We all know there is no such thing as the perfect school, but if there were three things you could do to improve IPS, what would they be. We already know we would fire Dr. White and his minions, but what would you do after that?
For the first four grades, I'd do a Glasser model "School with Out Failure". I would look for some diversity in the method and approach, but not the fundamental belief system, as opposed to a homogenized faculty. I'd also do a family based school, and invite the community in to a parents room, rocking chairs, picture books, and a grandmother type woman who would teach by example parenting, invite the toddlers, babies, and mothers in, value them.
I'm a fan of project-based learning and cross-curricular instruction as well. I also think it's better when lessons are relevant to real life, real jobs, etc. I think "prepare this article for newspaper publication" is a better lesson than "correct the grammar in the following paragraph" and so on.
I think differentiation is one of the biggest things we can do that often doesn't get done now. I think that idea got lost when schools converted from one-room schoolhouses to age-grade level schools, but so much class time is wasted when everyone is doing the same thing because most of the class is either ahead, behind, or disengaged. I think we are fortunate that we now have the technology to differentiate instruction for each student. A "perfect school" would definitely use it.
I think the Glasser model would be okay for a magnet option or charter school, but not for a regular school. I can understand why many would prefer it but I'm a teacher and I would never put my child in a school who used it, so I certainly can't blame the general public who might object to it.
Much more use of technology. In this day and age we are so outdated - kids should not be hauling around heavy textbooks - we could differentiate and capitalize on learning styles and really do "inquiry-based" teaching if we were not stuck in the past. Also, we need to teach kids HOW to learn and not spend so much time on CONTENT. Rote memorization and fragmented bits of knowledge do not prepare kids to be life-long learners.
I think we can go to far the other way on memorization though. There are basic facts that need to be memorized so that a foundation exists upon which to build knowledge, understanding, and critical thinking skills. Try teaching algebra to a kid who never memorized his math facts. It's the same thing trying to teach high-school level history to a child who doesn't know how to read a map, doesn't know that the Revolutionary War happened before the civil War or that Gettysburg is a city in Pennsylvania, which is a state in the United States, which is a country in the continent of North America.
More real experiences, you can use technology to teach about elephants, but nothing beats actually seeing (and smelling) the real thing.
More reading, more in-depth study, this is where kids develop long term interests. This week end I was at the symphony at the prairie, and there were young men in the civil war re-inactor groups. Maybe some of our young black men might be interested enough in history to start a buffalo soldier group.
My idea of a perfect school would include maintaining the fidelity of whatever program was selected, whether Schools Without Failure or something else. In other words, follow the manufacturer's instructions with complete integrity.
A man who had never seen a bicycle purchased a kit, completely unassembled, with clear instructions for proper assembly. The man felt he had a sense of machinery, and he didn't see the need for some parts. Also, he added parts he felt were necessary. The man believed that his assembly process was appropriate. His bike runs, but it's hard to pedal and hard to steer. Question: How much of the observed performance is created by the way he assembled the bike? If the man had accurate information on bikes that had been assembled properly, he would have a basis for comparing his bike with the standard model. As it is, he doesn't know what the bike's potential is because the bike's performance is the product of two variables--the machinery and the way it is assembled.
The same problem exists with IPS. They implement approaches or programs according to 'their' rules or standards, rather than the developers' guidelines. The result is the same as that of the bike. The performance of students is now the product of two variables—the program adopted and the way the district implemented it. Just as the man has no basis for comparing his bike with those assembled according to the manufacturer's specifications, IPS has no basis for comparing the adopted program results it achieved with those that would be generated by strictly following the program developer's guidelines.
IPS has a huge organizational problem -- it can't/won't follow instructions on the expensive programs adopted. IPS thinks some parts are not necessary, plus they think they should add parts that are not included in the program. The end result with most expensive programs in IPS is failure because the programs were not implemented with fidelity.
I would love to see year round school, where the schedule was nine weeks of classes, three weeks off. I think that would help the students retain matter, and aleviate teacher burn-out. A sure win-win for all involved.
"A very liberal staff" WTF? Why would we want all teachers to share a single, extreme (you said VERY liberal), political viewpoint? How is that any different than wanting all teachers to be radical right-wing? Or wanting all teachers to belong to the same religion?
First of all, I assume you mean "repeal" not "repel," right? Second, do you mean like privatize education? What do you think would happen to the half of the population that can't afford private schools? It's pretty snobby to insinuate that the perfect school would be one in which only wealth children were able to attend.
I think the poster isn't really thinking about what "all education laws" really means. I would imagine he/she means repeal NCLB or something similar. But what people don't get is that you can't fund something without regulating it. It's all part of passing legislation. So the person above is right, if you don't want local/state/federal government oversight, then you give up local/state/federal government funding. Vouchers and charter schools are supposed to be the compromise, but just as many (or more) people object to less oversight as object to too much.
I do wonder sometimes if we eliminated compulsory education laws, if school would hold more value for the ones who chose to attend. But it's not a hill I'd die on, just something I ponder.
I would give students real books that capture their interest and relate to their lives during reading blocks in elementary school and language arts classes in middle and high school. I would love to see inquiry and project-based learning. An ideal school would also value the diversity in the classroom as an opportunity for children to learn from each other and the teacher to learn from the students.
We might just as well eliminate all educational laws. Eugene White does only what he damn well pleases and either ignores or subverts those he doesn't want to do.
Personally I don't care much for Eugene White or his methods; however, your post is simple minded. You or I cannot eliminate all educational laws...think about how childish that sounds.
How about a school with non union scabs whining about the union but constantly asking about what is negotiated, what the union is doing about problem areas or running to the union when they have a problem....FREELOADERS
In schools where the teachers and other personnel are treated with equity and fairness there is nothing to cry or whine about. I heard tell that there was once a school like that in IPS, but think that might be a fairy tale.
To the poster who commented about fidelity to a program. Thank you. From NUA, 2 rounds of TESA, critical friends, SLC's, Small Schools, and AVID. I would love it if IPS would pick a program, impliment it the way it was meant to be, and after 5-7 years, evaluate it to see if it is working or not. At least that would be enough time to get a program working right.
I've been with IPS over 20 years, and this issue continues to be a problem, we run from pillar to post trying to find some magic bullet to improve schools. When they first brought Springboard on line, I actually heard Dr. Kendrick say something to the effect of "I don't know if it will work, but we have to stop dropping things before we find out if they do any good." So even the administration acknowledges this pattern.
It would be a fine idea to begin some new schools with a common vision among the faculty, what might be termed "buy-in". Put the idea out there then ask teachers to apply if they share the same vision. THEN LET THEM TEACH, WITHOUT THE HEAVY HAND OF SOMEONE FROM THE PUZZLE PALACE DICTATING TERMS.
The minions at the Puzzle Palace are afraid that if a school was created to allow buy in to a certain program that it would be successful without their input.[interference]. That will never happen. Why Li Yen Johnson cannot even pay her mortgage and is foreclosed on while a 6 digit salary.
I remember when READ 180 came onboard at the secondary level. It's a great program, but only IF the implementation is absolutely followed with fidelity and no compromising the program integrity. My particular high school did not have 'buy in' or understanding from the building administration or the guidance counselors. The bldg. admin. thought any class with 'reading' in the course title was a special ed type class; whereas, the guidance counselor used the READ 180 classroom as a default elective for kids who didn't fit into any other electives. The READ 180 program failed, and somewhere among boxes of like new materials stored god-knows-where are the expensive lightly used remains of READ 180. The READ 180 teachers were not trained before they were told that was their assignment for the semester. No one seemed responsible for the program; therefore, the program did not live up to its research-based potential for raising reading achievement levels.
The AVID Program is being implemented exactly the same way. Little to no oversight from the Ed Center or communication from the Ed Center, except when there's a big AVID Summer Conference. Then, ALL the Ed Center biggies pack their bags, invite their family members, and enjoy a vacation in high style paid for by taxpayers. Why would the HR Director need to attend an AVID Summer Conference?
Again, the AVID Program was used as a dumping ground elective class. AVID students were not selected using the AVID method; students were scheduled into AVID classes without any knowledge of what the program was. Their parents did not sign papers for being in the AVID Program. Yet another failed 'hot mess' in IPS.
Look at the person in charge of AVID in the early years and you will easily see why it was an almost complete failure due to lack of planning and follow through.
McLeish, if I recall correctly? I remember his telling us that he was going to hire AVID Tutors. He told us that for two years, yet we never saw one tutor. He must have been the guy who completed all the mandatory AVID reports because the reports certainly were not completed at the building level as they were required by AVID. Later, Bridgwaters got her fingers in the AVID Program and failed to cancel flight reservations to an AVID Summer Conference for about 10 teachers from one of the community high schools. After that mess, I lost track of AVID.
Yes, he was the Director of Social Studies for the entire district. He sent pacing guides to the high schools, also. Then, we found out the guides were wrong. I'd like to know what position that McLeish now has at the Ed Center. He, like many others at the Ed Center, are recycled and reinvented every couple of years into a new, usually higher paying, Ed Center position. He always reminds me of a used car salesman -- just a little too slick talking, too glib, and full of you know what.
McLeish is the same administrator who took dozens of AVID people to a week long conference in Floida. The administrators were placed in an upscale hotel while teachers were in a fleabag with roaches and faulty air conditioning. It was so bad that some checked out at their own expense and checked in accceptable hotels. By the way, where did Prudence Bridgewaters disappear to during that time????? Why? Who with???
Hey, Wife -- Targeting people when you don't really know what is going on is just ignorant on your part. Maybe you should return to school and learn some tolerance.
Yes learn to be tolerant of waste and corruption, of people who take money from IPS and do nothing to improve the outcome for students. Learn to tolerate people whose first thought is their own best interests, then the best interests of their like minded colleagues. Learn to tolerate people whose agenda is garnering their own political power, who believe in revenge against anyone who questions what they do. Learn to tolerate people who blame lack of student success on teachers, but do nothing to improve or enhance teachers skills in dealing with at-risk kids. Learn to tolerate a system that ignores its key constituents, the students and parents of IPS.
I attended the AVID Summer Conference in Chicago a couple of years ago. I did not wish to attend, knew that I would not be an AVID classroom teacher, but I was told I had no choice but to attend. What a waste of money it was for IPS to send me and others who were never going to be AVID teachers. I and the other 200 or so IPS attendees were put up in style in single rooms which were actually suites. All the Ed Center people were there with their laptops in tow including: Bridgwaters, Ajabu, McLeish, Greenwood, etc. I believe attending district paid conferences in nice cities has become a 'cottage industry for free vacations' for many of the Ed Center administrators.
Evidently being written up in IPS does not mean much. I think being written up is just a threat that certain administrators use to control people. It's like a mother telling her child, "I'm gonna spank you if you do that again." But, she never does. She just continues to threaten and threaten but never makes good on the threat.
I remember an asst. principal who'd assigned me outside bus parking lot duty for the entire year. When winter arrived, I was 7 months pregnant and decided on a day with freezing rain and ice on the parking lot not to go outside. She approached me later in her usual intimidating manner and said, "You were not at your duty station this morning." I responded quietly and said, "Yes, I know." I never said another word about this to her, and she never said another word about it to me. I simply agreed with her statement and did not get into a dialogue about reasons, the weather, my pregnancy, etc. I just agreed with her and let the ball be in her court.
AVID is a big waste of money. Why not contract with the trainers to come to Indianapolis? With all of the budget cuts, I'm sure other districts and charter schools would love to send teachers to the local training and help pay the costs.
I also notice that the Ed. Center administrators usually find warm spots for training during the winter. San Juan, Puerto Rico and Hawaii are two that come to mind immediately. Of course, Florida is a special place also. Perhaps that is where Li Yen Johnson located her Florida vacation home which she was unable to afford and was foreclosed. With that bad judgement, she is in a position to make major decisions for IPS. No wonder we are in such a mess.
Dr. Johnson had one house in California, one house in Florida, and two residential lots in Florida. She had overextended herself financially on her salary of $117,000. Public records show her having assets of $900,000+ and debts of $800,000+. And, yes, bankruptcy records are open to the public free of charge as part of our US Court system. At least, we know she is a woman of grandiose vision.
The perfect school would have old school music. Here's my idea of a group.
Legendary education icons, THREE DOG NIGHT, enter their 4th decade bringing with them some of the most astonishing statistics in popular educational trends.
Continuing to bring us sound bites from the past, THREE DOG NIGHT features its original group members: Prudence Bridgwaters, Jackie Greenwood, and Jane Kendrick.
These reverberations from the past continue to thrill us daily, including these oldies but goodies:
Mama Told Me (never to retire) Joy to The World (the Super loves us) Black And White (what's to say) Easy To Be Hard (when you're not in the classroom) An Old Fashioned Love Song (the school board serenades us w/this) The Show Must Go On (no matter the low scores) One (we are one) Never Been To Spain (but the AVID conference will take care of that)
Hey, I have a question for IPS teachers. Do you have to pay dues even if you don't belong to the union? I'm a college student and future teacher, and I just heard this. I've searched the Internet but can't confirm or debunk this. Can anyone here help?
Many years ago, non-union members were asked to pay their "fair share". This amount was to fund expenses directly related to obtaining benefits to all educators (wages, working conditions, health care). Few paid.
It's quite a spectacle when those teachers who aren't members get backed into a corner, then are in a quandry as to why the union won't come to their aid.
No, IPS isn't a closed shop, but I wouldn't set foot into a school building without my membership.
No, you don't have to belong to the union. You don't have to pay dues. You don't have to pay fair share fees. If you do belong to the union, you do not have to wait for special times to resign from the union. These are all myths and despite legitimate-looking websites that claim Indiana teachers have to pay such provisions. One might question whether ISTA has something to do with the websites, but regardless, they are bogus. So no matter what school in Indiana you teach in, you don't have to pay dues. However, if your concern is broader than dues-paying, if you are concerned with the union influence as a whole, then you'd probably be better off in a private school or charter school.
I can not imagine any reasonable teacher stepping foot in a classroom without the protection of the union. I have seen freeloaders rush to the union when they were falsely accused or had problems. It is like waiting to buy fire insurance when your house is on fire. Having said that.....the current IEA president is fully in the back pocket of Eugene White and needs to be impeached. If you are an IEA member, try and think when we last had any communication from the president or the union. Ann Wilkins wont sneeze unless Eugene White tells her it is ok.
Thanks to those who answered! I wasn't trying to start anything. I respect union teachers. I just don't want to be one. Most of my views are very different from the union, that's all.
Could you give 2 views that you have that are different from the union? If you are not yet married, I suspect that when you are married that your husband/wife will have different views on some subjects. If you are looking for a spouse that has the same views as you then you are going to remain single for your entire life.
Right, but you wouldn't marry someone who had completely different life goals and a completely different belief system.
Like I said, I wasn't try to start an argument. But to answer your question.
1. I morally oppose labor unions as a whole because I think public cartels (like labor unions) are just as unfair, as corrupt, and as unsustainable as private cartels, which are illegal (Sherman Antitrust Law of 1890).
2. The union is "socialism" while I am "free market capitalism." The union wants me to be a nameless, silent, member of a teacher conglomerate, and they want me to let them speak for me. They want the good teachers to stand in solidarity next to the bad teachers and let the bad teachers have a part of the glory of the successes and force the good teachers to share in the blame for the failures.
3. They are against every single thing that I think will improve public education: More parent involvement in the process through school choice, innovative charter schools and magnet programs, higher pay/or and merit bonuses to recruit and reward exceptional teachers, evaluations that recognize (and learn from) teachers who are regularly getting more improvement from students than other teachers with similar classes. I also support the new law changes that allow teachers to add endorsements, specialty areas, and administrator's credentials through testing without having to fork out big bugs on more college courses. Those who really need the courses will still be able to take them, but those who already possess the necessary knowledge will be able to prove that with the tests. The union opposes every single reform that I support.
4. I have no desire to use the teachers' union as some sort of prepaid legal service. Not only is it very unlikely that most teachers will require such services, there is a stigma attached to having the union represent a teacher in a dispute. If I do have a legal problem, I will hire a real lawyer.
You are a prime example of what is wrong with many of the young teachers coming into the professions and why over one half leave before their fifth year......I hope I don't have to teach with someone who knows it all without doing anything and who has so much misinformation about unions. Our students deserve better.
Right. Our union is doing such a GREAT at the moment. That pathetic, so-called "president," is a joke and a farce. We know she sold us out. The question is: what will she gain from it?
How long do we have to suffer with Ann Wilkins as President. Has she done ANYTHING since getting elected besides selling out the teachers she is supposed to protect? Yeah that nebulous 60% Dr. White talks about?
What will Ann Wilkins gain from being the union president and being in cahoots with Dr. White....she will end up with a nice cushy job at the Ed Center like Peggy Penn did. Peggy used to send "jokes" through IPS email. That was so inappropriate. She sat at her Ed Center computer and forwarded silly joke/inspiration type emails to her IPS friends. I saw a few...so silly of her and such a waste of IPS money.
Ann Wilkins should resign in shame....if not, she should show some proof of how she has represented IPS teachers........I remember some of the really active IEA presidents we have had who spent their entire day advocating for teachers. Not Ann!!
Are Ann Wilkins and Dr. White the same person?......has anyone ever seen them both in a room together................they could pass as twins! Just an observation......next time you see them both together, take a long hard look and you will see the uncanny resemblance.
4. I have no desire to use the teachers' union as some sort of prepaid legal service. Not only is it very unlikely that most teachers will require such services, there is a stigma attached to having the union represent a teacher in a dispute. If I do have a legal problem, I will hire a real lawyer.
the problem with this is you still have to follow the union and system's grievance procedure, which the uni-serve directors know better then any lawyer. You simply can't get a lawyer and sue IPS, the case will be thrown right out, no matter how egregious the offense, because you have a system that is mutually agreed upon to resolve conflict.
We have the computers for Read 180 in our elementary school and the program hasn't been done in two years. I thought Read 180 was a federal funded program.
For the first four grades, I'd do a Glasser model "School with Out Failure". I would look for some diversity in the method and approach, but not the fundamental belief system, as opposed to a homogenized faculty. I'd also do a family based school, and invite the community in to a parents room, rocking chairs, picture books, and a grandmother type woman who would teach by example parenting, invite the toddlers, babies, and mothers in, value them.
ReplyDeleteMatch students' learning styles to educators' teaching style. Year-round school schedule, also.
ReplyDeleteI would include project based learning.
ReplyDeleteProject-based learning, and cross curricular instruction during the Reading Block.
ReplyDeleteI'm a fan of project-based learning and cross-curricular instruction as well. I also think it's better when lessons are relevant to real life, real jobs, etc. I think "prepare this article for newspaper publication" is a better lesson than "correct the grammar in the following paragraph" and so on.
ReplyDeleteI think differentiation is one of the biggest things we can do that often doesn't get done now. I think that idea got lost when schools converted from one-room schoolhouses to age-grade level schools, but so much class time is wasted when everyone is doing the same thing because most of the class is either ahead, behind, or disengaged. I think we are fortunate that we now have the technology to differentiate instruction for each student. A "perfect school" would definitely use it.
ReplyDeleteI think the Glasser model would be okay for a magnet option or charter school, but not for a regular school. I can understand why many would prefer it but I'm a teacher and I would never put my child in a school who used it, so I certainly can't blame the general public who might object to it.
ReplyDelete1. A very liberal staff.
ReplyDelete2. A very open-minded staff.
3. A very supportive staff.
. . . and a Starbucks.
Much more use of technology. In this day and age we are so outdated - kids should not be hauling around heavy textbooks - we could differentiate and capitalize on learning styles and really do "inquiry-based" teaching if we were not stuck in the past. Also, we need to teach kids HOW to learn and not spend so much time on CONTENT. Rote memorization and fragmented bits of knowledge do not prepare kids to be life-long learners.
ReplyDeleteI think we can go to far the other way on memorization though. There are basic facts that need to be memorized so that a foundation exists upon which to build knowledge, understanding, and critical thinking skills. Try teaching algebra to a kid who never memorized his math facts. It's the same thing trying to teach high-school level history to a child who doesn't know how to read a map, doesn't know that the Revolutionary War happened before the civil War or that Gettysburg is a city in Pennsylvania, which is a state in the United States, which is a country in the continent of North America.
ReplyDeleteMore real experiences, you can use technology to teach about elephants, but nothing beats actually seeing (and smelling) the real thing.
ReplyDeleteMore reading, more in-depth study, this is where kids develop long term interests. This week end I was at the symphony at the prairie, and there were young men in the civil war re-inactor groups. Maybe some of our young black men might be interested enough in history to start a buffalo soldier group.
My idea of a perfect school would include maintaining the fidelity of whatever program was selected, whether Schools Without Failure or something else. In other words, follow the manufacturer's instructions with complete integrity.
ReplyDeleteA man who had never seen a bicycle purchased a kit, completely unassembled, with clear instructions for proper assembly. The man felt he had a sense of machinery, and he didn't see the need for some parts. Also, he added parts he felt were necessary. The man believed that his assembly process was appropriate. His bike runs, but it's hard to pedal and hard to steer. Question: How much of the observed performance is created by the way he assembled the bike? If the man had accurate information on bikes that had been assembled properly, he would have a basis for comparing his bike with the standard model. As it is, he doesn't know what the bike's potential is because the bike's performance is the product of two variables--the machinery and the way it is assembled.
The same problem exists with IPS. They implement approaches or programs according to 'their' rules or standards, rather than the developers' guidelines. The result is the same as that of the bike. The performance of students is now the product of two variables—the program adopted and the way the district implemented it. Just as the man has no basis for comparing his bike with those assembled according to the manufacturer's specifications, IPS has no basis for comparing the adopted program results it achieved with those that would be generated by strictly following the program developer's guidelines.
IPS has a huge organizational problem -- it can't/won't follow instructions on the expensive programs adopted. IPS thinks some parts are not necessary, plus they think they should add parts that are not included in the program. The end result with most expensive programs in IPS is failure because the programs were not implemented with fidelity.
I would make and enforce a policy that any admnistrator who had an inappropriate affair with someone he/she supervised would immediately be fired!!!!
ReplyDeleteIf I were drafting the above policy, I would delete the word 'inappropriate' because ALL affairs in the workplace are inappropriate.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see year round school, where the schedule was nine weeks of classes, three weeks off. I think that would help the students retain matter, and aleviate teacher burn-out. A sure win-win for all involved.
ReplyDelete"A very liberal staff" WTF? Why would we want all teachers to share a single, extreme (you said VERY liberal), political viewpoint? How is that any different than wanting all teachers to be radical right-wing? Or wanting all teachers to belong to the same religion?
ReplyDeleteRepel all education laws.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I assume you mean "repeal" not "repel," right? Second, do you mean like privatize education? What do you think would happen to the half of the population that can't afford private schools? It's pretty snobby to insinuate that the perfect school would be one in which only wealth children were able to attend.
ReplyDeleteI think the poster isn't really thinking about what "all education laws" really means. I would imagine he/she means repeal NCLB or something similar. But what people don't get is that you can't fund something without regulating it. It's all part of passing legislation. So the person above is right, if you don't want local/state/federal government oversight, then you give up local/state/federal government funding. Vouchers and charter schools are supposed to be the compromise, but just as many (or more) people object to less oversight as object to too much.
ReplyDeleteI do wonder sometimes if we eliminated compulsory education laws, if school would hold more value for the ones who chose to attend. But it's not a hill I'd die on, just something I ponder.
Any school that is not under Dr. Whites leadership and this school boards leadership.
ReplyDeleteRather under teh leadership of people who actually do things that make since.
How about a juvenile court judge who would enforce truancy laws???
ReplyDeleteI do mean all education laws. Get rid (and you are right, I meant repeal) of all of them.
ReplyDeleteI would give students real books that capture their interest and relate to their lives during reading blocks in elementary school and language arts classes in middle and high school. I would love to see inquiry and project-based learning. An ideal school would also value the diversity in the classroom as an opportunity for children to learn from each other and the teacher to learn from the students.
ReplyDeleteHow about not doing a summer school program ( Indy works) where you pay the student $50 a day to go to school?
ReplyDeleteWe might just as well eliminate all educational laws. Eugene White does only what he damn well pleases and either ignores or subverts those he doesn't want to do.
ReplyDeleteHow about a school without union hacks crying about everything, but having no problem with the rest of us picking up their slack?
ReplyDeleteRe: directly above
ReplyDeletePersonally I don't care much for Eugene White or his methods; however, your post is simple minded. You or I cannot eliminate all educational laws...think about how childish that sounds.
How about a school with non union scabs whining about the union but constantly asking about what is negotiated, what the union is doing about problem areas or running to the union when they have a problem....FREELOADERS
ReplyDeleteIn schools where the teachers and other personnel are treated with equity and fairness there is nothing to cry or whine about. I heard tell that there was once a school like that in IPS, but think that might be a fairy tale.
ReplyDeleteTo the poster who commented about fidelity to a program. Thank you. From NUA, 2 rounds of TESA, critical friends, SLC's, Small Schools, and AVID. I would love it if IPS would pick a program, impliment it the way it was meant to be, and after 5-7 years, evaluate it to see if it is working or not. At least that would be enough time to get a program working right.
ReplyDeleteI've been with IPS over 20 years, and this issue continues to be a problem, we run from pillar to post trying to find some magic bullet to improve schools. When they first brought Springboard on line, I actually heard Dr. Kendrick say something to the effect of "I don't know if it will work, but we have to stop dropping things before we find out if they do any good." So even the administration acknowledges this pattern.
ReplyDeleteIt would be a fine idea to begin some new schools with a common vision among the faculty, what might be termed "buy-in". Put the idea out there then ask teachers to apply if they share the same vision. THEN LET THEM TEACH, WITHOUT THE HEAVY HAND OF SOMEONE FROM THE PUZZLE PALACE DICTATING TERMS.
The minions at the Puzzle Palace are afraid that if a school was created to allow buy in to a certain program that it would be successful without their input.[interference]. That will never happen. Why Li Yen Johnson cannot even pay her mortgage and is foreclosed on while a 6 digit salary.
ReplyDeleteI remember when READ 180 came onboard at the secondary level. It's a great program, but only IF the implementation is absolutely followed with fidelity and no compromising the program integrity. My particular high school did not have 'buy in' or understanding from the building administration or the guidance counselors. The bldg. admin. thought any class with 'reading' in the course title was a special ed type class; whereas, the guidance counselor used the READ 180 classroom as a default elective for kids who didn't fit into any other electives. The READ 180 program failed, and somewhere among boxes of like new materials stored god-knows-where are the expensive lightly used remains of READ 180. The READ 180 teachers were not trained before they were told that was their assignment for the semester. No one seemed responsible for the program; therefore, the program did not live up to its research-based potential for raising reading achievement levels.
ReplyDeleteThe AVID Program is being implemented exactly the same way. Little to no oversight from the Ed Center or communication from the Ed Center, except when there's a big AVID Summer Conference. Then, ALL the Ed Center biggies pack their bags, invite their family members, and enjoy a vacation in high style paid for by taxpayers. Why would the HR Director need to attend an AVID Summer Conference?
Again, the AVID Program was used as a dumping ground elective class. AVID students were not selected using the AVID method; students were scheduled into AVID classes without any knowledge of what the program was. Their parents did not sign papers for being in the AVID Program. Yet another failed 'hot mess' in IPS.
Look at the person in charge of AVID in the early years and you will easily see why it was an almost complete failure due to lack of planning and follow through.
ReplyDeleteMcLeish, if I recall correctly? I remember his telling us that he was going to hire AVID Tutors. He told us that for two years, yet we never saw one tutor. He must have been the guy who completed all the mandatory AVID reports because the reports certainly were not completed at the building level as they were required by AVID. Later, Bridgwaters got her fingers in the AVID Program and failed to cancel flight reservations to an AVID Summer Conference for about 10 teachers from one of the community high schools. After that mess, I lost track of AVID.
ReplyDeleteMcLeish? Is he the same person who sent out critical vocabulary and pacing guides for the 2009/2010 elementary social studies in May of 2010?
ReplyDeleteYes, he was the Director of Social Studies for the entire district. He sent pacing guides to the high schools, also. Then, we found out the guides were wrong. I'd like to know what position that McLeish now has at the Ed Center. He, like many others at the Ed Center, are recycled and reinvented every couple of years into a new, usually higher paying, Ed Center position. He always reminds me of a used car salesman -- just a little too slick talking, too glib, and full of you know what.
ReplyDeleteHe runs indyworks summer school.
ReplyDeleteThis is the same AVID conference that Prudence Bridgwater and Pam DR left to go sight seeing.
ReplyDeleteMcLeish is the same administrator who took dozens of AVID people to a week long conference in Floida. The administrators were placed in an upscale hotel while teachers were in a fleabag with roaches and faulty air conditioning. It was so bad that some checked out at their own expense and checked in accceptable hotels. By the way, where did Prudence Bridgewaters disappear to during that time????? Why? Who with???
ReplyDeleteHer and Pamela DR skipped the conference in Chicago and went to the Art Center. Dr.Clency wrote Prudence up.
ReplyDeleteHey, Wife -- Targeting people when you don't really know what is going on is just ignorant on your part. Maybe you should return to school and learn some tolerance.
ReplyDeleteYes learn to be tolerant of waste and corruption, of people who take money from IPS and do nothing to improve the outcome for students. Learn to tolerate people whose first thought is their own best interests, then the best interests of their like minded colleagues. Learn to tolerate people whose agenda is garnering their own political power, who believe in revenge against anyone who questions what they do. Learn to tolerate people who blame lack of student success on teachers, but do nothing to improve or enhance teachers skills in dealing with at-risk kids. Learn to tolerate a system that ignores its key constituents, the students and parents of IPS.
ReplyDeleteI attended the AVID Summer Conference in Chicago a couple of years ago. I did not wish to attend, knew that I would not be an AVID classroom teacher, but I was told I had no choice but to attend. What a waste of money it was for IPS to send me and others who were never going to be AVID teachers. I and the other 200 or so IPS attendees were put up in style in single rooms which were actually suites. All the Ed Center people were there with their laptops in tow including: Bridgwaters, Ajabu, McLeish, Greenwood, etc. I believe attending district paid conferences in nice cities has become a 'cottage industry for free vacations' for many of the Ed Center administrators.
ReplyDelete@Dr.Clency wrote Prudence up.
ReplyDeleteEvidently being written up in IPS does not mean much. I think being written up is just a threat that certain administrators use to control people. It's like a mother telling her child, "I'm gonna spank you if you do that again." But, she never does. She just continues to threaten and threaten but never makes good on the threat.
I remember an asst. principal who'd assigned me outside bus parking lot duty for the entire year. When winter arrived, I was 7 months pregnant and decided on a day with freezing rain and ice on the parking lot not to go outside. She approached me later in her usual intimidating manner and said, "You were not at your duty station this morning." I responded quietly and said, "Yes, I know." I never said another word about this to her, and she never said another word about it to me. I simply agreed with her statement and did not get into a dialogue about reasons, the weather, my pregnancy, etc. I just agreed with her and let the ball be in her court.
ReplyDeleteAVID is a big waste of money. Why not contract with the trainers to come to Indianapolis? With all of the budget cuts, I'm sure other districts and charter schools would love to send teachers to the local training and help pay the costs.
ReplyDeleteI also notice that the Ed. Center administrators usually find warm spots for training during the winter. San Juan, Puerto Rico and Hawaii are two that come to mind immediately. Of course, Florida is a special place also. Perhaps that is where Li Yen Johnson located her Florida vacation home which she was unable to afford and was foreclosed. With that bad judgement, she is in a position to make major decisions for IPS. No wonder we are in such a mess.
ReplyDeleteDr. Johnson had one house in California, one house in Florida, and two residential lots in Florida. She had overextended herself financially on her salary of $117,000. Public records show her having assets of $900,000+ and debts of $800,000+. And, yes, bankruptcy records are open to the public free of charge as part of our US Court system. At least, we know she is a woman of grandiose vision.
ReplyDelete..but a habit of not paying her bills..!!!
ReplyDeletefunny turn of a phrase, we used a similar one to describe a certain administrator mentioned today, delusions on grandeur.
ReplyDeleteThe perfect school would have old school music. Here's my idea of a group.
ReplyDeleteLegendary education icons, THREE DOG NIGHT, enter their 4th decade bringing with them some of the most astonishing statistics in popular educational trends.
Continuing to bring us sound bites from the past, THREE DOG NIGHT features its original group members: Prudence Bridgwaters, Jackie Greenwood, and Jane Kendrick.
These reverberations from the past continue to thrill us daily, including these oldies but goodies:
Mama Told Me (never to retire)
Joy to The World (the Super loves us)
Black And White (what's to say)
Easy To Be Hard (when you're not in the classroom)
An Old Fashioned Love Song (the school board serenades us w/this)
The Show Must Go On (no matter the low scores)
One (we are one)
Never Been To Spain (but the AVID conference will take care of that)
Hey, I have a question for IPS teachers. Do you have to pay dues even if you don't belong to the union? I'm a college student and future teacher, and I just heard this. I've searched the Internet but can't confirm or debunk this. Can anyone here help?
ReplyDeleteMany years ago, non-union members were asked to pay their "fair share". This amount was to fund expenses directly related to obtaining benefits to all educators (wages, working conditions, health care). Few paid.
ReplyDeleteIt's quite a spectacle when those teachers who aren't members get backed into a corner, then are in a quandry as to why the union won't come to their aid.
No, IPS isn't a closed shop, but I wouldn't set foot into a school building without my membership.
No, you don't have to belong to the union. You don't have to pay dues. You don't have to pay fair share fees. If you do belong to the union, you do not have to wait for special times to resign from the union. These are all myths and despite legitimate-looking websites that claim Indiana teachers have to pay such provisions. One might question whether ISTA has something to do with the websites, but regardless, they are bogus. So no matter what school in Indiana you teach in, you don't have to pay dues. However, if your concern is broader than dues-paying, if you are concerned with the union influence as a whole, then you'd probably be better off in a private school or charter school.
ReplyDeleteYou certainly don't HAVE to belong, but it just takes one false accusation to ruin your career. It's worth the money. United we stand!
ReplyDeleteI can not imagine any reasonable teacher stepping foot in a classroom without the protection of the union. I have seen freeloaders rush to the union when they were falsely accused or had problems. It is like waiting to buy fire insurance when your house is on fire. Having said that.....the current IEA president is fully in the back pocket of Eugene White and needs to be impeached. If you are an IEA member, try and think when we last had any communication from the president or the union. Ann Wilkins wont sneeze unless Eugene White tells her it is ok.
ReplyDeleteThanks to those who answered! I wasn't trying to start anything. I respect union teachers. I just don't want to be one. Most of my views are very different from the union, that's all.
ReplyDeleteJust don't run to the union when you have a problem......
ReplyDeleteCould you give 2 views that you have that are different from the union? If you are not yet married, I suspect that when you are married that your husband/wife will have different views on some subjects. If you are looking for a spouse that has the same views as you then you are going to remain single for your entire life.
ReplyDeleteRight, but you wouldn't marry someone who had completely different life goals and a completely different belief system.
ReplyDeleteLike I said, I wasn't try to start an argument. But to answer your question.
1. I morally oppose labor unions as a whole because I think public cartels (like labor unions) are just as unfair, as corrupt, and as unsustainable as private cartels, which are illegal (Sherman Antitrust Law of 1890).
2. The union is "socialism" while I am "free market capitalism." The union wants me to be a nameless, silent, member of a teacher conglomerate, and they want me to let them speak for me. They want the good teachers to stand in solidarity next to the bad teachers and let the bad teachers have a part of the glory of the successes and force the good teachers to share in the blame for the failures.
3. They are against every single thing that I think will improve public education: More parent involvement in the process through school choice, innovative charter schools and magnet programs, higher pay/or and merit bonuses to recruit and reward exceptional teachers, evaluations that recognize (and learn from) teachers who are regularly getting more improvement from students than other teachers with similar classes. I also support the new law changes that allow teachers to add endorsements, specialty areas, and administrator's credentials through testing without having to fork out big bugs on more college courses. Those who really need the courses will still be able to take them, but those who already possess the necessary knowledge will be able to prove that with the tests. The union opposes every single reform that I support.
4. I have no desire to use the teachers' union as some sort of prepaid legal service. Not only is it very unlikely that most teachers will require such services, there is a stigma attached to having the union represent a teacher in a dispute. If I do have a legal problem, I will hire a real lawyer.
@If I do have a legal problem, I will hire a real lawyer.
ReplyDeleteAMEN!
You are a prime example of what is wrong with many of the young teachers coming into the professions and why over one half leave before their fifth year......I hope I don't have to teach with someone who knows it all without doing anything and who has so much misinformation about unions. Our students deserve better.
ReplyDeleteRight. Our union is doing such a GREAT at the moment. That pathetic, so-called "president," is a joke and a farce. We know she sold us out. The question is: what will she gain from it?
ReplyDeleteI didn't say I knew everything. I simply said my views were very different from those of the union. Would you disagree?
ReplyDeleteHow long do we have to suffer with Ann Wilkins as President. Has she done ANYTHING since getting elected besides selling out the teachers she is supposed to protect? Yeah that nebulous 60% Dr. White talks about?
ReplyDeleteWhat will Ann Wilkins gain from being the union president and being in cahoots with Dr. White....she will end up with a nice cushy job at the Ed Center like Peggy Penn did. Peggy used to send "jokes" through IPS email. That was so inappropriate. She sat at her Ed Center computer and forwarded silly joke/inspiration type emails to her IPS friends. I saw a few...so silly of her and such a waste of IPS money.
ReplyDeleteAnn Wilkins should resign in shame....if not, she should show some proof of how she has represented IPS teachers........I remember some of the really active IEA presidents we have had who spent their entire day advocating for teachers. Not Ann!!
ReplyDeleteAre Ann Wilkins and Dr. White the same person?......has anyone ever seen them both in a room together................they could pass as twins! Just an observation......next time you see them both together, take a long hard look and you will see the uncanny resemblance.
ReplyDeleteThree things you could do to improve IPS,
ReplyDelete1. Close it down
2. Close it down
3. Close it down
What happens to our kids? Charters? Do we become part of the donut townships? Both charters and townships have their good/bad points, too.
ReplyDelete4. I have no desire to use the teachers' union as some sort of prepaid legal service. Not only is it very unlikely that most teachers will require such services, there is a stigma attached to having the union represent a teacher in a dispute. If I do have a legal problem, I will hire a real lawyer.
ReplyDeletethe problem with this is you still have to follow the union and system's grievance procedure, which the uni-serve directors know better then any lawyer. You simply can't get a lawyer and sue IPS, the case will be thrown right out, no matter how egregious the offense, because you have a system that is mutually agreed upon to resolve conflict.
Al Sharpton to the rescue!!Let's bring him in to figure out what the perfect IPS school looks like.
ReplyDeleteOh, please, not Sharpton and his style of pimpin' in the name of the Lord.
ReplyDeleteSharpton's like a seagull. He flies into town, makes a lot of noise, leaves a mess of poop, and then flies away.
Sharpton is a lot like Eugene White only better dressed.
ReplyDeleteEugene's hair is better.
ReplyDeleteBut Al has lost weight!
ReplyDeleteWe have the computers for Read 180 in our elementary school and the program hasn't been done in two years. I thought Read 180 was a federal funded program.
ReplyDelete