Social Promotion

The NYTimes published an article yesterday about a first-year math teacher who resigned from his Manhattan school because of disagreements with the school administration over passing a student who had failed by all accounts.

It's a very interesting article and reminds me of how frustrated I was at the end of the past school year. Out of almost 80 students, about 50 were failing at least one of my two classes. I attributed this high number of failing grades to my system of high expectations and rigorous assessments. I demanded a lot from my students. Many fellow teachers (and some administrators) were quick to point out amid parental complaints that it was simply because of my inexperience that so many of my students were failing. Sure, that played a part, but I went above and beyond to provide supplemental opportunities in order to compensate for any teaching handicaps I might have had and not realized. These opportunities included giving every student the opportunity to retake any assessment they did not receive an 80% or higher on.

During the last week of class, after I had turned in my final grades, I realized that many students (less than 20) were failing both of my classes and most of these students were also failing other classes. As a result and according to the academic standards outlined in our student handbooks, these students should have been retained in sixth grade. However, what I came to realize was that these students were actually sent to seventh grade - some didn't even have to go to summer school! When I voiced my complaints to the administration, I was told that they weren't "promoted" but simply "placed" into seventh grade. Placing a student into another grade means that they will have to demonstrate proficiency in the first nine weeks or risk being demoted back to sixth grade. How often does a "placed" student become demoted back a grade? It's never happened at my school.

The administration tried to remedy my complaints with this flawed reasoning--what they don't realize is that it doesn't matter to a 12 year old whether they are "placed" or "promoted." They still get to go to the next grade level! This only leads to a developed mentality of needing to perform only minimally to graduate.

But the bigger problem here is what the students aren't taking with them to the next grade level - mastery of the previous grade's expected learning outcomes. Year after year of passing these students into the next grade level is only disabling our future workforce, sending them into society with little to no actual learning or skill sets. We're almost guaranteeing that our students will end up in the vicious cycle of poverty.

I can definitely identify with the teacher in the story, Mr. Lampros. If I was going into education as a career, there's no way I'd be able to take my self seriously as a professional when I know at the end of the year all my students will be passed forward, regardless of their academic achievement or lack thereof.

The link to the story is below.

A Teacher Grows Disillusioned After a ‘Fail’ Becomes a ‘Pass’

By SAMUEL G. FREEDMAN

Published: August 1, 2007

For one teacher, the introduction to his new high school’s academic standards proved a fitting preamble to a disastrous year.

Vacation Time in VA and DC

I left Atlanta and headed straight to Washington DC to meet up with many friends who are spending their summer interning/working inside the Beltway.

It was a lot of fun getting to see Danny (roommate), Raj (best friend from college), and Ellie (friend from TFA Houston). Anna also showed me around UVA - very much like Athens, only a lot smaller and possibly more white.

The catch was getting home, however.

Anna and I were supposed to fly back to Houston late Sunday night. But due to weather in DC, our flight was canceled. Anna and I spent the next two days talking with AirTran officials via phone and in-person at the airport trying to get a flight back home. We were lucky that Anna lives in Virginia and we didn't have to pay for a hotel room. AirTran was definitely not user-friendly.

The good news is that it kind of forced me to have a vacation - I couldn't go anywhere! I enjoyed Virginia a lot, especially the cool weather.

However, we all know Virginia will never be Georgia. Sorry Anna.

Work Time at the CDC

This past week, I participated in the Science Ambassador Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. The program teamed 8 secondary science teachers from across the country (and Canada) with CDC scientists to develop original curriculum addressing the areas of research the CDC is currently working within.

Specifically, I wrote lesson plans that dealt with HIV/AIDS and teenage dating violence. I felt these were the two subject areas that had a direct impact on my sixth graders.

The program went very well and we were also able to tour most of the different departments/labs/centers at the CDC. We saw the Director's Emergency Operation Center where bioterrorism disasters are managed and we were given an up-close look at the Level 3 laboratories that work with strains of ricin and anthrax. Overall, it was very cool!

I was also able to catch up with many friends in the Atlanta area while I was there. Mom was even able to come up for dinner Friday before I had to be at the airport.

It was really exciting seeing all the different types of jobs at the CDC. I never knew that there were so many job opportunities in public health for non-laboratory researchers.

3 - 1 = my teaching Math!

I got a phone call from Leanne (one of my two partner teachers) this week. She wanted to let me know that though she had yet to find a new job, she resigned Monday. This means that Paula (my other partner teacher) and I will be a two-way team this coming year, versus the three-way team we were this past year.

So, that means that I will continue to teach science and social studies but will also pick up math. Paula will teach reading, writing and social studies.

I'm actually excited - this is what I was hoping would work out for me. I think Leanne has had a rough experience teaching at Miller and that her moving on to something new will be very good for her. I also think that I'll be a better science teacher because I'll be able to mix in math lessons during science, and visa-versa.

This also means that I will be teaching a "TAKS subject." In Texas, sixth graders take the state standardized test in only reading and math. So there really was no pressure on me last year, since my students weren't being held accountable for my teaching. Though it sounds like the ideal situation, it really made my job as a teacher harder - it's hard to motivate sixth graders to learn for learning's sake. Teaching math will help me motivate my students to perform better. It also means I'll be taken more seriously as an educator.

I'm most excited about science though. This coming year I will be one of three "Science Lead Teachers" for the sixth grade. That means that for all the science teachers on my team (there are 3), I am the default department chair. Basically, it means that I will get to contribute a lot of resources to the teaching of science in the building and will get a say into the writing of the district curriculum.

My principal is adding somewhere from 4-7 new TFA teachers to Miller next year. This is great news because it means more like-minded teachers working at Miller, and hopefully means a changed working atmosphere - less of a "survival" mode and more a "thriving" mode of teaching.

So far, things are looking up for next year.

On the Air

I spent this past week in Philadelphia visiting old friends and enjoying July 4th (Note: pictures are forthcoming). While I was there, I got a call from the national TFA office, asking me to participate in a radio program about TFA.

It seems they got my name from the op-ed I wrote for the Red & Black this past year. The radio program is in Oklahoma and focuses on education issues. TFA is looking to expand to Oklahoma within the next few years. Overall, the radio interview went pretty well and I got to talk about my personal classroom experience.

Here's the link.
(Fast forward to 05:24 to hear the TFA story.)

Danny Gets Published

Danny (roommate from UofChicago) is interning in DC this summer with Education Sector, an education think-tank. He apparently has been set up in a really nice corner office and has already been thrown into the deep end of the pool.

The other day he was published on EdSector's blog - which is pretty big considering he's only worked there for about three weeks.

Here is the link. Following is Danny's post.

Understanding Standards
Posted by Danny Rosenthal (Monday, June 11, 2007)

There has been much discussion of standards in the last week, fueled by the release of two major reports. The National Center for Education Statistics raised some interesting questions about the rigor of state standards and variation between the states. Their report compelled Secretary Spellings to argue against national standards on the editorial pages of the Washington Post.

There is some ambiguity in the use of the word "standards" in this debate. In terms of curriculum, standards are a specific description of what students should know and be able to do by the end of a course or grade level. This is what we mean by "national standards." In terms of assessment, standards are the level of performance to which students are held accountable -- the difficulty of the test. This is what we mean by "high standards" (which, incidentally, is also the reason women say they won’t go out with me). It's the difference between what a student should learn and how well they need to learn it to pass the test.

The distinction is subtle but important. As a high school math teacher, I immediately noticed a significant gap between my state’s curriculum standards and what was expected on the state test, and I often wished they were more aligned. There was more depth and more breadth in the curriculum standards. Of course, even these did not account for everything I wanted to teach my students, like mental toughness or the importance of going to college.

In policy discussions, we should be aware of the two types of standards and be clear about which we are referring to. It is crucial that all states have high assessment standards, which is why the NCES report is troubling (though in my view mitigated by flawed methodology). But this does not necessarily mean that all states must have equivalent curriculum standards. In theory, states can exercise discretion in what students learn and when they learn it while also ensuring that all students benefit from a rigorous and complete curriculum. The question is how to make sure it happens.

The L-word

Yesterday, I began a new 12-week project that I've been waiting for since 11th grade. It excites me as a way to escape from the harsh reality of TFA, and at the same time makes me more anxious than anything I've done thus far. In a word (well, actually it's an acronym, but still) - LSAT.

My friend Anna (another TFA teacher) and I began our study program yesterday, taking a practice LSAT to see where we're starting from. Surprisingly, we had almost the exact same results, and we're both starting in a relatively good place.

The next 12 weeks until June 4th, when we'll take the exam, we've placed ourselves on a strict schedule of practice and study to be ready by test day. It's funny how much we've used the skills we use each day with our kids - only now the tables have turned and it is WE who have become the test-takers.

The goal is to take the exam in June and then apply for law schools in the fall.

In other news, Miller (the school where I teach) is getting a new 6th grade teacher this week. She'll be replacing a teacher who was moved within the district due to a sexual harassment claim made by one of his students. The new teacher has no teaching experience, is entering the classroom from a career in banking, and will be observing my classroom all day Monday. Since I'm one of only two 6th grade teachers currently teaching both science and social studies, my principal thought it a good idea for the new teacher to observe my class. Hopefully she doesn't get scared off when she sees how misbehaved my kids can be sometimes.

Monday will also be a new beginning for my classroom management and incentive strategies - in other words, how I'm going to get the kids to do what I want them to. Up until now, I've mainly relied on the negative consequence approach (do what I say and you won't drop your conduct grade, get kicked out of class, or written up via office referral). While that seems to work best for my kids, I'm trying a more positive approach this week since Leanne (my partner teacher) will be out yet another week.

My plan is to group my kids by small groups and then have each small group compete against one another for group points. They will earn points by keeping a clean area, being quiet, turning in all their work, etc. We'll see how it goes.

KIPP explosion

BIG NEWS today for KIPP schools in Houston. Mike Feinberg, co-founder of KIPP charter schools, announced today that KIPP Houston has a $100 million plan to expand in Houston, building 35 new schools and increasing its student population by 20,000 in the next 10 years.

For those unfamiliar with KIPP... it was begun in 1994 by two Teach For America alumni, Chris Feinberg and Dave Levin. The program was begun in Houston but has since spread across the country, comprising 52 schools in 16 different states. KIPP focuses on strict discipline, longer school hours (including Saturday school and three weeks of required summer school), and high expectations. KIPP schools have a proven track record in bringing performance levels of low-income minorities up to their higher-achieving peers in regards to math and reading standards--our country's benchmark for educational success. Further, 90% of all KIPP students who graduate from the eighth grade at KIPP have earned college admission, compared to only 20% of their low-income minority peers nation-wide. In other words, KIPP schools are incredibly demanding, but produce incredible results.

Today's announcement is huge for the American system of education. Why? Well for starters, it's the largest capital campaign ever undertaken by a charter school system. KIPP Houston has already raised $65 million, thanks in large part to an appearance on Oprah last spring, coming from such large name donors as the Sam Walton Foundation ($10 million), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation ($10 million), and a family foundation of a large energy firm here in Houston--the Laura and John Arnold Foundation ($10 million).

Secondly, this kind of increase would make KIPP the largest charter school system in the country and create significant competition for the Houston Independent School District, the largest school district in Texas and the seventh-largest in the country. If families in Houston actually have a realistic choice of sending their kids to traditional HISD schools (with the traditionally sub par performance records) or sending them to a KIPP school that promises hard work, academic discipline and college admission, HISD is forced to step things up quite a bit.

I think this is an amazing idea. Think about it. KIPP will be building about 3.5 schools each year over the next decade, adding 2,100 students each year to its stellar program. This is how, in Feinberg's words, KIPP will "reach the tipping point" for students in Houston.

The one concern that I immediately think of, and one that is shared by my roommates, is whether there will be a large enough teacher pool to draw qualified zealots to transform these students into college-bound graduates. To meet this incredible decree, KIPP will need to hire 1,000 new highly-qualified teachers over a decade. Part of the shining light at the end of this tunnel is the fact that TFA has dedicated to increasing its Houston corps to 500 corps members by 2010. TFA is the largest contributor to KIPP in terms of experienced teachers who share the same vision as both KIPP co-founders/TFA alumni. This is only part of the answer though. Perhaps this will cause even more qualified citizens to donate some time back to the education of tomorrow's citizenry.

Between this initiative, HISD beginning to offer performance pay for teachers, and TFA growing its corps, I see great potential for major changes in the Bayou City.

Below are links to the many stories that ran today.

• Houston Chronicle - KIPP academy takes a big step
• Houston Chronicle - KIPP Q&A: Committed to equipping
• KUHF (Houston NPR affiliate) - KIPP announces ambitious expansion
• Washington Post - Charter School Effort Gets $65 Million Lift

True Story - Middle School is Hard!

I'm in New Orleans for St. Patrick's weekend, but I wanted to post a story I read today in The New York Times.

The reporter talks about the unique challenges posed to middle school teachers and points out the growing trend for few to be qualified for the subject matter or in working with the age group. Teach For America is mentioned as one of the solutions a particular principal in the Bronx has relied on.

This story is part of an ongoing feature the Times is running on middle schools.

The Critical Years

For Teachers, Middle School Is Test of Wills

By ELISSA GOOTMAN

Published: March 17, 2007

Middle school teachers often lack expertise in subject matter and the mysteries of the adolescent mind.

Bulldog Dinner

Tonight, my roommates and I hosted eleven Georgia Bulldogs who are in town for Alternative Spring Break. Their service trip is focused on immigration issues, so they've been working with a local immigration center. Today, they actually helped proctor English as a Second Language tests.

The ladies were small in number but were definitely already a tightly knit group - which makes the week a lot more fun! They were telling me about the great work they have completed this week and other service projects they have ahead of them, and I am amazed at what they are having the opportunity to take part in.

Having gone on three ASB trips myself (Birmingham twice and Charleston), and having served as the Executive Coordinator last year, I am really excited to see the Houston trip turn out to be such a success. This issue area is definitely new for UGA ASB, and Houston is the farthest site UGA ASB has ever had. I was fortunate to be able to help ASB expand greatly while I was at UGA, and even though they aren't increasing the number of trips this year, it's great to see the ASB program expand in terms of new issue areas and destinations.

________________________________

On another note, I got an email from a close friend (shout out ASHLEY RUDOLPH!) who was a Coca-Cola Scholar. She received an email from her coordinator about an upcoming speaker at a Coca-Cola Scholar Conference. The speaker is Chris Myers Asch, who is one of two founders of the proposed U.S. Public Service Academy.

The idea is to build a college that prepares a student body "who are committed to devoting their lives to public service." If you ask me, it's about time!

I mention this for two reasons. First, I think it is a noble idea and know there is widespread desire among our generation for such a school. Hopefully, with all the attention it is garnering and the public support in Congress (ie - Hillary Clinton, Joseph Biden, Arlen Spector, Chris Shays, etc.), it will take off.

Second, both founders are Teach For America alumni who spent two years teaching in the Mississippi Delta. As I finish my first year and begin making plans for life after my second year, I'm really starting to focus on the commitment TFA members dedicate themselves to after their two years in the classroom.

While what we really need are good teachers in the classroom, what is ultimately going to facilitate achieving this goal is having policy-makers with firsthand experience in the issues our communities face and are equipped with the knowledge of the changes needing to take place in order to ensure we have the most qualified minds our country can produce; and more importantly, that these minds have the resources and flexibility to do what they do best.

The U.S. Public Service Academy is another example of corps members tackling this lifelong mission, and doing so outside of the classroom.

Interestingly enough, Chris's wife is a student rabbi (and TFA alumna) at the temple in Greenville, MS where Missy Ball teaches Sunday School - what a small world!

SPRING BREAK!

So, I haven't blogged in over a month!

The last four weeks have gone by quickly despite their extremely intense nature. I've been preparing application packets for summer internships (so far, all education related), getting report card grades ready, stepping up my lesson plans so that my students would be ready for our third Science benchmark exam, and then I also had a midterm for my graduate course.

The last two weeks have also been a bit difficult for my partner teacher, Leanne. Earlier this year, her doctors discovered an orange-sized tumor pressing on a major cardiac artery. They've run many tests since then, but never discovered what caused the tumor, or what type of tumor it was. They were able to verify it as benign, but beyond that were essentially clueless as to its nature.

Leanne took last week off for surgery. They weren't able to remove the tumor in its entirety, but removed the part that was pressing on her heart. She'll spent all of Spring Break (possibly longer) to recover from the operation and hopes to return to school ASAP after Spring Break. She goes home from the hospital today.

Paula, my other partner teacher, and I had been taking up the slack in Leanne's absence. Coupled with the fact that it was so close to Spring Break, our students went absolutely crazy with one of their teachers out. Paula and I spent all of our time going between our classes and Leanne's trying to keep the situation under control. To make matters worse, her substitute teacher was sent home Thursday morning before school began due to a poor decision she made the day prior. Turns out, during dismissal she sat at her desk and took pictures of the kids with her camera phone. I have no doubt that she was simply a nice old lady who was fascinated with the new technology, but you can imagine the liability this opens the school up to. Paula and I spent the next two days with 34+ students in each of our classes. Not the best way to spend the last two days prior to Spring Break.

I also had to pick up Leanne's responsibilities as Team Leader for our team of teachers. Basically, she represents six teachers for the administration and serves as a go-between for important tasks like grades, new policies, school-wide decisions, etc. Whenever our principal wants something important to happen, she will utilize the Team Leaders. It was nice to be able to take care of these things for my team, but needless to say, it added a bit more stress to the pile.

So, you can see why I went AWOL for a while. But, now life is great because I survived to see Spring Break.

Last night I enjoyed the Houston Rodeo and a grand performance by Sugarland (the lead singer, Jennifer Nettles, was my 4-H summer camp counselor in fifth grade)! Though it was in Reliant Stadium and we were so far away, I still had a blast with Genivieve, Christina, and Sam.

Jennifer was as hot as ever and her voice was flawless! Sugarland got an amazing review by the Houston Chronicle.

Today, I'm waiting for the car shop to finish with my Jeep. I needed new brakes, but come to find out, I needed several other things too. Funny how you always go in for an oil change and they find about 500 other things you need to fix too!

Today, I'm also doing a very small amount of work which basically equates to plugging in exam grades to see how my classes did for our third benchmark exam. Then I have to figure out how to file taxes. Hmmm... I wonder if the IRS has a helpline?

The rest of my Spring Break is pretty lax. I'm hosting the UGA Alternative Spring Break group for dinner at my house Wednesday night. Eleven girls traveled to Houston to volunteer with an immigrant support center in town. Thursday, two of my roommates and I will be traveling to New Orleans for the weekend - St. Patrick's Day, here we come!

Wendy Kopp on Colbert Report!

UPDATED (2/7):

Wendy Kopp (founder of Teach For America) was a guest on The Colbert Report Monday night. For those of you who are not in my generation (Mom!), the show is hosted by comedian Stephen Colbert and is one of the highest ranked shows among 18-25 year olds. On the show, Colbert takes on serious guests about serious issues, but does so in a very tongue-in-cheek fashion. It's extremely hilarious, and very smart at the same time.

Wendy did a good job of communicating the mission and purpose of TFA. Even though her appearance was extremely short and the issue of educational equity was not discussed in detail, her mere appearance on the show will do wonders for increasing credibility and name recognition of TFA among our generation, namely college students.

Case in point: My roommate, Danny, was at the gym last night and joined a pick-up basketball game. When he introduced himself to one of the players, the guy asked him what he did. When Danny mentioned TFA, the guy said, "Hey, did you know the founder of TFA was on Colbert last night?"

You can watch the 10 min video of her appearance below.

Here's the link.

Teaching is Like Jumping Out of a Plane

It's been a while since I last updated, mainly because the pace of things has really stepped up a notch now that we are in TAKS (Texas state-standardized test) season.

Here are several things that have happened since I last blogged.

1) I jumped out of a perfectly good plane. That's right - after always saying that I wanted to go skydiving, I finally did it. I went with Anna, Peter, and Genievieve - all TFA teachers in the Houston corps. We had a blast and I can't wait to go again soon. It's an experience I think everyone should have at least once.

I purchased the DVD of my jump, and if I can ever figure out a way to upload it, I'll share it with you. Until then, here are some pictures of me in the air. I showed this to my kids in Science class and they all went crazy when they saw my cheeks! As you can see, our jump was right at sunset, so the view was simply unbelievable!

2) UGA Recruitment Trip. Last Wednesday-Friday, I was in Athens helping to recruit for TFA. Well, that's what was supposed to happen. While I had a good day of recruitment on Wednesday (Career Fair, a couple of faculty meetings, and a CNN documentary screening/info session), Thursday was a complete waste due to UGA's being closed due to ice on the roads.

The good news was that I was able to spend the day catching up with friends - though not as many as I had hoped to. Sorry if I missed you this round! Being in Athens was a great way to refresh and renew my focus on why I'm doing all this.

3) I lost my single best and worst students. While I was gone, Taylor and Mehran were both withdrawn by their parents. They are both moving to other schools. I'm not sure how to feel about this.

Mehran was definitely my single best student and it really saddens me that he won't be able to contribute to my class anymore. He always asked those really smart questions that put me on the spot - that's the best thing that can happen to a teacher.

While Taylor was my most labor-intensive student, and nearly drove me insane prior to the break, I am even more upset at his withdrawal. While he still had a long way to go, Taylor was making solid improvements in my classroom. He has made 90% or above on the last three exams - miraculous, considering his grades last semester! I fear that he won't receive the attention at his new school that he was getting in my classroom. I called his mother over the weekend and told her that I'm still willing to help him in any way that I can. Here's hoping he remembers the lessons he learned in my classroom about his ability to achieve personal success.

Falling through the Cracks

The purported mission of No Child Left Behind is to ensure that every child in America has the chance to a quality education, a chance at college, and a chance at future success. No Child Left Behind is supposed to level the playing field for students across the country, regardless of race or socio-economics. No Child Left Behind... except for Catera.

Catera is one of my students who challenges me on a daily basis; not because she talks back when I give directions (Cene, Sierra, Jennifer) and not because she is one of those students who refuses to sit down during class (Anthony, Taylor).

Rather, the dilemma I face with Catera is more academic. No matter what modifications I make to the material I present, or how much time I spend with Catera one-on-one, she simply does not understand the vast majority of the material I present. Since the beginning of the year, I have witnessed her struggle to accomplish simple tasks that her peers sail through. This past Friday I found out the underlying problem.

The sixth-grade counselor requested a meeting with my two partner teachers and myself last Friday to discuss some updated modifications for our special education students. One of the students whom we discussed was Catera. The counselor presented us with her IQ test results which were completed before Winter Break.

Turns out that Catera is only four percentage points away from being labeled mentally retarded. She is about thirty percentage points below average intelligence for her age. When I saw these numbers, I felt sick to my stomach. This is why she is having so much trouble with the material and why, despite my best efforts, little headway has been made in bringing her up to where she needs to be at this point.

What the counselor told me next made me irate. Due to NCLB regulations, the school is only allowed to use federal and state dollars to remediate for certain students. Students who possess a gap between their IQ and their performance level, exhibit a learning disability and therefore qualify for one-on-one and small-group intervention programs offered by the school.

However, because Catera is actually performing to the best of her ability, albeit drastically lower than her peer group, she does not exhibit a learning disability (just severely low intelligence) and therefore does not qualify to receive ANY special instruction. No one-on-one tutoring. No pullout resource programs. No special modifications to the material presented in class. Nothing. Just a seat in a general education classroom where she is expected to fend for herself; all 11 years of her.

Tell me, George W. Bush, how does that not leave Catera behind. The school counselor said the best we'd be able to hope for her is that she gets put on a vocational track in middle school, drops out of high school and is able to secure a good job by age 15. WHAT?!

You won't hear about Catera in the president's State of the Union speech Tuesday night, but she is exactly the student who should be at the center of our national debate on education. There is something rotten in the state of education and it begins with No Child Left Behind.

Roommate Reflections

One of my roommates, Kyle, wrote this article recently for a high school magazine that is distributed to schools across the country. It's targeted towards high achieving juniors and seniors who are looking towards college.

I really like what he writes.

RESPECT YOUR TEACHERS

By Kyle Palmer

As a teen-ager, the last thing you might want to do is feel sorry for your teachers. But, take it from this young man recently removed from his high school years: those teachers deserve your respect.

A year out of college, I joined a program called Teach For America (TFA). It’s a national nonprofit organization that sends high-achieving college graduates into low-income school districts across the country to teach for two years. TFA has more than 4,000 current members working in 26 regions throughout the United States.

I am an eighth-grade English teacher in Houston, Texas, a city with one of the largest public school districts in the country. With no previous teaching experience, I am typical of many TFA corps members. And, with a high college GPA, I am also typical. TFA says the average corps member held a 3.5 GPA in college. I came into this experience having worked hard my whole life—in academics, in sports, in hobbies, in everything. Nothing has compared with the work being asked of me now.

I get up at about 6 every morning. I’m at school an hour before the first bell rings, making copies and preparing materials. I teach five classes and lead extra-hours tutoring sessions during the day. I don’t usually leave school until about 6 p.m. Then, I go home and plan lessons for the next day, grade papers and call parents.

These efforts are not Herculean. They are, once again, typical. All the TFA corps members I’ve encountered in my six months in Houston appear to be just as committed and driven (if not more so) than I am. It’s a true inspiration to work so closely with these people and see the results of their efforts. In a short half-year, I have come to appreciate the work of teachers and the truly wide-ranging influences they have on the students in their classrooms.

It is a new feeling for me to have this ever-present sense of responsibility driving me. Every morning I get up and I think about what I need to do this day to make the lives of my students just a little bit better. As a first-year teacher, of course, I am making mistakes and learning (sometimes painfully) on the job. But I hope that each day I’m in that classroom I’m making the lives of more than 110 eighth-graders in Houston a little better.

It’s a truly unbelievable feeling to know that everyday you have that kind of effect—that what you do on a daily basis impacts the lives of dozens of impressionable minds. So, that’s why I say respect your teachers. Your futures, after all, are partly in their hands.

Red & Black Column

My op-ed about the achievement gap ran in today's Red & Black (UGA campus paper). I wrote it over Thanksgiving, so it's a bit dated, but still effectively summarizes my philosophy for Teach For America.

Make a difference, teach for America

MATTHEW WILSON

Issue date: 1/10/07 Section: Opinions

Three years ago, I went home from UGA for Thanksgiving. Channel surfing late one night, I stumbled across a CNN documentary about Teach For America.

I watched the story of three recent college graduates who committed to teach for two years in some of the country's poorest urban and rural schools, and I was hooked.

Upon graduating in May this year, I decided to put law school on hold and became a Teach For America corps member. In September, I began as a sixth grade science and social studies teacher in Houston.

As I returned to Athens and UGA recently, I could not help but think back to that documentary that piqued my interest in the program that has now changed my life.

When I first heard of Teach For America, I had no idea what the "achievement gap" in America's education system was.

Before I began teaching, I read about it and talked with people about it, but I saw how it truly plays out on my first day of school in Houston.

The achievement gap meant that most of my students came to me in sixth grade on a fourth-grade reading level.

Some read on a second-grade level.

Their science and social studies scores were even worse than their reading levels.

In social studies, I was completely bewildered to find my students could not distinguish between a continent and a country.

Many thought Houston to be the capital of Texas and one student told me she was from a different country - she was from Ohio.

These simple geography concepts are ones they should have learned in second grade.

The achievement gap does not mean that my students are incapable of learning.

In fact, they have proven to me time and time again that when given the opportunity, they are able to perform just as well as any other students in America.

That is what I strive to do each day - to give them the chance to excel, and they often do.

The job is not easy. While my leadership experience at UGA has prepared me well for this real-world experience, I work harder than I have ever worked before, but I am invigorated by the progress I witness in my classroom daily.

Knowing that my students and I can overcome the multitude of familial, financial and circumstantial obstacles they face on a daily basis and rise above expectations, fuels me to continue to provide them the opportunity of educational equity that all children in America deserve.

My story is only one of many thousands that demonstrate the potential all students have, if given the opportunity.

Teach For America is a national movement that takes this shared dream and strives to make it commonplace in our country's most lacking classrooms.

As seniors begin to mail resum�s to potential employers and juniors begin to contemplate life beyond the Arch, I urge you to consider incorporating some form of national service into your future.

Many of you might be torn between the higher-paying corporate jobs and the less lucrative service-oriented jobs, but teaching is a paid job that gives you incredible skills you take wherever you go. Moreover, it is a responsibility we have.

If the end to our country's achievement gap is ever to be realized, it will be because our generation makes the decision that it is our top priority and that we refuse to stand idly by as countless children across America are denied the chance for educational excellence that we have enjoyed so freely.

- Matthew Wilson is a 2006 B.S.A. graduate living in Houston, Texas

Back in the Saddle Again

After four days back in action, I'm still going strong. I came back with a refreshed sense of energy and possibility. Before leaving, I wasn't really sure how my kids were going to achieve our goals, but now I am more determined than ever to meet them.

I don't really know where all the energy is coming from, but I'm glad it's here. Prior to the break, I was definitely running on empty. Now, it's as if the sense of a second chance due to the new year is giving me the confidence and motivation to really put it all on the line this last half of the year.

Already, I've lost two students and gained three more, one of whom is only a few years out of Nigeria.

My partner teachers and I really laid down the law the other day with our students. We just had an honest discussion about what "success" was. We reviewed all of our expectations and told them how we were really going to be firm this last half of the year. Our job is to prepare them for middle school next year, and in order to do that, the babying will have to stop.

Of all the things I am not confident in, my discipline is probably numero uno. Since our lay-down-the-law session though, I've really gained a lot of ground in the authority and disciplinarian area. I've just adopted the mindset that I'm not going to put up with the little annoying behaviors anymore that certain students choose to engage in because they know they can steal my attention, and thus the attention of all of their classmates. I've started just sending kids out of my room and into another classroom, and they hate this. It works very well actually and allows me to actually get some teaching done with the rest of my students.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not giving up on those students who I'm kicking out. But, I truly believe that you have to gain control of the situation before any learning can occur. When they think that they can wrestle the control away from you, of course a sixth grader is going to prefer that to learning about the rock cycle.

I'm gaining ground though, which leaves me feeling a lot better. Let's hope this continues.

A Great Break, A Renewed Outlook

Well, the break came and now it is past.

I had a great time at home though. I had the chance to catch up with many friends and spend lots of time at the house, which was great. It was just nice not to have to be up at the crack of dawn, ready to face my kids. I thoroughly enjoyed the break and the time it afforded me to really reflect on what it is I'm doing and the reasons why.

Over the break, several things really stood out...

1) Twin Sister

I was very happy that I was able to spend time with Adrienne, even if it was only a few days. This picture is in our front yard on Christmas Day.

2) Richard B. Russell

He was one the longest serving US Senators ever, but was first Speaker of the Georgia House and then Georgia Governor prior to his service in DC, and his biography was my reading material over the break. Such a brilliant, passionate man, and a wonderful story!

3) Chick-fil-A Bowl... DAWGS WIN!

And I was there! One of my friends won tickets and so generously gave them to me. So, Laura Waters and I trekked to the Dome of ATL and had such a fun night cheering on the bulldogs! We never thought after the first quarter that we'd be going home winners, but that's the bowl season for you!

H to the izzo...

The New York Times ran an article yesterday that discussed a Chicago premier of an upcoming PBS documentary, "Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes." The documentary airs on PBS in February and discusses the violence, sexism, and homophobia that is rampant in much of rap and hip-hop music.

It really excites me that someone is finally bringing these questions to the forefront of our societal consciousness; and not just anyone - a member of the African-American community of which hip-hop is of course so popular.

I can't help but notice on a daily basis the impact these lyrics have on the way my students dress, talk, and more importantly, the way they treat each other. I must hear a reference to a rap or hip-hop lyric at least 5 times a day in my classroom. There are probably more that I am unaware of.

As a listener of hip-hop/rap myself, I understand how catchy the music and rhythm can be. As an educated adult, I am able to understand that the lyrics often discuss a make believe society in which violence and degradation of women come easily and serve to solve all of man's problems.

However, I am not so sure that my highly impressionable 11- and 12-year old students are able to distinguish between what is real and what is not - what is legal and what is not.

The makers of the documentary are touring the country leading up to its debut on PBS, showing the film in several major cities. There are several showings in Atlanta in January and one in Athens as well. If you are in a city the campaign is coming to, I'd encourage you to go check this out. Hopefully, this is just the start of a national debate on the responsibility all musicians (not just rappers) have for their lyrics.

The campaign website can be found here.

The link to the article can be found below.

Fan Asks Hard Questions About Rap Music
By ERIK ECKHOLM
Published: December 24, 2006
A new documentary questions the violence, degradation of women and homophobia in much of rap music.

Inspiration in the Strangest Form

Today, I was bolstered by two separate events.

First, I had each of my students grade their DCA benchmark exams while we await the official scores to come back. These initial numbers could be a little off here and there, but stay pretty true to the actual score, traditionally speaking (and by traditionally, I mean the one time I've administered a DCA previously).

On the first Science benchmark exam, my students had an overall mean of 57%, with only 12 students receiving a passing grade. Abysmal; utterly and unabashedly.

On this past Science benchmark exam, our scores went up! Our overall mean was a 64%, now with 23 students passing! Though this falls still short of our goal of 80%, my students are showing gains and we are slowly closing the gap between where we are and where we want to be.

I can't wait to share the news with my students. I know that they will be so very excited to see their class thermometers move upwards toward 80%. The first class that gets there gets a pizza party and I can just taste that pepperoni!

The second thing that happened today was extremely alarming and extremely heartening, all at the same time.

I've written about Jeremy before. He is the kid who is on his third set of teachers this year at Miller, having been moved twice for making terroristic threats to both "blacks" and "all the sixth-grade teachers."

The past two weeks, the district psychologist has been observing and meeting with Jeremy, trying to pinpoint a reason for his eccentric behavior and comments. Whatever he said to the psychologist is confidential and as such is unable to be shared with his teachers. What I do know is that today our counseling staff went into an emergency-mode in dealing with Jeremy. They had the psychologist call his mother and discuss her assessment - apparently Jeremy is "suicidal without ideation," which I take to mean he wants to kill himself but doesn't know how he will do it.

Jeremy is searched (practically strip-searched) each morning by a member of the administration to ensure he has no weapons and all three of his teachers watch him like a hawk to ensure he is not threatening other students. However, now I anticipate he'll be watched even more closely. As to what that means for instruction in my classroom, I yet to know.

The other thing the counselor shared with us, I found strange. She said that Jeremy stated he "wanted to kill himself but liked Mr. Wilson." The counselor said that if he were to make verbal any suicidal threats they would probably be verbalized to me.

Huh? I barely speak to this kid other than to give him instructions for class and now he's going to confide in me suicidal threats?!

Somewhere hidden deep beneath the seriousness of the situation is a compliment. Something that I have done has meant so much to Jeremy that he told the counselor that he hated everything around him but me.

Hearing this, I couldn't help but think of Taylor and how, even though he is the worst behaved student I have and I ride his case more than any other, he tells his mother that I am the only teacher he likes. To be honest, I think Taylor and Jeremy both serve to illustrate how much positive male influence is missing in the lives of my students.

If I do nothing else while I am at Miller, I hope my presence serves to show students like Taylor and Jeremy that they are loved by people who have never known them and that it is possible for them to become strong, positive male figures.