Teaching While Leading
Phylis Hoffman, a 2nd grade teacher at Harry Bridges K-8 Span School in the Los Angeles Unified School District, was in her 24th year of teaching when she started this blog. She is National Board-certified, a part of numerous leadership teams in her school, and a member of Educators 4 Excellence. This blog is no longer being updated.
Student Well-Being
Opinion
The Atlanta Cheating Scandal and Motivation Theory
I know educators around the country empathize with Atlanta (we understood what drove them) but I hope we have learned from Atlanta as well. Tying pay raises and job evaluations to one yearly, standardized test makes no sense at all. We don't give our students an A or an F because of one test. Why is it okay to do this to teachers and schools?
School & District Management
Opinion
Open Letter to UTLA President and LAUSD Superintendent
It's time to take advantage of a lapsed contract, a reorganization of district administration, and the mediation process to create something new in the Los Angeles Unified School District, hybrid positions. A hybrid position would be where administrators would support schools by spending part of every work day actually teaching and the other part of the day would be devoted to administrative tasks of supporting students and schools.
Assessment
Opinion
Leveraging Teacher Evaluations in Los Angeles
The opportunity is there to negotiate for their priorities - smaller class-sizes, fully staffed schools, and a pay raise - if they are willing to accept three levels of performance in teacher evaluations. I think the three levels are worth it, if it means better conditions for teachers and students.
College & Workforce Readiness
Opinion
What Would You Choose: a School Nurse or a Copier?
I have sat in on school budget councils where we had to decide between funding a school nurse a few more days per week or purchasing a maintenance plan for our copy machines. This happens a lot, robbing Peter to pay Paul. The issue of essential school personnel is a huge roadblock in the heated negotiations between my union, United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) and LAUSD. What personnel are essential for schools and their students to thrive?
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Vergara Part 3: Reimagining Tenure
In my 20-plus years of teaching one thing I have learned is teachers need the protection of tenure to effectively advocate for their students. I joined the most recent Educators 4 Excellence-Los Angeles (E4E-Los Angeles) policy team out of a strong desire to preserve tenure, along with collective bargaining rights and our unions. Here are some of the big takeaways of our recommendations for creating tenure for teachers in California.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Vergara Part 2: Tenure Is a Misnomer
Permanent status, that's what I have earned as a second grade teacher in the state of California. I didn't even notice that my pay-stub had changed from the words "Probationary" to "Permanent." I didn't get a letter of congratulations from the superintendent, nor from my principal. It was just another ordinary day. The term tenure in California is used strictly with higher education faculty members.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Vergara Part 1: March 15, 2008
For me this lawsuit, Reed v. State of California, which was won but then turned-over on appeal, lingers large in the backdrop of Vergara; it's the white elephant in the room every time I talk about teacher evaluations or effective teachers.
School & District Management
Opinion
The 2016 ESEA Proposed Budget Has a Vision of Teaching
Teachers and the work they do are paramount to student achievement especially in Title I schools. So it would makes sense for ESEA funding to address teaching. The 2016 proposed budget for ESEA does this and more. The focus on teachers is not just about working conditions (i.e. class sizes, curriculum, etc.) but also about training, attracting, and retaining teachers.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Highly Effective Teachers Don't Exist in My Evaluation Process
I would like to discuss one issue with the ruling that I think we, as a nation, will start to discuss more and more and that is the rating of teachers as "Effective" or "Highly Effective."
Assessment
Opinion
Teacher Voices on NCLB
Teachers weigh in on the debate over NCLB. Read to find out what some California teachers are thinking regarding Common Core State Standards, annual testing, and what the new law should focus on in the years to come.
Federal
Opinion
Resolve to Get Involved With Policy in 2015
I know you may be thinking, I don't have time to get involved in something else! But taking the time to get involved in education issues outside your classroom is a great way to stay connected with the larger issues at your school, in your district, and in your state. It's also a great way to keep recharging those batteries.
Reading & Literacy
Opinion
Balanced Literacy: Being a Program-less Teacher
So now, in a way, I am program-less. There is no one teacher's guide that I regularly reference and where I find all my ready-made resources.
Assessment
Opinion
The Common Core Journey
Teachers transitioning to the Common Core are all driving on a road that's dark except for the final destination. We have the added burden of building and modifying the car as we drive it, because there is no one curriculum to follow.
Teaching
Opinion
What I've Learned About Being a Good Collaborator
This entry explores collaboration between teachers. What is collaboration, how to go about collaborating, and the results are all topics discussed.