So I was wanting a change and to leave my current job. I was a former classroom teacher that left the classroom to help with the professional development of teachers. I then worked for the school district doing curriculum and professional development. I liked it for the first year; but the second year I did it I hated it. I didn't like the schools that I was working with and I hated the politics of the department that I worked for. So; I decided to leave...this job sort of fell into my lap. Most days I love, love, love, my job; however there are days when I just shake my head and want to kiss it goodbye! What do I do?? I am sort of the AYP police. Any non-educators out there....sit back and I'm going to tell you a story.
Once upon a time there was a president named George. George was very concerned about the inequity of American education system. He called in the silent bigotry of education. (Very profound...I know and suprisingly one of the few things that I agree with George about). George's solution to this problem was to get every child working at grade level by the year 2014. He did this by creating No Child Left Behind (NCLB). NCLB has several complicated parts that don't make any sense and are totally unattainable....however the concept is pretty good. If there are schools that don't make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) towards the 100 percent goal they get "watched". If they don't make AYP for 2 years in a row they get classified as "On Improvement". That is where I come in. I go and work with schools "On Improvement" and help develop a plan to get them making adequate progress again.....so that everyone can live happily ever after. Right....well not quite.....
There are two elementary schools I work with. And the biggest problem is that they don't think they are doing anything wrong.....this blog is going to be my outlet for all the frustrations that I have with the teachers, principals, and downtown administration that just don't get what they are doing wrong and are, in my opinion, to stubborn to change.
My issue to day....teaching our English Language Learners......I have a school that does not seem to educate their English language learners (ELL's) very well. There are 46 ELL students that have to take the state assessment that determines AYP.....to make AYP we only need 16 KIDS....just 16.....and do you know how many kids they have right now that will pass.....SIX.....and it has been about 5 month....what the heck are these people doing......
