Sisters; he's a stand-up guy.)
Comments
There are three proposed bills that the legislators are reviewing regarding teacher evaluation based on test scores.
I asked parents around the country their opinion on this evaluation system, parents who have gone through it and they have much of value to say.
Check it out at seattleducation2010.wordpress.com
I still can't get the htmnl to work on this site!
Dora
Title: "UW Admissions and Failing K-12 Education"
The school year would be a harder call for me. The long break gives older kids a chance to get a job, visit a different part of the world, or do some all-day enrichment class. On the other hand, I would like summer school to be available for those kids who can't do those things.
SPS MOM of 2
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/23/education/
in-obamas-race-to-the-top-work-and-
expense-lie-with-states.html?
pagewanted=1&hpw
MagMom, at our tradtional ES, June is full of fieldtrips, parties, field day, and assemblies. Learning pretty much ends at the end of May. In our Es, the math/LAs are taught in the AM, science kits- when they do them, in the afternoon. The rest of the day filled in with PE, recess/lunch, /music/art/
libarary/free time. So at least for our school, school year is pretty longe enough. Hate the 1/2 days though as they screw up child care.
What I would like to see more of are integrated projects like hands on project for some math/science and LA units that allow more creativity and active learning. Not sure how this fly with standardization and pacing and veering off EDM and science kits. But some of that can fill up the afternoon with play writing and acting them out or building a structure using bits of geometry and science.
MS has set schedule. Kids have much more HW and sports stuff. In our house, we don't want a longer MS day, unless it's a free period to do HW and get academic help. Lunch could be a bit longer due to long lines to buy and then not enough time to eat and unwind.
Also, this may sound a bit weird, but we are start to think smaller class size < 28, is better for MS kids (just like K-1). They are learning not just the academics, but how to study, how to be more responsible for class/homework, how to deal in a larger school with many different teachers and peer groups, how to communicate/advocate for themselves when there are more than 150 kids per teacher. Learning to do all of this with a growing body and hormone shift makes for an interesting time.
another mom
If you buy into the need for "schools that achieve top level performance" from more students then it seems at least a 195 day school year and a school day at least one hour longer is needed.
As for educationally disadvantaged learners ... the OSPI annual testing shows on average huge gaps for so many of those kids.
This should be a no brainer .... but it likely will not happen ... the short-sighted do not wish to pay the bill. .... Sadly this seems like a game of taking sides rather than analyzing the situation and providing solutions.
============
Economically the USA has entered an entirely changed world .... hoping for the past just won't cut it.
In particular, I'm wondering to what extent budget cuts will come out of central administration instead of classrooms. Worrisome is that central administration mostly controls the budget. I'd guess what happens largely depends on the willingness of our new school board to push for the right thing in where the cuts fall.
I have 2 kids in elementary school and I do think we could use a longer school day (so I have no experience with the middle school needs that another mom discusses). I like the idea of increased instuctional time and more active time (more PE and/or recess). I have friends with kids in NC public schools and their day is 45 minutes longer and family in New Orleans and their day is 60 minutes longer (though a Catholic schools, so they take daily religion). The NC school has a similar amount of recess and PE so their increased time is instructional. I'm not sure about a longer school year, personally, because we travel and do enriching things with our kids. That said, I have seen a little summer slide with one of my kid's MAP scores. Beyond my own children's needs, I find the all year round school (or perhaps increased school year) argument compelling based on the summer slide of children living in poverty.
elementary mom
Yes, I do. I've not counted up early release days, furlough days etc., but I suspect we're about 175school days per year-atleast at my child's middle school. They seem to have more professional days scheduled.
No teacher I know wanted it to be this way. Every teacher I know thinks there were ways to handle it better.
So, is this a tactic to union-bust by disrupting famiilies and kids? I'm beginning to wonder.
n...
Occupy WA State Education
n...
I also like a longer school year but not as long as middle and high school might want. Little ones take a great deal of prep - K-1 mostly. I'd prefer trimesters with longer breaks between over a summer break. And June is wasted. In fact, I resent all the days off because we will have to make them up in June when school is actually closing down and little gets accomplished. In Seattle, science kits have to be returned too early. All the testing gets done in May -sometimes early May. What's the point? It's the tail wagging the dog. Let us use as much time as possible to teach and then test, return kits etc. When all is said and done, we have a very small frame in which to do an awful lot of teaching.
Regarding school day and year: YES!!! More time during the day. I, too, need more instructional time so we are not hurrying through everything! I'd like a seven-hour day including fifteen minutes more prep time and forty-five instructional time. My first graders are pretty active in the classroom so more recess isn't my priority.
I also like a longer school year but not as long as middle and high school might want. Little ones take a great deal of prep - K-1 mostly. I'd prefer trimesters with longer breaks between over a summer break. And June is wasted. In fact, I resent all the days off because we will have to make them up in June when school is actually closing down and little gets accomplished. In Seattle, science kits have to be returned too early. All the testing gets done in May -sometimes early May. What's the point? It's the tail wagging the dog. Let us use as much time as possible to teach and then test, return kits etc. When all is said and done, we have a very small frame in which to do an awful lot of teaching.
n...
LOL if it weren't so sad.
http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/NYC-officials-dodge-blame-over-SHCOOL-X-NG-sign-2682725.php
-JC.
If you cannot produce a proficient student in 180 days, may I suggest that a close examination of how you spend your class time and planning time is in order.
Let me guess...you are doing Writer's and Reader's Workshop, performing "running records" at the behest of your Principal, and teaching the text heavy EDM math curriculum (if you're not, then you are not "onboard"). You are constantly playing "catch-up" because other people are telling you how to teach to the standards, how to plan your day, and what to teach. You're spending hours selecting "just right" books for your kids (as required). Since you don't have any waivers at your school you have to teach these curricula. No waiver = top heavy curriculum dictums.
Well...you are a victim, not a teacher. 180 days is perfectly adequate to produce an at-standard or above-standard student if you are efficient and utilize your own creativity to address the needs of your students. Your SpEd. students will progress because you use your planning time to address their needs instead of reading Writer's Workshop manuals.
Do you really believe that you will be paid for a longer work day? Not! Do you think that 200 days a year will do your students any good when you are teaching into July or starting on August 15th? Do you believe that you can sustain your momentum at a highly tuned level for 200 days with 28 children? It won't happen. You're talking the District (reformer) line here. This is what the Charter School and Creative Approach School proponents are pushing. More work...same pay.
Wha..?! Hey! I resemble that remark!
Bain-Social Change & Education
From SPS:
Reading K-5
The district adopted two reading programs, Houghton-Mifflin and Pegasus. Recently, schools have received professional development in reading using Readers Workshop.
Writing K-5
The district adopted a structured writing program, The Write Direction. Schools have begun to supplement this program with Writers Workshop.
Crap. Now I can't vote Republican as threatened out of contempt for Obama bringing us Arnie Duncan.
Think I will have to fall back on Plan B. Vote for whoever would pledge to get rid of the national Dept. of Education. I don't mean Perry...he's out of the race because he couldn't remember his brilliant idea.
I'm serious on this. Forget the Dept. of Ed. Cut taxpayer overhead. Chop off the national PAC leeches and overpaid advisors.
A bit of libertarianism would benefit Democrats right now.
EdVoter
"workers apparently cut into the several months ago..."
there really is no difference between the parties because they're both the puppets of the oligarchs... look behind the curtain of each and you will see the same small group of puppetmasters/string pullers...
Readers workshophas been marketed by Teachers College at Columbia and it, too, continues to change. Really, all it does is confirm what we already know: reading makes readers. There are pieces that go with the workshop: word study, strategy groups, etc., but they are pieces that are expected to be done along with "readers workshop" - which, again, is mostly just reading and conferring with individual readers.
Again, I like it. But with all the pieces in place and the writing expectations, it is very time consumptive and I think we lose a lot of read aloud time which is crucial for beginning readers.
Really, it isn't the program. Our District has spent millions (think Carl Sagan here) on programs. We could be using a program from the seventies and be doing just fine. It isn't the program that makes the difference.
Still, I'm okay with both workshops now that they are operating in my classroom.
One more thing: I think the workshop relies on the leveling system created by Fountas and Pinnell - another marketed leveling system (as with grade levels and lexiles) and one that is turning out to be anything but scientific or even consistent.
Google Teachers College writers workshop or readers workshop and you'll see the whole thing pretty much.
This is my view. Chime in if you disagree or have more to add. I'd like to know more myself about how it is working in various classrooms esp. with our time constraints.
n...
" ...Paul R. Infante, the director of fine and applied arts for the Commack School District on Long Island...is trying to figure out how to develop a test or an assessment system to rate band teachers.
Several weeks ago the state sent out a guide. The band teacher could listen to every child play at the start of the year and assign a score from 1 to 4.
“At the end of the year,” the state guide says, “the teacher re-evaluates their students.” (Someone needs to evaluate the state’s grammar.)
The teacher again grades students from 1 to 4, and the sum of the progress they have made during the year determines the teacher’s rating."... testing band and music is on its way
For writing, there is an imbalance where too much focus is placed on personal writing and not enough on expository style writing. I do not see my child's writing improving. It's almost stagnating.
For reading, I think there is a place for book clubs, but also see a need to read a book as a class and have the teacher there to guide discussion. We've encountered situations where the teacher hadn't read the group's selected text and the book was totally inappropriate.
We've seen it eat up so much time that social studies is an afterthought, whereas it used to be an opportunity for more reading and writing.
-not a fan
Oh, for Pete's sake. From silly to sillier! Anyone who has had a child in middle or high school band knows that the Band Director spends his/her time on getting the various sections to learn ensemble pieces for performances. Yes, some musical teaching goes on, and yes, there are sectionals where students in smaller groups can work on technique, tone, rhythm, etc. -- but many/most kids who progress are taking private lessons. And regardless of who does or does not -- musical progression is heavily heavily influenced by who practices (and how much) and who does not. In fact -- if they wanted to pick a "subject" that would most blatantly, clearly illustrate the problem of holding teachers responsible for student achievement -- they could not have done better than this harebrained (hairbrained?) idea!
The Dems need all hands on deck this election. I'm writing to the Obama campaign and the national Dems and telling them I will cast my vote for the President.
What I WON'T do is give his campaign money or time. Last election day, I was out at 6 o'clock, in the rain, making sure voters had gone to the polls. I won't be doing that this time.
If they want the help, they have to listen. If enough of us tell them, they will have to listen.
lkvarner tweet
"Who says teachers aren't respected n our society? Public school teacher sitting w/ @MichelleObama at #StateoftheUnion. #seatimesopinion"
yeah, who says! | b
Mr Ed
7 periods at 62 minutes each.
A small high school so passing times were only 3 minutes. School day begins at 7:50 and over at 3:52
I could see this working well with a teacher teaching 5 periods and 2 plans. => teaching for 5 hours 10 minutes and planning for 2 hours 4 minutes.
To think that a high school teacher could do a high quality job year after year teaching 6 hours 12 minutes and planning for 62 minutes ... is unrealistic.
and the whole education portion of the SOTUS was ed deformy...
"Ah, but Mr. Prez, will teachers unions allow rewarding good teachers, i.e. merit pay. So far no. #SOTU #seatimesopinion"
Who was sitting with Michelle? Former "teacher" Michelle Rhee?
WV: I just want to disms all of them...
Mr. Ed
I'd be interested in knowing more about Writer's Workshop and why you think it is bad.
Thanks,
Sps mom
"Its the poverty, stupid!"
school success
Mr Ed
Luckily, we do zero screen time in our house, and her teacher doesn't give homework, so she spends about a third of that 1 1/2 hours reading on her own and the other hour is spent in unstructured play with her siblings. It's truly sad to me that a six year old only gets an hour a day of unstructured play at home. I would hate to see a longer school day.
Oh, and for anyone curious, we have to walk out the door to get her to the bus at 7:05am and we walk back in each afternoon at 3:45pm. Certainly, this would be easier if her bus ride weren't an hour long each way, or if I were able to drive her, or if she were a kid who didn't need so much sleep, etc. I'm just offering the perspective, that for many kids, a six hour school day is actually very long, especially if you factor in transportation.
IheartSPS
Each child chooses their own book to read, analyze, and then write about. That means there is no group analysis, and no teacher led discussion on the book. It also means that often the teacher has never even read the book.
Students are asked to write in their journals every night. Our MS teacher has said she does not have the time to read each child's writing so she has students read and critique each others work. This of course means that the students do not receive feedback, suggestions, and critique of their writing from their teachers.
Writers Workshop offers very little in the way of structure in writing, grammar, conventions, or spelling. It also offers very little in the way of persuasive or essay writing, and focuses almost solely on personal narratives. Very limited.
Thank god there is no High School version of Writers Workshop.
IheartSPS
The District web site indicates that some kind of middle school language arts materials adoption is in progress, but the information on the web page is clearly obsolete.
Finnish children do very well academically, when measured on the international PISA scale... they dont start school until they are 7, have shorter schools days and fewer of them than American children...
On Jan. 18th, the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee had a public hearing on Senate Bill 6202, the bill that would establish charters schools and transformation zones in Washington State. The bill authorizes charter schools operated independently of locally elected school boards through a complex system of authorities and applicants. The bill also sets up state takeover of the lowest persistently performing schools. OSPI estimates a fiscal impact of about $33 million each biennium to implement the bill, starting in 2013. Organizations opposing the bill include WEA, AWSP (Principals), WSSDA (School Boards/Superintendents) and OSPI. Supporters of the bill include the Washington Roundtable and the League of Education Voters. Let the bill's sponsor & our local legislators know how you feel about this bill and your suggestions for improving
“Why Can’t the U.S. be like the Finnish School System?”
The Finnish school system was hailed in the pro-charter-schools propaganda film “Waiting for Superman” as an exemplary way to educate students. Why not ask our legislators to copy some aspects of their model? The Finnish characteristics include:
Ø Three years of maternity leave for workers and subsidized day care
Ø High quality preschool
Ø No hungry students
Ø No school before age 7
Ø No standardized tests
Ø Same per-pupil rate in each school
Ø Multicultural learning experts in every school
Ø Students held accountable for learning
Ø A ninth-grade divider determining either an academic or vocational high-school experience
Ø Free college
Ø Fully unionized workforce
Ø Accountability in the hands of teachers and principals
Ø System run by educators, not politicians
Ø Fewer hours for teachers in school with more time to develop curriculum and assess students
You might try running this by your legislators and seeing their reactions….
The National SOS is coming back strong, with new committees waiting for volunteers.
Personally, I would like to see an OCCUPY DOE. That might get Obama's attention re Duncan. Opt Out already has plans underway for a national Occupy DOE March 30 – April 2. I would love to see us do something in WA state….
In the meantime, here's some news about what's happening in other states, and why it's so important for us to stay vigilant:
State Report Outs and Updates:
Ø Kansas City schools have been taken over by the state; they want to end tenure
Ø Wisconsin governor is ramping up to strengthen teacher evaluation
Ø New Hampshire – teacher evaluations also; Monday 1/23, the legislature votes on a new voucher plan
Ø Indiana – Starting in 2013-14 there will be no cap on vouchers for families with less than $60,000 income. Teacher evaluations are also a hot topic.
Ø Kentucky - In KY we are just now fighting KARE Kentucky Association for Reforming Education. They are spending lots of money on commercials to tout charter schools
Ø Louisiana A weak point in the teacher evaluation bill is the grievance procedure and ability to go through the due process when teachers appeal the ratings they get. Every teacher who is deemed ineffective should appeal and there will be chaos. Our eval calls for 50% student score factor. There is no way districts/state will be able to handle what they predict will be a huge number of failing evals.
Ø Washington state – the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee had a public hearing on Senate Bill 6202, the bill that would establish charters schools and transformation zones in Washington State. The bill authorizes charter schools operated independently of locally elected school boards through a complex system of authorities and applicants. The bill also sets up state takeover of the lowest persistently performing schools.
Ø Colorado – teacher evaluations are 50% tied to one test score; each Denver district is redoing evaluations ........
curious
Go figure. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
n...
Somehow, I don't think most families these days will go along with your suggestion so I probably shouldn't hold my breath that it will be enacted any time soon.
BTW, Mag Mom, when you did work - assuming you have worked at some point - how many clients did you serve simultaneously for six hours five days a week?
Teachers have become servants to some people.
n...
will there enough enrollment to fill up the school for next year?