In Case You Missed It – Apr 27, 2020

Here are links to last week's articles receiving the most attention in NEIFPE's social media. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.

Be sure to enter your email address in the Follow Us By Email box in the right-hand column to be informed when our blog posts are published.

CHARTERS TAKE MONEY AND FAIL -- THIS TIME IN TEXAS

Texas: Charter Schools Grow Rapidly Despite Inferior Performance Compared to Public Schools

Diane Ravitch reports on yet another report showing that charter schools do no better than public schools, and often do worse, while taking unaccountable funds away from the public system.

For an analysis of the Gumbert report see Charter Expansion Grants – Funding Some of the Lowest Performing Schools in Texas.

From Diane Ravitch

William Gumbert prepared a graphic portrayal of the dramatic growth of privately managed charter schools in Texas.

Two facts stand out from his presentation:

1) Charter schools are diverting billions of dollars from the state’s underfunded public schools.

2) Public schools perform better than charter schools.

Public officials are turning public money over to entrepreneurs at a furious pace without regard to the results.

Charter schools this year will take more than $3 Billion away from the state’s public schools, despite the poor performance of the charter schools. Since their inception, charters have diverted more than $23 Billion from the state’s public schools.

Public schools in Texas are underfunded and have been underfunded since 2011, when the state legislature recklessly cut $5.4 Billion from the schools’ budget. That cut was never fully restored.

Diverting money to charter schools adds more damage to the public schools that continue to enroll the vast majority of students in the state.

FW AREA SCHOOLS STEP UP...AGAIN

School systems and individual schools surrounding Fort Wayne, are providing food and supplies to the community.

Supplies from empty EACS elementary classrooms donated to healthcare workers

From WANE.com

Unused sanitary supplies from two East Allen Coutny Schools elementary schools will go to benefit Parkview and Heritage Pointe healthcare workers.

Cartfuls of Lysol wipes and bottles of hand sanitizer donated to elementary school classrooms at the beginning of the school year will finish out the semester helping healthcare workers after a one Leo employee was inspired by a Facebook post.

Schools stepping up to feed students

A free article from the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette**

Fort Wayne Community Schools – which offers meals to all children, regardless of the school they attend – generally has served about 5,000 to 6,000 children a day, but demand jumped Monday and Tuesday to about 6,700 to 6,800 students fed, spokeswoman Krista Stockman said. She noted weather can affect turnout...

East Allen County Schools – which provides meals weekly, also to any child in the community – distributed 25,000 breakfasts, 25,000 lunches and 50,000 milk cartons for 5,000 students this week, spokeswoman Tamyra Kelly said...

Southwest Allen County Schools had served a total of 21,533 meals to students as of Wednesday, said Brant Brown, food service director.

DEVOS: STILL HATING PUBLIC SCHOOLS

NAEP Scores Drop in History, Civics: DeVos Blames Public Schools, Not NCLB, RTTT, ESSA, CCSS

As Diane Ravitch has explained many times, the NAEP Proficient level is not the equivalent to grade level achievement. In her book Reign of Error (p. 47 ff), Ravitch wrote, "...a student who is 'proficient' earns a solid A and not less than a B+...'basic' is probably a B or a C student."

The latest scores on the NAEP discussed in this essay have, in nearly all categories, between two-thirds and three-fourths of the students scoring above Basic.

We also know that students who live in poverty score lower than students who have higher incomes, and the latest scores, like the scores in past years and, indeed, the scores from all standardized tests, reflect a low average score because of the high number of low income students in the US.

The problems that cause the apparent low achievement of American students are not poor schools, teachers, or students. The causes are the misunderstanding of test scores, and the high levels of child poverty in the US.

From Diane Ravitch

The National Center for Education Statistics released NAEP scores in history and geography, which declined, and in civics, which were flat.

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos went into her customary rant against public schools, but the real culprit is a failed federal policy of high-stakes testing narrowly focused on reading and math. If DeVos were able to produce data to demonstrate that scores on the same tests were rising for the same demographic groups in charter schools and voucher schools, she might be able to make an intelligent point, but all she has is her ideological hatred of public schools.

After nearly 20 years of federal policies of high-stakes testing, punitive accountability, and federal funding of school choice, the results are in. The “reforms” mandated by No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top, the Every Student Succeeds Act, as well as the federally-endorsed (Gates-funded) Common Core, have had no benefit for American students.

Enough!

MA GOVERNOR WANTS KIDS BACK TO TAKE THE BIG TEST

MA: Governor Offers Terrible Reason To Re-open Schools

From Curmudgucation

Well, of all the stupid reasons to re-open schools before summer comes, this offering from Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has to be among the worst:

One reason Baker said he wants to see schools reopen before the end of the school year would be so students could take tests to determine how far behind they fell due to the pandemic.

Baker has been an ed reformster since he was elected in 2014, complete with ties to the charter industry and threw his own weight behind the ill-fated, dark-money-financed initiative to raise the charter cap.

So it's not exactly a shock to find him advocating for this idea, which is, I should repeat, really dumb.

DIGITAL DIVIDE MUST BE SOLVED

‘Just as important as I-69 being paved’: McCormick calls on state, not schools, to solve internet access gaps

When schools move online some students are left behind.

From Chalkbeat*

With some Indiana students continuing to do schoolwork on paper while their classmates take part in video conferences with teachers, State Superintendent Jennifer McCormick says the state must make critical investments to ensure all families have internet access.

“This infrastructure is just as important as I-69 being paved,” McCormick said Tuesday in a livestreamed address to the media. “We need to make sure that all citizens have access to the internet. … It’s crippling if as a state we don’t take care of it.”

Without any comprehensive statewide effort to get all students online during the coronavirus crisis, districts have largely been tasked with filling the gaps when it comes to computers and home internet access.

IT WILL TAKE TIME TO RETURN TO NORMAL

Even after Indiana schools reopen, it could take time to get back to normal, McCormick says

From Chalkbeat*

McCormick is advising schools to plan on summer school programs continuing online. All Indiana schools are closed for the rest of the school year under a statewide order, and Hoosiers are under a stay-at-home order through May 1. Gov. Eric Holcomb has indicated that parts of the state’s economy could slowly start to reopen next month.

“We want to be good partners in getting our economy and our businesses back going, but schools [are] a big piece of that wheel to turn,” McCormick said.

LET CHILDREN DIE TO RESTART ECONOMY

You Can’t Have My Students’ Lives to Restart Your Economy

"I'm willing to sacrifice the lives of some of my students for the benefit of the economy," said no teacher...ever.

From Gadfly on the Wall Blog

It’s okay if a few children die to start up the economy.

That is literally the opinion being offered by media influencers and policymakers as Coronavirus social distancing efforts continue passed the 30-day mark...

Yet there is a concerted effort by the Trump Administration and plutocrats everywhere to get business back up and running. And to do that, they need the schools to reopen so parents can return to work.

They literally want to reopen schools as soon as possible – even if it isn’t 100% safe.

And if that means students, teachers and parents die, at least their sacrifices will have been worth it.

“Schools are a very appetizing opportunity,” said Dr. Mehmet Oz as a guest on Fox News’ Sean Hannity show.

*Note: Financial sponsors of Chalkbeat include pro-privatization foundations and individuals such as EdChoice, Gates Family Foundation, The Walton Family Foundation, and others.

**Note: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette has changed its online access and is now behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both, are available with a subscription. Staying informed is important, and one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information go to fortwayne.com/subscriptions/

###

Election prep

NEIFPE member Lucy Hess wrote this op-ed for the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette on behalf of the League of Women Voters.

League of Women Voters offers look at candidates in their own words ...

by Lucy Hess

Although the primary election has been delayed by COVID-19, your vote is important and counts. Make your voice heard.

The primary is where voters select the candidates who will be on the ballot in November. Many offices have two or more people running. This is your opportunity to determine who will be the candidate who best fits your concerns, values and issues.

To help voters facilitate information about the candidates, the League of Women Voters is sponsoring VOTE411.org. This site has questions and answers from the candidates concerning issues facing our community. The questions were designed to be thought provoking and open. One of the candidates who filled out the survey shared with us, “The intent of the survey is to provide members with information that matters.”

We invited all candidates to participate, asking them to have their responses back by early April. All responses were entered directly by each candidate into the national nonpartisan website maintained by the League of Women Voters Education Fund. Neither the national nor the Fort Wayne League edited any of the information entered by the candidates.

Read the rest at journalgazette.net/opinion/columns/20200420/election-prep**

**Note: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette has changed its online access and is now behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both, are available with a subscription. Staying informed is important, and one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information go to fortwayne.com/subscriptions/

🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

In Case You Missed It – Apr 20, 2020

Here are links to last week's articles receiving the most attention in NEIFPE's social media. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.

Be sure to enter your email address in the Follow Us By Email box in the right-hand column to be informed when our blog posts are published.

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK

U.S. Department of Education Awards First Round of 2020 Grants in Federal Charter Schools Program

The US Education Department just gave away $65 million in new grants.

From Jan Resseger

The Charter Schools Program grants awarded last week are for Charter Management Organizations to “replicate and expand high-quality charter schools.” There are, of course, a lot of questions about the definition of high quality—questions about hidden screens used by various charter schools to accept the students most likely to fit the school’s expectations, the school’s curriculum, the pedagogical style, the student discipline practices and, of course, the financial practices and management of particular charter chains.

BEWARE PRIVATIZATION

Nancy Bailey: Beware the Vultures!

Privatizers are ready to take over public schools.

From Diane Ravitch

There’s a movement underfoot to end the way children learn. Look carefully at who says “we need to reimagine” or “this is the time to reassess” schools. These can be signals from those who’ve led the charge to dismantle public schools for years. Like vultures, they’re scheming how to use this pandemic to put the final stamp of success on their privatization agenda.

STUDENT TEACHERS MISS END OF SCHOOL

Indiana student teachers were ‘getting their feet under them.’ Then coronavirus hit.

Students are learning from home and teachers are teaching using the internet...but what will happen to student teachers who weren't able to finish their school year?

From Chalkbeat*

Student teachers’ last opportunity to practice leading a class was either cut short or switched to e-learning, where their interactions with students are limited and some projects they had planned are impossible. Meanwhile, coronavirus closures have complicated their path to earning a teaching license and finding a job for the fall — fallout that some worried would worsen the state’s teacher shortage.

“We can’t forget we are in the middle of a huge teacher shortage,” said Angela Mager, the assistant dean of Butler University’s College of Education. “We still need great educators entering the profession, and so getting these highly qualified educators in the field is going to be imperative.”

SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN LIMBO

What happens if coronavirus closures extend into the fall? Indiana schools are already preparing.

How are schools supposed to plan for next year with the possibility of a continuing pandemic?

From Chalkbeat*

When Fort Wayne Schools staffers met with the county health commissioner on March 4, they were told campuses could be forced to close for as long as 28 days to help contain the spread of coronavirus.

“The whole room was aghast at what that would mean for the community,” said Krista Stockman, spokeswoman for the district. But a month later, after statewide school closures were extended for the rest of the academic year and as the pandemic continues to spread in Indiana, she said educators have started grappling with the fact that closures may last much longer.

“We could have a second wave in the fall,” Stockman said. “This could just keep going on, and we may not start in the fall.”

*Note: Financial sponsors of Chalkbeat include pro-privatization foundations and individuals such as EdChoice, Gates Family Foundation, The Walton Family Foundation, and others.

###

NEIFPE Endorsement: Kyle Miller for District 81 State Representative

Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education proudly endorses Kyle Miller, Democrat, for State Representative District 81.

A friend of public education, Kyle will advocate for public schools, their teachers, their students, and their communities. He supports:

• Fully funding public schools

• Eliminating high stakes testing and finding better options to monitor student achievement and to evaluate teachers and schools

• Holding private and parochial schools to the same rules of accountability for tax dollars as public schools

• Paying teachers a livable, professional wage

Born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Kyle Miller understands the issues many Fort Wayne residents face and will fight for his constituents when elected as State Representative for District 81.

In Case You Missed It – Apr 13, 2020

Here are links to last week's articles receiving the most attention in NEIFPE's social media. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.

Be sure to enter your email address in the Follow Us By Email box in the right-hand column to be informed when our blog posts are published.

NO PUBLIC EDUCATION EXPERIENCE

This Is Why You Need A Secretary of Education With Classroom Experience

Secretary of Education DeVos once again shows her disrespect for public schools and teachers.

From Curmudgucation

Betsy DeVos has been pretty much no help at all during the pandemic closing of schools. The US Department of Education has offered next to no guidance to public schools on how best to navigate the current storm.

Imagine a country where, in the face of a major disruptive health crisis that cuts across all communities, the federal department of education says, "We've got some stuff figured out and some resources to share. Let us know what we can do to help you get through this." That might be cool.

But it's not where we are. Mostly DeVos has seemed anxious to capitalize on the crisis by pushing online schooling. This has led to some unclear directives that seem to boil down to, "Get that education stuff on line, and if you have to leave behind some students to do it, oh well." DeVos also smells a chance to launch another kind of national voucher program.

WORLD BANK SWITCHES SIDES

World Bank Changes Policy on For-Profit Privatized Schools

From Diane Ravitch

Thanks in large part to the work of Education International, a world confederation of teachers’ unions, the World Bank has changed its policy.

In a sudden and far-reaching policy shift, World Bank President David Malpass has agreed to major reforms that include officially freezing any direct or indirect investments in private for-profit pre-primary, primary and secondary schools. This has been a critical issue for Education International for many years and has been the key focus of our interactions with the Bank.

CHARTERS ARE SMALL BUSINESSES, NOT PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Outrage: Charters Pursue Federal Small Business Funds

From Diane Ravitch

The charter lobby wants a slice of the $2 trillion intended to save small businesses even though the charters have suffered no loss of funding during the pandemic.

IPS GIVES AWAY MORE SCHOOLS

Indianapolis ‘restart’ schools try to build trust and hire teachers — from a distance

Hopefully there will come a day when IPS quits wasting the community’s tax dollars on “middlemen” to run their schools.

From Chalkbeat*

Next academic year, Adelante Schools will take over Emma Donnan Elementary and Middle School, and Phalen Leadership Academies, an established Indianapolis charter network, will take over School 48. All three operators were approved at a March board meeting, igniting criticism from some people who said the decision should not have been made during the crisis.

The campuses will still be considered part of IPS, which will get credit for their enrollment numbers and test scores. But the staff will be employed by the charter operators, and the teachers won’t be represented by the district union.

The coronavirus and the school closures it triggered could be roadblocks to overhauling struggling Indianapolis campuses because building trust with the community and families can be crucial to the success of turnaround efforts.

SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED. REFORMER WANTS TO TEST THE KIDS

More Pandemic Prompted Reformster Baloney

This Teach for America alumnus thinks that when our schools open again we should greet them with tests.

From Curmudgucation

If there has ever been a moment to drop the fiction that "test score" and "student learning" are synonyms, now is the time. (Okay, every single moment has been a moment to do this, but now is especially urgent.)

As the response to the pandemic blows holes in the standard school year, our focus must be bolstering actual education and not test scores. Get out your copy of Koretz's The Testing Charade and remind yourself that the Big Standardized Test does not deserve this kind of attention or regard. It's junk, and it is wasting valuable time.

EVALUATE TEACHERS DURING A PANDEMIC?

Indiana officials mull how to evaluate 78,000 teachers as coronavirus shutters schools

Teachers are working hard right now trying to deal with a situation they did not create, yet the state is foolishly wasting time trying to figure out an evaluation process.

From Chalkbeat*

The Indiana State Teachers Association is calling on the state to waive this year’s evaluation requirements and rate all teachers as effective so they can receive raises and the state grant. Improvement plans could be tabled until schools reopen, said ISTA president Keith Gambill.

“The focus now should be on students, rather than on creating portfolios of work, scheduling online observations and measuring teacher adherence to goals and standards,” Gambill said in an email statement. “Given that nearly a third of the teaching year has been disrupted, it’s hard to imagine how any annual review process would be meaningful to anyone or serve as a fair basis for high-stakes decisions.”

RETAIN KIDS AFTER THE PANDEMIC?

Should We Just Hold Students Back Next Year?

Research has shown that retention is rarely helpful and often damaging to children.

From Peter Greene on Forbes

Petrilli correctly notes that the “first order of business” will be to focus on the social, emotional and mental health needs of students, as well as smooth their transition back to school routines. But he also proposes high-quality diagnostic tests to determine if students are ready to move on to the next grade. Under his proposal, students would be greeted with, “You have to take a test on material from seven months ago. It’s going to decide whether you pass or fail.”

That’s a tremendous amount of pressure to place on a child. Yes, one can rationally describe this as testing to assess what the child needs. But the child will still hear, “Pass this test or you have to repeat the same grade as last year.” And if they do fail, what a sad, discouraging way to return to school in an already stressful and difficult year.

Based on the testing results, Petrilli suggests grouping and tutoring, with regular tutoring with specialists to bring those furthest behind up to speed. Though Petrilli says this would make the experience different from just “repeating the grade,” what he describes is pretty much exactly what Title I schools (and many others) already do. Thus, it would actually be pretty much “repeating a grade,” which he acknowledges has been shown to have few benefits.

THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

Wired for learning: Schools' closure lays bare long-simmering concerns of 'digital divide'

Computers are simply a tool. The foundation for learning requires more.

A free article from the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette**

“College-educated white-collar parents who can telework are home with their kids and can provide individualized instruction. ... They also have access to reliable high-speed Internet if and when districts are able to ramp up instruction from a distance in the coming weeks. They also have comfortable housing in which this education can occur. ... Parents who have to leave home to work, by contrast, will need to patch together ad hoc child care that may change day-to-day. ... Their only Internet access might be a cell phone. They're more likely to live in an underfunded school district that lacks the resources to manage an abrupt, never-before-tried emergency transition to distance education.”

Wendy Robinson, superintendent of Fort Wayne Community Schools, leads one of those underfunded school districts and is painfully aware of the educational disparities laid bare by the pandemic. Sending computers home with 30,000 students or expecting them to have online access isn't a simple matter.

*Note: Financial sponsors of Chalkbeat include pro-privatization foundations and individuals such as EdChoice, Gates Family Foundation, The Walton Family Foundation, and others.

**Note: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette has changed its online access and is now behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both, are available with a subscription. Staying informed is important, and one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information go to fortwayne.com/subscriptions/

###

In Case You Missed It – Apr 6, 2020

Here are links to last week's articles receiving the most attention in NEIFPE's social media. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.

Be sure to enter your email address in the Follow Us By Email box in the right-hand column to be informed when our blog posts are published.

ARE CHARTERS PUBLIC SCHOOLS OR SMALL BUSINESSES?

Carol Burris: Charter Schools Ask for Federal Money Though They Suffered No Loss

From Diane Ravitch

Charters claim to be “public schools” when that’s where the money is. But when the money is available for small businesses, they claim to be small businesses. Public schools aren’t eligible for the federal money. But charter schools are.

Public schools are not small businesses. Charters just defined themselves: Not public schools. Small businesses.

NEIFPE ENDORSEMENT

NEIFPE Endorsement: John Stoffel for District 50 State Representative

From NEIFPE

Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education proudly endorses John Stoffel, Republican, for State Representative for District 50.

Since NEIFPE’s inception, John Stoffel has been a friend and fellow advocate of ours. John’s leadership in the fight for public education continues as he battles for a seat in the Statehouse.

"WE'RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY," SAID NO TEACHER EVER

Of Pandemics And Teacher Motivation

From Curmudgucation

Remember that time that schools were shut down because of a pandemic, and all the teachers said, "Yippee! Extra vacation! I am out of here" and all jumped in their Porches and drove to their beach homes?

Yeah, neither do I.

Here's what I'll remember. Teacher after teacher, from the ones in my Twitter feeds to the ones in my email to the ones that I know personally, sharing how miserable and worried they are, how they can't sleep for worrying about their students. Teacher after teacher frustrated about a lack of clear direction and leadership-- can we work? how can we work? what resources are we going to be given, or do we just have to hunt down the right tech ourselves?

...If you think the only reason anyone ever does anything is to get paid, then I am sad for you. But keep your sad hands off education policy. When this storm has passed, sit down, shut up, and let the teachers work.

INDIANA PLAN FOR THE REST OF THE 2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR

Verbatim: Gov. Holcomb, Superintendent McCormick Outline Education Changes for the Remaining School Year

A free article from the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette**

“Students are the future of our state and teachers are the heart of our schools,” Gov. Holcomb said. “While COVID-19 is impacting every classroom, our teachers, administrators, school board members and school staff are going to extraordinary levels to deliver quality learning to students all across our state, even while school buildings are closed. We'll continue to do everything we can to empower educators and parents, while protecting students' health.”

WANT STABILITY? CHOOSE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Two brothers to care for. Little classwork. SAT worries. For this 16-year-old, days now feel like weeks

Chalkbeat ignores the bigger headline- Students/Parents/Taxpayers Cannot Depend on Charter Schools

From Chalkbeat*

For so many students who already struggled to manage the many stresses in their lives — whether due to poverty, community violence, or caregiving responsibilities — school is the glue helping to hold it all together. Now, as school buildings across the country shut down, students and families like Sarah’s are forced to go without the layers of structure and support that schools provide, making existing inequities even more pronounced.

In Chicago, students’ uneven access to the internet and computers means the school district has been slow to transition to remote learning. Officials say they will formally launch their plan in mid-April, which includes distributing devices and offering both paper and digital assignments. Charter schools like Sarah’s are making their own decisions, though the state now says schools must offer digital or other remote instruction.

STANDARDS FOR NEW HOME SCHOOLING PARENTS

WE, THE HARD-WORKING, NEWLY HOMESCHOOLING PARENTS OF AMERICA, HAVE REWRITTEN THE COMMON CORE STANDARDS

From McSweeneys

Domain 1: Snack Time
GRADES K-5
1-A. Students will learn not to ask for a snack every five minutes, or in the thirty minutes directly following a full meal.

1-B. Students will learn the elements of a healthy snack, and in particular, that consuming one’s body weight in goldfish crackers is not a healthy choice.

GRADES 6-8
2-A. Students will learn to get their own damned snacks.

2-B. Students will learn that consuming every edible item in this house within the first day of home confinement is not compatible with sustaining life in this house.

GRADES 9-12
3-A. Students will learn to make a mean bowl of Rice Krispies.

3-B. Students will learn that you cannot cook a hot dog in a toaster.

3-C. Students will learn to hunt and process squirrels for food.

Domain 2: Screen Time
GRADES K-5
1-A. Students will learn that screen time is the only time during the blessed day when the grown-ups caring for them can get some peace.

1-B. Students will learn to solve computer problems on their own, rather than yelling for a grown-up. This is called “inquiry-based learning.”

QUESTIONS FOR INDIANA STUDENTS

How Indiana high schools are trying to keep students on track to graduate amid coronavirus closures

From Chalkbeat*

Schools in Indiana are closed through at least May 1 in response to the novel coronavirus, which raises concern about all students’ academic progress. But it creates a significant complication for high school juniors and seniors, who need to meet a strict set of requirements in order to graduate.

QUICK...NAME A SECRETARY OF EDUCATION WHO USED TO BE A TEACHER...

Where Is Teaching's Dr. Fauci?

From Curmudgucation

...teachers have always been boxed out of all leadership positions. Which sucks, and explains a lot, and not just the last thirty-five years of reformster baloney.

Other professions are in charge of their own professions. They're in charge of their training; you can't hand out medical degrees unless you're certified by a bunch of doctors. Ditto for training lawyers or nurses or physical therapists. But any college that wants to start cranking out teachers just has to satisfy some bureaucrats at the state capitol. And these days, you can even set up an "alternative pathway" to teaching and all you need to do is convince some lawmakers to let you do it.

Training for the profession? Done by other members of the profession. Entrance to the profession? Lawyers and doctors and physical therapists have to convince other members of the profession to certify them. But teacher schools include many professors who wouldn't last five minutes in a real K-12 classroom, and the gatekeepers of the profession include folks like the notably non-teacher folk running the bogus edTPA test.

TEACHERS RISE TO THE OCCASION

Teachers staying creative to bond with students

A free article from the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette**

The closure has highlighted the power of the bond between teachers and students, who normally spend seven hours a day together, said Emily Oberlin, director of New Tech Academy at Wayne High School. Suddenly, she said, that consistent structure has disappeared.

“In our case at New Tech Academy, our students have been seeking connection with us because the closure has placed a void of those adults they interact with every day,” Oberlin said by email.

New Tech Academy has held Zoom meetings – video conferences – with staff and students to connect with each other, she said.

“I believe we as educators have the ability to really help our students get through this time,” Oberlin said.

*Note: Financial sponsors of Chalkbeat include pro-privatization foundations and individuals such as EdChoice, Gates Family Foundation, The Walton Family Foundation, and others.

**Note: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette has changed its online access and is now behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both, are available with a subscription. Staying informed is important, and one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information go to fortwayne.com/subscriptions/

###

NEIFPE Endorsement: John Stoffel for District 50 State Representative

Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education proudly endorses John Stoffel, Republican, for State Representative for District 50.

Since NEIFPE’s inception, John Stoffel has been a friend and fellow advocate of ours. John’s leadership in the fight for public education continues as he battles for a seat in the Statehouse.

John is an educator as well an advocate. He has taught in Huntington Community Schools since 1999. He comes from a civic-minded family that includes teachers, police officers, small business owners, and farmers.

We know that John will be a true representative of his constituents. Because John is genuine and caring, we know he will listen to their concerns. He will continue his advocacy for public schools and do what is best for our children, our teachers, and our community.

Stoffel for State Rep