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Why we need to care about student apathy

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In our collective efforts to help students succeed in school, sometimes we adults forget to stop and ask “how is school going?” Because the answers students give to that simple question can tell us a lot.

Frustrated by what he perceived as his inability to keep students engaged after they moved on from his classes, one veteran teacher hit the road on a journey to ask current and former high school students across the country what motivates them. Teacher-researcher Chris Holmes traveled across 14 states in 30 days interviewing hundreds of students and recording their answers for his “Backtracking Apathy” project. His goal was to figure out why schools, teachers and parents too often are losing the apathy battle with students.

Here’s one powerful excerpt:

“In a suburban Kansas City, Missouri, coffee shop, a high school senior broke down in tears talking about lack of friends, struggles with school work and a disrespectful teacher. In Dodge City, Kansas, a recent graduate of an alternative high school talked about a loneliness that led her to self-harm and quitting school. On a sidewalk in Grand Junction, Colorado, a kid told me how boring school was, then cried when revealing that first his friends, then his teachers, then his parents had given up on him.

All of these students spoke of one teacher who truly cared—who bent over backwards for them, who went above and beyond for them—yet whose efforts ultimately weren’t enough. Sometimes even the superstar teachers—the inspirational, motivational “life-changers”—are limited in their abilities to create self-determination.”

So how can we re-engage students who have checked out? Here’s how Holmes sees the problem:

“It’s not students who are disengaged—it’s us. Teachers. Parents. Legislators. When we don’t engage students in what matters to them—autonomy, connection, competence—the components that actually create motivation—when we don’t involve students in the process of teaching and learning, then the problem is ours, not theirs.”

Learn more about Holmes’ approach in his writings and lectures.

Here in Washington State Superintendent Chris Reykdal believes schools can help students stay engaged in middle and high school by adding more guidance counselors. Currently there is no state law requirement that schools hire any counselors (though many do). King 5’s Drew Mikkelson reports that Superintendent Reykdal would like to see funding tied directly to hiring, so that schools and districts meet the recommended 250:1 student to counselor ratio (the current ratio in Washington is about 440:1). He points to middle schools as being the most “starved” for counselors.

Why do counselors matter? These days, counselors do a lot more than help students sign up for classes or meet graduation requirements. They often work with school nurses, social workers and others to make sure students are getting the supports they need. But their most important task may well be the time they spend with students who just need to talk. From NPR education reporter Clare Lombardo:

“Spending face–to–face time building relationships with students is key to establishing a healthy school environment, where kids feel comfortable coming to counselors with their worries—whether they’re about school safety, happiness, or day–to–day classroom concerns.”

Ready for the spotlight

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In the past six months the lives of persons with disabilities in Washington have taken center stage.

First, over the summer King 5 News began rollout of a multi-part series “Back of the Class: An investigation into Washington’s special education failures.” Reporters Susannah Frame and Taylor Mirfendereski exposed how Washington “lags behind much of the country” in serving students with disabilities. Here’s some of what they uncovered:

  • Just over half of the state’s 6 to 21-year-olds with disabilities spend 80 percent or more of their day alongside their peers in general education classes. This places Washington in the bottom eight nationally for measures of inclusion.
  • Only 58 percent of students receiving special education services earned a diploma in 2016. According to the U.S. Department of Education, only 12 states graduated fewer kids with learning disabilities than Washington that year.
  • The dropout rate for students with disabilities in Washington is among the worst in the nation, with 34 percent leaving school. Only Utah and South Carolina reported higher dropout rates in a 2017 U.S. Census Bureau Report.

For their efforts, King 5, Frame and Mirfendereski earned an Excellence on Disability Reporting award from the National Center on Disability and Journalism.

Second, this month The Seattle Times called on Gov. Jay Inslee to convene a special session of the legislature to address funding shortfalls in special education. Although the responsibility to pay for basic education (which includes special education) has now shifted from local districts to Olympia, many local districts are signaling they still must run local levies to fund their special education obligations. The Seattle Times contends this issue is too important to leave unresolved until lawmakers return to Olympia in 2019:

If lawmakers wait until January, when the Legislature convenes for its regular session, lawmakers are at risk of getting caught up in a whirlwind of competing priorities, and the children will be forgotten again until the budget debate heats up in the spring. . ..

The Legislature needs to take the special-education funding issue off the table. Special education is clearly basic education and therefore must be funded by the state budget, not by local levies, as the Washington Supreme Court made very clear in its 2012 McCleary decision.

Finally, this past summer, the City of Seattle hosted The Special Olympics USA Games, described as “the biggest sporting event to hit Seattle in the past 25 years.” If you were fortunate enough to attend, you saw more than 4000 athletes and coaches competing on a national stage while thousands of fans cheered. This event also showcased how Seattle-area business and organizations are doing their part to create communities where people with intellectual disabilities are valued, welcomed and included.

Time and again we hear of the marginalization of people with disabilities. Too often they are left behind in the classroom and out of the workplace. Let’s hope years from now we can look back on the past six months as a turning point for the disability rights community. Whether through award-winning journalism, influential editorial boards, or nationally-recognized sporting events, people with disabilities in Washington are making their presence known.

How teens can get smart about life after high school

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Helping teens figure out their path in life is tricky. There are lots of job and education options out there, but less so in the way of guidance or opportunities to help them figure out how to choose the right one.

Amber Wendover provides individual coaching to teens to help them examine possibilities for their life after school. Her company, Thinking People Consulting LLC, also offers organizational development support, corporate training, workshops and other services to organizations, professionals and students.

We asked Wendover about her experience working with teens, and what she believes we can do to support them as they explore next steps.

Question: What is the biggest challenge facing students today as they try to figure out what they want to do after high school?

Answer: This is a big question. Challenges come in many forms these days starting from a lot of options – too many options in some ways. Along with so many options, there is an extreme amount of pressure on kids to be the “best” – and the best comes with high expectations. Often these expectations come from parents, family members, teachers – people who mean well and yet are mostly unaware they place unnecessary pressure on students. Family members worry their student won’t get into the best school, find the best job, make the most money or be able to afford to live in the perfect house.

We have somewhat glorified notion that every student should have a plan – and that plan should be perfect. We’ve almost forgotten that many of us, as adults, didn’t have a well-thought-out plan. In the desire for wanting perfection, students are challenged by being controlled, without a chance to determine what they want.

Question: How can students figure out what their interests and strengths are? 

Answer: There are many ways students can start to identify their interests and strengths. One activity I recommend is that students create a list of things they like doing and why, as well as situations they are in that excite them. These items can range from anything inside and outside of school, with family, friends or things they enjoy doing alone. Writing out this list provides a visual where themes are revealed through the list of answers.

 In addition, there are several great assessments to help identify preferences, strengths and interests. Two of my favorites for students are Clifton Strengthsfinder and Insights Discovery. When I work with students, I often provide one of these assessments to guide the discussion, increase self-awareness and gain confidence in their strengths.

Question: In an era of specialization, how can we make sure we’re giving students the time and space to explore different careers?

Answer: Oh, the era of specialization – we see this everywhere, pick a single sport at an early age, pick your career – lifetime career – before you graduate high school. There is an excellent book “The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter – and How to Make the Most of Them Now” by Meg Jay. I recommend that every parent (or any young adult) read this book, as well as every student. It’s a great reminder of the exploratory nature of our twenties, and how we should explore and experiment with purpose during the decade of our twenties.

In addition, I encourage students to spend time talking with the adults around them. Ask what they do for a living, how they started their career and what path got them to where they are. The more people that students can talk with at a younger age will help them see there are many different options and not always a straight path. Taking a curved path is what a lot of us – many of us – did and it’s okay.

Question: Recently the State of Washington launched Career Connect Washington, a public-private partnership that will link up high school and college classes to real jobs. How can high schools improve the link between education and the work world, especially for jobs that require some additional education but not necessarily a four-year diploma?

Answer: This is a complicated question. When I talk to high school students, many of them ask me what half of their classes have to do with their careers. They describe their academic life as memorizing facts, learning formulas and taking classes that are required, yet they have very little interest in them. I talk to these students about the skills they are developing through this class that are not necessarily focused on the actual subject. For example, chemistry teaches us about formulas and formulas are important for a lot of jobs, including being a baker. They often will look at me puzzled when I mention a baker. I continue to explain that recipes are all about chemistry formulas and experiments – what happens when a bit more sugar is added or less flour or more whatever.

From my experience, when students can connect their required class to the real world, it helps them understand that this time in high school isn’t for nothing. Therefore, to have a more strategic connection between schools and professionals I believe is powerful. Let’s show students through real life companies that there is so much more to life than what is inside the walls of the classroom, yet the classroom is the first step to gaining access to all these possibilities.

I have also found that for many kids, a traditional four-year university just isn’t for them. So, if strengthening the connection with companies and the schools can offer a wider opportunity for professional positions post high school without college requirements, that is a plus in my opinion.

Question: What advice would you give state leaders trying to develop programs like Career Connect Washington? 

Answer: There are many professionals such as myself who see grown adults between the ages of 40 – 65 who are not happy in their careers. They picked a career because someone told them this is what they should do, or they thought they needed a certain amount of income, or they thought they were good enough so didn’t take the stretch job. Whatever the reason, grown adults often find themselves stuck in their job because of external factors: the need for money, responsibilities, commitments, etc., that make it hard to change careers.

What these professionals also tell me is that if they had access to professional career coaching at a younger age – someone who could help them understand their strengths, talents, capabilities and use that information to find their career pathway – they believe things would have been different, maybe even better. That’s why I think it’s worth the effort to spend more time preparing high school and college students for professional careers outside the classroom in partnership with businesses and professional career coaches to help them jump start the chance at success and find their passion. Let’s find ways to support students by providing them resources that will give them tools and tips they can use in the workforce, in partnership with school and classroom work.

The report card families need

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Washington and Ohio’s public education departments both publish “Report Cards” for school districts.

Here’s what they look like:

Bellevue School District – OSPI Report Card

Loveland City School District – Ohio Department of Education Report Card

While both states call them “Report Cards” that’s where the similarities mostly end.

As you can see, Washington’s Report Card is heavy on charts and data with little in the way of narrative to help give context to the numbers. There are tables showing the percentage of students meeting state standards, then more tables that break down student enrollment and graduation rates. What’s missing is any discussion of whether or how those numbers reflect meaningful progress towards goals, how those numbers compare to similarly situated states, districts or schools, or other types of information to give the numbers meaning.

There are other places on the OSPI website that do provide narrative and context about school performance data, but these require lots of clicking through to more reports, which seemed written and designed for OSPI or district administrators, not really for busy parents.

By contrast, Ohio’s School Report Card presents information in a more accessible format requiring just a couple of clicks. It gives parents an easy-to-understand (and mostly jargon free) overview of school and student performance in six categories: Achievement, Progress, Gap Closing, Graduation Rate, Improving At-Risk K-3 Readers and Prepared for Success. Then, if parents want more information, they can click through and see the underlying data. There they will find more detailed explanations about the numbers, explaining what they measure, why it’s important and how that school district or school is doing.

Why does this matter?

If we want parents and communities to be active and knowledgeable participants in our schools, we would be much better served with Report Cards that provide a clear picture of how schools and school districts are performing. While charts that show student scores on state tests and graduation rates are a good start, Washington would do well to follow Ohio’s model and provide parents with jargon-free explanations, summaries of the data and visuals that are easier to follow. Families would especially benefit from explanations in words – not just charts – about the progress schools and districts are making from year-to-year.

In Spokane, getting more students ready for college

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The Spokane School District is stepping up to help more students prepare to take Advanced Placement (AP) classes in high school.

The eastern Washington district recently earned the distinction of being the only school district in the nation to qualify all their comprehensive high schools (five total) for a pilot program from The College Board known as “Pre-AP.”

According to The College Board, the Pre-AP Program – offered initially offered to just 100 schools – provides “instructional resources and classroom-based assessments to schools that are interested in earning an official Pre-AP designation from the College Board.”

Jim Allen of The Spokesman Review reports the District was eager to enroll in the program, which involved meeting these criteria:

  • aligning instruction to The College Board course framework,
  • participating in professional training and
  • opening the courses to all students

Why AP? AP courses remain a popular choice for high school students. Because many colleges offer college credit and/or advanced placement with qualifying AP test scores, AP courses can potentially help students and families save money on college costs (through earned credit) or place out of pre-requisite courses for the major (allowing more time to focus on higher level coursework). They’re also a way to demonstrate to college admissions’ officers that a student has taken challenging courses in their high school.

More broadly, AP classes give students the chance to experience rigorous coursework like what they’d encounter in their first year of college. Students are offered a deeper look at subjects that interest them while building their research and communication skills. According to The College Board, students who take AP classes are more likely to earn a college degree on time.

And the numbers speak for themselves. Nationally, more than 1.17 million students in the class of 2017 took 3.98 million AP exams, up from 1.14 million students in 2016 and 691,437 in the class of 2007.

Getting ready for college – with Pre-AP courses, The College Board hopes to encourage more students to give AP courses a try later in high school, especially students who may be worried they aren’t up to the task. The College Board and school districts also hope the program encourages more students from low-income families to explore AP.

Read Jim Allen, The Spokesman Review Spokane Public Schools’ pre-AP offerings unique in nation here.

Read more about The College Board’s new Pre-AP Program here.

Major win for Washington’s charter school students

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The following statement was issued today by State Sen. John Braun (R-Centralia) in response to the Washington State Supreme Court decision upholding the constitutionality of the state’s voter-approved charter school law.

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OLYMPIA… Voter-approved charter public schools will remain available to students after today’s Washington State Supreme Court ruling upheld their constitutionality. Sen. John Braun said the court’s affirmation that 2016 legislation corrected constitutional infirmities with the original initiative will ensure charter public schools remain one of many tools the state has to provide all children with a high-quality education.

“Not all students learn the same way so our state has a responsibility to provide a range of choices that best meet the needs of children,” said Braun (R-Centralia) who serves as the ranking Republican on the Senate Ways and Means Committee. “Our state has recognized we must provide alternatives for students when a traditional public school does not meet their needs. Those methods include online classes, college courses while in high school, and for the last few years charter public schools, where we’ve seen positive results.”

Washington became the 42nd state to allow the publicly funded and privately operated charter public schools after voters approved Initiative 1240 in 2012. The initiative, which passed in 36 of the state’s 39 counties, was specifically aimed at helping students in communities where schools were chronically underperforming. However, the education establishment led by the state teachers union filed a successful lawsuit seeking to shut the schools down.

In 2016 the Washington State Legislature passed Senate Bill 6194 — which Braun co-sponsored — with bipartisan support, addressing the issues identified in the previous court ruling and keeping schools open. According to Braun, adult-focused groups again filed suit to close the schools for students, which was rejected in King County Superior Court and ultimately appealed again to the state Supreme Court.

“Since 2015 our state has demonstrated we can make historic investments in public education while also allowing at-risk students to choose a school that works best for them,” said Braun. “I hope that once and for all the adults in the equation will accept that charter public schools are a targeted and valuable part of our overall education system.”

Braun wrote in-depth about the state’s history and efforts to provide charter public schools in his Economic Sense newsletter, which can be read here or at SenatorJohnBraun.com.

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How to start every IEP meeting

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Let’s face it, Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) are way too difficult to understand. They are full of jargon, acronyms and hard-to-parse technical language. And even for veteran parents or advocates, trying to get to the bottom line of what any IEP is doing (or trying to do) can be practically impossible.

Here’s one idea. How about at the start of every IEP meeting, the IEP case manager and the parent(s) (and the child if age appropriate) all share their big picture idea of what the child needs and how the IEP can help get them there.

What I’m proposing is different from the usual recitation of present levels of performance or specific goals or service minutes. The aim here is to help the team think about IEPs in a jargon-free way so that teachers and parents can share their collective vision for the child.

Just like every successful organization has a clear mission statement, successful education plans should do the same thing. Put another way, if your child’s IEP team can’t explain in a paragraph or two what your child needs and how the team can support it, then you’re probably lost in the education jargon woods.

Keep in mind, these summaries are not meant to replace IEPs. But if written (or spoken!) correctly, they can help your child’s team prioritize the work and stay focused on what really matters.

Here are some examples:

Thomas is a 6th grader who reads at around a 3rd grade level. He struggles with transitions and needs help staying organized. This year our goal as a team is to help Thomas become a better reader, navigate transitions with less help from adults, and stay on top of his class and homework assignments.

Katrina is a 2d grader who needs help communicating her wants and needs. This year we will work on developing a consistent way for her to communicate with her teachers, classmates and staff. We will try different devices with the help of the speech language pathologist, so that we can make sure she is improving her communication skills every day.

Tara is a 9th grader who is worried about transitioning to high school. Autism makes it hard for her to handle change in her life. This year, our team will focus on making sure Tara is supported across the school with the accommodations she needs to be successful in the classroom and in all other settings.

Next up: the most important question to ask at the end of any IEP meeting.

Back to school (finally)

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Did your child’s school open on time?

For an estimated 125,000 students in Washington, it did not. Across the state, schools were closed at the start of the year due to teacher strikes, thanks to disagreements between school districts and union leaders over the size of salary increases from the so-called McLeary money. The last strike ended on September 17.

The blame game was in high gear in districts that saw prolonged strikes. Some blamed lack of leadership from the State School Superintendent, local school districts and school boards. Others pointed to hard-bargaining tactics by teacher union leaders, while still others faulted the legislature for revisions made to school funding laws in 2018 that created confusion.

The opaque nature of the bargaining process made it almost impossible for parents and the community to understand much of what was transpiring in these contract talks. In some districts, that meant parents were left wondering why teacher union leaders were saying one thing while their district leaders were saying another.

Moving forward, more transparency in contract negotiations would go a long way towards building community support and possibly help avoid strikes. The Pullman School District recently moved in that direction, opening up bargaining to public observation in 2017.

As the Seattle Times editorial board observed: “Transparency benefits those involved in negotiations as well as the public. Disclosing terms ensures that all sides know what’s on the table and prevents either side from sharing skewed information.”

Did your school board ask you what you think?

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Starting in June and continuing through today, school boards across the state have been voting up or down on new teacher contract agreements.

This evening the Centralia School District School Board will vote on whether to approve a new teacher contract.

Centralia was one of many districts that saw schools closed at the start of the school year due to teacher strikes. These strikes were the result of disagreements over the size of salary increases the union believed teachers were owed from the so-called McLeary money from the state.

Overall, an estimated 125,000 students in Washington did not start school on time due to strikes across the state. The last strike ended on September 17.  Other districts managed to negotiate agreements for teacher pay raises with union leaders without closing down schools.

Explaining his thinking – In an email to the community (reprinted below) and on his Facebook page, Centralia School Board Director Jami Lund shared his views on the proposed agreement, including specific reasons why he is considering a “No” vote. He also provides an email contact for community members to share their thoughts on the contract prior to the vote.

We want to hear from you 

  • Did your school board member(s) reach out to you directly via email or similar contact to share their views on your district’s proposed contract, prior to their voting “Yes” or “No?
  • How were you provided a meaningful opportunity as a community member to review the proposal, ask questions (with enough time to get a response), give comment or otherwise share your thoughts prior to your school board vote? Were you expected to find the contract proposal (or a summary) on the district website on your own? Was it an item on a meeting agenda? Something else?

Because elected school boards represent “a continuing commitment to local citizen control and decision-making in education” we want to learn more about how school boards communicated with the community about their new teacher contracts prior to voting for or against them (strikes or not). Director Lund’s email is a good example of how one school board member explained his thinking. We’d love to see and share more like it, no matter that school board director’s views.

Let us know in the comments or email us at [email protected]

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Draft union contract is up for a vote of the school board

 

On Wednesday, September 26, the elected school board will consider the teachers’ union contract which was tentatively drafted in the pressure cooker of children being denied the state’s paramount duty.

I am leaning toward voting “no” on the union contract, and I wanted to make sure you hear why in time to let me know your thoughts.I have several objections to the draft proposal.The draft contract is unfair. Only one interest is reflected in the document — that of the highest paid educators (who happen to be the only interest represented in the secret negotiating sessions).

The draft contract is unfair to young teachers. Those who earn the least and who are most likely to be raising a family received increases of between $5,000 and $10,000. A starting teacher with a Master’s degree gets a 12% raise. Highest paid teachers received 24% raises and over $19,000. Some selected teachers get 32% raises. Under the draft, some teachers would literally be paid twice as much as other teachers for the same work expectations.

The draft contract is unfair to our other critical employees who struggle financially. The district finds it difficult to hire bus drivers, but these and other critical classified employees will only be receiving a 5% raise. More is not possible if all discretionary funds are going to give average $13,000 raises to the also-critical educators.

The draft contract is unfair to families. Despite having the resources this year to truly enhance the services families receive, services would actually decline with the draft proposal. Previously, teachers’ enhanced pay assured that nine days’ worth of professional improvement and professional responsibility would be accomplished. The new contract only requires six additional days’ service to our great cause. Class sizes remain unchanged, the calendar of student learning is unchanged, and supplemental services for students falling behind are unchanged.

The draft contract is unfair to taxpayers. The voter-approved levy funds are for a wide range of services. School levies assure things like electives, supplemental education for students falling behind, sports programs, extra staff to help monitor students, building maintenance and other services. The proposal would spend millions to add to the state-provided salary. These funds would come from our finite voter-approved levies –- levies which will be reduced significantly in 2019.

The draft contract is financially irresponsible. The state provided 15% more for teacher salaries raising them from $55,705 to $65,216. The proposal lifts average salary to $73,902. The price tag of adding another $8,686 to the state money for all wages is $1.8 million in the first year. The district would need to spend our savings account to cover payroll in a year when we have a multi-million dollar high school remodel with all of its uncertainty.

Finally, the draft contract is illegal. State law in RCW 28A.400.200 prohibits the use of levies for general teacher salary starting September 1, 2019. The only allowed wage enhancements are for documented responsibilities, duties, or time. In violation of the law, the proposal explicitly gives additional pay for no documented time or tasks, yet it cannot possibly be funded without the use of the levy.

I know that educators are the most important part of getting students ready for life, and I want to demonstrate that value with salary improvements. I do not believe this contract represents the best interest of the whole community. As much as I might want to give teachers a 32% raise, I also want to look after the needs of the younger teachers, give raises to classified staff, expand the services to families, and keep the state’s promise to taxpayers.

The Centralia School District Board of Directors is your voice in this process of setting priorities for the education services the district provides. Our chance to reflect your intentions will be Wednesday evening.

Let us know if you have thoughts about the upcoming vote on the draft contract by emailing [email protected] or come to speak at Wednesday’s school board meeting. If the board is inclined, we can go back to the bargaining table and try to get a deal which reflects all values.

If you are into charts and graphs, I’ve put a couple below. I would be happy to document anything or to provide more information.

Jami Lund
Follow on Facebook here.

Tacoma lawmakers weigh in on teacher strike, funding formulas

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Here’s a letter sent yesterday (Sept. 10) to the superintendent of Tacoma School District from Tacoma area legislators addressing the teacher strike there.
From the letter: “We recognize that the funding formula agreed upon in 2017 disproportionately affected Tacoma Public Schools and a few other districts. We aim to fix these inequities in the 2019 legislative session because we want to keep salaries competitive to attract and retain great teachers and staff.”

Today is the fourth day schools in Tacoma have been closed.