Evaluating teachers is what's "in" today. Determining teachers value. Making sure teachers make a difference. Identifying the good teachers from the bad.
The other hot topic is evaluating teachers based on student growth. Using test data to determine how much on an impact teachers have had or are having with the students in their classrooms.
In our state we are required to make student growth a "significant" factor when evaluating teachers.
How hard can it be? Give a couple of tests, look at the results, plug all that into a formula and there you have it. An easy way to evaluate the impact of a teacher.
The New York Times had an interesting article that spoke about the teacher evaluation system in New York City. This article suggests that evaluating a teacher is harder than it looks.
The article is a good read. It provides some perspective on a really complicated issue.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Homework Isn't What It Used To Be
When I had math homework in high school, I dutifully took my book home and worked on the problems. If I had a problem I usually waited until the next day in class to ask a question.
Now, students can access a variety of sites - like this one - where all you need to do is plop in the problem and it spits out the answer.
Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
It seems to me that it helps students who want to take shortcuts find those shortcuts.
In the end, students will need to be able to demonstrate their knowledge on tests where presumably they will not have access to programs like this.
It does seem that while this is a nifty site it complicates the task of teaching and learning.
Now, students can access a variety of sites - like this one - where all you need to do is plop in the problem and it spits out the answer.
Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
It seems to me that it helps students who want to take shortcuts find those shortcuts.
In the end, students will need to be able to demonstrate their knowledge on tests where presumably they will not have access to programs like this.
It does seem that while this is a nifty site it complicates the task of teaching and learning.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Pom Pon Halftime
Is education more important than film tax credits?
Last night a rally was held. The Free Press reported that people came to plan a strategy to save Michigan's film tax credit. I think that is wonderful!
But, where are the rallies in support of education? The Governor has proposed slashing spending on schools by $470 per student.
That's a lot of money. In Grand Ledge it would be about 2.3 million dollars. That's 2.3 million dollars less next year than we have this year.
How would we cut that much money from our budget? It would be very difficult. Almost impossible.
Yet I have not heard of rallies planned to protest this proposal. If we believe that public schools are worth saving then we need to fight this proposal.
But, where are the rallies in support of education? The Governor has proposed slashing spending on schools by $470 per student.
That's a lot of money. In Grand Ledge it would be about 2.3 million dollars. That's 2.3 million dollars less next year than we have this year.
How would we cut that much money from our budget? It would be very difficult. Almost impossible.
Yet I have not heard of rallies planned to protest this proposal. If we believe that public schools are worth saving then we need to fight this proposal.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
A Call to Action
The Governor has made his proposal.
Now it is our turn to act.
The Governor suggests that school funding can be cut by $470 a student.
I would suggest that it cannot.
In Grand Ledge, a $470 per pupil cut equates to a cut of over 2.3 million dollars.
Now it is our turn to act.
The Governor suggests that school funding can be cut by $470 a student.
I would suggest that it cannot.
In Grand Ledge, a $470 per pupil cut equates to a cut of over 2.3 million dollars.
Just this past year, we cut over 2.6 million dollars from our budget. We eliminated over 35 positions. We reduced our costs for athletics and transportation. We received concessions from our employee groups.
The Governor seems to believe that we can be more efficient?
Our administrative costs, according to Bulletin 1014 which ranks Michigan school districts by selected financial data, are among the lowest in the state.
In our district we have a hard cap on health insurance. Increases in premiums are paid for by the employees. In addition, staff members pay between 28% and 34% of their health insurance premium.
The Grand Ledge Public Schools have done much of the hard work needed to manage these difficult financial times.
While we appreciate the Governor’s attempt to tackle the complex and challenging problem of the state’s financial situation, his education cuts are an attack on K-12 schools. Governor Snyder’s proposal will not only damage Michigan’s future but will also damage our community’s present. His proposed $470 per pupil reduction in state aid is unacceptable.
How will we cut 2.5 million dollars? Should we eliminate busing, which costs over 2.2 million dollars each year? Should we eliminate athletics, on which we spend about $525,000 per year? Should we forgo buying classroom supplies or textbooks?
I agree that balancing the state budget is necessary, but I do not feel the Governor’s attack on education is the right approach. However, the Governor and the legislature could use the state’s financial situation as the opportunity to reform funding for and spending on public education. There are serious reforms being proposed that could save money and create a more equitable school funding system. The Practitioners’ Summit to Reform Michigan Public School Funding champions such reform (http://mischoolfunding.blogspot.com ). So does the Citizens’ Research Council of Michigan, which has published reports on both the revenue and governance of public education (www.crcmich.org ).
Those of us who care about public education need to act. Please communicate with the Governor and our state legislators. Ask them to reform the funding of public education. Contact information for the state leaders representing all of us that live in the GLPS district can be found on our district website – www.glps.k12.mi.us under the Board of Education tab and the Capital Connections link. Please join us in protecting our students and our community.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Girls Varsity Basketball
Thursday, February 10, 2011
District Wrestling
Neff's Reading Igloo
Looking Ahead
I have an game application on my phone called Four Free. It's a simple game where you try to line up four balls in a row - horizontally, vertically, diagonally - before your opponent does. The first one with four in a row wins. I play against the computer in my phone.
The phone usually wins.
I am terrible at this game. Well, that's not completely true. On "easy mode" I am quite successful. When I try to play on the "medium mode" I am terrible.
I was trying to analyze why I always lose. It is such a simple game, yet I usually fail to see that the computer has lined up three balls in a row and needs only one more to win. I get so focused on looking at my game pieces that I don't look at how the board has changed.
As I thought about this it struck me that we sometimes do the same thing in education. We get so focused on looking at our "world," that we fail to see that the world around us is changing. As a result, we may not see how new technologies or new ways of doing things offer the potential to transform how we offer education to our students.
Take online learning, for example. Much of the learning that adults do is done online. Many colleges and universities are now incorporating an online component into college courses. My son has taken several classes entirely online.
Yet in the K-12 environment we are slow to recognize the potential impact that online learning will have on how we do business. Is that because we are so focused on looking at our world - our own pieces on the game board - that we fail to see how the rest of the world is changing and adopting and moving in a different direction?
While I may never be very good at the game Four Free, I hope that I continue to get better at looking ahead to see where we need to take education so that we can continue to prepare our students to be successful.
The phone usually wins.
I am terrible at this game. Well, that's not completely true. On "easy mode" I am quite successful. When I try to play on the "medium mode" I am terrible.
I was trying to analyze why I always lose. It is such a simple game, yet I usually fail to see that the computer has lined up three balls in a row and needs only one more to win. I get so focused on looking at my game pieces that I don't look at how the board has changed.
As I thought about this it struck me that we sometimes do the same thing in education. We get so focused on looking at our "world," that we fail to see that the world around us is changing. As a result, we may not see how new technologies or new ways of doing things offer the potential to transform how we offer education to our students.
Take online learning, for example. Much of the learning that adults do is done online. Many colleges and universities are now incorporating an online component into college courses. My son has taken several classes entirely online.
Yet in the K-12 environment we are slow to recognize the potential impact that online learning will have on how we do business. Is that because we are so focused on looking at our world - our own pieces on the game board - that we fail to see how the rest of the world is changing and adopting and moving in a different direction?
While I may never be very good at the game Four Free, I hope that I continue to get better at looking ahead to see where we need to take education so that we can continue to prepare our students to be successful.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
The Storm of the Century!
We have been told since Sunday evening that a severe winter storm was coming. Today we are told that we will have blizzard conditions for much of the next twenty-four hours.
But right now, at 3:00 PM on February 1, it is not even snowing.
The National Weather Service just concluded a special weather briefing that indicated our region should receive between 8 and 16 inches of snow by Wednesday night.
We will try and update parents as soon as it becomes apparent that the weather report is accurate. If at all possible we will try and get the call out tonight before the 11:00 PM news. If the National Weather Service is accurate we should start to receive a heavy snowfall between 5:00 and 8:00 PM.
As always, our goal is to communicate as clearly and as quickly as possible. The safety of our students and staff is important to us. If we do receive 12 inches of snow or more we will monitor the situation carefully and reopen school when it is safe to do so.
We will use our Instant Alert system and the radio and television stations to get the word out this evening. We will also use our district website and Twitter.
But right now, at 3:00 PM on February 1, it is not even snowing.
The National Weather Service just concluded a special weather briefing that indicated our region should receive between 8 and 16 inches of snow by Wednesday night.
We will try and update parents as soon as it becomes apparent that the weather report is accurate. If at all possible we will try and get the call out tonight before the 11:00 PM news. If the National Weather Service is accurate we should start to receive a heavy snowfall between 5:00 and 8:00 PM.
As always, our goal is to communicate as clearly and as quickly as possible. The safety of our students and staff is important to us. If we do receive 12 inches of snow or more we will monitor the situation carefully and reopen school when it is safe to do so.
We will use our Instant Alert system and the radio and television stations to get the word out this evening. We will also use our district website and Twitter.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Girls Basketball
Friday, January 21, 2011
2nd Grade Literacy
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Empty Bowls
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Grand Ledge Wrestling
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Calculating Maximum Velocity
Sled Day for AP Calculus
Friday, January 14, 2011
Winter, Weather, and Robocalls
As I look out my window, it is snowing. Not hard enough to cause big problems but it is just a matter of time before we get dumped on. It may not happen today or tomorrow, but one day - perhaps on several days this winter - we will get enough snow to delay or cancel school.
I saw an interesting article in the Washington Post about how alerting families to delays can cause frustrations and anger.
A father in Maryland received a call at 4:30 AM to let the family know that school was going to be delayed two hours because of snow. The father thought that was too early so he created his own robocall message and sent it out the next day at 4:30 AM to school board members and school administrators letting them know that receiving a call at 4:30 AM was too early.
As with most things in life, there is more to the story than just an early morning phone call.
The story goes on to tell that the school had announced that there would be a two hour delay the night before. Most people probably had already heard about the delay. This father indicated that he knew about the delay the night before. That was why he was so mad about receiving the robocall at 4:30 AM.
As I read this story I thought about our experience here this winter. We have had one day cancelled because of snow and ice and a second day delayed because of snow and ice. We were lucky both times. The snow and ice came early so we were able to send out the message the night before. We didn't have to wake up early, look at the conditions, and activate our Instant Alert system.
But there will come a time when we have to do that. We send out our message twice. First, it goes to employees. We send that out about 5:30 AM. Why so early? Because many of our employees - especially bus drivers but others as well - get up early to come in and get the day started.
We then send our message to parents about 5:45 AM. Why so early? Many students are starting to get up around 6:00 AM so that they can catch a bus that comes at 6:30 AM. We need to get the word out so that we can prevent them from going out to a bus stop and waiting for a bus that will never come.
I can sympathize with the father who thought getting a 4:30 AM robocall to alert him that school was delayed was too early. I would agree that 4:30 AM is too early.
We attempt to get the word out as quickly as we can so that parents can make alternative plans and so that students don't get stuck waiting for buses that never will come. Our goal is to communicate quickly - but I promise that we won't call at 4:30 AM.
I saw an interesting article in the Washington Post about how alerting families to delays can cause frustrations and anger.
A father in Maryland received a call at 4:30 AM to let the family know that school was going to be delayed two hours because of snow. The father thought that was too early so he created his own robocall message and sent it out the next day at 4:30 AM to school board members and school administrators letting them know that receiving a call at 4:30 AM was too early.
As with most things in life, there is more to the story than just an early morning phone call.
The story goes on to tell that the school had announced that there would be a two hour delay the night before. Most people probably had already heard about the delay. This father indicated that he knew about the delay the night before. That was why he was so mad about receiving the robocall at 4:30 AM.
As I read this story I thought about our experience here this winter. We have had one day cancelled because of snow and ice and a second day delayed because of snow and ice. We were lucky both times. The snow and ice came early so we were able to send out the message the night before. We didn't have to wake up early, look at the conditions, and activate our Instant Alert system.
But there will come a time when we have to do that. We send out our message twice. First, it goes to employees. We send that out about 5:30 AM. Why so early? Because many of our employees - especially bus drivers but others as well - get up early to come in and get the day started.
We then send our message to parents about 5:45 AM. Why so early? Many students are starting to get up around 6:00 AM so that they can catch a bus that comes at 6:30 AM. We need to get the word out so that we can prevent them from going out to a bus stop and waiting for a bus that will never come.
I can sympathize with the father who thought getting a 4:30 AM robocall to alert him that school was delayed was too early. I would agree that 4:30 AM is too early.
We attempt to get the word out as quickly as we can so that parents can make alternative plans and so that students don't get stuck waiting for buses that never will come. Our goal is to communicate quickly - but I promise that we won't call at 4:30 AM.
Monday, January 10, 2011
US History @ Hayes
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Success and the Seahawks
What does it mean to be successful? I pondered that question last week as my wife and I visited her family in Seattle, Washington.
While there, much of the sports commentary focused on whether the Seattle Seahawks, the local professional football team, deserved their chance to go to the playoffs. At the time the Seahawks had six wins and nine losses. In their division of the National Football League if they won one more game they had a chance to win the division and make the playoffs.
Many sports fans and sports writers felt that a team that would finish losing more games than they won did not deserve to make the playoffs. The playoffs should be reserved for successful teams and a team with a losing record could not be classified as being successful. The Seahawk players, on the other hand, said that they deserved their shot because the rules said that division winners qualified regardless of their record.
What made the argument interesting is that there would be some teams in the National Football League who would finish with more wins and fewer losses who would not qualify for the playoffs. If the teams that qualified for the playoffs were supposed to represent the best teams in league, clearly a team that finished under .500 would not be one of them.
As it turned out, the Seahawks won their last game, won their division, and qualified for the playoffs. Their final record was seven wins and nine losses. Based on their record the Seahawks could not be classified as a success. Yet, they made the playoffs and have a chance, theoretically, to win the Super Bowl and be declared the best team in the league.
This story resonated with me. As I thought about the Seahawks and their goal of winning the Super Bowl, I thought about our district. How do we judge success?
Clearly, we do many things well. Grand Ledge High School had a graduation rate of over 94% for 2009. Our elementary and middle schools received an “A” on the Michigan School Report Card and our high school received a “B.” On state standardized tests, the majority of our students pass and do well.
But are we successful?
Our stated goal is to be among the best school districts in the state and nation. I believe each one of us wants to have a district that challenges our students and prepares them for any future that they may envision.
Even with the success that we enjoy, I would have to argue that right now we have not among the best schools in the state and nation. Even with all that we do well, there are ways for us to improve.
We need to make sure that every student makes at least a year’s growth in a year’s time. We need to make sure that our instructional practices engage and inspire students. We need to be responsive to our community and work to become a high performing organization every day.
The Seattle Seahawks snuck into the playoffs. They were lucky to make it. While they experienced some success this year, they clearly have a long way to travel to be considered among the best.
Our school district, on the other hand, does many things well. We are successful. But we are not where we need to be. Our administrative team, teachers, and staff are committed to moving forward, working hard to take the next steps so that we can be considered among the best in the state and nation.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Transparency - What's Good for the Goose . . .
Public schools must now post on their website information about salaries and benefits. Check out the Grand Ledge Public Schools page. The Budget and Salary Transparency Reporting page provides information about the insurance plans employees have, how much employees contribute toward their insurance, employee contracts, and the salaries of any employee who earns over $100,000. While this transparency is legislatively mandated, I believe that it serves a broader purpose. It shows that we have nothing to hide.
However, it seems that there are public schools in Michigan that are trying to hide things. Look at these websites: School One, School Two, and School Three. What is the common thread on these Budget and Salary Transparency pages - all of these schools do not report salary information like our school district and other school districts do because they claim that they either have no personnel costs or that they use a third party to hire so they do not have to report.
All of these schools are that I listed are charter schools. There seems to be a double-standard at work when regular public schools must report information but these supposedly public charter schools can obfuscate and hide information. It is probably technically true that they use a third party to hire but it is still tax money that they are using.
These three charter schools examples have some of the highest administrative costs in the state according to the State of Michigan's Michigan Department of Education's BULLETIN 1014 - Michigan Public School Districts Ranked By Selected Financial Data Published Revised May 2010. Vista Meadows had the 3rd highest administrative cost, Reach Charter had the 6th highest administrative costs, and University Prep had the 26th highest administrative costs.
Yet, a person would not be able to see evidence of that on their Budget and Salary Transparency Reporting page.
It appears like there is a double standard at work.
In running a school there are administrative costs. However, there seems to be a bias that says charter schools are more efficient than regular public schools. In ranking schools, the evidence suggests that there are public schools with above average administrative costs and there are charter schools with above average administrative costs. There are also public schools with below average administrative costs and charter schools with below administrative costs.
I believe that the Budget and Salary Transparency Reporting page is to demonstrate that schools are using money wisely. That is a good goal. I just wish that every public school - regular and charter public schools - were required to present the data in the same way.
However, it seems that there are public schools in Michigan that are trying to hide things. Look at these websites: School One, School Two, and School Three. What is the common thread on these Budget and Salary Transparency pages - all of these schools do not report salary information like our school district and other school districts do because they claim that they either have no personnel costs or that they use a third party to hire so they do not have to report.
All of these schools are that I listed are charter schools. There seems to be a double-standard at work when regular public schools must report information but these supposedly public charter schools can obfuscate and hide information. It is probably technically true that they use a third party to hire but it is still tax money that they are using.
These three charter schools examples have some of the highest administrative costs in the state according to the State of Michigan's Michigan Department of Education's BULLETIN 1014 - Michigan Public School Districts Ranked By Selected Financial Data Published Revised May 2010. Vista Meadows had the 3rd highest administrative cost, Reach Charter had the 6th highest administrative costs, and University Prep had the 26th highest administrative costs.
Yet, a person would not be able to see evidence of that on their Budget and Salary Transparency Reporting page.
It appears like there is a double standard at work.
In running a school there are administrative costs. However, there seems to be a bias that says charter schools are more efficient than regular public schools. In ranking schools, the evidence suggests that there are public schools with above average administrative costs and there are charter schools with above average administrative costs. There are also public schools with below average administrative costs and charter schools with below administrative costs.
I believe that the Budget and Salary Transparency Reporting page is to demonstrate that schools are using money wisely. That is a good goal. I just wish that every public school - regular and charter public schools - were required to present the data in the same way.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
