AJC.com > Blogs > Get Schooled > Archives > 2005 > May
May 2005
Defined by Test Scores
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In a recent story, retiring Gwinnett County Principal Barbara Hopkins recalled a low point at Benefield Elementary:
“Four years ago, we were written up as a failing school, one of four in Gwinnett County,” Hopkins said. “My PTA president wept and told me that for the first time in her life, she was embarrassed to wear her Benefield Elementary shirt to the grocery store. That should never happen again.”
Benefield improved dramatically, shedding the humiliating label.
No doubt about it, the stigma of failure is a powerful motivator. Such pressure existed before No Child Left Behind. Principals — especially those at schools serving many students from poor familie — often dreaded when test scores were published in the newspaper. What has changed is how accessible test scores are. They’re a click away.
The results of Georgia’s CRCT - a generally more forgiving test than nationally normed tests like the Iowa Test of Basic Skills - will be released soon. Is it fair to use the scores to judge schools, teachers and principals?
Kicked out of Pre-K
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A report by the Foundation for Child Development says pre-k students are getting expelled for behavior problems in alarming numbers.
The organization says its findings show the important of “behavior consultants” in preschools “to help early childhood teachers support children with challenging behavior.”
From the press release: “We know that children’s positive learning and development depends on attention to their social and emotional development. High-quality prekindergarten programs must focus not only on literacy and math skills, but also on children’s behavior and emotional issues,” said Marilou Hyson, Senior Advisor for Research and Professional Practice at the National Association for the Education of Young Children. “This study shows that when there are behavioral consultants available to help teachers support children’s social and emotional development, we are less likely to see children expelled from prekindergarten programs.”
We know discipline is a huge problem in public schools. How far should pre-k teachers go to keep a disruptive child in the classroom? Is it better in the long run to correcct the child’s behavior problems early? Or should teachers send the child home so other kids in the pre-k class won’t be disrupted?
Schoolwork in the Summer
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sylvan. SCORE. Kumon. Advertisements for summer learning programs are filling my inbox. They all insist their programs are fun, fun, fun. Business is booming at many for-profit tutoring centers. Some summer camps are emphasizing academics in addition to the more traditional summertime activities like swimming. Most schools at least have a summer reading list, and some have more detailed summer assignments.
Parents, will you make a concerted effort to include academics in your child’s summer schedule? Or will you make a concerted effort NOT to include academics in your child’s summer?
The WAY of KIPP
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Yesterday, several parents expressed dismay at KIPP WAYS Academy, a charter school on the West End affiliated with the national Knowledge Is Power Program. Among the complaints: students have to sit on the floor for the first few weeks of school and earn their desks and chairs, and if one student gets in trouble, the whole class is punished.
I called Steve Mancini, KIPP’s national spokesman, for response.
The earning of desks and chairs is part of KIPP’s “culture of earning,” he said. “We live in an entitlement society,” he said. “What KIPP is saying is you have to earn opportunities. Ultimately it takes hard work to succeed in society.”
Different KIPP schools use different methods to reinforce the “culture of earning,” he said. At a school in Harlem, for example, students must earn their shirts with a KIPP logo.
As for the punishing the whole group for the misbehavior of one, this is also part of the KIPP culture that emphasizes teamwork. KIPP’s founders were basketball players, and their love of the game influenced their philosophy, Mancini said. Coaches often make the team run laps when one player makes a mistake. The founders believe “The team always beats the individual,” and “We’re climbing the mountain to college collectively.”
Nationally, about 80 percent of KIPP kids have gone onto college, Mancini said. He also noted that all KIPP schools are offered as a public school option. Any parent who does not share their philosophy is free to enroll at a traditional school. Because the school is “counter-cultural,” it’s not for everyone, Mancini said.
“We’re not going to make it by holding hands and singing ‘We Shall Overcome,’ ” Mancini said. “It’s about hard work and building character.”
Black Men in the Classroom
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Another note from my visit to Jolly Elementary School in Clarkston: all three fifth-grade teachers were men and two of the three fouth-grade teachers were, as well as one third-grade teacher. Five of the six men were African-American.
I have heard about the dearth of men in the elementary school teacher ranks, so I asked Principal Euna McGruder where she found them. “I just recruited them,” she said. “They’re out there.”
She said she made hiring men a priority after working as an assistant principal in a high school. McGruder saw problems in her students that seemed to be the result, at least in part, of an absence of male role models.
Surfing around, I found this program, Call Me Mister, which attempts to get more black men in South Carolina classrooms.
Should recruiting more men to the classroom be a priority? Any ideas on how to do it?
On another note, last week our air conditioning was out at the office, and the heat fried my brain. I deleted two important e-mails by accident. One was from a gentleman who wanted to get $50 to Rose (see post below). Of course, I want to help facilitate that, but I needed to think about how best to do it and now I see that I deleted the e-mail!!! If you are that person, please e-mail me again.
A School Supply List - Already!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last Friday I visited Jolly Elementary School in DeKalb County to gather up some details for our last-day-of-school story. I was impressed with many, many things I saw, one of which was what the fifth grade teachers did when they introduced themselves to parents of fourth graders. They handed out the supply list for fifth grade!
The list contains 14 items: Loose-leaf paper, pencils, pencil pouch with zipper, colored pencils, two containers of wipes, hand sanitizer, six folders with prongs and pockets (Plastic folders will last longer), three hardback binders, one spiral notebook with 120 pages or more, marble composition notebook, two boxes facial tissue, 2 reams copy paper (500 sheets), dictionary/thesaurus “The American Heritage Children’s Dictionary,” two cans inexpensive tennis balls.
This school has many kids qualifying for free lunch as well as many whose parents don’t speak English. I found it thoughtful of the teachers to distribute the list at the beginning of the summer so families have time to take advantages of sales etc.
Is this list reasonable? Are some supply lists out of control?
Rose’s Story
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thousands of kids from metro Atlanta high schools will march to Pomp & Circumstance over the next few days. Rose is one of them. Read her story here.
Have a safe weekend everyone!
If You Hate Your Child’s Teacher, Press 1
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For today’s blog post, I pulled something from the comments on an earlier thread. It speaks to the friction between parents and teachers. A magazine recently devoted a cover story to the scathing comments teachers have for parents, and hints of this distrust on both sides have come up over and over again on Get Schooled.
Is animosity between parents and teachers hindering education?
This is the message that the Pacific Palisades High School staff voted unanimously to record on their school telephone answering machine. This came about because they implemented a policy requiring students and parents to be responsible for their children’s absences and missing homework. The school and teachers at the California school are being sued by parents who want their children’s failing grades changed to passing grades even though those children were absent 15-30 times during the semester and did not complete enough school work to pass their classes.
This is the actual answering machine message for the school:
“Hello! You have reached the automated answering service of your school. In order to assist you in connecting the right staff member, please listen to all your options before making a selection:
“To lie about why your child is absent - Press 1
“To make excuses for why your child did not do his work- Press 2
“To complain about what we do - Press 3
“To swear at staff members - Press 4
“To ask why you didn’t get information that was already enclosed in your newsletter and several flyers mailed to you - Press 5
“If you want us to raise your child - Press 6
“If you want to reach out and touch, slap, or hit someone - Press 7
“To request another teacher for the third time this year- Press 8
“To complain about bus transportation - Press 9
“To complain about school lunches - Press 0
“If you realize this is the real world and your child must be accountable and responsible for his/her own behavior, class work, homework, and that it’s not the teachers’ fault for your child’s lack of effort: Hang up and have a nice day!�
Blogmaster’s note: Yes, this is an urban myth, but I still thought it was telling and worth posting.
Georgia’s Failing Grade
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Yes, we all know Georgia has a serious dropout problem, but a study out of Harvard gives a clearer picture of just how bad it is. Less than half of the state’s black and Hispanic students make it to graduation. Though the data the researchers used was a bit dated (2002), there’s no denying the state’s failure in this area.
Here’s the story.
What should we do?
Neace Update
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Larry Neace, fired from his job as Dacula High School physics teacher, is asking the school board to reconsider. His lawyer said the punishment was too harsh and did not match the facts.
Neace’s troubles began when he lowered a student’s grade for sleeping in class. Board policy forbids teachers from lowering grades as a form of punishment. School officials said Neace was asked to restore the grade, but he refused, and was fired for insubordination.
Here’s the story
New Math and Diahann Carroll
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So the state school board approved an integrated math curriculum. Gotta love the eduspeak. Here’s a blurb from my colleague Mary MacDonald’s story explaining what that is:
**The new math standards for Georgia high schools will require teachers to weave elements of algebra, geometry, statistics and other topics into their classes, instead of teaching them as separate branches of math.
The curriculum, which will be phased in over several years, is based on a Japanese model not commonly found in the United States.
James Pratt, the high school math supervisor for Cobb County, said the integrated approach is common sense. “The way that we deal with math on an everyday basis anyway is not, ‘Oh, this is an algebra thing. This is a geometry thing.’ It’s math,” said Pratt, who served on the committee that revised the standards. “This will allow students to see those connections.”**
Integrating is tricky. The Gwinnett district tried integrating the social studies curriculum several years ago, but it had to abandon the idea after other school districts and textbook publishers didn’t jump on board. That’s not to say integrated math won’t work. It’s a statewide curriculum, and there seems to be support from informed sources.
Integrated math: thumbs up or thumbs down?
P.S. On an unrelated note, no offense to Diahann Carroll, who received an honorary degree from Spelman on Sunday, but what is the deal with honorary degrees??? Are they a slap in the face to those who attended classes and actually earned their degree?
Science Fair Cheating
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I was going to post a much shorter topic about integrated math, but this turned up in my inbox and is more compelling. It’s a long post, but it’s worth reading. We can talk math next week, can’t we?
Note: These ran in the school newspaper at Peachtree Ridge High School in Gwinnett County.
Science Fair: Excessive Expectations Lead to False Results
Sarah Pelham
Staff Writer
The end of last semester signaled the end of another Science Fair nightmare for students venturing into Honors, Gifted, or AP Science classes. They released months of stress, idle experimentation, and a successfully completed project onto the lap of an often unforgiving teacher. But about 60% of these Science Fair alumni couldn’t release the guilty conscience.
That is, of course, assuming they can feel guilt.
According to a survey that went out to 173 students in first semester Honors, Gifted, and AP Science classes, 13% of students make up all of their Science Fair data, 49% some of it, and 38% none.
Students are fabricating data, lying to their teachers and themselves, and dishonestly taking a grade it took others months of painstaking work to earn. After receiving a soaring grade from a trusting teacher, the cheaters then brag about it once they’re out of the science department, confessing their brilliant escape from hard work.
In some respects, though, it’s hard to blame the cheaters. Science Fair creates a package of problems: a toxic mix of unreasonable teacher expectations, amoral student ambition, and a flawed college application process.
Only two weeks after school starts from summer break science teachers expect students to submit an amazingly innovative project idea that will leave the judges wowing. Then, when that idea is shot down because earthworms aren’t allowed to be electrocuted or $300 is too much to spend on Science Fair, the students are stuck with some last minute project, researching and experimenting with the not-so-amazing effects of solar panels, or chlorophyll, or toothpaste.
The deadlines for Science Fair are so close together that there’s no time for ingenuity; there’s only time for the mountains of homework from each participant’s other life as a student, not a scientist.
The resources necessary to carry out many projects are also difficult for a high school student to acquire. The equipment may be too expensive or there may not be a willing mentor, as not everyone’s dad works for NASA. Finally, when facing a high school student talking about Science Fair, most sane potential human subjects will turn away. It’s easy to research a professional science experiment, where scientists have the resources to find committed and willing subjects, but it’s another thing for a high school student to be able to perform one, doubly so if the student plans to control the experiment to a location, age group, or time period.
By signing up for an advanced class, students are supposedly asking for a challenge, accepting a heavier course load, and expressing a willingness to learn and experiment with science. While this statement may be true for some, often students are only in the class to look good for colleges.
Most students have been drilled since freshmen year to only take the most challenging classes in order to excel in the competetive college application process. Not all students taking advanced science classes are looking to be scientists or doctors, but many would like to get rich somehow, so getting into a top-level college is a must. So while science teachers are expecting sincere, overachieving dorks in all of their Honors, Gifted, and AP classes, the reality is that many students are just in it for their resume.
Colleges see that piece of paper at the end, but the story of how one cheated on Science Fair, got away with it, and made a dishonorable grade is not included. On a college application it’s the ends, not the means – the grade, not the learning in between - that confirms success in a high school career.
And if students are smart enough to survive an advanced class, they’re smart enough to accomplish the ends by whatever means necessary. Science Fair is effectively teaching students how to cheat, survive, and get into college, where they can cheat, survive and possibly become America’s doctors and scientists.
Regardless of the bluffing teens in their classrooms, science teachers do have the consolation of knowing that there is still some learning going on. Students still have to go through the steps of researching, analyzing data, and writing a research paper in spite of their Science Fair fabrications. Even if those signatures on the Human Subjects Forms aren’t from actual tested human subjects, kids are still processing information and becoming familiar with the steps of the scientific method.
AP classes are special: those students are obligating themselves to a much heavier course load, and they’re stating their willingness to do over-the-summer work. Therefore, it could be mandatory for AP students to begin Science Fair over the summer, allowing more time to commit to the project, thoroughly research, and complete the project credibly. In Honors and Gifted classes, Science Fair should be voluntary. The students in those classes who really want to be scientists, or raise their GPA, could earn extra credit for the project. The rest of the students in these classes can become acquainted wit h researching, experimenting, and analyzing in some other way.
If the goal of Science Fair is to promote student growth academically, scientifically, and morally, then something about the current Science Fair system needs to change. The Science Department may be proudly sending an abundance of projects to the School Science Fair or further, but what is it worth is over half of them are fabrications? Under the right conditions, Science Fair is undoubtedly beneficial to student progress and learning. The set up of Science Fair now, with so much made up data and inconsequential results, is only teaching students how to take lying lightly.
There are those model students who are honest, studious, and still meet the one hundred data points mark: the ones who sacrifice the pleasure of a social life for school. These virtuous students go on to represent Peachtree Ridge at the Regional Science Fair, the Science Symposium, and then State.
Some 60% stay behind with second place, knowing Science Fair effectively prepared them for college, where cheating is on the rise.
The Roar thanks the members of the PRHS Science Department for their cooperation in the completion of this column.
Editorial Reply: Science Fair Cheaters Show a Lack of Character
Rosemarie Placek PRHS Science Teacher
What if the ref put the wrong time on the clock because he had bet on the other team and you lost by one point when the buzzer went off just before you took your shot?
And your shot had gone in?
What if you found out that the heartbreaking 2nd place medal you won in that neck-to-neck finish at state actually belonged to the athlete who got crowned state champion?
And in fact, you had won, but someone switched the results?
What if you found out the 79% you earned in your math class was really an 80, but your teacher decided to change it – “just because she wanted to?�
We surely want people to deal with us honestly and fairly, but it seems not everyone is willing to behave honestly and fairly.
Sarah Pelham has written a thoughtful and disturbing article which raises some important questions. It is important, though, to look first at her population sampling. 173 of the 630 students enrolled in Honors, Gifted and A.P. science here at Peachtree Ridge participated in the survey. That’s only 27.5%. Some broad conclusions have been drawn from the voice of only * of the students involved.
Our science department has made a thoughtful and considered decision that we value the science fair process. Colleges expect that science majors will be proficient in that process. By allowing our students multiple opportunities to engage in the process, we are filling their toolbox with truly useful skills. By allowing our students the freedom to self-select their science fair topic, we encourage investigations which are personally meaningful. The summer science cohort is available to ALL science students who want to get a head start on their science projects. It is completely free of charge and flexible in terms of attendance. So why should only A.P. students have the opportunity to develop their ability to be proactive instead of reactive to the challenges they know are ahead?
And what of those students who do not intend to pursue science as a major? Intellectual curiosity is not the exclusive realm of science and math. Language arts and social studies majors are equally committed to delving and sorting and analyzing in pursuit of truth.
In fact, the science fair process – the scientific method – is a map to take with you when you leave this place. Problem solving is a necessary life skill, regardless of where you’re headed. Life poses problems; you’ve got to look at the situation and determine a solution. Car mechanics, heating and air conditioning technicians, parents of tantrum-throwing two-year olds, all are daily faced with unique situations they have not exactly encountered before. They’ve got to look back on what they’ve already learned to be true (collect data), make a decision (hypothesize) and lat er evaluate that decision (analyze).
One last point to ponder, a question which Sarah doesn’t ask. Ultimately, who is hurt when students cheat? Is it the teacher? The parents? The school?
I think it is the cheater.
You see, the teacher, the parents and the school valued the student, took him at his word, respected her and treated her as trustworthy. The cheater lives with the knowledge that his or her word is really just breath, just air. And cheaters can’t even hide behind “everybody’s doing it� because everybody ISN’T cheating. 40% of the students polled had in fact said what they meant and meant what they said. And I have to ask this question: do you really want to create a world in which everyone is a cheater? Do you want your banker or your stockbroker to cheat you out of your money? When you’re sick, do you want to be treated by a doctor who cheated his or her way through med school?
So, if you think it is important that people are honest with you, then you’ve got to be honest with them. And you don’t just wake up one morning and decide you’re going to be honest. Like everything else, you get good at what you practice. Practice honesty, you’ll be honest. Practice lying and you’ll be a liar.
Yes, the science fair is hard work. Yes, it is difficult to balance school and sports and a social life. Yes, the temptation to take the easy way out is always right in front of you.
Those higher-level colleges value our rigorous courses precisely because it is understood that the expectations are higher there. It is understood that our students have been challenged and “stretched� intellectually.
Not everything in life is easy. Sometimes you work as hard as you can, and you still don’t get what you want. The world doesn’t end. You learn. You grow. And deep down you know the value of what you accomplished. It isn’t a letter grade or a ribbon. It’s the satisfaction of having given your best effort. It is meaningful to YOU because YOU earned it.
There’s a sign in my classroom which reads “Character is how you live life when nobody is looking.�
When nobody is looking, can you look yourself in the eye?
SAT Optional
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts is the latest college to make the SAT and ACT optional. Officials cited concerns over racial and socio-economic bias in standardized tests. Here are the details.
I don’t expect UGA or any other large, popular 4-year colleges in Georgia to go that route, but I was surprised by the number and variety of universities that don’t require a standardized test score. An organization called FairTest publishes a list here.
For students anxious about their test scores not reflecting their ability, one of these schools might be a good option.
Should the SAT or ACT be used in college admission?
The Pain of Projects
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On Monday, I covered the DeKalb school board meeting. Award-winning social studies fair projects were on display. Among the titles: “The Mongols: Civil or Savage?,” “I Am Homeless: Where Can I Get Help?,” and “How Can Atlanta Survive Delta’s Failure?”
But like every Good Thing, there is often a dark side. Among the grumblings I’ve heard about projects: parents end up doing them for some kids, giving them an unfair advantage; supplies to create a good project are too expensive; teachers don’t give explicit enough instructions, leaving parents to try to figure out what their kids are supposed to do; projects are void of learning value; basically that they’re a royal pain in the rear.
Tell me, parents and teachers, what’s your take on projects?
Kroger Gravy Train Ends
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
UPDATE: Kroger officials say shoppers will still be able to donate a portion of their purchases to a school. It’s other types of nonprofits, such as clinics, that will lose out. Here’s the story.
So Kroger is killing its popular “Commitment Card” program, which donates part of a customer’s sales to a school or other charity. Here’s the story. Publix says its similar program isn’t going away.
I know schools appreciate this free money from Kroger. Who wouldn’t? But is it a lot of money? And what is the money used for?
She’s Outta There
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This arrived in my inbox today. I edited it a bit for space…
“You are evil! Oh, you are so evil! Why don’t you die or something?”
“Ms. ___, why are you so fat?”
“You need some. Your man needs to take hold of you ‘cause you need some bad. Don’t you have any kind of life?”
“Do we have to work every day? It’s not natural.”
“Don’t be all in my face like that!”
“She won’t call my house again. My momma put her in her place but good. Didn’t she, Ms. _?”
“My mother wants to know what the right answer is to this question.”
“You a ho…”
These are just a sample of the personal attacks I have endured from high school students this year. I began teaching these young people with about 20 days remaining in the first semester. It has been a disaster. The students had had a series of substitutes and saw no reason to begin working now with a “real” teacher…
These students are the center of their universe, and heaven forbid that anyone should try to expect anything of them that they do not want to do. They have a comfort zone with learning that they do not want to leave. As a teacher, I see advancing their learning curve as an essential part of my job, especially with ninth graders.
“Why don’t you show movies like other teachers?”
“Why don’t you put the notes on the board or overhead, or just give ‘em to us on a handout? That’s what other teachers do.”
(While the entire school is on two-hour block scheduling for testing) “We aren’t supposed to work both hours; nobody does that.”
“Why can’t we read the assignment out loud, in class? We always do that.”
“I don’t understand what I read when I read alone at home. It’s too boring.”
“Can I leave my book in here? It’s too heavy to carry around.”
(Teacher: “How will you do your homework if your book is in the classroom?”) “It doesn’t matter; I don’t understand it when I read it at home anyway.”
Most of the students that I taught this year are in school only because their parents want them there, or they see school as an opportunity to spend time with their friends and to be seen by everyone. They want to settle scores with each other, and heaven forbid that a teacher should try to step between combatants. My students talk non-stop, but not on a lesson topic. They talk about fights they saw, parties they attended, money they have and how they will spend it. They talk about who is “gay” and who likes whom. They talk while I try to get their attention to hold class. They moan and groan about every assignment, especially if it involves reading an assignment at home. Students are incredibly rude and disrespectful to one another, but they save their best taunts for the teacher. They tell you that they are trying to get you to quit.
Well, they have succeeded. I have quit! I walked out of my classroom Friday for the last time.
My students think I am too strict and expect too much from them. Is it unreasonable to expect high school students to learn to take their own notes rather than handing out prepared notes? Is it unreasonable to expect high school students to learn from class discussions rather than complete worksheets? Is it unreasonable to expect high school students to bring materials (pen, paper, notebook, text, etc.) with them to class—-daily? Is it unreasonable to expect high school students to avoid asking to go to the restroom during a 55-minute class period?
Is it unreasonable to expect high school students to stay in the classroom rather than jumping up and rushing into the hallway when they hear any disturbance? Is it unreasonable to expect high school students to write down their assignments and manage their time in order to complete and submit assignments on time? Is it unreasonable to expect high school students to do their homework? Is it unreasonable to expect high school students to stay awake in class? Is it unreasonable to expect high school students to refrain from striking the teacher or other students, by pushing, shoving, or throwing objects? Is it unreasonable to expect high school students to stretch and open their minds to expand their knowledge base?
I knew as unprofessional as it would be, I could not continue for the last three weeks of school. Of course, this was a terrible time to quit; it will cause several scheduling headaches. Nevertheless, I knew what I had to do for me.
I am ashamed and feel guilty about putting myself at the front of the line this time. I have turned in my laptop and keys, taken down my posters, and packed up my books and materials. I loaded it all into my car and drove away —- sobbing. I have spent the weekend feeling like a wimp, a loser, a jerk. I am still not proud of my decision, but I know it was the right decision for me —-and probably for my students.
Dacula’s Doc Gets Sacked
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So the Dacula High School science teacher who cut a football player’s lab grade in half because the student slept during class got fired.
The board said Larry “Doc” Neace violated board policy when he lowered the student’s grade as a disciplinary measure. Neace said he has been penalizing students in such a manner for a decade.
More than 200 people, including many students, showed up to support the teacher, and the board member who represents Dacula voted against his firing.
Hmmmm…would anyone like to make a comment?
FYI: To read more than 200 additional comments posted since Thursday morning, scroll down to “Dispute over a grade in Dacula,” and click on “Comments.” Note: If you jumped over from ajc.com, you may need to click here to get to the Get Schooled home page.
Making Beautiful Music
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Do you mind if we pause for a story with a really happy ending?
On Saturday, I witnessed the following scene: four eighth-grade boys - all African American - on a stage playing flawlessly (at least to an untrained ear) Bouree, by J.S. Bach. Their instruments: harps. Harps!
The Urban Youth Harp Ensemble started in 2000 at Brown Middle School, an Atlanta Public School on the West End. The program had two students, a borrowed harp, a devoted, longtime music teacher and a principal harpist for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra who wanted to share her passion with schoolchildren.
Today, the program has 11 harps and 26 students.
The program’s first student, now in high school, was not at Saturday’s concert. Why? He was playing his harp at a wedding … and getting paid.
The harp is a notoriously difficult instrument to play. These students are learning from Elisabeth Remy. She’s a professional harpist, instructor at several colleges, marathon runner etc. Yet she comes out and teaches these kids. Scholarships from Hank and Billye Aaron’s I Have A Dream Foundation allow some of the kids to have harps in their homes so they can practice. This summer, the students will get intensive instruction at a camp in the North Georgia mountains.
Remy doesn’t get paid a dime, neither does Roselyn Lewis, the Atlanta music teacher who runs the nonprofit organization in addition to her full-time job at Brown Middle School.
An endeavor like this takes a huge commitment on the part of Lewis, Remy, the kids’ parents and the kids. When I wrote about this story for the ajc a few years ago, I didn’t know if the ensemble would survive. So many pieces need to fall into place.
On Saturday, I was thrilled to see those young harpists up on stage performing for their parents and supporters. I’ve never seen so much pride in one room.
Dispute over grade in Dacula
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A Dacula High teacher was given a choice to resign or face firing if he didn’t reinstate a student’s grade he docked when the kid fell asleep during class. The teacher refused to change the student’s grade, saying he has been lowering grades of kids who sleep in class for years. On Friday morning, the Gwinnett school board axed him.
Read comments here, many made before the firing. For new comments, see the more recent posting, “Dacula’s Doc Gets Sacked.” Click here if you need to get to the Get Schooled home page.
Test Stress and Cheating
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Paul Donsky, my fellow edugeek at the ajc, is penning your Get Schooled post today. Please give him some good feedback.
Test scores from the all-important CRCT are due back soon. Much is riding on them, from whether a kid gets promoted to a school’s reputation. So much, in fact, that some educators bend the rules or out-and-out cheat to push scores up.
Stories about teacher cheating have cropped up in recent years. Most notably: a low-income elementary school in Houston praised for its good test scores turned out to be cheating en masse. Those recent revelations led to a state-wide investigation to root out other cases.
No high-profile cheating case has emerged in Georgia, though the state has sanctioned some 159 educators for test administration problems in the last five years. It’s hard to know how widespread cheating is.
Do you think it’s happening at your school? Your child’s school? How common is it? What strategies are out there for the overstressed, resourceful educator?
Kindergarten Boot Camp
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Has any grade changed as much since you were in school as kindergarten?
Kindergarten used to about learning school routines and how to get along with others. Today, kids are expected to write full sentences in their journals, learn about fractions and read simple words.
Teachers say they are not depriving their students of the fun and carefree environment of yesteryear. A typical day still involves singing songs and making something out of construction paper and glue for Mom to display on the fridge. But today’s kindergartners cover a lot more academic ground and are expected to arrive in first grade knowing a lot more.
I noticed this trend when I visited a Cherokee County kindergarten classroom a few years ago. The kitchen area had been converted to storage space for textbooks. The teacher told me her kids were too advanced for playing in the kitchen. They did that already.
Later, a UGA professor told me what we’re seeing is a “pushing down of the curriculum.” Now that prek is widespread, kids already know a lot of what they used to learn in kindergarten, such as colors, how to write their name and the ABCs. So now kindergarten looks more like what first grade used to look like.
Yes, the pressure to have high test scores plays a role in this trend. Those scores reported in second and third grade reflect how well kids have learned to read and compute. It’s no surprise, school leaders and parents want their kids to get out of the gate sooner so they’ll be ready come test time.
Is today’s approach to kindergarten appropriate?
