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730 U.S. schools trying to reinvent themselves
School across the country are trying to get community and parents involved in reform efforts.
Not every school has chosen to involve teachers in their transformation plans.
The federal government has enticed 730 schools across the nation to reinvent themselves this school year, and nearly a third have chosen the most difficult paths to get a piece of the more than $500 million set aside for transforming schools where too many children are failing to learn.
“This is tough, tough work, but it’s desperately needed,” U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Thursday.
Most of the schools fired their principals and changed their entire approach to learning this school year, while others replaced much of the staff. Yet Duncan said “there’s been no drama about it. Folks have moved with an urgency that’s sort of fantastic to watch.”
The lack of drama was in sharp contrast to a couple of early school invention efforts, including one in Central Falls, Rhode Island, where a high school’s entire teaching staff was fired in February and got their jobs back in May after community protests.
To get federal school improvement money, schools in the bottom five percent of those not making adequate yearly progress under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law must choose from among approaches to turn around student test scores. The program is voluntary.
The approaches include: closing the school and moving kids to other buildings; restarting a traditional public school as a charter school; firing most of the staff and starting over with a new team; or firing the principal and taking a new approach to learning.
Duncan’s preliminary report on the success of the program noted that 71 percent of participating schools chose the fourth approach, called transformation.
Another 21 percent replaced the school principal and at least half of the teachers. About three percent closed down the school and five percent are restarting.
Union leaders said Thursday that the program became less controversial as school district officials started collaborating with teachers instead of blaming them for their problems.
“Our members are excited. They want to make a difference in these schools,” said Dennis Van Roekel, president of the National Education Association (NEA), the nation’s largest teachers union.
Not every school has chosen to involve teachers in their transformation plans, Van Roekel said, but he predicted long-lasting success won’t be possible without teacher engagement and collaboration.
Regardless of which improvement model they choose, Van Roekel said success also requires community and parent engagement, effective school leadership, more time for learning and staff collaboration, social services for children, and conditions that attract educators to the neediest schools.
His message to administrators who haven’t involved teachers in their planning: “It’s never too late.”
The school improvement grants are spread across the country and distributed among urban, rural and suburban schools. Of students in the affected schools, 44 percent are African American, 34 percent are Hispanic, 16.5 percent are white, 2.5 percent are Asian and 2.2 percent are Native American.
6 Responses to 730 U.S. schools trying to reinvent themselves
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ddixon
December 10, 2010 at 12:37 pm
The process of school improvement is always difficult, laborous, and usually involves a certain amount of pain. Simply tinkering with those changes that are easy, comfortable, and politically-correct won’t bring about the significant change that is required to reform a struggling school or system. I applaud the effort, but suspect that there will be a lot more people talking about change than those actually willing to do the hard work required to bring it about.
ddixon
December 10, 2010 at 12:37 pm
The process of school improvement is always difficult, laborous, and usually involves a certain amount of pain. Simply tinkering with those changes that are easy, comfortable, and politically-correct won’t bring about the significant change that is required to reform a struggling school or system. I applaud the effort, but suspect that there will be a lot more people talking about change than those actually willing to do the hard work required to bring it about.
felipe.razo
December 10, 2010 at 2:28 pm
YOUR ARTICLE STATES MR. ROENKEL MESSAGE “message to administrators who haven’t involved teachers in their planning: “It’s never too late.”
BUT I RARELY, IF EVER HEAR CALLS AND OR SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY AND PROFESSIONAL GROUPS TO HELP SHAPE OUR EDUCATION- Often times these groups are not supported, or at times poorly welcomed and their possible valuable contributions remain largely untapped.
felipe.razo
December 10, 2010 at 2:28 pm
YOUR ARTICLE STATES MR. ROENKEL MESSAGE “message to administrators who haven’t involved teachers in their planning: “It’s never too late.”
BUT I RARELY, IF EVER HEAR CALLS AND OR SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY AND PROFESSIONAL GROUPS TO HELP SHAPE OUR EDUCATION- Often times these groups are not supported, or at times poorly welcomed and their possible valuable contributions remain largely untapped.
mathonline
December 10, 2010 at 4:00 pm
If two similar factories turned out products with very disparate quality, would the best solution be to fire all the workers in the shoddy factory? Wouldn’t the owner do some research first, especially into the type of raw material being taken into the factories, before doing something so drastic? Why blame everything on the teachers? If the government is so concerned about what is coming out of our schools, when will they show some concern for what goes into them? Nobody in charge seems to think that the decline of the traditional family, the sick things that are pushed over our television airwaves, or even our strange unnatural modern diet has anything to do with the mental acuity (or willingness to put forth effort) of our kids. Looks like the teachers are an easier target than making real positive changes to society.
mathonline
December 10, 2010 at 4:00 pm
If two similar factories turned out products with very disparate quality, would the best solution be to fire all the workers in the shoddy factory? Wouldn’t the owner do some research first, especially into the type of raw material being taken into the factories, before doing something so drastic? Why blame everything on the teachers? If the government is so concerned about what is coming out of our schools, when will they show some concern for what goes into them? Nobody in charge seems to think that the decline of the traditional family, the sick things that are pushed over our television airwaves, or even our strange unnatural modern diet has anything to do with the mental acuity (or willingness to put forth effort) of our kids. Looks like the teachers are an easier target than making real positive changes to society.
dteti
December 13, 2010 at 9:19 am
Schools are communities! The change agent must focus around the community needs whatever they may be and the first step is to create the proper mission of the community. Knowledge is only one part of the Education of a student. Once he learns to be a carring, concerned adult about his ability to function in the community, then acquiring knowledge will be alot easier and desired. Whoever is capable of providing that leadership should be the principal and teachers should reflect the mission in all of their planning for the classroom.
dteti
December 13, 2010 at 9:19 am
Schools are communities! The change agent must focus around the community needs whatever they may be and the first step is to create the proper mission of the community. Knowledge is only one part of the Education of a student. Once he learns to be a carring, concerned adult about his ability to function in the community, then acquiring knowledge will be alot easier and desired. Whoever is capable of providing that leadership should be the principal and teachers should reflect the mission in all of their planning for the classroom.
Paul
December 14, 2010 at 12:52 pm
The lack of an automated tool that supports the administrators in evaluating teachers and staff makes the job of reform harder. If an automated tool existed that allowed visibility to the Superintendent on the administrator grader biases and the lack of formative observations and active feedback and reflection, then the process of reform would be much easier.
Such a tool does exist! http://www.frameworkforteaching.com. It implements the Danielson rubric for all staff categories and provides visibility to all stackholders.
Paul
December 14, 2010 at 12:52 pm
The lack of an automated tool that supports the administrators in evaluating teachers and staff makes the job of reform harder. If an automated tool existed that allowed visibility to the Superintendent on the administrator grader biases and the lack of formative observations and active feedback and reflection, then the process of reform would be much easier.
Such a tool does exist! http://www.frameworkforteaching.com. It implements the Danielson rubric for all staff categories and provides visibility to all stackholders.
itistime.nyc@gmail.com
December 14, 2010 at 1:31 pm
which group knows the most about what is working or not working in our schools? the students. yet hardly ever do school reformers think to ask our young people for their feelings and ideas. it amazes me how effectively programmed we are to undervalue and underestimate what our young people have to offer!
yes, dteti, our schools must operate as healthy communities, where every participant is treated with respect and dignity, and has a voice that actually gets listened to.
then students and teachers (and others) will look forward to coming to school, and learning will abound!
itistime.nyc@gmail.com
December 14, 2010 at 1:31 pm
which group knows the most about what is working or not working in our schools? the students. yet hardly ever do school reformers think to ask our young people for their feelings and ideas. it amazes me how effectively programmed we are to undervalue and underestimate what our young people have to offer!
yes, dteti, our schools must operate as healthy communities, where every participant is treated with respect and dignity, and has a voice that actually gets listened to.
then students and teachers (and others) will look forward to coming to school, and learning will abound!