Maine ASCD Weblog

Barriers to PLC's

There continues to be a great deal of buzz regarding Professional Learning Communities in schools and districts. And as you know, we have sponsored a number of conferences and workshops on the topic including several with Rick and Becky DuFour. The DuFours, by the way, will be returning to Boston at the Northeast ASCD Affiliate Conference. We'll be posting that information very soon on the new NEAC website.

Vice President Deb Baker and I were "upstate" this week talking to educators about how to make professional development more "job-embedded" and how to move away from the traditional one-day, drive-in workshops. You should know that the Maine ASCD Board and staff have been working extremely hard on this issue and we continue to explore new models and ideas.

One of the issues that came up in the conversation was the "barriers" that exist within schools and district that prevent the development of PLCs and other kinds of study teams. It's these nitty-gritty issues that often don't get discussed in the books and conferences, and frequently come to light only after you've started the process of developing your PLC.

I found this resource today on the web which provides a whole bunch of practical ideas and materials for developing PLCs. Some are books and some are downloadable resources. They are based upon a book called "Professional Learning Communities: A Facilitator's Guide to Professional Learning Teams: Creating On-the-Job Opportunities for Teachers to Continually Learn and Grow" published by SERV at the University of North Carolina. It looks like a good read and there is even a PDF file that you can download of the first couple of chapters....I'm reading them tonight.

I came across this resource while reading a blog entry from a teacher in Alabama who had a successful experience setting up a PLC in her schools. Her insights into the issues are profound.

Then while I was posting some information about some new PodCasts on the Maine ASCD website, I listened to James Stronge's PodCast on "Qualities of Effective Teachers." In his talk he emphasizes the need for teachers to take ownership of the reform effort and how it can't come from the top down.

So, what do you think some of the barriers are?

~John Brandt

Teacher Ratio Provision Dropped

According to news reported by WCSH-6, and Maine Public Radio, Education Commissioner Susan Gendron has announced that the administration had dropped its proposal to change the student teacher ratio in Maine's school funding formula. The news was confirmed on the Department's website.

According to the press release:

“It became clear in meeting people throughout the state that they were concerned a cut in funding allocation for teaching would result in loss of art, Advanced Placement classes and other areas,” Gendron said. “These are fundamental to well-rounded student learning and some are requirements of Maine's Learning Results. It is not our intention to jeopardize those learning experiences.”

But this change comes at a cost, a $25 million cost.

State savings from the change were projected at $25 million over two years, and about $20 million in local savings. The move would have resulted in funding for about 650 fewer teaching positions than currently exist. Savings would be reinvested in expanding the successful Grades 7-8 laptop program to all four high school grades, and in scholarships for high school graduates to attend college at the University of Maine, the Maine Community College System or the Maine Maritime Academy.

The press release indicates the administration would seek other ways to support these programs.

People who attended the Education Committee meetings in Augusta on Tuesday tell us that the Committee is seeking to finish its work by March 8th and have a proposal prepared to send back to the full Legislature. One idea that appears to be getting some support is the setting of a minimum student limit of the size of school districts to 2,500 students. This would a decrease in the total number of SAUs from current levels, but not as drastic as the 26 districts proposed by the Governor in his initial plan.

~John Brandt

One picture is worth . . .

It's an old adage, this. "One picture is worth a thousand words."

If true, then where do videos fall into the equation? A couple of trillion words?

I was planning to blog about a new book (excerpt) that I just read about the rise and fall of the progressive education movement. The book "The Progressive Education Movement: Is It Still a Factor in Today's Schools?" by William Hayes has an excerpt on Publiceducation.org website. I was going to wax philosophically about the new "flat" world we live in and the need to create a new educational philosophy which blends the best parts of progressive and traditional education.

But then while checking my blogs I came across a YouTube video of a presentation by Scott McLeod of the Dangerously Irrelevant blogsite that captured my sentiment more precisely and expressed it  more dramatically. So I share it with you.

~John Brandt

Local Control

On Friday, the Portland Press Herald (PPH) and Kennebec Journal (KJ) both published pieces about the Governor's school district consolidation plan and the issue of "local control."

In the PPH, the issue was about the anxiety expressed by officials in two towns regarding the assets owned by the district and what happens to them when they become part of a larger regional center (district) as proposed by the Governor's plan. The article suggests that issues such as this need to be included in the final legislation. But the article also alluded to the possibility that lawmakers working on the issue may come up with an altogether different model:

But all the fuss could be for nothing. Using pieces of Baldacci's plan and the other proposals, lawmakers are working on their own bill for school district consolidation that they will recommend for passage by the Legislature. That version is likely to look vastly different from the governor's proposal when it emerges from the Education Committee sometime in mid-March, said Sen. Peter Bowman, D-Kittery, chairman of the committee.

Bowman said the committee wants to create a consolidation plan that would stop short of a shift of local school buildings or debts to a regional district. "We have not fully resolved that yet," he said.

Rep. Jacqueline Norton, D-Bangor, the committee's co-chairman, said if the committee comes up with a proposal that calls for shifting assets from the local to regional level, it would address the complex issues, such as those in Acton or Cape Elizabeth.

"It has to be a fairness issue," she said.

In the KJ, an opinion piece from Colby College professor Joseph R. Reisert suggests that the issue of local control is a bit overblown and states:

In reality, most people, most of the time, don't care very much about their school boards, or even their local governments, which is why we have willingly turned over so much responsibility for our local governments to professional administrators. Voter turnout figures tell the same story of substantial indifference to local government. Turnout is considerably and consistently lower in local elections than in congressional or presidential elections; this is true both nationally and locally.

Reisert goes on to provide data on local elections in recent years which supports his opinion. Clearly an advocate of consolidation, he notes something that I blogged about last week, namely most states have already done this kind of consolidation many years ago. Most, if not all states in the southern part of the country have operated with large county school districts for 40 or more years.

Perhaps Reisert's most powerful argument is this:

The vast majority of us, however, understand that we cannot have a reasonable state and local tax burden if we continue to subsidize inefficiently small schools and bloated administrative bureaucracies indefinitely. We understand that, in an era of declining enrollments, some schools will have to close. It won't be pleasant for anyone, but mature and reasonable people accept unpleasant realities when they have to.

Because district consolidation offers only modest benefits to each of us as individuals (though the collective benefits are quite considerable), we who do not fear consolidation will inevitably be less vocal those who feel that their sense of local identity is threatened by the change. But there are more of us.

~John Brandt

Entrusting Teachers

I just finished posting an article from the latest Journal of Maine Education written by Lynn Bonsey an elementary school teacher from Surry, Maine. Each year, after the Journal is published, I choose a couple of articles from the current issue to post on our website.

I was deeply inspired by this article for several reasons and on several levels. First, is the message of teacher empowerment that is so necessary, and often so-lacking, in today's classrooms. We all know that to be true professionals, individual practitioners need to have a level of professional autonomy and control of their practice and craft. In the labor/management environment that so often dominates our public schools, teachers are often powerless to make, or even suggest changes. In this teacher's school, the decision to team teach with a colleague is left to the teachers to decide and the results are masterful.

My second reason for choosing this article to showcase was the evidence it demonstrates of excellence in teaching and learning. Throughout the article Ms. Bonsey displays a thorough understanding of the science and art of teaching frequently noting published research to support her positions, and the acknowledgment and respect of the skills, talents, and "gifts differing" of her colleagues in this collaborative teaching effort. Topping this off was the evidence of Ms. Bonsey's clear understanding of the skills and talents of her students and her ability, and that of her colleague, to differentiate the lessons to enhance each student's learning.

Ms. Bonsey's commentary on the Maine Learning Results and No Child Left Behind suggests that these are not viewed as helpful to the classroom teacher. No doubt many teachers would agree. But yet it is clear from this reflection that Ms. Bonsey and her colleagues are meeting, if not exceeding the intended outcomes of these programs. The fact that it is difficult to measure this is really what is at issue. And, the obvious perception of these legislative initiatives as burdensome are something their authors and proponets should address.

Many times in the past I have noted that sometimes people just "need permission" to get things done. This is a wonderful example of how some teachers did not wait around for that permission and, in their words, "In the end, we just did it." Bravo.

I wish I had Ms. Bonsey as my teacher.

~John Brandt

And one for the principal . . .

I found some bloggers who steered me to this site by Barry Zweible which has a wonderful thought provoking question for principals (and other leaders) to use in staff meetings:

"What's on your radar that's probably not yet on mine?"

Read all about the advice from Barry Zweible

~John Brandt

More Thought Provoking

Last week I blogged on a question posed to us at the ASCD Regional Meeting (What keeps you awake at night?) and it generated some commentary from some folks. Well, I have continued to look for similar thought provoking questions and came across these on a blog-site called Creating Passionate Users.

The simple 4-quesetion test to see if someone has a passion for their work:

* When was the last time you read a trade/professional journal or book related to your work? (can substitute "attended an industry conference or took a course")

* Name at least two of the key people in your field.

* If you had to, would you spend your own money to buy tools or other materials that would improve the quality of your work?

* If you did not do this for work, would you still do it (or something related to it) as a hobby?

Good questions, huh? I wonder how most teachers would answer the last one....

~John Brandt

A View from Afar

As you know, I have been doing my blogging from afar this past week as I have been down in the "southland" on ASCD business. So, I was not able to attend the big public hearing in Augusta on Monday, but have gotten some reports from those there and read the on-line reports.

It seems that the major fear - at least what was reported - is the potential for closing small schools, especially those on some of the islands. I think that issue has been dealt with numerous times with repeated assurances that the proposal consolidation plan was not looking to close schools. Yet, the fear continues.

The other apparent fear - again, based upon reading the news reports - is the fear of what I am calling "regression towards the mean." In this case it is the wealthy districts who fear a reduction of their high standards as a result of becoming part of a larger district.

I shared these concerns with my ASCD colleagues when we were in Charlotte earlier this week. Nearly every ASCD affiliate leader told of consolidation efforts in their state/region. Many also spoke about how their state had an overabundance of school districts many years ago and how they had already consolidated many years ago. Several of the states have also employed the use of "service centers" to consolidate non-educational procedures and functions. What was amazing was that despite these efforts, there was still a effort to consolidate further. And many of my colleagues reported that they too still had small districts and small schools.

So, Mainers may find some comfort in the fact that they are not alone in this struggle and may actually be able to benefit from the experiences of others.

~John Brandt

What Keeps You Awake at Night?

This thought provoking question was one of the high points of the ASCD Regional Meeting held here in Charlotte, NC. The Regional Meeting, albeit not in our Northeast region, is an opportunity for ASCD affiliate leaders to gather to essentially trade ideas and engage in “shop talk.” ASCD’s Constituent Partners (CP) staff attempts to “herd the cats” and provide the structure to this process, but I always find that the unstructured activities are the best times at these meetings. It’s the conversation you have with old friends and colleagues that you only see at these events and the chit chat around the dinner table with new colleagues that most frequently results in the discovery of gems and nuggets with which you line your pockets to bring home and share.

The CP staff deserves a great deal of credit and thanks for putting structure on the meeting, and providing us with the aforementioned question.

But, can you imagine meeting with a group of educators and asking them to respond to and discuss the question: What Keeps You Awake at Night?

I think most, if not all educators really struggle with thoughts and ideas that keep them awake at night. It wouldn’t take long for the conversation to get quite frenetic and passionate.

And, what I would expect is that most of these participants would think that they were the only one who thought this way; that their issue or concern was unique to them and of no interest to other teachers. And, I think they would be simply blown away to find out that the complete opposite was true.

Just think of the power and energy that could come from having a conversation about all of these issues and the potential for ideas and solutions that could follow. Just think about if you could have this kind of conversation with the teachers in your district or in your school.

What are you thinking?

~John Brandt

Report Shows Support for Plan

In a news release posted on Maine.gov, Governor Baldacci reported that "a newly released GrowSmart study shows support for his initiative to reduce central administration of school districts across the state." According to the website:

The study released today reflects the demand that exists across Maine for tax relief and for reduced administration. The poll of 500 registered voters found that 51 percent favored a reduction in the number of school superintendents in order to provide local property tax relief. Only 15 percent did not support such a reduction.

Information about the report or the poll could not be verified.However, if this is correct, it shows that the Governor's plan is supported by a majority of voters, albeit a very slim majority. 

In other news, the Portland Press Herald reports that the Maine State Board of Education has endorsed the Governor's timeline for implementing his district consolidation plan. They report that in addition to this endorsement, "Members of the state Board of Education agreed on Thursday to broad concepts regarding the consolidation of public school administrations..."

The same PPH article reports that in the SmartGrowth poll, "Fifteen percent oppose the reduction and 34 percent are undecided."

Two committees of the state legislature will hold a public hearing on Monday, February 5th at the Augusta Civic Center on the Governor's proposal.

~John Brandt