May 11, 2008 - May 17, 2008 Archives

A few years back, my mother accepted a fairly important post within the federal government. She was excited and thrilled at the opportunity, but her elation was short-lived as she began working closely with a few members of her staff. Idle, disgruntled, and incompetent, this handful of employees had difficulty completing assigned tasks.

“Why can’t you just fire her?” I asked naively after hearing about yet another frustrating day at the office. “It’s not that easy,” she answered. Apparently, it ain’t that easy in the schools either.

More than half of roughly 1,000 teachers surveyed nationwide said it was very difficult to get rid of inept teachers who have tenure, according to a report released last week by the non-partisan think tank, Education Sector. In addition, about half of those surveyed said they personally knew of such a teacher.

About 70 percent of the teachers who were polled also said receiving tenure did not necessarily equate to teacher quality, with most of those surveyed saying teacher evaluations needed to be bolstered.

For instance, a study of teacher evaluations in Chicago Public Schools revealed that more than 90 percents of teachers received the top two ratings -- superior or excellent. Now, Chicago is making great strides to improving student academic achievement but I don’t know of any large, urban school system that can boast that level of teacher effectiveness.

Not wanting to deal with the hassle and the tussle of the grievance process and unions was one of the main reasons given by Chicago principals for not being harsher in their critiques. To be read more about the role unions play in teacher labor relations, especially during the high stakes testing era, check out ASBJ's April cover story by Senior Editor Del Stover.

Naomi Dillon, Senior Editor

Pleeeease…. Can we read Three Billy Goats Gruff?

That’s not my daughters talking: It’s me.

I just love this “flip-up-the-flap book” about the three billy goats who outwit a mean and ugly troll. Alison Edgson, who wrote and illustrated this latest incarnation of the fairy tale, you are a genius.

In case you haven’t heard, this is Children’s Book Week, an annual celebration of reading sponsored by the Children’s Book Council (CBC) and the CBC Foundation.

My 6-year-old is tired of “Billy Goats” -- and her father’s valiant attempts at imitating the voices of the three -- can’t use the word “goats” again, too boring -- “hollow-horned ruminant mammals” (thank you, Merriam Webster). But my 3-year-old still requests it.

What other books do parents like to read -- or, at least, this parent? I love "How I Became a Pirate" by David Shannon, though his more basic "No, David" was the award winner. And one of my all time favorite is: "Chrysanthemum" by Kevin Henkes. (He also wrote two books about a character named Lily --- "Lily’s Big Day" and "Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse," which feature what I consider to be the quintessential, highly qualified elementary school teacher. Unfortunately he’s, well, a mouse, and thus can’t be entirely emulated -- or hired.

Happy Reading!

Lawrence Hardy, Senior Editor

One of the top reasons high school students drop out or become disengaged is that they’re bored. They simply don’t see any relevance between real life and the algebraic equations and other concepts they’re learning in school.

Some of these students would be well-served by high-quality career and technical training—it would at least allow them to learn a trade or skill that could help them become gainfully employed, or perhaps lead them to pursue a postsecondary degree.

The Southern Regional Education Board and the Council of Chief State School Officers want states to take the lead on developing these programs. And the federal Perkins Act, the main federal law for vocational training, now requires states to tie career classes to academic standards and high school reforms. This gives an opportunity to teach lessons with a fresh context instead of a drill-and-kill orient toward testing.

Most importantly, such teaching could attract more students to the high-need STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) fields by helping them understand the relevance of abstract concepts when used in the workplace, says Gene Bottoms, the vice president of SREB.

“There are very few opportunities in high school to take on the habits, thinking, and authentic work in these fields,” he says. “We believe career and technical education can provide that outlet.”

SREB and CCSSO released a report this week that shows the potential of career and technical education programs, with examples from several states and policy recommendations. The report can be found on SREB’s home page.

Joetta Sack-Min, Associate Editor

We've been writing the Leading Source for nine months now, and all of us who write for the blog agree that it's been a pretty fun ride so far.

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Hit the comment button at the end of the post and end this one-sided relationship.

Kathleen Vail, Managing Editor

Oh, my mind went on a rollercoaster ride when I read about the project Dallas district officials are piloting to address chronic truants.

On the one hand, I thought the GPS tracking units that are tethered to a handful of consistently M.I.A. students was a unique and innovative way to keep kids from dropping out.

According to a study by America’s Promise Alliance, a collaborative founded by former Secretary of State Colin Powell, more than one million students drop out from high school annually, with Dallas boasting the seventh-worst graduation rate among America’s 50 largest cities.

And with higher unemployment, crime, and health issues attributed to those without high school diplomas, one can almost justify the radical approach Dallas is taking to avert what ultimately impacts everyone in the community … almost.

Because, while the district’s initiative was unique (they are the only school system in the country experimenting with this strategy) and proactive, I felt what they were doing was draconian and a bit Big Brother.

It is surely a desperate measure, but I wonder: Are we in desperate times?

Naomi Dillon, Senior Editor