Boston Globe: A higher bar for future teachers

<p>One more thing: When I worked in the corporate world, offices were staffed about 20-25% during the time period from Dec. 15 through January 2nd. That was not simultaneous with individual paid employee vacations. It was “understood” and wink/wink that no one was really counting anyone’s hours. Employees who previously didn’t realize that, or employees with no particular pressing social involvement, or workaholics, would show up to a bare-bones environment. Then, in addition, there was the recognized official paid vacation during non-recognized holidays. Having worked in both educational & noneducational worlds, my experience is that non-educators have more liberal access to paid vacation hours, even in cases when their non-vacation commitment of hours is similar.</p>

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<p>It has not been my experience in 3 states so far. In fact, we have been in a start from scratch every years for the last 5 years with my son in particular (not as much so with my goalie daughter). In fact, we are about to make the 2nd school initiated high school change (within our county) for him in 3 years into the high school for those kicked out of every place else.</p>

<p>And you may ask what is his problem???</p>

<p>He is an Aspergers high funcitoning autistic.</p>

<p>It only took a 72 hour psych hospital inpatient ward for the doctor there to tell us that there was nothting wrong with our 12-year old (at that time) son (who had pulled surgical pins out of his foot - hence the hospitalization) except that he has the hallmark sensory integration problems and other symptoms of autism.</p>

<p>This from a kid who had seen special education evaluators in public schools since he was 2 (we knew from birth that he had issues, but were not able to pin it down ourselves either). This from a kid who has a file drawer of testing information that has followed him from year to year, school to school, state to state. </p>

<p>I remember asking one of his teachers in Wisconsin about mid year what she thought his issues were. She was unaware that he had issues. Didn’t you look at any of the (18 inches of) files that I hand delivered to the school principal a full month before school started? She hadn’t even checked.</p>

<p>And in the almost 5 years since the diagnosis, the schools have fought us tooth and nail to keep him “mainstreamed” in classes of 35 kids that overwhelm him to the point where he becomes a constant distraction to himself and the class. They give him 1 block a day of “study hall” in a smaller room with other “special ed” kids that is a little more controlled.</p>

<p>The only social skills development (always lacking in autistic children) I can get him is through private group therapy. The schools don’t do that for “older” children here.</p>

<p>And strangely enough, I am almost looking forward to his being sent to this alternative high school for troubled kids. At least at that school they put only 12 kids in a room with a teacher and an aide (mostly for safety sake). With the severe controls put on in the classroom, it hopefully shouldn’t be as overwhelming as the chaos he has experienced since he started middle school.</p>

<p>And it isn’t only just autistic kids who need a “different” style of instruction. You can look at dyslexics (my DW), dyscalcics (sp?), ADHD, and a host of other learning differences that may dictate a variation from the <em>standard</em> classroom environment with <em>standard</em> instructional method.</p>

<p>So when you consider that I have 2 children who have grown up in the same house, with the same school environments, with radically different results - my “average” (IQ 100) daughter who is pulling down mostly A’s (3.6 - 3.7 GPA unweighted) in honors classes at a NE prep school (thank God for scholarships) because she works harder (22 hours working on homework per week avg) vs. my “Aspergers” (IQ 120) son who can’t keep a 1.5 GPA, can’t keep out of in school suspension (or out of school for that matter) despite getting 1 - 2 hours of private or group counseling every week.</p>

<p>I can tell you it is the pathetic public education system we’ve experienced that passes him along, each year trying the same failed general ed solution. They don’t talk to each other. Why, because the schools are NOT engineered to deal with learning differences because that costs MONEY.</p>

<p>Chasing the silver bullet of whatever fad standardized educational practice (I don’t care what it is called today) will NOT educate a large number of its students.</p>

<p>Yes there should be standard ways of educating children who are similar in cognitive makeup. But, first you must identify the cognitive makeup of children who do not fit the “typical” (if there is such a thing) pattern. You must find them separate methods that are appropriate for thier learning abilities. If you don’t, not only do those kids suffer, but they also slow down the rest of the “normal” children.</p>

<p>No, I am not an educator, although I grew up in a family of teachers. My DW (despite her dyslexia) is an instructional assistant in special ed (getting paid on the same pay scale as cafeteria workers) with an associates degree in early childhood development. So for us, knowing that there could and should be better, there is a special torture for us seeing the miseducation of our son.</p>

<p>Yes, teachers you all might work with may share the wealth regarding students moving through a system, but it has NOT been our experience. Our daughter is successful (working hard and doing well in honors classes and enjoying it at a prep school) when our backwards school here wouldn’t even place her in those classes because she didn’t seem bright enough. Our son has been the problem child at every school he has been at, and when finally they have the diagnosis handed to them, they fail to take appropriate action and keep trying failed solutions, because those are the only solutions they have to offer.</p>

<p>I think the biggest problem is recognizing the problem is closer than you think. Survey after survey show parents think public education has serious problems, yet the same majority of parents think their school is just fine. I just happen to be one of those parents who recognize that the problem is right in front of me.</p>

<p>Sorry if I stepped on some toes. I’m just a little bitter.</p>

<p>ephipany: Where do you live? If you reveal it, you’ll start a stampede heading to your town!</p>

<p>Teachers in my town do not work in the summer unless they volunteer for music lessons or K prep classes. They are paid well for this extra time. They teach for 180 days and are to report in one day before the start of school for a staff meeting. Their contract requires them to attend 3 evening events each year. One is the required November conference night. One is the Open House. The third is of their choosing. (The vast majority do come to more events, such as holiday or Spring musicales, family math nights, etc. because they are decent people who enjoy seeing their students enjoy special events and performances outside of the classroom.) All coaching/club supervision/extras past 3:15 are voluntary and the teachers are well compensated. We have a permanent sub in EVERY school, as sick time is used frequently enough to necessitate this additional staff member. If an additional sub is needed, retured teachers who are drawing a pension are now eligible. They jump at this chance to earn $300 a day. Sub work used to be low paying & was used by people attempting to get their foot in the door & return to teaching after a stay-at-home-mom break. No more.</p>

<p>Our school nurse takes lunch off grounds each day and has convinced the staff to refuse to be delegates for epi-pen training. Thus, parents of peanut allergy kids feel compelled to be at the school for every lunch period as a precaution. They are not allowed to supervise the lunch room, but sit in the principal’s office waiting to deal with anaphylactic shock in an emergency. The school board & superintendent have been ineffective in dealing with this critical concern.</p>

<p>Each day the elementary teachers have a free period while a “special” is taught: library, gym, music, art, or Spanish. That’s when most paperwork is done. The huge difference in teacher quality really shows up here. Dedicated teachers assign plenty of writing assignments that require time to correct. They lug bags full of work home & complete it after their own family requirements are met. The duds rely on multiple choice worksheets. Our town generally has three classes in each grade and there are 5 elementary schools. The curriculum guidelines may be the same, but the disparity in teaching quality and material actually covered is huge.</p>

<p>In the 20 years I’ve lived here, only two teachers were removed. One had molested young girls. He received no jail time, only probation. He retired with a full pension. The other used duct tape to tape a kid’s mouth and tape her to a chair. The teacher was put on paid leave for two years while the union fought her removal. She too, retired with pension intact. A third grade teacher who was monitored by DYFS (Division of Youth & Family Service) because of abuse reported by a child’s therapist was also caught using classroom time to send personal e-mails every day. While she handled her personal business, she would dump ten worksheets on each kids’s desk. Boring for the advanced kids. Absolutely impossible for ADD kids or those with other learning issues. Kids who failed to finish were threatened with being prevented from marching in the school Halloween parade and being excluded from the class trip. She earns a nice six-figure salary & has faced no penalties.</p>

<p>re correcting papers-
That is often a job for a TA- a student who isn’t able to- get a full course schedule or doesn’t want one, is assigned to be a TA.
Some teachers in elementaries use parents- I remember my teachers- just having us switch papers while we went over the answers.
One recent incident though I felt was over the line and I went to the principal when a teacher at the local accelerated middle school needed help correcting papers and advertised for former students in the accelerated high school newsletter- he was willing to pay $8 an hour every week for 5 hours of help. Not only was I surprised that a teacher could afford to pay a high school student over minimum wage for correcting papers, but that he thought that was appropriate to advertise for.</p>

<p>EK:</p>

<p>Wow! I never heard of someone else correcting my kids’ papers unless this person was a student teacher doing a practicum and assigned specifically to take charge of one unit, say a particular project that involved some writing. In high school, S had some student teachers from HGSE who took over in the second semester under the guidance of the permanent teacher, after having observed him/her during the first semester. But I never heard of TAs in k-12 schools or anyone being hired by teachers to correct homework.</p>

<p>I’m vague on the details, but I think NJ doesn’t allow classmates to grade each other papers on the grounds of privacy invasion. I’m too lazy to research this one, but it was recently ennacted, perhaps by the state legislature.</p>

<p>“Since the summer vacation is an “exaggeration” - why not elminate it for teachers?”</p>

<p>At the same time maybe eliminate summer college courses to improve themselves. Eliminate taking down the classroom and setting up the classroom for fall. Eliminate moving furniture as the custodians don’t do that . </p>

<p>You have no idea what goes on in a classroom when the kids aren’t there. </p>

<p>“Have them report to school each day in the summer to, prepare lesson plans and be available for summer tutoriing”</p>

<p>Many school districts have summer programs and many teachers do this already. </p>

<p>“Same thing with those one week vacations in winter and spring”</p>

<p>Maybe we can shackel them to their desk. How dare they get time off. After all, they are “only” teachers. What good do they provide?</p>

<p>“And why is it that so many teachers seem to use all those sick days each year?”</p>

<p>Maybe we should fire them for getting sick? Something about being around 25-30 different kids each day with different levels of hygine. That’s it! You sloved the education problem in America FIRE them for getting sick! </p>

<p>Problem sloved Citation thanks for your great ideas.</p>

<p>I agree that there are privacy issues-
when I was in school you would want to sit next to a friend- so they would “correct” your work for you
Im not saying all teachers do this- far from it- but it was an accepted practice when she was in her previous school. ( perhaps as an alternative school- they had more flexibility, I do remember many practices which I dont think would have been tolerated elsewhere)
What I didn’t understand was why practices across the district seemed so varied.
this is from the email I sent to the middle school principal

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<p>Principals are not only required to write school budgets but to supervise teachers and build community. We need better identification of potential principals IMO, and more support and better training once they are in their positions</p>

<p>This thread began with a quote from Arthur Levine addressing the need to drastically improve the quality of the undergraduate education obtained by the majority of K-12 teachers. Of course, not every teacher or teacher candidate is poorly educated, but Levine and many others are referring to the types of programs that produce the vast majority of teachers. It is hard for me to understand why anything he said is controversial. It is no secret on university campuses that education colleges have the weakest programs and, on average, the weakest students. (Of course, there are exceptions, but they are exceptions.) Smart dedicated teachers and teacher candidates have nothing to fear from the sort of reforms being proposed by Levine and many others.</p>

<p>However, to some extent, Levine misses the point, in my opinion. Even if every single public school teacher receives a better education, some will still be more dedicated than average, smarter than average, harder working than average. Unless the almost universal unitary pay scale contract is assigned to the dustbin, these harder working, more effective teachers will still be paid the same as the teacher who abuses sick leave, who reuses multiple choice tests year after year, who fails to stay abreast of changes in scientific fields, who siimply doesn’t care. I can’t think of any other field that fails to reward the best and refuses to dismiss the worst. This town has a math teacher with a degree in math, but he is a drunk and a lousy teacher. He just hangs on and on, and the most the school can do with him is hope he takes retirement when he gets his 25 years in. Levine’s proposals are definitely necessary, but they are insufficient.</p>

<p>As for the argument about whether or not teachers are underpaid, given their schedules, for every teacher Epiphany shows me, I can show her two that put in very few hours after school, none on weekends, and have long, lazy summers. In fact, many of these people left other fields to become teachers so that they could have the same winter, spring and summer breaks as their children. I have no problem with their desire to be with their kids, but their pay reflects their schedules, and they have no reason to whine. As for those who work harder and take on more responsibility, they should be paid accordingly; talk to the unions and school boards about that. One further note about pay: retirement plans. Have you checked into them and compared them with the plans available to other professionals with bachelor’s degrees?</p>

<p>We’ve had some great teachers, we love them. We’ve had some terrible teachers, and I get a pain in my stomach when I think about the damage they do. The problem is the system that refuses to distinguish the two groups so that the former remain teachers without being paupers, and the latter are encouraged to find another line of work.</p>

<p>this is an interesting article-
it cites one 3rd grade teacher for example complaining about keeping a poor 2nd grade teacher on- because then when the kids get to her classroom she has to teach both 2nd and 3rd grade
<a href=“http://www.saee.ca/policy/D_021_DDB_LON.php[/url]”>http://www.saee.ca/policy/D_021_DDB_LON.php&lt;/a&gt;
so some areas are trying to change seniority hiring practices</p>

<p>Don’t know about teachers hiring anyone, but I have heard many stories about teachers using parents as volunteers to help grade student work.</p>

<p>I think it is a grave ethical violation for parents to have that kind of information of other people’s children (since they will clearly know areas of difficulty, etc). As far as I know, it is still going on, and frequently.</p>

<p>“Why, because the schools are NOT engineered to deal with learning differences because that costs MONEY.”</p>

<p>I agree with you goaliedad. Unfortunately, society is not willing to pay for the individual care your child needs. I know districts try, but at the same time face budget issues that rob the classroom. Many children need special help, some districts have deeper pockets for aides and specialists. </p>

<p>While I know it is easy to find fault in a school or teacher for this situation, aren’t they really stuck as well? Your child needs more 1 to 1 time than another child might, but their budget only goes so far. Since most funding comes from our legislators, shouldn’t they be held accountable for lack of funding? You know it’s easy to pass NCLB, it’s another thing not to fund it.</p>

<p>Great post, midmo.

I agree that assigning the unitary pay scale to the dustbin is essential for reform.</p>

<p>I remember reading a book by Reginald Damerell, called Education’s Smoking Gun about 20 years ago. The gun is still smokng!</p>

<p>We’ve had a problem with SPed here, too. The culprit has been the school department and school committee. The parent of a child with LD had to sue the district for her son to be accommodated. His disabilities necessitated his attending a school outside the district which the district was unwilling to pay for.</p>

<p>Actually SS and some others here you should really change careers and become teachers. Because you make it sound so easy and profitable…:slight_smile: </p>

<p>No really, I’m serious. It’s the perfect job, high pay, few hours, absolutely no responsibilities… what a great gig. </p>

<p>So why nationally are we having trouble gaining teachers? Wouldn’t every example of high pay, low work, no risk of termination and little time be a driver into the field? Logic? </p>

<p>Throw em all under the bus I say… :)</p>

<p>“Smart dedicated teachers and teacher candidates have nothing to fear from the sort of reforms being proposed by Levine and many others.”</p>

<p>Animal farm comes to mind here. We’re all equal but some are more equal than others. </p>

<p>Certainly dump it all on one side of the issue with the assumption of those doing the evaluation are free from any “background noise” (re:agendas) that would or could cause distortion. I often find with the anti teacher crowd a blind obedience to administrators and their judgement. One side is incompedent and the other are wise and rightous. please. </p>

<p>Let’s make it into a beauty contest, shall we? Or find me a bias free individual, just one, that’s all I ask. :)</p>

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<p>Yes, our county has deeper pockets for having a consultant attorney who gets a very generous 6 figure fee for figuring out how the school district can AVOID spending money on special education. In fact, the school district has spent more money litigating special education that actually engaging in special education in the last 15 years. Ouch!</p>

<p>Most of this litigation stems from language that only requires providing the most appropriate educational situation reasonably available in our state. If you limit what is <em>available</em> to the children, then you are doing every thing you <em>can</em> - a dishonest way of handling the situation.</p>

<p>So when you go into an IEP meeting for your child who needs a smaller, quiet learning environment because of sensory integration issues, all they can offer you is a study hall in a small left over storage room for 1 block a day. The rest of the day it is back in the regular classroom without any assistance for the child in dealing with the overwhelming environment or for the teacher in dealing with the overwhelmed child.</p>

<p>Opie, I don’t have the correct last name, or I’d give it a shot. There is no shortage of applicants around here. The ones chosen are relatives of the mayor, BOE, and town commissioners. I’d be out of luck. And alternate route certification candidates are not welcomed here, either. And no, not because those candidates expect teachers to bow to them, as you stated earlier. I’ve already switched careers a few times in my life, so I’m not afraid of change or new challenges.</p>

<p>The salary here and the hours ARE fantastic. The benefits and job security can’t be beat. But who said the job was easy if done correctly? Nobody here on this board. Who said there was no responsibility? Nobody on this board. What we have said repeatedly is that there is no ACCOUNTABILITY. Teachers who shirk their responsibility, even have egregious violations that harm or endanger their students, are protected and can sit out their long, well-paid careers with no penalty.</p>

<p>Here’s another anecdote: In my town about 10 years ago, an ethical, enthusiastic BOE member campaigned on a platform of anti-nepotism. She wanted to institute a ruling/regulation that no BOE member could serve if he or she had relatives employed by the school district. That pesky conflict of interest thing… As virtually every single member, including the eight other reps & the school board administrator & the superintendent, had relatives in the district’s employ, she was treated like a pariah. Her house was picketed every day by TEACHERS! Her children were taunted by TEACHERS! Years later, after completing a doctorate in education, she was turned down for a teaching spot in our town…despite the fact that she holds both a bachelors and a masters degree in math & we are always looking for good math teachers. A neighboring district snatched her up & she is enjoying her work with remedial high school math students. They are lucky to have her. So you see, not all teachers wear halos & float on wings, as you seem to believe. Some of them wear horns.</p>

<p>when you go into an IEP meeting for your child who needs a smaller, quiet learning environment because of sensory integration issues, all they can offer you is a study hall in a small left over storage room for 1 block a day. The rest of the day it is back in the regular classroom without any assistance for the child in dealing with the overwhelming environment or for the teacher in dealing with the overwhelmed child.</p>

<p>oh I can commiserate
My daughter has such sensory issues that for the first three years of school, I didn’t even consider public school, despite our modest income, because of the integration problems. ( it is also difficult to show in testing & for several of her issues the tester would acknowledge she had them- but would admit that they extreme enough impact for the district to cover them- )</p>

<p>I have been involved in the Sped community, because I see parents who have kids with more severe differences pretty overwhelmed and not able to advocate at a district level for kids.</p>

<p>Districts do things like this-
a local elementary school has extra supports for students with challenges, so they have the bulk of the districts homeless students. For some reason the district figured special needs=special needs and so placed students with severe disabilties in with students who were homeless and all the challenges that go along with that situation.</p>

<p>Needless to say- from the childrens persepective it is not a shining success.
The homeless kids- who aren’t special needs, but who have parents who may be abusive/drug addicts/mentally ill, are obviously still under a great deal of stress, and look, here are some kids who are also challenged in some way, but less able to defend themselves physically or verbally.
Perhaps with a lot of extra help in the classroom that could have worked- but… :(</p>

<p>I have also heard the district attorney state that it was cheaper in long run to pay out court costs, than to provide services- With the advent of reworking of IDEA 2004, and the lowered expectations, it seems his optimism was well founded.</p>

<p>( I will step down from my soap boax now)
In defense of teachers- I will also say that last year for example- when the 504 coordinator and the school psych wanted my daughter to be removed from her honors/AP classes instead of the teachers applying accomodations like extra time in tests- I refused as per her wishes.
( This also did not come from the teachers- but their interprtation of a general district edict to limit accomodations)
Her teachers however- saw that she was bright and willing to work hard, and took extra time to help her outside of the regular school day.( she stayed in her honors and her AP class and finished with a B+ average)</p>

<p>This was not unusual at her school, they have amazingly dedicated teachers- however- half of their extra work, ( and hers) would not have even been required, if teachers in her previous school, had, had a higher bar, for students and themselves.</p>

<p>Stickershock:</p>

<p>So the appropriate target should not be teachers or teachers’ unions but “the eight other reps & the school board administrator & the superintendent,” no ? Surely they are the ones who ought to wear horns? And what do voters have to say about these corrupt officials? If they are not gotten rid of, you could have every single applicant to teach with a Ph.D and umpteen years teaching experience and they would not be hired, woud they?</p>