Eyes on the Board - November, 2007

Volume 16, Issue 3

McAllen AFT MAKING A DIFFERENCE

ANOTHER INITIATIVE???

 The McAllen AFT is deeply concerned about the number of initiatives started this fall.  We are asking ALL PROFESSIONALS to turn out on Tuesday, December 4, 2007 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Palmer Pavilion, 301 E. Hackberry (to the east of Memorial High School) in McAllen to discuss High School Redesign, Curriculum Collaborative, SI OP, computer technology, librarians not allowed to do their job, drop-out prevention, parental involvement, and School Fusion.  We have ask three (3) school board members to be present.

IF YOUR FUTURE IS IMPORTANT TO YOU, ASK A FRIEND TO COME WITH YOU.  THIS MEETING IS OPEN TO ALL PROFESSIONALS.

The MISD Board of Education opted to approve Option A for middle school rezoning on November 26.   The result of this decision will leave the following schools with the approximate populations—Fossum, 631; Morris, 652, DeLeon, 652; Lincoln, 627.  This will allow for equal participation for University Interscholastic League (football, baseball, soccer, music, art, etc.).

A big discussion on security cameras was also tabled for a future meeting so more information could be presented.

Another presentation was given on the MISD Staff Climate Survey to be given after exams in January.  Questions were tweaked to indicate principals were available to staff when on campus, adequate technology training had been given, etc. 

Mrs. Chapa gave a report on a TEA Visit done on November 26.  One thing that was brought out was even the principal had to do attendance when  a student was with him/her.

On November 12th at the end of a long school board meeting a teacher and the principal at Brown Middle School gave a presentation on AVID—Advancement Via Individual Determination (another new initiative).  The MemorialHigh School principal stood up to say she would welcome this program at her school.  AVID levels the playing field for minority, rural, low-income and other students without a college-going tradition in their families by providing an in-school academic support program that prepares those students in academic middle for college eligibility and success by placing them in advanced classes.

Special information and decisions

November 26, 2007

“Goods-in-Transit tax was passed  (approximately 100 accounts)—required by H.B. 621 passed in the Texas Legislative Session.

MISD Board voted to change school board terms from three (3) to four (4) years and  the election to be held in odd numbered years with the City of McAllen. 

An additional $30,000 was approved for those students who must be assigned to Hidalgo County Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program (JJAEP).  An outside grant writer was approved—cost $7,000 for first grant written and $6,000 for the second, etc.

Open forum presentation

November 12, 2007

We are here to discuss the many instructional initiatives that have been started this school year.

My senior high school English teacher, Mrs. Parrot, had a quote on the black board that said, “Imagination is the only key to the future.  Without it none exists—with it all things are possible.”   By Ida M. Tarbell, American journalist.

During the spring and summer of this last school year, we heard the buzzwords—a new type of Advisory Period in middle school, Curriculum Collaborative, SI OP, Skyward, Computer Technology, Drop-Out Prevention, Rigorous Curriculum, Parental Involvement, School Fusion, IB, RIPP, and High School Redesign.  The unfolding of all these initiatives was not real to us then, but now they are.

What both Administration and Staff want is the opportunity to develop students into the best they can be.  We all want students to be ready for more training such as university /college and the world of work.  How we get that done is a challenge to all of us.  No Child Left Behind and testing mandates have taken much of the joy from the administrative and instructional side of learning. McAllen AFT has had numerous meetings with our elementary, middle, and high school members to discuss all the buzzwords and results of change.  We have done in-depth research on the issues.   The following is the our consensus of what has happened:

An advisory period (or 7^th period) for middle school teachers for TAKS tutoring at one middle school campus has grades, walk thru’s and lesson plans—therefore, those teachers are owed back pay for teaching an additional class.

Curriculum Collaborative is flawed and should be used as supplementary instructional materials and not termed non-negotiable for teacher staff.  Region I, one of 10-region service centers responsible for creating this material--says that the Curriculum Collaborative is supplementary and is negotiable.

SI OP for all students to improve bilingual skills is a good thing.  When principals recruited teachers to participate last summer; however, few of the teaching staff understood there was a 2-year commitment that included some Saturdays during the school year.

Skyward a software program for grading can be used from home and is a good tool, but even the trainers did not know how to use the program nor could they train the teaching staff adequately.  Computers froze, grades had to be re-entered numerous times, and frustration abounded.  Elementary teachers still were not allowed to use this program at the end of the first six weeks of school.

School Fusion though announced has not been implemented other than email.  We are concerned that parents’ ability to view grades will result in legal complications.

The International Baccalaureate Program is awesome, but some middle schools enrolled in the program have had adequate training and others have not had enough.

RIPP a program used to teach respect for others is good, but just another thing to take up precious class time.

High School Redesign, another new initiative, has good intentions but seems rushed.  We have done our homework in this area.  Most successful programs take two (2) to three (3) years to plan before being implemented.  We have talked to teachers in Weslaco and PSJA and have a consensus from them that they rushed into redesign and are very concerned with the issues they have to deal with besides planning, teaching, grading, and working together.  Teachers from these districts say they hardly have time to have weekly parent and students meetings.  When talking to Claudia Rodriguez, Director of Redesign at Region I, we were furnished with materials and Internet sites that discuss how redesign was progressing. McAllen AFT has asked a team of ten (10) of our retirees to help us research the concept of redesign.   We feel that parents in McAllen have not been given an adequate opportunity to participate in discussions to consider redesign.  In addition, students are concerned that they cannot move from one learning community to another.  Even ninth grade students are expected to choose the small learning community they will be in all four years of high school.  If a student is forced to stay in a learning community he/she does not like he/she is more likely to drop out.

In order to prevent dropouts, you need to invigorate your Parental Involvement Program.

The ideal plan would be to have Parental Involvement individuals at each campus go out to the parents and bring them up to speed.  You also need to review the PI salary schedule, as you have not been giving them equal pay to the teaching staff.  Why not form a team of individuals including the Superintendent, Asst. Superintendents, and all Administrative personnel and have them lead the charge to get our students much more prepared for college and/or the work force and our parents more involved.  We are also asking that this team work diligently to stop so many initiatives at once.

Thank you.