As I mentioned in a previous post, Mr. Johnson is suggesting that a number of Central Office administrators should be given salary adjustments (raises) because they are being assigned additional duties as he reorganizes the Central Office staff. I already mentioned that many individuals have stated that teachers are often assigned extra duties without receiving additional compensation. However, those remarks also made me think that it would be beneficial to list the duties, or responsibilities, of an typical classroom teacher.
To that end, I used Google to search for teacher job descriptions. I found several comprehensive lists of teacher duties. I then merged those lists and, with my wife’s assistance, added a few duties that were not already included. As you might suspect the list is quite lengthy but that is just a small testament to the dedication of the teachers. I am including the list below. There is some overlapping between the bulleted items but that is balanced out by the fact that there are numerous other items that could be broken down into multiple duties.
Professional Responsibilities of Teachers:
- Prepare classroom and materials for Open House.
- Assemble class rosters and get to know students and parents.
- Administer Common Formative Assessments.
- Prepare lesson plans that reflect a logical sequence of learning objectives and activities and meet the individual needs, interests, and abilities of the students.
- Implement instructional activities that contribute to a climate where students are actively engaged in meaningful learning experiences.
- Use a variety of instructional strategies and materials that are appropriate for the stated instructional objectives of the students involved.
- Collaborate with students to prepare PDSAs.
- Identify, select, and modify instructional resources to meet the needs of the students with varying backgrounds, learning styles, and special needs.
- Use relevant technology to support instruction.
- Instruct and monitor students in the use of learning materials and equipment.
- Establish standards of classroom conduct and administer them in a fair, equitable, and consistent manner.
- Teach a broad base of understanding without indoctrinating students with his/her own cultural, political, religious or philosophical beliefs.
- Ensure that student growth and achievement is continuous and appropriate for age group, subject area, and/or program classification.
- Read and critique student papers.
- Assist students as they complete class projects.
- Provide appropriate feedback on student work.
- Appropriately display student work in the classroom and hallways.
- Post current PDSA information in the classroom.
- Monitor and assess student progress and adjust student instruction accordingly.
- Maintain effective and efficient record keeping procedures.
- Observe and evaluate student's performance and development.
- Assign and grade class work, homework, tests and assignments.
- Encourage and monitor the progress of individual students.
- Keep accurate records and provide them for school district use and file required reports on a timely basis.
- Demonstrate gains in student performance.
- Prepare and submit progress reports and report cards.
- Apply appropriate disciplinary measures where necessary.
- Monitor after school detention room as assigned.
- Assist in assessing changing curricular needs and offer plans for improvement.
- Collaborate with peers to enhance the instructional environment.
- Assume responsibility for meeting his/her course and school-wide student performance goals.
- Participate in training and presentations about various teaching techniques.
- Meet professional obligations through efficient work habits such as: meeting deadlines, honoring schedules, coordinating.
- Attend and participate in required district in-service programs.
- Stay current through professional staff development opportunities.
- Utilize established channels for handling routine procedures, resolving problems/concerns and making suggestions.
- Participate in required staff meetings and conferences.
- Keep up to date with developments in subject area, teaching resources and methods and make relevant changes to instructional plans and activities.
- Participate in committees as related to student needs, school programs, and district needs.
- Works collaboratively to achieve the overall purposes of the school program.
- Participate in the development and implementation of the school improvement plan.
- Provide a positive environment in which students are encouraged to be actively engaged in the learning process.
- Prepare and display motivational items on classroom bulletin boards.
- Promote and maintain a safe and healthful environment in the classroom and building.
- Maintain an organized and clean classroom.
- Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with students, parents, and other professionals on a regular basis.
- Communicate student academic and behavioral progress to parents.
- Develop and maintain positive and cooperative interactions and communication with school staff, clients, and the community.
- Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with students, parents, and schools.
- Performs bus and car duty before and after school as assigned.
- Participate in extracurricular activities such as social activities, sporting activities, clubs and student organizations.
- Provide supervision in non-classroom areas and situations in accordance with the building student management plan.
- Monitor students in hallways, cafeteria, gymnasium, and school grounds.
- Assign lockers and maintain records of those assignments.
- Provide direction and supervision for all school activities to which he/she is assigned (coach, director, supervisor, chaperon, etc.).
- Develop a budget for applicable programs and insure that needed materials are ordered with the administrator’s approval.
- Care for district resources, equipment and materials assigned to him/her and report concerns regarding facility and equipment to designated supervisor.
- When applicable, provide direction and/or supervision for teacher assistants, student teachers, interns, and substitutes.
- Maintain a current folder of responsibilities and procedures for substitute teacher's use.
- Model professional and ethical standards when dealing with students, parents, peers, and community.
- Participate in IEP meetings.
- Be knowledgeable of and adhere to all procedures and practices prescribed in the Teacher, Student, and/or Parent Handbooks.
- Keep an accurate and detailed accounts of all monies collected and submit detailed accounting of such money to the appropriate building or business office personnel.
- Be knowledgeable of and adhere to federal and state laws that apply to his/her job assignment.
- Perform all other duties and responsibilities as assigned by their supervisor or district administrator.
To conclude, I thank all teachers and teacher assistants for dedicating your lives to helping students achieve success in the classroom and in the world outside the classroom. As the above list indicates, a significant effort is required to assist students achieve their goals. To all teachers and assistants, have a great summer. Spend some extra quality time with your families and friends, and recharge your batteries because it will not be too long till the beginning of a new school year.
Resources:
Sevenstar Academy, Omaha Public Schools, Waunakee Community School District, and Best-Job-Interview.com.
Thanks for reminding us of all the duties of a classroom teacher. I have had many jobs in my life, including classroom teacher. Other people THINK they are working hard, but no job I ever held was as difficult as that of classroom teacher.
ReplyDeleteLast May (2009), there was a proposal which was unanimously accepted by I-SS Board which mandated the Central Office Administrators(COA), as well as Principals, were to receive a 2% reduction in their salary due to budget constraints. It would be interesting to see the list of the COA and the Principals with their salaries then after the 2% salary-reduction and and what those public servants are receiving as of this month. We are seeing a microcosm of what's happening in Washington, DC, in our local government entity called Iredell-Statesville Schools.....spend, spend, spend.
ReplyDeleteI need to correct the above submission to read June,2009, not May, 2009. I apologize for the inaccuracy. The minutes state it was a furlough, but it was stated in the board meeting as a 2% salary reduction.
ReplyDeleteA central office salary adjustment? Where is the money coming from??? The newspaper posted that the district eliminated the exec dir of strategic planning - well they created the exec dir of middle school/rti/504, Kelly Cooper = the same number of positions. It also mentioned elimination of a grant managing position - yet in the organization chart Tim Ivey was added as a Dir of SLC grant = same number of positions.
ReplyDeleteApparently Pam Schiffman is less one responsibility - media so does this decrease her salary while media was added to Debra Harwell so you give her a raise. PEOPLE WAKE UP - do you see a pattern????
They also did not include people like Rodney Neal, Director of Technology, Rob Jackson, Director of Construction - AND in the public relations office with Dawn Creason are Jada Jonas. Director of CTE, Director of Fine Arts, and who knows how many more directors/coordinators.
OK let's suggest this! Take the organization chart and post the salaries of everyone on the chart but let's include the people mentioned in the Anon June 14, 7:59 also. Why were they not on the chart??? It would be interesting to know who else was not included.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe Brady Johnson or the board of education would even consider raising salaries of administrators when cutting teachers/teacher assistants AND they haven't received a raise in 2 years.
ReplyDeleteThank you for printing this long list of teacher responsibilities. Even after 2 years of not being in a classroom, I still dream at night about things that I need to get done the next day. Reports that need to be turned in, teacher/parent conferences that I am concerned about, a student who is struggling and I can't seem to find the right way to reach him/her. The list goes on. Some how, teachers get done everything that needs to be done, but little recognization, or praise, or thanks come their way.
ReplyDeleteIn the midst of the worst budget crisis in decades, if ANYONE at the CO gets ANY sort of raise, it is a travesty of fairness! Teachers are struggling, many of them working for a salary that is below the US poverty level.
ReplyDeleteThe above poster is correct, giving raises to those who occupy administrative positions - and most of whom who ALready receive three-figure incomes -- sounds a lot like Wall Street...exorbitant money for those who control the distribution of funds and pay DEcreases for those who do the real work down in the trenches. If the Bd of Ed allows this, they should ridden on rails for extreme dereliction of duty to the public trust!
Where, oh where are the consciences of these people? Have they no shame?!
Hardly the poverty level. As you can see by this website under the 2009 level a 1 person household is 10,830, 2 person is 14,570. Most new teachers are not married, or if they are and their spouse did not work would not hit that limit. These numbers are gross...not take home after taxes and benefits. A teacher would have to basically be new, have a spouse that did not work, and have at least 1 child before they ever hit the poverty level. Poverty level, I forgot that you lake people think if you can't drive a Cadillac or Lexus, or have a house that is worth $350,000 sitting up next to the lake with your $25,000 boat then you live in poverty.
ReplyDeletehttp://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/09poverty.shtml
Some teachers often shop after school for items for their classrooms. (Money that comes out of their own pockets). I have worked with school staff that provide pencils, paper, bookbags, lunches, clothes and shoes to their students. The dedication and responsibility of committed teachers can never be listed or ranked without some ommission. I did like your job description.
ReplyDeleteI worked with a single mom one year who was a teacher raising 2 children. She received Medicaid for her children. Maybe not poverty level but darn close. How many CO administrators have to do that. I think that if you were to check addresses, you would find that a higher majority of admin. live at lake addresses than do teachers. Just because you live in the Mooresville area, it doesn't mean that you have a 350,000 dollar home on the lake.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to know WHY the people of Iredell County continue to allow all the nonsense with CO and the Bd of Ed to continue???? I think it's high time that a group gets together and petitions AGAINST all this ridiculous behavior of I-SS. Something needs to be done...and quickly. Too many teachers and/or assistants will lose their jobs and why? To continue to fatten the pockets of people in the CO who really 'believe' they need more money?? C'mon people!!!
ReplyDeletePlease allow me to clear up this matter regarding salary increases. The board discussed this and voted 7-0 to not increase any central office salaries this year. The only increases are the $250.00 per month for those receiving their doctorate degrees. This increase is given by the state of North Carolina.
ReplyDeleteThe creation of a middle school director's position is absolutely necessary to continue the work of the middle schools which is totally different with the creation of the IB program which has taken many bright students away from the middle schools. You will probably see a decrease in the middle school scores as a result of this. I was a middlle school teacher for 35 years, and the middle school positon is necessary for the middle schools to begin to look at new ways to work with the present population. Also, you need to remember that Todd Holden was holding down three positions including director of high schools, middle schools, and tech education which is more than one individual can handle.
A number of positions have been eliminated including most of the part time positions. Most of the central office people have been given more responsibilities with the same salary. In fact, several requested no salary increase at all regardless of any action by the board.
Please allow me to speak from a personal point of view. My salary was never based on what central office people made and also, I went for several years without any salary increase thanks to bad economic times similar to what we are experiencing at this time. Finally, we rank 13th in the state in terms of performance and 111 out of 115 school systems across the state in terms of funding. If you think times are bad this year, the worst is yet to come. We are facing a decrease in funding close to 5 million dollars. The federal stimulus money will be gone as of this year and that leaves us in much worse conditions than before.
If you want to know the whole story, go to Race Street and ask to see the reorganization of the Central Office. I think you will find that the reductions are noticeable and also have you thought about looking at the central offices of school systems similar to ISS. You may be surprised at the size and salaries of many other central offices across the state.
To June 16, 2010 7:42 AM : I know a teacher who IS new and is a widow with two college aged children. Forget ridiculous Cadillaca. Through no fault of their own, suddenly, this person has ALL the responsibility ..what a callous individual you are! The point is that teachers are compensated at a much lower rate, than say accountants or bankers, or upper CO administrator. And there is no greater value to society thatn the education of its future. Shame on you, you are in dire need of some empathy training. I feel sorry for you.
ReplyDeleteJohn Rogers,
ReplyDeleteThanks for clearing up some of the misinformation about the salaries. One thing puzzles me, however. I happen to know that grant writer, who in the final analysis was the only person laid off in the central office. The mentors were not going to continue next year anyway, as state funding was cut, and no one else was laid off. That woman, (grant writer) who is my neighbor, is mystified. Her salary was mainly paid for out of a grant. She was only costing the district about $20,000 in salary, but through grants that she wrote brought $225,000 into the district each year for two years! Why in the world would someone who was bringing money INTO the district be the one to be laid off? We gain the $20,000, but no longer have a grant writer to bring money in. It seems to me that by selecting one of the three $100,000 administrators in the HR department, it might have had a bigger impact.
I'm not saying people don't have it tough. There will always be exceptions. However, the poverty level is a little exaggerated for "most" individuals. Like I mentioned before. I am a teacher and I have it rough but I still have a car, still have a house, have electricty, and water on a one person's income. I bet that teacher does too. She is sending her kids to college!! How many people in poverty do you know can send their kids to college, have a car, a house, and pay for basic utilites. We all know our salaries when we enter the profession. If you aren't happy with it then get out. We should be doing everything we do in the schools for our children. We should be asking the legislature not the school board or I-SS to do anything with our salaries. Talk to your reps the budget has not been approved yet.
ReplyDeleteI am not callous nor do I need any empathy training. But the truth is that you do not go into teaching for the money. You go into teaching because of a calling to help children. I went into teaching for that very reason knowing full well what the salary would be, and that I could make far more money somewhere else.
ReplyDeleteYou are talking to the wrong people. Local boards of education do not set teacher salaries;
that is beyond our control. The only thing a local LEA can do is the local supplement which I believe ISS has done a great job for teachers in the system. I would vote today to raise salaries for teachers without any reservations, but I do not have any control over that piece of the puzzle. You need to deal with the General Assembly.
We are in a deep economic situation that is beyond our control, and I truly believe the system is doing the best we can for all concerned.
You speak of people who find themselves alone with children to raise on a set salary. Doesn't that happen to many outside the teaching profession, and how much control do we have when it comes to that type of situation. I am not being callous when you have to deal with the reality of the situation. I have to sit and approve cuts that are unbelievable. We are already looking at one another and thinking that there is no other place to cut. I am the first to say that teachers are under paid but I had to deal with that situation for over 35 years, but I accepted that reality and still chose to teach because that is what I truly wanted to do.
Where in my last post was I being callous without any feelings for teachers in our system.
I am a teacher and will always be a teacher, and that is the reason I ran for the board. But it is what it is.
Mr. Rogers, there's been a misunderstanding. The post which used the word callous was addressed to 7:42, which is not labeled with your name. Just wanted to clear that up for you.
ReplyDeleteNowhere else to cut? We've been discussing right here driving cars home, cell phones, the HR department, IFs which can easily be at least shared between schools like our nurses, speech and social services people are. They use Blackberries for classroom walkthroughs, something tells me paper is cheaper since you have to have extra services and expenses for a Blackberry.
ReplyDeleteWere any of these things were considered before taking away 2% of our suppliment?
I liked the comment calling for the Record and Landmark to do an investigation comparing the stats here with other similar counties. I'm not holding my breath, though. We'd fare better with Paul getting and publishing the facts. Without Paul's efforts, we wouldn't know half of what we now know!
ReplyDeleteMr. Rogers, thank you for the information about the CO salaries. I am glad to see that the Board did not go along with Mr. Johnson's recommendation to increase the salaries of the CO administrators who are being assigned 'additional' duties. However, I do have a couple of questions for you.
ReplyDeleteIs the 2% furlough for the CO administrators being continued for the upcoming school year?
Why aren't the Instructional Facilitators being put back in the classrooms to replace teachers who are retiring or resigning? This is a program that requires a significant amount of financial resources while only providing a limited amount of benefit for the teachers.
Please allow me to clarify the situation regarding the salary increases. Brady was the one to bring the salary increases back to the board for review. The board made the decision to keep salaries as they are due to the recession, the budget situaton, and the fact that the majority of ISS employees are not getting a raise. It was a joint effort between the superintendent and the members of the board.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I know, the 2% furlough is still in effect for administrators.
I believe that you need to understand that the IF situation will remain as is due to the fact that the superintendent and the board all support the model as it is done at this time. The instructional facilitators are paid from different funding and to put them back into the classroom would just cause a lay off for someone else. The "limited benefit" is a matter of opinion for in most places the instructional facilitator plays an important role in the instructional program and is part of the total success of the ranking of the district. However,
if the budget situation remains the same and with the loss of the stimulus dollars from the federal government, we will be forced to look at everything in terms of the 2011-2012 school year. Nothing is sacred as far at the budget goes. Also, the board will be looking very closely at the performance on EOG and EOC, and if the scores begin to fall, the system will take a close look at the model as it is delivered, and we may have to go back to a stricter enforcement of instructional delivery. Remember, it is not Baldridge as such, but the entire state is going toward the use of "best practices" for instruction and learning.
I think if you look at the total success of ISS, you will see that we are doing a pretty good job with the funding as it is at this time. I just don't know how long we can sustain the system as it is without more funding from all sources.
It has been my opinion since the beginning that it was not the model that was the problem, but the way it was delivered. Since Brady became superintendent, we have taken a softer approach and this has made a significant difference. Even the use of PDSA is different in most places since what is was say two years ago.
Mr. Rogers, with all due respect, expect the scores to go down. As families struggle financially at home, students are struggling more at school. They have less background knowledge as their parents are not able to go on vacations and experience things, less books at home, etc. They are having more problems at home, seeing their parents stressed, etc. because most kids know someone who is unemployed right now.
ReplyDeleteThe school cut 145 position last year and will leave 25 positions vacant this coming year. We have lost several TAs in our schools. The TAs that we have are having to spend additional time driving a bus, cutting down their time in the classroom because of the changes district made last year. Class sizes have increased. When you or the state cuts teacher pay, you cut how much I can spend on my classroom in additional resources such as books.
"Scricter enforcement of instructional delivery" almost sounds like a threat or at least blaming the teachers if test scores go down. And it's certainly not fair when you have taken resources away from the kids and put them in bigger groups.
You are correct about the delivery of Baldrige. Even in speaking with people at the state level, they have commented on the fact that Iredell implemented from the top down instead of bottom up. Had it been implemented in the manner in which it should have been, we would have less resistance and better quality. I've worked in several schools and the IFs are about as different as night and day. In the schools where the IFs were more flexible and worked with the staff - the model was more successful. AND NO I am not an IF.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe Brady Johnson requested a salary increase for the administrators. THAT IS CRAZY! Thanks to the board members who had the good sense not to allow raises to the people who already make over $100,000. If they don't like what they are doing for the salary they are making, they can resign.
ReplyDeleteLet's see who resigns because they did not receive another salary increase ;-)
This is in reference to anonymous June 17-8:33 pm
ReplyDeleteI fully agree with almost everything you have stated, and I am just as aware as you are for I dealt with it for years. The budget situation is critical, and it is going to get worse as I have attempted to explain in several post today.
How do you make up for a loss of 5 million dollars and that is from all three sources of local, state, and federal monies. The only thing keeping us above water is the federal stimulus money which is gone after this year.
In defending the middle school director's position, the middle schools are in the midst of a transition in that with IB, the population is changing bringing new challenges to an already difficult age to work with. I did it for over 35 years. So, the possibility is there for lower scores, but I am not blaming anyone but stating a fact.
I did not mean to threaten anyone, but the board has discussed this over and over as we have given instructions to both Brady and most of the central office that performance must stay at a high level even though we are giving principals and teachers more flexibility in making instructional decisions.
Don't read more into what I say than what is intended. There are many factors that contribute to lower scores and yes, funding has a direct effect on performance. But, we must continue strong instruction even though we are giving all persons the right to make more of the decisions. You completely missed my point.
All of this was discussed with Brady from day 1 as he began to make changes in the model, but we can not stop doing all the great things that have brought us so far.
I completely understand what less money does to a classroom because I taught in some very rough economic times as I have already stated. I spent hundreds of dollars each year in that I took the position that my students were not going to be short changed because the school did not have the money to purchase the supplies that I felt I needed. I might add that this continued over several years when there were no raises not enough the steps for experience. Been there, done that.
The bottom line is simply that we can talk for ever and ever about the economy, but children have to be taken care of and taught. Teachers have been doing this in all kinds of conditions and the job gets done. It has been done before, and it will continue if we don't lose sight of our greater purpose. At the end of the day,I would sit in my classroom and try to determine if the job was successful that given day and how could I make it better. It is a job that is never fully finished for all of us is a work in progress
Mr. Rogers and bd of edu - THANK YOU! for not approving an increase in salary for people who already make 6 figures while classroom teachers didn't receive a raise last year and again this year. We have had extra "stuff" added to our job and next year will be more students in the classroom, EC students, etc. so PLEASE Brady - wake up - how could you even ask for pay raises for admin.
ReplyDeleteMr. Rogers, why isn't there a policy about hiring relatives in admin positions. Ron Hargarves has a relative as principal at West High and HE WAS on the interview team. A relative who is a coordinator at Monticello and his wife is asst. principal at Third Creek. Dale Ellis' wife is a tech coordinator at ADR, David Cash's wife is a lead teacher at ADR, Marty Moore's husband is the principal at West Middle and the list goes on and on and on!!!
ReplyDeleteReading scores went down when the state renormed the Reading test. Test scores went down in math when the district took our successful math program away and forced us to use the mess that is Envision.
ReplyDeleteIt's not just about the model or economic times. There are many, many other factors that play into student performance. But I forgot, teachers didn't know how to teach before the model. Or is that teachers didn't know how to teach to the test until No Child Left Behind? I wonder how many EOG workbooks were in the district a few years ago compared to now. Teaching has changed dramatically since standardized tests became the norm and the research says it's not in a good way, but our scores are higher.
If you've been in education for any period of time, you realize it's like fashion. Everything old will become new again as far as "best practices." What was once called ability grouping or leveling is now called RTI. The title may change slightly, as the levels of Bloom's taxonomy did this year, but it's really the same thing.
ReplyDeleteISS has done the same thing, they rename things, but a PDP is the same thing as an IGP and an IF is the same as a lead teacher, etc. The continuous improvement often means improving the name.
I don't understand where you think spouses and relatives can work. I don't have a problem with spouses or cousins, or third cousins, or eigth cousins working in the system as long as they are not reporting directly to those individuals. Mr. Moore does not report to Mrs. Moore. Mrs. Ellis does not report to Mr. Ellis. Mr. Hargrave is over operations so I am pretty sure it has nothing to do with West High. Coordinator at Monticello has nothing to do with the duties of assistant principal at Third Creek. Dr. Cash is on the school board but he can't tell Mrs. Moore, Mrs. Rector, Mr. Stus, or Mr. Ellis to make her a lead teacher. I know the conspiracies roll on this blog but come on people. If my wife was working in the school system I am not going to make her drive to another county just to appease the masses. If they are qualified and not reporting directly to those individuals what does it matter?
ReplyDeleteI know the next arguement will be, "well, they got them their jobs because they are CO." Well, it could be the case but I don't know the facts. However, I am willing to believe that these people are more than qualified than lets say Mrs. Holliday was when she retained her title and never had a Master's degree. That is shady, that is stuff that should have been dealt with by the school board in terms of Mr. Holliday's tenure with I-SS.
Mr. Rogers, in your 5:44 PM comment you state "in most places the instructional facilitator plays an important role in the instructional program and is part of the total success of the ranking of the district." What proof do you have that shows the efficacy of the IF program? Have there been any studies that show a correlation between student performance and the IF program?
ReplyDeletePerhaps we should take a closer look at your 9:36 PM comment in which you state "but children have to be taken care of and taught. Teachers have been doing this in all kinds of conditions and the job gets done." I think that you would find a closer correlation between teacher dedication and student performance.
In your 5:44 PM comment you also state "The instructional facilitators are paid from different funding and to put them back into the classroom would just cause a lay off for someone else." Granted the State specifies certain monies are to be spent in particular ways. But you know there is enough leeway in the overall budget to shift funds around to make it happen if the administration chose to do so.
I think we're supposed to believe the IF program is free, that this district has not sacrificed anything for it. That money would not exist or be thrown away if not used on the IFs. Maybe we're supposed to believe the model doesn't cost us any money at all.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile counties have schools with Smartboards in every room which I promise will make their students more globally knowledgable and competitive in the 21st century than any part of the model.
Your comments are noted and I will certainly passed them along when I have the opportunity.
ReplyDeleteAs a board member, I do realize that we have hundreds of intelligent and dedicated people who have ideas and thoughts that should be taken into consideration. I believe that board members do listen and consider all sides to an argument so my suggestion is not just comment on this blog but contact US when you have a problem
or concern. We do pass information along to the proper person, and you would be surprised that things do change more than you would think.
Thank you for sharing with me. Have a great summer!!!!!
John - thanks for bringing some rational discussion to this forum. All over America you will hear the same complaint, the executives make too much money and more should go to the "working class". This issue is by no way unique to education and changing this would require a real cultural shift in America. I am almost embarrased to have teachers represented by some of the comments on here. I work 200 days out of the year and make around 40k. In these economic times I think that is fair compensation. I know that I put in a lot of time during the evenings or in the summer that I'm not paid for. At the same time, I have a job that is so rewarding and I actually enjoy going to on a daily basis. There is no price tag on that, and that is why I choose education over other careers where I could be making more money. It's all about what is really important and I hope that most of our teachers feel the same.
ReplyDeleteWow! Smartboards will make students more globally competitive. Are you kidding me?! I hope you don't actually teach children.
ReplyDeleteMr. Rogers says we're 13th in the state in performance this year. Last year we were 9th in the state. I guess the BOE and superintendent's "make the principals happy and stop pushing toward excellence" policy is already working. It seems I-SS is quickly headed right back where it used to be - where just okay is good enough. How sad for the district. How sad for the children.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Anybody notice that all the newer folks are leaving the district and all the good old boys are staying? Sure feels like when the new superintendent threw away the B word, he threw the baby right out with the bath water. Now the good old boys are taking us back to the good old days... when nobody expected much and that's what they got.
ReplyDeleteUnderstanding technology will make students more globally competitive than any PA or PLC. Do you know what a smartboard can do with free programs like Google Earth? It can expose students to more places with more details than a traditional map or PDSA ever will be able to do. You can show video from all over the world using a Smartboard, which is simply not possible on an overhead and the other option is to crunch 25 or 30 kids around a computer. Ever tried that? It's a disaster. Showing video of the Haiti earthquake will teach them more about the world than any graph. The examples could go on and on.
ReplyDeleteWhat if the kids say that want to use google earth on the smartboard as a strategy to learn about earthquakes while completing the PDSA? Oh then it would probably be bad...right?
ReplyDeleteWhat the system needs is a technology person who KNOWS technology and integration. Until this system has in place a tech director who KNOWS technology integration we aren't going very far. Two years ago I came from a system (my husband was transferred)in which I could log into the network from home to access my files. When I logged in I could access internet sites like Twitter that the students could not access. Why is this system so far behind in technology????
ReplyDeleteMr.Rogers stated " I believe that board members do listen and consider all sides to an argument so my suggestion is not just comment on this blog but contact US when you have a problem
ReplyDeleteor concern. We do pass information along to the proper person, and you would be surprised that things do change more than you would think.", which is a lie as evidenced by the behavior of the I-SS Board at the May 2010 board meeting. The decision re: IB high school was already decided, premeditated (in my opinion), and the data and comments presented that evening fell on "deaf ears". To listen, you have to hear.
With all due respect to the post above, the process concerning the high school IB program was fairly typical in that we were given the information, it was discussed, and the decision was made with the 7-0 vote on May 10, 2010.
ReplyDeleteThe administration brought to us the situation about the high school program and in particular the diploma program. We were given a timeline and we knew that it would start during the 2011-2012 school year.
If you had attended the Committee of the Whole meetings, you would have heard the discussion about where to put the program based on the infomation we were given. During that process, it became very obvious that South Iredell was the best option because of the central location,
over 775 seats available, the budget restraints, and the larger cost using two sites.
Yes, we listened. We opened a Committee of the Whold meeting to public comment at the tech center in Troutman which normally no public comment is usually allowed. We took a "straw vote" that evening based on all the information, our discussions, and the public comment that evening. The vote was 7-0.
At the regular board meeting on May 10, we allowed about 25 speakers to voice their opinions and we listened. I took numerous phone calls at home, attempted to answer all the e-mails until I realized that each one was saying almost the same thing and my response was also very generic so I stopped. There were also a number of letters expressing a variety of views.
Yes, I listened!
You also need to realize that there were other viewpoints besides the one wanting the program at Lake Norman High School. Mt. Mourne and LNHS
parents expressed the viewpoint that they did not want the program at Lake Norman. I received e-mails and phone calls from ISS employees stating that the IB program was costing money and they were having to do without. One teacher expressed her dismay about IB, and the fact that her school did not even have copy paper.
The bottom line is simply this. We took all the information available and overtime reached the conclusion that South Iredell was the best place for the high school IB program at this time. What we did not know at the time we voted that the administration had voted also for South Iredell.
It was decided after much discussion, and if we had already decided bofore May 10, then I guess one could say it was "prededitated" meaning done before hand but all of our decisions are made that way. But more importantly, the public comment did not fall on "deaf ears".
We listened and made a decision. You are attempting to make the point that because the decision did not support your position, the board did not listen. WE HEARD EVERYONE!!!
The "behavior" of the board was that we made a well informed decision based on the information and what was best for the entire system. If you remember, I prefaced my motion with the statement, "This motion is based on 35 years of teaching and we are discussing a program of less than 1,000 students, and we have to worry and take care of all 22,000 students in ISS."
I did not lie about anything. I came to a logical conclusion of what was best, and I voted accordingly. The board does not make decisions based on public opinion and in this case, you and others just did not get your way. That is the way a democratic society works.
Board Policy: 7100 - Nepotisim
ReplyDelete"In making recommendations for the selection of personnel, the superintendent will give every consideration to conditions which could result in the employment of two members of an immediate family where one member would occupy a position which has influence over the other's employment, promotion, salary or other related management and personnel considerations. No administrative or supervisory personnel will directly supervise a member of his or her immediate family defined as spouse, children, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, mother/father-in-law, son/daughter-in-law, sister/brother-in-law, stepmother, stepfather, stepchildren or a dependent living in the household."
I don't think any of those mentioned are violating this policy.
John thank you for participating in the blog and sharing info. Don't know why the others don't participate to help clear up matters.
ReplyDeleteJohn - Some people tend to believe that you are "not listening" if you do not side with their opinion.
ReplyDelete