The A Plus Schools website features this statement from a PPS teacher:
"Pittsburgh Public Schools is currently at the cutting edge in teacher evaluation and teacher training..."
- There is a lot of debate about evaluation, but in what way can Pittsburgh claim to be on the cutting edge in teacher training? Yes there is a teachers academy, but what specific training (as opposed to evaluation) happens there that is cutting edge?
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7 comments:
Cutting edge of lunacy
Unfortunately, we have kool-aid drinkers among our ranks who don't read the board minutes. If they had over the past two years, they would have noticed countless individuals leaving the profession.
Cutting edge?
We have drones who fail to grasp the charge of education is to teach kids how to think and not what to think. Had they been able to awaken from their comas, they would have examined the assorted curricula in all subject areas--especially in Humanities and Communications--and realized that there is some sort of agenda at work.
Cutting edge?
I have first-hand knowledge of what "teachers" are being taught over at Brashear.
Parents should know that it is not the imparting of knowledge.
I look at any teacher making such a comment as is listed as being either remarkably uninformed or indoctrinated, or simply suffering from cowardice.
Is the CAS program also taught this way? I was considering Allderdice CAS for my son when he reaches 9th grade. 1 year from now, he is currently in a private school.
Are there even teachers going there to be trained? I thought that they were now training to be part of RISE evaluations?
Send your child to Uprep or Westinghouse if you want a premier education not.
My kids are done now but I have many neices and nephews in PPS, one about to be a Kindergartener this fall and I do read the minutes and agenda review materials and find myself thinking how far afield we've come from so much of what I thought was familiar ground. I learned a new term recently from the agenda materials, Observation Specialist. Google it and you will see it is a real profession, not just something born here to meet the RISE requirements and give a principal a chance to do more than evaluate her staff. Can anyone tell me is there is a minimum number of years an individual must have been a teacher in front of a classroom before he applies to be an Observation Specialist? 10 or 15 seems to be a good number. 20, even better.
I believe you are being sarcastic but if not, you have hit on the problem. Most PPS administrators---from principals to central office--were never in the classroom, and if they were worked like hell to get out. Either they were complete washouts or simply could not handle the workload and stress.
Now, these people are making observations and having a large hand in the lives of dedicated teachers.
Shame. I do not know of one current administrator--not one--who could handle it in the classroom for an entire year (and I know most principals and many administrators). I do not know of one current administrator who understands the rigors of teaching today. I do not know of one administrator who is worthy of observing a PPS teacher.
And yet, here we are.
Funny that this Ponzi scheme is allowed to continue. PPS "furloughed" 28 central office staff last night---mostly secretaries.
That means we still have upwards of 700 administrators---individuals who have no role with your kids on a daily basis---who will keep their jobs and live to possible observe. They would not know good teaching if it slapped them on the backside.
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