Kim Irvine, English teacher in Ogden, Utah, knows the new state superintendent quite well. Brad Smith, a lawyer with no education experience, was superintendent in Ogden, where he implemented a series of failed “reform” policies. So, it being Utah, he was elevated to state superintendent.
Kim Smith here describes the havoc and disruption he imposed on Ogden. Watch out, Utah parents and teachers! Know what to expect and push back hard. As hard as you can.
This is the canary in the coalmine…
Few people in this state realize that many Utah teachers are holding their collective breath waiting for the state superintendant to unveil his educational plan. There are concerns because his previously unsuccessful reforms as a district superintendent are often pointed to as an exemplar. Not many people across the state know what these reforms could look like, but the teachers, parents, and students from Ogden, do.
Based on that perspective, there are a few points that should be considered, especially for the parents whose students will be educated under this new plan. Recently, an article addressed ten signs of a failing district. [i] Please refer back to the article because the descriptions of these ten sign are both illuminating and powerful. Here are the ten signs:
- The large majority of teachers have fewer than 5 years experience.
- Teachers are overwhelmed with requests for data.
- Teachers receive no support from administrators on discipline issues.
- Professional development is limited to indoctrination and data.
- The message is tightly controlled, eliminating constructive criticism.
- School Board members serve as rubber stamps.
- The community is not involved in its schools.
- The district is top heavy with administrators.
- An overemphasis has been placed on technology.
- Not enough emphasis is being place on civics and citizenship.
Watch how closely this mirrors the events that happened in Ogden as Mr. Smith implemented his reforms.
Librarians
One of the first actions as newly appointed superintendent that really caught the ire of the community was to fire all of the librarians in the district including many reading specialists, citing potential increases in the cost of benefits under the Affordable Care Act. [ii] Smith also went on to explain that Ogden School District is the only remaining district on the Wasatch Front to employ licensed teachers as media specialists in their libraries. [iii]This turned out to be false, but deaf to the public outcry by parents, teachers, and students, the librarians did, indeed, lose their jobs. Many had been in the district for decades. After all was said and done, a handful of librarians remained. [iv]
Scripted Teaching
The next concern arose because of mandated training and implementation of scripted curriculum. Although many requests were made to the district about the expense of this program, the district would never release exact numbers. It has been reported the cost of this scripted program is upwards of $800,000 a year for the English instruction alone. This is horrifying to anyone, but especially someone who understands that these supplies are “consumables”. They are basically a bunch of worksheets bound together that the students write in and are thrown away each year and replaced. This is a very expensive and not a very effective way to teach as many research studies show. “One program cannot meet the needs of all children. Teachers need to be trained and empowered to make decisions about how best to teach their students.”[v]
Teacher Attrition
Many teachers began to leave Ogden District for several reasons including heavy-handed discipline, scripted programs, and a huge increase in data gathering and analysis paperwork. Other teachers were simply non-renewed. The local paper reported, “District teacher turnover 57% from 2006 to 2013.” Actual numbers appear that the trend is not only not slowing, but also increasing. According to the district’s records just about the same number of teachers left again the next year which would bring the cumulative to 72% turn over in teachers. Smith said. “Reforms were implemented, and they are choosing to go elsewhere to work.”[vi]
Teacher, Jennifer Claesgens, whose resume includes a Ph.D. in science and mathematics education, experience teaching high school, and four years as an assistant professor at Northern Arizona University’s Center for Science Teaching and Learning, responded to having her teaching contract not renewed by speaking out. According to the Standard Examiner, “She wonders if the real reason she was let go was that she questioned some school policies. ‘I didn’t understand why we didn’t have finals at a high school, if we want students to be prepared for college. I didn’t understand why kids were allowed to play sports if they weren’t even in school that day, or were flunking classes…I questioned those things because I really feel that you need to have expectations of students.”’[vii]
Confiscation of Teachers’ salaries
Another large reason that teachers are fleeing the Ogden District are the ways, under the reforms, teacher discipline is handled. Currently, when a teacher is placed on what the district calls, “Tier Two Remediation,” they lose the state money. This represents several thousand dollars that is “confiscated” by the district. This practice has become rather commonplace in the Ogden School District, yet I haven’t heard of this happening to other teachers across the state. A concern here is that this seems to be a conflict of interest. The district is fiscally motivated to place teachers on discipline. Personally, I know several teachers who have had this happen to them. It is a stressful, demeaning, and hurtful punishment that pushes the boundaries of appropriateness, especially when Utah teachers struggle with low wages and shrinking benefits as it is.
Mr. Smith’s Superintendent Bonuses and OSD Board’s “Rubber Stamp of Approval for Renewed Contract
In the midst of all of this, the Ogden School District Board unanimously renewed Brad Smith’s contract for another two years. What surprised the community was to hear of Mr. Smith’s incentive pay and bonus plan, which seemed highly inappropriate due to the financial woes claimed by the district. The Standard Examiner covered the story, “…but his potential performance pay goes up. Before, Smith was assessed three times a year and got a $10,000 bonus each time he met the criteria. Now, Smith will be assessed four times yearly, and get $9,000 each time he meets criteria…” Board President Shane Story.[viii]
Even though many were present at this board meeting in protest of the many controversial policies, The Ogden School Board voted unanimously to renew Superintendent Brad Smith’s contract for two more years.[ix] This was particularly disturbing considering there was no formal offering of the job to other job applicants despite the public outcry. Here is a video of some of these concerns voiced at that meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GscEIJ5lgdk
Data Shenanigans
But most importantly, it is vital to examine the data proffered by Mr. Smith as proof that his non-traditional methods actually work. Initially, the data showed that there were increases in student scoring at a few schools at the elementary levels, but those successes were short lived. There was minimal, consistent improvement at the secondary level. In 2014, as the state testing data came in, it became apparent that the reforms left a lot to be desired. The Deseret News reported shocking figures of proficiency rates in both the junior highs and high schools in Ogden District. Some of the most dismal were the math scores:
Ogden High= 4% proficient in math
Ben Lomond High= 5.9% proficient in math
Mound Fort Jr= 6.9% proficient in math
Highland Jr= 12.0% proficient in math
Mount Ogden Jr= 26.3% proficient in math
In 2014, two years after Mr. Smith started his sweeping reforms, the Deseret News reported the following:
“…Ogden, where English language arts scores fell by almost 77 percent — about 30 percent beyond the average drop experienced by Utah’s elementary schools. In the last four years, Dee and other Ogden schools have been hailed as having turned the tide in academic performance, fighting their way out of the bottom ranks through administrative overhauls and data-driven teaching initiatives. Between 2010 and 2013, Dee had gone from being among the worst-performing schools in the state to more than doubling its proficiency scores in language arts.”[x]
The paper even created a graph to illustrate how quickly the scores fell after being used as proof that Mr. Smith’s reform efforts were a smashing success. [xi]
Something else that is troubling about these numbers is that the math simply doesn’t add up to reflect authentic student growth and success. For instance, the graduation rates reported from Ogden District that same year were 71%. [xii]
Doesn’t that graduation figure become suspect when one considers that almost 90 percent of secondary students in Ogden District were not proficient in math? This means that almost 90% of the junior high and high school students in the district were not at grade level.
More and more testing…and now kindergarteners?
Lastly, many experienced educators are alarmed to hear the superintendent recommend standardized testing for our kindergarteners even though this flies in the face of a large body of educational research. [xiii] The Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) has found that, “standardized testing in the early years causes stress, does not provide useful information, leads to harmful tracking and labeling of children, causes teaching to the test, and fails to set conditions for cooperative learning and problem-solving.” [xiv]
The Business Model in Education
So now that we await the new educational plan that the state superintendent plans to roll out in August, it is important to keep in mind that the business model does not work in education. Diane Ravitch, a national expert on education, historian of education and Research Professor of Education at New York University, and a former Assistant Secretary of Education under George W. Bush, describes Mr. Smith as follows: “Clearly, Ogden has decided to utilize a business plan. The superintendent has no education background. Class size doesn’t matter. Librarians don’t matter. The voices of concerned parents are ignored. As long as those test scores go up, the school board will declare success. After all, trained seals can perform no matter how many are in the pool.”[xv]
Concerns about Smith’s Reforms from the Community and Media
Alliance for a Better Utah describes Mr. Smith, “Between his credentials and behavior, educators in the state have plenty with which to be alarmed. Utah’s legislators historically have butted heads with educators, so a superintendent playing for the other team could have toxic consequences. The situation ought to be watched closely as Utah’s children will ultimately pay the price.”[xvi]
Recently, Paul Rolley, of the Salt Lake Tribune, pointed out some startling concerns in an article dated May 15th 2015 where he pointed out that Smith is a creation of the right wing:
“But Stephenson (Utah Senator) now has the education leader he always wanted. Smith, who immediately confronted the teachers union when he became superintendent of the Ogden School District and infamously slashed programs and people, seems to share Stephenson’s distrust of public school teachers and malevolence toward administrators bound philosophically to traditional education policies.”
Rolly went on further to express some concern over actions of state school board members as Smith’s reforms are adopted and the naysayers are eliminated:
“The few board members who met on their own and championed Smith have driven out other top professionals of the State Office of Education through their micro-managing and constant meddling, according to past and present education employees who have observed the recent carnage.”[xvii]
Conclusion
We, the Utah State Democratic Education Caucus is made up of parents, community leaders, students, teachers, administrators, and community members who are extremely concerned about the superintendent’s new 5 year educational plan especially since no one seems to be looking closely to the devastation he left behind in Ogden. Please, please heed our pleas. Be careful of glossy promises and slick brochures. Demand research backed programs that are authentic and peer reviewed, not just propaganda from vendors. We are your constituency and we are worried. At the beginning of this document we explained that this is the canary in the coalmine. The metaphoric canary is the remains of the Ogden School District. If you would like to speak to teachers, parents, or counselors who have seen this tragedy, we can arrange it. Please contact me and we will put you together.
Sincerely,
Kim Irvine
Chair: Utah Democratic Education Caucus
[i] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/randy-turner/ten-signs-your-child-is-i_b_7698514.html
[ii] http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/56222830-78/district-ogden-employees-positions.html.csp
[iii] Coverage from the local paper regarding firing the librarians and reading specialists: http://www.standard.net/Local/2013/04/27/Ogden-School-District-notifies-librarians-of-job-terminations.html
~A few of the many letters to the editor from outraged parents fighting to keep the librarians
- http://www.standard.net/Opinion/2013/04/30/Ogden-district-s-agendas-lack-info-on-firing-librarians.html
- http://www.standard.net/Opinion/2013/04/30/librarians-teach-students-to-evaluate-web-sources.html
- http://www.standard.net/Opinion/2013/04/29/Passionate-librarians-integral-part-of-education.html
[iv] https://dianeravitch.net/2013/10/05/ogden-utah-decides-to-let-non-educators-try-their-hand/
[v] Elaine Garan’s In Defense of Our Children: When Politics, Profit and Education Collide is a little book packed with insight and research.
http://www.tcrecord.org/library/abstract.asp?contentid=11835
[vi] Great information from local paper including stats and graphs on teacher attrition http://www.standard.net/Local/2013/11/02/Ogden-School-District-teacher-departures-at-7-year-high
[vii] Poignant story and video from the perspective of a talented, non-renewed teacher as Ogden fires 17 teachers http://www.standard.net/Education/2014/05/12/10-Non-renewed-teachers
[viii] Great video interviews and coverage of Mr. Smith’s bonuses and other compelling issues: http://www.standard.net/Lifestyle/2013/09/20/Ogden-School-Board-renews-superintendent-s-contract-for-two-years.html
[ix] Regardless of the public outcry, OSD Board unanimously renews Smith contract for two years. http://e.standard.net/stories/2013/09/19/ogden-school-board-renews-superintendents-contract-two-years
[x] After reporting sweeping successes, the Deseret News points out several flaws http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865614569/What-Ogden-reveals-about-the-SAGE-test-teaching-and-how-students-learn.html
[xi] Deseret News graphic illustrating problems with previously successes in Ogden School District http://img.deseretnews.com/images/article/graphicSidebar/1433848/1433848.jpg
[xii] Graduation data: http://www.schools.utah.gov/data/Superintendents-Annual-Report/2014/GraduationReport.aspx
[xiii] Please go to 1:46:38 to hear Mr. Smith’s ideas on standardized testing for Utah kindergarteners. http://utahlegislature.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=19036&meta_id=559117
[xiv] http://www.education.com/magazine/article/testing-kindergarten-realities-dangers/
[xv] National Education blog describes Smith: https://dianeravitch.net/2013/10/05/ogden-utah-decides-to-let-non-educators-try-their-hand/
[xvi] Alliance for a Better Utah describes Smith: http://betterutah.org/2015/03/27/superintendent-smith-not-quite-ready-for-primetime/
[xvii] Rolly article in Trib: http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/2513070-155/rolly-schools-superintendent-is-a-careful
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Oh yes, Smith is a right-winger’s dream. Anti-public ed, anti-teacher (properly trained teachers, that is), and the Utah legislature and Gov Herbie now have their dream hatchet man. Now that they’ve added Lockhart (tech consultant) to the State Board of Ed, their coup is complete. Be prepared for an all-charter state, with the majority of kids taught by tech, monitored by “teachers” who have no teacher preparation coursework. Hope the colleges and universities in Utah – some of whom LOVE the thought of tech replacing teachers – are prepared to see their teacher prep programs eliminated. That’s next. Why pay for something that 1) isn’t needed and 2) doesn’t bring back a high ROI, since performance pay for colleges and universities is the next big thing in Utah?
http://www.sltrib.com/home/2791113-155/research-universities-take-top-prizes-in
“Based on the theory that even academics can be swayed by market forces, Utah higher-education bosses parceled out performance bonuses Friday to the state’s eight colleges and universities……”
Go Utah! Race to the bottom. You’re close. (AZ still has you beat.)
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“One of the first actions as newly appointed superintendent that really caught the ire of the community was to fire all of the librarians in the district including many reading specialists, citing potential increases in the cost of benefits under the Affordable Care Act. [ii] Smith also went on to explain that Ogden School District is the only remaining district on the Wasatch Front to employ licensed teachers as media specialists in their libraries. [iii]This turned out to be false, but deaf to the public outcry by parents, teachers, and students, the librarians did, indeed, lose their jobs. Many had been in the district for decades. After all was said and done, a handful of librarians remained.”
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A lesser known outrage during John Deasy’s reign of terror in Los Angeles schools was his treatment of librarians. Just after taking over, he made a speech at Occidental College calling them useless and a waste of money, and then went after them.
Once he closed school libraries and removed the librarians in charge of them, the next step was to keep librarians from being placed in classroom position—as most had 10-30 years seniority, and were at the high end of the pay scale—and fire them from the district to save money.
What happened next defies description. They were put through hearings that were right out of Arthur Koestler’s DARKNESS AT NOON. The intent was to “prove” that, though fully credentialed by the state to teach, their years as librarians rendered them unfit to return to the classroom.
http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2011/05/18/lausd-doubts-that-seasoned-teacher-librarians-can-teach/
“… attorneys representing the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) asked Kafkaesque questions such as ‘Do you take attendance?’ of dozens of teacher-librarians appealing their layoffs in order to prove to an administrative judge that the teacher-librarians were not qualified to become classroom teachers. At least, that’s what observers such as Tobar and Nora Murphy, a teacher-librarian for L.A. Academy Middle School and blogger, have written about the hearings.
“What does taking attendance have to do with being a highly trained educator who is duly credentialed and who teaches how to learn? Here’s the connection: A recency rule established this school year by LAUSD officials (and upheld by an administrative judge) states that a teacher-librarian who has not taught in a classroom for five years is no longer, by definition, a qualified teacher, no matter how many years of service and training she or he has.
“And if a teacher-librarian hasn’t taken attendance in five or more years, she or he must not have been in charge of a classroom. The administrative judge presiding over the hearings upheld the recency rule, clearing the way for the trials. It is unclear when the judge will rule on the individuals’ qualifications.
“In a May 18 op-ed in the Times, Murphy said:
” ‘I have listened as other teacher-librarians have endured demeaning questions from school district attorneys, and I wonder how it has come to this. . . . The basic question being asked is whether highly trained and experienced teacher-librarians are fit for the classroom. LAUSD’s lawyers seem determined to prove they are not.
” ‘One librarian, who would like to go back to an elementary classroom if her library is closed, was asked to recite the physical education standards for second-graders, as if failing to do so would mean she was unfit.
” ‘Another teacher, who wants to return to teaching English, noted that she spent all day in the library effectively teaching English. But her inquisitor quickly started asking questions about the Dewey Decimal System, suggesting that since it involved more math than English, the teacher was no longer practiced in the art of teaching English.’
“Among those laid off is Leslie Sipos, teacher-librarian for the middle- and high school library at the brand-new LAUSD’s Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools campus, which was featured in American Libraries’ 2011 facilities showcase. ‘She hadn’t even gotten all the books out of boxes,’ Monroe High School Teacher-Librarian Annette Scherr told AL.
“ ‘The elimination of school librarians means the District is losing invaluable teachers whose educational specialty is empowering students with life-long, independent learning skills,’ wrote American Library Association President Roberta A. Stevens and Nancy Everhart, president of ALA’s American Association of School Librarians, in an open letter May 18 to the LAUSD board and administration.
“Urging the district to reconsider its decision, Stevens and Everhart asserted: ‘The elimination of these positions will have a devastating effect on the educational prospects and success of the District’s students. A good school library is not an option—it is essential to a good education.’
“As the grilling of teacher-librarians and other LAUSD educators proceeded, there was a presumption that state aid to education was going to be slashed yet again in FY2012, which would be partly responsible for LAUSD having a nearly $408-million deficit to erase. However, California Gov. Jerry Brown announced May 16 that, because state revenues had mushroomed $6.6 billion more than anticipated this fiscal year, he was recommending the restoration of $3 billion to education spending.
“If LAUSD receives the $300 million it would be due, it’s unclear whether it could help alleviate the situation in which teacher-librarians find themselves. What could help is the intense networking and outreach that members of the California School Librarians Association are doing to make the Los Angeles school libraries crisis as visible as possible.
“Teacher-librarians such as Scherr lobbied in the state Capitol with the California Teachers Association in mid-May for additional education funding, and even buttonholed California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, who was among those backing the state’s adoption last year of model school-library standards. Authors Neil Gaiman, Bruce Coville, and Jane Yolen have been spreading the word through Facebook; Gaiman has also created a #savethelibrarians hashtag.
From Kafka to kiosk?
“Scherr and other LAUSD teacher-librarians remain determined, but according to the April 20 quarterly report on bond-funded projects issued by district Chief Academic Officer Judy Elliott, the district has already reorganized the Instructional Media Services, which supported the school-library program, into a new department: the Integrated Library and Textbook Support Services.
” ‘The Director position of Instructional Media Services is being eliminated,’ Elliott writes, noting, ‘ILTSS supports the instructional goals of the Superintendent and LAUSD by ensuring new school libraries will be made available to students. . . . It is understood that all libraries need a certified librarian, but budget constraints force us to investigate different options for the schools to implement.’ ”
“According to Scherr, Elliott testified before the administrative judge that there was no function a teacher-librarian could perform that couldn’t be performed by anybody else. That philosophy is reflected in the report, which goes into detail about the implementation of Follett Software’s Destiny integrated-library system for library and textbook inventory management. Principals are offered three options: Find external funding for a teacher-librarian to manage the software system; delegate a school staffer to learn and maintain the software; establish an unstaffed ‘kiosk’ self-check system so students and faculty can still access the library’s collection.”
And here’s Hector Tobar’s report at the LOS ANGELES TIMES:
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/13/local/la-me-0513-tobar-20110513
HECTOR TOBAR:
“In a basement downtown, the librarians are being interrogated.
“On most days, they work in middle schools and high schools operated by the Los Angeles Unified School District, fielding student queries about American history and Greek mythology, and retrieving copies of vampire novels.
“But this week, you’ll find them in a makeshift LAUSD courtroom set up on the bare concrete floor of a building on East 9th Street. Several sit in plastic chairs, watching from an improvised gallery as their fellow librarians are questioned.
“A court reporter takes down testimony. A judge grants or denies objections from attorneys. Armed police officers hover nearby. On the witness stand, one librarian at a time is summoned to explain why she — the vast majority are women — should be allowed to keep her job.
“The librarians are guilty of nothing except earning salaries the district feels the need to cut. But as they’re cross-examined by determined LAUSD attorneys, they’re continually put on the defensive.
” ‘When was the last time you taught a course for which your librarian credential was not required?’ an LAUSD attorney asked Laura Graff, the librarian at Sun Valley High School, at a court session on Monday.
” ‘I’m not sure what you’re asking,’ Graff said. ‘ I teach all subjects, all day. In the library.’
” ‘Do you take attendance?’ the attorney insisted. ‘Do you issue grades?’
I’ve seen a lot of strange things in two decades as a reporter, but nothing quite as disgraceful and weird as this inquisition the LAUSD is inflicting upon more than 80 school librarians.
” ‘With my experience, it makes me angry to be interrogated,’ Graff told me after the 40 minutes she spent on the witness stand, describing the work she’s done at libraries and schools going back to the 1970s. ‘I don’t think any teacher-librarian needs to sit here and explain how they help teach students.’
“Sitting in during two court sessions this week, I felt bad for everyone present, including the LAUSD attorneys. After all, in the presence of a school librarian, you feel the need to whisper and be respectful. It must be very difficult, I thought, to grill a librarian.
“For LAUSD officials, it’s a means to an end: balancing the budget.
“Some 85 credentialed teacher-librarians got layoff notices in March. If state education cuts end up being as bad as most think likely, their only chance to keep a paycheck is to prove that they’re qualified to be transferred into classroom teaching jobs.
“Since all middle and high school librarians are required to have a state teaching credential in addition to a librarian credential, this should be an easy task — except for a school district rule that makes such transfers contingent on having taught students within the last five years.
“To get the librarians off the payroll, the district’s attorneys need to prove to an administrative law judge that the librarians don’t have that recent teaching experience. To try to prove that they do teach, the librarians, in turn, come to their hearings with copies of lesson plans they’ve prepared and reading groups they’ve organized.
“Sandra Lagasse, for 20 years the librarian at White Middle School in Carson, arrived at the temporary courtroom Wednesday with copies of her lesson plans in Greek word origins and mythology.
“On the witness stand, she described tutoring students in geometry and history, including subjects like the Hammurabi Code. Her multi-subject teaching credential was entered into evidence as ‘Exhibit 515.’
” Lagasse also described the ‘Reading Counts’ program she runs in the library, in which every student in the school is assessed for reading skills.
” ‘This is not a class, correct?’ a school district attorney asked her during cross-examination.
” ‘No,’ she said. ‘It is part of a class.’
” ‘There is no class at your school called ‘Reading Counts’? Correct.’ ”
” ‘No.’
“Lagasse endured her time on the stand with quiet dignity and confidence. She described how groups of up to 75 students file into her library — and how she works individually with many students.
“Later she told me: ‘I know I’m doing my job right when a student tells me, ‘Mrs. Lagasse, that book you gave me was so good. Do you have anything else like it?’ ”
It’s a noble profession. And it happens to be the only one Michael Bernard wants to practice.
” ‘It’s true, I’m a librarian and that’s all I want to be,’ said the librarian at North Hollywood High School, who has been a librarian for 23 years and has a master’s degree in library science.
” ‘The larger issue is the destruction of school libraries,’ Bernard told me. ‘None of the lawyers was talking about that.’
“School district rules say that only a certified teacher-librarian can manage a school library. So if Bernard is laid off, his library, with its 40,000 books and new computer terminals, could be shut down.
“Word of the libraries’ pending doom is starting to spread through the district. Adalgisa Grazziani, the librarian at Marshall High School, told me that the kids at her school are asking if they can take home books when the library there is closed.
” ‘Can I have the fantasy collection?’ one asked her.
“If they could speak freely at their dismissal hearings, the librarians likely would tell all present what a tragedy it is to close a library.
“Instead, they sit and try to politely answer such questions as, ‘Have you ever taught physical education?’
“It doesn’t seem right to punish an educator for choosing the quiet and contemplation of book stacks over the noise and hubbub of a classroom or a gymnasium. But that’s where we are in these strange and stupid times.”
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Recently, an article addressed ten signs of a failing district. [i] Please refer back to the article because the descriptions of these ten sign are both illuminating and powerful. Here are the ten signs:
The large majority of teachers have fewer than 5 years experience.
Teachers are overwhelmed with requests for data.
Teachers receive no support from administrators on discipline issues.
Professional development is limited to indoctrination and data.
The .message is tightly controlled, eliminating constructive criticism.
School Board members serve as rubber stamps.
The community is not involved in its schools.
The district is top heavy with administrators.
An overemphasis has been placed on technology.
Not enough emphasis is being place on civics and citizenship.
This sounds like the NYC DoE.
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The supreme example of the ineffectiveness of non-educators in top administrative positions is Arne Duncan. His ‘reforms’ didn’t work in Chicago and haven’t worked for the nation.
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And the computers, they shall teach them…
This is a very scary scenario for all involved. Who wouldn’t want to bale out?!?
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This post is regarding the investigation of the RI Pension Fund. Comments were closed from the post back in November 2014. Please consider signing this petition.
https://www.change.org/p/u-s-securities-and-exchange-commission-investigate-potential-violations-of-the-rhode-island-8-billion-state-pension-fund?recruiter=356129768&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=share_email_responsive
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Fan-damn-tastic, Kim! Thank you from a fellow Utah educator. We are being decimated in Utah, and the media and community barely notice. The sad thing is, is that if teachers from other parts of the country had paid attention to Utah, you would have seen a TON of what is happening now. We’ve been dealing with “reform” here for more than 30 years.
The appointment of Brad Smith was a punch in the face to all teachers, and we know it. NOW, we have a creep running for governor who would like to have principals and parents given power to fire teachers. He’s the current CEO of Overstock.com, which I HOPE all teachers will boycott.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/2803975-155/overstockcom-boss-planning-run-for-utah
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Threatened out west, Thanks for that tid bit. Our governor will not get my vote in the next go around. I will also be actively working against Stweart Adams
. He is anti public school ab
Nod flying under the radar.
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Oh yeah! Adams has GOT to go. He was seen at Jeb Bush’s privatization conference this last spring by the leaders of AFT from Utah–their conference was in the same building. Jerry Stevenson also needs to be gone.
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Notice hoe also and flying changed to ad Nod? Hate auto correct. It sure gets strange results.
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I am both a parent and educator in Utah. I have children who are in Ogden district, and I am very concerned on many levels. One of the biggest concerns (there are too many to count) is the removal of veteran teachers in the district. Hundreds of teachers have left in the past 3-4 years, and the veterans who’ve stayed are being pushed out. It’s cheaper to have new teachers, after all. Nothing against new teachers, but to be effective at anything, you need experience. Once the new teachers reach three years, the principal decides if they should get “tenure.” Guess how many actually do? Eventually those teachers leave, and it starts all over. My son has had a first year teacher FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS. It’s not surprising that he has slipped in many areas, especially math. My first grader has a second-year teacher this year, so fingers crossed! I don’t understand why parents are not demanding better for their children! I’m beginning my eighteenth year in a different district (thankfully) but am very worried about the future of my job, my students, and my children. Let’s all get involved and make some changes!!
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I echo your comments completely! The same thing happened to our family. I’m so glad we moved from the district!
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I agree with you, “my children.” I really do not understand the ineptitude of the public in this state. We have the lowest election turn out in the country, and no one seems willing to fight back. I think our legislators, over the years, have conditioned Utahns into a state of learned helplessness–it doesn’t matter what constituents think, because the legislature will do whatever it wants.
The fact that everyone simply votes for whoever has an R next to his/her name–no matter how horrible that person is–doesn’t help. I wish I could convince people that, especially in Utah, Democrats are fine. They’re not going to suddenly allow all abortions or whatever stupid social issue everyone’s up in arms about. And the ultra-nutty-conservative Republicans in this state are doing REAL damage to the state. And yet, people keep voting idiots like Howard Stephenson in for the umpeenth time. Utahns would vote for Attila the Hun if he had an R next to his name.
WE NEED TO FIGHT BACK! The problem is that few are actually willing to do the work it takes. I beg my faculty to get involved, and yet, I’m the only one who actually does. UEA is no help–they protested Smith’s new contract in Ogden, and then at the end of the protest, were encouraged by UEA to go sign the contract anyway!
WHAT WILL IT TAKE in Utah for people to fight back? We need a walkout, we need people writing legislators, we need to vote out incumbents, we need to take back our communities. WHO WILL FIGHT FOR UTAH???????????????
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I just came across this one from the Brookings Institution. I do not know if there are some educators (superintendents) in this study. With a large number of schools districts in the US there must be some educators in this group.
1. School district superintendent is largely a short-term job. The typical Superintendent has been in the job for three to four years.
2. Student achievement does not improve with longevity of superintendent service within their districts.
3. Hiring a new superintendent is not associated with higher student achievement.
4. Superintendents account for a small fraction of a percent (0.3 percent) of student differences in achievement. This effect, while statistically significant, is orders of magnitude smaller than that associated with any other major component of the education system, including: measured and unmeasured student characteristics; teachers; schools; and districts.
5. Individual superintendents who have an exceptional impact on student achievement cannot be reliably identified.
Click to access superintendentsbrown-center9314.pdf
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Raj,
I don’t know about this study, but the director of education studies at Brookings was George W. Bush’s director of education research. He was a college professor and might not have the same perspective as educators who teach children.
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Diane,
I gave you a link to the study and you were a part of Brookings Institute.
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Raj,
I was a senior fellow in residence at the Brookings Institution from 1993-1995. I edited Brookings Papers on Education Policy as a nonresident Senior Fellow from 1994-2005. I do not read everything produced by Brookings. Sorry I did not have time to read the latest study. Thanks for the link.
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Looks like Hawaii has a teaxher shortage too. This is becoming a viral problem, to use today’s rhetoric.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/08/05/hawaii-schools-teacher-shortage_n_7944246.html
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Kim is taking bold steps, with the support of teachers, parents, students, and administrators across the state who have realized that, under the forceful direction of an untrained, inexperienced state superintendent who expresses great pride in his ultra-conservative political impact on education, Utah may be about to sacrifice a generation of our students.
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Not “about to sacrifice,” Elizabeth. Students are already sacrificed. I have two teenaged sons in public schools whose education is a disaster. My rising senior son has read a total of one novel and one play in school since beginning high school. Two works of literature. It’s astounding and disgusting.
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Thank Common Core creator and promoter David Coleman for that. He believes that fiction literature—novels, plays, poems, short stories, etc.—are a waste of time, and do no prepare your kids to be future workers. Only non-fiction is appropriate, as this more closely resembles the reports that a worker will read and/or write when he’s a drone, are a cog in a capitalist dream machine.
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This is how he feels about Utah teachers, rallying at the capital for more funding…
http://www.sltrib.com/news/2324974-155/state-superintendent-apologizes-to-utahs-teachers
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/03/top-utah-school-official-teachers-rallying-for-funding-are-3-year-olds-crying-on-christmas/
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Ms. Ravitch,
I AM A TEACHER! And this fall will be the first time in nearly 3 decades that I will not be greeting students on the first day of school. You might say I am a casualty of the educational disaster that bullied his way through our once-great little school district. THANK YOU BRAD SMITH.
How dare I question what I felt…no wait…WHAT I KNEW AS A VETERAN TEACHER would not be best practice, would not have a long-term positive effect on the MOST important factor of this situation…MY/OUR CHILDREN. Running a school district on a business model experiment is unfathomably insane! My students are human beings. They have feelings, ideas, loves, and fears. They are not a product on a store shelf with a bar code that should be scanned for data without seemingly one micro-morsel of consideration for the whole child. Data is king with Mr. Smith’s plan.
I am waiting fearfully with my fellow teachers, parents, and students for THE PLAN Mr. Smith originally said would be out in August, but is now slated for October. If it’s true that a leopard does not change it’s spots, then I’ve already seen this movie. It’s was a disaster. Everybody dies. God help us all.
I AM A TEACHER!
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I think CT is pretty much heading down the same path as Malloy replaced one non-educator (creator of Achieve First schools I believe) with another non-educator and in the most recent legislative session, vetoed a bill that would require the state commissioner to have educational experience (current one is a former chief of staff I believe).
Additionally, even though the teachers union support the bill, the spineless Dems refused to override the veto, even though that have a veto-proof majority of all chambers.
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How often would the GOP use that as a whip to beat a dem??
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You may not be familiar with the harm reading is doing in Utah. For example? How many wives did Joseph Smith have>? It’s a tricky one, it changes more often than the criteria for a MRS from Snow College.
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And maybe it’s time to finally put the education system in it’s proper place: as an auxiliary to the family – not as replacement for mom and dad: the child’s true teacher’s. Defund the State and federal education boards and bureaucracies – especially the US Department of Education! Colleges and Universities: pay your own way. Education departments stop at county lines and superintendant with the boards elected to county office. Principles elected in city elections.
Parents: they’re your kids. Rear them to be self-reliant and wise. That’s always been your purpose.
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