To Infinity

My day started out watching the kindergarten students race through the school gathering clues about the gingerbread man who had run away. They went from room to room, where teachers told the children what they had seen and what direction he had gone, the mischievous little gingerbread boy had even been seen eating pretzels off the secretary's desk. Watching the children's wide eyes and seeing them get to be children was a beautiful thing. And the school smelled like gingerbread. And I thought to myself, this is a good day…and I want to remember this day. I felt the love in our school. And then I walked back to my office to continue instructional dialogues with teachers and found a text on my phone. And the whole world came crashing down. It was followed by a reassuring email from our superintendent, and then the police, to let us know of the events in Sandy Hook and how we might get support if needed, due to Aurora having its own share of pain. And then I went home and hugged my own kindergartener. And now my heart goes out to Sandy Hook.  Yet it isn't enough. And I don't know what else to do, so I will add what my own kindergartener, Luke, says when he wants to express never-ending love, blessings, prayers and hope......he says send it all to infinity – so that is how much love I am trying to send the families of Sandy Hook – to infinity.

Jefferson City Public Schools and the RTTT Grant

My response to Jefferson City Public School's status as a finalist in the RTTT district grant competition.

As a graduate of Jefferson City High School and an education activist who has been following the destruction of Race to the Top policies, I can tell you right now that accepting this Race to the Top money is the death of real learning and real teaching for the children of Jefferson City. All of the Race to the Top policies are tied to high stakes testing measures and teacher evaluation measures which do not work and create a system of fear among educators and students. The name itself says it all - "racing to the top" does not allow everyone to receive a whole and equitable education, racing means there will be losers. High stakes testing attached to teacher evaluation means that teaching to the test will increase immensely - you can throw critical,creative and conceptual thinking out the window. Race to the Top policies profit only the politicians and corporations - no one else. The goal under Race to the Top is increased testing - testing in every single subject, such as library, yearbook, P.E. All of this will be tied to the common core standards which are now the cash cow for all of the testing and textbook companies as they create new tests, new textbooks tied to the common core. The common core standards will give you one thing - common children. Not to mention the fact that the common core standards were NOT created by educators, have never been field tested and are not developmentally appropriate. If this money is accepted you will be a testing machine like no other with children working for Pearson using your tax dollars. If I can answer any questions please feel free to email me at writepeg@juno.com and check out our website at United Opt Out National. Peggy (Wolf) Robertson.

Teaching President Obama the Conditions for Learning

Dear President Obama,

I am done pleading with you.  I am writing due to my great respect for Diane Ravitch, who has requested that everyone write to you by October 17^th.  I am going to use this opportunity to teach you something, as it appears your administration is very uneducated regarding real teaching and real learning.  I want to share the Conditions for Learning by Brian Cambourne. Teachers know and implement CFL in their classrooms on a daily basis – that is, they attempt to implement CFL in their classrooms, yet it is increasingly difficult under the crushing Race to the Top policies your administration has implemented with the zealous support of billionaires and a sell-out mainstream media.

As I share it, I would like you to visualize a child, named Josh, who is living in poverty. He is fictitious but he is based on many children I have taught. Imagine a child unclean, wearing the same shirt many days in a row, often hungry, sneakers with holes and a gently used winter jacket, thanks to a community donation. This child shares a home with many relatives. Sometimes he has a couch to sleep on, sometimes the floor. There are no screens in the windows and the bugs fly in and out freely in the hot humid heat of the South. The one constant in his life should have been school. Yet, his conditions for learning are very difficult to meet due to high stakes testing, teacher evaluation tied to the test, the common core NATIONAL standards and the lack of resources in his school which has been labeled for turnaround under RTTT.

So let’s look at the Conditions for Learning as it relates to literacy and Josh’s learning experience.

The first condition is IMMERSION. Under this condition this learner should be immersed in texts of all kinds. Yet, his school has no funding for a library or a librarian. There are very few texts of any kind in his home. At school, Josh is fed tests, not texts.

The second condition is DEMONSTRATION.  The learner should be receiving “many demonstrations of how texts are constructed and used.” While the teachers attempt to do this, their hands are tied due to the fear of their school being closed, therefore the demonstrations this learner does receive are typically connected to the test and are typically based on low level learning. Demonstrations are intensely focused on skill/drill rather than providing the learner with the opportunity to problem solve using text and their prior knowledge of text. Common core NATIONAL standards actually suggest that children do not consider or think about their prior knowledge.

The third is EXPECTATION.  Brian Cambourne writes, “Expectations of those to whom learners are bonded are powerful coercers of behavior. ‘We achieve what we expect to achieve; we fail if we expect to fail; we are more likely to engage with demonstrations of those whom we regard as significant and who hold high expectations for us.” Under Race to the Top Josh has been the unlucky recipient of a Teach for America teacher. This teacher has received about six weeks training. The spread of TFAs is encouraged under your administration and 50 million dollars was given to TFA to continue spreading inexperienced teachers to our neediest schools.  Josh is African-American. His new teacher from TFA is white, has a degree in political science and lived out East. Josh is not bonding with this teacher. He is wise to this game and realizes this teacher has no understanding of his culture, his community, nor does this teacher intend to stay. Josh is accustomed to constant and disruptive change and does not trust easily. He did have strong relationships with many of his former teachers but they were fired when TFA was brought into his school. Josh knows he is being prepared for a test; he does not feel that his teacher has high expectations for him, but rather he feels he is doing what is necessary to keep his school from closing. He knows his teacher’s expectation is that he must do well on this test.  It is not about learning, it is about gaming the test so that his community is not destroyed.

The fourth condition is RESPONSIBILTY.  Cambourne states, “Learners need to make their own decisions about when, how, and what ‘bits’ to learn in any learning task.  Learners who lose the ability to make decisions are ‘depowered.’”  Simply put, Josh is powerless. He makes no decisions about his learning. There is no art, PE, music or recess so he has very little creative or free outlet in which he might pick and choose how to express himself. His writing is typically focused on writing prompts geared to increase his score on the state test, therefore the idea of choosing topics is out the window. He reads what he is told to read and has limited opportunity to choose independent reading material because there is no library.  He is not involved in any decisions regarding his learning; he is simply laboring for Pearson.

The fifth condition is USE. Josh should have an opportunity and time to “use, employ, and practice” his “developing control in functional, realistic, non-artificial ways.” This is a pipe dream under Race to the Top. As an educator, it is my job to support learners in becoming lifelong learners and citizens who can problem solve and allow our democracy to thrive. Yet – under Race to the Top, teachers are told to be sure students are career and college ready. It seems that students are career and college ready if they are able to perform well on a standardized state test – which ultimately focuses on low level skills. The policies surrounding high stakes testing do not allow for real USE. Teachers faced with the fear of losing their jobs, specifically in schools such as Josh’s school, are no longer allowed to give Josh opportunities to problem solve and dig deep. Rather, Josh will be required to create formulaic writing responses and his brain will be filled with facts that he can regurgitate on the test. Josh actually wants to be an auto mechanic and he currently sees no connection between school and his future. There is no authentic use of learning, it is all artificial. Real life or USE cannot be contained within a bubble sheet.

The sixth condition is APPROXIMATION.  Cambourne states, “Learners must be free to approximate the desired model – ‘mistakes’ are essential for learning to occur.” Under Race to the Top mistakes result in being held back a grade, teachers being fired, schools being closed and handed over to profiteers, and children being rearranged and redistributed like a deck of cards at the whim of those who typically know nothing about teaching and learning.  Josh knows that his mistakes hold consequences for his community. He knows that the state test is not simply a test, it is a test that can topple his community. He does not feel he has time or room to make mistakes.

The seventh condition is RESPONSE.  Cambourne states, “Learners must receive ‘feedback’ from exchanges with more knowledgeable ‘others.’ Response must be relevant, appropriate, timely, readily available, non-threatening, with no strings attached.”  Well, first, we know that his teacher is not knowledgeable as his teacher has only 6 weeks training.  We know that there is no relevance to any learning that is focused on high stakes test preparation.  In addition, state test scores are definitely not released in a timely fashion, yet even if they were, the results are useless – unless you want to know Josh’s zip code which I would have been happy to share for free.  Finally, receiving feedback or responses via high stakes testing can be highly threatening, resulting in Josh’s inability to sleep the night before a test, vomiting in the bathroom on test day and having such great fear during the test time that he often freezes up on questions in which he actually knows the answer. Because the test is ultimately designed for white affluent children, Josh is already at a loss due to the many biases found within his test booklet. He feels threatened because he indeed is being threatened. The feedback must have no strings attached – that is impossible under RTTT policies.

Finally, I want to share the condition of ENGAGEMENT. Engaging in one’s learning is crucial – for Josh it will be the game breaker – he may drop out of school without engagement. If all the previous conditions above are met, engagement is much more likely to occur. Engagement occurs if Josh feels like he is a “potential ‘doer’ or ‘performer’ ” of the demonstrations he is seeing. He has to believe that engaging in these demonstrations will actually further the purpose of his life. And, Josh should be able to engage and “try to emulate without fear of physical or psychological hurt if” his attempt isn’t completely correct. Racing to the Top makes engagement incredibly difficult and impossible for many children living in high poverty areas.

Racing to the Top results in physical and psychological hurt for children as schools are closed, opposing gangs are placed in the same building, as children are held back due to test scores, as children are drugged in order to be alert during the mundane and repetitive nature of skill/drill, and as children are deserted when experienced teachers are fired and replaced by corporate reformers who have no empathy.

You see, President Obama, as an educator I know very well what conditions are necessary for learning to occur in my classroom. I do not believe any of your policies promote the Conditions for Learning. Rather, your policies fly in the face of everything a learner needs.

President Obama, you do not really see students such as Josh. If you did, the empathy you would feel (and I still have hope that you can feel empathy) would cause you to change your policies. Yet, in order to privatize public education, it is important NOT to have empathy for these children. These children must remain a number so that the real pain and torture of RTTT is not known to the general public.

Whether you win or not matters very little in regard to what happens with our public school system. So, I will continue to do what I do best – I will continue to share what experienced teachers know.  I will continue to share the truths about corporate education reform. Teachers must resist and rebuild all at once in order to repair the damage that is occurring daily and will continue to occur until the profiteers have squeezed every last dollar out of our public schools.  I will do my best to support teachers in implementing the Conditions for Learning and I will do everything I can to oppose RTTT policies by continuing to ask all parents and students to opt out of the lynch pin – the state test – which holds this façade together.

I am headed back to the front line next week, after being away from teaching for six years. As an educational activist I will continue my work on the outside, but it is time for me to head back in and help to resist, rebuild and protect the children of this country. I fear if I do not, there will soon be few true educators left. Race to the Top is simultaneously destroying public education and the teaching profession. As President, perhaps you can learn something from the Conditions for Learning, should you win a second term.  I, however, will be voting for Jill Stein.

Sincerely,

Peggy Robertson

A Teacher with a Professional Conscience

For more on the Conditions for Learning see The Whole Story by Brian Cambourne.

On the Eve of the Strike: Thank you CTU

As a former public school teacher who has been out of the system for six years, who feels as though no large body of people have ever – ever - stood up for educators –  for me - for public schools – for students – in my professional lifetime – I just want to say thank you.

For all of the professionals – teachers – who are out there tonight – remember who you are – while I remember who I am.  CTU is making sure I remember.

We are professionals with high expertise in a field of study that our nation must have in order to keep our democracy thriving.

We are professionals who are required to wear many different hats due to the nature of our job and the inability of our government and our society to recognize and take responsibility for the disgraceful poverty in our wealthy nation.

We know best practices and we have heart – none of which add up to a number.

We are the protectors of America's children.

We are the catalyst for the creativity, brilliance and problem solving found in the leaders across our country.

We help create beauty, bravery and confidence found in the citizens who can save our country from its current pending fall.

We are teachers.

I look to CTU.

I look to CTU and expect the nation to follow. While our public schools are dismantled, while children are abused by the policies of corporate education reformers, while teachers work in environments full of fear, while communities are torn apart, I have great hope that the rebuilding will occur as CTU lays the foundation.

Teachers across the nation, be proud tonight, you are valued and you are not replaceable, no matter what the media, politicians, billionaires or your community says.

Chin up. Stand with CTU, smile tonight and send them immense amounts of good energy. Midnight is the deadline.  CTU stands up for me.  I am a teacher.

Thank you CTU.

SpringBoard: Common Core Crap

I recently had the unfortunate opportunity to examine a SpringBoard assignment, sent to me by a concerned parent with a child in seventh grade.  SpringBoard is the latest and greatest curriculum creation of The College Board which is led by no less than David Coleman, the well known architect of the Common Core. 

Their website states, "SpringBoard is fully aligned to the Common Core State Standards and helps all students and teachers reach the goals of the Common Core Initiative. The Common Core Standards provide the “what” in the form of required achievements for students. Curriculum materials must provide the “how” to help students achieve the standards outlined." 

Ch Ching.

This particular assignment from SpringBoard was titled Writing Workshop. I found this to be highly intriguing as I spent my entire teaching career using Writer's Workshop with my students, and finally supporting teachers in implementing the many fine nuances found within this complex teaching practice. Writer's Workshop allows for authentic writing as the students engage in the writing process and culminates in publication for a real audience. To the observer who knows little about Writer's Workshop, it may appear as an extremely messy process, but the highly skilled teacher understands the incredible organization that is needed to implement such a workshop successfully. Let's just say - it ain't easy. The process is full of writing, reading, talking, brainstorming, sharing and giving feedback, within a room that has a constant buzz filled with the energy of ideas and the empowerment of the student voice.  All in all, it is beautiful. The high level of engagement is contagious – the urgency and excitement with which ideas are expressed – the smiles, the struggles and the support of the learners as they work together in groups to revise their writing pieces - it is authentic learning. One minute the teacher is sharing her own writing by thinking aloud as she writes on chart paper, the next she is with a small group, then she is roving, and finally she is conferencing with individual students. The children are fluid – they move from space to space – they have command of their work, their resources - and they know what they need to do to in order to meet their own personal writing goals.

Sigh….

Those were the days…

Please see the following screen shots from SpringBoard, a new college and career ready curriculum that is followed lockstep by teachers. Students at home can log in and print out assignments and get their questions addressed online. Needless to say, this is unlike any Writer's Workshop I have ever seen. Best practices, such as Writer's Workshop, will be destroyed at the hands of Common Core because it simply will not fit into the mold needed to create measurable data.

In this first screen shot the children are asked to create a graphic of the writing process. I am unsure why this is necessary, if they are indeed engaged in their own authentic writing process, which - call me crazy - would indeed be its own graphic, now wouldn't it? I am sure that struggling readers will be hell bent on addressing the "recursive" nature.

Here, the student is asked to explore his/her topic further. Notice the language such as "persona." Notice the word "mode."  I am wondering how second language learners and struggling readers might do on this assignment - let alone the typical 7th grader?!!?  I am wondering how this graphic will create scripted writing as students fill it out, plugging in strong verbs as demanded, simply to be done with this as quickly as possible. In addition, children plan differently as they consider their writing. Often a child has a killer writing idea and the format comes later. Writing is messy. It cannot be contained in a worksheet. The "role of the writer" is really beyond me - should they take on a new identity or something in order to "establish a connection with your readers?" And "establish a connection" - talk about a buzz kill if you even fathomed having a good writing idea.

Now see the fill in the blank - I can promise you that my students never filled in a blank in their draftbooks let alone on a god forsaken worksheet like this one. Throwing plates yet?

 

Don Murray would cringe to see his name on this. Of course he is correct - often writing does bounce along - fast -  and there is nothing better than a scripted worksheet such as this to shut down that momentum. Note the last line - "Write a draft to develop points in the preliminary organizational structure?"  What??? What is this language? Do they know who their audience is? These are seventh grade students!! Not business men planning a power point for a board meeting!

And last but not least, directions for meeting in writing groups - I simply can't imagine being able to speak a coherent sentence on my own after being given this lockstep process for participating in a group. But you see, that is the goal here - teacher proof curriculum with all teachers on the same page every day, complete with a lockstep process for students to follow rather than think. Follow, don't think. 

As I said earlier, Writer's Workshop is a messy yet highly organized teaching process. It cannot be jammed into a curriculum nor can it be force fed to children. The results of this assignment are easy to anticipate - children will treat this like any other good worksheet. They will do what they need to do in order to get the grade and they will not engage (how could they?) and then they will run as quickly as they can from any mention of future writing experiences. 

This, you see, is the new world of the Common Core. We must oppose it, refuse it, deny it, defy it, f$#@ing expose it for what it is whenever we can by educating parents and teachers about the profit to be made through the creation of nonthinking, soul destroying worksheets such as these. This is not simply a set of standards - it is a set of standards designed to allow corporations the ability to create common children via common curriculum and common assessments which will be used to drain our public schools of money as they attempt to abide by the guidelines of Race to the Top. There will be more tests - many more tests - as Common Core infiltrates our schools and profits billionaires while privatizing public education. The expense will be immense and will assist in the profiteers' plans to starve the public schools while using our tax dollars to dismantle what is left. Their goal is to move as quickly as they can, take as much as they can, before we wake up and realize we've been screwed. SpringBoard is simply one example of many more to follow.

And the casualties? The children of course. Always, the children.

Sitting Ducks in Suburbia

I attended my son’s middle school Back to School Night this past week; you may recall that this is Sam’s first year in a public school.  I especially enjoy these events because as a former public school teacher, I enjoy hearing teachers speak, I love being in their classrooms and I most definitely want to let them know I appreciate their talents, education, dedication and time spent working with our children.

During my fifteen years of teaching my last five were spent teaching teachers and administrators in the public schools. A few of my responsibilities included training teacher leaders in the classroom, supporting administrators in classroom observation as well as providing professional development for districts.  Of course the more I learned the less I knew – but that is how it is with good teaching.  I have now been out of teaching for almost seven years and last night it fed my soul to hear our teachers speak. And because I know what to look for and listen for in a classroom, I have a different take on Back to School Night, as my fellow teacher readers will understand.

What is most fascinating about my child’s school is that I have been told it is not a good school – that it is simply mediocre.  I have actually been discouraged from sending my child there by some in my community, even in the light of their high test scores. Yet, what I heard and saw last night was seven exceptional teachers that my child is incredibly lucky to have. My child has a teacher with decades of teaching experience who said that his goal every day is to learn something new. His science teacher understands that science is best experienced hands-on and that his students – including my lucky son – should be in the laboratory nonstop. My son has a teacher who understands brain-based learning. He knows that stress and fear shut down any opportunity to retain or comprehend new learning. My son has an art teacher who has them keep art journals and hangs the following Picasso quote on her wall, “Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.” She also understands that small class size is essential to student focus. His language arts teacher values the importance of silent reading and writer’s workshop. Sam is the lucky recipient of a real P.E. class – unlike many children across this country - none of it is online (yes the absurdity of online P.E. does exist). Sam’s social studies teacher has already had them do a project which involved research and writing that connected Sam personally to history by focusing on the day he was born.  These projects will be displayed in the school’s hallways. Sam is in the school orchestra. Sam tells me that his principal is funny and is always smiling. These are the first impressions I have of my son's school.

I worry about our district. They are fairly sheltered from the storm that surrounds them.  I have already put up my umbrella in anticipation and have opted Sam out of 3 tests: Reading Counts, MAP and TCAP.  I opt out because I support public schools – I will not fill the pockets of profiteers who attempt to devour my tax dollars and our children. I opt out because I understand that a focus on high stakes tests narrows curriculum and authentic learning and teaching.  I opt out because children living in urban and high poverty areas are being abused at the hands of corporate education reform.

I already see extrinsic rewards at the school; I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will not see any connected to high stakes testing. I heard rumblings on Back to School Night regarding our country’s inability to compete with China – some obviously don’t know Dr. Yong Zhao’s work and the fact that China is desperately attempting to rid itself of high stakes testing which has created a country in which their graduates cannot think or innovate. Educators in China are in shock as they watch us destroy our country at the hands of high stakes testing. We have some of the highest test scores in the world - when we account for poverty. 

The Back to School newsletter included the following message: Our T-CAP scores are in and we did great. Our math status according to the state moved from the Meets category to Exceeds! Our reading held steady in the Meets category and our writing went from Approaching last year to Meets this year.

Of course this is very troublesome as it is sending a message that TCAP scores mean something; I know many of my fellow readers recognize that these tests do nothing to improve student achievement.  Decisions in the district are data driven using TCAP and MAP – neither of which improve student achievement.  Improved tests scores do not mean students can problem solve, create or think conceptually or critically. These test scores tell us we have good test takers and many children that are well fed and have access to books. And....if these tests are the prized assessments we know that there is most certainly teaching to the test occurring in the school.

Budget cuts are also rocking the boat. We have no librarian.  We are very lucky to have a library - many schools across the country do not - and the evidence connecting access to books and increased student reading scores on the NAEP is clear. It is our job to share research and educate. Suburbia is not immune.

My school district is also not immune to the teacher bashing that our country continues to spout. The teachers that are still in these buildings and have not yet jumped ship are a force to be reckoned with – we must support them by continually focusing on best practices and the authentic assessments they share.  We must help to change the narrative by turning away from high stakes testing and leaning forward proudly to share real learning and real teaching.  Our school district is piloting a teacher evaluation program this year – we must watch it closely.

What my school does NOT have is the following - my son does not have to share our building with a charter school – or 6 or 7 for that matter as we see in the Bronx. There are no metal detectors, no children required to follow SLANT.  None of my son’s teachers are TFAs. Our school is not housed in a basement. The students are not required to walk in straight lines wearing orange prison type shirts while the teacher yells, “Boys pick up those feet!”

Is this something to protect? You bet it is. And we can’t protect it by simply continuing to allow our children to take the state test – that is the kiss of death for the public schools. Suburbia is a sitting duck surrounded by casualties that they continue to ignore.

They Want Your Rug. Ask TPS.

What does it feel like to have the rug pulled out from under you?  All of us know this feeling to some extent.  And when you thought the rug was your rug – and someone claims it is not, what do you do?

I have had the rug pulled out from under me many times in my life. But I have never experienced a school closing as a teacher or a parent.  I wonder - what would I do? Now I sit here in Denver seething, then crying, then seething, then wondering who I can punch or what choice words I might email to the judge who upheld the closing of The Project School or the dictator mayor who first recommended it.  Who the hell are they?  What the F&%$ do they know about TPS and the fearless and dedicated parents and teachers? Nothing.

This isn’t their rug – and they took it – without warning, without due process or any intelligent reasoning for its closure – two weeks before school starts.

Now where will the TPS family sit and gather as a community? Their rug is gone. Teachers, parents, children now reeling.

And what do we do about it?  Don’t tell me we need to dialogue with those who negotiate with children’s lives.  Don’t tell me I need to vote for candidates who represent the lesser of two evils in the hopes that this will get better.  This isn’t getting better. This is getting worse. We have children going to schools with 75 to 1 student/teacher ratio, other children attending schools in former banks next to pawn shops, children re-routed on the school bus to find their home in motels, children segregated in schools that look more like prison and parents hoping they get their CHOICE of school for their children, yet the reality is there is only choice for a few.  And we are paying for all of this – we pay for the destruction of our schools and our communities.

I am told TPS is planning to open their doors this August and commence the 2012-2013 school year some how, some way.

And while TPS attempts to pull their community back together, we have got to be louder – locally and nationally.  We have to be more strategic. We have to fight against common core, high stakes testing, value-added measure, turn around and charter/choice.  Spend your time wisely. I have grave concerns regarding time spent analyzing the “test” – why analyze? We know the tests don’t improve student achievement so move on – I don’t give a rat’s ass what these tests look like – we don’t need them. Opt out of this insanity.  I have concerns as we flurry around signing petitions, posting on FB – are we just rats in a cage – do they watch us with amused fascination, then yawn and walk away?  I have serious concerns when anyone asks me to venture into dialogue with corporate reformers in the hopes of coming to some sort of “agreement.”  Don’t be fooled. These people already have agreed to a plan – it’s simple - dismantle public education and profit as quickly as they can before we figure out we are being screwed.  No need to waste your time blabbering with them.

They know what they want.

They want your rug.

If they don’t have it yet, they will come for it soon – and they will yank it hard – because they don’t care about your well-being or your fall as your head hits the ground – they care about their ideology, their money and they protect their own.

In solidarity TPS,

Stand tall and I look forward to the day that I can walk in your doors and sit with you, on your rug, with your beautiful community.  See you this school year.  United Opt Out National is headed your way.