Abraham Schewel's blog

Failure

Once again my list of failures is almost as long as my list of successes. There are many students who I feel I failed to challenge enough, many who I felt I did not break things down enough for.

            The unfortunate thing about many of my failures is that in reality they are things that may be very difficult or out of my power to control. These are the failures which often hurt the most.

            I can confidently say that I inspired many kids to do better, to strive to succeed, and to feel as if they have some meaning in their life. These were many times my favorite students, who I know had so much potential for success, but needed someone to believe in them.

            One kid I know I could have done more for was Odis. During the first week of school Odis was challenged by one of the biggest kids in one of my classes and refused to back down. Both kids almost came to blows, but I had learned enough to send one out until security came to help me out. After this first confrontation I talked to Odis and let him know that I would be willing to work with him, but he would have to let me handle his problems in the classroom from that point on. From then on I looked out for him and he was always respectful towards me. For the next three weeks of school he quietly sat in the corner of the class and concentrated on his work. He rarely brought a backpack or pencils to class, but he always did his work and was eager to learn.

            Four weeks in he realized he had been going to the wrong class the whole time. He switched to World Geography and came back to my class second semester.

            By second semester he had changed. He hung out with Ron a 19-year-old still in a 9^th grade course who could care less about school. He still never brought his backpack, or pencils, but he had obviously become jaded by the prospects of his life. Unfortunately, it took me a while into second semester to notice how much he had changed. I think he wanted to start out doing his work again in my class, but he soon realized his prospects in school were severely hurt by his grades he had received in his first semester courses. He was routinely high in class and showed little desire to concentrate on work or any part of school. He was soon suspended for two weeks and returned with an even bleaker outlook.

            Upon his return I tried to talk to him about what was going on and if I could help. I told him I wanted him to stay after school so he could do his makeup work for my class and his other classes. He told me he could not stay because his mom did not get off work until ten. So everyday until ten he would hangout at one of his friends houses then return home.

            Around this time I also found out he had been suspended because he had liquid hydrocodone (lean or purple drink) at school. He also had left this drink at home and his younger sister had consumed some and fallen ill.

                        For the next week I told Odis I would give him a ride home if he stayed after school. Each day he said he would come, but he never showed up. Eventually Odis stopped coming to school and most likely dropped out. He might be back next year, but I have a feeling his spirit and attitude, at least towards school is broken.  It is kids like Odis who drive me to be better.

 

Succceesssssss

My Biggest Success

It would not be possible to pin down a single most successful moment in a year that was probably the most tumultuous of my life. My successful moments range from coaching soccer and basketball to learning the history of Mississippi and by second semester truly feeling like I was becoming a MS studies teacher. During most of first semester I truly felt like a glorified babysitter, struggling to keep half of my kids in their seat, while at the same time attempting to teach to the other half who wanted to learn. Thus I would say my biggest transformation and biggest success was the changes and results I saw between my first and second semester.

A major factor in this success was that I was able to start over with a completely new group of kids for second semester (MS studies is a semester course). This gave me the opportunity to reflect upon my first semester and make a significant amount of changes.

Changes

My classroom philosophy had to change. I began the first semester assuming that if I respected my students and encouraged them to become engaged in positive learning environment that I would be able to focus less on rules and procedures. This attitude might have worked in a classroom with older kids or possibly if I had averaged less then 33 kids on the first day. I quickly learned that if I wanted to survive my thinking would have to change.

I started second semester very strict from the beginning. I religiously took attendance and punished for tardies everyday. I also made a major change in my Do-Now policy. My new policy was to take attendance, pass out all materials for the day, and then give a zero to any student who was yet to begin the Do-Now, or was talking. The combination of these two simple changes drastically changed the beginning of all my classes. Students came in knowing there was a process for what they had to do at the beginning of class with the understanding that there would be punishments if they did not follow my procedures. This made me realize how important it is to set the tone from the beginning everyday in order to run a smooth classroom.

Another change I wanted to make in my second semester was to have everyday fully mapped out and planned with exactly what I wanted to do. This made my life easier in a number of ways. I had more time to relax in and out of class; specifically was able to focus less on discipline and more on teaching/ grading. This also allowed me to set a tone of constant work in every class period. In addition to providing constant work, I was also able to collect and return work on a daily basis.

As a coach with 180 kids you might think this would be impossible to do without taking loads of work home everyday. I found the answer to this problem in Teacher’s assistants. At Murrah we are fortunate to have an abundance of Seniors who need classes to fill and enjoy sitting in your class and grading papers. I had three TA’s who I would provide a key for each assignment, which allowed me to do almost no grading.

Results

Less stress, more learning, and more respect from the administration. The policy of my administrators on the 9^th grade wing was usually if the chaos in your classroom is not running out into the hallway you are doing your job. I accomplished this for the most part both semesters, but as we came into second semester I also began to feel that my classroom was becoming a peaceful learning environment.

I gave out anonymous surveys to my students about my classroom and a majority of them reported my class was the class they learned the most in all year. A majority reported I was their favorite teacher, and my classroom got ranked an average of 4 out of 5 by all of my students.

I have been moved to U.S. History for next year, which I am sure will be more pressure, but less classroom management issues. I look forward to embracing this challenge and being as prepared as possible from the beginning so I am ready for the surprises that will come. 

How to get better

1. Be more consistent with discipline. Hank Bounds presentation stuck with me. I know I am not always consistent and often do not give out consequences evenly or fairly. I plan on being strict on little things, with everyone, to hopefully prevent bigger problems from occurring. 

2. Follow Curriculum map and create matching lessons to a tee. I did not do this in Ms studies because I disliked the curriculum. This will be essential in US History as it is state tested. Also will make planning, and my life easier. 

3. Create a better routine. Plan in advance. Print out things the week/ month before. 

A couple of strengths I have are repoire with students and the ability to keep most students engaged most of the time. Students feel comfortable around me and learn alot in my class, so at the end of the day I can sleep well. 

District

The Upper school in my district is a magnet school for grades 6-12 with an arts and foreign language focus (on top of the core curriculum). On campus we will have a performing arts center, arts building, Vo-Tech building (City of ________ Academy). We will offer a substantial arts curriculum as well as vo-tech curriculum (which we will partner with the local business community. Other highlights of my district include partnerships with Barksdale Reading institute, 9th Grade Reality Fair, locally grown organic lunch and a Positive Behavioral Intervention plan.

It's Always Sunny in Our District

 

 

 

 

                                   

 

                                                 

 

                Abe Rubert-Schewel

                                                       It’s Always Sunny in Our District

With a focus on subject area courses as well as the Arts and Foreign Languages.

5/2/09

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

District Table of Contents                        

A. Governance.                                            3

B. Curriculum Specialists.                              3

C. Mentor Teachers.                                            3

D. Elementary School.                                3

E. Middle/ High School                              4

F. Curriculum Specialists                          4

G. Campuses                                                  4

H. Addressing Teacher Shortage.            6

I. Schedule.                                                     7

J. Improving Reading.                                 7

K. Curriculum.                                               8

L. Arts Curriculum                                        9

M. Vocational Curriculum.                         10

N. Teachers.                                                    12

O. Community Involvement.                      13

P. Bond Issue.                                                  14

Q.  Students.                                                    14

R. Positive Behavioral Intervention.       15

S. Budget.                                                         16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Governance: Andrew Mullins will be appointed as district superintendent. There will be two assistant superintendents who oversee operations at the Elementary and Middle/High School. There will be a seven-member school board elected by the community. The school board will appoint a new superintendent every 4 years.

One of the school boards main responsibilities will be the state/nationwide search for curriculum specialists in the necessary areas.

            Curriculum specialists: Will teach one class per day and will spend the rest of the time advising teachers in their subject area. They will serve at their position for a maximum of a four-year term.

They will also be responsible for holding bi-weekly meeting with mentor teachers and holding subject area meetings. They will also guest lecture in subject area courses once a week.

            Mentor Teachers: Will be a full-time teacher with one extra off period per-day. They will be assigned to mentor two younger teachers and will be required to sit-in on their mentees classroom once per two weeks. They will receive a significant pay raise.

            Elementary School

There will be 3 Elementary schools.

A head principal with three assistant principals will govern each elementary school. One assistant will have the main responsibility of teacher assessment and assisting curriculum specialists.  The second assistant will handle discipline, while the third will focus on finance.

Each Elementary school will also have a unique focus with a curriculum specialist in that area at each school. Curriculum specialists will work solely with teachers who specialize in that area.

All Elementary schools will have at least one Reading and one Math specialist.

Elementary School 1

Curriculum Specialist: Arts

Elementary School 2 

Curriculum Specialist: Math and Sciences

Elementary School 3

Curriculum Specialist: English and Foreign Languages

Middle/ High School

There will be one 6-12 School.

A head principal with five assistant principals will govern the Middle/upper School. One assistant will oversee curriculum instruction for the middle school; one will be assigned to the high school. Two assistants will be responsible for discipline; one over the middle school and one over the high school. One principal will be responsible for finance of the school.

There will be eleven Curriculum Specialists who teach one class per day and advise teachers in the area they specialize in.

Curriculum Specialists

6^th-8th English                  9^th-12^th English

6^th-8^th Math                    9^th-12^th Math

6^th-8^th Arts Specialist   9^th-12^th Arts Specialist

6^th-8^th Science               9^th-12^th Science

6^th-8^th Foreign Languages        9^th-12^th Foreign Languages

6^th-12^th Vocational Specialist

Campuses 

Three Elementary Schools 300 students each

Elementary Schools will each be divided into two buildings_. One larger building, which will house general courses and one smaller building which will house courses which are the specialty of that elementary school.

Middle/High School 1100 students

The Middle/ High School will be a spread out campus consisting of ___ buildings. 

Middle School Building

This building will house all English, Math, Science and Foreign Language Courses. One discipline principal and one curriculum principal will have their office in this building.

6^th Grade Wing: The 6^th grade wing will run off of this building and is where all 6^th graders will take their core classes. They will be able to move for arts and vocational courses.

High School Building

This building will house all English, Math, Science and Foreign Language Courses. One discipline principal and one curriculum principal will have their office in this building.

9^th Grade Wing: The 9^th grade wing will run off of this building and is where all 9^th graders will take their core classes. They will be able to move for arts and vocational courses.

Arts Building

This building will be between the Middle School and High School buildings so all students will have access to it and will not have to cross each other’s path when entering. There will be a Middle School wing and a high school wing. 

At this building students will take courses in Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, Choral Music, and Band. This building will be equipped with state of the art facilities to support students in their artistic endeavors. The Curriculum Specialists for the arts will have their offices as well as their classrooms in this building.

Performing Arts Center

This building will be behind the Arts Building, but also between the Middle School and High School building. 

The Performing arts center will include a Black box, which will seat an audience of 600 and a moveable stage. There will also be two classrooms and a Dance studio with wall-to-wall mirrors in the Performing Arts center. 

Students will take classes in Theatre, Theatre Tech, and Dance in the Performing Arts Center. Performances in Theatre, Dance, Chorus and Band will also be held here.

Vocational/ Tech Building- City of _______________ Academy

This will be a smaller building adjacent to the High School building. At this building classes will be available in Service Industries, Business, Engineering, Repair and Construction.

At the Academy kids will also get training in Interview skills, creating a resume, and searching for Jobs.

The Main purpose of this building will be to connect kids with internships/jobs at local businesses. Starting in 9^th grade kids will have the opportunity to go to their internships during the last two periods of the day. There will be buses running from the school through downtown to pick-up/drop kids off from work.

Addressing Teacher Shortage

First off teachers will be paid $100,000 a year. Curriculum Specialists also teaching one class a day will make $150,000 a year. Mentor teachers will be paid 125,000$ per year.

New Teachers coming to the Elementary Schools will be able to request placement at the school with the focus they prefer (Science & Math, Arts, or Foreign Language). 

We will also spend $300,000 per year to advertise nationally to get top teachers at the school.

Elementary School Schedule

SPECIAL DAY PRE-SCHOOL

A.M. - 8:20 a.m. – 11:40 a.m.

P.M. - 11:50 a.m. – 3:10 p.m.

KINDERGARTEN

A.M. - 8:20 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. 

GRADE 1-2

8:30 -  9:25  Class (early readers)  

 9:25 -  9:35  Recess                             

9:35 - 10:30  Class (late readers)      

10:30 - 10:40  Recess                       

10:40 - 12:00   Class                         

12:00 - 12:45  LUNCH                  

12:45 - 1:55   Class              

1:55 - 2:05 Recess (early reader dismissal)

2:05 - 3:00  Class    

  GRADE 3

8:30 -   9:25  Class

9:25 -   9:35  Recess                             

9:35 - 10:30  Class    

10:30 - 10:40  Recess                  

10:40 - 12:00   Class                            

 12:00 - 12:45   LUNCH                              

 12:45 -   1:55   Class                     

 1:55 -    2:05   Recess

 2:05  -   3:00  Class  

GRADE 4-5  

8:30 - 10:05   Class              

10:05 - 10:15   Recess            

10:15 - 11:15   Class                         

11:15 - 11:25   Recess                          

11:25 - 12:30   Class                      

12:30 – 1:15   LUNCH            

1:15  -  3:00    Class  

                                              

  Improving Reading Ability-Barksdale Reading Program

 We will focus on our K-2 classes to improve reading ability. We will bring in Barksdale Literacy Coaches to work with our teachers. For our late readers we will bring in an Intervention Specialist from the Barksdale program.

 You can see time has been allotted for our struggling readers to be separated into an intervention class in 1^st and 2^nd grade. 

  

Middle/ Upper School Schedule 

2009-10 Regular Day Bell Schedule - 50 Minute Classes (Schedule #1)

1st Period	8:45-9:35
2nd Period	9:40-10:30
3rd Period	10:35-11:25
4th Period	11:30-12:20
Lunch	12:20-1:05
5th Period	1:10-2:00
6th Period	2:05-2:55
7th Period	3:00-3:50

 

            Calendar

We will run on a traditional calendar.

Tuesday & Wednesday Aug. 25&26 Kindergarten Orientation Dates

Tuesday Aug. 25 First Day of School for Grades 1-12 Students

Thursday Aug. 27 First Day of School for Kindergartners

 

Thursday June 10 Last Day for Students

 

Curriculum (taken from Durham School of the Arts in North Carolina)

Students will take seven classes per day. Four core classes along with three arts/vocational classes will be taken per day.

Vertical Integration

Specialists in the subject area will meet to discuss advancement through the grade levels and standards that should be covered in certain classes. Meetings will occur at the beginning, middle and end of each year.

Horizontal Integration

Curriculum Specialists and teachers will meet monthly within their grade level to discuss integration of separate subject areas. Teachers will be required to bring monthly lesson plans to each meeting and discuss how they will integrate.

Example of Core classes-

• World History
• Civics
• U.S. History
• Minority Studies
• Writing through Literature
• Creative Writing
• Newspaper/ Journalism
• Standard/ Honors/ & AP English
• Standard/ Honors/ & AP U.S. History
• AP Psychology
• AP Statistics
• AP Calculus
• AP Chemistry
• Biology
• Physics
• CTE
• Spanish
• French

Arts Curriculum

Dance:

• The dance department offers classes designed for dancers of advancing levels; Intro to Dance, Fundamentals of Dance, Dance Ensemble, Dance Collective, and Dance Company. At Durham School of the Arts, dance classes are based in modern based technique, dance improvisation, composition and choreography and performance and production. Our goal is to encourage each student to find their creative voice. 

Theater Arts:

• DSA students are afforded the opportunity to participate in various plays throughout the academic year.  Some of the previous productions include Run Aways, Annie, Guys & Dolls, and the Merchant of Venice.  Classes are offered each semester with foci ranging from the works of specific authors to the works of specific time periods and social groups.  The Hard Tech class gives students an insde look on the "behind the scenes" of theater arts; students design and create the stage props for the school performances.

Instrumentals:

• DSA offers a variety of classes for students to enhance their skills as instrumentalists.  The school band/ ochestra have both received numerous awards for their extreme talent.  Students may take classes in areas such as Band, Strings, Percussion, Piano, Trumpet and more.

Chorus:

• The Chorus department offers classes for all levels of singers to study traditional choral music.  The 6^th grade Chorus welcomes all 6th graders regardless of experience.  The Mixed Ensemble caters to 7^th and 8^th graders in their first or second year of Chorus.  The Advanced Middle School Chorus affords excelling 7^th and 8^th Graders a chance to perform more difficult music and occasionally collaborate with the upper-level high school choirs. 
• In high school we offer a Concert Choir and Descant Choir for beginning and intermediate level 9^th-12^th graders, plus an Advanced Women’s Choir that travels out of town at least once a year.  New this year (2007) is a Small Ensembles Workshop for advanced students to explore beyond the traditional choral world into music of all ages (Renaissance Madrigals to Barbershop Quartets, Vocal Jazz to Contemporary A Cappella).
• All Choirs at DSA perform in quarterly concerts.  In addition, various choirs will perform for Durham-area events, Triangle-area festivals, and National competitions.  Students are also encouraged to audition and participate in the NC Honors Chorus and NC All-State Chorus each year.

3D Design:

• Sculpture is one of the many exciting visual arts options for students to explore at DSA. Veteran art teacher and working artist, Larry Downing manages a unique workshop filled with found objects and traditional clay. He encourages students to interpret each project using their own vision.

Photography at DSA:

• DSA Photography has a three tiered creative based curriculum. Taught by DSA veteran teachers Mr. Darrell Thompson and Mr. David Antle, students are encouraged to experiment and interpret assignments in their own way.
  
  Beginning with Photo I, students learn camera basics and how to set up and process in a black and white darkroom. The creative emphasis is on design elements, frame modifiers and beginning to use the language of photography. The second semester takes students beyond basic techniques and helps them experiment more in the darkroom and with computer manipulation.
  
  In Photo II students wrestle with assignments that challenge their perceptions as well as explore the depth of their visual problem solving skills. Another big change is that students can elect to replace up to three assignments a semester with projects of their own design.
  
  Portfolio Photography or Photo III, is the last course in a direct line to preparing a portfolio of photography. Beginning with a week to explore Rennaissance painters and writing substitute assignments. Students begin the following week with their first assignment. By the end of the first semester they have completed a portfolio of matted photographs. At the year's end they have a Web Page of their work to add to that.

Other Courses Include:                                   

• 2d Media
• Media & Design II
• Drawing Fundamentals

Vocational Tech-Prep Courses

Some of these courses will be offered at the Tech-Prep center on campus, while a majority of these courses will be offered as work study programs with local businesses.

PARAMEDICAL
**10+2 H.S Courses (Elective)	VIII+ Short Term Courses
a)       Medical Laboratory Technology b)       Maintenance of Medical Equipment c)       Physiotherapy Technician	a)       Blood Collection Assistant b)       ECG Operator c)       X-ray Operator d)       Health Worker

 

ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
**10+2 H.S Courses(Elective)	VIII+ Short Term Courses
a) Civil Construction & Maintenance Technology  b) Maintenance & Repair of Electrical Domestic Appliances c) Consumer & Industrial Electronics Mechanics d) Automobile Mechanics e) Air-Conditioner & Refrigerator Mechanic  f) Rural Engineering & Technology  g) Computer Assembly & Maintenance  h) Computer Application  i) IT Enabled Services   k) Rural Energy & Management   l) Maintenance of Jute Machinery   m) Maintenance of Cotton Machinery	b) Electrical House Wiring & Motor Winding  c) Servicing of Domestic Electronics Products d) 2/3 Wheeler Mechanic e) Auto Electrician  f) Automobile Chassis Painting & Maintenance g) Diesel Pump-set Repairing  h) Rural Sanitation & Sanitary Plumbing i) Mechanic Rural Electrification j) Mechanic Non-Conventional Electrification k) Photography l) Videography n) Plumbing o) Wooden Furniture Making p) Telephone & Mobile Set Repairing

 

HOME SCIENCE
**10+2 H.S Courses (Elective)	VIII+ Short Term Courses
a) Fruit Preservation & Processing    b) Health Care & Beauty Culture    c) Interior Decoration   d) Fashion Designing    e) Textile Designing    f) Nutrition & Dietician    g) Hospital Documentation & Record Keeping    h) Garment Design	a) Tailoring b) Commercial Art c) Manufacture of Jam, Jelly, & Pickles d) Silk Screen Printing e) Creche Management f) Jari Work & Kantha Embroidery g) Toy Making (Clay, Ceramic, Soft) h) Interior Decoration

 

BUSINESS & COMMERCE
**10+2 H.S Courses(Elective)	VIII+ Short Term Courses
a) Insurance Assistant b) Taxation Practices c) Library Information Science d) Marketing & Salesmanship e) Travel & Tourism f) Packaging g) Secretarial Practice	a) Rural Marketing b) Transport Service c) Packaging d) Marketing

 

AGRICULTURE
**10+2 H.S Courses (Elective)	VIII+ Short Term Courses
b) Horticulture    c) Crop Production    d) Poultry Farming    e) Farm Mechanic    f) Dairy Farming	a) Marine Fisheries b) Ornamental Fish Culture c) Agriculture Implements Mechanic

 

Teachers

Student Teacher Ratio

Elementary School

900 Students and 60 Teachers= 15:1

Middle/ Highschool

1100 Students and 70 Teachers= 15.7:1

Contracts

            Will be renewed on a yearly basis. Principals may recommend the firing of a teacher to the school board. Before a teacher can be fired they must have two formal observations; one by the curriculum specialist and one by the principal. Both must approve the termination of the teacher.

            Staff Development

Subject Area teachers will fulfill Professional Development requirements by attending local University courses. Teachers will be required to do this until they receive their masters and either a specialist or Doctorate degree. Teachers will also have the option of fulfilling Professional Development requirements by working on their National Board certification. Professional Development will also consist of bi-weekly meetings with curriculum specialists to review teacher observations.

Arts and Vocational Teachers will complete Professional development by partnering with the local arts and business community. Art teachers will take classes/workshops in the community. Both arts and Vocational teachers will partner with the community to put on seminars in their area of specialty. Organization of these seminars will be the responsibility of Curriculum Specialists.

Evaluation 

Teachers will be evaluated monthly by Curriculum Specialists and monthly by mentors. Evaluators will be required to meet with their mentees within the week of the evaluation and provide constructive criticism.

Curriculum Specialists will also guest lecture in one classroom per week of their subject area.

Community Involvement

Career Training

Through our Vocational Tech Prep center we will partner with many local businesses to provide internship and job opportunity to our students. At the beginning of each year businesses will hold seminars at school and students will choose what jobs they would like to interview for. Interviews will also be held on campus.

Partnerships will be especially strong with the local arts community. Local Theater, Choral, and dance workshops will be held in the black box. Students will participate in these events, as well as intern and work with professional artists.

Businesses will also be encouraged to hold regular seminars and participate in our yearly Reality Fair.  

Reality Fair

All 9^th graders will participate in the Reality Fair. During the month before the fair they will work on resumes, career research, check writing, paying taxes, and budgeting skills. Based on their grades and behavior they will be allotted a certain monthly salary. At the reality fair they will use this monthly salary to write checks and pay for items they would need on a monthly basis.

Local sponsors will provide booths and employees who will take checks and provide mock services to the kids (groceries, cable, cell phone, Car payment, house payment…etc).

Hopefully this will teach the kids basic budgeting and check writing skills, as well as the effect school will have on their future.

Organic/ Locally Grown Lunch

Research has shown that Mississippi is the least healthy state in the U.S. Kids routinely miss school and sleep in class when they are present because of their poor physical state and diet.

One of the ways we plan on combating this and encouraging community participation is through partnering with local farmers to provide lunch and breakfast to our students. This way we will ensure that students are provided with a fresh, healthy lunch every single day.

We will also partners with local farmers to help start a garden where students in the Vo-Tech program can learn agricultural skills. 

Bond Issue

We will float a 10 million dollar bond issue to build a new Black box theater. This theater will be state of the arc with a rotating stage. It will hold 700 people and be used by local theater companies and as a general performance space for the community.  Traveling shows will also perform their and already have pre-arranged contracts upon construction.

 

Technology

All teachers will be provided a technology budget of $5,000 to use for their classroom. Curriculum specialists must approve purchases.

Students

We will have only two graduation tracks at our school.

College Track

Students on the college track must pass Math and English classes all four years they are in high school. They must also pass Science and History courses three out of four years. Students on the College Track must also complete at least 25 hours of Arts or Vo-Tech classes, or a combination of both.

Students on the college Track are also required to take one at least one semester of ACT/SAT prep.

Vocational Track

Students on the Vocational Track must pass English and Math for at least three years. In their fourth year they may take remedial courses, but they are still required to pass. Students on this track must pass science and history courses for at least two years.

To graduate students must also take at least 40 hours of Vo-Tech classes in their specialty area.

              Discipline

            Discipline rules and procedure will be decided upon separately for Elementary schools and the Upper/Middle School.

            Upper/Middle School and Elementary school will each have an 8-person executive board that reviews and implements rules each year. The executive board will be made up of the Superintendent all principals; with the remaining spots being filled by Curriculum Specialists. This board will meet at the beginning of each year and can be called for emergency meetings if necessary.

            Our Behavior and Rules plan will be based on a Positive Behavioral Intervention plan. Teachers and administrators will attend workshops to become educated in this type of positive reinforcement.

            Positive Behavioral Intervention (taken from the Mississippi Youth Justice Project)

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a research-based method for improving student behavior and creating a safe and productive school climate. PBIS is:

 

Proactive: All students are taught the critical social skills needed for success. PBIS schools set clear expectations for behavior, acknowledge and reward appropriate behavior, and implement a consistent continuum of consequences for problem behavior. Students with serious or chronic behavior problems receive behavior assessments to determine the causes of their behavior, individualized interventions, and specialized behavior supports.

 

Comprehensive: PBIS is employed throughout the entire school, including the cafeteria, the buses and the hallways. All school personnel are trained in PBIS and are continually supported in implementing it.

 

Data-driven: Schools rely on data, tracked most easily in the form of office referrals, to both develop and modify their PBIS approach (e.g. “When/where do most office referrals occur? Which teachers are referring the most students? Which students are most often referred?”).

 

Schools that effectively implement PBIS have:

» Reduced office referral rates (and, subsequently, suspension and expulsion rates) by up to 50%

per year.

» Improved attendance and school engagement

» Improved academic achievement

» Reduced dropout rates

» Reduced later delinquency and drug use

» Improved school atmosphere

» Increased instructional time

 

PBIS is consistent with special education programs. In fact, the Individuals with

Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) encourages the use of PBIS to reduce the need

to suspend or expel students with disabilities. The U.S. Department of Education’s

Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) operates a National Technical

Assistance Center that promotes PBIS and provides capacity-building information

and technical support to states and school districts.

PBIS is currently practiced in more than 4,000 schools across the country. It is recommended or required by statute in three states and is the subject of statewide initiatives or school/university partnerships in all 50 states. PBIS has shown positive effects in elementary, middle and high schools, and has proven to be effective in schools with higher percentages of at-risk students. According to the Alabama Department of Education, which has a PBIS initiative, “the PBIS program has demonstrated that it can reduce unilateral removals, long-term suspensions, and office discipline referrals.”

 

Budget

Superintendent= $200,000

Assistant Superintendent= 2 x 175,000= $350,000

School Board= 7 x 10,000= $70,000

Principal= 4 x 165,000= $660,000

Assistant Principal= 155,000 x 14= $2,170,000

Curriculum Specialist= 21 x 150,000= $3,150,000

Elementary Teacher (Mentor)= 20 x 125,000= $2,500,000

Elementary Teacher= 40 x 100,000= $4,000,000

Barksdale Literacy Coaches= 10 x 110,000= $1,100,000 

Upper/High School (Mentor)= 23 x 125,000=$2,875,000

Upper/High School= 47 x 100,000= $4,700,000

Office Staff = 15 x 40,000= $600,000

Security Guards= 10 x 40,000= $400,000

Technology= 130 x 5,000= $650,000

Total=23,425,000

Total x 1.25= 29,281,250

 

 

 

"Obama purposely tainted our swine"

I think these districts did the right thing. Swine flu is obviously
very contagious and it would be a much bigger problem if the virus
spread.
It is likely that the virus will not cause any significant problems,
but it is always better to err on the side of safety. As far as missed
class days, I think the schools should extend into the summer to make
up any exams that have to be taken. This should only be done after all
cases of the virus have been eliminated or atleast no one is showing
the symptoms.

Dearest Second Years

Dear Second Years,

Thank you for your guidance and your kind words of encouragement. I can only hope our class is as wise and helpful in the development of the first years as you were for us. 

To Rob (my one and only mentor),

I apologize for that mentor meeting I missed, it was unintentional, but I think we more then made up for it during games of NBA 2k9 and the occasional black and mild. You will be missed during the upcoming year, but I have no doubt you will be successful in your future endeavors. Whenever you feel the need to visit Jacktown we will be here.

Dear MS. G (my unofficial mentor),

Sorry you never got that official title. If it was up to me you would of had it for sure. Too bad you were a Duke fan, we could have really had some fun otherwise. Thanks for always being there as a friend, pal, buddy, punching bag…..etc. See you back in the finest state in the Union sometime soon. I have no doubt you will be getting me a job at your company sometime in the near future.

To all who showed us the way…………Mississippi will miss you.

striiiiiiiippppp

            Strip searches such as these always first come across as a terrible injustice. Most of the time they remain that way, every now and then it seems you find a case where the administrator/police/counselor was doing the right thing. The real problem with the law is that it becomes a judgment call. Many view the law as open to interpretation by the party enforcing it, which is when problems arise. Obviously, principals are allowed to search a students bag or purse without a warrant, but because the court never addressed intimate searches it becomes a gray area. You would hope a principal would have the adequate training to keep him from allowing an act like this to occur, but when a law is open to interpretation their will always be people who go astray.

            One of the people who commented on the article stated that the people conducting the search must have had a mental illness. I do not think this is necessarily true. Many people not involved in education do not understand the pressure often put on the administration to enforce rules, keep the school safe, or get test results. This will many times lead administrators to feel they have no other choice but to be super strict/rigorous in order to meet standards.

            I am not really sure that searches directly affect the area of curriculum or instruction. 99% of problems like this arise from confiscating cell phones or other small items and are easily solved with searches (if a kid refuses to give something up give them ISS or suspend them). When it is a larger issue such as suspicion of a weapon or drugs I think administrators should have the authority to search a students bags/purse without consent. An administrator should never conduct a full body search of a student. If this is ever presumed to be necessary the police should be brought in to make the judgment call (and perform the search if necessary).  

Assessments in the classroom...

I think that the type of assessment shown in the video can be invaluable. It gives the kids a chance to showcase their creativity, think outside of the box, and show they can be successful outside of the test-setting. 

This past year in my classroom I have used this type of authentic assessment many times and I would say that I have had mixed results. Some of my kids have produced fantastic projects, skits, raps, poems, etc...while many put in the same apathetic attitude that they do to for traditional assessments. I often do this type of assessment on a daily basis having students write skits to perform based on the lesson, journals from the perspective of a historical figure, or just a poem on what we are talking about. 

I also have assigned projects such as my MS artists project, where the students were allowed to choose groups and create a rap, poem, song, short story...etc about anything we had covered up to that point in my class. This project was hard to generate excitement for at first, but eventually yielded some great results. One difficulty I encountered in kids who had less then stellar projects was a obvious lack of preparation, which many kids attributed this to an inability to meet with classmates outside of school. 

I tried to eliminate this problem by giving them time in class to work with their groups, but unfortunately this usually led to a few groups working hard and others sitting around without getting much done.  

That being said I am confident if we were to do this again in my class many kids who put in little work the first time, would work significantly more after seeing how successful many of their peers were. 

In my classroom this summer we will be doing many types of assessments. We will be having quizzes and tests along with my MS artists projects, slave narratives, skits and many more. This is the combination I will be having in my classroom next year. 

As much as I agree with the people in the video about the problems with standardized testing, and its inability to show the upstanding qualities many students possess they did not produce a better alternative. Is it not necessary to have some form of objective data to hold college applicants to? Many would make the argument that the SAT and ACT are not truly objective as they are biased against impoverished kids. Unfortunately, this is the system we are in and we have to work to prepare kids for these types of tests or risk their future.  

http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/res/litass/auth.html 

Assessments in the classroom...

I think that the type of assessment shown in the video can be invaluable. It gives the kids a chance to showcase their creativity, think outside of the box, and show they can be successful outside of the test-setting. 

This past year in my classroom I have used this type of authentic assessment many times and I would say that I have had mixed results. Some of my kids have produced fantastic projects, skits, raps, poems, etc...while many put in the same apathetic attitude that they do to for traditional assessments. I often do this type of assessment on a daily basis having students write skits to perform based on the lesson, journals from the perspective of a historical figure, or just a poem on what we are talking about. 

I also have assigned projects such as my MS artists project, where the students were allowed to choose groups and create a rap, poem, song, short story...etc about anything we had covered up to that point in my class. This project was hard to generate excitement for at first, but eventually yielded some great results. One difficulty I encountered in kids who had less then stellar projects was a obvious lack of preparation, which many kids attributed this to an inability to meet with classmates outside of school. 

I tried to eliminate this problem by giving them time in class to work with their groups, but unfortunately this usually led to a few groups working hard and others sitting around without getting much done.  

That being said I am confident if we were to do this again in my class many kids who put in little work the first time, would work significantly more after seeing how successful many of their peers were. 

In my classroom this summer we will be doing many types of assessments. We will be having quizzes and tests along with my MS artists projects, slave narratives, skits and many more. This is the combination I will be having in my classroom next year. 

As much as I agree with the people in the video about the problems with standardized testing, and its inability to show the upstanding qualities many students possess they did not produce a better alternative. Is it not necessary to have some form of objective data to hold college applicants to? Many would make the argument that the SAT and ACT are not truly objective as they are biased against impoverished kids. Unfortunately, this is the system we are in and we have to work to prepare kids for these types of tests or risk their future.  

http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/res/litass/auth.html