Dystopia: A Possible Future of Teacher Evaluation

I’m usually not an alarmist, however, the recent efforts to develop a common repository for student standardized test scores and associated data is something of concern for all parents.  Read more about these efforts at the links below.

NY Daily News article

inBloom Privacy FAQ

Town Hall Meeting Presentation

My comments to an EdWeek blog post titled Dystopia: A Possible Future of Teacher Evaluation and written by Anthony Cody follow, along with a link to the post.  For those of you who have read George Orwell, or Aldous Huxley, I recommend you read the EdWeek post.

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While more legislation is not always a good thing, I believe federal privacy legislation, if not already in place, must be enacted ASAP prohibiting the collection, storage, integration, or dissemination of individually identifiable standardized / mandated test scores and other associated data for any student, when said data are not otherwise legally and freely available in the public domain, except for the sole and express purpose of informing authorized parties of said scores and/or data where authorized parties are limited to adult students, parents / legal guardians of under age students, teachers, or administrators. Furthermore, it should be expressly prohibited to use any individually identifiable score or associated data, or aggregated scores or associated data for any purpose other than to inform instruction or professional development.

While the possibilities proffered by these data are tantalizing for econometricians, accountability addicts, various researchers, and the like, the mere existence of this level of atomized data ominously portends Orwellian and Huxleyian futures for us all. We must prevent this move to create a statewide- or national database of individually identifiable data with every ounce of our American spirit, which is deeply steeped in independence and freedom; otherwise, a fascist state becomes all too real, all too quickly.

Striving for a Sustainable Work-Life Balance

Yesterday, I received an email asking if there was anything special I wished to pursue in the upcoming 2013-2014 school year as part of our school redesign efforts.  I found the request bittersweet.  Redesigning school is an awesome opportunity, especially if it creates an environment that truly enables students to invest in their education.  Having a hand in that process greatly appeals to me.  At the same time, nearing the end of my second year in teaching, I recognize all too well that I am completely drained.  Without a summer off recharging my batteries, and a third year of reasonable challenges, I do not believe I will continue in my new profession.  However, if I take time for myself and my family this summer, and attain something close to a reasonable balance between my work and personal life this coming school year, I believe my journey serving students can last many, many years.

Here’s a slightly edited version of my response.

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As a second year teacher with three preps (i.e., different courses) and BTSA, simply making it through this year took an unbelievable amount of energy, far more than I ever imagined.  My second year was tougher than my first, which was no “walk in the park” with three preps and the turbulence in AP Calculus.  Going forward, I recommend new teachers be assigned no more than two preps if they need to clear their credential via BTSA or another program; otherwise, we may inadvertently drive new teachers from the profession.

Also, with the switchover to Common Core this coming fall, I suspect my work load will remain formidable as much of the curriculum I developed the past two years for algebra 1  aligned with the Mathematics Content Standards for California Public Schools, and not the Common Core; hence, the need to redesign my course to align with Common Core.  Furthermore, the transition to the Common Core requires a considerable effort in the classroom as students will not be acclimated to the shift towards mathematical practices emphasizing concepts and understanding in conjunction with procedures and knowledge.  Additionally, as we continue to expand the ranks of students who take AP Calculus at our school, the need to expend greater energy is necessary to support students with the inevitable challenges in the course.

Given the above, I need to focus my efforts next year on developing a more sustainable pace and a healthy balance in my life.  As I knew coming into teaching, if I do not maintain a healthy balance while teaching, my passion for teaching will diminish, which helps no one.  I left my career in high-tech to follow a passion: help students overcome their struggles with mathematics and academics.  Doing so effectively requires a teacher to work from a position of strength, filled with energy to overcome the inordinate issues that arise in a classroom on any given day.  If I attempt any additional initiatives this coming year beyond teaching AP Calculus AB and algebra 1 aligned with Common Core, I fear my energy level will rapidly deplete leading me to become another teacher attrition statistic.

I send this to you to let you know I wish I had the energy to take on something beyond what is currently planned, something grandiose even.  However, the simple fact is through my experiences these past two years, I know I need to focus on where I can be successful in a sustainable fashion so I can return year after year.

Thanks for reading this!

What will you focus on in the next year?

Next year I will seek greater balance, hopefully with only two preps. Having three preps nearly made me end my new career as a teacher. With BTSA, three preps, Common Core, AP level courses, intervention, and nearly all of my algebra students below basic or far below basic, I felt overwhelmed with a daunting set of tasks.

For each of the past two years, I have taught entirely new curriculum for each of the five courses taught: in one we switched to a new textbook, in another we switched to the Common Core standards, and the third was a new course entirely. Doing so left me exhausted every day, working late every night, and most weekends.

I’ve worked longer hours as a teacher than in any prior job where I was expected to work long hours but at four times the pay. While I am passionate about helping students, and hence society, I cannot do so at the expense of myself or my family. In some ways, teaching can be a combination “black hole” and “tar baby,” where once stuck you are kept and pulled in deeper and deeper until you are no longer there. That helps no one and in the long run will force the best and brightest to leave teaching.

In terms of teaching methods, I will continue to focus on small group work, student centered learning, and other methods where students maximally have the chance to learn academic and life skills.