Monday, September 24, 2007

Quality Review


My school is going to have its quality review next week. Since we did so good last year, it was decided that we would be first, to set the bench mark for other nearby schools.


Suit is nervous. Although we did well, there are areas that we did not do well enough in. He called a staff meeting today (even though contractually we don't have to meet in September.) He handed out sheets with lists of what we did well in and where we need to do improvement. He ignored the question of a staff member who questioned that more was not being done for school security. He spent a lot of time discussing that parents seem not to know what is expected of their children in school. He blamed this on parents not knowing what the term "expectations" meant. I am willing to bet that the parents that completed the survey spoke and English and knew the meaning of the word. Blaming the parents was just a way of pushing the blame off the school. Now, all teachers are expected to use the word expectation in the classroom all the time. We also are expected to put more into differentiated learning and to gear our lessons to individual needs. With 40 kids per class, I really can't see this happening. He talked about grading and the problems of two sections of the same subject where one teacher has 80% passing while another might only have 25% passing. A few years ago I had three sections of the same subject. I did the same thing in all three classes and my passing percentages were 25%, 60% and 85%. The kids, although randomly programmed were very different.


I don't have to worry about the reviewers not liking me. Suit will never let them near me, which is fine by me. Besides, I'm sure he would never let them near the trailers. The conditions out there are terrible. He would not want to show them off. He also fears my mouth, which is a good thing for me.


On the plus side of everything, my trailer bathroom has been cleaned. There is soap in the dispenser and toilet paper in the holder. I bet my blog mate NYC Ed would be jealous if he saw (his never has any of those things). Maybe the reviewers will venture out if they need to use the facilities.

14 comments:

17 (really 15) more years said...

I hate those damn quality reviews. Last year, administration took them to all the rooms that are famous for putting on dog and pony shows, but where no real education is taking place. We scored proficient, but it should have been better.

NYC Educator said...

Wow. Congratulations on that. Who do you have to sleep with to get your trailer cleaned up like that?

And do you think they'll continue doing it once the inspection is over?

17 (really 15) more years said...

I bet it WASN'T Principal Suit.

Pissedoffteacher said...

There is only one person I sleep with--and he hasn't worn a suit in years (not counting weddings and funerals)

Anonymous said...

Yeah, and I somehow doubt that the reviewers will be steered towards anyone with an IEP. They might see a class of IEPers in an 8x10 office and guess what, it's functioning in spite of the adverse conditions. This quality review is just another bullshit contract that KleinBloom obtained to put another layer of bureaucracy between themselves and anyone whom they could hold accountable even though they are ultimately responsible for the decrepit conditions you, your students, and many others in the education community experience every day.

proofoflife said...

I am curious about a chapter leader that allows 40 kids in a class, and the teachers that don't grieve that sorry situation.I was in a trailer once and one day there was a rat in the bathroom the kids thought it was our class pet! When it rained I taught with an umbrella.Now that's quality!

Anonymous said...

Why are you back in the trailer? Doesn't your school have rotation?

Anonymous said...

Proof, did you name the pet rat?

Pissedoffteacher said...

In spite of the bad conditions, I love my trailer. We don't have an admin's sticking their noses in--they don't have GPs systems and they would get lost along the way. It is quieter than the rest of the building also. I also enjoy the fresh air break walking between classes. I request trailer every term. I'm lucky that it is not rotated away from me.

Anonymous said...

Just heard that Quality Review is no longer run by The Queen of England. Now they are those "Educational specialists" from the DoE. (Those are the guys that have no background in Education)

They will go anywhere they want.

17 (really 15) more years said...

Wow schoolgal, somehow I think that's going to make it worse. I had no idea.

Pissedoffteacher said...

I can't wait. But they won't come anywhere near my trailer. Too bad. I could tell them what a quality education our children are being given.

Mimi said...

Our quality review was a total joke. The reviewer talked to teachers for a grand total of 32 minutes...that's it. But she talked to our administrators forever (and they love to PAINT quite a picture...they take a LOT of artistic freedoms). Then she spent approximately 2 minutes in five different classrooms.

How dare she submit a report and claim that it was an accurate reflection of my school? She missed so many brilliant things that are happening and was completely oblivious of all the bullshit that needs to stop.

The whole thing was a joke.

Anonymous said...

Wow, the reviewers must not be very good if they are going to allow the suit to tell them were to go.

We were audited my first year teaching. The auditors (from the state) visited every classroom in my school, inspected the bathrooms,a kitchen, looked a everyone's records, and checked on every IEP, LEP, and 504 student.