I spent the morning with a roomful of people and organization that should be running our educational system. I was asked to speak on a panel with other educators and leaders working to ensure quality teaching in the schools. I was the only classroom teacher on the panel, but I was in a room full of my peers, mentors, and educational idols! It was a great morning spent talking about what needs and should be done to keep good teachers. Unfortunately, our current SOE and his boss, the Prez, decided that this was a good time to say they supported the firing an entire high school teaching staff this week. Yes, we want quality teachers... firing them all is going just a little too far, to fast. I wish Secretary of Education (who was never a classroom teacher, but plays a mean game of basketball with Barack) would look deeper into the system and what is working to "produce" quality. Firing everyone, for some reason doesn't make any sense to me. So if my students aren't meeting grade-level standards, then maybe I should just give up on them and find ones that are? How does that make sense?
On the bright side. I had a wonderful time reconnecting with incredible people from across the county. It was like a teacher quality reunion! And the funny part of it was that of the organizations that sponsored the event, I pretty much belonged to them all at one point or another... I mean after all it was held at USC, which is across the street from where a teach, a partner of our school, where my student teachers come from...
Costen Foundation and Teachers Network were two of the sponsors. I have done work or worked with both. CTQ's president was there and I belong to the TLN and met Barnett for the first time at a TNLI retreat several years back. Margaret from CFTL was there and I was a part of the CA teacher group they sponsored and attended many of their wonderful conferences on the status of teaching in CA. I am an active member of ACT, Sandy's group out of Stanford and working on CA issues. Ellen and Peter from NYC were there from Teachers Network that helped me write and publish my first Action Research project. A former colleague, now AP, Bill was there, and two of my favorite friends/former student teachers too! So great to be surrounded by good people!
Sandy from Stanford and Barnett from NC!
Bill and Ashley helped open up my school 6 years ago.
Lara (who gives Bryce a lot of her son's clothes),
Sandra, me, and Ashley pose for a group photo!
Colleagues out to lunch!
Student teachers 8 years ago!
Accomplished teachers now!
1 comment:
Awww! How do you get involved in so many organizations?
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