Friday, August 15, 2014

Board Members: Don't let Sorum lie to you.

As we previously posted on the more testing portion of the board meeting, we needed to do some more data gathering to make sure we were on the right track and understand more about why you need to test students every three weeks.  We requested that since it must have been thought out and planned, there is a plan in place that board members can see and also the main people who will be working it, us the teachers and admin of FWISD.

We do have conflicting information which means that it does not seem organized or at least a buy in from even the people in central office who are tasked with implementing it at the campus level.
Well the whole idea came from Sorum in his infinite wisdom and guess why?

"monitor the teachers closer instead of students"

So many questions popped up. You mean to tell me:

*Sorum is now in charge of school leadership and teacher evaluation?
*Sorum and/or school leadership have no idea of the quality of teachers we have?
*Sorum and/or school leadership need another evaluation instrument to monitor teachers?
*So this means that teacher effectiveness will be measured by two weeks of instruction and a test?

They have also decided to keep the 9 weeks CBA.. tell me how all this data, of two three weeks tests and 9 weeks CBA will be used to improve.  Sounds more to us like an idea to justify your job.

So as we have requested, where is the plan?  How will it look like and when will it take effect and training?  Teachers return next week and when are we supposed to know specifics.  We were at the principal meeting and the specialists nor anyone around could answer our questions about how it will impact Dual Language students since they do it in both languages.

Does the plan include the participants, did you include bilingual/ESL/SPED, etc?

We went around asking principals and most agreed no game plan was given, just more questions with no answers as usual.  Then some network specialists said they haven't seen much of it and others say they have heard or at least seen something.  So when you get one or the other it doesn't bode well.

But the best part of this is that Sorum wanted this 3 week testing but not curriculum.  We think rightly so because they will have to come up with the exams which I am sure are not done yet and will be put together sloppily.  So here we have the CAO giving the orders with no clear direction because obviously his people did not want it.

Board members ask them for the plan, what research is behind this plan, where hast it been successful in a district such as ours...   We need you to help us... we have enough on our plate.
P.S.
Also please ask school leadership to stop the threats about losing our jobs if we don't improve things when they are the ones that tell us what to do most of the time and yet they are not held accountable either.  Just look at our evaluation, we get a set criteria on how our school improves or not and that's how we get evaluated.  So where is leadership's evaluation and are they held to the same standard of achievement as we are?  I bet you they don't have anything like us because they still have their job after 24 schools are not performing even at the minimum level but you will all be ready to ax us if we don't.  With that Sorum and Company don't feel like they have any stake because their job is secure, you as a board continue to allow it.  We have become the punching bag!


7 comments :

  1. We need leaders who spend hard time in real classrooms. Pedagogy is both the science and the art of teaching. Dr. Sorum is passionate about education, hence all the letters he has earned in his quest for understanding how we learn. Unfortunately, he has not developed his craft. When I was a child, I played school using my dolls as students. Such compliant students! I never had to reteach, discipline, stop for artificial testing, deal with interruptions, or even wait to go to the bathroom. Most of our central administrative staff are at the pretend school level. Only in the trenches can teachers develop craft. This art of teaching is not valued by our district. If it were, all administrative staff members would be required to be the teacher of record for one class in one of their neighborhood schools each year. If the likes of Dr. Sorum, Ms Breed, Dr. Linares, curriculum writers and network specialists were required to implement the curriculum frameworks, suffer through testing and data analysis, and all things classroom, the building of fine teachers rather than piles of documents could begin.

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  2. Perfectly expressed! Whoever you are, I hope I get to sit next to you at one of our many useless waiver day trainings some time!

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  3. No one in senior administration has spent a day as a teacher in a high school classroom. I found that stunning,

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  4. We love this comments. You are truly a scholar my friend. I will share this comment on our Facebook page.. We in the trenches are truly not valued.

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  5. Sorum is a snake.He says one thing, and does another. If he actually shows up in your room, you are on your way out, unless a board member likes you! FWISD curriculum is awful, ask the specialist, they will tell you. When I was at A&M, I learned more than this idiot knows!

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  6. Do we expect our kids to test every 3 weeks? What the heck? I am a parent and teacher in FWISD! Please correct this! Sorum has lost his mind. Wait..... He never had one! This is total BS! As in Bull Sh@@! Board please hear us!! Sorum is lying to you!

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  7. Sutherland where are you? Sorum has been lying to you! Calling you an idiot! Ask him. He is awful at telling the truth.

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