I need a checklist

The worst part of my job has to be the requirement to do things that I don't see the need for. Over the past few weeks, it has been decided by the princiPal and her pal, Wormtongue, that we all need to include in our plans:

1. Embedded writing in all subject areas.
2. Evidence that we're spotlighting the Trait of the Month in a writing activity.
3. A lesson spotlighting the math problem-solving strategy of the month.
4. A lesson or station addressing the reading strategy of the month.
5. A "Rigor and Relevance" lesson.

All of these need to be highlighted so that the cursory inspection by the princiPal will show her that we've jumped through another hoop.

And hoop-jumping is exactly what it all is. Planning and doing are two different things. Writing it in my plans doesn't mean I intend to do it. What I intend to do is teach the standards in a manner that I decide will enable my students to learn.

I hate being micromanaged.

Absolutely hate it.

Let's See

I could write about the problems my class is having with one BAD student in another class during their joint PE time, but I just don't want to go there.

I could write about my problem with Rotney's family this week but, happily, it was resolved amicably, and I've already been there many times.

I could write about my students who collectively think I own a pencil factory, but there's no point in going there because complaining about it won't solve the problem. (Buying a pencil factory will.)

Oh, I know! I'll recommend my three favorite educator blogs--the ones that make me laugh, the ones that fill me with admiration, the ones that make me think! Here goes:

Look At My Happy Rainbow written by kindergarten teacher, Matthew Halpern, both makes me laugh and fills me with admiration. His posts are insightful observations about his students. Mr. Halpern seems to be everything that all teachers try to be--caring, compassionate, and totally on top of what he's doing. And what's not to like about reading about kindergartners?

Michael Smith's Principal Page: The Blog is another favorite. I envy his "voice" and writing style. Previous topics include the declaration that any educator who can't microwave popcorn without burning it and stinking up the school is incompetent and therefore should be fired. I tend to agree with that! His light and funny style is very readable. He's actually a superintendent now (perhaps even still a principal) in a small school district in Illinois (or maybe Indiana--I always confuse them).

Confessions of an Untenured Teacher by Sarah, who teaches language to students with hearing loss, is another good read. It has short-but-sweet observations about school and life.

Okay, fatigue has hit. (That reminds me--I need to write "fatigue" on the board and see if my students can pronounce it. Fun for me and educational for them! Yes, we'll also discuss meaning. Sheesh.)

Have a great rest-of-the week. We're supposed to have a significant snowfall on Friday! The last time that was predicted, we got a half-inch. . .

Moses

This is from our math book, an illustration of a geometric pattern. The simplistic description of the pattern was: "Take away bottom row of triangles". That's not very mathematical, so I wondered aloud if I could find an equation to represent the formula. "Let's see," I said, "You start with 15 triangles, then you have 10, and finally you have 6.'

Moses, waving his arm wildly, interjects, "That's not 6 triangles, there, Mrs. Matters. There's 9 triangles."

"Nine, Moses? I count only 6."

"You didn't count the white ones, Mrs. Matters."

Rotisserate?

One of my SpEd kids scored an 85 today on a math chapter test, which is a major achievement. Fred is quiet and thoughtful. Most of the time I think he's not paying attention, but then he surprises me with the correct answer. He has difficulty with reading, but not understanding--I need to remember that.

Today's test was on motion geometry--transformations, geometric patterns, and tessellations. We had done a tessellation activity earlier in the week. After the test, we did a more specific exploration. Students were given tag board and instructed to make a scalene triangle, trace it onto the pink and yellow sheets of paper I had provided, cut out the triangles, and see if they will tessellate. (And the activity was so messy--scraps of paper everywhere!) Fred was working with a group at the table and I overheard his instructions as I walked by: "You have to make a triangle and see if it will rotisserate." While it's a laughable error, it makes sense. You do have to spin the shapes around as you fit them together to see if you can find a tessellating pattern. But where did my Fred, who lives in the projects, ever hear the word "rotisserie"?

Feeling Rather Desperate

My state has succumbed to the Race to the Top initiative. In order to qualify for a federal grant that we may or may not be selected for, the governor called a special session of our state legislature to upend teacher tenure and our evaluation process. Value-added assessment scores will now be used for up to 50% of each teacher's now annual evaluation. And damned if he didn't want it to be 51%--enough to fire a teacher. Here's the letter I wrote to my state senator and representative* (personal info hidden or reworded):

Dear Representative ###### and Senator ######,
I am writing to encourage you to support fair reform of our state’s tenure laws. As a teacher in a Title 1 school in the ###### School System, I have seen some teachers who need to retire or be fired, and support any change to tenure laws that would enable the judicious removal of them. However, I believe Gov. ######’s proposal to tie tenure to the value-added assessment system is unfair for several reasons.

First, let me state that I have great value-added scores. My position is not endangered by the use of value-added scores to evaluate me, and I achieved these scores while teaching in an inclusion classroom where approximately 50% of my students qualify for free/reduced price lunches. Why am I speaking out? Because, to me, Gov. ######’s plan is highly flawed. The most prominent flaw of his plan is to make testing high-stakes for teachers, but not for students. A teacher is then at the mercy of her students’ performances, however capricious these performances may or may not be, but nothing will happen to a student who willfully decides to fail a test. If the state wants to judge teachers by value-added scores, then please help level the playing field. Please insist that student accountability also become a feature of our state’s testing policies.

Secondly, value-added scores are tied to state tests, given to third through eighth graders. How will teachers who teach in untested areas be affected? How will the state determine accountability for kindergarten, first, and second grade teachers? How about high school Latin teachers? Or teachers of European history? Or physical education teachers of any grade level? Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I haven’t found any discussion of assessing teachers except for those who teach in grades and subjects that administer the state test. Adding assessment to the primary grades is a staggeringly bad idea—to put five, six, and seven year olds through the stress of taking a state-mandated test would be developmentally inappropriate. Adding tests to Latin I classes or health classes would be cost-prohibitive. So, how will these teachers be assessed? Will the assessment be as high-stakes as the one that will be used to judge third through eighth grade teachers? Please ask these questions of Gov. ######.

Finally, where on earth will our state find teachers to fill our classrooms if we fire beginning teachers because of poor value-added scores? Teaching is an extremely taxing profession. I will readily admit that my first five years in the classroom were spent becoming a competent teacher, often at the expense of my home and family. Even now, in my thirteenth year of teaching, I spend hours and hours out of the classroom preparing lessons, grading papers, and researching new teaching and management methods. It was even more difficult when I was a new teacher and learning the curriculum for six different subject areas. Thankfully, I had time to work out the kinks of my pedagogy, and quickly became a very competent teacher. Are we going to kick today’s new teachers to the curb, or give them time to develop the skills needed to be a quality teacher? It would behoove our state more to direct money to a quality support system for new teachers than to fire a first year teacher for her poor test scores. Let’s try to do this instead of throwing the baby out with the bath water, or the rate of incoming teachers will never meet the loss of teachers to attrition.

Thank you so much for the time you’ve spent reading this. I encourage you to ask some hard questions and refuse to let a vote be railroaded through in an effort to grab a multi-million dollar carrot. Please encourage your colleagues to do the same.

Respectfully,
Elementary Matters

I received no reply from the state senator but did receive this reply from my state representative:

Dear Ms. Matters,

You ask some very good questions and so far, the administration has not been able to give us specifics, for various reasons...mostly they are "protecting the integrity and secrecy of our state's application for funds."

We will continue to press for information and I greatly appreciate your thoughts on the matter.

Keep up the great work.

#####

I did all that I could, and greatly emphasize with our union's president who wrote:

"I know in my heart I have failed Xxxxxx’s Teachers. Not only have I failed Xxxxxx’s Teachers but also I feel as if I have brought a pox on our members. I am concluding the most anguished week of my life during this special legislative session. Before this week, the worst event in my life was waiting by my mother’s bedside to see if her stroke would kill or paralyze her. I know many of you are angry, mad and frustrated and I want you to know that I am as well."

Before I read his letter, I hated the man. I felt he had let us down. But now I understand that he was put between a rock and a hard place and had to agree to abide by whatever happened because the governor had all the votes he needed.

I had naively believed that when Obama was elected to office that the hated and despised NCLB crap would end. I didn't know Obama was driving a U-Haul full of his own crap into the White House. I have no one left that I care to vote for, and I've voted in every election since I was 18 years old (except Reagan's first election--not registered and had a new baby). I don't think I'll make it seven more years until retirement. Between PITA parents and now PITA governors and presidents, I think I'd be happier asking, "Would you like fries with that?"

*I also wrote to the governor about 2 weeks before this (on Christmas day, if memory doesn't fail me), and I never heard back from him, either.

Recap of Last Week

We returned to school on Monday, Jan. 4 for staff development. Like all days devoted to staff development, it was fairly boring. Half of our morning was spent was spent in the library, where there was no heat to be found. None. We were all sitting there, wearing coats and gloves. (Ever try to pretend to take notes wearing woolen gloves? Not so easy.) During our first break, I pointed out to the princiPal that I had heat in my classroom, trying to subtly suggest a change of venue. It flew right over her head. Undaunted, I now went with the direct approach: "You know, princiPal, I have heat and plenty of room for everyone in my classroom". Ah-ha. She got it. Everyone moved to my room for the remaining hour and we cranked up the heat to 80 (a violation of system's 74 degree policy). It's so much more fun to be bored when you're warm!

Tuesday, Jan. 5--School resumed and totally ruined my birthday. ;) It happens every year (or near enough), so I'm used to it. After hugs and "What'd you get for Christmas?" queries all around, we jumped right back into the curriculum. Things went surprisingly well--everyone was on task and eager to learn.

About 10 o'clock, one of my sweetie girls came up to me with a $100 bill. "Is this real?" she asked. Yep, by golly it was! When I asked her where she had gotten, she said a girl on the bus had given it to her. I thought, "WTF!" but I said, "What on Earth!" I called the Lead Teacher (P.E. coach who handles discipline) and his exact words were "Hoo Boy!" I sent Sweetie Girl off to see him after reassuring her that she was not in trouble. Turns out a girl from another class had taken the hundred and a $10 bill from her mother's wallet and given them away while on the bus. (My husband said that the girl who only got ten dollars was really ripped off. ;)) The money was held in the office until the mother could retrieve it. We speculate that she was trying to make friends. Thank goodness for the honesty of my student--or was it really naivety?

Wednesday--My class walked in chatting away and stayed chatty for the rest of the day. Why? There was snow in the forecast, and that was all that their little brains could focus on for the rest of the day. We get snow rarely enough around here, and the forecast was for from 2-4 inches. Visions of snowballs danced in their heads!

Even though not a flake had fallen yet, all of the surrounding school systems decided to cancel school for the next day by Wednesday evening. Not mine. I think they like to wake us up with an automated phone call at 5:30 A.M.--at least that's what they did on Thursday morning. >:(

So, the snow came on Thursday--the entire half-inch of it. We were closed because the streets were slippery with snow that had stuck immediately. As the temperature fell that afternoon, the roads re-froze and, wonder of wonders, for the first time ever, school was cancelled the day before instead of the morning of! Seems lots of parents grumbled about having to find day care at the last minute, and my school system is nothing if not reactive to parental complaints.

So, to recap: I was off for Christmas break for 2 weeks (16 days), came back for 1 staff development day and 2 school days, and then enjoyed a 4-day weekend. I won't remember how to get through an entire week next week. I think several naps will be required!