"Family is the best thing you could ever wish for. They are there for you during the ups and downs and love you no matter what."
Yesterday, I made a tough decision - I decided to leave the profession I love most, because of the bureaucracy and ridiculous nature of our public education system. I realized that my family was suffering because of my insistence on staying in education, and that my depression was getting worse due to my job. I am not able to earn enough of a salary to support my family, and teaching takes a lot of time outside of the regular working day. Additionally, my Asperger's Syndrome is more noticeable when I am stressed, and working as a long term sub, I have no job security.
Living with both Asperger's and depression has its ups and downs. Of course, one of the negatives is that when my depression kicks in (like that little devil on my shoulder), my stress level goes up, and I start feeling down on myself and my abilities. Then, like that snowball that you roll down a mountain that wipes out a village at the bottom, it keeps on getting worse, and my Asperger's then pushes me towards a blowout, which makes me feel worse about my inability to control it, which makes my Asperger's affect my judgement even further, pushing me closer to the edge of meltdown village. And on it goes...
Eventually, one of three things will happen. Either (1) I end up having that meltdown, which I feel better at the end because, just like Old Faithful, once the stress is gone, I am then able to start processing the cause and results of the stress, and I can see what caused the problem. (2) I end up getting depressed bout my lack of ability to control my emotions, and stay in that state for days. Or (3), my alexthymia kicks in. This is the inability to interpret ones own emotions. In this case, it's like I blew a fuse, and, in an analogy my wife uses to describe this state, I end up becoming like a robot, or Mr. Spock on Valium. I view it as if a fuse blows to protect my brain, allowing me to release the stress by venting it out without affecting anyone else.
One thing, though, is never-ending, and that is that is the care and love I get from my family. Any time I am down, my kids or my wife is always there for me, and they never fail. They are always concerned with my state of being, and will try to bring me back up when I am down. I am lucky to have them, and I always know they will be there for me, in the good or bad, in sickness and in health.
This may have been a horrible year, being in and out of work, with my job prospects limited, and it may not have been a typical storybook year, but it has a perfect, fairy tale ending...
And he lived happily ever after, with his family right at his side...
Monday, July 10, 2017
Thursday, June 1, 2017
The Future of Education
For those of you who don't know me, I am a STEM teacher who also has Asperger's Syndrome. I like to think that I teach things that will be helpful to kids in their lives after school. However, I don't fool myself that everything I teach will be useful to the kids, or that all the subject matter that I teach will be helpful to them in real life. Take pre-calculus, for example. Most kids, unless they become engineers or something similar, will never use things like that in their lives. I mean, who in their right minds has ever needed to know the standard formula for an ellipse when doing their grocery shopping? This attitude has helped me immensely when teaching. Students see me as a realist and, when they ask me a question like, "What will I use this for?" which is a common question in math classes, I give them an honest answer like, "Nothing, really, but the problem solving skills might just help you one day!"
The other part of my job is as a Learning Specialist. A part of this job, it is my responsibility to assist students with learning how to learn, or, to put it another way, to help students figure out how their brain works, and find out strategies that they can use to help them learn better and figure out the world around them. So, in this job, it is my responsibility to help students work their way through the school curriculum, and become successful academically as we'll as socially. I also see it as part of my job to help introduce new tools and techniques to my fellow teachers that can help them in helping the students to become lifelong learners. Ultimately, I believe that, for every teacher I can help with additional tools to help the struggling learners, the number of people who can be helped becomes exponential.
Which brings me to my topic for the day. As an educator, I need to constantly question myself, "Is what I'm teaching today going to help my students in real life? What is the purpose to teaching them...(Functions, ellipses, Shakespeare, whatever the topic may be)?" If the answer is, "Because I have to," or, "It's in the curriculum," then maybe you should rethink the topic. Everything I teach should be for a reason, one that benefits the students in their lives, not just because someone or something said it was important for them to know.
Today, I was working with a student on a math topic, trying to find a way to get him to really understand a concept. I was finally able to do that with him, and when I asked him about his other classes, I found out that he wasn't doing well reading a work of Shakespeare. In looking at the weekly reports, his English teacher stated that he wasn't retaining anything from the play. So, I talked to him about the play, asking him what he though his problem was. Now, some kids don't think at a high enough level to respond to a question like that, but I've been working with him all year, and I have helped him to see how he thinks and how he learns. He realized that the language was an issue for him and that, "...even with the other words on the next page..." he was spending so much time trying to understand the words (which he couldn't), that he wasn't getting anything else. So we looked online and found a website with a more modern, conversational English translation for him to try. By the end of our time, he said it was much better and that he was able to understand not only the words, but the story as well. WIN for him, right? I thought so, BUT...
I e-mailed to the faculty, thinking that this was too great a resource to pass up. "Maybe it can help other students who are failing (like my student is) retain more of the story and understand it better," I thought. Well, almost immediately after I hit SEND, I got a reply from his English teacher saying that WE English teachers frown on this site since the language is the important part of Shakespeare, and if they need to work through it, then so be it. And, to make matters worse, this teacher responded to the faculty e-mail list, which was like a slap to my face.
So, what IS the point to teaching Shakespeare? Is it the language? Is it the style (tragedy, comedy, etc.)? If it's the language, why not have classes in 9th grade in Shakespearean English? BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE LANGUAGE! In my view, the point to teaching Shakespeare is to learn to appreciate a different type of literature. I feel that we need to reevaluate our curriculum, and those of us who teach because it's part of the curriculum, need to rethink our careers. Our world is changing, and we are, as I once heard in a talk on Learning and the Brain, "We are using an antiquated model to teach our kids for an advanced world. The educational model is closed-book, yet the WORLD is OPEN-book!" Knowledge is no longer the mark of an educated person, it is the problem solvers, the information creators that will be viewed as the educated people of the future. We, as educators, need to help our students get there, and it will not be through the curriculum of our generation.
Thursday, May 18, 2017
Living with Depression AND Autism
I have depression. I also have Asperger's Syndrome. I don't know whether the depression developed on its own, or if I was born with it - there is some debate whether it is something one is just predisposed to, or if it is part of one's genetics. On the other hand, I was BORN with the Asperger's Syndrome, and I grew up with it.
Growing up with AS (Asperger's Syndrome - now High Functioning Autism), I have always had a difficult time putting myself in other people's places, and had to learn to cognitively figure out other people. So, I regularly got into situations when I misunderstood something that was said, and got into a bad place. This is when my depression started manifesting itself. My AS
However, when I became an adult, my depression got worse, and when I was 31, I started realizing that it was a problem. I had gotten a job teaching at a boarding school, and was putting in 60-80 hour work weeks. I also had a couple of run-ins with the school's headmaster, and was regularly told that I wasn't doing things right. Yet, every time I asked for help, I was told that I needed to figure it out on my own. This regular lecturing without assistance made me feel like I was a failure, and would never amount to anything. Finally, I sought out the help of a licensed therapist to find out what was wrong with me. I ended up going through therapy for 5 years, and going on medication (which I am still on). I realized that it wasn't all me, but that it was the school I was working for, and some of the administration at the school (like the headmaster), that was the real problem. After realizing that, I decided to seek another job. I stayed on my medication, but ended my therapy sessions.
Since that time, I have been in and out of different teaching jobs. I was always told how much the kids love me as a teacher, but there's always one or two who complain. Unfortunately, the administration at the schools only hear from the squeaky wheels, and so I have constantly heard about my shortcomings, but rarely about what I was doing right. I would have good days at school, and bad days at school, but every bad day was 100 times worse than the good days. So, one day last year, I decided that I had had enough stress and grief. I was blowing up at my wife and kids on a regular basis, I would stay at school grading papers and going to endless faculty meetings, and I was getting nothing but negative feedback about my performance. There were endless days designated to testing, and the kids were overloaded since they were expected to learn more with less time. Then, when I got a call from the high school in town about needing a long term sub, I jumped at the chance.
I enjoyed my 4 months at the high school. I knew a number of the kids, since I lived in town, and am still hearing from parents and students about how well the kids took to my teaching. And, most importantly, my depression symptoms became almost invisible. Yet, my job was over in June, and I have had 3 long term sub spots since then. One of them was almost as good, but the other two were/are stressful.
My depression pops up now and again, and my meds only work to lessen those symptoms. My AS also gets in the way from time to time. I have decided to leave teaching and seek other employment. Connecticut has some wonderful programs and grants to get unemployed and underemployed workers into fields that need more workers. Healthcare is one. Our population is aging, due to the baby boomers getting to retirement age, and there is a large need for CNAs and LPNs to care for them. Unfortunately, it takes a specail person to care for older people, and after burning out as a teacher, Ino longer have the patience to deal with the stresses of the health field. Another area that tCTgot grant money for is the tech field. Technology is aadvancing at an amazing rate (almost as high a rate as the aging of our population), and there is a need for tech workers. This is an area that I have some experience in, and feel I would be great at. Unfortunately, this grant program is not run as well, and there is a lack of communication between those running it for the state and those who wish to utilize it. It's a shame, since this would be something I could excel at, especially with my Asperger's Syndrome!
Fortunately for me, and many others, the state also received a grant to create a "pipeline"to funnel workers into manufacturing jobs. After decades of skilled jobs leaving the US and going to other countries, there has been a resurgence of manufacturing in the country. Eastern CT has a growing collection of manufacturers, ranging from small to big. These include Electric Boat and Pratt &Whitney, and they are in desperate need of skilled workers. So, the state got a grant to train workers and help them get jobs in the manufacturing sector. This would be perfect for me with my AS and my Depression as it would allow me to put myself wholeheartedly into my work. Especially since there is a drafting and design component which would allow me to utilize my technical skills and be a little creative in my work.
Ihate to leave teaching, but the education sector is no longer about helping the kids to learn, and moved towards pusing the kids through a "cookie cutter"education. Schools no longer help the kids where they are, based on their strength and weaknesses, and help them be creative in solving problems, but try to force them, one and all, into a mold so they all come out the same. I no longer feel comfortable teaching kids, since as a teacher, I am expected to force them to be the same as all their peers. And, given my own difficulties and differences, this is not something that I am able to do. I have always told them that I teach real life, and real life is not that everyone is the same as their peers, but that we are all different. Especially those with Asperger's Syndrome/High Functioning Autism, where they are as different from their peers as a person can get! Ino longer love the education system, and am leaving my teaching career behind.
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Today, I've made a decision...
...and it's not one that I made quickly. In fact, it's been coming for a LONG TIME. I have decided that it is no longer worth it being a teacher. I have spent the year in one long-term sub spot after another, and at two of the four schools I've been at, I've had issues with the administration. One school, they didn't like the pace at which I was teaching. I had spent a couple of days playing math Jeopardy to get the kids ready for tests and quizzes, and the principal told me that she was hearing from a number of parents about how their kids weren't learning anything. However, I had just heard the night before from parents (at the school's Open House night) about how much their kids liked my class, and how they were getting so much out of it. Needless to say, for the next 6 weeks, I was on pins and needles, and every time the phone rang in my classroom, I got nervous, thinking that the principal was on the other end of the line to tell me, "We've decided to let you go." I was so happy when the teacher got back from her maternity leave.
Then, after a month off, I was interviewed by another school, when a math teacher went out on medical leave. I was at the school for 3 months, but heard mostly good things from administration. Even if there was a criticism about something that had happened, they always made sure to mention the positive as well as the negative. This, if anything, made me feel at home at this school. It was the best 3 months of the year for me.
Now, I have been at a third school in another long-term sub spot teaching math. I keep hearing from other teachers, as well as students, how much the kids love having my class. Unfortunately, I had a dressing down from administration about the kids' behavior in one of my classes. The administrator basically said, "(This) is what I heard, and I wouldn't accept that from a daily sub, much less a long term sub. If you don't fix whatever you did, I'll have to find someone else for the rest of the year. I don't want to, but I'll do it if I have to." Needless to say, this upset me a bit, but I tried to deal with it gracefully, and told him that I would try my best. Then, I asked for some suggestions about another class, and was told, "I wouldn't know, since I have never observed that class," (not like he saw the other class he was talking to me about...), "But, you must have done something to make those kids believe they could act up, so you have to fix it."
Now, here I am, a teacher with 16 years experience teaching math and science, some kids who had Asperger's Syndrome, and I regularly hear from parents, kids and other faculty how much they enjoy having me as a teacher. Yet, I cannot find a permanent position because the union rules state that I must be paid the equivalent of two brand new teachers, fresh out of school. I am also being dressed down about my classroom management as a long term sub. Add to that the fact that long term subs get paid so little...
ASIDE: Most districts pay long term subs the per diem rate that they would pay a first year teacher, which, in CT, is about $210-$250 per day. However, out of the 3 Long Term Sub spots I have had this year, and one from last year, half of the districts pay much less. One district limited the pay to 60% of the first year salary for the first 20 days (1 month) of teaching), and the one I am in now is paying only $135 per day (or about the same amount of money I would have been making as a math tutor in a district - or one and a half times the daily sub rate). Needless to say, I am not making enough to support my family...
Everywhere, I hear about the shortage of teachers we have, and especially Math teachers. I also hear about the lack of subs for the schools. Yet, here I am with 16 years of experience, and I cannot get a job in a school because of the salary they would be forced to pay me due to the union contract. Jobs at private & parochial schools are easier to come by, but most of these pay so much less money (due to the lack of a union in most cases), that I couldn't support my family on it. Also, with Common Core and states pulling money out of education, many schools are cutting teachers just to remain solvent. I have decided to leave the teaching profession - it will no longer support me or my family. I may take a tutor position in a school, or even a paraprofessional position, since I can work less, have fewer responsibilities outside of school hours and, as a result, make more money as a private tutor as well. I have 23 more days to get through (if the administration here doesn't get rid of me first), and then I can concentrate on getting a better position with less responsibility, as well as similar, if not higher, pay. I think it's a shame, but public education is doomed if it continues along this path...
Thanks for sticking with me through this long rant. And, if you hear something about a teacher in your district, ask them what they think. They'd love to talk about it, since they really can't talk about it in there school.
Then, after a month off, I was interviewed by another school, when a math teacher went out on medical leave. I was at the school for 3 months, but heard mostly good things from administration. Even if there was a criticism about something that had happened, they always made sure to mention the positive as well as the negative. This, if anything, made me feel at home at this school. It was the best 3 months of the year for me.
Now, I have been at a third school in another long-term sub spot teaching math. I keep hearing from other teachers, as well as students, how much the kids love having my class. Unfortunately, I had a dressing down from administration about the kids' behavior in one of my classes. The administrator basically said, "(This) is what I heard, and I wouldn't accept that from a daily sub, much less a long term sub. If you don't fix whatever you did, I'll have to find someone else for the rest of the year. I don't want to, but I'll do it if I have to." Needless to say, this upset me a bit, but I tried to deal with it gracefully, and told him that I would try my best. Then, I asked for some suggestions about another class, and was told, "I wouldn't know, since I have never observed that class," (not like he saw the other class he was talking to me about...), "But, you must have done something to make those kids believe they could act up, so you have to fix it."
Now, here I am, a teacher with 16 years experience teaching math and science, some kids who had Asperger's Syndrome, and I regularly hear from parents, kids and other faculty how much they enjoy having me as a teacher. Yet, I cannot find a permanent position because the union rules state that I must be paid the equivalent of two brand new teachers, fresh out of school. I am also being dressed down about my classroom management as a long term sub. Add to that the fact that long term subs get paid so little...
ASIDE: Most districts pay long term subs the per diem rate that they would pay a first year teacher, which, in CT, is about $210-$250 per day. However, out of the 3 Long Term Sub spots I have had this year, and one from last year, half of the districts pay much less. One district limited the pay to 60% of the first year salary for the first 20 days (1 month) of teaching), and the one I am in now is paying only $135 per day (or about the same amount of money I would have been making as a math tutor in a district - or one and a half times the daily sub rate). Needless to say, I am not making enough to support my family...
Everywhere, I hear about the shortage of teachers we have, and especially Math teachers. I also hear about the lack of subs for the schools. Yet, here I am with 16 years of experience, and I cannot get a job in a school because of the salary they would be forced to pay me due to the union contract. Jobs at private & parochial schools are easier to come by, but most of these pay so much less money (due to the lack of a union in most cases), that I couldn't support my family on it. Also, with Common Core and states pulling money out of education, many schools are cutting teachers just to remain solvent. I have decided to leave the teaching profession - it will no longer support me or my family. I may take a tutor position in a school, or even a paraprofessional position, since I can work less, have fewer responsibilities outside of school hours and, as a result, make more money as a private tutor as well. I have 23 more days to get through (if the administration here doesn't get rid of me first), and then I can concentrate on getting a better position with less responsibility, as well as similar, if not higher, pay. I think it's a shame, but public education is doomed if it continues along this path...
Thanks for sticking with me through this long rant. And, if you hear something about a teacher in your district, ask them what they think. They'd love to talk about it, since they really can't talk about it in there school.
Friday, February 5, 2016
Finding Out About Myself
It’s been a while since I’ve posted to this blog, but I had an epiphany tonight, and I feel the need to get it down in writing before I forget...
I am 42 years old, and was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome when I was 37. The diagnosis gave me insight into my life up to that point, and I realized how much I was like the students I was teaching at the time. I had developed a lot of coping strategies to deal with my differences, and was leading a semi-successful life. However, I have had difficulty holding a job and, as a result, my family has struggled financially. I also have had problems in relating to my family, and it has caused a lot of stress between me and my wife and kids. However, despite all of this, my family is still together, and we have, at least for the time being, a roof over our heads and food on the table.
Last month, though, we received some information that has changed the way I see myself - my daughter was diagnosed with High-Functioning Autism, which is the modern equivalent to my Asperger’s Syndrome. So, she is a lot like I am, but I have noticed some differences between us. For example, my daughter is much better at socializing with others than I am. She also has many more friends than I do, and is more comfortable in large groups. I, on the other hand, even have trouble relating to my family, especially my wife, and the idea of being in a large group makes me cringe with anxiety. However, this has always seemed to me normal - I grew up in a family where my parents were home a lot, and rarely went to large gatherings. So, I always felt like my social skills weren’t too bad, and that I was just more introverted than my peers.
Today, though, I had a realization about just how poor my socialization skills are. I watch a lot of shows about vampires, and also a lot of Science Fiction. In many of these shows, there are teenage characters and young adults, and they have many social interactions in the show, as expected. In watching one of these shows, The 100, I saw how one group of main characters interacted with each other, and I realized that the way the characters behaved towards one another was totally foreign to me! I felt like an outsider observing an alien culture, and wondering how strangely they behaved towards one another, even though it was normal for them. For the first time, I really felt like I was born on the wrong planet, and I felt out of place.
I know it’s part of who I am, but I wish I could just feel emotion like everyone else. I wish I could socialize with others and not be so out of place. And, most importantly, I wish I had the same supports as my daughter will be getting! Navigating the real world is just so tiring, that I wish I could hide from the world and not come back!
Wow, I feel better now that I have gotten this out. Thanks for lending me your ear for a while!
Sunday, December 13, 2015
The Educational Model of the Future
Hi, it’s Dave with another 21st Century Education blog. Today, I want to talk about something that’s been on my mind lately - the future of Public Education.
Today, I read an article in the Hartford Courant about parochial schools (schools run by churches) in Connecticut by the Roman Catholic Church. In the past four years, the number of students attending these schools has decreased from 18 thousand to 14 thousand, or about 20%. In 1965, or 50 years ago, there were 54 thousand students in these schools. The total population of school-aged children has gone up in the past 50 years, so why are these schools struggling to attract students?
It turns out that the major decrease in enrollment at the parochial schools, as well as the independent schools (aka private, non-religious schools) has been caused by students attending the charter and magnet schools. The first charter school in the country was founded in 1991, or the year I graduated from High School. Prior to that, parents had the choice of sending their kids to the public schools, the independent schools or the parochial schools. So, my parents took me to visit one of each type of school, before ultimately sending me to my public school. Now, though, parents have other options instead of just these three - charter schools and magnet schools among the choices. Here is the differences between them:
Charter Schools - run by a private organization (CMO, or Charter Management Organization); take 10% of the school’s income to pay the CMO for running the school (Management Fee); abide by the state’s laws in hiring (teachers need to have state certification), but can get permission to bypass certain laws; usually non-unionized, unless the CMO approves it (which is rare - this allows salaries to be lower); general curriculum; required to test students with state-approved standardized tests; admission to the school is (in CT, at least) by lottery; can expell students for any reason, which allows the school to keep only those students who will increase their test scores;
Magnet Schools - run by a RESC (Regional Education Service Center, or a non-profit, semi-public organization approved by the state, but not run by the government); must abide by state laws with respect to hiring; unionized (as any public school district - this allows salaries to be higher, but not quite as high as the public schools); each school has a specific curriculum which attracts certain types of students (hence the label Magnet); curriculum is based on the magnet school’s mission (i.e. art schools have an art-based curriculum); required to test students with state-approved standardized tests; admission to the school is (in CT, at least) by lottery; can expel students for any reason, which allows the school to keep only those students who will increase their test scores;
Parochial Schools - run by a church (usually Catholic); tuition-based (no funding from the state or town); lower tuition (about $5000 or less per student per year); not required to use standardized tests; non-unionized; teachers do not need to be certified by the state (hence lower salaries); design their own curriculum, usually including religion classes; admission to school based on acceptance by school or church - usually accept those who are members of the church without exception; can expel students, but usually don’t due to tuition being paid;
Independent Schools - run by a non-profit; tuition-based (no funding from the state or town); higher tuition (about $10000 or more per student per year); not required to use standardized tests; non-unionized; teachers do not need to be certified by the state (hence lower salaries); design their own curriculum; admission to school based on acceptance by school - usually accept students who are a good fit for the school; can expel students, but usually don’t due to tuition being paid;
Public Schools - run by a town or regional district; required to follow state laws regarding certification; required to test students using state-approved tests; cannot choose their students - if a child lives in the district, the school must accept them; required to support special needs students in the district, regardless of what school they attend (public, magnet or charter, only; not required for those attending parochial schools or some independent schools;
The major difference between the schools is who pays. In public districts, students are supported by the town/district taxes. Sometimes, the state will support them, but in recent years, Governor Malloy has cut funding for these schools, requiring increased local taxes and cutting of programs. In parochial and independent schools, they are supported by tuition with no state funding. This model works like the economy - the better the education, the more the tuition a family pays. Unfortunately, these schools have had to raise tuition or conolidate schools because of decreased enrollment. This has also affected the income of those working for these schools. Magnet schools are funded by the RESC, which is allowed to act as a non-profit, collecting donations and state funding. Once again, these schools have seen increasing enrollment, since they cost the families nothing to have their children attend, but decreased funding from the state has resulted in cost-cutting measures in faculty and staff, similar to the public school districts.
Charter schools, however, have the best of all worlds. Their enrollment is going up, similar to the magnet schools, resulting in increased strain on their resources. However, currently, the political climate has allowed for thier state-funding to be increased. The law allows for a payment from the state of $17000 per student. And, with the faculty and staff being non-unionized, the salaries paid by the school are much lower. Add to that the 10% that goes to the CMO (the schools are non-profit, but the CMO can be, and usually is for-profit), and we have an educational model that can allow for CMOs to make almost unlimited money. These CMO investors then can donate to election campaigns, influencing the lawmakers, which allows for more CMO-friendly laws.
It appears that the future of education lies in these publicly-funded but privately-run charter schools. It is to the point that the type of creative education I had as a child will soon be in danger of going extinct. Some charter schools are not run by CMOs, but those that are have their curriculum controlled by both the state and the investors in the CMO. If this doesn’t change, we are in danger of losing our jobs and economic power to Third World nations. We need to allow the charter schools to create their own curriculum, and not be beholden to the standarized tests that are forced upon our children every year. Until this happens, the charter school experiment will fail, but there will be no other schools for our kids to go to. We need CMOs and charter schools that allow kids to learn to love learning.
I hope to, over the next few blogs, to outline my vision for a state-approved charter school which is in charge of its own curriculum. One where students will be allowed to creatively apply their academic learning to an area of their own interest. This school, which I hope to create, is called the ACCESS School (A CATS Charter for Exceptional Student Success), and it will be based on a curriculm that allows the students to become truly “college and career ready."
Well, that’s all for now. Thanks for joining me for another 21st Century Education blog!
Today, I read an article in the Hartford Courant about parochial schools (schools run by churches) in Connecticut by the Roman Catholic Church. In the past four years, the number of students attending these schools has decreased from 18 thousand to 14 thousand, or about 20%. In 1965, or 50 years ago, there were 54 thousand students in these schools. The total population of school-aged children has gone up in the past 50 years, so why are these schools struggling to attract students?
It turns out that the major decrease in enrollment at the parochial schools, as well as the independent schools (aka private, non-religious schools) has been caused by students attending the charter and magnet schools. The first charter school in the country was founded in 1991, or the year I graduated from High School. Prior to that, parents had the choice of sending their kids to the public schools, the independent schools or the parochial schools. So, my parents took me to visit one of each type of school, before ultimately sending me to my public school. Now, though, parents have other options instead of just these three - charter schools and magnet schools among the choices. Here is the differences between them:
Charter Schools - run by a private organization (CMO, or Charter Management Organization); take 10% of the school’s income to pay the CMO for running the school (Management Fee); abide by the state’s laws in hiring (teachers need to have state certification), but can get permission to bypass certain laws; usually non-unionized, unless the CMO approves it (which is rare - this allows salaries to be lower); general curriculum; required to test students with state-approved standardized tests; admission to the school is (in CT, at least) by lottery; can expell students for any reason, which allows the school to keep only those students who will increase their test scores;
Magnet Schools - run by a RESC (Regional Education Service Center, or a non-profit, semi-public organization approved by the state, but not run by the government); must abide by state laws with respect to hiring; unionized (as any public school district - this allows salaries to be higher, but not quite as high as the public schools); each school has a specific curriculum which attracts certain types of students (hence the label Magnet); curriculum is based on the magnet school’s mission (i.e. art schools have an art-based curriculum); required to test students with state-approved standardized tests; admission to the school is (in CT, at least) by lottery; can expel students for any reason, which allows the school to keep only those students who will increase their test scores;
Parochial Schools - run by a church (usually Catholic); tuition-based (no funding from the state or town); lower tuition (about $5000 or less per student per year); not required to use standardized tests; non-unionized; teachers do not need to be certified by the state (hence lower salaries); design their own curriculum, usually including religion classes; admission to school based on acceptance by school or church - usually accept those who are members of the church without exception; can expel students, but usually don’t due to tuition being paid;
Independent Schools - run by a non-profit; tuition-based (no funding from the state or town); higher tuition (about $10000 or more per student per year); not required to use standardized tests; non-unionized; teachers do not need to be certified by the state (hence lower salaries); design their own curriculum; admission to school based on acceptance by school - usually accept students who are a good fit for the school; can expel students, but usually don’t due to tuition being paid;
Public Schools - run by a town or regional district; required to follow state laws regarding certification; required to test students using state-approved tests; cannot choose their students - if a child lives in the district, the school must accept them; required to support special needs students in the district, regardless of what school they attend (public, magnet or charter, only; not required for those attending parochial schools or some independent schools;
The major difference between the schools is who pays. In public districts, students are supported by the town/district taxes. Sometimes, the state will support them, but in recent years, Governor Malloy has cut funding for these schools, requiring increased local taxes and cutting of programs. In parochial and independent schools, they are supported by tuition with no state funding. This model works like the economy - the better the education, the more the tuition a family pays. Unfortunately, these schools have had to raise tuition or conolidate schools because of decreased enrollment. This has also affected the income of those working for these schools. Magnet schools are funded by the RESC, which is allowed to act as a non-profit, collecting donations and state funding. Once again, these schools have seen increasing enrollment, since they cost the families nothing to have their children attend, but decreased funding from the state has resulted in cost-cutting measures in faculty and staff, similar to the public school districts.
Charter schools, however, have the best of all worlds. Their enrollment is going up, similar to the magnet schools, resulting in increased strain on their resources. However, currently, the political climate has allowed for thier state-funding to be increased. The law allows for a payment from the state of $17000 per student. And, with the faculty and staff being non-unionized, the salaries paid by the school are much lower. Add to that the 10% that goes to the CMO (the schools are non-profit, but the CMO can be, and usually is for-profit), and we have an educational model that can allow for CMOs to make almost unlimited money. These CMO investors then can donate to election campaigns, influencing the lawmakers, which allows for more CMO-friendly laws.
It appears that the future of education lies in these publicly-funded but privately-run charter schools. It is to the point that the type of creative education I had as a child will soon be in danger of going extinct. Some charter schools are not run by CMOs, but those that are have their curriculum controlled by both the state and the investors in the CMO. If this doesn’t change, we are in danger of losing our jobs and economic power to Third World nations. We need to allow the charter schools to create their own curriculum, and not be beholden to the standarized tests that are forced upon our children every year. Until this happens, the charter school experiment will fail, but there will be no other schools for our kids to go to. We need CMOs and charter schools that allow kids to learn to love learning.
I hope to, over the next few blogs, to outline my vision for a state-approved charter school which is in charge of its own curriculum. One where students will be allowed to creatively apply their academic learning to an area of their own interest. This school, which I hope to create, is called the ACCESS School (A CATS Charter for Exceptional Student Success), and it will be based on a curriculm that allows the students to become truly “college and career ready."
Well, that’s all for now. Thanks for joining me for another 21st Century Education blog!
Sunday, December 6, 2015
The time has come!
Recently, I posted about the hidden anxiety that one of my family members was dealing with, that was slowly tearing us apart at the seams and I feared, one day, would tear our family apart. Since posting it last night, I have calmed down a little, partly because blogging helps to pull my mind off of things that, otherwise would just sit there, letting me perseverate on them and dominating my thoughts. The other reason was that, once I was able to relax a little, I then got some time to think clearly about what was REALLY bothering me. Part of it is that this family member has a problem that they refuse to acknowledge, one that they insist is normal. This is a problem that I cannot fix for them, I cannot help them with, no matter what I do. I cannot make them less anxious, even if I take all of their responsibilities away from them, and this hurts me to see them suffer. The other thing about it that bothers me is that this person avoids doing things that might make them feel insecure/out of control, things like talking on the phone with people they don't know (or even those they DO know, if it might make them realize there might be a problem with them or our family). They avoid anything that might cause discomfort to themself, and they expect others to do these things for them. THIS is what bothers me.
I am a full time teacher at a private school. I regularly have after school responsibilities and activities that I need to do. Yet, our family is regularly in financial duress. You would think that this person might, as an adult in the family, go out and search for a job, even a part time one that they could do during the day, when the kids are in school. It would bring in some needed cash, and possibly even help us through the bad economy, right?
Wrong. This person has it in their head that if they get a job, that we would have to put the kids, who are in school full time, into day care, eating up their salary plus some. To this person, it would actually COST us money for them to get a job. "Well," you might say, "the kids are in school. So day care is not required." Again, they have an answer. "But if they're sick, I'd have to stay home to take care of them, and I'd be fired." OK, that at least makes SOME sense. But WAIT,there's more. When the kids feel sick now, this person's anxiety takes over...
"You HAVE to go to school! You've been out 3 (or 5 or 10...) days already! If you don't go today, they're going to fail you!" And, no matter how often I try to talk to them, this is a very real possibility for them, as anxiety makes even the most unlikely events seem likely.
Or, what REALLY gets to me, if one of the kids feels sick, this person will sometimes say, "You CAN'T stay home! I have to do (such and such) today, " or, " I have people coming over," and "I don't want to cancel again!" This person, who uses the argument that they cannot get a job and help the family out of our financial difficulties, uses as a reason that they need to care for the kids, but when the kids need caring for, they can't be bothered to do it, or it puts them out.
"So, why don't you get a second job?" you might ask. Well, I've tried, but this person insists that would be harmful to the kids since I would not be there at night to help with homework, put them to bed, and just do general work around the house. In a number of other families I know, this is the way they work, one adult works days and the second works nights. That way, there is always one home to care for the kids. But when a second adult in the family cannot or will not work, the first one often needs to step up and pick up the slack. Yet, once again, this person's anxiety gets in the way. They can see that we are having financial problems, yet they cannot get past their anxiety related to working outside of the house, for fear that something might go wrong and one of us might lose our jobs. And they cannot allow ME to get a second job for fear that something might go wrong at night when kids are solely their responsibility. So, we struggle along financially, and they get upset when there is no money for the kids' activities or new clothes or birthday gifts.
THIS is what upsets me the most. This person's anxiety is not only mentally hurting the others in the family, but it is getting in the way of our family's financial security. Their irrational fears, which are caused by the anxiety, causes them to overcompensate, like when they will not get a job or let me get a second job, just in case something happens while I or they are at work. This then causes more problems, which their anxiety blows out of proportion, allowing them to seem bigger than they are. Then, like a snowball rolled down a mountain, these problems continue, getting bigger and bigger, until they cannot be controlled without other parts of our lives being affected.
A while ago I was diagnosed with major depression. I knew something was wrong, so I sought out help. I remember vividly what it was like. I could not function, things seemed to all be going wrong for me, so I pulled into myself and began withdrawing from the world and society. It was easy for me to do, since my Asperger's makes me comfortable with myself. This is what I imagine it is like for this person, just instead of withdrawing, they blow up at the world on a regular basis. However, whether someone withdraws from the world, like in depression, or gets anxiety attacks, or blows up at the injustice they see being done against them by everything and everyone around them, it is still just as debilitating. We need to get through this, and for me, the time has come to step up to the plate and either force them to start pulling their weight, or do it myself, regardless whether they are upset about it or not. Even if it breaks up our family, this person needs to be part of it and accept that one of us has to keep us afloat financially.
Anyway, I feel bad about this, but, as someone once said, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one..." If I have to get a second job, and not be there for my kids, then so be it. Wish me luck!
I am a full time teacher at a private school. I regularly have after school responsibilities and activities that I need to do. Yet, our family is regularly in financial duress. You would think that this person might, as an adult in the family, go out and search for a job, even a part time one that they could do during the day, when the kids are in school. It would bring in some needed cash, and possibly even help us through the bad economy, right?
Wrong. This person has it in their head that if they get a job, that we would have to put the kids, who are in school full time, into day care, eating up their salary plus some. To this person, it would actually COST us money for them to get a job. "Well," you might say, "the kids are in school. So day care is not required." Again, they have an answer. "But if they're sick, I'd have to stay home to take care of them, and I'd be fired." OK, that at least makes SOME sense. But WAIT,there's more. When the kids feel sick now, this person's anxiety takes over...
"You HAVE to go to school! You've been out 3 (or 5 or 10...) days already! If you don't go today, they're going to fail you!" And, no matter how often I try to talk to them, this is a very real possibility for them, as anxiety makes even the most unlikely events seem likely.
Or, what REALLY gets to me, if one of the kids feels sick, this person will sometimes say, "You CAN'T stay home! I have to do (such and such) today, " or, " I have people coming over," and "I don't want to cancel again!" This person, who uses the argument that they cannot get a job and help the family out of our financial difficulties, uses as a reason that they need to care for the kids, but when the kids need caring for, they can't be bothered to do it, or it puts them out.
"So, why don't you get a second job?" you might ask. Well, I've tried, but this person insists that would be harmful to the kids since I would not be there at night to help with homework, put them to bed, and just do general work around the house. In a number of other families I know, this is the way they work, one adult works days and the second works nights. That way, there is always one home to care for the kids. But when a second adult in the family cannot or will not work, the first one often needs to step up and pick up the slack. Yet, once again, this person's anxiety gets in the way. They can see that we are having financial problems, yet they cannot get past their anxiety related to working outside of the house, for fear that something might go wrong and one of us might lose our jobs. And they cannot allow ME to get a second job for fear that something might go wrong at night when kids are solely their responsibility. So, we struggle along financially, and they get upset when there is no money for the kids' activities or new clothes or birthday gifts.
THIS is what upsets me the most. This person's anxiety is not only mentally hurting the others in the family, but it is getting in the way of our family's financial security. Their irrational fears, which are caused by the anxiety, causes them to overcompensate, like when they will not get a job or let me get a second job, just in case something happens while I or they are at work. This then causes more problems, which their anxiety blows out of proportion, allowing them to seem bigger than they are. Then, like a snowball rolled down a mountain, these problems continue, getting bigger and bigger, until they cannot be controlled without other parts of our lives being affected.
A while ago I was diagnosed with major depression. I knew something was wrong, so I sought out help. I remember vividly what it was like. I could not function, things seemed to all be going wrong for me, so I pulled into myself and began withdrawing from the world and society. It was easy for me to do, since my Asperger's makes me comfortable with myself. This is what I imagine it is like for this person, just instead of withdrawing, they blow up at the world on a regular basis. However, whether someone withdraws from the world, like in depression, or gets anxiety attacks, or blows up at the injustice they see being done against them by everything and everyone around them, it is still just as debilitating. We need to get through this, and for me, the time has come to step up to the plate and either force them to start pulling their weight, or do it myself, regardless whether they are upset about it or not. Even if it breaks up our family, this person needs to be part of it and accept that one of us has to keep us afloat financially.
Anyway, I feel bad about this, but, as someone once said, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one..." If I have to get a second job, and not be there for my kids, then so be it. Wish me luck!
The Future of Education
For those of you who don't know me, I am a STEM teacher who also has Asperger's Syndrome. I like to think that I teach things that will be helpful to kids in their lives after school. However, I don't fool myself that everything I teach will be useful to the kids, or that all the subject matter that I teach will be helpful to them in real life. Take pre-calculus, for example. Most kids, unless they become engineers or something similar, will never use things like that in their lives. I mean, who in their right minds has ever needed to know the standard formula for an ellipse when doing their grocery shopping? This attitude has helped me immensely when teaching. Students see me as a realist and, when they ask me a question like, "What will I use this for?" which is a common question in math classes, I give them an honest answer like, "Nothing, really, but the problem solving skills might just help you one day!"
The other part of my job is as a Learning Specialist. A part of this job, it is my responsibility to assist students with learning how to learn, or, to put it another way, to help students figure out how their brain works, and find out strategies that they can use to help them learn better and figure out the world around them. So, in this job, it is my responsibility to help students work their way through the school curriculum, and become successful academically as we'll as socially. I also see it as part of my job to help introduce new tools and techniques to my fellow teachers that can help them in helping the students to become lifelong learners. Ultimately, I believe that, for every teacher I can help with additional tools to help the struggling learners, the number of people who can be helped becomes exponential.
Which brings me to my topic for the day. As an educator, I need to constantly question myself, "Is what I'm teaching today going to help my students in real life? What is the purpose to teaching them...(Functions, ellipses, Shakespeare, whatever the topic may be)?" If the answer is, "Because I have to," or, "It's in the curriculum," then maybe you should rethink the topic. Everything I teach should be for a reason, one that benefits the students in their lives, not just because someone or something said it was important for them to know.
Today, I was working with a student on a math topic, trying to find a way to get him to really understand a concept. I was finally able to do that with him, and when I asked him about his other classes, I found out that he wasn't doing well reading a work of Shakespeare. In looking at the weekly reports, his English teacher stated that he wasn't retaining anything from the play. So, I talked to him about the play, asking him what he though his problem was. Now, some kids don't think at a high enough level to respond to a question like that, but I've been working with him all year, and I have helped him to see how he thinks and how he learns. He realized that the language was an issue for him and that, "...even with the other words on the next page..." he was spending so much time trying to understand the words (which he couldn't), that he wasn't getting anything else. So we looked online and found a website with a more modern, conversational English translation for him to try. By the end of our time, he said it was much better and that he was able to understand not only the words, but the story as well. WIN for him, right? I thought so, BUT...
I e-mailed to the faculty, thinking that this was too great a resource to pass up. "Maybe it can help other students who are failing (like my student is) retain more of the story and understand it better," I thought. Well, almost immediately after I hit SEND, I got a reply from his English teacher saying that WE English teachers frown on this site since the language is the important part of Shakespeare, and if they need to work through it, then so be it. And, to make matters worse, this teacher responded to the faculty e-mail list, which was like a slap to my face.
So, what IS the point to teaching Shakespeare? Is it the language? Is it the style (tragedy, comedy, etc.)? If it's the language, why not have classes in 9th grade in Shakespearean English? BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE LANGUAGE! In my view, the point to teaching Shakespeare is to learn to appreciate a different type of literature. I feel that we need to reevaluate our curriculum, and those of us who teach because it's part of the curriculum, need to rethink our careers. Our world is changing, and we are, as I once heard in a talk on Learning and the Brain, "We are using an antiquated model to teach our kids for an advanced world. The educational model is closed-book, yet the WORLD is OPEN-book!" Knowledge is no longer the mark of an educated person, it is the problem solvers, the information creators that will be viewed as the educated people of the future. We, as educators, need to help our students get there, and it will not be through the curriculum of our generation.
What I'm Thankful For
Most of the time that I blog, it's because I need to process something that happened to me. My Asperger's and my difficulty interpreting emotions makes writing about things help me work it through my brain so that I can logically figure out what happened and how I should have handled the situation differently, if at all. Today's post is not different, but instead of trying to process what just happened, I am trying to relax my churning, internal emotional state by focusing on the positive things I have in my life.
I am thankful for my kids. They are always so full of love, and have no difficulty sharing that love with others, especially those they see as hurting. There have been times when I have been stressed or down on myself, and my kids seem to be able to sense it. They come to cuddle with me, or tell me jokes, and don't leave me until I know that I am loved.
I am thankful for my wife. She might frustrate the heck out of me at times, but I care for her deeply. My life might be less stressful if she was less emotional about things, but I don't know if we would have clicked like we do. Plus, she is so passionate about everything she does, and she keeps me in touch with the rest of the social world. If it wasn't for her, I would probably be a lonely hermit living in a cave with no friends!
I am thankful for all of my friends. They are there for me when my Asperger's shows up, and are not afraid to tell me what it really looks like. They know I might be upset in the moment, but that I will get over it, and that i will take their advice to heart. My occasional brusqueness and to-the-pointedness never seems to put them off, and they always remain my friends.
I am thankful for my dog, Leo. He is always aware of what I am feeling, and refuses to leave me alone when I am upset or hurting. For example, today while I was putting up the lights on the Christmas tree, it wasn’t going my way. Things kept falling, I almost knocked the tree over, and other things that, like every year, give me the idea that I should just give up on trying and become that hermit with no family or friends. Leo sensed my upset (or maybe he heard me cursing at the tree), and he came over to me to be pet. He refused to leave my side until I had calmed down.
If I focus on what I am thankful for, maybe I can start to see the world in new ways, and it won’t look so bleak and dreary anymore.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
The Changing Model of Education
Since the mid-1980s, there has been a cry heard from businessmen, politicians and those who rule the American society that our schools are failing. People have blamed it on a lot of things, bad teachers, poor curricula, poverty, etc., but whatever its cause, this cry has resulted in one thing. Students in our schools have become some of the most tested in the world, and this year a new test is being rolled out in dozens of states across the Union. Whether it is called the PARCC or the SBAC, this test will tell our kids and our families just what they are designed to tell them - that our kids are not getting a decent education and that we need to support new initiatives in education, such as the corporate education movement.
Unfortunately, this is a lie of the worst kind. Since the 1980s, and especially since No Child Left Behind, our leaders have focused on getting all students up to the same level of proficiency. Once a child is there, they are no longer cared about. Creativity, which will be the savior of America, is not promoted in these tests. Students are told to solve a problem using this method or that, they are being taught non-fiction in Language Arts class. No longer are the days of reading fiction for enjoyment. No longer are they days of solving a problem in a unique and new way praised by others. We have become a nation like those seen in The Hunger Games or Divergent, where everyone needs to fit in and no one can be different. Those that are become shunned and put out, or, to use a term from Divergent, they become factionless and shunned by all.
Unfortunately, with the movement of more menial jobs out of America, where labor is cheaper since cost of living is cheaper, gone are the days of learning a basic trade that requires conformity with the same standards day in and day out. Today, as well as in the future, our economy will be based on creative ways of solving problems. Yet, our schools, due to this culture of incessant testing, has not focused on promoting creativity and different ways of thinking and problem solving, but instead concentrated on getting all students to pass the same test based on the same methods promoted from the same standards. Our schools, through our politician-dominated boards of education and our politically-minded administrators, have promoted a one-size-fits-all approach to educating out kids. Shove them all into the same mold and they will all come out the same. Don't allow them to go beyond the standards, and they will never approach problems creatively.
Maybe we need to rethink our idea of education. Instead of trying to fit in with the rest of the world and educating our kids like other countries do, maybe, just maybe, we need to teach our kids differently. Maybe we need to be unique, take away the standardized tests from our kids and let them be creative in their learning. Maybe every student needs an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), not just those with special needs. We need to fix education for the better and take the politicians and businessmen out of the educational system. Until we do, our kids will always be caught in a failing system.
Unfortunately, this is a lie of the worst kind. Since the 1980s, and especially since No Child Left Behind, our leaders have focused on getting all students up to the same level of proficiency. Once a child is there, they are no longer cared about. Creativity, which will be the savior of America, is not promoted in these tests. Students are told to solve a problem using this method or that, they are being taught non-fiction in Language Arts class. No longer are the days of reading fiction for enjoyment. No longer are they days of solving a problem in a unique and new way praised by others. We have become a nation like those seen in The Hunger Games or Divergent, where everyone needs to fit in and no one can be different. Those that are become shunned and put out, or, to use a term from Divergent, they become factionless and shunned by all.
Unfortunately, with the movement of more menial jobs out of America, where labor is cheaper since cost of living is cheaper, gone are the days of learning a basic trade that requires conformity with the same standards day in and day out. Today, as well as in the future, our economy will be based on creative ways of solving problems. Yet, our schools, due to this culture of incessant testing, has not focused on promoting creativity and different ways of thinking and problem solving, but instead concentrated on getting all students to pass the same test based on the same methods promoted from the same standards. Our schools, through our politician-dominated boards of education and our politically-minded administrators, have promoted a one-size-fits-all approach to educating out kids. Shove them all into the same mold and they will all come out the same. Don't allow them to go beyond the standards, and they will never approach problems creatively.
Maybe we need to rethink our idea of education. Instead of trying to fit in with the rest of the world and educating our kids like other countries do, maybe, just maybe, we need to teach our kids differently. Maybe we need to be unique, take away the standardized tests from our kids and let them be creative in their learning. Maybe every student needs an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), not just those with special needs. We need to fix education for the better and take the politicians and businessmen out of the educational system. Until we do, our kids will always be caught in a failing system.
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