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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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 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 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.