“Teacher Turnover: How Long Will They Stay”

Seeing as we are all either on our quest to becoming a teacher or already are teachers, I found this article to be relevant and very interesting. It seems as though the profession of teaching has an extremely high attrition rate, meaning that many leave the profession after only a short while in the teaching field.

The article is mainly statistics gathered from a survey of the Prince George school system in Washington. Over 4,000 teachers participated in this survey; the questions in the survey pertained to how teachers felt about their jobs and how satisfied they were in their particular school.

To my surprise, these teachers did not seem very satisfied with their job at all. One of the most shocking statistics I came across stated that:

“66.6% [of teachers in the Prince George’s School system]– Agreed with the statement, “If I could get a higher-paying job, I’d leave teaching as soon as possible.”

It’s simply shocking to me that 2/3 of teachers seem so indifferent about teaching that they would just leave it at a whim. To me it’s simple: I’m obviously not going into teaching for the money, I am going into this profession because it is something that I would truly love doing. I think that when you are not passionate about your profession, it carries over and shows in everything you do. More than any other profession, it is almost necessary for teachers to be passionate about their work because there are hundreds of impressionable lives literally in the palm of your hands.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2008/11/30/AR2008113001927.html?nav=rss_education

“New high school graduation requirements in action”

“Extra help? It’s available before, during or after school. Homework question? Try the teacher’s online hotline. Borderline grades? Mandatory math club awaits. And when all else fails, including the student, school districts are offering second chances through summer school and online courses”.

It is great to see that schools are truly doing everything they help to help struggling students keep pace with their coursework. The reason for all the needed help is due to the fact that Michigan has raised their expectations of high school coursework and has changed high school graduation requirements.

Now “ every student [is]required to complete four years of math and English, including algebra, geometry and algebra II, and three each of science and social studies, one failed class can derail graduation”. The content of those required courses have also become harder because of Michigan’s new content expectations—something we may have learned as juniors and seniors are now being taught to freshmen in high school.

The main reason for all the changes being made are due to state officials believing in students needing “more rigorous high school work in order to succeed in postsecondary education, leading to higher earning potential and a better-educated Michigan workforce.”

The main problem with the new high school requirements is that many students just can’t keep up, despite all the extra help that is being offered. Some students feel as though they were not adequately prepared in middle school for the shift to an extremely rigorous coursework load, others just think it’s too much work, too little time. Because of these issues, some schools are either “adding time to the school day or shifting to a trimester schedule” so that students will have more class time with teachers and hopefully keep up with their work.

I think the new graduation requirements are a bit tough on most students. Under the new high school requirements, a senior student can do well in every class up until senior year, fail one math class and not be able to graduate. The concept seems a bit harsh to me. I’m all for pushing and motivating students to work hard, and expect a lot out of them, but when one class can determine your entire life in high school, then there’s something wrong with that! I think Michigan should raise the bar on high school graduation requirements, but I do believe that there are limits and reasonable expectations that should be considered as well.

http://www.educationreport.org/pubs/mer/article.aspx?id=9457

“How to stop bullying in our schools”

Dr. Jack Grenan, a former high school principal, assistant school principal, high school and middle school teacher, college professor and psychologist developed a classroom policy that aims at stopping bullying from taking place in schools.  His approach can be carried out by teachers with a simple 6-step procedure.

First, having a sign on the door stating bullies are not welcome, or something to that effect to get students attention from the start. Second, this former teacher explained to students that

“as a child, I could not do much to stop bullying, but that as a teacher, ‘I am in charge and will NOT accept bullying!’ “.

Dr. Grenan then asks students to think of a time when they were younger and were bullied or teases, and recall how they felt at that time. He explains that almost all students can recall an experience, and some are even willing to share their personal story. He then reinforces the fact that most everyone has been bullied at one point or another, and can relate to the pain that is felt when they are bullied, ie: wanting to cry, run away or stop going to school because of the bullying. Dr. Grenan then asks students a simple question: “If you know how badly a person who is bullied feels, then why would you do this to another student?” Finally, he explains to students that anyone who intentionally hurts another person’s feelings is acting like a bully and that sort of behavior is not tolerated. He also states that is someone is acting like a bully, then they are most likely insecure about something in their own life, and offers to get them help.

Dr. Grenan explains that his method is a more hands-on approach to stop bullying. Throughout the year, his students became more sensitive to teasing and were able to better communicate with one another when issues of bullying arose. He also claims that his method allows parents or teachers a way to assist both victims and predators in bullying situations.

I think this method would work well for younger students who are being bullied or bullying other students. However, I do not think this method would work well for older students. Some high school students are so completely selfish and in their own world that no matter what method a teacher tries, they will still continue to bully other students.

I think that being bullied can cause traumatic experiences for the person who is being bullied. As a result of being bullied, students can develop low self-esteem, inflict pain on themselves, or in extreme cases even try to commit suicide. As a teacher, I would hate for any of my students to be a victim of bullying, for that reason I believe that I would have to do whatever is in my power to stop bullying before it starts.

http://www.educationreport.org/pubs/mer/article.aspx?id=9683

“Panel OK’s new special education rules”

Earlier this year, questions of whether or not new special education rules would pass legislation. Objection to the new rules were mainly made by parents of special education students, rather than education department officials. Much of the disagreements were concerning children with severe cognitive or severe multiple disability disorders:

In the past, children in those programs were automatically guaranteed an extended school year. Federal rules, and Michigan’s new rules, now say that decisions on offering extended year services must be made on an individual basis by the child’s education planning team.

Instead of a 230 day schedule, students are now offered a 200 day schedule. Some parents seem to think that by lessening the number of days in scheduling, students are being denied services that are needed.

Another issue parents were concerned about was the “severe discrepancy” process that was formally used to identify students with learning disabilities.

Students were identified as learning disabled was to determine if there was a “severe discrepancy” between their ability, as determined by testing, and their actual achievement. Students with a large discrepancy were often referred to special education. However, critics said that model often misidentified children as needing special education when the real reason for the achievement lag was poor instruction.

Michigan’s new rules do not allow schools to solely rely on the “severe discrepancy” process to identify students with learning disabilities, and that scientific, research-based methods must be used. The “severe discrepancy” process can still be used, however only as a “safety net” to classify students into the special education category.

To me, it seems as though many of the issues parents were having was simply based on the language of the rules as written in the standards. Many of the standards were not directly stated in the Michigan’s special education rules; however those are in federal regulations. Clarifying some of those issues and federal regulations in Michigan special education rules would probably result in less confusion and unnecessary arguments between parents of special education students and the special education panel.

http://www.educationreport.org/pubs/mer/article.aspx?id=9739

“A Plan to Cut the High School Dropout Rate”

New Jersey Governor, Jon S. Corzine, has setup a yearlong plan to increase high school graduation rates. The idea of the plan is to keep students in school, as well as off the streets where activity could lead to violence.

The Governor stated that:

“the aim is to ensure that kids are headed in the right direction and not falling into the trap of a life of crime. Staying in school is one of our best crime prevention tools, and it requires the collaborative efforts of all of us to make it happen.”

This campaign is part of a nationwide effort to reduce high school dropout rates. Although New Jersey has one of the lowest dropout rates of the nation, attempts to keep students in school are still necessary. As the article stated, high school dropouts are more than likely to become an inconvenience on society, and are more often than not likely to end up in jail, on welfare, or without heal insurance.

“According to the group’s research, dropouts from the class of 2007 will cost the nation more than $320 billion in lost wages, taxes and productivity over their lifetime”.

Different strategies will be used in order to aid in decreasing high school dropout rates. One strategy is to reduce truancies by providing support programs. After school programs will also be in place promote educational and school-related activities. The campaign also aims to promote stronger family ties, seeing as family support is viewed as a key to student success.

I think this is a great step to increasing student graduation rates. This type of program is especially needed in areas where student gang involvement is high. This program encourages students to stay in school and off the streets. I believe that community support and involvement would also encourage students to stay in school; it will give students the impression that something bigger than themselves- the whole community- is rooting for them. Encouragement and motivation seems to be a great solution to any problem!

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/nyregion/new-jersey/26educnj.html

“Districts look for ways to meet special ed HQT standards”

Currently, Michigan is in the process of reassessing the qualifications for teachers of special education. The U.S Department of Education found that about half of the core classes offered to special education students was offered by non-highly qualified teachers.

Initially, Michigan had reported that 99% of all core classes were instructed by highly qualified teachers. However, the U.S Department of Education later found that a portion of the teachers who taught special education courses did not meet those standards.

“The state was required to conduct a recount after the federal department learned that Michigan considered special education high school teachers “highly qualified” if they had passed an elementary-level content examination. That’s not enough to demonstrate their knowledge of the subjects they teach, federal officials said. Michigan now has until June 2009 to comply with federal standards or face potential loss of funding through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act”.

The heart of the issue lies within teachers at the high school level. Of the districts affected, 46.5% of teachers were not considered highly qualified. I found this to be rather upsetting. How is it that we want our students to learn, if the people who are supposedly teaching them are not even qualified to do so? As a prospective teacher of English, I find this matter to be very disheartening. I am glad however that Michigan has until June to clean up their act!

http://www.educationreport.org/pubs/mer/article.aspx?id=9758

“Parent Satisfaction Higher in Private Schools”

A survey taken of the 2006-2007 school year found that

82 percent of parents whose children attended a private, nonreligious school and 81 percent whose children attended a private religious school described themselves as “very satisfied” with their schools, compared to 55 percent of parents whose children attend an assigned public school and 63 percent of those whose children attend a public school of their choice.

This finding shows that parents are more satisfied with private school over public schools and more satisfied when their child attends the public school of their choice.

The survey is based upon telephone interviews with parents regarding various topics, such as parental involvement, communication and satisfaction with teachers, and discipline. The survey also found that parents are more satisfied with smaller schools, probably because the smaller the school, the more likely their child is to receive direct or immediate attention. Smaller schools tend to provide a better community atmosphere for students.

According to the study, parent dissatisfaction grows as the child does. Parents of younger children are more satisfied then parents of older children. For example, parents are more satisfied with their child’s school in middle school, rather than high school. Gender does not seem to be an issue concerning parent satisfaction, however race is. Parents of black students are typically less satisfied than parents of white or Hispanic students.

I choose to include this article because I feel that it is very important to get a sense of what parents’ impression about the school their child attends. If parents are more satisfied sending their children to private school it is important to know why. It is also important to questions why parents of white and Hispanic students are more satisfied than black parents. Being aware of surveys like this can help teachers understand parents’ expectations of the school their child attends, and improve their methods accordingly.

http://www.educationreport.org/pubs/mer/article.aspx?id=9813