School starts this week. Share your thoughts. How are the students? What are your classroom conditions like? What did you have to pay out of pocket to get started? The list goes on. Also, feel free to give advice about what you do to make it through the first few days of class.
I feel so motivated and moved after Dr. White's HS meeting. I know he truely cares.
ReplyDeleteThen we get back to the school and showed the "Mediocre Teacher Plan" or what ever it was called. The principal saying he will let us know how many he "has to recommend" by Sept 9th or something like that.
We are then told lesson plans "must be online" or we will be labeled mediore. Then the building AR says that neither plan has been bargained and cannot be made policy. Well, I am going to do it even. Don't want to wind up on the hit list. Intimidation is all this super and the "Yes, Men" school board are about.
Of course Dr. White and the school board refused to bargain working conditions. They just keep piling on and don't want any hands tied. The union will probably just sign a little change of work condition like usual and it will be policy.
This plan has one flaw though. The administrators have to do the paper work and leg work. Just like the other evaluation tool. If the administrator does not than what? In addition if this mediocre tool is in place what about a regular evaluation are those nothing now. Or just another way to brow beat us.
So, get ready to look over your shoulders. I was excited about the school year and looking forward to it and the new students. Now, with this kind of attitude from administration I feel it will be a tense, scary year.
They sucked the enjoyment of our students out of me all ready I fear. I hope not. I hope Wednesday that my attitude will return to what it was at 7:15 a.m. today.
Chin up...you do it for the kids not the admin....
ReplyDeleteI'm confused by something. Are they really plannning on pulling some teachers out of their classrooms and putting them in the substitute office after the end of first semester? Our principal told us that her director wanted the names of her "marginal" teachers on her first day back! This could be a very scary year.
ReplyDeleteWhen will they bring the computer specialist back on the same day as the teachers? We are told that lesson plans must be logged online before the first day of school.
ReplyDeleteYet, computers and laptops are not available on the first day teachers report because the computer people come another date. Only in IPS does this make since.
So, I guess, that tomarrow evening at home while my kids want my attention. I will do it then, late. We are already told it will be considered late at 3:00 p.m. if not online Tuesday. Guess, mine will be late then.
With all the meetings today. No time to get to the classroom. Not even sure if all my stuff is still there or not. I need to set up my classroom as well and then oh yea have lessons for Wed-Fri.
Who ever came up with only two days to prepare needs to be shot. Of course I wanted to enter my building as set up last week. Was told the custodians were still waxing the floors and "no".
Expectations, yet they present us with obsticles. Will right hand meet left hand and ease our pain anytime soon?
No schedule...no class lists....only a tentative room assignment......school starts Wednesday....I guess at 7:15 Wednesday morning I will find out who, what and where I am teaching this year.........it justs puts a real dent in your beginning of school enthusiasm......how much longer must we endure this administation?
ReplyDeleteIPS needs more $ per student to educate urban kids. Yet, the same factors that prompt Eugene to justify more money per pupil are the factors that he tells his teachers should not impact their ability to reach or teach IPs kids...yeah, right!
ReplyDeleteThe marginal teachers are those who are targeted for termination, this is not a year not to belong to the union. Every administrative counsel meeting this is the tune they sing, blame it on the teachers, get rid of those who don't agree with us.
ReplyDeleteOur new principal thinks school buses letting kids off in front of the building looks "tacky". Style over substance.
ReplyDelete3:35 Anon, where do they want them dropped off.
ReplyDeleteMaybe, a block away and walk?
Hiding the fact that the school has kids who ride a bus? What is up with that?
Anon 3:35 PM
ReplyDeleteWe were both at Arlington today, right? I agree with Dr. Suggs that buses crowded in front of the building look less than organized - perhaps style is important on occasion. Substance wise, having the buses unload and load at the side of the building is more efficient and more attuned to safety factors. (Remember the death by school bus in the Washington Township bus unloading zone.)Separate ingress and egress for bus riders vs. drop-offs is necessary to insure student safety.
Actually, this is the first building level orientation I've attended in IPS that I perceived as well thought out, tightly constructed, and delivered in a forthright and easily understood manner. He left few questions unanswered, anticipated the FAQ's, and finished the meeting promptly.
I think this guy's got his act together, and I'm pleased to be a part of this reorganization of a high school that is long overdue for some serious administrative leadership.
I did not hear him mention or much less threaten anything about mediocre or marginal teachers being targeted. He gave teachers two weeks to submit their first set of lesson plans. That's fair enough.
No, I'm not a central office worker or a toady. Suggs barely knows my name, if anything.
Thank you, Dexter Suggs for contributing to this blog........
ReplyDeleteAnon 3:35 PM - "Our new principal thinks school buses letting kids off in front of the building looks "tacky". Style over substance."
ReplyDeleteYou are exactly what he was talking about today. If you took a walk around to the new location you would see that it is a much better location for our students. You are a coward, you are weak, and you are an embarrassment to what we are about to accomplish. I hope you get sick! Why didn't you say something when you were given the opportunity today, lack of courage. Shut-up coward!
3:35 the mediocre teacher info is in the handouts from the meeting with Dr. White.
ReplyDeleteHe should have said that the reason for moving the buses was safety. Many high school students do not appear at school when we begin because they thing the buses are tacky and uncool, so they would rather roll with their friend, and arrive fashionably late. He does not need to reinforce this idea/excuse. The system provides buses that will get you to school in a timely fashion.
He did seem to have his act together. But he needs to remember ain't ain't a word.
Dr. White needs to know the past tense of teach is taught not teached. Being able to write and speak in standard English is essential to our students future success.
Anon 4:54 PM
ReplyDeleteYes, this young man, Suggs, does indeed seem to have his act together. That's a good thing! We need more people who have their acts together. As the media pundits would say, I am cautiously optimistic.
Re: grammar/word usage/etc.
I am always reminded of a wise English professor I had who once quipped, "It doesn't bother me if a man says, 'I seen sumthin', if that man truly has seen something worthy of describing."
Frankly, being a child of the South, I occasionally use "ain't" for emphasis or when speaking in a friendly, down-home manner to like-minded folks. (i.e., "Ain't that the truth!")
Of course, I'm from a place where y'all is singular, and all y'all is plural. I believe Dr. White is from one of those places, also. No, I don't write using my Southern speakese nor does Dr. White, but I do enjoy annoying all y'all Yankees with my poetic license/freedom. Let's not forget that diversity includes regional language dialects.
Anon 4:46 PM
ReplyDeleteI'm Anon 4:44 PM. I am not Dexter Suggs. I was at Arlington HS today for the Faculty Meeting as a certified instructional staff member. Dexter Suggs wouldn't know me from Adam's cat. He's met me one time. I'm just calling out what I witnessed today. The guy was good. He had his act together, and I was impressed. I'm not an easy one to impress either. I'm too old, too jaded, too skeptical, and too honest to say someone's good if they're not good. This guy was good!
If this blog is only about negative teachers being rude as Dr. White suggested, why did he mention it? It must have some power with administration or he never would have mentioned it!!
ReplyDeleteI think that Suggs will be a good fit for Arlington. He is a good administrator as far as IPS goes. Here are a few suggestions to help you deal with him.
ReplyDelete1. He likes to say no! Send him an email so that he can think over the question first. He is much more likely to say yes from an email.
2. He likes to be in charge. While this is really good with the students, it can be a little alarming with the teachers. Sometimes he comes across way too macho. He is Me-Man kind of guy.
3. His English is terrible! Try to not let it get to you too much.
4. He takes everything that goes on in "His" school personally. This is usually good.
5. He needs to know everything that goes on in "His" building. He gets very upset if he doesn't know everything that you are doing. You can get on his good side quickly if you invite him into your classroom and email him everything new that you are trying and doing.
6. He is very organized. Stay on his good side by turning things in on time.
Useful information, if Suggs happens to be your administrator, however what happens if you happen to get one of the random and capricious administrators, bent on doing Dr. White's will, torturing teachers.
ReplyDeleteHow old is Dr. White? How much does he get paid? In fact, I want names and salaries of all of these top critics and toadies. Can anyone help us on this?
ReplyDeleteI think that Suggs will be a good fit for Arlington. He is a good administrator as far as IPS goes. Here are a few suggestions to help you deal with him.
ReplyDelete1. He likes to say no! Send him an email so that he can think over the question first. He is much more likely to say yes from an email.
2. He likes to be in charge. While this is really good with the students, it can be a little alarming with the teachers. Sometimes he comes across way too macho. He is Me-Man kind of guy.
3. His English is terrible! Try to not let it get to you too much.
4. He takes everything that goes on in "His" school personally. This is usually good.
5. He needs to know everything that goes on in "His" building. He gets very upset if he doesn't know everything that you are doing. You can get on his good side quickly if you invite him into your classroom and email him everything new that you are trying and doing.
6. He is very organized. Stay on his good side by turning things in on time.
7. He will say what is on his mind. You will not have to guess.
8. He has the ability to relate with any child. Kids have a great deal of respect for him.
9. Do not send him anything on paper. Become very comfortable with technology.
10. You will see him a lot of him. He does not miss work. Make sure you arrive to work on time.
11. I don't think he has a good side. The only time we saw him smile was when he was with the kids.
12. Overall, he is a very good principal, but I have seen him put it on some people. He will do anything for "HIS" students.
13. He also takes very good care of his good teachers and staff members . The others he will come see you.
He was born in 1947, here is a link to his contract.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.indianabarrister.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/eugene-white-ips-agreement.pdf
Please check the perks, when you don't have what you need to teach, and are thinking of spending part of your $400 a year raise on stuff for your students, remember he gets $900 a month for his Mercedes, and free gas, then just put the stuff on your credit card.
How does Dr. White's perks further the cultural objectives?
To Anon 7:13 PM...
ReplyDeleteThank you for your astute observations and heads-up info about Suggs. He sounds like a keeper for Arlington. Personally, I liked his no nonsense approach. He is what he is, and that's refreshing. He sounded like a stand-up guy who's a straight shooter. That's also refreshing for IPS.
As far as Dr. White's presentation this morning, that too was the best I've heard from him since his arrival in IPS. He presented data, statistics, and just the facts. He wasn't pointing fingers; the data did that for him. I could not argue with anything he said.
Apparently you were not around last spring when elementary students who had met their goals were treated to a rally at Conseco.....Suggs was in charge of the buses and some students did not get back to school until after 7pm. It was mass chaos. Shortly after that, Suggs was sent to Arlington.
ReplyDeleteSome complaints were aired about Dr. White's secretary receiving a huge salary. While I agree that the teachers should receive higher wages and better working conditions, I have to say that no secretary in ips is overpaid or even sufficiently paid or appreciated. The secretaries do their bosses' work most of the time and no administrator can function without them. Furthermore, would anyone be willing to work as Dr. White's secretary for that amount? I wouldn't.
ReplyDeleteThis is an old issue, move on. Being part of the IPS clerical support staff for nearly 20 years, I can assure you that there isn't any difference in the pay scale for good secretaries and those who won't/can't do the job.
ReplyDeleteThe majority of the secretaries do as little as possible.
And, if the secretaries are doing their bosses' job, maybe that accounts for poor the performance. Sorry, but an administrator can function without his/her secretary because there's always someone sister,aunt,daughter who would love to "work" for IPS.
Dr.White has two secretaries. One makes $68,000
ReplyDeleteand the other one makes $50,000. Wish I had gone
to secretarial school instead of the I.U School
of Education.
IPS school district is one big joke.
ReplyDelete