Dear Arne Duncan: August 26, 2001 Last week, we asked readers to let us know what they thought new schools CEO Arne Duncan should do first to fix Chicago's public schools. Teachers and principals were among the first to respond, and the most passionate. Their No. 1 concerns? Class size and staffing. Here's a sampling of what they said: The first thing Arne Duncan should do is lower class size and provide all teachers with classroom aides. Most teachers are extremely knowledgeable and very eager to teach their students, but they are unable to provide the students with sufficient one-on-one or small group teaching that many of them need (especially those reading below grade level)! This is almost impossible due to the student/teacher ratio (28-30 students/1 teacher). In addition, large class size makes it almost impossible to give students the consistent and immediate feedback that is needed in order for them to learn. The role of the teacher is taken up by an over-abundance of paperwork. Many times I am confused if my job is to TEACH students or complete paperwork. All professionals have assistants to help with their needs so they can get the job done correctly, but teachers are supposed to do it all on their own. Teachers need help in order to be 100 percent effective at the job they were trained to do and WANT to do: TEACH! Julianne Kortz, 5th-grade teacher, James McCosh Elementary School, Chicago Decrease class sizes I am a teacher at James McCosh Elementary School, and I strongly believe that the only way to improve student learning is to have smaller class sizes. We talk about how to improve reading, and there are so many different strategies out there, but truly the best and most sure way to improve student reading and learning is through smaller class sizes. Many years ago, I had the pleasure of teaching a class of 19 students. I cannot begin to tell you what we were able to accomplish. This class of students was no different than any other--the kids were of varying ability--but the difference was that there were only 19 of them. I keep hearing that it would be too expensive, that we don't have the money. I say we have to find the money. If we don't, we will keep raising children who will never be able to read. Lee Ann Gaal, Chicago Community service Reduce class size in grades 1-3 with no more than 20 students. Research has proven that learning to read in the early grades is most crucial. High school students need an opportunity to become involved in community service, i.e., hospitals, day care, senior citizens, neighborhood cleanup, etc. Needless to say, they should be assigned a sponsor and be closely supervised. Review discipline procedures. Parents need to be more accountable for the behavior of their students. Many teachers would be more successful with student achievement if parents were more supportive and cooperative. Otha L. Harris, Highland Park Relax residency rules Arne Duncan should rescind the residency requirement to alleviate the teacher shortage. The majority of teachers come from the middle class or from the working class. They cannot afford to buy a car and pay Chicago's rents. There are many 22-year-old teachers who would teach in Chicago but must live with parents in the suburbs in order to pay off college loans. Kathleen Cleary-Powers, Chicago teacher for 27 years Encourage read-aloud Arne Duncan should immediately do everything in his power to encourage schoolwide read-aloud. The Commission on Reading funded by the U.S. Department of Education studied over 10,000 research projects and determined that "the single most important activity for building knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children . . . it is a practice that should continue throughout the grades.'' The approach and benefits are beautifully articulated in Jim Trelease's Read Aloud Handbook. In a universe of educational theory there seem to be very few facts, but the success of read-aloud seems to be one of them. Additionally, I hope that Mr. Duncan will start utilizing the tremendous resource of teachers who are endorsed in language arts to help ease the citywide shortage of reading specialists and school librarians. Not only do language arts specialists take coursework in methods of teaching reading, but they have extensive backgrounds in literature, are able to teach writing and can integrate books into all subject areas. There are many teachers already in the system who are capable of taking formidable and positive leadership roles in this reading initiative if their credentials were recognized. Good luck, Mr. Duncan! Your intentions seem nothing short of wonderful, and the research and resources that can make this citywide dream come true already exist, waiting to be implemented. Esme Raji Codell, Chicago Cut class size I first want to applaud Mr. Duncan's attempt to rectify the terrible travesty of Mr. Vallas' "Intervention Program.'' Speaking from a teacher's point of view, I will never believe that student achievement was improved in any way by the harassing bully tactics employed by many of the key players in this program. It was a disgrace, to say the least. What should be Mr. Duncan's first order of business for the Chicago Public Schools? While I realize I am stating the obvious, it needs to be said over and over until someone really listens and acts accordingly that the KEY strategy for improving student learning is to reduce classroom size. It is a proven fact that teachers are significantly more effective when teaching smaller groups of students. He'll have no problem attracting new teachers because ALL teachers want to be in a classroom with fewer students, where we can be much more successful helping our students to reach their potential. We look forward to a new leadership that truly puts CHILDREN FIRST. Kathleen D McCann, Kindergarten Teacher, May Community Academy, Chicago Test for vision None of the methods for teaching reading are going to help children who cannot see. Go beyond vision testing and make sure the children are wearing glasses if they need them. As a teacher, I saw more kids wearing them in the top classes and hardly any wearing them in the lowest classes. Gloria A. Franchi, retired teacher, Chicago Administrators taxed The Chicago Public Schools are divided into regions with a district superintendent for each. The regions include a huge number of schools, and thus principals and teachers are largely unsupervised, unknown, unheralded, uncensored. My former DS visited our school for 15 minutes two times in nine years. My new school district, a suburban one, has one superintendent for four schools. He knows every teacher, program and is a leader because he has enough support staff to prevent him from just dealing with paperwork. I suggest breaking down the region so that added superintendents would have 10 schools they deal with and letting them supervise closely the workings of these schools. Their schools don't improve, they are fired or demoted. They get rid of the ineffective principals who don't perform, don't enforce CPS programs and there will be an improvement! As it is now, directions flow from the central office, and they are just papers to be filed when they reach the principal. Lynne Flanagan, Chicago Replace principals Do a thorough evaluation of principal and programs at low-achieving schools. Replace principals found to be incompetent (there are many). Install new curriculum and provide adequate staff development. Charles R. Bondurant, Chicago Add consistency Mr. Duncan should see that reading, writing, phonics and English are taught at the same time with the same materials throughout the city because city children are moving about at all times of the school year. Then he should lower class size. Delores Cook, retired Chicago teacher More counselors He should hire more school counselors. They are the "real connect'' between the administration, teachers, staff, and parents/community. He should then allow teachers to do less paperwork and more one-on-one contact with the students. Finally, he should pay the teachers more along with hiring a more diverse teacher faculty. Prentiss N. Byrd, Chicago Building additions Work on the addition of many needed new schools, not just the ones in Little Village. I am a high school teacher (special ed), and even those classrooms are way too overcrowded. Help! Erin Reid, St. Gregory High School, Chicago Read every day In order to learn to read, it is vital to have teachers foster the love of reading. Teachers must read every day to their students, from preschool through high school. Short stories, classics, inspirational tales, nursery rhymes, novels, excerpts of speeches, maybe even from the newspaper, just to name a few--the whole gamut of the reading world. Words, well-read, correctly and with the right intonation and enthusiasm will begin to foster the interest in the written word . . . and kids love being read to. Schools CEO Arne Duncan, in order to make this idea work, must literally order the teaching staff to read every day to every child. Principals must actively monitor and participate in this initiative. If our schools are to spend two hours every day to teach reading, then part of this period would be best spent learning to enjoy reading. Robert F. Bures, retired Chicago principal After-school math Mr. Duncan should establish after-school math and cybercamps. Our kids are not ready for this tech society. Eli Washington, Chesterfield Community School, Chicago -- This is the CPS Science Teacher List. To unsubscribe, send a message to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For more information: <http://home.sprintmail.com/~mikelach/subscribe.html>. To search the archives: <http://www.mail-archive.com/science%40lists.csi.cps.k12.il.us/>
