December 6 Workshop or conference

Was there a conference or workshop you attended that was especially beneficial? Where was it? What did you learn?

I attended a one-day workshop in July with Janet Zadina connecting current brain research and education. So often these events are only tangentially related to the work I do but this one was fascinating and applied both to my students and my children so I considered that a plus!

Where I've been.....

The last month or so has been a challenging one around my house and I have felt emotionally drained often enough that I've had a hard time writing anything of substance. I hope that's OK and I hope my few regular readers haven't totally lost interest.

The big drama in our family has revolved around The Dark Lord and high school. He made his own decision to stop homeschooling and enroll in a public high school as a freshman last year. He got off to a great start, made lots of friends, found an after school drawing club that he loved and things went well during his freshman year. This second year, however, has been much more challenging and he's lost a lot of his enthusiasm. What was a positive experience has turned to drudgery with no end in sight. There have been meetings with the principal which were encouraging but not truly helpful. There have been meetings with the vice-principal which were downright awful due to her annoying combination of condescension and chirpiness. I've been to conferences, talked with teachers, talked with other parents, made phone calls, read books---it's not unlike many years ago when some big shift in his development took place and I was desperate to talk to others, find answers, and help him transition.

When I talked with family members about his struggles I was told either that my expectations for him were too high or that he'd just need to tough out his high school years. Is it really too much to expect a formerly self-directed child to enjoy learning? Is there any more reason to expect him to tolerate a learning environment that fails to meet his needs? Or am I coddling him when I look for alternatives and try and help him sift through his options? This is the kind of stuff I've been struggling with lately, along with my son's obvious ambivalence about his situation. He's had a hard time weighing the options and making decisions about next year and the whole thing has been very stressful, most especially for him.

One option we'd hoped to have was enrolling him in PCC's Gateway to College program which is a dual credit program allowing kids to earn their high school diplomas taking college classes. Brilliant. The program focuses heavily on academic readiness and support so kids who haven't been terribly successful in school get what they need to do well. It's a great program and sadly, not available to us due to the school district in which we live.

As it turns out, Gateway isn't the only dual credit program out there and we began to look into the Early College Academy run through a statewide charter school. In the lower grades, it's an online curriculum not unlike Oregon Connections Academy which was a disaster for my kids. But the early college program, like Gateway, allows kids to earn simultaneous high school and college credit. With a little planning, my boy could have both his high school diploma and an associate's degree by the time he's 20. And the college tuition? Free. Early College Academy doesn't have the built in support piece in quite the same way, but they tell me that he will have a counselor who will meet with him as necessary to help him develop his organizational skills and help him plan and meet his goals. He feels like this is enough and is ready to make the switch.

Starting in September he'll be taking two classes at Portland Community College and his load will increase after that if things go well. He'll have a little breathing room and hopefully the ability to refocus on his goals. Plus, at PCC he can take classes like this, so he's pretty excited and so are his parents.

Next up: figuring out what to do with MonkeyBoy who has lost all interest in high school for next year. I'll keep you posted.....

Aaarrrgh!!!

One of the things I hate more than anything is standardized testing. The state of Oregon loves to put my students through a few horrific rounds of this every year. The tests have always been way too challenging for my students but at least we used to test on paper and I'd work one on one with students to elicit spoken responses which allowed me to be as gentle and encouraging as possible with them.

But no more. Now all these tests are computerized. My students have very little computer experience so doesn't it make perfect sense to test them using an unfamiliar medium? Why, keeping them confused and anxious is certain to elicit their best responses, right? But it gets worse. Tonight as I gave my students their annual English Language Proficiency Assessment (the dreaded ELPA) one after another got trapped by error messages, forcing us to log them in repeatedly, move them from one computer to another, and interrupting any possible semblance of concentration they might have had. I keep trying to explain that it's not their fault and they've done nothing wrong but how am I supposed to convey that in, say, in Burmese?

Why do we do this again? I think I'm supposed to be proving something, but I'm not sure what. The test is way too difficult for my students, I've lost an entire day of instruction, and subjected my students no end of frustration and doubt. But thank God we're in compliance with the state.

This is not looking good.

Apart from a little election night giddiness during which I pretty much decided to suspend disbelief, I've always expressed some hesitation in wholeheartedly supporting Obama here on this blog. I've watched as he's made his cabinet picks many of whom are recycled Clintonistas if not actual Clintons. Change? I don't think so.

Some of the possible appointees being considered are baffling to me. My friend Liz has written about the proposed nominees for Secretary of Agriculture here and does a great job of explaining why the position is so important and how to speak up in support of people who could have a huge, positive impact on national food policy.

Today I read that Obama is considering Joel Klein as Secretary of Education. Klein's background is in law, not education. He's been neither a teacher nor an administrator.

As Greg Palast points out in his excellent post on this topic,

Klein is as qualified to run the Department of Education as Dick Cheney is to dance in Swan Lake.

He was appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomboerg to run the NYC schools in the hopes that Kelin could rung the schools like a business. Half the kids in NYC have failed to graduate high school under his watch, test scores have flatlined (or worse since he's been accused of monkeying around with the numbers) , and he's wasted millions of dollars on consultants with no real positive outcome. Basically Klein has been a disaster for the New York City schools.

Didn't we vote for change? Why in the world is Obama considering for Secretary of Education a man who pretty much embodies everything that is wrong with Bush's education policies? All I can figure is he doesn't want to look like he's beholden to the teachers unions. Except, damn it, he is. Every teacher I know worked to get Obama elected because we wanted a change from the drudgery and failure that came with NCLB.

I am so angry about this as teacher, as a parent of a school aged child, and as a taxpayer. I am desperately hoping Obama will live up to his promise and appoint someone with a real record of success and a broad knowledge of education to this post and start to undo the damage the the Bush administration has done to our children. Image via Wikipedia

My suggestion? How about someone like Jonathan Kozol, a widely respected educator with decades of experience, in-depth knowledge, and a genuine heartfelt passion for teaching? That's the kind of change I want to see.

Again with the Election

Those of you reading this in Oregon should have your ballots in hand by now and, if not, it's only a matter of days. I wrote here recently about the problems I see in ballot measures 58 and 60 but there's one more thing I wanted to share with you.

Those of you in the Portland metro area will also have an opportunity to vote for PCC Bond Measure 26-95 and I would very strongly encourage you to vote yes. Full disclosure for any readers who don't already know: I am a longtime employee of Portland Community College. However this bond has nothing to do with my job (which won't be affected regardless of the vote) and everything to do with improving access to education for all PCC students.

PCC's enrollment has grown nearly 20% in recent years to the point that it is now the largest post-secondary institution i, serving 86,000 students annually which is more than all seven of Oregon's public universities combined. Two-thirds of household in the district have members who've taken classes at PCC and the number will only grow as university tuition skyrockets. PCC offers an affordable way for people to train for new careers, take up new hobbies, earn a GED, study English, and earn transfer credits. Without PCC, a lot of would-be students would be, quite simply, left behind.

The problem is that with its growing popularity, many classes are jam-packed and students are stuck on waiting lists which slows their academic progress. Classroom space is at a premium, we have outdated equipment and technology, and some of our facilities are due for safety upgrades.

If the bond passes, PCC will have much more to offer all of its students. My campus has always gotten short shrift, so the possibility of adding of a library, science labs, and new career training facilities is very exciting, but all the campuses would benefit. One of the most crucial benefits would be funding to add or expand child care facilities on most campuses. Given how many of my female students drop out due to child care issues, this is huge.

I realize that no one has extra money to throw around these days but this is really an investment in the future of our city for just a few dollars each month. I encourage those of you here in Portland to research the bond further here and here and I hope that you'll agree with me that a yes vote makes sense in so many ways.

I'm Magpie Ima and I approved this ad. Thank you.

While I'm At It

Yesterday I shared with you my feelings about the problems inherent in "merit based" teacher pay. Today I'd like to talk a bit about Measure 58, another Bill Sizemore gem.

The Oregonian explains:

Measure 58, one of five measures on the November ballot authored by Bill Sizemore, would prohibit schools from teaching English learners in their native language after one year in elementary school or two years in high school.

There are numerous problems with this proposal, not the least of which is Sizemore's familiar attempt to restrict teachers' and schools' flexibility to do what's best for children.

Ideally we'd be offering all LEP (Limited English Proficient) instruction in their first languages along with English language classes, allowing them to grasp core content information at roughly the same pace as their native English speaking peers. Research shows that students who develop their first languages fully, including reading and writing, are better able to fully develop their second language skills. Those whose first language literacy skills stop developing around the time they enter school are less likely to thrive academically.

Unfortunately we don't have teachers qualified to teach in all 40+ languages found in Oregon's schools so pure bilingual education can't be offered equitably. Instead most school use some form of "sheltered instruction" to make content comprehensible to LEP students, my program included. More and more we are expected to focus less on straight English and incorporate content areas like math, social studies, science, and more.

Mainstreaming in English-only classrooms works for some LEP students and is a total failure for others. That's why there are alternatives like my program. Measure 58 would limit students' access to programs like ours and reduce our ability to meet each student's needs, artificially forcing them to perform according to a predetermined timetable. Because each student is an individual, teachers ad school districts need the freedom to teach each student in the way that works best. This is a difficult enough goal to achieve in the public schools. Measure 58 would make it even more so.

Merit Pay for Teachers?

I spent some time this morning listening to our local public radio station's call in program. The topic was upcoming Ballot Measure 60 which seeks to eliminate seniority-based pay for teachers and instead base teacher pay on classroom performance. Here in Oregon we've already defeated a similar measure but good old Bill Sizemore just won't give up in his fight against the greedy, incompetent teachers bringing down the public schools.

As one of those teachers, I have no problem with accountability. I don't get to make it up as I go along (though some nights it sure feels like that). I need to follow the standards set by our state department of education. But let's be clear. When they talk about basing my pay on "classroom performance", there won't be thoughtful, individualized, ongoing assessment. They're talking about standardized testing which works out to a brief snapshot of how a student takes a test on a given day.

My students are not exactly what every public school teacher dreams of. They are almost exclusively poor, most have little formal education, and, oh yeah, they don't speak English. Many of them are not only supporting themselves, but sending money back home as well. These young people have little in common with the overachieving students in affluent schools and they work a whole lot harder. With all the demands on their time and attention they aren't usually academic superstars. Their progress is often so slow it's all but invisible to anyone but the teacher who spends 3 hours a night with them. And has done so for the last 12 years. It's not going to show on some stupid test written by some overpaid educrat in an office somewhere.

The problem with merit pay is that it will reinforce much of what's already wrong in the public schools. Those teachers in more affluent neighbors whose students come from well-educated families always show better test results. They'll get the bonuses based on a lot of factors that have nothing whatsoever to so with their teaching. Meanwhile the teachers who work with the less advantaged students will rarely see the kinds of test scores that will earn bonuses, thus punishing them for factors that have nothing to do with their teaching. And the gap between "good" schools and struggling schools widens.

I started a new term last night with a lovely group of eager, delightful students. This term is notable in our program because the administration has decided that our English program will now include 2 hours a week of math. That's right, I am now teaching math. Never mind that apart form working with my homeschooled children I have no experience teaching math whatsoever. Never mind that I have no training in teaching math whatsoever. This is the order that came down and I am expected to fumble along and do my best. Orders from on high are not that unusual and, given that I have no training and no support, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be earning any merit-based bonuses for my teaching this year no matter how much extra time and effort I put in trying to figure out how to teach math to ESL students.

I'm most definitely not in this for the money but I also don't think I should be punished for the type of students I work with and for the decisions of my superiors. I hope those of you reading this in Oregon will take a look at Measure 60 and then vote against it.

My New Hero

I just learned about Doug Ward through a local homeschooling list. He's just been suspended for refusing to give his special ed students a standardized test they have no chance of passing.

Having been in the position of being forced to give inappropriate standardized test to students I completely understand his reluctance to participate or subject his students to the ordeal. I've been forced to give kids with a 1st grade English reading level 10th grade tests. Why? Because our program's funding is dependent on compliance with the NCLB regulations. I'm told our results don't matter and that I should tell my students "it doesn't matter". They get to feel incompetent and be told I'm wasting their time. What a deal!

This high stakes testing nonsense absolutely burns me up. So kudos to you, Doug Ward, for standing up for your students.

Blog Against Sexism Day

In honor of International Women's Day it's also Blog Against Sexism Day and I thought I'd add my voice to the mix.

My recent Barbie musings, my attempts to raise a strong daughter and fair-minded sons--this is how I've thought of my feminism in recent years. But the following factoid from Care.org got me thinking:

Of 876 MILLION illiterate adults in the developing world, two-thirds are women.

Since I started teaching English as a second language, the vast majority of my students have been male. But I do get female students, perhaps one or two for every ten males. Many of them do, indeed, have tremendous literacy challenges. Many of them work outside the home, most cook and keep house for their families, and still they find the time to come to school, to study, to dream of the stability and security they never knew in their countries of birth. They know that education is the key to these dreams and I try to instill in them that it is also the key to their independence and power.

I've seen many of these strong young women over the years, their eyes bright with the excitement of grasping a new idea, of beginning to communicate and express themselves in their new language. Yasmin from Somalia has been one of the most memorable of these students. I had her sister in my class before I met her. Her sister was brilliant, a very quick learner, outgoing, and full of self confidence. Yasmin came to my class a few months later, so different from her sister. She was quiet and struggled persistently with learning English. Nothing came easily to her and there were no other Somali students in the class to help her out. She worked so hard and it broke my heart when she failed the final exam in December. Nonetheless she generously offered to decorate my hands, not holding it against me in the least that she had to repeat. I really felt I'd failed her and spent a lot of time thinking about how I could make things work for her in the coming term.

It's like night and day now. There's another Somali girl in the class along with a young woman from Ethiopia. They speak different languages, but having this female African presence in the class has changed things. They're an outgoing bunch all draped in colorful veils. They lend each other support and it brings me such pleasure to see them tucked in at their table, front and center in my classroom. They're all doing well, but Yasmin has really taken off and it's clear that she's taking great pride in beginning to grasp her new language. I'd begun to have such high hopes for her future.

A couple of weeks ago she announced to me, beaming like the moon, that she's pregnant. Of course I tried to express happiness for her but I knew what this meant for her education. The odds of her continuing on in school are slim. The odds of her mastering English are similarly slim. All her hard work, all her progress may fall by the wayside as she tends to her new baby and those that will surely come after. Her husband will learn his way around in English and she will be dependent on him for information, for money, for everything. I know it's wrong to apply my American values to people with other beliefs but it does sadden me that she'll have no more independence here than she had in Somalia. There is safety and material comfort which must mean a great deal to her, but I imagine her life as a woman will not be significantly different than if she hadn't come to the United States and I can't help but feel that's a shame.