Kaya Leaving; John Davis in as interim

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As for the incentive pay, that is what the LIFT is supposed to address (though it doesn't IMO.) For example at teacher at a Cap Hill school with lower Title 1 percentage will only get $1K for being considered "highly effective" while a teacher at a school on the "wrong side of the park" in Northwest or deep in Southeast will get a larger bonus. However, the overall school results are low despite that teacher's efforts and accomplishments. It just never balances out. Also, teachers at top schools either have a low bonus or have a harder time earning the title of highly effective because the children come into school on or above grade level and scores are based on how much progress they make. Technically, a top performing school would have all of the teachers rated highly effective, right?

the bonus is a part of IMPACT and will not be continued under LEAP.

Is this a fact?

If so...1. that's no surprise because it's sooooo like DCPS to roll something out complete with bells, whistles, fireworks and a parade calling it the very best thing to happen to school reform, THEE game changer...only to drop it after a year or two.

2. It is somewhat of a surprise because in every single interview I've seen Kaya do, she boasted about the $25k bonuses that only DCPS teachers are privy to. And she always made it sound like it was an easy given if you were just a pretty good teacher.

3. They need to get rid of it because it was a huge scam anyway. Principals decided who they were going to make Highly Effective and did so no matter what was going on in the classroom.

4. I'm stunned DCPS didn't troubleshoot a lot of the easily foreseen issues that came up with some of their initiatives before they rolled them out. Everything that everyone said would be wrong with Impact and teacher bonuses turned out to be true. And now people are trying to warn of the pitfalls of LEAP. The problem is A)Everyone in Central Office thinks they're so much smarter than everyone else and B)hubris starts to set in when you're given unprecedented leeway. It's such a shame none of the mayors stepped in and said "Hey! Stop using these kids as guinea pigs and resume boosters and get about the business of being EDUCATION LEADERS. Stop the social experiments with the kids of DC!"

[Anonymous]

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As for the incentive pay, that is what the LIFT is supposed to address (though it doesn't IMO.) For example at teacher at a Cap Hill school with lower Title 1 percentage will only get $1K for being considered "highly effective" while a teacher at a school on the "wrong side of the park" in Northwest or deep in Southeast will get a larger bonus. However, the overall school results are low despite that teacher's efforts and accomplishments. It just never balances out. Also, teachers at top schools either have a low bonus or have a harder time earning the title of highly effective because the children come into school on or above grade level and scores are based on how much progress they make. Technically, a top performing school would have all of the teachers rated highly effective, right?

the bonus is a part of IMPACT and will not be continued under LEAP.

Is this a fact?

If so...1. that's no surprise because it's sooooo like DCPS to roll something out complete with bells, whistles, fireworks and a parade calling it the very best thing to happen to school reform, THEE game changer...only to drop it after a year or two.

2. It is somewhat of a surprise because in every single interview I've seen Kaya do, she boasted about the $25k bonuses that only DCPS teachers are privy to. And she always made it sound like it was an easy given if you were just a pretty good teacher.

3. They need to get rid of it because it was a huge scam anyway. Principals decided who they were going to make Highly Effective and did so no matter what was going on in the classroom.

4. I'm stunned DCPS didn't troubleshoot a lot of the easily foreseen issues that came up with some of their initiatives before they rolled them out. Everything that everyone said would be wrong with Impact and teacher bonuses turned out to be true. And now people are trying to warn of the pitfalls of LEAP. The problem is A)Everyone in Central Office thinks they're so much smarter than everyone else and B)hubris starts to set in when you're given unprecedented leeway. It's such a shame none of the mayors stepped in and said "Hey! Stop using these kids as guinea pigs and resume boosters and get about the business of being EDUCATION LEADERS. Stop the social experiments with the kids of DC!"

[Anonymous]

2:12, do you work in DCPS?

I mean this with respect, but if the answer is no then please stop using words like stunned. Those of us who are in the trenches are not stunned. This is our day in and day out.

The entire point of LEAP is to take it out of central office and stop the bonus payouts. That is why no one cares about the details of the program. Once those two goals are met- the program is a success.

And I agree- the bonus is a scam. I am getting the bonus, again this year and I still think its a scam. I would love for it leave so they bonus chasers (Fairfax and MoCo teacher wash ups) will go back home and let the real DC teachers do the job.

[Anonymous]

The VA wash ups are the laziest teachers I have every encountered.

Anonymous wrote:2:12, do you work in DCPS?

I mean this with respect, but if the answer is no then please stop using words like stunned. Those of us who are in the trenches are not stunned. This is our day in and day out.

The entire point of LEAP is to take it out of central office and stop the bonus payouts. That is why no one cares about the details of the program. Once those two goals are met- the program is a success.

And I agree- the bonus is a scam. I am getting the bonus, again this year and I still think its a scam. I would love for it leave so they bonus chasers (Fairfax and MoCo teacher wash ups) will go back home and let the real DC teachers do the job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: The VA wash ups are the laziest teachers I have every encountered.

Anonymous wrote:2:12, do you work in DCPS?

I mean this with respect, but if the answer is no then please stop using words like stunned. Those of us who are in the trenches are not stunned. This is our day in and day out.

The entire point of LEAP is to take it out of central office and stop the bonus payouts. That is why no one cares about the details of the program. Once those two goals are met- the program is a success.

And I agree- the bonus is a scam. I am getting the bonus, again this year and I still think its a scam. I would love for it leave so they bonus chasers (Fairfax and MoCo teacher wash ups) will go back home and let the real DC teachers do the job.

I find it extremely hard to believe teachers are leaving VA schools to go into DC for bonuses. For one, VA doesn't have the turnover DC does. 2. The talk of bonuses is no lure when compared to the dysfunction. DCPS does not look like a promise land from VA. Most teachers who go from VA to DC do so b/c they want to make a difference for those it will matter to. VA kids, for the most part, have supportive families and attend functional schools. They will be fine regardless of who teaches them. VA teachers generally go into DC to help those in need. I know o

[Anonymous]

con

I know of one VA teacher who was fired and went to DC, likely b/c his options were limited. Besides him, I dunno. Two others I know were fired from a VA system but went to another system in Va. Bonuses get lost in all the other talk (Impact, violence, low scores) for VA teachers.

[Anonymous]

Seriously? Do you bother to read the bios of new teachers? DCPS is still recruiting teachers and principals from as far away as Chicago because of the salary. VA and MD salaries don't come close to what DCPS pays. Check the pay scales for yourself.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: The VA wash ups are the laziest teachers I have every encountered.

Anonymous wrote:2:12, do you work in DCPS?

I mean this with respect, but if the answer is no then please stop using words like stunned. Those of us who are in the trenches are not stunned. This is our day in and day out.

The entire point of LEAP is to take it out of central office and stop the bonus payouts. That is why no one cares about the details of the program. Once those two goals are met- the program is a success.

And I agree- the bonus is a scam. I am getting the bonus, again this year and I still think its a scam. I would love for it leave so they bonus chasers (Fairfax and MoCo teacher wash ups) will go back home and let the real DC teachers do the job.

I find it extremely hard to believe teachers are leaving VA schools to go into DC for bonuses. For one, VA doesn't have the turnover DC does. 2. The talk of bonuses is no lure when compared to the dysfunction. DCPS does not look like a promise land from VA. Most teachers who go from VA to DC do so b/c they want to make a difference for those it will matter to. VA kids, for the most part, have supportive families and attend functional schools. They will be fine regardless of who teaches them. VA teachers generally go into DC to help those in need. I know o

[Anonymous]

And the VA teachers that I have have seen transfer to DCPS can't hack it. One transferred to a JKML for year then packed up and moved back to VA. Another got a low IMPACT score and likely went back to VA with her tail between her legs, and another is just clueless and expects her colleagues to do her work for her. There you go...at least 3 and there are more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And the VA teachers that I have have seen transfer to DCPS can't hack it. One transferred to a JKML for year then packed up and moved back to VA. Another got a low IMPACT score and likely went back to VA with her tail between her legs, and another is just clueless and expects her colleagues to do her work for her. There you go...at least 3 and there are more.

I think it's been determined that few people can hack the violence, dysfunction and straight out scamming that takes place in DC schools. And the turnover rate--which begins in Sept and continues through the spring--indicates that TONS of teachers from ALL OVER end up leaving. What's telling is that they return to VA, clearly because it's a much better system to work in. I don't disagree that teachers go into DCPS from VA schools. I simply argue that it's not because they are soooooo attracted by the bonus. If that was the case, they'd stick it out and play the game to get the $. Most would rather teach, are used to teaching and prefer that over nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Back to the point of the topic, I hope Kaya's departure will put an end to the nonsense that goes on in DC. Central Office is very much aware of the very real problems in the schools. They simply choose to pretend and play games to look good. Which wouldn't be so bad if they were putting their game face on for the public but still working hard to improve the schools and culture behind the scenes. NOPE! As long as they can manipulate data to look good in front of the camera, that's all they're worried about. Sad! In the meantime, the kids in DC are getting screwed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seriously? Do you bother to read the bios of new teachers? DCPS is still recruiting teachers and principals from as far away as Chicago because of the salary. VA and MD salaries don't come close to what DCPS pays. Check the pay scales for yourself.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: The VA wash ups are the laziest teachers I have every encountered.

Anonymous wrote:2:12, do you work in DCPS?

I mean this with respect, but if the answer is no then please stop using words like stunned. Those of us who are in the trenches are not stunned. This is our day in and day out.

The entire point of LEAP is to take it out of central office and stop the bonus payouts. That is why no one cares about the details of the program. Once those two goals are met- the program is a success.

And I agree- the bonus is a scam. I am getting the bonus, again this year and I still think its a scam. I would love for it leave so they bonus chasers (Fairfax and MoCo teacher wash ups) will go back home and let the real DC teachers do the job.

I find it extremely hard to believe teachers are leaving VA schools to go into DC for bonuses. For one, VA doesn't have the turnover DC does. 2. The talk of bonuses is no lure when compared to the dysfunction. DCPS does not look like a promise land from VA. Most teachers who go from VA to DC do so b/c they want to make a difference for those it will matter to. VA kids, for the most part, have supportive families and attend functional schools. They will be fine regardless of who teaches them. VA teachers generally go into DC to help those in need. I know o

1. DC schools pay more than the surrounding areas. There's no argument there. BUT....the salary is not enough to keep people in the dysfunction. Check the turnover rates.

2. Depending on how long you've been teaching, you'll actually make more staying in VA and MD because DC does not accept all of your years o teaching. Only 9. A 15 year teacher from MD discovered she was making less than she would have if she'd remained in MD schools.

3. DC is recruiting teachers and principals from as far away as Chicago because no one in the surrounding area wants the jobs. They know what DCPS is really like. Those new principals are in for a RUDE awakening. DC's local pool of educators has dried up. People are coming in, leaving, sharing the horror stories with other people.

[Anonymous]

^You're describing one face of DCPS, not the entire system. At the other end of the spectrum, fast-gentrifying schools are getting their pick of teachers. They're even starting to poach them from top privates with PTA dollars (e.g. the wonderful Brent science teacher was poached from Sidwell). It doesn't really matter who's chancellor in such schools - the ship is sailed by uber educated parents who are going nowhere, at least not before middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^You're describing one face of DCPS, not the entire system. At the other end of the spectrum, fast-gentrifying schools are getting their pick of teachers. They're even starting to poach them from top privates with PTA dollars (e.g. the wonderful Brent science teacher was poached from Sidwell). It doesn't really matter who's chancellor in such schools - the ship is sailed by uber educated parents who are going nowhere, at least not before middle school.

Right -- for the elite, it's much different. THey have ways of cicumventing the system - just about any system. Great if you're elite. Most people aren't and a public school system should function effectively for everyone

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^You're describing one face of DCPS, not the entire system. At the other end of the spectrum, fast-gentrifying schools are getting their pick of teachers. They're even starting to poach them from top privates with PTA dollars (e.g. the wonderful Brent science teacher was poached from Sidwell). It doesn't really matter who's chancellor in such schools - the ship is sailed by uber educated parents who are going nowhere, at least not before middle school.

You're right. It is just one face of DCPS. But it's the MAJORITY of the system. The MAJORITY of the system is broken and not operating in the best interest of students (or teachers, for that matter).

And there are teachers from privates (including Sidwell) and ivies in other DC schools as well. Even the lowest performing ones. But none of them would say they were "poached". They all made decisions about where they wanted to go and do in their careers at this point.

So, please don't think uber educated parents are running the show. If you had that much pull, the entire system would be so much better. Your children would be able to attend the middle and high schools. Which is what "uber educated" parents in DC really want. What you're describing is quite common. Everyone's pretty much the same when they're younger. In elementary school, kids learn through play, learn how to share and play nice. It's when kids start to become older that you see the divide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Back to the point of the topic, I hope Kaya's departure will put an end to the nonsense that goes on in DC. Central Office is very much aware of the very real problems in the schools. They simply choose to pretend and play games to look good. Which wouldn't be so bad if they were putting their game face on for the public but still working hard to improve the schools and culture behind the scenes. NOPE! As long as they can manipulate data to look good in front of the camera, that's all they're worried about. Sad! In the meantime, the kids in DC are getting screwed.

I guess I just don't see how Kaya's departure is going to help with the issue of the central office. Do you REALLY think that Bowser is going to hire someone who is willing (and has a mandate) to shake up the central office more than has already been done? No way. Honestly, I am more worried about backsliding.