MNPS is changing staffs at 5 schools

As the students are beginning their summer vacation today, our two local papers gave very different headlines to the same story.

From the CityPaper: "All employees must reapply for jobs at five Metro schools"

From the Tennessean: " 5 schools to get 'fresh start'
Metro acts quickly to put new teachers in struggling schools

The teachers at these schools were told the last week of school, possibly the last day that they would be finding another teaching job at a Metro school. They can apply for their job back but the statement from the district is not encouraging that option.

Said the official statement:

"Five Metro Nashville Public Schools will be “fresh started” for
the 2009-2010 school year with employees in each school being asked to reapply for their positions in that school or request placement to other open positions within the district. MNPS has been working this week to notify staffs in the affected schools and explain the fresh start process to them prior to the start of summer break.

Each was selected by the district to receive a fresh start based
on the academic needs of students and because they have struggled for a number of years to show significant progress in student achievement. With the fresh start, administrative, teaching and support staff positions at the schools will be reopened for application. All employees have been notified through staff meetings at the schools, where they received information on the fresh start process and received the paperwork needed to reapply for their positions.
“We have visited these schools, analyzed the data and reviewed their history of progress,” said Dr. Jesse Register, Director of Schools, “and we have concerns their students are not making the progress that is needed.
These fresh starts are a proactive effort to put in place a strong, transformational leadership team at these schools, supported by highly-qualified, fully-certified staff.”
“Our first priority is to build highly-effective instructional teams that can meet the needs of students. In some cases, that means looking at a school that has been struggling and giving it a new focus that only a change like this can bring. I’ve fresh started schools in other districts and it works.”

Back in 2001, I went through something like this, I was teaching 6th grade and our school was losing both the 5th and 6th grades and we were told the same things, we could apply for a job in the building if there were any, there weren't; we could follow the students to the middle school, not an option I wanted any part of; or we could go find something else in the system, my choice.

I didn't choose the easiest choice, I had no idea where I wanted to go or what grade I wanted to teach, luckily, I had a great relationship with my principal who let me know what schools were looking for teachers and what schools she thought I would be a good fit. I was able to find a job at the first school I applied and have been there ever since. I have changed grade levels, principals and co-workers but I haven't had to face what the staffs at those 5 schools do, I wish them the best.

It could be a great summer break for them, they can embrace the chance to start over at a new school or they can stress about having to find a new job and be angry that they were seen as the problem at the school and not part of the solution. I hope they choose the former.

Changing rooms is a real drag

I was told by my principal on Friday afternoon that instead of teaching 4th grade ESL next year, I'll instead be teaching 2nd.

No big deal I thought, 2nd has fewer standards, no state testing and a more narrow range of reading levels. On initial examination it seemed like a really good deal.

Then she hit me with the 2nd part of the deal, I have to change classrooms...damn it.

Luckily, I have been given permission to move anything I want into my new room and I am using every able-bodied student I have to move stuff. It's amazing what kids will do to help you;they are packing boxes, a nightmare for any Type A which thankfully I am not, taking papers and old boxes to the campus recycling center whatever I need.

There will be no pictures of the present carnage in room 307.

Now I see why the boys in my class LOVE recess

The past three days this week, the boys in m y 4th grade class have been doing everything I asked to go to recess. Before this week, they liked going to recess but they weren't going to do anything extra. This week I asked them to do things that 10 year-old boys just do not like to do and they did each one without the usual resistance.

Finish the poems about our favorite family memory? No problem.

Use a ruler and a map scale to find out how far we went on vacation last summer? Sure, we'd love to.

Write an alternate ending to Strega Nona? Love to.
(BTW-most involved Big Anthony and the rest of Calabria being swallowed up by killer pasta before Strega Nona can save them.)

We went outside again today and one of my girls told me, in Spanish, just what was so great about going outside; the strip club.

My 4th grade boys have turned an innocent piece of playground equipment, a firetruck, into their own gentlemen's club. They sit or lay under it and maybe see what kind of underwear the girls are wearing. They haven't yet but not because they haven't been trying. The best part, according to the boys is the pole on the end. They are convinced that a 4th grade girl is going to wrap herself around it and slide up and down it like Rayne at Deja Vu.

Now the question is how to deal with this; to the office? No.

Instead, they don't get to help the kindergarteners during fun day, they get to help me clean up the room. When it's time for the 4th grade to go out they go and play, no need to make this a world crisis with 4 days left in the school year.

I wish they could help me with all my paperwork, now that would be a punishment.

TCAP questions

Now that I have finally finished TCAP testing, I have compiled the "least likely to be answered correctly question" from each section of the test. Go ahead and give them a try, remember you have to get at least 3 of them right to be considered proficient.

Most ridiculous TCAP test questions of 2009

Math:
Which number sentence can be used to check:
(2+5)+3=2+8?

(2+5)+3 = 2+(5+3)
(2+5)+3 = (2+8)+5
(2+5)+3 = (2x5)+3
(2+5)+3 = (3x8)+2

Reading:
Read these two sentences.
To make bread, you mix yeast and water and then add sugar. You stir in several cups of flour.

Which is the best way to write the second sentence?
F. First, you stir in several cups of flour
G. However, you stir in several cups of flour
H. Finally, you stir in several cups of flour
J. Therefore you stir in several cups of flour

Science:
Look at the picture of the train.


Most of the train is located

A. in the forest
B. over the water
C. next to the bridge

D. in a cloud of smoke

Social Studies:

What does the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantee?
F the right to a trial by jury
G the right to petition the government
H protection from cruel and unusual punishment
J protection from testifying against oneself in court

These are actual questions from this year's test, they are available on the state's website now that the test is over.

I don't mind preparing my kids for any test, it's part of the job, but I do have a problem with asking children seemingly random questions that are taken from the some of the least imporatant standards we are to teach.

I am not the one who has labeled them the least important the state has, the standards covered by these questions are not in the "core" standards we are to teach.

In math we are to focus on problem-solving skills, in reading on comprehension and identifying types of literature, science life cycles, solar system, cell structure, energy, states of matter, Social Studies, Tennessee history.

The questions above do not reflect these skills, SS is the one which is closest to the "focus" standard. After spending months teaching the skills we are told by the powers that be are the tested items we get the above mess.