I said long long ago at a commission on improving teaching two things In particular 1 was that I believed it was not good structurally to lock teachers into particular districts in terms of pay scales or tenure. That moving around and/or moving up and down the levels of education often made better teachers! Maybe I was prejudiced because at that point I had moved 18 times in 20 years because my husband was military - but I honestly believe that all those levels and contexts and all made me a much richer educator in terms of experiences in the long run. It also made me braver because I had nothing to lose!
The second thing I said was a question - when would they create a commission on improving the administration profession!!!! I was a panelist in the southern California panel. This was a California project - the Dorman commission. It was around the mid 80s I think. Not much has changed. I have so much empathy Renee. sally On 3/21/10 7:59 AM, "Renee" <[email protected]> wrote: > Thanks, Sally. > > I think the hardest thing about all this is the way things work in a > fundamental way. We get our credentials from the state, but if we move > to a different district within the state we lose everything we have > built. Had I stayed living in the Bay Area, I would be safe, > well-compensated, and stable at this point. Instead, I chose to move to > a rural, lower-socioeconomic area, and lost all my tenure, my good > reputation, by security, etc. Plus, there are issues with the > "temporary" status that I think need to be address by the teachers' > association; I have been removed from the seniority list because the > art program is/was temporary (year-to-year), and there are two people > on the seniority list who were hired well after I was. In these times, > it becomes teacher against teacher, and that's an ugly place. > > Renee > > On Mar 21, 2010, at 5:54 AM, thomas wrote: > >> Renee >> >> I am so very sorry. I am up here near you as you know and the >> districts are >> hemoraging (well there's a word I obviously can spell and my spell >> check >> doesn't work on email!). But it is also a blow to children. It is >> especially horrible when someone as gifted as you has to hang in for >> children year after year by a thread. >> >> Sally >> >> >> On 3/20/10 2:31 PM, "Renee" <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Twenty-five teachers received RIF notices in my district. All but two >>> of them were permanent staff. I am not even included in that twenty- >>> five because my art program was a temporary position, and yes, I >>> received a "pink slip" letter also, as did the four other people in >>> the district who were in temporary positions. That makes thirty. This >>> is in a district with only four schools, total: three elementary >>> schools and one middle school. >>> >>> This is my eight pink slip in ten years (one of those years I did not >>> have a teaching position at all). I could wallpaper the bathroom with >>> them. I keep asking for them to be actually pink, but they are all >>> official on ivory-colored paper with the district logo on the corner. >>> >>> My biggest beef at the moment is the specific wording of my pink >>> slip, which I dislike; I am going to ask the superintendent to issue >>> another one to me with kinder wording. I've known him for enough >>> years (he was actually my principal for three years in the district >>> next door) that I feel comfortable doing so. >>> >>> California is an utter, disastrous mess. The state could save >>> millions of dollars a year by just eliminating the high school exit >>> exam, a fact which Stephen Krashen has been very eloquently >>> submitting to newspapers all over the state, and probably more >>> millions by eliminating second grade testing, which is not even >>> required by NCLB. >>> >>> Yes, I got a pink slip. >>> >>> Renee >>> >>> >>> >>> On Mar 20, 2010, at 1:11 PM, [email protected] wrote: >>> >>>> Oh no! Renee, I thought you were talking about a figurative pink >>>> slip!! You didn't really get a. pink slip, did you? Please say no. >>>> Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel >>>> >>>> -----Original Message----- >>>> From: Renee <[email protected]> >>>> Date: Sat, 20 Mar 2010 12:06:42 >>>> To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email >>>> Group<[email protected]> >>>> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Fluency >>>> >>>> Yes, I am in Northern California. >>>> >>>> >>>> On Mar 20, 2010, at 10:55 AM, Mary Ann Walker wrote: >>>> >>>>> Oh Renee, I'm really sorry to hear about your pink slip. >>>>> >>>>> Are you in California? >>>>> >>>>> Mary Ann >>>>> Cy-Fair ISD >>>>> Houston, TX >>>>> >>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Renee" >>>>> <[email protected]> >>>>> To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" >>>>> <[email protected]> >>>>> Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2010 4:49 PM >>>>> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Fluency >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>> If I had tenure, I would do a lot of things. >>>>>> >>>>>> Renee .... waving another pink slip in the air..... >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> On Mar 14, 2010, at 11:17 AM, jan sanders wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Renee, if you had the tenure, you could send back an email >>>>>>> stating the fact about the lack of problem solving and that you >>>>>>> were wondering what was going to be used to fill in that void. >>>>>>> For anyone not familiar with Saxon -they literally tell the >>>>>>> student what to do. I piloted in 4th grade and the directions >>>>>>> would tell the student what to do -no thinking there... One day >>>>>>> (long division) the directions said use the LSD method on this >>>>>>> problem. I had to laugh! LSD!!!!!! Of course LSD was an >>>>>>> acronym for procedures used in the algorithm. Anyone remember >>>>>>> Daddy, Mother, Sister, Brother? Divide, Multiply, Subtract, >>>>>>> Bring down. >>>>>>> Saxon is a very rote program. >>>>>>> Jan >>>>>>> "Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about >>>>>>> learning how to dance in the rain." BJ Gallagher >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> From: [email protected] >>>>>>>> Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 07:17:40 -0800 >>>>>>>> To: [email protected] >>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Fluency >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> I agree with Nancy. I am so sick and tired of the "supported by >>>>>>>> research" claim that I could scream. One of my principals sent >>>>>>>> out an >>>>>>>> email a few weeks ago with a link and an article that showed >>>>>>>> research >>>>>>>> about student achievement with Saxon math. ick. So I read it, >>>>>>>> and it >>>>>>>> referred basically to test scores AND also mentioned that Saxon >>>>>>>> math >>>>>>>> did not do well in problem-solving, which was better addressed >>>>>>>> with a >>>>>>>> different program that was studied. I think it was three or four >>>>>>>> math >>>>>>>> programs that were compared, and maybe it was Everyday Math that >>>>>>>> was >>>>>>>> better at problem-solving, but please don't quote me. Anyway, the >>>>>>>> point is that it truly is like a game of telephone. Perfect >>>>>>>> analogy, >>>>>>>> Nancy. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Renee >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> On Mar 13, 2010, at 3:22 AM, [email protected] wrote: >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> In a message dated 3/10/2010 11:59:22 P.M. Eastern Standard >>>>>>>>> Time, >>>>>>>>> [email protected] writes: >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Could you give me a reference for that research? >>>>>>>>> So I'm behind on email, but don't see a response. I find often >>>>>>>>> that >>>>>>>>> something that is supposedly "supported by lots of research," is >>>>>>>>> kind of like the >>>>>>>>> telephone game. Everyone has heard that there is, but no one >>>>>>>>> quite can >>>>>>>>> pinpoint it. Just the fact that people say there is research >>>>>>>>> makes >>>>>>>>> it so? I >>>>>>>>> agree with Maureen. I have seen a lot of evidence that often >>>>>>>>> students who read >>>>>>>>> slowly and methodically with prosidy, rereading and thinking >>>>>>>>> carefully, >>>>>>>>> are way better at comprehension than those who are trying to >>>>>>>>> beat >>>>>>>>> the egg >>>>>>>>> timer. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Nancy >>>>>>>>> _______________________________________ >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>>>> Mosaic mailing list >>>>>>>> [email protected] >>>>>>>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>>>>>>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >>>>>>>> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>>> Mosaic mailing list >>>>>>> [email protected] >>>>>>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>>>>>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >>>>>>> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> "If you choose the quick and easy path, you will become an agent >>>>>> of evil." >>>>>> ~Yoda >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>> Mosaic mailing list >>>>>> [email protected] >>>>>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>>>>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >>>>>> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >>>>>> >>>>>> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Mosaic mailing list >>>>> [email protected] >>>>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>>>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >>>>> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >>>>> >>>>> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >>>>> >>>> >>>> "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist >>>> once he grows up." >>>> Pablo Picasso >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Mosaic mailing list >>>> [email protected] >>>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >>>> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >>>> >>>> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Mosaic mailing list >>>> [email protected] >>>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >>>> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >>>> >>>> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >>>> >>> >>> "The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." >>> Dorothy Parker >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Mosaic mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >>> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >>> >>> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >>> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Mosaic mailing list >> [email protected] >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >> >> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >> >> > "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect > Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the > common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings > of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this > Constitution for the United States of America." > > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
