Advancing The Teaching Profession
Advancing The Teaching Profession
Advancing The Teaching Profession
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12/9/2011 2:15:06 PM
Posted at 10:15 AM in Future of Teaching, School Reform, Teaching 2030, The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (0) November 22, 2011
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I completely agree with your other points especially around partnerships . In fact, youll be especially pleased to know that Im meeting with Barnett Berry and his colleague Ann Byrd on November 21st in Raleigh , two weeks before I even start my new job . Let me end with what I think is your most compelling observation: the need for the National Board to fully exercise its commitment to that third goal of advancing other education reforms for the purpose of improving student learning in American schools . That is the area that most interests me at the National Board . I am not an assessment guy, nor am I very well versed in the technical side of what it requires to establish strong and meaningful standards. What I care about most is using that foundation which is so well established by the NBPTS over the last 25 yearsto forge the profession teaching truly deserves to be. Much of that knowledge and almost all of the musclewill come from those teachers who have pursued Board Certification and who continue to set the bar not only around what teachers should know and be able to do, but around how teachers behave as professionals. The culture of K-12 education is inextricably linked to the culture of the individuals who lead classrooms and who create the environment in which learning takes place. Among U.S . teachers today , fewer than 3 % are National Board Certified. They have a powerful voice that needs to be heard, and they are making a profound difference in the profession, but their numbers are still too small. 3 to 100 are pretty long odds, even when the 3 are the best of the best. We need to change that balance, and we need to find ways to support teachers who want to take up the challenge .
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I completely agree with your other points especially around partnerships . In fact, youll be especially pleased to know that Im meeting with Barnett Berry and his colleague Ann Byrd on November 21st in Raleigh , two weeks before I even start my new job . Let me end with what I think is your most compelling observation: the need for the National Board to fully exercise its commitment to that third goal of advancing other education reforms for the purpose of improving student learning in American schools . That is the area that most interests me at the National Board . I am not an assessment guy, nor am I very well versed in the technical side of what it requires to establish strong and meaningful standards. What I care about most is using that foundation which is so well established by the NBPTS over the last 25 yearsto forge the profession teaching truly deserves to be. Much of that knowledge and almost all of the musclewill come from those teachers who have pursued Board Certification and who continue to set the bar not only around what teachers should know and be able to do, but around how teachers behave as professionals. The culture of K-12 education is inextricably linked to the culture of the individuals who lead classrooms and who create the environment in which learning takes place. Among U.S . teachers today , fewer than 3 % are National Board Certified. They have a powerful voice that needs to be heard, and they are making a profound difference in the profession, but their numbers are still too small. 3 to 100 are pretty long odds, even when the 3 are the best of the best. We need to change that balance, and we need to find ways to support teachers who want to take up the challenge . I realize that National Board Certified Teachers are not the only great teachers in the country. Board Certification is evidencewell tested over time and trial that those who attain it are true professionals who make a difference in the lives of young people. In a world that can be fairly subjective and vertiginously arbitrary where everyone has an opinionthat objectivity means something. I thank you, John , for your open letter and your dedication to teaching and learning. I also thank you for your disenchantment. As I lead the National Board into its second quarter-century , I need to know what we must do better, where the new opportunities are, and who the people are who care enough to expect NBPTS to stand for more than a credential. In that regard, I realize that I have much in common with the teachers the National Board was created to serve. And I am honored to be share in the work. Ron Thorpe Not yet, but soon to be the new President and CEO of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Posted at 03:46 PM in Future of Teaching , Improving Our Schools, NBPTS, Teaching 2030, The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (5) November 07, 2011
Infographic designed by sunnibrown .com for the Teacher Leader Model Standards site. Within every school there is a sleeping giant of teacher leadership, which can be a strong catalyst for making change . (Katzenmeyer and Moller , 2001) Teacher leadership is not a new concept. Yet until we begin to cultivate , support , and spread the knowledge and expertise of those who have mastered this craft, we will continue to miss the mark on achieving great gains with students. So while the newly released Teacher Leader Model Standards may surprise some as an innovative tool for improving the profession, teacher leaders themselves have been living them for years. These standards describe the skills, knowledge, and competencies that teachers need to perform well in leadership roles, including: Domain I: Fostering a Collaborative Culture to Support Educator Development and Student Learning Domain II: Accessing and Using Research to Improve Practice and Student Learning Domain III: Promoting Professional Learning for Continuous Improvement Domain IV: Facilitating Improvements in Instruction and Student Learning Domain V: Promoting the Use of Assessments and Data for School and District Improvement Domain VI: Improving Outreach and Collaboration with Families and Community Domain VII: Advocating for Student Learning and the Profession What might be the most useful aspect of these standards are actual exemplars of what teacher leaders have been doing for decades. These exemplars, along with additional information about the development and research behind the standards themselves , will all be made available via their new virtual home: www. teacherleaderstandards.org. The first featured exemplar is the Math and Science Leadership Academy , a teacher -led school in Denver, Colorado, that embodies all seven of these domains. Thanks to generous funding from the University of Phoenix, ETS, NEA, and ECS, CTQ has been working closely with an outstanding group of five teacher leaders who are researching and posting best practices for each of the seven domains of teacher leadership.
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Suggestions for more? Send them our way. In fact, well be convening a virtual community of teacher leaders for this very purpose, and we hope youll join the conversation! Posted at 03:48 PM in Future of Teaching, Improving Our Schools, School Reform, Teaching Effectiveness, The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (0) November 01, 2011
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Suggestions for more? Send them our way. In fact, well be convening a virtual community of teacher leaders for this very purpose, and we hope youll join the conversation! Posted at 03:48 PM in Future of Teaching, Improving Our Schools, School Reform, Teaching Effectiveness, The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (0) November 01, 2011
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I went to the Schools for Tomorrow conference to be there as a teacher leader and passionate advocate for a hopeful vision for education. I wanted to meet the players, especially those who might consider technology a replacement for teachers. The Spark David Brooks, one of the most popular opinion columnists in America , opened with a surprising remark: I want to start by expressing a note of skepticism about technology in education. He continued : My skepticism about the role of technology in the classroom is based on three arguments. The first is that people learn from people they love, they dont learn from computers they love, and anything that gets in the way between the relationship between the teacher and the student is something Im likely to be skeptical of. The second thing is that electronic communication is far inferior to personal communication. And finally information processing. The tendency of technology is to make information processing easy. But the way you learn and remember is through processing information that is hard and challenging. You want to introduce trouble, not introduce ease.
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David Brooks, one of the most popular opinion columnists in America , opened with a surprising remark: I want to start by expressing a note of skepticism about technology in education. He continued : My skepticism about the role of technology in the classroom is based on three arguments. The first is that people learn from people they love, they dont learn from computers they love, and anything that gets in the way between the relationship between the teacher and the student is something Im likely to be skeptical of. The second thing is that electronic communication is far inferior to personal communication. And finally information processing. The tendency of technology is to make information processing easy. But the way you learn and remember is through processing information that is hard and challenging. You want to introduce trouble, not introduce ease. Wow, I thought, David Brooks sounds like a teacher. Even though I consider myself a passionate advocate for the use of technology in schools , I still struggle with those same points. But if we can balance our enthusiasm about technology with our recognition of Brookss points, we can be the adaptive professionals that students deserve. From Defense to Offense The first panel included a group of international experts on technology in schools . None of them were teachers. I decided to move from defense to offense by asking a question: What concrete action steps, from your various perspectives , can be taken to help teachers use technology to teach? Heres how Harri Skog, the permanent secretary of Finland's Ministry of Education, responded: I think it helps a lot if a teacher has an autonomous way of having his own discretion at the level of the classroom .... I think it is very important for teachers to be able to plan how they want to teach, but that needs to have this kind of trust situation. If I would be asked one thing to have, it would be more autonomy in schools. I was sitting next to Diana Laufenberg, a powerful and visionary teacher from the Philadelphia Science Leadership Academy we both started clapping. Meeting the Players Between attending panels and informally networking, I met many passionate advocates for 21st-century learning. Larry Berger, founder and president of Wireless Generation , spoke on a panel about technical tools for the classroom . He highlighted how technology could strengthen teachers formative assessment efforts. Jacqueline Botterill, director of social public good for Skype, shared news of Skype in the classroom, connecting teachers and learners across the globe. Scott Kinney, senior vice president at Discovery Education, described how the Discovery Educator Network enables public school teachers to leverage streaming media for student learning and professional development. Joel Arquillos is executive director of 826LA , a nonprofit writing and tutoring center that provides free writing programs for Los Angeles students, including after-school and in -school tutoring, field trips , workshops, and publishing resources. Erik Michielsen founded Capture Your Flag , a project that is conducting qualitative interviews with aspirational leaders, tracking them over time. Erik will apply tagging and coding techniques to these annual interviews , identifying themes that can drive an innovative approach to curriculum development for college and career readiness . What Being There Meant to Me This conference confirmed one of my deepest held beliefs about teaching: there is a spark between human beings that is essential to the learning process. This fundamental spark in the engine of learning can never be replaced by technology. In fact, the best uses of technology in education will continue to involve person-to -person communication. The human spark is also what will make a difference in important decisions about educational policy and practice. When teachers can be there, they can provide a muchneeded window into how policies affect the learning of individual students. When teachers can be there, they can ask the questions that need to be answered. We will truly know this spark is alive when teachers (along with students and parents) are not just relegated to being there, but are sought-after panelists in important discussions about teaching and learning . Thank you, David Brooks, for calling on my raised hand. Let's hope that next time, my colleagues and I will be answering questions, not just asking them. Posted at 01:20 PM in Future of Teaching , Improving Our Schools, Teaching 2030, The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (4 ) October 24, 2011
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From the Jackson (MS) Clarion -Ledger, Oct. 17, 2011 I wonder why USDOE officials , in pushing for much-needed changes in teacher education, dont push school districts to transform their systems of professional development. The plan does indeed call for all teachers including veteran teachers and recent graduates of preparation programs to receive professional development and career advancement opportunities that are aligned with their identified strengths and needs. However, USDOE does not call for scrutiny of school districts professional development programs. Maybe districts should be held accountable for the quality of support they provide to recently minted teacher -education graduates. Maybe if the USDOE called for such scrutiny, our nation would get a bit closer to creating the kind of comprehensive teacher-development system needed for the schools of today and tomorrow. Posted at 12:49 PM in Future of Teaching , Improving Our Schools , School Reform, Teacher Prep, Teacher Recruitment & Retention, Teacher Working Conditions , Teaching Effectiveness, The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (1) October 19 , 2011
Shannon C'de Baca talks about the value of student-teacher relationships . Instead, they all chose student-centered measures as their shining moments. This reinforces what teacher Shannon Cde Baca says in her video: the relationships teachers have with students are more important than any specific program. Building relationships is a common theme that arises in some form or another for all the teachers featured in our CTQTube series. A very clear example is Karen Van Duyns submission. In a creative twist on the assignment, Karens students put together their perspectives on why she teaches. Its a fun video that sheds some light on her philosophy of student empowerment. The students seem to have really enjoyed the production process and looked critically at how their perspectives on their teachers shape how they learn. Putting this series together has reminded me that while every classroom and every educator is different, the top educators do share one commonality : the genuine desire to foster relationships that allow students to tap into their unknown potential.
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Karen Van Duyn and her students share reasons why she teaches.
Our nation has so many of these accomplished classroom practitioners who have so much untapped potential to lead school improvement efforts. Now is the time to make these expert teachers more visible to policymakers and the public. They can and must lead the way. There are only 18 years, 2 months , and 12 days until 2030. We have a lot more work to do to "blur the lines of distinction between those who teach in schools and those who lead them." Posted at 09:33 AM in Future of Teaching, Improving Our Schools, Teaching Effectiveness, The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (2 ) October 13 , 2011
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Posted at 05:00 PM in Improving Our Schools, New Millennium Teachers, School Reform, Teacher Working Conditions , Teaching Effectiveness, The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (0) October 05, 2011
Recently, I collaborated with twelve expert teachers to write TEACHING 2030: What We Must Do For Our Students and Our Public Schools Now and in the Future. We argue that universities teacher education programs and highly-touted alternative certification programs like Teach for America perpetuate out-of -date models of teaching and learning .
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Teacher recruits need a very different kind of preparation to teach the diverse, tech-savvy learners of today and to ready those learners for the 21st-century global marketplace. To make this happen , we must move far beyond reform rhetoric and we must do so quickly. Here are six big strategies that can help teacher preparation programs break the mold: 1. Ensure that recruits are being prepared for the roles that are most needed in area schools: School districts should develop labor market reports, allowing universities to carefully consider how many recruits should be prepared and for what. 2. Jettison traditional three-hour course credits in favor of performance -based pedagogical modules and assessments : This nimble, practical approach will help recruits to develop specific teaching skills and will better identify who is ready to teach, when, and under what conditions . 3. Split the time: Work with school districts to create hybrid roles for the most effective teachers to spend half their time teaching and half their time as lead teacher educators. 4. Understand the community: Require recruits to complete a substantial internship in a community-based organization, developing deep knowledge of how and where students and their families live.
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2. Jettison traditional three-hour course credits in favor of performance -based pedagogical modules and assessments : This nimble, practical approach will help recruits to develop specific teaching skills and will better identify who is ready to teach, when, and under what conditions . 3. Split the time: Work with school districts to create hybrid roles for the most effective teachers to spend half their time teaching and half their time as lead teacher educators. 4. Understand the community: Require recruits to complete a substantial internship in a community-based organization, developing deep knowledge of how and where students and their families live. 5. Embrace online : Engage recruits in a virtual network of teachers, preparing them to teach effectively online and to collaborate virtually with teaching colleagues. 6. Emergent Tech: Work with school districts to expose recruits to live and digitally recorded lesson studies, in which teams of candidates learn to critique teaching and assess student learning using emerging technologies. Posted at 01:45 PM in Future of Teaching , Improving Our Schools , School Reform, Teacher Prep, Teacher Recruitment & Retention, The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (1) September 30, 2011
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Posted at 06:05 PM in Future of Teaching , Improving Our Schools, School Reform, Teacher Working Conditions , Teaching Effectiveness | Permalink | Comments (0) September 28, 2011
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An inefficient public education system mired in 20th-century debates may not be blackening our lungs. But the status quo is doing something just as serious: failing our students, our communities , and our democracy. We must help the public understand what is possible. We must get past the 15,000 -hour conundrum . We must work together to create the transformed system of teaching and learning that 21st-century students deserve.
Posted at 03:24 PM in Future of Teaching , Improving Our Schools, Teacher Recruitment & Retention, Teaching Effectiveness, The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (0) September 21, 2011
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An inefficient public education system mired in 20th-century debates may not be blackening our lungs. But the status quo is doing something just as serious: failing our students, our communities , and our democracy. We must help the public understand what is possible. We must get past the 15,000 -hour conundrum . We must work together to create the transformed system of teaching and learning that 21st-century students deserve.
Posted at 03:24 PM in Future of Teaching , Improving Our Schools, Teacher Recruitment & Retention, Teaching Effectiveness, The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (0) September 21, 2011
Overheard this weekend at the Center for Teaching Quality s headquarters in Carrboro, NC: This is such incredibly complicated work (one-second pause) but I am so exhilarated by the process! Thats the sort of energy generated when exemplary teachers combine their expertise to tackle tough issues in teaching and learning which happens all the time on CTQs virtual Teacher Leaders Network. But this energy is powerful face -to-face , too, as I witnessed this weekend when CTQ assembled 21 National Board Certified Teachers from NC and KY to work on the Implementing Common Core Standards (ICCS) project. Heres how the Common Core State Standards website describes the standards: The Common Core Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy. But what does that look like in the classroom? How will students demonstrate mastery of the standards of literacy and mathematical functionality? And how do these efforts square with the pressures of standardized test performance (currently the centerpiece of many states assessment and evaluation systems )? Over the next year, the accomplished teachers I met at CTQ will face down these tough questions . They will design and test-drive in their own classrooms, with their own students lessons and assessments linked to the Common Core State Standards. ICCS teachers will pilot formative assessment templates created by the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) and Mathematics Design Collaborative (MDC) with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The teachers met with Eleanor Dougherty (LDC) and Ann Shannon (MDC) to get a better sense of how to implement these new tools. The teachers arent just test-drivingtheyre documenting every curve of the road. As they fine-tune, deliver, and evaluate LDC and MDC modules, theyll be compiling video clips of instruction and assembling evidence of student work, and reflecting on how the modules affect student learning and their own practice. In spring 2012, the ICCS teachers will begin to share the toolkits they re creating influencing student achievement in classrooms across the country. And their field-test critiques of the Design Collaborative concepts will inform the process of integrating Common Core Standards and state course standards. How will the pieces fit together ? What will the results be? Which questions will be answeredin full or in part and which will remain? We dont know yet but it is exciting to know that 21 highly accomplished teachers are already hard at work on a potentially transformative project for advancing student learning .
Posted at 12:43 PM in Future of Teaching , NBPTS, Teacher Recruitment & Retention, Teacher Working Conditions, Teaching Effectiveness, The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (1) September 20, 2011
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involvement during a special Rocky Mountain PBS roundtable held last Friday, where she represented her team with solutions -focused comments and compelling stories. -Barnett Berry
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involvement during a special Rocky Mountain PBS roundtable held last Friday, where she represented her team with solutions -focused comments and compelling stories. -Barnett Berry
Here in the Mile High City , there has been a lot of buzz about Senate Bill 191, a law that calls for the creation and implementation of a new evaluation system for principals and teachers. Among other things, the bill requires that half of a teacher s evaluation be determined by student growth measures and that the other half -- loosely labeled as multiple measures -- include classroom observations by peers or administrators , goal attainment processes, or other similar tools. But the tools used to assess teachers effectiveness on the basis of gains on a once-a-year standardized test are still pretty raw. As noted in a recent Congressional briefing, the grade-level standardized tests do not capture teacher effects when students are way below or above where they are supposed to be. Some teachers teach a disproportionate share of second language learners or special needs students. Some teachers are part of teaching teams and it is difficult to determine who is most responsible. Some teachers work with students who get all kinds of help from afterschool and summer programs, but others do not. As members of the Denver New Millennium Initiative, we knew it was important to be part of the conversation about the bills implementation. Since the release of our report Making Teacher Evaluation Work : Voices from the Classroom , various stakeholders have solicited our suggestions for specific and concrete suggestions. And last week, we had the fantastic opportunity to share our expertise at a state board public hearing . The Process This past May, the State Council on Educator Effectiveness (SCEE) began working to define what makes an educator effective , and since then it has made several recommendations to the Colorado Department of Education (CDE). The council has drafted and revised rules and has encouraged general feedback through public hearings an opportunity we decided to take advantage of. After releasing our report, our team spent the summer months researching teacher effectiveness and various topics introduced in the drafted rules (e .g. , comparability, assessment tools, state vs. local control). Deciding to focus on what we thought the states definition of multiple measures should be, we submitted a list of recommendations to the board. At the public hearing, NMI team members supplemented the list by sharing our classroom realities, e. g., how highly mobile students or a large number of second language learners who just entered our classes, could influence the accuracy of the test score evidence. We described how teachers can assemble a wide array of data on their students so we can figure out how to improve our teaching . Why Do We Care? As teachers , we want stronger teaching accountability systems. We want to reach beyond our classroom walls and influence the policies that drive the work we do each day. Conversations about education reform need to include perspectives of people who know what happens inside the classroom . We have solutions , we have ideas, and we want to share them. Our day-to-day experience allows us to anticipate pitfalls and envision successes in a way that wouldnt be possible for most lawmakers. Because we believe we have the responsibility to be involved in education policy, we are continually searching for entry points, conversations , meetings, and committees that we can contribute our expertise to. What We Learned Classroom teachers often think they dont know enough about policy, politics, or the legislative process. But the truth is that teachers hold the critical piece of the puzzle. Our stories from the classroom can corroborate expert suggestions or productively challenge them. The great news is that we arent the only ones who think this . Our team and two other teachers were the only teacher voices heard during the hearing, and we could tell that our input made an impact on the audience. After giving our testimony last week, a member of the SCEE cited our evidence specifically when discussing next steps with the board. We knew we were being listened to , and it was an exhilarating experience. Each new encounter with policymaking is showing us that people want to hear what teachers have to say. They respect our contributions as experts in our field especially when they are solutions oriented. Next Steps Last week we received tangible indication that our teacher voices are having a positive effect on policy. Witnessing such respect for teacher expertise makes us excited to continue contributing to this process. The Denver NMI team will continue to review the commentary and drafts that stakeholders are submitting. The next public hearing is scheduled for October 5, and on that day we hope even more Denver NMI teachers will share personal evidence that will support our recommendations. As always , we will continue to seek out opportunities to share our voices, in hopes that we can improve our profession and best serve our students, inside and outside the classroom.
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Posted at 01:44 PM in Future of Teaching , Improving Our Schools , New Millennium Teachers, School Reform, Teacher Recruitment & Retention, Teacher Working Conditions, Teaching Effectiveness, The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (0) September 12, 2011
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Posted at 01:44 PM in Future of Teaching , Improving Our Schools , New Millennium Teachers, School Reform, Teacher Recruitment & Retention, Teacher Working Conditions, Teaching Effectiveness, The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (0) September 12, 2011
Posted at 04:02 PM in Future of Teaching, Improving Our Schools, School Reform, Teacher Prep , Teacher Recruitment & Retention, Teaching 2030, Teaching Effectiveness , The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (0) September 08, 2011
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Steven Brill Does a 180: Teachers and Unions Can Save Our Schools
This guest post is by Kristoffer Kohl, a former classroom teacher who recently joined the Center for Teaching Quality as a policy associate working toward the vision of TEACHING 2030. He previously worked with a team of accomplished teachers from across the country to produce Transforming School Conditions: Building Bridges to the Education System that Students and Teachers Deserve .
The clamor for education reform continues on the pages of the Wall Street Journal, but not in the manner you might think. Rather than calling for vouchers, charter schools, and an end to collective bargaining, guest columnist Steven Brill suggests that the solution for saving our schools will be found in the skill and leadership of so-called ordinary teachers and the unions who represent them.
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In an essay that appeared in Saturdays print edition, Brill, author of Class Warfare: Inside the Fight to Fix America's Schools, dispels some of the myths that have informed faulty proposals for fixing public education. With 50 million students in 95,000 public schools , we cannot charter-school our way to meaningful reform, nor can we rely on the unsustainable model of super -teachers working endless hours at a tireless pace. In a profession numbering over three million, it is the rank and file that must be mobilized for actual reform to take root. Brill nods to the profound role that organized labor will play in the process by adding, The unions are the organizational link that will enable school improvement to expand beyond the ability of extraordinary people to work extraordinary hours. I could not agree more. Teaching is the nation s largest college-educated occupation , and we need millions of teachers to work together over time in their communities (and in and out of cyberspace ) to serve students and families well. As Gary Sykes and Dick Elmore suggested decades ago, it is time to build a school system in which ordinary people can do the extraordinary work of education. As a Teach for America alum who taught in Las Vegas for almost five years, I can attest to the need to focus on the working conditions that allow teachers to teach effectively . As the Center for Teaching Quality continues to evolve, we are working with teachers to rethink what it means to organize as a profession. We encourage unions to set
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In an essay that appeared in Saturdays print edition, Brill, author of Class Warfare: Inside the Fight to Fix America's Schools, dispels some of the myths that have informed faulty proposals for fixing public education. With 50 million students in 95,000 public schools , we cannot charter-school our way to meaningful reform, nor can we rely on the unsustainable model of super -teachers working endless hours at a tireless pace. In a profession numbering over three million, it is the rank and file that must be mobilized for actual reform to take root. Brill nods to the profound role that organized labor will play in the process by adding, The unions are the organizational link that will enable school improvement to expand beyond the ability of extraordinary people to work extraordinary hours. I could not agree more. Teaching is the nation s largest college-educated occupation , and we need millions of teachers to work together over time in their communities (and in and out of cyberspace ) to serve students and families well. As Gary Sykes and Dick Elmore suggested decades ago, it is time to build a school system in which ordinary people can do the extraordinary work of education. As a Teach for America alum who taught in Las Vegas for almost five years, I can attest to the need to focus on the working conditions that allow teachers to teach effectively . As the Center for Teaching Quality continues to evolve, we are working with teachers to rethink what it means to organize as a profession. We encourage unions to set aside their past rules and tools (which won them much -needed concessions from reluctant administrators) to become professional guilds. Transformed in this way, unions could enforce teaching standards among the ranks and broker the kind of teacherpreneurial efforts needed for 21st-century schools . In the post-industrial age, teachers need professional organizations that defend not only their rights but their professions commitment to high standards, the interests of children, and a public education system that protects American democracy and spreads the expertise of its most effective practitioners. Imagine if teachers were to earn differentiated membership into their unions based on the quality of their teaching . Imagine union leaders selected for their classroom expertise as well as their leadership skills and organizational prowess. How might such a leadership structure dramatically alter the voice that unions have in the reform debate? As recent survey results from the Gallup /PDK Poll on public education demonstrate, the American public trusts teachers and believes they should have the flexibility to teach in the ways they think best without being tied to a prescribed curriculum . Likewise, we should trust the perspective of teachers and demand a meaningful role for them when big decisions are being made about education in this country . Too often , education policy is crafted by those who have never taught in a classroom . With the nations best teachers informing policy decisions, legislative mandates would be driven by the realities and challenges of our schools. Our New Millennium Initiative teachers in Colorado (part of a larger network that includes communities in Washington, Illinois, Florida, and California) are promoting a series of innovative solutions related to implementation of the states teacher evaluation legislation , SB 191, also known as the Ensuring Quality Instruction Through Educator Effectiveness Act . In his new book , Brill describes the Colorado law as landmark legislation . However, SB 191 and similar laws will fail unless we use new technologies and organizational structures that equip expert teachers to implement high quality teaching evaluation systems. It is reassuring to hear that Steven Brill has opened up the conversation a bit more for teachers to lead the way. Posted at 11:03 AM in Future of Teaching, Improving Our Schools , New Millennium Teachers, School Reform, Teacher Compensation, Teacher Prep, Teacher Recruitment & Retention, Teacher Working Conditions , Teaching 2030, Teaching Effectiveness , The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (8) August 15, 2011
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As noted in a just released report by the U.S. Department of Education, top-performing nations do not draw on the same kinds of high-stakes standardized tests and topdown accountability systems used here in the United States. Instead, these nations (e .g., Finland , Singapore , etc .) invest in teachers , who are deeply prepared to serve as experts in assessing their students. We have options. We can stick with high-stakes test scores (and the accountability systems that hang on them ). Or we can create the results-oriented profession that students deserve. We can invite teacher leaders to help create robust accountability systems that draw on varied assessments, many of which are designed and scored by classroom experts themselves . We can compensate teachers in ways that encourage them to spread their expertise. These options are within reach, as described in a paper I wrote with three master teachers. We argue that policymakers should look to expert teachers to develop meaningful assessments and ensure the conditions necessary to implement high standards with fidelity and rigor. And real -world evidence of teacher leaders contributions to better teaching and assessments is in the works. This fall , CTQ will launch , with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a virtual network of National Board Certified teachers who will be part of an effort to implement and assess new approaches to teaching and learning. Their work will demonstrate the value of formative, authentic assessments as an integrated part of effective instruction. They will help refine just -in -time ways to
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As noted in a just released report by the U.S. Department of Education, top-performing nations do not draw on the same kinds of high-stakes standardized tests and topdown accountability systems used here in the United States. Instead, these nations (e .g., Finland , Singapore , etc .) invest in teachers , who are deeply prepared to serve as experts in assessing their students. We have options. We can stick with high-stakes test scores (and the accountability systems that hang on them ). Or we can create the results-oriented profession that students deserve. We can invite teacher leaders to help create robust accountability systems that draw on varied assessments, many of which are designed and scored by classroom experts themselves . We can compensate teachers in ways that encourage them to spread their expertise. These options are within reach, as described in a paper I wrote with three master teachers. We argue that policymakers should look to expert teachers to develop meaningful assessments and ensure the conditions necessary to implement high standards with fidelity and rigor. And real -world evidence of teacher leaders contributions to better teaching and assessments is in the works. This fall , CTQ will launch , with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a virtual network of National Board Certified teachers who will be part of an effort to implement and assess new approaches to teaching and learning. Their work will demonstrate the value of formative, authentic assessments as an integrated part of effective instruction. They will help refine just -in -time ways to determine whether students are meeting the high academic standards represented by the Common Core not just at the end of the year , but every single school day. Our students deserve assessment and accountability systems that are sophisticated enough to prepare them to meet the demands of a global economy. Accomplished teachers can help make it happen. Posted at 08:09 PM in Future of Teaching, Improving Our Schools, School Reform, Teacher Compensation, Teacher Recruitment & Retention, Teacher Working Conditions , Teaching 2030, Teaching Effectiveness , The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (2) July 11, 2011
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Advancing the Teaching Profession Tapping Teacher Expertise (What We Havent Tried)
Below: Graphic facilitator Sunni Brown captured our TEACHING 2030 team's brainstorming session about the potential roles of teacherpreneurs . ..
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Sometimes it seems like America has tried everything. Various flavors of school reform have come and gone, often without securing real or lasting improvements for students. But theres one thing we haven t tried (not on a widespread basis, anyway): fully tapping the expertise of our nation s accomplished teachers. Our most effective teachers possess a wealth of knowledge and experience could be applied to the pressing problems faced by our schools . And students do not have to lose their best teachers (as is so often the case now when teachers are promoted into full-time administrative roles). Instead, we can design roles that allow teachers to advance their careers by spending part of their time working with students and part of their time on innovative efforts to improve teaching and learning . Our public schools need more of these teacherpreneurs , expert teachers who keep one foot in the classroom while also pursuing results -oriented projects: . 2. Leading peer review processes for their schools to ensure that teaching evaluations are valid and drive improvement; Developing tools and strategies for teaching the Googled learner who has grown up experiencing virtual reality;
3. Taking part in assessment reforms such as those linked to the new Common Core standards, and using technology to better capture, analyze, and publicize data about schools effectiveness; 4. 5. 6. Identifying effective strategies for teaching students who are increasingly diverse by 2030, 40% or more will be second-language learners; Organizing school -neighborhood partnerships that can support student learning through cradle-to -college solutions ; and Transforming unions so that they become self-policing professional guilds that help ensure the quality of teaching that students deserve.
This list is not comprehensive. Its just a sneak peek of the important work that teacherpreneurs could perform while continuing to teach students for at least part of their day, week, or year. (For more on the teacherpreneur concept, see chapter 6 of TEACHING 2030, a book I coauthored with twelve talented classroom teachers .) Investing in Teacherpreneurs Unfortunately, teachers salaries remain too low to attract and retain enough talented, well-prepared professionals to fill our nation s high-needs classrooms much less to cultivate the 600 ,000 teacherpreneurs we call for in TEACHING 2030. Unlike in other top performing nations , teachers in the U.S . are considerably underpaid , compared to other professionals with similar training and responsibility . American teachers are paid, on average, 60 percent less than other comparable college graduates. But investing in expert teachers isnt just about salariesits about how the work and the school day are structured. Other top -performing nations invest in teachers by expecting more administrators to teach so teachers can lead. U. S. teachers teach students about 80% of their total working time while their international counterparts spend about 60% of their time teaching , with the remainder of the time spend planning lessons and fulfilling leadership responsibilities.
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Americas top-down model of managing schools has led us to allocate resources less effectively than we otherwise could. Of the 70,000 employees of the Los Angeles Unified School District, only 50% are practicing teachers . Embracing teacher leadershipcreating roles that enable teachers to guide and add value to their schools could help us put our education dollars to better use. Finally, we must take a good long look at how our investment in expert teachers compares to what we spend on other efforts. Consider the war the United States is waging in Afghanistan, which is expected to cost $113 billion this next fiscal year, according to The Washington Post. As Sen. John F . Kerry (D-Mass.), the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee , noted, It is fundamentally unsustainable to continue spending $10 billion a month on a massive military operation with no end in sight. Could the costs of war be applied to lowering the federal deficit? Could we apply a small fraction of the savings to funding our public schools in ways that meet children s needs? Creating and funding roles for expert teachers is a wise investment and one that is critical to safeguarding America s future. Posted at 11:53 AM in Future of Teaching, Improving Our Schools, New Millennium Teachers, School Reform, Teacher Compensation, Teacher Recruitment & Retention, Teacher Working Conditions, Teaching 2030, Teaching Effectiveness, The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Americas top-down model of managing schools has led us to allocate resources less effectively than we otherwise could. Of the 70,000 employees of the Los Angeles Unified School District, only 50% are practicing teachers . Embracing teacher leadershipcreating roles that enable teachers to guide and add value to their schools could help us put our education dollars to better use. Finally, we must take a good long look at how our investment in expert teachers compares to what we spend on other efforts. Consider the war the United States is waging in Afghanistan, which is expected to cost $113 billion this next fiscal year, according to The Washington Post. As Sen. John F . Kerry (D-Mass.), the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee , noted, It is fundamentally unsustainable to continue spending $10 billion a month on a massive military operation with no end in sight. Could the costs of war be applied to lowering the federal deficit? Could we apply a small fraction of the savings to funding our public schools in ways that meet children s needs? Creating and funding roles for expert teachers is a wise investment and one that is critical to safeguarding America s future. Posted at 11:53 AM in Future of Teaching, Improving Our Schools, New Millennium Teachers, School Reform, Teacher Compensation, Teacher Recruitment & Retention, Teacher Working Conditions, Teaching 2030, Teaching Effectiveness, The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (0) May 30, 2011
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Above) The Denver NMI team presented their findings to a group of education stakeholders at an event co-sponsored by Rose Community Foundation, Colorado Legacy Foundation, & CTQ.
Above) NMI teacher Katie Micek introduces the New Millennium Initiative's short- and long-term goals. (Above) The Denver NMI team at work...
Posted at 03:17 PM in Future of Teaching , Improving Our Schools , New Millennium Teachers, Teaching Effectiveness, The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (1) May 04, 2011
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2. 3. 4.
School board members who base critical decisions about curriculum on their own ideological interests, rather than on empirical evidence State legislators who refuse to equitably finance high -need schools . (In so doing, they ensure that the most disadvantaged students have the least access to Policymakers who insist on perpetuating either-or debates at the expense of real change . (A juicy sound bite does little to help a struggling student or
about what works for students . effective teachers and optimal conditions for teaching and learning. ) a first-year teacher. Real change will demand that we transcend either -or politics and look instead at how to structure schools around what works for students.) The only fight worth having is the fight for better schools for all our children . And that fight cannot be an A versus B match. (In one corner , The Governor ! In the other, The Union!) It must instead be an ongoing campaign challenging stakeholders at all levels to work together to create the schools (and teaching profession) our students deserve. Now, theres a fight worth winning.
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School board members who base critical decisions about curriculum on their own ideological interests, rather than on empirical evidence State legislators who refuse to equitably finance high -need schools . (In so doing, they ensure that the most disadvantaged students have the least access to Policymakers who insist on perpetuating either-or debates at the expense of real change . (A juicy sound bite does little to help a struggling student or
about what works for students . effective teachers and optimal conditions for teaching and learning. ) a first-year teacher. Real change will demand that we transcend either -or politics and look instead at how to structure schools around what works for students.) The only fight worth having is the fight for better schools for all our children . And that fight cannot be an A versus B match. (In one corner , The Governor ! In the other, The Union!) It must instead be an ongoing campaign challenging stakeholders at all levels to work together to create the schools (and teaching profession) our students deserve. Now, theres a fight worth winning. Posted at 05:54 PM in Future of Teaching , Improving Our Schools, School Reform, Teacher Recruitment & Retention, Teacher Working Conditions , Teaching 2030, Teaching Effectiveness, The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (4 ) April 29, 2011
Posted at 10:29 AM in Future of Teaching , Improving Our Schools, New Millennium Teachers, School Reform, Teacher Prep , Teacher Recruitment & Retention, Teacher Working Conditions , Teaching Effectiveness , The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (0) April 22, 2011
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Andreas Schliecher, a researcher at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), offered a compelling analysis of countries with high-performing students (and narrowing achievement gaps). What do these countries have in common? They invest in teaching as a knowledge-based profession. Teacher preparation is serious business : top-notch recruits are paid to prepare for a teaching career. American teacher education policy is very differentand yields poorer results for students. Our policies promote short-cut, low-quality preparation for entry into the teaching profession. There is often little connection between pre-service preparation and on-the-job support . New recruits have few incentives to receive serious training before they teach, and they are not rewarded for remaining in the classroom. TEACHING 2030, which I co -authored with twelve accomplished teachers, presses American policymakers to invest in better teacher education for tomorrows students. (The image at left is taken from graphic facilitator Sunni Brown's depiction of a recent 2030 team conversation.) Relying on classroom expertise as well as research on best practices, we developed a vision of a great teacher preparation system: 1. Universities , school districts, and non-profits will fuse their resources to prepare future teachers ;
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Andreas Schliecher, a researcher at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), offered a compelling analysis of countries with high-performing students (and narrowing achievement gaps). What do these countries have in common? They invest in teaching as a knowledge-based profession. Teacher preparation is serious business : top-notch recruits are paid to prepare for a teaching career. American teacher education policy is very differentand yields poorer results for students. Our policies promote short-cut, low-quality preparation for entry into the teaching profession. There is often little connection between pre-service preparation and on-the-job support . New recruits have few incentives to receive serious training before they teach, and they are not rewarded for remaining in the classroom. TEACHING 2030, which I co -authored with twelve accomplished teachers, presses American policymakers to invest in better teacher education for tomorrows students. (The image at left is taken from graphic facilitator Sunni Brown's depiction of a recent 2030 team conversation.) Relying on classroom expertise as well as research on best practices, we developed a vision of a great teacher preparation system: 1. Universities , school districts, and non-profits will fuse their resources to prepare future teachers ; 2. Teacher preparation will be built on a sound liberal arts education then candidates can choose from various tracks of professional preparation, each one focusing on different roles and responsibilities; 3. Teacher education will be cohort-based , preparing new recruits to teach as teams in high-need schools; 4. All new teachers will complete a substantial internship in a community-based organization in order to develop deep knowledge of the context of how and where students and their families live; 5. All new recruits for a teaching career will be expected to serve in an extensive internsh ip in a virtual teacher network, where they also learn specific skills in using multi-user virtual environments to educate students anytime, anywhere, as well as how to spread expertise among teaching colleagues ; 6. Pedagogical preparation will be built on a mixed use of live and digitally recorded lesson studies in which teams of candidates learn to critique teaching and assess student learning using emerging technologies; 7. Each teacher education candidate will have a program of learning with common tasks to accomplish and performance assessments to measure when (and what) they are ready to teach; 8. Passing performance assessments, not completing seat time in college courses, will determine when teachers are ready to teach independently and in what schools and under what conditions; 9. Teaching responsibilities (and differential compensation) will be determined on the basis of what one knows and can do as an independently practicing teacher (identified through performance assessments ) and ones proven knowledge and skills; and 10. Schools will be red esigned for teacher learning (as in other high-performing nations ) so new recruits can develop under the supervision of expert vete rans who have been specially prepared as mentors. This is the future of teacher education we envision one that will ensure equity and excellence for all students . American students and schools will only be able to catch up to (and surpass) other nations educational systems through dramatic transformation of its teacher preparation policies. To learn more, order a copy of TEACHING 2030. Posted at 05:58 PM in Future of Teaching , Improving Our Schools, School Reform, Teacher Prep, Teacher Recruitment & Retention, Teacher Working Conditions , Teaching 2030, Teaching Effectiveness , The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (1) April 08, 2011
These findings mirror what we are learning from the young teachers involved in our New Millennium Initiative. Generation Y teachers have no problem whatsoever with calls for more accountability among the teaching ranks . However, having studied assessment and accountability issues in depth, they are deeply skeptical of the mechanical tools being used in states like Florida, where the governor was recently called to task by Rick Hess for setting one-size -fits-all prescriptions for teacher evaluation. m inspired by what this report reveals about Generation Y teachers attitudes toward their profession. Compared with young teachers in 1999-2000, Generation Y teachers in 2008 were more likely to say they hoped to stay in teaching as long as I am able and less likely to report being undecided about their career plans. How can we help each talented young teacher to stay in teaching as long as I am able? This study offers concrete answers from the teachers themselves . And the very conditions highlighted by Generation Y teachers (collaboration with peers, frequent feedback on their teaching, equitable and reliable assessment, and technology-imbedded
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learning environments) are right in line with what research tells us works for students . Through TEACHING 2030, we are developing a vision that considers the needs of 21 st-century students and the new generation of teachers who will serve them. We must invest in working conditions and policies that will help students and teachers succeed in meeting 21st-century expectations. We must be willing to rethink ways to structure teachers work so we make the most of their talents while benefiting all students. (For example, teacherpreneurs could work with students while also serving as learning architects, web curators , teacher educators, researchers, policy mavens, and other innovative roles opportunities that will appeal to the Generation Y teachers who are destined to be among the professions leaders.) As we imagine a brighter future for America s students and schools , it is time to listen to the hopeful voices of our Generation Y teachers and to acknowledge the sincere efforts of teacher unions whose leaders are increasingly committed to making sure these voices are heard.
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Through TEACHING 2030, we are developing a vision that considers the needs of 21 st-century students and the new generation of teachers who will serve them. We must invest in working conditions and policies that will help students and teachers succeed in meeting 21st-century expectations. We must be willing to rethink ways to structure teachers work so we make the most of their talents while benefiting all students. (For example, teacherpreneurs could work with students while also serving as learning architects, web curators , teacher educators, researchers, policy mavens, and other innovative roles opportunities that will appeal to the Generation Y teachers who are destined to be among the professions leaders.) As we imagine a brighter future for America s students and schools , it is time to listen to the hopeful voices of our Generation Y teachers and to acknowledge the sincere efforts of teacher unions whose leaders are increasingly committed to making sure these voices are heard.
Posted at 04:34 PM in Future of Teaching , Improving Our Schools, New Millennium Teachers, Teacher Working Conditions , Teaching 2030, The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (0) March 29, 2011
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Dr. Deasy is correct. We must quest for better. If we listen to expert teachers, we'll get there. Posted at 02:23 PM in Teaching Effectiveness | Permalink | Comments (1) March 25, 2011
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schools need to be able to adapt based on local contexts; and (4) one or two direct measures of student learning (like standardized test scores) cannot be the only basis for rewards. These myths drive today s teaching policies and continue to ground solutions in yesterdays challenges. They distract us from the demands that teachers already face today and that will only intensify tomorrow. We need to identify our most effective teachers , using fair, rigorous and valid measures, and let them lead the way in removing ineffective colleagues . Most important , we need to invest far more in teacher education and school redesign policies reflective of 21st century demands on our public schools . More than anything else today s policy focus must spread the expertise our best teachers, in and out of cyberspace . In TEACHING 2030, a new book Ive authored with 12 outstanding teachers , we build a compelling case that for teachers to be effective now and in the future, they must know how to: 1) teach the Googled learner, who has grown up on smartphones and virtual reality games and can find information (if not understanding ) with a few taps of the finger; 2) work with a student body that s increasingly diverse (by 2030, 40 percent or more will be second-language learners);
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schools need to be able to adapt based on local contexts; and (4) one or two direct measures of student learning (like standardized test scores) cannot be the only basis for rewards. These myths drive today s teaching policies and continue to ground solutions in yesterdays challenges. They distract us from the demands that teachers already face today and that will only intensify tomorrow. We need to identify our most effective teachers , using fair, rigorous and valid measures, and let them lead the way in removing ineffective colleagues . Most important , we need to invest far more in teacher education and school redesign policies reflective of 21st century demands on our public schools . More than anything else today s policy focus must spread the expertise our best teachers, in and out of cyberspace . In TEACHING 2030, a new book Ive authored with 12 outstanding teachers , we build a compelling case that for teachers to be effective now and in the future, they must know how to: 1) teach the Googled learner, who has grown up on smartphones and virtual reality games and can find information (if not understanding ) with a few taps of the finger; 2) work with a student body that s increasingly diverse (by 2030, 40 percent or more will be second-language learners); 3) prepare students to compete for jobs in a global marketplace where communication , collaboration, critical thinking and creative problem solving are the new basics ; 4) help students monitor their own learning using sophisticated tools to assess whether students meet high academic standards and fine-tuning instruction when they dont; and 5) connect teaching to the needs of communities as economic churn creates family and societal instability , pushing schools to integrate health and social services with academic learning . As described in TEACHING 2030, far too preparation programs, including both alternative and traditional ones , cultivate teachers with these skills . Even fewer schools are organized to create opportunities for our best teachers or teacherpreneurs to teach students regularly as well as lead pedagogical and policy reforms outside their classrooms. Nows the time to transcend the usual debates over how to make our schools better and our teachers more effective and break free of the myths that keep us fighting 20th century battles. Instead we need to look hard at the realities, framed by research evidence as well as the challenges teachers face everyday, in pointing the way toward a 21 st century teaching profession demanded by our nation s public schools . 0Posted at 03:46 PM in Teaching Effectiveness , The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (2) March 21, 2011
Last week I was privileged to attend the International Summit on the Teaching Profession in New York City , co -sponsored by (among others) the Asia Society, WNET New York and USDOE. The Summit, which immediately preceded WNET's wonderful annual Celebration of Teaching & Learning, gathered education ministers , national union leaders and accomplished teachers from the United States and from nations with high performing and rapidly improving educational systems . The International Summit is described here by guest blogger Liana Heitin at Education Weeks Teacher Beat blog. Heitin does a nice job in laying out the basic facts of who was there and for what purpose but bypasses some of the most important messages about why U. S. teaching policy is way off the mark in comparison to other (topranked) nations represented at the Summit. As Heitin notes, in high performing nations, unions and government work together . But there is a lot more to be learned. Here are the key lessons: 1. High performing nations have not changed their teachers . They have changed their teaching development systems. 2 . Ministers of Education in top-ranked nations have no problem talking about the importance of teacher working conditions most notably time for them to learn from each other. 3 . Other nations recruit top talent to teaching but recognize that high flying academics are not always the best teachers . 4 . In Shanghai high performing schools have time and resources to help low performing schools . There is no competition between traditional schools and charters. 5. Top-performing nations pay for rigorous , formal, and extensive pre-service preparation of all new recruits to teaching. There is no need for a Teach for Finland or Teach for Singapore. For insight take a good look at the OECD report presented at the conference Lessons from PISA: What the U.S. Can Learn from the Worlds Most Successful Reform Efforts and ask questions about why U.S. policymakers cant get it right. Heres another blog commentary by Maureen Downey at the Atlanta Journal Constitution that includes more highlights from the OECD report. And you can watch a webcast of the Summit's closing session here.]
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Posted at 12:47 PM in Future of Teaching , Teacher Recruitment & Retention, Teacher Working Conditions , Teaching Effectiveness | Permalink | Comments (2) March 16, 2011
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pathways" without ever having to demonstrate that they are competent. 4. The percentage of teachers with fewer than ten absences. But they fail to account for poor working conditions (e .g., like inept administrators ) that may be undermining teachers' capacity to teach effectively. 5. The percentage of teachers in the top quartile of teacher impact on student growth . But without recognizing the instability of the current statistical models, the narrow range of testing data available, and the need to use all data in more measured and non-mechanical ways. Most important , none of their proposals call for states to collect evidence on the spread of effective teaching by expert practitioners, in and out of cyberspace . This is how schools improve. If we are going to create the kind of teaching development system students deserve , we must have indicator systems that align with today 's school realities indicators that will actually drive the changes we must have to create a high performing , results -oriented teaching profession across the board . Posted at 07:49 PM in School Reform, Teacher Prep , Teacher Working Conditions , Teaching Effectiveness | Permalink | Comments (0)
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4. The percentage of teachers with fewer than ten absences. But they fail to account for poor working conditions (e .g., like inept administrators ) that may be undermining teachers' capacity to teach effectively. 5. The percentage of teachers in the top quartile of teacher impact on student growth . But without recognizing the instability of the current statistical models, the narrow range of testing data available, and the need to use all data in more measured and non-mechanical ways. Most important , none of their proposals call for states to collect evidence on the spread of effective teaching by expert practitioners, in and out of cyberspace . This is how schools improve. If we are going to create the kind of teaching development system students deserve , we must have indicator systems that align with today 's school realities indicators that will actually drive the changes we must have to create a high performing , results -oriented teaching profession across the board . Posted at 07:49 PM in School Reform, Teacher Prep , Teacher Working Conditions , Teaching Effectiveness | Permalink | Comments (0) February 22, 2011
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You can read the NEPC authors meticulous description of their own methods and analysis for yourself. Whats particularly notable is their contention that the nature of the data called for a more conservative approach to determining teacher effects: Because the L.A. Times did not use this more conservative approach to distinguish teachers when rating them as effective or ineffective, it is likely that there are a significant number of false positives (teachers rated as effective who are really average), and false negatives (teachers rated as ineffective who are really average ) in the L.A. Times rating system . While the NEPC researchers concentrated on what they perceived as flaws in Buddin s methodology and conclusions , that doesnt let Jason Felch and the L.A. Times off the hook. After claiming that teachers personal rights to privacy (and , indeed, fair treatment) were trumped by the publics right to know, Felch and his editors had an obligation to vet and re-vet their methodology before playing that First Amendment trump card. We can now see they did not go nearly far enough. Remarkably, when Mr. Felch broke the NEPC report embargo and reported on its findings, the L.A. Times headline proclaimed : "Separate study confirms many Los Angeles Times findings on teacher effectiveness." Perhaps Felch and his editors were banking on the publics aversion to reading reports about statistical methodology. But anyone who reads the NEPC executive summary will see that the newspapers choice of headline was self-serving and disingenuous and thats putting
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You can read the NEPC authors meticulous description of their own methods and analysis for yourself. Whats particularly notable is their contention that the nature of the data called for a more conservative approach to determining teacher effects: Because the L.A. Times did not use this more conservative approach to distinguish teachers when rating them as effective or ineffective, it is likely that there are a significant number of false positives (teachers rated as effective who are really average), and false negatives (teachers rated as ineffective who are really average ) in the L.A. Times rating system . While the NEPC researchers concentrated on what they perceived as flaws in Buddin s methodology and conclusions , that doesnt let Jason Felch and the L.A. Times off the hook. After claiming that teachers personal rights to privacy (and , indeed, fair treatment) were trumped by the publics right to know, Felch and his editors had an obligation to vet and re-vet their methodology before playing that First Amendment trump card. We can now see they did not go nearly far enough. Remarkably, when Mr. Felch broke the NEPC report embargo and reported on its findings, the L.A. Times headline proclaimed : "Separate study confirms many Los Angeles Times findings on teacher effectiveness." Perhaps Felch and his editors were banking on the publics aversion to reading reports about statistical methodology. But anyone who reads the NEPC executive summary will see that the newspapers choice of headline was self-serving and disingenuous and thats putting it mildly. In response, the NEPC researchers were quick to release a fact sheet about the Times story, challenging its interpretation of their work and bluntly stating that the August publication by the Times of teacher effectiveness ratings was based on unreliable and invalid research . WHAT IS most troubling about all this brouhaha beyond the very real damage that the Times reckless actions has done to teachers who did not deserve the treatment they got is this : Results-oriented teacher evaluations are very much needed. I could not agree more with Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute that VAM can be used to evaluate teachers , but only carefully. Back in August I noted that : The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, under the auspices of its Measuring Effective Teaching project, is taking a very thoughtful approach to teacher assessment by looking at multiple measures of student achievement and linking other metrics (e .g. , classroom observations, teachers analyses of student work and their own teaching, and levels of student engagement) to capture a more robust and accurate view of who is effective and why. Very few accomplished teachers are likely to argue against better methods of determining who is effective and why. In a soon -to-be JUST-RELEASED paper from the Center for Teaching Quality, three teachers well -versed in the issues surrounding evaluation policy call for the strategic use of value-added data, with the VAM models limitations in mind. They strongly recommend that classroom experts be engaged to help sharpen these tools and their underlying student assessments, and by doing so , produce accountability systems that better support effective teaching and learning . In a sensible society, concerned about the future of the children in its public schools, we would not and I hope we will not leave the evaluation of effective teaching to reputation-seeking journalists and their attention-seeking news organizations. Posted at 11:35 AM in Teaching Effectiveness | Permalink | Comments (3) February 01, 2011
Using VAM the right way. With teacher leaders LEADING the way.
Harvard professor Heather Hill and several research colleagues have published one of the more thoughtful pieces of research on value-added models and their validity for evaluating teachers on the basis of student test score gains. The article, A Validity Argument Approach to Evaluating Teacher Value-Added Scores, appears in the American Educational Research Journal. Using sophisticated quantitative measures, the researchers tested how well the value ratings of middle school math teachers correlated with their mathematical knowledge and quality of instruction . The results are compelling , revealing the utility of VAM in some circumstances , but also pointing to a serious flaw in the models because of the mis-identification of teachers . The researchers found high correlations of VAM estimates among three different types of statistical models used to rate teachers. And, to quote from the abstract, they found teachers value-added scores correlated not only with their mathematical knowledge and quality of instruction but also with the population of students they teach. Perhaps most importantly the researchers found that a large percentage of math teachers studied had very low quality of teaching ratings, but very high VAM estimates. In this case, low quality meant operationally that examination of the teachers instruction revealed very high rates of mathematical errors and/ or disorganized presentations of mathematical content. Case studies of these teachers explained a lot of these false positive VAM results results that could make such teachers eligible for significant performance bonuses in most merit pay plans (and, not insignificantly , send the message that their teaching practice was exemplary). Case 1: This teacher has been trained as an elementary generalist, with 8 years of teaching experience. The case study recounts that she reads a problem out of the text as 3/ 8 + 2 /7 but then writes it on the board and solves it as 3 .8 + 2 .7. She calls the commutative property the community property. She says proportion when she means ratio. She talks about denominators being equivalent when she means the fractions are equivalent. In many instances , the teacher s teaching clouded rather than clarified the mathematics of the lesson. But she does exhibit the tough -love style of behavior management popular today in many high-need schools . She knows how to organize discussions of math among her students. If you entered a classroom as an evaluator she would be rated as a teacher who has high expectations another reform mantra. The researchers were puzzled as to
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how she earn such a high VAM rating, suggesting that it may have been the consistent computational exercises she assigned (in other words, teaching to the test). Case 2: This teacher has been teaching for four years, entering the profession as mid -career switcher . While he does not hold a degree in mathematics , he has completed many math courses in his academic training, and his previous work outside of education gave him practical experience in using math. Knowledge of math was not his problem. He understands math conceptually, but he has little skill in detecting problems in his students mathematical reasoning. And while he made frequent mathematical errors (some serious), often his students quickly correct(ed ) them. Overall the researchers concluded that there was very little mathematics occurring in his classroom as the teacher offers only the briefest of mathematical presentations, typically referring students to the text and assigning a series of problems. He only provided routine supervision of and feedback on student work. The researchers concluded that his high VAM ratings were best explained by the high ability of the students he taught, who had many other in -and out-of-school opportunities to learn math. Conclusion: Based on the data analysis and case studies, the researchers offered a clear warning to policymakers about the proper use of value-added methods : Although
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Case 2: This teacher has been teaching for four years, entering the profession as mid -career switcher . While he does not hold a degree in mathematics , he has completed many math courses in his academic training, and his previous work outside of education gave him practical experience in using math. Knowledge of math was not his problem. He understands math conceptually, but he has little skill in detecting problems in his students mathematical reasoning. And while he made frequent mathematical errors (some serious), often his students quickly correct(ed ) them. Overall the researchers concluded that there was very little mathematics occurring in his classroom as the teacher offers only the briefest of mathematical presentations, typically referring students to the text and assigning a series of problems. He only provided routine supervision of and feedback on student work. The researchers concluded that his high VAM ratings were best explained by the high ability of the students he taught, who had many other in -and out-of-school opportunities to learn math. Conclusion: Based on the data analysis and case studies, the researchers offered a clear warning to policymakers about the proper use of value-added methods : Although we do recommend the use of value-added scores in combination with discriminating observation systems, evidence presented here suggests that value-added scores alone are not sufficient to identify teachers for reward, remediation, or removal. Our own work with teacher leaders in a variety of CTQ programs suggests that many classroom practitioners are ready to accept and use VAM as part of a comprehensive teacher development and evaluation system but not in any automated way. In a soon -to-be released policy paper, which includes expert insights from teachers Renee Moore, Marsha Ratzel, and David Orphal, we make the case that if teachers are able to unpack and use VAM data as part a comprehensive evaluation process, then more practitioners will embrace the tool. Under our proposal, instead of a far-off statistician make a summative judgment of an individual teacher on the basis of a VAM rating, trained onsite evaluators (including expert teachers ) will use VAM data in a non-automated way to make sense of who is effective or not, and why thats the case, in the context of their teaching and working conditions. Now is the time to cultivate the many accomplished teachers in our schools who can lead the way in ensuring that VAMs potential as a useful evaluation tool is not ultimately lost because policymakers ignored the warnings of Heather Hill and other VAM researchers to do it right. Reference: Hill, H., Kapitula, L. and Umland, K. (2010) A Validity Argument Approach to Evaluating Teacher Value-Added Scores . American Educational Research Journal.
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7. The lack of focus on developing teachers with content -specific teaching knowledge (and not just subject matter knowledge); 8. The guarantee that no teacher teaches special education without extensive training in serving the increasing numbers of different students with serious and diverse learning challenges; 9. The lack of attention to creating more hybrid teaching roles so that effective teachers can lead policy and pedagogical reforms without totally leaving the classroom ; and 10. Obstacles that prevent all preparation programs from ensuring that new recruits know how to: (a) teach the Googled learner (who can find any piece of content at the tap of a finger); (b) work with growing numbers of second language learners, and (c ) develop and use tools in the classroom to measure student progress toward meeting the Common Core standards.
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7. The lack of focus on developing teachers with content -specific teaching knowledge (and not just subject matter knowledge); 8. The guarantee that no teacher teaches special education without extensive training in serving the increasing numbers of different students with serious and diverse learning challenges; 9. The lack of attention to creating more hybrid teaching roles so that effective teachers can lead policy and pedagogical reforms without totally leaving the classroom ; and 10. Obstacles that prevent all preparation programs from ensuring that new recruits know how to: (a) teach the Googled learner (who can find any piece of content at the tap of a finger); (b) work with growing numbers of second language learners, and (c ) develop and use tools in the classroom to measure student progress toward meeting the Common Core standards. Sorry, NCTQ, but your agenda is far too narrow. There is so much more to be done to ensure public policy will advance the results -oriented teaching profession students deserve. Posted at 02:39 PM in Future of Teaching , Teacher Recruitment & Retention, Teaching Effectiveness | Permalink | Comments (2 ) January 19, 2011
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Assumption #2: Effective teachers have little to fear because their effectiveness will be self-evident. There is no guarantee that those who are watching know what they are looking for and how they will determine what good teaching looks like on a video. A plethora of studies, including one by the New Teacher Project, suggests that teacher evaluation is undermined because administrators are not trained to assess teaching adequately. While Jacob and Lefgren found that some principals are quite good at identifying the top and bottom 10-20% of teachers , giving administrators a video monitor will not make them any better at this task. Not all principals are uniformly effective at evaluating teaching . It takes time and training and principals who were effective teachers themselves . Assumption #3: Teachers cannot be trusted. Tony Bryk eloquently argues for and illustrates the power of trust in schools and its connection to improving schools . If we do not trust teachers to have good intentions toward students, why would we believe that having a camera in a classroom would keep them from simply perpetrating the offense elsewhere out of the view of the camera? What does this say about our respect for teachers and the complicated and challenging work they have to perform? Ultimately, if we feel we need a nanny cam in every classroom in America to ensure compliance and competence , then we have lost our sense of teachers as trusted molders
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Assumption #2: Effective teachers have little to fear because their effectiveness will be self-evident. There is no guarantee that those who are watching know what they are looking for and how they will determine what good teaching looks like on a video. A plethora of studies, including one by the New Teacher Project, suggests that teacher evaluation is undermined because administrators are not trained to assess teaching adequately. While Jacob and Lefgren found that some principals are quite good at identifying the top and bottom 10-20% of teachers , giving administrators a video monitor will not make them any better at this task. Not all principals are uniformly effective at evaluating teaching . It takes time and training and principals who were effective teachers themselves . Assumption #3: Teachers cannot be trusted. Tony Bryk eloquently argues for and illustrates the power of trust in schools and its connection to improving schools . If we do not trust teachers to have good intentions toward students, why would we believe that having a camera in a classroom would keep them from simply perpetrating the offense elsewhere out of the view of the camera? What does this say about our respect for teachers and the complicated and challenging work they have to perform? Ultimately, if we feel we need a nanny cam in every classroom in America to ensure compliance and competence , then we have lost our sense of teachers as trusted molders of minds and citizens. We are reduced to thinking of them as technicians transferring information in a prescriptive manner. If this is the role we expect teachers to assume , no amount of monitoring will repair the damage such marginalization will do to our democracy. Learn more about Jon Eckert here.
Posted at 12:59 PM in Improving Our Schools , Teacher Working Conditions , Teaching Effectiveness | Permalink | Comments (1) January 12, 2011
As we stretch the school dollar, let's not rip out the seams of our public system
I just came across Bruce Bakers scathing critique of the new 15 ways to stretch the school dollar policy brief , penned by Mike Petrilli and Marguerite Roza for the Fordham Institute. Bakers analysis turns the brief on its side (if not on its head), using pages of hard evidence to poke holes in the claim that the proposed reforms would actually reduce state spending on schools or help districts make better budget -trimming choices by eliminating "onerous" policies. Both the brief and Baker's response are must-reads for anyone trying to peel the onion of school funding mandates. The policy issues raised by Petrilli and Roza need to be addressed . But it's important to do so carefully and thoughtfully , and despite Baker's aggressive style, he does lay out research-based counter arguments that deserve a full response, also framed by credible research . As I looked through the list of 15 policy recommendations to "stretch" school dollars, I had some questions of my own. For instance, Petrilli and Roza propose that states and school systems: End last hired, first fired practices . I would ask what happens when administrators, who know little about teaching and learning , undervalue the pool of experienced
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teachers who have grown up in a community and know students and families well . Remove class -size mandates. I would ask what happens when teachers cannot differentiate instruction and don 't have time to carefully assess progress on the Common Core Standards because they have too many students to teach. Eliminate mandatory salary schedules. I would ask what happens when an impoverished school district does not have finances in place to ensure that teacher pay does not fall below the level necessary to attract talent. Redesign teacher compensation. I would ask what happens (this would be a good thing) to the savings when many teachers perform well within the incentives-driven redesign, and the district needs more money for salaries, not less. Redesign sick leave and stop spending on substitutes. I would ask what would happen if ALL administrators were expected to do some teaching (an issue that P&R do not
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Remove class -size mandates. I would ask what happens when teachers cannot differentiate instruction and don 't have time to carefully assess progress on the Common Core Standards because they have too many students to teach. Eliminate mandatory salary schedules. I would ask what happens when an impoverished school district does not have finances in place to ensure that teacher pay does not fall below the level necessary to attract talent. Redesign teacher compensation. I would ask what happens (this would be a good thing) to the savings when many teachers perform well within the incentives-driven redesign, and the district needs more money for salaries, not less. Redesign sick leave and stop spending on substitutes. I would ask what would happen if ALL administrators were expected to do some teaching (an issue that P&R do not address), both to reduce the need for subs and to keep all school professionals current about what it takes to teach today's students . Limit the length of time that students can be identified as English Language Learners. I would ask what happens when students are automatically or arbitrarily removed from a program, even when their teachers make the professional judgment that they still need those services. School reformers often call for education policy solutions that are far too detached from the realities of the classroom and what it takes to educate students in the 21 st century. It's hard to imagine that some of these proposals could survive a thorough vetting by expert teachers and principals who understand what it takes to be successful in every kind of school these days. I'd encourage policymakers to carry out such a vetting before leaping into new policy pants . There are certainly other actions school districts can take to cut costs. As I mention above, one might be to create the expectation that all administrators teach and work with students some of the time. If they're not qualified to do that , perhaps they should be the first to be let go. As a decision maker responsible for educating students to high levels, I would definitely pursue this idea well before I let go all of my experienced and proven teachers (because they cost too much) -- or before I eliminated substitute teachers, who make it possible for teachers to spend time sharpening their teaching practice on behalf of the students they serve. Let's be very careful how we stretch the school dollar . We don 't want to rip out the seams of America 's public school system, which I and many others still believe is vital in holding our democracy together . Posted at 06:23 PM in Improving Our Schools, School Reform, Teacher Compensation | Permalink | Comments (3) December 31, 2010
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Posted at 01:31 PM in Future of Teaching, The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (0) December 14, 2010
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Posted at 01:31 PM in Future of Teaching, The Teaching Profession | Permalink | Comments (0) December 14, 2010
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