Notice

In the last few days I have heard several stories of teachers receiving notice, or pink slips. The timing is now because the end of the semester is nigh and, at least for the terminator, provides a natural break. This of course happens every year and every semester, so why am I now curious? Because many of those terminatees had had no warning.

Hiring consultants

For various reasons, people leave the classroom or the school or the district or the state department of education, and for various reasons some of those people then launch themselves as consultants. So far, so good. Free market. Willing seller, willing buyer and so on. However, not all who were once in education at any level good consultants make, and someone who is good at one thing may not be able to guide or to mentor in another. Some "consultants" can actually do real harm.

It's so easy. Just do it.

I was listening to a discussion between a journalist and a mother about the school experiences of her highly-autistic daughter. The takeaway from the mother's position is that the school was wrong, was doing bad things and was harming her daughter. They should accept the child and let her be. What was missing of course was any consideration of everyone else in the picture, particularly the teachers.

Better late than never ...?

One of my regular gigs is mentoring a new (I mean in first could of years in the role) director of  PK - 12 independent school. Some of our sessions are on practical things like calendars, recruitment and newsletters. Some are more philosophical, or as I like to ask, "Who are we and why are we here?". This week he asked what to do about a highly-effective teacher who is frequently late of a morning.

See something, say something, get punished

Oh boy, this is a humdinger. A dumb policy combines with a dumb implementer. I assume the policy comes for the Board; the implementation was by the principal. 

I'm glad I'm no ionger a principal

A former colleague of mine is a principal in a small PK - 12 independent school and she is in a bit of a pickle. Last week, she received a demand letter from a group of parents which in and of itself is not unusual and the school's typical response is along the lines of, "this is our Mission" and "this is what we do" and "it's a free market and you have other options". What was unusual was that later the same day, she received another demand letter from another group of parents insisting on exactly the opposite. So any action, including no action, would inevitably be regarded by one group as favoring the other,

School red in the face over "blackface"

I was just sent an articele about a recent settlement involving a California non-public school (below) and I must confess that I had missed the original story. I must also say that I find the original decision appalling and think that the principal should have been fired, and the Board receive mandatory training for appointing and then supporting her.

Mind Your Language; words matter

While I see it's re-direction value, I've never really agreed with the sticks and stones mantra. I have seen first-hand how statements, asides and poor phrasing can be destructive, especially with girls and especially with pre- and early-adolescent girls. My latest parent consult bears this out.

A school fails to act; tragedy follows

This is both a strange and tragic story. A very young child brings a gun to school and shoots his teacher. Reportedly, he had previously threatened this and other violent actions so it was not impulsive which is my normal Preschool and Elementary behavior barometer. What concerns me are the actions of the school.

You`ll take it and you`ll like it

As I was reading, and being prompted for, an earlier piece, my eye was caught by a nearby headline about customers of a restaurant complaining about its menu. Apparently they went to a restaurant, either because they liked it or because they had heard good things about it, and then complained becasue it did not have the menu they wanted. This reminded me of two experiences of my own, one concerning homework, the other recess.

Bullies, lipstick and pigs

A school near me has just held its "anti-bullying week" and the phrase, "lipstick on a pig" comes to mind. Such a campaign may raise awareness, but it will not change behavior.

Advocates say students should never be expelled

A report of a discussion about student exclusion in the UK, aka "expulsion", noted that the position being debated was that students should never be expelled, and that any expulsion is a mark of failure for that school. I beg to differ.

Teacher fired for being "old"

A UK teacher was recently awarded compensation for age-related discrimination in her dismissal. This seems like the right outcome, but as always, things are more complicated.

Why I left one of the top schools in the country

When I was new-ish to the profession, I lucked into a position at one of the top schools in the country. I did not know that at the time, in fact I really only realized this after I left. I needed a job, it was an experimental school with a great program and they wanted me. So why did I leave?

Sent home to change into a shorter skirt

A UK academy (equivalent to a US charter school) sent home a student for non-compliance with its uniform rule. The school says she must wear the official skirt or trousers or stay home. She says this is a matter of religious freedom.

Professional Development, free or not free

I had an interesting conversation with a young teacher a few days ago. She felt quite strongly that professional development for teachers ("PD") should be free, and as a result she refused to and would refuse to pay which she claimed is a common position amongst her peers. This of course raises several interesting questions.

Appropriate or controversial - what is a school to do?

This story about a teacher in Burlington, Wisconsin raises two important questions for schools and teachers. One is the old beauty - eye - beholder and the other is when is it appropriate to touch on certain topics. There is no simple answer to either; the best solution lies in having clear policies and a supportive school culture.

Something in this response's tone does not seem right

 "As a school we cover mental health and personal well-being in the curriculum in all year groups and have support available in school through a pastoral team that includes two trained counsellors." This is the school's response when one of its students committed suicide as a result of bullying.

When this happens at a school, the school itself is guilty of bullying

A UK newspaper reports that a student hid in a bathroom for three days to escape his tormentors, and that this was only discovered when the school reported him to his parents for truancy. That this happened, that it took the school three days to act and that the school's response was to text the parents makes the school the aggressor and more culpable than the victim's attackers.

Take a course in safeguarding and everything will be fine

A few days ago I received several promos for safeguarding*. I don't know what occasioned such a flurry, but the message was consistent. Take a course (or put your faculty through a course) and your worries / problems / risks will go away. Don't take a course and you are a neglectful / negligent / terrible human being. The thing is, courses do not safeguarding make. Instead, schools need to look at culture, and at staff and student supervision.