Metlife Teachers' Survey

I found the survey that Janelle attached to her last blog very helpful. It was completed in 2006 and validates a lot of the information that we discussed in class. Specifically, the reasons teachers leave the profession, how administrators and teachers may view their positions differently, and how teacher satisfaction with their profession has improved over the last 20 years.

Survey of teachers/principals/deans

Even though this is a requirement for 519, it reiterates what we learned in 522- very thorough data.
http://www.metlife.com/WPSAssets/81821402701160505871V1F2006MetLifeTeacherSurvey.pdf

Competitive Salaries

I am not going to complain about my salary. I am not going to say it is great, or say it is horrible. I get most frustrated about the "salary debate" when it comes to professionals saying -- "you get out at 3:30 and you get summers off." We all have heard that before -- and yes, we have nice hours and a great summer -- BUT we all bring work home, spend time working on the weekends, and I know I spend some part of summer planning for the next year and participating in career advancement. Those are extra hours we don't get paid for, yet always have to defend. I am not asking for more money (--but don't give me a pay cut!!) -- but please understand that I am very dedicated to my profession.

School Boards

I found it interesting that all of us that work in small towns have entertaining school board stories. It made me realize that it is hard to be a good board member. Maybe the system is fouled up all together. I think we have "good people" on the board but I don't know if our administration would call them "good board members". I guess it is hard to seperate yourself and not get caught up in rumors and opinions.

It Has Been A Pleasure!!!

Throughout the last 3 weekends, I have thoroughly enjoyed the many different discussions that have taken place within our class. It is refreshing to know that my district is not the only one that has had to overcome obstacles. It was great to hear different perspectives from others that have experience in areas different than mine, as well as the implementations that are currently taking place in other districts in my area. I know that many of you will be great resources to use when we attempt to implement changes in our building. It was a pleasure to have met all of you and I hope to see you in the future!!!

Stress

I thought the discussion that we had on “stress” in the workplace was very interesting. I feel that no matter where you work, you are going to have some stress related to the type of work you do. With all of the demands that teachers have placed on them, stress is inevitable. I work with some of the most challenging students in our building and many times have stress related to the behaviors that I have had to deal with throughout the day. Many teachers have asked me how I do it and my answer is simple………I know that I am making a difference! For some of the students that I teach, this is the only safe environment they have, and if I can make their life better just by providing them with structure and knowledge,then it is worth it to me.

What a Difference a Year Makes

It is amazing to me how leadership can affect the work place. In the past there has been a lot of hostility in my school district. Not to mention mistrust, secrecy, manipulation, and down right non truths. Working in this district was not fun, when having to deal with leadership. The students and parents were wonderful to work for, and that is what has kept most of us at this school. A revelation came to me one morning on my way to school - "One day I will have a new boss." This helped me get through the every day dealings with our leadership. Well, that one day has come. This is now a school that everyone loves coming to. People are staying late and volunterring for commities and helping everyone out. This was not possible one year ago. Every teacher feels a part of a team that is working to better our school and our students. The atmosphere is one that anyone who does not like major conflict would enjoy working in. We talked about stress levels and different types of stress. My stess is now on the things that matter most - STUDENTS - not leadership. "What a Difference a Year Makes."

Presentations

I felt over the last two days that we really got to know our class. What an amazing group of people. It was amazing to see that all of you are so well spoken and knowledgable. I feel very comfortable with the future of administration. This class brought a lot of great ideas to the table. One thing that might need to be different is that current administration should take this class and refresh themselves on how peresonel procedures are to be handled. I was impressed with all of you.

Overall Experience

I thoroughly enjoyed this class. Other than student discipline, hiring and firing may be the principal's most important job. I really liked the volume of experiences Dr. Closen had to share with us (23 good, 23 bad in the end). All of his stories showed that there is no right, no wrong answer for every question. What might be right in one situation is not necessarily right in another.

7 Dimensions of a Positive Workplace

I found the activity we did on evaluating the 7 dimensions of the workplace insightful. As we went through this in our groups, we had the opportunity to think about each of the areas and reflect on why we felt the way we did when ranking each area. When Dr. Closen had us show hands as we reviewed it together, it appears most of us were fairly happy with our schools. Some of us commented that the administration is what accounts for the feelings that we have in regards to our buildings. As we begin to enter the administrative world within the next few years, we need to remember these activities and the comments we shared together so we will hopefully create the positive climates many of us are experiencing now.

Conflict Resolution

On Saturday we heard Abba give a presentation on conflict resolution. I believe many of us think of this term in regards to students. We want our students to be able to use these skills when needed but as I sat there listening, I began to think of the issues that are occuring within our district where the adults need to practice these skills. We desire our young people to use conflict resolution but there are many adults in the educational field that need to model these skills too. I think our district could use some inservice time devoted to this.

Student Led Cnference

The presentations on student led conferences this weekend were very informative. I can see where they would be quite a bit of work getting them together for the first time, but once you had everything together and the kids were trained in the process, it seems like this would be very effective. It would give the parent a chance to listen to their child about what they are doing and not doing. It would also give the parent the chance to discuss everyday school problems with their child.

Equal pay

I have to agree with Dr. Closen on his coment that board members still look at hiring a woman as a chance to save money. I work at a small school and know many if not all of the board members pretty well. I have heard some of them say that we are looking at a certain female candidate because they think that they will be able to save money. I am sure that in the past this may have been happening. In today's world, I don't see how a board can hire anyone but the absolute best candidate, no matter what the savings.

Mentors

Ben had a great presentation on mentoring. The steps that he laid out in the presentation should make it a lot more simple to help get our program up and running in the right direction.

Over/Unde on Dr. losen LettingUs Out arly

12:52

Data, Data, Data

One of the most beneficial aspects of this class has been the looking at the data. In today's educational world we are driven by data and we should be. We should be constantly be looking at data to better understand where are students are at and where we are headed so that the proper decsions can be made. I do not think we can effectively have any impact on student achievement if we are not looking at the data the students are provifing us. Instead, without the data we are essentially shooting blindly at the problem. Therefore looking at the data and analyizing the anomolies in the data have been very benefical to me and I am sure it has also been very beneficial to the many other students in the class.

This Class Has Meant to Me.......

As Kevin and I were driving home we discussed events that happened in class today. Believe me, we have had some interesting conversations during all of our rides home! I just wanted to share some of the things we have talked about.

1. The conversation and camaraderie in the class has been terrific. Everybody has had experiences that are valuable. Some have been good and others not so good. But, all conversation has been wrapped around learning. I think this is why we have also appreciated hearing John Closen's stories so much- They are REAL!
2. Everything we have done in class is applicable to our jobs now and our jobs in the future.
3. There has been a definite methodology to this class. We see things, hear things, and do things. All modes of learning are covered in class.
4. Many of us have learned how to manipulate data. We KNOW we have to test but did not know what or how to manipulate the data when our district got it back. Many did not know what happened to the information from the tests, unless they were told in conversations or meetings. Now we can figure things on our own. We can have a sense of direction upon receiving the data in the fall. If it is not given to us, we now know to ask for it.
5. I think we have a better understanding of school board policy.
6. The sense of wondering if you are "sinking or swimming" never goes away.
7. We all have to answer to someone else. It is easy to get into a bubble and think of it as "Us and Them", when it should be "We".
8. Being a good administrator involves being informed and being a communicator; not just being a figurehead.
9. To quote John, "Not everything is black or White. You have to be prepared and look at what might happen in the future. Look at the big picture.".
10. An administrator has to be visible, knowledgeable, and be thorough to be affective.

I could go on and on..... I think this has been an excellent class and have enjoyed meeting all of you!

Making Changes in Education

I found our discussion on the theories of motivation very interesting. In doing research for my paper on student-led conferences I googled 'motivating teachers' and a very good article came up discussing the exact theories we discussed in class. (expectancy, equity and job enrichment) My experience has been that teachers are very difficult to motivate to change. We have several changes in our district going on right now and it is intriguing how the teachers are handling the changes. I have worked closely with the administration the last several years on changes we have initiated and have seen different administrators handle the situation differently. I have not quite developed my own personal philosophy yet, but am very interested in this subject area. My first instinct is to be authoritarian and say here is the change that needs to be made and it is in the best interest of the students. However, I know that you must get teacher buy in to make successful changes. Where I struggle is how much "say" do you let the teachers have. I have been trying to develop a 6 - 8 advisory program and the 6th grade teachers have been very open to the idea but the 7 - 8 teachers have not. At what point do we say, the students need to continue advisory at the 7 - 8 levels and not let it be a 'choice'?

Creating Unity Within A District

We only have 3 schools within our district - elementary, preschool - 4th, junior high, 5th - 8th, and high school, 9th - 12th with appx. 75 teachers employed. I had the opportunity to serve on a bell scheduling committee whereas the superintendent was looking at the possibility of altering the start and end times to the school day. Serving on the committee has been enlightening to say the least. I had no idea that what seemed like a topic that could be easily addressed would be met with such anger and hostility by certain groups of teachers. I remember Dr. McCaw telling us that there would be issues that we would have to address as administrators that would hit us without warning. I find myself looking at situations as they arise through administrative eyes, wondering how I would address the issue if I were the administrator instead of the teacher. With our district being small, I expected more unity among the staff and buildings than I am witnessing. Does anyone have any ideas your districts are doing to keep the staff unified and content within the district as a whole?

Comment on Administrators Leaving the Classroom Too Early

This is in response to Troy’s posting about whether Administrators leave the teaching profession too early. I want to share with you a conversation that I had with one of my administrators. As part of EDL 505 I had to conduct an interview with my Superintendent, as we were discussing various topics one of the things that he mentioned was that his position was one of the loneliest positions in education. He proceeded to tell me that he really missed the interaction with the students as well as some of the colleagues he had had as a teacher. He did say that he tries to visit all of the schools on a regular basis, but that it was just not the same as being in the classroom. This comment kind of struck a chord with me and I will keep this in mind as I continue with my profession!

So What Qualifies A School Board Member?

In our small community we typically do not have a lot of individuals that will run for a position on the local school board. 7 individuals coming from varying professions, many without college educations. These individuals vote to make decisions for our school district but, what are their qualifications that justify this?

As teachers and administrators, we have a college background in the education of children; best theories and practices, psychology of children, management techniques, etc. We participate in yearly professional development classes, seminars, workshops, institute days and many of us continue our education going on to grad classes and beyond. Yet the members of a school board can have far less education in the education of our young people. These individuals make important decisions that affect the lives of our students and teachers in a community.

So I am left wondering what can be done differently to ensure that we get quality community members to want to be a part of the school board. I just think it's strange that we have people with little or no educational background making decisions for the educational future of our students and teachers.

Update on Peoria School Board's Grade Change Decision

District 150 OKs appeal change
Policy comes after school board changes grade of Richwoods student


Tuesday, February 19, 2008
By DAVE HANEY

Peoria- Two weeks after the District 150 Board of Education changed a Richwoods High School junior's English grade, the board effectively made that the last time it will do so.

The board, waiving a first reading Monday night, unanimously approved amending the school district's policy regarding grading and advancement, instituting a process that ultimately is "to be resolved at the building level, with possible input from the superintendent."

Only board member Linda Butler spoke publicly before casting a vote, saying her previous vote in support of changing the grade was not a vote against the district's teachers.
". . . The matter in which I cast my vote was concerning only that particular item," Butler said. "My vote was in no way a statement towards our general teaching staff . . . I gave my vote based upon the process available to this matter, and as Mr. Hinton has said, it's time to move on, so I hope that the action item we are now discussing is a clear statement that the board wants to do what is right on behalf of our educational programming."

The change comes on the heels of a disputed enriched English grade last semester, where the father of the Richwoods student challenged what he called "inconsistent and inappropriate" grading practices and described the grading method as "draconian punishment."

The grade change also riled several Richwoods teachers, leading several to speak before the board earlier this month, including the English teacherwhose grading practices were questioned, requesting the grade not be changed.

Ultimately, by a 5-2 vote, the board determined "an inappropriate grading system used to determine the grade."

Superintendent Ken Hinton said the new policy addresses concerns both with teachers and with parents while eliminating ambiguity the previous policy may have had.

Peoria Federation of Teachers President Scott Schifeling said teachers are happy with the change now that disputes will be settled at the building level, adding it was something "many feel the board never should've been involved with in the first place."

The revised policy lays out a review process parents or guardians may take to seek a grade change. According to the policy, the request must be made within two weeks after the grade is issued, and parents will first meet with the teacher for an informal discussion.

If the problem is not resolved, the parent must then submit a letter to the school's principal detailing the reasons for the review. The teacher will then write a response to the parent's letter.
The pair, along with the school principal and "any other appropriate staff," will meet to talk about the grade change. After notifying the superintendent of the request, the principal will issue a written decision that will be final.

Although the superintendent may engage in the dialogue about the change, the board will not be involved.

Dave Haney can be reached at 686-3181 or dhaney@pjstar.com.

Leaving the classroom to early

Do you think a lot of administrators wish they were still in the classroom. It seems to me from talking to some of them that they took administrative positions and sometimes wish that they were back in the classroom. I think it would be hard to take a pay decrease after being an administrator.

Protocol

My heart goes out to all of victims who have ever been affected to school shootings, and with the recenet media coverage of Northern Illinois, I really got to thinking...what protocol does our elementary school have in case of a such an emergency. We have a handbook which tells us what to do if there is a bomber, or bomb threat. The same can be said if there is a tornado, flood, fire, etc. How can we prepare teachers, staff, and students (without scaring them) in case of the rare event there is a gunman. How does an administrator inform teachers and students to take cover, and what does taking cover really mean? Having a plan is nice, but one can never plan for a tragedy -- I would like to at least have some sort of a protocol.

Principal Raises tied to School Performance?

Classifying students by skills, not age??

Just how viable is this?? Any thoughts?

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0207report0207-ON.html

Interesting Article- On School Board Action

We have discussed communication and public relations in our class many times. I found this article and thought it was interesting. If good communication had been done would this have happened? When I say "good communication" I don't just mean by school personnel! This has caused a lot of controversy.

Father defends petition for grade
Man says English teacher's practices were inconsistent


Thursday, February 7, 2008
By DAVE HANEY
OF THE JOURNAL STAR PEORIA -

The petition to change a Richwoods High School student's English grade was the only way to correct what the student's father calls "inconsistent and inappropriate" grading practices.

The man says the high school principal sided with him as did the school's counselor that a grade change was in order, adding District 150 administrators violated their own grievance procedures. He also claims the superintendent made a decision based on incomplete and inaccurate information. Furthermore, his child's teacher, JoAnna Moe, voluntarily identified herself and spoke on the matter during a public meeting, enabling teachers and other students at Richwoods to finger whose grade was being modified.

"People don't know all the facts," the father said. His name is being withheld to protect his teenager's identity.

The District 150 School Board on Monday voted 5-2 in favor of changing his child's English grade last semester from a "C" to a "B." Similar to cases involving suspensions or expulsions, all student information was kept confidential.

The issue surrounds two failing assignments in an enriched English course handed out nearly four months ago. It focuses on the grading of 60 note cards that reference material used within a research paper, essentially a list of works cited, in which the student received 12 percent out of 100 percent on the first set of 35 cards and 8 percent on the second set, specifically for incorrectly placing a comma on each card.

"A ridiculous amount of points was taken off for a very trivial mistake," said the father, who in the same breath praises the English teacher for her intellectual and teaching ability but described the grading as "draconian punishment."

Fifty of the 79 students actually failed, according to a letter from Moe to district officials, which was provided by the father.

In a meeting with Moe in October, she told the man if she changed the teen's grade, she would have to change them all, adding the grading practices were nothing new and no one had disputed them before. Later, she notes students had opportunities to ask questions.

The grades, representing less than 10 percent of the total grade, stood.

The father then went to the school counselor and principal.

In a letter dated Nov. 19 to district officials from Richwoods Principal John Meisinger, he states, "I did advise (Moe) that I felt that a grade change would be appropriate and in the best interest of the student and her as a teacher. I expressed that it was 'my opinion' that the note cards, and the assignment, could have been graded differently."

Meisinger continues, later regarding changing the grade himself, "I told (the father) that I have known people who have lost their jobs because of such actions and that I was not willing to take a chance by doing so. I also disagree with changing a grade based on 'my opinion' when there is no official 'grading policy' in place at the district level for me to make reference to."

The father then filed a grievance with District 150 administrators.

He says administrators didn't follow their own grievance procedure. He said he was left out of investigatory meetings and conversations with district employees, which he believes - had all involved come together - could have solved the dilemma or at least brought out all the relevant issues to allow administrators the chance to make an "informed decision." The process took more than a month, he adds, not the 10 days as stated in the policy.

Denying the father's request, Assistant Superintendent Cheryl Sanfilip, and later Superintendent Ken Hinton, said Moe's grading practices were consistent in her classroom, the department and past practices, adding no current policy outlining grading practices supports claims for modifying the grade.

The father disagrees, pointing to the vote by board members.

Prior to the board's vote Monday, a number of Richwoods teachers spoke out protesting a grade change, including Moe, who stated modifying the grade "rewards students who choose not to put forth an effort."

With Moe identifying herself, the father says his teenager's privacy is gone, evident by students who have since made comments at school, despite his teen having nothing to do with the appeal.

Other teachers said the decision sets a bad precedent as well as taking the grade evaluating process out of their hands.

Dave Haney can be reached at 686-3181 or dhaney@pjstar.com.

Mentors Would be Helpful for All Beginning Teachers

Our District in Knoxville had the paperwork for the Mentoring/Induction Program. It was from the ISBE website and while it looks good in written form on paper, it isn't of benefit to say we offer such a program when not much is being done with it. As a first year teacher or just a teacher new to the district, having a good mentoring program could be extremely helpful. If it is left to the new teacher to seek out people in the building to ask questions when questions arise, it may not happen in a timely fashion. During the first few months of the school year there is so much to do that the student teaching experience may not have prepared the new teachers for. Just keeping up with daily demands of the profession can be difficult without having to search out someone to answer the questions that come up. Not wanting to look inadequate or confused or seeming like a bother to someone may keep the new teachers from seeking the help they may need. There are many seasoned teachers in our building who would be willing to offer advice from their years of experience. Many of us have checked in on the new teachers that we get to our building but, I think if there is an assigned mentor with specific meeting dates that the mentoring process would be more effective. With new teachers leaving the profession after only a few years, it could only strengthen the field of teaching to offer the support and encouragement that these new teachers need when they feel overwhelmed during the first few years of teaching. Administration needs to make mentoring a priority so new teachers are not left to struggle and feel alone.

Part-Time Administrators

Due to financial situations and student numbers, some schools are having individuals who are qualified and certified administrators teach part-time. Is this beneficial for the school as a whole? I have heard of principals teaching a class to stay in the "flow of things". They believe that they need to remember what is is like in the trenches. But, what happens when it is for two periods or three periods? Individuals who typically excel in one area are stifled due to trying to be two people. Is there a limit to affectiveness? What are your experiences?

Teacher's Assistants in the Classroom?

I am curious on your viewpoints regarding having assistants in the classroom. Throughout my years in the LD setting, the students I have had many wonderful AND invaluable experiences. My previous superintendent "let all of the aides go",excluding preschool assistants, a five years ago. It was the superintendent's belief that they were not necessary in an inclusionary setting. It was a struggle to adjust to on many levels. I felt, and still feel, that aides are invaluable if they are a "part of the team".

New Teacher Orientation

It was interesting to hear everyone talk about their district mentoring programs. It seems that the majority of them were ineffective. The ones that were discussed (Canton and Iowa) that were intense seemed to have certain things in common. The mentors and mentees were paid a stipend and there were specific days and times for them to get together. The idea of a mentoring program is great, however, the program must be run effectively. One area that may need to be worked on is the pairing of the mentor and mentee. In our district they may be people who do not teach the same grade level or same subject as the mentee. Our middle school is currently designed by teams that meet on a daily basis. To me, it would be effective to have the mentor and mentee be on the same team or at least the same grade level and subject area. There are many situations where the mentee has had to depend on another person to ask questions of because the mentor was unavailable or did not know the answer because they taught different subjects / grades. Another area that could improve would be who goes through the mentoring program. A first year teacher will probably need a much different program than an experienced teacher who is new to the district. Having these groups together for some sessions is helpful but the needs of each as far as classroom management, etc. is quite different. As a first year employee in my district, I went through the mentoring program along with first year and experienced teachers. It was somewhat disappointing to me because the majority of the topics discussed did not even relate to my job as a counselor. The teachers also recieved CPDU credit, which as a school counselor, I did not need. As future administrators we need to take a look at what we can do to improve mentoring programs as I believe the consensus was that they can be effective when done "correctly".

Board Policies

I found the assignment on board policy case studies to be very helpful. There were many things I learned not only through the discussion we had in class but within the board policy of my own district. There were many things that I feel would be helpful for our administration to review not only for their benefit but for the benefit of the faculty and staff. There was a policy in the handbook that related to the counselor's job and I found it very interesting that it addressed some of the things we discussed in class this weekend. It also is not what is being done in some of the buildings in our district. In fact, it would improve some things if it were being followed and I am waiting for the right time to bring it up! :-)

School Counselors

I am very appreciative that Dr. Closen has brought school counseling to everyone's attention. There are so many things that school counselors can do to help not only the students, but administration as well. I am very fortunate to have been able to work with administrators in Dunlap who understand and appreciate the job I do. Counselors are often seen as "office" personnel by the teachers and seen as "teachers" by some administrators. It can be a difficult position to be in. The better communication you have with your counselor, the better results you will get. The more often a school counselor is able to share information with teachers, the better results you will get. As future administrators, I hope that each of us are able to work with a school counselor and will communicate with our staff the role the school counselor can play. For more information, the website for the American School Counseling Association is below. And by the way, ASCA does provide their members with liability insurance as one of their benefits. I would be more than happy at anytime to provide you or your schools with information on school counseling. OH...and one more thing, this is NATIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELING WEEK! www.schoolcounselor.org

Mentoring Programs

I have been a part of mentoring programs at two different schools. I don't think either of the two worked the way they were intended. What do you think are the most important things to keep a mentoring program beneficial. The major complaints in our school were, lack of meeting time between mentor and mentee and location within the building. I think a good mentoring program could be a great asset but it seems that it is harder to put together than people think.

Beginning to Dream About Leadership

I have found the sharing that we do in class to be very beneficial. The information that we gather from our schools to bring and share is enlightening. There are advantages to the small school where I work and we are doing some things right but, I get envious when I see or hear some of the neat things that other districts are doing. Even small districts can have the correct procedures and plans. Our school did not have a Professional Development Plan to bring. I was impressed at the one that Scott brought from L-Muscatine District in Iowa. I want to get a copy of his for my file. I find as I'm sitting in class listening to Dr. Closen and all of you, that I begin dreaming of the changes I would make to the school where I teach. I start thinking of the things I've been learning about in this EDL program and I get enthusiastic about what I envision myself trying to accomplish when I take on the leadership role as an administrator. I like organization and goals and the details that were included in the L-M Plan that Scott had. I see that these plans would help direct the administration and staff throughout the year. I believe our school needs to become more focused by implementing such plans. If any of you from the other groups have a Professional Development Plan that is good, I would appreciate receiving a copy to have, too.

Video clips

Has anyone been able to find the Daggett clips that Dr. Closen shared in class on Sunday? If you have , could you please help me find them.

Professional Counselor Vs. Guidance Counselor

After listening to the speaker on Saturday morning and talking to our guidance counselor today I think I took for granted what a guidance counselor is actually suppose to do. Throughout my professional career I have depended on our guidance counselor to help with such tasks as gradebooks, class schedules, and items of that nature. Taking for granted what it is they are actually there to do. For instance, our school counselor this year is in charge of implementing powerschool (online gradebook), all scheduling, college information, and standardized tests. For anyone this would be a lot to handle on top of what they are suppose to be doing. Our guidance counselor mentioned to me today that he is a little frustrated because he often times does not get to utilize what he was trained for and instead feel likes another office worker. I think a lot of times guidance counselors are taken for granted and their skills are not properly utilized. They should be a resource to school districts to help with situations that they are trained for not clerical work that many individuals would be able to do without the same type of training. They should also be out in the classrooms becoming more familiar with all students and utilizing many of the programs that would be proactive to the many social and emotional issues facing our students instead of constnatly reacting to a given situation.

Professional Development

It is amazing to me that so many schoos do not strive for professional development. As research is showing that the United States is behind other countries academically. It only makes since that we should be focusing some effort to help our teachers. Why is it that the first item to be cut from school budgets is the professional development? The other mistake that is made is the inappropriate content that may be in a conference or siminar. For whatever reason the teachers are not involved in what needs to be done during the professional development.

Professional Development for ELL

SEPTEMBER 17, 2007

MACOMB, IL -- In Illinois alone, nearly 80 percent of the English language
learner (ELLs) population is Spanish speaking. To help teachers dealing with
the influx of ELLs in their classrooms, two Western Illinois University
faculty members are working with schoolteachers in Beardstown and the Quad
Cities region so they can better accommodate their students.

Gloria Delany-Barmann and Carla Paciotto of Western's Educational & Interdisciplinary
Studies Department recently received a $299,980 grant from
the U.S. Department of Education for their program "Project Estrella."
Beginning September, Paciotto will travel to Beardstown to begin teaching graduate-level
education courses with a bilingual-bicultural focus to teachers in that district. The
18-credit hour program is comprised of six courses. Teachers will take three
courses per year and will be certified English as Second Language (ESL)
educators following successful completion of the program. Delany-Barmann and
Paciotto will offer the program to Quad Cities-area teachers at the WIU-Quad
Cities campus beginning Spring 2008.

"Through this grant, participating teachers will receive $450 for each class
and they may also use their district's tuition waivers," Delany-Barmann
explained. "This is a wonderful opportunity for teachers who are working
with more and more ELLs in their classrooms."

According to Paciotto, 34 percent of students in the Beardstown School
District are classified as ELLs. Nearly 60 percent of those students are at
the elementary-school level and Spanish is the primary language spoken in
the home.

"Ten years ago this percentage was about one percent," Delany-Barmann added.

Paciotto pointed out that in Illinois there are 132 different languages, and
the state is the fifth largest population of English Language Learners with
the dominant language being Spanish.

The grant also provides support to 30 WIU undergraduate students who choose
the bilingual-bicultural major. This intensive program has strict criteria for its students including
tutoring elementary-age students, participating in professional development
activities, conducting research and studying abroad in a Spanish language
country, which is a requirement.

In Fall 2008 the bilingual-biculturalprogram will begin providing a semester-long
seminar on teaching ELLs to all students enrolled in Western¹s elementary and
secondary education programs.

For more information on Western's grant-funded program for teachers in Beardstown
or the Quad Cities region, contact Delany-Barmann or Paciotto at
309/298-1183.

Faculty Development Can Inspire Students

I feel that a worthwhile professional development should not only improve faculty performance but could also challenge their students to think about their future role in society.

I was intrigued how Denver Public Schools partnered with area colleges/universities and encouraged juniors/seniors to learn more about K-12 education programs. This would definitely prove to be a learning experience for both faculty and our students to “take to the field” ("Today's Students May Be Tomorrow's Teachers", NASSP, 1989). Along with academics, students should discover community leadership so they can enhance their ability to address and solve complex problems (www.coe.wayne.edu). John Dewey once said "It's not enough for a man to be good, he must be good for something."

Teacher Retention

I resorted back to an article I wrote for 500 regarding teacher retention/motivation/mentoring.

“Helping New Teachers and Principals”, American School Board Journal, September 2005

The turnover rates for teachers and principals are higher than any other profession. It is sad to think that at one point in their career they possessed passion and vision. What exactly is it that drives our teachers and principals to leave their position?

A New Jersey school district tackled the issue head-on. As noted in Kozol’s 1991 book, Savage Inequalities, Camden was named the Most Dangerous City and the second poorest in America. It took a new principal with fresh ideas and desire for student achievement to turn things around. Truancy and dropout rates began a downward spiral. Teacher vacancies became fewer but easier to fill.

Camden developed a mentoring program, The Instructional Management Institute for Novice Teachers, and was unanimously supported by the district. He helped their district retain first-year teachers. It promoted collaboration with other teachers and focused on classroom and time management. They also implemented an electronic mentoring program for out-of-state districts in need of support. Teachers can access lesson plans, chat with colleagues from other states, and share ideas.

Compass Learning, along with Weekly Reader and other companies, provided personnel and handouts for the institute. CL’s President states that “running a school requires many of the same leadership skills as running a business.” The primary goal of the program is to research teacher satisfaction and principal leadership.

I believe every school would benefit from this program. We must create an environment that allows teachers and principals to succeed, and with that, students will want to learn and succeed as well.

Two Weekends Down And One To Go

I appreciate the scorekeeping on Doug's part. I am trying to keep my stories balanced. I also appreciate the comments I have read where you appreciate the fact that we not only have some content/theory that we discuss, but we also have a lot of story sharing and try to integrate the real experiences with the theory.

I have found the class time to have flown by, except for all of those ten second pauses after I ask for input! Keep up the good work and I look forward to you sharing your presentations with the class.

See you in three weeks.

Teacher Mentoring

One of the things that I found interesting the second weekend of class was the discussion on mentoring programs. I feel that a new teacher, whether new to the district or a brand new teacher would benefit from this type of program. In our discussion, however, it sounds like several of the districts we talked about offer something of this nature but the follow-up seems to be very weak. In my experience, because I work closely with the person that I mentor, it seems to work well for us. Unfortunately, this type of program is more like an orientation program. In my opinion, I feel that most new teachers would benefit more from the performance improvement programs that are offered. This type of program would help new teachers gain knowledge about instructional and classroom management strategies and possibly make the first year a more positive experience.

Critical Incidents in Interviews

I really liked the idea of using critical incidents when in the interview process. Going over that exercise reminded me of sitting with Dr. Hall in the interview process for the EDL program. Going through and actually creating a critical incident and the sought-after choices made me wonder if even some "veteran" teachers would take the first response approach that we gave as a solution or if they would respond with the third tier approach. I'd like to see more critical incident examples that are out there and are used in a teacher selection process. 

Mentoring for the Administrator

It is wonderful that most schools try to do a Mentor program for their new teachers, even if it is a poor program. It would be really great if schools had a program for their incoming Administrators. No matter how confident you are, as a new Administrator, you would have to be a little awed walking into your first administrator job. Being the Dean of Students the past couple of years, I feel, has sort of been an Administrative internship for me. I have been allowed to deal with many administrative matters under the supervision of my current Principal. I feel that I have learned many things that will give me a step up in my first full Administrative job.

Professional Development

Our district in Keokuk recently changed how they doing PD. In the past, we jumped on a bandwagon -- it always seemed like it was something that was in the educational media to increase tests scores, which was admirable, but the PD was never very good. The speakers were boring, there were too many of us in one group, the facility were the PD was held was not condusive to a large group, etc. Of my 4 years in Keokuk, I never went through a PD that I was enthusiastic about -- until this year.

This year, our district is offering 3 different profession developments, and as individuals, we get to choose what we were most interested in. Once we picked a PD, we were stuck with it, but after my first PD of the year, I knew I made the right choice.

The choices for PD were Love and Logic, Character Education and Parental Involvement. I choose Love and Logic, which I have always been interested in and I implemented it as a classroom management strategy in my classroom since my first year of teaching. The PD was AWESOME. The district brought in a Love and Logic expert who was very engaging. It was the first PD that I enjoyed, learned from, wanted more AND even spent money to purchase books from the presenter! Everyone in my Love and Logic group felt it was a day well spent, and I have heard similar things from the other sessions. I see myself using Love and Logic more, and other teachers have started using in their classrooms regularly.

Setting Attainable and Measurable Goals

As we worked through the Professional Development Plan exercise today I saw the value of making sure that goals that are to be achieved need to be few and able to be measured. Our plan consisted of 7 goals and were not easily measured. This makes it hard to show any progress because they are very broad and general. Setting goals that are data driven are easier to measure. This type of goal setting will enable the Principal to show the district and community how well it is doing in meeting the goal. The data will be black and white and easily viewed by all.
Other types of goals may be measured by actual viewing of implementation within the district. The data may not be in the form of testing, but in the form of witnessing the actual implementation and use of technology or other material in the classroom. Actual discussion and evaluation of use in the classroom may be recorded by the principal and data may be gathered from this.
Constant monitoring and discussion of these goals is important for success in attaining the desired outcome.

Weekend 2, Day 2 Good & Bad Experiences

Dr. Closen story update: 14 with good endings, 16 with bad endings.

I really enjoyed hearing about the Focus on Results professional development. It sounds like a very worthwhile plan and something I wish my school was doing? Also sounds like a great way to get the community (or in this case a business) to buy into the educational process. Does Caterpillar do anything like this for schools around the Peoria area?

Mentoring

Mentoring for both teachers and principals is so important. I was glad to hear from the class that most schools are like mine and they have mentoring programs, but they are not used effectively. Mentoring programs can be so useful for new teachers and administrators to get them off to a good start. Mentors have to trained and given resources to help them be more successful and administrators must be supportive of the program. Before a mentoring program is started the goals and objectives must be clear, the leadership of the program must be in tact, and following through/evaluation must be constant. Over all mentoring is a great way to provide confidence for new teachers as well as cut down on teacher turnover.

Principal Induction

As we worked on this activity I thought it was interesting to hear what my group and what the entire class had to say on this subject. My group (Jim, Chad, Troy & I) had at least 2 people agree on almost all of our top five choices. Two of the choices I had on there that I feel strongly about are supervision/evaluation and recruiting and hiring. Principals can make themselves look very smart by hiring great teachers and can get rid of the bad ones by watching them closely and giving them appropriate evaluations to ensure they do not come back. As a future administrator all of the items listed were important but I found it very intriguing most of the class agreed on a select few.

School Policy Review

As I began my work on the school policy review, I examined two different school policies. I am employed by a special education coop and am hired under a different, larger school district than the school I currently teach at. I began to look at the policy of the school where I am teaching and found it to be small in size. The entire policy was reviewed and modified in June 2006. From the original policy, it was compressed and consolidated from its original size. I found it difficult to find the policy situation examples given to us. I then got an electronic copy of the policy of the larger district that employs me. This policy was much more detailed and in depth. I spoke with my administrator in regards to both policies as I compared and contrasted the policy books. He commented that he has found larger districts to have more lengthy policies that try to address various situations whereas smaller districts may not address all situations. Our superintendent prefers to have the latitude to address certain situations as they arise and make decisions on a case by case need. I can see it from both ways. More policies may tend to lock the administrator in but, there is less leeway for interpretation. It appears to be black and white. If the policies are fewer and less detailed, the administrator can adjust as necessary but others may become upset or frustrated and believe favoritism may be occuring. I liked this assignment as it made me look in depth at the policy books and found information about both districts that I did not know before. I found myself questioning some of the information that I found. What are your opinions? As an administrator, do you feel it would be better to have more policies addressed and spelled out or have fewer policies where you would have the discretion to interpret as situations arise? Just curious what others think.

Newspaper article

I stand corrected. For those of you interested in looking at it, it was last WED Macomb Journal and I think the title was "Educator Misconduct". Regardless, I will bring a copy with me this weekend.

Response to Lisa B

Lisa had some good questions concerning the evaluation process. Are the tools appropriate? Are the evaluators trained in using the evaluation tool? Why are so many inadequate teachers given a pass rather than getting a pink slip or the professional development they need?

Let's think about that and discuss it the next time we meet.

Reflection on Weekend 1

The discussion on planning for staffing needs was interesting to me. In the disritct I am in the growth is one of the more "difficult" areas facing our administration. Dr. Closen mentioned also that there are formulas that can be used to project future student population. He discussed finding the number of births in one year and then comparing that to 6 years later as to how many students are in kindergarten. This information was very intriguing to me as we are in the process of building a new middle school and another elementary school is being discussed. The one concern the administration and board have is that we "may" overbuild so they are very conservative. The issue of enrollment in turn causes an additional "concern" about planning for staffing allocations. We have four feeder elementary schools that are K-5 buildings, so your attnedance at each building is based on where you live. The different growth cells continue to be in different areas throughout the district and as new people move in we have to determine whether there is room at the elementary they should be attending. We have actually had to have students attend a different elementary school than their neighbors. Quite controversial, yes! Our motto is that our growth is "a good problem to have".

The other very important topic that we discussed this weekend was hiring and firing of staff. No doubt this is one of the principals most important jobs. The teachers you hire are a reflection of you as a principal. The strategies Dr. Closen gave were very helpful. It can be difficult in a 30 minute interview to get the best snapshot of that person. I know of a situation where references were not checked and they should have been. The principal who was losing that teacher was not disappointed at all but was never contacted regarding their thoughts. I like the idea also of having your mission statement be a part of the interview and weeding out process. One thing that has been a reoccurring theme in the EDL program has been the mission statement and it is easy to see how useful that could be.

Finally, I thought that the discussion and activities on the future wheel and issues brief was OUTSTANDING! It is much better than the typical pros and cons list. I found these strategies to be useful in so many ways...with students, with teams of teachers, with parents, with student / parent or student / teacher issues. I look forward to using these strategies in a variety of ways in my current position and am looking forward to many more useful ideas that Dr. Closen will be presenting.

Evaluations: Implemented as Intended for Nontenured Teachers?

Evaluations are designed to be subjective tools for the work force. In the teaching profession the evaluation tool is approved on by multiple committees: teachers, ESP's, administration, and the school board. When implemented evaluations can be constructive or destructive.

A nontenured teacher has four years to grow and develop throughout the tenure process. During the school year, the nontenured teacher should be evaluated multiple times formally and informally. School code states that nontenured teachers will receive several formal and informal evaluations. The teacher's performance is evaluated based on the established criteria. Hopefully, concerns are addressed with constructive criticism. Said teacher has a time frame to improve in the areas that were in question. Then the evaluation process begins again.

As each year passes the teacher should become stronger. Why? Because the teacher has had opportunities to grow and develop. A variety of opportunities to hone skills and tweak styles should have been provided. Hopefully, a strong leader has been provided as a mentor to assist in this growth.

I wonder why it is, that "bad" teachers get by? Is it because those who are evaluating are not trained correctly? If the tool is used correctly, does it matter who the person being evaluated is? If used correctly, the school board "should" acknowledge the expertise of the evaluator and the design of the tool? Are the administrators informing the school board of the inadequacies as they are occurring?

Why is it that many teachers are found to be unacceptable during their fourth year? Why are many asked to resign rather than be fired at the end of their fourth year?

This blog is not intended to be an attack on people. I am just curious if others have seen and or experienced this? Is it the process? These questions or concerns may not be shared by you, but I have observed this occurrence multiple times during my teaching 19 years of teaching experience.

Losing touch with the kids?

We joked around in class about principals never smiling and being lonely. Does this worry anyone else? I know obviously your relationship with the kids and the teachers will change dramatically, but is it hard to stay in touch with the students? I think most of us teach because we love the kids, will the next step in our careers change our outlook?

Accountability

In today's world, many of the students, parents, and government look for the school system to set and in many cases provide, the example and structure that is lacking in today's society. The public school systems are responsible for more than educating the children. Parents expect one thing, students another and the State yet another. Schools are providing two square meals a day, preschool, after school services, health services, technology, educating parents... Knowing where to find the resources, provide them, pay for them AND educate the children involves many aspects. In class, we have discussed looking beyond, what is in front of you, when making a decision. "Looking at the big picture", is the phrase that has been used multiple times. How true that statement is! What a heavy responsibility and role to have! (This is my third attempt to publish/post my comments on this blog) (I have not had much luck getting them to post - I am trying to find out how to edit and post a draft)

From Margaret Spelling, Secretary of Education leading NCLB at a 2007 visit to Chicago Schools. I thought this fit in well with most of our mission statements:

"Community and business leaders must engage in the future of our nation's children and our education system to help ensure that students are graduating with strong reading and math skills and ready to enter college and the workforce. Today's students are tomorrow's leaders, and the quality of education our children receive directly impacts the success of businesses in America and the contributions they will make to society."

I feel that most schools would benefit from the horizontal decentralization allowing central office to maintain control and delegate responsibilities. We have all heard of a Super that doesn't have what it takes (and of course, we all know that Dr. Closen has probably cleaned those up already :o) But I still think central office is a good idea.

I think the nature of NCLB is a good one- to hold us accountable. However, I think NCLB needed some major tuning before it was implemented- 100% AYP in 7 years is unrealistic- even I know that. And what was that about setting only a few goals at a time: SMART goals = Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-Oriented, Time-Oriented. And NCLB is............? For those of you that have read Senge and Fullan- they believe that more than 2 goals is a mistake. I think we're onto something :o)

Has anyone read the Macomb paper this week? I'm guessing it was Fri/Sat FRONT page where they talk about how IL teachers are able to keep their certifications and to be re-employed even with past criminal history like sexual misconduct, etc. VERY GOOD ARTICLE- two articles side-by-side. Dr. Closen: will bring to class next time.

Bridget and I will be comparing promotion/retention/tenure responsibilities of teachers vs. university faculty. BIG difference, right Dr. Closen? Any feedback on what your school's expectations are as teachers? Faculty have to report substantial progress in their teaching/primary duties, scholarly/research activities, and any service activities EACH year. They have to belong to so many committees and pass stringent examinations by the Department's Personnel Committee, Chair and Dean of the College. And from what I hear, most teachers need 4 years of "good" evals and that's it? No end of year report of what you have accomplished? This could be interesting.

Data Analasys

Dr. Closen , I think, is correct when he say's that we need to see as much data that we can. I know that I have not dealt with much data. I am very glad that we are looking at this stuff to give me some kind of idea what to look at and how to interpret the numbers.

Parent Involvement

We talked briefly today about reporting out as a school, district and state concerning parent involvement. I was intrigued that so many schools consistantly had 100% participation in parental involvement for many years. I was curious how schools measured the data, and we came to the conclusion it was probably participation in parent/teacher conferences. I understand that administrators want high numbers in parent involvement, but I really question whether or not showing up to a building for 15 minutes every semester makes you involved. Furthermore, should you really be considered involved if I have to make the phone call when the parent doesn't make it to the conference.

I think that reading and math nights truly promote parental involvement. Parents can see what their children are learning, participate in activities and meet with staff. Through my experience, if you have food, they will come! It's a great incentive to get parents involved!

Substitute Teachers

We talked today about the problems with getting subs that actually teach the lessons and do the jobs that they are supposed to do. I think that the schools are mostly to blame for the subs not being successful. If a school does not ensure that the teachers have specific plans, class schedules, and rules for the sub, then that school is just setting that sub up to fail. We have had a problem of running off subs in the past at our school for these very reasons. Two years ago, when I took over as Dean of Students, I started going to every teachers room that was having a sub for that day. I would check to see if that teacher had everything out that the sub would need. If I could not understand it or something was missing, I would call the teacher up before the sub arrived and get things straightened out. Now that the teachers know that their plans are being seen by someone other than the sub things have gotten better with our kids and substitute teachers. As was said in class, there is no substitute for the teaching that goes on with the regular teacher, but by doing this simple step we have helped the situation get better at our school.

Day 2: Good & Bad Experiences Update

Even though principals have little direct control of the finances I thought it was very helpful to cover what we did today about finances. It paints a picture of a school that the test scores does not do and vice versa. I am glad Dr. Closen clarified the whole 6% cap thing as no one in my district understands it!

As of the end of class on 1/20/08 there were 9 stories with good endings and 11 stories with not so good endings.

Drawing a Picture from Experience

The method of instruction in this class has been one of the best experiences that I have had thus far in either of the Master's programs that I have been enrolled in. The case studies provide the opportunity to challenge thought and drive discussion among the students. These cases open doors that may be explored in real life situations later down the road. It is very beneficial to be able to discuss these different scenarios and come to conclusions with much input and knowledge from many different resources. One or two people may not have seen the entire picture without this opportunity. However, I think the part of the class that I feel is the most beneficial is Dr. Closen's ability to share a "real-life" situation and tie it to almost every discussion that is conducted in the class. It is so helpful to draw this picture in the minds of students of these events. I will never forget some of those stories and will always have them embedded in my mind for future use. It is very evident that Dr. Closen has been in the educational system for the right reasons and has experienced more than many of us ever will. It is so refreshing to have someone instruct that has actually been there and done that. So many instructors hand out information that was read about in a study or research. The fact that Dr. Closen is very genuine makes the class very interesting, fun, and a great learning experience.

Not Allowing Mediocrity

Throughout the class today Dr. Closen shared many experiences about having to make tough decisions with teachers even if it was not the popular decision. It is always going to be hard when you have to take action with a teacher that has a hometown name or that has been around for many years, but as administrators we owe it to the kids to give them the best education and the best educators possible. I learned a lot of different options today to store away for when I am faced with one of these tough teachers so that I can be prepared to do what is best for my students and my school.

Refreshing Reflection

I cannot tell you how refreshing it is to be back in the classroom. It almost seems that some of us took a semester off. I think it is great to hear the real life stories of what administrators have gone through. Dr. Hall taught in much the same way for EDL 500. There were many things that happened in today's class that i feel will be helpful. 1. I agree with Fish, that the case studies are a huge benefit. As an audio learner I get a whole lot more out of the discussions of these rather then reading them in an assignment on our own. This class seems to feel very comfortable speaking their minds which is a good thing. In previous classes people were hesitant to give their opinion feeling that they might be wrong, or possible made to feel uncomfortable by their responses. The one common theme that I have heard in my studies so far is that hiring and firing are the most important things you can do as a building principal. It is interesting to hear the different extreme situations that school districts can get themselves into. It is also comforting to know that Avon is not the only district dealing with the possibility of hiring the teacher that they don't necessarily want.

The importance of hiring the most qualified and competent applicants possible

Throughout the educational leadership program one consistant message that professors have always mentioned was the importance of hiring qualified staff members that are excited to go to work everyday and share a common vision that puts the emphasis on student achievement. As we went through the material today in class that idea was reinforced. I think that as Dr. Closen mentioned the amount of problems you will have down the line will be less if the proper decisions are made up front. For instance, if you know a vacancy is coming up advertise as early as possible so the pool of applicants is greater. Also, once you have candidates for the position it is important to make them feel comfortable and welcome so that if they are chosen they already have a sense of belonging. Plus, if they are not chosen they will atleast leave the situation with the idea that the school district does care about their employees and students and may want to apply again if another position was to open. I really think doing your leg work early will solve many issues that might arise later because a decision was made in haste instead of being made because the best person applied for the position and was hired.

The Good & the Bad

When Dr. Closen mentioned about courses possibly using more case studies rather than content related stuff I thought it was a great idea. I learn a lot from dissecting the case studies and making my own decisions on the situations. I'm not saying the other stuff isn't important but looking at the case studies & data is also very helpful.

By the way, the count of stories with good endings and bad endings is 4 to 9, respectively.