In-Service

Wow.

It was not at ALL like I that it was going to be.

I was not pleased when our in-service schedule came out and we were allotted marginal work time to prepare for our new classes on Monday.

However, I was pleased with how it actually turned out.

Now, I'll be the first to say that I think - and I've used this analogy many times - much of our professional development is like trying to treat a gunshot wound to the chest with a bandaid (or as a colleague put it, a Kleenex). All too often it is either too little or too late or both.

In years past we would literally get drowned in figures and charts from NWEA or MCA tests. We were just expected to take that data and run with it. When in fact it just sat in a bulging folder in my filing cabinet. It's still there I bet.

Yet, when I dragged myself down to the auditorium for the RTI overview, I was surprised. The district brought in a curriculum coordinator/guru and superintendent from Redwood Falls (I think. I was hit so quickly with data and educationese that my head was swimming).

But I have to admit: the superintendent was the most impressive administrator I've met in high school education since our new principal (not sucking up. That's just a fact).

As they began to explain how they totally transformed their school district - in terms of curriculum and student performance - from a school system whose curriculum was "cobbled together" (using the superintendent's term there) to one that is totally integrated and seamless - I couldn't help but think "man, do they have their shit together."

And they do!

Of course, they are driven by standardized tests. No question. They also are driven by "scientifically proven" curriculum (I take that to mean cookie-cutter curriculum designed to meet standards and boost test scores). If you even have to ask yourself, Well, what's wrong with that? Stop reading this blog now. You are BANISHED!

Here were some of the things I found most interesting.

First, their school district - all the way down from the school board to the superintendent to the teachers to the paraprofessionals are SERIOUS about educating their kids.

This isn't lip service. This is real.

Want proof? The superintendent decided to get serious about improving reading scores. He didn't waste the school's money by bringing in some hired gun or schedule an inservice day. No. He demanded that every teacher he hire in language arts or the elementary school get licensed to teach reading. That meant going to grad courses at the local universities. They had two years to do it.

Now, that is commitment.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg.

He also got the school board to sign off on reimbursing the staff for the cost of their classes! And giving them the lane change!

Wow. That's a hell of a commitment.

This was a reoccurring theme throughout his presentation and our meeting with him. The commitment was there on all levels.

They also don't just "cobble together" curriculum anymore and just hope all the bases are getting covered (and I'm as guilty of this as anyone). They have reading and math experts at their buildings to make sure the skills are being taught and to make sure the kids that fall through the cracks are getting the remediation they need.

Most impressive.

Of course, all of this leads to an enormous need for standardized tests. How else can you document what is working and what isn't? Test, test, test, test.

All of this emphasis on math and reading also caused them to "cut" their music and phy-ed at the elementary school. By "cut" I mean they still have it. It's just that each teacher has a hand in teaching music and phy-ed.

Now my problem here is that why do we value two subjects over others? Maybe music makes a difference in one kid's life? They clearly say that not just anyone can teach math and reading, but why can anyone teach music and phy-ed?

Because those areas aren't tested.

The district is so focused on the tests that they have submitted a petition to MDE to see if they can't get ten school days moved from the end of the year (after the last standardized test is given in March I believe) to before Labor Day.

Instantly, I was opposed to this. What kind of message is this sending? The one I'm afraid that will come across is that if there's no high stakes test, then why bother having school or class.

That's bullshit. Some of the best things and most rewarding things in life don't hinge on a damned fill in the bubble test.

However, I soon came around to this idea. If you are a teacher, you know what it's like trying to get anything done in May.

Let's face it: school is an afterthought to roughly half of the entire student body. Kids are gone for golf, baseball, track, tennis, and softball. Pile on top of that other activities, and the last five weeks of school are a lost cause.

I started thinking, hell, let's just move every single class from May to August. Why not?

I know we'd get more accomplished. Then we could be free to really enjoy May. Who really enjoys August anyway? The real sweet time to be outside in MN is May. By the time August rolls around we are all ready for the sweet relief of fall. But when February and April finally thaw and we see a few blades of green grass and we get that first really sunny day where it hits 60 and everyone is going nuts running around in flip flops and T-shirts and shorts (just trying doing that when it hits 60 in August). That is when we should be free!

Once the RTI training and meeting was over, I found myself with the rest of the time to get ready for my classes and to get my grades done. I had even more free time when for some reason three fourths of the staff didn't make it to the Atomic Learning session (which needed 45 minutes at least to get through everything). So by the time more teachers started filtering in, there was only half an hour left in the presentation, and that was just not enough time. So it looks like the Atomic Learning will become a common prep instead.

I used that bit of time to get my own common prep presentation ready for next week.

On Thursday I created my first podcast (you can find a link to it on my teacher page on our school website). It was nothing spectacular, but I had fun creating it.

Today I created my first video podcast. It's too large to upload to our school server, but it was fun to create as well.

All in all, a much better day than most in-service days.

Now bring on those 85 or so new students!