Uninformed Opinion on Single Sex Classrooms

Since it has been in the news a lot lately, and since I've been asked to comment on it, I will.

The truth is, I don't have a solid opinion on this issue yet. As always, there are two sides to the story.

On on hand, a policy that allows single sex public schools could lead to what was once referred to as a "separate but equal" state of education. As we've found and has been solidified in Brown vs. Board of Education, separate but equal is not a valid and sound legal concept. This applies to both race and gender segregation.

However, when one brings the idea of school choice to the table it changes things. If one has the choice to go to a single sex school because it would be a more conducive environment to their own learning style, then that is something I would support. The trick is allowing the choices to be equal for both genders while making sure we do not stereotype the choices that either gender may make.

One complication with this, as seen in a previous entry, is that girl schools could become inherently "feminine" and boys schools could become inherently "masculine." One thing we have to understand is that these lines can be blurry at best. And in addition to that, the possibility exists, for instance, of the de-emphasizing of math skills for girls because of the assumption that men do better at math than women and, as I've discussed, that is a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Also, I do think it is important, for social development purposes, to interact with other students of many different backgrounds, ethnicities, and genders. However, I do see the behavioral benefit for certain students to be in a single sex environment.

I guess my answer is that, simply, it depends.

Leadership and the Classroom

I began my second class in the program at GWU yesterday and, due maybe even to nothing that was discussed in the class, my mind became abuzz.

One of the things a lot of people have asked me lately about my having chosen to do educational leadership administration instead of pusuring a higher degree in something like music or music education is if I think that when I become a principal if I will miss the classroom.

My opinion on it is this. I am not getting this degree to escape the classroom. Many people do, but I am not one of those people. I love teaching and I love working with my students.

In the short term, I am getting this degree to better understand my function in the educational industry. Last year I was the only music teacher at the school and, being an independent school, by default, I was also functioning as the central office staff for music. I still find myself in that role a bit this year as my example is often being followed by some of the newer teachers at the school mostly because of the unique kind of environment the school provides. So, in the short term, this degree DOES help me with my current job. In fact it helps me to understand the part of my job that is currently the most murky to me.

In the long term, yes, I do see myself taking up a full time administrative position of some sort. This, however, is not to escape the classroom. On the contrary... it's so that I can be closer to many classrooms and help teachers to be able to help their students. I've always been a kind of "go-out-of-your-way-for-others" type of guy. I think this is one attribute a leader truly must have. It's not that I don't want to teach, it's that I want to be the person to help others achieve even higher goals with their students.

Does that sound egotistical? I hope not. I don't think I'm any better a person than anybody else for having this kind of goal. I don't think I'm a superior teacher neccesarily either. I certainly have my days and issues. But, I hope, that as an administrator, someday I could make those days and issues just a little bit easier on those who are under my employ.

On another note, "Dia de los Muertos: A Celebration of Life" open today at 2 PM. Hope to see you there!

Unfair

While I do support merit based pay for teachers, I do not support any plan that bases pay raise or bonuses purely on test scores that come from a test that doesn't even test all of the subjects.

Perhaps this is self-serving, but it is entirely unfair to believe both that an English teacher needs more motivation than I do to be excellent at what they do and that, even though my students make great strides in achievement, I do not deserve a bonus because my subject does not show up on the DCCAS.

Thankfully, I do work at a school that values the arts as academic subjects.

Dia de los Muertos: A Celebration of Life

Who: The 4th-9th graders of the William E. Doar, Jr. Public Charter School for the Performing Arts

What: A celebration of the lives of those who came before us as seen through the perspective of the holiday celebrated primarily in Mexico.

When: Thursday, October 26th at 2 PM
Saturday, October 28th at 7 PM

Where: O'Connor Auditorium
Trinity University
125 Michigan Ave. NE
Washington, DC 20017

Why: It should be a fun introductory show for both our new and returning students to show what they have learned in the arts, and academics, and about culture.

Introducing: Our new music teacher, Dontae Hamlett, and our new Theater and Movement teacher, John Milosich.

Tickets are $8 and may be purchased at WEDJ PCS's campus:
705 Edgewood St. NE
Washington, DC 20017

On the potential take over of DCPS by Adrian Fenty...

Mark Lerner just posted a detailed post full of facts about education history and philosophy. So, yeah... what he said!

Low Expectations = Low Achievement

This article on CNN discusses this idea in the context of women and math, but I think this concept is applicable across all spectrums including students in urban environments and specifically special ed and minority students.

If you expect it of them, then they can do it. It's going to take effort, but they can do it. The reason WEDJ is successful and the reason that our students are so great behaviorally, academically, and artistically is not because we got some string of luck and got great students. Quite the contrary. Some of the newer students at the school are just coming around to the fact that our expectation is that they behavior and produce on a professional level. And because that is the expectation, that is what they achieve.

I worry about educators who say, "my students can't do this," and "my students can't do that." A lot of this comes from a culture, in education, that we've built of hopelessness, low expectations, and, thus, mediocrity. My challenge to educators out there is to not fall into that pit of negativity and pessimism that many of your colleagues contribute to. Be the optimist that everybody hates because your students CAN do it. If they hate you after that it will only be through the jealousy they feel toward your success as an educator.

I know this is a difficult task. I know this because I almost fell into this idea myself. Yes, I'm lucky to have found a place that does support a culture of excellence from the administrative level. I am amazed by those educators who, in spite of low administrative expectations, rise to the challenge of creating an environment where students are encouraged to stretch their potential far. Those educators do exist and they are far greater teachers than myself. But, as educational leaders and teachers, we always need to expect the best. We have empirical evidence that shows that the level of expectation raises the level of achievement.

If you feel sorry for yourself in education, it might be time to find another job. There's no room for pessimism. We have too much all ready.

Fenty: A Supporter of Charter Schools?

With the likely advent of Adrian Fenty becoming mayor of DC and with his most recent major platform of education reform, one must ask the question where he stands on school choice and, more specifically, charter schools.

Whitney Tilson posts thoughts on Fenty's past and present reactions to school reform which, while still vague, poses the most clear analysis on what his policies might be so far.

It seems to me that Fenty will prefer more of a hands off approach to charter schools which could be taken in a couple of different ways. In one way, he won't oppose charter schools, but on another, he won't necessarily support their advancement.

As stated in Tilson's post, Fenty has been focusing his rhetoric much more on the reform of the existing DCPS schools in that he would like to mirror the success seen in the NYC Public Schools. (There are many arguments against the idea that NYCPS have been successful since Bloomberg's take-over, but, either way, it is seen as being more successful than what has happened with DCPS). If Fenty does take over DCPSB, then it is pretty safe to say that Superintendent Clifford Janey's days may be numbered as the major bargaining chip of any school board is the ability to hire and fire a superintendent. Since Superintendent Janey has shown adamant opposition to the creation of charter schools, charter advocates would see this as a victory.

But, one has to wonder, looking at Fenty's previous record, if his "hands-off" approach to charter schools is motivated by political convictions or simple politics. Since 25% of DC students are now enrolled in charter schools with long waiting lists off to the side, charter school support is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with. Perhaps Fenty's approach is due to his "secret" opposition to charter schools coupled with his knowing that the out right proclamation of this opposition would be political suicide on his part.

It's really hard to say, simply because so little has been said. I suppose only time can tell what this shift in power will mean to the educational system in Washington, DC.

On the mindset of an educator...

In talks with friends and colleagues who are new to the education realm, I've been searching deep down inside of me to find my own fundamental philosophy of education in general. I know that it has changed since when I first began teaching, but I hadn't quite realize how. Due to my experiences I've grown to value teaching in a different way.

When I first decided I wanted to be a teacher, I thought that it was going to be a grand academic achievement. I thought that teaching had more to do with the subject matter than anything else and, to me, that was of high intellectual value.

I quickly found that I was wrong. And, for a while, after being a practicing teacher, I began to regard to craft as mindless and without intellectual merit. This was when I was still what I would consider to be a poor teacher.

More recently, and especially since being at WEDJ, I have found that the intellectual merit is not in the subject matter, but in the management of your students' various mindsets toward a common goal. It's not only intellectually stimulating, but, frankly, there are only a handful of people in the world with the talent to actually do it well. There are some who are natural teachers. I do not think I am one of these people. I have just enough of the natural talent to get by and then I have the experience and knowledge to make up for what I do not have in talent. But, I observe that, even in the most natural of teachers, there is a purposefulness to everything that they do making teaching probably one of the most "higher order thinking skills" that there could be.

My point is simpler than that, though. One can't regard teaching in a way that is a career forming a person. In many ways, it's the other way around.

I came up with a quote that illustrates to that point that I now have posted on my AIM profile. It's what my wife and I might call, "profile-worthy."

"Teaching, unto itself, is not a rewarding career. The rewards come from the effort that the teacher puts into the development of their students and thus creating a more rewarding career for themselves."

This helps to illustrate the difference between being an educator and working in academia. The biggest difference is how one view the students. Are they minds that you are trying to fill with knowledge? Or are they individuals that you guide toward finding purpose in their lives? It's a totally different mindset when you are working with pre-collegiate children, adolescents, and teenagers.

I think that, as an educator, the first step to becoming effective is to put oneself in that kind of a mindset. Your philosophy must be student-based rather than academic. Only when that is realized can one even begin to move onto the second step in their career: refining their skills and management. Because, only then will one realize the priorities that one needs to emphasize when refining those skills.

Teacher Retention

Edspresso posts an analyzation and opinions on the latest metlife poll regarding teacher satisfaction.

I think this post is an especially good read. Excellent points are made regarding government bureaucracy and the priorities of teachers' unions today. The focus in teaching should be on giving teachers more latitude in what they do as long as they are held accountable for the results. If you treat us like professionals, we'll act like professionals. And, if we don't, there needs to be repercussions.

The problem is that those of us who are professionals often end up leaving because of the bureaucracy we are forced to deal with. I was almost one of these teachers. Now, working at WEDJ, a lot is demanded of me. More is demanded of me than when I taught in Waterbury, but, the difference is that I'm treated like a professional. I am given a say in decisions that are made and I am encouraged to make my own innovations. Beyond that, I am held accountable (posting lesson plans, meeting deadlines, etc) and then rewarded (usually just verbally... but even that makes a difference!) for my successes. My job is more inherently rewarding because I am treated like a professional.

I didn't need a union for this to happen, but a lot of places do. The unions truly need to focus more on priorities like this. It will retain more teachers and give them a sense of a job that is high and prestige and thus important to society. That is all we really want. We want to know that we are doing something important because that is the reason we went into teaching in the first place. Often, teaching is a thankless job. A simple "thank you," can make a huge difference. I've gotten that at WEDJ from both parents and administration. And every time I recieve a simple gesture like that I realize the importance of what I am doing every day.

Recent Events

I'm going to back track a little bit to keep some accomplishments I feel worthy of posting documented.

First of all, this next week is WEDJ's first performance of the year, our annual "Oktoberfest" performance which this year is entitled, "A Celebration of Life," and centers around the Hispanic holiday of Dia de los Muertos and its relationship to ancient Aztec mythology and to stories from our own lives of those who have passed before us. It should be a touching performance. I'm not directly involved in the music of this performance (currently the oldest grade I am teaching is 2nd and the show is for grades 4-9), Mr. Hamlett is doing a wonderful job of infusing the student's interests and the subject matter of the show. I am more of a supporting role in this, adding accompaniments where necessary and mentoring the newer teachers into the way we do shows at WEDJ which is different from any other school that I know of.

I've finished my first graduate course in educational leadership at the George Washington University. The subject matter was fascinating and I think I did pretty well for my first foray into graduate school. They're announcing a call for papers for a conference to take place in February and I'm being encouraged to revise and present the paper that I wrote on arguments for an against charter schools at this conference. I'm considering doing it, but it depends on what kind of time I have to actually revise the paper in time. Also, I've been officially admitted into the program for the spring semester.

Previous to that, the DC Area Alumni Association held a Founder's Day get-together a week late due to schedule availability. It was a small but hearty gathering. After some confusion about locating people and a last minute change of venue it ended up being a rather enjoyable evening. I'm hoping, as vice president, to attempt to encourage more and more participation in association events.

The CER Gala went very well. It was a great experience for my students to work with another director and in the context of a choral festival. It was a dream come true for me to be able to bring my students to something like this. I remember performing at festivals like that when I was in middle and high school and I always hoped to be able to give my students the same kinds of opportunities.

CER's 13th Annual Gala

A few of my students are performing at this Friday evening.

It should be an exciting event!

Apologies on the Basis of Gender

I just want to make an apology regarding my having misrepresented the gender of any blogger I have mentioned here. It has happened at least a couple of times now and I apologize for it.
Gender is a funny thing. Obviously, when one is posting on the internet, it means almost nothing. Since I use my real name on here there is almost no mistaking my gender. But, in the past, I used screen names that implied to some people that I might be female.
I guess when I've used more gender specific language I made certain assumptions. Or, then again, maybe I assumed nothing at all.
I have a high pitched voice for a male my age. Often when I answer the phone the person on the other line assumes that I'm female. Sometimes I feel insulted by that. But, then, when I think about it, I also think, what is in a gender?
My mother was a militant feminist. So, in being brought up I was basically taught to almost ignore ideas of gender roles. So, it seems only fitting that, later in life, I have a career that is considered to be predominantly feminine and that I often make mistakes in assuming the genders of others.
I guess my point is this. If I mistaken your gender it isn't because your posting seems more masculine or feminine to me, it's just that I try not to make assumptions either way. Unfortunately, sometimes, the English language prevents us from taking the unassuming route.
So, again, I apologize for the mistakes!

October 6 1898-2006

Happy Founders Day to all Sinfonians!

A Thought on Professionalism

My wife and I went to an alumni event for her alma mater tonight. We met some old friends of hers there and many of them, in the few short years since graduation, had created some rather successful sounding careers. One of her friends said that he recently filed a law suit against Argentina.... the country! Another has been traveling all through Africa for the past year. It was all very fascinating, but, then it made me think about my own career choice and how it might be seen.

Yes, my job requires me to be silly. I sometimes sound something like Barney or Mr. Rogers. In fact there are times when, with my very youngest students, I will speak gibberish just to get their attention. Does this make me any less of a professional?

There are some who might and do see it this way. They see teaching as a bottom run career with teachers simply being parrots for a higher cause.

Of course, these people are wrong.

I think teaching has two facets to it. Many "professional" careers deal much in the theoretical, and much less in the "getting your hands dirty" type of work that runs a company or organization. Teaching, however, requires you to not only be involved in the planning, but also in the direct implementation. That is what makes teaching a unique career.

I came up with a neat metaphor for this:

Teachers are both the architect and the construction worker.

When thinking of teaching in this respect it can become quite daunting. There are many more hats that teachers wear that most people aren't even aware of. However, I also believe that this is one of the unique and wonderful aspects of our career. Not only do we get to plan what is going to happen, we get to see and actually make it happen. If for no other reason, teaching may just be about the most rewarding thing one can do with their life.

Someday, one of my students will file a law suit against Argentina, and I will have helped them to get there.