Re-thinking Giftedness

Great video on the impact  of labels placed on kids.


https://www.youcubed.org/rethinking-giftedness-film/

A Reminder to All Educators

We shouldn't  to have to be reminded to build on kids strengths rather than focus on their personal challenges.  Nevertheless, sometimes reminders kick us in the shins and force us to look again at an issue and adjust our thinking or our actions.   This powerful article may be the kick some of us need.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/12/opinion/learning-disabilities-attention-deficit.html?smid=tw-nytopinion&smtyp=cur

Opening of School

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teacher_in_a_strange_land/2016/08/ten_non-standard_ideas_about_going_back_to_school.html?cmp=eml-enl-eu-news2

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/07/19/for-schools-improvement-demographics-arent-destiny.html?cmp=eml-enl-eu-news1-RM

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/edugeek_guide/2017/05/leadership_lessons_for_women_f.html?cmp=eml-enl-eu-news3

Quality PD

http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2017/05/09/the-five-ws-of-quality-professional-development.html?cmp=eml-enl-tu-news2-RM

Every Kid Needs a Champion

What Great Principals Do Differently

Master Schedule Forms

Student Schedules

Student	Period 1	Period 2	Period 3	Period 4	Period 5	Period 6
Carlos
Ann
Jerry
Bella
Patrice
Matt
Lana
Michael

City High Master Schedule

Teacher	Room #	Period1	Period 2	Period 3	Period 4	Prior 5	Period 6
,

Interview with John Merrow

http://www.uscatholic.org/articles/201402/putting-schools-test-28446

Delving Deeper into The Influence of Teachers

https://theinfluenceofteachers.wordpress.com/delve-deeper/

Microcredentials as PD

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/04/26/customizing-professional-development-through-microcredentials.html

Updating PD Programs

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/04/26/school-districts-update-professional-development.html

Article: Linking PD to Teacher Evaluation

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/04/26/linking-professional-development-to-teacher-evaluations.html

Culture Change through Master Schedules

http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/193EECA0-CE4C-4339-97DB-48CCD7AEC107/0/HSAcademicProgrammingParticipantPacket.pdf

Using Master Schedule for School Change

https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/10/24/why-a-schools-master-schedule-is-a-powerful-enabler-of-change/

Long Beach Unified and PD

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/learning_forwards_pd_watch/2017/04/as_long_beach_teachers_learn_so_do_those_who_design_the_learning.html?cmp=eml-enl-eu-news3

Evaluating Professional Development

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar02/vol59/num06/Does-It-Make-a-Difference¢-Evaluating-Professional-Development.aspx

PD: Teachers Observing Teachers

http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin297.shtml

Colorado Teacher Evaluation Reform

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/04/06/how-we-got-colorados-teacher-evaluation-reform-wrong.html?cmp=eml-enl-eu-news2



Take-Aways
- Colorado Senate Bill 10-191 - law required that 50 percent of a teacher evaluation be based upon student academic growth
- Teachers could gain or lose tenure based on the merits of their impact on student achievement.
- Many thought the law would allow the best teachers "to shine", be differentiated on an objective scale of effectiveness, lose tenure if they were not performing, and no longer be treated as interchangeable widgets.
- Backed by "Ivy League" research that made clear case for changes to former system.
- Funding from federal incentives, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other private philanthropy.
- Support came from both Republicans and Democrats as well as the American Federation of Teachers.

- Recently released results show that 88% of teachers were rated effective or highly effective, 4% were partially effective, 7.8% were not rated and 1% were rated ineffective.
- New policy was built on  data that only partially existed.  Majority of teachers teach in untested areas.
- Few educators, including administrators, did not embrace the new system.  Some districts created their own systems but most relied on state's program which resulted in more compliance than buy-in.
- Evaluators are not likely to give direct and honest feedback.  Problem of school culture.
- All the state's charter schools waived out of the system.

-Wanted a new system to improve teaching , "we got an 18-page state rubric and a 345-page user guide for teacher evaluation.

- Put policy ahead of practice.  Good in theory but unrealistic when it comes to implementation.