Between server issues and ballet recitals, I haven’t had the time to write about my visit with Tim and Joe in NYC on Thursday and Friday. I’ll say again that despite all of the work and idea sharing that goes on in these spaces, there’s nothing like meeting people and talking face to face.
A couple of things struck me about the “gathering,” one which Joe mentions regarding the different worlds in which we operate. My school has more teachers than Joe has students, and when it comes to what my students have to work with, it’s truly and embarrassment of riches. (Tim has a really neat panoramic of Joe‘s classroom here.) His students are all ESL kids, but they all seemed to work hard, show respect, and be happy with their opportunity. Not something I can always say about many of my spoiled children. (We joked about the valet parking my students have for thier Lexuses.)
The Web log stuff was secondary to just finding out about Joe’s school and what he has to struggle with. Funding is threatening more than just his server; he has very little tech support either at the school or on a district level. Less than adequate teachers are difficult to get rid of. He’s made the decision to enter a program to become a principal to try to do something more to change things. Tim’s looking for a principalship as well. Both of them would be great choices.
I wish Joe was heading to Seattle at the end of the month for our blogvention meeting at NECC. I’m glad to hear that Anne will be there, and Tim says there will be a pretty large group get together. I’m really looking forward to it.
Just to clarify – I’d argue that the far larger problem here is getting good teachers in the first place rather than getting rid of the incompetent ones. This system drives people away before they even get started. A bit of the old chicken and egg thing here but if the system and our schools treated their teachers more professionally (in addition to paying them more, of course), we’d attract better people in the first place.
Maybe they should start a domestic Fullbright program for urban and suburban teachers – though the applications may be a bit one-sided.