Week 10.3
The Govenor's Education Bill
During our class this week, Michele also engaged us is a very important discussion about the new Governor's bill. We had a very passionate discourse about our rights as teachers and the importance of putting our students first. While we all know that reform is needed in education, I wonder why teachers must bare the brunt of the turmoil. The education of our students is what matters most to us...contrary to popular belief it's not tenure or summers off. We do expect to be fully respected by our administrators and supported by our politicians. Without that, how can we be effective in creating productive classrooms? In order to keep up with some of the changes in CT legislature, Michele had mentioned a blog called, "Wait, What?" I have to admit...I loved it by it's title. Take a look around and let me know what you think?
Wait, What?
http://jonathanpelto.com/
By the way...here is the complete bill if you are interested in reading it.
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2012/TOB/S/2012SB-00024-R00-SB.htm
Bandura theory is based on individuals learning interactions from what they are being exposed to. I find the social learning theory/ cognitive learning theory to have some truth to it. For example children that grow up in low-income neighborhoods, where they are exposed to gang violence, poverty and broken families is their reality, because they have not been exposed to other views. Therefore their reality becomes the norm, and they may follow in the same path. However, it is our jobs, the teachers jobs to educated these children so that they can make informed decisions about their own futures. At the same time when children are dealing with these environmental factors it interferes with their education. For example, children that have to worry if they are going to be safe walking to school will interfere on getting to school. Children that worry if they will have enough food to eat may be weaken and have no energy to be focused in school. Children that did not get a good night rest because of the gang activity in the neighborhood may fall asleep in class. This is why I find it so important for teachers, and educator take into account the cultural factors that all students are faced with. Teachers need to be understanding, and understand that children have different factors that will play into who they shape up to be. Encouraging students that they have choices will teach children responsibility.(LBunker. This is a post not a coment)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Bandura's theories. However, I look at my Godson who went to Buckley High in Hartford. He was one of 3 white kids in his class. He was not only an "A" student, he got into Trinity College where he majored in Archeology and had a 4 year free ride. He was also an A student there. Then he went to Rutgers for his Masters. Now he is in Greece digging! It comes from the home!
DeleteWe have an achievement gap. We have several towns with minimal resources. However, crime is a problem. Gangs become a way of life for many. This kids want to feel that they belong to a "family". This is a home issue and parent/lack of parent issue.
Hartford is not only on the bottome IRG, but also, the bottom of that. How can kids succeed when approxmiately 14% of Hartford families (for example) can speak English in the home.
This kids become what they see. School cannot change all that. It is impossible. If the tough towns could allocate money from crime prevention to schools, they would be better off I think.
Like you said, "It is dangerous just to walk to school". What is a teacher going to do to change that situation?
I believe every student can learn. However, for that too happen, our government needs to step in and change the socio-economic situation in our country. Jobs and family bonding are key.
Mike Hatzikostantis
It’s about that time when I jump on my soapbox, in preparation for a conversation about the de-professionalization of education. I wouldn’t characterize myself as a political activist, especially considering that I knew little about Bill # 24. At one point, I scanned an article in the Hartford Courant regarding Governor Malloy’s lofty plans to reform CT’s educational system by (A) calling for more rigorous teacher preparatory standards and (B) expanding opportunities for early childhood education. That all sounded admirable…Fast forward a few weeks, and here I am (better informed, mind you) and all fired up!
ReplyDeleteAfter listening to Michele’s presentation regarding Malloy’s plans and reading the first few blogs posts on “Wait, What,” I now, at last, have a knowledge base to build from. The blog posts were entertaining, informative, and easily accessible by this political novice, yet I walked away from the computer feeling even more aggravated about the blatant hypocrisy that seems to underscore our educational system.
A) Charter schools– Charter schools gain much of their notoriety by instilling strict guidelines for student behavior and academic performance. I am a supporter of predictability and routine, yet the purpose of public education is to prepare our students for entry into a dynamic and, often, unpredictable world. We need to teach our students the art of negotiation and analytical thought while instilling them with a penchant for flexibility and accountability. Charter schools may very well have a place in our educational system, yet the funds needed to sustain these schools should not come at the expense of our public schools.
B) Teacher autonomy – What happened to it OR did we ever have it?
An essential characteristic of any profession is autonomy in the workplace. Given that there are multiple stakeholders in education, the authority for what should be taught must lie with the public as well as with professional teachers and administrators. Evidently, policymakers doubt the skill sets of current educators which is why instruction has, in many cases, been reduced to pacing guides and scripted lessons. However, professionals are not attracted to a field in which they lack respect, adequate resources, or responsibility. Instead of really focusing his discussion on raising the standards for teacher preparatory programs, Malloy wishes to recruit additional Teach for America candidates, no longer require teachers to attain master’s degrees, and employ un-certified superintendents. For these reasons alone, who would want to give these so-called professionals any semblance of autonomy? Teach for America undermines the professional expertise necessary for teaching as it communicates that educators need little, if any, training to run a classroom. If we want to attract and retain the most talented educators, then we need to speak about the knowledge, determination, and heart that it takes to grow in this profession.
Andrea-
DeleteBeautifully stated! This whole bill has gotten me fired up as well. Reading the blog, "Wait, What,” talking with colleagues, and continuing to hear it on the news, makes me learn something new each time. Many people are misinformed and I really appreciated Michelle taking the time to speak with us about it.
Malloy needs to step into the teacher's shoes for a week or even 2 weeks and really see what kind of work we do. I understand there might be some positive things; however, I feel that the bad outweighs the good.
Many people don't find this to be a reality and that this could pass, but it will! Everyone needs to spread the word and contact their legislators!
I believe we all learned quite a bit from Michele's presentation last week.
DeleteHowever, charter schools are corporate America. What does that mean for teachers and students? Basically, corporate America WANTS PROFITS! For teachers, it means that over 1/2 of teachers will lose their jobs. For students, it will go back to rote learning and memorization...like the old days.
There are too many outside the field who have to idea what this means. They hear some political lingo and join the attack on teachers.
I think it is time that we let our voices be heard. Are there bad teachers? Sure. ARe there bad presidents. I could name one immediately. Are there bad cooks, bus drivers, senators, state workers? Absolutely.
Why doesn't anyone get rid of state workers who sit all day and smoke? I cannot begin to tell you what I see at the Secretary of STate's offices. Waste of tax money. Yet, teachers are attacked.
We have to unite or we will lose.
Mike Hatzikostantis
Melissa,
DeleteI completely agree with you. For some reason, it seems that teachers take the brunt for everything. We get beat on from so many angles when ultimately, we are the ones who really do care about our students' future and education. The whole idea is frustrating... It would be nice if one day teachers could just....teach.
Andrea, nice job on top of the soapbox. In regards to the teacher autonomy, you make valid points. Do not forget that it was policy makers and politicians who decided that we, as teachers, needed scripted lessons and stricter guidelines while still being "creative." It is unfortunate that there is such disconnect in communication between multiple facets of our society because apparently all of us "know" exactly what needs to be done. Wait, what?
DeleteMCC
I get so fired up about this bill Malloy and his people are trying to pass. I welcome the idea that maybe he is just trying to start conversations on how to fix our educational system that is having difficult times in so many areas. But the more and more I read, I am not feeling this. Yes it will ignite conversations, but some of the conversations may be sugar-coated for political reasons. I don’t feel that Malloy is on the same page as the teachers in this state. And as I said on Tues., why blame the teachers when the administrators already have a way to regulate good and bad teachers. Why are they not getting looked at? But I will stand behind my administrators; they do an incredible job and set the standards very high for the teachers.
ReplyDeleteThis blog, although of the opinion of the author, does state many valid points. I have placed this in my Diigo and Google Reader to follow what he has to say. Thanks for sharing.
Oh it will ignite conversations. One of the comments that I read on the blog was from a man who voiced his opinion and concerns over the bill and stated that he was pretty much ignored or shrugged off and he even posted the you tube video. I'm feeling that "this it is, like it or not".
DeleteFirst, I'd like to comment on how teachers are being portrayed. Any time I turn on the T.V and see a commercial or a clip from the news about the bill, someone is always talking about how teachers are upset because they will lose tenure. I feel that the general public believes this is why teachers are upset. It's incredibly unfortunate that people form opinions without any real background knowlege. Education Reform. Sounds good to me, sounds good to you. But HOW will this be accomplished is the IMPORTANT part. I fear that too many people do not understand what the bill is actually proposing and how it will affect the school, their kids, teachers etc...How can we get more people to LISTEN to those who have an educational background and are deeply entrenched in what the bill means? We need someone who can cut through the misconceptions and inform the public! I am a career changer and I am doing an internship in a priority school district. With this bill, I would be terrified to work within one of the priority districts. I have met MANY expert and competent teachers, but there are SO many factors that affect student performance that it is totally unfair to blame the teachers. They go above and beyond what is expected of them to help their students and to teach them. Many learn, and some do not. Speaking as a future educator-this bill is pushing me away from the priority districts.
ReplyDeleteWell said Jen! Too often, it's those few examples of teachers who abuse tenure which remain in the public's mind, as opposed to the vast majority of educators who dedicate their entire lives to this profession. This bill has been carefully "packaged" and delivered to the public as THE solution to our educational crisis. Unfortunately, teachers can't always work miracles. We're certainly driven to help our students succeed, but there are a myriad of other factors which remain out of our control.
DeleteI completely agree with you. Teachers are being portrayed in such a way that makes them appear as selfish money-hungry boars who are cheating their way through state/national assessments, and while the rest of the world is hard at work, basking on the beach on a long summer vacation. This is absolutely infuriating because we all know how hard we work and how much we want to help our students succeed. It is clear by proposed policies and media news feed that no one has tried to hear the voice of educators, nevermind have any background or understanding of the educational/academic field or experience at all. With so much already falling onto educators, these bills only add feelings of defeat and discouragement.
Delete-Chelsea
What an awesome bloig, although I wish I had checked it out earlier in the day because now I'm all fired up. I loved the chart that showed financial funding for charter schools and the poorest state districts. There was so much information that was really quite interesting. This is the information more people need to be exposed to. Way too many misconceptions out there.
ReplyDeleteThe funding disparity between charter schools (with far fewer students) and public schools is shocking. In turn, our neediest students are left with the fewest resources. Who knows whether the general public is cognizant of this.
DeleteI agree that more of the public needs to be aware of what teachers do. Many of the things are not know, not documented or not recognized. Many teachers do go above and beyond what they do, and what they are paid for. If a teacher were in the "corporate" world, there probably would not be a company out there that could afford them based on the time, effort and work they produce. I do have to say that even I was shocked at how much time I need to put into one class and how teaching never shuts off - I am constantly thinking of what I need to do and how I want to improve. I wish the public were able to hear and understand this so they can understand that for the majority of teachers, tenure is not security. A good teacher never stops.
DeleteYou all make such great points! Anyone who goes into this profession definitely didn't come into it for the money. However, it really upsets me when I find out that they want to pay us even less. Also, this whole bill just shows how much people don't appreciate education. One thing I would love for them to understand is that these students are our future and if we can't give them the education that they need then the children's future is on the line.
DeleteI agree. I didn't become a teacher because it would make me monetarily wealthy. However, to the public, it appears that we only want our summers off and to get our tenure. As a society, we determine what we value and how much that value is worth. Until educators are treated with the same respect as other professionals, we will constantly be the subject of "evaluation." Maybe we should form an evaluation process for our politicians as well and see what type of outcry that creates.
DeleteMCC
To be honest, after being laid off a couple of times from several districts, I was ready to become a "tenured" teacher. The saying "tenure" wouldn't make me work less, however, would give me the confidence that my job was safe. Especially in this economy, everyone likes the security of knowing they have a job. For me, I am not upset about losing tenure, because I know that I will continue to learn and work hard day in and day out.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest concern is everything else they want to take away from us. If this bill passes, the state is going to lose many great teachers to not only other professions but to other states. This bill tells teachers that we are not appreciated, when in reality we are one of the hardest working professions out there.
It just upsets me and leaves me feeling really unsettled of the possibility of my job being unstable. With just purchasing a home, I need to be able to keep my job so that I can pay my mortgage.
Contact your legislators!
Melissa,
DeleteThis is a fear of mine too... I totally get where you're coming from. I'm worried about what education will become in our state, and in our country, if this bill passes.
I couldn't agree with you more. This will not help rid out the "bad" teachers, this will give motivation for the good teachers to find somewhere better to teach! As a new teacher I am in fear of did I pick the wrong place to teach. Maybe. I know I didn't pick the wrong profession, but it sure feels like we aren't appreciated at all.
Delete-Danielle
Dear Class: Again, sorry for the delay. It was our Independence Day on Sunday, so we had a busy several days getting the kids ready for their Greek dancing at the Capitol and at the Church as well as my son's play in Greek at Church on Sunday. All the kids were awesome!
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I have to say, that when I recall all the research I did for the NCLB (2002) and how it is leaving children behind, my blood boils. I belive there is a hidden agenda in all these politicians...more than money (for themselves I am sure).
We have to remember that G W Bush tied the National Recruitment Act of 2002 to the NCLB 2002. WHy? Can anyone venture a guess? That's right...keep kids uneducated, fail all schools by 2014, and have kids no other choice but to join the military for more unilateral wars.
Of course, it goes deeper. Both GW and Malloy have their issues. GW was ADHD, Dyslexic,etc (too many to write) and our governor, Malloy, is also severely dyslexic. While the former has not made progress, the latter has.
According to the ancient Greeks (who developed Democracy), what must all citizens be for a democracy to survive? EDUCATED. True or what?
Wouldn't our politicians want every American educated? You would think. However, since 2000, the answer is definitely "NO".
There is an all out war against education and teachers. If educated, we can question our politicians and remove them. If uneducated, we have to idea what they are doing in our name.
There are also a ton of I.O.U's in politics. Corporate American stands to make millions by taking over schools and disbanding the Department of Eduation.
The article mentions that Malloy is not a democrat. That is true. Democrats stand for education, unions, and the power of the worker. Republicans go for corporate America and keeping us down.
I cannot believe that history is not on the CMT's and CAPT because they cannot agree on content. It is so that we do not study and learn from their mistakes. We learn history so that we don't make same mistakes.
I hope I did not upset anyone. This is a hard time for all Americans looking for work. Try getting a Social Studies/History job today. It is nearly impossible.
Let's pray for a positive solution.
Mike Hatzikostantis
The blog is great. It was great having Michele come in and speak about this bill. I left class with a better understanding of what is included in the ed reform. Though the administrator at our school has been providing us with articles about the bill, we have not had any structured professional development around this major issue. Due to working in private setting teachers do not belong to a union. The program I work for is accredited by the state. I still have questions about how this bill will impact teacher evaluations in the setting I work in. The two things I left class thinking: First, how could this bill not be based on any research based evidence? I think about beginning teachers participating in TEAM. Currently, all the reflection papers they need to write require them to demonstrate how they continue developing their skills and using resources with evidence based practices when developing them. Second, how many of the reform changes will deter passionate skilled individuals from pursuing a career in education. Truly, these are the individuals who can help close the achievement gap.
ReplyDeleteAnna Grabowski
After reading some of those posts, I admit I am now a little fired up. That is a voice that definitely sums up my frustrations and probably many of those of other educators within the words of his blog post. It was great having Michelle come speak with the class, and her insight was incredibly enlightening. However, I wish that such information were more readily displayed and emphasized publicly, such as what Jonathan Pelto is doing with his blog. It is so infuriating watching as our education system is getting pulverized by single-minded policy makers with little to no experience in teaching, as they take more control and leave us educators with barely a whisper of a say in things. I think that this blog is absolutely the voice that educators need, and I hope is heard way beyond the words on the screen.
ReplyDelete-Chelsea
This blog is great! I really enjoy the candidness and simplified rhetoric throughout the blog. Currently, I think that more of this writing should appear in the newspapers and media outlets that deliver information on a daily basis. Oftentimes, while reading this blog especially, I am reminded of the massive conglomerates that operate TV and web-based media and wonder why they do not deliver such facts and viewpoints that do not coincide with their ideology.
ReplyDeleteAs teachers, and responsible citizens, we should read and familiarize a variety of perspectives as to create our own. While I enjoy reading blogs and articles sponsored by unions I also believe in reading the rationale of persons across the spectrum. I encourage all of my friends and colleagues to do the same. This blog does a nice job trying to remain fairly objective.
I do believe that the governor needs to reassess many items in this bill but am glad that he was brave enough to at least start the debate. I just hope that his aspirations involve our students' success and not his future political success.
MCC
As this being my first year teaching it is a little nerve racking to know that this is going on. During my years in school I assumed I would become a teacher and not have to worry about losing my job. We are always going to need teachers. Yes tenured would be nice, but if that isn't going to happen anymore it is more stressful year to year to think you may leave on summer break and not return. I also think people making educational decisions should have some background as a teacher, educator, or administrator. Firgures all these people make all this money and they blame it on the poor. Sounds about right.
ReplyDelete-Danielle