Just read this. You should too.
Archives for category: Teachers and Teaching
I like to introduce readers of this blog to people I respect, to scholars and writers who are thoughtful and insightful.
Here is someone you should read.
Aaron Pallas of Teachers College, Columbia University, is one of the wisest, most perceptive observers of trends in American education.
He just finished a study of why middle-school teachers leave. It came out around the same time as The New Teachers Project report on “the Irreplaceables.” He compares the two studies here.
Where the two diverge is that the TNTP report thinks it is relatively easy to identify the best and the worst teachers in a year. You give a bonus to the former and get rid of the latter. As Pallas puts it, we can’t fire our way to excellence. (It was Linda Darling-Hammond who once said, memorably, in response to economist Eric Hanushek, who claims that we will see vast improvements if we fire 5-10% of teachers whose students get low scores: “We can’t fire our way to Finland.”)
Pallas does not agree. He writes:
I’m less sanguine than the TNTP authors about the ability to easily identify those teachers who are “irreplaceable” and those who are—what? Expendable? Disposable? Unsalvageable? Superfluous? The terms are so jarring that it’s hard to know how a principal might treat such a teacher with compassion and respect. Given what we know about the instability from year to year in teachers’ value-added scores as well as the learning curve of novice professionals, a reliance on a rigid classification of teachers into these two boxes seems unrealistic.
I don’t doubt that there are some individuals who are natural-born teachers, just as Michael Phelps has shown himself to be a natural-born swimmer, and perhaps their talents are revealed on Day One. But there are thousands and thousands of children and youth around the world who are competitive swimmers, and none of them is Michael Phelps. For these children and youth, as for most teachers—and there are approximately 3.5 million full-time K-12 teachers in the United States—technique and practice can yield great improvements in performance. This is perhaps even more true in teaching than in swimming, as there are many goals to which teachers must attend simultaneously, rather than just swimming fast to touch the wall as soon as possible.
One reader–obviously not a teacher–has expressed his disdain for teachers and public schools repeatedly. Apparently he thinks teachers don’t work hard enough. Since public schools have not ended poverty, he asks why we should bother to pay for them. This is a site for discussion, and several readers have responded. This teacher explains here what he does.
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It is always important to keep your sense of perspective and not be swept along by bad ideas imposed by superiors.
Be reasonable but do not accept the unacceptable. (The Will Smith video was first mentioned here.)
When I read the following, I was tempted to suggest that the local superintendent might order one of those Gates Foundation’s galvanic skin response monitors. But then I realized I was wrong: the purpose of the monitors is to measure excitement, but the purpose of the bobbers is to teach collaboration. I think. Maybe.
Read it and ask: laugh or cry?
This event (having to sit through the Will Smith treadmill youtube video–which, by the way, is still available for viewing by running a Google search) was nothing compared to the inservice the year before in the same district. That motivational speaker’s presentation consisted of a discussion of our positive and negative energy, which was then demonstrated by having all 100+ of us holding a fishing bobber suspended by a chain. We “worked to move our energy” using our bobbers in both small and large groups. Depending on the swing and speed of the bobber, it could be determined (!!!) whether or not we we possess good, positive energy.
From the speaker’s own website: “Participants are instantly affected as they learn to bring positive energy to their relationships and daily lives.”
Thank goodness we were not tested and scored individually on the swing of our bobbers, because I was fit to be tied by the time the presentation ended. The most disturbing thing was listening to some teachers the next day praising their own “successes” with the bobbers. They’d actually gone home and practiced! I, in turn, was reprimanded for my criticism regarding what I saw as the frivolous use of inservice time when I filled out my required end-of-session evaluation. I wrote something like, “Perhaps we can follow-up this ridiculous activity by bringing in tea leaves or pulling out the old Ouija Boards.”
Oh my gosh, do you think bobbers, tea leaves, and Ouija boards will soon be teacher evaluation tools? Egad.
A reader writes to set the record straight:
| My comments are simply to state facts and correct the misconceptions in the responses.I was a founding member of the National Board in 1987–a classroom special education teacher from Michigan. (Yes, serving with 62 other board members like Deborah Meier, Al Shanker and Mary Futrell but mostly, a majority of teachers) In 1990, I joined the National Board as staff–the first teacher hired by the start up organization. I worked as a Vice President for the organization until 2000 and witness the launch and continual evolution of National Board Certification. In 2010, I was re-elected to the NBPTS board of directors and serve now.
The NBPTS by-laws state the the board is a teacher led board, and I serve with the most amazing NBCTs in this governance role. (I do not serve as a teacher member despite having been a nationally recognized special education teacher at one point.) Pearson is a contractor to the NBPTS and the National Board manages that contract. Standard revisions are done by committees of a majority of teachers, assessment revisions based on those standards and scoring results are approved by the board of directors–again, a MAJORITY of teachers. This is not done by Pearson. It is done by the National Board. I just left a two day meeting of a board committee (I was the only non NBCT) and staff meeting (again several NBCTS) talking about how to actualize the priority goal #1 of the new leadership at NBPTS: mobilize NBCTs to ensure their expertise is deployed to benefit every part of the education system to contribute to the urgency of increasing student learning. If there is anything that might feel like a takeover, it is that NBCTs are truly at the core of this organization in focus, governance, management. I couldn’t be prouder. |
This administrator calls for greater accountability —at the top.
| Yes, there are many of us in administration who stand with our teachers. The shame is that the people who are causing the real damage are never held accountable. We continue to allow elected officials to erode public education while conveniently blaming teachers. They allow public education to be taken over for profit. When will we hold them accountable for their failure of overseeing the public school systems they are charged with protecting? NCLB has failed and RTTT is no better. Instead of parents blaming teachers, and teachers blaming administrators, everyone should look at the people creating the policies at the top. Let’s evaluate our politicians, governors, and state Ed superintendents by using statewide test scores as their VAM scores for accountability. Their jobs should be tied to test scores just like teachers. |
Anthony Cody, the exemplary science teacher-mentor (NBCT), from Oakland, California, has engaged the Gates Foundation in a dialogue about its agenda.
Anthony was concerned that the foundation has propelled the frenzy to test more, to blame teachers for low scores, and to ignore poverty.
Vicki Phillips of the foundation responded here to his challenge.
And on the same page, you will see Anthony’s response to Phillips.
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On another site, for which there is no link, I saw the following comment on the foundation’s statement to Anthony Cody:
- Right off the bat Phillips presents us with an argumentative frame that does
- not exist — that there are people who “defend all teachers at all costs” —
- and uses that erroneous frame to claim a vaunted “middle ground” where, of
- course, all the “serious work” is being done, implying that anyone who
- disagrees with her agenda is not engaged in “serious work.”
- Then there’s this:
- “The notion that student learning should play no part in teacher evaluation
- systems, or that test scores should be the only measure of teaching
- performance, represent two extreme but unproductive camps.”
- Again, a made-up polarity. No one I know of maintains that “student learning
- should play no part.” She uses this false frame to conflate test scores with
- “student learning” and again imply that her point of view is the only
- “serious” and legitimate perspective.
- The whole emphasis on “multiple measures” is yet another erroneous
- construct. The crux of the matter isn’t whether to use multiple measures but
- whether to include erroneous measures and give them undue emphasis that is
- harmful to teachers and by connection students.
- Finally, she does nothing to contradict the now conventional wisdom that
- evaluation is something done TO teachers rather than WITH them because
- public school teachers can’t be trusted. That’s just my quick-and-dirty assessment of this PR blather.
- Another commenter on the same site wondered why Phillips did not acknowledge the foundation’s role in creating astroturf groups of young teachers who can be counted on to speak publicly against tenure and seniority and in favor of using test scores to evaluate teachers.
A principal sent this comment. TNTP used to be called The New Teacher Project; it was founded by Michelle Rhee. They released a report last week saying that the average first-year teacher is more effective than 40% of teachers with seven or more years of experience:
| In my school and district we are losing some really great educators who take with them a wealth of experience. They are not the tired old teachers who “need to go”. They are the ones who know how to manage a class and how to achieve results. They are the leaders who have taught us how to be better teachers. They are the role models. Experience does count. They don’t worry about test scores, yet they have the best results. Go figure. We can all learn something from them. Sometimes young teachers don’t understand, but those of us who have been here a while recognize their worth. There is a lot of turmoil in education right now. Lots of great teachers, both young and old, are leaving because they are tired of being disrespected by adults in high places. It’s hard to believe this is happening. We have to keep speaking up until the truth is finally heard. |
A group of principals in Long Island, New York, went to training sessions about the state’s evolving educator evaluation plan. When they realized that teachers would be graded on a curve and that half would be rated ineffective by design, they were horrified. When they realized that teachers who didn’t produce higher test scores would be rated ineffective no matter how highly they were rated by their principal, they were outraged.
And they wrote a petition to the State Education Department asking for a trial of this potentially injurious system.
Please sign their petition, no matter where you live:
1508 NY principals …over 1/3 of NYS, signed a letter, a detailed research based letter, against evaluating teachers by test scores. A few thousand teachers signed too. How about 1/3 of NY teachers signing?
Www.Newyorkprincipals.org
This story is heartfelt and it makes me very sad. It also makes me angry. What are the politicians and policymakers doing? Why aren’t they giving teachers the support and respect they need to do their work? When I read this, I wonder if the Rhees and Kleins and Gates and Broads and Waltons and all their buddies can look at themselves in the mirror and feel good about what they are doing to education in this country.
| After 27 years, I, too, retired last August. Yes, it was a legitimate choice. I had always thought I’d teach at least 31 years; that was my unspoken goal. Teaching has been my passion, having told my principal three years prior to my retirement that I had the best position in the district (elementary art teacher, pk-4). At the time, he argued, saying that he had the best job as the newly assigned elementary principal after having been a teacher only a handful of years. We laughed as we argued, and I told him with his leadership, our school would soar. Unfortunately, this same man was soon named superintendent. Transitioning from teacher to principal to superintendent in such a short span of years, changed the person I thought I knew. Or maybe it just opened my eyes. As superintendent, his new theme at last year’s opening inservice became “Get on the treadmill with me or get off.” Honestly. Together, the district staff watched a ten minute motivational youtube video of “Will Smith’s Wisdom” in which Smith (the actor) urged listeners to “get on the treadmill” as he stressed work ethic and journeying for success. I had never thought of the parallels of education and treadmills. However, as I thought about the idea, the treadmill connection was apparent. So many of us are running ourselves ragged just by trying to stay on the treadmill. Even Race to the Top is a treadmill…state against state on the treadmill, with only a few winning those precious carrot-dollars. After the third day of inservice last year, I submitted my request for retirement. I had to get off the treadmill. This was the day before the official school start. I had a 2 1/2 hour meeting with my superintendent (and NEA Uniserve Director) sharing with him my reasons, my concerns, and my fears for education locally and at state and federal levels. I’m not certain he actually heard me, but I said my piece. It felt good. I highly recommend it. I packed my 27 years of teaching and moved out by midnight that very night. Of course, before I locked my room for the last time, I left a lesson plan for each grade level for the next morning with each level’s supplies set out, the all-so-mighty curriculum book that I’d put my blood, sweat and tears into developing, a brief statement about how to use my filing system of three filled five-drawer file cabinets, the updated inventory, the short list of new inventory, blank seating charts for each class, the class lists—if you’re a teacher, you know the routine. It IS all about the kids, even as one is leaving. Now, after a year of retirement, I know I’ve done what I needed to do for me and for my mental health. In the nick of time, I might add. Next week, my district begins implementing a four-day school week. Oh, all the money we’ll save, AND it’s “all about the children.” Who are we kidding? And thus, I can be an advocate for children in other ways. I am. I will forever be. |
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