Notes on a Reformer – StudentsFirst Event with Michelle Rhee in Philadelphia 9/22/11

The StudentsFirst event took place at a former comprehensive public high school in North Philly which was considered the most violent and lowest academic performing school in the Philadelphia Public School District.  As of this fall, it has become a neighborhood charter school in which is accepts students from the entire high school catchment area – in other words, there is no “cherry picking” or “creaming.”  This school takes all comers.  The principal’s goal is to eliminate the 9-11 from the previous year – 9% of students proficient in math, and 11% students’ proficient in English on the PSSA state test. 

Philadelphia is considered an “educational hub,” however there are only 55% of high school students graduating in the District and the per pupil spending is approximately $17,000/year. 

    

In terms of budget constraints, the program known as last in, first out (LIFO) is mandated by the PA State Board of Education.   StudentsFirst was asked by its membership to come to Philadelphia to address this issue.  The goals of the organization (which are found on their website www.studentsfirst.org) are vast.  However, Rhee noted that this is a membership organization and this issue is what the Philadelphia membership wanted to emphasize at this form at this time.

Rhee articulated that there are three types of LIFO states – Green States (which are 11 states where LIFO is based on quality of teacher performance), Red States (which are 12 states where LIFO is based solely on seniority) and middle states (which I’ll call Yellow) in which LIFO is based on collective bargaining by individual Districts or State Board of Educations.   The importance of having the debate/discussion on LIFO now is that it is a timely issue and one which is explicitly tied to the current budget crisis facing most school districts around the country.

Rhee highlighted three points about how LIFO directly impacts schools:

1)      LIFO means schools are firing some of their “best” teachers which compromises the effectiveness of the whole faculty.  Research has shown that when teachers are rated independently on their effectiveness versus being let go strictly on the basis of seniority, there is only a 13% overlap in the number of teachers. 

2)      LIFO effectively means schools and districts are firing “more” teachers because less senior teachers earn smaller salaries than their more veteran peers.   If LIFO was based on quality, districts would save an estimated 30% of jobs in the respective districts.

3)      LIFO affects the lowest performing schools the greatest because more often than not, the least senior teachers are assigned to the lowest performing schools of schools of “last resort” or who are underperforming.  This means that the most “needy” students are having their schools turned over at a higher rate than more successful schools.  [What I have defined as “institutional amnesia” takes place because there is very little stability in the school.]

Per the Philadelphia Inquirer (http://tinyurl.com/43ejw9m and Rhee’s initial opinion piece http://tinyurl.com/3sxoobd), you can read some of the responses to Rhee’s talk.  Further, on the main wall of the StudentsFirst FB page, there is a testimonial from one of the teachers who spoke in opposition to LIFO through the lens of their own experiences working in the Philadelphia Public School District. 

In sum, the main takeaways from the talk were; the reasoning behind discussing LIFO (timely because of the budget crisis and it was what the membership asked for), the three highlights on LIFO’s impact in schools, the distinctions between Red, Green and middle states, and finally, in regards to the whole tone and tenor of the current public discourse surrounding education reform which pits “us versus them,” the biggest thing Rhee mentioned was that education reform and teacher efficacy wasn’t an abstract concept to her – she placed her own child in a classroom with a former TNTP alum.

Thoughts on the Save Our Schools (SOS) Teacher March Washington DC July 30, 2011:

Driving down from Philadelphia to Washington, DC (my home for three plus years during the early 90s), I reminisced about the numerous rallies and protest marches I attended during my years in DC.  The night before driving down, I rummaged through our tech drawer trying to find the digital video camera because I wanted to be able to zoom up to 60x rather than the 12x we have on our “regular” digital camera. 

Thinking about the rallies from the '90s, I recalled using my knowledge of the National Mall to try and get as close as possible to the stage and upon doing so thinking I was really lucky to be this close; there are thousands of people behind me who can’t see anything on the stage.  Hence I thought to bring my video camera in anticipation of at least 100,000 folks attending the Save Our Schools March this past weekend.  Unfortunately, or so I thought, I couldn’t find the charge cord.  Fortunately I didn’t need the video camera with the 60x zoom, because unlike the previous rallies/marches I attended which include the 1992’s March for Women’s Rights, 1993’s March for LGB (before the T was added) Equal Rights Liberation, and the 30^th Anniversary of the March on Washington (where King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech), and the 1995’s Million Man March, this teacher’s rally had fewer than 5000 participants.

In the weeks and months leading up to the Rally, based on what I read and saw on Twitter and Facebook, you’d have thought that the Ellipse (smartly the organizers did not hold the rally on the National Mall) would be packed with teachers ready to make social change, armed and ready to “Save Our Schools.” Despite a list of noted speakers any educational conference would die for – Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond, Dr. Pedro Noguera, Jonathan Kozol, Deborah Meier, and the patron saint of reform to most of this faction of the education reform movement, Dr. Diane Ravitch, even the wattage of this amount of star power couldn’t garner more than 5000 individuals to travel to sweltering Washington DC on one of the hottest days of the year.  The first question I had, as I walked towards the stage set up on the Ellipse and the small crowd was where is everyone?  Why is this rally so small?  I've attended street fair concerts with a larger, more vocal crowd. 

A few of the questions I have regarding the Save Our Schools Movement are the following;

1)      With such intellectual firepower behind the Movement, why was it so hard to mobilize people, during the summer, to come to Washington to support public schools

2) The position papers advanced on the Save Our Schools March website (www.saveourschoolsmarch.org/resources/position-papers) include such important education reform topics as; better assessments, civics, curriculum, equitable funding, family involvement, high-stakes testing, and unions & collective bargaining.  The only thread heard throughout the speakers on the dais on Saturday was ending high-stakes testing.  Why is this?

3) Where are the areas that the Administration and this branch of reformers can agree upon and what are the “non-negotiables” for both sides?

My overall impressions of the March and videos of some of the speeches…next time. 

Welcome Back...

After an arduous six months of teaching and learning I am FINALLY finished with course work and spring semester. I am now finishing up my Dissertation Proposal and look forward to defending it by mid summer.

It's been a long time, I shouldn't have left you...

Now that I am back, I want to briefly revisit the last blog post I wrote way back in December.  It seems as if Education Week has caught onto the idea that teachers need to be more politically astute and aware.  In her article Ms. Van Shura stresses that educators must become political animals (Why Educators Must Become Political Animals).  I too echoed the same sentiment in my last post.  Interesting.

An internet note, I've recently been spending time on the Student's First (the new non-profit education reform group created by Michelle Rhee) Facebook page (Students First FB Page).  While I have never been a 100% supporter of anyone, I do think that much of what Ms. Rhee has done in her quest to create a better educational environment  is on the right course.  I encourage you to check out some of the discussions and even chime in.

Over the course of the next few weeks as we lead up to the SOS March and Call to Action (SOS) I'll be discussing in greater detail some of the topics raised on the SF page, and other ideas that I have been kicking around in my mind since I've started this PhD process.

I look forward to a more regular dialog on this page.  Please, let's remember to be civil.  - Peace

Beast of Burden

It seems recently in the wake of the groundbreaking film, Waiting for Superman, that teachers have felt under attack or blamed for the inequities in public education.  In almost every major newspaper around the country you see teachers fighting back with such statements as "we are under attack" or "why is the profession being treated with such disrespect, disdain?"

Newspapers are not the only places where we see the sentiment of teacher insecurity.  We also see it in the blogosphere and online.  My new Facebook page, Educational Reform for Urban Public Teachers and Students (ERUPTS) (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=113911811995707) has not been immune from this line of questioning.  One of the post comments "...I'm just tired of being blamed..."  My question is blamed for what?  Some critics like to think that if we somehow magically eliminated poverty (as if we haven't tried before?) then public schools would improve.  However studies have shown that it is not experiencing poverty which accounts for lack of educational opportunities and success, but lack of a positive adult mentor and low academic expectations.

Am I Tough Enough?

Teachers cannot be so soft skinned as to think that whenever educational reformers, the general public or even students demand more from their educational institutions or actors that the sole "blame" falls on them.  It may seem that way in the NCLB era with such an increased emphasis on accountability, but if I'm not accountable as an educator, what am I really doing in the classroom?  I have to be accountable to the school, to the district, to the parents and students and most importantly to myself.  Any criticism that comes from others pales in comparison to the amount of criticism and self-evaluation, and reflection I do internally.  Perhaps we need to acknowledge more what that internal reflection entails, as well as admit perhaps not all of us reflect on our craft, and have honest discussions on how to improve so that we do not take offense so easily.


Tell the Truth
We as educators, parents, peers and community need to come together and start telling the truth.  The Beast of Burden is in feeling attacked every time someone makes a film (Waiting for Superman is not the only educational film currently showing), critiques public schools, derides the status quo in education or wants to implement change.  Change is hard.  However continuing to do nothing is far worse and far more damaging - not for those who have been fortunate to have a good educational background, but for those who are without voice, without recourse and often go unseen (until Superman).  We cannot continue to allow state capitals, Washington DC or critics (however well intentioned) to stop the progress which is being made in urban areas when it comes to educational attainment.

In short, as one of the former counselors at the high school where I taught always said; "be a duck."  Let all the negative comments wash off of you like water on a duck.  Keep moving forward.

A Message to all Teachers from one who knows - Part Three (Final)

Continued from last week:

Third, there is a fine line between being a students “friend” and being their “mentor/teacher.”  It is crucial that teachers are considered friendly without necessarily playing favorites or being “buddy buddy” with students.  A teacher needs to be fair and firm, especially when dispensing homework assignments, readings and calling on students in class and of course, discipline.  Perception unfortunately is oftentimes reality – whether it is in politics, the media or in the classroom.  If a teacher is perceived to be too friendly, either by their colleagues or by the students, that particular teacher has a major obstacle to over come.  This is not to imply that teachers need to adhere to the old school adage “don’t smile until after winter break.” 

This era of students have far less respect for teachers who present a “false front” than those teachers who are honest and show their true selves – in other words, keeping it real.  We as professionals should know where the line is.  Teachers should not have to defend their personal teaching style to their colleagues.  There should not be a riff between teachers who are considered “popular” and those who are not.  Instead of putting down, or condemning the “popular” teachers, find out what they do in their classroom.  Are they fair?  Do they hold students to a higher standard and as such the students respect them for raising the bar?  Does the teacher respect all students in the class and not just the “good” ones?  These questions and more should be discussed openly and honestly amongst colleagues and collaboratively between both veterans and newbies alike.

Finally, this time of year is tough.  Teachers are reaching (or have reached) the point of burnout.  The fall highs have almost been completely replaced by the winter blahs. Teachers immune defenses are down, more are starting to get sick with the flu and some, unfortunately after months of frustration, quit.  It is also the season where testing frenzy is fast approaching, and pre-testing begins in earnest and the “normal routine” of the the first semester will soon be replaced by “testing, testing, testing.”  Teaching is tough. 

In many parts of the country, it is a thankless job made more difficult by unfunded mandates forced upon us from the Department of Education both in Washington and local capitals.  Left alone, most teachers, in due time, would be excellent professionals who demonstrate pride in their profession.  However, there are too many who have “messed it up” for the masses.  Teachers who do not show pride in their profession are what create the ability for the masses of teachers to be dictated to from the “top-down.”  There needs to be more collaboration in the creation and implementation of standards as well as we need to review and reform NCLB (or whatever the new reauthorization will be called) to include more assessments that are not just a-d bubble answers.  

As we recover from this election season, let’s not forget to include education as one of the central issues that needs to be on the radar for the incoming Congress.  NCLB is up for reauthorization and should be one of the first pieces of legislation drawn up and debated during their first few months. 

In the immortal words of the late 20^th century poet T.A. Shakur “keep ya head up.”