On the January "Start a new post" the following was posted by Anonymouses:
"I am confused. What is the Teacher residency program? I looked at this job description and the quakifications andhonestly I thought it was a misprint at first.
http://www.wanttoteach.com/wttdatabase
/JobSearch_Form.asp?JobPostingsID=23283
"Eligibility Requirements: -Must not have (or be earning) a BA or MA in an education program that leads to certification. -Must not have (or be earning) teaching certification in any state. -Must not be enrolled in or have completed another alternate route certification program. -Must not currently work as a full-time teacher for Pittsburgh Public Schools. Long-term substitutes and paraprofessionals are still eligible for the program. -Must be able to pass background investigation. -Must meet subject area requirements for Pennsylvania."
"Anonymous said...
Thats Scary, Not to be parnoid but the district in year or two will replacing teachers, with their version of teachers. Only the State should be able to certify teachers. The programs should be run by universities not these crack pots.
Next year a lot of math teachers will be focused and replaced by PPS trained teachers.
Of course John Tarka got dupped again"
"Anonymous said...
This should be on its own blog "
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27 comments:
What exactly is a "teacher resident"? Are these the "new teachers" who will be attending the teacher academy?
Teachers in waiting, for vacancies
Remember that the teacher academy will be certifying lab science teachers: biology, chemistry, and physics teachers.
Most traditionally certified lab teachers have considerable college lab experience. Many have four or more years worth.
Will these new alternative teachers be given the necessary practical lab experience?
Or will their certification be mainly based on RISE classes, etc?
Is this the equivalent to Broad, you know Broad-is-to-Superintendents as Teacher residency program-is-to-teachers...all very non-traditional.
Starting next year, there will be 50 resident teachers (new hires) at King and Brashear who will spend 3/4 of the year training with "Master Teachers" and then go into a classroom for the last quarter of the year. The teacher from the classroom where the resident teacher will be placed will go the the Teacher's Academy for that last 1/4 of the year.
Master teachers will come from a pool of teachers identified as "highly effective" and then voluntarily apply for positions at the teachers Academies.
I think there are actually two different programs, Solutions. You seem to be talking about the Teachers' Academy not the Teacher Residency Program. Two separate entities or initiatives. The Academy is the traditional and the Residency the non-traditional. If there is a teacher out there who can verify my understanding, please help.
I am sure that my kids would have wanted to follow in the footsteps of their parent and be a teacher.
There is no way...none...in which I will allow one penny to slip from my fingers to pay for their education if this is the chosen path.
In the olden days, we used to be whipping boys for all. The unwashed masses thought we worked 7 hour days and had three months off. That was a milk run compared to what we have now.
Imagine someone saying this in the tone of one of the Bowery Boys..."awww quit yer complainin', why dontcha...whatd'ya gotta do serve a year or three before ye jump on a ladder and go into admin?" LOL, where would you be without a sense of humor on some days?
They're not really separate entities -- more like parts of a whole -- and all contained at the two schools.
This looks like the proposal -->> http://php.pghboe.net/news/index.php/2010/07/19/new-teacher-academy-to-transform-teacher-training-to-better-meet-students-needs/
and includes this info:
The Teacher Academy will include four main programs:
1. Enhanced Induction for New Teachers – All new teachers will receive three weeks of training during the summer and at least 10 days of induction training during the year. they started this last year
2. A New Teacher Residency Program – New core content teachers will complete a 13-month residency program at The Teacher Academy prior to placement in the classroom as teacher of record.
3. An Alternative Certification Pathway – Opportunities will be available for career changers and recent graduates to pursue alternative certification in Math, Science and/or Special Education.
4. An Experienced Teacher Immersion Program – Experienced teachers will have the opportunity to visit The Teacher Academy for up to six weeks to spend time sharing and improving teacher practices.
Speaking as a parent it sounds like I will have to set multiple standards of performance for teachers our kids might have.
We could need a refrigerator magnet made with just this part of your response:
1. Enhanced Induction for New Teachers – All new teachers will receive three weeks of training during the summer and at least 10 days of induction training during the year. they started this last year
2. A New Teacher Residency Program – New core content teachers will complete a 13-month residency program at The Teacher Academy prior to placement in the classroom as teacher of record.
3. An Alternative Certification Pathway – Opportunities will be available for career changers and recent graduates to pursue alternative certification in Math, Science and/or Special Education.
4. An Experienced Teacher Immersion Program – Experienced teachers will have the opportunity to visit The Teacher Academy for up to six weeks to spend time sharing and improving teacher practices.
Thank you for being succinct. I apologize if my following questions have been covered elsewhere, but there should be concerns about money:
If grant money is supporting these programs what happens when the money is all gone?
Does the grant money cover all construction costs needed for reconfigurations and repurposing of academy sites?
How long will data be collected to prove the kids being taught by various academy teachers or teachers-in-training show more positve results than other kids? If results are not better will rugs be pulled on portions of the program?
Just so we all have a clear grasp on reality with this initiative:
1. We should be so impressed with the district's preparation of high school graduates that they are now preparing teachers? Really? I am yet to see anything that rates Pittsburgh anything but in the bottom 10% of districts in the state.
2. Doesn't this initiative fly in the face of demographic reality? Isn't enrollment continuing to decline and won't that mean fewer teachers hired every year?
Anon, reality has no place in the district's schema under the Roosevelt-Lane-Fischetti regime.
They continue to populate PELA classes when there are no school administrative vacancies, then create additional central administrative slots OR new school based titles ("directors") to make sure every PELA gets a placement.
If you want truly bold reform, perhaps we should advocate for vouchers.
this Teacher Academy Program/Teacher Residency Program
if this turns out that there would be a student improvement class room academics and test scores
will this dist. make a mandate that all teachers go through this training if so what will the union stance be yet to be seen what the union stance is,i don't believe that this is in the contract.
sounds like again a back door deal in which the union was not involve
was there any research been done to see if this program is successful?
No research on this type of program in particular is mentioned. Research showing that the quality of the teacher is the most important "in school" factor in student performance is mentioned, but not evidence on how this program will affect teacher quality. It is assumed that the program will work.
Tarka was bought and sold.
The Federation--because of declining enrollment, followed by declining counts of teachers and the corresponding drop in union dues--is in deep financial trouble.
Now, suddenly, two PFT staff positions are being paid by a federal grant.
As to the research, well this one will be an easy problem to solve. The research firm at which the former COO's son (Gill) works will be given a large contract to print that it was all very effective. The connection is unmistakable. Gill was a Broad Superintendent's Academy pal of Roosevelt and Lane.
All in the family, with large no-bid contracts handed out as parting gifts.
What PFT positions? Who is funding them, Broad, Gates or another?
Cracks in the PFT:
This is a copy of an email from Mark S. This is not a confidential email. This is NOT Mark S. posting on this site.
"At the Dec Executive Board Meeting the Executive Board voted to pay for John Tarka's lawyer expenses, over $5000, related to the charges I brought against him. That means the over 100 people who signed the petition to change the By Laws, as well as the countless others who supported the idea, all paid for John Tarka's lawyer to defend his actions in ruling the correctly signed and submitted petition out of order. This is another example of how the current PFT Leadership acts unilaterally with complete disregard for what the dues paying membership actually wants. They will go to any lengths to insure that their will gets done regardless of what the membership does or doesn't want.
Before you express frustration with John in this matter I want to emphasize that it was the Executive Board that approved this expenditure. It is currently unclear to me if the Executive Board even has the authority to rubber stamp such an expenditure but, no matter, they continue to act unilaterally. It is also very suspect that there was no mention of this in the year end mailing. It is our money, a large amount at that, used in a very unorthodox way. But again the members don't need to know about this because the PFT Leadership continues to act unilaterally.
As we have all expressed frustration with John's leadership we need to keep in mind that the overwhelming majority of his actions are approved by the Executive Board, all of whom have been hand picked by John through his agreement to let them run on the slate he is the leader of. It is time we hold the entire Executive Board, along with John, responsible for their actions.
Mark Sammartino"
WITH THE issues of Urbam education in tow with the TAcademy-an interesting indepth article about MR-he should have taught-maybe he - - - -
Will the Revolving Door for Urban Superintendents Ever Slow Down ...
2 election, and Mark Roosevelt is tired. The Pittsburgh schools chief has a cold and is in the third or fourth week of a diet and he's been up until nearly ...
forumforeducation.org/.../will-revolving-door-urban-superinte...
Perhaps the State Attorney General and State Auditor should be asked to conduct an investigation of the School District's and PFT Union's finances, as well as other issues!
I have a few uestions regarding these academies.
The first being, How are they going to guarantee these people jobs? They are requires to teach for five years. The other is, is that a violation of the state eligibilty list? I thought that both pitt and philly were bound by law to follow that process or risked getting sued? With enrollment down and facing furloughs every year, I would like to see just how they guarantee people work unless they are going to start firing teachers and replacing them. Thoughts?
Speaking as someone with kids in college I wondered how the schools of education at the universities feel about the alternative certification process. I don't like the message that if you wash-out in your first choice career or decide you don't love it afterall, you can always become a teacher.
The message is loud and clear. PPS does not find value in a degree in education.
They are looking for robots/Stepford teachers to spew out sub-par curriculum, no questions asked. I am hoping to put my kids back in PPS for high school. If they contnue down this path I am afraid I will have to spend college savings for high school private education.
I think they (my kids) will do better in the long run with an excellent *private HS education, vs. a PPS lukewarm
education, even if it means they have to attend a community college for 2 years due to unexpected financial
burdens.
*I do not equate all private schools as being better than
public schools. I have found, much to my chagrin that is the case in Pittsburgh.
Then again, are they exempt from the The message is loud and clear. PPS does not find value in a degree in education.
I think they (my kids) will do better in the long run with an excellent *private HS education, vs. a PPS lukewarm education, even if it means they have to attend a community college for 2 years due to unexpected financial
burdens.
Pardon my stutter.
Allderdice is your best bet in the PPS.
Won't teachers at Allderdice be required to teach the same curriculum as teachers at other schools? I am also uneasy about science and math people teachng without a teaching degree. Will they teach advanced/AP/gifted students?
I know Allderdice has been the best bet in the past, but everything is changing so quickly I am unsure if it will be the same quality in 3 years.
I hope I don't have to roll the "dice" and hope for the best. I can do the same and buy lottery tickets in the hope of funding private education.
Allderdice has shown a remarkable ability to remain virtually untouched! Starting with next year's freshmen East Hills students will no longer feed to Allderdice, but otherwise there have not been any real changes.
As someone who came late to realize that there is just "something" about Dice that should have made me move to Squirrel Hill or force my kid into the magnet there, let me say that it is unique. Too late for me now but not for others. I think the same atmosphere lived at Schenley too, but could not be recreated at other traditional city schools except on a very small scale under a strong teacher/leader/mentor. There are "pokets of greatness" in this district.
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