All students, teachers, parents, building level administrators need to document when bulling occurs. The six-step policy is a joke. If we document and present the evidence to the media, change will occur.
If you tell an administrator, they do not want to hear it, plain and simple. It's a smudge on their reputation as a principal or asst. principal. They, like those in Carmel Clay District, just hope it goes away or vanishes on its own.
Eugene White would cover it up like he has so many other things and Mary Busch would support him. If those Carmel kids did not have wealthy parents, they would have been in jail two months ago.
If the Carmel basketball players had violated a freshman cheerleader in this manner, would we still be seeing misdemeanor charges? I object to the minimization of this because the victim was male.
That's a damn shame. People that heard it should step up so that officer isn't looked upon poorly. It was reported here the next morning, so clearly somebody knew of it.
Back to the subject of hazing: I knew of a case of a boy being sexually harassed by another boy at school. We told the principal. Guess what the principal told the boy ( the one being harassed) ? Don't tell anybody. Needless to say, we took care of it. CHILDREN FIRST!!
The Carmel School problem was a sexual assualt, not hazing. When you have the nurse at the hospital call CPS, then it's a sexual assualt. Carmel School System is worthless, they are rated by Dr. Bennett as a "C" school, and why cover up sexual abuse? Mr. Turner take this case to court, let them move it to Marion County, I will give your client one million in damages and four million in puntive damages, with his college paid for his school of choice.
Sad, who is running the Social Studies Department for IPS? I am glad you did get the pacing guide, before school closed, now it's all your fault if a student fails, you didn't follow the pacing guide. See how the system works and the "bobble-headed" board just nods in agreement with the "all right, Dr. White".
Yes he is still on the payroll. He is messing with the Social Studies Departments at all schools.
The benchmarks did not deal with big subjects but were rather trivial pursuit. We are teaching the kids what the big picture is and they know that but to pick out trivial things is total b.s. Who decides what is more important than another thing. I found on each of them this year we had covered the subject (except the last one that was done way to early) but I had not emphasised certain aspects and instead focused on other matters. Thought they were more important in the big picture of the topic.
The district needs to realize social studies is not simple. Teachers are covering subjects but every teachers sees things different. It is not as simple as 1 + 1 = 2 (like in math). Perspectives come into play. Without being told what part of some historical event is being targeted some teachers will pass by that part quickly. Does that mean the kids don't understand something like the depression or the rise of the roman empire? No, it means some downtown in a suite disagreed and this time targeted something the teacher felt was not important. The kids understand the spread of the black plague but maybe not what happened in one specific city (that was only mentioned on one page of the book).
Can we go back to social studies department heads. Instead of someone downtown justifying their job?
My cell phone is not working well. Hope this goes through correctly.
The post above about the social studies benchmark is spot on. I actually use the same exact 1+1=2 analogy all the time in my classes, because so much of learning history is perspective and what the teacher (or student even!) thinks is most important in regards to cause and effect. You can't benchmark a subject like SS that is so dependent on individuality.
I'm a parent, not a teacher, so forgive me if these are silly questions. Are benchmarks the same thing as Indiana Academic Standards? If not, how do they differ? Are the benchmarks available online? Do they change every year? And as teachers, you don't know the particular parts of the standard that might be tested by the district -- am I understanding that correctly? Not only that, but the particular part that was tested last year might not be the particular part that was tested this year? Because if I'm understanding you, that's absolutely idiotic. If they want to break down social studies facts like math facts, so be it, but then they need to let the teachers know the facts they're supposed to teach.
For the record, it doesn't help that the social studies books are horrible! A reliable pacing guide would help, but I am not too sure it's the answer either. Maybe some leadership that actually talks to teachers would be a start.
The benchmarks are not the Indiana Academic Standards (but are based somewhat on them). This test to see if the teachers are keeping the pacing guide. The tests though are based on what someone believes is important (about a given era) and sometimes does not test on what the kids has been taught about the era or event.
So, then even though the kid knows just about everything else. The teachers gets marked down on evaluations because they did not know the specific thing that was chosen to question on.
They sometimes pull things that are obscure. A couple of years ago one questions looked at the exact frequency the first radio broadcast was about. Not how radio informed more people and reached more people, more quickly. They wanted to know the exact place on the radio dial to find it. (I had focused on what was important about radio in bring people together and exchanging information.) My evaluator marked me down for not teaching the standard. The standard does not want the exact radio dial place. Again, this goes to two educators feeling different about what was important.
Just as if you go to college or read two different books. The authors believe different things are different. Downtown does not want to hear this though. 1+1 always equal 2. There is not other way of interpreting in their book. Just ask our social studies head downtown who has not been in the classroom in years.
Yes, this book we got this year was a step backwards. They cannot even count page numbers if you look in the US book and go through it skeps at differing points.
Yes, because all kids learn at the same pace. As long as a teacher completes what is required by the end of the year. That is all that matters. So, what if they are not exactly up with someone from another school.
This is not a factory. I forgot under Dr. White it is. Real teaching is canned under his dictatorship. There is no other way.
The more oversight we get the more they bring down the scores.
Just look at the change in scores from 1980's in IOWA testing (I believe it was called) to now.
Kids are learned more because educators had freedom to do their trade. Just like in other districts. We now have canned lessons so that anyone off the street can teach. Guess, what these canned lessons are not working.
Instead of looking at them (It could never be anything developed downtown in the glass tower. They are without blame always). They blame the educators.
We are given "pacing guides" that tell us what standards to teach, and for which benchmark test, but since SS is so vague its impossibly difficult to prepare students for the test. For one benchmark we were given a heads up what topics to cover immediately before the test, but I still had the same problems echoed above: I focused on certain aspects of a topic that the test didn't cover. SS just isn't a good subject to benchmark.
I think every course should be benchmarked. If there is something wrong with the tests, then they should be fixed. I think teachers should have significant input in course testing, just like in college. But I think it's idiotic to suggest we stop attempting to measure whether students are learning or not.
In college each professor makes their own tests. Gives out their own grades. There is not a standardized test given to all students across the campus or national standards.
Each professor has the right to teach about certain things in their own way emphasising their own things. Only the department chair for the university evaluates them.
Teachers are not given that right. Testing for basics is one things. Testing for understanding of trivial things (not given in advance) to test if the teacher has given the kid a basic understanding of something is another.
Again, in social studies 1 + 1 does not always equal 2. Interpretation and bias plays into the role.
Even canned lessons will be interpreted differently based on the teachers background and understanding of events. The comma does not always go in a certain place in social studies to use an English way of telling things.
LIsten up folks...every student should have to know the states and capitals of US. I am always amazed that students think Chicago is a state. They have no idea of the Great Lakes and haven't a clue to the mountains and plains. Most of them do know where the Mississippi River is and where New Orleans is located. Oh, and they think Washington DC is a state. They don't know who George Washington is but do know Lincoln. Bill of Rights????What is that?
I agree. Allow educators to teach geography. Geography/History of the World is mostly world history standards.
Geography teachers would love to teach that stuff along with the human movement (and some how it relates to history) and knowing basic information about our country.
Of course it would also be nice if they arrived at high school knowing these things too.
Guess, those types of things are not in the standards for the K-6, or 7-8. Shame too. I remember doing these in grade school when I went through in the late '70's and early '80's.
All students, teachers, parents, building level administrators need to document when bulling occurs. The six-step policy is a joke. If we document and present the evidence to the media, change will occur.
ReplyDeleteNo it won't.
ReplyDeleteHazing vs. Sexual Assault
ReplyDeleteThe Carmel incident went well beyond hazing; it was sexual assault.
Just imagine being a 14 year old kid and having someone give you what amounts to an 'unsolicited colonoscopy' without anesthesia.
Six-Steps...I don't think so, for me or for my child. I'd rather rely on a good plaintiff's attorney.
School districts should take heed. This is serious business.
If you tell an administrator, they do not want to hear it, plain and simple. It's a smudge on their reputation as a principal or asst. principal. They, like those in Carmel Clay District, just hope it goes away or vanishes on its own.
ReplyDeleteEugene White would cover it up like he has so many other things and Mary Busch would support him. If those Carmel kids did not have wealthy parents, they would have been in jail two months ago.
ReplyDeleteIf the Carmel basketball players had violated a freshman cheerleader in this manner, would we still be seeing misdemeanor charges? I object to the minimization of this because the victim was male.
ReplyDeleteChanging the subject briefly, check out Channel 8's website. Read the article about Dr. White and his denial of using the "N" word.
ReplyDeleteGreat reading.
That's a damn shame. People that heard it should step up so that officer isn't looked upon poorly. It was reported here the next morning, so clearly somebody knew of it.
ReplyDeleteYesterday was the best day of the year!
ReplyDeleteI received a revised copy of the 2009-2010 Social Studies pacing guide!
I can now plan for my students' success on their social studies diagnostics for the last school year!
Yippee!
Back to the subject of hazing: I knew of a case of a boy being sexually harassed by another boy at school. We told the principal. Guess what the principal told the boy ( the one being harassed) ? Don't tell anybody.
ReplyDeleteNeedless to say, we took care of it. CHILDREN FIRST!!
The Carmel School problem was a sexual assualt, not hazing. When you have the nurse at the hospital call CPS, then it's a sexual assualt. Carmel School System is worthless, they are rated by Dr. Bennett as a "C" school, and why cover up sexual abuse? Mr. Turner take this case to court, let them move it to Marion County, I will give your client one million in damages and four million in puntive damages, with his college paid for his school of choice.
ReplyDeleteSad, who is running the Social Studies Department for IPS? I am glad you did get the pacing guide, before school closed, now it's all your fault if a student fails, you didn't follow the pacing guide. See how the system works and the "bobble-headed" board just nods in agreement with the "all right, Dr. White".
ReplyDeleteGerald McLeish?
ReplyDeleteIs McLeish still on the payroll? What is he screwing up now?
ReplyDeleteYes he is still on the payroll. He is messing with the Social Studies Departments at all schools.
ReplyDeleteThe benchmarks did not deal with big subjects but were rather trivial pursuit. We are teaching the kids what the big picture is and they know that but to pick out trivial things is total b.s. Who decides what is more important than another thing. I found on each of them this year we had covered the subject (except the last one that was done way to early) but I had not emphasised certain aspects and instead focused on other matters. Thought they were more important in the big picture of the topic.
The district needs to realize social studies is not simple. Teachers are covering subjects but every teachers sees things different. It is not as simple as 1 + 1 = 2 (like in math). Perspectives come into play. Without being told what part of some historical event is being targeted some teachers will pass by that part quickly. Does that mean the kids don't understand something like the depression or the rise of the roman empire? No, it means some downtown in a suite disagreed and this time targeted something the teacher felt was not important. The kids understand the spread of the black plague but maybe not what happened in one specific city (that was only mentioned on one page of the book).
Can we go back to social studies department heads. Instead of someone downtown justifying their job?
My cell phone is not working well. Hope this goes through correctly.
The post above about the social studies benchmark is spot on. I actually use the same exact 1+1=2 analogy all the time in my classes, because so much of learning history is perspective and what the teacher (or student even!) thinks is most important in regards to cause and effect. You can't benchmark a subject like SS that is so dependent on individuality.
ReplyDeleteI'm a parent, not a teacher, so forgive me if these are silly questions. Are benchmarks the same thing as Indiana Academic Standards? If not, how do they differ? Are the benchmarks available online? Do they change every year? And as teachers, you don't know the particular parts of the standard that might be tested by the district -- am I understanding that correctly? Not only that, but the particular part that was tested last year might not be the particular part that was tested this year? Because if I'm understanding you, that's absolutely idiotic. If they want to break down social studies facts like math facts, so be it, but then they need to let the teachers know the facts they're supposed to teach.
ReplyDeleteFor the record, it doesn't help that the social studies books are horrible! A reliable pacing guide would help, but I am not too sure it's the answer either. Maybe some leadership that actually talks to teachers would be a start.
ReplyDeleteThe benchmarks are not the Indiana Academic Standards (but are based somewhat on them). This test to see if the teachers are keeping the pacing guide. The tests though are based on what someone believes is important (about a given era) and sometimes does not test on what the kids has been taught about the era or event.
ReplyDeleteSo, then even though the kid knows just about everything else. The teachers gets marked down on evaluations because they did not know the specific thing that was chosen to question on.
They sometimes pull things that are obscure. A couple of years ago one questions looked at the exact frequency the first radio broadcast was about. Not how radio informed more people and reached more people, more quickly. They wanted to know the exact place on the radio dial to find it. (I had focused on what was important about radio in bring people together and exchanging information.) My evaluator marked me down for not teaching the standard. The standard does not want the exact radio dial place. Again, this goes to two educators feeling different about what was important.
Just as if you go to college or read two different books. The authors believe different things are different. Downtown does not want to hear this though. 1+1 always equal 2. There is not other way of interpreting in their book. Just ask our social studies head downtown who has not been in the classroom in years.
Yes, this book we got this year was a step backwards. They cannot even count page numbers if you look in the US book and go through it skeps at differing points.
Yes, because all kids learn at the same pace. As long as a teacher completes what is required by the end of the year. That is all that matters. So, what if they are not exactly up with someone from another school.
ReplyDeleteThis is not a factory. I forgot under Dr. White it is. Real teaching is canned under his dictatorship. There is no other way.
The more oversight we get the more they bring down the scores.
Just look at the change in scores from 1980's in IOWA testing (I believe it was called) to now.
Kids are learned more because educators had freedom to do their trade. Just like in other districts. We now have canned lessons so that anyone off the street can teach. Guess, what these canned lessons are not working.
Instead of looking at them (It could never be anything developed downtown in the glass tower. They are without blame always). They blame the educators.
I get the point but check the gram. and spell before posting. Glad you are in social studies and not english.
ReplyDeleteWe are given "pacing guides" that tell us what standards to teach, and for which benchmark test, but since SS is so vague its impossibly difficult to prepare students for the test. For one benchmark we were given a heads up what topics to cover immediately before the test, but I still had the same problems echoed above: I focused on certain aspects of a topic that the test didn't cover. SS just isn't a good subject to benchmark.
ReplyDeleteI think every course should be benchmarked. If there is something wrong with the tests, then they should be fixed. I think teachers should have significant input in course testing, just like in college. But I think it's idiotic to suggest we stop attempting to measure whether students are learning or not.
ReplyDeleteIn college each professor makes their own tests. Gives out their own grades. There is not a standardized test given to all students across the campus or national standards.
ReplyDeleteEach professor has the right to teach about certain things in their own way emphasising their own things. Only the department chair for the university evaluates them.
Teachers are not given that right. Testing for basics is one things. Testing for understanding of trivial things (not given in advance) to test if the teacher has given the kid a basic understanding of something is another.
Again, in social studies 1 + 1 does not always equal 2. Interpretation and bias plays into the role.
Even canned lessons will be interpreted differently based on the teachers background and understanding of events. The comma does not always go in a certain place in social studies to use an English way of telling things.
LIsten up folks...every student should have to know the states and capitals of US. I am always amazed that students think Chicago is a state. They have no idea of the Great Lakes and haven't a clue to the mountains and plains. Most of them do know where the Mississippi River is and where New Orleans is located. Oh, and they think Washington DC is a state. They don't know who George Washington is but do know Lincoln. Bill of Rights????What is that?
ReplyDeleteI agree. Allow educators to teach geography. Geography/History of the World is mostly world history standards.
ReplyDeleteGeography teachers would love to teach that stuff along with the human movement (and some how it relates to history) and knowing basic information about our country.
Of course it would also be nice if they arrived at high school knowing these things too.
Guess, those types of things are not in the standards for the K-6, or 7-8. Shame too. I remember doing these in grade school when I went through in the late '70's and early '80's.
Another question to consider:
ReplyDeleteWhat can students do? Because we all know better.