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November 2005
‘Fatally vague’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A federal judge sided with a Gwinnett honor student disciplined for wearing gang-like clothing, even though he has never been in a gang. Here’s the story.
The judge agreed the district’s dress code is “fatally vague.” The family sued to have references to gangs stricken from the boy’s record.
Does forbidding gang-related clothing help officials keep gangs out of schools? Or does it just lead to random enforcement that nabs the innocent more often than the guilty?
‘Not an issue, it is THE issue.’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I got this e-mail yesterday:
PLEASE do a blog on the lack of support for teachers when it comes to discipline. It is NOT an issue, it is THE issue. Trying to deal with anything in education without dealing with discipline is the equivalent of asking “Other than that, how was the play Mrs. Lincoln?”
I think you would be shocked at the number of teachers who have to spend the majority of teaching time dealing with one or two chronically disruptive students without administrative support.
The only thing worse than the lack of support is that administrators then blame the teacher for lacking “management skills” when they, by not supporting the classroom teacher when it comes to consequences, have given the child carte blanche’ to act a fool. (Quite often, even when they remove these children from the room, they themselves have no control over the child; but once they are the ones the child directs the behavior at, they will be quick to suspend them.)
One small real life example: A child repeatedly refuses to follow directions. The teacher calls the parent to inform her of the child’s behavior. The child gets mad and throws a chair across the room, leaving a large hole in the drywall. Choose the correct administrative response:
A) The child is removed from the room, the parent is called and the child is suspended B) The child is removed from the room, the parent is called and the child is suspended; the parent is forced to make restitution C) The child is removed from the room, the parent is called and the child is suspended; the child is forced to make restitution by performing clean up duty after school. D) The child is NOT removed from the room, and the teacher is asked in an accusatory tone “didn’t you know he was going to get mad when you called his mother?”
NOW do you understand why discipline (and the systemic lack of administrative support) is not “an issue” but the issue?”
Thoughts?
No Apple Mugs, Please
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Some parents say shopping for their child’s teacher is the most stressful part of the holidays. What to buy? How much to spend? No one wants to appear they are trying to buy their child a good grade, but parents often want to show some appreciation.
Seeking some input on how to navigate these choppy waters, I asked a few friends who are teachers. I realize teachers have different views on this topic, but these are my friends’ general tips:
Do show your appreciation by being involved in your child’s education and supporting the school throughout the year.
Do consider a card with a message from you and/or your child. Include your child’s photo.
Do check with the principal to see if your school or district has a policy on teacher gifts.
Don’t compete with other parents. Instead consider pooling money and buying something the class can enjoy.
Don’t rule out gift cards.
Don’t give knick-knacks such as apple-themed earrings, mugs, pencil cases, calendars etc.
Proceed with caution on these popular gifts: Ornaments. Not all teachers do the Christmas tree thing at home, and veteran teachers often have more ornaments than they can use. However, a teacher who is a new homeowner may appreciate an ornament.
Food. Teachers struggle to maintain a healthy weight during the holidays just like their nonteacher counterparts. Consider food gifts that have a long shelf life, like jam.
Clothes and jewelry. Teachers are humans, too, and they have their own style.
All right teachers, tell us about your favorite gifts. Parents, what are you giving your child’s teacher?
Haves and Have-Nots
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A comment on the arts thread about music programs galore in Gwinnett’s Brookwood district left me thinking about schools with involved parents and schools without.
Schools like Brookwood Elementary have active parents who are willing and able to raise money necessary to make their school great. Years ago a Dad at Peachtree Elementary, also in Gwinnett, told me he could afford to send his child to a private school, but he chose Peachtree. He said, “I am willing to spend as much of my own money as it takes to make sure Peachtree has everything a private school does.” Sure enough, Peachtree got a new gym floor shortly thereafter.
What about schools where parents can’t or don’t get involved? A new gym floor may be a luxury, but what about PTAs that fund music teachers and programs that were once considered standard? Should schools restrict how much parents can spend on improving their school? Should wealthy PTAs contribute some money to schools serving families of lesser means?
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
No topic today, just wanted to say thanks for participating in Get Schooled and making it a fun place to visit!
Patti
The Sound of Music
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hey all, a blog reader wants to know if we can talk about fine arts education - music, art etc. - and the extent to which it is getting the ax in local schools.
Parents, how much fine arts education does your child get? Have opportunities declined in the past few years? Have funds for arts programs gotten cut? How about art and music teachers… what is the state of arts education?
You’re Transferred!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tri-Cities High School Principal Amelia Davis was initially suspended without pay for two weeks for remarking in front of students from New Orleans that the city’s mayor is a “piece of [fecal matter].” That punishment wasn’t enough for the Fulton school board, which transferred her to Independence High School in Roswell, an open campus, nontraditional program. Here’s a blurb
Linda Schultz, a board member from Roswell, voted against the transfer. She told reporter Mary MacDonald in an e-mail that she didn’t think Davis would be a good “fit” for Independence, and she thought the community should have a say. Alas, Schultz found no board allies and the transfer passed.
I’ve seen this before. A principal is punished by getting shipped to a less prestigious school. Hmmm… Shouldn’t a nontraditional school have a leader who believes in the school’s mission?
Pros and Cons of National Board Certification
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Someone in an earlier post mentioned National Board Certification. Some see this as a way to improve teacher quality and to identify truly excellent teachers who could serve as mentors to others. Teachers who have gotten their national certification say it’s a ton of work. They videotape themselves in the classroom and then analyze the tape and see what they can do to improve. Teachers say this exercise is beneficial even to veteran pros.
But of course there are downsides and others have complained that these are additional hoops teachers must go through to get a respectable wage they should have gotten to begin with. Also, some see it as a program for teachers who are already motivated to improve. What about teachers currently in the classroom who desperately need to improve but do not in the same league as nationally certified teachers?
Teachers who have gotten nationally certified, are you a better teacher for it? Parents, are you impressed when your child’s teacher is nationally certified? Are there better ways to help teachers improve?
PAGE, GAE, Neither, Both
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Also pulled from the Youngblood discussion, a writer asks, “Where is PAGE?…Where is GAE?” These are the two large teacher advocacy groups in Georgia. PAGE is nonunion, while GAE is afflilated with the NEA (though Georgia does not allow collective bargaining).
Both groups are frequent targets of criticism, PAGE for favoring administrators over teachers, or at least lobbying from an administrator’s point of view rather than a classroom teacher’s. Teachers sometimes say the same thing about GAE. I’ve also heard complaints that GAE members don’t think they get enough benefits for the dues they pay.
Both organizations enjoy huge memberships (65,000 for PAGE, 40,000 for GAE), so obviously they have a lot of support. For those who don’t like PAGE or GAE, there is another group called MACE, which is only for teachers. The self-described “radical teacher’s union” is a fan of picketing and focuses on problems at individual schools rather than what goes on under the gold dome.
Teachers, which organization do you belong to and why? Do these organizations help teachers get what they need to succeed in the classroom?
Crazy for Teaching
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After reading the post and responses on Mr. Youngblood’s misfortune, a reader contemplating a career change posed this question:
Would I be completely insane to leave my well-paying corporate job and pursue my dream of being a teacher??
Well, teachers. Any advice?
White Flight & Schools
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It wasn’t a revelation that Gwinnett is seeing residents move farther out as communities closer to Atlanta become more heavily minority. But it was interesting to hear longtime Gwinnett school board member Louise Radloff identify the trend by a term you don’t hear much anymore: white flight. Here’s Brian Feagans’ story.
Is there any community factor that drives white flight more than schools? Sure, the Spanish language signs get to some people as does the difficulty of communicating with neighbors who don’t speak English. But dating back to integration, it seems the schools are the real driving factor behind white flight and suburban sprawl. Families will pick up and move if they don’t think the schools are good enough for their their kids. And once the school’s reputation declines, housing prices are at risk of suffering accordingly. That’s enough to motivate even homeowners without kids and empty-nesters to relocate.
Have you been faced with the dilemma of a changing neighborhood? Did you move? Did you stay? Did the schools influence your decision?
(Thanks everyone who participated in this mostly civil discussion. I only had to delete two posts by the same author. Hopefully he’ll go over to www.peoplewithoutclass.com next time he feels the need to participate in a blog discussion. I’m going to let “Juan” have the last word and close the comments. Again, thanks for so much excellent food for thought.)
UPDATE: Scott Elliott, education writer at the Dayton Daily News and blogmaster at Get On the Bus, has this insight to add:
“Schools absolutely were not the first or main motivation for white flight in most places. Flight was well underway long before integration came along. It was fueled most by the federal government, which wanted to spur the economy out of the depression and gave tons of financial support and tax breaks to the housing industry so they could sell America on the suburban ideal. And it was racist federal, state and local government policy that prevented blacks from participating in the housing boom.
When integration came along, it probably accelerated flight. But white flight was already underway and would have continued with or without integration busing.”
Here’s Scott’s interesting Get on the Bus blog post.
If I can figure out how, I’ll reopen the comments. Some folks said I cut them off before they had time to post…
Gwinnett’s R-Rated Movie Controversy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Another one for the “Oh come on!” files…
South Gwinnett High School teacher resigns after being threatened with termination over his showing the R-Rated film, Elizabeth, to high school students. Here’s the story.
School officials say the 62-year-old semi-retired teacher known for high standards should have gotten approval from a committee before showing the movie. Parents complained to the central office, which launched an investigation. Ed Youngblood quit rather than get fired.
Back on Track
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bouncing off a post in the fitness comments: Tracking was onced denounced as a sorting system that discarded poor and minority students instead of teaching them, leaving the lion’s share of resources for college-bound kids.
Nowadays, many schools, parents and teachers acknowledge the benefits of dividing kids up according to ability. (I often hear the term “ability grouping.”) Teachers tell me it’s different from the tracking of yesteryear because it allows for students to move up into more advanced groups.
Do you see this practice, call it what you will, in your school? Is it good or bad?
Newsroom Shuffle: I enjoyed my tenure as interim education reporter in DeKalb County, but all good things must end. I have returned to our Marietta Street office where I’ll be covering statewide issues and trends, Atlanta Public Schools, the state school board and private schools. Kristina Torres, of Cobb County laptop fiasco fame, is now in DeKalb; Diane Stepp, who formerly split the Fulton district with Mary MacDonald, is now in Cobb. And Paul Donsky, award-winning exposer of E-Rate abuses, has left education coverage for the transit beat.
Fitting In Fitness
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A principal who believes in the importance of physical activity can make room for it in the school day, as I learned when I visited KIPP South Fulton Academy for this story. Of course, it helps if your school day stretches to 5 p.m.
Parents, teacher, how much exercise do kids get at your school?
The Get Schooled Reading List
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last Friday’s movie topic got me thinking about school-theme books I have read and loved. My favorite is Pat Conroy’s “The Water is Wide,” a memoir about teaching on an island off the South Carolina coast.
There are so many others. I’ll just mention one more: “One Day, All Children,” Wendy Kopp’s story of how she launched Teach for America (I applied and was accepted to this program in 1991…In the book, I learned applications were down that year and almost everyone was accepted! I declined the job. I chickened out and went to Japan.)
What school-oriented books, fiction or nonfiction, do you love? (I’ll compile a list of favorites and post it as a permanent link along with the movies…)
Inside a Psychoed Center
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For years I’ve heard horror stories about psychoeducational centers, often from lawyers who represent students assigned to them. Psychoed centers are for students with behavior and emotional problems someone has deemed too challenging for a traditional school.
I had heard these schools were dumping grounds filled with black boys and indifferent teachers.
I once mistakenly showed up at such a center, which had no sign anywhere indicating what it was, and the secretary basically freaked out at the sight of me. This year, when DeKalb named its teacher of the year, I was surprised to see she works at Shadow Rock Center, a psychoed center serving students in DeKalb, Decatur and Rockdale.
When I pursued an interview with Michele Evon Jones, the school district’s public relations officer first suggested, at the suggestion of Shadow Rock’s principal, that we meet off campus. Things are done differently at Shadow Rock, he said. I said I would rather meet Jones at the school and noted that I would not expect to speak with or photograph students. This satisfied everyone and on Monday I drove out to the center, which is located in a subdivision of upscale homes next to an elementary school known for high test scores. Here’s the story I wrote about Jones.
She’s an amazing, intelligent teacher, a woman with a calling. That didn’t surprise me. After all, she’s teacher of the year. What did surprise me is what I saw, and didn’t see, at Shadow Rock Center.
First off, it looks just like any other school inside and out, and there was a sign over the front entrance. The first few classrooms I passed on my way to Jones’ office (She was promoted to administrator this year), contained very few students, two or three, with their desks at opposite corners. They were hunched over their work, and their teacher was saying encouraging things to them, like “I know you can do it.”
While in Jones’ office, I heard some commotion, but nothing that caused me pause. Jones and I talked about stereotypes about psychoeducational centers. She said the issue that most often causes concern is the school’s use of restraints with some students.
Another common complaint is that teachers there don’t teach, they just try to get the kids to behave. Jones gave me a tour, and we were able to watch classes from observation rooms. In one class, about seven kids were working from a math textbook. The teacher was calling them up to work out a problem on the whiteboard. The problem involved multiplying numbers with decimals. “It isn’t 2 + 2,” Jones said.
Inside the next class, a parent volunteer was leading the students and teacher in yoga exercises. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the class. In both classes, I saw several girls and several white students. Then we ventured to the hall with the younger students, including one kindergartner. The kids were up, moving around. No one was out of control.
I was struck by the range of kids. Some were visibly disabled, nonverbal, autistic etc. Others showed no outward signs of behavior or emotional problems. Jones said she works hard to convince parents that a referral to Shadow Rock isn’t a prison sentence. Many students will return to traditional school, though Jones said some will need for the rest of their lives the structure a place like Shadow Rock can provide.
I left Shadow Rock with a positive impression, that it’s a school providing a needed service in a compassionate way. I don’t doubt for a second students are sometimes inappropriately referred to psychoed centers by teachers and administrators who are out of patience with them. Nor do I believe all psychoed centers are like Shadow Rock.
But at that school on that day, teachers were teaching and kids were learning. I saw it with my own eyes.
Teachers from Abroad
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A blog poster noted yesterday that two teachers of the year in DeKalb County are Indian educators placed by a firm called Intalage. DeKalb is not the only metro Atlanta school system to turn to internationals to fill teaching positions. An organization called Visiting Faculty International places teachers from all over the world in elementary, middle and high schools.
Not all of these teachers work out. Some cannot maintain discipline in the classroom. Some experience culture shock. Some don’t feel welcome at their school.
But for school systems in need of teachers, it seems an option worth considering.
Tell us about your experience with foreign teachers in public schools…
Top Honors for Teachers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This time of year a lot of school districts are celebrating their teacher of the year. Here’s a story about Buford’s top teacher, Karin Manis. On Saturday, DeKalb County held its grand banquet honoring its teacher of the year, Michele Jones. Surprisingly, Jones works at a psychoeducation center, and I’ll post more about my visit to her school later. I have to say I’ve interviewed a lot of teachers of the year over the years, and Jones still managed to blow me away with her dedication to the field and her intelligence.
But what about teacher of the year? What qualities make a teacher stand out? Are the best teachers the ones who get recognized? Or do you see the accolades going to those who win favor within the administration? Who are your nominees for teacher of the year and why?
The Gift of Gifted Education
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Several Get Schooled readers have asked me to post about pull-out gifted programs for elementary school students who qualify. These programs go by several different names: focus, reach, achieve etc. They generally involve having students who have been identified as gifted spend time each week working with a specially trained teacher. Often the students work on a group project that has to do with a social issue.
Parents often complain that this isn’t enough. Their kids are still bored in traditional class. They also complain that the projects are to showboaty and lacking in substance. They tell me they want their child’s gifted education to extend beyond the pull-out program, and they question whether teachers understand the complexity of the gifted child.
Parents, are you satisfied with your child’s gifted education program? What would your ideal program look like? Teachers, how do you handle gifted children in the classroom?
Teacher Flicks
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So I know I’m not winning any points with a source when he suggests I check out the movie “Stand and Deliver.” What he’s getting at is that I don’t have high expectations for minority students, that I expect them to fail. It’s a criticism often lobbed at journalists who write about schools with low test scores.
“Stand and Deliver,” the 1988 film based on the real-life story of a teacher who taught minority kids calculus only to have them accused of cheating on the AP exam, isn’t just a favorite teacher flick, it’s one of my favorite movies period. I’ve seen it start to finish at least three times. The source’s mention of the movie got me thinking about other teacher movies. Here are the ones I’ve seen and what I thought about them.
Stand and Deliver, four and a half stars
Dead Poet’s Society, two stars
Lean on Me, three stars
Coach Carter, three stars
Dangerous Minds, one star
Rushmore, four stars
October Sky, four stars
School of Rock, four stars
Movies with education themes:
Spellbound, five stars
Mad Hot Ballroom, four stars
Okay, I know I’m missing a lot. There was a Julia Roberts movie fairly recently that I didn’t see. Tell me your favorites, and not just in the “inspirational teacher” genre, anything about teaching, school life, education etc.
P.S. It would be a bit of a stretch to call it an education-themed film, but the documentary “Word Play,” which I just saw recently, is a winner. Four stars.
The ‘Dreaded’ Social Studies Fair
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
An old friend just e-mailed me wanting my help with her child’s “dreaded” social studies fair project. Her son just turned his in and now she’s trying to get daughter’s out of the way. She asked if I knew where she could get gang statistics.
I referred my friend to the DeKalb police department, but the e-mail got me thinking about projects and how hard it is for parents to draw a line when it comes to helping their kids. I know we’ve talked about this before on Get Schooled, but I thought it was worth revisiting since the winning projects bring a lot of attention to the student whose names are on them. Sometimes I wonder if the parent’s name doesn’t belong on there too.
Parents, do you dread such projects? How much do you help your child? How much time are you willing to spend on a project? How much money? Teachers, do you give parents and kids directions about how much help they should get from Mom and Dad? Have you ever disqualified a project because it was obviously done by the parent?
Kids Won’t Run Amok
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bernie Marcus won’t say where, but he once witnessed a kids-run-amok field trip scene that left a lasting impression. “The school buses let them out and they just run wild,” an employee told Marcus, inspiring him to vow not to let it happen with his fish tank.
He has built into his aquarium, opening to the public in a few weeks and to school groups next year, a separate education area, with its own lunchroom and entrance. Here’s Jim Tharpe’s story.
Teachers, will you take your kids to the new aquarium? Parents, is this a field trip you wouldn’t mind chaperoning? Does this sound like a good approach?
Clayton Goes Bilingual
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If any school district could use a successful, innovative school, it’s Clayton County. They may wade into bilingual education, with an elementary school that teaches English-speaking and Spanish-speaking children to be fluent in each other’s languages. Here’s the story.
More controversial is the concept of teaching Spanish-speaking kids in their native language. Bilingual education has been a political battleground in California. But in this case, it appears the school would be a choice open to families all over the county. Parents who don’t like the approach can opt for another school.
With Georgia’s growing Hispanic population, should bilingual programs be sprouting all over the metro area?
Update on Candace
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Many AJC readers responded to a series of stories I wrote about Candace Anderson, a former DeKalb County honor student whose senses abandoned her one by one. While a freshman at Mercer University, Candace was so desperate to continue her education in spite of her loss of vision and sight, she begged her mother to send for a correspondence calculus course. Her mother was going to write the formulas on Candace’s forehead. Doctors do not know the cause of Candace’s illness. Her younger sister Sophia has similar symptoms, though far less serious.
Here’s the only story still available as a link.
I haven’t updated Candace’s situation recently, because her health is generally unchanged. But on Saturday I attended a birthday party for Candace’s mother, Sarah. And to my great surprise, Candace was there! The Andersons have a van that enables them to get Candace out of the house. (If it weren’t for the van, Sarah would have missed her own birthday party … she does not leave Candace’s side … ever.) The party was held at the family’s Forest Park church. Sarah said she hadn’t been to a church service in four years.
Now 23, Candace appears comfortable and alert. She does not have brain damage. Her mind is trapped in a body that does not cooperate. It’s unclear whether she can see or hear. She cannot speak or sit up.
Sister Sophia is 21. She is studying to be a nurse and engaged to be married. Her hearing goes in and out, but she has forged ahead with her life.
Japheth, Candace’s loyal boyfriend who helped her across the stage so she wouldn’t have to use her wheelchair when she graduated from Columbia High School, has gone on with his life, too. He is still close to the Anderson family. He and his brothers have a singing group and they performed at the party.
Candace’s father, Charles, told the party guests that he planned the birthday party for his wife after the family celebrated her mother’s birthday in North Carolina. Sarah helped plan the party, but she didn’t go. On the day Candace lost her ability to speak, while at Emory Hospital, her mother promised her she would never leave her. She has kept that promise.
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