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Last week, Education Sector's Elena Silva published an excellent report on the success of formerly low-performing elementary schools in Hamilton County (Chattanooga), Tennessee. With generous support from the Public Education Fund and the Benwood Foundation in Chattanooga, these "Benwood schools" used a combination of incentives, embedded professional support and strong leadership teams to fuel consistent, long-term improvements in student learning. (See Public School Insights' story about the Benwood schools here.)
The report advances a very important argument:
It seems that what the Benwood teachers needed most were not new peers or extra pay--although both were helpful. Rather, they needed support and recognition from the whole community, resources and tools to improve as professionals, and school leaders who could help them help their students. ...
Yesterday's on-line edition of Education Week includes a story about The Tom Mooney Institute for Teacher & Union Leadership, which "is a new effort by seasoned leaders within the teacher union movement to develop the leadership skills and organizational capacity of emerging progressive teacher unionists."
Named for a former Ohio Federation of Teachers president who passed away unexpectedly in 2006, the Institute aims, in the words of co-directors Mark Simon and Naomi Baden, to make unions "constructive partners in education reform." You can learn more about the Insitute in a January Education Week commentary published by Simon and Baden.) ...
The April 1st edition of Education Week includes an excellent article on the success of professional learning communities (PLC's) at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois.
The article frequently quotes National Staff Development Council executive director (and Learning First Alliance Board member) Stephanie Hirsh. Hirsh goes so far as to argue that when "you find any high-performing high-poverty school... you will find elements of PLC's.” Many of the success stories on this site bear out her observation.
For more information about Stevenson High School, see this detailed case study. ...
For years now, education reformers have been getting earfuls of advice from business leaders.
Turning this convention on its head last week, a USA Today business Reporter looked to an educator for insights on leadership. The paper's corporate management reporter interviewed Molly Howard, NASSP's 2008 Principal of the Year, about the qualities that have helped her raise academic expectations, student performance and graduation rates at her high-poverty high school in Georgia. ...
A group of phenomenally creative students at Fleming County High School In Flemingsburg, KY have created a downright lyrical public service announcement promoting the education profession. Their short animated film won a 2008 Public Service Announcement competition sponsored by the Future Educators Association, a division of Phi Delta Kappa International.
The PSA is both a moving celebration of the educator's calling and an example of sophisticated multimedia work high school students are doing around the country. Be sure to check it out and share it with others! ...
In the week since the New York Times published a conversation on education philanthropy entitled How Many Billionaires Does It Take to Fix a School System, some high-profile bloggers have characterized the piece as an unintentionally sad commentary on the state of education funding. The transcript of a conversation among NYT Magazine editor Paul Tough and five education talking heads: Green Dot Charter School Founder Steve Barr, American Enterprise Institute education impresario Frederick Hess, New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, Venture Philanthropist Vanessa Kirsch and former Gates Foundation education head Tom Vander Ark.
To Diane Ravitch, the article confirms that the champions of corporate-style education reform have nothing but disdain for those "ordinary educators who toil in the classroom.... Only those untainted by actual direct experience of education have the insight to 'fix' the school system." ...
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Michael de Vito and Carmen Macchia of Port Chester Middle School, one of the many successful schools we feature on this site.
De Vito and Macchia told me the remarkable story of how they and their colleagues created a safe and positive school climate, a richer, broader curriculum focused on literacy and aligned to state assessments, a commitment to literacy across the curriculum, intensive collaboration among school staff, and strong support for teachers' work.
A central piece of their strategy: a focus on reading across the curriculum. DeVito and Macchia describe how their school-wide commitment to literacy has actually enriched their curriculum, rather than narrowing it.
One of Principal Macchia's insights bears repeating: It takes time to effect real transformation in schools. Though the political environment may favor instant turnaround, Macchia urges educators to settle in for a much longer haul. He advocates for multi-year plans to effect true systemic change.
Do you have a story about your school's transformation? Leave us a comment below, or share it through our story tool. ...
Yesterday, I posted publicschoolinsights.org's exclusive interview with leading Native American children's book author Joseph Bruchac.
After the interview, another renowned children's book author, Cynthia Leitich Smith, emailed me an overview of themes in Native American Themes in Children's literature as well as a list of books and other resources specially for teachers and librarians. Check them out. ...
We hear a great deal about the United States' standings in international comparisons of students' academic performance, yet we hear relatively little about what the highest performing countries have done to ascend the rankings. Fortunately, Stanford professor and American Association for Colleges for Teacher Education Board member Linda Darling-Hammond has had a gander at both Finland and Singapore, two of the countries topping the international list.
The practices she finds there are not hard to grasp: Give teachers an excellent education on the government dollar (or Euro), guarantee them substantive, ongoing professional development, and promote ample time for collaboration with colleagues. ...
The National Association of Secondary School Principals has released a list of Breakthrough Middle and High Schools for 2008. NASSP and the Metlife Foundation have recognized these schools, all of which serve many poor students, for dramatically improving student achievement. ...
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A VISION FOR GREAT SCHOOLS
On this website, educators, parents and policymakers from coast to coast are sharing what's already working in public schools--and sparking a national conversation about how to make it work for children in every school. Join the conversation!
