Janice Jackson's Op Ed 'rebuttal' just shows poor logic... 'New CPS Chief Education Officer Makes Lemonade out of Limes'...
[Editor's Note: The exchange between the newly appointed "Chief Education Officer" of Chicago Public Schools, Janice Jackson, and Blaine Elementary School principal Troy LaRaviere has been taking place on the Op Ed pages of the Chicago Sun-Times for the past several days. Below is Troy LaRaviere's response to Jackson's Op Ed, followed, at the end, with Jackson's published Op Ed.]
Newly installed CPS 'Chief Education Officer' Janice Jackson (center) flanked by the other appointees by Rahm Emanuel in July 2015. Left, Frank Clark, now President of the Board of Education. Right, Forrest Claypool, "Chief Executive Officer." WTTW photo.Last week, the Sun-Times published an Op-Ed I wrote which pointed out the faults of the new CPS Independent Schools Principal (ISP) program, which will free some principals from oversight by CPS network chiefs. Networks are the subdivisions by which CPS divides and manages principals and their schools.
CPS� chief education officer, Janice Jackson, responded to the Op-Ed in the Monday Letters section. I�ve heard good things about Ms. Jackson from people I respect. Unfortunately, her response does not reflect the qualities that endeared her to those people.
The Emanuel administration has several distinct strategies it uses to respond to its critics. The one used most often is one I refer to as the replace-the-critique tactic. It goes as follows:
-- They completely ignore the legitimate argument made by the critic.
-- They create a weak parallel argument against the mayor.
-- They create the illusion of rebutting their critics by rebutting their own anemic parallel argument.
The rebuttal attributed to Jackson kept so close to the replace-the-critique strategy that I wondered which overpaid waste-of-tax-dollars staffer in the Emanuel press office contributed to the essay. Each argument they rebutted was an argument of their own creation.
For example, in her replace-the-critique rebuttal Jackson stated she believes her �conversations with many principals interested in the ISP program� is a sign of the appeal of this program. However, I never argued the program doesn�t have �appeal.� I argued that it is bad for the system as a whole. Indeed, I know several principals who are jumping at the chance to apply for the program in order to leave their networks. However most of them cite overbearing and incompetent network leadership as the source of the problem; not network affiliation itself. Ms. Jackson did not consider the possibility that principals� interest in the ISP program is a testament to the failure of several of CPS� own appointed network leaders. The solution to this situation is to ensure that skilled and competent educators lead networks�not to entice effective principals to leave those networks while principals who need support are left with the least effective network leaders in the system.
Janice Jackson's Letter to the Sun-Times.In her second replace-the-critique rebuttal Jackson states, �The strongest components of the ISP program seem to have been missed entirely� by my op-ed. She then points out that ISP principals will be brought together in a professional learning community to learn from other ISP principals. In response I respectfully redirect the chief education officer to the text of my essay because it appears as if she �missed entirely� the strongest component of the argument against this program. It clearly and explicitly states, CPS� approach to principals segregates �the top performers from the colleagues who need them most.� So while the �top performing� principals in the program may have an opportunity to separate themselves from the pack and learn from one another, the principals who have the most to learn will be cut off from ISP participants who have the most to teach.
To be clear, my two main critiques are:
The program side-steps the problem of incompetent network leadership by allowing a few principals freedom from that leadership, while keeping the leadership in place for everyone else.
The program separates struggling principals from the colleagues they need the most.
Those are the points the administration has failed to rebut.
If a majority of players on a football team complain about their coach, you don�t respond by letting the five best players practice separately with someone from management. If practice is organized correctly, the best players on the team elevate the performance of everyone on the team. CPS� problem is that many of its district leaders have no idea how to organize practice.
Again, to anyone concerned about the overall heath of our system, the ISP program makes no sense; and neither does the administration�s �rebuttal.�
Troy LaRaviere, CPS Principal
Email: TroyLaRaviere@gmail.com
Twitter: @troylaraviere
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/troylaraviere
Blog: troylaraviere.net
Comments:
By: Tom Staszewski
Teachers Deserve Thanks, NOT Blame
FROM: Dr. Tom Staszewski, Teacher Advocate & Public School Proponent
RE: OP ED: Teachers Deserve Thanks, NOT Blame
Please consider placing this article on your website or in
your member newsletter. A PRO-Teacher, PRO Public Schools
OP ED column I wrote, thank you:
TEACHERS DESERVE THANKS, NOT BLAME
by Dr. Tom Staszewski tomstasz@neo.rr.com
It's time to stop blaming and criticizing teachers and start thanking and acknowledging them.
Our schools reflect society, and society has undergone a dramatic shift from
previous generations. A typical classroom today consists of many students with
severe behavioral problems, limited knowledge of English usage, emotional and
psychological difficulties, learning disabilities and attention-deficit
disorders. And many suffer from abuse and other adverse home and socioeconomic
conditions.
Unlike previous generations, many parents today send their kids to school unfed,
unprepared and with little or no basic skills nor social skills. In many
neighborhoods, it's the school building, not the child's home, that provides a
safe, secure and predictable haven. Despite these societal problems, we need to
focus on the success stories of what's right with our schools rather than what's
wrong with our schools.
In my previous work as a motivational speaker and professional development
trainer, I have personally worked with thousands of teachers nationwide. I have
found them to be caring, hardworking, dedicated, industrious and sincerely
committed to the success of their students.
Teachers' duties have now grown to the added dimensions of counselor, mentor,
coach, resource person, mediator, motivator, enforcer and adviser.
Instead of acknowledging that teaching is a demanding profession, critics will
often focus on the supposedly shortened workday of teachers. Still others claim,
"Yes, teachers are busy, but at least they get a planning period each day to
help get things done." In reality, the so-called planning period is really a
misnomer. A typical teacher is so involved with the day's activities that
usually there is no time to stop and plan. Those minutes that are supposed to be
devoted to planning are often filled with endless amounts of paperwork,
meetings, interruptions, schedule changes, extra assigned duties, phone calls,
conferences, gathering missed work for absent students, completing forms,
submitting required data and on and on. Maybe they call it a planning period,
because there's NO time left for planning...period!
Most teachers leave the building long after the students' dismissal time and
usually with plenty of paperwork and tests to correct. Evenings are spent
reviewing homework assignments and planning for the next day of teaching.
In addition to earning a bachelor's degree and teaching certificate/license,
once teachers begin to work in the classroom, they need to immediately continue
their own education. During summertime, they are constantly updating their
education, earning a graduate degree or two and making sure their teaching
certificates are active and valid.
Too many people have the mistaken notion that anyone can teach. They think that
they could teach because they have seen other people teach. Yet, when looking at
other professions and occupations, these same people understand that they can't
perform those jobs. They may have briefly seen the
cockpit of an airplane, but they don't assume they can fly it. They may have
spent an hour in a courtroom but don't believe that they can practice law. They
certainly don't think they are able to perform surgery.
Every day, teachers are making a significant difference. At any given moment,
teachers are influencing children in positive and meaningful ways. Many societal
problems exist, such as violence, drugs, broken homes, poverty, economic crises
and a variety of other woes. Teachers struggle with the turmoil of society while
trying to offset the negative influences outside of school. As they roll up
their sleeves and take strides to improve the lives of their students, teachers
are the real heroes.
Today's teacher is more than a transmitter of knowledge; the demands of the
profession are ever-increasing. Many parents and taxpayers have an expectation
that a school system should be the do all and be all in their children's lives.
Some parents have a notion that they can drop off their child at the schoolhouse
door, and behold, 12 years later, they will be able to pick up a perfect
specimen of a human being -- well-rounded, academically proficient, emotionally
sound, physically fit and ready to meet the next phase of life.
But we know that teachers cannot do it alone. A sound, safe and secure home life
is essential. An effort on the parent's part to prepare the child for school is
vital. And parental involvement that results in a partnership in the child's
development is necessary. When that doesn't occur, then it's easy to scapegoat
the classroom teacher.
As the school year begins, our public schools welcome everyone. The
individual classroom teacher is faced with dozens and dozens of human beings
who come to school in varying degrees of ability, potential, maturity,
motivation levels, and readiness to learn. Students arrive with a tremendous
amount of baggage, with various health and nutrition factors, family
issues, neighborhood influences and differing socioeconomic levels.
In today�s climate of high stakes testing, business leaders and
politicians continue to demand better results with data driven assessments
and test scores. It is important to realize that the classroom is not a
factory floor where uniformity and precise precision can be molded into just
one final finished product. Unlike the manufacturing arena, teachers don�t
select the raw materials (students). All are welcome as teachers strive to
meet and serve all levels and all kinds of students. Test results will always
vary from low to high ranges because schools are dealing with human beings with
varying degrees of potential. The school is not an assembly line that can
mass-produce exact templates of finished products meeting the same exact
predetermined standard.
Instead of bashing our teachers, we should be conveying recognition, accolades,
tributes and positive acknowledgments. Teachers deserve a sincere thank-you for
the tremendous benefits they provide society. And that's why my all-time
favorite bumper sticker offers a profound and important declaration: "If you can
read this ... thank a teacher!"
In our schools today, there are thousands of success stories waiting to be told
and there's a need to proclaim those successes proudly and boldly. Teachers
should stand tall and be proud of their chosen profession. Critics should not
judge them unfairly. Together, let's become teacher advocates and show
admiration for the inspiring and important life-changing work they do.
DR. TOM STASZEWSKI, a former middle school teacher, lives in Erie with his wife,
Linda. He recently retired after a 35-year career in higher education
administration. Doctorate from University of Pittsburgh. He is the author of
"Total Teaching: Your Passion Makes it Happen" (tomstasz@neo.rr.com).
Erie Times News, Erie PA OP ED Column August 30, 2015 And Harrisburg, PA
Patriot News, Pennlive.com
Tom Staszewski
150 East 36th Street
Erie, PA 16504
tomstasz@neo.rr.com
814-452-0020
DIRECT LINK TO ERIE TIMES NEWS OP ED:
Teachers deserve thanks, not blame: Tom Staszewski - GoErie.com ...
www.goerie.com/teachers-deserve-thanks-not-blame-tom-staszewski
Aug 30, 2015 ... As our public schools begin another school year, it's time to
stop blaming and criticizing teachers and start thanking and acknowledging them.
By: Lee Alexander
Network harassment is not support
If the new ISP is so fab, how about expanding it to 50% of the schools? Or better, eliminate the Network mess, provide cheaper SUPPORT staff at one of the abandoned buildings and let the schools tell them what we need. Sounds like the original teacher led charter ideal... And do not rehab the buildings since schools are to be rehabbed first.... I can dream.