Most Likely To Succeed

The New Yorker has published a piece by Malcolm Gladwell that delves into the murky world of determining who is and who isn't effective as a teacher called "Most Likely to Succeed." Gladwell compares predicting who will be an excellent teacher with determining who will succeed as an NFL quarterback. He notes that NFL scouts have failed more often than not when trying project NFL success onto a college quarterback (Jim Druckenmiller anyone?). So it is with projecting the success of teachers.

Gladwell also looks at some pioneering research being done at UVA's Curry School that is trying to identify what is excellent teaching. He takes that research a step further and suggests that what we sorely need is an open enrollment of teachers, credentials aren't important. Enrollees would need to complete a rigorous apprenticeship where they must prove themselves effective by raising test scores by a significant amount or be released. Those who make it through the apprenticeship successfully would be richly compensated.

Currently, the salary structure of the teaching profession is highly rigid, and that would also have to change in a world where we want to rate teachers on their actual performance. An apprentice should get apprentice wages. But if we find eighty-fifth-percentile teachers who can teach a year and a half’s material in one year, we’re going to have to pay them a lot—both because we want them to stay and because the only way to get people to try out for what will suddenly be a high-risk profession is to offer those who survive the winnowing a healthy reward.

I remember when I was teaching in Albemarle County back in the late 1980's, the school board decided to do something about "bad" teachers, so they imposed a merit pay scheme. Turns out that so many teachers proved themselves meritorious that the school board was forced to pay out rewards to a whole lot more people than they anticipated. After a couple of years of providing a "healthy reward" to so many teachers, the school board abandoned the whole plan and went back to a more traditional teacher pay scale.

Merit pay schemes have always seemed like empty ideas to me. While the research going on at UVA is intriguing, do experts really know enough about what makes a great teacher to confidently identify it so that those teachers can be rewarded? What's with this idea of teaching a year and a half's material in one year? Doesn't the author realize that we teach rigidly prescribed amounts of material every year...no more, no less. Are we really going to base a reward system on what are arguably flawed tests. It's already sad enough that we place so much emphasis on them; is more emphasis a good thing?

These are all questions that came to my mind as I read Gladwell's piece. I would certainly reccommend you read the piece and form your own opinions. Feel free to deposit your comments here.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/12/15/081215fa_fact_gladwell?currentPage=7

Bail Out

Robert Reich, most famous for his time spent as a cabinet secretary in the Clinton administration, opined recently that, regarding public school education in our country, we're all out of whack. We bail out corporations, while we are starving and throttling our educational system.

Our preoccupation with the immediate crisis of financial capital is causing us to overlook the bigger crisis in America's human capital. While we commit hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars to Wall Street, we're slashing our outlays for public education.

Education is largely funded by state and local governments whose revenues are plummeting. As consumers cut back, state sales and income taxes are shrinking; three quarters of the states are already facing budget crises. State revenues account for about half of public school budgets and most funding of public colleges and universities. In addition, as home values drop, local property taxes take a hit. Local property taxes account for 40 percent of local school budgets, on average.

The result, across the nation: Teachers are being laid off and new hiring frozen, after-school programs cut, so called "noncritical" subjects like history eliminated, schools closed, and tuitions hiked at state colleges and universities.

It's absurd. We're bailing out every major bank to get financial capital flowing again. But we're squeezing the main sources of our nation's human capital. Yet America's future competitiveness and the standard of living of our people depend largely our peoples' skills, and our capacities to communicate and solve problems and innovate ­ not on our ability to borrow money.

Reich continued,

It's our human capital that's in short supply. And without adequate public funding, the supply will shrink further. Don't get me wrong: I'm not saying funding is everything when it comes to education. Obviously, accountability is critical. But without adequate funding we can't attract talented people into teaching, or keep class sizes small enough to give kids a real chance to learn, or provide them with a well-rounded curriculum, and ensure that every qualified young person can go to college.

So why are we bailing out Wall Street and not our nation's public schools and colleges? Partly because the crisis in financial capital is immediate while our human capital crisis is unfolding gradually. Headlines scream what's happening to our money but not to our kids.

As our state stares a $3.5 billion budget deficit in the face and as our school division considers what and whom will be axed, Reich's words ring with a sense of authenticity. When will people wake up and start investing in the foundation of education in our country?

Some will say that the educational system has all the money it needs and that there is tons of waste embedded within the system. As a teacher, I've learned that there is some merit to those arguments. Waste does exist in the educational structures, but that waste generally is does not filter down and enrich anyone at the teacher/student/classroom level.

The greatest waste both financially and instructionally is the propagation of the ridiculous national and state accountability systems. These mandates, which are easily recognized by their acronyms- SOL, NCLB, and AYP, strike fear into the hearts of communities, administrators, teachers, and students. The tacit threats attached to them have encouraged the development of a seemingly slimy accountability business resplendent with guides, formative assessments, data-driven analyzation tools, and testing materials all peddled to frightened school divisions by data sharks.

The ultimate result of this destructive movement, is that the real art and process of teaching has become hopelessly caged and filtered. The intentions may have originally been good, but the results have been destructive.

So I'm with Reich. We do need to bail out the public education system in America. We need to bail out of the myopic accountability mandates. Accountibility is important. Teachers must be accountable for what they teach, but parents and students must be held accountable for their end of the bargain as well. We need to bail out of inferior funding formulas for our schools. State and local governments must be held accountable for providing funding that is more than basic. The nonsensical SOQ game our state plays with public school funding as it seeks to further and further reduce and shirk its responsibility for fully funding its share of the budgets for our public schools needs to stop. We need to improve the physical infrastructure of our schools, reduce class size, fully fund preschool initiatives, and attract highly qualified professionals with highly attractive wages and benefits. Education needs to be the priority.

If you don't bail out a canoe as it charges head-long down a turbulent stream, it will eventually sink.

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/12/03/of_financial_capital_and_human/

Calendar Perks

The School calendar for 2009-2010 is currently in a draft state. Over the course of the past month or so, we've received three potential calendar plans for next year. One plan would have schools starting much the same as our current calendar. Another would have us beginning school after Labor Day while the third choice would have us beginning school much earlier with semester exams hitting before the Winter Break in December. Each option would have school ending in early June, and each option would offer the most basic winter break with school dismissing on December 23.

While there was support for each option, the traditional calendar far and away received the most support from teachers in our organization with the caveat that the winter break be extended for a full two weeks as it is this year.

Teachers felt strongly that such a break could be attained in the calendar with minimal adjustments and its effect would be morale boosting. The RCEA modified the traditional draft and forwarded our thoughts to Central and the issue was discussed at the recent EAC meeting.

Our modified traditional draft proposal was accepted by Allen Journell, and he will present it to the school board for approval at the December 11 meeting. Approval is not guaranteed since at least one board member was promoting the early exam calendar.

Hard Times

Hard Times honors one of my personal heroes, Studs Terkel, who passed away earlier in the month.

Robley Jones sent out another Budget-gram today...For those who follow the budget, the news is rather ominous. Folks, the budget shortfall in Virginia keeps growing. Back in the summer, it was predicted to be $1 billion. Then it eeked-up to $2.5 billion. Now..$3.2 billion. I've even heard whispers of more earth-shattering deficits. Times remain serious and uneasy.

Here's the full text of Rob's letter today:

The two day Senate Finance Committee Annual Retreat immediately followed the House retreat. This time the setting is the Fredericksburg Hospitality House Conference Center.

Four straight days of reports of doom and gloom have me paring my Christmas list.

Chairman Colgan’s opening remarks were shocking and courteous. Shocking in that the size of the budget hole has grown to $3.2256 billion. The Chairman was courteous in his emphasis on a desire for a bipartisan approach to the crisis. In my time as your lobbyist, exceptional individuals have chaired this most powerful committee in the Virginia General Assembly. Colgan maintains the high standard set by Andrews and Chichester.

Staff analyst, Becky Covey, said we have been in a “slow motion recession – probably since the beginning of 2008.” She asserted that, “A deeper recession lasting several quarters in now the likely scenario.”

When the discussion shifted to education, Education Committee Chairman Edd Houck pointed out that, “There really has not been a percentage change for K-12 since 1998. It has remained basically constant.”

What was most interesting is that staff presented the Compound Annual Average Growth from FY1998 to FY2010. Listed were the state programs that increased more than the 5.85% annual growth in revenue. What follows in a list of the programs and their growth:

Car Tax 14.7%
Child Support Enforcement 13.9%
Debt Service 11.0%
Comprehensive Services Act 10.2%
Aid to Localities – Police Dept. 9.8%
Indigent Defense 9.2%
Medicaid 7.5%
MHMR Grants to Localities 7.0%
Student Financial Aid 6.6%
Total General Fund Budget 6.0%

Why isn’t education on the list? The compound annual average growth of public education’s share of the budget was less than that of the growth of the budget – despite enrollment growth, expansion of pre-school programs, and new burdens on public schools such as NCLB. The growth for public education was slightly less than 5.85%. This refutes the claims of our enemies that education spending is out of control.

Given the size of the budget hole, there appeared to be consensus among those present to cut public school funding. VEA will fight cuts, but if they must be made, we will fight to make them temporary rather than permanent, with an eye on restoration of funding as we come out of the recession. We will also work to ensure attention to pupil equity.

Cuts presented to the committee included increasing class size, decreasing state support for school employee health care insurance costs and reducing the state share of SOQ funding from the current 55%.

In contrast with the House, the Senate seems willing to look at the revenue side, possibly revisiting recent tax cuts, to lessen the severity of the cuts to public education. While support for permanently reducing state support for public education seems broad in the House, the Senate leadership is resistant to that method of addressing the current budget shortfall. Hopefully, the Governor will align himself with the Senate in this regard.

Please encourage any non-members at your school join us. it's not too late. While we can't guarantee a future job, we can guarantee support and strength during these difficult times.

Thom

More Than A Bubble

More Than a Bubble

Well, here we are approaching another American Education Week, the annual week devoted to our profession where honors are bestowed, expressions of appreciation are extended, and reflection is encouraged. Such reflection, as you might expect, is inevitable. How do we feel about the state of our professional lives? In the current environment in which we are asked to do increasingly more with less and for less as inflation eats away at our modest compensation and as funding for our retirement seems vulnerable to negative economic realities, it is often hard to focus on the realities of what we are charged to do. The pressures that we sometimes feel to perform tasks often at odds with our professional experience and personal philosophies can be depressing and demoralizing.

I say take a few moments to ponder the real good that we do in spite of the shifting currents in which we are caught. We are, happily and reverently, in the position of shaping the future of the world. Our responsibility for influencing the lives, personalities and values of future generations is peerless. Think of each time you have witnessed a light bulb suddenly illuminating above a child’s head, each time a child has confided something deeply moving- filling you with the knowledge of your influence, and the ponderous sense of responsibility that you share with your peers in the world of education. How often have parents expressed their gratitude for what you have done with your life? These are the benefits of our profession. Yes, it’s great to have health benefits and, potentially, a pension waiting for us as well as a steady paycheck and a restful summer layoff. But we all know, those of us who remain in education, that we’re not in it for the money. There is no compensation like the feeling of proudly being called teacher. It isn’t just the teachers who wield influence and express a caring function in the lives of young people. Support personnel, administrators, kitchen staff, bus drivers, custodians, and all other school employees alike have equal opportunities to make a difference in the lives of children, thereby shaping the future.

Sometimes when you least expect it and are most in need of it, something will happen that brings you back to life; gives you an opportunity for a kind of mini-apostasy. Something will remind you that what you do has meant something to the life experience of some other person. Recently, I had such an experience. I was contacted by a student whom I taught many years ago near the beginning of my career. The student had been particularly challenging. I feel comfortable in saying this because the student admitted as much in their letter to me. In fact, it was in the form of an apology for engaging in difficult behavior in my classroom. Without going into detail, I learned that I had had a positive influence on this student. There have been other such experiences over the course of my career. Each time I feel a little taken aback as I had not really taken notice of making any significant impact in the day-to-day ordinariness of things.

So, while it is tempting to dwell in the darkness of what makes teaching among the most stressful of jobs, it may be worthwhile to take time to experience the things which make this the most joyful of professions. While these are difficult times, they are also profoundly hopeful times. We are powerful in our ability to make things better. The future will reflect the way in which we weather the storms of our time. Wishing you all well. Happy American Education Week.

~Tim Summers
RCEA Vice President

JLARC Report on VRS

Rob Jones from VEA heard a recent JLARC presentation on VRS and its future. I'm copying the exact email Rob sent out in the hopes that you will have accurate, concise information. Keep in mind that JLARC is an audit and review committee. They do NOT create policy. However, they are listened to and respected in the General Assembly.

October 14, 2008

The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission presented their report entitled "Options for Total Compensation" on October 14th. The commission staff was doing what was asked of them, and we should not kill the messengers, but it is what we feared.

Before I summarize the implications of the report for school board employees, let me first expose a major flaw in the report when it is viewed from the public education perspective. For the state employees, the options were developed in the context of their total compensation package (salary, leave policies and health benefits). This was not true for school board employees. I thank Senator Edd Houck for pointing this fact out to his fellow commissioners.

The options contain new target salary goals for state workers, and leave purchase plans. In short, for state workers, there is sugar with the medicine. School board employees only get the medicine.

I'll try to summarize the options which will affect school board employees/VEA members.

First, it is important to understand that none of these options will affect folks who are already retired. The recommendations related to VRS are labeled "R" for retirement.

R1 - Impose an additional 2% employee contribution. This would be in addition to the 5% employee contribution now paid by your employee who also pays the employer contribution. This 2% might be phased-in .5% at a time in years when raises are granted.

R2 - Change the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) on retirement benefits by capping the increase at 4% a year rather than the current 5%. FYI - if, for purposes of illustration, you retroactively applied this change in the COLA to one who retired in 1978, the reduction in benefit would be 6% over the first 10 years and 12% after 30 years in retirement.

R3 - Increase the minimum retirement age for non-vested and new hires from 50 to age 60. Note: One becomes vested in VRS after five years of service.

R4 - For new and non-vested employees replace the Retiree Health Insurance Credit with Integral Part Trust (IPT) Accounts.

R5 - For new hires and non-vested employees combine a defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution (DC) plans. The DB plan would have a lesser benefit than the current VRS benefit. Employees would contribute to both. The COLA would only be included in the DB plan. This plan would provide 85% of the benefit in the current plan.

R6 - Require a Cash Balance Retirement Plan for new hires and non-vested employees. This is like a traditional defined contribution plan, except for the fact that a 5% return is guaranteed. Employees contribute with an employee match that increases with years of experience. There is no COLA on benefits. Entire balance can be withdrawn when separating from service.

R7 - Require a Defined Contribution Plan for new hires and non-vested employees. The matching contribution from the employer would increase with years of service. No COLA would be provided and the entire balance could be withdrawn when separating from service. Only two states now have this. The plan would provide 52% of the benefit value of the current VRS plan.

These options are not consistent with VEA's positions. As we await specific legislative proposals we will need your help with educating your colleagues regarding what looks like a battle ahead.

I have done my best to offer a concise and factual summary of the options that will affect school board employees. Additional information will follow.

Thank you,

Robley Jones

VEA GR

Carnival of the Blue

I received an email on September 26 from my friend Doris Boitnott* at VEA. Doris, who used to be a Uniserv Director here in Roanoke and a high school teacher in Roanoke County before that, has taken some flack over that email.

The email was in regard to an OBAMA BLUE DAY which was scheduled for September 30.

When I read this email, I chose not to pass it along to anyone in our organization. Very simply put, I do not believe that the RCEA should have a direct hand in organizing for or against any one political candidate. That is not to say that I believe teachers should surrender their political rights just because they are teachers either.

There has been local, statewide, and national attention given to the contents of the email, which I think is unfortunate. It's obvious to me that there are people and organizations with specific agendas who are trying to twist the meaning of the email content and capitalize on it for their personal gain. I find that deplorable.

Isn't it a bit ironic that with our educational system under stress in an election year, practically the first thing we hear about regarding education is this inflated story? I find that deplorable as well.

To each faithful member of our organization, I encourage you to exercise your right as a citizen of our country to wear whatever color shirt you desire.

Thom Ryder
RCEA President

* In an earlier version of their story, The Washington Times erroneously called Doris, "Debbie". In the current version, they misspell her name. "Dorris Boitnott, a VEA member and author of the e-mail, said that in hindsight she should not have paired the idea of supporting Mr. Obama with that of registering young voters. Mrs. Boitnott, who said she is not related to Kitty Boitnott, also said she had no intention of encouraging teachers to recruit students into a political campaign."