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3/14/09 01:28 pm
What does this have to do with education and children? Well, their future as free and questioning citizens depends on it. That's why I am pleased about the encore broadcast of America: Freedom To Fascism! If you missed it you can find it on Youtube; I highly recommend it!
"On March 5th 2009 the local PBS station, KBDI, in Denver Colorado broadcast the groundbreaking expose, America: Freedom To Fascism to raise funds for the station.
In this documentary it becomes clear that the Federal Reserve is a private bank and not part of the Federal Government. In that vein, please take note of H.R.1207 initiated by Texas Congressman and former presidential candidate Ron Paul who:
- "..exposed the core truths behind everything threatening America, from the real reasons behind the collapse of the dollar and the looming financial crisis, to terrorism and the loss of our precious civil liberties." (From a Ron Paul book description)
See this clip; one in a series of five in which Ron Paul forewarns of the current financial meltdown as far back as 1988!!
Henry Ford once said, “It is well that the people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.”
So far in U.S. Congressmen, 6 Democrats and 15 Republicans and take time to write your Representatives to sponsor and support it.
One citizen supporter of the bill wrote on a forum: "I'd like to hear the excuses of those congressmen who have not signed on as co-sponsors. Even those who love the Fed and all of its bailouts should still ask where the money is going."
Head on over to http://www.house.gov or http://www.congress.org (preferably both) and contact your representative.
1/27/09 04:07 pm
Have your district nominated for as many awards as possible! Who does the nominating? Very likely The Chamber of Commerce, the City of Greeley and the Colorado Department of Education (CDE); agencies who would have community members believe that the district is providing excellent education.
District Six showcased on the City of Greeley website:
- "Colorado Gifted Ecuation Association Honors Leaders - The Colorado Association of Gifted and Talented has honored District 6 Board President Bruce Broderius and Assistant Superintendent Dana Selzer with two of the Association's top statewide awards for advocacy and leadership in the field of gifted and talented student education. Dr. Broderius received the "Special Advocate of the Year-District Level" award. Dr. Selzer received an "Administrator of the Year" award. Gifted education is an integral component of the District 6 strategic plan, and the district's instructional pacing guides contain differentiated approaches for advance learners. In 2008, the district increased the percentage of students scoring in the Advanced proficiency category on CSAP."
- "School District 6 Honored - The Colorado Association of School Boards has selected the Weld County School District 6 Board of Education as Colorado's 2008 All State School Board. They noted Greeley-Evans Board of Education's bold leadership and reform over the last three years, which has turned the district into a solid example of success for students. The award was given during the CASB's 68th Annual Convention held in Colorado Springs."
Praise from CDE's Commissioner Dwight Jones:- "The commissioner praised District 6’s reform effort of the past two years and lauded the district’s strategic plan as a good model for other districts across the state".
Last, but not least, apply for awards yourself!
From the District Six January 12, BOE agenda under recognition:
"District 6 has been recognized by the Colorado Performance Excellence (CPEx) organization as a 2008 High Plains Award winner for its progress toward becoming a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program organization" Learn more about here: - What is the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award? - The Baldrige Award is given by the President of the United States to businesses—manufacturing and service, small and large—and to education and health care organizations that apply and are judged to be outstanding in seven areas: leadership, strategic planning, customer and market focus, information and analysis, human resource focus, process management, and business results.
1/14/09 08:24 pm
In scouring the Internet for anything on play and also to find out if Chinese kids still get recess I came across this "China Rises" Blog. I left the following comment:
"Our schoolboard justified the elimination of morning recess by claiming that kids in China are more focused on academics than they are in the U.S.
12/19/08 11:43 am
The agenda of this year's Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB) convention, Lead Locally, Think Globally; Transforming Learning Into Life , has some telling topics!
- To Comment or Not to Comment: What Board Members Should Know About Communicating With the Press and Public
- The Magic of Dialogue: Courageous Conversations with your Communities about Standards-based Education - Jane Urschel, deputy executive director, CASB and Ken Turner, deputy commissioner of education, Colorado Department of Education
Even our D6 board (Bruce Broderius, Jesse Quinby, Linda Trimberger, Judy Kron, Julie Kautz, Robert Stack and Mark Hinze) gave a presentation:- Community Engagement and the Power of Conversation
Much of what local school boards say and do is a reflection of the beliefs and policies of the Colorado Association of School Boards whose directors in turn get their guidance, or should I say directive, from the National School Boards Association. NSBA directors work closely with the Business Roundtable which represents major corporations! So when the Business Roundtable praises Obama's pick for Secretary of Education because "Mr. Duncan has a strong record of working with the business community to improve schools.", we should be concerned! See: Business Roundtable Statement on Obama’s Secretary of Education
This is what a reader of Education Week had to say:- "Is the Sec. of Education appointment the kind of Change America voted for? Arne Duncan somehow went from just an undergrad degree in sociology and being a professional basketball player in Australia to becoming 'appointed' CEO (pathetic title for a 100% public funded non-profit institution) then being 'appointed' again by Obama. The man never even was a teacher on top of it."
The Business Roundtable, the major force behind No Child Left Behind, is not interested in educating children for human greatness but for economic gain instead. Watch The Corporation on Youtube.com
12/19/08 11:21 am
To the National School Board Association,
"Is there a procedure for community members to file a formal complaint against a local school board?
Please read the following article. It gives an idea of one of many of our concerns."
Greeley Tribune, Monday, January 8, 2007
---------------------------------------
Reply by:
Naomi Gittins Senior Staff Attorney National School Boards Association
Dear Ms. Jensen,
Since a school board is usually a democratically elected governmental body, there is in general no formal complaint procedure, except through recall or the ballot box. Recall procedures and the circumstances under which recalls may be undertaken are established by state law. School boards may also be sued by individuals who believe the board has violated the law.
------------------------------------------------------ Tribune article:
A change in policy that moves public comment on non-agenda items to the end of school board meetings has angered some people who regularly attend.
The Greeley-Evans School District 6 board in late November changed the format of how it takes public comment at board meetings, which are held on the second and fourth Monday of each month.
In voting on the issue, board President Bruce Broderius said the move was made to expedite and focus board business to items on the agenda. He subsequently noted that while the board meetings deal with public business, they are not intended to be "a community speakout."
Conny Jensen, who heads up Greeley Parent Advocacy, is among a group of people who regularly speak to the board during public comment.
Jensen said she believes the move was made to stymie criticism.
"They did it to thwart us," she said. "The people showing up all the time, they've pretty much called us the main group."
In recent months, she has criticized the board for new approaches to grade-school recess and literacy instruction. She said she's being branded by the board as negative for speaking out on issues she believes needs to be addressed.
"I do think they are bothered by the things we have to say and share," Jensen said of the board. "I don't know entirely what the best way is. Obviously we want to bring issues to their attention. If they're bothered by it, maybe they should address it in a more effective manner, rather than pushing us to the back of the meeting."
She noted that there are some people, including a regular attendee who has multiple sclerosis, with disabilities. Sitting through the length of the meetings, some lasting several hours, is unfair to those individuals, Jensen said.
"Board members expect us to stay even though the issues we bring forth are community issues, not personal issues," she said.
In September, the board began asking speakers to sign up to speak the Friday before each Monday meeting. The idea was to make the board more helpful to the public, giving board and district staff members a chance to prepare responses prior to the meeting. That approach lasted a few meetings before the board eased the sign-up requirement.
The shift of public comment on non-agenda items to the end of meetings is likewise on a trial basis, board member Bob Stack said this week.
"We're still looking at this, and saying let's get the main bulk of our work out of the way and then go on to other things," he said.
Board member Judy Kron said the board welcomes community input but feels "the small group who comes to every meeting ... is not giving us a clear picture of how our community feels about education."
She noted that the board will work hard to interact with the community in the coming year, visiting with service clubs and attending forums. "Community dialogue is very critical to what school boards do, and I think we're trying to create some better ways to dialogue with the community," Kron said.
Juvenal Cervantes, a member of Latinos Unidos, also criticized the board's new meeting format.
"To wait three hours before (speakers on non-agenda items) can give input is strategically designed to suppress those voices," he said. "It's very discouraging."
Public comment at school board meetings in other districts:
-- Pueblo District 60, similar in size to Greeley-Evans District 6:
Formal 30-minute session from 7 to 7:30 p.m., prior to the school board meeting is officially convened. Each person is asked to sign up to speak and is given three minutes in a one-way sharing of information to the board. The board can decide whether to assign a staff member to follow up with the speaker about his or her concern. There is no restriction on the topics speakers want to address.
-- Poudre School District in Fort Collins:
Public comment is taken for up to 30 minutes at the beginning of the meeting with individual comments limited to three minutes. Speakers can address non-agenda items. Registration is not required but those who sign up get to speak before others. Public comments regarding agenda-related issues are requested after each administrative presentation and before board discussion. The board also has an open-ended public comment period at the end of each meeting.
-- St. Vrain Valley School District in Longmont:
The policy states the public comment times at board meetings is "a time for the public to provide their input and not necessarily a time for dialogue with the board."
Public comment takes place at the beginning of the meeting, limited to 30 minutes total and three minutes per speaker, and allows speakers to address non-agenda items. Individuals wishing to talk about agenda items are asked to sign up before the topic is addressed. Their remarks are limited to three minutes before the board takes action on the item.
4/11/08 08:35 am
There are a number of questionable requirements in this bill.
- "Very high quality services" for preschool are not defined and no mention is made to guarantee the same for kindergartens. Representative Witwer was not able to acknowledge that "experiential learning" will become part of the kindergarten "alignment".
Nothing short of official accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children will provide Colorado with real quality kindergartens. Without input from true Child Development and Learning experts we cannot trust that our Colorado State Board of Education is going to do what's ethically and morally right for preschoolers and kindergarteners. The following position statement signed by many national experts should be required reading by all who will decide the fate of young children:
A Call to Action on the Education of Young Children
- None of the following will become reality as long as schools remain driven by high stakes testing!
From the bill: "PUBLIC EDUCATION MUST BE DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE AND ACCOMMODATE STUDENTS' EXPOSURE TO AND INVOLVEMENT IN ACTIVITIES THAT DEVELOP CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION SKILLS; CRITICAL-THINKING AND PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS; COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION SKILLS; SOCIAL AND CULTURAL AWARENESS; CIVIC ENGAGEMENT; INITIATIVE AND SELF-DIRECTION; FLEXIBILITY; PRODUCTIVITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY; LEADERSHIP; INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY APPLICATION SKILLS; AND OTHER SKILLS CRITICAL TO THE TWENTY-FIRST-CENTURY WORKFORCE" - "We are educating people out of their creativity," says Sir Ken Robinson
[He] argues that it's because we've been educated to become good workers, rather than creative thinkers. Students with restless minds and bodies -- far from being cultivated for their energy and curiosity -- are ignored or even stigmatized, with terrible consequences. Watch his 20 minute presentation Do Schools Kill Creativity? or read the transcript.
---------------------------------
Governor Ritter and Representative Witwer on 9News Your Show were unable to offer specifics on the costs associated with implementation of extra assessments and planning time under CAP4K. You can watch the interview here:
4/8/08 10:14 pm
Regarding the SB 50 truancy bill (which has since passed) Greeley Tribune editors wrote in support of it:
"The bottom line for us is anything that will help school districts help kids stay in school is worthy of consideration."
My bottom line is concern if upon being forced to be in school these students' needs will be met, so that they would want to stay in school! Maybe I've become cynical, but I feel these "simplistic" measures without further concern and follow-up for the child academically and emotionally, have more to do with the mandate of No Child Left Behind where schools' and districts' AYP (Adequate Yearly progress) is in part determined by attendance rates!
The editors wrote: "More to the point is the education children who ditch school miss out on -- and that hurts us all. We lose our skilled labor force, our ability to compete globally and our opportunity to improve."
It is wrong to only focus on prepping students for the "world of work". That has led to the standardization of education and excessive testing, which began twenty years ago ("Insult to Intelligence" by Frank Smith is an eye-opener), and likely has a lot, if not all, to do with the lack of quality education we are seeing today!
Editors shared: "Thomas Jefferson said, "Educate and inform the whole mass of the people. ... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty." Indeed, but he saw education quite differently than we see it today. He was an advocate for "free thinking" which allows for liberty of mind and spirit and honors the essence of us as human beings. His noble goals for education have not come to fruition, at least not yet in public schools across the board, ever since formal education was mandated.
Please see:
4/8/08 10:13 pm
From the Educator Roundtable:
See what people have to say about No Child Left Behind! Click here: 32,496 signatures
And Please watch and pass this clip around: The Disparity Gap
3/24/08 07:35 pm
One Mother's Story about Test Intimidation
A Father's Story
Another Mother shared:
- "For math I am supposed to give my son a timed math test at the beginning of the homework cycle and then have him practice all week and then give him another timed test to see if there is improvement. He is to read each day for 20 minutes and then give a one or two sentence response. The writing exercise is specific practice for the CSAP test."
A School Administrator Testifying to Colorado Senators:I come in front of this committee as a career public high school teacher of 16 years and now a school administrator. In 2004... I took time to interview public school principals along the front range.... I was investigating the viability of a move from teacher to administrator for my career.
... The summary was that they used to be the visionary leaders of their respective schools and, as of late with NCLB, CSAP, AYP and the like they have become the middle managers between effective, professional educators and well intentioned but scared district level administrators. My enthusiasm for the change began to wane. None the less I continued to pursue and earned my licensure.
Subsequently, I began to apply and interview for admin positions. Another common theme emerged, in the vast majority of the interviews that I had for Principal or Asst. Principal positions, I was handed some form of a large white binder and was told that primary to my responsibilities would be the management of CSAP testing and data in these various schools.
- ..it would be an up hill battle to truly find the level of innovation, quality pedagogy and thoughtful best practice that I seek in the face of this pervasive focus on one misguided, inaccurate measure of accountability for our schools.
In my disenchantment I took a break and went to work for Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver, where I spent three years directing a summer camp effort, and was reminded what young peoples faces look like, even kids in poverty, when they are having their hearts held and their brains activated by meaningful experiences. But I missed schools. So this past year I decided to jump back into the school game….but this time in a private setting. ... when I interviewed for the position, no one handed me a white binder, in fact, the interview looked and felt more like a deeply rich and thoughtful conversation about best practice between two impassioned educators who want to see what a school that is truly preparing young people for the 21st century looks like. I was offered the position and I took it. In this same year, my good friend was hired as the superintendent of the local public school district. I did dream and do dream of someday working for him…but not now. Not in this climate with the focus being on these tests and the insanity that ensues. No thank you, I would rather focus my energy on students and the joys of learning. - Will eradicating the penalty to school for students who opt out of the CSAP change my mind, not likely, but it will give me and many of my fellow educators some hope that sanity is returning to the system.
Secondly, I would like to tell you the story of my son Reilly. He is 9 years old, a third grader and is in school in the small mountain community of Gold Hill.... Reilly and my wife and I love this school. Reilly has Down Syndrome. The services that are provided, the supports that are in place and the education that he is receiving is, in our well educated opinion, second to none... But I am sorry to report that in the past three weeks we have been profoundly disappointed.
Reilly, against our best judgment, has been taking the CSAP. His routine has been disrupted, his OT sessions canceled, his speech sessions rescheduled, and significant amount of time has been spent trying to make him feel better and proud of himself for not doing what he knows was not a good job on these tests.
He is developmentally delayed…he is not stupid and he knows that he has not done well. Imagine hearing from your child’s teacher when you call to inquire how it went today, that your child had to be prompted to “turn the page” every once in while because he had lost focus on what he was doing. My child does not lose focus when he is doing something that is useful and meaningful, that is what is great about Down Syndrome, he can’t fake it, either it is worth while or it is not and he will let you know.
But we let him take it, we allowed ourselves to be swayed by public opinion by parent and school pressure. We have been used as pawns in a political game of school accountability. No one has learned anything about anything, not him, not you, not us. This is not accountability, this is a mess. Today, because Reilly and his classmates are so exhausted, they are off to see the Frog and the Toad in Arvada…fun yes, is he learning, yes, I should have taken him to the Frog and the Toad while the others were taking the CSAP…I am convinced he would have gotten more out of the experience. - Next year, we will opt out, penalty or no penalty, and so would you. I would like to respectfully request that you go ahead and leave my child behind. Don’t worry, I will be standing there to help him.
3/23/08 12:57 am
I used to believe CSAP could and would hold schools accountable for student learning,
but I never questioned what that might look like!!
My daughter, now 23, dropped out of 10th grade. She was a highly gifted student and her special needs were not understood. She did not receive the individualized learning she needed, not even when she qualified for Special Education due to major depression. That was an extremely painful and frustrating period in her life, so yes, I was angry with teachers and schools!
Accountability under NCLB/CSAP came too late for her, but sadly it has done nothing for her brother (now 20) either. He scored proficient on CSAP, had good grades. His learning needs were not a priority either, not even when he was ready to quit school halfway through his senior year.
He did graduate but has not yet gone on to college. He has excellent CSAP skills in all measured areas, but with only a high school diploma the menial jobs he’s held do not pay what this kid is really worth.
- Let’s not fool ourselves into thinking that with CSAP, schools can offer quality education! The reality is that CSAP has changed educational practices for the worst.
I am deeply concerned for children in schools where recess has been eliminated, where kids are double-dipped in subjects they did poorly on with CSAP.
At least one middle school in Greeley permanently eliminated electives like: speech, logic & reasoning, creative writing, scientific projects, even problem solving in math!
Greeley public kindergartens no longer let children play with toys, blocks, puzzles.
That’s not going to help them become creative and imaginative adults, requirements needed, we are told, to survive in a global world.
Nor do children get time for socialization! Snack time consists of a handful of crackers eaten in five minutes. I have seen for myself how in three different kindergarten classes the developmental needs of these children are totally ignored. Especially during the 90 minutes of scripted Reading First lessons every day there is no time for the kids to comment or ask questions! I am appalled that such neglect is allowed to happen and wish there was a law against it! This is not quality education. All schools now are the same even the ones that always did well on CSAP
These changes all were the result of CSAP. Our district was put on watch, in great part because many students who would have scored proficient or advanced did not sit CSAP exams. Each counted as a negative .5 in the equation. Plus, for each student who would have scored proficient or advanced, the school also lost out on either 1.0 or 1.5 points. This is the reason why students and their parents are even more blatantly coerced into participating in CSAP.
"Coercion has no place in a democratic society, least of all in schools
where it flies in the face of everything
that quality education
should stand for!"
3/4/08 11:16 am
Kelley-Coffman Lee writes to education advocate extraordinaire Don Perl of The Coalition for Better Education: "..I finally got the display up today - it is on the 2nd floor of Smoky Hill Public Library in the main area. Middle school and high school kids congregate here to use the computers and socialize - my target has been hit! Just like with everything I do, it's quite wordy, but those who are truly interested will take the time to read it (they are in a library after all - cripes). I put a bunch of flyers on top of the case with the CBE website on it; hopefully you'll get some visits, Don!
Oh, cool news...my friend who opted her son out told me that during the second wave of testing he was joined by 3 more little opt-outs in the school library during testing time! I refuse to leave my son at school during testing. I'm going to be home schooling next year, so this is good practice for me. I told our superintendent IN PERSON last Friday that I was extremely disappointed with the exam-obsessed path our public schools have taken and will be home schooling next year to ensure my kids will get a well-rounded education. He only said he hoped I'd change my mind. I also told him that I'm still a taxpayer so my battle with CSAP has only begun..."
2/12/08 10:34 am
Dutch high school students are represented by the "Landelijk Aktie Komitee voor Studenten", (LAKS) National Action Committee for Students which functions quite differently from the student councils we have here in the U.S. It is truly an organization by students for students!
In November of 2007 LAKS urged students to speak out against the 1040 mandatory hours of schooling. All over the country students went on strike, marched to town halls and demonstrated, asking for "Quality over quantity".
Because of a teacher shortage students feel their needs are not met by simply having to be in school for more hours. For more, click here
2/11/08 12:21 am
Greeley - Evans School District Six' developed a "Comprehensive Accountability System". The report lists extrinsic rewards for students who do well on CSAP! Never mind that Alfie Kohn, author of Punished by Rewards, says of that:
- "Both rewards and punishments are ways of manipulating behavior that destroy the potential for real learning. Instead, he advocates providing an engaging curriculum and a caring atmosphere "so kids can act on their natural desire to find out."
Here is a sampling:
Gold Award - For students scoring “Advanced” on all CSAP content areas
Silver Award - For students who score “Advanced” on any CSAP content area
Bronze Award -For students moving up one proficiency level or more in any content area
For schools there is the (what else?)
“Success, No Excuses” Achievement Award - [if they] improve on all districtwide student achievement indicators for all CSAP assessments
- Each school will develop a recognition program that awards individual students for learning or behaviors that contribute positively to the district-wide indicators. Some examples are:
• academic excellence
• academic improvement
• student engagement
• student behavior and attendance
• caring and concern
- Should the support system.. not result in improvement of a school or department, the following sanctions could be applied.
• Increased oversight
• Change in leadership
• Reconstitution of staff
• Reorganization of department or school; school closure
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January was National School Board Appreciation month.
Renae Dreier had the following praise:
"..[I] can’t imagine any school board that deserves community and staff’s appreciation more. When looking at the data presented tonight, the DIBELS data, and the progress made so that we’re a dynamic district with a strategic plan and an accountability system to track it, and looking at where we’ve come the last couple years, this district doesn’t look like the district of 2005. It has everything to do with not just the employees and teachers, but also our school board.."I can’t imagine a braver, more courageous, more dynamic Board." - January 14 BOE meeting minutes.
She also handed each board member a plaque and a framed copy of the articles regarding the district being removed from academic watch.
1/21/08 03:43 pm
Don Perl shares:
- "..our two billboards here in downtown Greeley..are big, and impressive. [They] are located at 12th Street and 8th Avenue, and just south of the Ice Haus on 8th Avenue near 10th Street. Let's see if we can get some newspaper coverage. ..perhaps you could call the Greeley Tribune at 970 352-0211, and ask for the desk of Chris Casey. I think the best approach may be simply posing some questions [about the campaign] requiring him to respond.
Kelley Coffman-Lee has this encouraging report about the posting and distributing of our brochures: First of all, I tried to get your flyer, “Why We Oppose CSAP” placed in the lobby of our public library, but the best they could do was to post one on the community bulletin board. Better than nothing. I’m also waiting on a response regarding my proposal to do a CSAP display on the floor where all of the middle school and teenagers study (hang out). There are 4 shelves in the display case, so I’ll have plenty of room to gripe. I’ll likely have to wait, if it is approved, until after testing. Secondly, one of the most sociable, best-liked moms at school noticed my “Just Say No to CSAP” bumper sticker today and we had an abbreviated conversation (it’s very cold) about the wretched thing. She knows a great deal about the problems associated with the test. Hopefully with her help, I can round up some more concerned moms.
We have made tentative plans to leaflet the playground together in February!
-------------------- Are you ready to take a stand? 
Contact Don at: dperl@myexcel.com
for flyers, buttons or the new sticker
"I opted out of CSAP"
12/12/07 10:37 pm
Take a look at this photo of the amazing billboard on I-25 south of Pueblo that informs parents of their right to opt their children out of CSAP testing.
Susan Ohanian a long-time teacher..now a freelance writer and editor commends Don Perl, our local student advocate par excellence . She writes:
- "Kudos to the enthusiastic resisters at the Coalition for Better Education. Send them a contribution and they will rent more billboards, spreading the message of parents taking back their children from state control."
Indeed, even if most parents don't know it, many wonderful people are taking a stand for students against No Child Left Behind and its mandated state assessments, but it remains an uphill battle. The reason is that NCLB was dreamed up and initiated by business corporations, and as Edward Luttwak remarks in his book Turbo-Capitalism - Winners and Losers in the Global Economy:
"Corporations are not moral entities. They exist to make a profit".
No surprise then that failing schools are privatized!
What do standardized tests tell a parent about their child's intrinsic educational experience? Nothing! Yet, that is a much better indicator of how a child will fare after school!
A student who enjoys school will likely pursue learning despite average or low CSAP scores, but a child with high scores who dreads school could decide not to go to college. My own son is such an example. He could barely muster resolve to stay in school for his last semester!
Lynn Stoddard a veteran of teaching..now writes and lectures on the urgent need to design a new system of public education based on ancient wisdom and modern research. He has this advice for teachers and parents:
... Search your heart often to decide if an act or plan of action is good for children -- and for yourself. Stop doing things that you know are harmful up to the point of losing your job over it. If it comes to that, you can find ways to convince administrators to change, or you can think of ways to soften the act.
Integrity is what made Rosa Parks refuse to go to the back of the bus. Lack of integrity is the reason why teachers, parents, and administrators have allowed NCLB to fall upon us -- and are allowing it now to continue. Everyone knows it's harmful, but money overpowers integrity and people continue to rationalize and make excuses for not dropping it out the window.
- When integrity rules our thoughts, it leads to helping students grow in identity, inquiry, interaction, imagination, initiative, and intuition -- the qualities that lead to contributive behavior.
Parents must not shirk the responsibility to become partners with the school to do it. If we aim for students to become contributors -- not burdens -- to society, the curriculum becomes a tool to help do it. In my booklet I show how students achieve more in basic skills and in many other ways when we change our mental focus. "Drawing forth" is the opposite of "pouring in" but it makes a big difference.
11/27/07 11:21 am
Retired teacher Pat Kennedy sent this eloquent letter to Nancy Nemec the Greeley Tribune opinion page editor. If you agree with this you could let Nancy know by sending her an email at nnemec@greeleytribune.com
Dear Nancy:
It seems that the Tribune wants to let everyone think things are going just fine with our schools. All we have to do is keep on this track. No one at the Tribune seems willing to look at the long term consequences of having all kids doing one curriculum. You cannot produce kids who are creative and innovative if all they are doing is responding to drills day in and day out for years on end. If we graduate kids who are not technology savvy, who are afraid of taking a risk (or afraid of getting the wrong answer), and who can't think independently, then high test scores mean nothing other than kids know how to pass a test. Heaven help them if they have to do anything on the job besides fill in bubbles or write short answers to set prompts. They will not be ready for a 21st century work environment. Last year over 200 teachers and administrators left Greeley (only 35 teachers retired) [emphasis mine]. Many were men and women frustrated with a system that does not let them do their job of teaching to the individual needs of students, but instead requires them to teach only one way and to ignore anything but data. Data is useful to teachers, but it is not the only thing that matters when teaching. Excellent teachers also consider the individual abilities and interests of students and inspire them to achieve from an intrinsic love of learning rather than an extrinsic fear of not passing a test. If you go back through your archives to articles about Dr. Waters and outcomes based education (1998-1993), you will find that the Tribune praised this Superintendent for his visionary thinking. Dr. Waters was the one who pushed for site based decision making and completely disassembled our district curriculum which is how we got into the mess found ourselves two years ago. Teachers at the time knew this was not what we should be doing, but no one would listen. None of us were surprised when when the audit showed our curriculum in disarray. The teachers could have written the audit for free. But once again instead of including the teachers in the solution, the district simply went to the other extreme. From "every school do your own thing" to "every school do exactly the same thing" which is not a long term solution and creates problems of its own including low morale for students and teachers. [A teacher] and I met with Chris Casey (education reporter) way back in August and gave him lots of information about how our schools are not really meeting kids needs for the long haul. We had urged him to go interview teachers and find out what their concerns are. Somehow the Tribune has not really investigated concerns over the curriculum. Teachers who are implementing the curriculum see long term problems being created that will exist long after these administrators have left Greeley. It's a pattern Greeley teachers have experienced over and over again. The issues on the negotiating table (planning time and salary) are really just the tip of the ice berg. The issues affecting our school are so much deeper and complex.
11/18/07 04:49 pm
By Dr. Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D., an internationally recognized authority on brain development and children in crisis. Dr. Perry leads the ChildTrauma Academy, a pioneering center providing service, research and training in the area of child maltreatment.
- [He was in Greeley in March of 2001. My column about his lecture was published in the Greeley Tribune. You can access it here.]
Neural System Fatigue
Learning requires attention. And attention is mediated by specific parts of the brain. Yet, neural systems fatigue quickly, actually within minutes. With three to five minutes of sustained activity, neurons become "less responsive"; they need a rest (not unlike your muscles when you lift weights). They can recover within minutes too, but when they are stimulated in a sustained way, they just are not as efficient. Think about the piano and the organ; if you put your finger on the organ key and hold it down it will keep making noise, but the piano key makes one short note, and keeping your finger there produces no more sound. Neurons are like pianos, not organs. They respond to patterned and repetitive, rather than to sustained, continuous stimulation. Why is this important for a teacher?
When a child listens as you say, "George Washington was 6'4" tall," she uses one neural system (call it A). When she is told about a concept related to that fact ("The average height of men during the Revolutionary War was only 5'4"," a slightly different, but functionally interconnected neural set (B) is used. When she listens to a vignette: "Washington, at the darkest moment in the Revolution, when his soldiers were deep in the despair of defeat, starving and freezing at Valley Forge, slowly rose to his full height and, using his dominant personality (in part conveyed by his physical dominance) and was able to motivate his discouraged soldiers to re-enlist and continue fighting," yet other related neural systems are active (C and D). These interrelated neural systems are all important in learning; indeed, our students will learn more completely if they make "changes" (create memory) in all of these neural systems (A, B, C, and D).
* Facts are empty without being linked to context and concepts.
When a child is in a familiar and safe situation, as in most of our classrooms, his or her brain will seek novelty. So, if this child hears only factual information, she will fatigue within minutes. Only four to eight minutes of pure factual lecture can be tolerated before the brain seeks other stimuli, either internal (e.g., daydreaming) or external (Who is that walking down the hall?). If the teacher is not providing that novelty, the brain will go elsewhere. Continuous presentation of facts or concepts in isolation or in a nonstop series of anecdotes will all have the same fatiguing effect — and the child will not learn as much, nor will she come to anticipate and enjoy learning.
The best presentation, the most engaging and effective teaching, has all three elements. And it is very important how the teacher puts these elements together.
The Bob-and-Weave Lecture
The most effective presentation must move back and forth through these interrelated neural systems, weaving them together. These areas are interconnected under usual circumstances, like a complete "workout" in the gym where we rotate from one station to another. Similarly, in teaching, it is most effective to work one neural area and then move on to another. Engage your students with a story to provide the context. Make sure this vignette can touch the emotional parts of their brains. This will activate and prepare the cognitive parts of the brain for storing information. Information is easiest to digest when there is emotional "seasoning" — humor, empathy, sadness, and fear all make "dry" facts easier to swallow. Give a fact or two; link these facts into related concepts. Move back to the narrative to help them make the connection between this concept and the story. Go back to another fact. Reinforce the concepts. Reconnect with the original story. In and out, bob and weave, among facts, concept, and narrative.
Human beings are storytelling primates. We are curious, and we love to learn. The challenge for each teacher is to find ways to engage the child and take advantage of the novelty-seeking property of the human brain to facilitate learning.
*This article orginially appeared in Instructor magazine.
11/13/07 10:59 am
From Colorado's west slope comes the following account by Patricia Lang:
My daughter went to parent teacher conferences last Thursday. [Her son] Christian is a straight A student. So the dialogue went something like this:
Teacher: "It is really non of my business, but why do you opt Christian out of CSAP? You know we are a struggling school, and his scores would really help us out."
Daughter: "It is a matter of principle. My husband and I do not feel that these tests have any validly at all, they don't show that you are a good or bad teacher, they do not show that the school is a good or a bad school, and they do not show that my son is a good or a bad student."
She went on to say that educators need to be more concerned with teaching a wide curriculum instead of one outlined by NCLB and the Federal Government. She said that she understood how his scores would help and since he does not take the stupid test the school gets a 0, but ..
- ..she was not going to be a part of the destruction of public education.
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I applaud this parent!
It takes courage to take a stand for your child
and the future of public education!
11/12/07 07:24 pm
Have you ever wondered why our schoolboard members treat our superintendent with kid gloves? Well, here are the highlights from a two page document that GEA sent out to its members. It is from the contract dated June 13, 2006 which provides minimum guarantees through 2009-09. Language stated that anything may be increased but not decreased.
If terminated by the Board before the end of the contract, Dr. Dreier is entitled to at least all provisions contained in that contract.
Contract:
- 260 days (which includes sick leave, 25 vacation days, and 10 district paid days to work as a consultant)
Salary: - 2005-06 $144,000
- 2006-07 $165,000 (14.58% raise plus benefit improvements),
- 2007-08 $175,000 (6.06 raise),
- 2008-09 $185,000 (5.71% raise)
A three year increase in salary alone comes to 28.5%
Health and Dental: - 2005-06 District pays single health and dental,
- 2006-07 Health and dental for Dreier and her husband
District paid post employment health insurance:
- For each year of employment, District Health and Dental (or comparable plans) will be extended for one year after cessation of employment for both Dr. Dreier and her husband at the District's expense.
Public Employees' Retirement Association - 2005-06 District pays employer contribution Starting in 2006 district pays employer contribution and also reimburses Dr. Dreier for her 8% employee contribution.
District's contribution to Annuity:
- Up to $40,000 per year placed in an annuity. "After completion of the 2008-09 contract year and the continuation of that year there will be a total of $160,000 in district contributions to her annuity program. Renae Dreier will be entitled to the full amount in the annuity at that time.
Discretionary/Vacation:
- 25 days per year, in addition to regular school holidays. Unused days from 2005-06 may be carried over. Up to 10 days per year are reimbursed.
Consulting Leave:
- Up to 10 district-paid days per year for "consulting purposes on behalf of organizations and entities other than the district."
Expense Reimbursements:
- 2005-06 Reimbursement up to $3,600 Starting in 2006 reimbursement for "all necessary and reasonable expenses."
Other:
- Moving expenses of $12,500 in 2005-06; Ford Explorer and all related costs in 2006-06. "All necessary and reasonable expenses" are reimbursed.
11/9/07 11:00 am
District Six put up a Negotiations Information page that addresses questions and concerns regarding the teacher salary negotiations.The District claims they are "not in a financial crisis".
- "..but we do have serious budget concerns caused by declining enrollment over the last two years, and by increasing charter school enrollment."
Yet, on June 25, 2007 the board decided to sign up with the State Treasurer’s Interest-Free Loan Program. Up until 2006 the district took pride in being fiscally responsible. There had always been Board Reserves to count on in times of need.
Then came the festive celebration of the Strategic Plan on March 27, 2006. Regional CDE Director Michael Clough was present and the balloon festooned school board room was packed with invited dignitaries such as the publisher of the Greeley Tribune, the Mayor, and local Chamber of Commerce members. The Board of Education wanted to make a good impression so on the agenda was also the: Priority Budget.
$924,733 for assessments (CSAP, ACT Plan, NWEA, DIBELS)
Technology alone to administer and score the many tests costs $425,000 per year.
$815,161 for textbooks for the literacy program in PK-5 grades. $941,500 for curriculum and interventions.
Curriculum renewal for that year was $432,000 but each year thereafter a minimum of $700.000 would be required "to keep curriculum up and refreshed" said then Finance Director Sheryl Wangeman.
$881,000 for professional development. Marlene Schuman said: "This is an action item, could I make a motion? I would move that the Board of Education.... - designate $907,483 from the board reserves including $829,326 from 2004 -2005 board reserves and the $78,157 from 2003-2004 board reserves for the purpose of purchasing textbooks for literacy instruction in grades PK-5 and for the purpose of purchasing science FOSS kits in the amount of $25,000 and I move that the board of education approve the 2006 Priority Budget Items totaling $1,995,285.00 for inclusion in the 2006-2007 general fund budget.
Jesse Quinby seconded and the motion carried without questions on a 6-0 vote.
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Thanks to fears instilled by the business roundtable that the U.S. as a country will lose out to "sleeping giants" like China and India, children now suffer under the demands of NCLB. Recess is becoming a thing of the past. Our public schools only offer 20 minutes of outdoor play when it's lunchtime.
Guess what kids prefer? They choose recess over eating their lunch. Animals in labs make an identical choice according to Marc Bekoff, professor of Biology who is also an advocate for play as are many other national experts.
Of note is especially the research by Dr. Stuart Brown who found that there is a strong undeniable correlation between lack of play in childhood and adult criminal behavior. Go to: http://www.nifplay.org/vision.html to read more!
Research by Bonnie Gordon about "Cultural Comparisons of Schooling" argues that opportunity for socialization of young children, and getting attention from the teacher sets kids up for future learning.
Absence of that could very well be the reason for the achievement gap between American kids and some Asian countries. American kindergarten focuses on academics, now thanks to NCLB, even more than ever before!
Playtime has even been eliminated from our local public kindergartens! And now DIBELS is even administered in preschools. Next, play will be eliminated there as well!
Posted by: Conny Jensen | October 01, 2007 at 04:46 PM