ED, teachers quit b/c bad conditions; implications for Proviso

Kevin Drum (Political Animal) wrote a blog entry that ends with:

But complaining about low salaries and bad teachers is a lot easier than focusing on the seemingly intractable problem of dysfunctional communities creating dysfunctional schools. So that's what we do.

In Drum's entry he quotes LA Times (Howard Blume):

....At high-minority and high-poverty schools, teacher turnover typically runs at 10% annually. "If this churning is going on, you can be sure you have a dysfunctional school," Futernick said. "As long as we think of these schools as combat zones, we'll never solve the retention problem and we'll never close the achievement gap" between white and Asian students and their black and Latino peers.

More from the same article:

The real issue is working conditions, which are the flip side of a student's learning conditions, said Ken Futernick, who directs K-12 studies at the Center for Teacher Quality at Cal State Sacramento.

Classroom interruptions, student discipline, increasing demands, insufficient supplies, overcrowding, unnecessary meetings, lack of support — all play a role in burning out teachers.

Drum complains about the methodology of the research, but the conclusion sounds plausible.

Maybe I'm a pessimist, but I sorta feel the problem districts in Proviso have the problems described in this study plus an intrusive amount of politics. Some teachers are largely left alone, but some clearly feel the politics is a negative. Isis (It's Just Teaching) has some recent specific gripes.

So what's Proviso to do?

The problems need to be addressed in a holistic way, but we need to be cognizant of the legacy of racism (and current racism). Racism pervades everyone's thinking. Racism plays a role in everyone--voters, political bosses, administrators, teachers, parents, the media, law enforcement and everyone else--accepting things that would be unacceptable if Proviso schools served at 75% "White" population*.

We need to do a better job of preparing people to be parents. We need to do a better job of supporting parents. We need schools that are optimized around students. We need to de-politicize schools as part of administrators creating a conducive-to-education environment for teachers.

Anyway, feel free to add your two cents. Try to focus your criticisms on problems not people. Even of the worst bad actor on the local level died in a vehicle collision today, tomorrow Proviso schools would still have 98+% of the problems they have today.

* According the (2000 Census the United States was 75.1% "White", 12.5% "Hispanic", 12.3% Black, 3.6% Asian & 2.4% "multiracial". By contrasts Proviso Township was 42.7% "White", 36.3% Black, 17.3% "Hispanic", 2.3% Asian & 1.1% "multiracial". And the schools have significantly higher percentages of Blacks and Latinos.

ED, Proviso Township High Schools to RIF 55 teachers [D209]

To cut $2.5-3 million dollars from the District 209 budget Proviso Township High Schools will RIF (reduction in force) 55 teachers. Proviso East will lose 22 and Proviso West will lose 33.

State law requires teachers be notified 45 days in advance of a date in May. The RIF notification has been used to justify moving the next board meeting from Monday, April 23 (after the election) to Monday, April 16 (the day before the election). A source said the list was prepared in advance of the March board meeting, but has been kept confidential.

Notifications can be done by certified mail. A source anticipates the RIF notices will be mailed Friday, April 13.

BTW, what do you think Fields and the Welch majority want to pass before the election?

ED, why is Proviso West principal posting job listings? [D209]

In her February newsletter to teachers and staff Proviso West principal Alexis Wallace posted job listings at nearby districts including Downers Grove, Glenbard, Hinsdale, Lyden, Morton and York.

If District 209 has a $7 million deficit this year is the current administration planning to cut the deficit by cutting teachers?

Maybe that 19.5% pay raise over four years that school board president Chris Welch approved while running for state rep wasn't such a good idea after all. Some of us were asking what it would cost back then. See Carl Nyberg (Forest Park Review).