Parent and Community Engagement: Has Its Time Finally Come?

published March 2^nd, 2011 in Ed Week

Yes, yes, yes! Finally an article written by someone who realizes that it takes more than just a phenomenal teacher to produce a well rounded, intelligent, successful member of society. Education should not be delegated to schools alone. Instead it should be a shared responsibility between home, school, and community. At the national level I have heard increasing talk lately about the transition to community schools and this being a buzz word for future federal grants. Each school district has a slightly different interpretation of what a community school model may look like, but basically the school is used at a hub for the community. It’s doors are open almost 24hrs. A before school program gives students a place to go and engaging activities when parents have to leave early for work. After school programs invite in community organizations to teach students sports, arts, music, etc. The schools do not pay for these programs, but the students may pay a small participation fee. In return the organization has a facility to use where they can teach students, and will not need to rent space. Parents are also encouraged to come into the school to be homework mentors or to lead enrichment activities such as crafts, scrapbooking, sewing, and cooking. In the later evenings, schools can become a place for parents to take classes. Local community colleges are invited to use school space to offer classes for parents such as budgeting, computer classes, foreign language or English classes, etc. The school would provide activities for students during that time, so that the parents can study. This community school model is what Sheridan School District is in the process of implementing. It takes a lot of commitment from many different parties and a diligent person to organize and oversee it all.

I agree with the comment made in the article that, “without a much more powerful and successful approach to education, our society will fail its future. Ultimately education will only advance if we accept it as a shared responsibility and stop expecting schools to deliver it for us.” I think many school personnel would be amazed at how many volunteers are ready and waiting in their community. All they need to do is ask for the support!

States Slow in Tapping Aid From Education

published March 2^nd, 2011 in Ed Week

With all the talk of the current crisis in education funding and all the budget shortfalls, I was surprised to read that states have been conservative in using money provided by the federal government. In August of 2010, Congress set aside $10 billion for states to use to help stabilize their education funding. Oregon has used approximately 19% of the 117.95 million dollars awarded. Our neighbors in Washington and California have used a far greater percentage, 45.6 and 89.5% respectively. Sadly, some states are not able to access any of these funds due to the strings attached to the money. To be eligible to receive funds states have to show that they can maintain certain funding levels. For example, a state would need to show they can provide K-12 services at least at the same level they did in 2009.

While I am pleased to hear that the federal government is supporting education and assisting states with budget shortfalls, I wish Oregon would disperse more of the funding directly to districts. Over the last two years I have seen Dallas school district go from 3 great elementary schools, down to 2 elementary schools with no music programs and limited physical education. Next year they are planning to cut 4 teaching positions at each elementary school and increase class sizes to 30 to 33 students. I think local schools are in crisis mode now and this money the state is simply holding on to could have a huge impact in smaller districts!

Special Needs Students Find Apps For Learning In Tablet Computers

published March 2^nd, 2011 in Ed Week

I am always on the lookout for programs that are successful for special education students, especially since I have two children who fit into this realm. IPads are very engaging as most children are drawn to electronic devices that can function similarly to video games. I was particularly intrigued by the fact that these I-pads can be used to speak for someone who does not have adequate language skills. My son for example, has excellent receptive language skills but in unable to form words in a way that is recognizable to others. He is now almost seven, and while speech therapy does seem to help a bit, I imagine his language skills are something he’ll be struggling with for years to come. I think iPads would be a great fit for a student like my son who can read and write well, but needs help speaking. The older forms of communication devices that still exist in many schools are very limiting in that they usually just have a set of pictures for you to choose from, where as a computer will allow you to type anything you may want to say. I think I-pads would be advantageous for general ed students also. As mentioned in the article, games such as math ninja can be very engaging for students and can present math problems one at a time for those who get overwhelmed by a large sheet of problems. I’d like to see schools in the future diversify in the way they invest in technology. A mix of computers, laptops, I-pads, and other forms of technology would allow students the opportunity to select and use the correct tool at the time it’s needed.

Researchers Look For Ways To Curb 'Mean Girls' and Gossip

Published Feb. 2nd, 2011 in Ed Week

I think the relational aggression this article looks at becomes a larger issue as students enter middle and high school. I know at the high school where I currently work, bullying is an issue and ongoing battle for staff. There are several points in the article I found to be very true and worth reflection.

1) Emotional scars are real and potentially more painful that physical abuse.

2) Adults have minimal impact on stopping this type of bullying because the bully is receiving peer reinforcement.

3) The need to confront relational aggression is even more urgent now that students interact more online, where there is minimal adult supervision.

The program introduced in Seattle schools, Steps to Respect, sounds promising as it teachers bystanders to stand up for victims. The traditional anti bullying program teaches bystanders to take away the bully;s power by not feeding their need for attention. Bystanders are instructed to not be spectators, avoid laughing, and to not spread rumors by discussing the incident. The steps program instead teaches bystanders to always get involved to assist the victim by insisting the bully stops or by involving adults who can mediate the issues. Another similar program focuses more on helping both teachers and students understand the difference between normal social interactions and harassment.

I think all schools can benefit from character education programs and that they can go a long way toward the ultimate goal of educating students for their future lives. It's imperative that students have a good understanding of how their actions can impact someone else before they leave high school.

No Pass, No Drive Laws Spreading

Published Jan. 26th, 2011 in Ed Week

I was surprised to read that the majority of states have implemented a policy that requires students to have consistent school attendance, strong academic performance, and/or good behavior in order to receive a driver's license. This is a new development since my time as a teenage driver. I did receive a discount from my insurance company for good grades, but that is far different that the DMV prohibiting me from getting a license unless I met certain requirements. I am now curious to discover Oregon's rules for new drivers.

I think this model is potentially a great concept. Similar rules are in place for high school sports. Students must maintain a certain GPA and follow behavior codes. Driving is a privledge that I agree teenagers must earn.

In the article it states that New Mexico is trying to take this concept a step further by tying state test scores to receiving a license. They require a score near proficiency on state reading and math tests. Although its sad to say, I suspect a large percentage of the students where I currently work would not meet this requirement. I definitely think each state, maybe even each school district should set their own requirements. Students should be pushed to succeed within their ability levels.

Shaping the Debate Over Value Added

Published Jan. 26th, 2011 in Ed Week

After our discussion in grad sem class last month, I was very interested in reading more about the controversial value-added topic. This article in Ed Week was written by an economist to educators in an attempt to find common ground on the subject. I do agree that there are points that individuals on both sides of the debate can agree on.

1) There are good reasons for concern about the current system of teacher evaluations where 90% of teachers are currently ranked as highly effective. If this were an accurate portrayal, more students should be passing state tests and less students becoming drop outs. Everyone can conceed there is room for growth here and at the very least, evaluations need to be more honest.

2) If goal of evaluation is to improve the art of teaching with the hope of increasing learning opportunities for students- then who can argue with working toward improving the evaluation system?

The conflict seems to arise when we look at what the best form of evaluation may be. From an economist's perspective, "if we get rid of ineffective teachers and provide financial incentives to the remainder to improve, then students will have higher test scores, yielding more productive workers and a more competitive US economy." One estimate mentioned that just cutting low performing teachers alone could generate $100 trillion dollars in national income.

However, as the author of the article keenly pointed out, the logic of such economists makes most educators cringe. They fail to see that constant drilling and testing will lead to killing a student's motivation in school. Inquiry based learning will be replaced teaching to a test. Not to mention the numerous influences on a child's life beyond their homeroom teacher that can contribute to the way a student performs on a test.

There needs to be a middle ground between this outcry for better teacher evaluation methods and the teacher's desire to to do what is best for students while also feeling safe and appreciated in their place of employment. The concept of value added testing may be the wave of the future, but I think in time the supporters of this movement will see how ineffective and inaccurate this formula will be. It is seriously disheartening to read in this article that a New York City judge has allowed the local schools to publish performance ratings of teachers. I am a HUGE supporter of changing the current evaluation system of teachers, but I will never support this current concept of value added testing as a means of evaluation. 

Parent Trigger Law's Use in California Draws Controversy, National Attention

Published January 12th, 2011

This was a very interesting, short article. I like the idea of the parent trigger law in California that allows parents to make a decision about what happens at a school after it fails to meet AYP for three consecutive years. Parents can choose between converting the school to a charter school, replacing the principal and staff, changing the budget, or closing the school entirely. It makes sense to me that if school administrators and staff can't fix a serious problem within three years, then it's time for someone else with a different perspective to step in and make some changes. I also agree that parents should be more involved in the educational process. Not all parents are uneducated and uncaring, as many teachers I know believe.

I attended a Japanese program, when I was in middle and high school, that has recently converted into a charter school. Part of the reason the parents and staff pushed for the transition to the charter school was so that their funding would be more secure and couldn't be re-allocated on the whim of district administration. The transistion to a charter school also required the establishment of a board comprised of parents. The charter school has been highly successful and I believe that is in large part due to high levels of parent involvement.

I read in the article that nine other states are considering similar legislation. I'd love to see Oregon move inthat direction too!