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November 2008
Gwinnett wants more freedom
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As expected, Gwinnett County school leaders are working on a plan to free the state’s largest school district from many of the rules other systems must follow.
It may sound like the district is trying to get charter status. But that is not the case.
Instead the district is seeking flexibility under the Investing in Educational Excellence (IE2) legislation that passed last session.
(A committee assembled by Gov. Perdue did much of the background work for the bill. Gwinnett Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks belonged to that group.)
So what is IE2? Basically it frees systems from many state mandates with the expectation that the districts will improve student learning. If the district fails, it is punished.
If Gwinnett’s plan is approved, the system could be exempt from class size rules. They could develop their own teacher pay scale and not follow the one set by the state. They could offer different classes and hire teachers who don’t meet all the state’s certification requirements.
Ideally, Gwinnett would build support for this through a grassroots community buy-in, but teachers, parents and others say the district has left them in the dark about the plans.
What do you think of this increased flexibility? Does freedom from rules lead to better schools?
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When a doodle is something more
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Happy Thanksgiving! My original plan was to post something about teachers we’re thankful for, but that must be saved for another day.
A student at North Cobb High was suspended for three days because a doodle he drew on an assignment is associated with a gang.
The student’s father says he’s not in a gang. But police say the picture of a six-pointed star with a vertical line is associated with the Folk Nation gang.
Cobb County has suspended students in the past for gang-related drawings. Is that too harsh a penalty?
Can a doodle just be a doodle?
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“Highly qualified” teachers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A national report released Tuesday questions whether teachers who are highly qualified under the federal No Child Left Behind Act really have the needed skills to teach kids.
The study, from the child advocacy group The Education Trust, also highlights the problem of out-of-field teachers. That’s what teachers are made to instruct classes for which they lack the proper training or background knowledge.
The new study uses old data and compares two federal reports that define teacher quality differently. But it does bring attention to the fact that many students don’t have access to effective teachers.
How do you define a highly qualified teacher? What skills should that teacher have and how much of that can be learned on the job?
ALSO: For those of you looking for something lighter today, check out this story about what one mother did to rescue her child’s science project.
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Who’s teaching economics?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Every time you turn around there’s more bad news about the economy. Stocks are down. Unemployment is up. And people are left wondering what went wrong.
The financial mess makes high school economics classes suddenly more interesting and relevant. (I know I’m wishing I paid better attention.)
I’ve received a few emails from economics teachers, particularly those who teach the college-level Advanced Placement courses, and they said students are asking deeper, more engaging questions.
Some groups, such as the Arizona Council on Economic Education, are developing curriculum teachers can use based on today’s sour economy.
Georgia’s high school graduation rules require a half-unit of economics. Is that enough? Would elementary and middle school students benefit from these lessons?
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‘Baby-sitting’ before school
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I received an interesting email from a teacher about a predicament I know many teachers face. What happens when kids arrive at school too early?
Teachers say parents shouldn’t drop their kids off before the time set by the local school.
But some parents say they don’t have a choice because they leave for work early in the morning and don’t want their children home alone or standing at a bus stop too early.
Here’s the note from the teacher:
“I got to school this morning at 6:30 am. That gives me about 30 minutes to get my classroom ready to start the day. However this morning, there were kids waiting to get in when the teachers came in. The kids are not supposed to be in the building until 7 am. That 30 minutes is suppose to give us time to get ready. I am not sure why some parents think that they should just drop off their kids in front of a school and take off, but they do. When the weather is warm, they stand outside and wait until the bell rings at 7. However, you know how cold it has been these past few days and it is only going to get colder. I am concerned about the kids but I don’t provide ‘baby-sitting’ services before school.”
What do you think about this?
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Another attempt at uniforms
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
DeKalb County already tried it and so have smaller school districts, like Buford. Now Clayton County will require all students to wear “uniform dress” starting next school year.
School leaders don’t want to call the new rules a uniform policy, but it seems really close. The policy will require students to wear khaki pants, skirts, polo shirts and sweaters of the same color. No jeans and no T-shirts will be allowed.
Clayton started a uniform policy at all elementary and middle schools at the start of the school year. School leaders decided to extend the rules to high school after four students were shot and killed this year.
Officials say uniforms would promote safer schools and stronger academics. That’s a popular argument. Others have said that the way some students dress is too much a distraction and uniforms would eliminate that.
The national model for school uniforms is the Long Beach Unified School District in California. They were the first urban school district to require uniforms and saw test scores go up and discipline problems go down. But leaders there are quick to say there were other reforms going on — more training for teachers, extra help for struggling students and more challenging classroom lessons. It’s impossible to say that uniforms alone improved schools.
There are many who oppose uniforms. Some say school leaders should first strictly enforce the dress code and discipline rules that already exist. And there are teachers who say they don’t want to spend time acting as the fashion police.
Can uniforms improve schools?
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Are graduation coaches the answer?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Sonny Perdue announced Wednesday that the state’s graduation coaches have helped reduce the number of high school dropouts by about 10 percent.
The program, which the governor created, uses middle and high school graduation coaches to identify and then help kids who are at risk of dropping out.
The hope is that if the coaches give kids individualized attention and keep them on track, they will graduate. The coaches provide emotional support and also find students tutors, mentors and other resources to help them succeed.
What do you think of graduation coaches? Is this the way to help more kids graduate or should the state look for some other solutions?
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Should schools confiscate toys?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I have a 6-year-old cousin who is obsessed with Bakugan, a must-have game that reminds me of the frenzy kids had with Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh.
He asked for some of these toys for the holidays so I’m on the search and I ask anyone with young kids about them. A neighbor teaches first grade and joked that she has an entire drawer full of them.
Every year there are a few “it” toys that kids bring to school. She doesn’t mind if kids play with them during lunch or before school. But if kids take them out at other times she scoops them up and puts them in her desk.
For kids to get them back, they must write a letter showing they understand why it was wrong to play with toys in school.
What should teachers do when kids bring games to school and play with them in class?
Teachers, if you take the toys do you give them back or do you end the school year with some games in your desk?
UPDATE: Retired teachers will keep their automatic cost-of-living increases. Read the story here.
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Taking on tenure
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’ve been reading a lot of stories lately about a proposal challenging teacher tenure in Washington D.C. public schools.
Chancellor Michelle Rhee, proposed two options for teachers. One would almost double teachers’ salaries, but they would have to give up tenure for a year. At the end of the year they would either need a recommendation from the principal or they could get fired.
The second plan would give teachers big raises, but they would lose seniority rights.
Ideally, good teachers would succeed under either plan, while the bad would lose their jobs. (The money to increase salaries would come from foundations.)
The teachers’ union is fighting her proposal. Union reps and other teachers say tenure gives them job security and protects them against the whims of administrators, parents, school board members and others.
What do you think of the chancellor’s proposal? Has tenure’s time expired?
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More accreditation problems
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Clayton County has some company. The Haralson County school board in west Georgia was ordered to make drastic improvements or lose its accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Haralson school board members were cited for numerous governance problems such as micromanaging district business, ignoring their own policies and violating their ethics rules.
Sound familiar? These are many of the same problems that Clayton school leaders are facing. Clayton lost its accreditation Sept. 1.
On previous posts, many of you have said that other systems have similar problems but SACS hasn’t reprimanded them.
How widespread do you think these problems are?
The Commission for School Board Excellence produced an extensive report, suggesting changes to the training and structure of school boards to prevent problems. The suggestions include: allowing the State Board of Education to intervene when board members fail, creating uniform conflict-of-interest and ethics policies and requiring school board candidates to meet minimum qualifications.
These recommendations would need approval by the Legislature, but would they do any good?
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Career exposure in school
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gwinnett school leaders announced Thursday that its Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology will offer classes in 48 different career pathways.
Students will still take their core classes, but they will also have courses in specific areas such as education, engineering and computer science.
Gwinnett is not the first district to offer such classes. They can be found throughout the metro area and one of the most successful is the Central Educational Center in Coweta County.
Whenever I visit one of these programs I often leave impressed — the teachers are excited and the students appear to be learning and having fun while using some very cool gadgets and machines.
These programs allow students to earn some college credit and industry certification before leaving high school. They also promote those “21st century skills” educators, politicians and business leaders say are so important.
But few students enroll. Teachers often tell me they could take in more kids but few are willing to sign up. Guidance counselors say parents still think of these classes as the old vocational programs for weak students.
What can be done to make technical/career education more attractive? Is it time for schools to make some of the classes mandatory?
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Choosing between school and religious observance
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This is the time of year when many school boards review and approve school calendars for the next two school years.
Most people focus on start and end dates and when winter and spring breaks will happen. Lately, I’m hearing from more teachers and parents who hope school vacations coincide with their religious holidays.
Schools are pretty good about accommodating students who won’t be in class because of a religious holiday or observance. I’ve heard of teachers who will reschedule tests, change due dates for projects or develop make-up assignments for students.
But who helps the teachers and other employees in this situation?
When I was flying back from New York Monday I met a teacher who said she must use her three personal days for religious holidays. She can’t use sick days because she isn’t sick. She can’t agree to work another day because the school calendar doesn’t allow for it.
In many other fields, bosses can switch schedules or let employees work an extra weekend or a different holiday shift if they need time off for their own religious observances.
Can the same be done for teachers and other school employees?
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Do we need national standards?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has spent billions to improve high schools and now the group is taking on other issues.
The foundation announced plans Tuesday to look at teacher quality, national learning standards and ways to help more low-income students earn college degrees.
Many of the issues seem a natural next step from high school reform. (You may remember that the foundation awarded Atlanta Public Schools $10.5 million in 2007 to help transform its high schools.)
The issue of national standards could be the hardest to achieve. Others have argued for this and failed. But few have the power of Bill Gates.
The foundation’s director of education programs said the group hopes to write its own standards and its own national test. Once these are developed, the foundation said any state can get the materials for free.
What do you think of national standards? How difficult will it be for everyone to agree on what students must learn and teachers should teach?
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Can schools stop bullies?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Alexis Stevens wrote an about a Cobb County middle school honored for anti-bullying efforts.
The principal said the school has taught students to respect what makes them all different and that these lessons have reduced discipline problems at Palmer Middle.
Obviously things are working at Palmer Middle, but I wonder if the same lessons could succeed at other schools.
I know we’ve blogged about bullies before, but because the problem isn’t going away everyone will continue talking about it.
Bullies have always lurked in schools. Is the problem worse today or are we less willing to tolerate it?
How much can schools realistically do to stop bullying?
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What more should students learn?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The other day I visited an interesting program for middle school students. The Gwinnett Toastmasters offered a free class to teach middle schoolers about public speaking.
The kids learned how to maintain eye contact, control fidgeting and avoid peppering their speech with “ums” and “uhs.”
The program organizer explained that public speaking is an important skill, but one that is rarely taught or at least taught well.
After visiting the class, I started thinking about some other skills kids need to learn. For example, imagine if kids left high school knowing how to keep a budget and understood the importance of good credit.
Students need to learn the core subjects in school. But what other skills do they need to learn — whether it be in school, at home or in an extra program — to succeed?
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Should colleges accept AP credits?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Visit many high schools and you’ll see an increasingly large number of students taking college-level Advanced Placement classes. These courses resemble introductory college classes and are offered in 22 subjects.
Many students sign up for the courses thinking that if they pass the AP exam, colleges will exempt them from taking certain courses.
Students could start college with a full semester or year’s worth of classes. This could allow them to graduate early and save money or even have the time to pick up a second major within four years.
But over the past few years a number of colleges have re-evaluated whether to accept AP credit. Some college officials have said students weren’t ready for the rigor of a true college curriculum.
Others say colleges don’t take the credit because they’re afraid of losing money from students who could graduate early or at least on time. Some say colleges are insulted that high school teachers teach college-level classes.
The debate over AP classes could become louder as President-elect Barack Obama has made increasing access to these courses part of his education platform.
Should AP credits be guaranteed?
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What is the role of the State Board of Education?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m in Albany for the second day of a working retreat for State Board of Education members.
During their first day, board members discussed how they operate and whether they’re meeting their goals.
The board members are appointed to their positions. They set policy and establish rules over what students should learn and what teachers must teach.
Most of us know that. But what else should they do?
We expect them to increase student achievement and help more children graduate from high school on time with skills to succeed in college or in jobs.
Are there other goals this board must achieve? Should they work directly with Gov. Perdue or can they set their own legislative agenda and advocate for that?
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Concerns about school nutrition
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With all the focus on the election, I almost missed that Clayton County could lose $14.8 million in federal money unless the district’s schools get rid of junk food.
The USDA threatened to withhold the money when officials discovered Chick-fil-A sandwiches being sold during lunch at two high schools.
The National School Lunch Program has strict rules. Meals must include a meat (or substitute), milk, grain and two vegetables or fruits.
Clayton is now saying that sports teams and band boosters can’t sell Chick-fil-A sandwiches or pizza during school. Candy fund-raisers between classes also are out.
In the past few years there has been more focus on kids’ health in schools. Schools have been encouraged to offer more fruits and vegetables and fewer high calorie drinks as part of efforts to curb childhood obesity.
Some schools have tried to reduce their reliance on frozen items by buying their food from local or regional farmers.
How worried are you about the food kids eat in schools? Should there be limits on what schools and students can sell and buy?
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Civics lessons on Election Day
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia students in about 30 school districts - including Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett - are staying home today.
Since so many schools are used as polling places, some districts decided it would be easier and safer to keep kids off campus on Election Day. If the early voting numbers are any indication, we can expect huge turnouts today.
The majority of Georgia’s 180 districts are open today.
School leaders in those areas say having children on campus teaches an important message about civic duties. They also say keeping kids home could be inconvenient for working parents.
Should schools close or stay open on Election Day?
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Who should get school money?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The presidential race is the big draw on the ballot, but there’s another item that will have a large impact on all of Georgia’s public schools.
Amendment 2 would let tax allocation districts, or TADs, take property taxes that would go to schools and funnel the money to community redevelopment projects.
The issue was added to the ballot after the Georgia Supreme Court banned cities and counties from using TADs.
Many officials say this money is necessary for large-scale projects like the Atlanta Beltline.
But many school board members say all the money coming their way should be spent on students and schools. These arguments are bolstered when you look at the budget problems faced by DeKalb schools and other systems across the state.
What do you think this amendment?
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