How Will You be Evaluated This Year?

Every year, when teachers return to their classrooms, one recurring question seems to arise. How will I be evaluated? How will my evaluation impact my future employment? In New Jersey, one segment of the process is known by the acronym SGO – Student Growth Objective. The process focuses on two central themes- what do the students in the classroom NEED to learn, and HOW will the teacher know that they learned it? The controversy exists because from the teachers’ standpoint these measure have a low level of predictability. Additionally, the teachers will need to be trained in the statistical self-study.

This anxiety and uncertainty exists in school districts throughout the country and certainly weighs on the minds of teachers everywhere.

Charlotte Danielson is a Princeton, NJ based education consultant was interviewed by ED Magazine of the US Department of Education (http://www.ed.gov/Teacher-Evaluation-Systems). In her interview she made several important points about teacher evaluation.

1)   Identify what constitutes good teaching. This is an issue that has been debated ad nauseum and no school district or state or federal agency has been able to successfully quantify this issue.

2)   Need for ongoing professional development. A teacher’s education does not end with the awarding of a degree. Reading, on the job training, and graduate level courses and conferences, all contribute to a more effective and competent teacher.

3)   Prioritization- School administrators must ascertain what is important in the evaluation process.

In a collegial and collaborative effort, teachers can be effective tools in the education of America’s children.

c.2014 J.Margolis

Back to School Reading For Teachers

OK, so you didn’t do your professional vacation reading this summer and school started this week.  You are already up to your nose is lesson plans, seating charts, putting up bulletin boards and mastering your students’ names. Parents have already started to call or email requesting conferences. Despite all of this, teachers should make some time to take a look at some of the recently published books pertaining to current issues in education.

Building A Better Teacher by Elizabeth Green- This book examines some of the more recent trends such as No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top, and Common Core. Green also discusses accountability and makes the case for the importance of teacher training.

Crash Course- by Kim Bearden. The author has over 25 years of experience as a teacher, principal, and curriculum director. Her focus is on problem solving, and viewing the current issues in American education through the eyes of someone on the inside.

Getting Schooled: The Reeducation of an American Teacher by Garret Keizer

This work is the author’s candid account of his return to the classroom after a long hiatus.

Aside from recent publications I would like to recommend some of the classics for either an initial read or a “second time around.” Take a look at:

Cultural Literacy - E.D.Hirsch

Why Johnny Can’t Read- Rudolf Flesch

Savage Inequalities- Jonathan Kozol

The Flat World and Education-Linda Darling-Hammond

My contribution to the cause, “Beyond the Classroom Door, “will be published shortly. Please keep tuned to this site for more information about ordering copies and arranging for speaking engagements.

c.2014 J. Margolis

The Changing Face of the Classroom

For many teachers across the country summer vacations are winding down and you will be returning to the classroom in the next few weeks.  But while the building and the text material may remain the same (for the most part), the ethnic composition of the classroom will be a little different. According to a recent report by the National Center for Educational Statistics, when all of the minority students are added together, they will now make up the majority. The non-Hispanic white student population will comprise approximately 49.8% of school students.  The question before educators now is how to address this paradigm shift. Does this mean more ESL programs, translators for parent conferences, and bi-lingual educators? Probably. Will this mean an increase in “white flight” to suburban or private schools? Possibly.

This academic reality, however, brings with it great possibilities Teachers can plan lessons around the multi-cultural nature of our society. Students can share their backgrounds about holidays, family customs and traditions, as well as food choices.

There is another aspect to this new reality that cannot be ignored. Societal issues such as immigration (an issue that has been in the news a great deal this summer), poverty in America and income inequality must be addressed. Teachers and administrators must also be attuned to the possibility of racial tensions in the hallways , cafeterias and schoolyards. Whether this new reality is treated as a threat or an opportunity is up to you. This change is here to stay.

c.2014. J. Margolis