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Northwest Observer Forums > Closed Topics > Previous Topics > Reflections on Dr. Grier and the school board

Reflections on Dr. Grier and the school board
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NWTeach
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 Posted: Apr 8th, 2006 07:48 pm
After reading through many of the topics and threads, I wasn't sure where to begin. This year there has been a push by the school board and Dr. Grier to improve scores on EOCs, the state writing tests, and the SAT. There have been required workshops for teachers, and a conflict between teaching the curriculum and pushing it aside to give many benchmarks and teach test strategies. This is most apparent in certain courses of math and English. There are also constant suggestions for improvement given by administrators, and given through mass emails and memos containing articles and statistics on strategies. There have been stories of teachers already being told not to come back because of low test scores. And everyone has heard about the recent threat to close down schools not performing well. There is a lot of stress on teachers because of all of this. Though I have survived this push this year, it does not surprise me that people are leaving, even in the best schools.

There is a new issue: The school board is discussing a new incentive program to improve test scores at low-performing schools. It was tabled last week but will come up again at the next budget meeting (Monday, April 17 @ 5:30). It is called Mission Possible. An article was in the News and Record last Monday about the program. It will give money to teachers who sign up to work in the low-performing schools and again if their students perform well. The catch is these incentives are going to have to come from the local teacher supplement. Teachers who do not work at these schools and perform well will not receive the incentives and at the same time will have a pay cut since the supplement will be lost. This is outrageous. Most teachers work hard, including at high-performing schools. They certainly don’t deserve to have any of their pay taken away. I imagine this will cause even more problems with teacher turnover and what happens within the classroom.

FatPappy
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 Posted: Apr 8th, 2006 09:04 pm

Welcome to the forum, NWTeach!

Thanks fer the update. Isn't it just incredible?! Teachers who stick it out are real heroes, but I don't blame any of 'em fer movin' on. Do you reckon the young'uns are actually larnin' anything these days, test scores aside? A lot depends on the parents, as it should, but still...



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WHE
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 Posted: Apr 8th, 2006 11:43 pm
NWTeach wrote: There is a new issue: The school board is discussing a new incentive program to improve test scores at low-performing schools. It was tabled last week but will come up again at the next budget meeting (Monday, April 17 @ 5:30). It is called Mission Possible. An article was in the News and Record last Monday about the program. It will give money to teachers who sign up to work in the low-performing schools and again if their students perform well. The catch is these incentives are going to have to come from the local teacher supplement. Teachers who do not work at these schools and perform well will not receive the incentives and at the same time will have a pay cut since the supplement will be lost. This is outrageous. Most teachers work hard, including at high-performing schools. They certainly don’t deserve to have any of their pay taken away. I imagine this will cause even more problems with teacher turnover and what happens within the classroom.

NWTeach, thank you for the well-composed update on what appears to be yet more nonsense from our school administration.  I was previously unaware of this travesty ( the term dumbing down comes to mind) and hope that this idea is soundly defeated.  It won't be, unless the public gets involved and speaks up!

The LAST thing our GOOD teachers need now is to become victims of the ineffectiveness of LOUSY teachers who have no business teaching in the first place.  This type of social engineering has simply got to stop.


I appeal to all readers of this forum to express your personal views on this topic with your school board representative (Don't wait and expect SOMEONE ELSE to do it for you).  These are OUR kids caught up in this mess and after all of the good teachers have bailed, then what?

macca
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 Posted: Apr 8th, 2006 11:59 pm
WHE wrote:
I appeal to all readers of this forum to express your personal views on this topic with your school board representative (Don't wait and expect SOMEONE ELSE to do it for you).  These are OUR kids caught up in this mess and after all of the good teachers have bailed, then what?

What we need to do is contact ALL of the Board members, not just ours. And if you know people in other parts of the county, get them to contact them as well. They tend to respond more if they hear from folks all over instead of just in one part of the county... They already think we're just spoiled rich people who think we should be treated better than everyone else, so if people in other parts express the same opinions, it will help validate ours...



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WHE
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 Posted: Apr 9th, 2006 12:25 am
Thanks for the support, Macca.  I will do exactly that -- tonight! 

 

Cracker Jax
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 Posted: Apr 13th, 2006 02:24 am

Sorry I'm late in welcoming you NWTeach, but I've been out of town. 


WELCOME to the Forum!!!!!



Thanks for explaining the Mission Possible proposition to us.  I heard a little about it this past weekend but wasn't sure I had all the facts straight. 


I'll be sure to voice my opinion to our board of ed.


It'd be nice if they'd take it out of Grier's salary... What an incentive that would be!


:D



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S. Smith
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 Posted: Apr 16th, 2006 01:37 pm
I'll be interested to see what is in the school system's budget this year, and what kinds of things Dr. Grier is recommending (which the board will likely just go along with).

dmauser
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 Posted: Apr 16th, 2006 06:48 pm
I understand the concern from NW teacher.  I have many questions about this proposal also.  I fear it will pit teacher against teacher, but I think that most teachers in our area schools will stay put for many reasons.  Not the least is parental support, lack of violent crimes, active community involvement.  Several teachers have alread told me that they would never leave us for a few thousand dollars.  The stress is bad enough on a daily basis, they don't need or want the additional stress of 'turning a school around'.

That is the positive for our area.  But don't forget that other areas need good quality teachers and those children are mostly innocent and want and deserve a good education.  How do we get there?  In a high poverty area, parents are working dead end jobs, weird hours etc.  They aren't at home to support their children, help with homework, get kids in bed on time etc.  I know that these are societies problems, but the children are in an endless cycle.  I don't think the public school system can fix these problems by themselves but the problems exist and will not go away by themselves.

I would love to here some thoughts on how to get good teachers to teach in high poverty,low performing areas.

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 Posted: Apr 22nd, 2006 09:39 pm
NWteach, thank you for bring info to us.  How unfair to try to bribe teachers to leave one school to go to another.  How many more tricks can we take? 

Yes.... all parents.....let the school board members know how you feel about this!

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 Posted: Jun 4th, 2006 01:29 pm
What gets me is the tales my daughter continues to tell me like the teachers that do not have classrooms at NWHS that have a "cart" they roll from empty classroom to empty classroom.  They have to utilize teachers classes who are in their planning period.  This is the craziest thing I've ever hear of!!  I bet Grier and the school board members would not want to teach in this situation!  They keep putting off upgrading the schools because they do not want to up our taxes... but there needs to be some serious money spent to upgrade our school buildings NOW.  The rubber has met the road and our kids and our teachers are suffering for it.  I'm sure every teacher's dream is far from having a mobile classroom whether it be a trailer or a cart...... how can we attract good teachers like this?



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dmauser
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 Posted: Jun 4th, 2006 02:23 pm
Interesting point.  The new Northern is being built with less classrooms, but teacher work spaces located on each hall.  No teacher will "own" a room, they will move around just like college professors.  This will utilize all rooms.  Did you know in the typical HS 25% of class rooms are not utilized during each period.  Net result is that you need more space which equals more money.  Now I know that might not be the case at NW since we are so overcrowded, but we have to start rethinking the use of space since it cost so much to build new schools.  Teachers are also going to have to rethink their spaces.

DToney
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 Posted: Jun 4th, 2006 02:28 pm
Especially since they are trained to "decorate" in a theme that is consistent with the curriculum... which is not done in college by any means... but seems helpful in the lower grades, especially in elementary & middle schools. 

In NWHS any space would be helpful... these kids are shoulder to shoulder in the halls... I'm surprised there are not more fights... but I guess that is indicative of the kids in attendance at NW.  They seem to be a great bunch!



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 Posted: Jun 20th, 2006 01:31 am
dmauser wrote: Interesting point.  The new Northern is being built with less classrooms, but teacher work spaces located on each hall.  No teacher will "own" a room, they will move around just like college professors.  This will utilize all rooms.  Did you know in the typical HS 25% of class rooms are not utilized during each period.  Net result is that you need more space which equals more money.  Now I know that might not be the case at NW since we are so overcrowded, but we have to start rethinking the use of space since it cost so much to build new schools.  Teachers are also going to have to rethink their spaces.
This really makes a lot of sense to me, especially in a county that can't catch up on the construction needs they ignored for 20+ years. But I do hate it, especially for teachers in middle school and below. Sometimes teachers really do need to "decorate" their classrooms with curriculum-related materials. Since most people are visual learners (myself included), it really does help to see something if you're trying to learn it.

dmauser
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 Posted: Jun 20th, 2006 01:43 am
Sandra,

I think there will still be decorations, but more grade level than subject specific-- or at HS level, all labs would be science.. the teachers willnot have their stuff in any one room, they will have a work area/files etc in the workroom.  Can you imagine how much over budget Northern would be if every subject had its own room being used for only 4 class periods.  I have not heard that this will be done at the middle school (I don't think it will, I think each teacher will have their own room)

It would make sense to turn one room one each hall at NW into a work room and then use the vacant rooms during planning time for other classes.  Seems like a fairly simple procedure, taking more adjustment in attitudes from teachers than money.

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 Posted: Jun 20th, 2006 12:28 pm
Thanks for clarifying, Debora. If they made the rooms grade or even subject specific, that would be a great way to use space, although I agree it would take some adjustment from the teachers. If you had all chemistry classes in one room (even if they're not taught by the same teacher), you could post the periodic table and it would be applicable for everybody in the same room.


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