Relay Graduate School, Librarians, and the effort to make our public schools “Future Ready” | Seattle Education

Relay Graduate School, Librarians, and the effort to make our public schools “Future Ready” | Seattle Education:

Relay Graduate School, Librarians, and the effort to make our public schools “Future Ready”

One of the biggest obstacles to the “charterization from within”* is getting teachers to welcome ed-tech into their classrooms – and even more critically – incorporate devices and software into their daily teaching.

What’s the ed-reform solution to this tricky problem?

Lots of professional development in personalized learning for teachers. If a superintendent wants to put their district on the fast track to digital learning, they couple teacher professional development with the strategic use of their school librarians as the onsite ed-tech adoption leaders.

Colorado, which rated a D from the Network of Public Education for the extent of privatization of K-12 education in the state, has dedicated money for statewide teacher professional development courses in personalized learning.  From State funding available for teacher training in personalized, blended student learning:

“iLC was so excited to see the governor recently increase our state’s investment in the one thing that makes the biggest difference to every students’ success — a teacher,” said iLC founder and CEO Judy Perez. “We can help districts around Colorado create equity in K-12 education by advancing the practice of personalized, blended learning. Our partnership with Colorado allows us to expand low-cost training from an expert staff.”

Perez said teachers are changing instruction to meet every student’s needs using a combination of technology, one-on-one coaching, and class instruction. “It’s all about the student; technology and training from our qualified staff supports teachers to improve, personalize, and blend their instruction,” she said.

Even Relay Graduate School of Education is teaming up with The Learning Accelerator to offer online classes “to help teachers make the shift to blended learning”.

“Figuring out how to use technology to reach every student is a tough task, for novice and veteran teachers alike. Educators need access to really high-quality, on-demand training that will help them learn about and translate ideas into actionable strategies for their classrooms,” said Beth Rabbitt, 

Relay Graduate School, Librarians, and the effort to make our public schools “Future Ready” | Seattle Education:

 

What educators really want for Teacher Appreciation Week (we asked)

What educators really want for Teacher Appreciation Week (we asked):

This is how you thank a teacher

What teachers really want

What do educators really want for Teacher Appreciation Week? This! (and we know, because we asked)

Treat me like the professional I am

"We are educated professionals who work with kids every day. We want the responsibility and the authority to collaborate with colleagues and design instruction."

We also love personal notes

"I loved thank you notes from kids/parents telling me what a difference I had made in their lives. I retired last year and It was touching to read through cards that I had saved over the years!" BONUS: Parents send a note to the principal saying why you appreciate your child's teacher/educator.

Pay me like the professional I am

"A raise so I wouldn't need a side job. I would like to feel that I am respected and valued. One of the best ways to make me feel that way, incidentally, would be to pay me a reasonable wage."

Respect!

"Respect! Many parents and politicians have no clue the endless amount of dedication and passion I pour into my career."

Trust me

"We have expertise and experience. We are qualified and we care. We have knowledge of students and how to best understand and meet their educational needs."

Time to teach (not ruled by testing)

"We have expertise and experience. We are qualified and we care. We have knowledge of students and how to best understand and meet their educational needs."

Support our public schools

"I'd love an end to the privatization assault on the public schools."

Respect!

"I'd love an end to the privatization assault on the public schools."

A simple thank you

"I gave a gift I would love to receive. I asked every student in my son's class to write his/her favorite memory of the school year. I put it in a jar and labeled it ‘Chicken Soup for the Teacher.’ She cried when she received it."

Everything for our students

"I gave a gift I would love to receive. I asked every student in my son's class to write his/her favorite memory of the school year. I put it in a jar and labeled it ‘Chicken Soup for the Teacher.’ She cried when she received it."

Bonus: A new Secretary of Education :)

What educators really want for Teacher Appreciation Week (we asked):

NYC Public School Parents: Macron, Trump, class size vs. charter schools, and my letter to the NY TImes

NYC Public School Parents: Macron, Trump, class size vs. charter schools, and my letter to the NY TImes:

Macron, Trump, class size vs. charter schools, and my letter to the NY TImes

Today the big news is that Emmanuel Macron was elected as President of Franceby a huge margin - 65% to 35% - over Marine Le Pen.  This was a terrific win for many reasons, including one not often mentioned in the US media.

Macron has proposed radically reducing class size -- with a plan to hire 5,000 teachers to cut class size to 12 in the early grades in high-need communities.  

His platform is aligned with the findings of renowned economist Thomas Piketty, who after analyzing the gains of students in an earlier governmental class size reduction program, concluded that capping class size at 15 in high-poverty schoolswould eliminate the achievement gap between racial and economic groups.

Meanwhile, last week the US Congress voted to approve a continuing resolutionthat funds the federal budget through September.  But the budget they approved cuts Title IIA funds by 12.5%, a reduction of $300 million.  About one third of Title IIA funds are used to lower class size, especially in high-poverty districts where classes already are too high.  In NYC, the entire allocation of Title IIA funds of more than $100 million is used to keep teachers on staff and prevent further increases in class size, which have already risen sharply since 2008.  More on this here.

This is what the NEA had to say about the Congress vote:

Randi Weingarten sent this statement to Education Week, which she shared with me: 

The amount is better than the zero that President Trump initially proposed, but a cut will have consequences. In this case the consequences are larger class sizes for students and the loss of high quality professional development for teachers. We will watch what comes out in the President’s budget in May and continue to resist Trump administration’s push to defund public education and fight to regain and add Title II funding in the next budget cycle.

President Trump, of course,  has proposed slashing the education budget for next year by over $9 billion, and totally eliminating the $2.4 billion Title IIA program for next school year-- which would decimate efforts to keep class sizes under control throughout the country, especially in large urban districts.   

Instead Trump wants to divert as many federal dollars as possible to charter schools, vouchers, and tuition tax credits for private schools.  On Wednesday, he appeared at a White House event along with Vice President Pence and Education Secretary DeVos, promoting school "choice" and the DC voucher program, even though the results of that program have had negative effects.

I wrote a letter published in today's NY Times, along with several others critiquing an earlier column by David Leonhardt that argued that expanding charter schoolswould be a good solution to improve our education system.  The letters are all worth reading, and make good points.  

The problem is that few if any charter school studies undertaken by researchers have examined their impact on the entire ecosystem of NYC Public School Parents: Macron, Trump, class size vs. charter schools, and my letter to the NY TImes: