Public school students are graded and tested all the time. Schools are scored too — California rates them in an annual index.
Not so with teachers.
Nationally, the vast majority who seek tenure get it after a few years on the job, practically ensuring a position for life. After that, pay and job protections depend mostly on seniority, not performance.
That’s from The Los Angeles Times, which recently published a fascinating article about evaluating teachers (read it here). They used a statistical method known as “value-added analysis” to rate teacher effectiveness in Los Angeles public schools. They explained that, “Value-added analysis offers a rigorous approach. In essence, a student’s past performance on tests is used to project his or her future results. The difference between the prediction and the student’s actual performance after a year is the ‘value’ that the teacher added or subtracted.”
The Times obtained seven years of math and English test scores from the Los Angeles Unified School District and used the information to estimate the effectiveness of L.A. teachers — something the district could do but has not.[…]
Among the findings:
- Highly effective teachers routinely propel students from below grade level to advanced in a single year. There is a substantial gap at year’s end between students whose teachers were in the top 10% in effectiveness and the bottom 10%. The fortunate students ranked 17 percentile points higher in English and 25 points higher in math.
- Some students landed in the classrooms of the poorest-performing instructors year after year — a potentially devastating setback that the district could have avoided. Over the period analyzed, more than 8,000 students got such a math or English teacher at least twice in a row.
- Contrary to popular belief, the best teachers were not concentrated in schools in the most affluent neighborhoods, nor were the weakest instructors bunched in poor areas. Rather, these teachers were scattered throughout the district. The quality of instruction typically varied far more within a school than between schools.
- Although many parents fixate on picking the right school for their child, it matters far more which teacher the child gets. Teachers had three times as much influence on students’ academic development as the school they attend. Yet parents have no access to objective information about individual instructors, and they often have little say in which teacher their child gets.
- Many of the factors commonly assumed to be important to teachers’ effectiveness were not. Although teachers are paid more for experience, education and training, none of this had much bearing on whether they improved their students’ performance.
I highly recommend reading the whole article. A question for teachers and administrators who read my blog: what do you think of value-added analysis, and using this as a tool to evaluate teachers? The article concedes that it should not be the sole method of evaluation, but suggests that it would be beneficial if it made up 30-50% of a teacher’s review.
I was waiting for REMARKABLE to happen at the civic center on monday… remarkable and wise wouldve been someone pulling the plug on the horrific speakers
Have to agree 100% motified. I really wasn’t sure when we were taught the NEW rules for D150 this year (new mantra), so I didn’t have a clue when the Superintendent asked us to “say them for her”. Would have been nice had it been on the TWO BIG SCREENS, ya think? The union prez sounds like he should be the union prez for knuckleheads because that is what he sounds like, I was MORTIFIED. If he said, I’m nervous ONE MORE TIME, I was going to stand up and say, THEN WHY ARE YOU A TEACHER IF YOU ARE AFRAID TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF PEOPLE. PAAAAAAAAAALEASE. I can’t wait till April to VOTE HIM OUT…..he sounded like a MORON…..a complete embarrassment to the teachers of D150.
In 2004 (before Katrina) New Orleans public schools had 64,920 students. In 2009 they had 38,051. The key is that, although smaller in total numbers, the school children demographics were largely the same before and after (not so for the entire New Orleans population, by the way, which has become older and more affluent post-Katrina). Granted, that doesn’t mean it’s the exact same students being measured from one point to the next.
Here is a description of the pre-Katrina school district:
“Since the 1970s, New Orleans public schools have faced the same problems affecting many urban school districts: white and middle-class flight, a predominantly high-needs population of students, and a decreasing student population overall…”
“Over a number of years, the district had difficulty balancing its budget, and often found out late in the school year that it would overspend its budget significantly…”
Sound familiar?
Yes, New Orleans was unique. Post-Katrina, New Orleans restructured their school system to be almost completely choice rather than neighborhood schools. Nearly 2/3 of the schools today are charter schools. Tenure is essentially non-existent. Teacher demographics are much different now (a lower percentage of 20 year veterans and a higher percentage of teachers with 1-5 years experience). Those same 1-5 yr exp teachers make relatively more than they did pre-Katrina (relative to the rest of 1/5 yr exp teachers in Louisiana) allowing the districts to arguably attract better candidates.
The cost of all of this has obviously been much more post-Katrina (though I wish there were a breakdown of operating costs vs capital costs for new/rehabbed facilities).
It’s not about the union per se, or whether or not “teachers in 150 (will) voluntarily shut down the union.” (though Arizona legislators voted last year to abolish tenure). New Orleans was a chance to start the system all over again from scratch. There is no magic pill. It’s difficult to say exactly what works and what doesn’t. (How much of it is due to the availability of more money, or school choice, or lack of tenure, etc.) There are many challenges ahead. But what is fairly clear is that these students, as a whole, are doing much better (as measured by standardized test scores) than before. How much of that is sustainable remains to be seen.
You do realize that there are two articles, right? One from Newsweek and the other is a report from a group within Tulane University.
I must say, I was impressed by the number of administrators from the central administration building who were at Peoria High today. More today than in the last fifteen years combined. Overheard one of em say that Dr. Lathan required them to be in the schools today. Hope that continues. Mr. Stowell cruised through as well – as did Mr. Cannon – to enforce dress code – and some of our booster club members.
No, I didn’t realize there were two articles. I will find them interesting, but I don’t see any point in making any pronouncements about school choice, end of tenure, or anything else on the basis of a school system that has only been up and going for five years. I guess we will have to wait “for the rest of the story.” The next twenty years are going to be spent experimenting with education–I certainly hope the experiments end up with success but I have a great fear that we are witnessing a series of choices that will lead to the end of public education–and that will be a great American tragedy. Education, the great leveler, will end up being all about the haves and the have-nots. I know that I am a cynic, but I have long believed that NCLB was seen by many in Washington as a way to discredit the public schools and to encourage the voucher system–that will be the end of public education. The public school teachers will get (are getting) much of the blame–it makes one wonder why anyone goes into teaching in public schools. With the end of unions and tenure, there will be no incentive for anyone to teach in public schools–but the have-not children will still be there in greater numbers than ever. How’s that for a downer.
AdkinsDutro: Central admin. at the schools on opening day is the norm in Rockford School District also. Works very well. A presence and a united front in the education of children drives home how important they (the children) are to their communities (IMO). Wonder if the two Supt.s know each other?
D150 staff: thank you for weighing in on your experiences at the staff event earlier this week. I hope you can speak freely here–not sure that D150 technology needs to contact CJ’s atty in order to obtain user info. Would you like to comment, CJ?
TR64 — What’s the question? I’m not divulging user info to anyone unless I’m forced to by a court order. Nevertheless, I do reserve the right to delete comments that violate the Terms of Use. Hope that helps.
Sharon, I hope the changes WILL “lead to the end of (American) public education” – as we currently know it.
How’s this for a downer?
Out of 30 OECD countries, the U.S. ranks 15th in reading literacy, 21st in science and 25th in math. And it’s not about how much/little the U.S. values public education compared to other countries. We are 2nd in spending per pupil at the primary level and 4th at the secondary level (costs are standardized using purchasing power parities).
What we’ve been doing hasn’t been working – at least not anymore.
Here’s another downer:
By your statement, it would seem that unions and tenure are the ONLY incentive to teach in public schools (since without them, as you said, there are no other incentives). If true, the children (the “haves” and “have nots”) don’t have much hope.
If you want to run education as a business, please identify what the resources are, what the input and output are and how it is to be quantified.
The fact of the matter is the business model presumes children to be the raw material from which teacher “expertise” and established curriculum are applied and a new processed product emerges.
That is fine if what you want is a product that is preplanned and can be measured by something like 6 sigma, NCLB or race to the top standards. I don’t think human beings fit that category.
The business concept is much simpler than that. Schools should be providing a service that people (parents, students, teachers) want (rather than forced to accept) at a cost that doesn’t exceed revenues. “What” service(s) that might be is determined by those “customers” (parents, students, teachers) whose desires are varied and evolve, but are subject to certain minimum standards imposed by other stakeholders (taxpayers and government).
In other words, a system that offers more choice (the “free” market). I think human beings fit THAT category.
Charlie, you’re in favor of vouchers, yet seemingly can’t see how that will effectively “run education as a business”? Business is pretty simple. You create something that someone else wants, and you don’t lose money in doing it.
Jon, I am asking a serious question here–one to which I really do not know the answer. What tests are used to prove that the U.S. ranks 15 in literacy, etc.? Do the statistics include all students or just those in private schools. For instance, NCLB tests are not taken in private schools–only those that get public money. Until NCLB only the top students in District 150 took the ACT test–now it’s part of NCLB and everyone takes it. The results have to bring the national average down. Take Peoria as an example–when I started teaching there were very few private schools in Peoria–just Catholic schools; Peoria Christian, Peoria Academy didn’t exist. Parents had no choice but District 150. District 150 did very, very well in that era. However, the better students have left the district for all kinds of reasons. Don’t you, also, get that the private school teachers have any easier time of it–they can actually teach because there are few, if any, discipline problems and only motivated parents pay that kind of money to send their kids to private school. Why would teachers, especially good ones, want to teach in public schools if the pay was the same as in non-union schools? Yes, unfortunately, I do believe that tenure and union protection and contracts are probably the main reasons many teachers choose public school. The choices aren’t just for students. Some teachers welcome the choices. I have a theory that many of the teachers in private schools and schools in smaller communities are women whose husbands are the main breadwinners, so they don’t care so much about wages and benefits–and they wouldn’t teach at all if they had to teach in District 150. There aren’t many poor kids and/or minority kids in private schools or in the small communities. “Choice” schools (often called charter schools), magnet schools, Edison, etc., will continue to leave those kids behind. Yes, cherrypicking is illegal for charter schools, but there are obvious ways to get around the legalities. Jon, you want to change public education for the better–but that isn’t what is happening–that’s a great goal; I would be on board with that. However, the end result will be the end of public education. Getting rid of tenure and unions will not make better schools–that will just draws better teachers elsewhere.
I made an error in this sentence (one that makes a content difference)–Do the statistics include all students or just those in private schools–I meant “in public schools.” Did Charlie say he was for vouchers–he might be; I just don’t recall his saying that. Also, I could qualify that public schools in the suburbs will continue to thrive; it is the public school in the inner cities of our country that will suffer the most from choice. People will “choose” to leave those kids behind.
I am in favor of vouchers. It is “their” money, not the school district’s.
I am not convinced that the individual schools or teachers should be trying to give the people what they want. That is not necessarily what I think of when I think about education. Perhaps in a just society, that would be ideal. However, in OUR society, there is too much economic need that trumps real education. It is a matter of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
You can not expect a poor kid or his poor parents to be interested in critical thinking, when they need to get next week’s paycheck just to put some food in their bellies.
Physical needs and safety come first. That might be understood or presumed in the suburbs, but NOT in many other areas of this district.
Sharon, go here for the handbook for all the details regarding the compilation of the OECD education report (click on “look inside”)
http://www.oecdbookshop.org/oecd/display.asp?sf1=identifiers&st1=962004031P1
For a shorter summary, try:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PISA
“With the end of unions and tenure, there will be no incentive for anyone to teach in public schools”
I have to agree with Jon. If that is your incentive to teach, better you don’t teach.
Charlie, if you’re in favor of vouchers, but you’re not convinced that individual schools or teachers should be trying to give the people what they want – how do you prevent exactly that from happening? Do you require students to be taught certain things, for example?
I do not require students to be taught certain things, other than critical thinking, literacy, art, music and athletics.
Everything else will be learned by students as they develop the interest or the need to be learning them.
Acceptance, curiosity, creativity, flexibility and fun are the elements of an effective education program.
I’ve posted this example before but here it is as a model:
http://albanyfreeschool.com
paragraph breaks Sharon. Please? 🙂
CJ–I guess the question is: Does D150 really need your permission to obtain user info? I mean, yes, if they want to do it legally. But I suspect there are other ways. I suspect this because last year I heard, and later verified via FOIA’d e-mails, that I was being accused of mailing anonymous letters and setting up a website so parents could communicate with each other. The author of the FOIA’d e-mails clearly stated that legal action against me would be pursued. This person’s boss, from the admn bldg, communicated via e-mail that they had the name of the person who set up the website and it was not me. There was no interest in taking legal action against that person. This name was obtained within days of the original (false) accusations against me. If the user info WAS obtained legally, how many days or weeks would you guess that would take? Thanks for responses.
TR64– I’m not sure what you mean by “set up [a] website.” If you register for a domain name, or URL, then your personal information can be publicly available and obtained by doing a “whois” search. Some companies offer to keep this information private for an additional fee. Perhaps the administration did a “whois” search on whatever this site was, trying to determine if you were the registrant.
In the case of my blog, however, there is no publicly-available or searchable information on my commenters other than what they themselves disclose. I don’t disclose anything without a court order. Now, can a computer hacker break into my site and steal user information illegally? Yes, it’s possible (after all, professional hackers can break into credit card company computers and even the Pentagon). I think it’s unlikely, however. From a hacking standpoint, my commenters’ information just isn’t that valuable — there’s no credit card information, very little info that would help identify anyone, plus illegally-obtained information would never stand up in court. I wouldn’t get paranoid about it. 🙂
And I have no idea how long the process is for obtaining information legally. I’ve never gotten a court order demanding user info, probably because by and large my commenters follow the Terms of Use, thus giving no warrant for the court to search such info.
CJ–thanks for explaining. I don’t know what I mean about a website either…as I recall it was a g-mail acct or something parents could log onto to share opinions, experiences, etc. I don’t recommend people get paranoid either, but I would hate to see someone retaliated against for sharing an unpopular opinion or observation that was supposed to be kept a secret. I would do a “whois” search to see what comes up if I could remember the name of the website or g-mail. Thanks for that tip anyway. Maybe it will come in handy in the future.
Jon and Charlie, I didn’t say it was my incentive (it never was but I was happy when I could consider it a reward)–I started teaching before District 150 had a union and when pay was low. Fortunately, when more men entered the profession, the pay went up. Teachers, just like all other workers, have to feed their own families, send their own kids to college, etc., so money does become a factor.
Charlie has his own philosophic take on all of that–I accept that as his premise, but, Jon, I don’t think it is yours. Teachers can be dedicated and paid well at the same time. I’m just saying “good luck” finding good teachers to teach under less than easy conditions and to be blamed when students fail while the teachers are being underpaid. It’s great to be idealistic, but reality has to set in. I agree with Charlie in that I don’t think “what people want” should be the driving force in developing curriculum, buying programs, and opening new schools. That includes the local chamber of commerce, etc.
I’d like to see good teachers paid more than they are today. I certainly don’t think ALL teachers should be paid more, simply because they taught for another year and/or obtained another degree. Remember the topic of this post? Here’s an example where it has already been implemented, including detailed descriptions for all job classifications (click on Download a Guidebook):
http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/In+the+Classroom/Ensuring+Teacher+Success/IMPACT+%28Performance+Assessment%29
Providing people what they want absolutely should be the “driving” factor, but, as I said earlier, “subject to certain minimum standards imposed by other stakeholders (taxpayers and government).” In other words, there has to be accountability and a budget. As with nearly everything, balance is needed.
You wonder why the American public education system is failing apart. Well, for many of those same people that have been educated through that system, they look at the system and don’t like what they see. You’re not the sole expert on education anymore. You don’t get to decide what is going to be taught to everyone. People can and will find alternatives and, soon hopefully, the monopoly on public education will be fully put to rest.
Jon, I have never claimed to be an expert; until recently I did trust the administration to decide what should be taught–but not necessarily how to teach. Right now Manual High School is offering a specialized Johns Hopkins curriculum–designed, according to the PJS on August 27, for at-risk students. However, absolutely no effort has been made to let parents of “not at-risk students” an “easy” way out of the school.
When the Woodruff students were placed at MHS, no effort was made to find just the “at risk students.” The high and higher-performing students are being cheated big time–and no one seems to care. I do know several parents who have chosen to find other places for their students. District 150 has not officially declared MHS an “at-risk” high school, but that is what Johns Hopkins is.
I don’t care if people are allowed to choose what they want–but District 150 should be honest about what they are offering and then allow parents to choose.
There was recently a case (that was resolved with much effort) for parents who did not want their child at Northmoor–Northmoor is a choice school but the parents were originally told, more or less, to suck it up and embrace Edison.
Jon, how would you make pay fair? Would you want teachers paid more, depending on the subjects they teach–that would certainly open a can of worms? Then we have that big question about the measure for good teachers. No one has tried to answer my earlier question. There are standardized student tests to be used to judge math and reading teachers. However, what about foreign language, P.E., social studies, business, art, music, all electives, etc.–how will their success be measured? Do those teachers get to get by with “subjective” measuring sticks while others are measured by more “objective” measures?
OK–I just watched the you tube videos of the March presser and 15 minutes from the staff event. Thank you to those of you who made these videos available. I thought Dr. Lathan seemed very comfortable, confident, and knowledgeable at the presser. If she is able to implement changes in operations and attitudes, she will be a success. Changing the attitudes and patterns of behavior of a few employees who are still onboard is going to be a tremendous obstacle (IMO).
“Well, for many of those same people that have been educated through that system, they look at the system and don’t like what they see. ”
Anyone getting through the system we have now is getting educated DESPITE the system, not because of it. The proof is in the private school and home school test scores. The bureaucratic, business model DOES NOT WORK, CAN NOT WORK and WILL NEVER WORK.
“soon hopefully, the monopoly on public education will be fully put to rest.”
So, you are suggesting privatized education like Edison programs or are you suggesting we go back to the home schooling traditions of the 18th century (when only the wealthy could afford an education)?
Let’s not forget WHY we have public education at all.
“However, what about foreign language, P.E., social studies, business, art, music, all electives, etc.–how will their success be measured?”
Sharon, I posted a link to a very detailed performance assessment being used today in Washington DC for EVERY type of teaching position.
Charlie, I’m suggesting neither. Charter schools, for one, are almost always not-for-profit. I’m suggesting more choice. Incidentally, your Albany Free School works on a business model. They are offering a different choice that the public wants (else they would have no students) No one is forced to go there. They have to pay the bills. Unlike a purely monopolistic public education program, they aren’t handed a bunch of money and allowed to largely do as they please with it – inasmuch as dictating what one-size fits all service you will get.
Jon, just tell me–are these assessments based on standardized tests? I would like to see the standardized test for P.E.
Sorry, Sharon, I’d rather not just give you the fish 🙂
Jon, you are so funny–obviously you have more time than I do–I probably have other “fish to fry” at the moment. I will accept your response to mean that the information I wanted isn’t offered in the article.
Per Jon = “You wonder why the American public education system is failing apart. Well, for many of those same people that have been educated through that system, they look at the system and don’t like what they see.”
Amen!
When my children were in primary school at the District I was very dissatisfied. Alway a focus on the bottom quarter and never the top 50% and heaven forbid educating the top 25% to better meet their educational needs. I don’t understand why public school should be so different from private in terms of meeting students needs?? Teachers and administrators certainly get paid just as handsomely.
Not until my children attended Washington did I feel it was a right fit and I was getting the deal my children deserved in terms of education. Why could the District not have offered that same type of accelerated curriculum from K – 4? The answer is that they could have. My impression in the past was that the District spent too much time worrying about the political ramifications of things rather than focuing on making the best education decisions. By necessity, that is changing now, after so many have fled.
Frustrated, I agree with you (as you well know) about District 150’s obligation to meet the needs of all students. I have even come to agree with you that maybe those needs now have to be met in separate buildings (but not necessarily Edison or charter schools)–although I do believe the old way once worked quite well.
However, I do not understand why you would blame teachers for this inequity. For instance, at Manual, I believe all or most special ed students are now mainstreamed. The assistant principal told me that she wants it that way because the more advanced students pull up the students at the other end. That might well be the case if you look only from the point of view of the struggling students. Personally, I believe that the parents of the more advanced students have a right to know the ramifications of inclusion for their own children and the right to opt out of such a system. I don’t believe either group is helped by total inclusion. Parents do have a right to seek and to expect the best education possible for their children. They don’t have to sacrifice the education of their own children for “socialization” reasons. (To be clear, I’m talking about varying academic abilities, not about diversity–I trust that goes without saying).
I, especially, believe they have a right to expect that their children are given a learning environment free of the chaos of misbehaving students (not at all implying special ed kids because they are often some of the best behaved).
You seem to have blamed teachers (and their handsome salaries) for not giving your child the appropriate academic attention. I can tell you right now that having a broad range of abilities in a classroom makes teaching ten times more difficult. That is not a teacher’s choice. Also, I object to what I hope is your inadvertent implication that teachers of the bottom 25% should not be paid as much as those who teach the top students. Also, I beg to differ with you that private schools meet the needs of all students–for the most part they do not have to deal with the lower 25% at all.
Sharon – please read previous post – I make no mention about teachers, nor do I think teachers are to blame. It is a choice of leadership as to what level curriculum a school offers. I am also not necessarily suggesting class ability grouping is in order, particularly in the lower grades, other than of course if a k – 4 magnet school was developed. I simply believe a more rigorous and enriched curriculum is required.
Frustrated, I guess it was the part about public school “teachers being paid just as handsomely” as private school teachers but not meeting the children’s needs. However, I do understand your desire for a more rigorous curriculum. My 2nd grader just told me that he’s surprised that school is so easy–he expected it to be harder this year. Of course, it’s only the 2nd day, but I have the same fear that you have–that he won’t be challenged because the teacher has to work to get some students up to the level of the other students. That is what happens–and the teacher isn’t to blame–it’s just difficult trying to meet the needs of kids with such varying abilities.
Sharon, what you say is true, the difficult thing to accept is that I would be better off homeschooling my kid through Middle school than send him to squalor in D150.
But really Sharon, if the performance of principals’ at the District were measured on how well a primary school met ALL its students’ needs than I believe teachers would be in turn provided with the support to make this happen. I often suggested to my children’s primary school principal that teachers of one grade level should work together and group students for math. All the classes of one grade were adjacent to each other, so it would have been easy enough to switch students from classroom to classroom for certain periods of the day. But the principal wasn’t feeling it and I can only believe it is because no administrator or board member over him was making that a measure of performance. You get what you inspect!
Frustrated, I’m not sure about the reason for “But really, Sharon.” because I thought I was saying the same thing that you just stated. I may be misunderstanding your above statement–are you saying that teachers have the authority to group students from room to room, etc? I have my doubts about that. I do agree that this is where “philosophy” enters in. I think the current trend is for not grouping students according to ability level. Of course, I really don’t know much about primary level practices, so I’m not the one to speak with any authority on the subject. This whole thing is a viscous circle–parents pull their children out of 150 schools–consequently, more and more strong students leave–things get worse and more parents pull their children out. When there was really no choice, things would never have gotten this bad because parents early on would have demanded better. Those parents have been leaving the district gradually and regularly since the 1970s. Now we have a mess for which the solutions are drastic–and probably no administrator or superintendent will have the courage to take a strong stand to raise all manner of standards. Tablet–please your solution???
We are saying the same thing Sharon. I am not sure what the “but really Sharon” was about. I think it was in response to “it’s just difficult trying to meet the needs of kids with such varying abilities.” I don’t think it would be AS difficult for the teachers to do so, IF that was really the mission of the District. THEN, the principal would be working with a given grade level of teachers or even between grade levels and he/she would be asking “what can we do to make this happen”?
The whole “ability grouping” thing has a ugly connotation to it. Maybe it “learning readiness.” I will give you an example. We transferred into Kellar when my oldest was entering 3rd grade. At her previous school, she was mastering timestables up to 12. When she entered Kellar multiplication was not really being worked on until the 4th grade — but I am positive there were many children capable of working on timestables in the 3rd grade. I am sorry, but what gives??? My child was not the exception at Kellar — her learning abilities were very similar to at least 1/4 or more likely 1/3 of her class. That is a lot of students being UNDER CHALLENGED!!
Your observations are correct about a vicious cycle. But then, you get, what you get. And that is what Jon speaks of when discussing the “customer” aspect of things. I don’t think it means a teacher should not stand her ground but it does mean a District has to be offering what parents are seeking. Public education is at a crossroads and if it does not change, it will become a drowning pool for the disenfranchised. The District is well on its way to that status. I remain hopefully the new Super will promote a new way of doing business.
I can see why you are frustrated. You sent your kids to the elite school in D150 and they still were not pushed. However, also know that there would be others in our society that would never want their little precious put into the “dummy math class.” That may be why the principal was hesitant. They may have done that in the past and believe me the principal DID hear from those who believe that 3rd grade is too early to be hurting little Sally in such a way. And you can call it whatever you want, but kids will know why they are being split up.
When I was in the 6th grade, I was in the “middle” reading group at the beginning of the year when our classes divided for Language Arts. That caused me to STRIVE for the TOP reading group, of which I was moved to early on. I DO NOT feel, nor did I then, that I was “some sort of failure” because I wasn’t in the top group to start. We, as a society need to quit inflicting our own self-esteem issues onto our children. Parents and teachers need to re-instill that competitive spirit in our children, it makes children WANT to work harder and better. Children also learn what they are taught at home! BTW, I now hold a master’s degree in READING.
Truth, Frustrated, all of us, have pieces of truth, etc., in our comments. Frustrated, you are preaching to the choir; I remember how difficult it was to teach students at a wide range of learning readiness. By the time, students get to high school that range is much wider than it is in grades 1-4. It is an issue that District 150, I believe, has made absolutely no attempt to address. Too many believe the little cliches like “every student can learn.” I always consider that to be an incomplete statement–every student can learn what and at what level. How do you think Manual teachers feel when all or most special ed teachers are already mainstreamed into their classes that already have students at a wide range of learning readiness? What do you mean by “a teacher should not stand her ground.” I hope you understand that the decision-making realm on these matters is not the ground on which teachers stand. I think the situation at Kellar may have been getting worse–I know that it has at Whittier, too. I think it is a district wide problem that needs to be addressed–we’ll see.
Leave it to a TEACHER to say we should just change society. That is SUCH an easy thing to to. Just change the way we think. I believe that when one says such things they are only wishing the problems that they face will go away. Parents need to spend more time with their kids. Kids need to value education. Admins need to always support what I want. Then, we will have our success.
Truth, I am only asking “society” to VALUE our children enough to allow them to FAIL. They can only measure success by their failures. I don’t think I am asking society to change, only give our kids a realistic picture of the world, not everyone will become the next EINSTEIN.
Teacher – thank you for your input on the subject. I agree with you. At the school we currently attend children in the primary school grades are broken into reading levels within their classroom and given assignments according to their current skill level. My friend’s daughter was in the lowest reading group when she began last school term — she is full of fun and can be a bit unfocused. Not so unfocused, however, as to not realize some of her other friends were situated differently and so, she read and read, and by the time the school year was done in June she was in the top reading level. A new school year has begun and this litle girl still has to work hard and apply herself, it does not come easy for her but . . . setting up structures within the classroom, like the reading ladder, help her (and her parents} understand what she continuely needs to work towards.