What a tumultuous week.... a week ago I was relatively calmly teaching the last couple of days of school, hanging in there with the 8th graders who had just experienced their first formal dance and were impatiently waiting to move on to high school. Then the last day of school, I was presented with a piece of paper by a man in a suit from Human Resources, who calmly stated that my position was being cut, and that after July 1st I could collect unemployment, and my benefits would end at the end of August. The principal got me coverage for the afternoon classes, and I headed home to research my options.
Those options included retiring since I am 62, and have enough years in the district to collect a pension. However, there are some steep pitfalls to retirement as I've found out. First off, it's scary letting go of the person you've been for many years. Teachers tend to say "I'm a teacher" like that defines their role in life, even though they are a parent, sibling, child, spouse, etc., their job seems to define them more. So letting go of who you are and trying to define a new you without what has consumed your life for decades is scary. I found myself putting in job apps for more teaching jobs, or trying to figure out how to volunteer in schools, or develop my own business around what I've created over the years.
The second pitfall was the "benefits" which were not an option of my contract. This option was removed for several reasons, the first being that I was in a district that has been whittling away at our contracts with each negotiation. Because I came back a month and a half into the new contract, and because I took a leave of absence to pursue my own professional growth which brought me back to the district only 6 years ago, benefits would not be offered to me. Therefore, I began the journey through tons of medical companies trying to sell me their "cheap" policies. Of course they were cheap -- one of them only paid $10 for each doctor visit... what normally is considered your co-pay! And because my husband and I, being the ages we are, have "pre-existing conditions" some of the more reasonable companies could reject us. The "silver lining" was that come January 1st when Obama care kicks in, they could no longer reject us. However, one doubts that politicians ever create silver linings for us middle class folks, so it sounds suspicious.
The third pitfall was the limitations the pension and Social Security would put on my earnings at this time. With the pension, I could only make a certain amount of money working in public schools or the university system in the state. I could work at private schools, or on my own, but then Social Security would limit that as well. Social security would at least add any money I made above my small pittance back into the pot for when I turned 66. So I would have to juggle my finances carefully and live simply. That part didn't bother me, particularly if I was able to do something I loved.
So with all these pitfalls, when I received a phone call from HR that I was being "recalled" only a week later, I had very mixed feelings. I had already worked through all the paperwork for retirement, and was working on what that might look like. If they had asked me to take a position in another field, I would have gone on with the retirement. However, since I was already looking at jobs elsewhere in my field (the one that I spent so many years getting and recently achieving a doctorate in), and they offered my old position back to me, I had some real thinking to do.
As I thought through my decisions and the path of the last week, I realized that I was still looking for jobs in my field. In other words my "heart" was still in the classroom teaching technology. So if I had that chance, and the chance to return to a place where I was needed and used to, then I should do it. It also makes my pitfalls lessen with each year that I can continue. So even though when the riff first happened I felt that I was handed the chance to retire and should grab it, it was't given to me on a silver platter. It was given on a broken platter, and at least returning to the classroom will get me a complete platter, but it will never be a silver one ---- because I'm a "teacher".
June 11, 2013
The myth of tenure..... is hurting students
Tenure... that word that supposedly protects teachers... the one that everyone claims keeps bad teachers in the classroom, was proven wrong today, especially in my district. You see, I got riff'd today! Yep... and I have tenure and many years of experience.... so if the myth is true, then it should have protected me. Even recently getting my doctorate so I'm current in my field (Computer Science), and winning a Curriculum Award from the district, and getting runner-up for best paper at a state conference, and presenting at a National conference in my field didn't protect me. Being in Computer Science seems to be a detriment in this district, as many of the first to be let go were Computer Science teachers with tenure. That's extremely sad for our students. You see, we are a district that has lots of BRAC potential, touted that our county would grow with the influx of high tech positions, and it is predicted that our students will have good chances of employment in that field in this district in the next 10 years. But if they don't have Computer teachers, how are they going to learn the skills needed for those positions?
So if those in my field and my district feel that I am sharp enough to win those awards, why didn't they keep me? It all comes down to money.... our county executive cut his portion of paying for public education in the district, and the district has to rearrange its budget. I haven't a clue about how they decided, but they are "cutting programs" and our program is the first to go. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that our Chief Information Officer has not supported our programs for the last several years. Maybe it has something to do with the perception that kids are born with technology skills (they may be, but they haven't a clue how to make them "work" for them rather than be a toy). Someone needs to teach them how to adapt those programs to what they are learning in the classroom.
Maybe it has something to do with the new Common Core Standards that supposedly have a STEM base to them, yet don't mention computer skills anywhere in the standards. They focus on Engineering, Mathematics, and Science, yet when professional development is offered, the technology piece (in particular careers in Computer Science like database administration, technical support, network engineers, software engineers, programmers, are never mentioned as possible careers for kids in STEM).
So what's my next step? Not sure at this point... I'll be exploring how I can use that newly acquired doctorate, trying my hand with writing again this summer, and exploring what retirement might look like.... hopefully I'll find a window of opportunity ... and soar through it.. although it won't be one that promises "tenure".
So if those in my field and my district feel that I am sharp enough to win those awards, why didn't they keep me? It all comes down to money.... our county executive cut his portion of paying for public education in the district, and the district has to rearrange its budget. I haven't a clue about how they decided, but they are "cutting programs" and our program is the first to go. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that our Chief Information Officer has not supported our programs for the last several years. Maybe it has something to do with the perception that kids are born with technology skills (they may be, but they haven't a clue how to make them "work" for them rather than be a toy). Someone needs to teach them how to adapt those programs to what they are learning in the classroom.
Maybe it has something to do with the new Common Core Standards that supposedly have a STEM base to them, yet don't mention computer skills anywhere in the standards. They focus on Engineering, Mathematics, and Science, yet when professional development is offered, the technology piece (in particular careers in Computer Science like database administration, technical support, network engineers, software engineers, programmers, are never mentioned as possible careers for kids in STEM).
So what's my next step? Not sure at this point... I'll be exploring how I can use that newly acquired doctorate, trying my hand with writing again this summer, and exploring what retirement might look like.... hopefully I'll find a window of opportunity ... and soar through it.. although it won't be one that promises "tenure".
May 26, 2013
More paradigm shifts... in 2013... from Common Core to teacher evaluations..
As time marches on, so do federal and state mandates that effect every teacher and student in this country and beyond. From a severe bashing of teachers from politicians who blame teachers for US students being behind international ones, to the development of Common Core Standards, and the support of Universal Design for Learning, teaching is still on the cusp of a monumental change. While I agree that change can be good, and since education has NOT changed in a century, being based on the factory model of learning, too much change can be overwhelming. And the fact that this change is mandated by politicians who have no clue what education is really about, or the developmental level of the child, makes this a scary time for many teachers.
While I'm an older teacher, having close to 40 years in the educational field, I applaud some of these changes, even though it goes against my colleagues and administrators. Yet, other parts I really hate because we seem to have taken childhood out of the equation, and treat our students as test scores. When the standardized testing became the norm in the early 1990's, I moaned as the test creators expected my 10 year-olds to balance the Federal budget and write a preamble to a constitution all in one morning. This was one of the first renditions of the test, and the rewrites 10 years later became much more reasonable and doable, yet I still tremble when I watch my 8th graders today undertake 10 hours of testing in Reading, Math, and Science. Are we truly preparing them for taking the SAT four years' later, just by making them endure the testing seat time?
While I abhor what the testing movement is doing to our kids, taking away from the fun and JOY of learning just to be a number on a piece of paper, I also applauded the changes the testing movement has pushed. I watched the development of the Common Core with a measure of joy, thinking that finally K-12 could be on a common field that will further encourage the development of online learning, which is my passion. While I think we are on the right track towards that passion because the common core and standardized testing have fine tuned and outlined what needs to be taught so that instructional designers can now develop online materials that can be adapted for public educators to use for students to progress at their own pace. That has been my passion... individualized learning..... Yet... The common core have been developed and are being shoved down teacher's throats BEFORE being tested, norm referenced, or other wise researched. The newly developed researcher in me ( I just recently completed my Ph.d.) screams in pain.....
The same researcher also screams in pain at the speed at which teacher evaluations are changing. Again, I've felt for years that teacher evaluations needed to be changed because the scoring of teachers for years as either Unsatisfactory, Causing Concern, or Satisfactory, has left much to be desired from the teacher's point of view. It always felt so punitive that administrators could take one incident that happened in one 45 minute lesson while they were there, and make a judgement on your total teaching career from that one comment or action. It didn't take into account all the other 179 days you taught successfully, if you made one mistake in that one lesson, you were put on a plan of action, which included a ton of extra work, which in turn took away from the energy you were giving to your students (where it belonged).
When I took a hiatus from my district and spent time in a Teacher Education Department in a College in Colorado, I was heartened to realize that they had figured out that successful teachers had to have 186 skills, and they developed a database to score those skills for their prospective teachers. If only that could be developed for classroom teachers and administrators to give a more realistic evaluation! Well, Charlotte Danielson did just that with her Framework. And since the Feds have opened the teacher evaluation can of worms by requiring systems to change their evaluation system in order to get their piece of the Race to the Top funding, systems have quickly grabbed onto whatever they could get their hands on ! Most seem to have grabbed onto Danielson's framework, even though it was just a theory when she proposed it. Now corporations and research entities have jumped on her bandwagon, developing tools to measure her framework of teaching skills. And while this process may eventually make teacher evaluations a little more fair, again it is being utilized before being tested and researched thoroughly... all because politicians want what they want, when they want it (sounds like spoiled brats, don't they?).... I suppose it's all because these politicians have a limited 4 year term and want to be able to point to the changes they've made during their time frame... but come on.. what right do they have to tell educators how to do their job? Why don't they tell Wall street how to do their job? or Banks?
I'm just glad I participated in the pilot program for teacher evaluations in my district. Now I won't be panicking along with the other thousands of educators who will be faced with the new evaluations, and new standards in the next year. I suspect an unprecedented number of retirees are leaving this year... If I could afford it, I might too.... but naw.... I want to stick around to see all these changes develop and make education better 5 years from now... hanging on for wild ride into my educational sunset....
While I'm an older teacher, having close to 40 years in the educational field, I applaud some of these changes, even though it goes against my colleagues and administrators. Yet, other parts I really hate because we seem to have taken childhood out of the equation, and treat our students as test scores. When the standardized testing became the norm in the early 1990's, I moaned as the test creators expected my 10 year-olds to balance the Federal budget and write a preamble to a constitution all in one morning. This was one of the first renditions of the test, and the rewrites 10 years later became much more reasonable and doable, yet I still tremble when I watch my 8th graders today undertake 10 hours of testing in Reading, Math, and Science. Are we truly preparing them for taking the SAT four years' later, just by making them endure the testing seat time?
While I abhor what the testing movement is doing to our kids, taking away from the fun and JOY of learning just to be a number on a piece of paper, I also applauded the changes the testing movement has pushed. I watched the development of the Common Core with a measure of joy, thinking that finally K-12 could be on a common field that will further encourage the development of online learning, which is my passion. While I think we are on the right track towards that passion because the common core and standardized testing have fine tuned and outlined what needs to be taught so that instructional designers can now develop online materials that can be adapted for public educators to use for students to progress at their own pace. That has been my passion... individualized learning..... Yet... The common core have been developed and are being shoved down teacher's throats BEFORE being tested, norm referenced, or other wise researched. The newly developed researcher in me ( I just recently completed my Ph.d.) screams in pain.....
The same researcher also screams in pain at the speed at which teacher evaluations are changing. Again, I've felt for years that teacher evaluations needed to be changed because the scoring of teachers for years as either Unsatisfactory, Causing Concern, or Satisfactory, has left much to be desired from the teacher's point of view. It always felt so punitive that administrators could take one incident that happened in one 45 minute lesson while they were there, and make a judgement on your total teaching career from that one comment or action. It didn't take into account all the other 179 days you taught successfully, if you made one mistake in that one lesson, you were put on a plan of action, which included a ton of extra work, which in turn took away from the energy you were giving to your students (where it belonged).
When I took a hiatus from my district and spent time in a Teacher Education Department in a College in Colorado, I was heartened to realize that they had figured out that successful teachers had to have 186 skills, and they developed a database to score those skills for their prospective teachers. If only that could be developed for classroom teachers and administrators to give a more realistic evaluation! Well, Charlotte Danielson did just that with her Framework. And since the Feds have opened the teacher evaluation can of worms by requiring systems to change their evaluation system in order to get their piece of the Race to the Top funding, systems have quickly grabbed onto whatever they could get their hands on ! Most seem to have grabbed onto Danielson's framework, even though it was just a theory when she proposed it. Now corporations and research entities have jumped on her bandwagon, developing tools to measure her framework of teaching skills. And while this process may eventually make teacher evaluations a little more fair, again it is being utilized before being tested and researched thoroughly... all because politicians want what they want, when they want it (sounds like spoiled brats, don't they?).... I suppose it's all because these politicians have a limited 4 year term and want to be able to point to the changes they've made during their time frame... but come on.. what right do they have to tell educators how to do their job? Why don't they tell Wall street how to do their job? or Banks?
I'm just glad I participated in the pilot program for teacher evaluations in my district. Now I won't be panicking along with the other thousands of educators who will be faced with the new evaluations, and new standards in the next year. I suspect an unprecedented number of retirees are leaving this year... If I could afford it, I might too.... but naw.... I want to stick around to see all these changes develop and make education better 5 years from now... hanging on for wild ride into my educational sunset....
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