Desegregation in Baltimore City

Last week, the Washington Post ran an article citing a study that found that 54% of Maryland’s black students attend a “segregated” school—a school with more than 90% of students having a minority background. As those who live in segregated regions know, Brown vs. Board of Education did not translate, more than 50 years later, into schools that are integrated racially, ethnically, or socioeconomically. With the decline of busing, housing patterns have shaped school populations and guided schools that are increasingly homogeneous over the last 20 years. So What?
 

Results are mixed on integration’s impact on student achievement. Surely integration is better than segregation, but integration does not seem to be a silver bullet solution for increased student achievement. Although Amy Hawn Nelson may argue otherwise in her TEDx talk, there are many failing integrated schools, and integration cannot be the defining factor of an excellent education. A great education comes from instruction and learning. Perhaps, though, it is diversity and, in this case, integration, that can push an education from great to excellent.

I teach in one of the most diverse elementary/middle schools in Baltimore City, with a population that is 50% white, 36% black, and 6% Hispanic/Latino. Undoubtedly, this diversity of population does not on its own raise student achievement. Nonetheless, as educators know, a student’s background knowledge on a topic or skill can make or break his or her success as a learner. The more experiences and diversity of views we can expose our students to, the more prepared they will be for whatever learning assignment comes their way. 

To ensure full clarity, I am as enthusiastic, if not more, about the exposure that white students will have to minority students, be they black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, or otherwise. Non-Caucasian people in the United States are consistently exposed to upper middle class white culture on television and in music. A television show, produced by a black man and featuring a majority black cast, is not just television or a sitcom. It is considered black television. White students, on the other hand, are rarely exposed to beliefs outside of their homogeneous communities. Integrated schooling, while perhaps not a fix all for academics, will hopefully produce adults that are thoughtful and can work well with a heterogeneous population. 

It is no replacement for instruction and academic learning, but integrated, wonderful learning environments are the model we should be working towards here in Charm City.

Washington Post Article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/report-half-of-black-students-in-maryland-attend-segregated-schools/2013/04/18/9097c29a-a83e-11e2-8302-3c7e0ea97057_story.html

Poet Warriors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v-ChtTiv80 

TEDx talk:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ffz1qOyY3Bk

Does Michelle Rhee Deserve to be Vilified?

To say that in the education world Michelle Rhee is a polarizing figure is like saying that infants have a little trouble with calculus. I recently read Anthony Cody’s and John Thompson’s articles about the ongoing Michele Rhee saga in Education Week.  What is helpful about vehemently condemning her personally and professionally?

One of the biggest problems with the vilifying of Michelle Rhee is that we are becoming a society increasingly intolerant of the necessary time it takes to go through the learning curve to become great. We value experience, but we no longer have the patience to give people in leadership positions the time necessary to acquire it. We shouldn't have thrown Rhee out like a disposable diaper; worthless as soon as the littlest bit of mess appeared.  We should have given her time to gain the experience she needed from her mistakes.

Do I think that Rhee knew about the cheating in her district and chose to do nothing about it? The evidence suggests that perhaps she did. Does that mean that I am ready to stone her politically and lose out on all the ideas and strategies that were good enough to make her Chancellor in the first place? Absolutely not.

Think what you like about Rhee, but at least she spent her time working to make the education system better. I am tired of smart-mouthed critics who spend their time publicly crucifying others just to hide the fact that their own strategies aren't working either.

We have a crisis in education. We as educators and reformers are all on the same side. We need to work together, to learn from our collective failures and to create a safe space for people to try and to fail and to learn from those mistakes and try again.  If critics tried as hard at positive reforms as they do at tearing down others who tried and did not meet expectations, we might all move a step closer to closing the achievement gap.

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2013/04/who_created_excuses_for_michel.html

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2013/04/john_thompson_education_reform.html

Considering different governance structures in urban school districts

What governance structure of Baltimore City Public Schools should be implemented as a means of maintaining and improving our school district?  Should Dr. Andres Alonso and City Schools offices maintain their autonomy and strong decision-making abilities?  Conversely, should city public officials become more invested in Baltimore City Public Schools by taking on a direct governance role? 

Governor Martin O’Malley was quoted in April for being “open” to the idea of giving Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake more influence on Baltimore City Public Schools.  On one hand, I believe this idea makes sense.  Why shouldn’t public officials and policy makers be held more accountable to maintaining and improving one of the most public institutions of their constituency?   On another hand, this policy idea could allow further politics and bureaucracy into public education.  Furthermore, why shouldn’t professionals in education be the leaders of a school district instead of a public official with no related experience?  Governance structures of public school districts truly can be characterized as presenting us with a “Catch 22” experience.  Should experienced school leaders forfeit their autonomy and decision-making influence in order to receive more assistance from public officials?  Should public officials be more invested in public education by being directly responsible for maintaining and improving their schools?

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/education/blog/bal-omalley-would-support-more-mayoral-control-of-schools-20130411,0,537464.story

Perceiving school reform as a process, not an event

Back in February the University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research published a report called “Turning Around Performing Schools in Chicago.” This report summarizes the findings from a research study that examined five different reform models initiated by the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) between 1997 and 2010 in 36 elementary and high schools identified as chronically low performing. The five reform models examined are: reconstitution (staff and leadership replacement), school closure and restart (staff/leadership replacement, governance replacement, change in attendance rules), school turnaround specialist program (leadership replacement), academy for Urban School Leadership (staff/leadership replacement, governance replacement) and Office of School Improvement (staff/leadership replacement).

While turnaround models to radically alter the educational landscape of the worst-performing schools have receive a great deal of attention, there has been little rigorous research on the impact of such reforms. Considering the lack of research, this report aims to provide answers to common questions regarding turning around low-performing schools, such as the demographics of students in the schools after intervention, teachers in the schools after intervention, and student outcomes in the schools after intervention.

Although this report makes clear how school reform occurred, and what actual changes came along with each of the intervention (reform model) in schools (i.e., teaching staff was less experienced in most schools after reform; the Closure and Restart model schools that were less likely to serve their original student population had substantially higher student outcome after reform; turning around reform models showed less success at the high school level than at the elementary level), this study does not provide answers to which aspects of reform are most critical to success or report student progress after the first four years of post reform. The fact that this study cannot determine exactly why improvements came about, however, highlights the important point that school reform is a process rather than an “event.”

Perceiving school reform as a process is particularly echoed in the fact that there were adequate data to analyze the effectiveness of the different turnaround models years after they were first implemented. While I hoped to find definite answers to the questions I had regarding school reform through reviewing this report, I am actually reminded by the data presented that the picture is very complex and can support many interpretations.

Although further research is needed to address the knowledge gap that exists on school improvement models, this report does confirm that realistic approaches that can be implemented in all schools, such as building the skills and knowledge of those individuals responsible for student learning, engaging the staff and community in setting goals, and targeting immediately addressable problems are good efforts to turn around low-performing schools.

 The report: http://ccsr.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/publications/Turnaround%20Report%20-%20Long%20Version%20FINAL.pdf

The Only Education Reform That Matters: Love

I love my students more than they will ever know.

“When those paper stacks get too high, the demands too tedious, the conversations too one-sided, the love of students gives us the reason. The opportunities we create for them to learn get reciprocated in the opportunities they create for us to grow.”

This is a quote from a teacher-written article on a site that I read back on Valentine’s Day. I knew that this was an article that I wanted to share with the class on the blog.

Love is a simple thing and yet it can be seen behind many different things we do. I love my students when I get to the building hours before the first bell rings and leave hours after the last. I love them when I grade 76 of the same exit tickets each day, but read each one as a different climb to success or fall towards failure. I love my students in the difficult conversations that we have and in the time and emotions that I invest into classroom skirmishes and detention battles.  As the quote above states, the learning opportunities that we create for our students are reciprocated in the opportunities that our students create for us to grow.

Students and teachers, we grow and learn together. This is love.

The conversations that we have around different school structures and systems brings to question are these different varieties and flavors, from charters and vouchers to community school models and federal incentive games, all just distractions? At the end of the day it doesn’t matter what you call the system or the structure of the school, it only matters whether or not the people in the building truly love and care about the children that come into the building every day.

The teacher ends the article by saying that “a real school for children puts forth love in action, even when the system disallows those emotions.”

Upon deeper reflection, I have a correction: My students know exactly how much I love them.

I have a new, and clearer lens for viewing school reform: How does this policy, system, or idea support love for our students?

So I am left wondering what is it specifically about our current school system that disallows teachers acting out of love for our students? What can we do to create schools where it is easier for teachers, counselors, and administrators to act out of love for students?

http://www.good.is/posts/the-only-education-reform-that-matters-love

Integrity

As commonly known, Baltimore City Public Schools suffered a massive cheating scandal on standardized testing scores in 2009.  Consequently, multiple principals were fired and a prolonged investigation of standardized test scores took place from 2008-2010.  The investigation took place from 2008-2010 because that was the period where it was most believed that the cheating took place.  During this time frame, Dr. Andres Alonso received $29,000 in 2008,2009 and 2010 for improved tests scores throughout the district.  Despite BTU and administrative union efforts and requests, and despite strong possibilities that school-based cheating frequently took place, Dr. Alonso will not forfeit this large sum of money that he earned in bonuses from improved standardized test scores.

Integrity and honesty are two of the most important characteristics that district leaders and school leaders must demonstrate.  It is true that Dr. Alonso has launched an extensive effort to minimize cheating throughout Baltimore City Public Schools, but the fact remains that he is the sole person who financially benefited from these inflated test scores.  Throughout the time frame of the investigation (2008-2010), Dr. Alonso earned approximately $90,000 in bonuses for improvement in standardized test scores.  If testing integrity is a true issue in public education, and specifically in Baltimore City Public Schools, shouldn’t Dr. Alonso lead by example and forfeit the money?

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-cheating-results-denial-20130413,0,7432871.story

Substitute Teachers; Rethinking What They Do

This is not a post inspired by an inspirational article or a substitute research report but I wanted to throw out a few ideas about subs that I would like to see your reaction.  I was talking with a non-TFA teacher from another city the other day and we were discussing our feelings on how we still do not feel as if we are able to take a day off.  Not that we NEED a day off, but if a situation were to arise (like being sick) that we could take off and that the ship would still be running.

I have visions of my students just sitting there in class, fist bumping themselves, celebrating that I am not there.  Although, I understand where they are coming from I would rather them be productive and look at a "day when the teacher's out" as not a carnival that during which they ignore their assignments but as a day that they can learn something. 

Here are my thoughts.  It would put substitute teachers out of a few part time jobs.  But what if we spent that money on a full-time substitute teacher.  The school would have a teacher whose permanent job would be to teach random classes.  They would be a resource teacher, a leadership teacher, etc.  They would have a room that students would go to when their teacher was out and they would have lessons from them.  They could teach them valuable things such as balancing a checkbook, how to write a resume, make themselves safe on the internet, etc.  The teacher could give grades to students, just to keep them in line during class.

This is just a thought that I had and thought that it would be fun to discuss.  So no more sick days worried if the kids have lit your desk on fire, no more stacks of half done sub-work assignments.  Yes, this does mean they wouldn't be working on MATH in a math class or READING in english but they would be learning something and not wasting their time.

Virtual Schooling

I often tell my students, “Those who do not understand the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them.” I say this when we are reading historical fiction. My kids don’t get history class.

Once invested in that end, it was a challenge to give them a similarly profound reason to read science fiction. “It’s about the future!” they would argue. “It hasn’t even happened yet. We can’t learn from this!”

“You can learn tons!” I would say. “Imagery and plot and conflict and… Goodness I’ve just lost them.”

Middle schoolers need more – or at least mine do. So, when it came to science fiction, I explained: “This writer has imagined the future! It’s our duty to decide if we want that future or not! If we don’t do something, it’s coming!”

At the time, this seemed a clever ploy to get 6^th grade quiet, focused, and ready to read. But in reviewing education articles for this post, I found it is a disconcertingly true possibility.

Isaac Asimov, in 1951, wrote a short story called, “The Fun They Had.” In case you haven’t read it, you can find it here.

In this story, Asimov writes of a future where two kids find a real book… and they’re THRILLED about it! They’re thrilled because they hate school. Counter-intuitive, I know.

In fact, they hate the “mechanical teacher” (robot) that is meant to educate them from their home. Margie particularly hates it because the robot keeps giving her tests! She becomes so inundated with assessments that a County Inspector must be brought in to fix the system.

Regardless, the book they find is a story about education in our recent past. With such revelations as teachers “having a special building” to teach kids and kids being taught by a human, Margie can only daydream about, “the fun they had.”

Now, consider our present! According to the Washington Post, “Virtual schools are multiplying, but some question their educational value.”

Just as Asimov showed us in his short story, it would be a great detriment to our kids if virtual schooling became the norm. Consider how much would be lost, especially in terms of social interaction!

My challenge to you, then, is just what I posed to my students: Is Asimov’s suggested future what we want? Will we guide it to fruition? Or will we do our part to maintain that indispensible human quality in education?

A Short Piece on Bullying

A Short Piece on Bullying

By: Justin Garritt

Recently there has been increased attention in the subject of bullying in our nation’s schools. Last week there was legislation being debated in regards to cyber bullying which made me want to research and reflect on my experiences at a school in Vermont where the administration made aggressive strides to stop bullying without some state-driven mandate.

 86% of students between the ages of 12-15 have been bullied at school. Every seven minutes there is a bullying incident at recess and every 25 minutes there is a bullying incident in the classroom according to a study by Dorta in 2007.  Webster’s Dictionary describes bullying as the repeated harmful actions by one child or children against another. Physical, or direct, bullying includes kicking, pushing, and engaging in rough play. Physiological bullying includes name calling, making faces, harassment, and threats. Gerald Walton, an educational researcher from Queen’s University says that it is impossible for a student to fully engage in their school work if they have to worry about being bullied.  

           

All over the news and in legislation, bullying and bullying prevention seem to have become a very hot topic for Americans. We constantly see stories about how bullying has resulted in suicides, attempted suicides, intentional overdosing, depression, etc. Personally speaking, throughout my two years in Baltimore, I have seen an unbelievable amount of bullying take place in almost every section of the school environment. I have seen hundreds of bullying episodes happen, reported, and nothing be done about the situation beyond at the teacher level. I believe we must do more to address the issue of bullying so that all our students can have a safe place to learn.

Educational Researcher, G. Walton, believes that, “The most important piece to bullying prevention are school administrators because they are the ones that usually create the Bullying Prevention Plan, create in-service professional development days and the ones usually handling the bully when he or she is sent to the principal’s office. He states, “A school administrator needs to have a clear vision and implement plans on ways to deal with bullying.”

In college I had the opportunity to be mentored by a Principal at my local elementary school during my student teaching experience. Her school had the lowest accounts of bullying out of anyone else in the state of Vermont. Although the environment and culture is much different than Baltimore, I decided to use this blog entry to learn new strategies to prevent bullying from a veteran principal. 

Carol Pickett is the Principal of Castleton Elementary School and has been there for a dozen years. She has taken on bullying at her school through a variety of ways. First, she developed a short and concise four page Bullying Prevention Plan that first states what bullying is and then describes ways that the school will deal with it.  She says that what she believes characterizes a successful school-based action plan is that it must include clear and logical consequences for those children who bully, support to those children being bullied, and instruction to all children that emphasizes respect and compassion for others, and positive ways that children can resolve disagreements or conflicts. She said, “Justin, the key is to just immediately end it. If I hear even the slightest complaint of bullying from students or teachers, I hold a meeting in which I listen to the event and then immediately act on it. I do not tolerate any bullying! The staff, the students, and the parents know that.” Pickett recognizes that the most frequent areas of bullying occur in the hallways and at recess. Mrs. Pickett requires that teachers stand outside their door while students are switching between classes. She also requires there to be a 1-10 teacher to student ratio during recess. At every activity (kickball, capture the flag, basketball. . i.e.)  there is at least one teacher or aid to watch what is going on. Sheri Nichols, the administrative assistant, posts many opportunities for employees to get professional training for free on how to deal with bullies in the “AM Morning Notes” that get sent out to the teachers daily. In an interview with her she said, “At least one in-service day per year is dedicated to bullying. On top of this, all teachers have the opportunity attend other conferences to get better trained if they want to. The school pays for it and it does not count as a sick day.                            

What really sets Castleton Elementary so far above most schools is their “Program Strategies” that Principal Pickett and her teachers have implemented. She teamed up with the nearby college to get mentors for all middle school students. Not only are the students learning about setting goals, and steps to college but having an extra 50 supervisors at recess daily will surely minimize any chance of bullying at lunch or recess. There is also a Leadership Team and a Gentlemen’s Club where a selected group of student’s meet once a week with either the Principal or a teacher to discuss being a good role-model and leader. These students get trained on how to handle a bully and who to tell about it. Mrs. Pickett and the teachers have also created a warm and positive school by having encouraging posters with bright colors that surround the school

Since I was a child I witnessed all types of bullies. I remember kids getting beat up in the hallway because they wore nice clothes. I remember my friend getting name-called in 4^th grade because he couldn’t successfully throw a football yet. These were the same students who either later on dropped out or never graduated from high school or had severe depression issues. Very similar to my current experience in Baltimore, the school I attended as a child and its employees seemed to never address the situation and just let it happen. I thought most schools were run like this until I walked in to Castleton Elementary School where the Principal has set up a great system of prevention along with a clear set and fair plan of how to deal with issues when they arise.

I look forward to hearing any comments you have in regards to bullying at your school and what, if anything, is being done at the administrative or teacher level to address it so that all students feel safe to learn, free from bullying.

Thanks for reading,

Justin Garritt

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/04/cyber-bullying-bill-passes-maryland-senate-87099.html

School Boards' Responsibilities to the Public

       A recent Education Week article discusses the difficulties that school boards are currently facing in taking advantage of technology and digital communication, while still maintaining sufficient transparency to the public. The problem is that, while state laws call for school boards to have open-meetings and open-records, it has become common for school board communication to happen digitally. There has been a vast grey area developing around the question of whether such digital communication violates laws that are designed to prevent secret communication. The counterpoint, however, is that new technologies are improving communication capabilities and the accessibility of information to the public. Digital communication can very well be seen as a tool that is enhancing government transparency and public engagement.

       I find the topic of this article particularly interesting because I recently attended a Baltimore City school board meeting. This article sheds light upon a concern that I gave much thought to after attending the meeting--that is, in what ways can the Baltimore City school board improve its engagement with the public and their concerns? It is obvious why citizens would want School Board business to be open and accessible to the public--the people want to be able to have a say and input in the happenings of their children's schools. This article speaks to this issue of School Boards being more open and better serving the community through engaging with them and their ideas.

       Throughout the Baltimore City meeting that I attended, I could not help but continue to think to myself that the meeting was not panning out as I had expected. I was expecting that this meeting would be the forum where actual meaningful dialogue would take place between the Board and the audience. I figured that during the portion of the meeting designated for public/general public comment, there would be parents, local organizations, student groups that would take the floor and express questions, concerns, or ideas that they had. In turn, I thought that the Board would respond accordingly and even allow for discussion about next steps. I realize that this could be a lengthy process, and perhaps I was expecting too much; but it just seems to me that a School Board meeting should allow for substantial, purposeful discussion between the Board and the public.

       Well, unfortunately, my expectations of the School Board meeting were not met. Most of the time that was designated for public input was given to organizations and groups, who came to the floor to say words of gratitude for the Board showing them support in recent initiatives. It was not until the end of the general comment portion that a concerned parent spoke up about his dissatisfaction with the BCPSS code of conduct, and a high school student complained about a BCPSS policy that affects high school student athletes. These two concerned citizens were only able to speak very briefly, and when they did speak, there was not much discussion to be had with the Board. Instead, a member of the Board responded very briefly and generically and then assured the concerned citizen that someone would be in touch with him to follow up on the matter. While I understand that there can only be but so much time dedicated to discussion with the public, I also feel that the BCPSS School Board could do more to ensure that it is truly engaging citizens and allowing the voice of the people to be heard and addressed. The Education Week article discusses issues with Boards using digital communication as a means of engaging the public. Well, I think that the Baltimore City board has communication issues to address as well, because at the end of the day, the community desires to truly be “in the know” and to have a means by which to play an active role in their children's school system. It is not good enough to just have a meeting to which the public is invited, but then they play no significant role in the proceedings and decision-making. Rather, the Board must truly hear and openly engage with Baltimore citizens.

To read the article, visit: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/04/17/28openmeetings_ep.h32.html?tkn=WNUFUMfv%2Be0fluX0yVElgp5k9OffYS%2B6gCKY&cmp=clp-edweek

School Police: Friend or Foe?

Everyday I enter school through a metal detector. The student advocate takes a peep inside my oversized teacher bag placed on a desk next to the detector, and if I set off the alarm, I take my phone out of my pocket and step through again. Sometimes in the fall my Frye boots with metal cowboy like harnesses set off the alarm but I am not required to remove my shoes and repeat the process. I sign in, walk up the ramp, drop off my lunch in the faculty lounge, and continue down the hall past the school's police office, say a quick hello and continue on with my busy day. 

A few times there have been scuffles or full blown- fist flying flights, sometimes blood is drawn, water jugs are knocked over, and once or twice a teacher has attempted to step in. It isn't unlikely for garden shears or knives to be confiscated at the door because students 'carry them for protection and forgot to take them out of their pockets.' One time I stood too close while a student was maced and felt the crippling effects it has on every open orifice on your face. Despite popular belief from family and friends about what they THINK they know about Baltimore and Baltimore students, I have never felt truly unsafe in my school building. I know this is not the same for some of my fellow teacher friends in other Baltimore City schools and that devastates me. 

This post explores the presence of police in the school building- especially at schools like those in Baltimore City. My private, catholic school in Prince George's county that I attended during my own high school career had security guards in the parking lot- if that. I can't even remember if there was a police office at my second high school in MA, and I know for sure there weren't any metal detectors. A recent article in the New York Times discussed the influx of students into the juvenile justice system as a result of an increase presence of school police. I appreciate my school officer- in times of violence like fights, and in times of lesser need like a phone being stolen, and in fact in times of fun as he doubles as a DJ for our staff functions. As I reflect on the school police's involvement in disciplinary actions after reading this article, I wonder if we've ever made the mistake of being too harsh for non-violent offenses. The article suggests that a visit to the principal might be more effective than a trip to 'baby bookings' as juvenile detention is commonly referred to, yet sometimes after a referral goes unanswered from my administration I wonder, 'well what else are we supposed to do?' Even in times of violence... are there (there has to be) more wrap around or supporting measures to take than cold cuffs to the wrist? My students are much more prone to recidivism, having plenty of experience in the system before, and therefore I don't believe  throwing the book at them at each indiscretion is going to help or change behavior  and/or emotional problems. Clearly, we need to do more for these students in terms of social education like anger management, self control, bullying etc. By no means do I want to go police free, but I do think school administration and teachers shouldn't use the police as a behavioral management crutch because we're just too tired to think of a more creative solution. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/12/education/with-police-in-schools-more-children-in-court.html?ref=education&_r=0

Social Media and Student Safety

Who remembers when they had to register for Facebook using their college email address? Once upon a time, Facebook was a social media networking site that connected college students in an easy manner; where you could only get access if you were a college student. However, Facebook and other social media sites like it (twitter, instagram, etc.) now cater to individuals off all ages. We know this is true because every day you see students on or attempting to get on some social media site. From our elementary students to high school seniors being on a social media site seems to be a regular occurrence, and while an easy topic to discuss might be how this increased engagement in social media site detracts from the learning in classrooms, but this is not the topic I wish to address today.

It is interesting when as a teacher I get a friend request from a 10 year old or when one of my middle school kids comes up asking if I saw so-and-so’s instagram posting or a fellow teacher talks about what they saw tweeted yesterday. Today, social media has touched all corners of our student’s lives, especially those who live in urban settings like Baltimore. However, little is being done to educate our youth about taking safety precautions while on these sites. As educators one of our duties is to make sure our children are safe and in a world that is becoming increasingly dependent on technology it is important that we educate our students about remaining safe while online.

Maryland’s attorney general is planning to do just that. Monday he will announce the launch of a new program aimed at educating teens on being safe and protecting their privacy on social media sites. It is my hope that this program aims to go into the classrooms and educate our students on remaining safe online. It is my worry often when I hear about things student’s are posting or pictures they are uploading that something bad may happen. Let alone the hostility negative posts often bring into our classrooms, but that’s a bullying topic for another blog. I await Attorney General Doug Gansler announcement of the program and what it will bring to our schools and educating our students on how to remain safe online.

 

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2013/04/14/md-ag-to-announce-social-media-education-campaign/

An Education...

Last night, I had dinner with my Baltimore besties.   Since we’re all teachers, the conversation naturally turned to education issues.  What ensued was a debate about charter schools, school choice, and neighborhood schools.   Since I was the only one present who teaches at a charter, everyone assumed that my position would be pro-charter.  However, after participating in this discussion, I realized that I am most certainly on the fence when it comes to this issue.  I’ll share my musings with you here:

For years I contemplated making the career change and becoming a teacher.  I fought it for many years, knowing I could not maintain my banker’s lifestyle on a teacher’s salary .  The turning point for me was attending a screening of Waiting for Superman in late 2010.  I was quite impressed by the work being done by schools like KIPP and the other charter schools featured in the film.  I decided I also wanted to make a difference, and I completed my application to an alternative teaching certification program that same evening.  A little more than six months later, I moved to Baltimore primed with the mission to provide students with an excellent education.  Little did I know I’d be the one getting schooled. 

During my tenure in Baltimore, I have worked for both a traditional charter school and a turnaround school run by a charter operator.  In my ignorance, I thought that being associated with a charter would mean that the school would be run in a sound fashion and that students would be motivated and ready to learn.  This is not what I found when I walked into the school on day one my first year.  The charter-operated turnaround school was no different than your typical failing Baltimore city school.  As a former businessperson, the organizational mismanagement that I witnessed on a daily basis made me angry.  I couldn’t stomach it, and I thought it to be a blessing from the heavens when I was placed on surplus status at the end of the year.  I grew tired of being abused and mistreated, and watching my colleagues and students suffer the same. 

I received a pleasant reprieve over the summer when I left Baltimore and went to work at a school run by a national charter network.  To me, it was educational nirvana.  I was invigorated daily by witnessing an administration that ran a sound operation, staff that were motivated and excited to teach, and students’ eager to learn.  The students I had the pleasure of working with were of the same demographic of kids I taught in Baltimore.  Working here over the summer taught me that there are real education reforms that are actually working.  This compelled me to return to Baltimore and find an education nirvana of my own.

 

I returned to Baltimore with two offers to work at schools, one at a traditional school, and another at a charter.  I chose (controversially, but that’s another blogpost) to work at the charter, motivated by my summer experience at a similar school.  While the experience has been significantly better than my first year, I did not get the same sense of “nirvana” that I felt over the summer. 

As I wrap up my graduate school education and short teaching career, I have come to believe the following:

1. Charter schools are not the “end all, be all” answer to all things Ed Reform.  Some of them are AWESOME, some are average, and some are… not so great (I had to edit myself a bit here…) 

        2. It would be awesome if all neighborhood schools were excellent and provided a sound education for our children.  This may have been true fifty years ago, however, this is not the world in which we currently live. 

         3.   I may not know enough about the issue, but from my personal experience, I can only see the benefits of school choice.  I agree with the premise that students and parents have the right to be educational consumers, and if the neighborhood school isn't up to par, you should have the right to seek opportunity elsewhere.

         Here’s the bottom line: any school that partakes in sound business practices, has an administration that operates with integrity, and has high expectations of students and staff has what it takes to become an excellent school.   The labels (charter, neighborhood, turnaround, etc.) shouldn’t matter.  Once every school is on board to operate according to the tenets mentioned above, then we will truly be on the road to closing the achievement gap in America.

Should We Pay Kids to Come to School?

Today, perhaps more than at any other time, America is investing in education, spending billions of dollars and countless research hours on education reforms. But if the students don’t come to school, none of these reforms will make a single iota of difference. It could be argued student attendance is the single most important reform in education today; it is the foundation upon which the success of every other reform depends. 

As a teacher, I share the overwhelming frustration and disappointment that comes from knowing that if a student would just come to class, that student would succeed. Currently, W.E.B Dubois High School is using an economic incentive program focused on attendance and attendance is up more than 10%. Attendance is a prerequisite for academic success, but it must be catalyzed by additional reforms to give us a real shot at closing the achievement gap in this country. 

Some researchers fear that rewarding students for requisite behaviors such as attendance will lead to a decline in motivation when the incentive is removed, but there is no actual evidence to support that fear. To the contrary, there is actually a great deal of data showing that economic incentive programs can actually spark lasting intrinsic motivation. I believe that well-designed incentive programs focusing on increased attendance and rewarding positive behaviors (reading books, doing homework/extra credit assignments, etc.) could be a significant part of the solution to the education crisis in America.

Read more about W.E.B. Dubois High School's Attendance Program here...

http://www.wbaltv.com/news/maryland/education/Baltimore-City-high-school-students-rewarded-for-attendance/-/9379316/19700442/-/vu0vhsz/-/index.html

Can you really teach a high school student to think?

Over Spring Break I had a very interesting conversation regarding politics, education, and the importance of thinking in democratic nations. I was staying at a hostel in Seville, Spain (where my younger sister is studying abroad) and the conversation took place with an elder Canadian/American couple and a Chinese immigrant to Great Britain who now studies (and teaches) in Spain.

The couple were very liberal and insisted that the United States is falling behind because creativity is not valued and people are not taking advantage of the opportunities that a democracy gives its people. I spoke about my experience as a teacher in Baltimore and the pressure that standardized tests bring into the classroom.

Teaching 12 year-olds English in Spain, Howard said that he sees how critical thinking doesn't seem to be valued in Spanish schools either. Back in Britain, he described his end-of-course exams that students had to pass in order to move onto the next grade. Such a system ensures that high school teachers aren't faced with students who read at elementary school levels. He explained that the pressure to do well on those tests came from concerned parents and teachers - rather than administrators worried about meeting AYP goals. He also explained the immense pressure from classmates to do well.

As self-proclaimed free-thinkers (currently on a 1,000 km hike across Spain), the elder couple seemed disgusted by the thought that students aren't exposed to electives such as art, music, and technology because of the immense focus on the tested subjects - reading and math. This left me pondering an important question; if our students are not being taught to think for themselves, where will the future engineers and creative minds of our nation come from?

Our conversation really got me thinking about what it is that I'm teaching my students. With the HSAs (standardized tests) coming up in less than two months, I have weeks dedicated to reviewing material and test preparation. What if instead, I just taught critical thinking skills?

How does a second-year teacher go about teaching 150 high schoolers to think critically? Is it even possible? Why isn't the focus of teacher prep and systemic Professional Development on teaching students to think, so they can form educated opinions and participate in our democratic society?

Then I saw this blog post and realized that concerns over standardized testing, discipline issues, and tenure are issues facing teachers all across America. The problem is much more than simply not teaching kids to think.

Alternative to the increasing lose of P.E.

Whether or not a student gets any time for physical activities at school varies from day-to-day and school-to-school. Some schools have recess everyday, P.E. once a week, or nothing at all. In a society where child obesity rates are growing, along with the number of children with diabetes, it is important that our schools improve their effort to increase student’s physical activity in school along with their knowledge of making healthy choices. Programs like Playworks and SPARK, mentioned in this article, do a great justice to our students by increasing the time they get to be active. Especially in schools that have no structured time where students are allowed to be active, we need to take advantage of outside programs like SPARK that will come into our schools and teach teachers and volunteers (i.e. parents and grandparents) creative ways to get our students out of their seats.

Programs like SPARK are a great resource to the increasing number of schools that are cutting recess and P.E. either due to budget limitations or to accommodate the time demands of their curriculum. SPARK will show teachers how they can increase physical activity in their classrooms, which as most teachers know, when students are active they are usually more engaged. The Principal of Germantown Elementary, where SPARK is implemented, noted that student’s attitudes have enhanced with their increased movement. When we can so easily see the positive results physical activity has on students, especially those in elementary, why is it then that our schools are continually cutting P.E. and recess and not implementing programs like SPARK. How can we really expect a 5, 8, or 10 year old to sit still for 7 hours a day? I am 24 years old and you could not expect me to sit still for even 2 hours.

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-04-08/news/bs-md-ar-germantown-elementary-spark-20130403_1_kindergarten-teacher-education-program-germantown-elementary-school