Teachers, school and COVID, a guest post

This isn't a full guest post. These are the thoughts a teacher friend shared about the rapid changes in school plans, how teachers are trying to adapt with little time and training, and, well, just read what she has to say.

Teachers need support, a thread

Had a virtual staff meeting today that was literally 2 hours of, "That's something you'll have to figure out." A thread for people blaming teachers in any way, shape or form right now:

1. We (teachers in my district) are not being given any extra time to "figure that out." Indeed, the ONE extra paid day the district had previously offered us to "figure that out" was taken away from us with the release of the latest "plan."

2. At my first corporate job, I needed to learn a new skill to level up. I was paid my regular salary for 2 full weeks, while I attended a training to learn this skill.The 2 week training was paid for by the Corp. When I returned with certificate in hand, I was given a raise.

3. For comparison, teachers must take unpaid time to attend trainings (usually over the summer), and pay for the training (plus extra if we want it to count toward a future raise) and raises only come after 20 credit hours have been earned (paid for) by the teacher.

4. Yes, teachers "get summers off." We are NOT paid for that time. While we still get paychecks, it is because our salary for the other months is divided by 12 instead of 9 so that we get paid every month & don't starve/lose our housing over the summer.

5. We are literally only paid for the hours our contract requires us to spend in the building, with students. All that work we do in the evenings, unpaid. Weekends, unpaid. Over "breaks," unpaid. And any training we do is not only unpaid, we have to actively pay for it.

6. Teaching is the only job I know of where they are not required to pay you for the hours you are in training. It is also the only job I know of in my state that is exempt from the new law requiring that overtime be paid to salaried employees making under $35,000 a year...

7. Teachers WANT to do the job. We WANT to teach, we WANT to be w/ our students. We are NOT being supported to do so. If you're mad, take it up with: your fellow taxpayers, school board, your superintendent. Ask how they are supporting teachers, so we can support students/you.

We have failed

Back to my commentary.

We're all adjusting right now. Schools and school districts have been put in an untenable position with no clear, good choices. They are being pressured by government and some parents to re-open in person because they serve as free childcare for so many people. They feel compelled to open because they  often offer the only reliable meals some students get.

They are being asked to do so many things beyond educating students because we as a society have failed to support the most vulnerable among us. We have failed to adequately fund education. We have failed to support families. We have failed to provide quality healthcare to everyone. We have failed at so much.

One thing we can do, one thing we can not fail at, is respecting and supporting teachers.

Learning about IB

Our kids' school is an International Baccalaureate (IB) Candidate school, one of three in the district. We have received a few updates in the school newsletter, but I still didn't really understand what it all meant, so I was pleased to be one of the parents invited to lunch with the IB consultant last week.

First off, a few initializations are thrown around in these conversations, so here's what they mean:

• IB = International Baccalaureate, an international program. IB started in 1968.
• PYP = Primary Years Programme, the IB program designed for students aged 3-12. PYP was introduced in 1997.

A word that was repeated often in the conversation is "inquiry" (and "inquirers"). My understanding is that IB is about teaching thinking skills: getting the children to ask questions and then help them discover the answers. Rather than a teacher lecturing and giving a single correct answer, the students explore and find answers. 

IB Learner Profile image, copyright Clint Hamada, CC license, some rights reserved.

There were lots of details about PYP: the 6 transdisciplinary themes explored through the year, the emphasis on local and global issues, the learner profile, language learning. I'm not sufficiently knowledgeable to explain all that (the PYP section of the IB website has lots of information).

Here are a few of the things that stood out to me:

• IB and PYP is about thinking skills. 
• At least at our school, this isn't a radical change. The teachers won't really have to learn a new way of teaching since many of these practices are already used in the school; instead, becoming an IB school means changing how the curriculum is organized.
• Teachers were already coordinating within grade-level; with IB, they are now coordinating vertically, across all grade levels.
• Our school has already had a global emphasis, partly due to the large international population. IB will enhance that.

One question that came up is how all this fits in with the current climate of standardized testing. The short answer is that the school has to comply with state laws and will continue to do required standardized tests. Since IB is about the how of teaching rather than the what, students will still learn the required standards. 

Do I think this is a good program for the school? Yes. 

Do I think it's a good fit for this school? Yes.

Earlier today a friend shared this article on Facebook. There have been many studies and articles in the past few years addressing this topic. Despite all the research, legislators keep pushing for more and more standardized testing, which emphasizes the academic goals mentioned in the article. Rote memorization. Facts. 

As I read the article, though, I immediately connected it to the conversation on IB. Because the intellectual goals mentioned? Those are the goals that IB has. Reasoning? Check. Hypothesizing? Check. Posing questions and predicting answers? Check and check. Quest for understanding? You bet.

School safety balancing act

I went to the panel on school safety last night. I was pleased that the overwhelming message from all the panelists was balance between safety and a positive learning environment.

Topics discussed included doing safety drills, having teams on staff at every building who are safety leaders, including custodial staff who are there in the evening, and communication.

Communication, communication, communication. That was the thing most talked about. As it should be.

I read the article in our local newspaper this morning, which I think reflected the tone of the evening well. Then I read the article on WISH-TV 8's website and watched their coverage. While the tv coverage wasn't bad, I thought it focused too much on security measures and not enough on the balance the schools are trying to achieve.

One parent even told WISH-TV that it wouldn't make a difference until there were armed guards at the schools. I was very glad that Mike Diekoff, our local police chief (and someone I actually know), was able to rebut that. Because the best defense is not letting it get to that point.

Here are a few facts and numbers to think about:

In 2009, a mass shooting occurred on a military base, Fort Hood, where A LOT of people were armed and trained in weapons use. Thirteen people were killed. Just last year, in June 2012, a soldier shot and killed his superior officer at Fort Bragg. Armed guards are no guarantee.

Violent deaths at schools are very rare. From the CDC Youth Violence Fact Sheet:

• During the 2009-2010 school year, 17 homicides of school-age youth ages 5 to 18 years occurred at school.
• Approximately 1% of all youth homicides in 2008-2009 occurred at school, and the percentage of all youth homicides occurring at school has been less than 2% since the 1992-1993 school year.
•  There was approximately one homicide or suicide of a school-age youth at school per 2.7 million students enrolled during the 2009-2010 school year.

Compare that to the 20.1% of high school kids who reported being victims of bullying on school grounds in 2011. Or 4,828 homicide victims aged 10 to 24 in 2010. Or the 2,136 fatalities of kids age 0-14 in traffic accidents (in 2003).

Wanna know the top 10 causes of death by age group? The CDC can help you out with that data.

• Top 10 causes of death
• Top 10 causes of death, including type of unintentional injury

Did you know crime rates are actually lower than they were in the 80s and 90s? 

• FBI statistics on crime by type
• In 2011, the only crime rate that rose, by 0.3%, was burglary. 
• If you want to see more general crime statistics and links to information on the perceived increase, check out Free Range Kids.

Want some information on those mass killings that keep making the news? 

• Mother Jones put together a nice guide to mass shootings 1982-2012. 
• Then there's this article from the Associated Press which points out that the chances of of being killed in a mass shooting are approximately the same as the chances of being struck by lightning. 
• And this article, that, despite the sensational title "Mass Murder Rate Still Rising, Experts Say", mentions that the average number of deaths per year, 2006-2008, from mass killings was 163, only 2 higher than the rate in the 1980s. I'd say an increase of 2/year is statistically insignificant, especially considering the population increase in that time (thus indicating that the rate is actually decreasing!).
• And here are "Twelve facts about guns and mass shootings in the United States"

So is MCCSC doing a good job with school security? I think so. They do reasonable things like lock school doors during the day. They practice safety drills (fire, tornado, lock down). They have well-trained staff and a good relationship with local law enforcement. They stress communication. 

Does this mean something couldn't happen in one of our schools? No. Nothing is 100% secure. I don't expect that. 

I feel comfortable with my kids attending our schools. As Dr. DeMuth said when I spoke to her after the panel, the only one who should be worried during the day is her. Parents, students, faculty and staff should all feel safe and prepared. They shouldn't feel fearful. That's no way to create a good learning environment. And that's what our schools are really about.

The bus alarm

"It's time to put your shoes on, buddy."

"Did the bus alarm ring?"

"Yep. It's time for school."

"Ok."

That's how easy our school mornings are.

Born of frustration trying to convince a five year old that he had to put his shoes on right now so as not to miss the school bus, the bus alarm is one of my best ideas.

Way back when we had some trouble getting the boys to go to bed at night, we started setting the timer on the stove. When it beeped, they knew it was time to put pajamas on and get in bed. It worked for a couple of reasons: 1) it was a very clear signal that they could listen for, 2) it was impartial - we weren't the bad guys saying go to bed, it was just bedtime, and 3) it was very consistent - rather like Pavlov's dogs. Now that they are trained to go to bed at bedtime, we no longer need the timer.

"Do you like the bus alarm?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"It helps me know when school is coming."

When Wil dawdled, trying to play for a few more minutes in the morning, we decided to implement the bus alarm. I have an alarm set on my phone for 10 minutes before the bus comes. We settled on 10 minutes because it gives plenty of time to get shoes and coats on plus grab any last minute items (like library books) that we may have forgotten to collect beforehand.

We tend to get to the bus stop a few minutes before it's due, but that has served us well the few times the bus has been early. Usually it runs late or right on time. The relaxed walk to the stop and time waiting for the bus help put Wil in a school frame of mind.

"Mommy, is today a school day?"

"Yes it is. You need to get dressed as soon as you're done with breakfast."

"I want to play."

"You can play after you get dressed."

"Until the bus alarm."

"Yes, until the bus alarm."

It has helped me too. I don't have to constantly watch the clock. I even set an alarm for myself in the afternoon to remind me when to go to the bus stop. (Yes, our driver won't let the kids off the bus if a parent isn't there. That's another issue.) Removing the pressure and stress from our mornings has helped immensely.

The bus driver saga

I can already see this is going to be a recurring theme this year. I've posted about our issues with the bus driver multiple times on Twitter and Facebook already. And we've had another incident today.

The set-up:

Our neighborhood has no sidewalks. We walk in the street.

The bus arrives. She pulls all the way over to the far side of the street, probably 10 feet away from the driveway where our bus stop is. By the way, the bus stop is actually at the corner, but our neighbors are gracious enough to let us wait on their driveway.

The kids get off. Wil and I stand on the street, with our heels up to the grass. Wil is actually holding my hand, because he likes to do that.

The drivers calls down to move out of the street onto the driveway so she can drive away.

.
.
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Seriously??!??

How is this different from any of the last several years when we have often been walking through the neighborhood when the bus came? Walking IN THE STREET.

I was standing there with him. He wasn't on his own. He was NOT near the bus, which she has stopped in the opposing lane.

My reaction? I pulled Wil across the street in front of the bus and walked home. If she wants us off the street, then she can wait until we cross to our side of the street.

I am so tired of her paranoia.

We don't jump onto people's driveways any time a car drives past as we are walking. That isn't the lesson I want to teach my kids. The lessons I want them to learn are abou safely walking, whether it be in the street or on a sidewalk.

What purpose does it serve if they have no idea how to interact with cars?

1st day of Kindergarten

Today was Wil's first day of Kindergarten.

He was a little worried this morning, apprehensive about riding the bus on his own.

Worried about riding the bus alone.

He was nervous about going to a new school, with kids he doesn't know. But he managed a tiny smile.

An "I love you, Mommy" before we let for the bus stop.

He got on the bus. And off he went to the "big kid school".

Stepping on the bus, with help from Daddy.

It was a long day for Sam with no big brother to play with - and wrestle with. We marked nearly every hour today, waiting until 4 p.m.

"Mommy, is Wil home yet."
"No, sweetie. He won't be home for a few more hours."

And finally it was time to meet the bus.

And Wil got off the bus. Sadly.

He didn't like riding the bus. He doesn't remember the names of the kids in his class. He didn't know where to throw his milk out at lunch....

Everything is new and scary. He'll be fine once he gets the hang of the new routine. But in the meantime, we need to help him figure out how to deal with the things that worry him.

First up is the bus issue. I asked what would help make it better. His answer: a green and white bus. While I can't do anything about that, I can give him something to look forward to after riding the bus. We're one of the last stops in the morning and one of the first on the way home. Yep, I bribed him with a Tootsie Roll, his favorite candy, when he gets home tomorrow. It may not be the best solution, but it will help until he gets comfortable.

Then we spent some time role playing this evening.

First up: disposing of the milk carton. He practiced finding a teacher and asking where the trash was. Pretty simple, but he was smiling, knowing he had the words to solve his problem.

Next, making friends. We all took turns introducing ourselves to each other. And we thought about times when he could get to know the other kids: meeting the kids sitting next to him, finding another kid playing something interesting on the playground.

These are all pretty easy things. But sometimes I forget that we learn how to do all this. He's used to preschool where the teachers tell the kids when it's time to clean up and make sure they throw their trash out. He's used to a much smaller class, with a lot of kids that he's been in preschool with since he was 2.

He went to bed feeling better about school. I think he'll be fine. And hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

There have to be better ways

My oldest starts Kindergarten next Monday. It's a big milestone.

But what's making me anxious isn't worry about him. He'll do fine. He loves school. He's never looked back, since the first day of preschool 3 years ago.

What's bothering me is the lack of information from the school.

Now, I admit I'm type-A when it comes to things like this. I'm a planner and a doer. I like to know what's going on. 

But here we are less than a week before school starts and I have no information - no bus number or time, no teacher name, etc. 

Talking to friends with kids already in the school, I've heard there's a teacher meet and greet before school starts. But I haven't received any information about it. Apparently that is when we'll find out who his teacher is and where his classroom will be. 

I did look on the school's website and find that it is scheduled for Friday afternoon. But why did I have to look at the website for that information? I'm on the school's list-serv. I've received emails with the school supply lists and notice that we'll be getting a book rental bill.

Apparently money is more important than students. At least, that's what the lack of communication regarding something as basic as the date and time of the meet and greet indicates to me. That date has to have been set weeks or months ago. Yet the first notice I got was looking it up for myself. Which I only did because other parents told me there should be such a thing.

I spoke to the transportation secretary today. Bus info was mailed today, so we should have it by tomorrow. I sure hope so. Per the school's website, Wil needs to know his bus number and where it picks up and drops off. With a 5 year old (probably older kids too), that requires a few days of repetition. Luckily our bus stop should be at the corner, just 1 house away.

I called and spoke to the school secretary today. I had a few questions. She explained. I mentioned that I hadn't received any emails regarding the meet and greet and had to look it up myself.

She claimed the information had been sent and I must have missed it. And that I should have been told about it when I registered my child. Back in April. Because I should remember something from 4 months ago. (Although she admitted that maybe they hadn't set the date that far back.) I pointed out that being new to the system, I didn't know how it worked. Even if I was told something 4 months ago, in the midst of all the form-filling, it may not have registered.

An email about School Welcome and Meet the Teacher was sent about a half hour after my phone call, with letters of introduction from the new principle and assistant principle. I guess they forgot to send it earlier.

I still think there could be better ways to do all this.

Communicating better would be a big help.

We live in the 21st Century. I understand that the current system is better than when they just posted the lists on the school doors the night before and parents crowded around to see what class their kid was in. But that doesn't make this better.

The school claims they are still making class lists. That, since more kids are enrolling every day, they can't finalize the lists until the day before school. I call BS. Plenty of other school systems (example: neighboring RBB) can send a letter a few days, in not a week or two, before school starts with pertinent class information. If the majority of students have already enrolled, they should have pretty balanced classes already, and should just need to add new students as they come in.

As it is, they are punishing those of us who registered early, making us wait for folks who, for whatever reason, couldn't or didn't register earlier. Why can't there be an early cutoff point, say August 1st, when the class rosters are prepared? Are there really SO many more students (more than, say 25% of any given class) registering late that would throw off the balance of a class?

There have to be better ways to do all this.