DC Teaching Fellow

Added a link to DC Teaching Fellow's Blog. Most of what I know about these kinds of programs are mere speculation and so I'm curious to follow up on her progress and the progress of a friend of mine who is doing the same thing in the New York City Public Schools. Then I'll be able to form a more informed opinion.

Online Teacher Communities

So, I've been a member of an online "first year teachers" community since I was, in fact, a first year teacher. I stayed a member to try to add words of encouragement and maybe even advice someday. I'm not the only non-first year teacher on that forum, which will remain anonymous because of what I'm about to post.
The stories I have been reading on that particular forum lately have just been atrocious. "I've given up for the year." "I'm just counting down the days." "Every thing is a mess." "I don't want to be here anymore and neither do the kids." There are many others but, almost all of them, are very negative.
Now, granted, many of these posts are from first year teachers. I remember, after my first year, being pretty blown away by the whole experience and looking forward to summer vacation. I even remember it last year. And, while I can't say I'm not looking forward to having some time off, I don't feel the end of the year negativity that many of these teachers are expressing. I don't feel like my students do either. Yes, I'm tired, and my body is telling me that if I don't slow down soon it will make me slow down. I'm sure my students are feeling the same. But, there's an energy that isn't so negative.
There's a "we're at the home stretch, so let's go out with a bang" kind of energy rather than am "it's almost summer so I give up" kind of thing. I really feel like I'm in a different world from these teachers this year.
Don't get me wrong, I need and am gladly welcoming my time off (though, I am getting married and starting graduate school in the fall, so I don't know how much "time off" I will actually have), but I'm not ready to give up for the year yet.

Computers as tools for assessment...

Here is one thing that I hope WEDJ will improve on in the future, though, honestly, I havent worked at a school where they've gotten it right yet and I know that WEDJ has plans, in the future, for improving upon this.
This year we attempted to do all computerized report cards. The problem with this is that we have no database to just input the grades. So, what needed to be done was a mass coordination of who has what students and whose grades are you going to input first. Then we'd swap files by means of our thumb drives and go through the whole process again. It was completely tedious and not neccesarily the most accident proof way of doing things. It was so complicated at one point that, last marking period, I ended up having to do the same classes grades four times. It took me forever, and that was time I would have rather been spending trying to find newer and better ways to engaged my students. If we had an online database, it would have been very easy to go into it and just plug in a grade.
Wishful thinking? Maybe not. It's been said that that is the direction we are headed in. As always, I have lofty ideals. I figure, just like with my students, the more I expect, the more will happen. I definitely have high hopes for future growth at WEDJ.

Merit Pay

Joanne Jacobs talks about the increasing popularity of merit pay for teachers.
I think that, handled correctly, merit pay is a good idea. I do not think that tying test scores to a teachers' salary is a good idea. I don't think it shows the whole picture and that just because students made the decision to not acheive isn't neccesarily (although sometimes may be) the fault of the teacher. Also, how would they calculate my pay? As a music teacher I am not tied to the standardized testing scores.
There are other ways to evaluate teachers that are much more effective. Two ways that are done at my school are observation and portfolios. Observation can give a snap shot view of how a teacher manages a class and the portfolio can give a broader view of what has been achieved over the course of the year. A combination of these can be very affective.
But, the truth is, to make sure teachers are being held accountable and are effective the best method is to simply come out of the office. Effective administrators will do that. They'll come to the teachers, talk to them, try to understand their questions, frustrations, successes, and try to give constructive (not destructive) advice (I hesitate to say criticism because of its negative connotation) based on what is going on. The more administrators, who should be proven affective educators themselves (again, not always the case) are a presence in their school, the more the students will achieve.
And on top of that it will become easier to implement a system of merit base for teachers. See what the teacher is doing with the students, not just what the students are bubbling in on a standardized test. That's how WEDJ decides things and I consider that fair. Plus, our students are passing the tests!!

The ineffectiveness of Unions

I feel like I'm stealing a lot from the DC Education blog lately, but they get all the best stuff!
This article talks about a teacher who was reprimanded for speaking out against the recent decision to close some of the schools in DC.
It just seems to me that this would be the kind of a thing a union would be good for if it had any affect what so ever. A teacher has a right to freedom of speech too, as long as it doesn't impede upon the work she does with her students.
Luckily, the administration I work for is very open to staff input. They may not always give us exactly what we want, but we do have a say in how the school is run. Of course, that say is only when it is for the benefit of the kids, which it should be.
But, I think that is the reason I never want to work for politicians again. They don't understand education. They understand politics. They understand that it's very easy to squelch the voice of a teacher and will do that if need be. My belief is that this it what it occurring in this situation.

Teach For America Experiences

Joshua Kaplowitz comments on his experiences with Teach for America.
Some of his experiences are similar to some of my own and some that have been described to me by other fellow educators. I think some of his reasonings may be misguided, but many of them are correct. He gives a hat tip to well led charter schools in the area and I very much agree with him that the quality of leadership in a school can determine its success or failure.
Also, he talks about how Teach for America's preparations and how they were truly inadequate. I've often wondered if this is the truth. As a music education major I found myself shocked by classroom culture. I can't imagine what it would have been like had I not done internships and practicums and done serious study on these issues in college.
I just thought this article was most definitely worth a look.

Risks Are Worth Taking

Last year, around this time, I made the decision to take a risk. I decided to resign from my job in Waterbury and move to another area of the country with no solid prospective and only my fiance and what little money I had in my bank account saved up from teaching.
I was, honestly, scared. But, I also knew that staying in Connecticut was not something I ever really wanted to do and that this might be my only opportunity to make a change.
On this day, I can honestly say that I made the absolute correct decision. Just as I was moving down here, the position as WEDJ opened up and it's made my life just that much more fulfilling. I love this area, I love my job, and I love my life.
There are a lot of coincidences I could go into regarding everything that's led up until this point. But, I think if I got anything out of my move down here it was this piece of wisdom: many risks are worth taking.

Old Town Pictures

Fellow blogger and new DC Area resident, Ruhiyyih posted some very nice pictures of my new neighborhood. I'll be taking my own photos of the area soon to share.

A Music Education Blog Collective

A new link to A Music Education Blog Collective has been added.

What about the classics?

Music critic Alex Ross discusses the decline of value that has occurred in the "classical" music realm in today's society. Is it the fault of education? Is it something else?

I think it could be a number of factors. At various times in my life I've had varying opinions on the topic. I remember when I was in 5th grade being absolutely enamored with Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony. (I know, it's Romantic, not Classical, but for the purposes of this post, anything involving higher western music will be deemed classical).

I definitely went through the whole "classical is not cool" phase. Somehow, toward the end of high school I found myself deep in the appreciation of it. And that only grew in college. I guess I started enjoying it more after taking a few music history and theory classes in high school that helped me to understand how it was all put together. So, maybe it's just a lack of understanding that is destroying the classical music world? That would, then, be the fault of education right?

It's interesting, because in Ross' post he mentions the music education standards of the West Hartford Public Schools in Connecticut which, I know from experience, are quite high. I did a couple of different practicums in that district on the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

In addition, my fiancee attended the West Hartford Public Schools from grades K-12. She also took piano lessons on the side. Her opinion of it is that she enjoys playing classical, but it isn't something she finds interesting enough to listen to.

I don't understand that opinion. But, again, my musical tastes are probably the most diverse of anybody I've ever known. The reason I like classical music is because of the intricacies it contains. To be honest, while others may have described it as "subtle" I consider it anything but. If anything, the repetitive pop music we listen to on a daily basis is what is truly subtle. Classical music takes you places no other music would dare to take you for fear of losing its commercial base.

So what's the solution? Well, I'm taking some of my students to a performance of the Washington Men's Camerata next weekend. While that's not quite classical, my hope is that by exposing them to more and different types of music and attempting to get them to understand why these types of music have appeal that I'll help to build a generation of more intelligent listeners.

I'm not saying that other music doesn't have merit. Quite the contrary. But, my worry is that we are losing our ability to understand all types of music which is why many of us are excluding classical music from our daily listening regiment. To be a more intelligent listener, I believe, is to appreciate each style of music the way it was meant to be appreciated. To be a true musician, you must cross the boundaries of genre and understand the technique and theory behind whatever you are listening to.

Old Town Alexandria

I'm in the midst of moving into a new apartment in the northwest section of Old Town Alexandria. Yesterday, I moved a whole bunch of stuff in and decided to take a leisurely walk around.

This area never ceases to amaze me. I'd heard about the GodSpeed coming to Alexandria, in the news, but had forgotten until I walked by it.

I'm just amazed, every day, that I've found myself here. Living in an historic city is really quite the experience.

So, on a lighter note...

It looks like the egg came first.

Suicide

This is so horrible. Reading this article gave me chills up my spine. That man was just about the same age my father was when he committed suicide. Similar circumstances too. We knew that, in the couple of weeks preceding his death, he had been having a tough time. But, we thought maybe that had cleared up.
Then, the evening before, he said was having trouble sleeping and that he was going to go to the pharmacy to get some more pills. He left and came back.
He then confessed to my mother that he had planned on killing himself but had decided not to. My mother, angry at him for even considering such a thing, decided to sleep in my brothers' room for the night.
The next morning, I heard the broom fall out of the closet across from my room and hit the door. Moments later I heard what I thought was a car backfiring.
I woke up and jumped into the shower. I thought it odd that I didn't have to try to beat my father to it as I often had to.
My mother came downstairs a short while later asking me if I had seen my father. I hadn't. She told me to go check on the car in the garage. I went down, but don't remember, to this day, what I saw. It's likely I discovered him and block it out of my memory.
I came upstairs and all that we understood was that he was missing. We called the police and they came right away. I showed them where the car was in the garage. When I turned around I saw the his shotgun holster leaning on the side of the steps. That's when reality set in.
The police yelled for me to go upstairs. I did.
An officer came up and in a comforting voice said to my mother, "Your husband is down there ma'am."
My mother, fearing the worst asked, "Is he alive?"
The officer merely lower his head and we immediately knew the answer.
That is a day that, in my mind will live in infamy.
But, it has made me stronger. I know the warning signs now. I am more aware of who I am because of that incident. It humbled me in a way I don't think anything else could have ever done. I am a survivor of suicide. And if I'm going to survive something like that I'm going to give life my all and use it to better the lives of others.
Life is too hard and too short to waste. You have to live every moment as if it were your last and to the benefit of the world.
I get satisfaction not from money, power, or prestige, but from smiles, laughter, and happiness especially when it comes to a person against all odds.
This incident in my life gave me a mission. And that mission is not one I will easily sway from.

More "Places" Pictures

Bristol:

Another historic downtown picture.


Bristol's West End. My favorite Chinese Restaurant is on that corner.




Bristol is the "Home of ESPN." It is, by far, Bristol's most successful business venture.

This is Bristol's historic Muzzy Field. I performed and played sports there many times.




Bristol's first skyscraper. It's not located downtown. It's in an industrial park in east Bristol. I used to live near there.


Waterbury:

This is a view down Main Street in Waterbury.







Once a part of a christian amusement park called "The Holy Land" this giant iron cross now sits, alone and ominously, on a hill overlooking the city.




This old postcard shows Waterbury as it used to look when it was a center of power, money, and presige. It was once know as the "Brass Capitol of the World." Like Bristol, Waterbury turned from a bustling industrialized economy to an industrial wasteland. I chose this postcard because it shows the mountains surrounding it.



There are more churches in Waterbury than in just about any city I've ever been to. Sometimes I think there are more churches than people there. This one you could see out through the window of the staff lounge of one of the schools I worked at.

Teacher Quality Vs. School Quality

This post on the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools blog really hits the nail on the head.
I don't think any of we educators go into the field thinking, "I don't really want to help kids. I want to be mediocre." Often the problem is the way the system is set up. It becomes disheartening and mediocrity is what occurs.
This is where I think that Teachers Unions could provide a huge benefit to the community, but the truth of it is, they don't. They've given up on fighting for the things that matter and, instead, are too focused on shortening schools days and making sure teachers have preps. This only makes the job barely tolerable. Something needs to be done to make it more rewarding.
I think WEDJ has done that, without a union. But, it makes a difference when you work for educators who know what they're talking about.

The Places I Have Been

I have always had an incredible appreciation and fascination with the visual arts. I never had the talent to become proficient at creating them, however, I am a great admirer, often stopping by art galleries that I can't afford to purchase from to glance at something that might catch my eye.
For whatever reason, there is a specific kind of art that tends to attract me more to it. Panoramic views of cities and cityscapes have always been something I have taken pleasure in viewing. Whether it be photography or painting, for some reason the types of art work depicting these scenes that something I truly enjoy.
So, this entry is dedicated to cityscapes of places I've lived in/worked in/spent a lot of time in.
The first, of course, will be my hometown of Bristol, Connecticut.

This is an historical image looking south onto Main Street in Bristol which, ironically, is no longer its Main Street. The main business district is most certainly located on North Main Street which is located a block west of this photo. I find it interesting because it shows a bustling downtown Bristol. Downtown Bristol is a shell of what it used to be.
The second must be Hartford, my college town.
The "insurance capitol of the world" and the capitol of Connecticut, Hartford boasts a pretty impressive skyline. Who would have known that the streets between are littered with poverty. While the nearby West Hartford has been recognized as one of the wealthiest communities in the U.S., about 7 years ago Hartford was found to have the highest poverty rate in the nation.
Waterbury was the city where I began my teaching career.


I felt the need to post both pictures because I felt like none of the images I could find could really represent Waterbury very well at all. It's a very diverse city and a corrupt one as well. Situated in a valley amongst the Litchfield Hills, Waterbury is a very mountainous city. Thus, it doesn't have much of a definitive skyline. While the Waterbury-Republican Tower may be the most recognizable landmark, it is not really what Waterbury is. It is a city with a large, urban, downtown area surrounded by beautiful, serene mountains. On the top of one of the hill sits a giant iron cross, a tribute to the predominant religion in the city which has traditionally been known as a very Italian city. Waterbury is a place I feel like I barely got to know even though I spent so much time there. Truly there are many more images I could have used. Incidentally, one of the schools I worked at in Waterbury was located almost immediately across the street from the Waterbury-Republican Tower.
After living in Bristol for most of my life, a couple of years ago I moved, with my fiancee, to her hometown of West Hartford.


Located to the immediate west of Hartford, West Hartford is a stark contrast to the larger city. This wealthy suburb is quickly becoming a tourist destination for those visiting the state. West Hartford Center is becoming an increasingly popular spot for tourists and locals alike who are attracted by it's fine (and expensive) dining and shopping. I couldn't afford to live anywhere near West Hartford Center. We lived a block from the Hartford border in a neighborhood that most people would have associated with Hartford proper.
About a year ago, we moved down to Virginia. We currently live in Fairfax County in the part designated as Alexandria. However, very soon, we will be moving to Old Town Alexandria in Alexandria City.

Old Town Alexandria is West Hartford Center times one million. I have to say, I'm very excited about the prospect of moving there.
And, of course, my most recent place of business: Washington, DC.


What can I say about our nation's capitol? It is a metropolis of beauty and corruption, power and helplessness. It is a city with virtually no skyline, but a breathtaking panoramic view nonetheless. In some ways, DC and Waterbury have a lot in common.
These are just a few places that I have been.

The Roads in Bristol

This article in The Bristol Press touches upon the road issue that I talked about in my previous post.
It's good that it's being recognized as a serious problem.

Bristol, Connecticut and Contraversy

An editorial in The Hartford Courant talks about the Municipal Development at the Centre Mall in Bristol, Connecticut and the current mayor's lack of initiative after the previous mayors aggressive strides in the project.
Bristol is my hometown. I was born there and I grew up there. I lived there until I was 18. Then I was living partially in Hartford and Bristol until my graduation when I was 22. I moved back to Bristol because housing was cheap there and it was pretty close to my job in Waterbury. Then I moved to West Hartford with my fiancee and then down here to Alexandria.
Bristol is a different kind of place. It's not what most people would think of as Connecticut. Nothing that can be designated a "city" in Connecticut is. About 30 years ago much of beautiful, historical, downtown Bristol was demolished to build a mall. This ended up being one of the biggest aesthetic and monetary tragedies one can imagine. The mall failed and the entire downtown has gone into ruin. Frankly, it can be a pretty scary place to walk around sometimes.
The problem stems from Bristol's inability to take initiative and grow with the times. When highways were built, Bristol opted out of it for a variety of reasons. Route 72 literally stops at the Bristol border. A city of 65,000 people really needs a highway. The lack of access to Bristol has truly toppled its economy on itself.
To be honest, I respected the previous mayor's bravery for standing up and saying, "Hey, look. We're going to buy this property and fix it." However, I also think that it would have been a good idea to ensure highway access first.
Bristol will always be home to me, but I don't think I ever want to live there again.

Art and Education

I had a conversation with the Conservatory Gallery Coach, Derek Freeman, today that sparked some thoughts on art and education.
Basically it started from a discussion about schedule full school rehearsal time for "The Wiz." The administration is simply unable to give us the time that we feel that we need and so we just have to work with the time that we have.
This is a frustration shared by artist-educators all over. Which is more important? The student or the art?
Of course the student is more important. The debate really isn't that. The debate is whether the experience in the art is more beneficial to the student or if the skills acquired toward the art are more important. And, then, in a context like mine, it begs the question, how much is the art important in comparison to it being the general vehicle for learning?
These are questions that our administrators are, undoubtedly, mulling over in their minds. I'm sure there are many other questions that I haven't mentioned or haven't even though of that they must think about before making this kind of decision. A big one, I'm sure, is money. Do we have the monetary resources to achieve this? Is it more important that the students get the experience performing, "The Wiz" or is it more important that they get it right?
I have to say, in some ways, I do not envy their position. These are tough questions and questions that there may be no right or wrong answer to. I'm beginning my masters in Educational Administration in the fall. I'm hoping that, eventually, I'll make a good school administrator. I'm already beginning to ask these questions and I think that could be a good sign. The truth is, what I eventually want to do is try to make the greatest difference possible for my students. I do know that I'm already making a difference, but if I can help to further it with my own insights into how a school could be run, then all the better. I'm not one of those teachers who's getting their administrative degree to "get out of the classroom." Quite the contrary. I like the classroom and I think I'm pretty good at it too. But, I see the potential for more.
Also, I truly have nothing to hide. I would truly like to stay at WEDJ and work my way up there if at all possible. I support the mission of WEDJ more than any other school I've worked at.
Truly, what we are doing is revolutionary. As we experience it we're bound to make mistakes. I've been looking back on my mistakes this year as I know everyone else has too. Hopefully this will only benefit the school in the future and eventually it will become automatic. As someone who now has experience in this context I feel that, eventually, that will give me the insight to make a greater difference in further its mission.

Parent Bullies

Joanne Jacobs brought this to my attention.
I have seen this.
Society expects teachers to solve all of the worlds problems. It doesn't stop with kid's learning in most people's mindset. I think that is a great goal and I think, as teachers, our goal should be to change the world. But, the problem is that sometimes we're expected to deal with problems that are out of our field of expertise.
Recently, a colleague of mine was screamed at by a parent.
When the parent was later approached she said that her outburst had nothing to do with what the teacher had done. She said it was because she was just having a bad day.
Now, we all have bad days. But, I can only imagine what would happen to me if I suddenly decided to take one of my bad days out on my students.
I realize that being a parent must be an unbeliavably stressful job. That's one of the reasons I am not one now and nor will I be one in the near future. But, we teachers deal with a lot during the day. We have to deal with childrens' emotions all day long. Should we have to deal with parents' emotions as well?
It's tough because we want to help. But, I just feel that, if the parents are not showing the proper way to deal with teachers, how can we expect our students to?
We are very good at curbing the behavior of our students. But what about parents?

A Definition of God

It was brought to my attention that some would not understand why, beyond its constitutional implications, "In God We Trust" would be offensive.
The assumption is made that by simply using the word God, we are not necessarily referring specifically to the Christian God. This is not true. Of the major monotheistic religions, only Christianity would so brazenly use the word.
People of the Jewish faith would undoubtedly be offended by this. I have a very good friend who will be attending rabbinical school starting this fall. In her blog, whenever she refers to the almighty she types "G-d." Jews do not believe in the use, or especially the print, of the lord's name outside of religious ceremony. And, in fact, they find it offensive to see it in print. To them, it is considered too divine to print. So, yes, they would find "In God We Trust" to be offensive.
Muslims, generally, do not refer to God as God. The divine in that religion is almost always referred to as Allah.
So, saying "In God We Trust" is, in fact, only in reference to the Christian God.

In God We Trust

Joanne Jacobs recently touched upon this issue on her blog.
I disagree with the PTA President who said that other patriotic symbols would have offended people. While we do always run the risk, editing out the words "In God We Trust" from the nickel truly offends people on both sides of the issue. There are certainly less controversial symbols they could have used. It is apparent they immediately noticed that there could be a problem by their editing.
What does bother me about all of this, however, is the plethora of misinformation that surrounds it. Many people think we should keep "In God We Trust" on all of our money because the United States was established as a Christian nation and, therefore, has a responsibility to pay homage to its Christian roots.
This is far from the truth. Many of our founding fathers were not Christian. In fact, a good many of them were deists or even Unitarians. Among these were Thomas Jefferson and even George Washington himself! Very few writings from these two influential founding fathers would indicate a leaning toward Christianity. Jefferson, at times, out right criticized it!
This says nothing of Christianity or our founding fathers, but what it does say is that the United States was not founded under a Christian context, and to claim that is ridiculous. "In God We Trust" has only been our official national motto since the 1950's.
So, my recommendation for solving this problem is to take "In God We Trust" off of public money. In a country that has "separation of Church and State" it seems crazy that tax payers dollars are used to pay for ink in reverence to the God of the majority.
For the record, I have all of the respect in the world for Christianity. I, myself, am not a Christian. I'm a Unitarian and a former Catholic. I simply found that my faith lay in other places and that to call myself a Christian was to make a mockery of the religion itself. I love many of the teachings of Christianity, but I have always had certain doubts which leave me unable to declare faith in it.

A Chartered School

On the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools blog, an editorial by Ted Kolderie. In it, I think he hits the nail on the head.
He states simply that, "A chartered school is not a kind of school."
The truth is that a charter school can be just as bad, or worse, than a factory-model public school (as I like to call them). The difference is that the charter school movement recognizes that not all students learn the same way. Not all students will be reached by WEDJ, as much as that would be my wish. WEDJ is one way to approach education that works with many students... many more than the traditional public schools. But, it is only one way.
That is my problem with educational bureaucracy in general right now. It tends to put to a "one size fits all" cure to our system of education. This just isn't the truth. No two students learn the same and the types of students we teach now are bringing more diverse and complicated challenges to the stand. Any teacher who has been teaching for 30 years will tell you how much more difficult it is now than it was 30 years ago.
We have to adapt to this diversity and embrace it. The wrong direction to take is to try to repress it, forcing our students to regurgitate facts in a way that is meaningless to them.
A teacher's job should never be the same. I remember taking a class in college where it was discussed how teachers eventually find the job boring because after the second year they use the same lesson plans over and over again. This seems ridiculous to me! I don't know any teacher who is bored. I know many who are frustrated because they thought they could use the same things over and over again, but can't. Every year and with every student there are different ways it must be approached.
I currently teach 230 students. In the past, I've had a roster with an upwards of 600-700 students. Every day I find myself trying to find new ways to engage each of their 230 individual and diverse minds. That is my job and it is never boring.
Perhaps our political leaders need to start thinking the way a good teacher thinks. "One size fits all" will never work. Not in pedagogy and not in politics.

Taxes

The topic of taxes is one I debate with myself often. As I've said before, I don't claim to know the answers to anything. I'm truly too young to understand many of the implications of how what I do now will affect my life later on.
I hate paying taxes. I hate the fact that a third of my hard-earned paycheck is taken from me every two weeks. I look at that money and often wonder, "Where is it really going?" I think of the government services I don't or will never use that this is going to pay for. I think about legislation that is passed that I disagree with, but my tax dollars are going to pay for it. It's frustrating.
Then, I remember, if it weren't for taxes, I wouldn't be getting paid.
I also remember that my students, on their own, couldn't afford to support me. Those who have larger incomes pay a larger sum which is able to afford my services. I don't make a lot of money. Just enough to be comfortable, and I'm fine with that. But, when I think of these things, I can't help but support reasonable taxes.
I do take comfort in the words of a couple of very influential philosophers.
In Aristotle's "Crito," Socrates debates with Crito stating that since he has broken the laws of his society he must die for those laws despite his belief in such laws being unjust. His justification is that without society he would have nothing. So, in that sense, he owes his debt to society with his life because society has brought him this far. This could be used to justify taxes.
The other philosopher, Jesus, says in Matthew 22:21-22, "Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." In other words we are indebted to God for life and to Caesar for society.
I don't support unreasonably high taxes, but I understand that society requires a certain amount of money to maintain itself. Again, this is something I am in constant debate with myself over.

Harnessing Creativity

When I tell people that I work at a school for the performing arts, often the first thing that the presume is that it is a school for auditioned, gifted, and talented students. WEDJ is a non-audition school for the performing arts and, frankly, I wouldn't have it any other way. Any plethora of talent we may have is completely happenstance. The truth of it is, though, that almost any student can find their place within the performing arts industry. You may not be a talented singer, but you're great at moving or acting. Maybe you just don't have the best stage presence in the world, but you have an incredibly logic-based mind. Stage crew could really use you. The performing arts is something every student should be exposed to at some point, I believe. It helps to develop intellectual and physical skills that no other subject matter can. Unto themselves, the performing arts are a skill, but they can relate to so many other skills as well. It was never my dream to work with only gifted and talented students. It has always been my dream to inspire through music.
Michael Ravita, my music teacher in high school, inspired me to get through some of the toughest times in my life. After my father committed suicide when I was in middle school, I was on a steady decline. When Michael turned me on to music and encouraged me to go further with it, and it made all the difference. The reason I am a music teacher, today, is because I want to inspire my students the way he was able to inspire me.
I began ranting and that's not really what this post was supposed to be about.
It is a challenge, I believe, for all music teachers, to allow students to express themselves. This may sound odd, but music is an art that prides itself on almost scientific exactness. We tune our pianos to A 440 (or if you really want to be accurate, A 442). We create harmonies on a mathematical scale. Rhythms are fractions of a whole. We are a very stiff bunch when it comes to art if you think about it.
The challenge is, then, redirecting students, while allowing them to come to their own conclusions. I feel I've gotten a lot better at this, especially recently. Our "Dorothy" is a prime example. She just happens to be a very naturally musical student. We read through one of her pieces the other day to the exact note. The music we are working on, of course, is in the gospel/r&b style and should never be sung note for note, but I wanted to give her the basics. I tell my students this often, giving them examples of what they could possibly do, but I don't always give them the right answer (unless, of course, they really can't seem to find it themselves). I didn't particularly prompt "Dorothy" to do it this time, but she went home and came up with some very interesting runs that she added through out the music. I was just so please to hear her do that!
The band director I had in high school, Ken Bagley, said something interesting once that I'll never forget. He said that, during an interview, he was asked, "What do you want your students to think of you after they've had you as a teacher?" His answer was, "I don't need that guy anymore!" I always thought that was a profound way to think of teaching.

The DC Metro Area and Transportation

This article brought to mind one of the reasons I love this area.
Growing up near Hartford, I didn't have very much access to public transportation. There was a bus system, but it was very incomplete. Bristol, the city I grew up in, was about halfway between Hartford and Waterbury. But, to get to Waterbury from Bristol by public transportation, one had to take a bus to Hartford and then transfer on one to Waterbury. The whole transition would have probably taken three to four hours.
Driving in Connecticut is ridiculous. I lived in Hartford for a while and drove to Waterbury every day. My commute would sometimes take 35 minutes and other times it would take me well over an hour. I remember times when traffic was backed up on I-84 through Waterbury, Cheshire, and into Southington. One time, I was driving from Bristol to Hartford on a weekend, which should be a 20-30 minute drive. I was stuck in traffic for three hours. Everyone in Connecticut knows somebody who's been killed in a car accident. I knew quite a few.
People complain about the traffic here and, I will admit, it can be bad. But, the difference is that there are alternatives. I am a huge fan of the metro. Yes, it's true, it won't take you everywhere, but most places it is worth going to it will take you to and the rest you can get to by bus. It is clean, convenient, and rarely off schedule. The seats are padded comfortably and you don't have to deal with the concentration and stress that being on the road can produce. I have always felt safe on the metro. It seems pretty secure and well lit. Sometimes I get a little too comfortable and doze off, but, if I did that on the road, I'd be dead. There were a few times that I remember driving home from Waterbury and getting dangerously drowsy. But what was I suppose to do? Stay at work?
Monday, my fiancee and I are signing a lease on an apartment that's a little closer to my job and the metro. Currently, we both drive to the metro in the morning and take it into work which, adding the parking fees to the mix, can be pretty expensive. We're hoping to save money and time by moving, literally, a block from the metro. The rent will be more and we will still be in Alexandria (though we will be in Alexandria City as opposed to Fairfax County), but we both feel like this will be a worthwhile move as it will connect us even more to the entire DC Metro Area.
After living here for almost a year, I have to say, I am very glad I decided to relocate to this particular area. My life, in general, has been much more fulfilling down here.

Catholic Schools

This article states that Catholic Schools are far superior to traditional public schools. I think this is a huge over-generalization.
There were two types of students in the city I grew up in: those who went to Catholic School and those who didn't. Those who did often did so for religious beliefs. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a community with a halfway decent public school system. The Catholic schools, in that city, were the ones falling behind. Truly only those who had religious convictions sent their kids there.
I was friends with many of the students who went to these schools as, in my youth, I was a very active Catholic, despite attending public school.
I know this doesn't happen in all situations, but the vast majority of my friends who went to Catholic school had no real coping skills when it came time for them to go to college. More times than not, they dropped out.
While not as many as my public school friends did go to college, those who did were much more successful.
So, my observation on this? The result are inconclusive. There is no conclusive evidence that Catholic schools do better than other schools. Just as there is no evidence that every charter school will do well. Many do, but not all.
I truly believe it is up to the school and who is running it. That's why I now support school choice. It has more to do with choice than it being "one way is more right than another." To say, "I'm going to send my kids to Catholic schools because they're better," is a huge mistake. Parents need to educate themselves about their options when it comes to choices of schools.
Me? When I do have kids, which won't be for a while (my fiancee and I have both worked with kids and don't feel that we are, currently, or will be, in the near future, ready for the responsibility of having our own children), I hope to have been able to move into The District so that I can send my kids to WEDJ. I won't just send them to any charter school, only one that I know works!

No Child Left Behind

Law makers are saying that No Child Left Behind is here to stay according to CNN.
I have a love-hate relationship with NCLB. I certainly support the goals it wishes to achieve. Raising student achievement is something, I believe, all decent educators support. However, I believe that policy that makes up NCLB to be very flawed. I do not believe standardized test scores to be an accurate view on what kind of work a school is doing. I especially say this because my subject isn't even considered worthy enough to be tested. I think we can all agree that music is, truly, part of a comprehensive education.
I also believe that throwing blame is never a good basis for policy. There are many, many things that are contributing to the demise of our public schools. What really needs to be done is an extensive study on what works where and why and find a way to implement that in the most economical way possible. Unfortunately this will cost money, but it will be an investment toward the future.
As an example, one thing that has always been shown to raise student achievement is smaller class sizes. Smaller class sizes require the hiring of more educators. More educators will cost more money. It is a neccesary evil if you want to raise student achievement. Fining districts for not raising test scores takes away money that could be invested in making class sizes smaller.
I support the ideals surrounding "No Child Left Behind," but I cannot say that its methods will ultimately be beneficial to those it is meant to help the most. I think if both the right and left work together to find a way that will put in the effort required to make a real difference in education then we may start to see these improvements.
I don't claim to know the answer to the problem, but I am constantly searching for what that might be.

The Da Vinci Code

Decided to go to see The Da Vinci Code last night. I had read the book and, I have to say, barring a few details, the movie was pretty close to the book.
I have truly been puzzled by the plethora of protests that have surrounded the release of this movie. The book has been out for a while. Why not protest then? The theory that it presents has been around for years, maybe even decades. When I went through my spiritual search, over ten years ago, I encountered this theory in many sources. Truly, this is nothing new to people.
But, beyond that, I don't believe the movie debunked religion or spirituality. If anything, I believe it enhanced its importance. I won't give away too much, but the end of the movie lends itself to the importance of spirituality in all that way do and even implies that there is almost definitely a force greater than just ourselves.
Anyway, I really like the movie. I've been reading mixed reviews and, frankly, don't understand them. It's one of the best books made movie I've seen for certain. I hope they make a movie of Dan Brown's other book that features Robert Langdon, Angels and Demons. Honestly, that was my favorite of the two of them.

Universal Preschool

California is looking to begin a universal preschool program that is being looked at as a potential national model according to CNN.
I did not attend preschool, however, I was forunate enough to have a mother who was at home reading to me and singing me songs every day. My preschool was my mother, but in today's fast paced society, what I had is not always a viable option.
The kindergarteners at WEDJ who have been through preschool act more mature and are much more receptive to learning than students I have worked with in the past who have not. In the kindergarten classes that I taught in Waterbury, where there was no free preschool program, I work more on behavioral issues and readiness excersizes than anything else. Frankly, this is the norm. It was what I was taught was developmentally appropriate in my pedagogy classes. At WEDJ I have been able to work on some basic theory skills with our kindergarteners, teaching them quarter and eighth notes as well as some basical tonal patterns. I have had some difficulty combining rhythmic and tonal concepts in as far as sight reading goes, but I think that may be developmentally appropriate. The fact that I can get them to recognize rhythmic and tonal symbols even separated is an accomplishment and a testament to their more mature disposition.
So, yes, I support universal preschool. I don't think it should be a requirement, but I do think that parents should be allowed to opt their children into programs like that.

Arts Integration and why it works at WEDJ

Arts integration is something many schools lay claim to, but few schools actually attain in an active way. Even at the very first school where I worked full-time the principal said she actively supported arts integration. Let's take a look at what it really was...
The students at that school (which will, for these purposes, remain nameless) got a whopping 50 minutes of music once a week. This was considered a lot for the City of Waterbury, where the average elementary school student only gets music once every other week. In addition to that, as the music teacher, I was required to attend all of the reading and math workshops that the reading and math teachers attended. Afterwards I was told to integrate it. No one ever explained to me how exactly what I supposed to do this, just that I was supposed to do it. There were many reasons that I left that school, many of which are for a different entry, but one of the major reasons was when they decided to take time away from my music classes to open up a block of time where I would teach just reading to the kids. Is that really arts integration? Having the music teacher teach reading? I actually think it's illegal under No Child Left Behind. I asked questions to my superiors about how this would actually benefit the kids. I was then put in my place in a rather unprofessional manner which is when I decided that I would transfer to another school in the same district.
You can see that when I interviewed at WEDJ, and they talked about arts integration, why there would be some skepticism in my mind.
The problem with arts integration in most schools is that either the art or the academic subject gets left out of the picture. To have true integration you need to cover both sides.
At WEDJ the students participate in academic subject and conservatory subjects. We have no specials. I cringe when people use that word now. I get the same ammount of time per day as an academic subject gets which is made possible by the extended school day. We meet constantly and have leadership directed and overseen arts integration. They don't stifle our teaching styles or subjects but, rather, facilitate thematic ways in which we can integrate our subjects with others. I don't have to teach english in music class, but, I know what the english teacher is doing and can, therefore, relate it to what I'm doing. In addition I know that the administration actively seeks to hire academic teachers who have an interest in the arts so they understand much better than many where I'm coming from as a music teacher. That is true arts integration. I can't say it always works out perfectly, but we are constantly looking for ways to improve it. It's the closest to true arts integration I've ever seen.
I think the mistake that most schools and districts make is that they tout arts integration and then lay the entire responsibility on one person, the person who teaches the art that they wish to integrate. Just as it takes a village to raise a child, so does it take a village to achieve true arts integration in our schools.

Jackie Mclean and The Hartt School

I just found out that famed jazz saxophonist and master teacher Jackie Mclean passed away in March. What an immense loss for the jazz world and The Hartt School this is.
The further I get away from my college years the more I appreciate the education I received at The Hartt School. It was such a vibrant and stimulating atmosphere there. I have placed several Hartt posters (and one Juilliard poster) prominantly in the front of my room so as to inspire my students to reach their highest potential. I know not all of my students will go to music school nor do I think all of my students should go to music school. But, college is a time in my life I wouldn't have traded for anything. I hope to inspire my students to be able to achieve at least what I've achieved and beyond.

More New Links

A week ago some of my students in the "extra- curricular chorus" that I started performed their "touring show" for a book signing by Joanne Jacobs author of Our School : The Inspiring Story of Two Teachers, One Big Idea, and the School That Beat the Odds which, I admit, I have not read yet, but plan on doing so as soon as I can find the time. The kids, as usual, did an amazing job. They always do.
At this event, I was approached by by Nelson Smith, the president of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. He was thoroughly impressed by our performance and offered to buy some tickets to an upcoming Washington Men's Camerata Concert. I'm trying to see how I can organize this, but it was a generous offer and wanted to express thanks.
Both have been added as links.

Charter Schools, Magnet Schools, Vouchers, and Factory Model Public Schools

This has been the talk of the town in the DC education community over the past couple of days. Many people are blaming charter schools for the closing of these schools and it most certainly has something to do with it. I think I have a unique perspective, considering I've taught both in the regular public schools (in Waterbury, Connecticut, an urban district) and in a charter school.
Before I found WEDJ I, myself, was skeptical about the charter school movement. I do classify myself as a liberal and, as a liberal and a teacher in the public schools, I was against anything that would "funnel" money from our public schools. Since then I have had a drastic change of heart.
WEDJ is a charter school run by a small group of educators whose sole purpose in creating the school was to create and maintain an environment condusive to children's learning. Thus, the school is set up for learning. As a teacher, I have the flexibility to teach. There is no union but that doesn't seem to matter in this case because the teachers and administration are all on the same page.
This allows for an environment that is far superior to the public schools I have worked in. In Waterbury there always seemed to be so much bureaucratic sludge to wade through to get anything done, that nothing ever did end up actually getting done. In addition, the union in Waterbury was a joke. By the time I ended up leaving Waterbury, the union had lost all real power in collective bargaining. The state over sight board, which was put in charge of fixing the city's finances, had decided that the city's financial woes were the fault of the city's teachers. So they forced 300 of them into retirement, put us on a wage freeze, increased class sizes and a whole slew of other things which are blatantly anti-educational. I found that the union in Waterbury could do nothing more than guarantee I got a prep period once a week. The buildings were falling apart and the mold levels reached potentially dangerous proportions. Teacher morale was low and the administration there often did very little to remedy the situation. Frankly, their morale was just as low. This, in my belief, translated to lower morale in the students as well which impeded on their ability to learn. I decided that when you have politicians, who have no idea what it takes to education children, running the schools you are bound to have an environment that isn't condusive to student learning. Needless to say, my experiences in the regular public schools were less than satisfactory.
There was another option in the Waterbury Public Schools: magnet schools. The magnet schools in Waterbury were powerhouses of learning. They had unbelievable facilities and an experienced faculty with high morale. Meanwhile, a mile down the street was Joe-Public-School which had a building that may as well be condemned. Did I mention that the magnet schools in Waterbury not only served the students of the City of Waterbury, but also the surrounding suburbs? In other words, these were schools where mountains of money were piled onto only because parents from the suburbs wouldn't otherwise send their children there. Some might say that would be an answer to segregation issues. Frankly, I think it worsened them. The true "money-funnellers" are magnet schools: schools run by the same bureaucracy but with twice the funding.
Magnet schools and charter schools are very different and serve a very different purpose. Charter schools are alloted the same money-per-student that the regular public schools would otherwise spend on the student. Unlike magnet schools, which spend an exhuberant ammount of money on their students, thus leaving others behind, charter schools are laid on the same playing field as the regular public schools. Only throught responsible spending and innovative programming do charter schools succeed.
Now not all charter schools are successful. I've read/heard nightmarish stories about a company that will start up a charter school, collect on the public money that they are allotted and then close the school a year or two later, pulling in a hefty profit. I am sure that this does happen. But, one shouldn't demonize all charter schools for the sins of a few. Many, like WEDJ, are truly there for the education of students.
I cannot really comment on school vouchers except from what I've heard. I knew someone who worked in the admissions office of a ritzy private school in West Hartford, Connecticut and she told me that students coming to the school with vouchers still weren't able to afford the high tuition cost of the school.
So, as my opinions change I realize that, as an alternative to public schools, charter schools are the best option. Parents be warned though: research the charter schools before blindly enrolling your child at one. Find out who runs the school and what their intentions are. If it is a school like WEDJ, your child would be in good hands.
I just don't consider this to be a liberal versus conservative issue. According to
Marc Fisher of the Washington Post, I have taken the more conservative approach. But, the truth is this: I've been in the trenches and I've seen how schools fail and how they can succeed. The charter school movement is not destroying the DC Public Schools. It is simply offering more choices for residents of The District. I am saying all of this while firmly stating that I am, in fact, a liberal.