The board meeting began with a very, very crowded auditorium. I was surprised to see a few people holding Bibles in their hands, until I realized the subject that was to be debated. Tonight, we are looking at domestic benefit partnerships, among other things. Ah ha!
Before we could get there, we had endure the board approving the administration's recommendation to accept two year teachers from the Teach For America program, which I am not entirely supportive of. My main reason is this (and I speak from experience): teaching is NOT easy. Teaching is not something anyone can do. I'm offended that we will accept people out of college and put them into classrooms with little to no training. But even more important than that, I know that as a person who loves, loves, loves her job...it took me years to get "good." I feel pretty confident saying this for two reasons--one is that I did get good, and the other is that my dad, one of the best teachers I ever had in high school, confessed that it took him years to feel comfortable, also. My worry isn't what Teach for America people will be able or unable to do in their two year commitment, but that just as they approach proficiency (I'm being generous...it took me more than two years to get there, and my dad, too), they are done. What a shame! I fully acknowledge that we need teachers in hard-to-fill positions...I fear losing them.
Board member Jennifer Morales started the evening with some remarks of her own. She explained that this is not an expansion of benefits, this is not an example of special rights. This is simply an example of equal rights, and an example of granting equality to a group of people who are still rather (sadly) hated in our society.
People spoke for what seemed like hours on this issue. I heard homosexuality take the blame for just about everything, from the Twin Towers to high taxes to the fact that our students (again, I point out that Milwaukee has more needs than any other district in the state) don't achieve as well as other parts of the state. I heard a lot of talk about how MPS is falling apart, and apparently there is a connection between unwanted pregnancy, the US stock market, police in the school and this domestic partnership question. I've got to confess...I don't see the connection...but okay. We were told to think about the children of MPS, too, and what we are teaching them when we give domestic benefits.
Fortunately, I heard many eloquent comments that support this measure. There were several that are well worth mentioning, but I especially like one from earlier in the evening in which the speaker said that in his capacity as a business owner, he finds himself having to teach his workers. He stated that he can teach a lot of skills...business writing, technology skills, and the like. But he cannot teach people to get along with other people; he cannot teach people to be tolerant of other people. WOW--that's awesome. One thing I have always appreciated and loved about MPS is the diversity, and this man's comments helped me to appreciate what we do in terms of that very diversity.
Again, there were many, many comments on both sides of the issue. One person noted that he was a bit confused that people form the suburbs were here. Many others spoke of the children who come from homes with two moms or two dads. A son stood up to defend his mother, his former high school, and his Ivy League education (as a result of his degree from Riverside High School).
The board listened to public comments until after 10 pm, when the board members who were here began to explain their positions. Director Tim Petersons spoke first and said that he had been swayed by the people who had spoken against the proposal--he was swayed to vote yes.
The role was taken, and went as follows: Hardin, no, Blewett, yes, Bonds, no, Morales, yes, and Petersons, yes. It passed, three to two.
What a night.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Huh...
Well, I confess that I did not attend the school board meeting on Thursday, September 18. I was instead enjoying the music of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (a real treat, I must say). On the way home, I did tune in on the radio and was struck by the last ten minutes of the meeting.
I heard one school board director talk about how he won't vote to raise taxes because he promised the voters in his district not to vote in that way. He went on to express frustration with a lack of action on the part of the board and administration regarding money and restructuring and cuts. I have to say that to some degree, I concur (and I usually do not agree with this school board director). We do need to get creative, and we do need to think outside the box. On the other hand, I'm sure that the specific courses of action he wants are different than what I would like to see, however. So, in the next paragraph, you will find my wish list.
I want every school board member to get to Madison weekly and tell the real stories of MPS and our kids. I want the Milwaukee newspapers to ask teachers what we need, and then tell those stories; and even more than that, I want the MJS to get behind a better way of funding schools. I want to not be "lazy" by the local talk radio hosts; instead I want them to realize that I will send a great part of my weekend grading papers just to keep my head above water. I want to not worry about my job security or my mortgage after 16 years of teaching. I want the citizens of this state to listen to Libby Burmaster when she says that Wisconsin schools have reached their limit....because the reality is that MPS is suffering, but so are Florence, River Falls, Sparta, Kimberly, and Hazel Green. And I want everyone to know that we are teaching the greatest proportion of kids in the state who have needs beyond what most of us can imagine or understand.
Again, I'm not sure of the action of the school board (and it seems that the local media isn't either), other than they know they will probably have to raise the school board portion of the property tax levy (not 15% your entire property tax)! No matter how you slice it, it's ugly for most property owners...but I'd rather pay to educate children than to incarcerate adults (guess which one costs more?).
I heard one school board director talk about how he won't vote to raise taxes because he promised the voters in his district not to vote in that way. He went on to express frustration with a lack of action on the part of the board and administration regarding money and restructuring and cuts. I have to say that to some degree, I concur (and I usually do not agree with this school board director). We do need to get creative, and we do need to think outside the box. On the other hand, I'm sure that the specific courses of action he wants are different than what I would like to see, however. So, in the next paragraph, you will find my wish list.
I want every school board member to get to Madison weekly and tell the real stories of MPS and our kids. I want the Milwaukee newspapers to ask teachers what we need, and then tell those stories; and even more than that, I want the MJS to get behind a better way of funding schools. I want to not be "lazy" by the local talk radio hosts; instead I want them to realize that I will send a great part of my weekend grading papers just to keep my head above water. I want to not worry about my job security or my mortgage after 16 years of teaching. I want the citizens of this state to listen to Libby Burmaster when she says that Wisconsin schools have reached their limit....because the reality is that MPS is suffering, but so are Florence, River Falls, Sparta, Kimberly, and Hazel Green. And I want everyone to know that we are teaching the greatest proportion of kids in the state who have needs beyond what most of us can imagine or understand.
Again, I'm not sure of the action of the school board (and it seems that the local media isn't either), other than they know they will probably have to raise the school board portion of the property tax levy (not 15% your entire property tax)! No matter how you slice it, it's ugly for most property owners...but I'd rather pay to educate children than to incarcerate adults (guess which one costs more?).
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
ISR Meeting Notes
I attended the Innovation and School Reform Committee meeting on Tuesday, September 9.
Overall, the questions from the board members dealt with the effectiveness of the DIFI plan as set forth by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI). The superintendent assured the board that DPI will not withhold funds from the district as long as MPS continues to follow the DIFI guidelines. They do have the authority of withhold resources from MPS, but not funds. (I'm not as all sure of what he means by resources, . . . but from my point of view as a teacher from Audubon Middle School, we are not getting many resources from DPI to implement the DIFI strategies. We are not a SIFI school, so maybe that's why we are not getting any resources. I would love to hear comments from other MPS teachers as to whether they have had other experiences regarding DPI resources!)
Another concern was about schools that are successful and how these DIFI guidelines may tie their hands. The response to this concern was to assure the board that goal is for successful schools to follow their Educational Plans that should be targeting the achievement gaps in their own settings. So, for schools that are successful, they should continue to implement their Ed Plans. SIFI schools, on the other hand, must implement the mandates and implement all the recommendations given the Ed Plan review board.
Another specific concern was the burden on Special Ed teachers regarding the abundance of compliance documentation. The administration agreed that there is a huge struggle to balance between teaching and learning for Special Ed students and the enormous compliance demands of Special Ed teachers. This will be brought up again at the Special Education Committee meeting.
A teacher from MEC spoke about her issues with the DIFI/SIFI requirements. Her homebase students are identified as Read 180 students, so they get an extra block of reading for Read 180, and therefore have no FAVES and no recess. Also, t 1he Read 180 computers at her school have not worked since the beginning of the school year (for 7 weeks - so this must be a year-round school??). She also mentioned that the DIFI supervisor has not been available to help the school. There was discussion about these issues and promises that the issues will be investigated.
Director Morales expressed on behalf of the board her frustrations around the importance of one test score in determining whether or not our schools are successful. It was a heartfelt statement and certainly resonated with this blogger's personal feelings on the subject!
The second item was the Teach Across America program. The speaker presented a PowerPoint on the program. (There is a copy of the PowerPoint on the link provided in the previous blog.) Some questions I have are:
Overall, the questions from the board members dealt with the effectiveness of the DIFI plan as set forth by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI). The superintendent assured the board that DPI will not withhold funds from the district as long as MPS continues to follow the DIFI guidelines. They do have the authority of withhold resources from MPS, but not funds. (I'm not as all sure of what he means by resources, . . . but from my point of view as a teacher from Audubon Middle School, we are not getting many resources from DPI to implement the DIFI strategies. We are not a SIFI school, so maybe that's why we are not getting any resources. I would love to hear comments from other MPS teachers as to whether they have had other experiences regarding DPI resources!)
Another concern was about schools that are successful and how these DIFI guidelines may tie their hands. The response to this concern was to assure the board that goal is for successful schools to follow their Educational Plans that should be targeting the achievement gaps in their own settings. So, for schools that are successful, they should continue to implement their Ed Plans. SIFI schools, on the other hand, must implement the mandates and implement all the recommendations given the Ed Plan review board.
Another specific concern was the burden on Special Ed teachers regarding the abundance of compliance documentation. The administration agreed that there is a huge struggle to balance between teaching and learning for Special Ed students and the enormous compliance demands of Special Ed teachers. This will be brought up again at the Special Education Committee meeting.
A teacher from MEC spoke about her issues with the DIFI/SIFI requirements. Her homebase students are identified as Read 180 students, so they get an extra block of reading for Read 180, and therefore have no FAVES and no recess. Also, t 1he Read 180 computers at her school have not worked since the beginning of the school year (for 7 weeks - so this must be a year-round school??). She also mentioned that the DIFI supervisor has not been available to help the school. There was discussion about these issues and promises that the issues will be investigated.
Director Morales expressed on behalf of the board her frustrations around the importance of one test score in determining whether or not our schools are successful. It was a heartfelt statement and certainly resonated with this blogger's personal feelings on the subject!
The second item was the Teach Across America program. The speaker presented a PowerPoint on the program. (There is a copy of the PowerPoint on the link provided in the previous blog.) Some questions I have are:
- Who is paying the Teach for America teachers' salaries?
- Will they be members of the MTEA?
- How highly qualified will these "non-certified" teachers be?
Monday, September 8, 2008
Innovation and School Reform Committee Meeting on 9/9/08
The Committee on Innovation and School Reform (ISR) is meeting on Tuesday night, September 9, at 6:30 pm. The tentative agenda is covering two topics:
The Wisconsin DPI's "Corrective Action for Milwaukee Public Schools District Identified for Improvement - Level 3" plan is NOT an easy read. Some of you may be feeling the effects with extended reading and math instructional blocks. The district seems to be doing all it can to comply with the state's requirements. But again, here is an example of NCLB sanctions being put in place with little or no support provided to the district or, certainly, to the schools!
The Teach Across America program is an attempt to attract more "highly qualified teachers" to our district. The data about the gaps between MPS and neighboring districts (presented in the PowerPoint that is attached to the Blue Book) is very powerful and pretty depressing! The administration will be requesting approval of a contract with Teach Across America for the upcoming school year.
- Informational Report on District and School Improvement Activities (DIFI plan)
- Informational Report on the Teach Across America Program
The Wisconsin DPI's "Corrective Action for Milwaukee Public Schools District Identified for Improvement - Level 3" plan is NOT an easy read. Some of you may be feeling the effects with extended reading and math instructional blocks. The district seems to be doing all it can to comply with the state's requirements. But again, here is an example of NCLB sanctions being put in place with little or no support provided to the district or, certainly, to the schools!
The Teach Across America program is an attempt to attract more "highly qualified teachers" to our district. The data about the gaps between MPS and neighboring districts (presented in the PowerPoint that is attached to the Blue Book) is very powerful and pretty depressing! The administration will be requesting approval of a contract with Teach Across America for the upcoming school year.
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