Race to Nowhere Update

The most recent comment about 'Race to Nowhere' was posted just a few minutes ago, and the writer requested an update.  Prior to that, we heard from a reader on July 14th.  Well after the April viewing of the documentary film, its message is still on people's minds. 

Coincidentally, the Administrative Leadership Team meets tomorrow for our annual all-day summer retreat.  It is our first opportunity to talk together about the previous school year and to plan for the next one without the busy end-of-the-year workload.  Everyone is refreshed and ready to go. 

'Race to Nowhere' IS on our retreat agenda for tomorrow, August 18th.  I had already made copies of all of your blog comments, and we are planning to review them and discuss what this means for the school district.  That said, it never hurts to call your school's principal directly and ask about the school's homework policy and what can be done to help students who are overly stressed or unable to get enough sleep due to school work. 

What does 'Parents 4 A Change' Have to Do with You?

by
Lynn K. McMullin

On Tuesday, in the midst of all the snow calls and AlertNow hullabaloo, you also got a message from me and the Community of Concern's Substance Abuse Council about an upcoming program February 2nd.  Here are the details, and then I'll tell you more about why the program might be of interest to you.

WHO: Mary Marcuccio, from Parents 4 A Change, a dynamic speaker featured on Good Morning America! Along with an informative display to help you recognize today's drugs and paraphenalia sponsored by our local Narcotics Enforcement Officers Association

WHEN: February 2, 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: Canton High School Auditorium -- with childcare provided.

 WHY?

The first time I heard Mary Marcuccio speak I was impressed with her intensity, honesty, and passion for sparing other families the same grief she experienced in her own family with a teenage son, now lost to drugs.  The tragedy struck at a time in his life, and hers, when she thought they had already beat the odds and were 'free and clear.'   I remember her talking about the little elastic bands he would have on his fingers, picking at them, flipping them around from finger to finger, in plain sight.  She had noticed the little elastic bands and just thought they must have come from his girlfriend's hair.  But, they came from baggies.  The baggies held cocaine.  Her son, like so many others, was a middle class honors student, college-bound, well cared for and living in the suburbs.  His parents were smart and knowledgeable.  They had a 'typical' parent-teen relationship.

That's one reason to come -- not because we're trying to scare you, but simply because knowledge is power.

Another reason to come is this:
Even if your children aren't yet teens themselves, you might have teens in your home.  It's not uncommon for teens to take a quick peek into the bathroom cabinets of neighbors, families for whom they babysit or mow the lawn, to collect prescription medications.  Bringing pills to share at parties is more common than any of us would like to think; and sometimes kids who will not participate in pill-taking, still contribute.

Several years ago, we did a Drug and Alcohol Survey at the high school. We asked our students about almost everything -- family patterns, friends, seatbelts, smoking, academics, and sports, church, etc.  What we learned wasn't earth-shattering, but it was worth sharing.

By filtering the responses we found that students with three or more of these indicators were significantly MORE likely to make unsafe choices, including illegal drinking, riding in cars with people who are drinking, using illegal drugs, and misusing legal drugs. Click here to read the full survey results.

• Students who spend 0 – ½ hour per day on homework
• Students who spend 3+ hours alone per day
• Students who do not eat 1 meal per day with their family
• Parents who “rarely” or “never” know where their teen is when the teen is away from home
• Parents who “rarely” or “never” know with whom their teen hangs out
• Parents who “sometimes,” “rarely,” or “never” set clear rules about the use of alcohol or drugs
• Students who report they “rarely” or “never” feel comfortable sharing their thoughts with their parents
• Students who smoke
• Students whose friends smoke, drink, or use marijuana
• Students who report no close friendships within Canton High School
• Students who feel they are in “fair” or “poor” mental and physical health
• Students who spend more than 3 hours during the school week “hanging out with friends”

Based on those findings, and the filtered responses of the 'safest' students, the Community of Concern wrote a plan called "What Parents Can Do Immediately."  Here are those suggestions:
1. Eat 1 meal per day with your children
2.  Set expectations for homework (in terms of stress, the healthiest two groups of students do 1 – 2 and 2 – 3 hours of homework per night)
3.  Arrange the schedule so that your children are not home alone more than 1 - 2 hours daily
4.  Know where your children are, and with whom, when they are not at home.
5.  Set clear and firm rules about the use of alcohol and drugs
6.  Become more aware of your teen's stress levels and more informed about stress reduction
7.  Help your student become involved in civic organizations and volunteering in the community
8.  Limit the amount of time your student spends “hanging out with friends”

One more thing parents can do: 
Join us February 2nd at 7:00 and become as informed as you can be!

What Does it Mean to Be 'Educated'?

By Lynn K. McMullin

This BLOG is a bit of a departure – a little more philosophical than newsworthy or practical; but I’d love to know what the members of our community are themselves thinking about the direction of education.

What does ‘being educated’ mean today?

Somewhere and sometime in the past few years, I’ve heard two separate anecdotes which illustrate an interesting paradox in defining what is means to be educated. The first was in a speech by Vartan Gregorian, the past-President of Brown University and current president of the Carnegie Corporation in New York. Gregorian cited a study in which Brown’s graduate students – supposedly among the best and the brightest young people in the country! – were asked, ‘What causes the seasons?’ About 85% of these graduate students (none of them science majors) explained and graphically illustrated on a piece of paper, with a great deal of confidence, an elliptical orbit, which when the earth was closer to the sun gave us summer and when it was farther away, gave us winter. Something approximating the diagram below:



Close to the sun -- it's summer!  Far away, it's winter!



But this, of course, is wrong! If it were true, the entire Earth would experience the same seasons at the same time. Yet, we know that summer in North America occurs at the same time as winter in Australia, and vice-versa. In fact, the Earth's orbit is nearly a circle, and the difference between its smallest distance from the Sun and its largest distance is proportionally very small. Furthermore, the Earth is furthest from the Sun in June when summer is beginning in the north! The seasons are caused by a combination of the tilt of the earth on its axis and its rotation.

Does this then make Brown University’s graduate students unprepared for the real world? They probably knew this concept at one point, but have forgotten it along their paths to learning something else in depth.  Should we label them 'uneducated' as they go off into the 21st century’s market place to become tech specialists, business executive, lawyers, manufacturers, social workers, Spanish teachers, and so on?  Or, should we accept that they will function exceptionally well with their particular skill set, enhanced with what is called 'just-in-time' knowledge, i.e. the ability to analyze accurate information as needed.

This second anecdote I heard at a curriculum workshop for differentiated instruction: eighth graders in a California school were given a portion of a standardized math test in which they were asked to generate their own answers and show their work. A word problem asked them, ‘How many buses will the army need to move 367 soldiers if each bus holds 48 soldiers?’ Students in the highest level math classes were more likely than students in lower level math classes to take their long division answers to the third decimal place and then round their answer to 7.65.  Yet, what’s .65 of a bus?  In this case, the students were well-schooled, but not practical. They were more concerned with being precise or accurate, than they were with being right.

Herein lies the paradox of the ‘educated’ student in the 21st century! To be educated, our students have to do much more than avail themselves of knowledge; they must apply what they know in a logical, meaningful way.  To be educated, they must both seek out information and develop critical minds capable of differentiating between pure academic knowledge and its real-life application. They need to be able to ask deep questions, observe meaningful patterns, make predictions.

In the past century, the ‘educated student’ knew a comparatively small body of work extremely well -- Shakespeare, ancient history, algebra and geometry, the Bible, the Fall of the Roman Empire, the function of cells, and so on. Today, however, with knowledge expanding exponentially, we know less and less about a whole lot more.  We cannot worry about our students being ‘academically’ educated in the same way they were in 1985. Our fear should be whether or not we are creating one-dimensional students who are unsure of what they know and how to use it.  In fact, recognized mathematician Grisha Perelman has said, "Learning is what most adults will do for a living in the 21st century."

Recently someone complained to me that the kids today don’t even know their state capitals. In truth, I wondered why that was such a problem.  In the argument that students can't locate states, countries, continents in the world -- an important global concept -- knowing the state's capitals contributes very little. Learning the state capitals requires rote memorization, a low-level skill that could potentially be reserved for life’s necessities, maybe spelling and multiplication facts (although even that is debatable in 2010).  But, should today’s students spend time memorizing the 50 state capitals?  Keep in mind, no thinking or problem-solving is involved! 

My grand-daughter, who’s a freshman in another school system, could find you a list of the state capitals on her cellphone in less than a minute.  In fact, one day when she, her mother, and I were driving through Vermont, my daughter wondered aloud if every state had a Springfield.  We started naming them, when from the back seat, my grand-daughter soon reported that about 35 states had Springfields… and several countries did… and then there was the Simpsons’ fictional city of Springfield… and three famous people with the last name of Springfield (‘Who’s Dusty?’ she asked!).  In about two minutes, she ‘knew’ more facts about Springfield than anyone cared to know.

That’s why as we work on Canton’s new social studies curriculum, we’re spending a great deal of time on the kinds of questions we want students to be able to answer.  In 5th grade, about the same age they might learn their state capitals, for example:  Not, “What is immigration?” but, “What factors cause groups of people move?”  Not, “What were the major inventions of the Industrial Revolution?” but, “How do we determine when change is 'progress'?”  Not, “What is the capital of Maine, Maryland, or Minnesota?” but, “How do our geography, climate, and resources affect the way we live and work?”

Your thoughts?

The Latest on Study Habits

by Lynn K. McMullin

Two recent research pieces, one in the New York Times and one in msnbc.com on-line, bear a little consideration and might prompt comments from those of us who can share our own practical experiences, either as students ourselves or as parents raising contemporary students.


The first is the NY Times article, "Forget What You Know About Good Study Habits" by Benedict Carey, published September 6, 2010, just in time for the start of school.  Carey claims that recent research turns our old-fashioned, common knowledge about studying on its head.  For example, how many of us believe that our students perform better when they have one established place in their homes or rooms for quiet study.  In my mind, the ideal spot should have a desk, a light, and a dictionary.  OK, I admit that's very old fashioned, so replace the dictionary with a laptop!


Carey says research, however, proves we're wrong, and "simply alternating the room where a person studies improves retention... In one classic 1978 experiment, psychologists found that college students who studied a list of 40 vocabulary words in two different rooms — one windowless and cluttered, the other modern, with a view on a courtyard — did far better on a test than students who studied the words twice, in the same room." 

For years, as a teacher, I told my students and their parents that they shouldn't study in the car on the way to karate lessons.. and that they should study one subject at a time, the hardest one first.  Yet, Carey claims research proves kids should change-up what they do as they study, moving from memorizing vocabulary, to reading and taking notes, to writing an essay or reciting aloud.  This studying technique, which Carey calls "mixed practice," enables retention for a longer period of time.  He explains that when a student does the same repetitive process over and over, the brain anticipates the correct response pattern, rather than internalize the content.  Variety, therefore, causes less automation and lasting knowledge.


What about cramming?  We've all done it with positive results!  Carey makes this analogy: "Hurriedly jam-packing a brain is akin to speed-packing a cheap suitcase... it holds its new load for awhile, then most everything falls out."  This is a old piece of common sense that seems to hold true -- study a little today, tomorrow, and then again next week for greater retention.


So, would you have gotten these three factors of success correct?  1.  Changing study locations?  2. Switching the kinds of content being studied? and 3. Spacing the study sessions over time?  The fourth key factor of success, of course, is motivation!


So, what does research say about studying success and Facebook, texting, emailing, or tweeting?  Suzanne Choney, in an article titled, "Facebook Use Can Lower Grades by 20 Percent, Study Says" (msnbc, September 7, 2010) writes that, "...college students who are on Facebook while studying or doing homework wind up getting 20 percent lower grades than students who don't have the social networking site in visual range, or even running in the background on their computers or mobile phones." 

The study was done by two researchers, one in the Netherlands and one from Ohio State University.  The purpose of the study was not to label Facebook as either good or bad, but rather it looked at whether there was any truth behind the belief, common among social networkers, that they are good at multi-tasking.  The study concludes, "the reality is it [social networking] extends the amount of time needed to carry out tasks and leads to more mistakes." 

So, what are your thoughts?

TEAM and Our Qualified Teachers

by Lynn K. McMullin

In late August, we introduced our newest teachers in a webpage photo album called “Welcome New Staff.”  (You can find it below the BLOG is you missed it.)  Since, I am fresh from a meeting in Hartford about the new TEAM program for beginning teachers, I thought I’d provide some information about the paces we put our new teachers through to ensure they are the best teachers they can be.


First of all, in Canton we only hire certified teachers (or teachers whose certification is immediately pending because, perhaps, they have moved to Connecticut from another state.)  As you can see from the photo album, most of our new hires already have their Master’s degrees. Others are enrolled in a graduate program and are well on their way to an advanced degree.


All beginning teachers have 3-year Initial Certificates. This means they have successfully complete a state-approved education program at an accredited college or university; they have passed the Praxis I Skills Tests (math, reading, and writing); and passed the Praxis II Subject-Knowledge Tests, such as in Elementary Education or French or Biology.  Once hired in a school district, teachers with initial certifications now need to complete TEAM (which I tell you more about below) in order to move on in their careers.


The next level is the Provisional Certificate, which is valid for 8 years and requires 30 months of successful teaching experience, as well as 30 semester hours (10 courses) of credit beyond the bachelor’s degree at an accredited college or university.  After 2016, those credit hours can only be graduate level courses and cannot be in the pursuit of another bachelor's.


Next, the teacher seeks a Professional Certificate, which is valid for five years. It requires 30 additional months of successful experience and 9 additional CEU’s (Continuing Education Units).  Each CEU is equal to 10 hours of additional training, so a total of 90 hours of professional development are required for a teacher to retain certification.


Some beginning teachers come to us through ARC, or Alternate Route to Certification, which allows qualified, motivated adults to change career paths.  These are individuals with college degrees and years of experience in a relevant profession who are willing to enter an intense teacher training program.

TEAM is Connecticut's Teacher Education and Mentoring Program

TEAM is an induction program which pairs beginning teachers with trained mentors and, step-by-step, works them through five, 10-week modules. The difference between this experience and their eight to 10 weeks of student-teaching in college is enormous. In TEAM, they are immersed in their own classrooms, they are expected to set very specific learning goals for themselves, to reflect on their daily classroom performance and how they are improving and developing as teachers, and to track student achievement in specific impact statements.

The TEAM modules are: Classroom Environment, Planning for Active Learning, Instruction for Active Learning, Assessment for Learning, and Professional Responsibilities. The phrase “for active learning” in these modules refers to the idea that the new teachers must concentrate more on what their students are doing than on what they are doing.  New teachers are expected to be coaches of learning not lecturers or imparters of knowledge.  Or in edu-speak -- they are to become a “guide on the side’ not a ‘sage on the stage.’

TEAM is a brand new state program, so as I mentioned to one of our administrators today, we are flying the plane while we are building it.  We have mentors in various stages of training, we have the draft of brand new 3-year District TEAM Plan in the hands of a brand new, though eager committee.  We’re still trying to iron out some glitches in the data, so that our new teachers are in the correct schools and can be paired with the correct mentors in State’s new on-line system.  I was told yesterday, that the request for data corrections is down to only 470 this week. 

Yet, I must say, none of this is scary.  In fact it is rather exciting!  The three most positive signs of success are: 1.) the new TEAM modules have a heavy emphasis on mentoring, in-class coaching, and co-teaching, a practice well supported by research; 2.) the in-house committee approach for scoring our beginning teacher’s reflections about the modules gives Canton a great deal of control over induction, and 3.) the happy coincidence that Canton’s five new Teacher Evaluation Rubrics align with the State’s five modules (we must have used the same research!)

I’m sharing this information with you as reassurance that we have hired the best teachers and are working even harder now to ensure their success.  When new teachers leave the profession, they generally do so in the first two years out of frustration, because getting started in teaching is very, very difficult and they have felt alone and unsupported.   We’re doing everything we can to create a supportive community that retains the fabulous people we have hired.

An aside:
** By the way, athletic coaches are required to have certifications, too.  In fact, this July, legislation was passed that in addition to other required courses, coaches must complete a training course regarding concussions and head injuries and must update that training every five years.  Only courses approved by the Connecticut State Board of Education qualify for this certification.

Are you a WARRIOR?

By Lynn K. McMullin                 


This past week, Canton’s students and parents have had the opportunity to meet with a highly recognized motivational speaker, Mr. Calvin Terrell, to explore the topics of justice and acceptance. Calvin Terrell is the founder of Social Centric, an organization dedicated to creating peace, fighting injustice, and challenging the stereotypes and intolerant behaviors of the young and old alike. Terrell first came to Canton for a two day visit last spring to work with high school students and the student group ‘Be the Change,’ advised by social studies teacher Jennifer Gembala, who also organized each workshop event. Terrell’s visit had such positive impact on the school, we asked him back  in August to speak at our Opening Day Convocation for teachers and to meet with student groups in preparation for this month's week-long visit .



Calvin Terrell began his week with 4 - 6th graders at
Canton Intermediate School.  He ended his week at the high school,
and on Wednesday evening met with parents.


Terrell’s work with our students, which is 100% grant funded, is one facet of Canton’s multi-faceted approach to creating a safe school culture, free of harassment and bullying. Along with Character Counts, CyberSMART, small counseling groups, classroom curriculum, and Advisory group discussions, this week's workshops are aimed at reducing racism, prejudice, hatred, bullying, and violence.



Terrell, (in back), told Middle School students that
being in a clique was OK, everyone wants to have a group
of friends.  But he asked them to consider what kind of energy
their clique brought forward -- love or hate?

 
Terrell begins his workshops with an examination of five different types of people, asking his audience to decide what they want to be. In brief, COWARDS are people who may know what is right, but act, or fail to act, out of fear. They go along with the crowd; they pretend to be something they're not in order to fit in. THUGS create chaos and attempt to feel great by disarming the people around them. Thugs come in all colors and all forms. They hurt people and rationalize that there have always been people who've hurt others in the world.

SOLDIERS are people of action who follow orders. There are good soldiers who try to make a difference, but there are others who hurt people. REBELS use their personal anger to act out against others. They are self-centered and oblivious to others. It’s all about them.

Finally, Terrell points out there are WARRIORS. Warriors are people who follow a sober mind, heart, and spirit. A warrior knows what is right, speaks his/her truth, and lives an authentic life. Terrell explains to his audience that it's the warrior who brings peace, not chaos, to the world.

Terrell asks the students about their own groups or cliques – Together, are you cowards? Thugs? Or warriors? Do you build or tear down? He asks, “How many of you have seen people spread a rumor about someone else? How many people have seen others treat someone in a mean way? How many of you have ever been that kid who's marched around the playground or down the halls and treated someone else that way? What are the things you've been saying to the others in your school?”

“All of our lives will end,” Terrell says, “but my goal is to be remembered as a Warrior, not as one of the other four. How am I living? That's what this short time I have is about -- how do I treat people around me? My enemies, strangers and friends alike?”


MS Principal, Joe Scheideler, worked with students to untie a
human knot as part of a workshop exercise that challenged
kids "get out of the maze of your mind and into the genius of your heart."



During a "Call of Warriors,” Terrell asks if there is anyone who wishes to apologize to someone they may have hurt or excluded. At every session, at least 20 students took the microphone. Some students choose to say their "peace," some specifically apologizing to someone for unkind, even hateful, things they had done in the past. Some choose to thank a warrior friend or family member who helped them in some way. The comments were heartfelt and authentic.

Terrell spent Monday through Thursday, working with students in grades 4 – 12. His work included large group assemblies, team-level sessions, and small group workshops, all of which were planned and organized by Jennifer Gembala.  Terrell, Gembala, and our school community recognize that a week of workshops will not sustain the safe, accepting school culture Canton is trying to attain.  If the impact is to be lasting, the students and teachers need to embrace Terrell's message and find additional vehicles for spreading the positive energy he creates. Thus, part of the students’ responsibilities at each school will be planning how to sustain the ideas Terrell has introduced.

Terrell admits he works tirelessly, like a Warrior would, for his cause which is an end to injustice and hate.  On Monday evening, he spontaneously accompanied Dr. Jordan Grossman to St. Joseph’s College where he spoke to Grossman’s graduate school class. On Wednesday evening, he held a parent community session from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.



After the assembly, a large group of students met with Terrell in the CHS library
to continue the work and discussion begun earlier.



Calvin Terrell is shown here with social studies teacher Jennifer Gembala,
who orchestrated the week-long event.  Both educators used every available minute
to convey a simple message to our students: "Live authentic, hate-free lives."



Who Selects our Textbooks?

By Lynn K. McMullin

Following a recent article in the Canton News and Foothills Trader, in which the reporter mentioned the Board of Education’s decision to purchase new textbooks for the French program, a resident asked me, “Who chooses our textbooks? Is there a process?” I’m happy to tell you, yes, there is!

Any time we purchase a new textbook, we usually spend at least several months reviewing a variety of texts and the support materials, such as teacher's editions, workbooks, technology links and applications, and so on. In the final analysis, the Board of Education policy requires that a minimum of three texts be overtly compared.

The teachers and principal then select one text and present a report to the BOE in which they provide specific and detailed answers to questions about the reading level and content level appropriateness for the grade; the attention to format and organization of the material; whether or not there are quality charts, maps, diagrams, and illustrations; whether or not the text presents any potential controversies and is free of gender bias and stereotypes… and, in today’s world, are there a variety of technology resources and applications. The BOE even wants to know about the textbook’s physical features, including the size of print and weight of the book, as well as the quality of its binding and paper.

The Board of Education also keeps a watch on our publication dates.  The new French text, Bon Voyage: Levels 1, 2, and 3, published in 2008 by McGraw Hill, replaced a 1995 text, Abord. Not only is the new text less Eurocentric and more global, it is more up-to-date.  Chapter 2 in  Abord taught students the vocabulary for making a call from a pay phone in Paris.  It included learning the phrases for asking Parisians on what street the nearest pay phone was located.  The new text includes the vocabulary of electronic communications; contemporary clothing (such as sport sandals); transportation; contemporary occupations, and so on.  Its travel chapters include asking for bottled water, salads with dressing on the side, and vitamin supplements.

Modern textbooks are expensive. The Bon Voyage texts we just purchased for the French program cost $72 each.  People suggest that we simply buy e-copies of the text and forego the printed copy.  But, as of now, you can only buy the e-copy if you buy the hard copy.  In other words, if we purchase 50 French textbooks, we get 50 e-copy licenses to the same text.  Students can then keep their hard cover book in school and view their on-line book at home.  But, it is still a one-for-one proposition.  Most e-copies are actually simple PDF’s of the printed text, with some additional links and Internet features.  Book publishing is a business, and while schools are trying to save money, the publishers are trying to make money. Someday, students will carry around electronic readers, not textbooks; but that day just isn’t here yet.

We do try to save money on textbooks, however.  When a text is in its third year or older, and we need to purchase copies for new students or to replace lost or damaged copies, we have had good luck lately finding “used excellent” or “used very good” textbooks on amazon.com for quite a savings.  The used text comes in 'matching' the used texts we have in our classrooms.  In the past, we have also sold off copies of texts to used textbook companies, such as Budget Text, but generally not for a lot of money.  By the way, when texts are lost or damaged, we do expect students to pay for them.

CyberSMART and a Decision-Making Model

by Lynn K. McMullin

In education, as with many other fields, we tend to rely on catch phrases which are intended to resonate with an audience and make a complex concept more meaningful and memorable.  Sometimes, however, jargon does the opposite because the phrase is wide open to a variety of interpretations.  “Whole Child Education” is one of those terms. On the surface, it even seems a little silly – after all, who would teach half of a child?

Whole child education, however, refers to the idea that all children learn best when their academic, emotional, physical, and social needs are met.  Yes, we report to you on CMT, SAT, AP, and CAPT testing as evidence of our students’ academic achievements.  For a while now, educational thinking, practice, and policy has seemed singularly focused on improving academic achievement.  But, to be successful participating world citizens, our students must also be healthy, safe, confident, self-motivated, caring, and capable.  All of our schools focus on these important qualities; but today, an event at the Middle School illustrates the idea of whole child education perfectly.

CyberSMART at CMS
Today, parents and their students are participating in a day-long event aimed at equipping both groups with the knowledge and skills they need to navigate the world of the Internet and telecommunications.  The day is being hosted by Mr. Drew Bartkiewicz, a parent and the CEO of CyberRiskPartners; Joe Scheideler, Principal; the Middle School PTO and Quality Council; and its teachers and staff.  The event includes opportunities to learn new information and to discuss both concerns and possible plans for the Middle School’s next step in this contemporary student arena.


In conjunction with this day-long event -- during which students will receive USB flash drives and the parents coffee mugs bearing the school's CyberSMART logo -- the teachers have added a CyberSMART experiential course.  This is a 30-day course covering the basics of SMART use of electronic information and communication: Safe, Mannerly, Authentic, Research-wise, and Twenty-first century ready.  A major theme of the curriculum is that your "online self" should mirror your “real self.”  If you wouldn’t walk up to a perfect stranger on the street and say, “Here’s my name, age, phone, and address,” then don’t do that online either.  If you wouldn’t pass a questionable photo aound the cafeteria or walk up to a classmate and bully them to their face, then don’t do it online, either. The internet is neither distant from you nor anonymous.  Be real.  Be who you are.  Put your best self forward.

A Important Decision-Making Model
Over the past two years, the Middle School has begun to adopt a focused decision-making model to help students consider wise choices, rather than simply “follow directions.” Often we think that decision-making only has two opposing sides.  In error, we think that decision making is black and white, our kids either do the ‘right thing’… or, the ‘wrong thing.’  But, in reality, decision-making is more complicated than that, as shown by the four quadrants in the model below.  The model applies to all decisions, from choosing the right food to choosing the right social action.

Consider this example: Student A tells her best friend, Student B, that she has done something really stupid.  She sent a photograph of herself in her underwear to a boy in their class because he asked for it.  Student A begs Student B not to tell a soul.
Using the decision-making model above, a class can discuss what Student B should do.  In the green quadrant, the right decision might be to get the help of a parent; the right reason might be so that Student A is saved from embarrassment and future repercussions. In the red quadrant, the wrong decision might be for Student B to keep the secret and tell no one. The wrong reason would be because she never liked Student A anyway and hopes the picture gets around.

But, most students find themselves living in the middle of those two choices – If I tell my mother or an adult, my friend will get in trouble and she will hate me.  I care about her, so I better not say a word to anyone -- the wrong decision, but for the right reason. 

If I tell my mother or an adult, my parents may see how responsible I am and think I’m old enough to have my own cellphone -- the right decision, but for the wrong reason. This latter quadrant can be confusing sometimes, because the student DOES make the right decision.  But whenever kids make the right decision solely out of fear of the consequences… or, due to our level of policing… or, because we have told them what to do… their ability to make the right decision for the right reason is affected.  When they get older, and the fear or the policing or the parental direction lessens, they will need to rely on their own reasoning and decision-making ability.  That's why instruction in decision-making needs to explore all four quadrants.

In educating the whole child, the Middle School is focusing on doing the right thing for the right reason by talking about real-life decision-making as being more complex than simply right or wrong.  Right or wrong, “WHY?” is the question.

Background Information and Survey Results for the World Language Question

by Lynn K. McMullin

As many of you know, we are facing a significant crossroads in World Language.  Of major concern is this question: What World Language offering, in addition to Spanish, is of most interest to the community? 

In Canton, French has seen a significant decline similar to the nation's.  Next year at the high school, the senior class will have 12 French students and the junior class will have 10.  The students in these two classes began French in 7th grade with 37 and 34 students respectively.  This year's 7th grade enrollment for French was only 17 students, half the number that enrolled four years ago.  At out current attrition rate in French (based on 6 years of data), we could expect those 17 students to decrease to 5 or 6 students by their junior and senior year.   That is why, for 2010 - 2011, we did not offer French in grade 7.   By the way, attrition in Spanish parallels the attrrition in French, but the Spanish program begins with a significantly larger population of students.

Thus, two questions arise: First, what can we do to improve attrition rates?  Second, are we offering the right program?  It is my responsibility to be aware of trends and provide the Board and the school community with the facts.  I have been wrestling with this issue for several years now, and recently I presented the Board of Education with the following:

"The recommendation below is made after three years of various data collections, many conversations with the Middle and High School administrators, in-house and state and national research, and meetings with parents and world language teachers. The key factors considered when making this proposal are:
1. Budget implications for the future
2. Attrition rates in French
3. Educational trends for a 21st century education

RECOMMENDATION:
1. Phase out French beginning in 2010 – 2011, but continuing the program for all current students
2. Teach only Spanish in the Middle School
3. Reintroduce a second language study in Grade 9; possibly Chinese, but also consider French, Latin, Russian, and others
4. Develop a plan to introduce Spanish in Grade 4 enabling students to study Spanish grades 4 - 8.

RATIONALE:
First, research shows that the acquisition of a second language:
a. Enhances higher order, abstract and creative thinking
b. Fosters a thinking process that benefits academic progress in other content areas
c. Develops basic skills, such as listening, speaking, etc.
d. Promotes cultural awareness and competency
e. Improves college acceptance, college achievement, and attainment of future jobs
f. Benefits understanding of and a sense of security in own and other communities

However, while the research supports the benefits of second language study, it does not support the acquisition of one World Language over another, i.e. there are no research reports which distinguish the acquisition of French is more beneficial than the acquisition of Spanish, Italian, German, and vice versa.

Second, current World Language trends show that Spanish study has increased steadily since 1991; 68% of all World Language students take Spanish.  At the same time, French has decreased, but not at a rate as high as Canton's, and it still remains the second most commonly taught language.  Nationally, 16% of WL students take French.  In Canton, 21% of WL students take French.

Third, Chinese language study is very different from the study of French and Spanish, which in terms of skills development are more similar than they are dissimilar.  Chinese has no verb conjugations, no gender, no noun-adjective agreement, no articles (the, a, an), no number agreement (i.e. one book / three books), and has 1000 commonly used characters which make up 90% of the characters in a Chinese newspaper.  Chinese offers a different skill set and the study of an Asian culture.  But, it is difficult.

Additional Factors:
1.  Currently there is no WL in grades 4 - 6.
2.  Currently, students have one opportunity to choose a WL, at the end of grade 6.  They choose between two similar romance languages as has been done for at least the past 25 years. 
3.  No other WL choice is offered, except to begin Spanish I in Grade 9.  Past attempts to offer French I in Grade 9 attracted fewer than 5 students.
4.  If Canton offered Spanish grades 4 - 8, students who wanted to change from Spanish another WL could do so in 9th grade.
5.  An increased level of fluency in Spanish is possible with a stronger foundation which could begin in Intermediate School.
6.   A stronger foundation in one language [grades 4 – 8], makes the possibility of students successfully taking two languages much greater.

CLICK HERE to view the WL survey results. 
There were 244 respondents to our survey between May 18th and June 2nd.  The survey was publicized through AlertNow's email server, backpack notices, and on our webpages.  Thank you very much if you participated.

Since the comments are not included with the survey summary linked above, and since they total 10 pages of text, I collated and shortened the comments that were offered by 4 or more respondents below:

2. If no program change is made, which WL would your children be more likely to take?
(62 comments)
Don’t limit our choices - 4
Teach WL earlier - 4
Depends on the teacher - 7
Want to continue with French - 6
Spanish is more useful today - 11
Make Spanish mandatory - 5

3.  When you think about a 21st Century education, which is 1st (most important) to 5th (least important)?
Arabic - 7
Japanese - 6
Chinese – 4 (wrote a comment supporting Chinese as a choice within the question)

4.  Thinking of the future which of the following is important to you?
French should not be eliminated – 7
Start both French and Spanish earlier - 7
Offer Spanish earlier - 30
Offer Spanish from CBPS on - 10
Offer both Spanish and Chinese earlier - 9
Offer Latin in HS - 4

We also took a survey in the high school in which students included their names (i.e. not a count of hands) with these results:
Would you take Chinese if it was offered next year?
Yes  -- 39
Maybe  -- 65
No  -- 186
If you answered yes to taking Chinese, would you continue in your current WL in addition to Chinese?
Yes  -- 15
No  -- 21

Among the Middle Schoolers
7th grade   -- 40 would like to take Chinese; 108 would not
8th grade -- 45 would like to take Chinese; 96 would not

Teacher Evaluation Broke New Ground

by Lynn K. McMullin

This past Wednesday, a committee of 7 teachers, 3 administrators, and 2 Board members reunited to review the year-long implementation of a new Teacher Evaluation and Continuous Growth Plan which the BOE voted into effect and implemented last fall.  This wouldn’t be exciting except for the fact that the teacher evaluation portion of the plan was a radical departure from what had been done in the past. And, it worked!!

Five Rubrics for Teacher Evaluation

When our committee first convened in the winter of 2008, we began with a solid bank of nationwide research which showed that despite the fact principals averaged 13 hours per year per teacher writing narrative evaluations, this typical teacher evaluation process did little to impact a teacher’s performance and had no impact on building or culture change.  Armed with that research, and our own combined years of practical experience, we sought something very different.  As a result, we developed five different teacher performance rubrics, one for each of these five domains:
1. Planning and Preparation for Learning
2. Classroom Management (briefly detailed below)
3. Instruction
4. Monitoring and Assessment
5. Professional Responsibilities

Each of these five rubrics is divided into four ratings: “Exceeds Standards” (which is reserved for exceptional performance and should be what all teachers aspire to reach); “Meets Standards” (the norm for most teachers); “Needs Improvement;” and “Does Not Meet Standards.”  We used four standards, rather than three or five, because with four there is no middle ground.  Every teacher ends the year either above the line in the top two bands… or, below the line in the bottom two bands. 

Within each different rubric, we wrote very specific indicators. For example, in the Classroom Management rubric, a teacher who “Meets Standards” would “build positive relationships with students, create a climate of respect; and handle disruption well,” as well as “develop positive interactions among students and reinforce cooperation for all students.”  In contrast, a teacher who “Needs Improvement” has attributes we described as “builds positive relationships with some students, but has regular disruptions in the classroom” and “lectures students about ‘good’ behavior and makes an example of ‘bad’ students.”   A teacher who "Does Not Meet Standards," would "come up with ad hoc rules and consequences as events unfold," and "be sometimes disrespectful to students and create a chaotic climate."  At the very top of the four-point scale, a teacher who "Exceeds Standards" creates a collaborative community of mutual respect in which disruptions are handled seamlessly and students are overtly taught key social skiils.  Within each of the five rubrics listed above, there are six or more indicators written as specifically as these examples.

The plan combines the teacher's self-evaluation using the rubrics with the supervisor’s evaluation.  The supervisor also has a classroom observation sheet which is very tightly aligned to the rubrics.  In brief, what used to be amorphous and subjective has become significantly more directed and objective.  Supervisors used bullet points this year, where in the past they used paragraphs.  As a result, both the administrative team and the teachers reported that they have never had such productive discussions about teaching as they had this year.
Next Steps

On Wednesday afternoon, when we met to review the plan and suggest revisions, the excitement and satisfaction with a job extremely well done was obvious among the committee members.  We did have some changes to make – some of the forms were glitchy, the timelines needed tweaking, and our forms for the Continuous Professional Growth portion of the plan are too cumbersome -- but the problems were minor and easy to fix. 

Everyone agreed, however, that the new plan has so much potential we should provide administrators and teachers with additional opportunities to discuss the rubrics and exemplars of best practices. The belief is our conversations about the indicators will continue to refine our district-wide vision of excellent teaching. The plan should also be incorporated into each building’s strategic planning and professional development, and the administrative team should continue to work together to create a common set of standards for excellence.

If you would like to read the full Teacher Evaluation and Continuous Professional Growth Plan, back up your browser and click on “Curriculum” on the District’s webpage, then click on the Evaluation document… or click the title at the beginning of this paragraph.

Committee Members
Teachers:  Shelley Lloyd (Co-Chair and EAC Representative), Linda Caraher, Jan Schley, Melissa Cook, John Duffy, Lisa Deltano, and Laurie Burrill
Administrators: Mary Dorpalen, Nancy Bean, and myself
Board of Education Members: Susan Crowe and Sue Saidel

More About the Budget....

This week, I'm "lending" my blog to Superintendent Kevin Case so you will have the chance to read his full budget message.   Next Friday, I'm planning to share with you some really interesting details from a class at the high school which I observed today.   It was great to see what these kids had done, so I'm excited to tell you about it!   In the meantime, here's Kevin's letter...

Dear Canton Residents,
The proposed 2010-2011 budget seeks a 0% increase over this current year’s spending. We have approached the development of this budget responsibly, recognizing the extraordinarily difficult economic times and the fiscal constraint of the town, while maintaining our obligation to meet the individual needs of the students in the Canton Public Schools.

Contractual obligations related to employee salary and benefits along with increased costs in utilities, out-of-district tuition, and transportation accounted for a $928,545, or a 4.17% increase over this year’s spending. Administrators’ budget requests totaled $359,809 or a 1.61% increase.  Thus, combined increases totaled $1,288,354, representing an increase of 5.78%.

Although every administrative request was justifiable, I worked to reduce each area of the budget possible, reducing the budget by over $855,433.  There are reductions in the area of instructional supplies, equipment, and professional development.  No new requested staffing positions were part of this budget proposal.

On February 9, 2010, I presented a proposed budget request to the Board of Education with an increase of $432,912 or 1.94%.  The Board of Education’s Finance Subcommittee met several times to review my proposed budget.  Every line item and personnel position in the District was reviewed carefully.  On March 4, 2010, the Board of Education voted to reduce the budget further by reducing funds in various line items where more accurate information had been obtained, such as in workers’ compensation and transportation fuel.  Reductions were also made in the utilities line items, as we will be challenging the staff and students in each of our buildings to conserve energy more than ever before through various activities.  We also continue to implement energy conservation measures wherever possible.

The following personnel changes were also made:
• Elimination of .5 FTE Director of Physical Plant
• Reduction of .5 FTE Library/Media Specialist
• Reduction of .5 Custodian
• Elimination of four paraeducator positions
• Reduction in secretarial support

This budget development process required extra attention this year from start to finish, as each request and line item was scrutinized as never before.  If additional cuts are made, existing non-certified and certified staff and programs will be affected, which would greatly diminish the quality of our school system.  We wish to see the Canton Public Schools continuously improve by providing the highest quality educational experiences and opportunities for our students.  It is our hope that you will support this budget as submitted.

Sincerely,
Kevin D. Case
Superintendent of Schools

2010-2011 Budget Enhancements

by Lynn K. McMullin

Some people call it “doing more with less;” but whether you accept that phrase or not, next year’s budget does have some enhancements to the educational program despite the bleak 0% increase. We are planning on doing a few things differently … and better!

We’re adding three new “Experientials” to the Middle School curriculum

What we’re doing and why!
First, there are two new technology-based mini-courses called “Experientials” in the works: one will be about the responsible use of electronic communication and the other about 21st century problem-solving and challenges. Principal Joe Scheideler and the Middle School Quality Council had been wrestling with the question of how best to help adolescents become responsible users of electronic communications and the Internet. Topics for these two 30-day Experientials might include the S.M.A.R.T. curriculum: 1. Safety and security on-line; 2. Manners, cyberbullying, and ethics; 3. Authentic learning and creativity; 4. Research and information fluency; and 5. Twenty-first century challenges.

A third Experiential at the Middle School is also under development: “The Science of Healthy Living,” taught by the Hybrid team's science teacher, but in the culinary arts room.  We had previously added the “Super-Size Me” curriculum to science.  This new mini-course would build on that program, adding the science of nutrition as well as hand-ons experience with healthy alternatives to unhealthy food choices.

How we’re doing it!
Mr. Scheideler creatively designed a schedule in which each of the teachers on Team Hybrid will be able to teach four courses in their content area and an additional Experiential 30-day course. Students currently take six Experientials each year. This idea means that two of the staff members currently teaching Experientials can be reallocated to the high school saving the district a little money in what we call FTE (full-time equivalency).  An additional amount of money will be saved when one of the Team Hybrid teachers takes on the existing Drama Experiential.
A lot of specific details and the actual curriculum still need to be worked out, of course, but you get the gist.

We’re expanding the ACT Program to Cherry Brook

What we’re doing and why!
Next year, we’re expanding the successful ACT Program down to Cherry Brook Primary School and putting it in the capable hands of the Library Media Specialist, the Technology Integration Specialist, and the Math Science Curriculum Coordinator.  Students will soon be able to complete content and skill enriching activities in a wide variety of interest areas.

How we’re doing it!
Again, the idea is still new to us, but next week we’ll begin our planning meetings and discuss specifically how this program will roll out to students. We do know that one of the tools will be an internet-based program called Odysseyware. With Odysseyware, students will have their own folders and the teacher can 'drag and drop' specially chosen activities into the folders. Then, anywhere there is access to a computer – in the classroom, the school library, or at home -- the student can open his or her personal folder and work on these enrichment activities.

The teacher has several options including selecting Odysseyware’s enrichment content based on a topic of interest or a higher skill level (as in math). Or, the teacher can create and upload in-house developed activities that align with CBPS’s curriculum and then drag and drop these activities to students.  Odysseyware also tracks progress.

Students, of course, will still need the individualized attention of the ACT teachers, and that is one of the key components of this idea that we need to talk about in depth and ultimately schedule.

We’re adding technology integration support to CHS/CMS

What we're doing and why!
We need to creatively assign technology integration support to the Middle School and High School. This is curriculum-based support, which is a much different role than our technology specialists who provide equipment, installations, repairs, infrastructure, network monitoring, back-up, and database services.

We know that teachers have a very difficult time integrating new technologies into their classrooms without some instructional support. The first few times a new strategy is attempted, it is essential that a technology integration specialist who knows the equipment well is available to assist both the students and the teacher. This is how we "grow" our teachers' capacity for change. Let’s say a high school teacher wants to try a new lesson with the white board, LCD, and student responders, but upon start-up of that lesson, four of the student responders simply don’t ‘respond’?  Does the teacher stop the lesson and try to troubleshoot the equipment?  Or… move on in the lesson without the participation of the four students? I think the potential for technology failure and the need to troubleshoot, without the time or expertise to troubleshoot, is the number one fear teachers have about using technology in front of their students. They know that technology integration done well looks seamless. 

In addition, teachers need ideas for how a particular technology tool could improve the content of their lesson and their method of instruction. They need ideas for technology-based assessments that challenge students’ problem-solving skills as well as display their content knowledge. And, they need training in how the technology tools work. That’s the role of a Tech Integration Specialist, and literally, we need one at every building. But that was a pipe-dream early on in the budget cycle for the past two years; it’s simply not a reality in today’s economy.

How we’re doing it?
We don’t know yet, but the Administrative team and I will resolve this question over the next month; and recognizing upfront that sharing a technology intergration specialist won’t be perfect, we’ll at least take an important step in the right direction. Technology instruction and assessment are a key component of the 21st century skills our graduates will need in college and the workplace.

Adolescents, Sexting, Social Networking, and School

by Lynn K. McMullin

         In the mid-1960’s, teachers reported their biggest discipline concerns as chewing gum in class, running in the hallways, and smoking in the bathrooms. Rising hem-lines were also an issue; and I can remember kneeling in the nurse’s office, and if my skirt didn’t touch the floor, Mrs. B. stapling a crepe paper steamer to the hem. In the 1970’s, when I entered my own classroom, teachers were reporting disrespect in the classroom, T-shirts with references to drugs, and public displays of affection (PDA’s) as their major concerns. Times certainly have changed; and this century’s educators are faced with issues no one could have imagined 40 years ago.        
        Among those issues is the far-reaching impact of today’s technologies. With Internet research, what’s a reliable fact? Should cell phones be banned from classrooms? Or, used as instructional tools? Should classroom discussions be extended through blogging? Also, of concern is the impact of social networking on the school environment, especially when negative on-line messages and questionable content spill over into the hallways and lunchrooms. On-line bullying, which takes place off school property and during non-school hours, has become both a worry and a disciplinary quagmire for school administrators, particularly in middle schools.
        Canton is trying to respond with proactive solutions. We developed an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) for the Internet several years ago. The Intermediate School held an Internet forum for parents in October; and the Canton Middle School Quality Council, a committee comprised of educators, parents, students, and Principal Joe Scheideler, is studying the impact of electronic communications on the school environment. Their goal is determining how Canton Middle School can best help parents and students navigate the electronic landscape of cellphones, Facebook, and the Internet. Since providing as much information as possible seems like a step in the right direction, I’d like to answer a few questions here.

What is Social Networking?          
       Online social networking occurs when a website is used to create an on-line community of Internet users who share a common interest through culture, music, age, gender, hobbies, religion, politics, etc. Once you “join” a social networking website, you can begin to socialize with other members by sharing your own information in a “profile,” by reading the profile pages of others, and by contacting them. MySpace, FriendWise, FriendFinder, Yahoo! 360, Facebook, Orkut, and Classmates are examples of social networking sites. Recent research suggests that 93% of American teens (ages 12 to 17) use the Internet (no surprise there!) and that 55% of those teens use social networks (also, no surprise!). The 12 – 13 year-olds are the fastest growing group of social network joiners.         
       Social networking is still too new, however, to have a strong research base about its positive and negative impacts on teens. But, opinions abound. On the positive side, some experts feel teens are safer now than when they were entering private chat rooms, because their "network" of friends, friends’ parents, relatives, and others “follows them around the site” and can thwart bad decisions and “intruders.” In other words, social networking is more public and less secretive than the chat rooms of the past. Supporters feel teens are also reading and writing more and are more actively-involved with their friends than they were when they passively watched TV and played video-games.         
       On the negative side, detractors say adolescents are trusting; and thus, they are too forthright in providing information about themselves and too non-discriminating about the information they read from others. They also can be secretive, impulsive, and mean to each other when friendships go wrong, sometimes resulting in gossip, lying, and even “cyber-bullying.”  At the very least, opponents argue, social networking is a worthless activity; it contributes no “product;” does not make teens smarter, happier, or healthier; and therefore nothing of merit results.       
       Families should weigh the information carefully, become informed about their teens attitudes and usage, and make their own decisions.

What is Sexting?         
       On Monday, February 8, the Today show offered a brief lesson for parents in adolescent sexting, which is the transmission of nude, semi-nude, or sexually provocative photos or videos by cellphone. The largest growing group of “sexters” is 13 – 15 year-old girls, which makes both the sending and receiving of “sexts” child pornography, a criminal offense. Yet, when adolescents who "sext" were confronted about their sexting behavior, a surprising number did not see their actions as having been “sexual” in nature.         
       In brief, parents should know the photo and video capabilities of their teen’s cellphone, and then talk to their teen about its use, and particularly about the act of sexting. Many teens who engaged in this practice claimed that no adult had ever discussed sexting with them, and they had not considered the consequences of sexting prior to engaging in it. Basically, they trusted the receiver of the sext (usually a friend or boyfirend), and did not think that the photos or videos they sent would be shared, copied, posted to the Internet, or viewed by an adult. They also had no understanding that sexting was against the law.         
       Clearly, teens today live in a technology-dominated world. Clearly, parents and schools must help them understand the pros and cons of electronic communications and teach them to become informed consumers. The Canton Middle School Quality Council has accepted this challenge, and their findings and recommendations will add another dimension to our educational programming. In preparation for future program development, on February 17th, Mr. Drew Bartkiewicz will be conducting proper Internet use seminars with middle school students and sharing the results of these workshops with the Quality Council members who are able to attend.

Click here to view the Today show segment from February 8, 2010.

Code Red! Code Yellow!

by Lynn K. McMullin

As a child growing up in the 50’s and 60’s, I experienced the duck-and-cover style civil defense preparedness drills that followed the Soviet Union’s development of a nuclear weapon and the Cuban Missile Crisis. We were taught to fall to the ground and get under something if we saw a bright light. We practiced going to the school basement and lining up in rows along the basement walls; littlest kids closest to the wall, biggest kids on the outside. I lived within one mile of the school; so in one drill, when the town’s air raid siren sounded, I ran home as fast as I could,  My mother was supposed to time me and report my time to the principal.

Thank goodness times have changed! Hopefully, we have grown more cognizant of how emergencies actually happen; and, while we still must prepare for these emergencies, more sensitive to our children’s feelings when they experience that ‘preparedness.’

I’m not going to share with you the details of our Code Red and Code Yellow procedures, as publicizing those plans would be counter-productive to children’s and teacher's safety; but I do want to explain when, how, and why we practice.

First of all, this year new legislation required that we practice our emergency procedures (Code Red and Code Yellow) a minimum of three times a year. Previous legislation required 10 fire drills per school year. Now, we may add the three emergency drills to that schedule to total thirteen drills; or, we may substitute up to three emergency drills for the fire drills, keeping a schedule of ten total drills per year. Canton will be doing the latter. From 2009 – 2010 on, we will have seven fire drills and three emergency drills. The thinking is that for decades no student has died in a school fire because everyone knows exactly where to go and what to do; the same level of practice might prevent misfortune in other types of emergencies.

All school administrators and town officials have what is called an “Annex O Handbook.” It was written by committee and is revised every July. Its goal is to “establish protocols and guidelines for all agencies who would be responding to Canton School facilities so that any incidents would be handled as rapidly as possible thereby allowing an orderly return to the business of educating the children of Canton.” It contains protocols for everything from severe weather to bomb threats to finding a mysterious package to locating a missing child, and so on. Depending upon the situation, a Code Red or Code Yellow is called by the principal or other administrator. Code Red emergencies indicate a threat within the school; Code Yellow emergencies indicate a threat outside of the school. In both cases, the doors to the buildings are locked and no one can leave or enter.

To be prepared for these kinds of potential emergencies, we do hold drills as mentioned above. Just as with fire drills, which have become commonplace and routine, Code Red and Code Yellow drills do not constitute a real emergency. Students are always told “This is a drill” and reassured that there is no reason to worry. During drills, teachers remain calm and practice the procedures that have been outlined for them.

When one school has a Code Red drill; the other two school buildings will always have a Code Yellow drill. This is because the Canton Police and Adam Libros, the Director of Emergency Management, attend the Code Red drills so that they can provide feedback to the principal and teachers at a faculty meeting later that same afternoon. Canton’s emergency responders are too limited in number for us to effectively practice a Code Red drill at all three school buildings simultaneously; therefore, we stagger our Code Reds. The debriefing sessions we’ve held so far have been very helpful. While teachers always want to know exactly what they should do in a variety of ‘what if’ situations, they are reminded that real emergencies aren’t predictable and common sense prevails.

To date, we have had several real Code Yellows where a possible or perceived emergency was outside the school buildings.  In none of these instances were any children ever endangered.  An incident where a bear was spotted on the playground at Cherry Brook Primary School is just one example. We realize that it can be inconvenient for parents when the doors are locked and you can’t get in… or sometimes, can’t get out. But the strict procedures to lock the doors are in place for well-intended reasons.  
In a real Code Yellow, we will use AlertNow’s everyday calling and emailing feature to let you know what happened. This phone call will look like a call from Central Office, or from the school, on your caller-ID; it will begin 860-693-77xx.  In a real Code Red, however, we will use AlertNow’s emergency calling and emailing feature as soon as possible to let you know what is happening. Your caller-ID will display 411.

Remember, in a real Code Red, you should not come to the school that is experiencing the emergency situation. Past emergencies in other school systems have taught us that, especially when roads and driveways are narrow (as they are in Canton), citizen traffic to the location of the emergency can delay the access and mobility of the rescue personnel. Wait for the AlertNow message to tell you where to congregate and what to do.

My intention this week was to provide reassurance, not to create a sense of urgency or alarm. We have had one emergency drill to date and need to conduct two additional drills to be in compliance. We hopefully enter into all of our emergency preparedness with a sense of compassion for our children; we want them to feel safe in their classrooms. At the same time, we want you to feel comfortable that we know how to protect them, as we know you would, in an emergency.

Making the Right Choices: CABE / CAPSS Convention

by Lynn K. McMullin

The Friday blog was posted on Friday evening this week so that I could share some of our enthusiasm for today’s convention hosted jointly by the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education and the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents. It’s held annually and features speakers, exhibits, vendors, and a variety of workshops. This year Canton won first place awards for both the district webpage and the “Brick-by-Brick Report,” but that’s not why we were there. The convention offers an expedient way to get new ideas and resources to bring back to Canton.

This morning’s keynote speaker was inspirational; Salome Thomas-El is the author of two books and his story will be the subject of an upcoming movie with Will Smith. Thomas-El spoke of the difference a community of teachers and parents have made in Vaux Middle School in Philadelphia where learning to play chess has changed the lives of hundreds of students. His students have won world recognition as eight-time National Chess Champions. They accomplished this feat despite growing up in a world where “people everywhere waited in the wings to kill the dream.”  Thomas-El said ‘the Hollywood message’ tends to turn school success movies into stories of the lone hero teacher who rides in to save the day. That’s not how it really works; and he has negotiated for 11 months to secure the thematic concept that it takes twenty to thirty committed individuals, all with the same vision and belief, all working tirelessly, for lasting change to happen.

Canton's Board of Education members Leslee Hill, Beth Kandrysawtz, Sue Saidel, and newly-elected Mark Lange attended the convention along with Superintendent Kevin Case and me. After the keynote, we divided up the many workshops among us, so that we would come away with as much information as possible. In the morning we covered “Navigating Connecticut’s Freedom of Information,” “What it Will Take for Connecticut’s Students to be Prepared for the 21st Century,” “Trends,” Legal and Legislative Issues,” “Policy Implications of Recent Legislation,” and “Negotiations.” During the afternoon session we covered workshops in the common mistakes superintendents and boards make, communications, tapping parent leadership, restructuring schools to control costs, and quality education in difficult times. The evening’s keynote speaker provided a humorous, but eye-opening look at “the modern student’s technology.” Did you know voice mail and email are already “so three weeks ago!”?

I can’t predict right now the impact of this year’s convention because we haven’t had a chance to ‘debrief,’ but I can tell you we listened, took notes, asked questions, collected resources, and networked.  This blog is the result of last year’s convention at which Dr. David Title, Bloomfield’s Superintendent, urged the use of a weekly blog as an open communication tool.  This year, coincidentally, Dr. Title was named Connecticut's "Superintendent of the Year."  In the past, the convention has given us policy revision and negotiation ideas, newsletter and communications formats, and appreciations for the do’s and don’ts that translate into effective practices. When school leaders work together and share information about what works, it keeps us all from reinventing the wheel.

World Language at Canton High School

by Lynn K. McMullin

Some of the issues and decisions surrounding World Language at the Canton High School have captured the community’s attention, so I’d like to try to answer as many of the questions as possible.


Why were Honors and Academic combined into non-weighted classes?

Let’s lay some groundwork.

1. First, the division of the World Languages into two tracks, Honors and Academic, began in 2002 and was continued until 2008 – 2009, when the levels were still distinct, but were being taught in the same classroom. Prior to 2002, there had not been any Honors and Academic tracking or weighting of grades. Tracking was begun in 2002 under the assumption that an Honors track would increase the number of students who took Level 5 and AP classes in French and Spanish.  As of 2008 – 2009, enrollment in these advanced levels had not increased. Last year, in fact, no students took AP French, and one student took AP Spanish through an on-line Virtual High School course. So, the rationale for tracking students in the first place never fulfilled itself, and in all likelihood has created the division we currently see among students. In Grades 7 and 8, there has never been any tracking in World Languages.

2. We must offer students the same opportunities in both World Languages. We cannot offer Honors and Academic tracks in Spanish unless we offer Honors and Academic tracks in French. Honors tracks receive quality points in configuring a student’s GPA. To offer quality points in Spanish and not French would give Spanish students an unfair GPA advantage over French students and thereby doom the future of French.  Likewise, we cannot offer students the opportunity to advance to an AP level in one language and not the other.

So, last February, when we were building the budget, we were faced with some very hard choices. Based on the 2008 – 2009 enrollment figures, and February’s course selection sheets, if we had maintained Honors and Academic tracking, we would have had seven under-enrolled World Language classes:

□ French II Academic – 9 students
□ French III Academic – 9 students
□ French III Honors – 11 students
□ Spanish IV Academic – 7 students
□ Spanish V and AP / Honors – 10 students
□ French V and AP / Honors – 5 students

In fact, the French V and AP Honors enrollment of five students was so close to the Board of Education’s class size limit that we monitored it weekly to make sure one or two students didn’t drop the course.

When we look at enrollments, we make decisions based on the district’s needs and very often are weighing one difficult choice over another. Do we support low enrollments at the high school and eliminate a section at Grade 5, for example? Should we let the class sizes in the elementary schools rise above 23 and 24? Should we let English and social studies classes at the high school rise to 26 and 27?  We have to look at what we call ‘course load’ very carefully. Should one high school teacher have 105 students in his/her course load and another have 60?

It’s not a secret that last year’s budget caused some reductions in school personnel. The decision to end tracking in the World Language department resulted in average class sizes of 18 students per class in that department. Maintaining tracking would have resulted in even smaller class size averages.  Level IV in both languages does have Honors weighting, and there is a commitment to maintaining Levels V and AP in both languages as well.  Students applying to the most competitive courses will have the opportunity to take the most rigorous courses in World Language in their junior and senior years.  Incidentally, the number of students in AP Spanish has increased dramatically to12 students.

What are we doing to meet the needs of all World Language students?

We are asking teachers to differentiate their instruction by researching new strategies, implementing these strategies in the classroom, sharing what works with their colleagues, and incorporating technology. The use of technology, through a virtual language lab called Virtuoso, (which will be available by January), is a key component. Virtuoso, a computer-based program, will allow teachers to select, listen to, and provide feedback to students as the students individually respond to oral language cues and assignments. The program also records the students' responses for later reviewing, as well. This oral language strategy is the key ingredient in achieving success for all, as the students’ written work is easily differentiated.

Has overseas travel been cancelled because the World Language teachers no longer want to bother taking the kids on trips?

Nothing could be farther from the truth; the teachers are remarkably willing to resurrect these trips. Before it approves the Saltillo, Mexico, trip, the Board of Education is simply re-looking at its policy regarding these trips to ensure students’ safety.

Parents, however, do need to understand these trips from a teacher’s perspective, especially since overseas trips are not owed to a student.  In education, we are trained to always act "in loco parentis,” a legal term meaning that a teacher must act "in the place of the parent." That is a weighty responsibility. I have taken kids on several overseas trips in my career, and I can't even describe the level of concern you have for their safety minute-to-minute. What if a child forgets and just steps of a curb in front of a taxi which is coming from the other direction in Europe? If something were to happen to a student, a teacher’s greatest fear isn’t ‘getting sued,’ as parents believe.  That's not what this is about. Imagine the sense of guilt, responsibility, and regret that would plague you indefinitely: "What didn't I do that I could have done to keep this student safe?" That's the burden of "in loco parentis." In light of what happened a few years ago, the WL department has made a remarkable recovery, has once again readily proposed trips, and is now waiting for the Board of Education to reassess its policy.

The district's issues are complex and the intention here is to explain that no one is out to hurt kids through the decision-making process. The opposite is true!  I often explain to people that our budget is so tight it’s not as if we’re not choosing between champagne and caviar. We’re choosing between bread and milk.