Settlement with LAUSD

In the works. This week there was a settlement with LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District) and layoff policies will no longer be last hired is first fired. This has many wondering just what does that mean.

In basic terms, seniority is out the window, and anyone can get the axe. Wow, no one is safe. This all stems from two years of teachers RIFs, (Reduction In Force), otherwise known as a layoff. The new teachers, usually more energetic and passionate, were let go and schools were forced to have substitute teachers fill in until a teacher was relocated and placed in that position.

LAUSD has until March 15th to set up a policy and method in which to release teachers. Wow, I really don't know what to think. What comes to mind are the words of Shakespeare and Anne Rice, "Beware the Ides of March" because, "No one is safe from nature's savagery, not even the innocent."

This all makes me think of the words of Chris Dede, "When we look back on public education, this will be seen as the 'Dark Ages'.

Hamsters, Trains, Chairs and Black Holes

Conversations with Kindergartners can generate some interesting topics.  On the first day of school, a Kindergarten teacher asked her class, "What do you want to learn in Kindergarten?" "How to buy a hamster!" exclaimed one, "How to drive a train."  shouted another and "How to make a chair." finished the third.  This kind of  enthusiasm and excitements held by these four and five year old boys and girls is rarely matched at any other time in a life.  

As a group of these same age students were sharing their recently dictated stories with me, some how we ended up on one student's understanding of black holes.  He explained to me, in a broken English, "that, not now but in long time, black hole will take all of earth in it.  In a time when there are no more people."  I said to him, "That's right.  In the future, the sun will turn super nova and then collapse into a black hole."  Of course I know, but he's five.  He looked at me and just shook his head up and down with a look on his face that said, "Lady, that's what I just said."  Needless to say, these questions and probably many others won't be answered this year in Kindergarten. 

 

What is the point to all of this?  The point is that these little ones come to us full of curiosity, knowledge, a connectedness to what's around them and just a lively different perspective on the world we live in.  Many American public schools don't seem to care about what these students come to school capable of doing or knowing.  We treat them like empty vessels to be filled or a puppy that needs training.  This negates all that thee children are and are trying to become.  

Our school district, along with many others, have returned to basics.  What that means, is Kindergarten is the new first grade.  The curriculum standards that are required for Kindergarten, a little less than ten years ago, were the expectations for First Graders.  The thought being that since these children need retraining or filling, it is perfectly okay to raise the bar and expect all students to meet it.  We just need to give them more information sooner.  

A saying I heard during when I was getting my teaching credential back during the last century. The saying was, Children come to school like and exclamation mark and they left like a period. Unfortunately, we are starting that process and ensuring that it happens earlier and earlier in the life of children.  Many times that is shown to us by our drop out rate.  These students are finish and moving on often times ill equipped for life.   Charter schools are pulling away students from the public schools like a slow hemorrhage.  These are all in response to what public schools are doing and not doing.  How can we stop these madness?  

My First Try

Well, I've stayed away from blogging because I feel writing is not one of my strengths.  I thought I'd podcast but, I'd have to write a script for it so am back to writing again. 

So, here I go.  What is constantly on my mind is what public education is not doing for students that are forces to attend them.  One of the largest reactions to public school is a wild variety of private and charter schools.  At best they provide an excellent education as measured by standardized tests and a haven from some of the environmental behaviors that exists for some students. And at worst they provide a rudimentary learning experience and allow an elitist mentality to flourish unchecked. 

As a public school educator I do not disagree with private school, charter schools or even home schooling is doing.  There are many marvelous examples of out there.  My concern is more with public education is not doing to keep up with the social outcry. 

We are all competing for the same students.  With more options available, the local school is no longer the draw.  The first choice is always to move into the neighborhood with the best schools, but charter schools have become fashionable.  So names like Green Dot, and UNO to name a few, are cropping up in everywhere.  Let's face it, all of these forms of school are sprouting up from the lack of change in public schools.  All of these schools are in reaction to what public education is not doing, which in meeting the needs of the students that attend it. 

I'll stop here because I will begin to ramble, so please comment and share you thoughts.