July 24, 2014 | Sign up to receive THE TEACHERS EDITION.
VIDEO WORTH TEACHING
On Alchemy, Choice and
the Power of Hard Work
At a recent meeting of the National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY), researcher Angela Duckworth showed a video clip of actor and singer Will Smith talking with Tavis Smiley to
illustrate the importance of persistence. "So much in life is
determined by effort," Duckworth told the audience of teacher leaders.
In
the video, Smith attributes much of his career success to
his choosing to work hard and to never give up. "There's a redemptive
power that making a choice has," Smith tells Smiley. "The only thing
that is distinctive about me," he asserts, "is that I am not afraid to
die on a treadmill." Find out why, and learn the part that one of Smith's favorite books, The Alchemist (by Paulo Coelho), plays in his motivation to succeed.
RE-BRANDING THE PROFESSION
Tweet Your Favorite Teacher Synonym
Two teachers attending NNSTOY national conference this month, Megan Allen and Taryl Hansen, are working on a campaign to re-brand the title teacher with a term that explores more of the complexity of our work.
Hansen, a famous sketch-noting artist in her own right, created the logo shown at right based on something she heard Arne Duncan say at the conference. She and Allen are inviting other educators to join them @azk12 and @redhdteacher by Tweeting their ideas using the hashtag #rebrandteaching.
They plan to illustrate some of the ideas and contribute to the national conversation about what it means to be a
teacher.
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Teacher Leadership
THE FOUR I'S OF TEACHER LEADERSHIP. This smart essay by Florida teacher Anthony Colucci
helps teachers interested in taking on leadership responsibilities to
prioritize their options and separate genuine leadership opportunities
from more of the same ( EdWeek).
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Momentum Builds for
My Brother's Keeper
60
of the nation's largest school districts are joining forces to improve
the educational futures of young African American and Hispanic boys.
At the Walker-Jones Education Campus in Washington, D.C., the White House recently announced a major expansion of the My Brother's Keeper initiative
to improve the education of boys and young men of color, with
educators, star athletes, companies and foundations joining forces.
Learn more. View a video clip from the event.
According to an article in the New York Times ( Rich),
the districts joining the movement "represent about 40 percent of all
African-American and Hispanic boys living below the poverty line, and
have committed to expand quality preschool access; track data on black
and Hispanic boys so educators can intervene as soon as signs of
struggle emerge; increase the number of boys of color who take gifted,
honors or Advanced Placement courses and exams; work to reduce the
number of minority boys who are suspended or expelled; and increase
graduation rates among African-American and Hispanic boys." |
NEW OECD DATA
"Sobering" Signs about Financial Literacy
Earlier
this month, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD) released results from the first administration of the Program for
International Student Assessment (PISA) financial literacy assessment. The Department’s National Center for Education Statistics summarized the performance of U.S. 15-year-old students in a Data Point report and data tables.
The test was conducted in 18 of the 65 education systems that
participated in the 2012 main PISA and measured students’ knowledge of
the financial world, including financial concepts, products and risks.
Among
the findings: the U.S. average score was 492, not measurably different
from the average of all participating countries (500) but lower than the
average in seven systems; 9% of U.S. students scored at the top level
(Level 5), not measurably different from all countries (10%) but lower
than four systems; and 18% of U.S. students scored below Level 2, not
measurably different from all countries (15%) but higher than seven
systems.
At an event hosted by George Washington University,
Secretary Duncan called the PISA results “sobering,” underscoring the
need to redouble our efforts to teach financial literacy to American
students. Likewise, in an earlier interview
at the Investment Innovation and the Global Future of Retirement
conference, the Secretary emphasized financial literacy needs to be a
staple of the American education system.
DIGITAL INNOVATION IN LEARNING AWARDS
Calling Ed Tech Buffs
EdSurge and Digital Promise
have partnered to create the first annual Digital Innovation in
Learning Awards, a celebration of educators who are using technology in
innovative ways.
Anyone can nominate an educator for an award, and both teachers and principals are encouraged to apply.
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In a Word...
Talking to a baby doesn’t just promote language development.
It promotes brain development.
Learn more
about the "word gap," including the research showing that during the
first years of life, a poor child hears roughly 30 million fewer words
than her more affluent peers.
Read a new national poll released by the First Five Years Fund that finds 71
percent of voters support greater
federal investments in early childhood education. |
Can't Keep a Good Girl Down
Educators and folks from the international community gathered this month at ED to view excerpts from the film Girl Rising and
participate in a panel discussion about the global campaign for girls'
education. The screening included the unforgettable stories of four
girls living in the developing world who overcome incredible odds to be
educated and achieve their dreams.
During the panel discussion, ED's Maureen McLaughlin recounted a story from last year about when she and Arne Duncan met Wadley,
a girl from Haiti who refused to be excluded from school after the
country's devastating earthquake. "She is just like she appears on film.
A total delight," McLaughlin said.
Other speakers on the panel included representatives from USAID, the UN GEFI Youth Advocacy Group, the Council on Foreign Relations, and Girl Rising. Learn more. Check out resources for teachers. |
INNOVATING ILLINOIS
Leader in Leader Prep
In response to growing concern about the quality of principal preparation, Illinois launched a quest to
improve principal training and certification in 2005. A truly collaborative effort, the Commission on School Leader Preparation brought together stakeholders from k-12, higher ed, community organizations and businesses to develop a plan for change.
The University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) Urban Leadership Program is also the recipient
of several national awards including the University Council of
Professors of Education Administration 2013
award as an Exemplary Leadership Preparation Program and the 2012 Urban
Impact Award from the Council of Great City Schools. Check out Illinois' continued efforts via the Illinois School Leadership Website.
CITIZEN TOTS
Power of Doing Good
Looking
for ways to engage pre-schoolers in community service and citizenship?
Disney's Jake and Sofia are helping young citizens understand how they
can make a difference and be of service to others during the Pirate and Princess Summer of Doing Good. Kids will enjoy the games and music videos, but adults should check out the tips and activities, like the animal care checklist.
One simple suggestion: institute a cabinet of secretaries to be
responsible for conserving resource. For example, the Light Secretary is
responsible for making sure lights are turned off. |
TEACHER SALARIES
TNTP Issues Report on Improving Teacher Pay
TNTP 's new report Shortchanged: The Hidden Cost of Lockstep Teacher Pay analyzes
the impact of lockstep compensation systems, which pay teachers almost
exclusively based on years of experience and academic credits, and
proposes paying teachers for what really matters: how hard their jobs
are and how well they perform.
Authors
of the report argue that paying teachers without regard for their
actual performance not only shortchanges great teaching, but it costs
more for schools and students.
The report focuses on the impact of current salary structures on teachers, drawing attention to these realities:
• Low early-career salaries keep talented people from even considering teaching.
• Great teachers feel pressure to leave the classroom, while less successful ones are encouraged to stay.
•The best teachers aren’t recognized for leading the classrooms where they’re needed most.
Principal Chat
FREE ANTI-BULLYING SUMMIT. Educators can participate virtually in the 2014 Federal Bullying Prevention Summit, Keeping Kids Safe: Opportunities and Challenges in Bullying Prevention,
to be held Friday, August 15 from 8:30-5:30 p.m. EDT. The summit
promises to highlight strategies to create a positive school climate,
look at current trends and data, and examine the state of the research
in bullying prevention. SEA and LEA administrators will share their
successes and lessons learned regarding their bullying prevention work. Register to join the summit virtually.
CONNECTED PRINCIPALS. Did
you know there are many free technological teaching and learning
resources that students and schools, especially low-income schools, can
now access thanks to the corporate commitments that were made to support
President Obama’s ConnectED Initiative? Teachers,
principals and district staff should act quickly to take advantage of
offerings, including free software and digital books. Details can be
found on the White House ConnectED website.
HEALTHY, HUNGER-FREE KIDS. Recently Secretaries Duncan and Vilsack issued a blog regarding the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, in which schools provide free breakfasts and lunches for all of their
students, and cover any costs that exceed the reimbursements from USDA.
The
CEP is a useful tool to increase child nutrition and reduce paperwork
at the district, school and household levels, saving staff time and
resources in cash-strapped school districts. Starting this school year,
the program is available to schools across the country.
The decision to participate in the CEP is a local one, and schools
should consider whether this program is right for them. To give schools
more time to make that decision, the deadline for participation in the
2014-2015 school year was recently extended. Schools now have until August 31 to enroll. Learn more.
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EARLY LEARNING
Lovin' on Peg + Cat
Staff at ED are lauding the PBS animated series Peg + Cat, which was recently honored with three Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Funded in part by ED's Ready To Learn program,
the series follows the spirited Peg and her loyal sidekick Cat as they
embark on hilarious musical adventures, learning math along the way.
Learn more about the series and how it was honored recently at ED.
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FREEDOM TO TEACH. Smart
piece by teacher Jessica Poiner about
the autonomy she experienced teaching to the Common Core State Standards. She
illustrates her point using one of the ELA standards, describing a number of
teaching strategies and texts she chose that were not dictated by the Common Core. “If teachers are feeling constrained by the
Common Core,” Poiner writes, " the fault surely lies at the feet of those choosing curricula and materials“ (her emphasis). Read her article
( Gadfly).
TOOLS TO COMMUNICATE THE CORE. Florida teacher Rob Kriete has
created two tools that teachers can use to illustrate the principles of
the Common Core State Standards to parents. Teachers can download his
nifty poster and evidence sheet on the CTQ Collaboratory site.
WHAT DOES A COMMON-CORE ALIGNED LESSON LOOK LIKE? Student Achievement Partners have released instructional practice tools to
support educators in planning and reflecting on lessons that capture
students’ attention while helping them to meet the expectations of the
Common Core State Standards.
• Instructional Practice Guide: Lesson Planning (BETA) helps
teachers prepare Common Core-aligned lessons. It references the Core
Actions and indicators found in the coaching tool to allow clear
connections to be made between what a teacher is planning and what may
be observed during classroom instruction.
ALL-STAR TEACHERS
"Building a Ladder to the Stars"
Recognized
for making a difference in the lives of students and communities, 30
educators were recently chosen by their students, peers and fans to
represent Major League Baseball teams at the 2014 MLB All-Star Game in
Minnesota as part of the Target Presents PEOPLE All-Star Teachers contest.
During the pre-game ceremony, these teachers were thanked for
"stir[ring] our imagination, ignit[ing] our curiosity, and ...
build[ing] a ladder to the stars."
Teacher, Blake Smith, representing the Los Angeles Angels, credits the support and training that he received in the On-Track: Transition to Teaching program at California State University, Fullerton, a preparation program funded by a $1.3 million ED TTT grant that
identifies and trains teachers to work in special education, science or
math in high-need school districts. |
"Students
like Melissa and Cesar, who walk into the classroom with greater
challenges than more affluent students, are not the obstacle to
attracting skilled teachers to high-poverty schools. They’re the motivation."
—Arkansas teacher Justin Minkel in his Washington Post article describing what he and three other teachers told the President during lunch earlier this month.
Washington, D.C. teacher Dwight Davis wrote this article
about what he told the President and Arne Duncan when they asked why he
became a teacher. Davis says he was drawn to the profession in order to
answer this burning question: "What if?" ( Hechinger Report). 
SOUTH HUNTINGTON SCHOOLS (N.Y.)
PARENTS AND TEACHERS PARTNER IN PROGRESS. Schools in South Huntington, NY are
engaging teachers to communicate with parents during their transition
towards higher standards. Teachers have held events
for parents and guardians to demonstrate what is happening inside their
classrooms and how new higher standards are helping them raise achievement and
student success. These educators, like many across the country, are raising
expectations and asking students to engage more deeply in their learning.
Creating awareness about these changes among parents helps ensure they
can actively support them in their children’s learning. Learn more in this post on PROGRESS.
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IN THE WEEDS
Good Stuff for Eduwonks
IF YOU COOK IT... K.J. Dell'Antonia reports on two studies, both funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s
“Bridging the Gap” program, that found students have exhibited “acceptance and
even happiness” about the newer and healthier school lunches that have been
introduced. Under the new standards from the US Department of Agriculture,
“schools are required to serve a vegetable and a fruit daily; there can be no
trans fat; and half of the grains offered must be whole grains” (NY Times).
MISSING AN OLD FRIEND? Educators who have been missing the Doing What Works (DWW) resources may find the library of research-based practices housed now at WestEd. At the library, educators will find a searchable home for a full range of DWW materials,
including interviews with researchers and educators, multimedia examples and
sample materials from real schools and classrooms, and tools that can help
educators take action. To get started, check out this Quick Start Guide.
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Teachers' Notes
• TEACHING TOLERANCE. The Southern Poverty Law Center recently announced the five winners of the Teaching Tolerance Award for Excellence in Teaching: Christopher Avery (Philadelphia, Pa.), Amy Vatne Bintliff (Oregon, Wisc.), Christopher Hoeh (Cambridge, Mass.), Barrie Moorman (Washington, D.C.) and Michelle Nicola (Portland, Ore.) . Learn more about these educators who are committed to social justice in their classrooms and watch videos of their teaching.
• ED GRANTS TEACHER EVALUATION WAIVER. ED has granted Maryland a one-year waiver allowing the state to use
test scores as part of teacher evaluations for one more year. Learn more ( Bowie, Baltimore Sun).
• NATURAL ENERGY LITERACY. Most Americans don’t know where their electricity comes from (coal) and
cannot name a fossil fuel. To address the challenge of energy
illiteracy, ED is hosting a virtual conversation of ongoing efforts
from across the country utilizing the Energy Literacy Framework August at 3 pm
ET. The webinar will also include a discussion on how to engage diverse
young learners on the energy issue. Learn more.
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NEW AMERICA'S STUDIES
From Soup to Nuts
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• Beyond “Subprime Learning”: Accelerating Progress in Early Education presents a series of recommendations including: revamping state teaching licenses to make sure that all PreK-3 teachers have the knowledge and skills to teach young children successfully; creating Head Start 2.0 by streamlining Head Start standards; experimenting with Head Start grants to states
that meet criteria for quality and access using a Race to the Top-Early
Learning Challenge model, making stronger linkages between Head Start
and programs housed in the U.S. Department of Education serving similar
children; and applying the Pell Grant model to increase access for low-income families and high-quality early child care.
• The Case Against Exit Exams argues that states should reconsider the use of exit exams because of the risk of weakening
the intent of the Common Core and undermining efforts to increase
rigor, build stronger curricula and authentically evaluate students’
post-secondary readiness.
Recommended Reading
• "THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT PEOPLE FEAR." In this Q&A, charter school founder Ravi Gupta
offers insights into his experience starting Nashville Prep. He
provides useful commentary about why charter schools can sometimes solve
problems that stymie traditional public schools and describes why some
public charters do well when others fail. Read his interview with the Hechinger Report's Kayleigh Skinner. Gupta tells her, "We are the opposite of what people fear."
• UNCONVENTIONAL WISDOM. After conducting an analysis of PISA data, researchers Eric Hanushek, Paul E. Peterson and Ludger Woessmann
argue that it's not just poor kids who lag in essential skills. "When
viewed from a global perspective, U.S. schools seem to do as badly
teaching those from better-educated families as they do teaching those
from less well educated families," they write. Read the article ( Education Next).
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Top 5 Quotes
Wisdom from educators heard by ED
5. "Education policy is like a bowl of fruit. There is just too much in the bowl." (Teacher, Vt.)
4. "We teachers are a profession. We are becoming much more involved in driving the profession." (Teacher, Texas)
3. “The
first paragraph of the Constitution states that America will provide
‘justice’ and ‘promote the general welfare.’ I don’t think our education
is promoting the general welfare, and there is no justice when there’s a
20% difference in high school graduation rates, depending on your race.
…This is our generation’s Million Man March.” (Teacher, San Jose, Calif.)
2. On how to recruit good students to be teachers: "Change
the standards that folks need to get into education programs. I didn't
have to do anything at all to get into education at my school." (Future Teacher, Ohio)
1. “I get tired of hearing people say every child can learn. You have to say, every child will learn and make it a priority.” (Principal, Tenn.)
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