+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So sad that in the introduction to this document Jason Kamras has the gall to blame poor PARCC scores on inadequately trained teachers. Yeah, that's it. Bring in LEAP and coach 'em up.

Oh, yeah, and I see on p. 16 they actually say "use partners like Fillmore Arts Center" in order to meet LEAP requirements, at a time when DCPS is trying to kill Fillmore altogether. These fools don't know what they are doing.

You just figuring this out???

And how rich Kamras is blaming inadequately trained teachers. Bowser needs to get rid of this circus at Central Office and get REAL educational leaders in there! Who's ever heard of a school superintendent with just 2 years of teaching (Spanish to boot), no school leadership experience and no doctorate degree?

Anonymous wrote:Cultural differences are very real and are perhaps impossible to change unless the subject is immersed in a new culture. The intractability of the problem may be the cause of the psychological malfunction, or loss of objectivity if you prefer. If you devote your career to honing youths' intellect, and care about the field incredibly, but are faced with a problem in education that you cannot solve, it may be difficult to accept.

This sounds lovely and sweet. You seem to be incredibly kind. But an educational leader faced with the task of improving academic outcomes for all MUST be real about what's going on and what it will take to achieve the goal. The problem is that urban ed has become a paycheck for many people. There's no real interest in truly improving outcomes for poor students. That's why they manipulate and play numbers games. I think there's more ego than genuine hopelessness. If you start pointing the finger at those at the top and holding them accountable for their failing systems, I'm sure they'll become clear REAL QUICK about what needs to happen in order for their students to succeed. But as long as they're able to sit comfy in their jobs, they'll continue to play blind and dumb in order to keep their checks rolling in.

But we do agree there's a psychological malfunction. I'll add to that an issue with integrity. Those guys know what they're doing.

Cultural differences are very real and are perhaps impossible to change unless the subject is immersed in a new culture. The intractability of the problem may be the cause of the psychological malfunction, or loss of objectivity if you prefer. If you devote your career to honing youths' intellect, and care about the field incredibly, but are faced with a problem in education that you cannot solve, it may be difficult to accept.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:During her trip to Cuba, Bowser also implied that under-performing teachers are the reason for low performing students. Teachers have been blamed for years now, yet still little improvement in test scores, graduation rates, and other indicia of performance. At some point, one has to wonder whether DCPS administrators (and perhaps other urban public school managers) have a psychological affliction that prevents them from assessing the problem objectively.

Exactly! DC has been firing and churning teachers for nearly 10 years, but the kids STILL can't pass the standardized tests that neighboring systems (that don't have massive turn overs) can pass with flying colors.

And yes, I'm starting to wonder if and when urban school leaders will get real about what's going on. I'm also starting to wonder if there's some psychological defect. I can almost understand school leaders not wanting to eat crow after insisting it was the teachers, tenure, etc. But I can't understand why no one in the vicinity of those people has the intelligent and integrity to say 'Ok guys. We've gotta get real here."

In the meantime, kids continue to fail. While school systems focus on remediating already highly educated adults.

Curious, was this document common knowledge to teachers and those on LSAT or is everyone just reading the details here? I looked on DCPS webpage, twitter, etc but can't find it.

And did Bowser notice the behavior of the students while in Cuba? Their upbringing, hometraining and school culture has a ton to do with academic success.

Anonymous wrote:During her trip to Cuba, Bowser also implied that under-performing teachers are the reason for low performing students. Teachers have been blamed for years now, yet still little improvement in test scores, graduation rates, and other indicia of performance. At some point, one has to wonder whether DCPS administrators (and perhaps other urban public school managers) have a psychological affliction that prevents them from assessing the problem objectively.

Exactly! DC has been firing and churning teachers for nearly 10 years, but the kids STILL can't pass the standardized tests that neighboring systems (that don't have massive turn overs) can pass with flying colors.

And yes, I'm starting to wonder if and when urban school leaders will get real about what's going on. I'm also starting to wonder if there's some psychological defect. I can almost understand school leaders not wanting to eat crow after insisting it was the teachers, tenure, etc. But I can't understand why no one in the vicinity of those people has the intelligent and integrity to say 'Ok guys. We've gotta get real here."

In the meantime, kids continue to fail. While school systems focus on remediating already highly educated adults.

During her trip to Cuba, Bowser also implied that under-performing teachers are the reason for low performing students. Teachers have been blamed for years now, yet still little improvement in test scores, graduation rates, and other indicia of performance. At some point, one has to wonder whether DCPS administrators (and perhaps other urban public school managers) have a psychological affliction that prevents them from assessing the problem objectively.

According to the Post article today, one of the reasons principals inflate teachers rating is due to lack of time, so how is this going to work if now principals not Master Educators and teachers are doing the observations.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2016/02/29/very-few-teachers-receive-poor-job-ratings-and-new-evaluations-havent-changed-that/

Of course it could be that the teachers are NOT the problem, but heaven forbid we blame anyone else for the failure of the DC public school system.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do any other school districts require something like weekly LEAP duties? The amount of time DCPS is requiring is really kind of staggering. Of course all teachers need training, continuing education, and coaching, but certainly not every single week.

Many elementary schools have early release one day a week to help with this. Students end their day around 1pm, aftercare starts early and teachers have meetings. Maybe that's that DCPS is trying to replicate in some way

With high and middle school students who are eons behind grade level. Give me a break, this is bullXXXX!

Yeah! If the STUDENTS are the ones who can't pass a test, they're the ones who need pull outs, training, coaching etc! It's common sense. But DCPS needs to continue the "teachers are the problem" charade that the public see right through.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do any other school districts require something like weekly LEAP duties? The amount of time DCPS is requiring is really kind of staggering. Of course all teachers need training, continuing education, and coaching, but certainly not every single week.

Many elementary schools have early release one day a week to help with this. Students end their day around 1pm, aftercare starts early and teachers have meetings. Maybe that's that DCPS is trying to replicate in some way

With high and middle school students who are eons behind grade level. Give me a break, this is bullXXXX!

Anonymous wrote:Do any other school districts require something like weekly LEAP duties? The amount of time DCPS is requiring is really kind of staggering. Of course all teachers need training, continuing education, and coaching, but certainly not every single week.

Many elementary schools have early release one day a week to help with this. Students end their day around 1pm, aftercare starts early and teachers have meetings. Maybe that's that DCPS is trying to replicate in some way

Do any other school districts require something like weekly LEAP duties? The amount of time DCPS is requiring is really kind of staggering. Of course all teachers need training, continuing education, and coaching, but certainly not every single week.

PP, I agree. It is concerning.

I am a DCPS specials teacher. I'm concerned about the number of hours regular classroom teachers will be required to attend meetings. Teacher Leaders will only spend 1//2 a day teaching. As a parent I would be concerned about that. Who will be with them the other 1/2 day? A rotation of subs? We do not have extra teachers sitting around to take them.

This year in particular I have noticed a change in student behavior related to the number of subs they have so that teachers can spend time outside of the classroom, meeting and assessing (progress monitoring) their students. Now they want to saddle teachers with even more meetings: content level meetings, grade level meetings, logistics meetings, staff meetings. When will teachers prep for the most important part of their job: teaching their students?

I was shocked to read that literacy teachers, city year volunteers, computer labs, guidance counselors, clubs, specials, extra staff, older students, etc. would be used to cover additional blocks of meetings.

Anonymous wrote:LEAP Team Design Guide for Elementary and Middle Schools (February 2016)
https://volafile.io/r/uzQgC7

Thanks, but I couldn't get past page 2 of that nonsense.

All the focus on teachers, teachers, teachers. How do you praise teachers for the raise in the graduation rates and everything else that's made DCPS the 'fastest growing, improving' system in the nation then blame them for students not being college and career ready?

Why not be honest about the fact that kids have zero work ethic and don't know how to be a student? They lack the skills to pass PARCC because teachers are pressured to just pass them along so the numbers and those graduation rates DCPS loves to brag about looks good. At every DCPS school the honor roll list goes on for pages and pages and pages. But the kids can't pass basic skills tests. And that's because they don't have to. They'll be passed along.

DCPS should invest in creating a discipline policy #1 and remedial teachers to help bring students' skills up to speed #2.

Harping on teachers who already have basic skills AND college degrees is a waste and does little to nothing for the students.