Closing The Gap

And Then There Were Six

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 03:32:00 +0000

I attended last night's board meeting to witness to adoption of the 2008-2009 budget. The adoption of the budget by 5-0 with Directors Sargent and Williams absent was no surprise, as the board has been working on the budget for some time. The student representative, Olin Stickler, voted yes, unofficially, as well.

The meeting was not well attended by the public. I suppose for all intents and purposes it was rather boring, but nonetheless, I was surprised that there were a handful of spectators aside from myself.

One of the most notable things about the meeting last night was that it was Dan Ryan's last as the Director for Zone 4. There were a great deal of heartfelt words and goodbyes and whatnot. It was touching. Ryan will be moving on to the Portland Schools Foundation and leaving his place on the board. According to comments made, they are hoping to have a replacement soon.

As with other situations like this, I am reserving judgement. Ryan seems to have focus on the children of Portland, which is always a good thing. Perhaps this connection with PSF will be good for our schools.

Someone close to me said something the other day, it was "those with the money have the control." It is a simple and obvious statement, and it is true. I am trying to keep those words in mind. At the same time, I hope that good things come of this change, and I wish Dan Ryan well in his new position.

There is a special board meeting coming up soon, and I will post more on that when the time comes.

Getting Closer

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:31:00 +0000

Well, we are getting much closer to campaign time. It is exciting, but also nerve-racking.

I plan to begin slowly (but surely) in July, trying to get the word out. Around that time, and until the election in May, I will be begging and gratefully accepting assistance of any kind!

Once summer hits, I will be able to devote a great deal of time to the campaign. I cannot believe that the time is nearly here. Time does go quickly, as it always has.

As this school year winds down, I find myself infused with a greater sense of urgency. Time does go by quickly, and as such, we must be focused on effecting change within the district so that our students have equal opportunities to succeed.

I haven't written for a while, so I wanted to give a quick update on what to expect.

Again, thanks to everyone for their words of wisdom and encouragement.

Update

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 20:36:00 +0000

It has been quite some time since I last published a blog.

I want to give everyone a quick update.

Of course, I am still running for the seat in zone 6. Don't worry! I am very busy, but my candidacy will not change.

Many things have been happening at my school lately, and as a classroom teacher, my students are my first priority. As such, I have had very little time for posting here. I have been able to keep up-to-date with PPS issues, but not able to post on them.

Ideally, I should be able to post about once I week beginning in January.

Even though I am unable to frequently post, please don't hesitate to email me. If there is something you want me to be aware of, please let me know. It is still early, but I always want input, ideas, and feedback.

I plan to begin the campaign with gusto this summer. Having a full-time physical presence in Portland will make that much easier.

I will keep everyone posted on what the campaign is up to and what support we need when the time comes.

Thank you for your support and interest!

New PPS Superintendent

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 18:44:00 +0000

Carole Smith is the new superintendent for Portland Public Schools.

Like many others I've spoken to, I am cautious and optimistic. I have to ask myself: is it better to be optimistic or cynical? And I am not sure of the answer.

Smith is a local hire, with longtime connections to the district. That is a big plus. It seems logical that someone from Portland with experience in Portland may care more about the good of the schools in Portland, and not just her resume.

On the other hand, she is a former underling of Vicki Phillips. I don't think I am alone in my overall negative assessment of Phillips' time as superintendent. After working so closely with Phillips, is it likely that Smith will keep the damage coming? I hope not.

For now, I am choosing to remain positive about the new superintendent. I hope that I don't end up eating my words.

Thanks to those of you who have emailed your advice, thoughts, and concerns to me. Please keep it coming! I really believe that "my" positions should not be solely mine, they should be based those of the community and PPS stakeholders.

Lisa

Jefferson's Woes

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:01:00 +0000

Lately on the blogsphere there has been quite a bit of talk about Cynthia Harris, the principal at Jefferson, and the way that Jefferson is being "dealt with" by the district.

My thoughts on the subject are plentiful, but the bottom line is: parents have a right to be involved in their child's education. That is not to say that parents should be in charge of an entire school, as I am sure that most parents have other things to do.

The message Cynthia Harris is sending is that parents have no business asking questions about what is happening at their child's school. Which is, of course, ridiculous.

Of course, most people are focusing on the racial issues brought up by this incident. They are definitely important. After all, "black kids are different" is an absurd thing to say.

I think that the issue that necessitates focus is parental involvement. If parents are welcomed at their child's school, it increases the sense of community. A sense of community is one of the most important things in a classroom and a school.

The Campaign is on!

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:12:00 +0000

I wasn't aware (until Thomas kindly pointed out), that there are plenty of people concerned with the May 2009 school board race already. I am so excited to interact with these people! I love the enthusiasm I read in blogs and comments.

It is inspiring me to believe even stronger that we can make a difference.

May 2009 is far away, but I feel like the campaign has essentially started.

More things will be posted on my website (http://www.lisarichardson.org/) about me and my ideas for school board.

I ask that you be patient with me. What I say is not written in stone. I am not asking for people to vote for ME, rather the idea that we can all have a voice. I want to work for and with the community of Zone 6, and if they want something different than I think is best, I am humble enough to rethink a position. When I say community, I mean community, not the folks with the deepest pockets. Though, I won't deny that supporters with deep pockets can be great also, but I certainly won't sell a position.

Please share your thoughts, comments, and ideas about what you see posted on the site when it arrives. There is a lot of wisdom out there, and with cooperation, we can make this race important to a lot of people, and help pave the way for significant change and achievement within the district.

I cannot say enough how excited I am.

Thank you!

Votes

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:10:00 +0000

Ian and I did some research today. We were trying to calculate various numbers and figure out how many votes I might need.

We looked at PPS school board election history for 2003, 2005, and 2007. The data from 2003 was a "fluke". There was so much going on in the district, that there was a really large turnout.

The winning board member has to have the most votes, not a certain percentage.

We ran some numbers and figured that I will need about 40,000 or so votes to feel secure in winning. 40,000. That's the number of votes I will need.

Anybody know a few thousand people to start me off?

I think it will be incredibly challenging, but trying to talk to over 40,000 people personally over about 10 months will be really fun. Let's hope I can figure out how to convince them to invest their vote in me with sheer passion and determination. Oh, and a proven track record of success that can be easily converted to an environment like a school board.

Good luck to me.

The Vanishing of Time

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 00:11:00 +0000

It is absolutely unreal how quickly time vanishes. Each day seems to go quicker.

We are now halfway through the 1st quarter. That means, that in no time at all, it will be time to head back to Portland. For good. It's creepy, because it feels like we just got here.

Because Webster sucks, I won't be finished with the MBA until October 2008...and we were planning for May or July. That is horrible. Nonetheless, I will find something worth my time in PDX from June until November, and then (hopefully) find something more exciting and with a bigger paycheck.

I still have so much to do for the school board campaign. I know it is incredibly far away, but I like to be prepared. I want to know all that I need to know before we move home. That is (in a nutshell): how many votes I need, who are my potential voters, what are the issues that students, parents, and other folk are concerned with, and how much money I need. Geez.

I am getting more and more anxious about this as time dissolves. However, I know that things will calm down as more time passes, and I have plenty of time to prepare.

A part of me can't wait. I love St. Louis and my kids, but I am ready to start doing good for education in Portland. I am from Portland, I've seen the educational issues there firsthand. The students there need someone to fight for them. On the other hand, I love my kids. I love my kids. My kids are so amazing I cannot describe it in any words I know (in English or Spanish!). I am having a crisis of sorts coming to terms with the fact that I will not be a teacher anymore a year from now. I have a lot to learn and an infinite number of improvements to make, but I am a good teacher. What if my kids don't have a good teacher next year?

The what ifs are too much for me to bear at this point. I just have to do as much as possible to help build a foundation at my school so my students are supported next year and the years that follow. I'm not sure what I will do when I don't have kids to teach every day. I don't have any idea how to cope with that thought.

At least I have 9 more months, or 3 and a half more quarters to figure it out!

My Classroom

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 23:41:00 +0000

Hi all,

School started almost 3 weeks ago. So far, things are going spectacular. I haven't had a bad day yet. I don't think I had 3 days in a row last year that I would categorize as "good". A good or bad day can be defined in many ways, but so far, they've all be great.

Ian was gracious enough to come to the school and take a video of my classroom, since it is wicked awesome!

Here is the movie! Let me know what you think! Enjoy!

Almost there!

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 16:21:00 +0000

The kids come back to school on Tuesday. The administration at my school has no idea what to expect. They say it is possible that hundreds of "extra" kids will rush the building, since they don't want to attend St. Louis Public, which is now unaccredited.

There are several new Spanish teachers this year. I am supposed to be showing them the ropes. I love to help and lead people, but there are still so many things I don't know. It seems so ironic. At the same time, I think back to the weekend before school began last year. The amount of things that I know now about teaching that I did not know then is absurd. Unfortunately, it is impossible for me to shove all that knowledge into the brains of first-year teachers. I can put some of the information there, but mostly, teachers learn by doing.

My room is essentially serving as a model of awesomeness at my school. Other teachers are coming for inspiration. I like being modest, but even I have to admit that there is no other classroom anywhere as rockin' as mine. Once Ian returns to STL, we are going to make a video and share it with everyone.

The other day, I was talking to one of my administrators about a new Spanish teacher, and I asked where his room would be. She said that he would be using a cart. I was incredulous, a cart?!?! She then proceeded to tell me that I was spoiled as a first year teacher, because I had a room.

Hold the phone. Rewind. Yes, she said I was spoiled as a first-year teacher because I had a room. Four walls. I may have taken the cart if I could have the other things I was missing. In case you are not familiar with my experience in August and September of last year, here is what I DID have the first month and a half of school:

Nearly 35 students per class
Desks for about half of my students (you could find about 15 kids per period on my floor, yes the FLOOR)
NO telephone in case of emergency
NO whiteboard (that is a modern day chalkboard, for you oldies)
NO bulletin boards
NO usable textbooks
NO clock
NO bell system or intercom (letting the students out of class was guesswork)
NO cabinets to store classroom items (cabinets are a norm at my school)
A salary about 5 grand less than first-year counterparts at other charter schools
A salary about 3 grand less than first-year counterparts at the public schools in St. Louis City

Yes, I was definitely spoiled with 4 walls. You've got to be kidding me. It made me livid. I believe the reason I was so affected by this statement is because in spite of all this, I worked ridiculously hard, as did my kids, and the students learned. They learned more in my class during that time than in several of their other classes. I felt as if my work and theirs was being discounted.

Don't get me wrong, overall, I had a great year last year. But the LAST thing I was is spoiled. Please.

This blog will start being more about Portland and the PPS Board of Education in the near future. I will still write about my daily experiences as a TFAer in STL, but I will do that in a journal. Ian thinks that doing it this way will help establish a history of interest and thought about the school board. Instead of just saying that running is not a last minute choice, there will be some documentation. Of course, he is right. Unfortunately, sometimes there is not much to say about the board, but I will do my best to keep my readers entertained with my thoughts!

I cannot wait to have my students walk through the door. I just hope that things are organized, because if kids are being switched around until December again, it will make it much harder on them, me, and the other new teachers (and old ones)!

Gearing Up

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 05:50:00 +0000

I have been preparing for the upcoming school year. I have created a very clear long-term plan for next year, essentially mapping out each day. I have created lesson plans and materials through December. I am hoping to be through planning the whole year before the first day of school.

I have also been crocheting items for my classroom. I have seat covers for student desks in school colors (green and pink), a rug for the center of my room (more school colors), and a tapestry-like thing that will hang over the front of my desk to shield what I have stored underneath (you guessed it, school colors).

We start with professional development in about 3 weeks, I think. Students come in for the first day of school on August 14th. Wow.

The school year went by so fast last year, and I have a feeling this year will be no different.

I am excited. Scared. Anxious. I really want to do a great job. If I don't, people fall through the cracks, don't learn, all sorts of things happen. Of course, for some people, they happen whether I do a good job or not. I will really work to stay positive this school year.

Good luck to me.

The End

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 23:50:00 +0000

Okay, so I did cry with one 8th grade class after the last posting. I have one of my classes for 45 minutes every other day for a study-hall type of thing. Almost the entire room was in tears when the bell sounded, and we had a huge all person hug. It was very sad, but a great way to end.

On Tuesday my 8th graders were "promoted" to the 9th grade. It's sad to think about, but most of them won't make it to their 12th grade graduation. The drop out rate in St. Louis city is horrendous.

The last day of school for all students was today. They were a bit ridiculous, but it was a good day. Where did the idea that students should do nothing on the last day of school come from? My kids have never been able to sit around and do nothing, because that adds up to loud noise, students out of their seats, yelling, and fighting. I see it evey day in other rooms. Why do they think that will suddenly change today? They were up in arms because they were asked to write a 1 sentence answer to about 25 questions. I was in awe. I thought they were kidding. Sit around for 90 minutes?

They whined (in unison!), "it's the last day of school!!".
Me: "What was that?"
Them: "The last day of school, whine, pout, complain."
Me: "Wait. The last day of what, now?"
Them: "Ugghhh. School."
Me: "There you go! We're at school! Will I make you tuck in your shirt tomorrow?"
Them: "Huhhhhh, no."
Me: "Will I give you an assignment?"
Them: "NO!"
Me: "Why in heavens not?"
Them: "There's no school, thank GOD!"
Me: "That's right. But there is school today. End of discussion."

For most of them, it was. After that they were more open to end of the year stuff. It's a shame, but I have taken to generally ignoring the kids most of the time. Not in all things, only when they're talking. Usually, they talk primarily to complain. You can always tell by the way they begin a sentence if they are going to complain. I took them seriously up until about November. Desperately tried to figure out what the problem was. There wasn't one. I've actually asked them one day what they would prefer to do. The next day, we did it. Guess what? Still complained! I just ignore it now.

There is something awful and exciting about being done with this school year. I feel incomplete. It's odd. I don't have to mentally plan my day for tomorrow. I have no lesson plan to internalize. No parents to call. No anything!

I go back to my building tomorrow to check out. I am almost entirely done. Even so, I am required to be in the bulding for at least 2 hours, so I am going to make copies for 1st quarter next year.

We are beginning the school year earlier next year. The first day of school is August 14th. We will be ending (according to rumors) in May sometime.

Also tomorrow I will be signing my contract. There are going to be individual conferences with the administrative team and we will be presented with our contracts. I am crossing my fingers for a bigger raise than I know is coming. This year, I was one of 7 teachers that made less than everyone else. The difference? We're Teach For America. So we are members of an elite organization that accepts 12% of its applicants and have a history of inhumanly hard work. What do they do? Pay us a grand less than their lowest paid first year teachers. What's the raise? The same salary that the lowest paid "regular" first year teachers received this year. I don't know if we'll be able to negotiate, but I'll try.

If I could, I'd work for free. I can't. I've got bills to pay, and on this salary, we barely slip by.

I can't wait for next year. Until then, I'll probably have very little to say.

Lisa

Winding Down

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Tue, 29 May 2007 22:59:00 +0000

The school year is coming to a close at EHL Middle and High. On Thursday, the 8th graders took a field trip roller skating, which was interesting! I thought I wasn't too bad, but I had a hard time keeping up with 14 year olds 2 stepping and walking it out on skates. This Thursday, we'll be going bowling. I am not too good at bowling, but it will be fun anyway.

Last week, I had my last day with my 8th graders. This 3 day week and next week (4 days) I have only my 7th, 9th, and 10th graders. In each of my three 8th grade classes, we said goodbye as best we could. Each class was only half as long as normal, because of various school-wide activities. I wrote each student a letter and handed those out, and the students filled out a year reflection sheet and survey. After the letters, several of the students were in tears.

My kids were upset that I was not crying with them. I told them, even though this is the last time we will hold class, I am going to see you everyday for the next week. Still, there is something that made me feel empty after holding my last eighth grade class.

I am very saddened that this year is over. I met with my Teach For America Program Director (Erica) last week. She said I did an awesome job, and if she had a TFA Crown, she'd give it to me. That made me feel fantastic. Considering all things, I did a great job this year, and my students did even better. My students achieved significant academic gains this year, and I am incredibly proud.

I am sure that I will have more as these end of year days continue.

Insanity

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Thu, 17 May 2007 23:57:00 +0000

Since I posted "home stretch", many things have gone awry.

There was a rather large drug bust in my classroom in April, breaking the record at my school. It was some marijuana, and it would not have been found unless the student had so much that it fell out of his pocket.

Additionally, this week we had a bomb scare. There is no way to verbalize the terror of something like that. We believe that it was a student who noticed all the media attention and thought a piece of the pie wouldn't be too bad. It ended up just being a threat. Nonetheless, we had to hold students in the classrooms for over 2 hours while police K-9 units canvassed the buildings. They didn't tell us what was going on, just that nobody was to leave any classroom under any circumstances.

Try keeping kids calm and focused on working when there are police dogs sniffing at the door, and announcements every 20 minutes about how it is very important we stay put. Try it, I dare you.

The next day there was something of a threat phoned into my classroom. It was a prank call to bother one of my students, but still very stressful.

I can't believe the year is almost over. I have only 5 more classes with my 8th graders. I think I will definitely cry on the last day of school.

To sum up: a lot of stress lately and the end is in sight.

Home Stretch

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 16:25:00 +0000

I haven't posted for some time. We had Spring Break and then MAP testing (Missouri Assessment Program), which we are still in the midst of. For that reason there is very little to say, as very little is happening that is interesting.

After this 4 day Easter weekend, we have 7 full weeks of school, and then the 2006-2007 school year will be over. I am both ecstatic and full of sorrow at this thought. I am ecstatic because I feel like at the end of this year, I will have accomplished more than in any other year of my life. I am saddened because my kids will be moving on, with different teachers, and I will start next year from scratch. Then again, that is a whole new group of kids to impact.

I signed my Letter of Intent to return for the 2007-2008 school year. I also indicated that I preferred to teach Middle School next year. This year I teach both MS and HS, and they don't want to share teachers next year. I figure there are a ton of TFAers in the HS, and maybe I can make a bigger difference in the Middle School. Perhaps I can alter the life path of a student before they get to the big, scary HS and start making choices that will permanently affect their lives.

Also, if I only teach HS, I may have missed the chance to alter a path BEFORE bad choices are made, but I might have it in a MS. Additionally, the HS is very big, and it seems the teachers are never on the same page. If I stick with mostly 8th grade, there will be few students and teachers, and it may be easier to inspire significant change with a smaller group of teachers. If we are all on the same page, it might make everyone's job easier.

Next year I am going to head up the National Junior Honor Society Chapter, the MS Character Education Team, the 8th Grade Girls Group, work on the Grant Writing Team, Professional Development Team, possibly coach MS cheerleading, and hopefully be in a position of influence for the 8th grade team.

Our current team leader has indicated that he may want to go elsewhere next year. Not a different school, but maybe work as a counselor. I would love to work as 8th Grade Team Leader, but I am not sure if it will be possible. Next year will only be my 2nd year teaching, and I will be still only temporarily certified. I will have my MAT in December, but that might not matter. There are teachers with more experience who may be offered the position first. I feel like it should not be a matter of experience, but of effectiveness. I hope that instead of simply offering the position to someone, they allow us to apply for it and decide that way. Otherwise I don't stand a chance.

There are so many good things that could be happening at my school, and right now they are just not happening. Either way, I will work to improve things next year.

I can't believe that I am about 2 months away from finishing my first year as a teacher. It is so exhiliarating. I am super excited to push my students as far as possible for the rest of the year, but I am also excited to plan and get in gear for next year. I just can't wait.

Lisa

More Than a Rough Day

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 22:01:00 +0000

Today was a really tough day to get through. It was the kind of day that makes you question your purpose and your work. The kind of day that makes you want to leave and never come back. The kind of day that induces divorce, war, and bankruptcy! Ok, maybe not. My voice is so tired of saying over and over again "I am speaking to you with respect, and I expect the same from you. I cannot hold a conversation with you until your voice is as calm as mine" or "There is a zero here on your progress report because you did not do the assignment" or any other number of things!

I have a handful of students who I haven't yet been successful in motivating, and they were up in arms today when I passed out a progress report for my class and they had several zeroes. I hope that this will help me motivate them in the future.

The worst thing about today is the level of disrespect that I felt from my students. I had 2 classes in a row trash my room completely. Yes, I know this is my fault. I have a procedure that we pick up before we leave. Today, though, we were going over grades (the final grades for quarter 3 are due next week), and the daily routine was all messed up. In addition to trashing my room and speaking to me as if I were a sub-human, I had a couple of kids use my personal belongings as if they were their own. One used my brand new set of highlighters as markers-ruining 3 out of 8. Another borrowed a pencil and gave it back to me in pieces, things like that.

It may sound trivial, but dealing with that for 6 or 7 hours is exhausting. I love what I do and I am driven to do well, but there are some days where you question your very sanity. Today was one of them.

Tomorrow will be better.

Rough Day

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 19:14:00 +0000

Today was a rough day at Ethel Hedgeman Lyle Academy Middle and High College Preparatory. Four of the five teachers in my corner of the building were out today (I was the only one in!). That means that there were 4 substitutes with 8th graders with only one more week to go before Spring break. The lesson I taught today went great, and the kids were pretty well behaved. It would have been a fantastic day. But being the only familiar face to about 300 kids and trying to shoo them into class is an endeavor that nobody should ever have to try. I have done so much rushing, shouting "let's go!" and the like today, that I really just want a nap.

I don't get a nap. The day is almost over, and the lesson is fun, so it should not be so bad. There is one more passing period (that means rushing kids and hollering at them), and then the end of the day (which means rushing kids to their buses). Either way, the day will be over soon, and it was not so bad.

Honestly, the kids could be taking advantage of these absences much more, so I'll take what I can get.

Good to Go

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 22:50:00 +0000

The website is up and running. It's not near where we want it to be, but so far so good. Hopefully it will be completely done by the end of the week. We've got the blog up, and a link to the blog on the homepage. I am really excited to see where it goes. Soon, I'll start posting about the day to day adventures of being a teacher in St. Louis. Brace yourself! :)

Post 1

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 22:08:00 +0000

Testing testing testing!!!!!!