This is a response to the blog post published on the GCS Pinnacle Blogspot regarding Technology Integration
To the GCS Instructional Tech. Facilitators and Pinnacle team,
I hope you don't mind a member of the GCS administrative team sharing my thoughts:
Through the school-based recommendations and professional development, along with the fantastic collaborative opportunities our Pinnacle teachers receive, it would be safe to say the majority of you would "Meet" and/or "Exceed" on these essential conditions. As I picture the teachers in my building who integrate technology regularly and effectively, positively impacting student-learning, I believe they would also be rated similarly.
I believe the primary issue is the lengthy gap between teachers meeting theses standards and teachers far from reaching the technology standard. Consequently, this alters the essential standard rating for the entire school and, more importantly, limit the adequate 21st-Century based (sorry, we agreed to simply call this "learning") learning necessary for our students to be successful.
On that note, I challenge all of our Pinnacle teachers to be technology integration leaders in your grade-level teams, PLC/PLN's, and schools, both formally and informally. The primary reason non-tech savvy teachers shy aware from incorporating these instructional strategies is fear. Help eliminate the fear through proactive support and collaboration, ensuring EVERY teacher MEETS these essential technology conditions.
Thank you to our Pinnacle Leaders. Keep up the great work!!
Thanks for reading and follow me on Twitter @CSmithGoBlue.
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Thursday, June 14, 2012
The Blueberry Story: The teacher gives the businessman a lesson, by Jamie Vollmer
During the first day of the 2012 Gaston County Administrators Conference, we were privileged to have Jamie Vollner to serve as our Keynote Speaker. He gave us permission to reprint this story and I wanted to share it:
"If I ran my business the way you people operate your schools, I wouldn't be in business very long!"
I stood before an auditorium filled with outraged teacher who were becoming angrier by the minute. My speech had entirely consumed their precious 90 minutes of inservice. Their initial icy glares had turned to restless agitation. You could cut the hostility with a knife.
I represented a group of business people dedicated to improving public schools. I was an executive at an ice cream company that became famous in the middle 1980's when People Magazine chose our blueberry as the "Best Ice Cream in America."
I was convinced of two things. First, public schools needed to change; they were archaic selecting and sorting mechanisms designed for the industrial age and out of step with the needs of our emerging "knowledge society." Second, educators were a major part of the problem; they resisted change, hunkered down in their feathered nests, protected by tenure, and shielded by bureaucratic monopoly. They needed to look to business. We knew how to produce quality. Zero defects! TQM! Continuous improvement!
In retrospect, the speech was perfectly balanced - equal parts ignorance and arrogance.
As soon as I finished, a woman's hand shot up. She appeared polite, pleasant--she was, in face, a razor-edged, veteran, high school English teacher who had been waiting to unload.
She began quietly, "We are told, sir, that you manage a company that makes good ice cream."
I smugly replied, "Best ice cream in American, Ma'am."
"How nice," she said. "Is it rich and smooth."
"Sixteen percent butterfat," I crowed.
"Premium ingredients?" she inquired.
"Super-premium! Nothing but triple A." I was on a roll. I never saw the next line coming.
"Mr. Vollmer," she said, leaning forward with a wicked eyebrow raised to the sky, "when you are standing on your receiving dock and you see an inferior shipment of blueberries arrive, what do you do?"
In the silence of that room, I could hear the trap snap...I was dead meat, but I wasn't going to lie.
"I send them back."
She jumped to her feet. "That's right!" she barked, "and we can never send back our blueberries. We take them big, small, rich, poor, gifted, exceptional, abused, frightened, confident, homeless, rude, and brilliant. We take them with ADHD, junior rheumatoid arthritis, and English as their second language. We take them all! Every one! And that, Mr. Vollmer, is why it's not a business. It's a school!"
In an explosion, all 290 teachers, principals, bus drivers, aides, custodians, and secretaries jumped to their feet and yelled, "Yeah! Blueberries! Blueberries!"
And so began my long transformation.
Since then, I have visited hundred of schools. I have learned that a school is not a business. Schools are unable to control the quality of their raw material, they are dependent upon the vagaries of politics for a reliable revenue stream, and they are constantly mauled by a howling horde of disparate, competing customer groups that would send the best CEO screaming into the night.
None of this negates the need for change. We must change what, when, and how we teach to give all children maximum opportunity to thrive in a post-industrial society. But educators cannot do this along; these changes can occur only with the understanding, trust, permission, and active support from the surrounding community. For the most important thing I have learned is that schools reflect the attitudes, beliefs and health of the communities they serve, and therefore, to improve public education means more than changing our schools, it means changing America.
"If I ran my business the way you people operate your schools, I wouldn't be in business very long!"
I stood before an auditorium filled with outraged teacher who were becoming angrier by the minute. My speech had entirely consumed their precious 90 minutes of inservice. Their initial icy glares had turned to restless agitation. You could cut the hostility with a knife.
I represented a group of business people dedicated to improving public schools. I was an executive at an ice cream company that became famous in the middle 1980's when People Magazine chose our blueberry as the "Best Ice Cream in America."
I was convinced of two things. First, public schools needed to change; they were archaic selecting and sorting mechanisms designed for the industrial age and out of step with the needs of our emerging "knowledge society." Second, educators were a major part of the problem; they resisted change, hunkered down in their feathered nests, protected by tenure, and shielded by bureaucratic monopoly. They needed to look to business. We knew how to produce quality. Zero defects! TQM! Continuous improvement!
In retrospect, the speech was perfectly balanced - equal parts ignorance and arrogance.
As soon as I finished, a woman's hand shot up. She appeared polite, pleasant--she was, in face, a razor-edged, veteran, high school English teacher who had been waiting to unload.
She began quietly, "We are told, sir, that you manage a company that makes good ice cream."
I smugly replied, "Best ice cream in American, Ma'am."
"How nice," she said. "Is it rich and smooth."
"Sixteen percent butterfat," I crowed.
"Premium ingredients?" she inquired.
"Super-premium! Nothing but triple A." I was on a roll. I never saw the next line coming.
"Mr. Vollmer," she said, leaning forward with a wicked eyebrow raised to the sky, "when you are standing on your receiving dock and you see an inferior shipment of blueberries arrive, what do you do?"
In the silence of that room, I could hear the trap snap...I was dead meat, but I wasn't going to lie.
"I send them back."
She jumped to her feet. "That's right!" she barked, "and we can never send back our blueberries. We take them big, small, rich, poor, gifted, exceptional, abused, frightened, confident, homeless, rude, and brilliant. We take them with ADHD, junior rheumatoid arthritis, and English as their second language. We take them all! Every one! And that, Mr. Vollmer, is why it's not a business. It's a school!"
In an explosion, all 290 teachers, principals, bus drivers, aides, custodians, and secretaries jumped to their feet and yelled, "Yeah! Blueberries! Blueberries!"
And so began my long transformation.
Since then, I have visited hundred of schools. I have learned that a school is not a business. Schools are unable to control the quality of their raw material, they are dependent upon the vagaries of politics for a reliable revenue stream, and they are constantly mauled by a howling horde of disparate, competing customer groups that would send the best CEO screaming into the night.
None of this negates the need for change. We must change what, when, and how we teach to give all children maximum opportunity to thrive in a post-industrial society. But educators cannot do this along; these changes can occur only with the understanding, trust, permission, and active support from the surrounding community. For the most important thing I have learned is that schools reflect the attitudes, beliefs and health of the communities they serve, and therefore, to improve public education means more than changing our schools, it means changing America.
Jamie Robert Vollmer ©2011
Jamie Vollmer is a former business executive and attorney who now works to increase public support for America's public schools. His new book, Schools Cannot Do It Alone is available at http://www.jamievollmer.com/.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Notes from Understanding Standards VI & VIII
I recently viewed an archived W ebinar called "Understanding Standards VI & VIII", which will be incorporated in every teacher's and administrator's evaluation, respectively. I wanted to share my notes, which I provided via Twitter:
NC will use the Educator Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS) for standards 6/8.
Growth will be determined comparing "predicted scores" and student performance. (Opinion: Predicted scores will now weigh heavily)
The three Principal Rating Categories for Standard 8: Does not meet expected growth, Meets expect growth, Exceeds expect growth.
For principals, Standard 8 is called "Academic Achievement leadership".
For teachers, Standard 6 is called "Contribute to Academic Success" and has the same three rating categories.
Standard 6 for teachers will consist 70% of teacher score & 30% of school score.
Three years of data must take place before a teacher or principal receives a "Status" for Standard 6/8.
Principals "status" will be "In Need of Improvement" if any Standard 1-7 rating is lower than proficient AND/OR Does Not Meet ExpGr.
Principals "status" will be "Effective" if Standards 1-7 rating is proficient or higher AND Meets/Exceeds Expected Growth.
Principals "status" will be "Highly Effective" if Standards 1-7 rating is accomplished or higher AND Exceeds Expected Growth.
Teachers "status" will be "In Need of Improvement" if any of Standard 1-7 is below proficient AND/OR Does Not Meets Expected Growth.
Teachers "status" will be "Effective" if Standards 1-5 is Proficient or higher AND Meets Expected Growth on Standard 6.
Teachers "status" will be "Highly Effective" if Standards 1-5 are Accomplished or higher AND Exceeds Expected Growth.
For the 2011-2012 school year, Standard Six rating for teachers in non-tested grades/subjects will be based on school-wide growth.
Hopefully these notes are helpful to all teachers and administrators in North Carolina. There is much more information regarding Standards VI and VIII, so I strongly suggest pursuing the information available for your district.
Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue.
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
NC will use the Educator Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS) for standards 6/8.
Growth will be determined comparing "predicted scores" and student performance. (Opinion: Predicted scores will now weigh heavily)
The three Principal Rating Categories for Standard 8: Does not meet expected growth, Meets expect growth, Exceeds expect growth.
For principals, Standard 8 is called "Academic Achievement leadership".
For teachers, Standard 6 is called "Contribute to Academic Success" and has the same three rating categories.
Standard 6 for teachers will consist 70% of teacher score & 30% of school score.
Three years of data must take place before a teacher or principal receives a "Status" for Standard 6/8.
Principals "status" will be "In Need of Improvement" if any Standard 1-7 rating is lower than proficient AND/OR Does Not Meet ExpGr.
Principals "status" will be "Effective" if Standards 1-7 rating is proficient or higher AND Meets/Exceeds Expected Growth.
Principals "status" will be "Highly Effective" if Standards 1-7 rating is accomplished or higher AND Exceeds Expected Growth.
Teachers "status" will be "In Need of Improvement" if any of Standard 1-7 is below proficient AND/OR Does Not Meets Expected Growth.
Teachers "status" will be "Effective" if Standards 1-5 is Proficient or higher AND Meets Expected Growth on Standard 6.
Teachers "status" will be "Highly Effective" if Standards 1-5 are Accomplished or higher AND Exceeds Expected Growth.
For the 2011-2012 school year, Standard Six rating for teachers in non-tested grades/subjects will be based on school-wide growth.
Hopefully these notes are helpful to all teachers and administrators in North Carolina. There is much more information regarding Standards VI and VIII, so I strongly suggest pursuing the information available for your district.
Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue.
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
Friday, June 8, 2012
The Value of Self-Reflection
In the final summary meeting with my teachers yesterday, I focused on self-reflection and planning, planning for next year, and professional growth. I made sure to clearly communicate how much I appreciate their hard work, celebrated their success, yet stressed the importance of reflection on how we can (and need to) improve.
To begin the meeting, I provided a note card to every teacher, along with a list of good self-reflection questions, which I owe credit to The Value of Self-Reflection. I asked everyone to select one question, take a few moments to reflect, and subsequently write their response on the card. I did not ask them to share their responses, nor did I ask for the teachers to turn the note cards in to me. The purpose was to provide every teacher to take an opportunity to reflect on their teaching and hopefully encourage every teacher to self-reflect on their own.
In the spirit of serving as an instructional leader, I wanted to share some of my own reflections from this school-year, using some of the same questions provided to my teachers.
My aspirations are to encourage all of our teachers, administrators, and staff to take some time for quality self-reflection as the school-year winds down. We owe it to ourselves as educators to recognize our strengths and identify needed areas of improvement.
Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue.
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
To begin the meeting, I provided a note card to every teacher, along with a list of good self-reflection questions, which I owe credit to The Value of Self-Reflection. I asked everyone to select one question, take a few moments to reflect, and subsequently write their response on the card. I did not ask them to share their responses, nor did I ask for the teachers to turn the note cards in to me. The purpose was to provide every teacher to take an opportunity to reflect on their teaching and hopefully encourage every teacher to self-reflect on their own.
In the spirit of serving as an instructional leader, I wanted to share some of my own reflections from this school-year, using some of the same questions provided to my teachers.
What is my top teaching goal for the coming year?
My top teaching goal is for our teachers to capitalize on instructional "Best Practices" from within the school through digital collaboration. Our teachers do a great job of working within Professional Learning Communities and would even go as far to say we are a "PLC Model" school. Yet, I do not believe our teachers take advantage of collaborating with instructional strategies within the school. My top goal is to provide opportunities for this to occur.
What types of students do I tend to ignore or do I need to spend more time serving?
We need to spend more time serving our LEP/ESL population. Our ESL teacher, who is incredible, has discussed various ideas to be implemented next year involving, but certainly not limited to, strategic scheduling of LEP students to coincide with our tested courses and a school website in Spanish to coincide with our primary school website, increasing awareness for our ESL community.
What can I do to be more proactive in my professional development?
I discussed the importance of this summer's preparation for instructional design to align with the Common Core curriculum with teachers yesterday. It would be hypocritical for me to not spend the necessary time becoming acclimated with the core content changes, as well.
How can I increase valuable parental involvement?
In a casual conversation a few weeks ago, my principal and I talked about how to get more Dad's, or generally speaking, more men, involved in the school. The timing was perfect, because I had just read some great ideas via Twitter that other principal's had done at their schools to engage "Dad's" and encourage the men that serve as parents to be involved in the school.
What minor and/or major changes can I make to my academic program in order to directly increase my students' learning?
The administrative team was heavily involved with the PLC's of our tested areas this second semester. Personally, I worked closely with the Biology PLC with data analysis of Common Assessments and Probability Prediction data. The Biology PLC used a number of interventions during the school-day, such as objective-based remediation grouping. All three of our tested area's proficiency improved approximately 16-17% (no joke, all three had same improvement) from first semester. This proves that our strategies and focus this past semester worked. More importantly, it showed that it needs to continue.
My aspirations are to encourage all of our teachers, administrators, and staff to take some time for quality self-reflection as the school-year winds down. We owe it to ourselves as educators to recognize our strengths and identify needed areas of improvement.
Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue.
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Senate Bill 795 Continued...
The calendar has turned to June and Senate Bill 795, the "Excellent Public Schools Act", is not officially approved, but it is "tentatively approved". My original post about Bill 795 discusses many, but not all, of the main components of the bill.
The Senate passed the 2nd reading of Bill 795 yesterday (May 31st), which has been mostly supported by Republicans, yet opposed by Democrats.
Financial details were discussed in the controversial Pay-for-Performance component with an expected cost of $45.6 million for the first year of implementation. The cost may rise to an astounding $82.3 million by 2016-2017. The Pay-for-Performance component would require each individual LEA to create and implement their own teacher-payment plan, resulting in hundreds of various formats state-wide. Many have doubts on where this funding will come from, given our current financial struggles in education.
In the Teacher Tenure component, Republicans are pushing for new teachers to be initially placed on one-year contracts, allowing principals and superintendents to approve if the teacher remains on staff for the following year. After passing the initial licensure/Beginning Teacher status, teachers would be given four-year contracts. This is similar to the current contract systems of assistant principals and principals, but Democrats are requesting for this to be removed from Bill 795.
Tenure would be eliminated, but teachers who currently "have" tenure in North Carolina would not lose it.
I feel that it is extremely important for all educators in North Carolina to stay abreast on the components and amendments of Bill 795. These components will drastically change public education in North Carolina. The final vote is set for Monday, June 4th.
You can check out the history and information of the bill here.
Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue.
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
The Senate passed the 2nd reading of Bill 795 yesterday (May 31st), which has been mostly supported by Republicans, yet opposed by Democrats.
Financial details were discussed in the controversial Pay-for-Performance component with an expected cost of $45.6 million for the first year of implementation. The cost may rise to an astounding $82.3 million by 2016-2017. The Pay-for-Performance component would require each individual LEA to create and implement their own teacher-payment plan, resulting in hundreds of various formats state-wide. Many have doubts on where this funding will come from, given our current financial struggles in education.
In the Teacher Tenure component, Republicans are pushing for new teachers to be initially placed on one-year contracts, allowing principals and superintendents to approve if the teacher remains on staff for the following year. After passing the initial licensure/Beginning Teacher status, teachers would be given four-year contracts. This is similar to the current contract systems of assistant principals and principals, but Democrats are requesting for this to be removed from Bill 795.
Tenure would be eliminated, but teachers who currently "have" tenure in North Carolina would not lose it.
I feel that it is extremely important for all educators in North Carolina to stay abreast on the components and amendments of Bill 795. These components will drastically change public education in North Carolina. The final vote is set for Monday, June 4th.
You can check out the history and information of the bill here.
Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue.
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
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