On another post Anonymous wrote:
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Hill District group speaks out about schools
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/group-demands-better-teachers-in-hill-district-646548/
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35 comments:
So which brave soul out there will have the difficult discussion with Hill Disrtict leaders about the real issue here: the reason UPrep (and Westinghouse) have become dumping grounds for teachers who don't want to be there is because the principals at both school are unsupportive and sometimes vindictive teacher-bashers.
Rev. Monroe is correct that we need the best teachers in these schools, but there has to be an incentive for teachers to WANT to work in our city's most challenging schools. A supportive principal with good people skills goes a LONG way toward creating the type of environment in challenging schools that will attract good teachers.
Finally, we have to acknowledge that unsupportive and hostile principals make it difficult for even the best of teachers to thrive. If people feel like their jobs are constantly on the line, that they are regularly being watched for any slip up that can be used against them in an evaluation, you will never have the overall positive team approach you need in these schools to tackle real problems.
Is the only answer for these two schools a change in principals?
Suggest a process that will find a principal who will attract the best teachers at these two schools?
What will it take to bring together a leader and faculty who will turn these schools into schools where kids will be engaged in productive, creative, learners headed for success in the world?
As one of those best teachers, I would go to either school tomorrow as long as you tell me that there is a principal in place who will hold the students' proverbial feet to the fire and be a stand-up guy through and through.
Oh wait, there are none of those types left, are there?
You want to keep RISE, you want to do observations, yadda, yadda, yadda...Fine. But have the strength to change the climate in the school and be a leader of integrity and courage. Lippert, French and especially Otuwa would not understand this, of course. They want teachers to do it all themselves.
The old guard of principals were full of these types. They are gone to retirement now, forced or otherwise.
What we have left in PPS administration are people of low integrity and questionable moral character.
Shame. The kids lose again.
So, are you really saying that the problem is the students?
That if students' feet were held to the fire, all things would change in these schools?
So, for you the problem is the students and the administrators, only?
Yet, the bottom line is classrooms, right? Teaching and learning, right?
Do you think that if the relationship between teachers and students was strong, the content was engaging intellectually, emotionally and physically, the and the thinking challenging and relevant to life as we live it, the "climate" in all of its facets would become worth the effort for the "bottom line" folks?
Or are we back to the "holding feet to the fire" goal for all?
Hmmmm . . . there is a better way . . . don't you think?
Where is a good model of a school where "the relationship between teachers and students was strong, the content was engaging intellectually, emotionally and physically, the and the thinking challenging and relevant to life as we live it"- just the name of one or two specific schools, make it easy for us check them out.
10:50 says that "there must be an incentive for teachers to WANT to work in our city's most challenging schools."
The real incentive for any professional should be a job well done if not the "best" in their chosen work.
Think about the challenges taken on by Olympians. What is the incentive? Is it not to be the "best" in and of itself?
The personal pride and accomplishment that comes from being the "best" in "our city's most challenging schools" is the incentive would/should/could attract the "best" teachers!
If that is not happening, why is that not the case?
9:39: Are you really saying that you don't believe that it can happen? That unless you have a model in a different place, with different students, and different teachers, (and even different administrators) that it cannot happen? Oh, ye of little faith in your (our) abilities?
Are you really saying that Pittsburgh has not the capacity, ability, creativity, commitment, knowledge, tenacity, and caring to create schools that cherish, educate, and support productivity, leadership, and successful venues for Black children in the two schools mentioned?
There certainly are such schools everywhere, but none of them were created from a single model. It was not necessary to "copy" with "fidelity" the conditions unique to every one of these schools. Pittsburgh can and should create its own model of success. Or back to the original question. Are Pittsburgh educators not capable of such?
(There are many who believe they are more than up to the task; but have not the autonomy!)
It is always good to have a successful model and then adapt from there- rather than everyone recreating the wheel. Can you name one or two of these schools specifically?
no one needs to recreate the wheel believe it or not and the fact that you need a model is disconcerting to say the least
why do YOU need a model why why why
It is helpful to see the type of approaches that have worked elsewhere and it would also help build support to make a change from current approaches.
Reality check-most of the parents in PPS,esp. Hill parents, have consequences for actions. My "old-school" peincipal used to say-- treat the kids as you want yours treated. I want my child to learn, but also if my child's behavior is so aberrent that it would not be acceptable on the street-easy line-in-the-sand!- I want someone to give them a consequence so that they understand. that some behaviors arent acceptable. So in the street- we cannot assault another person(even if we are underage for the magistrate-somethimng will happen) we cannot urinate in an inappropriate place,
we cannot sexually assault people, etc
And in schools,no one should stop others learning. My old school prinicipal would walk past a room-see a disruption-jerk his finger anf OUT. Didnt have to write a novel to explain what I did first.
He would try the option- IN HOUSE- and then say, OKAY -- tried inhouse now it is YOUR hOUSE-- and twenty-four other students would keep learning. Students who were struggling- often coming in from too many other schools etc. were given extra time and extra help.
The union used to have a burdensome paperwork committee-- now that would be RISE! In the rough schools we didnt sit around and write long papers about what the students did, what you did etc. Teachers or principal said "son, you cant do that here"
I've taught in some of the worse schools and stayed there because the team of admin, teacher, and paras made school happen. Maybe the scores werent tops--for lots of reasons- but the majority of students were learning. Look parents, esp. in our rougher schools-- things have TANKED in the past 7 years. RISE is alot of babble, PELAS are schooled in duck and cover. The saddest thing is that they arent even embarassed at chaos in their schools. PELAS-- the schools were NOT that way before you! At one point my carrer path had me visiting even school in this district-- I never saw halls like in the PELA years. Please parents--visit your schools- if you see screaming, cussing, and insanity- be that whistleblower when you see WRONG-- you know what isnt right in school!
**My old school prinicipal would walk past a room-see a disruption-jerk his finger anf OUT. Didnt have to write a novel to explain what I did first.
He would try the option- IN HOUSE- and then say, OKAY -- tried inhouse now it is YOUR hOUSE-- and twenty-four other students would keep learning. Students who were struggling- often coming in from too many other schools etc. were given extra time and extra help.**
Absolutely.
And if the principal felt that there was something that the teacher needed to do differently discipline-wise, the principal would work with the teacher -- not undermine them by questioning them in front of students, but teach and support them in better methods.
The students *know* how to act -- they are not dumb, though the PELAs seem to think they are. Many of the kids acting up in schools now wouldn't dream of acting like that at home or in church. Their parents would be HORRIFIED to learn what they get away with at school.
PELAs (not all but most) seem to think that all of the children have to be treated as though they have severe emotional problems rather than starting with the assumption that they can quickly and effectively be taught how to act in school through consistent consequences. Kids are smart enough to know how to play this game -- and the crazy hallways and behaviors we see now are the result of their testing the limits and not being able to find them!
Having a principal tell a child who was cussing or fighting or throwing things in class or totally disruptive to learning that "I'll talk to your teacher about your complaints" is NOT a negative consequence which will end a behavior, it's a positive reinforcer for that child. Kids know if they can get by adults.
And no, to the BOE administrator posting earlier -- the most exciting instruction in the world can't even get off the ground if you don't have a well-run school to start with. Anyone who remembers having a sub as a kid knows that there is less authority there and that you can get away with more.
Right now, between PELAs and RISE and "fidelity" to the day by day pacing schedule, teachers have far less authority.
To the contrary, substitutes who come in with a plan of their own to teach a skill, immediately grasp the attention and respect of students who know when a teacher is a good teacher and believe it or not they are often fascinated at the discovery AND learning that can take place!
LOL @1:49
Uh huh, I don't disagree in the perfect world. A sub should always come prepared to teach a full day assuming that there are no plans left for them. But, there are supposed to be plans left for them and work ready to do.
In the world you've created here in PPS the sub should never have "a plan of their own"! PPS doesn't like to trust their very own teachers to have a plan of their own!
Sure subs can have a different approach--no one is questioning their "fidelity!" The word alone is offensive and extremist. Subs are not plagued but beinmg walked ON by people checking how close to some timetable they are. How awful for a teacher to have a real (not pre structured) discussion.
With how wild the schools are, we are all thankful that subs still come.
Anon at 9:33, you must be joking, right?
I've also taught at some of the city's "worst" schools. To answer your questions about the students....yes...if there is no disciplinary structure in place, then you will have myriad problems with myriad types of student. You will pay the price for being lax and will pay the price for being tolerant.
I have had good, solid principals that made our school a well kept city secret and I have had empty suits that made the learning environment complete and total hell.
It begins at the top. Students can be shaped or will shape themselves accordingly.
Shame you would once again blame teachers.
The answer to this problem is simple. It starts in the home. I have NEVER met a student who had the proper support and structure who couldn't succeed in school. Of course there are students who have had proper support and structure, but weren't getting help they needed for depression, and therefore struggled. I don't think that's what we're talking about here. Make education important in the home and things will turn around. But we don't know how to fix that part. It's so horrible to even mention that part. God forbid.
8:23's comment that when education is valued in the home, the students succeed is certainly true. But schools are for educating all children, even, and especially, those who do not have support from home.
Educators may not know how to change what's happening in the home, but we do know how to change what happens in the school.
We do know (or should know) how to educate children,(not parents) and that is the task before us. It is what Dame, Dame, and 90/90/90 schools know how to do and are doing very successfully.
School is not just for the more fortunate, more advantaged children, but should be the great equalizer, fulfilling the right to an education, of highest quality, as the right of all children.
If teachers/admin in schools have taken the position that they cannot educate children without parental support, they need to find another life's work. Children, especially urban children, do not need them in our classrooms. We need those who believe that all children can learn (regardless of home situations) and must also believe that they (each one personally) is capable of educating ALL children.
It is a sad, sad comment, that only with parents, can there be a "turnaround" in schools.
People arent saying it cant be done- it was and is BUT... 1)teachers adjusted curricula to students that they had in front of them- it wasnt on a tight time table for all schools in this diverse community 2) we didnt constantly compare by some test number our students across the district 3) schools had distinct personalities that we were proud of school songs, a name not "pittsburgh..." which led to pride in our school and doing a good job Everyone in Pittsburgh knew about Westinghouse's science and Math program-physics rocked at Westinghouse! Those great teachers wrote their own script! 4) students even the best of them vary from year to year due to personal lives, etc Remember when some kids were " late bloomers"-do you want to be judged by YOUR Kdg testing?
The only way to be fair to students is to test them at the beginning of the year using this as the diagnostic blueprint of where the year will go, and a test at the end to see if the student grew.As for teachers- they arent cogs in a factory either. Some are best for kids who need alot of remediation-why doesnt matter! Some are best for kids are ready to soar. Good prinicipals knew their teachers, knew the kids, listened to parents concerns and matched them up. Was it perfect? Nothing is..but most teachers looked forward to back to school, and secretly so did the students. As a teacher, some years your class was rough- but by the end, you saw that they too moved forward. Why not let one of the "rougher" schools go their own way again? What are the Broadies afraid of?
It is a shame that one malcontent about teachers continually shows her/his stripes on this site. To this individual, teachers should be supermen and superwomen. They are overpaid and certainly deserving of what PPS has thrown at them in terms of RISe and furloughs.
I wonder if LIppert and Otuwa know what an ally/mouthpiece they have.
8:23's comment was right on target. Households that have the idea that education is important have kids that understand the value of school. Period.
Funny that no "philanthropist" like Gates, or politician like Obama or Bush never had the courage to say it.
Bill Cosby did fifteen or twenty years ago and was roundly assailed by the public.
The truth hurts, you see.
Asking a parent in this day and age to put their focus on their children instead of their own comfort is asking too much. Asking them to spend time with their kids is ridiculous.
And consequently, when the blame is to be passed, you might as well put it on the scapegoat...teachers.
I find it hilarious that the parent wants to make the erroneous assumption that teachers close their minds when they realize that little Johnny doesn't care about school, nor does his mom. I find it even more ridiculous that these types of comments continue to spew from the parent's fingertips:
We do know (or should know) how to educate children,(not parents) and that is the task before us. It is what Dame, Dame, and 90/90/90 schools know how to do and are doing very successfully."
This is Gates-ism, 101. Floor them with stories of success. Disregard the countless stories of failure in similar regards.
And then there's this pearl of wisdom:"If teachers/admin in schools have taken the position that they cannot educate children without parental support, they need to find another life's work. Children, especially urban children, do not need them in our classrooms. We need those who believe that all children can learn (regardless of home situations) and must also believe that they (each one personally) is capable of educating ALL children. "
When I read this one, I realized how disconnected the writer is from teachers. You obviously know nothing about the dedication, the amount of time and effort spent, the amount of preparation to get Johnny to point B, even when their own households don't care or when PPS thinks there is some sort of insane recipe that will get them there on their own.
To the parent, again, here's hoping that you can one day see beyond your own biases. Your comments can only be called misguided, at best.
It's funny that again we place blame with teachers. So you're saying that it's because we have bad teachers that the kids are failing? There are VERY dedicated teachers in failing schools. They have tried everything! I'm sorry, but Jesus Christ himself couldn't come in a make a difference with some of the kids. However, and this is huge, it doesn't mean that the teachers don't try EVERY SINGLE DAY WITH EVERY SINGLE KID. It's just a sad fact.
Lots of people here with an opinion about our teachers and how horrible of a job they're doing. Fine. Get your clearances and offer to come in and help. I don't see that happening. People who are criticizing teachers, I'm sure you have the magical answer.
I guarantee that if you take our districts "horrible teachers" and put them in an environment with a large amount of parent support, the kids would still do well. I also guarantee that if you put some of the more reluctant to learn students in a school where the majority of students and their families considered education to be the most important thing, those students would rise to meet the standard. But, what if they didn't? Would you then blame the teacher when the majority of their class is excelling? Maybe the next accusation would be that the teachers must be putting certain students out in the hallway while delivering instruction to the rest.
Get real. In this district, when a teacher calls home to speak to Joe's parents about his work in class and the parent says, "I don't call you when I trouble with him at home, so why are you calling me?" What is the teacher to do at that point? When the teachers can make 10 phone calls home in one 45 minute period because 8 of the calls result in "This Cricket number has been disconnect" then what?
By all means, if you have the magic wand the teachers have been looking for, share it, but don't presume that our teachers aren't doing everything they can to teach each student in their room.
When you feel like being honest about the home and neighborhood issues and then making a change there, you'll see the success rate of students raise through the roof.
We get it! Its a parent problem, a student problem, a neighborhood problem. They are all problems that teachers have neither the will nor the ability to solve.
So, we are where we are in Pittsburgh? Right? Let's keep closing schools since there isn't anything PPS teachers can do about the problems? Right?
The student and parents who are able will move and go where kids can be educated, since it can't be done in Pittsburgh. The result will be more students transferring, more teachers furloughed, more buildings closed.
All because too many teachers and administrators couldn't figure out a way to do the job of teaching in ways that students could learn.
Case closed, I guess??
Are there any teachers out there who believe that they are capable of teaching urban kids? Speak up, if you are there.
5:20
Who are you talking to? People who ask that reality be taken into consideration? People posting that teachers work hard every day to try and reach every child and come back again the next day to do it again?
Just because someone says all the problems are not teacher-related doesn't mean the opposite.
I'm pretty sure you're an administrator from Bellefield. Taking out your own frustration at your own failures here, your really, really big failures that have harmed many kids over many years, is not productive.
The lack of logic is also distressing in the argument. Someone saying that there are problems bigger than can be addressed in a single problem is not the same as someone saying they aren't doing everything s/he can.
It is possible to do an excellent job and still not succeed in turning around and accelerating every student in your classroom.
Correction:
Someone saying that there are problems bigger than can be addressed in a single _______ is not the same as someone saying they aren't doing everything s/he can.
Someone saying that there are problems bigger than can be addressed in a single classroom is not the same as someone saying they aren't doing everything s/he can.
"Are there any teachers out there who believe that they are capable of teaching urban kids? Speak up, if you are there."
I am one of the 2000 or so who are left.
I've successfully taught urban kids of all backgrounds for almost 30 years.
I still get emails and letters from former students....from kids who had me last year to kids who had me 25 years ago.
Funny. I don't remember ever seeing you in a classroom.
I've said it before that I am thankful for the positive and negative comments that come from the Pure Reform site. It is commentaries like the ones that come from this particular parent, that keep me grounded about the landscape today.
These types of comments, that no doubt come from someone sitting on a couch all day, remind me why PPS administration can get away with what it does, why various clueless school board members keep getting re-elected. They remind me why Obama or Corbett can decimate public education as they have and why no one cares.
Scapegoating.
I will be glad to leave my name with Pure Reform parent and will bet that you could not last a week in my school. Not one week. Whether you are a parent or some administrator who is moonlighting here, I know of 2000+ PPS teachers whose dedication is beyond reproach and undeserving of your continued misguided missives.
It's easy to spew venom from the sideline. It's easy to put forth mistruths and characterize your comments as truths. But if you want to earn my respect...put your money where your mouth is.
Come on down and show me what you can do---in my most difficult of schools with the most difficult of kids.
Guaranteed that while my colleagues and I will still look at all of our students as having unlimited potential despite the difficulties, you'll either be off having a beer somewhere or at a barbecue hosted by Dr.Lane down at Bellefield.
Blaming teachers, (and I am not one) is the "dog whistle" for anti-union. Education is aso seen as a huge profit maker if the 1% can get their Mitts,(no pun intended) on it. Look at the skyrocketing consulting costs, then add in Pearson, Rand and Mc-something.
The argument our country should be having Is why don't we also be paid fairly and have secure retirements when corporations are making all time high profits? Society, (middle & less than middle class) are pitted against eachother and it is sadly effective. Welcome to the United States of Walmart. This is not a political rant, both parties have failed regarding education. Rahm Emanuel D (Chicago mayor) is one of the worst regarding public education.
My father was a public school teacher his entire career, he gets ZERO social security and paid into his pension. Sad thing is, Scott Walker is trying to get his paws on that well funded pension.
The best part of being a teacher IS the pension you write of, and that is going to change. Scott Walker and other governors are one thing. Gates is also targeting teacher pensions. As many have said, I would NEVER allow my child to be a teacher in the future. The scapegoating, the blame, the lack of compensation and now, the dismantling of a pension make it a no-brainer.
If corporations want to take over education---and this has been in the offing for many years---then they can dictate who is in front of classrooms, ignore the need for licensing and pay their "teachers" commensurately.
Let's face it, our culture has wrecked our system of education. And now, politicizing it has become the issue of the day.
Let's not fund it.
Let's not place any responsibilities on parents
Let's devise testing that measures little and blame teachers
I am glad that I am almost done. I've loved my time with the kids, but am sickened by administrators and political hacks who would not last a day in my shoes.
Dr Linda lane is not the answer and we must face that fact and move on. We need a true leader who is capable of jump starting a movement to get our kids educated and help bring out the best in our teachers. We have failed our kids in our selection of our superintedent and the board that has rubber stamped all her failed reforms and agenda. Shame on us for not asking her to step down and get a true educational leader.
As a retired PPS teacher who taught in a challenging middle school with a principal whose life was consumed around her school, I realize that although we went toe to toe on several issues, she in fact was a true leader. Her no nonsense approach to the learning environment was key in my ability to be the best teacher possible.
When she had us looking at achievement data in the late
1990's, I thought does it really matter? Other schools aren't doing all of this work? We even protested to the PFT!
Our ITL's and teachers were expected to make an individual learning plan for every child not those just those with an IEP. What kind of principal would require such paperwork? Wasn't this considered burdensome?
They say hind sight is 20-20. We led the way in bringing educational technology to chart student progress to the forefront. I remember when she told her supervisor the regular reading program wasn't what our students needed. Our literacy teachers and the principal reviewed the research and given the authorization to implement READ 180 as an intervention. What made a difference in our school was that the principal ensured that those teaching the program did so with fidelity. She always found a way to assist teachers in implementation. Having the tools is one thing, teaching colleagues how to use those tools to improve student achievement is another. Success comes from being detail oriented and that she was.
When a majority of our students showed a lack of basic skills, she and the math teachers devised a plan that hinged on every teacher building in a 5 minute math warm-up at the beginning of every lesson. There was concern from teachers saying it was cutting into their content time and what about extra planning time. Time is always an issue. The math teachers rolled up their sleeves and provided sample problems for every content area to infuse. Again, it was in the planning, teacher training by the math department and fidelity in implementation that made the difference. When PSSA scores were revealed, our students grew more than 100 points and the school was awarded a monetary incentive from the state.
Here's the rub today in PPS. Central Office believes a one size fits all plan is what PPS need. In reality what we need are creative, innovative, detailed principals who roll up their sleeves to establish and enforce clear expectations for student behavior and resources for teachers to do their job.
When my principal observed a class, it was not uncommon for her notes to be 3 or more pages long. I did say she was about details. We would review the notes together for ways to improve upon a lesson, note instructional best practices that need to be continued and discussed individual student performance. Yes, all of this was prior to RISE but with one exception. I'm grateful for a principal who used data to help me grow in my practice. Looking back, she cared not only about the students but staff.
After her retirement, I was now in the school with a PELA principal. Not only was the PELA not equipped in assisting teacher's with improving their practice but the well oiled school that operated like clockwork began missing several beats. When a principal is not in control of the general environment in the school, the opportunity for success in the classroom is reduced drastically. What we are seeing now is the breakdown of the classroom environment because leaders have failed to pay attention to the details of school operation, management and working with professionals to improve teaching practices.
The just previous retired teacher has beautifully articulated the inestimable importance of strong, grounded, knowledgeable, experienced, committed caring principals who lead the school productively all the while steadily improving teaching skills of staff in ways that impact achievement without destroying the human environment in schools. Modeling and requiring the delivery of practice that enables, motivates, inspires, and facilitates the best in teaching and learning for teachers and students is what we need in PPS. We need it from top to bottom and across all schools, grades and disciplines. We need it now; but it is nowhere to be found.
Perhaps, we need to bring back the successful PPS principals and teachers of the past to mentor those in place now. However, there is an arrogance about most current PPS leadership across levels that looks down, talks down, then walks away. The examples, unfortunately, are so rampant that it is difficult to see a way to reign it to a halt.
"However, there is an arrogance about most current PPS leadership across levels that looks down, talks down, then walks away. The examples, unfortunately, are so rampant that it is difficult to see a way to reign it to a halt."
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They see you as inferior. They also see you as expensive "human capital" if you have senority and god forbid a masters degree, especially in..GASP..education!
I agree. Dr lane must go.
Linda Lane is not the problem.
Linda Lane is in charge, she accepted the position. Everyone knew she was getting it months before, including her! It seems like everyone missed the red flags, Roosevelt's house is for sale and Lane turned down a state level appointment in Des Moines? Noted on this blog:
http://purereform.blogspot.com/2010/08/dep-super-linda-lane-finalist-for.html
She graduated from the"Broad Academy". Worked directly for Roosevelt, kept most of the C level staff, dismissed anyone that had knowledge and is following Roosevelt's blueprint to the letter. Please explain why she is not to blame.
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