What makes a teacher great? (School reformers, take note.)

Our kids need great teachers. Who makes the grade?
By Marc Fisher

Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 28, 2010

The YouTube video shows an anonymous first-grade teacher trying, and failing, to get her students to discuss a book. You see kids yammering away, wandering off, squabbling with each other. The teacher snaps her fingers at one child, sends another to the corner and tells a boy, "You're really bugging me."

My job was to study a roomful of would-be teachers as they watched -- and gauge their reactions to determine if these candidates for a fellowship had what it takes to be "inspired teachers." But what could I really tell about a person's aptitude for teaching from how they responded to a few minutes of video?

When one candidate praised that first-grade teacher for her classroom management -- and then recommended using candy to get the kids to quiet down (Starbursts would be particularly effective, she said) -- even I knew that was the wrong answer.

But that same aspiring teacher, a few hours later, was the only one in the room to challenge a competitor who suggested that the way to teach geography to D.C. schoolchildren was to ask parents to talk to their kids about where their families lived before they came to the District. "You can't assume they can help their kids," she said. "You have to focus not on giving the kids the facts, but on getting them to want to know the facts."

Now I was confused; her ideas about discipline were flawed, but couldn't she become a teacher who opens up a child's world?

Read more HERE.

Character More Important Than Winning

By: Gregory Kane
Examiner Columnist
March 11, 2010

Nick Romero is my new hero.

It is at this point many readers might be saying, "I don't know Nick Romero from a tree stump." And the truth is, neither do I.

Romero is a wrestler for LaPlata High School in Maryland's Charles County. Don't tune out just yet.

This isn't a story about high school wrestling; it's a story about character, which is in shorter and shorter abundance these days.

Last Saturday, at Cole Field House on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park, Romero taught me a lesson about character that will stick with me for the rest of my days. It's a lesson all of us would do well to learn.

After Romero's lesson, the crowd gathered at Cole Field House to watch the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association wrestling championships was on its feet cheering, and I'm willing to bet there was nary a dry eye in the place.


Read more HERE

Governors, state school superintendents propose common academic standards

By Nick Anderson

Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 11, 2010

Maryland and several other states are pushing rapidly toward adoption of new academic standards proposed Wednesday for English and math, adding momentum to the campaign to establish common expectations for public school students across the country.

The District also is on track to adopt the common standards drafted by experts in a project led by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers. However, it is possible that Virginia will not join the apparent surge toward approval.

Widespread adoption of common standards would mark a watershed for schools, triggering consequences for curricula, textbooks, testing and teaching. Some critics say common standards amount to a thinly disguised ruse to establish national standards under federal control -- an allegation that state and federal officials deny.

In most places, power to adopt standards rests with state boards of education.

Read more HERE.

Notes from the Board of Education Meeting on 3/09/10

The Board Meeting on Tuesday, March 9th will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, Verizon FIOS Channel 12 and is available via webstream at http://www.ccboe.com/ . To view the full agenda and the various reports, please visit BoardDocs.

The below notes are my personal notes and are not intended to be all-inclusive or official minutes for the Board of Education meetings and are provided as a request from my supporters and the general public in a personal effort to be more transparent. Although I have diligently tried to make these notes as unbiased and accurate as possible, I am only human and do make mistakes.

Executive session 12 p.m.

Call to order 1 p.m.

• Pledge of Allegiance, Henry E. Lackey High School's JROTC unit

Reports of officers boards/committees

Superintendent's update

• Read report

Correspondence/Board member updates

• Carrington - What Counts, Spelling Bee etc. Attended awards at McDonough & would like to see more participation
• Cook - What Counts has been posted on Channel 96 and all participants will be receiving the results personally. Attended awards at LaPlata and it was well attended and had several different presentations
• Pedersen - Over 70 participants non-school related...thanks to everyone; Westlake High School awards recognition successful; attended band and orchestra events and wow!
• Bailey - requests that results be mailed to ALL who were invited
• Wise - congrats to Stone for going to regionals in basketball

Education Association of Charles County update

• Read Report

Student Board member update

• Read report

Deputy Superintendent Update

• Haitian Relief; read report

CIP update

• Read Report - snow was not detrimental to ongong projects
• New high school - into the "small details" stage planning. Department of Environment has reclassified "good" dirt to "bad" dirt at the site. Meeting tomorrow

Early childhood

• See report - I requested more information on the Judy Centers

Race to the Top grant

• Federal funds could in jeopardy for those systems not participating early.

2011-2012 school calendar

• Abell requested a second look at in-service days in November and February to see if they can be moved closer to existing holidays to provide for a 4-day weekend.

Legislative update

• Senate Bill 590 Labor bill; we oppose, hearing this week
• Maintenance of Effort - bunch of bills in Annapolis...one waives the penalty to Montgomery County

Draft policy 6411.11 Physical education and athletic programs for students with disabilities

• Draft new policy; Abell requested a review of the assigned number....

Unfinished business

• Pedersen - Policy 6000 -- Should we wait to review after "Race to the Top"
• Abell is prepared to discuss and make changes now; last reviewed in 2005, then we have a fresh, good policy before "Race to the Top"

New business and future agenda items

• Race to the Top proposal

Motion by Wade; Second by Carrington

(yes) Carrington, Wade, Wise, Bailey

(no) Abell, Cook, Pedersen

• Request for waiver of school days

Motion by Bailey; Second by Pedersen

(no) Abell

(yes) Carrington, Cook, Bailey, Wise, Wade, Pedersen

• School naming committee - Each board member submit a name by April 1

Recognition 4:30 p.m.

• Students
• Employees
• Maryland Society for Educational Technology Outstanding Educator Using Technology Award winner: Sandra Chisholm, Piccowaxen Middle School
• Resolutions: Month of the Young Child and National Student Leadership Week.

Public Forum 6 p.m.

• Female - Child at Lackey High School. Needs to attend a full day of classes to monitor problems with child. Parent visitation policy and principal doesn't allow
• Female - EACC Representative believes the teachers should receive a 3.5% COLA worked into our budget

Action items

• Minutes

Motion by Carrington; Second by Pedersen
(yes) Abell, Carrington, Cook, Bailey, Wise, Wade, Pedersen


• Personnel

Motion by Carrington; Second by Pedersen

(yes) Abell, Carrington, Cook, Bailey, Wise, Wade, Pedersen

Adjournment

How to ruin a child: too much esteem, too little sleep

By George F. Will

Thursday, March 4, 2010
The Washington Post

Memo to that Massachusetts school where children in physical education classes jump rope without using ropes: Get some ropes. And you -- you are about 85 percent of all parents -- who are constantly telling your children how intelligent they are: Do your children a favor and pipe down.

These are nuggets from "NutureShock: New Thinking About Children" by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman. It is another book to torment modern parents who are determined to bring to bear on their offspring the accumulated science of child-rearing. Modern parents want to nurture so skillfully that Mother Nature will gasp in admiration at the marvels their parenting produces from the soft clay of children.

Those Massachusetts children are jumping rope without ropes because of a self-esteem obsession. The assumption is that thinking highly of oneself is a prerequisite for high achievement. That is why some children's soccer teams stopped counting goals (think of the damaged psyches of children who rarely scored) and shower trophies on everyone. No child at that Massachusetts school suffers damaged self-esteem by tripping on the jump rope.

Read more HERE.

REMINDER: Board of Education Meeting, 3/9/10

The Board of Education's next monthly meeting is Tuesday, March 9, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building on Radio Station Road in La Plata. The public portion of the meeting begins at 1 p.m. and recognition begins at 4:30 p.m. The meeting is televised live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and is rebroadcast throughout the week. Program schedules are available at www2.ccboe.com/publicinfo/channel96/schedule.cfm.

Executive session 12 p.m.

Call to order 1 p.m.

• Pledge of Allegiance, Henry E. Lackey High School's JROTC unit

Reports of officers/boards/committees

Superintendent's update
Correspondence/Board member updates
Education Association of Charles County update
Student Board member update
CIP update
Early childhood
Race to the Top grant
2011-2012 school calendar
Legislative update
Draft policy 6411.11 Physical education and athletic programs for students with disabilities

Unfinished business

New business and future agenda items

• Race to the Top proposal
• Request for waiver of school days
• School naming committee

Recognition 4:30 p.m.

• Students
• Employees
• Maryland Society for Educational Technology Outstanding Educator Using Technology Award winner, Sandra Chisholm, Piccowaxen Middle School
• Resolutions: Month of the Young Child; and National Student Leadership Week.

Public Forum 6 p.m.

Action items

• Minutes
• Personnel

Adjournment