My last blog praised Secretary Duncan for pushing back against the blame game after a comment that was leveled by one of the varsity players in HISD Education Politics. In my efforts to identify an alternative to just blaming teachers I reviewed the Jones feeder pattern data for any blaring facts we should be focusing on. Here is what I found:
1. EVERY elementary school in the feeder pattern is Exemplary or Recognized- Alcott El, Cornelius, Golfcrest, Kelso, Seguin are all Exemplary under the state standards. Brookline, Garden Villas, and Gregg are recognized. Hartman was acceptable under the state accountablility ratings. ALL schools met Adequate Yearly Progress for the past 3 years.
2. Attendance rates seemed to decline overall as students matriculated to the next level.
3. Schools (obviously) and class sizes increased while parental participation decreased.
Now, does being exemplary or recognized mean that all students are reading on grade level? Of course not, however the discrepancy between the top accountability ratings at these schools and the 80-90% off grade level when they hit HS is enough to make you go, huh??
Does anyone else notice a problem here? How can a school have such high rankings if kids are off grade level? Is there a problem with the accountability system? Think we've established that. I think there are some other factors at play here that need to be addressed and haven't been included in any accountability system. Enter points 2 and 3 above.
Exactly how many times can a student be caught skipping class before the negative EVAAS rating is used to hold the student accountable and not the teacher? Oh, Wait a minute??? The only accountability measures they have included is withholding graduation-- the very thing we are trying to accomplish so that schools can be recognized for the work that they do. They still went to prom last week, didn't they teachers? We have all been frustrated when the sob story is used to overrule consequences for behavior or failure to attempt to perform...
Our education system has always done the parent involvement thing backwards. The overwhelming level of parent involvement happens at the elementary level when the greatest need is between grades 8 and 10. Kids are vulnerable at this age and have a tendency to get lost. Get them to 11th grade on time and they are likely to finish. If they are driving to MS, then we have a problem. Yet larger class sizes and less parental involvement seem to be the norm. I wish our schools would require that commitment contract from students and parents starting in 6th grade. If we can get them through 10th, then we can let them start developing more autonomy and making more adult decisions.
The job of our elected school board should be to take the lead on policies that we know work, instead of using the cane approach on just the teachers. We are on the wrong track and no one seems to get it. Until we do the hard work to lay out those policy alternatives that will matter and find people with the courage to implement them, things will only get worse.
Get involved in your next school board election. If every member tithed 20 bucks a year and committed to volunteering 3 hours of time we would have $284,000.00 and 887.5 days worth of volunteer time to make the changes we know will positively impact our schools, our students and our communities. Is that really too much to ask?
Post Script-- At the last HISD Board meeting Ms. Harris stated that she supports teachers and the statement that she made came out wrong. I, for one, believe that she didn't mean the statements to come across the way they did. She has actually done things through actions not just words to support teachers and help bring in programs to help you do your jobs--- However words matter. Maybe she has been spending too much time around some of the other board members that I would have naturally expected to hear teacher-bashing from. Members e-mailed me multiple copies of the video prior to my blog proving that people do listen to what our school leaders say and why we need to make sure what we say is what we mean. I've had to learn that lesson my own way here recently on another matter. You keep watching and make up your own mind!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Snaps for the Secretary of Education
It is no secret that I have been critical of the Dept of Ed regarding their policies that seem to solely blame teachers for chronically failing schools. However, I also have a duty to give credit where credit is due and the Secretary deserves a HIGH 5 for his rebuke of our school leaders choosing to play the blame game. He certainly got a front row seat to view the philosophy of education in HISD.
HISD published a clip of the video where at about 8min and 40sec into the clip our District 4 Board Member blamed the middle and elementary teachers in the Jones feeder pattern for the 80-90% of students that were not on grade level in reading. Further, she went so far as to advocate inciting outrage and picketing (something I thought we were always blamed for) against those teachers and their schools.
The response from the Secretary was notably humane as he rightly pointed out that the blame game doesn't help students succeed. We ALL have a responsibility to ensure that our kids are successful, including the kids themselves. HISD consistently points the finger at teachers, as evidenced by Harris’ remarks. The question is then how to HUMANELY hold teachers, students, parents, the District, community and state responsible for doing their part? No system can be successful when appropriate parameters aren't defined and enforced for all the responsible parties within said system. No matter how exceptional the engine, my truck won't run if the tires don't do their job..
We take our kids the way they come to us. We can't change them, their parents or our communities out as easily as I can change my tires or HISD thinks it can change out our teachers. Who would want to come teach in HISD under the type of philosophy that we have seen evolve here over the past few years? I bet a few people realize how penny wise and pound foolish they may be when that large cadre of dedicated career teachers in HISD decides to stay home for good. Most mid-career teachers already intend to bail for suburb jobs closer to home at their first opportunity.
Maybe we can change out the Board if we all decide to work together (and not for retreads of the same failed model). It is certainly going to take more than just a few of us, so get involved.
Check out the video yourself:
http://www.houstonisd.org/HISDConnectDS/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=67377dbbacd68210VgnVCM10000028147fa6RCRD&vgnextchannel=9339e02e91b23110VgnVCM10000028147fa6RCRD
HISD published a clip of the video where at about 8min and 40sec into the clip our District 4 Board Member blamed the middle and elementary teachers in the Jones feeder pattern for the 80-90% of students that were not on grade level in reading. Further, she went so far as to advocate inciting outrage and picketing (something I thought we were always blamed for) against those teachers and their schools.
The response from the Secretary was notably humane as he rightly pointed out that the blame game doesn't help students succeed. We ALL have a responsibility to ensure that our kids are successful, including the kids themselves. HISD consistently points the finger at teachers, as evidenced by Harris’ remarks. The question is then how to HUMANELY hold teachers, students, parents, the District, community and state responsible for doing their part? No system can be successful when appropriate parameters aren't defined and enforced for all the responsible parties within said system. No matter how exceptional the engine, my truck won't run if the tires don't do their job..
We take our kids the way they come to us. We can't change them, their parents or our communities out as easily as I can change my tires or HISD thinks it can change out our teachers. Who would want to come teach in HISD under the type of philosophy that we have seen evolve here over the past few years? I bet a few people realize how penny wise and pound foolish they may be when that large cadre of dedicated career teachers in HISD decides to stay home for good. Most mid-career teachers already intend to bail for suburb jobs closer to home at their first opportunity.
Maybe we can change out the Board if we all decide to work together (and not for retreads of the same failed model). It is certainly going to take more than just a few of us, so get involved.
Check out the video yourself:
http://www.houstonisd.org/HISDConnectDS/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=67377dbbacd68210VgnVCM10000028147fa6RCRD&vgnextchannel=9339e02e91b23110VgnVCM10000028147fa6RCRD
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