Teacher's Desk: Secretary Snubs Us

It is too obvious why Secretary of Education Arne Duncan visited Denver public schools this week: to boost Michael Bennet, Colorado’s newest U. S. senator and former DPS superintendent. But why were Bruce Randolph and Montclair Elementary singled out as exemplars of school reform? Not to take away from their attempts at reform, but their results with an urban population are not yet fully documented. Why were proven middle and high schools with consistent results of academic success using reform methods with similar school populations not mentioned? Simple. They are charter schools. Giving Bruce Randolph kudos for increasing time on task is dishonest when KIPP Sunshine Peak made that a requirement when they set up shop over five years ago when Bruce Randolph was deemed one of Denver Public Schools’ worst according to Jeremy P. Meyer, April 8, “Aggressive Schools to Reap Reward,” denverpost.com. When parents and educators do not provide quality instruction by insuring elementary students are performing at grade level or higher, longer days, weekends, and/or summer school is absolutely necessary to support students’ academic skills so they reach grade level proficiency. KIPP schools, Denver West Preparatory, and Denver School of Science and Technology have always had requirements of more time on task and rigorous academics. These schools expect students to grow to grade level proficiency in time to graduate from high school and be prepared for college success.

When will all district schools look at the success of many charter schools across Colorado serving diverse student bodies? Denver, Jefferson County, Aurora, and Adams County charter schools also serve the same diverse urban populations, but instead of making excuses, the charter educators are rolling up their sleeves and getting it done. District schools should be replicating the best of these schools immediately. The legislation is there to allow districts to give freedom from state,and district regulations and union policies to schools wishing to reform. Why aren’t more schools taking advantage of freedom? Freedom means taking risks and not making excuses. Few educational leaders have the ability and skills to take on this daunting task.

Florida, through NOVA University, and the University of Arkansas actually have charter school leadership classes, and a department of educational reform, respectively. Colorado Universities need to pick up the pace and begin leading in the area of charter school leadership and educational reform training. In order for Colorado to win the “Race To The Top” federal funding, our Universities, as well as, our schools and districts need to innovate.

Kathleen Kullback is a licensed special educator with an M.A. in Educational Leadership and a former candidate for the State Board of Education.

Teacher's Desk: Sticks & stones

“Sticks and stones can break my bones and words can really hurt me!” That's my update on the old schoolyard saying after I received an email message from the Facebook cause, Special Olympics, asking me to help them eradicate the casual use of the word “retard.” I abolished that word from my vocabulary a long time ago and demand the same from my students. It is considered a cuss word in my class and has no place there. A profanity report will be required from the student using it just as easily as someone saying something truly considered profane. The same goes for the word "gay."

When "gay" is used in the schoolyard, it means lame, but that doesn’t stop the hurt from a young man who is not homosexual or the middle school student who is gay, but isn’t ready to announce it to the world.

When I was chairperson of a middle school site committee, we made sure that we had a school counselor who students could go to when they were called, “gay,” and felt angry or hurt. A couple of years or so later, when I taught at a large, northeast Denver high school, my class room became a safe haven for gay and lesbian students. These students knew they could come to me for help and sanctuary.

At my current high school, an alternative high school charter, we have a prevalence of gay and lesbian students, but our students treat each other with respect, so all have a positive school experience. That is part of our school culture.

I don’t think any of us truly realize how words can really sting. I have to battle with myself not to quip because it is easy for me to put hecklers down. In a previous life, I performed stand-up comedy. Actually, it was sit-down comedy since I used a stool. I digress. I do hold my tongue, and many times I tell my students I could’ve said something, but it might have come out hurtful so I won’t---this time! My students tell me a keep it real.

Kathleen Kullback is a licensed special educator with an M. A. in school leadership and is a former candidate for the Colorado State Board of Education.

Teacher's Desk: Feeling Feisty

(Hilton Head, SC – Mar. 25) Once at the Comedy Club, sitting up front, the comedian asked me why I wasn’t laughing. “I’ll laugh when you say something funny.” was my reply, to which he became annoyed. I remembered that scene yesterday when my husband asked me a similar question, then became annoyed when I answered him. I have students who ask questions, then don’t like the answer, too. Don’t ask the question unless you can handle the answer! (And need I say: don't cross this teacher.) So what? So here we are at the beach on spring break, and all those situations came together while dining last night at a jazz spot. The trumpet player reminded me of a bullying band teacher. He was in love with the brass section and harassed the woodwinds. I began to wonder if I make the same mistakes teaching. Mr. Mack took away my love for playing music by constantly belittling me during my middle and high school years. I had an art teacher who acted much the same way, so I stayed far away from drawing, painting, and ceramics as my confidence was dashed by criticism that was not very constructive. Have I done that? I began to wonder.

Before leaving Denver, I gave most of my classes, hour quizzes. I told my students where to place their finished quiz, what to do when they finished---and---I wrote it on the board. When Dee (not her real name), a single teenaged mom, finished, she raised her hand and asked, “I’m done so where do I put this?” I repeat myself too many times around these students, so I quipped, “Take it home and flush it down the toilet if you want.” It caught her attention and another student explained what she needed to do. I praise this young lady much as she has grown tremendously in skills, attendance, and attitude. She knows I’m proud of her because I have told her, but I wonder if I dashed her hopes and aspirations. I’ll check in with her when I return from spring break.

My colleagues and I speak often of our students’ innate ability NOT to follow directions in all situations. I write the week’s schedule of objectives and pages for the week divided daily on my back board. Inevitably, I hear, “What are we doing today?” I point to the board. Daily, I will explicitly read instructions, write them down on the front board, and show examples. I get, “How do I do this, or what do I do now?” High stakes tests are the worse, because my colleagues and I are proctors, not educators, and we must read the directions using a script. We cannot explain much further.

If students would go over in their minds what was done the day before in each class before walking through the door, I truly believe they will be more attentive to directions given and classroom expectations. If they will do that one simple exercise, it won’t be Groundhog Day (the Bill Murray movie where one day is relived every day) in every class, every day. And maybe the teacher won't always be so feisty.

Kathleen Kullback is a licensed special educator with an MA in Educational Leadership and a former candidate for the State Board of Education.

Teacher's Desk: Conracks of Colo.

Maybe I need to eat my words, or at least nibble them, when the Denver Post now informs us the DPS board and superintendent support new charter school proposals, as well as, innovative schools. Although I am a strong supporter of innovation, the funny thing with innovation schools is that the district still pays for their facilities; charter schools pay for their own facilities. Innovation schools continue to pay teachers at the current pay schedule. Since charter schools pay for their own facilities, they usually cannot afford the same pay as district schools for their educators. Personally, I’m willing to take a $10,000 a year “cut” (it’s not really a cut unless I received it) by working at a school that treats me with respect and allows me to give input to improve student success. I deal with a reasonable administration and board and not a layer of bureaucracy in between. I like that. I have been checking out a lot of other education blogs lately and will continue to do so as I discover them. Ed is Watching is an Independent Institute blog informing readers of federal and state legislation involving education. Jay P. Greene’s blog is truly eclectic on many education issues. Dr. Greene is the chairman of the Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas and President of the Manhattan Institute. David Saba and colleagues write for ABCTE. This blog informs on alternative teacher licensure. David has an on-line program for those who choose teaching as a career after receiving a baccalaureate degree without education classes. Many times it is a mid-life change for professionals in many different fields. I ran on a platform supporting alternative licensure as a candidate for the State Board of Education back in 1990 when Colorado did not have any alternatives to teacher licensure. I took advantage of alternative licensure much later on when Colorado allowed for alternative licensure. I am a graduate of such a program. I truly support this on-line program as it could bring opportunities for teaching careers in rural Colorado and provides the opportunity to develop really great teachers!!

As I finish coding the backs of CSAP booklets (a truly tedious chore), I am looking forward to my annual trip to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. My husband plays golf with his sister and we dine on awesome seafood---especially oysters! Last year, I took a tour to Daufuskie Island, a twenty-minute ferry ride away. Daufuskie is the island portrayed by author, Pat Conroy’s (Prince of Tides) book, The Water is Wide. There was a movie back in the 1980s about this story, I believe, starring Jon Voight called “Conrack.” It told the story of a 1960s idealist, Conroy, teaching isolated “Gullah” students about the world, society, life skills, and academics including music. The young teachers I work with are all “Conracks!” They don’t know that there is a “NO.” They only see “what if?” I like that.

I am lucky that many of us, including myself, value education. Accidentally, I instilled that in my youngest son. My 22-year-old son graduating from the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs this May with a B. S. in Engineering has been accepted to Virginia Tech’s graduate program in doctoral studies. That is very, very uncommon to go straight into a doctoral program and he is slated to be a teaching assistant.

I hope they give him a classroom. As a 14-year-old, he was an amazing math tutor. I would really like to start a program that has the Brendans of the country go into the middle schools and speak to students about loving mathematics and what mathematics and science can do for them.

What do you think? Is this something we can develop across the country? Let me know. Kathleen Kullback is a licensed special educator at an alternative high school charter with an M.A. in educational leadership and is a former candidate to the State Board of Education.

Teacher's Desk: Renew or Release?

Not only is March the time for CSAPs in Colorado, it is the time principals weed out their probationary teaching staff. Ouch. This is supposed to be the culmination of two or more observations and several walk-throughs and other information gathering (attendance, ability to work with deadlines, complaints, etc.). Unfortunately, some incompetent or mediocre principals have this authority. Principals in DPS and elsewhere look to non-renew a probationary teacher’s contract if the teacher is at the end of her three years with the school district. According to Jeremy P. Mayer in March 11th’s Denver Post Online, districts have a very difficult time firing tenured teachers, so many districts do the dance of the lemons instead, shuffling poor instructors from school to school. Almost no tenured teacher is fired. Many, many times really great probationary teachers find themselves non-renewed because the district would rather employ a Teach for America or recently licensed teacher because they are cheaper!

I have two friends going through this right now, and a third with an equally frustrating situation. My third highly regarded colleague, a retired Denver teacher, is not being hired because her last principal of her final year says untrue, unpleasant things about her to prospective employers. (I had that happen to me too, except I have the right to sue since our negotiated agreement specifically stated that all personnel questions would go to a certain gentleman in human resources and the principal was not to discuss my employment. I chose not to be litigious.) These ladies are fabulous, no-nonsense educators with a ton of experience.

What connects them is that they go over and beyond to guarantee their students achieve. That takes more than dedication, it takes courage. It is easier to let things go, be a “don’t rock the ship” “go along, get along” teacher than it is to find ways of improving oneself, improving students’ academic achievement and behaviors, and improving the school. It is about being the voice for those who are not heard and using a tough love approach when the student needs it.

Mediocre and incompetent principals insist on a staff he or she can control and most often scoff at true collaboration and excellent instruction. The only feedback many teachers get is criticism. It is rare for parents or students to tell their teacher that they appreciate how they have improved and how the teacher helped them to succeed. I have been getting that this week from both parents and students. It was truly welcomed because I received a letter in the mail from the University of Colorado that I was not accepted to their doctoral fellowship in educational policy for next fall. My students’ praise certainly took the sting away from that disappointment.

One of my Special Education English Language Learners wrote the following:

“I get more help at Colorado High School Charter than I did at John F. Kennedy because the teachers at Kennedy did not know what to do to teach me, but at CHSC, all the teachers know I am on an IEP (Individual Education Plan), so I like this school better. I did not learn anything at Kennedy because I didn’t know how to read or understand math. They never helped me to understand any of it. I did not know many words when we read or wrote something, but I do now.”

I’m this young lady’s reading and math teacher and have seen such tremendous growth. Through tough love on my part, she began attending school regularly, making better choices, and participating in class. She became a hard worker, completed all assignments and is on track to graduate in May. Because I was non-renewed, neither my friends, nor myself can work again in a Denver Public District School.

Kathleen Kullback is a licensed special educator with an MA in Educational Leadership and is a former candidate for the State Board of Education