Some Californian schools are facing sanctions if their students don't improve on standardized tests this year, which leads to a "do-or-die" atmosphere where some teachers complain of feeling "under attack." Given that some of the action against teacher seems to be related to their union activity, perhaps this is not surprising:
For those who work in schools facing sanctions, this is a "do or die" year. If students do well, schools might exit the programs that threaten to punish them. If schools don't meet growth targets on standardized tests, they might be taken over by the state or closed down completely.
At Curtis Middle School in San Bernardino, teachers say they would like nothing better than to see the school improve academically. When the school was first subjected to federal scrutiny, they were optimistic that things might turn around. However, since the principal decided to transfer teachers against their will - as well as urge teachers to seek work elsewhere - without legal justification, morale is now dropping much faster than test scores...
Auditors from the state, working under the auspices of the federal government, first visited the site last October to observe and interview staff. The auditors reported that the school lacked "strong and effective leadership." Shortly thereafter, the principal was replaced. They also said Curtis lacked a positive climate for learning and needed a "consistent and effective" approach to managing student behavior for a safer school environment. Teachers, who had decried a lack of discipline at the school, did not disagree...
Apparently, though, negotiations between the union and the school broke down, and the teachers who have been reassigned think it has nothing to do with teaching abilities. Curtis Middle School has the lowest possible Annual Program improvement scale, and last year the standardized test score means dropped nine points. The teachers feel the school is the problem; the school seems to think the teachers are the problem. With morale plummeting, it seems hard to see how the students are going to benefit from any of the changes.
Posted by kswygert at September 15, 2003 12:21 PM