Day 109 Monday, March 15, 2010: “King Rat”
Today is Day 109 of my time left at the Mont. It is also the Ides of March and the District/Sperintentdent/LD7-mini-Superintendent/administrative deadline to reapply, cap-in-hand, to remain at the Mont.
It is also the day I saw the end of Fremont. You see, there is a rat in my room, even as I write. Heard it a few minutes ago.
When I arrived at 5:20 a.m. and moved my podium, a large brown rat ran from behind my podium and ran into a cabinet, squeezing its large fat body (hey, I can say that at my weight) through the gap at the bottom of the closed doors. Quickly, I moved a heavy chair I built and closed the door, trapping the rat. I discovered an opening wherein our little visitor squeezed into my class—at least I assume that because of the large amount of fecal matter. Took a picture. Have to remember to post it. It also left… deposits on the tables where the students sit—took a few pics of that, too.
The office was informed by 6:45 (have to wait for bodies to show up to answer questions) and I was told someone would be sent. Silly me, I figured removing the rodent would probably be better before students showed up. No Pied Piper appeared by 7:35, and so the next step was to tell one of the APs herding students to class; said AP walked away both from two of my girls and from me. Next step, send the girls to the principal. Shortly after they returned, the AP came in to my room and asked, “Where is it?” I pointed. About ten minutes later the plant manager came up with a dustpan and broom. I had to break it to him gently that “trapped” did not mean “in a rat trap,” but “locked in my cabinet.” He searched, then said he’d be back with traps. That was three-and-a-half hours ago.
Maybe the rat is my replacement… Nah… But it does fit with the omen Juan Puentes wrote about in February. (Now I’ve got Gregory Peck in my skull, “It’s—an omen.”) I also just had a student who did very little last semester floor me with, “Isn’t this the Ides of March? Wasn’t that something Julius Caesar saw?” Hey, he referenced Ides of March and remembered the dictator Julius Caesar, even remembering from last semester that Caesar was assassinated after he got himself declared dictator for life. What is truly sad is that in our testing culture, this will be something that no one will care that he knows. I care.
And the madness continues. I watched a “Charlie” (Fremont slang for security) by my door tell a student to remove his non-Fremont hat, per dress code. He radioed to another Charlie to take the student and his companion over to the dean’s office—and was asked by Someone of Importance, “Why did you let them into the building in the first place?” The Charlie held up his radio and looked at me. I’ve only been at the Mont for sixteen years, but I thought the entrances to the building were all on the FIRST FLOOR. Yeah, maybe that’s an example of why I need to reapply for my job, not being able to connect the dots.
It is now approaching four-and-a-half hours. Still no traps.(Great, now I’m thinking about “The Exorcist,” “No rats. No rats. I set traps. No rats.”)
I also watch a divide happening in the faculty. It will probably be as wide as the Great Rift Valley and will leave scar on the history of the Mont uglier than any strike could, uglier than the Fremont Rebellion of 2000. The rift is growing, the tension is something you can almost touch. You can see the ugliness in some of the emails and the postings; historically, what I’m seeing is during the sixteen-year-long civil war between Matilda and Stephen of Blois for the English crown, some knights and barons used the chaos of the Anarchy to attack their neighbors and settle grudges that had nothing to do with the war. Are some of us doing that? Is this the kind of New Fremont being built? If so, it is like building on a foundation of sand. Are those lovely pyramids we saw on the Powerpoint going to be stable? Some who are reapplying move as furtively as my visitor in the cabinet, with smiles that don’t reach their eyes and laughter false and brittle; today I don’t have the energy to have some dramatic scene where I “tell them off” or “give them a piece of my mind.” I try to make light of it that I can’t afford to give away any pieces of my mind; today the joke isn’t very damned funny. So the rat becomes a symbol of the day.
It is now after the first lunch, which is A Track’s. I alert two APs to the situation; they express concern and tell me they will find me a room to finish out the day in, which is a lot more pleasant than what I got earlier. To be fair, that was about forty-five minutes ago during my conference period, and we are a crowded school, so I’m still here—with my rat. The plant manager has also flown by, telling me he has to set traps after the kids leave and is calling the District Pied Piper, but he’s only doing his job.
That what most of us are doing every single bloody day. I feel like Mr. Spock in “The City on the Edge of Forever,” where, trapped in the 1930s, he is asked to perform a miracle of engineering with “stone knives and bearskins.” In a school where the toilet in the second floor men’s room lacked a toilet seat for two weeks, where we lacked hot water for several months, where adult school leaves my windows open at night and I have to chase pigeons out of the room and where I have to lock up an overhead projector because they are routinely damaged (having the third prong ripped out because someone only had a two-prong extension cord) or simply vanish, that’s what you do—work with what you have. Unlike a charter school which so many seem to favor, at a public school like Fremont, you work with the kids you are given. Give us your English Language Learners, your Special Needs, your kids from abusive homes and camps. I tell the kids that life is not a race, but a process. It shouldn’t be about a race to get the best kids and dump the leftovers in a public school. It should be helping each other up a mountain.
Maybe the Race to the Top ought to be re-dubbed “The Rat Race.” After all, it IS a rat race. The rats are winning.
By the way, the day has ended. The rat is still here. Maybe he can have my “Pathfinder For Life” sweatshirt.
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Day 111 Saturday, March 13, 2010: “My City Was Gone”
Today, Saturday, March 13, 2010, is day 111 of my time left at the Mont.
There’s lots of stuff parading through my head, all to the tune of the Pretenders’ “My City Was Gone.” I spent what seemed like hours on the phone while I was driving (sorry, CHP, no bluetooth) talking about Monday’s deadline. That’s the deadline to re-up at the Mont, to be part of the New Fremont. My phone calls were mostly about not wanting to leave the Mont. However, I am forced to reference the above-mentioned song.
The Old Fremont is gone. For those who chose to remain, it’s sort of a Martin Guerre thing, passing oneself of as a person declared dead. Some will remain, because of newness to the district, or fears which prove insurmountable barriers, or even support from people who claim to be hard-bitten union types who claim that as employees we do not have the right to question our employers. And I’m sure some of the ones reapplying have even posted to savefremont.org as “Anonymous.” Some will remain because of the above reasons, deluding themselves they will be able to lead some sort of resistance. That’s too much like kapos thinking they can sway Nazis for my tastes.
My point? Old Fremont is gone—probably. This is the New Fremont. As we speak (rather, as you read) select parents who have had coffee with the powers that be are being placed on committees. As we speak (give me a break, it sounds better) students have been selected by a counselor to be a part of those same committees, window-dressing. I know, because one of my girls, who has been involved in school site council, was rejected and she took it personally. As only a sixteen-year-old Twilight-reading girl can. The rigged process gains more legitimacy. Dress up a pig in a tux and you can take it to the Academy Awards.
And Monday, March 15—the Ides of March (and Mr. Balderas compared Dr. Cortines to Caesar—how cool, oh, wait, things didn’t end so well for Caesar, and the average Roman emperor reigned 5.52 years, but I digress…) is the deadline for reapplying…
And the recruitment at the colleges continues, in spite of the hiring freeze. That means that the only ones that can be recruited from the colleges are special education and science teachers. Yes, there are some who reapplied and some who signed the petition who reapplied (hedging bets, eh?) (who also need to be reminded that they can yank their application—it’s not written in stone)… and others on the fence.
Should someone like me reapply, as has been suggested? Someone else I know did it and was mocked by the same person asking me to reconsider. All I can think about is the scene from “Scarface,” when the lead character has a drug lord at his mercy, tells him to kiss his shoes, then shoots him afterwards. Sorry, “Anonymous,” not my style. It shouldn’t be anybody else’s, either.
Just so you know, Dr. McKenna visited JordanHigh School, where he has a good time ridiculing Fremont teachers. He openly mocked the pledge not to reapply, and said he has a large stack of applications on his desk. Clearly, he doesn’t think too much of us, but then he was the man behind the locked gate and the line of school policemen after he challenged us to dance—in case anybody forgot. He reassured the folks at Jordan not to fear reconstitution—he’d keep them away from the Mayor and his schools. Maybe next time he’ll show his home movie, you know, the made-for-tv-award-winning one? You’re being mocked, Pathfinders!
And in the meantime, the calendar rolls on, the dates wind down. RIF notices went out Friday. Monday is the symbolic demonstration at LAUSD HQ at Beaudry, where chairs will be set up to represent each RIFfed teacher. Tuesday, we have department meetings, where I will imagine the preference sheets for next year will be out—preference sheets for WHAT? What can you possibly be able to request, when you are going from 13 SLCs to 5 Academies and the Magnet school and the 3 9th grade Centers? To my eyes, if one signs and turns in a preference sheet, that smacks of turning in an application—and the clarity and fairness which has been promised is akin to seeing the emperor in his new clothes.
And then we have Wednesday. On that day, hundreds of UTLA members will descend upon the Mont, shutting down San Pedro in front of the school, and Fremont teachers will see they are not alone. I urge those of you who have signed the pledge not to reapply—the same pledge Dr, KcKenna has mocked and denigrated while he bragged about his mountain of applications—I urge you to go to the library and get one of the t-shirts available there. While, most of our non-Fremont union brethren will be wearing the traditional red, we should identify ourselves as Fremont teachers. We should also urge as many parents to be there as possible, and try to get microphone time… say, a minute apiece? Let your voices be heard.
Then the next day we’ll hopefully wear our black for our second Black Thursday, a tradition I’d like to see continue to the bitter end. Our first one, which included a Day of Silence, seemed successful. I’ll even pass up wearing costumes that day to wear black and make the point. Every time you see a black-garbed teacher on that day, think—that’s a teacher who will probably be replaced by a long-term substitute.
I wonder what “Anonymous” will be wearing on those days?
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Day 113 Thursday, March 11, 2010: “Under Pressure”
Today is Day 113 of my time left at Fremont. Many of us are engaged in making a statement—by not speaking. We’re calling it the Day of Silence. Many of us who have pledged not to reapply for our jobs at the Mont are dressed in black. Many have also set up lessons which are student-driven/student-directed—and we are not speaking (in my class, we just happened to be studying laissez-faire capitalism and the labor movement, so World History Standard 10.3.4 is posted (concerning those topics), and the students are being asked to apply those characteristics to the reconstitution process, deciding what roles are being played by teachers, administration, students, parents and community. What I find interesting is that while I was prepping the students yesterday, many were holding up their phones and telling me they had been forwarding text messages to also wear black in solidarity with the teachers. I expect visits today from administration and I’m sure some of us will get pressured or dinged on evaluations. At least we’re doing something and the kids are getting it—in fact, better than some adults.
Mat Taylor (for the benefit of those reading this who are not at the Mont), for many years team-taught sophomores and seniors with me, and has taught English at the Mont for a quarter of a century (and he’ll always be two years older than me ;)) served for many of those sixteen tumultuous years as the UTLA chapter chair, and currently serves as the South Area Chair. A couple of days ago he wrote something and placed it in our boxes. I decided it needed a wider audience:
Reconstitution: What We Must Do
Even though I have been coming to Fremont during my off-track time on a fairly regular basis, it wasn’t until I came back on-track this week that it hit me again—this may be my last semester at Fremont. I thought I had dealt with my sorrow and my anger in December. Seeing my students again has brought the emotions back to the surface. Like so many of us, I want to come back. “They can’t do this!” “This isn’t right!” “I’ve been here 25 years, this is my home!”
What makes things easier is knowing I’m not the only one—others feel just like I do. We recognize the look in each other’s eyes. We’re in this together. We’re family. My point? I know we all have individual issues, but… WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER! As best we can, we need to make collective decisions. We won’t achieve our goals acting alone. The New Fremont mapped out by those above us, the “High Priority Committee” (whose names we aren’t informed of), without our input, will not begin to significantly improve academic achievement. Not even in three or four years will cosmetic schedule changes, wholesale teacher upheaval or cut and paste structural shifts increase test scores to a degree that the powers that be can claim our students are better off. And meanwhile, will there be simple growing pains or an unavoidable chaotic learning environment? Even with how rough the New Fremont road ahead looks, yes, we still would like to be a part of it. All of us want to return! But that doesn’t mean we will reapply for our jobs.
And why are so many of us still not reapplying? Because we know that the process is rigged, it’s a fixed game. Just like they’ve admitted that this reconstitution was planned months before they told us, they already have a list. They already know whom they will have back and whom they will not. Simply put, this is not fair, not even close to equitable or justifiable. Just be a part of the process they say. How can we and still look ourselves in the mirror?
More to the point, how can we look our students in the eyes, those wonderful young folks who we teach about truth, beauty, and joy no matter what the class may be called? We stand, all together now, stand for what’s best about Fremont High and what’s best for our students. We must send a message. All of us must return. Don’t divide us. Not now. The teachers will not be scapegoated. Our students will not continue to be blamed. The community should be involved, engaged and uplifted, not left out, ignored and abandoned. There’s plenty of blame to go around for all of this in a state where education funding is last in the country, in a district where consultants have more power than parents and at a school where generations of mediocre leadership have driven so many good teachers away.
So, we will not reapply. We will stick together for our students. What happens if we don’t? We will still have jobs, but we know that’s not the point. We belong here, and the only was we ALL can stay is if we ALL don’t reapply.
We must, we will, make them change their minds. We are doing this not just for Fremont, but for all of LAUSD and its teachers. If they can do it here, they’ll do it there. Cortines is already threatening many other schools. We must push back! We must show them reconstitution can’t be easily done. We must fight together to show them that this should never happen at another school. It’s clearly not just about ourselves, but about our responsibility and integrity as professionals.
--Mat Taylor
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Day 115 Tuesday, March 9, 2010:
Day of Silence March 11: The Sounds of Silence
Today is Day 115 of my time left at Fremont.
Let’s play a little game. Let’s pretend that 120 teachers out of 240 teachers and support personnel at an inner-city—I’m so terribly sorry, I meant to write urban—high school with an official population of 4600 (see the LAUSD website which Dr. George McKenna III denied involvement with/knowledge of a Powerpoint for the actual Powerpoint), 85% of which are socioeconomically disadvantaged, 10.86% Special Education (although the mysterious Powerpoint says 500+=10%, but I’m no good at math—that’s why I use a calculator) and 37% English Language Learners—do not reapply for their jobs by March 16—a day I am christening “Black Tuesday 2010.” Even though the administration, or LD7 or LAUSD, claims over 311 applications have come in to replace the 120, never mind, you’re still replacing over half (remember, I’m a glass half-full kind of guy). So what will the New Fremont—oh, wait, we’re not supposed to use that phrase, because John C. Fremont High School, which opened in 1924 and serves several Los Angeles neighborhoods and the unincorporated community of Florence-Graham, and the Avalon Gardens public housing project, will still retain the venerable code of “8650,” will still have the same address—look like?
On Thursday, March 11, we plan to find out. Those teachers who havce signed the pledge not to reapply will observe a “Day of Silence.” On this Thursday, and most likely every remaining Thursday, the staff who have pledged not to reapply will don black garb, symbolic of mourning. On March 11, they will carry it a step further by conducting a day of not speaking, the better to represent the brand-new teachers and those new to the Mont, who have willingly assumed the places of the veterans replaced by the snap of a principal’s fingers.
I urge those teachers who participate to remember we are teaching that day. Standards should be addressed (I feel like I’m in a department meeting: “If everyone would just teach to the standards…”) (I also post them) and meaningful instruction should take place—well, as meaningful as can be in the ensueing silence. On that day, we urge you to, as best you can, maintain silence in your classroom, including adjusting your lessons to fit this. The Great Silence is intended to demonstrate what the New Fremont will be like, for many of us will no longer be here and our positions staffed by new teachers or, more likely, substitutes. Please, if you plan to participate in this action, prepare your students. Stress that they need to work, to learn as best they can. This is not a “free day.” Instead, it is a statement of what is to come.
Please come to the library and pick up a Day of Silence button and plan to join us in our statement. T-shirts are being made for those who have pledged not to reapply.
During that day, there will be two parent/community meetings at Praises of Zion Church, where the Save Fremont Committee held an actual parent/community meeting on February 11th; the meeting times are at 8:00 a.m. (B-Trackers should plan to attend to show support) and at 5:30 p.m. for those working that day.
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Day 117 Sunday, March 7, 2010: “I Won’t Back Down”
Today is Day 117 of my time left at Fremont.
The subject for today is… bullies.
You see, just because I see administration doesn’t automatically mean I turn into a bull seeing a red cape. In my teaching career of 27 years, I’ve had 13 principals—before this year. Of those, I did not play well with 7 of them. In each instance I actively tried to get along with them, professional courtesy, while keeping my distance, never currying favor, just trying to be open and friendly, as I am to all—until you cross me.
How do you cross me? By unchivalrous behavior.
Why chivalry? Isn’t that just some outmoded historical concept? Am I hung up on chivalry because I dress up as a knight?
I belong to a nonprofit educational organization called the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA for short), a living history group incorporated in the state of California and is worldwide in its membership. Our unofficial mission statement (since LAUSD seems to live for mission statements) is “to recreate the Middle Ages as they should have been.” You can learn more about it at sca.org, as I’ve mentioned previously. Within this organization we practice chivalric behavior, a code of behavior not really written down, but practiced by everyone within the organization; each person has their own beliefs about what is chivalry, and there are many points which are hotly debated, but there is enough of a consensus that it serves as a framework. In fact, members practice chivalry in their everyday or “mundane” lives, performing acts which will not further advancement within the organization, but trying to help the lives of total strangers. One man, in fact, had a fatal heart attack pushing the stalled car of a total stranger. We live chivalry, whether or not we wear the SCA tokens of chivalry: the white belt, the chain, and the spurs.
One aspect of chivalry involves loyalty or fealty. However, if one’s lord behaves in an unchivalrous manner, the bonds of fealty are broken. This isn’t a matter of blind obedience, obeying a master, be he right or wrong, as some would have it. One of the burdens of an oath of fealty is for both parties to behave chivalrously. (Ukrainians and Russians would speak of being “kulturny.”) The same message echoed throughout the Renaissance in Baldasare Castiglione’s book “The Courtier,” and in Japan in “Hagakure” [“Hidden Leaves”] by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, a guidebook for how to be a samurai, which I discussed in Day 127, “Give Me Three Steps.”
These ideals are a big part of who and what I am—friends have joked about my “Captain America” morality, then make reference to other characters I act like. In each instance with an administrator, instead of measuring them by how I was treated (not a fair scale, for I know I am… difficult to get along with), I have watched their behavior toward their “lessers.” If they were “kulturny,” I would treat them with respect. But if they chose to pick on someone, to cause pain and misery, especially when they could have taken a higher road, then that administrator will have lost my respect and my loyalty.
When one wishes to win so badly, when one plays “bonding cards” such as “Ah, we’re all Latinos together,” when one plays the “probationary teacher card” and writes a letter telling her to resign from the district when she has never been written up, when one tells a young teacher who refuses to reapply, “Do you own a house? Who’s going to pay your mortgage? Is the union going to pay your mortgage?” then I have to reevaluate the character of whom I work for.
I’ve heard Dr. Ramon Cortines, formerly of Scholastic Books, when we confronted him in June 2009 as he… came in at a side entrance to the Mont while teachers picketed outside, and heard him in the library three weeks later telling us “Fremont is special to me and is near and dear to my heart.” I watched him again December 9th. I’ve heard the lies and cynicism from Dr. George McKenna III and watched him in action in that faculty meeting, as I wrote in Day 156, “Just Because It Doesn’t Make Sense Doesn’t Mean It’s Not Logical.” I also watched him again on February 11th, when his stood behind locked gates and school policemen as we held a rally, and listened to him speak to reporters at our press conference February 26.
Now I have to add another person to that list.
My family taught me to stand up to bullies. My mom would cry when I was sent hope for fighting, while my dad would chastise me in front of my mother, then take me aside to ask two questions: “What did he do to deserve it?” “Did you win?” I never lied to him in either instance.
We know that this “reconstitution”—which got changed to “restructuring”—is wrong—as has been so much of the information from LD7 and from the office: “You won’t get paid during the summer. “You’ll all be transferred to BethuneMiddle School.” “You’ll all become teachers in the sub pool.” “With the economy the way it is…” “We want your input…” “We have been meeting with parents…” “We’ve had community meetings…” “I met with the teachers several times…” “The teachers are involved in the committees…” “I never make a Powerpoint. I don’t know what you are talking about…”
Now teachers are being bullied.
I was told by a… colleague who has chosen to reapply, “Unlike the 300 Spartans. I will live to fight another day.” My question is, “When do you plan to fight?” When do you stop turning a blind eye to the actions of those who are supposed to be our leaders?
I decided to start fighting 51 days ago. During this week, I was feeling burned out. I moved my stuff out of Room 225 for the last time on Tuesday at 5:30 a.m. and moved into Room 223 for the last time. I had some teachers not meet my eye. I had others shake my hand. I had a student who brought tears to my eyes because she told me, “I read your letters—all of them—on line. Wow.” I had kids visiting me all day for the first three days, working on their notebooks because they didn’t want to let me down. I had a teacher who stopped speaking to me two years ago tell me I’ve been an inspiration, but I was being a brusque bear at the time. All of that means something. All of that strengthens my resolve, as did climbing into the car on Tuesday at 4:20 a.m. and hearing Journey’s “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” which I turned up to ear-bleeding volume. Certain songs I view as fight songs and crank them, eh?
Then I heard what was being said to young teachers. Ramon, what happened to you was the last straw. I wish I had been there, because I would have said something. And you know me. I helped get you through Edison Junior High. You donate time for the band. You give your heart and soul to the students at the Mont. You are one of the teachers I refer to as my “drops of water,” alluding to that Ukrainian proverb I am so fond of: “Even a drop of water can wear a hole in a stone.” You came back to help and now you are being humiliated.
I cannot let this go on. It might be the height of arrogance to believe I alone can make a difference. But I have to try. To quote the movie “Silverado”: “That ain’t right and I’ve had a bellyful of what ain’t right.”
You know where to find me.
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Day 121 Wednesday, March 3, 2010: “Lean On Me”
Today is Wednesday, March 03, 2010, Day 121 of my time left at Fremont.
A friend and former Pathfinder, Scott Banks wrote the following, which the two of us felt needed a wider audience.
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE SUPERINTENDENT
Dear Dr. Cortines,
You have decided to make Fremont teachers reapply for their own jobs as part of a “reconstitution,” implicitly blaming them for the shortcomings of their school. You have also opened the hiring at Fremont to other aspirants.
I am a teacher at Marshall High. I helped our Academic Decathlon team gain top scores in Art for several years, including a second place finish. Several dozen of my English students have succeeded at the challenging AP Literature test. Virtually all of my students pass the English CAHSEE, including many special education students. I have helped my school meet its AYP/API targets with some consistency.
If you are looking for teachers to spearhead success at Fremont, perhaps my record would recommend me as a promising candidate.
If so, you may be curious to learn why I am not still teaching at Fremont. You see, I taught at Fremont for five years before choosing to leave for Marshall.
I left some time after Fremont was assigned a principal unequal to the task of governing it. When we teachers requested an effective leader, our demands ignited an ugly fight that lead to many months of chaos. I wound up a victim of stress and disillusionment. I left the school over ten years ago when I became convinced that LAUSD either couldn’t or wouldn’t govern it effectively, and when the anxiety of the fight began to damage my home life.
My experience might be instructive for your efforts.
In the first place, it would seem to show that the shortcomings at Fremont cannot be laid at the door of its teachers. If you judge Fremont’s current teachers a failure on the basis of their students’ test scores, then by the same criteria I was a failing teacher when I left Fremont. Yet when I transferred to Marshall, my new students attained much better test scores. If you imagine this was due to some personal transformation of my teaching, I invite you to transfer me to a high school whose students have a higher average SES than Marshall, where I suspect yet another personal renaissance awaits me.
Secondly, my experience might lead you to wonder how Fremont loses so many excellent teachers and potentially excellent new teachers each year, and whether adminstrative efforts to retain these teachers might be more productive than your current attempt to drive teachers away.
If you are inclined to pursue this possibility, my experience suggests that you are uniquely placed to get results. One thing alone would have sufficed to keep me at Fremont: effective leadership. Consistently excellent leadership would retain many more fine teachers at Fremont. The high turnover of principals at Fremont over the last two decades indicates that LAUSD has failed to lead Fremont effectively in the time since I left. It is your responsibility, not that of teachers, to make sure that Fremont never again lacks for sustained excellent leadership.
Finally, if you follow through with your plan to interview current teachers for their own jobs, you might ask yourself what kind of teacher would both volunteer to teach at Fremont in the first place and also remain there for years. I am a creative, intelligent and capable teacher. I was deeply dedicated to Fremont, and especially to its students. I have deep and fond memories of these students to this day. These traits were not enough for long-term success in the environment LAUSD created at Fremont.
It humbles me to consider what personal qualities I would have needed to have remained. I hope you can summon that same sense of humility as you interview veteran Fremont teachers. Perhaps some of these teachers just feel stuck at Fremont. But you need to know that many more of these veteran teachers have special qualities that keep them at Fremont, and that most new teachers will inevitably turn out to lack such qualities. I wonder if you truly have any idea of what a Fremont teacher needs to succeed in the long term.
I understand that over half of the Fremont teachers have decided to leave rather than interview for their jobs. They are clearly upset at being blamed. If you do not reverse course and regain the trust of these teachers, you will do grievous harm to the institution you are trying to help.
You need the best teachers at Fremont. Who else has demonstrated that they can do the job they do?
Best regards,
Scott Banks
Day 121 Wednesday, March 3, 2010: “Lean On Me” Scott Banks, a former Pathfinder who has gone on to much success at Marshall, wrote in our defense, reported by Anthony Cody at Teacher Monthly http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2010/03/a_letter_from_los_angeles_how.html
It also appeared at:
http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2010/03/la-teacher-discovers-secret-to-higher.html
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Day 125 Saturday, February 27, 2010 : “I’d Love to Change the World”
Response to Letter by Dr. George McKenna III, dated February 25, 2010
This is Day 125 of my time left at Fremont. The majority of this was written on Day 127, Thursday night, when I first saw a “Correspondence to the Fremont Faculty” by Dr. George McKenna. I’m adding to it now because of events at the press conference yesterday, Day 126. Please understand that I do realize I have a certain knee-jerk reaction, an almost Pavlovian response for certain actions. I had never met the man or even realized I had laid eyes upon him until the January 26th faculty meeting (I admit I even was looking at the wrong person until Dr. McKenna started speaking—guess I was looking for an older Denzel Washington). I do remember one of the decent principals we had categorically refused to remain at the Mont when he learned that Dr. McKenna would be placed in charge of Learning District I (which, of course, got changed, as does any plan within LAUSD). I chalked that up to history between them. So I had very little to base my feelings upon. When he ridiculed the Fremont faculty, when he said that he had been in most of our rooms and seen little going on, which led to some backpedaling and fancy footwork (dancing?), that was when I made my own decision. I share this because I want you to look behind the words of this letter, and see my conclusions. I will not quote the entire letter, since you all received it via LAUSD email, nor will I post a copy, but he did send it to the 240 of us, so it is hardly a secret. There is a Norse proverb which reads, “A secret known to three is known to all.” I know there are some who will feel I am not needed to interpret the words of others (just flashed on Sigourney Weaver in “Galaxy Quest”: “I know it’s a stupid job to tell you what the computer just said, but it’s MY job!”), but please understand this is a process for me, in order to see the ideas more clearly.
In his introductory paragraph, Dr. McKenna writes, “As we continue the reform and improvement of Fremont High via the restructuring process, it is important that we maintain open lines of communication to ensure that all participants receive accurate and timely information…” My question would be why the district (or LD7 or the Fremont administration, whoever is responsible) chose to NOT have a parent/community meeting on February 11th on the very campus which serves this community? Nor have the powers-that-be scheduled a meeting at any other time in February. If the lines of communication are to be kept open, why is the Powerpoint the district put up NOT in Spanish? It’s at
http://teachinla.com/makeadifference/fremont/new_fremont_sh.pps#347,1,Slide 1
if anybody wants to look at it and translate.
Under “Observations,” in Point 1, Dr. McKenna wrote: “The skepticism, emotions and concerns of existing staff … are understandable and even predictable. However having researched and experienced this process, it is an observable reality that a collective commitment to transformation of the part of existing staff is far more productive and effective that collaborative resistance to change. Many who choose not to participate are later disappointed with their decisions when the reform begins to manifest without their involvement. We can make this work,”
I am already disappointed. I was accused of either a lack of commitment or a lack of expertise in my profession of 27 years. I was told I had to ask for my job back, even though I have been accused of the failure to follow through on my duties, and even though I have never received a substandard evaluation (referred to as “Stull” in LAUSD terminology). How can we make this work, if you have accused me of not working in the first place?
In Point 2, Dr. McKenna writes: “All staff should carefully consider their individual options and outcomes … These are challenging times that require our awareness of the importance of producing measurable student achievement based primarily on standardized test scores. This is a non-negotiable reality as we are consistently judged by the outcomes, including considerations for “take overs,” school closings, defunding, loss of enrollment and jobs to non-public schools, legislation that allows parents to dis-enroll students from “unsuccessful” schools, and other extreme responses to low test scores and dissatisfied parents.
Sounds like I’d better change my mind or Fremont will be given away to a “charter”. But if I’m such a horrible teacher—and Dr. Cortines said, “No Excuses,”—why would I be wanted back?
Under “Procedural Realities,” under Point 1, Dr. McKenna writes of observation: “During the 2008-09 school year, the Superintendent personally visited Fremont High and expressed concerns regarding the continuing status as a Program Improvement (PI) school for several years, and indicated that in the absence of urgency to improve, Restructuring was a viable option.”
Both Dr. Cortines and Dr. McKenna claim to have visited most of the classrooms at Fremont. I never even saw either of these gentlemen on my floor, and I ALWAYS teach with my door open—I have nothing to hide. Nor has any member of a WASC team been in my room since 2002, nor spoken to me. Did the Superintendent offer assistance to Mr. Higgins since he was having such difficulty and failed to improve Fremont in the five years he was there? After all, an administrator evaluating a struggling teacher is supposed to offer support, make suggestions, check for improvement—or are the rules different here?
Did Dr. Cortines ever meet with the SLC lead teachers as a group and ask, “What do you need”? Did he ever meet with individual SLCs? Did he ever meet with each department, since these tests which damn us are done by subject matter? Did he ever meet with the Special Education teachers and aides as a group just to see how their jobs work? Did he ever sit in on a leadership class or just show up and watch an advisory class? Did he ever come here on a parent conference night or attend an event put on by the music department or the drama department (I’m sure Ms. Scatolini is in the wings ready to correct me…)? Did Dr. McKenna do any of those things?
In Point 2, Dr. McKenna justifies the actions: “The decision to Restructure has been made and will be implemented based on Federal law (NCLB) and existing guidelines related to persistent underachievement of students as measured by available data.”
In Point 3, he re-states a deadline: “Current teachers who wish to be considered for assignment to the ‘New Fremont’ MUST apply no later than March 16, 2010. Failure to apply will automatically exclude teachers from consideration.”
In Point 4, Dr. McKenna writes: “Teachers who apply for transfers may also apply for reassignment to Fremont and participate in the Restructuring process. The reapplication process is confidential.”
So, if I’m getting this right, I can sign a petition to be liked by a bunch of “trouble-makers,” then break my word and reapply in secret? And that is the kind of moral behavior that is wanted as a role model to students?
In Point 5, Dr. McKenna states: “Teachers who are not selected, apply for transfer or do not apply for reassignment to Fremont, will be reassigned by the LAUSD Human Resources department based on existing vacancies throughout the district including middle schools and non-multi-track schools which will limit the opportunities for intercession employment and additional income as in year round schools. Selection at a new school is also dependent on a successful interview with the Principal of the school.”
So failure to reapply means financial punishment. And even though there have been RIF notices and continue to be threats of budget shortfalls and additional RIFs, we’ve just been told to fear for our jobs.
In Point 6, Dr. McKenna writes: “Teachers will not be assigned to other schools in groups or “teams,” as each assignment will be made on an individual basis within existing guidelines.”
This would make sense. After all, those same teachers who are being told to reapply DID create a “culture of failure” at Fremont, so to scatter them throughout the district would be wise—if that were the real reason.
In Point 7, Dr. McKenna addresses school site seniority: “School site seniority status will not accompany teachers who are reassigned or transfer to other schools, which may affect requests to teach preferred classes at a new school.”
Again, there is the fear factor. You might not get to teach what you want. But if we are the ones responsible for the culture of failure—as Dr. Cortines accused us December 9th—then why should we get to teach what we want? And if we stay at Fremont, we’ll get rewarded with those classes? Does that make sense? Besides, the curriculum in the 9th grade will be scripted anyway, “spam in a can,” to quote “The Right Stuff.”
In Point 8, he writes of district seniority: “District seniority status of teachers will not be affected by the restructuring process, and seniority will not be a factor in the reassignment to other schools. Teachers will only be assigned to schools where vacancies exist and seniority will not enable teachers to displace other teachers in existing positions or be reassigned to a school of their preference.”
So, again, there is the threat—you might not be able to get a job, even with the hiring freeze.
In Point 9, Dr. McKenna offers the UCTP money we stopped receiving last year: “All teachers who remain or are newly hired at Fremont will participate in the Urban Classroom Teacher Program (UCTP) and receive stipends of $1,020 [his underlining, not mine] per semester for additional duties of 2.5 hours per week to be performed as outlined in the negotiated official guidelines and in mutual agreement with the Principal. At this time, Fremont High is the only LAUSD school designated as a UCTP school for the 2010-11 school year.”
So our principles can be bought off for $1020 per semester (before taxes), as Fremont will miraculously be the only school where UCTP will be available. But a month ago, Dr. McKenna said that UCTP (we call it E.I.S.—I don’t know why…) might only possibly be available. If we are such losers, isn’t that throwing good money after bad? And isn’t there a “budget shortfall” predicted? How does that make sense?
In Point 10, we are reminded Fremont is a PI school: “The continued PI status of Fremont makes it vulnerable to being identified as a ‘FocusSchool’ that could be open to bid for governance by outside providers including Charter Schools. This will result in significant changes including the possible reassignment of existing staff without consideration of the existing employee/district contract. The decision to restructure now prevents the ‘take over’ by other entities.”
So this is being done to save us from Charter Schools?
Under “Long Range Goals and Considerations” in Point 1, he writes: “The entire Fremont Family of Schools i.e. 3 feeder middle schools and 19 elementary schools will be Reconfigured to 7/8 grade and K-6 models… with middle schools designed to focus on literacy and math skills that will improve the readiness of students who enter 9th grade in future years. Fremont will convert to a traditional calendar in September 2013, in conjunction with the opening of a new high school nearby.
So, 2010-2013 have been written off, academically-speaking? And only one high school? Two are being built nearby. Has one already been given away to an outside provider? The staff at Fremont had also been told repeatedly that the schools would be complete by 2011. Which date is real?
In Point 2, Dr, McKenna states: “Principal leadership is a key to effective school reform and improved student achievement, however Fremont has not enjoyed consistent lleadership in the past decade… Research and experience indicates that meaningful reform takes 3 to 5 years to realize results.”
Actually it has been 16 years, not a decade, but the last principal was here 5 years—and for two of those years he had an equal partner. Also, since the research indicates meaningful reform takes 3-5 years to realize results, does that mean the students who are currently at the New Fremont will never see the results? What does Dr. McKenna want to tell the parents of those students?
In Point 3, Dr. McKenna writes: “The intent of Restructuring is not to remove faculty and staff members, but to define the terms under which we will all work in a “Restructured New Fremont” and enable all existing staff to participate in the planning process and make individual choices. Guidelines have been previously distributed identifying specific focus areas and activities that be expected of all staff effective July 1, 2010. The Principal has also recently distributed an internal instructional plan that was developed utilizing a process in which teachers were invited and had an opportunity to participate.”
If the intent is not to remove faculty and staff members, why tell them, as Dr, Cortines did, that they are responsible for a “culture of failure—“NO EXCUSES” AND THAT Dr. McKenna labeled the staff the “villains” in the January faculty meeting? How does the “internal plan” relate to what was on the Powerpoint about the New Fremont?
In Point 4, Dr. McKenna offers: “Existing faculty members who are committed to the Fremont students, have a unique and unprecedented opportunity to engage in a collaborative effort with existing collegues to redesign and implement a model urban high school program. Revitalization is best accomplished by experienced staff, but will be achieved only with a strong and unified effort toward the ultimate student goal-Student Achievement.”
Since the plan for the New Fremont is already up on-line—sans teacher input—why speak of a unique and unprecedented opportunity or of collaborative efforts? How many of the parents were actually invited and were able to attend on short notice? How many were actually able to participate?
In Point 5, Dr. McKenna writes of the allies of Fremont: “Expanded partnerships with outside providers will be incorporated to provide additional support for teachers, students and families. Collaborations are being planned with Pearson Foundation, Los Angeles Educational Partnership (LAEP), UCLA Center X, McGraw Hill and others.”
The Fremont teachers had already been working on a plan to collaborate with LAEP, had already been working with UCLA Center X, when those collaborations—which had involved extensive work and building of relationships—had been scuttled on December 9th by Dr. Cortines.
In Point 6, he writes: “A ‘New Fremont’ will be aligned to identify and enforce commitments from students, parents and staff that will change the culture of the school by holding all participants and stakeholders accountable.”
There had already been significant strides in those areas. What will LAUSD do? What will District 7 do? What will Dr. George McKenna III and Dr. Cortines do?
“LAUSD’s Fremont High Moves to Restructure” on “The Patt Morrison Show” KPCC
http://www.scpr.org/programs/patt-morrison/2010/02/26/fremont-high/
Pictures also appeared at:
http://www.utla.net/photos/fremont_pc/index.html
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Day 127 Wednesday, February 24, 2010: “Give Me Three Steps”
This is Day 127 of my time left at Fremont, Wednesday, February 24, 2010. When I wrote earlier, I was looking into the future, envisioning the New Fremont, swept free of the Fifty, with no more 9Rs, the parents and community which had no input into the plan basking in the glow of success.
So, how did it happen? Or will happen? Think of the following as another time-travel story. Or another version of “The Hangover.” (I related to the bearded one who asked, “Who’s baby is this?”)
I will also apologize in advance, for a lot of what I’m about to relate I’m going to put in terms of strategy and tactics (hey, history guy, eh?). There was a book written in 1645 by Miyamoto Musashi called “A Book of Five Rings.” It is largely about the philosophy of swordsmanship or combat, and has Zen, Shinto and Confucianism roots, written by a man who had defeated and killed all of his opponents in some 60… encounters. The book is used as a guide by many in the business world for running sales campaigns like military ones. Or you could read “Hagakure” [“Hidden Leaves”] by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, a guidebook for how to be a samurai, the most famous quote: “The way of the samurai is found in death.” The book gained some popularity because of the movie, “Ghost Dog.” (Both of these are on my nightstand—puts some interesting images in your heads, eh?)
For that matter, one can also study Machiavelli, who not only wrote “The Prince,” a book on leadership, but also a military guide as well. Unfortunately, many people pretend to understand both books, basing their knowledge upon reading the dust jackets or back covers. They also misinterpret “The Prince.” They often do not realize they should also read his book on the art of war AND Baldesare Castiglione’s “The Courtier,” which is to “The Prince” was “Hagakure” is to “A Book of Five Rings.” If “The Prince” is too heavy, they go to something more accessible, such as “The 48 Laws of Power,” which I suspect the district has done—I call it “Machiavelli Light” or “Pop-up Machiavelli” or “Machiavelli for people who move their lips when they read”. Or maybe they read the pop-up version of “Dune”: “plans within plans within plans…”
So… Let’s pretend this is a military campaign: how do you defeat an enemy?
Step I in taking over any organization is to create vulnerability, to exploit a weakness, make them realize what their weakness is. Threaten to exploit and watch the show. When are people most likely to commit mistakes or to panic? When they are faced with the unexpected, with a sense of urgency. People panic, running in different directions. Some just give up, surrender to their fate. Belisarius, a 6th century Byzantine general (and my real-life hero) wrote that the greatest victory you can achieve is when you convince your enemy not to even fight.
On December 9th, Dr. Cortines, formerly of Scholastic Books, announced his plans for a New Fremont with armed school police officers (nice implied threat, goes well with the words “Under NCLB, I have the authority…”) strategically positioned around the auditorium—nay, nay, theater—and told us how awful we were, even blaming us for money misspent. We were told there were no excuses which would be accepted. Sound familiar? There was a sense of urgency created for the parents, community, and the media, who would re-word this cry of indignation. By the way, not just these great military masters of other times (including Sun Tzu), speak of creating a climate of fear in order to ease change, but also many consultants to the business world. I showed my ideas to Marc, a friend who does this in “real life.” Does that make Fremont the “Surreal Life”?
The sense of urgency has been driven home in a number of ways. We were told to reapply or dire consequences would follow. Threats (now called “misunderstandings” or “miscommunications” some of which have been retracted through “Explanations”) of non-payment during the summer, of being banished to a particular middle school, of being made “substitute pool teachers,” of getting a RIF notice, that 150 of us could be replaced with a literal snap of the fingers (at least Samantha on “Bewitched” twitched a cute nose and Jeannie crossed her arms and… never mind)… all of these were paraded before us.
Then we started to find our legs.
Step II would be to develop a team. I recall an email from someone at D7 wrote of this reconstitution (which has undergone repackaging) as just the thing for Fremont and even suggested what is really needed is a core group of dedicated staff who will do whatever is needed and will lead by example—I think some D7 called them “Laker teachers all dedicated …” Spartans, Athletes, a weird sort of Village People of heroes, eh?
This whole reapplication process is part of Step II and a bit of Step V. When people began writing and speaking out, when we went to the rain-soaked rally or the community meeting two days later or canvassed the neighborhood, doing the community walks, that was all part of Step II. Those will be the teachers labeled a “drain on the profession.” Those participating clearly are not going to be acceptable members of the “core group”/”Lakers” that was referred to. It doesn’t take a crystal ball or a tarot card reading or time travel or a magic 8-ball to see who won’t be acceptable.
So that means there will be a small group, a dedicated core. Cloak them in connections, credibility and authority. Maybe D7 will come up with banners we can fly from our cars, or giant foam fingers… (Maybe those of you reading this can design a foam finger which expresses your feelings…)
Now that you have a core group, you have to do two things. Make this takeover seem plausible. Hey, our reputations have already been smeared by Dr. Cortines and Dr. George McKenna III—remember Dr. McKenna’s words (and we do have that event documented) about us being the villains in this piece? And when we accused the district of not having a clearly thought-out plan, at first we were told this was “a skeleton,” [should I think Oingo Boingo or Social Distortion?] by Mr. Balderas [Magnet Chronicles, February 9 issue], that “it’s the people that choose to stay that are going to help me create that vision.” Ten days later, I got a link to LAUSD’s Powerpoint for the New Fremont at:
http://teachinla.com/makeadifference/fremont/new_fremont_sh.pps#347,1,Slide 1.
So we now have a plan in place. That would be Step III. But I mentioned that you have to do something else with that core group. You have to make them a team, indoctrinate them, instill the belief that they are going to be movers and shakers. Why not call them “Agents of Change”? That, after all, sounds very proactive and positive—labels are important; so is propaganda. You have to train these Agents of Change. This is in-group/out-group stuff, real simple.
How would this core select elite group be trained? Look at this from a practical point of view. The New Fremont goes into operation on July 1, with the beginning of the new school year. B-Track and C-Track will be on first. They have to be ready to roll and to build up enough momentum that when A-Track comes on at the end of August, everything will already be in place. That means the core people on B- and C-Tracks must be trained before then. The deadline to reapply to Fremont is in mid-March, so the list of names will be available and Mr. Balderas can look at his “confidential stuff” on each staff member reapplying [Magnet Chronicles, February 9] and decide who the team is. C-Track will be off May and June, a perfect time for said training. B-Track goes off by the end of the week and will be gone until the end of April.
If I were in the district’s position, I would not reveal who is the core group of quislings (after Norwegian politician Vidkun Quisling, who assisted Nazi Germany to conquer his own country) for a while. That would be really bad for moral (might mess up those CST scores, eh?) and lead to some unpleasantness on campus. So that means, if the core group is not being revealed or trained on campus, they have to be trained off-campus. Hey, it worked in “The Dirty Dozen”, ”The Devil’s Brigade,” and a bunch of other movies, eh?
Step IV would follow closely on the heels of Step III, because once you have a vision, you need to communicate it. Use slogans or mottos—I like to call this “short attention-span theater.” Of course having a few deeds or acts to throw at the media wouldn’t hurt. Nor would symbols. Kids could draw them on their notebooks—aw, just go out and get a bunch of New Fremont notebooks printed and save time. All this is reinforcement of Step III. Maybe someone’s been watching that movie, “The Wave,” again…
But those troublemakers are still out there, for we have yet to reach July. Step V, according to my friend Marc, who deals with presentations like this for a living, came up with a similar idea to me: figure out who is not going to be part of the New Order—I mean, New Fremont. It could be individuals, who could become LAUSD “unpersons,” to quote Orwell. It might involve groups. Remember most of us were asked repeatedly to reapply. Let’s assume a large group gets removed, where would that leave Fremont. If there is a core group of “Laker teachers” (thank you, thank you, thank you for that phrase), they could then become empowered to move ahead without fear. “We’re afraid to go with you, Bluto—we might get in trouble!” Hey, this is French Revolution stuff here—remember Herb Niebergall wrote of the importance of knowing the causes of the French Revolution. I, myself, I see patterns. I look at eras and see flow charts. I just can’t do them on a computer—yet!
I remember building groups in the Society for Creative Anachronism (medieval and Renaissance reenactment group—lots of full-contact combat in armor, both as individuals and with armies which might number a thousand on a side). As Kyr (Sir) Yaroslav the Persistent, I was involved in training fighters, arranging strategy and tactics on battlefield (see “In Service to the Dream” from Mythos Productions—easiest way to find it is google my name Chuck Olynyk or Yaroslav the Persistent). My buddy Philip of Meadhe and I called it “legend building”; it involved re-telling stories of victories and building group pride.
We’re a lot more high-tech (I’m still identifying with that monkey in the space capsule). Use the media. Step VI: celebrate some early short-term victories. Find and celebrate some successes from the first semester at the NewFremontHigh School. The 62% new teachers look with stars in their eyes at the “Lakers teachers,” and the district’s job becomes that much easier. So that would be first semester, next year, since the “horrible teachers” would be gone.
But this campaign to take over Fremont will have been going on for over a year (at least openly). Those who jumped on board, call the “agents of change,” since that sounds heroic, will probably be exhausted, maybe embittered. I know, from the experience of the last 40 days, that I suffer from exhaustion, depression, anger, hell, maybe even angst. It wears on my friends and alienates them as I roller-coaster emotionally and seem fixated on this problem, commuting the fifty miles to my school to go to meetings, to rallies, up early, to bed late, unable to sleep. Those quislings will probably be in the same state. So, before the end of the first school year of the New Fremont, the agents of change will have to be reinvigorated or they will burn out. In the S.C.A. (Society for Creative Anachronism), awards and titles are handed out (for a better understanding of it, go to www.sca.org/). I was knighted, and then a number of years later I was granted the title Baron. That won’t fly in the 21st century, but a show of public gratitude for loyalty and willingness to make things better—“sacrifice” would be a good noble-sounding word—would go a long way to doing that. That would be a good Step VII.
With the Agents of Change (that would be a great name for a group of superheroes) rejuvenated, the shaping of the new culture at the New Fremont (sounds redundant, but I can’t see a way around it) begins. It would be like a Renaissance. Interesting that people coined the word Renaissance because they wanted to bask in the glories of the Classical World and wanted to distinguish themselves from the Dark Ages (another label meant to throw mud)—I recall a textbook I saw at Edison Middle School which read, “In the Middle Ages, men had no knives and forks. They hacked their meat with swords”); it was a period of rebirth of Classical values.
“A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise.” “If an injury has been done to a man it should be severe that his vengeance need not be feared.” —Niccolo Machiavelli
“Aut Caesar, aut nil.” “Caesar’s way or no way.”—motto of Cesare Borgia, the model for “The Prince”
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Day 128 Tuesday, February 23, 2010: “Everybody’s Talking At Me”
Today is Tuesday, February 23, 2010. I have 128 days left at the Mont.
I attended the school board meeting and saw parents and teachers passionately arguing. They had argued at the candlelight vigil at 5:00 a.m.—or at least glared at each other. I remembered passing through the charter school folks and it felt like running a gauntlet, with some unwilling to step aside from courtesy, open animosity, attempts to tell me to follow their advise.
Anyone who knows me at all knows I don’t do too well with that advise stuff.
The yelling and threats came later, as we awaited entrance into the school board meeting, with school police officers stepping in the way of passionate parents and supporters. (I was amused that the charter folk also seemed to have a lot of teachers and administrators present, as well as children. Where were our kids? School. Where were the majority of our teachers? Teaching kids at school)
When Superintendent Cortines read his list of recommendations, I was struck by the language, the buzzwords, he employed so freely. It reminded me of Newspeak (you might know it as doublespeak, a term which came later) in 1984. I could have referred to Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union, but those horses have been beaten so many times and just become too easy, trivializing the original matter. That’s like comparing teachers fighting for their schools to King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans; if anyone dies over this, someone can correct me. So please bear with me. We’re sticking with 1984. If you don’t know the novel, admit you never read it, then model some reading for your kids. To quote Robert Heinlein in “Stranger in a StrangeLand,”: “Forgive my ignorance.” “Ignorance can’t be forgiven—only cured.”
Superintendent first spoke of “a sense of urgency,” a phrase I recognized from his December 9th visit to Fremont. He went to say, “The status quo is no longer acceptable!” That sounds very commanding, but went on to string together more gems of what I will call Eduspeak: “I want to see dynamic partnerships that are data-driven!” (Well, Mr. Data did act as helmsman sometimes in Star Trek TNG…), “ authentic assessment,” “weak track record,” “strong focus,” “daily formative assessment,” “raising the bar,” “positive student outcome focused on problem solving,” “best practices,” “increasing personalization,” and the winner—“nested instruction.”
I get to hear this at every P.D. where I lose 90 minutes 2-3 Tuesdays monthly and am criticized for not educating enough. Instead of “unpacking the standards” or working in “Instructional Learning Teams” (and having that worked mocked) and filling out meaningless surveys whose results will be ignored, WHEN DO I ACTUALLY GET TO TEACH?
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Day 131 Sunday, February 21: “Teacher, Teacher”
This was supposed to be Day 131, Sunday, February 21. And, in the finest Captain Picard tradition, I shall “make it so.” This is another of Rita’s Musings.
Chuck,
When I read Mr. Niebergall"s letter, it made me think of all of the strife I, and later on, every Lead Teacher has had to endure to create something of value that would be effective teaching tools and techniques to assist our students in achieving the goals they were required to achieve. We worked to build our SLCs in earnest and started to build something that looked like it would be successful. Everyone was following the original Humanitas model in one way or another. That had proven to be successful.
However, I look back now and I believe it was just to placate us because we, as a faculty, had rejected every one of the outside forces who tried to come in and turn us into a "cookie cutter" school like the other ones with which they had worked. I now believe this change had been in the works for a long time. Even though we were working to build a successful curriculum for our individual SLCs, and so many roadblocks were put in our way that we had to work extra hard, our attention was distracted by the extra work and added responsibilities. Call me crazy, but I think someone was already designing this plan for the New Fremont. We were being told that everything was going to be "transparent" but I was never sure what was going on. We were being told one thing in the schoolwide design team meetings, which I would report to you guys in our weekly meetings-and then something else entirely would happen instead. We were never sure about the money we were supposed to receive for our SLCs, what we could spend, when we could spend it, and how to get it. That was as transparent as MUD. And I thought it was just poor communication! Silly me!
When I got involved in Humanitas-eons ago-I got inspired by it because it was what I had believed education was supposed to be. I embraced it because the people who taught us how to work in the Humanitas way treated us like professional educators and scholars. They inspired us to find that dormant scholar in ourselves and wake it up. We were encouraged to think, and design our program according to the needs of our students. This was true collaboration and interdisciplinary planning! It was exciting to wake up our own brains and re-establish that previous relationship with them...like when we used to be "smart" college students! Our students woke up their brains, too, and we were all deliriously happy. We were giddy with the excitement of this! We all felt more connected to school and each other. That was an indescribable experience. Our students worked harder than they had ever worked before, and enjoyed it! They were learning, advanced year after year, and all graduated-on time.
From those kids came local business owners, scientists, teachers, social workers, university professors, military men and women, lawyers, peace officers, political aides, psychologists, physicians, (the Humanities)... many of whom decided to come back to their community to make life better for those coming up after them. Some of them actually work in LAUSD. Some of them actually work at Fremont-day school and AdultSchool-or did. Their calling was true to our Humanitas philosophy: Learn well and come back to improve the lives of others in your community.
Then, the district got involved in administering Humanitas and, try as I might, Humanitas disintegrated in front of my eyes. I felt helpless. I felt like I was in the eye of a great storm, saw what was happening and could do nothing. I have fought for years to re-establish Humanitas to its former position, as (forgive me) the brightest jewel in the crown of Fremont. That was not to be. Except, Humanitas was trotted out every time Fremont needed to show off its best and brightest. Our district is heartless, thoughtless, brainless, and selfish. We all know the district is self-serving and their first interest is not the students...DUH.
When I read the slides in the power point, I noticed that" huminatas" was included in the "New Fremont” plan. I thought to myself, "They can't even spell it right!" I can imagine what they plan it to be. I was insulted then, again. When I read the "plan", I thought this was not even the Humanitas way of teaching! Scripted curriculum...everyone on the same page...? How could they use that name and how are they going to justify it? Would anybody really care? All of my work together with every outstanding teacher who agreed to work with me and do the extra work it took to design our Humanitas Program, did the groundwork for the district to steal and use the reputation we built to cheat parents into thinking that it would be the same outstanding program for their children about which they had heard such marvelous things in the past. How can we convince anyone it will not be?
We recently visited the feeder middle schools for “Articulation” and at each one, Ms. Palomo and I were welcomed warmly and were told that they appreciated our work with their kids! At Edison, the Ass’t. Principal (I believe) couldn’t express her happiness enough about having us there, and was so emphatic that we continue to do what we had been doing because their former students would go back to visit them and rave about us. They were appreciative of our hard work. The students were and are appreciative of our work. The parents are appreciative of our work. It’s just the district that isn’t satisfied with the work we have done and continue to do…maybe because we don’t bring them billions of dollars. We, collectively, however, “invest" unreimbursed millions of dollars on supplementary curriculum materials and supplies in order to be able to provide our students with the proper educational experience we believe they deserve.
I apologize for the length of this email, but it just came out and I had to go with it. I am passionate about what we all do and resent those from outside of our school who unfairly judge us, criticize us and impugn the integrity of our characters or the quality and sincerity of the work we do. We Pathfinder Teachers are finer people than those who deign to judge us. So many lies are published as fact about us. So many lies are being leaked to make us fear that something terrible will happen to us if we do not reapply for the jobs we have earned and deserve to keep if we so choose. I believe that something terrible will happen to us if we do reapply. We will not be able to recognize our jobs or our school. It will all have died by then.
In the last several years, I have been using a quote, which came in a mailing to me from my university, to inspire my Humanitas students. It says: "Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it." This is a quote by Marian Wright Edelman. I thought it was so appropriate for our students, and I wanted them to understand it and take it to heart. I have been so surprised and pleased that so many of our Humanitas "kids" come back and tell us that they are in public service careers. We must have done something right. The New Fremont's Humanitas will not EVER be what we have been-to the students, to the community, to FremontHigh School or to the new people who will be assigned to teach under that title. The way they have it planned, anybody off the street who can read will be able to "teach" the curriculum. Yeah, right, whatever! This is so wrong on so may levels...
Sincerely,
Margherita Moraca,
Humanitas “A”
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