The exams have been taken, scored, curved, and students received their grades.
The FCAT has been taken, scored, scaled, and schools have received their grades.
Springboard has been implemented county-wide for the entire year - some schools have used it longer.
Teachers have had training, observations, retraining and review.
As skeptical as I am about Springboard, I was determined to give it my best shot.
*The kids exam grades were mediocre.
*The kids FCAT scores were mediocre.
*My school's grade dropped.
I failed.
No M.A.P.S. No Performance Pay. I failed.
We are owed an examination of all the data.
*How closely (if at all) does Springboard correlate with FCAT and the Sunshine State Standards?
*Are we teaching the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful on the FCAT?
*Since Springboard is the child of the SAT, how did our kids do and how do our kids compare with those who have not been exposed to Springboard?
*Can we make a determination about Springboards efficacy?
I did my part to the best of my ability with one LESS planning period Ms. Elia. I am not alone.
We are owed an explanation of the data.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
NOTHING COUNTS - NOBODY CARES #5
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
NOTHING COUNTS - NOBODY CARES #4
Traveling around the county provides an uncommon glimpse into the cultural of the "schoolyard".
Too many managers - not enough leaders.
Too many rules - not enough staff to follow through.
Crisis management - spin dizzy response.
This is an uncommon and courageous letter and post about what we all know is true.
While most traveling employees have witnessed what the author has, this letter could not have been written by just anyone.
He is on the line. We must thank him.
Now let's watch and hope somebody cares.
Too many managers - not enough leaders.
Too many rules - not enough staff to follow through.
Crisis management - spin dizzy response.
This is an uncommon and courageous letter and post about what we all know is true.
While most traveling employees have witnessed what the author has, this letter could not have been written by just anyone.
He is on the line. We must thank him.
Now let's watch and hope somebody cares.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
NOTHING COUNTS - NOBODY CARES #3
About two weeks ago an administrator in Hillsborough County got picked up on a DUI charge. Sad.
His age was listed at 31 years old.
It got me to thinking: graduate high school at 18, graduate college at 22, 9 years to go from teaching to Student Affairs A.P. to Assistant Principal (Administration or Curriculum).
My point: Do you think this person spent 5 years in the classroom? Consider your first 5 years in the classroom. What kind of experience and skills did you acquire? Yet this person will have 30+ years of school/classroom influence.
Why does the district do this?
Is 5 years enough to understand the true classroom consequences of your decisions?
I've worked with some talented young administrators who displayed extraordinary common sense, energy, and insight. They were few and far between. Most were just looking for a way out of the classroom and without the mentoring of a strong leader it was a frustrating and often demoralizing experience.
Too many managers - not enough leaders.
His age was listed at 31 years old.
It got me to thinking: graduate high school at 18, graduate college at 22, 9 years to go from teaching to Student Affairs A.P. to Assistant Principal (Administration or Curriculum).
My point: Do you think this person spent 5 years in the classroom? Consider your first 5 years in the classroom. What kind of experience and skills did you acquire? Yet this person will have 30+ years of school/classroom influence.
Why does the district do this?
Is 5 years enough to understand the true classroom consequences of your decisions?
I've worked with some talented young administrators who displayed extraordinary common sense, energy, and insight. They were few and far between. Most were just looking for a way out of the classroom and without the mentoring of a strong leader it was a frustrating and often demoralizing experience.
Too many managers - not enough leaders.
Monday, May 25, 2009
NOTHING COUNTS - NOBODY CARES #2
"Too many managers - not enough leaders."
Heard that last week from a passerby teacher and it really hit home on so many levels.
The classroom teachers have lost their leadership and become managers to a program known as "Springboard".
There is so much emphasis on following that curriculum that I considered renaming this blog "The WORDwall".
Remember the phrase de jour "thinking outside the box" and "a new paradigm"? I'm sure our more experienced teachers can remember others. Springboard has effectively smothered them along with teacher creativity.
If we really needed this type of "managed" curriculum to address teacher deficiencies wouldn't it have been a better solution to have hired better teachers*, maybe pay them more, NOT take away the extra planning period and do away with wholesale grade curves and social promotion?
* If eHarmony can can come up with a personality inventory to identify unique personality traits and characteristics, why couldn't HR? It might be a way to avoid some of those nasty problems that have plagued us recently.
Heard that last week from a passerby teacher and it really hit home on so many levels.
The classroom teachers have lost their leadership and become managers to a program known as "Springboard".
There is so much emphasis on following that curriculum that I considered renaming this blog "The WORDwall".
Remember the phrase de jour "thinking outside the box" and "a new paradigm"? I'm sure our more experienced teachers can remember others. Springboard has effectively smothered them along with teacher creativity.
If we really needed this type of "managed" curriculum to address teacher deficiencies wouldn't it have been a better solution to have hired better teachers*, maybe pay them more, NOT take away the extra planning period and do away with wholesale grade curves and social promotion?
* If eHarmony can can come up with a personality inventory to identify unique personality traits and characteristics, why couldn't HR? It might be a way to avoid some of those nasty problems that have plagued us recently.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
NOTHING COUNTS - NOBODY CARES #1
I'm pissed, disillusioned, demoralized and angry. I have tried to contain it but NO MORE. Hence, the title of this posting.
The last straw was this past board meeting. I witnessed a wholesale marginalizing - by committee - of a religion (belief) in the name of diversity and multiculturalism all wrapped in PC cowardice.
Yeah, the Good Friday flap.
I defy the bored members to watch "Passion Of The Christ" and then tell the Christians and Catholics that what they want to observe is irrelevant, meaningless, unworthy of recognition.
If someone wants to observe a religious occurrence WHY NOT?! That's what "personal days" are for. By the way, where are the religious leaders and spokesman?
If a bus driver, food service worker, teacher, administrator want to, WHY NOT?!
If 60% of your employees want to, WHY NOT?!
If you want to try and keep the schools open with a skeleton crew, WHY NOT?!
Oh, and don't send a letter home telling me that my kids' absences after April 28th don't count towards anything, then pull this on employees and expect anything other than the one finger salute!
(Its laughable how sacred the Fair and Strawberry Festival days are.)
I'm taking ALL religious holidays off next year - in the name of diversity and multiculturalism.
Why?
NOTHING COUNTS and NOBODY CARES.
The last straw was this past board meeting. I witnessed a wholesale marginalizing - by committee - of a religion (belief) in the name of diversity and multiculturalism all wrapped in PC cowardice.
Yeah, the Good Friday flap.
I defy the bored members to watch "Passion Of The Christ" and then tell the Christians and Catholics that what they want to observe is irrelevant, meaningless, unworthy of recognition.
If someone wants to observe a religious occurrence WHY NOT?! That's what "personal days" are for. By the way, where are the religious leaders and spokesman?
If a bus driver, food service worker, teacher, administrator want to, WHY NOT?!
If 60% of your employees want to, WHY NOT?!
If you want to try and keep the schools open with a skeleton crew, WHY NOT?!
Oh, and don't send a letter home telling me that my kids' absences after April 28th don't count towards anything, then pull this on employees and expect anything other than the one finger salute!
(Its laughable how sacred the Fair and Strawberry Festival days are.)
I'm taking ALL religious holidays off next year - in the name of diversity and multiculturalism.
Why?
NOTHING COUNTS and NOBODY CARES.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
The first transfer period opens tomorrow (Monday, April 27th) and runs for two weeks.
It is always a smart thing to check out the landscape. This posting is to encourage questions about principals and their administration.
Please keep the posting, questions, answers, and comments civil, informative and specific. However you should feel free to name names, positions and schools.
If you feel too much info will identify you and cause you retribution, then be discreet but let us know so we can afford you flexibility when weighing your information.
Believe me: No one needs to get "goadered".
It is always a smart thing to check out the landscape. This posting is to encourage questions about principals and their administration.
Please keep the posting, questions, answers, and comments civil, informative and specific. However you should feel free to name names, positions and schools.
If you feel too much info will identify you and cause you retribution, then be discreet but let us know so we can afford you flexibility when weighing your information.
Believe me: No one needs to get "goadered".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
