AJC.com > Blogs > Get Schooled > Archives > 2008 > July
July 2008
Training for teachers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I spent yesterday morning at a math training session for about 350 Atlanta teachers and administrators. They learned better ways to teach kids about math - important skills, especially when you consider the state’s new standards in the subject.
Teachers said they will meet during the school year to plan lessons together and talk about ways to improve the way they deliver information.
School districts can easily spend millions of dollars on professional development. But some programs work better than others.
Teachers, what kind of training do you want? How often do the sessions match what you need?
Parents, what training do you think teachers need?
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Will teachers lose their raises?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The poor economy is forcing Georgia leaders to reconsider the pay raises promised to the state’s 200,000 teachers.
Today’s story says legislative leaders must slash the budget even more than planned. They’re considering eliminating new jobs, delaying tax cuts and killing the pay raises previously approved for teachers and state employees.
There are some people who feel like teachers are overpaid. Others argue teachers don’t earn enough for the important service they provide. And let’s be realistic — it’s not like a 2.5 percent raise will cover raising gas prices, utility costs and other expenses.
Should teachers lose their promised raises? If not, where else can the state make cuts?
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An incomplete picture?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I spent a good part of Monday answering readers’ emails about AYP. Many people were upset that nearly one in three schools didn’t make testing goals.
Several of the notes came from high school students annoyed their schools were labeled as needing improvement. Statewide, less than half the high schools met the standard.
High schools were judged on how juniors scored on the Georgia High School Graduation Test. Just one class determined how the entire school is viewed. Elementary schools are judged on grades 3-5 and middle schools get grades 6-8.
One student, a sophomore, wrote: “All weekend I heard people saying how bad my school is. It doesn’t seem fair. I do well in school. I take honors classes and get As. Why am I judged based on a test I can’t even take?”
The student asked a good question. How would you respond?
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College cuts
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I was so busy with AYP on Friday I almost missed Andrea Jones’ story about how public colleges would slash their budgets by 5 percent.
The impact could be damaging — crowded classes and part-time faculty teaching the classes. Also, a change in course offerings could make it even more difficult for students to complete their degrees on time.
Gov. Perdue has asked state agencies to develop budget cut proposals because of declining tax collections in the weak economy. (While the Georgia Department of Education must make cuts, the state does not plan to reduce the per pupil funding public schools receive.)
How worried are you about higher ed cuts? What would you slash to save money?
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AYP is here!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia Department of Education released its annual report on whether schools made the “adequate yearly progress” testing goals required under No Child Left Behind.
I’m still looking through the data but here’s a story on the results.
Obviously parents and teachers care if their school made testing goals. Even if your school did, that doesn’t mean you’re immune from NCLB. Your school could receive students transferring from other schools that didn’t make the cut.
Are you shocked over how your school did? Do you think schools focus too much on making AYP?
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Should we recite the Pledge?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A Florida statute requires students to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance, unless they have written permission from their parents to abstain.
A high school student who was excused sued in 2005 after his teacher berated him in front of the class for refusing to stand during the pledge.
The lawsuit has made its way through the system and a three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta issued a ruling this week. (The case is Cameron Frazier v. Cynthia Alexandre.)
The court upheld that it is unconstitutional to require students who have been excused from saying the pledge to stand during the recitation. But the court didn’t say whether all students have the right to refuse to participate.
Should students be required to say the Pledge of Allegiance?
NOTE: AYP results are expected later today. We’ll post the results as soon as the Georgia Department of Education releases it.
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Affording school supplies
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Atlanta Community Food Bank and other groups are providing teachers and families with free school supplies.
The free goodies include pens, pencils, notebooks and copy paper. Some groups even give out boxes of tissues, markers and hand sanitizer.
With today’s tough economy, more families need help getting their kids what they need for school. Parents, are you worried about paying for school supplies?
When families come up short many will expect teachers and schools to provide what students are missing.
Teachers, how much money of your own money do you typically spend every year on school supplies? What items do you buy the most?
UPDATE: Hey Get Schoolers we’ve blogged several times about the way schools focus on improving girls’ performance in math and science. Check out this story saying girls are on par with boys in math.
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Spare the rod?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Some of yesterday’s bloggers hit on Twiggs County reinstating corporal punishment.
The school district decided to return to paddling after noticing that scolding, detention and other disciplinary actions failed to improve student behavior.
I used to write about education in Florida where several school districts, including Jacksonville, allowed paddling. Principals had paddles passed down from their predecessors. And just like in Twiggs County, parents signed permission slips allowing administrators to hit their kids.
Some people thought corporal punishment worked while others said it just made kids more violent.
Would you allow a principal to paddle your child? Do you think this will make students act better?
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Can money fix schools?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The battle over how Georgia supports education continues.
You may remember back in 2004 when a group of about 50 mostly rural school districts sued Georgia for failing to provide an adequate education. The Consortium for Adequate School Funding in Georgia claims the state doesn’t give districts enough money to operate schools. This lack of funding, they argue, has caused poor student achievement.
The state attorney general’s office has filed briefs disagreeing with the group. The state has asked for summary judgment in the case and arguments on the motion will be heard today.
The suit will likely go to trial. If the consortium wins, Georgia could be forced to spend more on education or change the way it distributes money among the state’s 180 school districts.
Are our academic problems something money can fix? Does the state need to change the way it funds schools?
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Wanted: Good teachers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We’re at that time of the summer when school districts hold orientations and training sessions for newly hired teachers.
Most of these teachers were hired on the basis of their resumes and interviews. But how can you tell if someone is a good teacher based on that?
Just because someone is enthusiastic and says they analyze student data to find weaknesses and promote collaborating learning doesn’t mean that person will be effective in the classroom.
It’s much easier to determine who is a good teacher by spending time in that person’s class. Of course, principals and hr directors don’t have that chance.
Without seeing the person in action, how do schools find and hire the best teachers?
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Is there a recipe for success?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Congress held a hearing about how to improve urban schools and Atlanta superintendent Beverly Hall was one of the speakers.
She spoke about what has happened in the district since she took over in 1999. Test scores may not be where everyone wants them, but they have steadily improved.
She listed five key things done by the district and community, including: replacing ineffective principals, providing teachers with better training and recruiting quality candidates to run for school board.
Much of what Hall mentioned seems like common sense, things many other school leaders would say. If lots of people know what it takes to improve schools, why are so few succeeding?
What do you think gets in the way of improving our schools?
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Put your school slogan here
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta city schools created a new logo and slogan to promote the school system. The district’s old tag “Our Focus … Student Success” has been replaced with “Making A Difference.”
Atlanta isn’t unique creating a logo. Other school districts and individual campuses have done the same thing. Many have developed magazines, brochures and postcards touting their systems.
These slogans can create some pride and advocate for a district or an individual school. But I’m wondering how they make parents and teachers feel.
Do you notice logos and slogans? Can a good slogan change your view about your district?
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Is it boy vs. girl?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
About 90 metro girls are attending the Geek Squad Summer Academy where they will learn how to build and network computers and other ins and outs of technology.
Last month the National Association of Women in Construction sponsored a summer camp in Gwinnett where girls learned about power tools and got a taste of carpentry, welding and electrical engineering.
The programs are admirable, but they bring up two questions: Do they successfully encourage girls to pursue careers in male-dominated fields? And where are the summer programs for boys?
So many groups emphasize the need for more girls to pursue math, science and technology but there is little focus on boys. National studies show boys struggle more with reading and writing but we don’t see summer programs addressing this.
If we develop programs for girls are we neglecting boys? Is there a way to help one gender without slighting the other?
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Cops on campus
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Clayton County Commission will decide whether to send 17 police officers to patrol local school campuses. In theory, they will cut down on school violence, teach gang and drug awareness and provide students with positive role models.
But how much can they do?
I’ve written stories about school resource officers who have broken up fights, busted burglary rings and mentored teenage boys.
I’ve also written about school cops who failed to break up fights, with some resulting in serious injuries to students and teachers. Some parents have complained these officers intimidated their children and search their backpacks for no good reason.
Can one cop keep the peace at a school with 2,000-plus students?
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What is the right age for kindergarten?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A friend of mine recently moved into a new school district. I asked if she was going to register her 5-year-old for kindergarten. She wasn’t sure whether to have him start school this year or wait it out.
I’m noticing more and more parents are redshirting their kids from kindergarten — holding them back a year so they will be bigger and more mature. The hope is these kids will be better prepared to handle the academic expectations of kindergarten.
Some question why parents would consider this. Many children have spent years in child care, preschool and pre-kindergarten programs. All these classes should make kids ready for kindergarten.
What do you think — is kindergarten too much for some 5-year-olds? What other options are out there for these kids?
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Teacher vs. parent expectations
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I enjoyed reading what you all wrote on yesterday’s blog. There were several interesting ideas going on but one thing jumped out at me: expectations.
It seems as though parents expect one thing from teachers and teachers expect something different from parents.
For example, both groups want to “keep in touch” but what does that mean? Do parents want weekly progress reports? Daily emails? Are teachers thinking more along the lines of an occasional note home?
Teachers and parents often need to do a better job letting the other know what they want and expect. Is this easier said than done?
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Meeting parents’ demands
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
An active PTA parent called me this week upset because her child didn’t get the teacher she wanted for this coming school year.
The parent demanded the principal switch her child into another class. (He refused.) The parent said all her volunteer work at the school should pay off in some benefits for her child.
Over the years I’ve heard from many principals who say some active parents expect a payback of sorts for the volunteer work they do. This could mean getting a certain teacher or a starring role in a play or a starting position on an athletic team. Others want to weigh in on everything from the food served in the cafeteria to the type of carpeting installed in classrooms.
You can’t blame a parent for wanting the best for their child. But should some parents get more influence over others?
How should teachers and principals handle these picky parents?
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Love-hate relationship with vouchers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I wrote about the expected growth for year two of the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship. This program gives vouchers to students with disabilities.
(Learn about the new Georgia Tax Credit voucher program here.)
Vouchers remain controversial. Opponents say it takes money away from public schools and question whether public money should go to parochial schools. Supporters say it provides options for families beyond their neighborhood school.
Vouchers aren’t a clear-cut issue. Many parents and taxpayers seem OK with certain types of vouchers.
They support choice for families whose kids attend failing schools and for students with disabilities. This past year, several people said vouchers would be appropriate for Clayton students if the district loses accreditation.
Ask them if wealthy families whose children already attend private schools should be eligible for vouchers and many say no.
Why are vouchers OK for some, but not for all?
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Who’s cheating?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gwinnett school officials have asked the state to investigate two teachers accused of cheating on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests.
According to Aileen Dodd’s story, a seventh-grade math teacher was accused of telling students what they would see on the test. The article also says a third-grade teacher was accused of “looking ahead in a student’s test booklet and sharing information on the social studies exam with” co-workers.
Cheating is more than giving kids the answers. An AJC reporter wrote about this issue a few years ago and discovered the different tricks teachers use to boost scores. They’ve given kids extra time on tests, prepped kids with material taken directly from the exam and changed answers after kids finished the tests.
The vast majority of teachers are honest and ethical. But I wonder if some are taking this drastic step because of the enormous pressure to increase test scores.
Why do you think teachers cheat? How widespread a problem is this?
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Teaching Dollar$ and $ense
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It seems as though every day we get more bad news about the economy. Headlines scream that Georgia has one of the highest rates of personal bankruptcy and home foreclosures in the nation.
All this depressing news makes me wonder if schools are doing enough to make sure students don’t make the same money mistakes when they become adults.
The state used to require students take a personal finance class before graduation. That changed in the early 1980s when these lessons were added to economics classes.
The new social studies standards are supposed to include lessons about personal finance, starting in elementary school and continuing through high school. (Of course after seeing what happened with the social studies CRCT this year, some of those standards are getting redone.)
Still, should schools teach personal finance? Students could learn how to comparison shop, manage savings accounts and determine whether a credit card or college loan rate is a good deal.
One could argue children should learn about personal finance at home. But with so many Georgia adults struggling with their own finances, how can we expect them to teach good money-saving skills to their children?
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Problems with teachers’ notes?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A parent shared an email written by her child’s summer school teacher. The note was friendly and encouraged parents to contact her if they have any questions. It also contained several grammatical and spelling errors.
This isn’t the first time parents have pointed out this problem to me. I’ve seen it myself in the emails teachers write commenting on articles or suggesting story ideas.
Many of us admit we have poor grammar and horrible spelling skills. So why do so many of us get concerned when we see these same faults in teachers?
Can you respect a teacher with poor grammar? Do you worry he or she won’t be a good teacher?
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Can uniforms improve schools?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Clayton’s schools superintendent says all elementary and many middle school students will have to wear uniforms to school.
Two Clayton middle schools already require uniforms. District leaders say the rule eliminates students’ worries about fashion and whether they can afford the latest trends.
“It is our goal to promote student academic success, improve school safety and increase attendance,” Superintendent John Thompson said.
Can wearing uniforms accomplish all that?
While some tout the benefits, others have been more critical. Some say schools should focus on academics, not fashion. They cite national studies showing uniforms don’t improve test scores or cut down on behavioral problems.
When it comes to uniforms, many point to the Long Beach Unified School District in California, which was the first urban school district to require uniforms in 1994. The district saw test scores go up and discipline problems go down.
But officials there implemented other reforms when they started uniforms, such as more training for teachers, extra help for struggling students and more challenging classroom lessons.
What benefits come from requiring uniforms? What else should the district do to improve schools and student learning?
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Will flexibility fix NCLB?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia is one of six states taking part in a pilot program to fix concerns that No Child Left Behind is too rigid and follows a one-size-fits-all approach.
The Georgia Department of Education has more information, but here are some of the changes:
Schools may offer students free tutoring before letting children transfer to higher-performing schools. This switches the order currently required by federal law.
Schools in needs improvement status for three to four years will face different punishments depending on why they missed testing goals. The bigger the problem, the harsher the actions.
The state will begin a close monitoring of these failing schools earlier. This monitoring will give the state a say in many local school decisions, such as hiring, selecting teaching methods and other academic issues.
What do you think of these changes? Do you think tutoring should come before transfers? More importantly, do you things any of these changes will improve NCLB?
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When schools downsize
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
DeKalb County Superintendent Crawford Lewis set the groundwork for possible layoffs in the school district next summer.
Specific details aren’t expected until November, but Lewis recommended the board hire an outside firm to do an audit to determine where cuts could be made. Lewis also said he wants to review the number of school administrators on each campus.
Unlike other metro systems, enrollment is dropping in DeKalb. The district was able to balance this year’s budget without layoffs. But Lewis said that may not happen in the future.
Other school districts have cut spending by eliminating travel, postponing buying new textbooks and implementing a hiring freeze on non-essential positions.
How many other systems may follow DeKalb’s lead? What positions would you cut and how would you guarantee students still get the lessons and support they need?
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