tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post5964847325814230025..comments2023-09-29T06:32:16.005-04:00Comments on My School Committee Blog: Amherst schools budget calls for 'staggering' cutsCatherine A. Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03523667921190365891noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-40662653616799022972009-06-08T09:21:25.402-04:002009-06-08T09:21:25.402-04:00To anon@805
I really hope that our math curricula...To anon@805<br /><br />I really hope that our math curricula work, including extensions. But I would like to actually KNOW that they work. This seems like an experiment, one where one does the experiment, but doesn't collect the data or form conclusions (BASED on the date).<br /><br /> Of all the subjects, math seems to be the one that is the simplest to track progress (or regression). It seems that a year's worth of students is a reasonable sample size. A few years comparing student scores (before vs after extensions) on standardized tests ought to provide us with some important information. <br /><br />I admit the extensions program *seems* iffy to me but my family has yet to experience it first hand. Maybe it is working really well for kids (and all this worry is misplaced). But if the teachers are going to do an experiment on our kids (i.e. trying new curricula), then it ought to be complete (i.e. data collection and analysis).<br /><br />The iffy bit comes from my impression (and someone correct me if I am wrong) that a functioning system had existed that included precalc (i.e. tracking). "Tracking" is evil in Amherst. So to replace this precalc course, we switched to extensions, which consists largely of self-motivated learning outside the classroom (i.e. homework). <br />Was there a problem with the previous pre-calc course? If this is about right (again I welcome correction- really) it doesn't seem very progressive. The math teachers that receive students having gone through extensions ought to have an idea about whether their students are as prepared as those previously.Abbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02989627808442831131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-71847273397292689932009-06-08T09:15:05.539-04:002009-06-08T09:15:05.539-04:00Anonymous 8:05 - these may well be excellent cours...Anonymous 8:05 - these may well be excellent courses/programs that do exactly what you say. That's why I really wish we were evaluating them, so we could actually test that, and not just assume they are working (since sometimes things that we hope work actually do not). That is my whole point - and I don't see that as doubting the ability of our teachers -- good, smart, thoughtful people can be wrong -- it happens). Again, the only way to actually know whether these approaches are good is to evaluate them -- many other districts with similar populations to ours are using different approaches to teaching math/science (and these districts might also have thoughtful, smart, caring teachers, right?).Catherine A. Sandersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523667921190365891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-23599386403569776732009-06-08T08:05:49.721-04:002009-06-08T08:05:49.721-04:00Amherst is actually more diverse (see my response ...Amherst is actually more diverse (see my response earlier). But again, what are we making the case for here? That low income kids can't do AP chemistry, or 9th grade biology, or 8th grade algebra? I just think it is a pretty slippery slope to say "well, our kids are poorer, so they can't do more rigorous work." If our kids (ANY kids, regardless of income) are lacking skills in a given area (reading, math), we need to find ways to bring these kids up to speed. But simply assuming that low income kids aren't going to be able to succeed in or benefit from a more traditional curricula (e.g., like Brookline, Newton, etc.) seems wrong.<br /><br />What you suggest IS wrong. The point was that the teachers in Amherst have worked hard to create curriculum that meets the needs of OUR at risk students by <br /><br />#1 The new 9th grade Sciece Curriculum<br /><br />and <br /><br />#2 the MS math extentions (as well as the extention in other courses).<br /><br />Our towns teachers have put together an innovatinve curriculum to help at risk students succees while providing challenge work for higher performing students all of whom are in the same class! Why don't we all take a deep breath and give these methods a chance to succeed instead of getting in the way with premature scrutiny and dispalyed lack of faith in the ability of our teachers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-79803317611616762592009-06-07T10:00:52.521-04:002009-06-07T10:00:52.521-04:00Nina - sorry, I should have been clearer. First, ...Nina - sorry, I should have been clearer. First, I was very glad that Maria picked Impact for 6th grade GIVEN THAT WE HAD ALREADY PICKED IMPACT for 7th and 8th. It was not a choice of Impact for 6th grade or another textbook -- it was a choice of Impact (to feed into 7th/8th math) or NO textbook! So, yes, I think a better preparation for all kids leading into Impact 2 is Impact 1 as opposed to each teacher in each of the 7 different schools using a somewhat different set of combined materials. I think this standardization (horizontal alignment in all elementary schools) and vertical alignment (Impact 1 to 2 to 3) is great for our district (and great for MS math in particular). But I didn't care about Impact per se -- I cared about the choice of a consistent textbook that would provide such alignment (and Brookline actually uses something called "Mathscape," not Impact, in 6 to 8). <br /><br />The math curriculum for our MS(Impact) was chosen by a committee of teachers/staff. I wasn't on the committee -- no parents were. That committee (led by Mike Hayes) reviewed various books, narrowed it down to three books (Impact and two others -- maybe CMP and Holt, but I could be wrong), and then got feedback from parents and others. They then chose the book (and Jere Hochman last March set choosing textbooks for 6th to 8th math as a district priority). Again, I had nothing to do with (a) setting a priority of getting a textbook for 6th to 8th math (his recommendation was given PRIOR to my election to the SC, and (b) what textbook was chosen (that was entirely up to math teachers/staff). I guess I would have to say that this was a thoughtful and thorough process by math educators in our district -- which is EXACTLY how I think we should be making decisions! This is not a process in which a SC member "chose" a textbook in any way, which is what your post implied.<br /><br />I do think research is important -- and that is how many districts make decisions about textbooks (and other things). If you've seen research showing Investigations is an effective elementary school math curriculum, please post it on my blog -- I haven't been able to find anything proving that (and NSF funds many things in order to figure out if promising things actually work -- that is the nature of the grant process ... that is NOT the same as demonstrating effectiveness).Catherine A. Sandersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523667921190365891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-64884363723694332242009-06-06T21:48:13.039-04:002009-06-06T21:48:13.039-04:00well, Catherine, I do remember a blog post where y...well, Catherine, I do remember a blog post where you said that you hoped that Maria would pick Impact for the 6th grade and another where you said you were happy it had been picked for the middle school. That is the kind of statement I am referring to. And if you look above where you discuss Everyday Math and Think Math, the implication is that you would prefer one of those.<br /><br />I know, I know, it's all about the research, but it seems like you find research to support the thing you want, which typically comes from Newton or Brookline.<br /><br />It's not like research provides one clear answer. I can find research to say that Saxon is good or research to say that Saxon is terrible. Come to think of it, are we supposed to be eating oat bran still or did that research end up changing?Nina Kochnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-6875794131313244722009-06-05T18:20:09.106-04:002009-06-05T18:20:09.106-04:00Nina - read my post ... I never said "and we ...Nina - read my post ... I never said "and we should use these." I said these schools are using OTHER curricula, as they are. And when we chose to pick up the newest version of Investigations, we did so without reviewing any other textbooks or considering other options. This is NOT the norm in other districts, which was my point. We might be using the VERY best elementary school math curricula around ... just like we might have the best 9th grade science program in the country and like we might have the best approach (extensions) to getting kids ready for 8th grade algebra. But until we've tested how well these curricula work (e.g., is Investigations the right curricula for our district?), I'm not going to assume a particular approach is necessarily the best. I have no interest in picking textbooks and have never done so -- I don't even know what this refers to. But I have a strong interest in making sure that the decisions we make IN OUR DISTRICT are made using data, and are evaluated. <br /><br />And one more point ... given the current state of the budget, we might well need to consider whether we can afford any math curricula that involves extensive coaching. That may turn out to be luxury we can't afford -- and that at least should be on the table.Catherine A. Sandersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523667921190365891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-82494336028460014852009-06-05T17:54:07.710-04:002009-06-05T17:54:07.710-04:00Catherine,
What I said is that Newton and Brookli...Catherine,<br /><br />What I said is that Newton and Brookline both use a reform math curriculum, as do we. If you recheck my post you will see that I didn't say that we use the same curriculum as they do, just the same <i>type</i>. In places that are having math wars, like Washington State, Investigations and Everyday Math are looked at in the same way. Both represent significant departures from the traditional curriculum. <br /><br />The reform curricula, as a group, require significant professional development. Joel had asked for an example where additional resources should make a difference in curriculum (or I thought that was what he was asking for), so I gave him the example of math coaches. The math coaches are just as important in Newton as they are here. The difference is that Newton can afford them.<br /><br />By the way, your statement about the Investigations curriculum is not true. I understand that you went to the "What Works" site and didn't find any studies listed that met the research protocol of that site. That doesn't mean the studies don't exist; it just means the existing studies didn't meet the protocol. Impact doesn't have any studies on that site, either. Does that mean that there are no studies showing the effectiveness of Impact? No, it just means there are none on that site. <br /><br />NSF funded round 2 of Investigations and they are not going to do that without research. I think NSF knows something about research. Look here and you will see both Investigations and Everyday Math listed by NSF as exemplary curricula:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2002/nsf02084/chap1_4.htm" rel="nofollow">Exemplary Curricula</a><br /><br /><br><br /><br />Given our extreme budget situation, it would be an unconscionable expenditure of taxpayer money to switch from one reform curriculum to another, when both of them have implementation challenges.<br /><br />I think this is an example of the micro-managing issue that someone brought up. It would be appropriate for the school committee to establish policy, such as a formal adoption of the NCTM standards. I would like to see that. It would then be up to us to find a standards-based curriculum, because that would be in accordance with school committee policy. Yet you seem interested in picking books for us. If you are going to have strong opinions at that level, then you need to be more informed about things like reform math because you don't seem to fully appreciate the issues. There's a lot more to it than just looking up which curriculum is the best. That's where the dialogue piece comes in. <br /><br />I'm glad to hear that you visited the middle school. Perhaps you can do a post on what you learned there.Nina Kochhttp://www.arps.org/users/hs/kochn/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-64259508499236214152009-06-05T17:20:49.772-04:002009-06-05T17:20:49.772-04:00Dear Anon 4:59. I think your timeline is a bit of...Dear Anon 4:59. I think your timeline is a bit off. Fort River (where my kids went to school) had an assistant principal when they were there. And my kids are now 30, 28 and 25. At that time there were at least 3 SPED administrators also and possibly 4. And there were therapeutic teachers around then too. I do not know the timeline for adding assistant principles to the other schools.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-50339557629977006312009-06-05T16:59:43.471-04:002009-06-05T16:59:43.471-04:00To describe the many extra administrative position...To describe the many extra administrative positions I have seen pop out of nowhere in a ten year period....assitant principals for a beginning... Each school had one principal and only one. Outreach (teacher)--I saw the person who held this position in an elementary school interact with a kid exactly one time the whole school year. Theraputic (teachers) sometimes a kid has three or five of these on their tail. Assistant to the administrators--makes you wonder what work the assistant has to do that makes up for what the administrator isn't doing in the first place...<br />The special education department had exactly one person running the program--now I believe there are five, if not six....believe me, I know this work is needed to keep our schools strong, but I strongly believe that the more time goes by the more positions become created and the more money is being used to keep these positions going. And the work of the classroom teacher becomes more and more demanding and the sorry end result is the child who graduates high school and cannot read. And yes--I know this child personally!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-38328461416138796242009-06-05T15:01:43.299-04:002009-06-05T15:01:43.299-04:00My responses:
(I'm not going to get involved ...My responses:<br /><br />(I'm not going to get involved in the debate between Anonymous and Joel)<br /><br />Anonymous 9:01 - First, I agree that Brookline and Newton have more money, and more homogenous student bodyies. That is a reasonable and fair point. However, you then state that "The 9th grade curriculum, math extentions, etc, are excellent ways to lift up this population academically while offering a rigorous course of science for everyone." This is your opinion, and you might be right. But this is NOT a factually-based statement -- hence the need for data! There are many districts that are MORE diverse than ours ... and they are NOT doing 9th grade ecology and 7th grade extensions (and we have to assume they also have good and caring teachers). Again, this is why I wish we were committed to really evaluating our programs -- so that we could see whether your very strong statement (these are excellent programs) are indeed accurate (because even smart, thoughtful, caring people can sometimes be wrong). Other districts meet the challenges of working with diverse populations differently than does Amherst ... perhaps we could look to what those districts are doing, instead of simply creating innovative (and unproven) programs and curricula? <br /><br />Nina - I'm confused by your post ... since neither Brookline nor Newton use our elementary math curriculum. We use Investigations, and there is actually no research supporting the effectiveness of this curriculum. Brookline uses Think Math!, and Newton uses Everyday Math -- both of these curriculum are supported through research studies. Thus, it seems like particularly in a time of budget cuts, we'd need to be making sure we are using empirically-validated programs! <br /><br />I do agree that we need more professional development funding -- I hear that AEF might be willing to assist with some of this, and the SC needs to continue to push for maintaing some funds in this area (which is hard, in the midst of all the cuts).<br /><br />Anonymous 9:42 - Brookline and Newton are less diverse. Here are the numbers: Amherst is 17% low income (regional district), 69.6% White, 9.2% Asian, 8.4% African American, and 8.7% Hispanic. Brookline is 10% low income, 62% White, 18% Asian, 8.1% African American, and 8.6% Hispanic. Newton is 7% low income, 70.7% White, 13.6% Asian, 4.8% African American, and 6.5% Hispanic. <br /><br />Joel - I agree with all you said. Thanks.<br /><br />Anonymous 10:26 - Amherst is actually more diverse (see my response earlier). But again, what are we making the case for here? That low income kids can't do AP chemistry, or 9th grade biology, or 8th grade algebra? I just think it is a pretty slippery slope to say "well, our kids are poorer, so they can't do more rigorous work." If our kids (ANY kids, regardless of income) are lacking skills in a given area (reading, math), we need to find ways to bring these kids up to speed. But simply assuming that low income kids aren't going to be able to succeed in or benefit from a more traditional curricula (e.g., like Brookline, Newton, etc.) seems wrong.Catherine A. Sandersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523667921190365891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-34013306633565264522009-06-05T11:03:32.378-04:002009-06-05T11:03:32.378-04:00My responses:
Anonymous 6:55 - I think you are ma...My responses:<br /><br />Anonymous 6:55 - I think you are making a silly point here. Kids in Amherst are going to attend colleges with kids who attend high school in Brookline and Newton (and Deerfield and so on). We therefore need to make sure our kids have the same opportunities. Teacher salaries, like all salaries, are driven in part by location and cost of living. Professors at Amherst College get paid SUBSTANTIALLY less than teachers at Wellsley College -- not because Amherst is considered worse, or because we don't compare ourselves to Wellsley, but because it is cheaper to live here. That's it. <br /><br />Anonymous 7:15 - OK ... sorry to be an idiot .. but is this something that all teachers want? Most? How much does it cost? Again, give me some information on how desirable this would be (I mean, would it be better than higher raises, or would it be a recruiting tool for teachers, etc.)? Just help me out a bit here with actual information.<br /><br />Joel - exactly. Thank you!<br /><br />Anonymous 7:36 - Thank you for clarifying your "under fire" point. Let me clarify a few things in return. First, I'm the only SC member (to my knowledge) with a blog -- and I did NOT, and have not, asked the teachers to make salary concessions. Second, I don't see asking for data and evalation as micro-managing -- I see it as responsible decision-making and use of resources. I am sorry that you see wanting actual results (does the new 9th grade science curriculum achieve the goals it was intended to do? does extensions meet the goals it was intended to do? does the trimester system meet the goals it was intended to do?) as micro-managing -- and I guess you would prefer a system in which we said to teachers "do whatever you want, and we'll just trust that you are always right!" I see that as irresponsible on behalf of the SC -- as I see collecting data on what parents and teachers/staff think about our schools (how is that politically motivated? this survey could EASILY show that everyone is totally happy and I'm just a negative, gloomy person). Third, google "Amherst Plan" -- you'll see my name on the list of supporters, and you'll see my name in a letter to the Bulletin. I was one of the key organizers of this override campaign.Catherine A. Sandersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523667921190365891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-77137095847502085372009-06-05T10:26:41.112-04:002009-06-05T10:26:41.112-04:00I believe that Brookline has an even more diverse ...I believe that Brookline has an even more diverse student population than we do, in economic and racial terms.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-75073084262800632012009-06-05T09:56:39.055-04:002009-06-05T09:56:39.055-04:00Nina & Anon,
I do hope you understand that I ...Nina & Anon,<br /><br />I do hope you understand that I fully support the idea of paying our teachers as much as possible. Moreover, I fear that we have spent a lot of money on frills and unnecessary programs at the expense of teacher wages and benefits.<br /><br />Thanks for the examples of how costs affect curriculum. Sadly, none of that was discussed in public at SC meetings. I wonder, for example, if the new and admittedly controversial (which is not to say bad, but it did cause controversy) 9th grade science curriculum cost the district extra money. I was at the SC meetings at which it was discussed and no one, not the principal, not the SC, and not the HS science teachers, raised the issue of potential and real added costs. I fear we've done a lot of things in Amherst without any reference to what they cost.<br /><br />My hope is that we use the budget crisis to examine closely what we're spending money on and how that impacts our single most important "cost": Teacher salaries and benefits.<br /><br />The MM trailers are a good example. I'm told some sort of ceramics studio was put in the HS, etc., etc. A lot of spending was done without any sense of the long-term implications of what seems to me to be waste.<br /><br />At the risk of throwing gas on the flames, I can say I supported closing MM because I saw the administrative savings of doing that as being available to save teaching positions.<br /><br />I think many, many of our teachers in town are on the same page as a lot of ACE parents. We want to focus on education for all students and excellent -- dare I use that word -- teachers are the first and most important part of that. <br /><br />I don't think you guys should give up your raises. We did in the MSP, but future raises are tied to future STATE budgets, and aren't hamstrung by property taxes. I think more people in town should hear about past give-backs and below inflation raises so that they can understand why you are entitled to the negotiated raises.<br /><br />One more thing about money for now. I supported the override and put my name on the ad in the Bulletin for it. BUT, I think it's a mistake to assume that the SC and Super would have spent all that money on teachers. There seem to be a lot of pet programs that eat up money long before it gets to teachers.<br /><br />And the hand puppet comment is from dealing with sleepy undergrads at UMass. I threaten to use them when they're too busy texting to follow my instructions about the papers.Joelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13141742420717242724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-55535697174750354432009-06-05T09:42:53.674-04:002009-06-05T09:42:53.674-04:00Nina, can you confirm my previous post's claim...Nina, can you confirm my previous post's claim that there are more at risk students in Amherst than in Brookline and Newton, say, as a percentatge of the population?<br /><br />That is my perception, but you are obviously in a better position to comment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-14408653985272282492009-06-05T09:20:54.577-04:002009-06-05T09:20:54.577-04:00Joel,
I can give you an example of how the resour...Joel,<br /><br />I can give you an example of how the resources of Brookline and Newton and other eastern Mass towns make a difference in curriculum. It's not related to teacher salaries, but to the positions they can afford to fund.<br /><br />Both Brookline and Newton have what we call "reform" curricula for elementary math, as does Amherst. To properly implement a reform curriculum requires a lot of professional development because teachers need to learn to think about math in a new way. In-class coaches are also a very important ingredient to an effective implementation. Just as we were starting to get some momentum going on implementation of our reform curriculum, we now know that we are going to lose most of our math coaches next year as well as central office support around curriculum. That is a huge loss.<br /><br />Also, other districts do a lot more to pay for courses and conferences for teachers. That, too, has an impact on curriculum.Nina Kochhttp://www.arps.org/users/hs/kochn/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-14133055115108286702009-06-05T09:01:44.722-04:002009-06-05T09:01:44.722-04:00Sorry Joel, I shouldn't have been so flip in m...Sorry Joel, I shouldn't have been so flip in my responses. They were therefor vague and confusing. <br /><br />(That said, I am curious to know what your favorite style of hand puppets would be? Once the dust settles on all these issues maybe a satirical puppet show can be put on to help everyone laugh a little bit. God knows we need to recharge our collective sense of humour in this town- but that is going a bit off track.)<br /><br />Brookline and Newton's budgets are bigger, as suggested by what they pay their teachers. Brookline and Newton have a more homogenous student body. (In terms of class i.e. the financial situation of their families, otherwise they couldn't live in those towns!) <br /><br />There are challenges teaching in a district like Amherst that you won't find in Brookline and Newton. We have a much higher percentage of at risk students. The 9th grade curriculum, math extentions, etc, are excellent ways to lift up this population academically while offering a rigorous course of science for everyone. The science teachers in town ARE excellent, they know OUR student body, and have some very innovative ideas to solve challenges that Brookline and Newton do not have to concern them selves with. Brookline can stick with the status quo and their students will do just fine.<br /><br />That was really the only issue I was addressing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-40957465482470228102009-06-05T08:07:45.051-04:002009-06-05T08:07:45.051-04:00Anon 7:45 wrote:
"Well the way YOU paint it ...Anon 7:45 wrote:<br /><br />"Well the way YOU paint it certainly tries to make it seem silly. Money issues are suddenly silly? In this budget climate? Please."<br /><br />The post was about higher teacher salaries in the Boston metro area because of the higher cost of living there. Catherine even noted that her husband makes less (than colleagues in Boston) as an attorney for the state because he's in the Springfield office.<br /><br />So, stick with me here, THE CONVERSATION WAS ONLY ABOUT TEACHER SALARIES AND COST OF LIVING DUE TO PROXIMITY TO BOSTON.<br /><br />The fact of higher salaries in the Boston area was then used to critique people like me who want to know WHY OUR CURRICULUM IS SO DIFFERENT FROM THOSE IN NEWTON AND BROOKLINE.<br /><br />(Excuse the caps, I can't use hand puppets on the web.)<br /><br />I then asked HOW DO TEACHER SALARIES REFLECT DEBATES ABOUT WHAT OUR TEACHERS TEACH IN AMHERST vs. WHAT TEACHERS TEACH IN NEWTON AND BROOKLINE?<br /><br />Then you responded by saying that of course money issues matter because of the budget crisis.<br /><br />These are two different issues, but let me state it as clearly as I can:<br /><br />HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENT CURRICULA FROM BEFORE THE CURRENT BUDGET CRISIS?<br /><br />If it's all about salaries, you seem to be saying 1) our teachers would be better teachers if we paid them 10% more; or, 2) 10% higher salaries would attract better teachers.<br /><br />I reject both as HIGHLY INSULTING TO OUR EXCELLENT TEACHERS.Joelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13141742420717242724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-24072423253013140422009-06-05T07:45:13.824-04:002009-06-05T07:45:13.824-04:00"Intersting. The I would hope that you stop c..."Intersting. The I would hope that you stop comparing Amherst to Brookline and Newton in other ways too. Thank you."<br /><br />This is silly beyond belief. Do you really think that because the cost of living in the Boston metro area is higher than here and so teachers earn more there we cannot have the same 9th grade science curriculum as they do? Is that really what you're saying?<br /><br />I have never heard in a single discussion on curricula in Amherst that we cannot afford to do what Brookline and Newton do -- until now.<br /><br />Are you saying if our teachers got 10% raises they would suddenly be better teachers? That's pretty insulting to our teachers. Are you saying that a 10% raise would encourage them to teach more AP classes? Also, an odd idea.<br /><br />This idea is totally new and frankly silly."<br /><br />Well the way YOU paint it certainly tries to make it seem silly. Money issues are suddenly silly? In this budget climate? Please.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-75140752073758292272009-06-05T07:36:33.111-04:002009-06-05T07:36:33.111-04:00"Teachers in this district are under heavy fi..."Teachers in this district are under heavy fire right now from the school committee" -- can you explain what this means? For the life of me, I'm trying to understand how asking for evidence-based decision-making or evaluation is "coming under fire." <br /><br />Its about cumulative effects.<br /><br />It means, calls by the chair of the SC for salary concessions (after years of 1% raises and helping to bail out the health care trust fund, which all added up to a pay CUT) while ignoring the health care concessions just made that will save the district $280,000. <br /><br />The comittee is trying to micro manage the curriculum in several schools, questioning the dedication of the districts' teacher's in crafting innovative curriculum (the science course in 9th grade). Your politically motivated survey. (Lets call it like it is. And if you choose to respond to this whole post, please try not not make your post all about this single issue. See my first point.)<br /><br />The repeated suggestion (or insinuation) that the teachers are responsible for saving more of their colleagues jobs. The community turned down the over-ride. Well, now the schools are in trouble. And suddenly its suggested that its the teachers' fault. <br /><br />The cumulative effects of all this is not a morale booster! It is taking time and sapping the emotional energy of much of the staff.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-85861348940435752572009-06-05T07:30:15.575-04:002009-06-05T07:30:15.575-04:00Anon 6:55 wrote;
"Intersting. The I would ho...Anon 6:55 wrote;<br /><br />"Intersting. The I would hope that you stop comparing Amherst to Brookline and Newton in other ways too. Thank you."<br /><br />This is silly beyond belief. Do you really think that because the cost of living in the Boston metro area is higher than here and so teachers earn more there we cannot have the same 9th grade science curriculum as they do? Is that really what you're saying?<br /><br />I have never heard in a single discussion on curricula in Amherst that we cannot afford to do what Brookline and Newton do -- until now.<br /><br />Are you saying if our teachers got 10% raises they would suddenly be better teachers? That's pretty insulting to our teachers. Are you saying that a 10% raise would encourage them to teach more AP classes? Also, an odd idea.<br /><br />This idea is totally new and frankly silly.Joelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13141742420717242724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-63024106345745091672009-06-05T07:15:18.328-04:002009-06-05T07:15:18.328-04:00Anonymous 12:00 - are you a teacher? Would you fin...Anonymous 12:00 - are you a teacher? Would you find a reimbursement for educational classes (like towards a masters) useful? Would other teachers?<br /><br />What do you think Catherine? Sheesh, this is a no-brainer.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-54018486961765793132009-06-05T06:55:19.960-04:002009-06-05T06:55:19.960-04:00I'm not really sure of your point here ... our...I'm not really sure of your point here ... our salaries are in line with (actually higher than) local districts, and I don't think comparing salaries to the eastern part of the state makes sense<br /><br />Intersting. The I would hope that you stop comparing Amherst to Brookline and Newton in other ways too. Thank you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-49316659247245279572009-06-04T23:20:28.955-04:002009-06-04T23:20:28.955-04:00My responses:
Anonymous 9:42 - I totally agree wi...My responses:<br /><br />Anonymous 9:42 - I totally agree with your post ... and I'm so glad to hear you say you love your job! Now, what if wage concessions were tied to keeping more teachers, so class sizes would be smaller? Does that make it somewhat easier -- so that you don't take the hit of less pay and larger classes simultaneously?<br /><br />Anonymous 10;04 - I'm trying to find the answer to this question -- will post when I get it.<br /><br />Anonymous 10:35 - OK ... but can you be more specific?!?Catherine A. Sandersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523667921190365891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-38197389730649043892009-06-04T23:17:20.743-04:002009-06-04T23:17:20.743-04:00Still more responses:
Anonymous 12:16 - first, t...Still more responses: <br /><br />Anonymous 12:16 - first, the plan to have all specials teachers go to 80% has been revised -- there are now proportionate cuts, based on number of classes taught (so these cuts aren't happening at the larger schools in which teachers have responsibility for many classrooms). Second, some teachers at the other schools teach at more than one school (like the music teacher at MM also teaches at Pelham). So, it is NOT that all specials teachers are going to 80%.<br /><br />(I'm going to stay out of the Abbie/Anonymous dialogue here!)<br /><br />Worried - Leverett and Shutesbury already voted Level 1 budget. The Pelham FC recommended Level 3 (worse than ours), and will vote on June 13th. So, it seems unlikely that Pelham will vote a Level 1 budget. However, if that happened, I think it would be a big issue at TM (do we change the town assessments, or do we take money out of reserves, etc.).<br /><br />Joel - I agree whole-heartedly that teachers would need to get some kind of guarantees that any concessions would save teaching jobs. I'm not sure how realistic it is to give concessions based on future raise promises ... right?!? I also would like to hear from teachers (anonymously or to my private email -- casanderson@amherst.edu) about other ways of cutting money/budgeting wisely with limited resources.<br /><br />Abbie - Alison brought this to my attention, and I'm trying to get the answer. I don't know it yet. <br /><br />AJ - I'm not going to make any recommendations to teachers ... but I agree that the SC shouldn't have agreed to it ... and that the new super could buy some really big good will be making such a gesture.<br /><br />(Also staying out of the Abbie/Anonymous debates here)<br /><br />Anonymous 7:48 - I agree with much, though not all, of what you said. I certainly think teachers are very, very important. The single best teacher I ever had (from elementary school to graduate school) was my 7th and 8th grade English teacher -- and he was the single person most responsible for shaping my writing for the rest of my life. However, I don't think that not giving a raise is a sign of disrespect -- I'm getting NO RAISE this year, and I don't feel disrespected by my college. I feel that times are really tight, and it is OK for faculty to take a hit right now to preserve other things (e.g., financial aid for students). I agree that we need to consider whether the Mullins Center is the right way to spend money right now. I don't know of the many unnecessary administrative positions that you are describing -- could you name such positions? <br /><br />Nina - thanks for your post. I do think negotiations (if the union wanted to negotiate) could involve mandating saving teaching positions. But I don't see how it can be tied into an override (certainly not this year -- maybe for next year, though I'm not even sure how that contract gets written!). And I have no idea whether the incoming superintendent would be willing to make such a gesture. I hear the "too many administrators" comment all the time. So, either we DO have too many, or we do NOT -- but this is another area in which perception matters (and I think some comparison to other districts would be valuable - which I think perhaps Rick Hood has offered to do!).Catherine A. Sandersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523667921190365891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-11411041151367181662009-06-04T22:57:18.630-04:002009-06-04T22:57:18.630-04:00Still more from me:
Abbie - thanks for the link.
...Still more from me:<br /><br />Abbie - thanks for the link.<br /><br />Anonymous 11:39 - you make a number of good points. Let me respond to a few. First, I agree that the SC negotiated these in good faith -- and thus we of course have to follow through (though that raises the question of whether they should have been agreed to). Second, I don't think anyone (at least not me) is saying teachers are overpaid. I think the issue people are concerned about (and I am NOT one of them) is that teachers are getting raises this summer at a time in which many people across the country aren't. That's pretty much it. Third, I'm on sabbatical now, which means a reduced salary for me (and yes, we've felt it). But a sabbatical means that I am supposed to be writing books and articles and analyzing data. It is not a vacation, nor is it "months away from my job." I'm working harder now on my research than I can do during the school year -- and I'm expected to do this research, which is why we have sabbaticals. I also work at Amherst College -- so it is NOT the "public nickel". Again, the time that college professors get off during their jobs is virtually none -- because professors are supposed to be doing research ALL THE TIME -- it is not just that we are on vacation when the students are away or when we aren't physically teaching class. The "job" of professor is partly to teach, but partly to do research (and that research piece is pretty much what we have to do to get tenure). Fourth, I have never said, and will never say, that teachers should give up their raises. I know I'm constantly accused of "teacher-bashing," but pay attention to who is and who is not asking for wage concessions on the SC. It isn't always the "known teacher-bashers." Fifth, I'm on town meeting, and I vote for increasing business whenever I can precisely for the reason you state. These votes, however, often lose. Sixth, you can go through my blog postings to see how I voted on the superintendent salary. <br /><br />Anonymous 11:40 - indeed. Very squishy!<br /><br />Mike - this is a good idea ... but it could only be U Mass, since the other colleges don't offer masters. And I'm all for asking U Mass to chip in to our district (especially once we give back MM).<br /><br />Anonymous 12:00 - are you a teacher? Would you find a reimbursement for educational classes (like towards a masters) useful? Would other teachers?Catherine A. Sandersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523667921190365891noreply@blogger.com