Teacher should return
Michelle Winter - Emporia
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
My son’s teacher has been — let go? Fired? No one gives it a name, but the principal confirmed that the teacher’s not coming back.
The teacher said he wasn’t told why.
It’s rumored around the community that he is one of 12 teachers who have been “let go” because they aren’t tenured or certified in English as a Second Language.
As frustrated parents and taxpayers, we wanted the district personnel office to give a better explanation than, “Personnel matters are confidential and cannot be discussed.”
We parents of his first class of students know it wasn’t his lack of significant classroom accomplishments. A brief sampling of his credits include:
• Giving up breaks to spend lunch recesses organizing and playing games with the kids while supervising their interactions, after learning of some behavioral problems.
• Boosting his class’ everyday confidence by inspiring them to attentively learn above minimum requirements, thereby eliminating their intimidation of state assessments.
• Bringing this formerly average group to earn a Standard of Excellence in mathematics, including one student’s achievement of the elusive 100 percent assessment score.
• Reducing the number of kids with summer school requirements.
His teaching was equally effective for his students classified as ESL, proving that he is more valuable than the few government dollars that his ESL certification would provide the school.
Ultimately, he wasn’t tenured, so somewhere in the district, a less effective but tenured teacher has a job instead. When tenure impairs our ability to employ the best educators for our kids, taxpayers need to demand a change. Our children’s futures are at stake.
To the teacher so affectionately dubbed Mr. Awesome by his students, we say, “Thank you! You made a major difference in the lives of our children in only 10 months. If parents’ voices are recognized in our school district, you’ll be back in class here next fall.”
Michelle Winter
Emporia
christym123 (anonymous) says...
As far as I am concerned this district has a lot of explaining to do. We are losing many great teachers and an awesome principal, with no explaination. I know money is tight, but we are cutting at the wrong end.
June 2, 2010 at 1:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
I would certainly agree with cutting wrong corners. This man needs to be reinstated and an explanation given. Don't stop demanding, parents. Keep it up.
June 2, 2010 at 2:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
Way for the district to teach our kids about the results of a job well done. "Hey, kids! Do just well enough for four years(and kiss enough admin. tookas) and you're golden!!!! If the economy tanks, though, the golden kids stay golden and you're screwed no matter how well you do."
Great.
June 2, 2010 at 6:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wildcatnurse (anonymous) says...
Do not get your hopes up. There isn't a school district in the state willing to take on tenure. Northern Heights let go their best teacher because he wasn't tenured. Students and parents went to the school board in protest and it didn't do a bit of good.
Tenure is the problem....and until it's gone, there is no incentive for young teachers to stay in Kansas to teach.
June 2, 2010 at 7:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
admireed (anonymous) says...
Three years and you are in for life. Not a bad deal.
Edward McKernan
June 2, 2010 at 8:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
motherhenwelch (anonymous) says...
After reading Ms. Winter's comments I felt compelled to write as well. This teacher was a wonderful addition to his school. He inspired the students to excel in their work and created a safe and enjoyable classroom where all were encouraged to participate. Even after being told he would not return next year he continued his support and love for our children unconditionally. He has earned the parents respect and admiration for an exceptional year! What a shame our school district does not recognize and reward his accomplishments. Mr. Awesome, we applaud you. You definately are AWESOME!!! From one of your students.. "Mr. Awesome you made learning fun and I'm going to miss you".
Jane Welch
June 3, 2010 at 10:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
booker5m (anonymous) says...
Vote the ones that are in office out! Go with people you can trust
June 3, 2010 at 10:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
yev_kassem (anonymous) says...
Who is Mr. Awesome?
June 3, 2010 at 11:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
neighbor (anonymous) says...
Thank the teacher's union and the state law for tenure rules. Tenure is affirmative action for lazy, burnt out, ineffective teachers ensuring that they keep their jobs. Ambitious young teachers with new ideas, that connect better with the students, that strive for excellence get sent down the road. School board members get to decide who gets tenure, regardless of their performance and input from the District patrons.
Tenure is loved by teachers that have it and when it works in their favor, but loathed by those without it. As has been said above, one of the best teachers at NHHS got fired while they kept a teacher that should have been let go years ago due to poor performance. She is tenured, so she keeps on getting her paycheck even though alot of students have avoided taking her classes. The school board says that's the law and they can do nothing about it. Funny thing is, they didn't renew a contract on a tenured teacher in the same round of cuts. What about the claims of tenure rule and the potential for a long drawn out lawsuit in that case USD #251 Board and Superintendent?
June 3, 2010 at 11:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
Well, if these tenure contracts are so inconsistently observed, then it appears that the issue really is a BOE and/or district admin who think THEIR jobs are secure and that they don't need to heed the parents'/taxpayers' wishes. How many of those people in N. Lyon Co. proved that right and kept their jobs after disregarding the public?
yev,
Mr. Awesome has requested anonymity. We parents can stir up a fuss, but since he hopes to be rehired eventually, he doesn't want tension between himself and the heads of the district. In the principle of the matter, though, it really doesn't matter who he is. Through this specific case, we can see that the district heads disregard parental wishes and excellence in education in order to cater to their own. If I have my way, those heads of the district won't remain so his anonymity won't be an issue, but that remains to be seen.
June 3, 2010 at 1:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
yev_kassem (anonymous) says...
oh4--
That is perfectly understandable. I was just curious. I am glad that he was so well liked and that parents are showing him support. Good luck to you Mr. Awesome.
June 3, 2010 at 1:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Since unions are mentioned here, another problem exists and that is with union membership period. Union membership is not required, it's optional. The dues are nearly $50 a month. Many younger teachers don't join the union because of the high fees. Union membership is a plus because the union will support its members, or at least try to help them as much as possible if they are let go before tenure is achieved.
Neighbor, please don't put all tenured teachers in the same basket.
June 3, 2010 at 2:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
admireed (anonymous) says...
The teachers unions do a masterful job in negociations. Those who do not belong and help pay for this service should NOT accept the better pay...say take 30% less
Edward McKernan
June 3, 2010 at 2:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bloomsbury (SC DIXON) says...
Unions. Think about it. Find out how potential candidates feel about unions...and how much they accept from them, and vote accordingly.
June 3, 2010 at 3:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
So basically what I see here is that in order to stand a fighting chance, parents are going to have to form a parent-student union to offset some of the good-ole-boy teachers' union favoritism?
The one that uses tenure when it's convenient to protect their own?
Interesting
June 3, 2010 at 4:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
He was originally hired without it and was never told that it was mandatory. It isn't required.
June 3, 2010 at 5:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
Plus, don't you think they would have told him that's why he's not coming back?
June 3, 2010 at 5:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
neighbor (anonymous) says...
Create, neighbor didn't place all tenured teachers in any basket. I specifically identified lazy, burnt out and ineffective teachers for a reason. People tend read what they want to read into many of the posts here on the Gazette, making mountains out of mole hills. Hopefully many of the ineffective teachers who rely on tenure to maintain their jobs will recognize that school patrons are beginning to recognize that changes are needed and that the system of tenure needs to be re-addressed.
June 3, 2010 at 9:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tbluma (anonymous) says...
akami
I know this person and he has all the special skills he needs. IE he is a good teacher.
In Emporia, in Kansas, in the USA a special skill should be knowing ENGLISH before you show up in the classroom to be taught, unless you're going to a private school and paying for it.
The fact that this guy or any other teacher loses thier job because they can't converse in a foriegn language with some kid (or the kid's parents) that can't speak ENGLISH in Emporia is bullsh#t.
There shouldn't be one teacher that has to speak anything but ENGLISH unless they are teaching ENGLISH speaking students a foriegn language.
This is also true for any other county, city or federal job. If people want to live here they need to learn to speak ENGLISH. I believe that is even part of the rules of becoming a citizen.
So in my opinion all of the bleeding heart liberal sob's that want to cater to all of these people that don't want to conform to the ways of the USA and ASIMILATE like my ancestors did should get on a bus or a plane or wade back across the river or whatever and go live with them where they come from if they think they're so damn great.
June 3, 2010 at 10:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tbluma (anonymous) says...
akami
There was one other word you used.
Favoritism
The only time that is used is in favor of some supposed minority, union or tenured person.
It's time we did the right thing instead of, as our mayor asked the other day, is it politically correct.
June 3, 2010 at 11:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
akamai,
Right, it's rumored...because the officials aren't saying why. If that's what they're basing it on, then it's a purely money decision that they have to keep quiet about because it's not a requirement or a justifiable reason for termination. (btw, I am VERY familiar with every word of that opinion piece ;-)
tbluma,
Good to hear from you on this...I guess we do know the same one ☺
It was also good to hear from another parent of the class. We know our kids...after all, for some of them, it was their fourth year together. Only a few have been at that school for less than two years. To add to her point about Mr. Awesome's loyalty and dedication to the KIDS, I'd like to add this. I'm told by yet another upset parent that the school counselor very nonchalantly told him to take all his vacation and sick days and bail out of the last several days of school. He would not. He wouldn't abandon those kids like that, no matter how badly the district had let him down.
June 3, 2010 at 11:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
"His teaching was equally effective for his students classified as ESL, proving that he is more valuable than the few government dollars that his ESL certification would provide the school. "
Sounds like Mr. Awesome has the skills to do his job very well even if he isn't "certified" in one area.
That tenure sounds like quit the deal with massive potential to create lack luster teachers. In my chosen profession, factory work, I have known many folks that "sit on their seniority". They do very little because they know that there are plenty of folks lower on the seniority list than them that will get "let go" before them so why put in any more effort than absolutely necessary? The thing about a career in factory work is that these folks that "get" to "sit on their seniority" don't do it till they've been there for 20 or 30 years not 3 or 4. Yeah, that tenure sounds like a good deal.
June 3, 2010 at 11:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tbluma (anonymous) says...
Ed
Are you saying that if a teacher isn't a member of the union that they shouldn't receive the same pay as one that does?
June 3, 2010 at 11:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
I apologize, neighbor.
June 4, 2010 at 8:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
admireed (anonymous) says...
tb...that is correct.
Edward McKernan
June 4, 2010 at 12:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
If a union gets the wages where they should be for the work performed those performing that work should be paid what they earn. People should be paid for their performance. People should be retained or not by their performance. Anymore unions and things like tenure are used to raise peoples wages that sometimes shouldn't be raised and retain people that sometimes shouldn't be retained. Here we see a great performance rewarded with unemployment. This is teaching kids what?
June 4, 2010 at 1:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tbluma (anonymous) says...
Ed
Most of the time I agree with you but not this time.
If a teacher doesn't belong to the union, what makes them worth less money?
My wife taught for 30 years. The last 15 or so she didn't belong to the union. The reason you ask. Simply this, at the time the union was telling the teachers to go te the state house and bitch about being under paid, over worked and to raise taxes. While doing this they were taking a day off from work, kinda like the blue flu policemen have gotten from time to time. She didn't agree and told the NEA she wanted out. It took them 6 months to quit taking union dues out of her paycheck and they wouldn't reimburse her for it. She believed then and now that the student came first.
The only real benefit to belonging to the union was the fact that incase of a lawsuit they provided a lawyer for free and she got to watch her union dues get spent on lobying and being a member of the largest contributer to any liberal candidate running for office. The NEA is in fact the largest campaign donater of any kind. (unless things have changed)
We could pay into a legal fund to have a lawyer on retainer that covered us both for less money than her union dues so why belong to the union?
The union was a good thing in it's day but for the most part they have run thier course and they have pretty much ruined this country in the past 40 years.
This is a right to work state so I don't see your reasoning in this matter at all.
If it wasn't for unions we could get rid of the deadbeat tenured teachers and the subject of this article might still have a job.
I personally think that a non union person is worth more than a union member. They work harder because they don't have some union flunky to say you don't have to work that hard your union.
June 4, 2010 at 10:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tbluma (anonymous) says...
Ed
PS
If this guy is a member of the union where do you think they'd stand on the fact that he lost his job because he can't speak spanish?
I think I know the answer and don't have the time to research it but maybe you could. I betcha they think he doesn't deserve a day in court because they have to many others that would be pissed off.
June 4, 2010 at 10:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kira002 (anonymous) says...
@tbluma: ESL licensure does not mean the teacher speaks another language, it means the teacher has learned how to effectively teach non-native speakers so that 1) they acquire English more quickly and 2) are able to learn the academic subject at a similar rate to their English-proficient classmates. Moreover, many of the techniques learned in the classes teachers take for that licensure are beneficial for the entire classroom; I used some in my university lit class with all native English speakers and was pleased with their effectiveness.
ESL (English as a Second Language) and Bilingual education are NOT the same thing, although they often get lumped together. Not that this has any real bearing on Mr. Awesome's employment or lack thereof; I just wanted to clarify before the discussion continued.
June 4, 2010 at 11:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tbluma (anonymous) says...
kira
Thanks for the lesson, I'm glad to hear it works for you, however I stand by my statement that if the kids or parents can't speak english they need to learn and asimilate and not at the tax payers expense or to the detriment of the rest of the class.
June 4, 2010 at 11:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
In this school that Mr. Awesome taught in, there is only one child that I know of who speaks Spanish better than English, but we have many students who qualify as ESL. Why? Because their parents don't choose to speak English primarily in the home. the children themselves are very fluent in English with only trace accents, if any. Those are the only two language demographics that I'm aware of. That's why ESL isn't a requirement. However, each of those ESL students gets extra funding from the government, but only if their teacher is ESL certified.
The reason this seems to be the hing-pin, is that there were a couple of other non-tenured teachers to choose from, but they are working on or have completed their ESL training. I suspect that the district admin told the principal to cut someone not tenured and the principal is the one who used ESL as the deciding factor; a money decision that may also have been to gain or keep favor with a money-grubbing Admin or BOE. He may have been told to use that criteria, however, it's hard to imagine that the principal who is there seeing the transformation in this class would choose to boot Mr. Awesome over one of the other teachers who have not had such results.
June 5, 2010 at 1:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
Let me see if I understand this mess.
" Tenure " basically means that you have a job for life, until you retire and you cannot be " fired/let go " without a good reason or explaination, even if you are a terrible " licensed " teacher . Whereas an excellent " licensed ", non-tenured teacher can be " fired/let go " without any explaination or justifiable reason at all, even though a non-tenured teacher may be a better teacher and achieve better results . Kind of like throwing out the baby and keeping the bad bath water !
Sounds like a contractural restructuring is in order.
June 5, 2010 at 7:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tbluma (anonymous) says...
Meth
Exactly right . Basicly a teacher has to be a child molester or a murderer to get the axe if tenured.
June 5, 2010 at 9:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
admireed (anonymous) says...
tb...If your wife benefited from what the union did for her, at LEAST PAY the union for their efforts. Don't belong...OK but send them a big check every year to pay her share of negociation expenses and lobbying efforts. Without the great work by the KNEA, teacher salaries in Kansas would be way below what they are.
Edward McKernan
June 5, 2010 at 11:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tbluma (anonymous) says...
Ed
Sorry but I can't agree with you on this one. If you think that everything the KNEA has done is wonderful, more power to you, but send them a check for not belonging, not hardly. Personally I think they and alot of other unions are out of hand and have ruined us.
Oh well to each his own.
June 5, 2010 at 2:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
You are so confused it isn't funny not in the least and I can usually find some funny in about any situation. The school wasn't getting the ESL government cheese because Mr. Awesome is not ESL certified but they think they need that government cheese. Mr. Awesome's performance proves that they don't need the government cheese. The proof is in the pudding so to speak. The students performances and improvements is the proof. When you have good pudding you don't need cheese. The school boards like all other government slaves have become addicted to the cheese and they think they need more more more more just like any other crack addict would. It makes more sense to me to keep a lower payed(because of less time on the job) teacher that kicks buttocks than some old higher paid teacher who is skating by on tenure getting more and more addicted to the cheese and doing less and less for it.
June 5, 2010 at 4:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nks (anonymous) says...
"Without the great work by the KNEA, teacher salaries in Kansas would be way below what they are."
I would say that a $49,900 avg salary in Emporia would be considered above avg pay.
June 5, 2010 at 4:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
Totally irrelevant again. Mr. Awesome's performance in one year has proven him worthy. It has nothing to do with the fact that he is a pretty girl ...... or boy ... in this case. Go back to your devil's advocate drawing board and try again.
Avehay away eatgray ayday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmfDD1...
June 5, 2010 at 5:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
neighbor (anonymous) says...
Accepted create. I have much respect for many teachers to disrespect the entire profession. I tamed down my adjectives hoping that the teachers who might read this thread wouldn't think I was calling them all names. There are some really great teachers in Lyon Co, and there are some really poor ones as well. Mr. Paul James, if you happen to frequent this site, you were one fantastic Algebra teacher and my favorite teacher in Emporia! You sir, Ron Darmon, Valerie Ringler, Paul Hastings, John Wyrick, Mary Mingenback, Louise Wright, and Judy Ehrlich all belong in the teachers Hall of Fame. None of you needed tenure to maintain your jobs, you were all great!
June 5, 2010 at 10:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
formerhornet (anonymous) says...
The problem is not "tenure," so to speak. Tenture does not GUARANTEE you a job... it just mean's it is harder to fire a tenured person.
The problem here is poor administrators who do not go through the process to improve teachers, or hold them accountable, or fire them. Study how Washington DC Education Chancellor Michelle Rhee is eliminating tenure from the city so she can more easily get rid of bad teachers.
Administrators, for the most part, are former teachers who did not do well teaching, so they became administrators. How can we expect them to know what quality education should look like?
June 6, 2010 at 7:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
formerhornet;
I agree for the most part. That's why I think this case was purely a money decision...it's easier to go by tenure than to look at the merits of the individual teachers and to "confront" the ones who are just okay by way of replacing them with better ones. And if there is a toss-up between two non-tenured ones, it's easier and a better political move among peers to pick the one with certifications that milk more funding. That's what gets me so upset! Our children are being sold out for careers and political pull....and they abuse our money and trust to do it. It sickens me. These are the people we entrusted to give our kids the finest education available within our funding capacities. If it's available for slightly less funding, that should be okay.
I really would like to know if there are 11 more in the district who this was done to or if this is the only case.
Anyone???
June 7, 2010 at 12:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
quietgirl (anonymous) says...
This is definitely not the only case!! I personally know two other teachers that are in the same boat. They were not given a clear reason for being let go but neither one of them have their ESL endorsement.
June 7, 2010 at 1:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
Let me see, In other words this whole good teacher/not so good teacher/tenure/certificate thing, is about money that can/will be received from the State/ taxpayers instead of about quality teaching/education of your/our children and money has become more important than your/our childrens eduction ?
If a non-tenured teacher is acually a better, dedicated teacher, is willing to teach at less pay than a tenured, so-so or bad teacher .. it would seem more prudent and cost saving to keep the better non-tenured teacher and get rid of the so-so, worse tenured teacher, that costs more and achieves less in the way of results !
If this is a contractural and a union thing, then contracts need to be re-written/restructured and union negotiations need to be re-negotiated, for the good/ betterment of the children.
June 7, 2010 at 7:29 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
methusla:
That's right! But these people making these decisions are interested in the bottom lines of the school and district funds, not how cost effective this is for the taxpayers. They are taxpayers paid by tax dollars and they are the same ones who picketed the capital building for more tax money to schools by whatever means necessary. They treat public funds as their own personal funds...but carelessly; they have an entitlement complex. They are very condescending in their dealings with parents because they feel they are more qualified than the parents. They believe every decision they make about the education of our kids is the best one and should never be questioned. They are a big piece of the government bureaucracy, but on a local level.
I do not mean this about every person in the educational system, but it does include many of the teachers, most of the individual school administrators and a majority of district administrators. In the surrounding schools, I do know exceptions in each of those categories, but here locally, I only know of a few teachers who aren't that way.
Now, this prevailing attitude has effectually diminished the quality of education in our district by removing a highly effective teacher in lieu of money. It's hard to know how many times this has happened. Maybe this is the first time, but I rather doubt it. At any rate, with the results of even just this one teacher, one time is too many. As a parent and as a taxpayer, I am demanding some accountability from these "educators" about their decisions with MY money and MY child. My son wouldn't have had this same teacher next year anyway, but the next class would've gotten to loop two years with him. I am not upset about this for my son's sake...he ans his classmates had the privilege of experiencing being this teacher's students. The lessons they learned about learning itself and the confidence they received as a result will remain with them for life. I am upset that it appears that many more students are being cheated out of this opportunity that was available and has now been taken away from them.
June 7, 2010 at 1:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
Thank you, quietgirl. Anyone else? C'mon folks! If we don't talk about this and let each other know what we're seeing, the same people are going to keep making the same kind of decisions and our kids will keep getting second-rate educations. We have given up our voices across the district in site councils where they now tell us how it is instead of listening to what we want and PTO's where they come asking for extra money in exchange for briefly listening to our opinions before quickly disregarding them, but that doesn't mean we can't make ourselves heard again. Even if, like methusla, you aren't a parent, you are a taxpayer and these people are accountable to you as well, in educating your community's children. How do you want your neighbors' kids, your paper boy (or girl), your grandkids, and every other child you see around town to be educated?
June 7, 2010 at 2:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
Well, I'm disappointed that conversation here seems to have died out, but a phone call I received this morning has given me hope that other people are paying attention to this problem in our district and are organizing to bring it to the attention of State Representatives. I would ask that other parents and who have observed bad results of tenure terms being what they are to post here or contact state representatives directly so we can all get a clearer picture of how these unions and tenure contracts are failing our kids.
Sadly, education seems to have become a means to a political end for too many board members and administrators, causing education itself to become secondary within its own structure, instead of priority.
June 9, 2010 at 3:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
barefooting (anonymous) says...
We no longer have kids in Emporia schools, but when we did, there were many good teachers and some that didnt earn their jobs. I do agree that some teachers want their opinion to be the only one and will turn a deaf ear to a parent, could be the same teachers who grumble that there are too many uninvolved parents. Tenure attracts people into the teaching field so it isnt an all bad thing. Now for the bad aspect of tenure, some of the worst teachers are the ones who feel they are untouchable and are too burned out to do a good job. There is one a EHS that has no business being there, tenure or not. When I read stories of good teachers being let go it really casts my doubts on the quality of education since there are plenty of teachers who dont earn their jobs.
June 9, 2010 at 5:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
PRELIMINARY REPORT INDICATES THAT EMPORIA SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL NOT MAKE ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS
By Jeff O’Dell/KVOE News
The Emporia Board of Education learned that the Emporia School District would not make adequate yearly progress in reading and math. The results come after assessments. Director of Interventions Brian Jordan said that several buildings had made AYP, that had not done so in previous years. But other subgroups had lower scores that pulled the district to below the threshold.
Jordan said the State Board of Education will get the report. Jordan said they do have a plan for improving scores, and the plan is being refined. They want to pinpoint what the variables are, including making sure students get time to refine their skills on top of their core instruction, to make the growth necessary.
Emporia Superintendent John Heim talked about adequate yearly progress, saying its a federally mandated schedule of improvement in reading and math until a school district reaches 100 percent of its students reaching proficiency by the year 2014. Each year the bar is moved higher.
One of the subgroups that Heim said did not perform as well was students with disabilities. Board member Mike Helbert said he wants to know why this happens. Jordan said its multiple factors, and Helbert said he agrees, but he wants to know the factors involved. The State Board of Education will get the final report next month. Heim predicts that most Kansas districts will be in the "watch" category in the near future.
June 11, 2010 at 9:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
Hmmm, I wonder if the schools and school districts not meeting the AYP, may just have anything to do with the current teacher problems the schools and school districts are having . You know, the keeping not so good tenured teachers and " firing " good non-tenured teachers. After all, a teacher is the person who is responsible for the child/children wanting to learn and achieve a higer standard of learning, not the State, Federal or local school board/district mandated schedule of achievement.
Personal achievement is based upon a persons desire and will to achieve or excel in anything and a good teacher will bring this out and nurture this in those students who have the particular " desire " to do so and it doesn' t matter whether a teacher is tenured or not, the good ones have an ability to have their students want to learn and excel without any mandates or force. When forced mandates, are put on teaching, learning, education for the sake of " Money " then you forsake learning and education for " MONETARY/MATERIAL " gain, instead of intellicual/social or personal gain. Not every child learns, comprehends or achieves at the same rate.
With all of the technology of todays world, most children and adults have come to rely on this technology to do their thinking, problem solving and yes work to do their chores for them and therefore the job of a teacher to try and get a child to use the best computer in the world that they carry with them, in their heads ( their brain ) is a very difficult and unrewarding job. I admire anyone who wishes to be a teacher in todays " crazy, mixed up, mandated world " and wish them all the luck in the world for wanting to undertake such a difficult task/profession, as the rewards are few and the thanks even fewer.
So, to you dedicated teachers a very big " THANK YOU " .
June 12, 2010 at 9:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
neighbor (anonymous) says...
Perhaps they've just surpassed the slower student's capabilities and the staff's motivation?
June 12, 2010 at 5:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
"...several buildings had made AYP, that had not done so in previous years. But other subgroups had lower scores that pulled the district to below the threshold.
Each year the bar is moved higher.
One of the subgroups that Heim said did not perform as well was students with disabilities.
Heim predicts that most Kansas districts will be in the "watch" category in the near future."
Sounds like a lot of excuse-making to me. From what I've seen of my son's elementary expectations, these minimum standards are pathetic. I believe that's what Mr. Awesome saw too, leading him to recognize the behavior problems that arose early in the year as collective boredom by intelligent but unchallenged kids-JMHO. Too many teachers aren't seeing this. I just came across a worksheet my son did in class at some point this year. It was a photocopy of a handwritten worksheet. Simple. Inexpensive. Highly effective. It was an exercise that didn't apparently exist in the textbook. We need our district teachers to get this. We need this teacher back and few more just like him to be hired. We need the ones who feel stressed by these minimum standards or even just okay with them to be given their permanent leave from our employ, tenure or not.
June 12, 2010 at 6:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
Oh, and what were these other sub-groups. How many of them?
It seems like it would take a significant number of them doing very, very poorly to drag down the....what was it? "...several buildings had made AYP, that had not done so in previous years."
There is something very unbalanced between the overall score and the defense about the other buildings.
June 12, 2010 at 6:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
Interesting article a friend sent me. It looks like a start to me. We aren't the only ones finding the education system off-balanced and no longer about educating the kids.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_grading...
"In bold move, Colorado alters teacher tenure rules"
June 13, 2010 at 12:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
I was unable to go to the recent Board meeting. I was told that some of the other parents/grandparents might be going, but the story on it didn't indicate they made it. At any rate, lest anyone think this has dropped, I have heard a couple of interesting things.
The first is that one of the school parents who personally knows Mr. Awesome also knows the parent of a recently fifth grade teacher. As the story goes, this teacher received a letter from the district stating that she will be teaching in this grade at this school (Mr. Awesome's position) in the 2010-2011 school year and that if that's not satisfactory, she won't have a position in the district. This is fourth-hand information, admittedly.
The second piece of information is that a grandparent of one of Mr. Awesome's students called the district personnel office and was told that a fifth grade teacher had requested assignment to this grade so, being tenured, she got it.
The grandparent couldn't remember the name of the tenured teacher, so I am unclear as to whether this is the same story or not. This is second-hand info, but some of us are still persistently trying to get closer to the truth, which will eventually come out.
Things still smell rotten in this Denmark that we call USD 253.
July 1, 2010 at 1:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )