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An Indianapolis teacher who bucked school orders by allowing her high school English students to read The Freedom Writers Diary was suspended for a year without pay for insubordination, according to a cnn.com video report.

The Freedom Writers Diary, a book-turned-movie, contains journal-style musings of California high school city students. Expletives and violent images often accompany their reflections of personal tragedies, troubled homes, and impoverished neighborhoods. Perry Township School Board officials say teacher Connie Heermann’s decision to teach the book was inappropriate. “The people … looked at this content and said that it will do more harm than good,” said school board attorney Jon Bailey.

Many of Heermann’s students share similar backgrounds with the book’s authors, which Heermann herself says is beneficial. “They come to know through reading and literature that they’re not alone in the problems they face,” she said.

The school board originally stalled in deciding whether to allow the book, Heermann says. She officially received recall orders even after getting parental permission, but decided to allow her students to continue with the book anyway. “They were reading, they were engaged. I looked at my students and decided I want them to read this book,” she said.

Heermann is allowed to return to teaching in the school in September 2009, but refuses to do so unless she is allowed to teach the book.

Posted by Danielle Woods at 5:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

In low income areas across the country, economic pressures can force parents to house hop and their children to school hop, and Flint, Mich. is no exception. The city loses 1,000 students annually, and half of all students switch schools, according to the The New York Times. In 2004, the State Department of Human Services began an experiment to combat the problem: They would offer a $100-a-month rent subsidy (paid directly to landlords who promise not to raise their rent) for parents at the two most afflicted elementary schools. The Genesee Scholars Program also intended to keep students with the same teacher for 2nd and 3rd grade.

Dr. David Kerbow, a University of Chicago education researcher, has studied the effect of itinerancy on students and their more settled classmates, a problem, he says, education planners don’t always address. “The learning trajectory over time is flattened [for all students],” Kerbow adds, because teachers are often having to play instructional catch up.

Flint’s program has yielded positive results. Participants are moving less and recent data reveals that 3rd graders’ scores jumped on a statewide test.

Posted by Rachel Gang at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Instead of graduating this year from high school in Las Flores, Calif., 18-year-old Omar Khan sat in prison with 69 felony charges for hacking into school computers. If convicted, Khan faces up to 38 years in prison, the TG Daily reports.

School officials allege that Khan broke into computers and altered his AP test scores, changed his subpar grades to A’s, and altered the grades of 12 other students. He is also accused of e-mailing tests and answer keys to friends. Khan was caught after requesting an official transcript for a university he was applying to.

The stacked charges against the Tesoro High School senior include identity theft, burglary, and conspiracy. Khan’s friend Tanvir Singh has also been charged with the break-ins, but because of lesser charges only faces three years in prison if convicted. Khan’s arraignment, initially scheduled for mid-June, was postponed until July 8, according to foxnews.com. Khan is now out of jail, but his parents initially refused to post the $50,000 bail.

Posted by Danielle Woods at 4:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

After the formal dance (complete with limousines), the elaborate class trip, and the catered parties, the students proudly cross the stage in their caps and gowns and shake hands with beaming school administrators. A typical rite of spring for high school graduates, right? Sure, except that this is a description of a ceremony for 8th graders. Across the country, reports the New York Times, 8th grade graduations are increasingly being treated with ever greater significance and leading some educators and public officials to ask whether all the pomp fits the circumstance.

In Arizona, legislators have gone so far as consider a bill to stop schools from giving out 8th grade certificates, worrying that the credential may lead some students to believe that 8th grade is the final academic goal. And no less a personage than Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has questioned the practice of lavish graduation ceremonies. “Now hold on a second—this is just eighth grade. So let’s not go over the top,” he said at a June 15 church appearance in Chicago. "Let’s not have a huge party. Let’s just give them a handshake. You’re supposed to graduate from eighth grade.”

Others, however, say 8th grade graduation is a noteworthy milestone for many students and that there’s little harm in making the occasion memorable. “At least we have parents celebrating their children’s educational achievement,” said education scholar Diane Ravitch. “It says, ‘There are good rewards to staying in school.’”

Posted by Vicki Kriz at 1:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

In schools across the UK, teaching assistants present math and literacy lessons and grade class work and earn only £50 ($77.5 U.S.) per day—about half of what “supply” or full-time teachers are paid, according to BBC news. Assistants also serve as cheap cover in case of teacher absences, which can mean “putting people in front of children who may not have the right qualifications or experience to do this,” says Christine McAnea, head of education for Unison, the UK’s largest public sector union.

Currently no guidelines exist for the role of the teaching assistant, leaving their responsibilities to the discretion of their headteacher. Rosemary Plummer, a Unison representative, has heard from 40 London teaching assistants who expressed concern for being asked to reach beyond their qualifications. Plummer says assistants are being used as “cut-price teachers,” and she adds, “It’s very to easy to use teaching assistants to lower rates of pay— it would cost an awful lot to bring in a supply teacher.”

Unions are working with schools and the government to clarify the job description.

Posted by Rachel Gang at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Toledo, Ohio, has the longest history of teacher peer reviews in the country, having started almost thirty years ago, according to National Public Radio. A “consultant” (or master teacher) studies a colleague’s preparation, planning and presentation of lessons, knowledge of material, engagement and discipline of students, even dress and punctuality. Poor performance can result in job termination—a decision that once rendered is rarely overturned or appealed.

Special education teacher Joshua Singer started teaching in Toledo in 2000 and was recently forced to resign following his peer review. He believes he was targeted unfairly by his consultant for having a good relationship with his students. “There’s nowhere to turn, there’s no grievance process," he said. "I knew I was in a losing situation.”

While the peer review system may leave teachers like Singer feeling scorned, David Strom, general counsel at the American Federation of Teachers, believes the peer review process preserves the integrity of teaching and prevents lawsuits with overwhelming union support. “A union’s job is not to defend every teacher no matter what the teacher has done, particularly if that teacher is not competent or capable,” he noted.

According to Del Lawrence, former president of the Toledo Federation of Teachers, a peer review can shorten a new educator’s learning curve and spare a lot of grief: “A bad teacher can do a lot of damage in 5 years.”

Posted by Rachel Gang at 2:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)

Karen Salazar is a second-year English teacher with a master’s degree in education from UCLA. She teaches at Jordan High School in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles and, according to LatinoLA, her class is popular, regularly drawing students better known for their imperfect attendance. She has been asked not to return in the fall.

Observed 15 times in the past year, Salazar was criticized by an administrator for teaching The Autobiography of Malcolm X—a sanctioned L.A. Unified School District book—to her class. A union official shared a critique against Salazar with the Los Angeles Times that described her teaching as “too Afro-centric.” Salazar and others told the Los Angeles Times that an assistant principal accused her of brainwashing students.

Salazar's overall campus review describes her as "definitely a teacher who wants kids to wake up and look around them and ask questions and be motivated and be engaged.” Salazar's mentor and veteran teacher Miranda Manners agrees. “I did not see the same things that administrator said he saw,” said Manners. “I saw a new, young teacher teaching her lesson according to the objectives she stated on the board. I saw her engage with her students and interacting with them in a very positive way.” Sixteen teachers have threatened to resign or seek transfers in protest. And her students have taken their outrage online with a YouTube video.

The vice president for the United Teachers Los Angeles has little hope for Salazar returning to Jordan, “I think she was a terrific teacher, who had a real connection with kids, but teachers in her position have a hard time winning these battles.” Salazar would have earned district tenure with one more year of teaching.

Posted by Elizabeth Rich at 1:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

Parts of the Midwest experienced the worst of Mother Nature’s temper in the past several weeks. A tornado ravaged the 1,900-person town of Parkersburg, Iowa—less than 100 miles away from where another tornado took the lives of four boy scouts and injured dozens Wednesday night—with a violent force the state hadn’t experienced in over 30 years. Despite the ruin, one teacher insists on saving tradition and picking up where he left off, reports The New York Times.

The storm killed eight people and leveled hundreds of buildings, among them Aplington-Parkersburg High School. Minutes later, Aplington-Parkersburg teacher and football coach Ed Thomas walked to the school to rebuild his historic football program amid the rubble. The former NFL High School Coach of the Year expects to have “the sacred acre” ready in time for what he is calling the biggest game in the school’s history—September’s home opener.

Home to state championships, playoff games, and four NFL players, the field, which bears Thomas’ name, will be ready for the season’s Friday night lights, cheerleaders, and roaring fans, according to at least one resident. Said Parkersburg’s mayor Bob Haylock, “If Ed Thomas wants it, Ed Thomas will make sure it gets done.”

Posted by Danielle Woods at 5:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A kindergarten teacher of 27 years in Columbia, TN, has decided to retire rather than accept her school board's ultimatum of leaving her church.

Sandra McCarthy and four other teachers at Columbia Academy Christian school were told by school officials that, under a board resolution, they would lose their jobs unless they signed a pledge to end their relationship with a local church where musical instruments were used. Columbia Academy is affiliated with the Churches of Christ, which historically has not allowed musical instruments during worship services.

Two of the teachers reportedly resigned and took new positions, while two others accepted a compromise agreement allowing them to attend their church except on occasions when music is played there.

McCarthy said she was torn by the decision but opted to move on. “There’s been a lot of prayer and I’m open to new opportunities,” she said. “I’ve come to the conclusion that I want to retire.”

Posted by Rachel Gang at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)

This year gym teachers in Hopedale, Massachusetts introduced non-conventional ways for students to improve their physical and psychological health, according to Milford Daily News. Thanks to a $40,000 two-year federal grant, local teachers already started using unorthodox fitness activities like rock climbing, stability balls, riding fitness bikes, and dancing to the trendy video game “Dance, Dance, Revolution.” Next year, they plan to introduce the Nintendo Wii game system, which was created to let gamers physically move by playing tennis, bowling, or boxing against a computer simulator.

The fitness program promotes physical health and focuses on the “intangibles” of school life. Students are encouraged to show positive behaviors through role-playing and visual lessons, according to Memorial Park Elementary School teacher Christine Cappbianca. Teachers seem enthusiastic about the new changes and hope that “this system will decrease discipline referrals,” said Patty Armour, high school math teacher.

Posted by Rachel Gang at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Navigating a school system is not always easy, especially, parents claim, when it comes to voicing a complaint. Following Washington, DC and the state of Washington, about a dozen Texas school districts have hired ombudsmen to assist parents with their grievances —often a source of tension for teachers and principals. Greg Gibson, the superintendent of Crowley, Texas, notes that since hiring an ombudsman in December, the number of formal grievances filed with the district have “significantly declined.” Even with the $75,000 annual price tag, Gibson is convinced he’s on to something, “I had a light bulb go off in my head. It’s a whole new way of doing business that we were not addressing.”

Beverly Reeves, the ombudsman for Austin schools, believes this paradigm shift can go a long way towards building trust with parents, “We have to change our mindset to know that these are our customers. They pay our salaries.” Other districts aren’t so convinced. Tim Carroll, a spokesman for the Allen, Texas schools, said the addition of a costly position that merely placates parents is no guarantee. “A lot of times, people want something, but they’re not going to get it. We can ombuds that to death, but eventually somebody’s not going to get what he wants.”

Posted by Vicki Kriz at 3:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

A group of teenagers who were arrested for breaking into and partying hardy in Robert Frost’s farmhouse in Middlebury, Vt., have been given a punishment that will make English teachers proud: Along with paying for the damage and doing community service, they are being required to take two classes in Frost’s poetry.

Explained prosecutor John Quinn: “I guess I was thinking that if these teens had a better understanding of who Robert Frost was and his contribution to our society, that they would be more respectful of other people’s property in the future and would also learn something from the experience.”

Middlebury College professor Jay Parini—also a poet, Frost biographer, and author of The Art of Teaching—volunteered to teach the classes. The first session featured a line-by-line analysis of—you guessed it—“The Road Not Taken.”

“It’s a lesson learned, that’s for sure,” said one of the offenders-turned-poetry students. “It did bring some insight. People do many things that they don’t realize the consequences of. It shined a light, at least for me.”

Posted by Anthony Rebora, teachermagazine.org at 3:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

As one of the longest Democratic Party presidential nominations draws to a close, teachers and students are finding lessons of their own this election season, reports USA Today. At Chicago’s Senn High School, where most of teacher Jesse Sharkey’s juniors and seniors are Obama supporters, students wanted to know why Obama won 14 out of 22 delegate votes on Super Tuesday, but barely outscored Hilary. Sharkey said that student interest in the candidates and the election process created many “teachable moments.”

The apathy that previously enveloped students in recent elections has been replaced with a new sense of interest in and curiosity about the political process. Besides participating in classroom discussions on the election, some students are getting directly involved in the excitement. Sixth-grader Jack Greenberg of West Haven, Conn., is covering the election for Scholastic News and will blog from the Democratic National Convention in August. (Scholastic has already posted his biography here.) Over 100 high school students from Chicago campaigned for candidates in Iowa and New Hampshire as a part of the Mikva Challenge, a non-profit organization that encourages kids to get involved in the political process. “This has been the best election for civics,” says Brian Brady, executive director of the Mikva Challenge.

Posted by Rachel Gang at 3:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With fuel costs and general expenses at an all time high, school districts across the country are being forced to save money by cutting teaching positions, raising the cost of school lunches, and curtailing school-bus expenditures. However, Liberty Park Elementary in Greenacres, Florida, which is a low-income school that did not meet federal academic benchmarks, will be sending 15 teachers and their principal to the National Conference for Differentiated Instruction at a cost of $17,000 courtesy of a grant. The 5-day professional development teacher-training excursion to Las Vegas is a use-it-or-lose-it deal. If the school doesn’t use the grant, they can’t use the money for anything else.

The district, which is running a $36 million budget shortfall—it’s worst in two decades, has tightened its purse strings, including cancelling an annual recruiting trip to Orlando in June. Principal Miriam Williams admits that she would rather have spent the money on supplies or other school expenses, but professional development is one of her biggest priorities. Despite its hefty cost, the trip will be strictly business, said Williams, “When we go, we are going to work…This is a business trip.”

Posted by Rachel Gang at 3:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

It’s that time of year again when most high school students are focused on fun in the name of proms, picnics, and beach weeks. Three years ago Helen McCormick, a former teacher from Arkansas, decided it was time for students with disabilities to have their own party and so she organized the Cinderella Ball at her northern Virginia youth center. This year when McCormick began knocking on doors for donations, she traveled to Washington, D.C.’s Willard InterContinental Hotel to ask for left-over decorations, including “almost-dead flowers.” Instead, they offered her their ballroom, according to the Washington Post.

After months of going door-to-door and collecting change outside convenience stores, the students and McCormick raised almost $100,000 for the event. On Saturday night, 100 students entered the storied hotel, just a stone’s throw from the White House. under an arch of swords held by the U.S. Marines in full uniform. Dressed in clothing and jewelry donated for the event, students spun in their wheel chairs and shed their shoes and their insecurities on the dance floor while “American Idol” winner Ruben Studdard sang. When 14-year-old Caleigh announced, “We’re going to close the house down,” her father agreed, “That’s right. We are shutting it down.”

Posted by Vicki Kriz at 5:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)