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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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Should more students repeat a grade?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A story in Sunday’s paper revealed few students were held back after failing the parts of the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests kids must pass for promotion.
Georgia’s third-graders must pass state reading tests for promotion and students in grades five and eight must pass reading and math tests to advance. Between 11 to 23 percent of students failed the high-stakes tests on their first try in 2006 and 2007. Only 1 to 2.5 percent of them were retained.
A state law was supposed to stop social promotion — moving students to the next grade before they were academically ready. Many states have similar laws and they have long been controversial.
Opponents say it’s wrong to base such an important decision on a single test. They point to studies showing students who repeat a grade are more likely to drop out. Other reports show these students are more likely to be minorities, students with disabilities or kids who aren’t fluent in English.
Supporters say these high-stakes tests are needed to guarantee students enter the next grade prepared for more challenging lessons. Promoting students who haven’t mastered basic skills does more harm than good, they say.
Were local school leaders correct to promote so many students who failed the CRCT? Does the state need stricter rules over when students should be retained or should the law be scrapped?
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T2: I hate the ones who say, “I’m not A English teacher” even more! Your direct instruction comment reminds me of the first year I taught. A little boy (5 years old) came in every day and said, “Mrs. _,... read the full comment by catlady | Comment on Problems with teachers' notes? Read Problems with teachers' notes?
WFC, ?!?! I fail to see how IQ or class rank relate to chronically poor grammar or chronically failing to proofread. (The obvious answer of low IQ correlating to poor grammar notwithstanding.) I agree with the many earlier posters: no one is... read the full comment by HS Teacher Too | Comment on Problems with teachers' notes? Read Problems with teachers' notes?
This is a top-five topic that does set me off! I teach Language Arts (wish it was still called English). When I first began teaching many, many years ago, I was told not to use direct instruction to teach grammar in isolation. In fact, that was the beginning... read the full comment by Teacher, Too | Comment on Problems with teachers' notes? Read Problems with teachers' notes?
For the third time in the last couple of weeks a headline on the ajc.com has a mistake! “Megabu win’s elite race”. Now, if professional proofers can’t catch them, I am willing to cut teachers some slack. As others... read the full comment by catlady | Comment on Problems with teachers' notes? Read Problems with teachers' notes?