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.