Do ya wanna read something funny?

(reordered exerts from a news article)

In March, the Obama administration awarded nearly $22 million in SIG money to West Virginia.

Many U.S. schools are eligible for SIG money if they fire a school's principal, fire the principal and half the school's staff, or close a school and then set up a charter school.

The state Department of Education identified the five schools as among 33 of the state's lowest-performing schools.

George Aulenbacher at Stonewall Jackson Middle School, Paula Potter at Riverside High School, Joe McQuerrey at Cedar Grove Middle School, Candace Strader at East Bank Middle School and Bruce Kolsun at Malden Elementary School have all agreed to step aside.

"I think that's a sign of a true leader and a true principal when they put their schools and students first," Duerring said. "When they're willing to step aside for the good of their school, I think it's very admirable."

Duerring expects Aulenbacher and Potter will be hired as "transformational specialists" with 260-day contracts, and they will help the lowest-achieving schools transform curriculum, track data and take on other intensive duties.

Strader and Kolsun will be reassigned as assistant principals at other schools until they find other positions within the school system, Duerring said.

http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201004200767

The teachers aren't responsible, the principals aren't responsible, must just be those stupid kids.

I read that this morning. The sad thing is every one of these Principals will find other employment even though they've proven to be ineffective.

Aaron, the board has already reassigned them. They never lost employment.

WV should not have taken the money - it feels almost dirty.

I agree that there needs to be a method to remove ineffective principals and teachers - but I don't think this is the way. Of the ones listed - a couple definitely needed to go - but there is at least one there that should not have been with this targeted group. That principal has brought their school waaaaaay up out of the dregs and should have been given more time to continue the job.

As for creating "transition specialists".....!?!?!? WTF?!??!?

As for creating "transition specialists".....!?!?!? WTF?!??!?

Yeah, my thoughts exactly.

No, no........"transformational specialists". These folks are supposed to "transform" the schools. I don't know who currently writes curriculum and creates the programs teachers participate in on these staff development days written into the calendar. The teachers must show up, what are they doing? I don't know. I'm being serious here, I don't know what they're doing. Is Kanawah County currently hiring outside consultants for teacher training? I mean, there is teacher training going on during this time, right? So if the principals who have been accomplishing good things are now assigned specifically with improving performance at those poor performing schools, I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.

What I DO think is a bad thing is that all of those principals are being retained. Have all of those schools shown improvements in achievement under the administration of all of these principals? Some of them haven't been getting the job done, and those people are just being reassigned (inflicted on another school). The one principal is being allowed to keep his position because he thinks he can get the job done. There is a method of removing ineffective principals, the Kanawha County School Board has chosen not to do it. Boy does that concern me.

Now, as far as the state taking the money, I think they should have. This is the system we live under, the federal government taxes people to pay for education and dole it out as they see fit. I don't have a problem with citizens of WV taking their fair share of that bounty just because it had strings. What I DO have a MAJOR problem with is when the federal government MANDATES things and doesn't pony up the dough. Nothing irks me more than an unfunded mandate. Clearly, this is not an unfunded mandate.

I will agree that it is nice to see a funded mandate - unlike most.

KCS (and other counties) don't like to fire people because it always leads to lawsuits and such. They have enough lawsuits from parents to contend with.

These "transformational specialists" are ridiculous. In KCS we have curriculum directors for each core subject as well as fine arts. We have been dealing with Teach First for the last 3 years. This year our staff development days have been spent in discussions, readings, and feedback on some "newer" ideas coming out of educational research (at least in my school we are). Such as: failing not being an option (now this was a heated discussion); recording a 60 instead of a 0 for a missing assignment (it's still failing but at least not as statistically devastating to the average); different grading methods; changing grade reporting methods; adding more diploma options and so on.

Granted - at the school level - there's not a heck of a lot we can do about many of these things - but there's an attitude that goes with it. If you are willing to discuss such "radical" ideas with an open mind, then maybe you can begin to reflect on your own personal teaching methods and be honest with yourself about if it is working for the students, or is it more comfortable for yourself?

Change isn't necessarily bad - but it is hard. But I don't think that the standard they used to chose which principals stay and which go, gave anyone a complete picture.

So is there no professional development? What is the point of having teachers wasting valuable time for things they can do nothing about? You can't control what a teacher gives for a grade. It seems to me KCS and your union were both quick to defend a teacher who negatively impacted a student's GPA for being one day late with an assignment due to participation in a school related activity. If teachers in this state were worried about teachers doing what is in the best interests of individual students that case that teacher would have been paying those legal fees on her own dime. You can't have that both ways.

The idea behind the funds is increasing student achievement. Would you prefer those schools not get those funds? If these principals were truly being altruistic, they would resign and take positions elsewhere. This violates the spirit of the program. KCS sure know who among those principals needs to go and it will be interesting to see if just shifting dead wood from one facility to another is tolerated. As a WV taxpayer I am more than a little annoyed. I don't know the terms of this grant money. It would be money well spent to fire the incompetents and use the funds to defend any lawsuits that arise.

Are school principals "tenured" like teachers here?

Is it impossible for the Superintendent to document that these principals are failing to achieve? I mean, really.....if the school is failing and showing no improvement over the course of a couple of years, that shows a complete lack of leadership. Your gripe isn't with the Obama administration, your gripe is with the WV Legislature and your own union. I know of no other profession where people are utterly impossible to remove for incompetence. Do you?

I have said it before and I'll say it again, public schools exist for the benefit of the students. They do not exist to provide unparalleled job security to folks with teaching and/or administration certificates. If teachers and administrators were half as concerned about the success of the students they are being paid to teach as they are with job security, this wouldn't be happening. Blame your union, not the Obama administration.

If you want to increase student achievement, you can talk yourself blue in the face and throw a ton of money at the situation, however, you ain't going to correct the problem.

The problems are:

1. Teachers have no tools to control their classroom. About the only tool a teacher has is to send kids to the office or hand out a detention slip.

2. Many teachers are spending time teaching an agenda and not enough time just basics. We have a science teacher who spent a great deal of time teaching Gore's Inconvient Truth and the End of Suburbia. When she have been teaching general science she was teaching propaganda. The fact of the matter is government schools are more like indoctrination centers than centers of education.

3. It is hard, though not impossible to terminate bad teachers. The catch is it takes work and documentation. Administrators don't seem willing to spend the time do to the jobs they are paid to do.

4. Parents take very little responsibility for thier kids. In fact, many parents don't seem to care one way or another what happens as long as Sam and Sally are out fo their hair.

5. Athletics takes presedent over academics in many schools. I know it does here. Let a kid achieve on the football field and he is front page news. Let a kid achieve in the classrooom and one never hears about it.

6. There is far to much emphisis on technology and too little on the basics, like reading, history, writing, and math.

7. There is far far to much worry about a kid's self esteem and far to little about the child actually and correctly accomplishing something.

If you want to fix this mess, the very first thing is to get the government out of the picture and put education into the hands of the private sector and put the responsibility of paying for the education in the laps of the parents. When you expecting people to act in a responsible manner, they will, until then this is the mess you are going to live with.

2. Many teachers are spending time teaching an agenda and not enough time just basics. We have a science teacher who spent a great deal of time teaching Gore's Inconvient Truth and the End of Suburbia. When she have been teaching general science she was teaching propaganda.

Do you feel the same way about science teachers who teach about evolution of living creatures, including human beings?

Ziggy - one person's propaganda is another person's science/history.

Ziggy & Sasha

Kate watched An Inconvenient Truth 4 times in her 3 years at BHS. I'm not kidding. She saw it in the general science class all students were required to take. Then she saw it in Evironmental Science, Biology and AP Biology. One teacher taught all but one of those classes and she knew Katie and others in had seen it multiple times. She refused to discuss the fallacies in the film but brought it up constantly the 3 years Kate was in her class. It was gospel. That is a HUGE PROBLEM. Talk about a waste of time.

Sasha,

The more I think about the more your statement, "WV should never have taken this money" bothers me. You want better funding for schools. I know you'd like to see programs that work and successful students. Would you prefer to see WV miss out on that cash? Are the careers of good adminstrators more important than the academic success, the very futures of the thousands and thousands of youngsters dependent upon those schools?

Is this fair to the award winning principal? No, I'd say it is not fair to him. However, he is one man injured. Unfortunate, but still just one man. How many youngsters are injured when someone who is incompetent, or ineffective, or egomaniacal, or a poor role model is allowed to continue to not only draw a paycheck, but have such a big impact on the lives of so many children year after year.

I'm still shaking my head at the idea of schools telling the public, "we work 200 days a year" only to discover that there is no standard for what they do those 20 additional days. I'm hoping that at least these "transformation specialists" will be used to implement some training for at least a few of those days because I know that there are a lot of teachers out there eager to do the best possible job with students struggling to achieve, they just need to be given the guidance and support to do it.

I don't like the idea of this particular carrot. Yes I want better administrators, teachers, trainings, supplies, facilities, and so on and I know that takes money - but I don't like the people behind the curtain with this amount of money.

I don't trust Arne Duncan. I'm not real crazy about Gayle Manchin sitting on our state school board.

And until I get to read the full disclosure of what accepting this money will cost us, I'm still not crazy about it. I"m afraid I"ll be even less crazy about it when I do get to read the full terms & conditions.

Most teachers would tell you that we would love to either 1) keep the kids those extra 20 days and the meetings can go fly a kite, and/or 2) use the 20 days a tad more productively, as in, actually being allowed to work in our classrooms and collaborating within our departments and having conferences with parents and mandatory tutoring sessions with students. And neither of those options certainly won't cost $2 million dollars.

wvsasha wrote:I don't like the idea of this particular carrot. Yes I want better administrators, teachers, trainings, supplies, facilities, and so on and I know that takes money - but I don't like the people behind the curtain with this amount of money.

I don't trust Arne Duncan. I'm not real crazy about Gayle Manchin sitting on our state school board.

And until I get to read the full disclosure of what accepting this money will cost us, I'm still not crazy about it. I"m afraid I"ll be even less crazy about it when I do get to read the full terms & conditions.

Most teachers would tell you that we would love to either 1) keep the kids those extra 20 days and the meetings can go fly a kite, and/or 2) use the 20 days a tad more productively, as in, actually being allowed to work in our classrooms and collaborating within our departments and having conferences with parents and mandatory tutoring sessions with students. And neither of those options certainly won't cost $2 million dollars.

Ah, but the citizens of WV LOVE Joe Manchin. He's the most popular lame duck governor in the country, even with the blatant nepotism. Goodness knows I have no fondness for Arne Duncan. The hypocrisy of Duncan being involved in this is actually kind of humorous.

What about the folks making the decision for Kanawha County? I'd like to think before jumping on board for the funds SOMEBODY has actually read the terms and conditions of the grant. Obviously the Duerring thinks it's worth the cash. Of course, they're not actually getting rid of anybody who isn't effective, so what they're doing is meaningless.

Under what circumstances do you think a principal or teacher should be removed? That's what I don't get. Surely you know teachers who don't belong in the classroom. I'm sure you know adminstrators who shouldn't be charged with running a Burger King. So how should schools get rid of them? Who should decide? I would have much preferred WV close those schools and open charter schools that ran independtly of the KCS's and WV code, but it wasn't my choice to make.

Those who should be removed:

* Teachers who continually demonstrate an inability to control a classroom in spite of opportunities to improve.

* Principals who have lost the trust and respect of the faculty - I know this one is extremely subjective - but after working for a principal for 6 years who was an idiot, a liar, stupid, and incompetent - there's really no other way to put this. There was even a "no faith" vote during faculty senate to take to Dr. Duerring - the man lost by an amazing amount and yet, nothing was done. Many, many grievances were filed against this man by service as well as professional staff members. He lost almost all the grievances. That should have been a factor in whether he stayed or went a lot sooner than he actually was removed.

* Teachers who have a consistently, extremely high failure rate with no effort on their part to change what they have been doing in attempts to improve. (I put more faith in classroom grades than in standardized test scores. But only if I can see the grade lists and not just the final letter grade.)

* I would like to fire teachers who refuse to enforce the rules of the school just because they don't agree with the rules. Running a stop sign is still illegal whether you like it or not.

* Teachers who are absent every NASCAR friday or what-have-you.

* Administrators who are out right bullies - again, this is subjective but filed grievances should help quantify this.

* Administrators who fail to work WITH the faculty and are only able to be proven to be present in the building because their car is in the parking lot.

* Administrators with very high turn over rate of staff. Anonymous, exit surveys would gather the data needed to explain why individual staffers were leaving (moved vs. hated the person).

* Any who fail to complete the required yearly staff development. (This is a sore subject in the county - most do finish - there is a small percentage who never have completed it with no penalty.)


It is difficult to come up with quantifiable means upon which to decide when someone in education should stay or go. Unless they do something incredibly stupid and/or illegal - most of the decision making hinges upon the subjective. I do appreciate the move towards trying to find some standard upon which objective decisions could be made - but I will liken that to the "zero tolerance policies". Using only test scores will take away the part of this decision making process which would require the "boss" to actually think and make a choice. It's much easier to fire someone and say "sorry" while pointing to a column of numbers. The "boss" can walk away with little worry about the firing because "it was all up to the numbers...so sorry....".

When a job such as education depends on so much more than numbers, MUCH MORE must be taken into account before making the final decision to end someone's career.

And I predict more administrators and soon teachers will fall to the way-side because of this grant and not all of them will land on their feet in cushy board jobs with pay raises. They will be lucky to find employment as substitutes.

Parents, students, and taxpayers have no role in your scenario.

Teachers who have a consistently, extremely high failure rate with no effort on their part to change what they have been doing in attempts to improve. (I put more faith in classroom grades than in standardized test scores. But only if I can see the grade lists and not just the final letter grade.)

The grades they are giving students? I mean, if they're giving students those grades why wouldn't they just pass everybod?

What about a principal who has lost the confidence of the parents? They get to stay? What about a teacher who receives complaints year after year? They get to stay?

What about the teacher and aide from Buffalo Elementary School caught on audio being abusive to Kindergarten students. Do they get to stay? Why do unions protect these people? Why don't teachers complain when they do?

ziggy wrote:

2. Many teachers are spending time teaching an agenda and not enough time just basics. We have a science teacher who spent a great deal of time teaching Gore's Inconvient Truth and the End of Suburbia. When she have been teaching general science she was teaching propaganda.

Do you feel the same way about science teachers who teach about evolution of living creatures, including human beings?

Nope, though I find the thoery surround evolution to be hagwash the simple turth is because of the eduation system we have, it is what a student has to know as a part of biology. However, this is one of a number of reasons I want to see government out of education and education done privately.

Stephanie wrote:Parents, students, and taxpayers have no role in your scenario.

Teachers who have a consistently, extremely high failure rate with no effort on their part to change what they have been doing in attempts to improve. (I put more faith in classroom grades than in standardized test scores. But only if I can see the grade lists and not just the final letter grade.)

The grades they are giving students? I mean, if they're giving students those grades why wouldn't they just pass everybod?

What about a principal who has lost the confidence of the parents? They get to stay? What about a teacher who receives complaints year after year? They get to stay?

Parents get their input very directly and effectively- by electing the board of education that hires teachers, fires them, and otherwise manages the school system, as well as by electing the legislators who make the laws affecting education, and by electing the Circuit Court judges and the Supreme Court judges who more or less police how those laws are used. Do you want a different kind of school system? Then when enough voters agree to elect people who will make and manage the schools as you want them managed they will get elected and make it happen. There should be more measurable objectivity in being a public school teacher than winning or losing a popularity contest among the general public.

ziggy wrote:
Parents get their input very directly and effectively- by electing the board of education that hires teachers, fires them, and otherwise manages the school system, as well as by electing the legislators who make the laws affecting education, and by electing the Circuit Court judges and the Supreme Court judges who more or less police how those laws are used. Do you want a different kind of school system? Then when enough voters agree to elect people who will make and manage the schools as you want them managed they will get elected and make it happen. There should be more measurable objectivity in being a public school teacher than winning or losing a popularity contest among the general public.

Thus more reasons for education to be done in the private sector.

Parents get their input very directly and effectively- by electing the board of education that hires teachers, fires them, and otherwise manages the school system,

AAWWW Zig, you really don't beliieve that part of your post, do you?

So ya wanna be a Teacher, huh?

Schoolteacher guilty of battery on 11-year-old

MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. -- A teacher has pleaded guilty to battery for her handling of an 11-year-old autistic child at Sherrard Middle School last fall.

Pamela Williams, of Cameron, must pay a $500 fine and court costs. Another charge was dropped in exchange for her plea Friday in Marshall County Magistrate Court.

A complaint said the boy refused to take a seat and tried to remove his pants, kicking and biting. Williams put the boy's hand in his mouth to prevent biting, then smacked his bottom and put her hand on his forehead to push him into a wall.

Attorney Robert McCoid says his client is remorseful, and that she lost control for a moment. He says she never intended to harm the boy, just control him.

Williams is on medical leave through the rest of the school year.

http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201004230719

And if she hadn't tried to control him then she would probably have been suspended and sued too, especially if he had hurt himself or another child.


.

ziggy wrote:Parents get their input very directly and effectively- by electing the board of education that hires teachers, fires them, and otherwise manages the school system, as well as by electing the legislators who make the laws affecting education, and by electing the Circuit Court judges and the Supreme Court judges who more or less police how those laws are used. Do you want a different kind of school system? Then when enough voters agree to elect people who will make and manage the schools as you want them managed they will get elected and make it happen. There should be more measurable objectivity in being a public school teacher than winning or losing a popularity contest among the general public.

If that's the case then why do so many schools, educators, administrators and teacher union personnel bemoan the lack of parental involvement and input they receive?

SamCogar wrote:

Parents get their input very directly and effectively- by electing the board of education that hires teachers, fires them, and otherwise manages the school system,

AAWWW Zig, you really don't beliieve that part of your post, do you?

So how do they do it in Braxton County, Sam?

Aaron wrote:

ziggy wrote:Parents get their input very directly and effectively- by electing the board of education that hires teachers, fires them, and otherwise manages the school system, as well as by electing the legislators who make the laws affecting education, and by electing the Circuit Court judges and the Supreme Court judges who more or less police how those laws are used. Do you want a different kind of school system? Then when enough voters agree to elect people who will make and manage the schools as you want them managed they will get elected and make it happen. There should be more measurable objectivity in being a public school teacher than winning or losing a popularity contest among the general public.

If that's the case then why do so many schools, educators, administrators and teacher union personnel bemoan the lack of parental involvement and input they receive?

Because parents owe their school age children more than just voting on election day.

For the good of the child, they owe guidance and support to the child and support to the child's school.