Refreshing

Amidst the doubts in the effectiveness of teachers, one shines bright. Possibly too bright. And possibly making others look even worse than they already do.

Carmelo Piazza, part-teacher, part-clown, fully-inspirational, congratulations! To incite nearly 150 people out of bed as early as 4:25 a.m. just to sign their kids up for one of your eight one-week Science classes, is definitely a feat worth acknowledging.

Maybe I'll end up writing a feature on you. I just won't start at 4 a.m.

Problems #2 and 3 of Too Many

This article was actually posted the same day as the New York Testing Teachers article, but I've failed to post this blog timely. Again, I rely on paper, so I apologize for the lateness.

While everyone, and I mean everyone, can agree on the dismal state of the economy, I find it extremely difficult to swallow that schools are not getting -- and more importantly, won't be getting -- the aid they so desperately need; as highlighted in the proposed plan to test teacher efficiency in order to find the culprit for student failure. New York Governor Eliot Spitzer unveiled a budget that did not reflect expectations. Although the proposed budget "does not give the city's schools less money than before ... it gives them less than the expected $530 million in additional aid for school operations."

Of the lower aid increase, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said: "Clearly it could have been a lot worse."

Right. They could propose a different purpose for the funds, which of course, they did. Paul Francis, director of operations for the governor, said the administration also planned changes in the way aid is disbursed, with less tied to accountability goals like reducing class sizes.

Because overcrowded schools show no disadvantages to students?

Where do the nearly 4,000 students of Richmond Hill High School stack up? In temporary classrooms where the teachers hold umbrellas against leaky roofs, and must endure a daily routine in which the first lunch period starts at 8:59 a.m.? It's incredible how people expect these students to excel and succeed under such conditions.

... then again, I went to school in Brooklyn.

I'm Trying ..

Greetings! I apologize for the long wait in-between blogs. But I must confess something: I'd rather have a pen and paper.

(And yes, I just heard a few of you sigh)

Maybe it's the fact that I'm just so accustomed to handwriting everything before I actually type it out that I find this entire experiment/activity somewhat difficult. It could also be the fact that I like to actually have my words in my hands -- it makes the whole process of writing that much more personal. I'm not technologically-challenged by any means, I just prefer the archaic method of writing. But as you can see, a change is necessary. I'm tired of having the floor of my studio apartment covered by dailies and other publications. So instead of handwriting, then typing, I'm going to eliminate the middle man. Let's see how this develops.

Stay tuned.

One (of many) Problems ...

New York to test its teachers. My initial reaction to the New York Times article, New York Measuring Teachers by Test Scores,was: Yes! Test the teachers on their efficiency, measure the effective of their methods. Let's reconsider the notion that the problem(s) lie solely on, and because of, the students. Let's blame the teachers for the mistakes of the students. It's just easier that way. Down with the tyrant!

The experiment involves 2,500 teachers in 140 schools, and was designed to measure student performance and improvement. But are teaching methods and student performance directly correlated? Does it account for mitigating factors such as race, class, economic standing and opportunity? The article states:

Many education experts say that until teacher quality improves in urban schools, student performance is likely to stagnate and the achievement gap between white and minority students will never be closed.

Obviously.

Sharing my skepticism was the president of the United Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, who stated that the data could not be used to show the contributions of an individual teacher. She states further: "Any real educator can know within five minutes of walking into a classroom if a teacher is effective."

While I may agree wholeheartedly in teacher evaluations, I must ask whether school officials are evaluating in the most optimal way. The experiment is based upon comparing standardized test scores over a period of time. (I won't even begin to write about the errors in standardized testing). My proposal: Why not ask the students for their opinion? Not in the yearly, number-based evaluations contingent primarily upon the ease of the course (for most students), but a more frequent, say, monthly, personalized feedback. After all, the students are the ones who are asked to perform. Why not ask the ones directly involved?

My other concern was deputy school chancellor Chris Cerf's offering of the possibility to make individual teacher ratings public. While it may act as the spark for inspiration, as well as the constant reminder of the consequences of failure, there is absolutely no need for it. It forcefully strips educators of their dignity and confidence. The notion would only pose a threat for harm to teacher effectiveness, in turn harming student performance.

Attention: Hypebeasts !

With the upcoming re-release of Air Jordan sneakers, aptly named the Air Jordan Countdown pack, how high are the expectations? As sneakerheads drool and anticipate the return of the once-magnificent, ever-present Jordan brand, will the product live up to it's hype?

The pack, with an expected release date of January 19, comes with a $310 price tag. The bundle will include the Air Jordan 10 and the Air Jordan 13.

According to sneakerhead.com:

"Air Jordan shoes have consistently been among the best selling basketball shoes since their creation in 1985. The Jordan brand is a household name and people of all ages and social strata line up eagerly for the release of the latest model."

Does the eagerness remain intact?