Teachers Unions Step Up to Lead on Education Reform
By Dennis Van Roekel,
President of the National Education Association
For as long as we have had struggling schools in America’s cities, there have been efforts to turn them around. Those of us committed to equal opportunity have always believed that education gives students a foothold on the ladder to success. Yet recent studies show the role of education as a force for equality is threatened.
Research at Stanford University found that the gap in test scores between affluent and poor students increased by 40 percent in the past 50 years, while a University of Michigan study found that the disparity in college completion rates increased by 50 percent since the 1980s.
These trends do not bode well for the more than 20 percent of children who live below the official poverty line, including a third of African American children. While there’s room for improvement in almost every school, we clearly need to focus on those schools with high concentrations of poor students who have not been getting the education they need and deserve.
Instead of playing the blame game, local teachers unions are stepping up to the challenge of raising academic performance in these schools. I know this because I have seen it in schools across the country, including those that are part of the National Education Association’s Priority Schools Campaign.
Last year I visited Romulus Middle School just outside Detroit, an NEA Priority School that had struggled for many years. Its student population — 62 percent African American, 75 percent eligible for free and reduced lunch — resembles that found in many urban centers.
Romulus was named one of the lowest achieving schools in the state by Michigan’s Department of Education. The unflattering label followed the students’ consistently low scores on state tests, yet failure was not “The Romulus Way” — school officials’ values were steeped in responsibility and resourcefulness.
In the summer of 2010, Romulus was one of 28 Michigan schools to receive a federal School Improvement Grant (SIG), funds targeted to low-performing schools under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The infusion of cash was important — for new technology, revamping instruction and teacher training. But what really put the transformation effort over the hump was the collaborative efforts of teachers, administrators and the community.
When I toured Romulus Middle School in September here’s what I found:
- Teachers taking responsibility for their profession. Romulus teachers helped write the SIG grant proposal, and over the summer attended in-service sessions and developed a new curriculum. To accommodate the new delivery of instruction, they added 25 minutes to the school day. And teachers adopted an alternative compensation program with an evaluation system based on student growth. These were bold moves designed with one goal: improved student learning.
- Renewed community and family involvement. We’ve said for years: We can’t do it alone, and you can’t spell “partners” without “parents.” Romulus faced a tough local election to renew a portion of its funding. School leaders and community members joined forces with NEA and successfully engaged voters to pass a $10 million millage, providing much-needed resources for the next decade. A strong partnership was critical — the effort had failed twice before. It’s time we take partnership as seriously as we take curriculum, standards and tests.
- A tweak here or a toggle there will not lead to fundamental change. In Romulus, district and school administrators, educators and union leaders seized on the public policy window afforded by the SIG program to remove the stigma of a “failing school” and change a system that didn’t work for them. They focused on significant and sustainable improvement.
After countless grand policy initiatives, and decades of education reforms and gusts of innovation, here is the lesson I think we can draw: the only way to turn around struggling schools is to work together — by demanding concrete changes that make low student achievement totally unacceptable for any group of students.
Done right, this approach can not only help students in so-called “failing” schools, but is a scalable strategy for fixing America’s troubled urban school systems. It’s hard work, and the transformation won’t happen overnight, but that’s all the more reason to get started as soon as possible.
Follow Dennis Van Roekel on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@NEAMedia
Feeding the Facebook Addiction
I’m a Facebook addict. I admit it.
I check my account every hour. I get excited when I see another person “liked” my status update or when I have a new friend request. I lose track of everything as I pour through my friends’ status updates, clicking the “thumbs-up” on some newly released baby pictures and giving birthday wishes to those celebrating their special day.
Luckily, I have a support group for my addiction. I call the group “my students.” In general, my students are even more obsessed with Facebook than I am. They make status updates when they go to the mall, eat dinner, watch TV or take a nap.
With that in mind, I have found many ways to productively utilize the site in my classroom.
The best thing I have done, at the suggestion of the technology director for my district, is create a Facebook profile solely for school. As “Dan Greenberg-Teacher,” I don’t post updates about my excitement over the upcoming Van Halen concert. Instead, I post homework assignments. Instead of composing a note comprised of my answers to a recent survey floating through the Facebook universe, I post journal prompts or assignment guidelines. Instead of sharing a link to a Youtube video showing a Browns fan ranting after a recent loss, I share a Youtube video my colleague produced, which shows students how to write a paper in MLA format.
I could complete any of the above school-related tasks through emails with students, but the fact is, my students are much more likely to use Facebook than email. When students want to get in touch with me, they do so through Facebook, not email. Typically, the night before a report is due, students will post questions to me on my “wall.” This works out well, because, not only can I quickly answer the question for the student that asked, other students can see the dialogue and get some clarification too.
My teacher account is not for students only. Several of my students’ parents are on my friend list, so that they are aware what’s happening in class on a day to day basis.
Whether it’s parents or students, I have a policy of not requesting friendship on Facebook, as part of my general philosophy of using caution when it comes to my profession and social media. There are many students with whom I have great relationships, but I worry that a parent or outsider might deem me “creepy” for requesting to be friends with a 15 year old girl.
Beyond online Facebook use, I use the Facebook concept in class to enhance students’ understanding of literature through character analysis. A few years ago, one of my colleagues created a blank Facebook profile template, which included areas to give information about a person, like education, interests, friendships, etc. She distributed the template to her class as she taught The Great Gatsby. Students then created a Facebook profile for one of the main characters in the novel. The kids’ enthusiasm for the activity was palpable, and many went beyond the minimum and did a great job synthesizing information about the characters. This activity worked so well that I and several other English teachers integrated it into our novel units for various books.
The success I have seen with Facebook has encouraged me to try other social media applications, like Twitter. I have recently started an account for my classroom which I use to tweet daily assignments. So far, I have about 10 of my students following me, compared to the 200 past and present students on my Facebook. I am open to trying whichever programs my students use if it can improve my relationship with a student and improve his/her performance.
Social media, like Facebook, can be intimidating, especially when it comes to using it in the classroom. However, embracing it and exploring safe and effective ways to use it can be rewarding for teachers, parents and students. If nothing else, it’s a great way to get your daily Facebook fix.
By Dan Greenberg, Sylvania Education Association
Spotlight on Women’s Health
- President Obama expands women’s access to preventative services. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), most health insurance plans will cover women’s preventive services – including well women visits, and domestic violence screenings – without charging a co-pay or deductible.[1] This new law will save money for millions of Americans and ensure Americans nationwide get the high-quality care they need to stay healthy.[2] The President also passed landmark health care reform. The Affordable Care act expanded health care coverage to 32 million Americans.[3] Now young adults can be covered by their parents’ insurance plans until age 26, and 2.5 million young adults have already taken advantage of this provision of the law.[4] It also stops insurance companies from denying coverage based on preexisting conditions or dropping individuals when they get sick.[5]
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- Romney promises to eliminate key women’s health programs. “Number one on my list: Obamacare – I’ll get rid of that on day one.”[6] Romney has made continued pledges to eliminate the Affordable Care Act (ACA) during the campaign. Before the ACA became law, women could be charged more for individual insurance policies because of their gender. The ACA also guarantees mandatory maternity coverage for all women, as well as recommended preventive services including PAP tests, mammograms, new baby care and well-child visits, with no out-of-pocket costs. Romney has also pledged to “eliminate Title X family planning programs”[7] Title X covers reproductive health services including birth control, STD screenings, and cervical-cancer exams for low-income women.
- Santorum invents facts, slams the ACA. Santorum recently claimed “ties [between] cancer and abortion”[8] (ties which have been disproved in peer-reviewed studies). These statements follow a string of comments opposing women’s healthcare advances. Discussing the popular components of the ACA – including requiring coverage for women regardless of preexisting conditions (including pregnancy) – Santorum said “That’s something that everybody thinks is so popular,” he said. “But it also leads to enormous cost.”[9] Echoing Romney, Santorum’s “Priority number 1 = repeal Obamacare.”[10] Santorum’s proposed alternatives include no additional rules to protect the ACA’s protected coverage for women.
NEA Believes
- Affordable, comprehensive health care is the right of every resident. President Obama’s historic legislation moves the country closer to more comprehensive health care coverage; controlling costs while assuring quality; emphasizing preventative care; and assuring greater equity in the funding and access of that health care. The Affordable Care Act has opened up preventative care services to an estimated 54 million Americans, including 20 million women.[11]
- Additional federal resources should be devoted to the study of women’s health related issues as well as ensuring that all women have access to full coverage of their reproductive health care needs.
[1] “Women’s Preventive Services and Religious Institutions,” WhiteHouse.gov, February 10, 2012.
[2] “Women’s Preventive Services and Religious Institutions,” WhiteHouse.gov, February 10, 2012.
[3] “Health Reform in Action,” WhiteHouse.gov.
[4] “Health Reform in Action,” WhiteHouse.gov.
[5] “Health Reform in Action,” WhiteHouse.gov.
[6] http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JtxAvAgrMVU.
[7] HOW I’LL TACKLE SPENDING, DEBT, MittRomney.com, 11/3/2011.
[8] Santorum suggests abortion causes breast cancer, The Raw Story, 2/5/2012.
[9] Rick Santorum hits even popular parts of the ACA, Politico, 2/6/2012.
[10] Santorum on health care: Not much to write home about, My San Antonio, 2/14/2012.
[11] Fifty-Four Million Additional Americans Are Receiving Preventive Services Coverage Without Cost-Sharing Under The Affordable Care Act, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2/2012.
We deserve to be at the table, not on the menu
Jumbo shrimp. Civil war. Freezer burn. A fine mess.
These are examples of oxymorons, expressions that combine contradictory terms. I discovered a brand-new one when I read a recent article referencing the governor’s yet-to-be-unveiled education overhaul plan.
The plan actually doesn’t belong to the governor so much as it belongs to Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson. Sen. Peggy Lehner, R-Kettering acknowledged that Jackson’s plan contains many provisions that were “also in Senate Bill 5.”
Then she unveils her oxymoronic creation. Jackson’s plan, says Lehner, “…takes the best of Senate Bill 5.”
The best of Senate Bill 5 was than 1.3 million Ohioans signed petitions in less than two and a half months to send a message to the extreme politicians that passed the bill, that more Ohioans voted AGAINST SB 5/Issue 2 than voted FOR the governor who campaigned for it and that the 2011’s election turn-out was the largest in more than 20 years of Ohio election history.
Ohioans in the crosshairs of Senate Bill 5 fought against it because politicians rammed it through the legislature. Instead of being asked about what systemic changes should be made, we were told “This is how it’s going to be from now on in Ohio.” The legislation’s passage helped make We Are Ohio into an effective, dynamic organization that achieved its single goal—the repeal of SB 5.
This is an example of how the relationship between any school district and its teachers should work. Both sides share the same goal; to ensure their students’ success, but neither side can do it alone. They’ve got to work together. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case in Cleveland right now.
Rather than speak with the Cleveland Teachers Union about his transformation plan, Mayor Jackson held back-door conversations with city’s business community. Instead of putting teachers at the table, Jackson’s plan puts them on the menu.
Some his ideas sound strikingly similar to Senate Bill 5. There is a curiously strong focus on collective bargaining, and it is reminiscent of a letter Jackson wrote to legislators in June addressing his requests for the state budget.
The mayor knows that his transformation plan won’t happen without the assistance of the governor and the Ohio General Assembly. “Quite simply,” Jackson writes in this plan, addressing state legislators, “we cannot do it without your help.” The governor got Jackson’s message and is watching.
“I’m counting on Cleveland to deliver the goods,” said the governor in his 2012 State of the State address, adding, “Oh, I’ll work with them. I’ll go door-to-door to every one of their offices.”
What happens in Cleveland will have statewide implications for us all. We must make legislators realize that collaboration is key to the success of our students. We must refuse to be cast as the villain. We as teachers are part of the solution, not part of the problem.
A fine mess indeed.
By Phil Hayes, Columbus Education Association
Early Literacy: Making It Happen
If you were asked to define the word literacy, I am sure that it would be quite easy to come up with a definition. It could be defined as the basic ability to read. Others might say that it is the ability to communicate through reading and writing. One could even say that literacy is how humans use written words to function in our world today. No matter who is defining the word, there is no doubt that literacy is important in today’s world, yet we still live in a nation where more than 20 percent of adults read below a fifth grade level. Think about it; that is one out of every five adults reading below fifth grade level. In a society as sophisticated as ours, what does this mean?
Strong literacy skills are more likely to help individuals acquire decent paying jobs with more abilities to advance while poor literacy skills often lead to low paying jobs with less stability, poor working conditions, and unappealing hours. Aside from jobs and wages, just envision yourself unable to read and write. The simplest task to a literate person is almost impossible for one who struggles with reading and writing. Reading the labels on medication, writing a note to your child’s teacher, reading a map , a transaction at the ATM machine, reading a restaurant menu, reading street signs; all of these things come almost natural to a literate being, however not being able to perform these tasks could be dangerous.
The statistics in our correctional institutions are eye opening. Almost 85 percent of the children who enter the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate, while 60 percent of the adults in prison are considered illiterate (Ellis, 2011). We cannot allow this to continue to happen in our nation. Illiteracy is a viscous cycle and we as a nation need to stop the cycle. The question is where do we begin?
I believe that early literacy is the key! The more children we can reach the better. The younger the children are when we reach them, even better! A typical 5-year old child is able to identify 22 letters and sounds of the alphabet compared to just 9 letters for a child from a low-income family (Ehri-Roberts, 2006). Children who cannot read at a third grade level by age 8 are exponentially more likely to enter the prison system (Ohio Governor’s Forum, 2008). Almost half of the children who are getting ready to enter kindergarten do not have the basic language skills that they will need to learn to read. This is where the work must begin.
It is because of statistics like these that programs like Reach Out and Read are so important. Reach out and Read is a program that promotes early literacy and school readiness. It prepares young children to succeed in school by partnering with doctors to prescribe books and encourage families to read together. Through this program, doctors and nurses speak to parents about the importance of reading and they offer age appropriate tips and encouragement. After the educating happens in the office, each child (ages 6 months to 5 years) receives a new book to take home and keep. There are also volunteers in many of the doctor’s waiting rooms who are trained to engage the children in literacy and music activities. The impact this program and others like it are having on our youth is amazing!
We can only defeat this problem by working as a nation, one child at a time. As a teacher, parent, and member of our society, I strongly encourage you to do your part today. Start by simply donating a book, a dollar, or giving up time to volunteer. Grab a child and read to them. It is more valuable than you think!
by Michelle Vayansky, Community Outreach Committee Chairperson for Central OEA/NEA
February 2012 Ohio Schools
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- OEA member candidates prepare for 2012 election
- House Bill 153 and the Ohio teacher evaluation framework/li>
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