More Than Just a History Lesson

As Ohio waits for the axe to fall on public education funding, I urge our new state administrators and representatives to think long and hard before they start chopping away at the budget. As baby boomers continue to retire, many teachers being hired are young, inexperienced and cheap. This is not to say that they are not smart or have potential, but the numbers show from the NCES (for inexperienced legislatures or those forming policies while knowing nothing about education, the NCES is the National Center for Education Statistics,) that teacher attrition is highest within the first 5 years of employment; 25% in the first year, and around 40% after five years. (Parallel Patterns) There are a plethora of reasons for this. Not surprisingly, teacher pay, poor working conditions, (i.e. schools that are falling apart around them,) lack of preparation, and lack of administrative support are among the top reasons. Notice that retirement is not an issue for attrition. Our new governor can bash teacher unions all he wants, but the sad truth is that the best and brightest minds will still take jobs in the private sector with higher pay and six weeks off, than work in public schools with lower pay and 3 months off.

Even sadder, is that charter schools, yes, charter schools, have even higher rates of attrition than public schools. Most charter schools are in the poorest areas of our cities in districts with the highest poverty. They have limited support from administrators and parents, and teachers can be fired with little notice, working without contracts, making even less then public school educators.

In public schools, attrition is about 15.7%, but in charter schools it can be up to 40%. It seems that grade level plays a major role as well. Anyone who has taught, or substituted, in middle school or in special education, knows that it takes a special individual to teach these students.

New teachers are idealistic and naive, and more often than not, less effective than experienced teachers. For new teachers, starting in schools with troubled populations where jobs are more plentiful, a feeling of hopelessness is pervasive. (Google: Unraveling the “Teacher Shortage” Problem: Teacher Retention is the Key.) Students in poor, urban districts, where effective teaching is needed the most, suffer the worst.

According to R.M. Ingersoll (2003,) there are two types of attrition: those who leave the profession entirely and those who transfer to another school or district. Many new teachers get a couple of years under their belt and move on to more affluent, suburban districts, with more money and contracts with more job security.

Cutting the public education budget in favor of charter schools will not solve this problem. Our new governor would do better to acknowledge the expertise of experienced educators in public schools. He should make peace, and increase funding for mentoring, professional development, and well designed induction programs for all teachers. Public school teachers and teacher unions are not the enemy.

By Susan Ridgeway, Streetsboro Education Association

It’s the Sunday after Thanksgiving and while it’s cold outside, the sun is shining brightly, and my spirits are lifted. It’s been a busy, yet somehow restful, five-day break. I’m thankful for the time I had to visit with friends, feast with my family, decorate for Christmas, and even do a little on-line shopping. However, the reality of tomorrow morning is already settling in…Seventeen days of school until Christmas vacation….

Seventeen days of combating overexcited kids, sugar rushes, 24-hour holiday radio, and the general hustle and bustle of the season. Don’t get me wrong. I love the holidays. I love the magic. What I don’t love is trying to keep up a normal routine in my classroom.

As teachers we have two choices…to fight something that has been advertised since the day after Halloween, or to let it happen (because you know it will) and turn the holidays into teachable moments.

Teachers of younger students can turn to the tried and true holiday activities with picture books, songs, and thematic lessons of The Polar Express, The Mitten, and The Twelve Days of Christmas. Writing lessons can revolve around letters to Santa, holiday greeting cards, and multi-cultural lessons on holiday traditions. The following links offer 30 ideas for holiday lessons ranging from fine arts to the core content areas for three major holidays: Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah

If you would rather not promote one specific holiday, or you’d rather focus on the non-commercial aspects of the season, try touching on the true spirit of the holidays – peace, goodwill, charity, and compassion – as suggested on the Teaching Tolerance website in the 1987 article, Problems with Christmas Curriculum. Although the article is over 20 years old, the debate of Christmas’s place in the classroom can still be heard. Considering there are probably more people in need than there have ever been, this is a wonderful opportunity to show students how it is possible to touch the lives of others.

Many schools participate in Toys for Tots, Share-A-Christmas, or Salvation Army drives during this time of year. While it’s sometimes “tradition” for schools to participate in such charity drives, students may be desensitized to such activities. To find a charity that matches the personality and interests of your classroom, try the search tool at www.universalgiving.org. Or think locally and provide assistance to a local animal shelter, homeless shelter, or nursing home. Ask your students how they would like to give to others in need.

As you write your lesson plans for these final weeks of 2010, challenge your students to experience the gift of giving, allow yourself to enjoy the magic of the holidays with your students, and most of all, have fun. After all, it is “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”

By Melanie Krause, Dover Education Association

Post-election season commentaries in the media made much mention of a Republican “storm” or “hurricane” in Ohio as well as on the federal level. But this was not the storm; nor was it the hurricane. My friends, the perfect storm is on the radar. It is bearing down on us and will arrive in January.

When Governor-elect Kasich takes office in January, he is faced with figuring out how to plug our state’s $8.1 billion dollar biennial budget hole. During the campaign, he was careful to offer no ideas or plan on how to fix our budget.

Kasich did, however, make a promise during the campaign regarding education; he said he’d scrap the Ohio Evidence-Based Model for school funding. Millions of Ohio students will feel the effect of the governor-elect’s promise if he keeps it.

In order to make that change, legislation must be passed by both the Ohio House and Senate and then signed by then-Governor Kasich. He has made his intentions clear; it is time that we as educators make ours clear to the legislators of the Ohio General Assembly.

In the spring of 2007, Governor Strickland submitted his first biennial budget to the Ohio General Assembly. I had the opportunity to give testimony to the House Budget Committee along with several other teachers from Columbus. Our mission was simple: explain to the legislators the importance of increased school funding and increased charter school accountability.

So many people wanted to testify, the folks at the statehouse set up an overflow room. Charter school students crowded the room, bused in by their schools’ for-profit management companies. The students all had t-shirts bearing the name of their schools. I remember how it sickened me that those schools used their students as emotional props for the legislators. Not one student testified; but the employees of the for-profit schools did.

I had to wait until the next day to give my testimony to the committee because so many people wanted to be heard. After waiting a few hours, my group was called to speak. I went first.

I had the attention of the legislators from the very beginning. I spoke of what it was like to be teacher in Columbus, of the challenges we faced.

I delivered a message from one of the senior students in my Government class. We had been using the same Government textbooks since 1998; and my student, Ruthie, constantly complained about it.

“These books,” she said to me often, “tell us Clinton is our President, that he is in the middle of his second term. There have been two presidential elections and one impeachment attempt that the book doesn’t have.” I could say nothing to Ruthie in class to massage her indignation. I figured that the best tonic was to take her message to the Budget Committee.

After I finished, the other teachers from my group gave their testimony. When we finished, we were exhausted but hopeful after speaking our hearts and our minds. Then one of the Representatives from Kasich’s party indicated they had questions. For me. My heart skipped a beat.

“Mr. Hayes,” he began, “as a social studies teacher, do you want updated textbooks with current government figures in them?”

I was flabbergasted. I know what a leading question is and how to detect it—but this was not a leading question. This was an actual, honest-to-goodness question.

I answered in the affirmative and gave my explanation. He asked me several more questions, but the years have made them fade in my memory.

That exchange after testimony made me realize two things. The first is that particular legislator didn’t know what teachers needed. The second is that he had the courage to ask in front of his fellow committee members to get the actual information.

Those two lessons are critical as we head into budget season at the statehouse. We must make sure that the legislators who will be in office when these critical decisions are made hear our voices. If it’s standing in front of a committee giving testimony, calling them on the phone, meeting with them in their office or writing a letter, we must do everything we can to protect education at all costs.

According to law, the Governor must submit a budget to the General Assembly by March 15. The perfect storm is coming; I refuse to evacuate. We must fight this storm with everything we have, because if we don’t the day after the storm education in Ohio could be declared a disaster zone.

By Phil Hayes, Columbus Education Association

As a high school social studies teacher, I walk the line with my senior students each year. It’s tough. The year-long course I teach is required by my district, and it’s all about Government. Every year, I am met with the same question from my students during election season.

“Mr. Hayes, who are you going to vote for?”

Their question takes on a particular poignancy during Presidential elections. However, my answer is the same each and every year.

“I’ll tell you who I am going to vote for,” I say, scanning the room to make sure I’ve got their attention. The room is quiet; so much so that you can hear a pin drop. After making them endure an excessive pregnant pause, I continue.

“I’ll tell you who I voted for,” I continue, “after you walk across the stage, after I place your diploma in your hand. You can ask me who I’ve voted for since I’ve been registered.”

Grumbles and moans fill the classroom. I immediately address their frustration.

“You need to understand something,” I tell them. “My job is to teach you how to think, not what to think.”

I have to tell you that I take that charge very seriously. I don’t wear political buttons or t-shirts to school. I don’t put political stickers on my car. My students know which one is mine, and where I park every day. Even though it’s my First Amendment Right to do engage in that form of self-expression, I choose not to.

I do, however, have a t-shirt I wear to school on Fridays when I’m feeling particularly subversive. It reads “Danger: Educated Union Member”.

I know that my brothers, sisters and I are a danger to Governor Strickland’s opponent. Why else would that guy want to break our backs?

I know that Ted Strickland has my best interests at heart; it is my union that has educated me. Not Rupert Murdoch, not the Republican Governor’s Association, and certainly not Fox News.

Strickland’s record as Governor honors the profession I and hundreds of thousands of my brothers and sisters have chosen to spend our lives in.

I plan to honor Gov. Strickland on Tuesday by casting my vote for him.

When I walk in bright and early on Election Day, I’ll proudly wear my “Danger: Educated Union Member” t-shirt. I’m not taking that t-shirt off when I walk into my classroom, even though it’s a Tuesday. I’ll still get the same question I always do from my students. My answer to them will be the same, but I’ll be smiling when I tell them.

Brothers and sisters, Election Day is almost upon us. It is up to us to make a difference.

I know the location of my polling place, when it opens and how I’m getting there. I know which candidates are going to help me help the students I teach. Do you?

Find your polling place and see a sample ballot

By Phil Hayes, Columbus Education Association

Do you know who will receive your vote on November 2nd? Do you know the issues? Do you believe that things need to change? Before you head to the polls, it is important to know that changing governors at this time will not be in the best interest of Ohio’s public schools.  Check out OEA’s Campaign 2010 website so you can understand the reasons for keeping Governor Ted Strickland in office.

In the past month, I have done my homework and I am ready. I feel I will go to the polls with more confidence, knowledge, and hope than I have in the past.

Confidence…that I am voting for the right people who will maintain, and hopefully improve, education versus a candidate who will simply make bad things worse.

Knowledge…about the current political issues that could affect my job – merit based pay, school funding, competition with charter schools, national curriculum standards, and longer school years.

Hope…that I can continue doing what I love to do everyday….With the prospect of more support and less pressure, which will surely raise morale. With the promise of realistic, reasonable, and reachable expectations for students and teachers. With an end to unfair, unrealistic, biased expectations for those who are struggling to teach students who struggle every day.

For the first time in 15 years, I am standing at the top of the halfway point, where teachers often breathe a sigh of relief and say, “It’s all downhill from here.” Sometimes after a really long day, or reviewing low test scores, or hearing new demands by my students’ parents, the district, or the state, I wonder if I can possibly hang in there 15 more years.

Pessimists will do nothing, say they can’t change things, and fall ungracefully down the hill, blaming others all the way down.  They may figure that the only answer is something (or someone) else.

However, I am an optimist. I love my job and I know I could never give it up. We cannot give up on Governor Strickland.  Education will always be an uphill battle but as a confident, informed, hopeful voter I chose to believe that there is nowhere to go…but up.

By Melanie Krause, Dover Education Association

Having attended the American Library Association (ALA) annual conference and Library Advocacy Day in Washington, DC, this past week, I was disheartened to read a recent AP story on my return home by Donna Gordon Blankenship, “Libraries Fading as School Budget Crisis Deepens.” She describes in detail how school systems all over the country are cutting school library media positions in an effort to balance budgets. Many districts have dismantled their libraries, eliminated book budgets, database budgets and put librarians back in the classroom since many of us were teachers first. While I concede that money is lacking across the board, the media positions are the last that should be cut when current standards are calling for 21st Century Skills to be implemented. For many children below the poverty line, a growing population, there is little hope that sophisticated technology skills will reach them simply through osmosis. As the middle class shrinks and their buying power diminishes, technology skills will be a valuable commodity that few can afford unless administrators and school boards begin to understand the expertise of school librarians, how they and school libraries help to implement these skills, and that equal access is essential.

The American Association of School Librarians, which I am a member of, states in their Standards for the 21st Century Learner, that students must be able to think critically, draw conclusions, make informed decisions and create new knowledge. They must participate ethically and productively as members in a democratic society, share that knowledge and be able to pursue personal and aesthetic growth.  Who are we kidding? These standards aren’t worth the digital software program they are written in. The numerous studies that have been conducted in the last 20 years that unequivocally support having school libraries are being ignored. Forget that studies done in 2000, by Keith Curry Lance and others, prove that the highest achieving students come from schools with good library media centers. Forget that the public spends nine times more on video games and entertainment software than they do on books and other printed formats (2004). Sadly, even the U.S Department of Education conceded in 2004 that libraries are the heart and soul of the public schools experience, but the federal government has done little to support its own findings, or reverse the national trend that seems hell bent on destroying this sacred vestige of public education.

I am asking Ohio educators to contact their Congressional representatives to fund the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program at $100 million so that students all across the country can obtain the 21st century skills they will need to succeed in college and the workplace. We also need to fund the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) at $300 million for FY 2011. LSTA funding is distributed to states by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through population-based grants and is the only source of federal funding for public libraries. Our democracy depends on our libraries and the services they provide. In a global economy, our future depends on our youth and how much they know. You can call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to ask for your member of Congress.

Instead of dismantling our libraries and getting rid of school librarians, our administrators and school boards should ask a librarian to find more information on their importance, since the results of these studies mentioned have been on the internet for years and are easy to find, that is, if you know where to look.

By Susan Ridgeway, Streetsboro Education Association

Compare the state report cards of charter and public schools in the same city, Youngstown for example, and the numbers don’t lie.  Charter schools, by and large, do not educate students any more effectively than public schools in the same district.  OEA research bulletin, October 2009, Dayton Daily News, 8/21/09 and 2008-2009 Ohio Department of Education Report Cards verify that only 11% of students attending charter schools are in “excellent” or “effective” schools compared to 77% of public school students, and only 25% of students attending charter schools graduate.

Articles like “Why We Must Fire Bad Teachers” (Newsweek, March 6, 2010) garner support for charter school advocates. Perhaps President Obama supports charters because the only programs brought to his attention are the exceptional successful ones—such as KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program), highlighted in the Newsweek article, that do improve student achievement, have relatively high graduation rates and outperform the urban public school counterparts in several cities across the country.  However, the first premise of these programs are that the students and parents must sign contracts in order to be accepted, and accountability is not just expected, it is demanded of them. How many students are required to sign contracts to attend traditional public schools?  How many lawsuits would be filed if they were?  So from the very inception of these programs, taking money for students from the budgets of districts very likely to be in deficit already, are completely unfair and playing by a different set of rules.  As for accountability, well, who knows, there are several charter schools in Youngstown and every time one of them is supposedly closing according to the local media, a new sign is erected and the exact same children are attending the exact same school with the exact same teachers the next year.  Yet the Ohio department of Education requires “failing” public schools to either close, convert to a charter school, fire the administration and over half the teaching staff, or undergo a rigorous array of professional development and programming that will add to the school day and effectively put every teacher through the proverbial wringer.  But somehow that’s considered equitable accountability.

Why do so many in the media assume because the schools underperform that the teachers are bad? Social problems, crime and inner city violence, neglect, and a general lack of parenting skills are the reasons children aren’t coming to school prepared to learn.  When they aren’t prepared to learn, they will not achieve, simple as that. Going round and round with the overall problems of evaluation and accountability, it is easy to see why teachers are the targets; the politicians know they cannot solve the social problems set in motion in the inner cities so therefore, they need to find scapegoats.  Perhaps constituents need to continue to raise these difficult questions to the legislators.  Why is there so much more funding for Job & Family Services in Ohio than in education?  Why isn’t House Bill 1 funded fully?  Why is it that when money is placed in inner city schools through grant program after grant program, performance still hasn’t improved significantly?  The teachers can attest that they have changed how they plan for instruction, they’ve adjusted and learned how to use new technologies, they’ve utilized new strategies learned in professional development, and they’ve even accepted pay cuts!  But what hasn’t changed, is by and large, how districts are run and how the children are coming to school.  If there is any change in the children over the last ten years, it’s for the worse, not the better.

So what about open enrollment and voucher programs? Certainly those programs can’t be as bad for the urban areas as the charter schools?  Well, that’s a yes and no answer.   The movement of higher performing children out of the inner city to a higher performing school devastates the performance scores of the school losing the children from its enrollment.  Do the math:  if fifty children leave a building and they all traditionally score proficient or higher, and those children are replaced by fifty children who have yet to pass all of their assessments, and teachers in this school are expected to reduce failure percentage by 12%, how exactly is that going to work?  Perhaps by having the students and parents sign contracts of accountability?  It works for KIPP, doesn’t it?  When schools are turned upside down by redistricting, relocation due to reconstruction, biannual changes in the grade level make-ups of the schools, and on top of that losing at least half of the district’s higher performing students to other school systems, how in heaven’s name are they going to improve performance?  Throw on that the fact that the majority of the children left in the district are at or below the poverty level and a high percentage of parents who haven’t graduated school themselves, crime and violence in the neighborhoods, and for many of whom, hysterical drama is a way of life.  Now is there any question why some inner city schools perform poorly?  Is there ever going to be a politician brave enough to look for a cause other than “bad teachers”?

If teachers in low performing districts are so bad, does anyone ever bother to follow the performance statistics of a teacher who has left the inner city to teach in a suburban district?  Does that teacher suddenly become outstanding after having been hired in an “excellent” district, when he or she had less than half the class at proficiency in the previous school? There must be data out there somewhere – people who have moved and knew their scores, perhaps some of those statistics can be brought to light in the legislature, it’s the only pure experiment with a single independent variable.  Throwing the legislature’s mistakes back on them does provide a temporary and plausible solution to the problems many teachers are now facing.  By holding politicians who write the laws that choke the teaching profession responsible for their own actions, and showing them purposeful and blatant examples of situations that defy the spirit of the laws enacted in the name of reform, perhaps then teachers can breathe a little easier and all students may have a better chance at a brighter future.  Perhaps when the powers that be acknowledge their systems of accountability are faulty and instead of focusing on accountability of all students, they try to rethink how we “do” education and research models that are working and allow those models to become the test cases for law.  Wouldn’t all teachers be relieved to work in a school where accountability by the students and the parents is demanded as well as from the teachers?  It could happen first in Ohio, and then maybe the rest of the country.  Spoken like a true (and hopefully not delusional) idealist.

By Jennifer Cross