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A Revisit to an Old School

Posted by Waski_the_Squirrel on Friday, February 29, 2008 11:30:36 PM
Last year I had the opportunity to judge speech in Mott, North Dakota. I wrote an entry here in which I made an attempt to describe the campus. This time I took my camera. A link to the full set of pictures is here. A link to the original blog entry is here.

The campus consists of two buildings: a high school building (with an addition), and an elementary school. They are connected by an underground tunnel. Before I share the pictures, let me share a piece of advice: make sure you know who you are talking to before you state an opinion. I was walking with two judges to a final round, and one made the comment that Mott was quite a building. I responded with: "It sure makes me appreciate what I have." It turns out that one of the two was a graduate of Mott High School and the other was a teacher at Mott High School. Someday I may get my foot pulled out of my mouth!

Here are the elementary and high school buildings. These photographs were not taken on the day of the meet.
Mott ElementaryMott High School

This is a picture of the long tunnel that connects the two buildings.
Trapped in the Tunnel

Here is some of the nice wood work in the high school. I'm peaking through the window of a locked door.
Library Office

Here is some woodwork inside the main entrance:
Storage Closet and Gym Entrance

This is part of the "wall of windows" in the addition to the high school:
Wall of Windows

And here is the addition to the high school, which now houses most of the high school classrooms:
Mott High School Addition

I will admit that my comment about appreciating my own school was clumsy, but it was honest. I love exploring old schools. I would even love to teach in one that was well maintained and well equipped. Sadly, Mott suffers from some architectural deficiencies. The elementary school is nice (and renovated). The old part of the high school is old-fashioned, but well built. The addition is not so well built.

I appreciate more where I teach, but, hopefully, writing this won't get me uninvited from visiting again. I really do enjoy the Mott school and I thought that they ran a very good speech meet.
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Evolution in Florida

Posted by Waski_the_Squirrel on Thursday, February 21, 2008 11:35:27 PM
Yet another state has dived into the evolution controversy. Florida recently rewrote its science standards. One of the contentious issues was evolution.

Florida took the stand that evolution belongs in its Biology standards. That is rather difficult to argue with and, despite the stereotypes, most conservatives would agree on that. After that point, we begin to see the disagreement.

At issue in Florida were the words "the scientific theory of" that were placed in front of the concepts of evolution and a few other details. This was not in the original document, and was inserted as a compromise. I think it was a good, and scientifically valid, compromise.

At issue are many things. Among them is vocabulary. Many people don't understand what a theory is. Theories are backed up by evidence. It does not make them "truth." It simply means that evidence supports them. Sir Isaac Newton developed a Universal Theory of Gravitation. It is unlikely to be proven wrong, and a lot of evidence supports it, (yup...pencil just rolled off the desk and fell to the floor). However, it is a theory, just as evolution is a theory.

The common use of the word "theory" is "just someone's opinion." This is incorrect usage.

The Darwinists and the Intelligent Design people are just taking this too far. They are wandering into the realm of emotion. Yes, Darwinists can be just as blind and emotional as the other side.

Evolution is a theory. As a Christian, I have no problem with it. Most Christian denominations have no trouble with it. The fossil record clearly shows that species have changed over time. However, this does not, in any way, undermine the divine power and authority of God.

The fossil record shows what scientists call "punctuated equilibrium." This has given fits to some Darwinists because it doesn't match up with the idea of gradual change. Instead, species stay the same and then "poof": mass extinction of species and sudden appearance of new species. Some Darwinists see an evangelical plot here, much like some evangelicals see a Darwinist plot in the teaching of evolution.

The fossil record itself leaves room for Divine introduction of new species. It also leaves room for a purely scientific explanation.

I teach evolution. I am a Christian and do not find that it conflicts with my beliefs. Species DO change over time.

I do not teach that man evolved from apes. I don't delve into a lot of applications of evolution. The reason is simple: I teach high school. I am there to teach the concept of evolution. Future education will be built on what I teach. The evolutionary history of humans has limited utility (from a scientific viewpoint). I focus on the big ideas. Some would argue that the whole ape thing is important, but I would counter by noting that many things are more important.

Frankly, I do not believe man evolved from apes. We share a lot of genes, but there are a lot of genes and similar design elements shared between most species.

So why not teach Intelligent Design as well? Stay tuned.

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Open Enrollment Hijinks

Posted by Waski_the_Squirrel on Sunday, February 17, 2008 4:53:23 PM
North Dakota has a great law. The law is "open enrollment." This means that any student can enroll in a district that is not his own. There are a few details with this law, but the law isn't the object of my post. My post is about an unintended consequence of the law.

The Flasher school district has chosen to send a bus into a neighboring school district to pick up open enrolled students. The neighboring district (Grant County) was naturally quite upset by this. There are students who have open enrolled both ways and Grant County does not pick up its students over in the Flasher district.

Apparently, there is no law against this practice. What comes up now is what do they do? The two districts have chosen to cooperate in football and track. They have one team for each sport rather than two small, separate teams. Grant County is now looking at the possibility of pulling out. As the larger school, Grant County would be hurt, but could still run the teams. Flasher is smaller and would have great difficulty maintaining these teams.

Normally, my sympathies are with the smaller schools I prefer smaller schools. In this case, however, the smaller school is in the wrong. Worse, this sets the stage for a disaster down the road.

Down the road, Flasher and Grant County will shrivel up to nothing. Grant County has the possibility of absorbing one or two more districts and is likely to survive. Flasher will not. Worse, Flasher really only can consolidate with Grant County. They have ensured an ugly consolidation. Just like Goodrich, they may lose everything in the future by being stubborn now.

In my current district (and in another where I used to work) we consolidated with a smaller neighboring district. We added them as a valued part of the district rather than as additional land. They received guaranteed seats on the school board, use of their school as much as was reasonable, and a few other perks. They are more than just land and tax dollars. They are an important part of our school.

Open enrollment is a good idea. Students can choose to go to a school that fits their needs. Open enrollment can encourage schools to compete. One might have a good sports program, another a good science program, and a third a lot of electives. These are valid ways to compete. Busing students out of a neighboring district is not a good way to compete. It is bad politics.

As long as schools continue to run their own school bus services, it will continue to be bad politics. The alternative, a state run bus program, is likely not feasible in a state like North Dakota.
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Update on a Consolidation Disaster

Posted by Waski_the_Squirrel on Sunday, February 17, 2008 12:04:37 AM
Today I judged at a speech meet in Mandan. While there, I had time to visit with teachers from several schools. I visited with a man who had once taught in McClusky and learned about the most recent disaster there.

You may recall that I wrote a number of entries about McClusky some time back. In fact, just last night I wrote an entry about an unrelated topic in McClusky. My earlier series was about the failure of consolidation between the McClusky and Goodrich school districts and the shocking level of acrimony that followed.

The latest tale in this saga is that McClusky has chosen to fire its superintendent. I cannot comment on his performance, but I can say that the firing is directly related to the consolidation failure. The man was superintendent and high school principal in Goodrich. Several years ago he was hired by McClusky to divide his time between the schools. This was viewed as a money saving measure and as a way to eliminate a rather poor superintendent without firing him. From the accounts I heard when I lived in the area, he was generally viewed as an improvement.

Sadly, politics being what they are, he was blamed for the failure and he was fired.

There may be some sort of home yet to come out of this. Goodrich has made the bad choice of not consolidating. The economic problems are very real, so that district will be forced to dissolve and its students to scatter. They will have no vote in any district they join. A large number will go to McClusky. After all, it really isn't the kids who had the problem with consolidation.

Interestingly, McClusky is now in talks with nearby Turtle Lake-Mercer about the possibility of sharing a superintendent. Turtle Lake-Mercer is the result of an early consolidation in the 1970's. It also boasts nice facilities, it has money, and it is only 22 miles from McClusky. Best of all, Turtle Lake-Mercer has a not unreasonable fear that they will be forced down the road to consolidate with Underwood or Washburn.

Sharing a superintendent with McClusky is a great way to bring the districts together. My own district is a consolidated district that was formed this way. The eventual injection of McClusky students would put Turtle Lake-Mercer in a good position for the future. It would also ensure that McClusky students can attend school reasonably close to home. Also, since McClusky has two separate buildings, there is the possibility that an elementary school would be maintained there for some time.

It would be a win-win for both districts.

All of this seems like local politics, but it has larger implications for the ongoing process of consolidation in this state. Just wait until tomorrow when I talk about another ugly game of school politics....

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Making an Impression

Posted by Waski_the_Squirrel on Saturday, February 16, 2008 1:00:00 AM
A few nights ago, I spent a few minutes break visiting a school website. It happens to be a school I like and have mentioned in this blog before. Sadly, this school's website involved a misspelling of the word "elementary" in "elementary school". It wasn't a big deal. Quite simply, a letter was forgotten. It's possible that the typist didn't press a button hard enough.

This is not a bashing session. I occasionally visit a website in which teachers post with advice and questions. Sometimes, people post in the height of emotion. In moments of high emotion, we do not always post with proper grammar and spelling.

Some advice givers choose to take the time to address grammar and spelling. Now, I do grade these things when I grade papers. However, this is often a shortcut to humiliating an opponent. It is also a popular way to defeat an argument without engaging the substance of the argument.

The point of this whole post is that grammar and spelling detract from any kind of a message. They cause the reader to focus on the way the message is presented rather than what is being presented. Consider a popular criticism of our current president, George Bush.  The man is inarticulate. He cannot express himself clearly. This frequently leads people to criticize his intelligence.

A focus on grammar and spelling is truly a focus on trivia. However, it really does detract from the message. I will confess to being distracted by it. The truth is, the way the message is delivered does matter. Perhaps it shouldn't, but it does.

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Keeping Experienced Teachers

Posted by Waski_the_Squirrel on Saturday, February 09, 2008 2:55:22 PM
Experience matters. Schools should make an effort to keep their experienced teachers because these are the teachers who can mentor newer teachers and who can keep scores up.

In my last entry, I noted that schools need to work harder to retain newer teachers. On the surface, there doesn't seem to be much reason to retain experienced teachers. They are more expensive. There is a stereotype out there that they are set in their ways.There is also a stereotype of cluelessness about "today's kids".

Unfortunately, too many of these teachers are ready to quit. Early retirement is often taken. These teachers move on to other professions or just leave all together. Included in this group are the teachers who we really do want out of the classroom. They haven't figured it out in their first 30 years, and they probably won't figure it out now.

These older teachers are leaving for a lot of reasons. Some really are tired. Teaching is one of those professions where you have to be "on" all the time. It is unlikely that a way could be found to retain them, though the possibility of a year or semester "sabbatical" might help them recharge.

Other teachers are leaving because they've reached the top of their game. I'm located between the beginning and middle of my career. I improved a lot during my first few years. Now I'm polishing my skills. Sometimes something new causes a radical change, but it's nothing like when I started teaching. As I get older, what comes next? Some teachers will pursue administration. Many get frustrated by the lack of change and promotion.

These experienced teachers are an incredible resource, if a school chooses to use them. They could continue to teach part time, but why couldn't they gain some new responsibilities: curriculum writing, mentoring new teachers, a scheduling committee, and the like. At the moment, this sort of activity is piled on top of existing responsibilities and done on a volunteer basis outside school hours. My suggestion changes the job and creates a sort of career ladder.

Many older teachers are frustrated by the lack of power that they have. They are taken for granted and are often passed over in favor of newer teachers. I know two science teachers who saw their labs remodeled with the express purpose of attracting a new science teacher. They were both at the end of their careers. One in particular worked in a classroom which had not seen any renovation or modernization since it was built in the early 1930's. I was pleased to see that he changed his mind about retiring. He is headed into his sixties and has been almost rejuvenated. Most in that school no longer feel that they are stuck with him.

I saved that anecdote for last because it shows what can happen if a school values its experienced teachers. When this man does retire, it will be on good terms. He would be a great mentor for the new science teacher. My colleague at my current school had that during her first year of teaching and it was a great thing for her. She is far beyond where I was in my third year thanks to the help she had her first year.

Experienced teachers are valuable. Treated right, they can be a huge help for a school and for the new teachers coming in.
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Keeping Teachers

Posted by Waski_the_Squirrel on Thursday, February 07, 2008 8:50:03 PM
I'm not really looking for a new job, but I find it interesting to peruse the job openings for teachers in North Dakota. I know some of these people, and it's always interesting to see who is coming and who is going. It's also always possible that my dream job is out there. (I see Burke Central wants a science/math teacher...too bad they're so small.)

Today I decided to glance at the job openings. I saw that my previous school is advertising for my position...again. It seems to be a revolving door since before I came and after. The longest anyone has lasted has been 2 years. There have been two people in that position in the two years since I left.

Before we can look at how to keep a teacher, we need to look at who leaves and who stays. A teacher who is married, owns a home, has children, and has some time in the system is unlikely to leave. Moving would be too much of a hit. It could happen, but probably not. They will submit to a lot of abuse because it is easier to stay. What is most likely is that they will find a different job in that community or retire early.

It sounds harsh, but these are not the teachers schools normally worry about losing, unless they live in a different district and commute.

The teachers who are most likely to leave are those who are free to leave. New teachers, especially young teachers, are the most likely to leave. Teaching is a shock in most cases. The workload is quite high. New teachers are expected to perform at the level of experienced teachers, but they don't have the resources. They are building from scratch.

This must be coupled with learning to manage a classroom, learning to deal with parents of all types, and discovering the reality that they cannot reach all students.

These teachers need help. They need mentors. They need a more gradual entry into the profession. They need a lot of support and help. In too many schools, they also need support with classroom discipline. Sadly, this support is missing in too many cases. While salary is cited, this is not what discourages teachers. Most go into teaching aware that salaries are low. Later, when the other factors discourage these teachers, salary becomes a concern.

If we can help our new teachers, the revolving door will slow down. We will get people invested in teaching. By improving some of what I listed above, we will also improve conditions for the older teachers and, perhaps, encourage the good ones to stay in the classroom longer.

Then we can turn our attention to the older teachers
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Voting in a Caucus

Posted by Waski_the_Squirrel on Tuesday, February 05, 2008 11:18:17 PM
Today North Dakota held its caucus. We don't do primary elections. Instead, we hold public meetings all around the state and decide who to vote for. This follows and hour and a half of public comments.

I will be honest, walking down to the caucus, I didn't know how I would vote. I need to hold my nose before any of the candidates. I was down to two (and that's private).

The trouble is, there is no true conservative.

I want to like Huckabee. He's evangelical and his morals align with mine. However, I don't think that's enough. I don't know that he's a strong leader. I don't know how he will handle the war on terrorism or the border. I also compare him to another Christian president: Jimmy Carter. Apparently Christian ethics aren't enough.

McCain is strong and so was Giuliani. McCain comes without the personal baggage of Giuliani. Luckily, I don't have to make that choice. I like McCain's strength and I like his support of our military. I feel I can trust him on national defense. Unfortunately, he's also been migrating left and I don't trust him on border security.

With Romney...what can I say? I think he would be good on the economy. I don't really feel like I know anything else about him. I know what his record is. I know that any governor in his state could not be a true conservative. I also know that some of the things he approved do not align with my morals.

Ron Paul is appropriately conservative in a lot of ways. He is a small government conservative. I also do not believe he would weaken our military as some believe. However, for our long term success in Iraq, we need to stay the course. Right now we are seeing success and he would pull us out.

Alan Keyes was a surprise. To be honest, I didn't know he was running. I also don't care. He's a good man, but not a president.

I want to see a candidate who has the guts to shrink the government.  I want a candidate who will cut spending, cut programs, and shrink both the size and the power of the federal government. Can we just be allowed to live as citizens of this country? Do we really need the government to take care of us? Can't we take care of ourselves?

I'm in education to teach my students to take care of themselves. They will be adults someday. I don't want them dependent on me, their parents, their government, or anyone else. I want them to be men and women who are on their own.

None of this means we don't need each other or couldn't use some help at times. This is a totally different thing from dependence.

My vote remains private. Let me just say again: what a disappointing slate of candidates.
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