Starting Over: A Post-Katrina Education

It’s strangely like living in two parallel universes at the same time. We are still staffing vacant positions, purchasing A-V equipment, maps and globes, etc., all activities for the opening of school. At the same time, we are beginning plans for the end of year faculty retreat. We just hired a certified computer teacher, and the second special education para educator. Simultaneously, we are discussing the opening of school teacher training institute for the 2008 – 09 school session. We’ve contracted with a former principal to assist with the formal teacher evaluations so that they can be finished by the beginning of May. That’s so we can offer jobs for next year to teachers who earn satisfactory ratings. We are concerned about the upcoming LEAP tests and planning things like looping for some grades, summer remedial sessions for students who fail the high stakes tests, and summer enrichment classes for those who will take the tests next year. We are still applying for some of the federal dollars available to us this year while trying to begin formulating an operating budget by July 1 for next year.

One of my former supervisors, Dr. Bill Thomas, used to say that good faculties close schools; they don’t fold schools. His meaning was that we close carefully to open better the next year. That’s what we are trying to do these days. The time seems to be flying by and it’s hard to believe that the third quarter ends in two weeks. There is still so much to do.

Today, I attended a Black History Month program presented by students in Pre-K to 4th grade. The Kindergarten play by Rosa Parks was hilariously touching. The students recited their lines very confidently. I was impressed. Another class recited a poem entitled, “Hey, Black Child.” They were outstanding. Other groups sang songs and did recitations. There was no dancing or shaking going on like we see all too frequently in our schools. There were lots of parents present which I realized before entering the building, when I couldn’t find anywhere close by to park my car.

The teachers also gave out award certificates for academics and attendance today. I think that was the most exciting part for the parents. The principal says that third quarter certificates will be distributed at the next PTA meeting. I think that is a great way to get parents to attend the meeting.

Actually, the idea came from the mother of one of my former students at Haley School who has a second daughter at Mc 42. Her older daughter didn’t win any awards that I remember. She was a character and a bit of a terror. The younger sister is warm, smart and delightful. Her mother is very proud of her school accomplishments. When I asked the younger girl about her older sister, she reported that her sibling was doing very well these days. The mother remembered that we made a big deal of awards and recognition at our old school and wanted to know if we would have a big awards celebration at the end of the year in this new school.

Ironically, the principal brought up that subject to me last week. At the same time that he is giving out awards for the first semester, he’s planning the end of year awards program. There goes that parallel universe thing again.

Posted by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D. at 1:20 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Last week, I was watching the NBA All-Stars Saturday Night Jam. In the comfort of my home, I enjoyed the events that included the 3-point shoot out and the Slam Dunk contest. We were in the middle of the NBA All-Star weekend in New Orleans. Basketball greats like Kobe Bryant and Charles Barkley are walking our streets, visiting our restaurants and popping up at playgrounds, schools, and the convention center. Watching the lights of the cityscape at night from the aerial view above the Arena and the Superdome could make one forget that much of the city is still devastated and under repair, 2 ½ years after Hurricane Katrina.

About 70 of our students from grades 5th to 8th attended the annual T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and Youth Jam. The students were treated to a snack of pizza and soft drinks after school while waiting to board buses to a game Friday evening as part of this weekend’s festivities. They received free game tickets, a special I.D. card and a magenta jersey to wear to the game. “American Idol” winner, Jordin Sparks performed at half-time. According to the newspaper, more than 5,000 students attended the game.

Periodically, I ask the question, “How hard can it be?” in reference to the goings-on at the school. You might be surprised at how hard it can be to send students to a game where all expenses are paid for you. It can be hard because communication is difficult.

To begin with, I received an email about the event right before Mardi Gras. The original messages were dated January 19th, almost a month before the event. I didn’t recognize the email address and either missed, ignored or deleted the email from the NBA contact person. Had that message gone to the principal or the administrative assistant (both former basketball players), I'm sure it would have gotten immediate attention. Later, I received a message that someone from the NBA had called the school for me. When I called back, more than a week had passed since the email notice had been distributed. By that time, we were coming up on the Mardi Gras madness and trying to get signed forms from parents, spreadsheets with student information, and chaperons lined up in three-days' time.

I forwarded the message to the principal and noted that we had to get the signed permission slips returned in a short time. I planned to send them by overnight express mail to make the deadline for registration. During the conversation with the nice lady from the NBA, I mentioned that we had approximately 150 students in the designated grades. About 20 or 30 of them had been suspended or had poor attendance and would not (according to the program guidelines) be allowed to attend. She said that all of them could come.

On the day I was scheduled to mail the package, I went to the school and discovered that there were only 25 permission slips returned. Only one eight grade students was going. One class had not received letters at all—they disappeared from the teacher’s desk. And many eligible students did not have signed letters because the students didn’t realize they needed to return the permission slips by the next day. In one class the teacher didn’t include all of the eligible students as punishment to a group of students who broke various rules the previous week. These children had never been suspended, nor did they have poor attendance. They should have been allowed to attend the basketball event.

I thought back to the Harry Potter book signing with J.K. Rowling a few months ago, another special event where our children were not in attendance, and thought, “This can’t be happening again.” I swallowed my embarrassment and called the NBA contact to explain that we did not have all of the permission slips. It was the Friday before Mardi Gras and we were going to be out of school until the next Thursday. There was barely enough time for us to receive the jerseys before the game. Luckily, she was very understanding. Putting on such a huge event meant we were not the only ones with a few kinks in the process. About half of our eligible students were able to attend the game and enjoy the festivities. Some of the parents didn't have transportation to pick up their children late at night from the school after the event. It was just too hard to arrange for some of our kids.

My son attended with a group of students from the school where he coaches. He said it was a fun event, but they did not get away from the school until almost midnight. It was a long day. He also said that there were lots of empty seats on the upper levels. Maybe others found it difficult to get their students to the special event as well. Some of the students and even a few chaperones were disappointed that they could not attend. The principal and another chaperone told me the kids behaved beautifully. I’m just glad that two busloads of McDonogh 42 Owls were ‘in the house’ with Yao Ming, Kevin Garnett, and Chris Bosh, enjoying a special night of B’ball.

Posted by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D. at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

We are in our countdown to LEAP testing. Beginning on March 10th, our fourth and eighth grade students will be taking high-stakes, state mandated criterion referenced tests in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Their scores will determine whether or not they can be promoted to the next grade. Students in grades three, five, six, and seven will take norm-referenced tests, but they are not high-stakes.

Several of our eighth grade students failed the test last year. About 25% of them failed the test when they were in 4th grade also. These are the students who are 15 years old. If they don’t pass this year, they will have to attend a special school for over aged children next year. That school is also for disruptive students. I’d much rather that they get into a regular high school.

The local school district started a homework hotline this week. One night the superintendent called me to let me know that quite a few calls had come in from our students. These were fourth grade students seeking assistance with Math problems. I was happy to hear that the students were serious enough to get help. Their teacher said she gave the students the hotline number because they were starting new skills and she didn't want them to be too frustrated or confused if they forgot the rules for working with fractions.

There is so much pressure on the students to pass these tests that sometimes they get physically ill during the testing sessions. I know how they feel. I’m starting to get a little nervous myself. We started school in early August to give us a few extra weeks of instruction before the test dates. It’s one of many strategies we’ve tried for students who are admittedly behind their peers in other less devastated areas of the state. I'm convinced that the students can learn anything we want to teach them. They just need time; our time is running out for this year.

I was never a person who believed in teaching the test or teaching to the test. When the stakes are so high, it’s hard to take your mind off the test. It’s impossible to stop thinking about it. It’s a challenge to do anything that is not LEAP-like.

Posted by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D. at 1:37 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I'm not really taking the day off just because school is closed for one more day as everyone recovers from Mardi Gras festivities. I'm taking the day off from blogging because Times-Picayune columnist, Sheila Stroup, did a much better job than I could in writing about a special event held at our school last week. Please paste the link below into your browser for the story that appeared in yesterday's newspaper. Thank you, Sheila!

http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1202192505306030.xml&coll=1

Posted by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D. at 8:29 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I love the marching bands, the high school dance teams, and the cleverly themed floats. I like to see the people in crazy costumes, the happy families, and the colorful throws flying from the hands of float riders to the eager clutches of spectators. Teenagers, in my day, had to have new jeans and tennis shoes when we went to parades on Mardi Gras. We waited anxiously for a fleeting glimpse of the Mardi Gras Indians in their beautiful feathered and beaded suits. From the Wild Magnolias to the Guardians of the Flame, they are still a unique and beautiful sight to see.

For those of you who are not in New Orleans and wondering what this international festival is like to those of us who are natives, it is a time of celebration. And I can see all of it from home in the comfort of my kitchen. I’m sitting at the table watching the parade coverage on TV and glancing out of the picture window at the man-made lake beyond my backyard. I love Mardi Gras, even from home.

Yesterday, we had a Lundi Gras party. It was an excuse to have a cookout with family and friends. My daughter had lots of guests, some of whom snuck into the city for a few days, cutting college classes in exchange for a city-wide party. We had other friends and family who enjoyed red beans and rice, jambalaya, fried chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, and King Cake. I think everyone needed a day off. How hard can that be to take a day off in the middle of the Mardi Gras festivities in a city that has as its theme, “Laissez les bon temps roulez?”

The principal of our school spent one of his days off at the building with the Sewerage and Water Board supervisors and the RSD plumbers trying to find the source of a water leak. The city workers said the underground break was on the school property and beyond their control. The school district supervisors said the leak was in the street causing a back up of sewerage onto the school’s property. They dug up part of the yard at the fence, but could not dig up the sidewalk or the public street. After five telephone calls, three emails, and several hours of going back and forth (while the party was going on), I was assured that we would have a repair crew to address the problem on Ash Wednesday, the day after Mardi Gras—the day before we are scheduled to return to school from the break.

As an extra assurance, I copied the email to a friend who works in city government. She forwarded the request to the head of the water department for us. I hope that does the trick. We’ll see. We are in our countdown to final preparations for the LEAP tests. I hope we don’t have any emergencies that interfere with our scheduled practice days.

Anyway, I’m going back to the parades—I mean the kitchen. Let the good times roll!

Posted by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D. at 3:06 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)