So will a concerted effort to explain professional learning communities smooth over complaints that many parents have over the new bell schedules?
As noted in today's article, that's the hope of school board members, teachers and administrators who supported dismissing schools one hour early every Wednesday and increasing the number of early release days.
"Once the community knows what it wlll be used for they’ll be able to buy into it with a better heart," said school board member Patti Head.
Three teachers who served on the 40-member time committee that recommended the changes stressed that they had a broad range of membership in the group, including parents.
“Any time you have change you have challenges," said Zora Felton, a Leesville Road High science teacher and member of the time committee. "Changes that are important will meet those challenges."
In theory, this is how things will work on Wednesdays.
During the weekly one-hour early dismissals, teachers will meet in professional learning communities.
On those six Wednesdays when classes get out 2 1/2 hours early for early release, teachers will meet for staff development.
On more than a few occasions Tuesday, board members questioned staff why they couldn't move the early dismissals or at least the six early release days to Friday. That's something that a lot of parents asked about as a compromise for getting the new schedule.
Chief Academic Officer Donna Hargens said the teachers and principals on the time committee strongly felt that Fridays wouldn't be desirable. They persuaded the parents on the committee to back them.
Supt. Del Burns said they need to remember that the purpose of the PLC time is "adult learning." He thought that teachers would be better able to do the sessions earlier in the week.
Board member Beverley Clark said they're more likely to get “dynamic discussion” from teachers in the middle of the week. For instance, she said teachers would be more willing to stay later for these sessions in the middle of the week than on a Friday when they want to join their families.
Board member Eleanor Goettee, a retired teacher, added that it would send a wrong message to teachers to have it on Fridays.
Board member Lori Millberg countered about what message it would send to parents holding those days on Wednesdays.
Goettee responded that "you can’t forget the human resources component."
Millberg retorted that "we ask an awful lot from parents.”
Despite the parental complaints, only board member Ron Margiotta voted against the changes.
"The public is not on board with this issue," Margiotta said during the work session. "I feel an obligation to properly represent the public on this issue.”
In the end, the board said they were doing it to help the children.
“It’s the right thing to do for student achievement," Goettee said.
Clark said "we need to help the community connect some of the dots" on why PLCs are so benefical.
UPDATE
Click here for the schedules for each school. Click here for the list of early releaes days.
Comments
You are right and I don't
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 21:30 — dryeraseuserYou are right and I don't blame you what so ever, for handing an empty envelope to your school. Sad, to say, but I would do the same thing. I don't contribute either.
I feel bad for you, and
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 21:07 — rr77rr99NOw, for NCAE, I was greatly
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 21:33 — dryeraseuserNOw, for NCAE, I was greatly and profoundly dissapointed with their role in this. For the Pres. of NCAE to "support " the teachers and make those comments and speaking for us...when we knew nothing about this prior to the publication in the N&O...NCAE has lost a dedicated member. I am no longer going to join, this was it and the straw that broke the camels back...DO NOT say this is something WE want.. when WE were never asked as a WHOLE. I am no longer going to have those dues drafted out of my check anymore after May 31, 2009.
Why is this not being
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 21:58 — rr77rr99Why is this not being picked up by the media then? That this is a "throne of lies"... Ms. Lainne (sp) got up before the board and misrepresented the NCAE teachers that belong to your group? Then, who paid her off to get up there and say you all supported it, and "sold" it to the board?
Seriously, who is doing her bidding? WCPSS administration? Like I said...exactly how they have a strong hold on the PTA's in this County?
Why is no one aware of all of this? Where's the truth? !!!!!
The way I am putting this together in my own head right now is this PLC crap is another one of Del's big ideas and he wanted it backdoored anyway he could. Is that about right?
More lies and decit? Is that it?
Yes, Del and his group of
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 22:16 — dryeraseuserYes, Del and his group of followers are spearheading this. We know that the board(eR) are right behind and with Del. So they know what they are doing.
Del wants this to go on his record. He wants this so he can go off to another convention to accept yet another award for WCPSS and their progressive strategies. While the rest of us are left behind picking up the pieces and just "DEALING" with it.
YOu are so right, I think the media should investigate this. Why they haven't.....its funny...who knows why?
Like another poster said....maybe goodl ole Fox News needs some info on this and maybe Bill O'Rielly could do a little investigative journalism into all of this. The bussing, the PLC, constant reaasignment. I think WCPSS needs some HEAT....and made to sweat a little....the teachers and parents sure have!!!!
Finally - an explanation for
Thu, 04/02/2009 - 16:41 — loriacFinally - an explanation for PLCs that makes sense!
Thanks for the insight.
Amazing
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 22:24 — supportwcpssThis newbie on the blog claims to be a teacher outraged by the system and you accept it as the truth without any questions.
Yet if I a teacher came on in support and questioned your positions you would challenge them to no end.
So, dryer, give us the details of the PLCs
OK, if you would truly
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 22:39 — dryeraseuserOK, if you would truly listen to any teacher and listen to any parent and LISTEN to their concerns, you will see that PLC isn't the ONE and ONLY thing that teachers and parents are exhausted by. IT is the lack of respect given by the board and the admin. at WCPSS. Before you say...anything about our comments here, being negative and not supporting either....YOU HAVE to remember...WE were not asked about most of this. IT was just GIVEN.
Continue your support, there's nothing wrong with it.
Asking again
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 14:13 — JSCWill ALL teachers be involved in PLC's next year? Will our elementary gym teacher be in a PLC -- with whom? He's the only who teaches gym. We have one art teacher, one music teacher, and one Spanish teacher. What about them? Do they just get lumped together, or do they pick a grade to join each week, or are they not even in a PLC? And, on the high school level, is the PLC model really, truly one that will work for them?
Ask your school principal
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 18:38 — shank56Ask your school principal and /or School Improvement Team reps how PLC's are set up at your school. Most likely, these groups will be set up differently given the needs of each school.
In regards to the special teachers and PLCs, (PE, art), they are valuable members of the learning team. (Think skip counting in PE jump rope and health .)
If a school meets expected or high growth under the NC ABC's, ALL certified staff receives the bonuses - even though the testing covers only reading and math 3rd -8th. So bonuses are paid to the art teacher, PE, languages, too. YES, they should be required to particpate as part of the learning team- and I'm sure school leadership will make that happen.
The point of this is getting teachers to collaborate and plan together. This may involve looking at student achievement data - as a grade level, a team, whatever. What they can do better to improve for all kids- high achievers too. What's wrong with that!
It's very hard at the high school level to have common, uninterrupted , planning time - parent conferences, lunch duty, covering for other staff when subs aren't available, meeting with students, etc. After school meetings for PLCs are tough b/c of the myriad of sports, student club meetings , IEP meetings which all require a staff advisor. Early release makes this possible and it should be protected and all staff whould be held accountable for attending. (I know of staff who leave 5 minutes after students are out for Early Release and never attend - and who are never held accountable. This should change.)
A good principal will communicate to the school community (parents, PTA) how these days are being used and what they are doing to make your school better. In the end, you will be pleased.
Sorry for the rambling. I have typed this in 3 different seating this afternoon.
All teachers are supposed to
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 14:35 — KeungHui (author)All teachers are supposed to be participating in PLCs at the same time.
Wow, you sure ask a lot of
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 14:23 — rr77rr99Wow, you sure ask a lot of "dynamic" questions .... do you really think WCPSS owes you answers?
SARCASM SOOOOOOOOOO on!
Professional Learning Communities
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 11:31 — RMC10http://www.teachermagazine.org/tm/articles/2008/07/02/39tln_rigsbee.h19.html
Here is a link to an article in Teacher's Magazine written by 2008 NC Teacher of the Year Cindi Rigsbee (Orange County) and how she was involved as an early adopter of the PLC process. You might get some ideas on where this came into the WCPSS perview as she speaks on this topic at NC District and State meetings, as well as nation wide.
If you Google Cindi Rigsbee or the TLN Magazine, there's a lot of insight over Teachers, Unions, In-service days (where teachers don't go, but use a personal day)...
Again, let me reiterate - at my work these types of team meetings are usually held during bring your own brown bag, or pizza "lunch and learns", and are counted as our lunch hour, and we don't send our staff (kids) home early to accommodate them, and we don't have early releases, and we don't ever get 30 Holidays, 9 early releases + inservice days off.
Why don't teachers join the ranks of other corporate workers - oh wait they have that big Teacher's Union backing them to their Districts.
TEACHERS DID NOT ASK FOR
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 18:12 — dryeraseuserTEACHERS DID NOT ASK FOR THIS.
We didn't even know about it. I informed my friends at my school....about this topic/issue when I read about it HERE on the N&O
WCPSS hasn't sent out ONE...I will say again....NOT ONE email regarding this prior to the approval yesterday!
Nothing like your LEADERS making something up...without YOU KNOWING about it...and then have the "balls" to say "The Teachers wanted......"
NOPE WE DIDN'T
First, NC has no teachers
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 16:16 — jmosterFirst, NC has no teachers union. There is an association that has no collective bargaining - it is merely a name.
Second, teachers don't get paid like corporate workers and get a 30 minute lunch that usually involves work and helping students. Teachers can't go to the bathroom when they want to and can't even leave their campuses.
Shadow a teacher for a day or week and you will understand. Teacher workdays are the only days teachers can take off except for sick days.
I agree with you pretty much
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 17:24 — Chris_HHowever a traditional teacher has holidays plus about 8 weeks over the summer and Year Round teachers have most of trackouts off - more than most folks get in their jobs.
Don't get me wrong teaching is such an admirable career and I admire so many of my kids teachers and you know what most of them seem to understand what stress we parents are under keeping our jobs and trying to do well by our kids. I know your job is hard and I never under estimate what you have to deal with, thanks for being there for my kids when they aren't feeling weel or are down or struggling. You are the best. I have continued to be impressed with so many Wake County teachers but please don't fuss about days off - most people do not get that kind of vacation time.
No...teachers are "jobless"
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 18:14 — dryeraseuserNo...teachers are "jobless" during the months off during the summer.
WE don't get paid...it isn't "VACATION DAYS" that we use. There's no money coming in.
The money I get during the summer is the money I saved up during the year. I am paying for myself
Just wanted to put out that "little " reminder to everyone!
Sorry
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 18:53 — Chris_HUnderstood but hopefully it is downtime - I don't get down time - I have kids in school YR on two schedules and I work fulltime.
It's ok Chris... I
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 18:58 — dryeraseuserIt's ok Chris...
I understand the confusion and frustration that parents are having especially the past few weeks with the BOARD and the idiotic ideas.
I couldn't do this job if I didn't have "downtime" :-) Granted I'm sure you deserve that with your job as well.
Hang in there.....we are all in the same boat here with this one.:-)
Dyreraseur
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 19:11 — Chris_HSorry for the poorly written post, but I glad you understood. I am truly tired. Best wishes and I hope it works out for both of us.
new board members
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 11:30 — new876I have been on the fence about the October election but now I am truly convinced that change needs to come to the Board. First it was reassignment, then the spending of money for Leesville Middle MYR, now 1 hour early dismissal on Wed's instead of Fridays (because teachers can't learn on Fridays), then the fact that they won't study the busing impact, and the list goes on. I am convinced now that parents need a much stronger voice on the Board.
WSCA
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 13:37 — SideburnsPlease attend the WSCA meeting in Garner on April 16th. See www.wakesca.org for details. Bring your friends and neighbors!
High Schools...
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 11:21 — Bob_SconceIt wasn't completely clear, but did they also change the high school schedules? If so, that seems moronic -- in elementary school, time is pretty much fungible; what doesn't get taught one day gets shifted to the next. But, in High School, the time is subdivided. What happens with M-W-F classes? Does the last class of the day only meet M-F?
The change doesn't impact the Sconce household much right now, so I don't particularly care. However, I do have my doubts about "Professional Learning Communities." It sounds like ivory-tower education theory that works in theory but not in practice. WCPSS seems to embrace such ideas.
How does one get on these advisory committees?
excellent question....how
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 13:35 — rr77rr99excellent question....how does one get on these committees? Seems like we all are missing out on some "dynamic decision making"
this is the bell schedule BY SCHOOL, look up your schools
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 10:23 — AngelaWhttp://www.wcpss.net/2009-10-bell-schedule.html
Parents on the Committee
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 10:01 — FalcBy my count, if you include the PTA President, there were only four parents on the 40 person committee -- so 36 WCPSS reps managed to persuade those four parents to back them or 90% managed to persuade 10%. Four parents out of how many parents that have kids in WCPSS. Hmmm.
Getting widespread stakeholder buy in is generally more successful if done before the fact, not after.
Mr. Hui -- Do you know how many of those four parents are either single parents or are in situations where both parents work FT outside the home? Did they seek input from parents in those situations?
Do we even know
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 10:17 — gunfamwhat the parents thought? Or any of them, for that matter. You can't assume just because the committee recommended this that the decision was unianimous.
fiestamom--I agree with you
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 09:44 — raleighreaderfiestamom--I agree with you about Fridays for the half days. Even though I would LOVE to have the half days on Fridays, I agree that there would be a lot of kids absent on those days.
I think that they should do the one hour early release days on Fridays though.
Parents?
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 09:41 — SideburnsMr Hui,
I counted only 3 parents on 40-member committee roster. Is that correct?
Counting Sarah Martin, who
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 10:45 — KeungHui (author)Counting Sarah Martin, who does have kids in the school system as Wake PTA Council President, there were four parents on the commitee.
According to the woman who
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 10:56 — rr77rr99According to the woman who was presenting this last evening (I forget her name) she said that those parents on the committee went out and spoke to other parents and they backed this. Again, I didn't hear about this change until Monday and I got it from the paper. I was never approached by any parents, principals, teachers, PTA officers about my opinion on this. So, I am not really sure what parents were contacted by the FOUR parents on the "bell committee" on their opinion.
The comment was also made that Jennifer Lainne (sp) went to several teachers and they all backed this, yet teachers I spoke to were not too thrilled about this because they said that it's just more "meetings" where they can't get their classroom work done anyway and would have to still take that all home.
All I want is the truth here... does anyone have the truth?
Nor was I!
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 11:05 — g88ky07But, they could care less about you and me, and the rest, they know what we'll say so they don't bother with people who are against their ignorance! Doing what they want no matter how much of a burden it creates on your family, your children, your community, your lives is their ONLY focus!
This is all the truth there is!
Its all so tiring
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 08:53 — gunfamWhat are we stupid??
"Once the community knows what it wlll be used for they’ll be able to buy into it with a better heart," said school board member Patti Head.
I know what its used for, but I don't believe that it will help. What will help is more parent support/participation, what will help is smaller class sizes, what will help is consistancy with school assignments...but they don't believe in any of that, so we don't get any of it.
Unbelievable...when is the next election?????
And conversely...
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 08:22 — JSBinNCThe board of ed needs to connect the dots on why parental concerns are so valid. There just seems to be no compromise EVER.
I haven't been keeping up as well as I should be... new baby is keeping us busy! If I understand correctly - students at elementary schools that currently start at 9:15 will now start at 9:10 as of July 6th... and get out at 2:45 EVERY Wednesday??
I am trying to figure out how to explain to my manager at work that I need to leave at 2:15 once a week now...
??
How it's been explained or
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 09:17 — rr77rr99How it's been explained or reported is very confusing. Some schools will either start earlier (7:50 am for us) or go ten minutes later in the afternoon. Once that gets figured out or "told" to the parents like a week before it happens, probably....(By the way, how much is the cost of running those announcements off on both sides of paper one in english one in spanish to come home with kids? ahem)
You have the second part right, your children will now come home an hour earlier EVERY Wednesday and then on these random (again to be announced, more paper, more ink, more notes home to parents) will be the 1/2 day releases where kids will be let out even earlier. These are not PLC days, these are administrative days where the whole school has work shops and more meetings. Again, how this really affects the bottomline on our children's "classroom learning time" is beyond me. My youngest child even said, "10 more minutes in school? Yeah we can watch more PBS kids before the bell rings!"
Nice.
thanks...
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 10:11 — JSBinNCThank you for confirming and clarifying... I was really hoping i mis-understood that part about the every Wednesday...
Nope, every Wednesday. Go
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 11:39 — rr77rr99Nope, every Wednesday. Go "splain" that to your boss :) Good luck with that.
i can't... it's too much to
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 11:46 — JSBinNCi can't... it's too much to ask. we will have to find some workable alternative.
like moving...
OH wait... it's all a joke!
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 08:06 — rr77rr99OH wait... it's all a joke! Happy April Fool's Day!
Right? it's all just a joke?
Chief Academic Officer Donna
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 07:56 — rr77rr99Chief Academic Officer Donna Hargens said the teachers and principals on the time committee strongly felt that Fridays wouldn't be desirable. They persuaded the parents on the committee to back them. THEY TALKED THE PARENTS INTO BACKING THEM..... ANYONE SHOCKED ABOUT THIS ONE? NOW THEY ARE GOING TO DO A PR CAMPAIGN TO PARENTS ON HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO THE SUCCESS OF THEIR CHILDREN. I WONDER IF THEY ARE DRAGGING OUT THE GOODNIGHTS TO HELP THEM?
Supt. Del Burns said they need to remember that the purpose of the PLC time is "adult learning." He thought that teachers would be better able to do the sessions earlier in the week. SO LET ME TELL THIS TO MY ADULT FRIENDS WHO ARE IN COLLEGE RIGHT NOW... TELL THE COLLEGE THAT YOU DON'T WANT SATURDAY CLASSES, OR EARLY CLASSES OR LATE CLASSES, YOU WANT CLASSES WHEN you WANT TO GO BECAUSE THAT HELPS you LEARN BETTER. This is a crock! WHERE IS THE STUDY DONE ON "ADULT LEARNING" AND WHEN THEY "LEARN BEST". CAN I HAVE A PRINTED COPY OF THE STUDY THAT WCPSS USED TO BACK THIS THEORY OF THEIRS.
Board member Beverley Clark said they're more likely to get “dynamic discussion” from teachers in the middle of the week. For instance, she said teachers would be more willing to stay later for these sessions in the middle of the week than on a Friday when they want to join their families. AND WHAT ABOUT ALL THE FAMILIES IN WCPSS WHO ARE CONSTANTLY JERKED AROUND BY ALL OF THESE MUCH NEEDED CALENDAR AND SCHEDULE CHANGES? ALSO, WHAT ARE TEACHERS DISCUSSING - DYNAMICALLY? THIS IS SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S A BIG SECRET. I THINK PARENTS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO SIT IN ON PLC MEETINGS THEN IF THEY ARE SO CRUCIAL TO THE EDUCATION OF OUR CHILDREN. LET PARENTS IN ON THE SECRET. DO TEACHERS SIT AROUND AND TALK ABOUT HOW THEY ALL HAVE TO BE THE SAME? TEACH THINGS THE SAME WAY AND DON'T LEAVE THE WCPSS SCRIPT? THIS IS DYNAMIC LEARNING? WHERE ARE THE TEACHERS TO SPEAK UP HERE? ARE YOU GONNA SPILL THE BEANS ON HOW YOU ARE TOLD HOW AND WHAT TO TEACH AND THAT VEERING OFF COURSE TO MAYBE SOMETHING INTERESTING FOR THE CLASS GETS YOU IN TROUBLE? DO THEY COMPLAIN TO EACH OTHER ON HOW THEY CAN'T HANDLE THE NINE OR TEN IEP AND BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGES THEY MUST DEAL WITH WHILE TRYING TO GET THE OTHER 25 KIDS IN THE CLASS TO PASS THE EOG'S SO THAT THEY DON'T GET IN TROUBLE FOR SCREWING UP THE SCHOOL'S STATISTICS? DO THEY DISCUSS HOW THEY ARE BEING ASKED TO SWITCH TRACKS OR RISK NOT HAVING A POSITION NEXT YEAR BECAUSE THE SCHOOL IS UNDER ENROLLED AND THE THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH KIDS FOR THE TRACKS?
Believe me, I will be the first to defend teachers, but I can't when I hear the teachers saying that the PLC time is a waste of time and now, yet again, our family has to do yet another reshuffle because now I have to figure out how to tell my boss I need to leave an hour early every Wednesday and may need some additional vacation days to handle child care on half day Wednesdays!
When he fires me, that trickle down will mean no more endless supply of baby wipes, dry erase markers, copy paper in rainbows of colors, and teacher gifts because there will be no money in our house hold to "help support WCPSS."!
Fridays= absent kids
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 07:50 — fiestamomIt seems like the elephant in the room may be that they didn't want to have early release on Fridays, because there would be a HUGE amount of kids absent for the whole day. To take a 3 day weekend.
Board member Beverly Clark using the term "“dynamic discussion” ... seriously, what does that mean? That sounds like some lame term someone used at School board camp! Sometimes these people need to get out in the real world.
I know nothing about PLC's, but if Patti Head is for them... I'm instantly suspicious.
I know nothing about PLC's,
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 18:17 — dryeraseuserI know nothing about PLC's, but if Patti Head is for them... I'm instantly suspicious.
Thank you fiestamom!!!
Go with your gutt....you hit the nail on the "HEAD" with that comment!!
Thanks for that...you brought a huge smile on my face with that comment! :)
We need Elvis in the
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 08:09 — rr77rr99We need Elvis in the room...."We can't go on together, with suspicious minds....we can't build our dreams...."
Yeah, you got it. Suspicious is right. This is a ploy to make the teachers "happy" since they've started "rumbling" and stuff is getting out to the public. This is their "hush" money... we've done something for you here, so now shut up and don't talk EVER complain to parents about your jobs... GOT IT!
The teachers I know aren't
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 09:33 — tiredmomThe teachers I know aren't opposed to more planning time, but aren't necessarily behind another hour a week of meetings. If I knew that that hour would be used to coordinate work assignments, and to discuss work differentiation, and to figure out how to deal with the needs/issues of specific kids, I'd be all for it. I think there are some schools where that may happen and it may be a benefit.
But at our elementary school, I suspect it will just deteriorate into another acronym-based pointless rah-rah session led by an administration that is far more interested in bureaucracy and power than in actually dealing with children.
I think the teachers work incredibly hard and have an almost impossible job. And I think the administration often makes it more impossible with garbage like PLCs.
Actually...
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 11:05 — supportwcpssThose I have talked with indicated it's an opportunity to meet with other grade level teachers and share best practices and avoid reinventing the wheel.
supportwcpss....SHUT
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 18:01 — dryeraseusersupportwcpss....SHUT UP!!
who have you talked with????
As a teacher, I can tell the rest of the community here...YOU MAM/SIR HAVE NOT talked with many teachers at all! YOu have probably talked with 2 maybe 3...but not more than that.
I swear! If WCPSs was planning a program with Satan himself....YOU WOULD SUPPORT WCPSS!!!
You've figured IT
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 21:07 — g88ky07out! Just clueless IT is!
LOLLLLLL!
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 19:12 — rr77rr99LOLLLLLL!
Like I said, I think it
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 11:25 — tiredmomLike I said, I think it could be a good thing, in some settings.
In schools like our current one, where the administrators are living examples of The Peter Principle, I am a little wary of whether teachers will actually be allowed to use the time wisely.
There are some good principals/school leaders out there - I've met them. I've also met some who add new meaning to the word "unprofessional". And the fact that WCPSS's higher administration continues to support the latter group, and gloss over their issues, makes me a bit cynical about the effectiveness in practice of programs that can sound good in theory.
I'm hearing the talk, but I'm not seeing the walk. And the fact remains that my younger child is getting less and less academically as compared to what my older child got. If I felt like he was learning what he should, I'd be a lot more accepting of new programs.
tired mom... I am with you
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 11:37 — rr77rr99tired mom... I am with you on the differences in what my children are getting as far as academics are concerned. I have seen big changes in what the younger ones are getting. They really are getting less and less classroom learning time. I am seeing more students disrupting and needing "soicalization" skill time more than academic time.
I agree, that teachers can benefit from productive meetings, but from what I have been told, they are dreading those dastardly, and not so "dymamic" meetings put on my administrators to "rah rah" them to the "next level of student success."