Missouri State Teachers Association

A Gift of Family History

     This story posted on CNN.com brought back memories for me.  My mother, intrigued by her own family history, made sure she passed on photos and anecdotes to me and my sisters.  In fact, she used to drive us crazy when we were kids.  We didn't necessarily appreciate the fact that great-aunt so-and-so used to do laundry for Buddy Ebsen's family in/near Belleville, Illinois.  (That's right.  Uncle Jed!)  But now that I am an adult, I am grateful for the legacy she handed to us.  It is nothing, if not fascinating, to learn the trials and tribulations of our German ancestors.  My only regret is that I haven't any of my father's family to fill us in on the Polish clan. . .

     Well, leave it to my mother to extend her love of genealogy to my better half.  All it took was the knowledge of his Cherokee blood for her to purchase a book for him this Christmas.  He'll soon be an expert on The Trail of Tears.

     Consider the article seriously, though.  Kids learn much from their parents, and a sense of history is a great gift!

    

Flight Simulator - Education Style!

     I can't believe it!  A classroom management simulator has been designed for teachers in training.  This virtual class of difficult students marries computer technology with role playing.  It may be a decent tool for those preparing to be educators.  Who wouldn't want practice in discipline or crisis management?  Of course, the skeptic in me sees evil purposes for this technology down the road. . . veteran teachers asked to prove their worth for performance-based evaluation. . . Can you imagine a due process hearing for a teacher (cited as incompetent) including an on-the-spot journey into this Neverland?  Yikes!

Celebrating Pre-K Success

     DESE's news release concerning school district "report cards" piqued my interest today.  It was noted that:

Preschool enrollment has more than doubled in the past five years, growing to nearly 29,000 last year. Public school districts are not required to offer preschool programs, but a majority of the state’s 524 school districts now provide some type of services for 3- to 5-year-olds.

     And until recently, pre-k teachers weren't included in definitions under the Teacher Tenure Act.  MSTA's support  of HB1511 was instrumental in enacting this legislation in the 2006 legislative session.  Kudos to our members and lobbyists!  (I like doing a little back patting!)

     "Report cards" are also available via the news release. . .

Santa Claus---STAY AWAY!!!

I can't believe that officials in Vienna, Austria banned Santa Claus from attending Christmas parties in Kindergarten classes.

By the time a kid is that old, Santa is an integral part of the whole Christmas experience.  When my daughter was younger she was afraid of the red guy and we had to have him deliver presents to grandma's house for a couple of years.  Now she is in kindergarten, there would be problems if Santa didn't come directly to our house.

This is just another instance of politicians gone wild.

Democrats to the rescue????

With the change in leadership in Washington, democrats have begun looking at their agenda for the near term.  At the top of the education agenda is the reauthorization of NCLB according to this CNN report.

According to the report, they are promising funding for NCLB, but still don't have a way to pay for it.  In addition, the 2014 deadline for having all students proficient in reading and math may be on the table.

What do you think?

What would you tell Congress?

Decisions, Decisions

     I used products from Tom Snyder Productions for years.  Students and I loved them!  I ran across this company's website, and was pleased to see updated and additional versions of the "Decisions, Decisions" software I incorporated into a life skills class for seventh graders.  In summary,

Through role-playing simulations, students learn and apply the lessons of history. They examine fundamental historical and social studies events and ideas, including the crafting of the U.S. Constitution; the expansion of ancient empires; the building of democracy in developing nations; New World colonization; sustaining the environment; handling peer pressure; and more. Employing an authentic 5-step decision-making model (based on one used by national policymakers today), students gather and analyze information, use examples from history to assess options, evaluate possible outcomes, and make decisions. Be prepared for some of the most exciting - and informed - discussions you've ever heard!

     The research, report, and debate aspects of this program are what intrigued me the most.  If you're looking for a unique way to conduct a study skills class or an entertaining way to teach social studies, peruse the website.  I highly recommend it.

For Every Student, a Highly Qualified Teacher

Part 1 of 2: Missouri’s story

“The MSTA supports research in innovative methods to recruit and retain highly qualified teacher in low-performing school districts.” –2006 resolution

NCLB requires that states have highly qualified (HQ) teachers. We heard about this in September--Missouri didn't submit its HQ plan on time, the feds sent a sharp public rebuke.

I could write volumes on the federal Title II department’s ineptness--national analysts sure have.  The feds had actually mislead every state with years of foggy, molasses-slow guidance, even saying in March 2006 that no state had to comply, then reversing itself by May.  August's federal smackdown to DESE came after 4 fruitless years of keeping the feds out of our business, and it unilaterally prevented their common-sense suggestion: that Missouri certification should mean highly qualified. And so began the paper shuffle, the “HOUSSE”* form, as if one sheet of checkmarks proves a teacher's effectiveness.

No matter how convoluted the process is, the HQ intent is to improve education for all our youngsters, and the state plans must address HQ teacher placement in high poverty schools. Missouri's recently submitted HQ plan revealed some painful truths:

In low poverty Missouri elementary schools, 98.6% are HQ while 91.2% are HQ in high poverty schools, a 7.4% difference.
In low poverty Missouri secondary schools, 98.3% are HQ while 89.1% are HQ in high poverty schools, a 9.2% difference.
In one St. Louis City school, with 92.7% of the students on free-reduced lunch, 47% of their teachers are not highly qualified.

With or without NCLB, we have high need students taught by high need teachers. The harder question is: What are we going to do to connect all children with highly qualified teachers, no matter how that’s defined?

Look for Part 2 of 2 of this series, Missouri’s Plan. DESE’s HQ plan will be discussed, as well as MSTA’s HQ resolution.

Google Offers Free Software

     Strapped for funding to pay licensing fees for Word and Excel on each computer in your school's lab?  Google is offering you an alternative to Microsoft's market dominance:  word processing and spreadsheet capabilities over the internet.  Of course, one might be concerned about the privacy of his or her documents in cyberspace.  However, a benefit to using this service is increased access for collaboration and editing.

     Right now, there are no advertisements linked to the free software.  But I'm sure Google will find a way to make money at this venture!

"Too Mean" Gets You "Much Fired"

     A Nebraska educator serving her school district for 20 years has been fired for being too mean to students and colleagues.  She argued her expectations are simply very high. . .

     A substantial portion of MSTA's Professional Rights and Responsibilities presentation focuses on what leads teachers to legal problems in the workplace - especially the threat of termination and/or due process.  Generally, poor communication skills (which may include being "too mean") are to blame.  However, my experience assisting members through these matters shows that administrators are sometimes equally guilty of ineffective communication and uncivil conduct.  Teachers often feel their hands are tied when they are the victims of ineffective leadership.

     If you told me I'd ever quote something as cliche as Rodney King's "Can't we all just get along" message, I'd have called you a liar.  But there it is.  It applies to every environment, doesn't it?