I was very intrigued to read a recent three-part series in the Baltimore Sun (February 9-11), which chronicles the C.E.O of the Baltimore City Public School System, Andrés Alonso, and his work to transform the city’s school system to give its students the education they deserve. The third part of the series stands out in my mind as Alonso targets what he deems to be the biggest challenge of this transformation: “overcoming the community’s acceptance that things are always as they will be.”
I question if Baltimore City community members believe in the possibility of transformation with the kids it has. In the Baltimore Sun article, Alonso speaks of how he was shocked at the lack of parental/community outrage after a student at Lemmel Middle School was fatally stabbed. A friend of mine who works at the school said after the incident parents were allowed to vote on whether or not metal detectors should be placed in the school. Shockingly, the majority vote was no! The principal of Lemmel, appalled, overturned the parents vote and installed the metal detectors. It is disheartening that after such an event, community support was lackluster. How will transformation of our city schools happen without parental support and conviction?
Today, I had a parent tell me she was done with her son—that he can do whatever he wants and she washes her hands of it. She told me it was on me to figure out if he could be saved. Like Alonso, I am also determined to deliver for my students. I create engaging and effective lessons, I motivate my students to achieve high levels of success and I hold them to high and rigorous standards; but can I really save them? I find that quite the burden to shoulder. I reached out to this parent because I needed help—how do I help students when I can not engage their influencers in conversation? Parental involvement is an obvious challenge in city school systems where parents may have multiple jobs to hold down, where they do not understand the school system, and where they may have personal issues to deal with. The article in the Sun highlights that it is Alonso’s firm belief, a belief that I also support, that in order for the Baltimore City School System to truly change, parents and other influencers of our children need to step up and support the transformation. However, I must question what this means for our administrations and teachers. After sending home letters and making personal phone calls home to invite families to share in our school communities, when does it become part of North Avenue and Alonso’s responsibility to help us shoulder this burden? What ideas does he have to help us increase parental and community support in our schools?
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/k12/bal-alonso,0,3267664.storygallery
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Stimulation
The economic stimulus recently presented by Congress includes 150 billion for school districts. The implications of this plan, if passed, are major, as the funds would be meant for use for all aspects, including school renovations.
This money is clearly part of a larger agenda to solve the economical crisis that that is currently happening, a solution to which I would be interested in (someone) finding. However, while I always support money being spent on public education, I foresee a number of problems with the bill. In my two years in Baltimore, and particularly in my school, I have not seen a huge number of systemic changes to address glaring problems. I worry first and foremost about how the money will be spent…will we build a new state of the art gym when our library doesn’t have books or computers? Another massive problem with the bill is that the funds will only last for two years. Will we start new programs that are wonderful, only to have them cease to operate when the money is gone?
The New York Times ran an article about Congress’ stimulus package, addressing both the support and criticism of the bill. Many are “wondering how school districts could spend so many new billions so fast, whether such an outpouring of dollars would lead to higher student achievement, and what might happen in two years when the stimulus money ends” (NYTimes, Jan 28). Everyone is always focused on student achievement, but the effects of new programs and spending may not be seen for perhaps 3 or 4 years…how will and when we assess how effective the spending is?
The NEA supports the bill.“We’ve been arguing that the federal government hasn’t been living up to its commitments, but these increases go a substantial way toward meeting them,” said Joel Packer, a lobbyist for the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union."
There is some interesting criticism:
“Frederick Hess, an education policy analyst at the American Enterprise Institute, criticized the bill as failing to include mechanisms to encourage districts to bring school budgets in line with property tax revenues, which have plunged with the bursting of the real estate bubble. It’s like an alcoholic at the end of the night when the bars close, and the solution is to open the bar for another hour,” Mr. Hess said.
Are we all going to become drunks in a late night bar?
I have found that, when drinking, the best way to stay drunk in a bar is to find an all night bar where I can keep drinking, or find some to take home. Perhaps schools will benefit most when there is a steady stream of support, which can be supported both on local and national levels.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/education/28educ.html?ref=politics
This money is clearly part of a larger agenda to solve the economical crisis that that is currently happening, a solution to which I would be interested in (someone) finding. However, while I always support money being spent on public education, I foresee a number of problems with the bill. In my two years in Baltimore, and particularly in my school, I have not seen a huge number of systemic changes to address glaring problems. I worry first and foremost about how the money will be spent…will we build a new state of the art gym when our library doesn’t have books or computers? Another massive problem with the bill is that the funds will only last for two years. Will we start new programs that are wonderful, only to have them cease to operate when the money is gone?
The New York Times ran an article about Congress’ stimulus package, addressing both the support and criticism of the bill. Many are “wondering how school districts could spend so many new billions so fast, whether such an outpouring of dollars would lead to higher student achievement, and what might happen in two years when the stimulus money ends” (NYTimes, Jan 28). Everyone is always focused on student achievement, but the effects of new programs and spending may not be seen for perhaps 3 or 4 years…how will and when we assess how effective the spending is?
The NEA supports the bill.“We’ve been arguing that the federal government hasn’t been living up to its commitments, but these increases go a substantial way toward meeting them,” said Joel Packer, a lobbyist for the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union."
There is some interesting criticism:
“Frederick Hess, an education policy analyst at the American Enterprise Institute, criticized the bill as failing to include mechanisms to encourage districts to bring school budgets in line with property tax revenues, which have plunged with the bursting of the real estate bubble. It’s like an alcoholic at the end of the night when the bars close, and the solution is to open the bar for another hour,” Mr. Hess said.
Are we all going to become drunks in a late night bar?
I have found that, when drinking, the best way to stay drunk in a bar is to find an all night bar where I can keep drinking, or find some to take home. Perhaps schools will benefit most when there is a steady stream of support, which can be supported both on local and national levels.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/education/28educ.html?ref=politics
Better on paper...
In the last day or so, Andres Alonso helped pass a revised policy that will give parents a formal input into Baltimore City schools governance. Ideally, this policy is putting more power into the hands of those directly affected by the education system- parents. Its intention is to help encourage parents and legal guardians to be more involved in their students’ lives, to advocate for their rights as learners in this city, and to try and promote more leadership in their communities. As usual, I believe this to be an amazing plan…on paper.
I work in a school where my room reaches temperatures of over 98 degrees because of faulty heating. Our girls’ bathroom contains five bathroom stalls, only one has a door. Of course, it does not lock. Class sizes are beginning to quietly steep above 36 per class, which I believe to be too high for a school that has not made AYP in numerous years. We still have three working copiers, but no longer receive shipments of paper to make copies. Students are beginning to run halls because of the increase in teacher/student ratio. And of course, there is always the occasional leak from my ceiling which has ruined student work, almost started an electrical fire, and has irritated a number of students when they get wet.
Ironically, the beginning of the school year did not look like this. It was not until the end of October, when we received word that our school would have to lose approximately 1 million dollars because of Fair Student Funding, that these issues became a problem. I remember sitting in a school board meetings analyzing the policy and reflecting with colleagues. What an amazing plan, this Fair Student Funding- on paper.
All the above mentioned problems are things that I have reported to parents- the occasional parents that come up to school. Please call North Ave. and report these problems, talk to my administration to get this figured out, make your voice heard and things will happen! There have been numerous parent/team meetings, even a community barbeque; but the turnout has always proved disappointing. I guess I have to ask myself then- do I really think this revised policy will actually have a great effect? Make more parents and legal guardians willing to make a stand and advocate for what their children deserve? I can’t say that I do-not the effect Alonso’s pushing for. I think that's one of the biggest problems in our system...there needs to be more parental advocacy! But how?
And as far as that Fair Student Funding and the money that was then pushed into other schools? I know we lost about 8 teachers- one who now teaches only one high school class, one who teaches with a co-teacher, and another who teaches three classes of about eleven at a higher performing middle school. The others I have lost touch with. So is this what Alonso was aiming for when he enacted this policy? I hope not…maybe some things are just better on paper.
I work in a school where my room reaches temperatures of over 98 degrees because of faulty heating. Our girls’ bathroom contains five bathroom stalls, only one has a door. Of course, it does not lock. Class sizes are beginning to quietly steep above 36 per class, which I believe to be too high for a school that has not made AYP in numerous years. We still have three working copiers, but no longer receive shipments of paper to make copies. Students are beginning to run halls because of the increase in teacher/student ratio. And of course, there is always the occasional leak from my ceiling which has ruined student work, almost started an electrical fire, and has irritated a number of students when they get wet.
Ironically, the beginning of the school year did not look like this. It was not until the end of October, when we received word that our school would have to lose approximately 1 million dollars because of Fair Student Funding, that these issues became a problem. I remember sitting in a school board meetings analyzing the policy and reflecting with colleagues. What an amazing plan, this Fair Student Funding- on paper.
All the above mentioned problems are things that I have reported to parents- the occasional parents that come up to school. Please call North Ave. and report these problems, talk to my administration to get this figured out, make your voice heard and things will happen! There have been numerous parent/team meetings, even a community barbeque; but the turnout has always proved disappointing. I guess I have to ask myself then- do I really think this revised policy will actually have a great effect? Make more parents and legal guardians willing to make a stand and advocate for what their children deserve? I can’t say that I do-not the effect Alonso’s pushing for. I think that's one of the biggest problems in our system...there needs to be more parental advocacy! But how?
And as far as that Fair Student Funding and the money that was then pushed into other schools? I know we lost about 8 teachers- one who now teaches only one high school class, one who teaches with a co-teacher, and another who teaches three classes of about eleven at a higher performing middle school. The others I have lost touch with. So is this what Alonso was aiming for when he enacted this policy? I hope not…maybe some things are just better on paper.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Are We Missing What Matters Most in the Struggle to Fulfill HSA Requirements in '09?
A January 27th article from the Baltimore Sun attempted to report the number of seniors who may not graduate in Maryland due to the HSA requirements facing the Class of 2009. The Maryland State School Board seemed fixated on getting clear numbers, which are important, but they seem far less concerned with what these requirements mean, even for the seniors who meet them. Currently, about 70% of the seniors at my school are working on meeting the HSA requirements by completed what are called Bridge Projects. Supporting students in the completion of these projects has become the focus, actually obsession is probably more accurate, of my administration, and thereby the entire school. Currently students have been pulled out of ALL of their classes for a two week period in order to work on Bridge Projects from the time they arrive in the building until the final bell rings when they run screaming for the door because they have been sitting in the same room, staring at the same people, struggling with the same material for days on end.
There are a couple of huge and obvious problems here: investing these students in their education through a rigorous and engaging lesson that allows for collaboration, critical thinking, or other meaningful experiences is simple not possible given the structure and time pressures of "the Bridge." The second major issue presented by this structure is that these students are missing ALL of their classes. If this was really going to be over in two weeks, this might be a salvageable scenario, but the reality is that these kids will be working on bridge until they are finished or the final submission deadline...or a couple of days after that because an extension will inevitably be made somehow. This could result in students missing several weeks of instruction in all subjects, including those subjects required for graduation. Making all of this work up will be daunting for students; teachers are being encouraged to "condense" it. Grading students who didn't complete the assignments because the administration removed them from classes is an ethical challenge. All of this is a macabre twist on education, but then comes the bottom line: Students who meet the HSA requirements, complete enough condensed make-up work to pass, and who walk across the stage to receive a diploma in the spring will still not have had full access to the curriculum that they deserve and are entitled to as seniors. So after all of that, they may still go to college or work ill-prepared, and let me remind you that we are talking about the students who have worked so hard during their senior years.
How can this be happening? How does a parent, a teacher, a principal, or any other person who loves a student balance meeting the HSA requirements with the equally important need to prepare students (beyond 9th grade Algebra and 10th grade English and Government) for the "real world" of college and career? I don't know. I'm struggling daily with that. But I believe that it starts with asking the right questions - all of the right questions. These questions need to focus on time, resources, and most significantly our priorities. The Maryland State School Board, North Avenue, and anyone else who has a shred of control or the remaining energy to stand up against injustice need to start asking real questions about how these requirements impact students beyond the change of them not graduating. After all, a piece of paper isn't really the point of education. Is it?
There are a couple of huge and obvious problems here: investing these students in their education through a rigorous and engaging lesson that allows for collaboration, critical thinking, or other meaningful experiences is simple not possible given the structure and time pressures of "the Bridge." The second major issue presented by this structure is that these students are missing ALL of their classes. If this was really going to be over in two weeks, this might be a salvageable scenario, but the reality is that these kids will be working on bridge until they are finished or the final submission deadline...or a couple of days after that because an extension will inevitably be made somehow. This could result in students missing several weeks of instruction in all subjects, including those subjects required for graduation. Making all of this work up will be daunting for students; teachers are being encouraged to "condense" it. Grading students who didn't complete the assignments because the administration removed them from classes is an ethical challenge. All of this is a macabre twist on education, but then comes the bottom line: Students who meet the HSA requirements, complete enough condensed make-up work to pass, and who walk across the stage to receive a diploma in the spring will still not have had full access to the curriculum that they deserve and are entitled to as seniors. So after all of that, they may still go to college or work ill-prepared, and let me remind you that we are talking about the students who have worked so hard during their senior years.
How can this be happening? How does a parent, a teacher, a principal, or any other person who loves a student balance meeting the HSA requirements with the equally important need to prepare students (beyond 9th grade Algebra and 10th grade English and Government) for the "real world" of college and career? I don't know. I'm struggling daily with that. But I believe that it starts with asking the right questions - all of the right questions. These questions need to focus on time, resources, and most significantly our priorities. The Maryland State School Board, North Avenue, and anyone else who has a shred of control or the remaining energy to stand up against injustice need to start asking real questions about how these requirements impact students beyond the change of them not graduating. After all, a piece of paper isn't really the point of education. Is it?
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Professional Development?
An article in Education Week this week talks about one of the potential reasons why students in the United States perform worse on international standardized tests than students in other industrialized countries: the quantity and quality of professional development that we engage in. While other countries spend time on sustained projects and meetings that directly work to improve instruction, in the United States teachers meet sporadically about varying topics that do not connect together in a unified manner.
This American style of development is predominantly what is offered in Baltimore City, and it offers little real help for teachers who constantly struggle in the city schools. We have days off on occasion and North Avenue has sessions intended to help teachers improve, but they are by no means linked from month to month, and, from what I have heard, what is done is not even done effectively. MathWorks, the new elementary/middle school math program, seems to be one of the first efforts to create a sustained, continuous program that works to help teachers improve their craft. In these meetings, teachers informally gather and discuss math content and different strategies for teaching it. However, still missing from this program are group efforts of writing lessons and analyzing, as a group, their effectiveness in the classroom through video analysis or direct observation, which is one of the most successful components of the lesson-study model used in Japan to train and develop teachers.
In order to ensure that teachers in Baltimore and the rest of the country are as effective in the classroom as teachers around the world, it is essential to reform the ongoing professional development provided for teachers.
This American style of development is predominantly what is offered in Baltimore City, and it offers little real help for teachers who constantly struggle in the city schools. We have days off on occasion and North Avenue has sessions intended to help teachers improve, but they are by no means linked from month to month, and, from what I have heard, what is done is not even done effectively. MathWorks, the new elementary/middle school math program, seems to be one of the first efforts to create a sustained, continuous program that works to help teachers improve their craft. In these meetings, teachers informally gather and discuss math content and different strategies for teaching it. However, still missing from this program are group efforts of writing lessons and analyzing, as a group, their effectiveness in the classroom through video analysis or direct observation, which is one of the most successful components of the lesson-study model used in Japan to train and develop teachers.
In order to ensure that teachers in Baltimore and the rest of the country are as effective in the classroom as teachers around the world, it is essential to reform the ongoing professional development provided for teachers.
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