Thanks to the Gradebook for keeping tabs.
I wrote about this issue in February regarding the SpEd teacher accused of mistreating her students. If one is in doubt, click on the link to the reports the investigators made, and then read them.
I followed my first post with this one.
There is today a follow up story.
My focus is not about the acts of the teacher. My focus is on the systemic issues that face all of us, not just special education teachers, students, and parents.
My focus is on the "lack of support" in all phases of our education system. This includes lack of support in educating the educators and providing support to the educators. I have read reports that have found that the single most reported reason why teachers leave the profession is lack of professional support.
Below is an excerpt from the Herald Tribune that frames the issue:
"The turnover rate among special-needs teachers is one of the highest in the profession, with Florida losing about 14 percent of the educators in this area each year.
The high stress of the job, along with what teachers say is limited support and resources, drives people out of these classrooms.
"They don't spend enough money on training, and they don't give them enough support," said Sharon Boyd, a member of the Charlotte County chapter of the advocacy group Autism Speaks. "No wonder no one wants to do it."
Finding full-time certified teachers to fill the spots is a challenge under the most normal circumstances.
Recruiting substitutes who typically do not have the same training or experience is even more difficult.
"What seems to happen is the individual working with them doesn't really have good training in how to handle unusual behavior," said Peter Wright, an attorney and advocate for special-needs children. "They get frustrated.""
Behavior of a student is the most critical issue educators face. How to appropriately address behavior may be the most missed aspect of our educational systems.
Behavior is communication. Pure and simple. Yet, instead of trying to understand what is being communicated and addressing the issue, all too often we attempt to address the behavior.
I will relate a story to illustrate my point. Years ago when my son was around six or seven, on some days on the way to school he would start kicking the dashboard and flailing around. To make a long story monotonous, I finally figured out that it was because I didn't stop at McDonalds on those days. It took me weeks to figure out that most days I stopped and got coffee for me and a cinnamon roll whatever for him. But some days I didn't, and he went nuts. His reaction was delayed, therefore making what could have been a more readily recognized correlation between passing McDonalds and the onset of his fit. So I would say what I have so many times hear teachers say: "For no reason at all, he just started hitting the dashboard".
I could blame my son. Or I could blame myself because I did not understand what he was "saying". The fact that he was communicating in a manner that was unacceptable not only did not get him what he wanted, it brought on consequences that made matters worse. For both of us. Because I could not understand kicking the dashboard miles down the road as "Dad, you didn't stop at McDonalds" or "Dad, I wanted a cini-mini".
It was my job, as a responsible adult,to learn what he was trying to communicate. It was my job, as a responsible adult, to then educate him on how to communicate more appropriately.
Years later, I had another one of these moments. My son had come home from the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf/Blind in New York. The morning we were to go to the airport to go back, he was in his room rummaging around, obviously looking for something in his electronic game stuff. I kept signing to him it was time to go. He kept rummaging. I kept signing. Finally, I physically moved him out of his room and off we went.
When we finally got to his room at HKNC, we opened up his luggage to get out the new Play Station games he so loves to play. But there was no eagerness on his part. I kept prodding and he signed "game broke". He was right. I asked the staff what was wrong with the system and they said he was missing some kind of cable the game system needed. It hit me then that that was what he was trying to find, many hours ago. I still get emotionally overwhelmed at my shortcomings, not his.
Our system is unfortunately more about punishing behaviors as an attempt to extinguish them. I have a pretty good understanding of operant conditioning. I also know that we will get more of what we pay attention to. The logical extension of that statement is that if we focus on negative behavior, even though we may be trying to extinguish it, because we have chosen to focus on it, we will get more of it. When kids get angry at us, it may be that their only goal (although misplaced) is to get us angry. They will face whatever consequences comes to them as long as they know we are angry too.
What we fail to recognize is that if we just had the capability of translating their behaviors correctly, then dealt with the real issue, most negative behaviors would lessen.
**********
I just read this from an e-mail sent to me.
Amanda Baggs says it better than me:
"These forms of nonverbal stimuli constitute her "native language," Baggs explains, and are no better or worse than spoken language. Yet her failure to speak is seen as a deficit, she says, while other people's failure to learn her language is seen as natural and acceptable."
Showing posts with label teacher retention. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teacher retention. Show all posts
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Now We Get To See Why Kids And Parents And Public Education Lose
Public Education is nothing if it isn't about big money. Bottom line.
Defending this money is a paramount goal. Statistically, the public systems protect each other. They have unlimited resources and expertise in strategies. What seems to never be of concern is that there is more to life than money. But at a $200,000 liability cap for public school systems, that is as insignifant as hiring a consultant.
I write frequently about the abuse of power by public school employees. They are afforded protections that most people don't get.
In this case, the charges against a teacher seem to fit with the physical signs of the kids. Goose egg lumps, busted lips, extracted teeth, and bruises are hard to fabricate.
I am not surprised in the least at how the defense is shaping up. It is the nature of the defense culture for public schools.
Another story is here :
Click here: HeraldTribune.com - News - News stories about Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties in Florida, from the newspa
We have a time line:
"Two aides in Diana O'Neill's class started documenting instances in which they believed she abused students as early as October 2007. But it was three months later -- after more than a dozen instances -- before the police and the state Department of Children and Families were notified"
Some one had concerns, but if it isn't on paper, it didn't happen: "Police records also indicate that O'Neill, 45, had been "talked to" in the past for her behavior with her profoundly disabled students. But there is no record that any concerns were ever reported to the police or the school district to investigate."
We have a kid who has no chance of telling the truth so how could anyone believe anything about her wasn't done by herself:
"Tara, who cannot walk, talk or see, has been in O'Neill's class for eight years.
During that time she often came home with bruises, prompting Hatfield to go to the school and question the teacher. Every time, O'Neill had a different explanation that ranged from other children hitting her to her falling out of her wheelchair, Hatfield said."
A few details by the aides:
"Police identified four of O'Neill's five students as victims. With one child, aides reported that O'Neill parked his wheelchair against a wall and watched as the boy hit his head against it, sarcastically telling him, "Don't hit your head."
Aides also reported that O'Neill had kicked one girl in the legs, hit her in the head with objects, pushed her to the floor and used a "weighted blanket" and a "body sock" -- two therapy tools that restrict movement -- to punish her."
Setting up the need for understanding a unique situation:
"Educators and parents alike complain of little support from the rest of the school system, and even fewer resources. It is a pressure cooker that can pit teachers against parents, or unify them in the face of shared challenges.
Despite efforts to include students with disabilities in the regular school setting, at most schools these small classes stay clustered together, sharing resources and working as teams, creating a tight-knit community.
It is also a place where teachers employ unusual techniques to control their children's behavior and help them develop physically and mentally."
And then we have common place actions:
"For example, the aides reported an episode where O'Neill shoved a cloth into a child's mouth and then pulled it out so hard the child's tooth came out.
But Sloan said this is a common technique used to build the biting reflexes of students with disabilities. In this case, O'Neill accidentally knocked out a baby tooth, Sloan said."
And I wrote previously about how the system will make sure no one speaks out without themselves becoming liable:
"School Superintendent Gary Norris said the district would review not only the allegations against O'Neill, but also how the other employees responded."
And here comes the "defense of professionals":
"These charges were observed by aides who are not sufficiently trained to work with handicapped children," Sloan said. "This woman is completely professional.""
There is the "culture of defense" in a nutshell.
If these aides are lying, our kids will suffer yet another setback.
If these aides can not prove they are telling the truth, our kids will suffer another setback.
Afterall, it is about numbers. The fact that this is an isolated incident eases our anxiety.
Unless it was your kid.
But in that case, you would just be a parent.
Defending this money is a paramount goal. Statistically, the public systems protect each other. They have unlimited resources and expertise in strategies. What seems to never be of concern is that there is more to life than money. But at a $200,000 liability cap for public school systems, that is as insignifant as hiring a consultant.
I write frequently about the abuse of power by public school employees. They are afforded protections that most people don't get.
In this case, the charges against a teacher seem to fit with the physical signs of the kids. Goose egg lumps, busted lips, extracted teeth, and bruises are hard to fabricate.
I am not surprised in the least at how the defense is shaping up. It is the nature of the defense culture for public schools.
Another story is here :
Click here: HeraldTribune.com - News - News stories about Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties in Florida, from the newspa
We have a time line:
"Two aides in Diana O'Neill's class started documenting instances in which they believed she abused students as early as October 2007. But it was three months later -- after more than a dozen instances -- before the police and the state Department of Children and Families were notified"
Some one had concerns, but if it isn't on paper, it didn't happen: "Police records also indicate that O'Neill, 45, had been "talked to" in the past for her behavior with her profoundly disabled students. But there is no record that any concerns were ever reported to the police or the school district to investigate."
We have a kid who has no chance of telling the truth so how could anyone believe anything about her wasn't done by herself:
"Tara, who cannot walk, talk or see, has been in O'Neill's class for eight years.
During that time she often came home with bruises, prompting Hatfield to go to the school and question the teacher. Every time, O'Neill had a different explanation that ranged from other children hitting her to her falling out of her wheelchair, Hatfield said."
A few details by the aides:
"Police identified four of O'Neill's five students as victims. With one child, aides reported that O'Neill parked his wheelchair against a wall and watched as the boy hit his head against it, sarcastically telling him, "Don't hit your head."
Aides also reported that O'Neill had kicked one girl in the legs, hit her in the head with objects, pushed her to the floor and used a "weighted blanket" and a "body sock" -- two therapy tools that restrict movement -- to punish her."
Setting up the need for understanding a unique situation:
"Educators and parents alike complain of little support from the rest of the school system, and even fewer resources. It is a pressure cooker that can pit teachers against parents, or unify them in the face of shared challenges.
Despite efforts to include students with disabilities in the regular school setting, at most schools these small classes stay clustered together, sharing resources and working as teams, creating a tight-knit community.
It is also a place where teachers employ unusual techniques to control their children's behavior and help them develop physically and mentally."
And then we have common place actions:
"For example, the aides reported an episode where O'Neill shoved a cloth into a child's mouth and then pulled it out so hard the child's tooth came out.
But Sloan said this is a common technique used to build the biting reflexes of students with disabilities. In this case, O'Neill accidentally knocked out a baby tooth, Sloan said."
And I wrote previously about how the system will make sure no one speaks out without themselves becoming liable:
"School Superintendent Gary Norris said the district would review not only the allegations against O'Neill, but also how the other employees responded."
And here comes the "defense of professionals":
"These charges were observed by aides who are not sufficiently trained to work with handicapped children," Sloan said. "This woman is completely professional.""
There is the "culture of defense" in a nutshell.
If these aides are lying, our kids will suffer yet another setback.
If these aides can not prove they are telling the truth, our kids will suffer another setback.
Afterall, it is about numbers. The fact that this is an isolated incident eases our anxiety.
Unless it was your kid.
But in that case, you would just be a parent.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Maybe It's Just Me
While my local school system is in the public throes of who is really running the show, I get stuck on the meaning of words.
Now that freedom of speech issues have finally reached the point that the HCDS police are called to action, I wonder where has everyone been all of these years.
I will always vividly recall the day at Mann Middle School when I was told by the principal that if I came on campus without checking in to her office first, I would be charged with trespassing.
The fact that I was making a big squawk about my repeated attempts to address issues with my son’s education and the fact that this threat came the day after I wrote a complaint letter gave me reason to believe that the 3 months of previous same actions on my part were now under a different line of scrutiny.
At least I didn’t have the security called on me. Instead, I called the Director of ESE while sitting in the office. I had the number saved because I used it a lot over the years. This may have saved my immediate arrest. It was a gutsy move on my part, because Directors have as much say over what a principal does or does not do as I did. But there is something to say about safety in numbers, and how many people know.
I was not accustom to this type of treatment, or rather, the treatment was getting worse. I did not think the setting was safe for my son. So when I said I was keeping him home until we could have another of those countless meanings, the veiled threat of truancy was thrown out. Knowing the absolute power of the school District, I made sure I obtained a Dr's excuse to protect me.
As the days and weeks played out, since I had become learned in the ways of paper warfare, my documentation along with proof that “they” had changed theirs, probably saved me from the usual bulldozed flattening that most parents end up with.
Taking on the system means that you must have documentation and make sure some one else has a copy of it too.
Yesterday I posted the link to some probable cause affidavits.
One of the sentences struck me as odd, so I revisited it today. On page two, it says that the teacher’s strikes (to the kid who was an “equivalent 11 to 14 month old reference motor skills”) “were often prompted by an incorrect answer to a question, not any disciplinary problem or wrong doing. In that sense, there was no legal justification for her to strike the child.”
And then on page 3, we find: the teacher’s statement of “you gonna kick me, I’m gonna kick you (pg 2),” “implies revenge as a motive and a desire to hurt of cause pain to … rather than any educational purpose.”
I am thankful that the writer was able to determine that there was no educational purpose for the actions the teacher took upon the kid. It must have been a tough legal decision to write that out.
Now that freedom of speech issues have finally reached the point that the HCDS police are called to action, I wonder where has everyone been all of these years.
I will always vividly recall the day at Mann Middle School when I was told by the principal that if I came on campus without checking in to her office first, I would be charged with trespassing.
The fact that I was making a big squawk about my repeated attempts to address issues with my son’s education and the fact that this threat came the day after I wrote a complaint letter gave me reason to believe that the 3 months of previous same actions on my part were now under a different line of scrutiny.
At least I didn’t have the security called on me. Instead, I called the Director of ESE while sitting in the office. I had the number saved because I used it a lot over the years. This may have saved my immediate arrest. It was a gutsy move on my part, because Directors have as much say over what a principal does or does not do as I did. But there is something to say about safety in numbers, and how many people know.
I was not accustom to this type of treatment, or rather, the treatment was getting worse. I did not think the setting was safe for my son. So when I said I was keeping him home until we could have another of those countless meanings, the veiled threat of truancy was thrown out. Knowing the absolute power of the school District, I made sure I obtained a Dr's excuse to protect me.
As the days and weeks played out, since I had become learned in the ways of paper warfare, my documentation along with proof that “they” had changed theirs, probably saved me from the usual bulldozed flattening that most parents end up with.
Taking on the system means that you must have documentation and make sure some one else has a copy of it too.
Yesterday I posted the link to some probable cause affidavits.
One of the sentences struck me as odd, so I revisited it today. On page two, it says that the teacher’s strikes (to the kid who was an “equivalent 11 to 14 month old reference motor skills”) “were often prompted by an incorrect answer to a question, not any disciplinary problem or wrong doing. In that sense, there was no legal justification for her to strike the child.”
And then on page 3, we find: the teacher’s statement of “you gonna kick me, I’m gonna kick you (pg 2),” “implies revenge as a motive and a desire to hurt of cause pain to … rather than any educational purpose.”
I am thankful that the writer was able to determine that there was no educational purpose for the actions the teacher took upon the kid. It must have been a tough legal decision to write that out.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Image More Important Than Substance?
This article may hold information that is common to our public school education systems. For those who believe that the main goal of the system is to maintain an image of competence at the cost of achieving competence, this article fits the template.
Two teachers with apparent laudable backgrounds appear to be trying to improve their system. It appears they have the necessary experience to comprehend what changes were needed that would be beneficial.
For their efforts, they are banned.
"Traube said the district isn’t interested in public constructive criticism.
“I think its obvious what they want is a very cooperative relationship between anyone representing teachers,” he said. “They don’t want anyone to be adversarial in this district”.
"Chester, who is retired from a career in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has taught for seven years. Last year, children at one of the schools she was banned from nominated her for teacher of the year, she said. She also volunteered to start a penmanship club at one of the schools."
"Teaching is what she loves, Chester said. But, she said, “I would like the cloud of fear that people who work for this district are under to go away.”"
This is not the first time I have heard of a "cloud of fear" within a public school system.
Banned substitutes still speaking out against school district : Lee County : Naples Daily News
Two teachers with apparent laudable backgrounds appear to be trying to improve their system. It appears they have the necessary experience to comprehend what changes were needed that would be beneficial.
For their efforts, they are banned.
"Traube said the district isn’t interested in public constructive criticism.
“I think its obvious what they want is a very cooperative relationship between anyone representing teachers,” he said. “They don’t want anyone to be adversarial in this district”.
"Chester, who is retired from a career in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has taught for seven years. Last year, children at one of the schools she was banned from nominated her for teacher of the year, she said. She also volunteered to start a penmanship club at one of the schools."
"Teaching is what she loves, Chester said. But, she said, “I would like the cloud of fear that people who work for this district are under to go away.”"
This is not the first time I have heard of a "cloud of fear" within a public school system.
Banned substitutes still speaking out against school district : Lee County : Naples Daily News
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Sacred Cows and Unwritten SP&P's.
There are some things that happen in one’s life that one wants to forget. There are some things that happen in one’s life that one should forget and move on. The recent events revolving around the actions and comments of the HCDS’ Board has jostled my memory about past events that I would like to forget.
Blogging affords me the opportunity to present past events in a manner that gives some substance to why I have done the things I have done. One must read my adjacent blog as well. What those who read about me should understand that my cause is not about me, it is about the ethical people within the system, the parents and the students. I have repeatedly seen good hard working people doing the “right thing” be subverted by a system and the people who carry out the system’s desires.
Many pieces of the dysfunctional puzzle are shaped as unwritten SP&Ps within the realm of Special Education. When one has their finger on the pulse of the District, it is not difficult to recognize these unwritten SP&P’s. One of these unwritten policies was brought out as a finding in the Whitehead vs. HCDS case. The allegation was that the District had an unwritten policy to not write individual speech therapy into an IEP as a related service. My understanding is someone, who apparently did not know this unwritten policy, first wrote individual speech therapy into the IEP. Another IEP was convened soon after that to discuss something else, and when the IEP was updated, the individual speech therapy was removed from the new IEP, without discussion.
"66. Respondent violated the procedural requirements relating to the formulation and implementation of Andrew W.’s IEP by the following actions:
(a) Implementing a policy of omitting from IEPs specific speech/language services that will be provided to an individual, irrespective of the individual’s needs for specific speech/language services. '
One interested in learning the mechanisms of the system should read this case. The ensuing events cost the District a lot of money. Judging by the number of District personnel that were in attendance in the Federal court the day of the decision, one wonders what the toll was to the staff over the many years this case ran. Perhaps some were hardened to the process. The Whiteheads proved in Federal court the ensuing events were deemed to be retaliatory by the District.
Click here: Wrightslaw - The Division of Administrative Hearings
Most of the unwritten SP&P’s appear to revolve around clever ways to save money. Ignorance of the law contributes to them being carried out unwittingly by the one's lower on the chain. I remember seeing countless IEP’s that had signatures of staff who did not attend the IEP meeting. How can that happen unless it is part of the culture? The answer lies in the least expensive method for the system to be in compliance with their paperwork. To be morally and ethically compliant to the law and to student’s needs requires money and resources. The recent finding by the state of the unfulfilled OT/PT services should raise an alarm. However, with lack of sanctions, it is business as usual.
While none of us like to have a past of slamming doors, I can relate to the need to take actions that in hindsight are not the best choice, but something has to happen to stop the injustice. I know in the past I have said things that needed to be said, but it needed to be said to someone other than the person I said it to, and came off wrong.
What should now be coming to light is the hidden cost in saving money. While I will reserve my opinion of those who not only obfuscate the truth but defend the parsing to the hilt, what should be a concern for all of us is the impact it has on the quality of life for the employee’s who know the truth and have to live with the distortion. Keeping it from the parents is relatively easy, Having a chilling control on keeping teacher’s quiet is an issue of itself.
Sacred Cows and Unwritten SP&P’s, no matter how cleverly contrived, have a cost.
Blogging affords me the opportunity to present past events in a manner that gives some substance to why I have done the things I have done. One must read my adjacent blog as well. What those who read about me should understand that my cause is not about me, it is about the ethical people within the system, the parents and the students. I have repeatedly seen good hard working people doing the “right thing” be subverted by a system and the people who carry out the system’s desires.
Many pieces of the dysfunctional puzzle are shaped as unwritten SP&Ps within the realm of Special Education. When one has their finger on the pulse of the District, it is not difficult to recognize these unwritten SP&P’s. One of these unwritten policies was brought out as a finding in the Whitehead vs. HCDS case. The allegation was that the District had an unwritten policy to not write individual speech therapy into an IEP as a related service. My understanding is someone, who apparently did not know this unwritten policy, first wrote individual speech therapy into the IEP. Another IEP was convened soon after that to discuss something else, and when the IEP was updated, the individual speech therapy was removed from the new IEP, without discussion.
"66. Respondent violated the procedural requirements relating to the formulation and implementation of Andrew W.’s IEP by the following actions:
(a) Implementing a policy of omitting from IEPs specific speech/language services that will be provided to an individual, irrespective of the individual’s needs for specific speech/language services. '
One interested in learning the mechanisms of the system should read this case. The ensuing events cost the District a lot of money. Judging by the number of District personnel that were in attendance in the Federal court the day of the decision, one wonders what the toll was to the staff over the many years this case ran. Perhaps some were hardened to the process. The Whiteheads proved in Federal court the ensuing events were deemed to be retaliatory by the District.
Click here: Wrightslaw - The Division of Administrative Hearings
Most of the unwritten SP&P’s appear to revolve around clever ways to save money. Ignorance of the law contributes to them being carried out unwittingly by the one's lower on the chain. I remember seeing countless IEP’s that had signatures of staff who did not attend the IEP meeting. How can that happen unless it is part of the culture? The answer lies in the least expensive method for the system to be in compliance with their paperwork. To be morally and ethically compliant to the law and to student’s needs requires money and resources. The recent finding by the state of the unfulfilled OT/PT services should raise an alarm. However, with lack of sanctions, it is business as usual.
While none of us like to have a past of slamming doors, I can relate to the need to take actions that in hindsight are not the best choice, but something has to happen to stop the injustice. I know in the past I have said things that needed to be said, but it needed to be said to someone other than the person I said it to, and came off wrong.
What should now be coming to light is the hidden cost in saving money. While I will reserve my opinion of those who not only obfuscate the truth but defend the parsing to the hilt, what should be a concern for all of us is the impact it has on the quality of life for the employee’s who know the truth and have to live with the distortion. Keeping it from the parents is relatively easy, Having a chilling control on keeping teacher’s quiet is an issue of itself.
Sacred Cows and Unwritten SP&P’s, no matter how cleverly contrived, have a cost.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
What are Hillsborough's numbers on Teacher Retention?
http://www.nea.org/teachershortage/index.html
Attracting and Keeping Quality Teachers
A historic turnover is taking place in the teaching profession. While student enrollments are rising rapidly, more than a million veteran teachers are nearing retirement. Experts predict that overall we will need more than 2 million new teachers in the next decade.
This teacher recruitment problem, which has reached crisis proportions in some areas, is most acute in urban and rural schools; for high-need subject areas such as special education, math and science, and for teachers of color.
Teacher compensation is a significant deterrent to recruitment. Teachers are still paid less than professions that require comparable education and skills. Teachers still are not valued and respected to the extent of their actual contributions to society.
Keeping teachers in profession is part of the puzzle
But solving the teacher shortage is not strictly a numbers game. Much has been said about the need to bring more young people into the teaching profession. But too little attention has been paid to holding onto the quality teachers already hired—both the beginning teachers as well as the more seasoned ones.
The statistics for turnover among new teachers are startling. Some 20 percent of all new hires leave the classroom within three years. In urban districts, the numbers are worse—close to 50 percent of newcomers flee the profession during their first five years of teaching.
New teachers overwhelmed, don't get enough help
Why do new teachers leave? They say they feel overwhelmed by the expectations and scope of the job. Many say they feel isolated and unsupported in their classrooms, or that expectations are unclear.
In education today, the first-year teacher is typically assigned to the same tasks, in and out of the classroom, as a long-time veteran. Quality mentoring programs for all first-year teachers are vitally important. Mentoring enables them to learn “best practices” from seasoned professionals, and research shows that new teachers who participate in induction programs are nearly twice as likely to stay in the profession as those who don't.
It is unacceptable for teachers to be assigned out-of-field. Such assignments are a disservice to students and teachers alike.
NEA believes all teacher retention efforts must begin with the recognition of the complexity of teaching. And that means we must give teachers the time they need to plan and confer with their colleagues. Provide them with the mentors and professional development they need. Reduce class size so they can devote more time to each student. To meet the growing demand for teachers, first we must do more to keep the good teachers we already have."
Does anyone know the true stats on HCPS (or HCDS) teacher retention?
Attracting and Keeping Quality Teachers
A historic turnover is taking place in the teaching profession. While student enrollments are rising rapidly, more than a million veteran teachers are nearing retirement. Experts predict that overall we will need more than 2 million new teachers in the next decade.
This teacher recruitment problem, which has reached crisis proportions in some areas, is most acute in urban and rural schools; for high-need subject areas such as special education, math and science, and for teachers of color.
Teacher compensation is a significant deterrent to recruitment. Teachers are still paid less than professions that require comparable education and skills. Teachers still are not valued and respected to the extent of their actual contributions to society.
Keeping teachers in profession is part of the puzzle
But solving the teacher shortage is not strictly a numbers game. Much has been said about the need to bring more young people into the teaching profession. But too little attention has been paid to holding onto the quality teachers already hired—both the beginning teachers as well as the more seasoned ones.
The statistics for turnover among new teachers are startling. Some 20 percent of all new hires leave the classroom within three years. In urban districts, the numbers are worse—close to 50 percent of newcomers flee the profession during their first five years of teaching.
New teachers overwhelmed, don't get enough help
Why do new teachers leave? They say they feel overwhelmed by the expectations and scope of the job. Many say they feel isolated and unsupported in their classrooms, or that expectations are unclear.
In education today, the first-year teacher is typically assigned to the same tasks, in and out of the classroom, as a long-time veteran. Quality mentoring programs for all first-year teachers are vitally important. Mentoring enables them to learn “best practices” from seasoned professionals, and research shows that new teachers who participate in induction programs are nearly twice as likely to stay in the profession as those who don't.
It is unacceptable for teachers to be assigned out-of-field. Such assignments are a disservice to students and teachers alike.
NEA believes all teacher retention efforts must begin with the recognition of the complexity of teaching. And that means we must give teachers the time they need to plan and confer with their colleagues. Provide them with the mentors and professional development they need. Reduce class size so they can devote more time to each student. To meet the growing demand for teachers, first we must do more to keep the good teachers we already have."
Does anyone know the true stats on HCPS (or HCDS) teacher retention?
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
The Training of Coded Language-Another Brush, Another Incident, but keeping out of legal jeopardy
I spoke of the coded language that is taught in IDEA training meetings. I have spoken about obfuscation of the law by those who should know. The following is straight from a publication that is developed by the District for the District.
______________________________________________
http://www1.sdhc.k12.fl.us/~ese.dept/communicators/ESEComm1104.pdf
From : THE EXCEPTIONAL COMMUNICATOR November-December, 2004 Vol. 4 No. 4
WHAT NOT TO SAY AT IEP MEETINGS !
When parents make requests at IEP meetings there are some things that you shouldn’t say in
response; using these phrases could place the district in legal jeopardy if the parent files for
due process later on:
We can’t do… - We don’t believe…
No student gets more than… It would cost too much to…
It would take too much... We don’t do…
We never do… We only do…
Instead, show you’re listening by asking:
Where did you hear about that ?
Which IEP goals do you see that addressing ?
Do you have data on that ? Can you get us information?
Have we described what we’re doing in the program we’re using ?
________________________________________________________
This speaks volumes to one who understands the game. I don't care who wrote it. But it is pretty clear that the focus is on protecting the system -gate keeping if you will.It also clearly says to "show you are listening by asking...." as to "show you are listening by answering the question or addressing the issue".If one honestly looks at these feigned "listening strategies" it is no wonder that the special education realm is frustrating for all. I continually hear about teacher retention and the teacher shortage in special ed. Dealing with students and parents is a hell of task. But dealing with a system that "shows you are listening" does not work.
______________________________________________
http://www1.sdhc.k12.fl.us/~ese.dept/communicators/ESEComm1104.pdf
From : THE EXCEPTIONAL COMMUNICATOR November-December, 2004 Vol. 4 No. 4
WHAT NOT TO SAY AT IEP MEETINGS !
When parents make requests at IEP meetings there are some things that you shouldn’t say in
response; using these phrases could place the district in legal jeopardy if the parent files for
due process later on:
We can’t do… - We don’t believe…
No student gets more than… It would cost too much to…
It would take too much... We don’t do…
We never do… We only do…
Instead, show you’re listening by asking:
Where did you hear about that ?
Which IEP goals do you see that addressing ?
Do you have data on that ? Can you get us information?
Have we described what we’re doing in the program we’re using ?
________________________________________________________
This speaks volumes to one who understands the game. I don't care who wrote it. But it is pretty clear that the focus is on protecting the system -gate keeping if you will.It also clearly says to "show you are listening by asking...." as to "show you are listening by answering the question or addressing the issue".If one honestly looks at these feigned "listening strategies" it is no wonder that the special education realm is frustrating for all. I continually hear about teacher retention and the teacher shortage in special ed. Dealing with students and parents is a hell of task. But dealing with a system that "shows you are listening" does not work.
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