Obligatory Metro Rant

Since one of the themes of this blog is DC, I, of course, must have the obligatory metro rant.

Don't get me wrong; I love the metro! I take it to work almost every day. It's clean, efficient, and it saves me a lot of money in the long run. I often hear people complain about how inconvenient the metro is here and, frankly, it baffles me!

However, today was not a day of manners on the DC Metro System. While, usually, people traveling during rush hour have an understanding about etiquette, today was not a day like that.

First, traveling on the read line, we stopped at Union Station. Now, I do understand not wanting to miss a train and speeding up slightly to get on it. However, this person only got their hand in the door when it closed on them. When the door finally opened again and then began to close, three pairs of hands simultaneously attempted to pry the door open. This effort, of course, proved to be futile and likely only slowed down the progress of the trains in the tunnel.

I was traveling with my wife and we continued on to our transfer at Gallery Place. We were walking toward the escalator behind some rather slow walking people, but, to our left people were, of course, zipping as fast as they could toward the departing train. So, passing wasn't going to be an option.

Then, out of nowhere, this woman comes around on my right and pushes me out of the way as she says, "Excuse me."

'Well,' I thought, 'Maybe she's just in more of a hurry than I am." With that thought in mind I could forgive her physical transgression.

However, when I got to the escalator, this same woman was STANDING TO THE RIGHT. I couldn't help but be extremely puzzled as I walked by her to her left. If she wasn't that concerned with actually getting to the train, then why did she feel the need to push me out of the way?

Anyway, rant over. I now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

(Due to technical difficulties with my ISP I am postponing the BBP. Sorry.)

Flags in the Classroom

There has been a lot being said, recently, on the Denver geography teacher who was put on leave because he violated a law stating that the only flag that may be regularly hung in a classroom is the American flag.

I can't even tell you how ridiculous this seems to me, yet, while I read the article I'm thinking of other incidents where similar things have occurred to educators that I know. It's sad, but it's just another way in which the bureaucracy gets in the way of actually educating our students.

I wish I was more readily able to identify the flags of different countries, but, it wasn't something that was ever focused on in my education. I can very much see what this teacher was trying to do in exposing his students to various flags from all over the world on a constant basis. It makes all the pedagogical sense in the world, but, of course, those who run education often have no idea how to educate students which is why we get laws like this one which only hinder the worldliness of our students.

Do we really want to breed a generation of completely ignorant and ethnocentric citizens? Frankly, that is the only thing this law could possibly achieve.



A bridge over the Potomac.

Attempt # 2

So, the more I thought about it, the more I realize that to truly make an impact on parent communication, I was going to have to open this up to the entire conservatory department.
So, I've replaced the "music department blog" with a "conservatory blog."
Here it is.

I'll be inviting all of the conservatory teachers to post on it and advertise it heavily and try to get a link of it on the school web site. We'll see how this works. It could be a total dud, but I'm hoping that adding a little technology to the mix will make things a little more convenient for all sides.



The Kennedy Center, Watergate, the Lincoln Memorial, and the National Cathedral.

New to the Blog Roll

A couple of other DC and music related blogs:
- Harmany Music
and
- Metro Music Scene



A view from the Mount Vernon Trail in Arlington toward the Washington Monument and Old Post Office.

Washington Post

I have a number of articles of interest from the Washington Post today.

First of all, even with all of their great leadership and organization the DC Public Schools are delaying the implication of standard due to a lack of books.

Also, here is an article depicting the frustrations that have occurred regarding DCPS's implementation of "America's Choice," which is a model that has continued to flourish at WEDJ.

There was a picture of one of our teachers enthusiastically undergoing training for "America's Choice," but I can't seem to find it on the web.

I also found and article that mentions our new partnership with Kellie Williams.

Why anybody would call for a moratorium on the opening of unique and affective programs like these under the guise of "school quality improvement" is beyond me. If WEDJ is an indicator of what schools can do outside of the constraints of "the establishment" then the standard needs to change and a moratorium is simply hog wash.

Now, not all charter schools are the same quality as WEDJ. Nor are all normal public schools pits ignorance and decay. However, what is perfectly clear is that something radically different needs to be done in the structuring of how our schools work. WEDJ is doing that successfully.

One of the cornerstones of "America's Choice" is that we are asking something of our schools that has never been asked before: that all students reach the standards that we set forth. "America's Choice" acknowledges that and says that in order to improve our schools we can't just do more of the same. Instead, schools need to be restructured to reflect this expectation. Perhaps this is why DCPS is having such a difficult time implementing this. Change is difficult, but it's also necessary.



The Gateway Arch at Chinatown (or, as I like to call it, Chinablock).

"Almost Fired"

One of my biggest gripes with the way in which teachers unions are managed are their focus on protecting the jobs of seasoned teachers while not focusing enough on support for beginning teachers.

I was talking to a friend, today, who is beginning a teaching fellowship in the New York City Public Schools and I said that pretty much every veteran teacher I know had moments during their first year where they did something they would never have done later in their career. The joke was that everybody had their "almost fired" story.

We theorized that perhaps I should compile interviews with various educators and write a book called, "Almost Fired: True Stories from the Front Lines of our Nation's Classrooms." It'd be an inspirational collection of tales for those just starting out!



Historic Christ Church in Alexandria.

The Madness Begins!

Lots of things to post on, but I'll keep in brief.

Mark Lerner says it the right way, in a nutshell. I'll let you see what he said yourself.

Also, Kellie Williams, also known as "Laura Winslow" from the hit show "Family Matters" will be joining the WEDJ team this year as a part of our after school programs. Her program focuses on giving students real life exposure to performing arts as a real-life industry. It sounds like it's going to be an interesting addition to the school and, of course, it's neat being in the presence of such an accomplished star!

There are tons of things to look forward to this year. The newer faculty are both enthusiastic and full of ideas which is very exciting!



A court house on the corner of Washington and Prince.

Another DC Blog

Washington Cube has been leaving some friendly comments lately and so I've added her to the blog roll.
Thanks for visiting!



Headquarters for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

More on the 65% "Solution"

This is a link that I was sent regarding the "65% Solution."
As I said before, I do not know enough about school finance to make a real judgement call on this, but, I think that, when discussing this, the issues in this link should be addressed.



A statue on the corner of Washington Street and Prince Street.

First Day

Today the returning staff at WEDJ all went back for their first day of professional development. As returning staff we go through two weeks of professional development before the start of the school year.

I can hear the groans of some educators out there who are imaging unbelievably boring sessions of useless tidbits that we may or may not be able to use in our classrooms. However, it is not like this at WEDJ at all.

Our professional development is meaningful and gives us some real direction for the school year. I am welcoming these couple of weeks as a chance to reorganize my thoughts more specifically about what I will be doing this year.

At the in-service, today, I met our new drama director whose enthusiasm immediately impressed me. I also got to speak further with our new instrumental music teacher who will also act as my double for this year. I'm very excited about the things that will be possible this year with these new additions to the conservatory!

I'm thinking about opening up my parent communication idea to all of the conservatory instructors. That way, it will be most useful. I still need a chance to talk to all of them about it, however.



An Elks Lodge in Old Town. Notice the neat Elk!

Tri-M Music Honor Society

So I'm trying to look up more information on The Tri-M Music Honor Society. As we open up our high school, this year, I think it may be something to look into, if not for this year than for the future.

I was trying to find contact information for a former mentor of mine who had a strong Tri-M chapter at her school, but I'm coming up short.

I'm going to open this up to the general public. Anyone have any good experiences with Tri-M? Bad experiences? What are some of the benefits to starting a chapter? What are some disadvantages?



Yet more houses in Old Town! (It's just such a beautiful area!)

Ineffective, Inexperienced Leaders

NYC Educator posts about frustration regarding the lack of experience, effectiveness and accountability on the behalf of educational leaders.

Of current policies he says, "How come all talk of accountability begins and ends with teachers?"

I believe that affective leadership will improve our public schools. Frankly, the major difference between where I worked before and where I work now is the quality of the leadership team. It's made a world of difference for me and for my students. I only wish all students could experience what a well-lead school is like.




More houses in Old Town.

Demonizing the Closing of Charter Schools

Mark Lerner posts his thoughts on this topic.

I want to go a step further. The closing of charter schools that aren't working would only be disastrous if there was moratorium on the opening of new charter schools. Oh wait! Didn't somebodyrecently suggest that??

The truth is, there is a movement that is attempting to make charter schools a part of "the establishment" as I like to call it. Well, the establishment has failed many times over. We all know that.

Janey is calling for a moratorium on charter schools in the name of "school improvement" but what is he going to do to achieve this improvement? Leaving things the way they are is going to do nothing for the students of the District of Columbia.

Charter schools offer an alternative to the monotony away from the establishment. The closing of charter schools and the opening of new ones hold them accountable for results which is something that the establishment has done a particularly poor job with. Opening new charter schools allows those who were in a substandard school to try something new. This kind of a dynamic environment, while maybe not perfect, is a much better solution than any other that has been brought to the table surrounding the improvement of public education.

I offer this question to Superintendent Janey: what exactly are you proposing to do to improve the DC Public Schools? A moratorium is not an answer to all of your problems.

Unfortunately, I believe it may not even be in Janey's control to "fix" the DC Public Schools. I believe it is the nature of these large school districts that make them overly cumbersome to lead and thus ineffective toward their students. That, my friends, is the affect of "the establishment" when it gets too big.



More just off of King Street.

The 65% Solution

CNN reports on new laws regarding the allocation of funds in education budgets.

I really haven't formed a coherent opinion on this matter. I don't feel I know enough about education budgeting issues to really comment. But, I do have a thought.

I remember having a conversation with somebody I knew in Connecticut who said to me that teacher salaries were driving up municipal budgets and raising taxes. However, if much less than 65% of education budgets are being spent on teacher salaries, what is really driving up budgets and taxes? I'm surprised to hear that the cost of all of the teachers in a district adds up to little over half of the budget.

As I said, I don't know enough about school finance to form an educated opinion, but it does make one scratch one's head.



Lanterns on a house in Old Town.

More on the Moratorium Call

The DC Education Blog offers more detail on Clifford Janey's call for a charter school moratorium.

Also more on Eduwonk.

There have been some misguided comments about it posted on Let's Get It Right. They are ignoring the fact that there are two governing entities for charter schools in DC: The DC Public Charter School Board (DCPCSB) and the office of Charter Schools run by the DCPS School Board. They are making it look like all charter schools in DC are under investigation when it is actually just the ones run by the DCPS School Board and not the ones who fall under DCPCSB. I think that is an important piece of information that they are leaving out.



More King Street.

A Comparison to Fruit

My wife thinks that this is a bad metaphor, but I'm going to post it anyway because I'm stubborn like that!

Saying "charter schools are good/bad" is like saying "fruit is good/bad."

Like fruit, there are many different kinds of charter schools, all with a different flavor or, in more real terms, philosophy. These charter schools all "taste" very different and so to generalize them as a whole is very much a mistake.

Also, different people react different ways to the various flavors of different types of fruit. In this same way, different students have different learning styles. Not all charter schools will work for every student, but the "charter school movement" as a whole has accepted this and even made it a reason for existing.

The problem with traditional public schools (and, no, not all traditional public schools) is that they generally push a "every student, same page" kind of philosophy. With so many difference and diverse kinds of a students, a philosophy like this becomes blatantly anti-educational and even undermines the abilities of truly professional teachers who inspire their students through their ability to stray from the script in a meaningful way for their students.



A busy looking King Street!

Blog Roll

A Teacher at Large is a new blogger to the edusphere.




Just off of King Street.

Another One-Size-Fits-All School is Born

Reading this post on Polski3's blog saddens me. It shows me that school administrators are not learning from their scientifically and statistically proven mistakes.

One-size-fits-all fits no one in education. These models do not work. They have traditionally and are continuing to fail. Yet, they are becoming more and more prominent in our traditional public schools.

My condolences to Polski3 on the loss of her job to a script.



King Street in Alexandria.

Paying Students to Succeed and More Moratorium Madness

I found this posted on Joanne Jacobs' blog.

I think this idea, for lack of a better word, is dumb.
More school doesn't always mean huge cash rewards. I went to college to become a teacher, but I know friends who never went to college who are painting houses for a living and making more money than I am.

The rewards of my education have not been monetary. Frankly, if I expected money after all of my schooling then I would have left teaching long ago. Rather, I've had to discover an intrinsic value in learning and in the job of teaching that keeps me motivated. If I had been brought up expecting large cash rewards for everything I do, I would have been extremely disappointed with my career.

I just think this would breed a culture of greed more than it would altruistic contributors to our democratic society. Which would we rather have?

There are other ways to motivate students that allow them to see the intrinsic value of learning without the expectation of a reward.

Also, as predicted,
more talk on the edusphere about Clifford Janey's proposed charter school moratorium.



The Chart House on the Alexandria Waterfront.

Moratorium on Charter Schools in DC?

Superintendent Clifford Janey's insistence that charter schools are "draining students and cash from the traditional school system while failing to offer a high-quality alternative" is utterly ridiculous. The only true part of that statement is the draining of students.

First of all, DCPS spends approximately $17,000 a year per student where as charter schools only receive about $10,000 per student. Who's spending wastefully here? We're taking a whole student and, basically, only charging half.

His statement that charter schools are "failing to offer a high-quality alternative" for DC students just shows how little Superintendent Janey understands about what a charter school is. No two charter schools are alike. That is the point. Some are "better" than others, but all provide an alternative to the traditional public school. The idea is that different students learn in different ways and that there should be a choice of schools. The idea that this is a good-or-bad issue ignores the nature of how different students learn best. In addition, the compliance review we had to go through is like nothing I ever saw in a traditional public school. So, to say that we aren't being held accountable is ridiculous. And, then, how does Janey account for the obvious? WEDJ students outperformed DCPS students on standardized testing during its FIRST YEAR.

Frankly, Superintendent Janey's statement shows a true lack of leadership skills on his part. A good superintendent would work closely with the public schools, offering alternatives to the traditional learning process and making sure every student has access to an education that works for them. This is a lot of work, yes. But, that is what needs to be done to improve DCPS. Instead, Janey has whined to the Government of the District of Columbia asking them to eliminate the competition instead of actually trying to compete himself.

Mark Lerner is also not happy about this call for a moratorium. I have a feeling this will being making its way around the edusphere more later on today.



More boats on the Potomac.

WEDJ Expansion

Mark Lerner details the process necessary for the expansion of WEDJ PCS this year.

As a staff member of the school, I must express my sincere appreciation to those who worked hard to make this possible. I am extremely excited for the future as we continue to grow as a school and as a community.



The Alexandria Waterfront.

Could NCLB Cause Neighborhood Segregation?

That is a thought posed by Judy Rabin of "Schools Matter".

I guess it makes sense that this would happen. When things are labeled, especially with the idea of things being labeled "good" or "bad," people tend to react toward these labels. This would cause a flight from neighborhoods, communities, and districts where schools have been labeled failing.

I guess that's where school choice should come in. Instead of limiting students to their neighborhood school, allow them a choice of schools to fit their own, personal, academic needs. That would, basically, negate the equation where the neighborhood that you live in decides which school you attend.

But, I also think that this "good" and "bad" label stuff is just too general. I think the type of school that works for an individual student can be different from another. And, in that sense, school choice could, more efficiently, identify the strengths and weaknesses a student possesses, and then place the student in a school that is most adequate for their needs.

Just a thought.



A sail boat on the Potomac River.

A Communication Tool

As a part of our "Leadership Boot Camp" at WEDJ, we were assigned to create a "Professional Growth Plan" to follow up on as our final project.

One of the goals of this plan, for me, is to improve parent communication this year. There are simply too many parents of students who I teach to keep track of, and so I need to find a way to make this kind of communication more efficient.

So, I came up with an idea. I created a blog and an email address for the music department. The goal is to post on the blog at least weekly to update parents on goings-on in the music department. I'm also going to share this tool with the new music teacher so that we can collaborate on it. I also want to keep better track of parent contact information in my own database so that it's easier for me to just look up the information that I need. I plan on advertising this blog and email address with flyers and business cards.

Any thoughts on this idea? Anyone have other suggestions?



A paper sign we created on our "Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service" on the fence of the playground of the school.

The Issue of Roads

WEDJ is expanding to nearly twice its size this year. In addition, we share a cul-de-sac with DC Prep and will also be sharing it with another charter school this up coming school year. Yes, that's three charter schools, one cul-de-sac.

We fully expect a traffic challenge in this situation. We already encountered one this last year. The cul-de-sac, to say the least, is substandardly maintained.

Here are some pictures:









As you can imagine, this is only a taste of the entire problem.

Trucks would regularly block the street and nearly hit other cars and kids and the entire street was basically a mess.

I got fed up, as my morning and afternoon duties were spent trying to make sure the children were getting down the street alive. I had spoken to the school leadership team and apparently the city had said they would fix the roads before the school was opened, but, obviously, this had not happened.

So, I took some pictures, did a write up, and emailed New Channel 8 and they came down to the school and did a story on the roads. They did an investigation and were told that, by Thanksgiving, the roads would be fixed.

The roads were not fixed by Thanksgiving. Sometime in December, crew came around and did a temporary fix on the roads. We were told, at that point, that after the winter they would come around and fix the job.

Well, it's August again, the school year is about to start up, the quick fix has mostly deteriorated and nothing has been done to complete the project.

I called News Channel 8 again and I am hoping they will take my call seriously. This is becoming a ridiculous situation. The school is going into its third year, and still the roads haven't been fixed.

If anyone has any pull who would like to help me to spread the word about this problem, please do. The last time we got this publicized it did have an effect. Granted, the effect wasn't complete, but it did help temporarily.

Grand Theft Pencil

The Education Wonks profiles a new game by Rock Star Games while suggesting an amusing idea of making this type of "reality" game where it surrounds a teacher in a classroom.
Kudos for the chuckle!



The Torpedo Factory Art Center.

On the Modern Music Scene

So much "contemporary folk music," as I like to call it, has become very bland and cookie cutter, but there are a few bands/performing groups that break the mold a deserve recognition.

I went to the Velvet Lounge on U Street in DC last night to see The Everyday Visuals which is just such a band. Their front man, Chris Pappas, is a good friend of mine from college which is what brought the performance to my attention.

Their blend of contemporary instruments and styles with even a splash of jazz influences and definitively solid musicianship makes them one of the more revolutionary modern bands I've heard in a while. Their performance was clear and pristine or, what I call "CD Quality." My wife and I have always agreed that the mark of great musicians is to sound as good live as they do recorded. Few live up to this potential, but The Everyday Visuals do.

So congrats to The Everyday Visuals and I wish them luck on their current tour! I bought their CD and I look forward to hearing more and more of them in the future!



Some boats on the Alexandria Waterfront.

New to the Blog Roll

I apologize for not having blogged in a few days. I have some personal family matters that have been taking up way too much of my time. In addition, I've been getting ready for the up coming school year.
I wanted to add a few edublogs to the blog roll though that I picked up from We the Teachers.
Here's the list:
NYC Educator
The Daily Grind
Get Lost, Mr. Chips
The Teachers Lounge
Learning More Every Day...
Louisiana History Teacher and Traveler



Founders Park in Alexandria.

Why I Love the DC Area

Last night I was able to walk to Las Tapas, a restaurant in Old Town Alexandria, sit back, relax, have some tasty tapas and some sangria, watch some fun and interesting flamenco dancing and guitar playing, and then walk home.
Things like this are abound in this area. It's just not the same in other places, or, at least, any other place where I've lived. It seems like DC has the best of New York with the added bonus of breathing space.
The people here are diverse, interesting, and much friendlier than what I'm used to. I've met so many wonderful people since moving here, not least of which are my colleagues at WEDJ who I could never thank enough for all that they have done for me.
Moving here was probably the best decision I ever could have made. I have not regretted it for a moment. I never thought that a simple change of scenery would have so drastically affected my outlook on life for the better. The truth is, after only a year, I feel more at home here than I ever did in Connecticut, where I lived for over 24 years. I think that says a lot.



Me and an anchor at Founders Park.

Reiteration of Comment Policy

Due to recent comments made on this blog, I feel the need to reiterate my acceptable comment policy.

It is OK to disagree with me. However, if you do so, please give me evidence so that I may form a rebuttal toward the disagreement. Sometimes I will admit my error if I am convinced wrong, but simply posting, "You're wrong," will not enlighten anybody to your point of view. Such comments will simply not be published.

Secondly, do not post comments on my blog for the purposes of personal, financial gain. This is the most recent problem I have encountered. Last night I received nine anonymous posts linking to a site that was, most obviously, either a scam or, at the very least, an attempt to make illegitimate financial gain by placing an advertisement on my blog. If practices like this continue I will be forced to disable anonymous posting privileges. All nine of those duplicate posts were deleted without accessing the link.

Just a friendly reminder!




A view of the Potomac toward Southwest DC.

An Explanation

Jim Horn offers an explanation regarding his post on charter schools and segregation.

I want to tip my hat to him as I respect his willingness to step back and explain further. However, I still stand by my assertion that his first post was essentially inflammatory. Associating charter schools, in general, with segregation backed up with a picture of Ruby Bridges, is not only insulting, but, in my experiences with charter schools in the District of Columbia, goes beyond any sentiment of logic.

While, certainly, there are charter schools out there with questionable practices, there are at least as many public schools with questionable practices, if not more. And anyway, to categorize charter schools as a collective entity, on its own, is truly a mistake.



Lower King Street in Alexandria.

5 Essential Skills for School Leaders by Nancy Langley and Mark Jacobs

I was reading this book as an assignment for my "Leadership Boot Camp" class that I'm taking.

In one chapter they talk about different leadership strategies, categorizing them into two categories: category X, or fear; and category Y, or love.

Obviously, the ideal type of leadership is somewhere in the middle.

Category Y can foster an environment of trust and good will, but may also not lead to results.

Category X is what I'd like to focus on, however, because I've had leaders in the past who have exemplified this category without showing a hint of Y.
The authors state:

... no employees will give their best if they fear their employer. They will only do what they believe will not get them into trouble. That leave out taking risks, experimentation to find new ways of accomplishing a goal, and possibly more efficient ways of doing the projects and tasks at hand. Fear may lead, as Machiavellian belief indicates, to hatred, and hatred may lead to retaliation, attempts to overthrow organizational goals, and the undermining of authority.

If I had a nickel for every time I felt that way in past jobs, I'd be a rich man.

I remember one particularly talented teacher at a school that I taught at who was truly an up and coming leader in education say, in reference to an X-Category principal we had, "I'm trying to stay just below the radar."

This is a woman who could have been a valuable asset to the school. But, due to the poor leadership style being used, her abilities were stifled, as were mine. I also feared this principal. Ultimately, I left that school because being around somebody who was putting me in a constant state of fear was making me physically ill.

I guess I can understand in some cases. There are people who are unenthusiastic out there who need to be coaxed into putting all of the effort into their jobs that they should be. I AM NOT ONE OF THESE PEOPLE. If that principal had wanted me to do ANYTHING, all she had to do was ask me nicely. Instead, I was constantly bombarded with threats.

It's so nice to now be in a place where I am supervised by truly talented leaders who know how to empower me to succeed. I feel bad for my former X-Category principal because she has lost many talented employees and she is likely to lose many more.



Historic ships on the Alexandria Waterfront.

Schools Matter Is Wrong

While, many times previously, I have supported his musings, this time I feel that contributor to Schools Matter, Jim Horn is dead wrong in his post about charter schools as tools for promoting segregation.
I left a comment on this entry, and, instead of repeating myself again, I'll simply quote my comment.

Woah woah woah!
I work at a charter school of 250 students, only one of whom is white and the vast majority of others are black (around 210 of them). There are laws and regulations in place that do not allow us to discriminate, in any way, who we accept to the school.
If you want to talk about school segregation, don't go after charter schools. We just get paid the same (or less) amount of money per student that the district spends.
Look, instead, to the money gobbling magnet schools, especially those who are allowed to accept by audition.
I worked in an urban district in Connecticut that had several magent schools that served both the city and the surrounding suburbs. Because of this, funding from state and local levels were poured into these schools, giving them state of the art facilities and well trained staff.
Meanwhile, Joe-Public-School down the street that served only the city kids should have been condemned.
These money-sucking magnet schools are run by the public schools districts.
Do not be so quick to blame the charter movement for segregation when it is prevalent within school districts. Not all charter schools are good, for certain, but as a movement they are hardly advocates of segregation and to suggest that is utterly ridiculous.

Some houses in Old Town.