AJC.com > Blogs > Get Schooled > Archives > 2006 > October
October 2006
Love for the Lexile?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
During Sunday’s candidates debate, Kathy Cox asked Denise Majette how she feels about Lexiles. Majette replied that she didn’t know what Cox was talking about. Cox later said Lexiles have to do with reading levels, and she said they are helpful for parents.
A DOE spokesman directed me to this link when I confessed that I, like Majette, had never heard of a Lexile. According to the page, a Lexile “is a standard score that matches a student’s reading ability with difficulty of text material.”
The state gives parents their child’s Lexile score on their CRCT score report, and then the child can seek out books from school libraries that are within that Lexile range.
Parents, teachers, is this helpful?
(Note: After learning a bit more about the Lexile Framework, I realized Lexile is a registered trademark and not a psychometric term as I had originally understood… I had the word lower-case, but it seems it should be capitalized. Thanks as always to the reader who pointed that out…)
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Uncle Remus
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Get Schooled readers, please help out my colleague Jim Auchmutey…
“I’m doing a story on the legacy of Joel Chandler Harris on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the premiere of “Song of the South” at the Fox Theater. I’m wondering whether any local schools still teach the Uncle Remus tales or take schoolchildren on field trips to the Harris home, the Wren’s Nest. Disney has refused to release the movie on home video or DVD because some people might be offended. Is Uncle Remus too problematical for Georgia classrooms as well?”
For information about Harris and Uncle Remus, try here, here or here.
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Ask the Candidates
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I hate to interrupt yesterday’s fascinating conversation, but there’s a candidates debate on Sunday sponsored by the Atlanta Press Club and airing on Georgia Public Broadcasting. I’ll have a chance to ask Republican incumbent Kathy Cox, Democratic challenger Denise Majette and Libertarian challenger David Chastain a few questions.
The 30-minute debate airs live at 4:30 on Sunday on GPB. For the full debate schedule, go here.
You tell me. What should I ask? (Keep in mind that they don’t have the power to squelch a federal law like NCLB… This is a state office. The role of the superintendent is to set policies and regulations that allow schools to carry out federal and state laws.)
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Give Me a Hug
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m observing in a classroom this week and, as usual, learning a lot. This elementary school teacher - the same one who dares light candles in his classroom - is a self-proclaimed hugger. He hugs his students. He hugs the newspaper reporter. Students seem to associate his room with a place where hugs are available and therefore sought hugs from me. I was happy to oblige.
I know some teachers do not feel comfortable hugging their students. They fear a misinterpretation by parents or other staff members. No one wants to invite litigation. But still I can’t help thinking these kids respond to this teacher and work hard on their schoolwork to please him in part because of his willingness to provide the affection they crave.
Teachers, do you hug your students? Parents, do you want your teacher to hug your child? Is this a sticky issue in some schools?
Sidenote: Since Title IX came up in conversation the other day, you might want to read this story/blog by Curtis Bunn about McNair High School’s volleyball team finding success despite a lack of equipment.
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The Redistricting Blues
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It comes with the development-crazy territory. Kids will have to switch schools under redistricting plans that often appear arbitrary at best or dripping with favortism. Superintendents would generally rather eat paste than deal with redistricting, but with new subdivisions and apartment complexes going up at rapid speed, new schools must be built and boundary lines must be redrawn.
Last night, Fayette parents begged and pleaded for a revisiting of a redistricting plan they hate. Here’s Bridget Gutierrez’s story.
Parents who’ve had their kids districted out or districted in … any advice for the Peachtree parents? How did your child adjust? Were friendships lost? Did the character of the neighborhood change once kids were attending different schools? Was it a tragedy or did it work out for the best? Finally, impact fees anyone?
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Boys Over Here, Girls Over There
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The federal government has added some new rules that should make school districts more comfortable adding single-gender schools. The rules detail how the feds will enforce the Title IX anti-discrimination law in districts that choose to set up single-gender schools or classrooms. The single-gender environment should be voluntary and provide equal opportunities for both genders.
Here’s an AP story. As some of you know, Atlanta is forging ahead with plans to dismantle the chronically underwhelming Carson Middle School and create an all-boys school and an all-girls school in its place. Parents who object will be given the option of transferring elsewhere. Atlanta has some schools with single-gender classrooms. Cobb County also has a middle school with some single-gender classrooms.
Parents, would you want your child in a single-gender school or classroom? Teachers, would you want to work at such a school?
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Classroom Aesthetics
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I had another school visit today, and again the teacher was using music to create a relaxing atmosphere. He illuminated his classroom with very mildly scented candles. The walls were thoroughly decorated - Yes! he had a word wall - and he also included items picked up on his travels around the world.
Teachers, what’s your philosophy on classroom aesthetics? Dimmed lights? Lamp lighting? Candles? How about music in the background? If so, what kind? (I don’t know how to describe what this teacher was playing… contemporary, maybe?) And how about decorations? Do you like to go all out? Any minimalists out there? Does any of this stuff even matter?
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How About a Massage?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Speaking of making teachers feel appreciated …
The PTA at Atherton Elementary School in DeKalb started a tradition last year treating teachers to massages, paraffin treatments and aromatherapy as part of an event they call “Staff Spa Experience.”
“It’s a community job to make sure our teachers remain passionate about teaching. If they know parents are behind them 100%, our children will benefit greatly”, Atherton PTA President Kathi Robinson said in a press release. “Every child deserves a teacher who’s attentive, happy, and smiling.”
It’s not completely clear from the release, but it looks like a local massage therapist and other community members volunteered their services. A catering company donated healthy food. The goal was to help teachers feel relaxed and appreciated.
Teachers, do you like this idea?
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The Totally Disengaged … Youngster
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When I first started Get Schooled, I used to add a terse line to each new post. “Stay on topic, please!” Problem is, sometimes a lot of good stuff comes out when someone posts off topic. Like this fascinating dilemma posted under the “essential question” thread.
A parent writes:
“My 7th grader attends a Dekalb County School, and despite ability, is failing all of her classes. When I ask her teachers for help, their responses are curt and dismissive: “I teach the class every day. What more do you expect me to do? Or, “She did not do the assignment. I do not give make up work. There is nothing more she can do.”
I send my child to school every day, and she knows to behave herself at school. My problem is that she hates the school and will not do her work. Watching her fail is like being told to stand idly by while she plays in the middle of 285 during rush hour. The only thing her school does is send me failing progress reports every three weeks. They send few graded papers home. They do not respond to e-mails. Conferences are unproductive. From sparse, seldom updated teacher websites, I know of only rudimentary requirements. I know, for example, that book reports are due monthly. But I cannot find out what format the report should take, nor do I know how they are graded—or even that my child is not doing book reports (they are done in class) before I get the progress reports the teachers are required to complete. The same is true for science projects. I know of them, but not when they are due or if there are intermittent steps in the project that must be completed at various stages before the final project is completed.
Does anyone know how I can get her teachers (and the school administration) to actively partner with me to help me help my totally disengaged, disinterested youngster? Without accountablity for my child’s lack of progress, her teacher seem content to do no more than record her continued failure.”
Lots of folks have already chimed in on this one, but if you haven’t, please do so. Keep in mind this parent came here seeking help…
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$32,203
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A few days ago, someone asked how much the Atlanta school system paid for its “convocation” event, celebrating schools that met district targets.
This statement from the school system was in my inbox this morning:
“Convocation is the district’s yearly acknowledgment and recognition of the schools that made the District’s targets. This celebration includes all employees so that everyone can see how their work impacts student achievement and to motivate those schools that did not make their targets. This celebration was held at the Georgia Dome where we received a reduced rental rate. The total cost of the convocation was approximately $32,203, $9,500 of which was provided by external donation.”
Several teachers posted on an earlier thread that they did not think this event helped them feel motivated or proud. They viewed it as a pain in the rear. Is there anyone out there who had fun at the Georgia Dome event?
Yesterday, a school counselor I’ve interviewed a few times called me distressed at how her school administration treats her. She has won several awards, but her school administrators don’t make a big deal out of it. She said she is not one of the favorites. She said she feels slighted.
Teachers, counselors etc. what types of rewards do make you feel appreciated?
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Here’s My Essential Question: Huh?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What is an essential question? Why do you/must you have an essential question? And can you give me a few examples? (I’m setting myself up here, I realize. But I really want to know. What the heck is an essential question?)
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What’s the Deal With Word Walls?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A Get Schooled reader recounted on an earlier thread being upbraided by an administrator for not having a “word wall.”
Then, while observing in a language arts classroom I noticed her “word wall” was bare. I asked her about it, and she rolled her eyes. “When we start our unit on Anne Frank, I’ll need to put up some vocabulary words.” In other words, when she needs a word wall, she will use a word wall. She noted that this mandate “All Teachers Shalt Have a Word Wall” came down from the central office. She guessed the administrator picked up on the idea at a conference and it became the Must Do classroom trick of 2006. More eye rolling.
What is the big deal with the word wall? Teachers, do you have to have one? Do you need one?
Would You Go Private If You Could?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On Sunday, I had a story in the paper about Sutton Middle School, and its success in attracting families who could afford the many private schools right in the Buckhead neighborhood.
Not surprisingly, I got mixed feedback. Two readers took me to task for failing to paint a more in-depth portrait of Sutton, including all its test scores and discipline records. I responded that I wasn’t out to prove Sutton is a good school or a bad school. The point of the story was that parents with other options are choosing Sutton. Two more readers wished I had noted how many of the school’s Latino students are here legally. Again, not the purpose of this story. Another was outraged by the quote from the teacher saying Sutton is free. His tax bill for schools is $4,157! HARDLY FREE! (I would say, you have to pay school taxes whether you send your child to the school or not. If you send your child to private school, you are paying their tuition on top of school taxes. So I would say it is kinda fair to say the public school is free in this context.)
But enough about me defending my story. (A few readers said they are trying to bring their neighborhood schools back to life and make them a school of choice…)
A huge hypothetical for parents with kids in public schools. If tuition were waived, would you pull your child out of public school and enroll him or her in a private school? If all financial barriers - transportation etc. - were removed, would you go private? Why or why not?
The Turnaround Specialist Who Wasn’t
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As Alexander Russo, an education writer whose blog I peruse, says, it IS hard to delight in Principal Parker Land’s downfall. But at the same time I’d have to confess it’s hard not to. I don’t mean I’m glad the principal chosen to turn around a failing Virginia school based on his success in a high performing school didn’t perform a miracle. I wish he had. But is anyone surprised?
I’m glad his story is being told on PBS, because it points to the obvious faulty logic in appointing principals with good track records at schools with favorable demographics to schools with challenges and expecting better results.
Scores at Land’s school went down, and he is off - after just one year - to be principal somewhere else.
Asked if he failed, he says he doesn’t see it that way. He adds: “I’ve learned that our kids, a significant number of those kids are in crisis. And there’s a level of support that’s needed that we just haven’t realized yet.”
Of the 21 principals in Virginia’s “Turnaround Specialist” program, 14 fell short of testing goals, reports John Merrow, the correspondent behind the intriguing series, which ran on the Newshour. More than half the principals changed schools or left the program, Merrow said.
There is a similar program in Georgia, but I don’t know if any high-performing principals took the plunge in lower performing schools. I’ll ask. Meanwhile, those of you with experience in lower performing schools, would you want a principal like Land to come in? Have you had a principal with a track record at high performing schools come in and take charge? Did it work out?
Atlanta’s Teacher Pep Rally
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta Public Schools had a “convocation” at the Georgia Dome on Friday to celebrate 37 schools that met 70 percent of their “academic targets” in 2005-2006. I don’t know what these targets are, but Hall said in her speech that the district’s standards are higher than the state’s.
A photo sent out by the school system to the media shows teachers from Parkside Elementary jumping up and down, smiling and waving Parkside flags. They seem happy to be there.
But a blog reader had a different perspective, viewing the event as a burden for teachers, taking them away from planning lessons on what was a teacher planning day. The reader writes:
“Please have your paper highlight the thousands of hours lost, and the literally hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers funds spent to send overwhelmed, overburdened teachers down to the Georgia Dome for a pep rally today, when they finally had a teacher planning day.”
I will request from the district the cost of the event. (It’s possible that corporate partners picked up the tab.) Meanwhile, do you think this event was a waste of time and money? Or was it a worthwhile occasion to motivate teachers?
Teaching in Challenging Schools Wears Thin
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Any other fans of the Up series, the British documentary that has been following a dozen random people for more than 40 years? Well, the latest installment, 49 Up, is now in theaters, and I went to see it at the Midtown Arts Cinema with my mom. ($8.50 for a matinee?!? And we didn’t get any previews! What’s up with that?)
Anyway, one of my favorite characters is Bruce. At seven, the child of privilege says he wants to be a foreign missionary. By 14, he’s not so sure. By 21, he is a math scholar. At 28, he is teaching at a school that serves kids from poor families. At 35, he is in Bangladesh teaching and living among the poorest of the poor. At 42, I am happy to see Bruce married to another teacher and contemplating children. He is teaching, I believe, at a girls’ school with students from various backgrounds.
At 49, Bruce is a father with young sons. And, he’s still a teacher, though now he has come full circle and is at a school for the very elite. He talks about the challenges of working with the - sorry I hate this word, but it fits - underprivileged. He noted that when a teacher works in a challenging environment, he sees that over time he can help the students improve their prospects. Yes, he can teach them. But as he sees these tiny victories with the students, the reverse happens to the teacher. Over time - little by little - he sees his life … in need of a different classroom environment. (This is paraphrased … I wasn’t taking notes.)
Teachers, is this true in your case? How do you stick it out in a school where the kids just need and need and need? If you got out of such a school, did you feel guilty? (Bruce doesn’t seem to…)
Enough Wrapping Paper?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Did you buy enough wrapping paper during the school fund-raising season? I didn’t even get asked this year, which I think is a first. I have gift bags I bought ten years ago and wrapping paper so pricey I make sure to only tear off the exact amount I need to wrap a gift. Everybody knows who the Gainfully Employed Person Without Children is when their child is selling something! (And, really, I don’t mind being asked… I could always say no…)
School fund-raisers are a way of life, especially at schools with active PTAs. The proceeds of the sale often make up 50 percent or more of the PTA’s budget, which is often well into six figures.
Some things PTAs buy with this money: Commercial curriculum products like Accelerated Reader, Open Court or Core Knowledge. (Workbooks, software etc.) Small grants for teachers who want to do innovative projects. Art supplies. Musical instruments. Computers. Field trips… I’m sure I’m leaving out some things here… help me out. Some school PTAs fund nurses, art teachers and other staff. This is kinda controversial, and some schools forbid it.
Anyway, do you participate in the wrapping paper sale or other door-to-door fund-raiser? Do you ask co-workers and friends to buy stuff, or do you buy stuff just for your family? Do you just write a check to the PTA and bypass the stuff? Has your school decided to forego the fund-raising and the items the money can buy?
When a Doctor Isn’t a Doctor
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
An Atlanta principal at a school that takes parental involvement to new heights quit last night rather than face the parents and the TV crews and explain why she did not correct those who called her “Dr. Spencer.”
Catherine Spencer did doctoral work at two universities - real ones! - but she has yet to complete the degree. When asked, she didn’t deny this. But, she allowed a letter to go out to the community over the summer referring to her as “doctor” 12 times.
The Morningside community - with its proximity to Emory and the CDC - is teeming with parents with advanced degrees. So it isn’t too surprising that they felt Spencer downright lied and misled them. They gave her the opportunity to tell how the miscommunication happened … but Spencer opted to resign. Here’s a short story about it.
UPDATE: Here’s a more detailed story, which includes her salary and a bit more about how this came to light. (Long-story-short: A parent requested her resume and noticed she did not use conventional academic style when listing her degrees. He called the schools and figured it out from there…)
Is your principal a doctor? Do you respect him or her more because of the doctorate? There have been several scandals involving fake doctorates of education … Does this degree have any credibility anymore? Should the Atlanta school system have fired the principal when parents brought their findings about her lack of doctoral status to them?
Love the Student, Hate the Word Choice
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Today I observed for the second time a language arts class for gifted middle school students. The teacher is her school’s teacher of the year, and she is beloved in the community.
I was a bit surprised by her brutal honesty with her students’ writing. “This is terrible!” “This is no good!” “This is so boring!” Yes, she also had words of praise for some of her students’ rough drafts. But she didn’t hesitate to tell the ones who weren’t trying or were misguided in their efforts where their problems were. She wanted them to reach for vivid vocabulary words, and when they let her down she told them so.
I asked her afterward about her blunt assessment of her students’ writing. She said her kids know she adores them, so she doesn’t worry that they’ll crumble under her criticism. “I’m trying to get them ready for high school,” she said. “They need to hear this.”
Teachers, can you tell it like it is with your students, especially when it comes to writing and other areas where there is no clear right answer? Do you worry about hurting their feelings? How do you break it to a sensitive student that his or her writing is not up to par?
What?!? There’s a superintendent’s race?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My colleague Bridget Gutierrez has this story on the race, which can’t help but beg the headline: “Does Anyone Care?”
Yes, there is a contested race for state superintendent of schools. Incumbent Kathy Cox faces Denise Majette of Cynthia McKinney ouster fame and David Chastain, a Libertarian who wants to be the last person elected to a post he says should be appointed.
It’s not like there’s nothing to work with here. Cox was the brunt of jokes on national television after striking the word “evolution” from the curriculum. (She later reinstated the word.) Majette baffled many in her congressional district when she tried unsuccessfully to beat Johnny Isakson in the 2004 Senate race. And Chastain admits his candidacy is so obscure his own mother-in-law didn’t believe he would be on the ballot.
Voters say education is an issue they care about, but the issue seems to sell better in higher profile contests like the governor’s race.
Any thoughts on why the school superintendent’s race draws so little interest? Are you following it? Have you made up your mind who you are voting for?
The Hispanic Student Boom
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A story out of our Washington bureau reports Georgia’s Hispanic student population increased 390 percent between 1994 and 2004, from 19,000 to 93,000.
This is pretty obvious if you’ve spent time in metro systems such as DeKalb, Hall, Gwinnett, Cobb and Cherokee. The Latino explosion has fundamentally changed education in many schools, adding language and cultural barriers to a mix that also includes all the challenges related to poverty.
Teachers who work in schools with Latino students, tell us about your experience. What works? What doesn’t? How long does it take kids to get on grade level? Do you envision some of your students graduating? Do Latino kids sit with other Latino kids in the cafeteria? Parents with kids in schools with large Latino populations, how is this affecting your child’s education? Does your child have Latino friends?
Okay people, we’re not here to debate immigration policy. There are other blogs for that. Please be civil. PLEASE. Later today, I am speaking to journalists from small-market papers about education blogging. I’m going to call up this site. Please don’t make me wish I didn’t!
Are All Kids “Educable”?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Beverly Hall, superintendent of the Atlanta district, gave a speech this morning at the Carter Center for her fervent supporters in the business community.
Hall said she arrived in Atlanta seven years ago to a “pervasive belief” that Atlanta kids could not do well in school. She said she intentionally avoids harping on the home lives of many Atlanta students - the abject poverty, the drugs and the absence of role models - because she doesn’t want that to become an excuse for low achievement. ‘
She urged everyone to believe in the “educability” of all students.
One other note: She said Bill Cosby called her assistant and spent 20 minutes praising Atlanta students for their good behavior during his speech earlier this week. Seniors from all schools were brought to Douglass to hear Cosby. To me, that says his message resonates.
Well, do you believe in the “educability” of all students? (Sorry I have to put that word in quotes… It’s just not a word I would normally use, though it does exist and it does fit this context…)
Cosby to Atlanta Seniors: Get a Goal
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bill Cosby’s words to Atlanta high school students probably won’t make the national headlines his speeches have made in the past. But he did hammer home some worthwhile points about wringing an education out of whatever community you live in. He urged kids who think they can’t afford college to enroll in community college or learn a high-paying trade.
“If you don’t have the money, you work for it,” Cosby said. “Every person in this room with no goals, here is your goal. Find one. Go to a community college. Learn how to fix an escalator for $65 an hour.”
Here’s Ernie Suggs’ story.
Thoughts?
Pop Goes the Quiz
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Have pop quizzes gone the way of the chalkboard?
My teacher friend (middle school social studies) said he doesn’t give them. Too many of his kids would fail and he already struggles to “find a way to make everyone succeed.” He said the inevitable low grades from a pop quiz - you know the kind that make sure you did the required reading - would force him to create some kind of make-up assignment. He just doesn’t have the time. Today’s kids and parents, he said, don’t like surprises.
Teachers, do you give pop quizzes? Parents, would you think it was fair if your child failed a pop quiz? If pop quizzes are a thing of the past, is that even a bad thing?
Shots Ring Out Again…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hey all, I have refrained from posting on the school shootings, because I don’t know exactly what to say about it. BUT… we have another one, the third in less than a week. Here’s a story about the latest shooting in the most unlikely of places: a Pennsylvania Amish community.
Let me just ask the most obvious questions: Do you feel safe at school? Do you believe your kids are safe at school? Should schools do more to keep guns out?
Middle School Graduation Coaches
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Sonny Perdue is so convinced the state-funded high school graduation coaches, who are less than two months into their assignments, will help keep kids in school, he’s proposing middle school graduation coaches.
Here’s the press release.
Do you like this idea?
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