Form a committee of teachers from all areas of IPS (true teachers, with a full class load) who are able to talk to the Board Members about all issues. Dr. White has no communication skills, but if the Board listened to teachers who are in the classrooms daily, then we would have a wonderful team.
Lose the them vs us attitude, teachers are there for the best interest of students, they should not be at war with administration, this sic em attitude of administration needs to end. And start telling the unvarnished truth, we get kids who are the product of the society and homes they come from, we can only do so much, parents and the community need to work with the schools and teachers. STOP MANIPULATING STATISTICS
There is no one fix for IPS. The concerning problems seems to be the lack of respect for the teachers, the inept administration, both in the schools and the central office. It isn't a happy envirnoment and unforunately trickles down to the other employees which must affect the kids. There's a lot of resentment toward all the perks Dr. White has when others are still waiting for a signed contract and mini raises.
The only fix I see is replacing Dr. White. As long as he abuses teachers and disrespects us and trains his administrators to do the same, we are on the down hill slide. A school board with a brain and a backbone would help.
Each school should have an 'effective' School Based Decison Making (SBDM) committee and subcommittees. All school related decisions must be approved by the staff. Schools must have autonomy to develop a caring learning environment. The Principal and teachers must work together to create the school culture.
* Try to find people in the community to replace the stale, complacent IPS School Board ( with the exception of Dr. Cohen & Kelly Bentley) who would realize they work for the taxpayers, not the Superintendant * Audit the books: Cut every single unsuccessful & unnecessary program, including the compliance monitors. ( It's the principal's job to see that the bathrooms are clean and the work in the hallway is changed.) * Parents welfare checks would be tied to their child's attendance. *We are suppose to be a team: Censor ( financially) any administrator who disrespected a teacher. Three strikes and they would be fired! It's not us vs. them--it's us together!
Stop doing the cookie cutter approach for all schools..those that are making AYP shouldn't have to be subjected to the district mandates designed to help schools that are not making AYP...go in and fix the schools that need it and leave the other schools to continue without the interference from the central office
i would wipe out all of the top administrators; new, old and the returning thieves. I don't understand how dr white's secretary is making more than some of the principals. we need new administrators that are interested in the well being of all. children, teachers and everyone else that is the low man on the todem pole at IPS. give the teachers a dang contract how long must this go on. AT one time IPS teachers were the highest paid in the state and now they cant even get a hand out. if the upper administration would stop being greedy IPS could be a power house.
I agree with 5:18. The first step is to stop the district mandates. Focus on the problem teachers and the problem schools and leave the rest of us alone. I'm totally willing to be held accountable if I get to do things my way. If I have to do it someone else's way, then don't blame me when it doesn't work.
Stop the top down managment style, and the district wide mandates. Get rid of the uniforms in High Schools, probably 65% of our discipline referrals start with the uniforms, often the kids don't want to be there, this gives them one more reason not to want to be there, and an easy way out, suspension. Try teaching anything sequencial (and what isn't) with 25% of your kids absent each day.
Do away with Dibels testing and data collection. All this does is keep jobs for the been counters downtown. It proves nothing and punishes educators who could be lesson planning but are instead filling in sheets that no one reads, sees or cares about. How in the hell did we ever get to this being about education is beyone me. Must be corporate America's influence.
Reduce the number of licensed teachers who NEVER work with students-TOSAS, math coaches, compliance monitors,instructional coaches, and ON and ON. IPS has a greater % of licensed personnel who are NOT in the classroom than any school corporation in the state. The layers and layers of "middle management bureauacracy" do nothing to enhance the education of our students. I noticed in the board report that the titles of these "district traveling experts" have been changed. Instructonal coach is now Lliteracy Facillitator. A change in title will NOT make them any more effective. Put these people back in the classroom to work with students and keep them at the same building all day to stop the 2 hour lunches and shortened days that the traveling people consider perks.
I agree with 7:43.......too many teachers who are serving as TOSA'S and not in contact with students...get these teachers teaching.....while I am glad that the 197 teachers were made members of the CADRE and able to keep a job, that is a 100% waste of money........
The professional development cadre is a total waste of money. Ask any student how much education takes place when a substitute is in charge of the class. Professional development should NOT take place during school hours. The money used to pay this cadre could have been better spent paying stipends to teachers for before/after school workshops. Also-no teacher/administrator should attend conferences during school days. We can't be effective if we aren't there, just as students can't learn if they don't attend.
Re: 7:43 a.m.-- I TOTALLY agree! I know a lot of these people--some are great people-- whose goal it was to get out of the classroom. Some have less than five years of classroom experience, yet they were hired as coaches and last I heard they were working on what?...you guessed it, their administrative licenses!
Tanya Eaton is one of the worst coaches in IPS. She embarrasses everyone, her fellow coaches as well as the teachers that she is supposed to coach but is incapable of doing.
Let's focus on the task at hand with this blogsite. The task is not to argue among ourselves, not to pit one teacher against another, and not to slam our fellow teachers, especially by name, whether Classroom Teachers or Teachers on Special Assignment.
Our task on this blog is to shine the light of truth into that dark closet of IPS administrative secrets that ultimately holds the entire school corporation hostage. Keep focused on our task. Do not digress into petty personal disagreements among the teaching and instructional ranks.
Have the Star newspaper realize the damage they have caused with their words. For example, labeling Marshall teachers as worthless has created a situation where a lot of teachers do not want to teach there. Does the Star newspaper not realize that students also read what they say. How can students have any respect for teacher, who have been labeled in such negative terms? How can parents have any respect? I had stopped buying the Star many years ago. Not a dime from me for over seven years. I hope they go bankrupt.
IPS keeps trying new things; however, IPS does NOT keep doing the new things long enough to tell if they work. Stop changing things every year! Stop moving administrators around every year! IPS needs to plan carefully, create stability and maintain the patience to evaluate the plan over time.
Working in IPS has become very stressful. Kids are disrespectful to teachers, and they don't face any consequences. We send the message that it is okay to disrespect adults. Class sizes are too big. There are way too many TOSA's, coaches, etc... roaming around the buildings who really aren't helping. Teachers are frustrated because we haven't had a contract or raise. All of this trickles down to the students. Teaching used to be fun, but now it is so stressful that everyone seems to hate it. We are working for less money every year when health insurance keeps going up along with groceries, gas, etc... Things need to change.
IPS should be the poster example for your research. What did it cost to create the rabbit warrens of offices all over the high schools, only to abandon the small school concept a year later? Specifically designed kindergarten rooms and rest rooms with no kindergartners, and playgrounds built, used less then a year then disassembled. I went to the farmers market in Broad Ripple and there is some type of fenced in area that must have been a little playground, now I guess they can use it for cage fighting.
I still keep thinking that there are too many paid "teachers" who have no classes or pupils assigned to them. These adults manipulated, cajoled and retained positions in order to escape the classroom. Eliminate and redistribute.
Really? Manipulated? How about applied and interviewed? I agree that there are way too many coaches, but come on now. Most of them are experienced, qualified educators there to help improve instruction.
How about they WANT to be adminstrators and so they are little spies with agendas? Why do we keep letting them in key positions in our union? Please people, anyone who sits in an office created by Dr. White before being elected union pres. is probably not going to be effective in working through this mess. Lord help us all, I hope I am wrong!
Form a committee of teachers from all areas of IPS (true teachers, with a full class load) who are able to talk to the Board Members about all issues. Dr. White has no communication skills, but if the Board listened to teachers who are in the classrooms daily, then we would have a wonderful team.
ReplyDeleteLose the them vs us attitude, teachers are there for the best interest of students, they should not be at war with administration, this sic em attitude of administration needs to end.
ReplyDeleteAnd start telling the unvarnished truth, we get kids who are the product of the society and homes they come from, we can only do so much, parents and the community need to work with the schools and teachers.
STOP MANIPULATING STATISTICS
There is no one fix for IPS. The concerning problems seems to be the lack of respect for the teachers, the inept administration, both in the schools and the central office. It isn't a happy envirnoment and unforunately trickles down to the other employees which must affect the kids.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot of resentment toward all the perks Dr. White has when others are still waiting for a signed contract and mini raises.
The only fix I see is replacing Dr. White. As long as he abuses teachers and disrespects us and trains his administrators to do the same, we are on the down hill slide. A school board with a brain and a backbone would help.
ReplyDeleteIt seems IPS staff always blame whomever the superintendent is and think getting rid of them will solve everything.
ReplyDeleteHarry Truman had a sign on his desk that read, "The buck stops here." Seems appropriate for the superintendent.
ReplyDeleteEach school should have an 'effective' School Based Decison Making (SBDM) committee and subcommittees. All school related decisions must be approved by the staff. Schools must have autonomy to develop a caring learning environment. The Principal and teachers must work together to create the school culture.
ReplyDelete* Try to find people in the community to replace the stale, complacent IPS School Board ( with the exception of Dr. Cohen & Kelly Bentley) who would realize they work for the taxpayers, not the Superintendant
ReplyDelete* Audit the books: Cut every single unsuccessful & unnecessary program, including the compliance monitors. ( It's the principal's job to see that the bathrooms are clean and the work in the hallway is changed.)
* Parents welfare checks would be tied to their child's attendance.
*We are suppose to be a team: Censor ( financially) any administrator who disrespected a teacher. Three strikes and they would be fired! It's not us vs. them--it's us together!
Reggie White's new position would be a good place to start.
ReplyDelete4 Simple Words............Get Rid of White!!!!!
ReplyDeleteStop doing the cookie cutter approach for all schools..those that are making AYP shouldn't have to be subjected to the district mandates designed to help schools that are not making AYP...go in and fix the schools that need it and leave the other schools to continue without the interference from the central office
ReplyDeletei would wipe out all of the top administrators; new, old and the returning thieves. I don't understand how dr white's secretary is making more than some of the principals. we need new administrators that are interested in the well being of all. children, teachers and everyone else that is the low man on the todem pole at IPS. give the teachers a dang contract how long must this go on. AT one time IPS teachers were the highest paid in the state and now they cant even get a hand out. if the upper administration would stop being greedy IPS could be a power house.
ReplyDeleteI agree with 5:18. The first step is to stop the district mandates. Focus on the problem teachers and the problem schools and leave the rest of us alone. I'm totally willing to be held accountable if I get to do things my way. If I have to do it someone else's way, then don't blame me when it doesn't work.
ReplyDeleteStop the top down managment style, and the district wide mandates. Get rid of the uniforms in High Schools, probably 65% of our discipline referrals start with the uniforms, often the kids don't want to be there, this gives them one more reason not to want to be there, and an easy way out, suspension. Try teaching anything sequencial (and what isn't) with 25% of your kids absent each day.
ReplyDeleteDo away with Dibels testing and data collection. All this does is keep jobs for the been counters downtown. It proves nothing and punishes educators who could be lesson planning but are instead filling in sheets that no one reads, sees or cares about. How in the hell did we ever get to this being about education is beyone me. Must be corporate America's influence.
ReplyDeleteReduce the number of licensed teachers who NEVER work with students-TOSAS, math coaches, compliance monitors,instructional coaches, and ON and ON. IPS has a greater % of licensed personnel who are NOT in the classroom than any school corporation in the state. The layers and layers of "middle management bureauacracy" do nothing to enhance the education of our students. I noticed in the board report that the titles of these "district traveling experts" have been changed. Instructonal coach is now Lliteracy Facillitator. A change in title will NOT make them any more effective. Put these people back in the classroom to work with students and keep them at the same building all day to stop the 2 hour lunches and shortened days that the traveling people consider perks.
ReplyDeleteI agree with 7:43.......too many teachers who are serving as TOSA'S and not in contact with students...get these teachers teaching.....while I am glad that the 197 teachers were made members of the CADRE and able to keep a job, that is a 100% waste of money........
ReplyDeleteThe professional development cadre is a total waste of money. Ask any student how much education takes place when a substitute is in charge of the class. Professional development should NOT take place during school hours. The money used to pay this cadre could have been better spent paying stipends to teachers for before/after school workshops. Also-no teacher/administrator should attend conferences during school days. We can't be effective if we aren't there, just as students can't learn if they don't attend.
ReplyDeleteJudging by the grammar, spelling and mechanics errors in this blog, I would suggest a basic English class.
ReplyDeleteRe: 7:43 a.m.--
ReplyDeleteI TOTALLY agree! I know a lot of these people--some are great people-- whose goal it was to get out of the classroom. Some have less than five years of classroom experience, yet they were hired as coaches and last I heard they were working on what?...you guessed it, their administrative licenses!
Tanya Eaton is one of the worst coaches in IPS. She embarrasses everyone, her fellow coaches as well as the teachers that she is supposed to coach but is incapable of doing.
ReplyDeleteAmen 10:19 a.m., Amen.
ReplyDeleteLet's focus on the task at hand with this blogsite. The task is not to argue among ourselves, not to pit one teacher against another, and not to slam our fellow teachers, especially by name, whether Classroom Teachers or Teachers on Special Assignment.
ReplyDeleteOur task on this blog is to shine the light of truth into that dark closet of IPS administrative secrets that ultimately holds the entire school corporation hostage. Keep focused on our task. Do not digress into petty personal disagreements among the teaching and instructional ranks.
United we stand; divided we fall.
Anon 4:58 P.M.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Everyone should focus.
Have the Star newspaper realize the damage they have caused with their words. For example, labeling Marshall teachers as worthless has created a situation where a lot of teachers do not want to teach there. Does the Star newspaper not realize that students also read what they say. How can students have any respect for teacher, who have been labeled in such negative terms? How can parents have any respect? I had stopped buying the Star many years ago. Not a dime from me for over seven years. I hope they go bankrupt.
ReplyDeleteEliminate top down management style.
ReplyDeleteToo many managers without any idea of what actually goes on in a building.
It was not the Star that labeled Marshall and other teachers worthless. It was YOUR superintendent Eugene White.
ReplyDeleteIPS keeps trying new things; however, IPS does NOT keep doing the new things long enough to tell if they work. Stop changing things every year! Stop moving administrators around every year! IPS needs to plan carefully, create stability and maintain the patience to evaluate the plan over time.
ReplyDeleteTo: 6:05 AM
ReplyDeleteAMEN, AMEN!!
Your point is exactly the topic of my research paper. "The Operational Cost of Continuously Changing Instructional Programs and Management Ideas".
ReplyDeleteWorking in IPS has become very stressful. Kids are disrespectful to teachers, and they don't face any consequences. We send the message that it is okay to disrespect adults. Class sizes are too big. There are way too many TOSA's, coaches, etc... roaming around the buildings who really aren't helping. Teachers are frustrated because we haven't had a contract or raise. All of this trickles down to the students. Teaching used to be fun, but now it is so stressful that everyone seems to hate it. We are working for less money every year when health insurance keeps going up along with groceries, gas, etc... Things need to change.
ReplyDeleteIPS should be the poster example for your research. What did it cost to create the rabbit warrens of offices all over the high schools, only to abandon the small school concept a year later? Specifically designed kindergarten rooms and rest rooms with no kindergartners, and playgrounds built, used less then a year then disassembled. I went to the farmers market in Broad Ripple and there is some type of fenced in area that must have been a little playground, now I guess they can use it for cage fighting.
ReplyDeleteI still keep thinking that there are too many paid "teachers" who have no classes or pupils assigned to them. These adults manipulated, cajoled and retained positions in order to escape the classroom. Eliminate and redistribute.
ReplyDeleteReally? Manipulated? How about applied and interviewed? I agree that there are way too many coaches, but come on now. Most of them are experienced, qualified educators there to help improve instruction.
ReplyDeleteHow about they WANT to be adminstrators and so they are little spies with agendas? Why do we keep letting them in key positions in our union? Please people, anyone who sits in an office created by Dr. White before being elected union pres. is probably not going to be effective in working through this mess. Lord help us all, I hope I am wrong!
ReplyDelete