Wow, today is the last day with kids. Where has the year gone? When I reflect back I know we have a long way to go, but we will achieve greatness. Some accomplishments that may go unnoticed as we pack up the year and prepare to move forward include our student assistance team. We established a team and were effective at targeting at risks students and providing resources to teachers and parents to support student learning. School safety was a priority. Our school leadership team was created and maintained excellence throughout the year analyzing data and creating solutions to move our school forward. Unfortunately, these accomplishments may go unnoticed, as a test score will judge our success this year.

As I analyze our school data, I realize it does not tell our story. The numbers don’t lie, but they also don’t tell the truth. They don't highlight the volume of students we had in and out this year. Between August and March we have had 255 new students. In August we had 24 new, 14 withdrawn; September - 24 new, 24 withdrawn; October - 22 new, 15 withdrawn; November - 18 new, 26 withdrawn; December -10 new, 13 withdrawn; January - 28 new, 13 withdrawn; February - 24 new, 7 withdrawn; March – 25 new, 6 withdrawn. It doesn’t speak to the teachers that resigned mid year or the hard work that was achieved through collaboration and teamwork. It does not factor in our six brand new teachers, two who are interns or the eleven new teachers to our campus. It doesn’t indicate the high-class sizes or challenges our students face everyday.

It does however give us a starting point. A starting point to plan for next year.

Wishing you a great last day!

"We did not put our ideas together. We put our purposes together."  Adam Kahane, Solving Tough Problems

John Prosser is there. A teacher leader involved in policy-making. He began as a middle school teacher in the Seattle Tacoma area, then went to law school, then back to the classroom. During a strike in 2011, he and his twin brother became leaders in their union by supporting the lines and eventually serving on the team that resolved the action. He is now a facilitator implementing the policy the strike resolved: how to fairly find the best match between displaced teachers and receiving schools. 

In Part One I asked how teacher leaders will walk the talk when we finally get a seat at the policy making table. John revealed in recent phone calls that policy-making requires an intense level of responsibility, a spirit of conciliation, an unyielding obligation to get the facts right, and an inner knowledge of what it will take to change your mind. 

When his committee began to negotiate teacher placement, those who had been adversaries in the strike had the eye-opening revelation that although the strike had served as a catalyst to get them together, they needed a new approach. They placed everything on the table and collaborated on setting a goal and finding a path. They were acutely aware that their decisions would impact every teacher and, by extension, every student in the district.

Solving Tough Problems, a memoir in which Adam Kahane writes about resolving problems from Apartheid to conflict in Guatemala, inspired the negotiations. John relates, "We said, 'After all, if they can solve Apartheid, we can solve teacher-placement.'" Listening to and understanding the needs of the other party opened their eyes; discussing the craziest ideas from each party opened their minds. Fidelity to the facts secured a resilient policy.

A self-described "intellectual mercenary," John is beholden to no point of view beyond that which the facts support. And sometimes that applies to his own views. A recent proposal that principals could use teacher evaluations in determining placement for displaced teachers seemed in direct conflict with the policy his team had crafted.  A divisive fight seemed inevitable and healing wounds could be reopened.

Yet, driving home one day, John realized that the negotiated agreement already included language that principals must consider teacher evaluations - if a teacher had a poor evaluation or probationary status, the principal couldn't displace them - thus avoiding a kabuki dance of the lemons. He wrote a memo that made it through the decision-making machinery and ameliorated the conflict before it began.

I do have a voice

It's easy to say "I don't have a voice," but John says there are ways to be heard - through social media, blogs, and the old-school means of calling and writing your congressional representatives. He also suggests looking for opportunities to sit down and talk with representatives or their staff - maybe at a rally or public event. In his experience policy-makers want to know what teachers think and keep track of our opinions.   

Yet John cautions that teachers need to do their own research and have a well-crafted message. Although politicians may listen, it's an informed, research-based, well-articulated position that they hear. 

Consider his experience after teachers at Garfield High in Washington state refused to administer a standardized test. Opinion leader and former Washington D. C. School Chancellor Michelle Rhee wrote an essay in the Seattle Times criticizing the boycott. John, acting in no official capacity, wrote a response on his personal blog that systematically deconstructed Ms. Rhee's arguments.

Imagine John's surprise when he received an email from none other than Diane Ravitch asking if he were real. She not only tweeted his post, but praised his essay in her own blog.  (John's a modest guy, but if you press him, he'll admit that she really did call his essay "brilliant.")

In summary, John says to inform yourself and act - make that phone call, write that blog - work on what most irks you, but work from knowledge and with an open-mind. Be prepared for frustration and hiccups in the process.  But be prepared, too, to find your power. 

What's next?

In the conclusion to How Will We Walk the Talk? you'll meet Holly Franks Boffy, a teacher leader who upon deciding that a personal life challenge would not become her identity, committed to train for and run in a 5K race. She ended up running all the way to a seat on the Louisiana State Board of Education.

 

 

 

The last time I looked at my calendar it was February. Where has the year gone? We are now fast approaching the end of the year. It didn't hit me until this weekend, less than 15 days of school left. When I think about it, it takes my breath away. So much to do in just a few days.

Final teacher evaluation paperwork, pre and post test data comparison, teacher portfolio review, 301 data review, perfect attendance luncheon, volunteer recognition, student assessment sheets, end of the year awards assembly, student placement, annual IEP meetings, transition kindergarten meetings, kindergarten graduation, teacher appreciation, end of year check out procedure, golden character awards, summer training, maintenance checklists, new hire screening, interviews and background checks, summer school staffing, report cards and retentions, summer planning, summer letter, room changes, new programs, 6th grade transition, half day kindergarten transition, budget deadlines, final purchase orders, and parent meetings, submit National Board renewal, oh my.

One certainty, as soon as I post this blog, I will think of more things to add on the list.

What does your end of the year list look like?

Recently a friend of mine posted a link on Facebook to a political radio program in which the reporter was revealing the “danger” of Common Core.  Having implemented the Common Cores standards in my classroom this past year, I was intrigued by the comments below her video link.  Moms were asking how to monitor their children’s exposure to Common Core standards in the classroom.  I was curious, whatever do they mean?  My curriculum was explicitly aligned to Common Core standards, and I felt no moral qualms over my pedagogical decisions.  So I watched the link.  Here are the key quotes I listed from this radio program:

1. “Common Core is dumbing down America’s students.”
2. “Common Core encourages Communism.”
3. “Common Core’s New Math lessons are awful.”
4. “Elementary Literacy Curriculum is 70% Classics and 30% Manuals.” 
5. “Common Core is making our kids into slaves.”

Upon hearing this, I was definitely torn between 3 responses: throw up, laugh hysterically, or have a heart attack.  I replied to this post, providing my feedback as a seasoned teacher.  But what would I know?  The media must be the expert in education.

While visiting with friends at a dinner party a few weeks ago, the Sandy Hook school massacre was brought up.  People were passionately debating the issue of arming teachers in the classroom. They discussed how legislation  was introduced in about two dozen states, allowing school personnel to carry guns.  South Dakota has become the first state in the nation to ratify a law allowing school employees to carry guns on the job.  A few people asked my opinion about having a gun in my classroom.  I answered with, “As a first grade teacher who sits on the floor a lot, I would be concerned with accidentally shooting myself.”  That was debated with the idea of having the gun in a safe.  I answered back, "When would I have time to pull out a gun from a safe when someone is ready to shoot me?"  But what would I know?  The legislators must be the experts in education.

Arizona finally completed our week of statewide standardized assessments, otherwise known as the AIMS.  Teachers and administrators were nervous wrecks.  I helped administer the AIMS in several different classrooms this year, and there were 3 kinds of looks on the students’ faces: frustration, indifference, or excitement.  (Unfortunately I only saw one really excited student.)  Our school will receive its “grade” by the summer, and teachers will be contacted with a “grade,” based on the performance of their students on the AIMS.  The Department of Education and our school districts apply our students’ performance on standardized assessments to determine the teachers’ proficiency as educators.  This impacts our evaluations, which in turn affects our salaries.  Yet teachers have consistently communicated for over a decade the pitfalls of standardized assessments.  Teachers have provided administrators with alternative methods of assessment.  Have they been implemented??  Obviously the Department of Educations must be the expert in education.

What’s my point?  Is it to defend Common Core standards, propose school safety measures, or rebel against standardized assessment?  Not today.  I usually do.  But I am tired.  I’ve taught for 15 years in two different states.  I received my National Board Teaching Certification and attended countless professional development sessions, curriculum seminars, and teacher conferences.  I actively read the latest pedagogical articles and books to further myself as a lifelong teacher/ learner.  But am I viewed as an expert?  Unfortunately no.  The nation seems to want to appoint the media, legislators, and state administrators as the experts in education.  The next time you want to believe the “experts in education,” ask yourself, how often are they in the classroom? What makes them the experts?  Who is tuned in to the needs and wants of children?  Maybe it’s time to listen to the teachers.  We do have the answers.

I am a fan of “The Biggest Loser,” the reality-television show which rewards one person with the biggest weight loss after undergoing 12 intensive weeks of healthy eating and strenuous workouts with trainers.  While viewing the season finale this week, I was struck by a passionate testimony from Alex, who had reached an emotional breakthrough which positively impacted her weight loss journey.  After getting up on the scale and finding out that she had lost more weight than expected, she tearfully shared with the contestants and trainers, “My best is finally good enough.” 

That simple yet profound statement remained with me through the rest of the evening,
and I began to relate to it as an educator.  I feel like I can do my very best…. hourly with a student’s behavior, weekly with a small group’s progress, quarterly with summative assessments, annually with statewide standardized assessments……. but it is not good enough.  There is always someone who wants to see more data growth, feel more rigor in the lesson, hear more student engagement.  Is that a bad thing??  No!  I thrive on challenges, and it’s good for me to have new goals to work toward after achieving the current goal.  But sometimes the sense of satisfaction of doing my best should just be savored and enjoyed, celebrated and respected!  Quite honestly I feel that the steady increase of 21^st century teachers leaving the field of education can be contributed to this— our best is not good enough.  It is physically exhausting, mentally frustrating, and emotionally draining.

Maybe it’s time to determine the success of educators based on the premise “The Biggest Loser.”  What should we be losing in education to determine our achievement?

1.  The Achievement Gap—our nation needs to decrease the gap of educational success in
our diverse minority groups.  Labels and biases need to be removed, rigorous instruction must be carefully planned to meet the diverse needs of students, and expectations should be challenging to
all.

2.  The Confidence Gap—students need to decrease their lack of confidence!!  What’s causing students to feel less likely to succeed in school? The high-stakes standardized assessments cause so much stress for all children, even the primary students.  How do we ensure children feel successful in school?

3.  The Parent Gap—where are the parents??  I think it’s time that some parents need a stern lecture about active involvement in their child’s life.  No more politically-correct conversations at Parent-Teacher conferences!!  Parents are spoiled by the technology of 21^st century, and the smartphones need to be turned off so the children have the floor!!

Teachers do need to feel that their best is good enough.  We need to actively seek and cherish those moments in the classroom which deserve a little happy dance, pat on the back, and smile on your face.  Treasure those moments, and remember those joyful memories when the times get tough again.  They will keep us going.

The word makes me shudder, cringe and cower. Unless it is preceeded by the phrase, "You've come a long way," I don't want to hear about babies. Or pregnancies.  Shower?  It better involve a spout, steam, and a whole lot of whistling.

For me, there was a time when the utterance of the word "baby," conjured rolls of sweet, pink chubiness, the smell of Pampers (before), and the thought of actually sneaking a taste of pureed pot roast with carrots before pulling the "here comes an airplane" line.  (For the record, it tastes like dog food).  

Babies used to mean goodness.  And, they should.

But now, as a principal, I think of another word:  Substitute.  Actually, there are two more that go with it: Long and Term.  

Sadly, I like babies.  They are adorable and innocent bundles of fun who have yet to be tainted by episodes of Jersey Shore or Justin Bieber songs.  If nothing else, they're certainly job security.  But, these are not the things I think of when a teacher tells me that she's pregnant.   Instead, I wonder how to replace her with a quaity educator for an extended period of time.  And, unfortunately, there is no institutionalized mechanism for doing so.   A teacher who has just become a mother should not have to worry if her students are actually learning, or what kind of a mess she's going to find upon her return. Pregnancies should not scare class parents or principals, because we should be better prepared.

When administrators get word of a pending maternity leave, they start reaching for their connections to fill the position.  Usually, the categories fall in this order:  

1. Retired Teachers
2. Teachers on a Leave of Absence
3. Certified Teachers (Who don't have a job because there weren't any)
4. Certified Teachers (Who don't have a job because nobody would hire them) 
5. People who can speak and breathe at the same time, and have never attempted a kidnapping.  

Minor misdemeanor?  Don't leave just yet.  I might just need you.  

Obviously, I joke about the misdemeanor.  But, the truth isn't far off.  Schools are still expected to provide exemplary instruction and to score record high levels of achievement on standardized assessments, reality be damned.  However, elementary schools are dominated by women.  Many schools, like mine, are full of women who love children, want to teach them all sorts of things, and enjoy watching them grow emotionally, physically, and academically.  Perfect qualifications for a teacher.

And a mother.  

This obvious correlation implies that a high rate of maternity leaves should not catch us by surprise.  It might finally be time to take a look at this glaring weakness in our system.  Althought there are some, there are not enough outstanding teachers sitting around waiting to substitute.  Yet, there is no funding or consideration for meeting the need when the inevitable happens.  And, just because we ignore the problem, doesn't mean it will go away.

After all, only babies actually think that if they don't see something, it doesn't exist.

 

On the day of love and friendship, there were many schools across our nation filled with smiles and presents.  All children remembered to bring their goodies to hand out and share with their peers, along with a special one just for their teacher.  They were excited, huge smiles on their face.  Offices were filled with deliveries, roses, balloons, and candies.  So many children were proud of what they were giving and what they had received.  Parents and family members flooded offices to drop off what their child had forgotten at home, whether it were cards or juice boxes.  Some parents even stayed for the day to volunteer, hoping to help the teacher with the end-of-day festivities.  I am sure this caused a natural smile on our faces, to see us all happy and full of joy.  It was a moment students had anticipated and were prepared for. 

I can’t help but wonder what it would take to get this same feeling every other day of the year.  To see kids prepared, with homework in hand, with smiles on their faces.  To see students ready to share their thoughts about last night’s homework with friends and teachers.  The joy it would bring to have parents and families volunteer or bring in the homework their child forgot at home.  To have families stay a bit longer to see their child learn and support the teacher.  To have donations delivered all day long, gifts of learning materials for the kids to use.  This, too, would cause a natural smile on our faces, to see us all happy and full of joy.  Every school day is a moment students should anticipate and be prepared for.

We must think, if we are able to make this happen on one day, how can we make it happen every day?

There is no doubt that the teachers and staff at Sandy Hook Elementary deserve the status of heroes.  They stayed with students, comforted them, protected them and shielded them from harms way.  They acted as parents and protectors, giving children words of support and love even when they believed that the end was near.  This was not part of their teaching contract, this was part of what they did for their students everyday, not just on December 14th: they were present, comforting, protective, supportive and loving.  This is what teachers across America do for students each and every day. 

You might wonder if your child’s teacher would have done the same and I can tell you that the answer to that is yes.  It is unfortunate that it takes an event like the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary to remind all of us that teachers genuinely care for their students and that they often go well beyond the expectations of their contracts to provide students with a safe place to learn and grow.  Far too often it has become acceptable to belittle the teaching profession and those who have chosen education as a way of life.  I don’t think that anyone would consider belittling the teachers and staff at Sandy Hook today.

When you drop off your child at school tomorrow be confident that there will be someone there that consistently goes above and beyond for your child.   A person who encourages them when they seem lost, comforts them when they hurt and listens to them when they need to be heard. 

It is my hope that we remember those who lost their lives at Sandy Hook Elementary and that their memory serves as a reminder to appreciate those that care and comfort our children when we can’t.

This time of the year, I think about things I am thankful for. As a principal, my list is a bit different than as a teacher. I am thankful for our custodial staff; who keep the building and grounds clean and safe. They show up with a smile no matter the job. I am thankful for the transportation department and bus drivers; who make sure our students make it to and from school safely. They always greet our kids with a smile and make sure that is the last thing they see before heading home.

I am thankful for our cafeteria staff; who ensure our students have healthy meals and plenty to eat. They greet each child with a smile at breakfast and lunch. I am thankful for the front office staff; who greet students, staff, teachers, parents and community members. They make sure all the details are attended to, whether it is organizing transportation for a field trip or requesting records from another school. I am thankful for our nurse and health office staff; who keep our kids healthy and safe. Who know just what to say to make a scrapped knee feel better or how to respond when a student is having an asthma attack.

I am thankful for our Teacher on Assignment and Instructional Coach. They always put students first and ensure our curriculum needs are met. I am thankful for our special education team and school psychologist. Together they ensure students get what they need to be successful. Working together they provide a safety net to support our students and families.

I am thankful for our teachers, who continue to learn and grow. Who continually reflect on their practice, teaching and of student learning. Thank you for thinking and stepping outside the box to make a difference in our students’ lives.  I am thankful for our support staff; who service students on many different levels. They positively support teachers and student instruction.

I am thankful for parents and guardians; who make it a priority to ensure our children; their children make it to school everyday. Together we can make a difference and impact student learning.

Who or what are you thankful for?

As I enter my rookie year as an elementary principal, I find myself going back to the song “For You.” by the Barenaked Ladies. The line that stands out, “If I hide myself wherever I go, I am ever really there?” I am learning that I am judged on what I do, where I am, who I talk to, how I handle myself in different situations and when I respond. That said, I am also learning I am judged on what I do not do, where I do not go, who I do not talk to, and how I respond or don’t respond in situations. So how does this balancing act work?

Where do I need to spend my time? Who do I need to talk to? How do I respond to students, to staff, to teachers, and to parents? If I take time to process a situation, how much time is too much time? If I don’t take time to craft a thoughtful response and hastily reply, then I risk fracturing a relationship, losing trust. So how does this balancing act work?

I am learning that school happens and there are some days I feel as though I have very little control and accomplished nothing. Those are the same days I eat lunch on my drive home. As an educator you know those days I am referring to. These days typically start with a 7:00 am meeting, follow by am duty and a parent greeting me as I walk into the office. From there it may be a call down to kindergarten to remove a difficult client from a room or a call to check the boys bathroom for vandalism. I walk through classrooms and observe lessons or check in with special education teachers. Generally it is 11:00 before I have a chance to catch my breath and I am off to check on lunch duty and recess. I might sit down to try to read a few emails, but then I get called to address another situation or speak with another parent. Then I am headed to try to observe instruction or pull students because of one thing or another. Then before I can finish my sandwich it is 3:00 and time for dismissal. That is what I mean by school happens. So how does this balancing act work?

If I sneak away in the conference room to write an evaluation or type a letter, am I hiding? If I turn out the lights in my office and close the door to eat, am I hiding along the way? If I leave at the end of the day and it is still daylight so I can get home were it is quiet to work, am I being judged? If I sit in the quiet staff work room to write a note or catch up on emails, am I where I am supposed to be? So how does this balancing act work?