Jimmy was in my geometry class last year. He is a great kid, a hard worker, extremely polite and respectful, a leader on one of the JROTC teams and a favorite of everyone who knows him. Unfortunately, academics is not one of his strong points, no matter how much he tries.

Jimmy is one of the kids Mr. AP was on my case about passing last year because he failed the regents. I convinced Jimmy to retake the regents in January and have even helped him a few times. Today he stopped me in the hall and said, "Happy new year, Ms. I am sorry I haven't come for tutoring. My English thesis paper is almost due and it is so hard. I have to write five pages. I've been meeting with my English teacher every day so she can help me with it." Of course I told Jimmy not to worry and that I would help him whenever he is ready.

Jimmy's English teacher doesn't understand why the kids in her class are not producing the required papers. She says the topic is easy and five pages is not that much. And, she is correct. A bright, or even average high school student could probably produce this paper with a minimum amount of effort but, kids like Jimmy, are overwhelmed. Mr. AP was upset when I passed Jimmy. He doesn't think Jimmy will bother with the regents since he already passed the class. He doesn't understand how overwhelmed Jimmy is.

This one size fits all education doesn't fit. Jimmy might end up in a two year college. How he does there is any one's guess. But, if a five page paper is too much for him here, how will he ever survive there?

Scary

No words needed on my part. This story and Justice say it all.

My only comment is that right now classes are being stacked so that some teachers have more difficult kids to teach than others. One of the and low level classes is now being given only the lowest level classes in the school. Her classes are full of repeaters, kids who should be juniors and seniors but have no math credits (and not too many in other subject areas either.) The AP is aways harrassing her. The newbies have much better kids in all or most of their classes. When a newbie took over for a teacher going on sabbatical last year, the AP removed all the trouble makers from that class. Guess where they went?

While I agree that incompetent teachers should be removed, test scores are not the way to go.

Another Memo

Most math teachers have raised their expectations, yet, a few still have very low expectations. We must all work together and use the same standards to help our students reach high. If you constantly ask your students to quiet down or follow rules, it is a sign that your expectations are way to low.

We are all trying to figure out what the above paragraph means. It was in a note from my supervisor, one of his many notes intending to micro manage everything we do. In the same memo he mentioned a teacher who was doing the unforgivable "chalk and talk." That teacher actually demonstrated the way to solve a problem. Maybe it is a good thing that he micro manages. We can't have teachers going around and teaching. The memo also contained the expression "check your students TEMP". If I use a rectal thermometer I will end up in the rubber room. Maybe he will supply us with some of those new ear models. There was one teacher whose lesson did not match the aim. This is totally irresponsible. How dare this teacher deviate from a plan? What right did this teacher have to try to adjust her lesson to her students immediate needs? Thankfully only one teacher did this and it was only in one lesson.

Please do not ask your students to "stop talking" or "even sit down" when they approach you to ask a question. Please try to find out what they want and help them!"

I don't know too many teachers that will not help a student. Kids have a way of asking questions at inopportune times. If we allowed them to interrupt class all the time he would tell us to raise our expectations. With him, it is impossible to win. When a teacher, student or child goes to him for help, we are usually met with the response "I am not your maid. I will not drop everything to wait on you." What is good for the goose is not good for the gander in this case.

Teaching is hard. Administrators like this make it harder all the time. This week I tried to raise my expectations for one of my students. I went to my AP to try to get her permission to double up and take Math B and pre-calculus together. She had done extremely well when she was in my class and in a friend's class in the past. (My friend and I have over 50 years teaching experience together.) He looked at her record and told me that she could not double up. Although she had received grades in the high 90's from both of us, two other teachers gave her grades in the 75 - 80 range. (The other teachers have a combined experience of 5 years.) I really don't want to stop teaching but it is getting so hard to deal with these injustices all the time. My protests fall on deaf ears. I'm labeled a whiner and a complainer (and a rambler, since I know I am rambling on in this post.) Now I am too easy. I feel the fight leaving me. I know how a wild horse must feel when it is finally broken.