Union Suicide
Posted by Jeff Pruitt - 7/14/10 @ 6:46 pm - Filed Under Featured, Local Politics
I’ve been away tending to matters related to the day job (blogging doesn’t pay too well) and there have been several stories that I’ve wanted to comment on but haven’t had the time. I’m hoping to address those in the next few days and I suppose I’ll start with the outsourcing of the FWCS janitorial positions.
During the FWCS budget debate I supported the outsourcing of these positions for the simple fact that if the choice comes down to janitors or teachers then I’ll choose the teachers and I assume most people feel the same way. But the philosophy behind the outsourcing is more general than just “this position vs that position.” In the private sector employers have something referred to as “core competencies” - these are positions that add to the business bottom line. For example, if you run an accounting firm then accounting would be one of the core competencies.
A smart business will look to enhance their core competencies (which in turn increases their competitiveness) while putting ALL OTHER POSITIONS on the table for outsourcing. For example, I seriously doubt many businesses in Fort Wayne employ their own janitors. Why not? Because those businesses need to focus on providing services that add to the bottom line and if you’re not in the business of providing janitorial services then it’s most certainly more cost effective to hire an outside firm to do that.
Note that this doesn’t necessarily mean that all positions should be outsourced but it does mean that those positions should be scrutinized and if it makes more sense to outsource it then that’s what will, and should, be done. The situation with FWCS is really no different. FWCS is in the business of education and thus janitorial services are not one of their core competencies. Neither is food service, bus driving or IT services but I digress.
So FWCS was 100% right to look at outsourcing these positions. The amazing part to me is that the local custodial union essentially voted to eliminate their own positions. If you recall, FWCS had said they wanted to reduce their custodial budget by $2 million. They gave this number to the union and told them that if they didn’t meet that target then they would eliminate their positions. This wasn’t some idle threat - there was no doubt this was going to happen one way or the other. The board was essentially bending over backwards to allow these people to accept some concessions in order to retain their job.
But what does the union do? They come back to FWCS and tell them they just couldn’t come up with the necessary cuts. And what happens? They all get fired as their positions are outsourced - just like they knew would happen! I simply can’t wrap my brain around the union’s decision making process. Did they think the board was bluffing? Do they think they can move on to some other position in the private sector that will pay what they were making?
The new company that was hired, Sodexo, put in a bid that saved $4.4 million - twice the cuts the union couldn’t come up with. That means more teachers in the classroom but unfortunately the cuts come too late - just think of the money that could’ve been saved over the last contract cycle had the board did the responsible thing and outsourced these positions long ago.
Now that the district is likely facing more cuts next year, they need to learn from this experience and look at other district positions for outsourcing. The transportation budget is completely out of control and should be cut in half (at least). Other administrative and IT positions should be on the chopping block as well. FWCS needs to decide if they are in the business of educating students or building bureacracies…
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49 Responses to “Union Suicide”
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Excellent post Jeff, good to have you back and active again.
It’s the same mentality as every other union that’s gone by the wayside. They’d rather disappear than make concessions. But the teachers’ union, FWEA, is in the same category. They campaign relentlessly about the need for smaller class sizes to improve academic achievement but when they could make concessions on pay and particularly health benefits to save member jobs and keep them in the classrooms, they won’t even consider it.
The irony is that most data shows that teacher quality is much more important that smaller class size in improving student performance. But even here they’ve shown their hipocrisy by using seniority instead of performance as the critereon for layoffs. They might as well be affiliated with the UAW.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Evert brings up a great point in r/e class size. I don’t think the difference between 25 students in a class and 40 makes a damn bit of difference in the end results.
I “suffered” through those bigger classes in the 60’s and 70’s and our grades/test results were higher then than they are now with the smaller classes.
Of course back then they taught math, science, history and english.
Evert,
My only concern with your logic deals with how are we going to evaluate teachers? Some will say evaluate teachers by student test scores, while other will say that principals should decide who is getting the job done in the classroom and who is not. Evaluation through test scores sounds great until you have a room full of slackers that do not show up half of the time. Principal evaluations also sounds okay until you run into some of the principals (if you want to call them that) that are not entering the field. Many, but not all, of these principals were bad teachers that could not handle their teaching loads. Instead of leaving the education profession they went into administration. Isn’t America great!
Tim, you need to visit a local FWCS high school classroom before you say that the size of classes do not matter. If you have forty students to a class that means you will probably have three or four more students that will do whatever they can to hinder learning. I graduated from high school forty years ago and I can tell you that things are now different. Today a student can tell a teacher to go fuck himself and be back in the classroom the next day. Schools don’t want to kick students (or should I say customers) out of school because the school district will lose money.
The union isn’t the only one committing suicide. I have been on the FWCS site and I left 2 different e-mails requesting information on the specific high school program where my child will go. I am still waiting on a response beyond the auto-reply stating they got my e-mail. I guess I should just be happy that they are “my schools.”
Spencer-
For starters the evaluation has to be tied to improvement in test scores, not the raw scores. And even at the “company” where we had numerical objectives, meeting them was not the only component of our evaluations. It’s being done in other places, so there are precedents and models to go by. No doubt it will have to be tweaked and adjusted until most everybody can live with it.
Any organization which employs professionals needs an objective way to rate their people. It was also required to qualify for for “Race to the Top” money. And personally I don’t have a problem paying more to the better teachers like they’re trying to do in Washington, DC. But as you say, that evaluation can’t be left up to the whims of the principal. There have to be numbers behind it.
Evert,
Race to the Top money. That is the problem with our government today. The federal government is trying to stick its nose where it does not belong. With a Republican governor I also don’t think we have to worry about getting any of the Race to the Top funds.
Secondly, for a man that doesn’t trust FWCS you seem to be giving them a lot of credit when you think they can figure out how to honesty rank and judge teachers. Could this be because it might save you a few bucks? If this is the case I will send you a couple of dollars.
Spencer- If we can’t trust adminstrators who were formerly teachers, that doesn’t say much for the teaching profession. But I don’t see what ranking teachers has to do with saving money. In fact I said I was willing to pay more to the higher ranked teachers. But send me the money anyway. I’ll take it.
Evert, in r/e your comment “Spencer- If we can’t trust adminstrators who were formerly teachers, that doesn’t say much for the teaching profession.”
I would submit the two professions, while working hand in hand, are two completely different skill sets. A gifted science teacher may very well not have a clue on how to balance a checkbook, schedule, negotiate, in essense run a multi-million enterprise.
In my experience in business, we have always had a pretty good rule of thumb, you don’t make your best salesman the manager.
School systems are hopelessly in debt because of bad management, not bad teachers.
With regard to test scores and academic results, those are in the proverbial toilet because teachers are not in control of their classrooms and curriculum. They are at the mercy of bone headed administrators, lawyers & lawsuits, political correctness, hurt feelings, sensitivity issues to name just a few.
To achieve parity and results from ANY group of 25 or 30 people (students or employees) somebody has to be in charge. Somebody has to have control, in short, somebody has to be the boss and that used to be the teacher.
We’ve abdicated control of the classroom to layer upon layer of middle managers & fear of reprisals (lawsuits), hence poor results.
Tim -You have a valid point. In the “Company” the biggest paychecks and status went to management. And engineers, like teachers don’t necessarily make good managers. But engineers did have a professional ladder, which rewarded performance (and rankings) with higher pay grades. Our top technical people were very well compensated.
I just can’t conceive going into a profession requiring a degree where your pay is limited by and the same as the worst performers.
Tim,
You hit it right on the head. Teachers need to get control of their classes back from politicians in Washington and parents that are upset because Johnny or Tyrone was not treated with the respect that they believe their child deserves.
Evert, I am sure a lot of teachers entered the teaching field in order to make a difference and do something they enjoy. These teachers would probably take a hit in pay in order to be able to teach without the federal government telling them how to teach. Secondly, every profession will have its slackers. I am sure your company had a few slackers. I will still send you a few bucks in the near future.
Everyone needs to go to SOSEHS.com and listen to what Dr. Robinson said about her pay raises. Very interesting. Does she have a point?
Spencer,
Regarding the ranking of teachers, there are ways to determine whether it is the teacher or the student who is in need of attention. It wouldn’t be that difficult to devise a simple matrix to track and correlate both student and teacher performance. This is a simplified explanation, but if a particular student is doing bad in all (or most)of his classes, then that student is probably the problem. And if all (or most) of the students in a particular teacher’s class are doing bad, then that teacher is probably the problem.
The upper level grades already have several different teachers for different subjects, which probaly gives enough information to be able to discern a pattern. Perhaps the lower grades should be taught by multiple teachers as well to allow for the same.
Phil,
You can shove your matrix. I am so tired of hearing about some damn matrix. I read about Wendy’s matrix until I was “blue” in the face. Allow teachers to teach and quit getting in their way.
Evert:
Your metaphor regarding engineers…”But engineers did have a professional ladder, which rewarded performance (and rankings) with higher pay grades. Our top technical people were very well compensated. I just can’t conceive going into a profession requiring a degree where your pay is limited by and the same as the worst performers.” After a good guffaw, I’ve summoned the ability to say to you - welcome to my world.
I’m an FWCS high school special ed teacher. It’s more than irritating to have to explain this in a blog ONE MORE TIME, but here goes.
You’re missing a basic element - I can’t control the conditions of my work environment or who is in my classroom. Many of my special ed students don’t value an education (and the apple didn’t fall far from the tree, so there ain’t much support from home). If I have a room full of resource kids who don’t value an education, but I reach just student one per semester - have I failed? The difference between being an engineer and a teacher is that I have no control over my clientele. If the school turns into a charter school, guess what? The clientele don’t change! We’ve already been doing the Charter school thing for long enough to see the numbers from Chicago and elsewhere - the numbers are as sorry or WORSE than public education.
NCLB must be massaged and hacked until it works for ALL. In its current form (unfunded to boot), it’s like telling a police department that we’re passing a new law - NO MORE CRIME! And if there is crime, the police officers will be judged and reviewed based upon whether there’s crime or not; and their pay will be based on this outcome too; and they could all be fired, because they suck.
Bring it on.
Spencer,
While much (perhaps most) of the blame for poor student performance rests upon the student, their parents or other factors, it seems ridiculous to assume that the quality of the teacher has nothing at all to do with it. Yet most teachers (and the unions that represent them) refuse to accept any type of meaningful evaluation of the teacher’s performance.
Instead of ranting, perhaps you could enlighten us by explaining how you would evaluate a teacher’s performance without giving consideration to the results of their work. And please don’t make me laugh by saying seniority.
Working in industry, I had no control over the problems I was given to solve and very little over the people who worked for me. I was judged on how well I played the hand I was dealt. I was given (numerical) targets for improvement and was rated on how well I met them. My company (ExxonMobil) ranked all its professional employees that way (and fired the bottom 10% every year).
Math and English teachers have the results of annual standardized tests as a means of measuring how much they improve the skills of their students. How to evaluate other disciplines will have to be worked out. But teachers just refuse to accept that their evaluations can or should be done in the same manner as they are in the private sector.
Phil,
This is how I would evaluate teachers. First I would have all students take a standardize test the second day of class and on the last day of class and see how much improvement took place. I would also make the test count for part of the students’ grade. Next I would not count the test grades of students that were absent for over ten percent of the class. I would then see what the total improvement of the class was and evaluate the teachers on the results. Doing it this way would insure that students had something to gain or lose by doing well or not doing well on the test. The problem with modern educational thought is that everyone believes students have nothing to do with their own education. For example, students should be expected to be present and working if they want their credits. No more social promotion (middle school) or showing up when they feel like it (high schools).
Hoosierteachergirl- what Spencer is suggesting is along the lines of what I think will eventually have to happen. I’ve been in your world, two days a week tutoring in math classes (which included special ed students) at South Side and Elmhurst for the last six years. I feel your pain and I personally don’t have a problem paying higher salaries to the “best” teachers, as long as “best” is defined by data on student improvement.
As a taxpayer I believe we should be paying and retaining teachers based on their competence not on their longevity. I’ve had this discussions with many teachers and they all say exactly what you said about being stuck with dumb kids who don’t care. They’re all adamantly opposed to using test scores in their evaluations. But I had to keep petrochemical plants running with those kinds of people and figuring out how to do that was just part of the job.
FWCS problem is that it did not accrual costs each year. When a new school is built, it should have little maintenance costs, but each year a bit of the roof, AC, Heating, plumging, painting, etc wears away. Eventually these items need to be replaced. So instead of setting aside 2% of the schools cost each year to cover future costs, FWCS slashed their maintenance budgets, let their schools infrastructure fall apart and now has to dig deep to fix what they failed to do in the past.
As for class size, class size has no impact on learning. 25, 30 or 35 students it is the same. The problem is that as class size increases, the chance of getting a disruptive student increases. It is not the students in large class sizes that are the problem, but rather the one or two individuals. When I was in school (I must be old) they took these bad apples out and let the rest learn. Maybe each school needs to hire an ex-marine and you place all these bad apples, in one room so the others can learn.
As for teachers, most schools know who the good teachers are. This is no secret. Parents know ahead of time which teachers in their child’s grade level are good. The rumor mill is good at sifting through these teachers.
As for paying more, I just do not see the reason for it. The way you pay more is for better quality, increased productivity and reduced scrap. In education, increasing class size while getting the same or better results would be an increase in productivity. Reducing class size increases costs for the same result. Therefore, reducing class size should reduce wages.
Teaching is one of those professions where productivity is difficult to get. There is no automation that is available today that can result in your child learning the material faster and retaining it longer. Teaching is a labor intensive operation.
Evert - your limited and unrequired time in a classroom is unimpressive to me as an argument for understanding the issues. Frankly, until you are in charge of a special ed secondary classroom and all that goes with it, as far as I’m concerned, you have no understanding. This forum does not accommodate the length of the response your proposed “fixes” require from me, so I won’t attempt it. Your petrochemical plant employees and my inner city, poor, illiterate, undisciplined and unsupported special ed teen agers are two ENTIRELY different clientele, I assure you. Do you have the option to fire if they do not perform? I DON’T. Are you limited by endless laws & policy (fed, state & system) to MAKE them perform, though they have no initention to? I AM. Your argument sucks, you are limited in countless ways to “feel my pain”, and you should probably heed your teacher friends’ advice, and recognize that you really aren’t an authority here. We educators are professionals who know the system, procedures, the laws, the clientele, and all the the beaurocratic games that are played (no argument here that there are some piss-poor teachers out there, but there are far more highly capable to fantastic ones too - stop dwelling on the crappy ones). When issues arise regarding education, teachers are the LAST people consulted. It’s amazing to me that so many people who know NOTHING of education are consistently the ones who make law and policy regarding education. Everybody knows the answer, because everyone has been through school. Not a good jumping off point.
Hoosierteachergirl-
I’ve spent enough time in the schools to understand what’s going on but that’s neither here nor there. You’re right. You are the last people consulted. You guys are the key to changing the system, but neither you nor your union (of professionals?) will say a damn thing publicly or even privately to your administration or your board because your number one concern is your job and your benefits. You just tell them what they want to hear.
If you don’t like the way the system works and can’t do what’s necessary to fix it, you have the same option did. Find another line of work.
Jeff-
Your editor is flaky. I can’t get to the last paragraph to insert an “I”.
evert
Hoosierteachergirl……
Would you happen to know the Special Ed. teacher at North Side? The one who has numerous awards from the state? Is it true that Wendy decided that she couldn’t return to North Side?
Evert,
I agree with some of what this young lady (Hoosierteachergirl) is writing, but my question for her is if she is part of the FWEA? If she is than I have to wonder why she is so mad at you when she should be upset with the FWEA for allowing Wendy and her cronies to destroy FWCS. Now some might say I am giving Wendy and the FWEA too much credit, but they went along with NCLB and Race to the Top programs and practices without raising hell like they should have. Justice is on the one hand and self-preservation is on the other. Wendy, FWEA, and the majority of “professional educators” have chosen self-preservation for way too long. It is time to fight the “man” no matter who the “man” is!
Several items to address - I’ll try not to belabor on any one. Evert - you make a number of assumptions about me - that I’ve never addressed Wendy or any of the Area Administrators or my principal or other administrators, or even the unions. Your conjecture is dangerous. You so clearly have a need to be right and have the last “say”. You have the answers to education’s problems and know the pain of teachers, though you’ve never taught a day in your life and have never studied educational theory or practice. Defending the tireless, excellent work I do as a public servant who needs a job is certainly not something I wish to argue with you. You’re a pisher - I’ll leave it at that.
As for the more substantive comments regarding my affiliation with the union - what the hell does that have to do with the conditions of NCLB (a federally mandated law) or PL 221 (its equivalent state mandated partner)?????? The union can bitch all it wants to - ain’t gonna do much. We’re TEACHERS - not the NRA. I’ve had my complaints about the FWEA and even the NEA over the years, but I’m also a progressive who knows that without a union, we’d be SCREWED. There’s plenty of substance to argue about on this topic.
To Spencer I say - “went along with the NCLB”????? There is no “going along with” NCLB -it’s the LAW!!! Please know I am not a big fan of the beaurocracy of FWCS or any other public agency. But on this point, there is no defense. It’s the law - it is what it is.
Finally, Spencer - now I’m “mad” at you for saying I’m “mad” at Evert. Geez, get over it.
When someone comes up with some substantive narrative, I’ll be checking in.
Hoosierteachergirl,
I bet you are not mad enough or brave enough to use your real name. What a coward!
I think Hoosierteachergirl is on to something or at least this one thing: decisions made for the Schools are made by nonteaching bueracrats who are only interested in furthering their status in society. Bueracrats circle the wagons a lot.
Wendy is not a professional educator, she is a bueracrat. Let’s get that one right. and by the way, Wendy’s salary commensurate with her contribution? Pleeeeze. I have a bridge to sell ya in Death Valley if you believe that one.
Hoosierteachergirl,
Please do not use your real name. You will only get in trouble if you do. I should not have written the last blog. What upsets me is the belief that NCLB in the law. It is not. States and school systems can, and several have. opt out. If states or school districts opt out they do not get certain tax monies. The crazy thing is that we spend more money following the crazy NCLB dictates than we would lose by not being in the system. Where is this money spent? Special education programs and other programs to catch slackers up with their peers. I agree with you when you wrote a large percentage of these students don’t care and will never allow themselves to learn. If this is true, why are we spending all of this money on the few, but rapidly growing, students that don’t care. Please answer me. I need to know as a taxpayer that my money is not being wasted on something that everyone knows is not going to make a difference.
Whew! I’m glad you relented - not that I would have given my name (because it doesn’t make any difference), but I was thinking there was a “your mama is so fat…” prelude to a personal attack on the way.
A few things… 1. NCLB IS the law, and in Indiana, it’s called PL221. There are only a few states which have opted out of NCLB because their education systems were well funded to afford this action. Indiana isn’t one of them. It’s not a function of politics, it’s a remedy for staying in the business of educating children. 2. The state has changed the tax structure to fund education. Read up on it - you’ll find it interesting. 3. The special ed funding comes from the federal law IDEA, which comes from the special ed laws enacted in the 1980’s - separate from the regular education funding. Yes, it’s an enormous amount of money, and yes, the government doesn’t do it right. 4. Finally, I don’t think one single dollar spent on educating our youth is a waste of money (as a culture, it’s our responsibility - it’s also a constitutional function - Free and Appropriate Education FAPE). HOW states, counties, beaurocracies, and eventually school systems allocate that money is the problem. Your observation is a good one - that we often spend a lot of time catering to those who don’t want to learn, while leaving others behind. Many kids are removed from the general ed classroom, labeled LD, and placed in a special ed classroom because of behavior problems. Until the IDEA law is changed, that part of my profession or how I am able to deal with the progress of my students won’t change. 4. Race to the Top is stimulus money encouring change in the way schools teach and operate. FWCS is working very hard on this with our LEAD school efforts. Some of it is just some “shake it up, dump it back out and see where everybody lands”, but there are some really smart people making some real innovative changes in this effort. I have high hopes. FWCS didn’t get RTT money, but I think they’re re-applying. Mitch cut 15 million dollars from the education budget for FWCS for this next academic year, so if we’re going to make some changes, it’s going to cost some money. 6. Finally, if teachers made heaps of money, I’d be more willing to accept more disgruntled argument. I’ve been teaching for 10 years, I have 2 bachelors degrees and a masters degree, I have a $70K student loan (more than I owe on my mortgage) which I will pay until I’m long into retirement, and I make $42,000. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for the opportunity to work and do what I love, and I feel blessed to work with these kids (whom I defend as well as myself), but what other profession do you know which requires this kind of education and pays such a pittance? None of us became teachers to get rich…
I can give you hope - I’ve never taught a class in which I didn’t have at least ONE or more students who blossomed in my classroom, learned a lot, and was successful. It is these successes that send me over the edge when I hear the simple suggestions for fixing the education systems, not just here, but all over America. There’s no easy fix. Our product is people. What they know is difficult to measure. I’ve had plenty of students who struggled reading, but were brilliant in 10 other ways. This is really a social problem, dumped into the lap of education - educators are just supposed to figure out a way to fix society and get kids to learn. REALLY????
The public school system must be supported and preserved. It isn’t perfect and yes, they need to change. But if we aren’t supported, we’ll turn into charter schools whose outcomes will be no better. Worse, there’s a CEO and no school board, no-to not-enough oversight, and success is tenable. Meanwhile, tens of millions of dollars flushed. This is an effort of culture and society. It’s much bigger than education.
Thanks for listening.
Hoosierteachergirl,
Odd, I also use a lot of mama jokes. I don’t think it would be accurate to say anything mean or ugly about my mother. She was very attractive and nice to everyone. Some people even say that this is where I get my good looks and charm from. Well, at least that is what your mama tells me. Yeah!
hoosierteachergirl,
I appreciate you sharing your insight and hope you continue to do so. I did want to comment on a few of your comments:
First, I wonder how you can reconcile these two statements? The FWEA has supported Wendy 100% and I believe has endorsed and funded every single candidate on the current board with the exception of Mark GiaQuinta. I have a feeling that next go around they will back him as well. I won’t pretend to understand the intricacies of being an educator but I do understand politics quite well and the fact is that it is extremely difficult to get elected to the board without the union’s support. So it seems rather odd to me that you point at these “know nothing” policy makers and are amazed at how they got there. Your union is exactly how they got there as they were nearly all hand-picked candidates.
Second, I was hoping you could elaborate on how you feel you would be “screwed” if there were no union. I feel that the union leadership and membership stuck it to students this last year by voting to forego any concessions (even minor ones like a 2 year pay freeze that would’ve allowed money to be transfered from the transportation fund) and instead chose to cut nearly 100 teaching positions. Thankfully the board woke up and decided to eliminate the overpaid union janitors - a decision that will bring back many of those teaching positions that the union eliminated.
I know this might sound flippant and it’s hard to discern one’s tone in a blog comment so I want to assure you that this comment is serious. What are the innovative changes that are happening? I follow this about as closely as someone outside the employment of FWCS can and I have seen absolutely nothing. From my perspective the entire debacle was ginned up by the administration in the 11th hour to try and show that FWCS was doing something in order to win RTT funds - something that was never going to happen given our state politics and the FWCS administration should’ve known that. It probably also bought them some time from an unsympathetic state superintendent. But I’m hardpressed to see how shuffling people around the various schools will do anything substantial. Perhaps there’s more to these changes and you can fill us in. Also, the state will NOT be reapplying for RTT funds because the state was asking for certain changes by the union that they were not willing to accept.
hoosierteachergirl,
A few more comments, again thank you for sharing your thoughts:
I’ve certainly not been a Mitch Daniels fan but he didn’t cut anything - that was done by the state legislature. It is true that he supported the cuts but many legislators felt there was no way they could balance the budget without education cuts. The current economic crisis has caused massive reductions in state tax receipts and something had to give. Something will have to give next year as well and likely for years to come. That’s why it’s so important that local districts like FWCS fix their structural budget deficits so we don’t revisit this year after year - however, that’s another comment for another day.
The average salary and benefits package in FWCS is $75k and you get summers off. I guess I wouldn’t consider that a pittance - especially when the pension benefits are added in (something that has already bankrupted the state but our governor and legislators are either ignoring or are too ignorant to understand - again, another post for another day). And let’s not forget that you also enjoy more job stability than almost any other profession.
I would say that teachers do better than MANY other college graduates - especially in this region of the country…
When it comes to teaching, ones says special education kids and the other is speaking about students in general. For the engineers out there we think in terms of scrap and yield. Scrap is taken off line and yield is what comes off the line good.
In some processes we know ahead of time that we have product shipped to us that has bad stuff in it. We either accept it or ship it back. This would be hard for a school to do with a student. If we accept the part as is, we may have to cherry pick where it goes, take special care with it, rework it, etc. This may be along the lines of the special education student.
The way I see it, education needs to separate the average, the special education and the trouble makers from each other. Of course we get into trouble with civil rights when we try and do this. Special education students want to be in the class with everyone else, but this now requires every teacher to specialize in special education.
Is there a study that special education students do better in classes with everyone else? Is there a study that shows that special education students hinder other students?
To me we have three distinct types of students and this is broad in general terms, but we attempt to apply the same criteria to all three.
Too many theories on education and no proof they are true. Too many federal laws trying to conform all systems in the US to one standard when we have 50 unique states. What works in CA may not work anywhere else. Get rid of the Federal Department of Education and give control back to the states. In fact I would like to see Tony Bennet’s position eliminated and control given back to my school board that I vote for. I really hate trying to deal with Doe congressman, Lugar or Bayh on a Federal Education problem and trying to deal with the state is just as bad. When it comes to speaking with NWAC system, they point to state and federal laws.
Too much time and resources spent on conforming instead of teaching.
Actually, Spencer - it was a joke apparently gone bad… I meant that I thought YOU might hurl that line at ME. I wouldn’t do that to anybody.
Jeff - You’re pretty much preaching to the choir in your posts, with just a few exceptions which I’ll respond to.
To answer your question about RTT, the innovations are suggestions outlined by RTT guidelines. The four basic outlines are online - check it out (it’s a heap of reading, so be ready). Though FWCS was not awarded RTT funds, it elected for their LEAD schools to follow one anyway which offered major change - up to 50% staff turnover at each LEAD school, along with changes in the way we teach. I can tell you in the special ed dept in my school, we’ve added some programming to the schedule to allow for reteaching by resource teachers to all students, not just special ed kids (with the new 7 period day in high school, this was a good addition), resource teachers in the block classes (academic), and placing resource kids into the general ed classes we know they can be successful in. Essentially, using resource teachers as they should be used. Let’s be honest - without the sped and ENL numbers, our school success rates wouldn’t be in the shape they’re in now. (This is another post for another day regarding testing and how that is used to rate our students and our schools in the US versus other countries.) As to your comment that FWCS will not reapply for RTT funding, I can’t speak to that - I’d heard we WERE going to reapply, but this hasn’t been verified.
Secondly, I’m curious to know where you get your information of the $75K average salary of a FWCS teacher. I guess I have a couple of things to say about that - One, the information I gather from the DOE (http://mustang.doe.state.in.us/SEARCH/snapcorp.cfm?corp=0235) is that the average salary of an FWCS teacher is $51K. I can only tell you I signed a contract for $42K. The health insurance portion of my package ($24K you say) is a perk that I am grateful for, and it’s a perk which draws good teachers to the system. I work 10-12 hours a day, which is, I admit, more than most teachers work per day. The salary is meant to be drawn either over the 10 months we’re working or the 12 month period of the contract year (what I do).
And two - why is it so hard to accept that it costs, using your analysis, $75K a year to educate our youth? What would be the alternative that you would suggest? Cut salaries? Cut health care benefits? No more retirement benefits? Who in their right mind would go into teaching with no job security or draw? I work with my students regularly to help them determine a course of study after high school in which we try to transition our kids into professions which have some longevity to them - like certain areas of the medical field and technical fields, and not into other fields which right now are just not hiring. We do that for a reason - there’s jobs there. With the education teachers are required to have, it’s low on the scale comparatively, to other professions. I’m a taxpayer too - I’m glad to help pay for that. I’m biased, I guess - I believe the education of our youth is more important than many investments we can make in the currently tenuous future of our communities.
I feel I continuously need to defend my position on teachers and our salary, and to do that, I also have to appear pompous and all “my work is the most important”. It IS important, and the beaurocracies which entitle themselves to the allocations of monies give us all a bad rap. It seems to me that teachers are the last group of people who should take a hit for the inept ways funding is collected, legislated, and allocated.
Please be kind. I don’t have all the answers. I’m just a girl who is called to teach, who loves her job and is grateful for it, and would like to see the rhetoric come down to a less-than- attacking stance.
Thanks.
Hoosierteachergirl,
I would just like to add a few comments on Evert Mol. I have known Evert for several years and I can assure you that he has taught at the elementary, middle, and high school levels at FWCS. He knows what is going on in the classrooms, but unfortunately too many teachers like yourself fail to listen to what he is saying. First of all Evert has never said that teachers are overpaid. He would gladly pay higher taxes to compensate “good” teachers. What he is against is this bullshit that is taking place in FWCS today. What bullshit you ask? The bullshit decisions and directives coming out of Grile. Grile rather spend money on experts and specialist that never have contact with students than in good classroom teachers that know what they are doing. Please, don’t fight Evert, instead fight the “man” down at Grile that is hurting not just FWCS but all of Fort Wayne.
hoosierteachergirl:
According to the master contract, a teacher with a master’s degree and 10 years experience would receive a salary of $50,743 not $42,000 as you suggest.
Also, RTT was not awarded to school districts, but to states. The states then dispersed the money to their schools.
Evert is correct in identifying the root cause to FWCS problems: SOCIAL PROMOTION. I would like to see the effects if failing students were not promoted. As it is now, students have no motivation for learning or mastering any skills until they reach high school. Many of our low-achieving students believe they will be passed along in high school. Even our college-bound students are not achieving at high levels. (See the blogpost about remedial coursework at http://fortwaynepolitics.com/2010/03/jg-article-in-todays-paper-is-a-must-read/ )
I hope that some of you posting here are considering a run for school board. It seems like most of you would consider holding all parties (administrators, teachers, parents, and STUDENTS) accountable for a students education.
No argument from me regarding social promotion - we’ve been bitching about that for many years. There is no question it presents a major crisis for us at the high school level. Don’t have to read any blogposts - I live it daily in the classroom. I would venture to say there is more than one “root problem” at Grile. It is agreed to all you suggest regarding that pill.
Also - I’m not just “suggesting it” - the last contract I signed was for $42K.
Finally, yes - RTT is awarded to states, but allocated to the districts. Isn’t that what I said?
Hoosierteachergirl=
Blanket social promotion is the prime example of what’s wrong with FWCS and its teachers’ union. It’s an admission of failure. For years I’ve been sitting at lunch with high school teachers listening to them bitch about what they have to deal with coming out of the middle schools. They tell me Steve Brace is opposed to social promotion but nothing changes. If FWEA can’t or won’t try to influence a policy which promotes a culture of failure and will prevent any improvement in the high schools (even after you get done with the musical chairs) at least get rid of the “E” in FWEA. It doesn’t belong there.
Unfortunately the practice is so prevalent that it won’t be possible to stop it altogether. We’d have to build a couple of middle schools to hold the overflow (or bottle them up at Elmhurst). But even holding a few kids back would send a message to others that there might just be consequences for failure.
Why not get the parents involved in the decision to hold kids back? The middle school’s faculty knows if a kid is ready for high school. Recommend to the parent(s) that the kid be held back. If the parent(s) don’t want him held back, fine. Sign a piece of paper and we’ll send him on to fail in high school.
Evert,
What would be better is making the parents attend remediation classes with their child if they insist on them going to high school before they are ready. I really believe the key to our educational problems starts and ends with the parents. I am also tired of FWCS approach of seeing students and their parents as customers. Schools were created to teach the next generation and not as a place where children can hangout until they are eighteen.
Good info & suggestions, especially regarding the loathed social promotion! The argument that we get is typically that we’ll have 16-year old 8th graders. That’s simply moronic. I suppose there might be a few older 8th graders, but I swear - it is a FANTASTIC motivator. I don’t remember a single 15 or 16-year old 8th grader way back when most of us older folks were in middle school. Why? NO SOCIAL PROMOTION!!!
Workin’ on it!
hoosierteachergirl:
I am former employee with FWCS, and studied education at a local Catholic university. The education program (undergraduate and graduate levels) is a joke across the board!!! The education courses were amazingly easy, I rarely studied and pulled straight A’s - 97% or higher, and I am not bright. The curricula in education is just amazingly watered down.
My days as a substitute teacher with FWCS, showed me how easy your job was — yes it was easy. Students are tough to deal with, so are city leaders, business owners, nonprofit managers and the like, and unlike students, you have no protection with adults, they can turn on in a minute and there is no union backing.
In regards to salary and benefits, teachers are very well paid in FWCS. I do know that several teachers work hard in their classroom, before and after the school year and the school day, for approximately 190 days (Great teachers do this), but I do realize on days before vacation, they leave right at the bell. If you work 10 hours x 160 days (1,600 hours) and 8 hours x 30 days (160), that is a total of 1,760 hours, based upon your salary that is $23.84 per hour without benefits! And there are several opportunities to pick up extra pay as a tutor, which ranges from $20 - 50 per hour, thus you may obtain extra $500 - $1,000 per quarter with minimal effort!
I recently developed a growing business within the region, and never have worked so hard. I have had to put in tons of time and effort, without pay! I will be honest, I have worked several 15 - 18 hour days, which make teaching looking like a part-time job.
SmallBizQwner:
Why are you not a teacher if it is so easy and lucrative? What is the name of your business? I will have my friend (who is a teacher)drop by with some of his honor students (according to Grile) and have them call you a fuckin bitch and tell you to suck their dick. Isn’t it grand! SO rewarding. Maybe you can also go to one of Wendy’s meetings where she blames you for society’s ills while making a cool $200,000. You are right, teachers should not complain and make minimum wage. It is not like they have a hard job.
To the readers:
I would like to apologize for the above blog, but it makes me crazy that some people think teaching is so easy. I once thought of becoming a teacher and decided against it after sitting through one day in the classroom as an observer (over thirty years ago). I can understand people being against raises for teachers during this bad economy, but I cannot understand the disrespect the institution of teaching has to take on a daily basis. My good friend is a teacher and he has been punched, kicked, spat on, and cussed while teaching for a local school district. Did the Union help him? No they did not. He has never complained about his salary or benefits, but lately he has thought about doing something else because he knows that things are only going to get worse and he, along with other teachers, are going to be the scapegoats. For the life of me, I don’t know why anyone would want to be a teacher today. He has told his sons that he will pay for their college education if they don’t go into education. Hope you feel proud smallbizowner.
I have been called fuck’ b@tch by students at Wayne, students at Elmhurst threw glass bottles at me. Dangerous, you bet. But now as a business owner, I get talked about behind my back by those in high economic power. Those individuals make or break my ability to do business - hell or no hell. And the more hell there is this, the less money for me.
I am not a teacher, because I hated FWCS, I felt like I was in jail, it was too narrow; I am very creative class. And, kids are amazingly boring.
SmallBizOwner:
I guess I don’t understand your argument. If getting cussed at and having bottles thrown at you is dangerous than why do you think teachers have it easy?
I now deal with the big, bad government officials that covered murders up!