I tried to get myself organized enough at school today in order to attend the School Reform Commission meeting this evening but unfortunately I did not. Instead, I had the great pleasure of watching over the livestream link on the main School District website - thank you for transparency!
The meeting was focused on curriculum and instruction - a topic near and dear to my heart. I have had experience at two neighborhood comprehensive high schools as well as two city-wide admission high schools (one a magnet school) and have seen such different implementations of the same curriculum. Some schools have more autonomy than others (usually better-performing schools) and some schools are given more mandates (usually schools in poorer neighborhoods).
A main point that came out of this meeting was the impression that the School District will be providing autonomy to all schools, regardless of performance. Instead, the principal becomes the decision-maker regarding implementation of the curriculum and could purchase scripted programs if she or he sees fit. As a teacher I see this as a good thing and a bad thing: the District (a body so amorphous it is hard to delineate who makes decisions) will no longer mandate what I do in the classroom; but the principal will (a person who may or may not have the leadership qualities to see a good thing when it happens).
I hope that principals will take suggestions from their teachers on what curricula might be a good idea to purchase or not. As we are the ones directly teaching kids every day we do have valid points and would like to share them with people who listen.
Unfortunately, the pressure from standardized testing does not foster collaboration; rather, it creates an environment of intimidation. I hope we can get away from that mindset and instead just help kids learn something.
The meeting was focused on curriculum and instruction - a topic near and dear to my heart. I have had experience at two neighborhood comprehensive high schools as well as two city-wide admission high schools (one a magnet school) and have seen such different implementations of the same curriculum. Some schools have more autonomy than others (usually better-performing schools) and some schools are given more mandates (usually schools in poorer neighborhoods).
A main point that came out of this meeting was the impression that the School District will be providing autonomy to all schools, regardless of performance. Instead, the principal becomes the decision-maker regarding implementation of the curriculum and could purchase scripted programs if she or he sees fit. As a teacher I see this as a good thing and a bad thing: the District (a body so amorphous it is hard to delineate who makes decisions) will no longer mandate what I do in the classroom; but the principal will (a person who may or may not have the leadership qualities to see a good thing when it happens).
I hope that principals will take suggestions from their teachers on what curricula might be a good idea to purchase or not. As we are the ones directly teaching kids every day we do have valid points and would like to share them with people who listen.
Unfortunately, the pressure from standardized testing does not foster collaboration; rather, it creates an environment of intimidation. I hope we can get away from that mindset and instead just help kids learn something.
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