It isn't about the salary!

"Last week, the Education Week Teacher online site reported on a new study that used federal wage, benefit, and job-security data, along with measures of cognitive ability, to argue that teachers are overpaid compared to what they would earn in the private sector." - Fredrick Hess reports and continues to say that teachers are getting paid too much, but that it isn't that simple. He promotes that some teachers get over paid, while some teachers are underpaid. Do I agree with him about this statement? Yes. I have worked with teachers who don't prepare lessons with differentiation and other best practices, but they pay with an unruly class and frustrated parents. Do I feel that I should get paid more than that teacher? Yes...However, that teacher shouldn't be teaching anymore. This is the problem with school districts. While charters can target these teachers and kick them out after a system of warnings and write-ups, school districts can do the same, but with much more paperwork during a longer time frame. Recently, I heard of a teacher finally getting fired for sleeping in the school at night. She was a terrible teacher; no one wanted to work with her or have her at their school. It took 2-3 years to get her out after switching her around to different schools and wasting her students' education forever.

So I wouldn't go as far as supporting merit pay like Hess, but I would like schools to make other things a priority. The teacher pay issue is just an easy issue for the media and public to grasp because people are attracted to comparing salaries. The larger debate right now should be surrounding the lack of money in the districts, especially Texas because  of budget cuts. A source from Austin ISD says that her school had good teachers that were cut while others took extra roles within the school to support the lack of teacher or specialist support, i.e. social worker (another disaster to discuss later). The debate should be how to use the money that we have to ensure that students are getting what they need. For instance, Texas teachers are very frustrated that there is a new standardized test (STAAR) this year that cost the district a lot of money rather than decrease the amount of teacher layoffs.

But despite this, I have also heard that what is happening within districts is just what I am suggesting: Administrators are coming down hard with observation protocols to determine if teachers are truly teaching students well and using best practices to provide a sound education. For example, Georgetown ISD has been monitoring their teachers closely and will make decisions based on teaching rather than test scores and seniority. With well developed measurable observation protocols, I hope others public school districts will follow suit.

Mindfull Meditation vs. Medication: Treatment for ADHD

I have been forming a deeper relationship with meditation than I ever thought possible (Thanks to Kelly Roadhouse). My interest in sitting on my cushion seems to falter only when I am tired, but I try to find another time when the house is quiet (tough since we all work from home). Knowing how it has helped me, I have begun to research multiple ways to incorporate this ancient practice into the classroom or school setting.

The first article I found was published in Nov of 2007 by the Journal of Attention Disorders titled "Mindfulness Meditation Training in Adults and Adolescents with ADHD". It refers back to studies done in the late 1980s and suggests more research should be conducted. Mindfulness Meditation Training (MMT) continues to help adults and adolescents reduce their symptoms of ADHD and depression. The authors of the study suggest that as people increasingly ask for alternatives to medication, practitioners and teachers should use MMT or Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) for ADHD to help patients gain more awareness and control over the effects of ADHD on their day-to-day routine.

But MMT and MAPs aren't just for people with ADHD! Wouldn't we all like to be more observant and cognizant of our present instead of dwelling on the past and becoming anxious about the future? "Meditation practice trains the mind to the present experience with an open, curious and accepting stance." The practice of meditation that most people are aware of is 1) bringing attention to an "attentional anchor" or breath, 2) noting that distraction occurs, 3) refocusing or bringing awareness back to the "attentional anchor". When you are meditating and your mind gets distracted, Pema Chodron, renown teacher of meditation, says to acknowledge that you are thinking but do not judge: Label it "thinking" and move on.

Previous studies indicate that participants of MMT become more open to emotional states with breathing and relation techniques and has even helped prevent relapses into depression. Participants are less likely to shut down and let their emotions take over. The researchers suggest that when people are affected by ADHD they have trouble self-regulating motivation, emotions, and arousal.

If done in the classroom, I suggest it as a whole class activity. This could bring the benefit of social support. Careful screening of the students must be done to ensure that all are willing to participate and be quiet, so as not to ruin others' meditation time. If done as an intervention strategy, I would suggest it be a small group setting like the researchers set up: disabiility symptoms were explained and provided; sitting meditations were shortened and walking meditation was a alternative; mindful awareness in daily living was emphasized; visual aids were used to explain mindful awareness concepts; and loving kindness (meta) meditation was included to support the need to increase self-esteem.

It should also be noted that the study was performed mostly with white females who were between the middle to high socioeconomic status. The researchers state, "Future research is needed to determine efficacy of MAPs in ADHD population and whether this approach may be more appropriate for certain groups within ADHD." When given the chance, I would love to have the opportunity to work with more diverse groups of students and/or adults to determine whether it is helpful as treatment for becoming more aware and attentive.

English Language Learner Institute 2011

Wednesday I attended an English Language Learner Institute at Region XIII. I love the location of the building; high on a hill overlooking Texas's hill country. A lot of growth has sprung up on the other side of the hills since I was here 3 years ago. This building has a wonderful positive energy and everyone is very friendly. (Noted: The Statesman says that Region XIII is one of the top ten places to work in Austin)

The Keynote speaker was Kathleen Kenfield who walked around to meet the attendees. My table mate and I both noted our surprise at this, as we had never seen the keynote personally introduce herself. Maybe it was the informal atmosphere at Region XIII that facilitated this. I looked around for other teachers I might recognize, but none where there except a parent of a student I had at NYOS. My table mates included two elementary teachers from Liberty Hill, one of which was also the part time ELL coordinator; a middle school teacher from AISD; and an ELL coordinator for Harmony Charter School in San Antonio.

Kathleen began speaking about Sheltered Instruction, which I had some training on from Capital City Public Charter School. I have studied the Sheltered Instruction book Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model by Echevarria, Vogt and Short and have learned wonderful strategies to help students learning English as a second language. The Sheltered Instruction Model, or SI model literally helps do exactly what its name says: It is designed as a way to ensure that students at various levels of English acquisition understand a lecture, in short, to shelter them and support them with differentiated lessons to help them comprehend and learn as much as possible, but at their own level. Kathleen called this their "i+1". "i" stands for their individual level as assessed by the TELPAS or what ever assessment you have used to determine their level of listening, speaking, writing and reading in English. Then the "1" is "plus a little stretch." Kathleen stressed, "You only aquire language that is within your reach." She scolded teachers that stretch students to a "+20" which leads, among other things, to wasted instructional time and frustrated students. I would believe that this also leads to frustrated teachers, "Why aren't they getting it?" or "I wish they would just take them out of my class." This develops a sense of lack in confidence as a teacher and spirals out of control. On the other hand, teachers who are confidently applying SI have success with their lessons and this creates a happy, but exhausted teacher ready for summer break! The strategies are common best practice strategies that all teachers should use since the levels vary among all students, even those not learning a new language: Visuals, graphic organizers, gestures, repeated vocabulary, cognates, and modeling. Kathleen gave us a lesson on Hawaii in Spanish, which she is fluent in, and afterwards had us analyze the strategies used to get us to understand what she was saying. It was awesome! But, yes...good teaching does take a lot of energy. I like to compare a good teacher to a masseuse: I always want to be the first massage of the day so that my masseuse isn't tired from giving 4 hour long massages all day, but when I asked about using all her energy up in one session, one reminded me that they know how to spread the wealth and manage. Balance is key.

As I looked around the room, I was surprised by how many attendees there were. At nearly 230, districts from all over Texas had sent teams of teachers to learn about how to use SI. I wondered who was already using these strategies, and who was already exhausted by other pressures in the schools, such as new assessment systems like STARR and an increasing number of schools that have less staff support. I spoke to a middle school teacher who teachers ELL and she was irate at the new expectations of ELL newcomers to take the STARR assessment on their grade-level even though they would likely be too frustrated to complete the test. Who cares that they get to use a dictionary...they will be translating the entire test! I was reminded about the level of work that goes into being a teacher. I looked around and hoped that these teachers were thinking about their students and not about these other pressures. There were breakout sessions for the second half of the day: I learned about some IPad applications that could be fun to use someday, but it wasn't very realistic as most teachers don't have this technology in their classrooms due to district funding; and the strategy called MAP and VOCAB, which I could use in my small groups.

In the end I hope that all of us forget about that one day when our students will be forced to take the STARR (which doesn't "count" this year, but, my peer reminded me that she will most likely will be judged as competent or incompetent based on the scores) and they will forge ahead and use at least three new strategies to teach with better success and less frustration for all.

I'm Back

Back on with updating on current trends. Please keep posted to read article on Wednesday's ESL institute at region xiii in austin.

Texas Supers Have All the Answers

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6231154.html

The Houston Chronicle reported today that Texas is interested in letting the schools decide what is best for kids. Finally. I have see first hand that Texas schools are just pushing them to get it right on tests. Well, we know Bush started that. Then they dumbed down the test so that the kids could pass. Now that was just a ploy to get kids to pass.

Well, I know what this means: More charter schools, more businesses invested in education. This could be good. OR...It could be one of those ploys. If it is like "the little charter school that could, can't" then it won't make a difference because they will be in so much debt that they can't keep it small so they have to add students. And they won't keep it meaningful with integrated expeditions beccause they have to pass the tests.

I will keep an eye out...Stay tuned!

Teachers who care

The difference between Finnish students and the US students is that they have teachers who care. That seems to be the reason they perform well on thier exams at the end of the year.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20081123/OPINION01/811230318/-1/NEWS04

Re: Google Alert - "small schools"

Officials say school closures can save millions <http://venturacountystar.com/news/2008/mar/16/no-headline---na1fcclosures16/

Ventura County Star - Camarillo,CA,USA
Small schools are less efficient, and districts say they don't have the money to pay overhead and keep programs going when classrooms sit empty. ...
See all stories on this topic <http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ncl=http://venturacountystar.com/news/2008/mar/16/no-headline---na1fcclosures16/>

--

Inequity: Teacher Salaries in Texas

"The study found that in Austin, for example, teachers working in the city's highest-poverty elementary schools earn an average of $2,668 less per year than those teaching at schools with the fewest low-income students. If the Austin Independent School District spent the same amount per-teacher at these schools, that would amount to an additional $2 million every year in the district's high-poverty schools." From a report by EdTrust based in DC.

The data is based on the teachers experience or where they are on the pay ladder. The less experienced, or in D. McRae's case (in Fort Worth where I first taught) the emergency certified career changers are placed in the schools with the most vacancies. These schools tend to be where teachers don't stay because of the more challenging students, older texts or less support. There were a number of reasons people wouldn't stay at D. McRae, but the kids were great. There was little parent involvement, but I think that was because they had had a new principal every year. Finally when they had a good principal, Maria Sanchez, a few African-American teachers claimed she was racist and she was put on leave for a month. It was nuts! She left the year I did and went on to win principal of the year at a high school in Fort Worth. But I digress.

The moral of the story is, yes there is pay discrepancy. But as Sean pointed out, the report blames the district for not paying enough when it is really not having experienced teachers in the schools who may be at a higher pay scale. That is what the districts need to work on: Maybe give incentives to experienced teachers to work in a poorer performing school or put the emergency certified teachers in a high performing schools.

Small Schools for Football Players Too

Today I got an idea: What if states who cared so much about football (aghem, Texas) came up with a way to have small schools?

In a Kansas.com article it states, "Both reports [from National Association of Secondary School Principals] pointed to research that says the optimal size for a high school is between 600 and 900 students -- big enough to offer advanced and specialty courses, but small enough for the staff to know students by name."

I know it would be very expensive to demolish the huge high schools that spread over many square miles. I know it would cost more money to build and staff those smaller schools. But wouldn't the costs outweigh the benefits?

"Though it's more expensive to build and run smaller high schools -- each with its own principal, football team, computer lab and marching band -- Andover superintendent Mark Evans said residents tell him they think it's worth the expense."

Students would be able to choose, based on their interests or locality, which school they wanted to go to. They would feel more a part of a community member, rather than a number. Students would get the attention they require instead of falling through the cracks. Teachers would have time to be more authentic and develop relationships with a smaller number of
students, instead of just a figurehead to many. Relationships between parents and staff would then become more important as a more democratic process of schooling was established. While the parents felt more inclined to become more involved in the schooling of their student, community members could feel more welcome to volunteer in smaller settings that were less
intimidating.

If Kansas can do it, why can't Texas?

I recently engaged in an email exchange about schools in Austin, Texas with an aquaintance. She wrote, "They are indeed undertaking some redesign and are doing it in a way that holds a lot of promise of lessons for big districts -- getting the district systems in place, etc. This is Texas, however, land of big schools with schedules designed around football (which is offered during the day and gets credits toward graduation!)."

So I did some research and found out that AISD is doing its homework on redesigning its schools. They have articles referenced from such groups as the Gates Foundation, and people like Darling-Hammond, and Ancess.

Education Trust from DC is also listed as a reference for high school reform, recently wrote a report on how there is a huge spending gap in teacher's salaries. I will blog on this in another post.

So there may be promise looming out there for football players, as well as the other very important students who attend those large schools in Texas. As for AISD, the superintendent who started all this change is leaving in 2009. What will happen then?

Smaller Class Size Doesn't Help Reduce Achievement Gap

In a recent Washington Post article Chris Matthews reports on a 4 year study that
smaller class size may help students progress in reading and math, but may
not close the achievement gap between class.

New EL schools in New York City

* The Marsh Avenue Expeditionary Learning School, grades 6-8. Proposed
Principal: Jessica Jenkins-Milona.
* The McCown Expeditionary Learning School, grades 9-12. Proposed
Principal: Donna J. Tait.

--

Finnish Schools Score High

Sean sent me an article he found about Finnish Schools. He said, "It makes me want to move there." So they are scoring high on an international test. They don't have a very heterogeneous group like we do here in the states. One of the things he thought was cool was the way they have the gifted, or more advanced kids, help the average kids in the classroom instead of being pulled out or given extra work, which is sometimes done here in the states. This is something we are struggling with at CCPCS: How do we get all students involved in eachother's learning?

Small Schools Aren't Good Enough

I have been reflecting on the recent CES Fall Forum in Denver. The overarching theme that I came away with was the inequity that still exists in small schools affiliated with the small school movement concerning English language learners or special education students.

In my critical friends conversation we discussed the question: What school design practices will ensure a continuum or range of services for children with special education needs and English Language Learner needs? I wanted to dig into this topic because of the many stories that I had been reading about how small schools were not obligated to provide services to these students in New York.

Our small group of 5 was a diverse group of special education teachers: June from Boston; Leanne, Lauren, and Heather from Lake Washington; Anita from Quest in Humble, Texas. June is the director of services for a small school. She is in charge of 70 students with either ELL or Special Ed needs. Anita is a Special Education Interventionist for a population of about 17 in middle school to high school. The three women from Lake Washington were special education content specialists and were planning for their school being converted into a smaller school. It seemed that all of these women came to the conversation to hear about what other programs looked like. They wanted to talk about their program and hear about how other small schools give services to this diverse population.

When I spoke about my school, Capital City Public Charter School in DC, the teachers were in awe. How can there be enough money to have an inclusion teacher for 13 students in 7th and 8th grade? How is there an hour planning time set aside each day? How do you get your teachers to differentiate their lessons?

I didn't have all the answers because a lot of things like scheduling and budgeting is done without my knowledge. But I do know that we have two teachers in each classroom at all times. I am the third teacher in Math and Humanities. It is a well oiled machined, as some say. I am in a great position. My students are in a better position. There is almost no way to fall through the cracks in a system like this. How do we get other Coalition schools, or any other school for that matter do what we do?

Do we need mandated special ed and ELL services? That isn't really what CES is about. Who has the answers?

Politicians Just Don't Get It

Teaching children to care.

Where do they come up with these ideas? Paying kids to pass tests would be ludicrous and would either create unbriddled competition that they don't need any more of, or leave the idea that they aren't learning for their own well-being but for the people who are paying them. This is just another way that politicians try to bring capitalism into the education system! This isn't the way to get them to care. NYC just needs to focus on their small school education system and educating ALL students in this system: ELL and Sped. Maybe the money could be used for staffing in those schools, not incentives for test scores.

NYC small schools in the news again

Ed Week has a new article this week on small schools in New York City. NYCSB is giving $45,000 for two years to hire a special education teacher.

Lyons Community School in NYC will open this year. It is one school that will receive funds to support 8 students with special support needs and 10 who require self-contained or inclusion support in the regular education classroom. I am so curious how they will staff this person in a 6-9 school.

"The Department of Education announced on Feb. 20, 2007, that Lyons is one of 10 new small schools to receive special funds to allow them to accomodate special education students in their first two years. The funds require that the school enroll at least eight students who require special education teacher support services (SETSS) and at least 10 who require a self-contained or collaborative team-teaching class."

New York’s Citywide Council on High Schools (CCHS) is involved and has filed a lawsuit with the Department of Education Civil Rights office.

Looks like the Gates foundation is also looking at the issue, but not specifically at the special education policy. They are looking at more of the population that has been low-performing or at-risk of receiving weak education. Maybe they should be looking more closely at the graduation rates related to ELL and Special ed students.

High School Expectations

From PEN Newsblast on April 19.

CLOSING THE "EXPECTATIONS GAP"

One-quarter of all states have implemented
significantly tougher graduation requirements,
and virtually every state has taken steps to
ratchet up expectations for high school students,
according to a national survey of high school
reform efforts conducted by Washington, D.C.
-based Achieve, Inc. The survey updates the
efforts of all 50 states to align their high
school standards, graduation requirements,
assessments, and accountability systems with
the demands of college and work, and finds that
at least 48 states are now actively engaged in
reform efforts of some kind. There is more
momentum in the states now than at any time
since education reform became a national priority
with the release of A Nation at Risk in 1983.
Some of the most dramatic progress has been made
in the area of graduation requirements, where 13
states, up from just two in 2004, now require high
school students to complete a college- and work-ready
curriculum in order to earn a diploma.  According
to the survey report, "Closing the Expectations Gap
2007", 16 additional states are taking steps to
implement similar graduation requirements, which
include four years of challenging mathematics at
least through Algebra II and four years of rigorous
English. States also have achieved significant
progress in making academic standards rigorous
enough in English and mathematics so that they
accurately reflect real world expectations, but
have moved more slowly in developing complementary
assessment systems and holding high schools
accountable for the college-readiness of their
students. "While the federal government has been
driving K-8 education policy, states are leading
the way on high school reform," said Michael Cohen,
president of Achieve. "This is a heavy lift for
governors, but their leadership is urgently needed
as states take the steps to prepare young people
to succeed in the global economy where good jobs
increasingly require some postsecondary education.
College-ready skills are a must for every high school
graduate today."
http://www.achieve.org/node/844

ELLs in Small Schools?!

EDweek article

I just entered a submission to the CES Fall Forum, a Principled Stand, which deals with the continuum of services that are or aren't being provided to students with specific learning needs (ELL or students with LDs). I am hoping that addressing the school design aspect will help other students who are lacking a full continuum of services and are stuck with fully including their students into the regular education classroom without appropriate supports because of the lack of budgeting for appropriate staff and/or instructional strategies. I know the issue is big in New York. In fact the article above references the first article that I read about the issue of small schools not allowing ELL students to come to the school for the first 2 years because of budget restraints. I guess the school could build itself up first and then once it was successful and had a core number of student admitted, it could then afford to hire an inclusion teacher.

More Small Scholl Benefits

Five Steps to Reducing the Black-White Achievement Gap

While misguided leaders have been calling for a cultural transformation to address the supposed “acting white” crisis, they have ignored far more important educational reforms:

1. Improving and expanding early childhood education. A large body of research shows that black students begin kindergarten behind white students. If we expand and improve the quality of the pre-kindergarten education received by black children we will significantly reduce the testing gap.

2. Improving teacher quality in black schools. A recent study by the Illinois Education Research Council found that 45 percent of black high school students in Illinois attended schools with the lowest teacher-quality ratings. Only 8 percent of white students attended such low teacher-quality schools. Until we eliminate the teacher-quality gap, we will have a test-score gap.

3. Providing small classes and creating small schools. Black students, who are often behind, benefit from the extra attention available in very small classes. Reductions in class size have been shown to boost black student achievement. Smaller schools have been shown to increase black students’ graduation rates.

4. Increasing school integration. While black leaders have been condemning black students based on flawed “acting white” research, America’s schools have been becoming increasingly segregated. Few black leaders have said a word about this issue. Yet historically, integration has been one means by which blacks have gained access to higher quality schools. Effective school integration can also help break down the racial stereotypes of whites and blacks.

5. Making college more affordable. Research suggests that if college were more affordable there would be higher black college enrollment and graduation rates.

http://www.blacknews.com/pr/actingwhite101.html

SIOP vs. UDL

SIOP Sheltered Intervention Observation Protocol vs. UDL Universal Design for Learning

What are the differences and similarities?

Both look as though they are models to help move away from the traditional pedagogical approach of lesson delivery.

Do we have time at CCPCS to delve into this, or do we need to just stick with our ELOB prinicples and let them guide our pedagogy?

I think we need something more focused for the inclusive classroom in which CCPCS philosophically believes.

Breaking up Big Schools

In a recent article in the New York Times, it was brought to my attention that there are programs for ELL and special ed students that are obsolete after large schools with these particular programs are broken up into smaller schools.

It says, ~Then, a few weeks ago, the department announced its plan for restructuring Lafayette, which now has about 2,100 students, beginning in September 2007. It would contain three new schools — one emphasizing sports management, another focusing on film and music, and a third offering “expeditionary learning” under the aegis of Outward Bound. None will offer bilingual instruction, at least at the outset.

“This is an absolutely unacceptable choice,” Mr. Chung said. “These three schools have nothing to do with our community. They’re forcing the immigrant students out of their own neighborhood. New York is an immigrant city, but I think the education policy is not for us.”

___
The immigrant city and community should be taken into account. What do they want for their students? Do they want inclusion or do they want special programs? This is definately one of the areas that I feel is taken for granted when we think about breaking up our larger schools, or even when we create new small schools. And furthermore, when we create our small schools, how do we ensure that we are listening to all stakeholders as we create new instructional programs? We must listen to the community. What do they need and how can we meet their needs?