Effecting Change at School and District Levels

Effecting Change at School and District Levels

In order to effect change in my school, I collaborate with other Science teachers. In fact, according to the National Center for Research in Vocational Education at the University of California at Berkeley, “most of the current major educational reforms call for extensive, meaningful teacher collaboration.” (University of California at Berkeley, 1993) The science teachers at my school meet three days each week. As Department Chair, I encourage the sharing of information acquired at workshops and other science-related events so that all students can benefit from this knowledge.

I have faced several challenges. Some of the new teachers have become overwhelmed and some of the veteran teachers are uninterested. The new teachers are relieved, however, to learn that the veteran teachers have similar first year stories. In addition, I have asked veteran teachers to share their best classroom strategies for classroom management, which seems to be the major hurdle to cross. It is important to know what works so that each teacher can replicate that in the classroom. It is just as important to know what has not worked, so that modifications can be made that will allow for success in the future.

Collaboration allows teachers to talk about topics in the curriculum. Teachers can also discuss behavior and attitudes as well. I work in a middle school that educates seventh and eighth grade students. Most of the teachers in my department and in my school are first year teachers. In addition to having the challenge of being a first year teacher, it is extremely important for teachers to understand the middle school child.

Although my school has limited resources, the information, especially information regarding Internet resources, has been phenomenal. Schools and teachers benefit in many ways when teachers work together. In fact, a “growing body of evidence suggests a positive relationship between teacher collaboration and student achievement.” (McClure, 2008) In addition to assisting teachers in providing high-quality science instruction, collaboration also leads to teacher retention and teacher satisfaction.

References
Teacher Collaboration in Secondary Schools. (1993, December) Center Focus. Retrieved from http://vocserve.berkeley.edu/centerfocus/CF2.html
McClure, Carla. The Benefits of Teacher Collaboration. (2008, September) District Administration. Retrieved from http://www.districtadministration.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1682

Keeping Up With Global Competition

I agree with the spirit of the article, “What’s our Sputnik?”, by T. L. Friedman. The space race definitely grabbed our attention and held our attention for many years. As a result of our ingenuity, our country was the first to land a person on the moon successfully. Since then, our accomplishments have paled in comparison. Although we live in a highly technological society, many of the computers, cars, and appliances we use are made in other countries. In addition to money pouring out of the country because of our technology purchases, a high percentage of our Federal budget is allocated to war spending. I saw the attached political cartoon a few weeks ago. It is sad but true that far too much of our monetary resources are being spent on war. Yes, waste needs to be removed from the Federal budget. However, unfortunately, the proposals cut too deeply into education. The kicker is, it is only via an educated society that we will have our Sputnik.

Another cartoon also caught my eye a few weeks ago. In this cartoon, penguins are standing on a diminishing iceberg with the pollution from a factory wafting into the air in the background. Our Earth is suffering from the consequences of centuries of industrialization. Something has to be done.

At a local level, STEM education should be a priority in the schools. In order to have our Sputnik, students must be highly educated in science, technology, engineering, and math. Unfortunately, this is not the case. According to the White House Blog, “American 15-year-olds ranked 21st in science and 25th in math compared to other countries.” Other countries are making education a priority. In order to remain competitive, we should do the same.

At the state level, education should be a protected budgetary item. Everyone in a society benefits from a well-educated society. As crime is increasing in many areas, it is clear to see that we all have a better life if we are not surrounded by poorly educated people that do not have the potential for gainful employment. For the third year in a row, Maryland public schools have been ranked number one by Education Week, a leading education newspaper. We were also ranked number one by the College Board for AP performance. Teachers in Maryland are being thanked for this great accomplishment by facing steep budget cuts, which will decimate the high-quality programs that we have. A rally is planned at the state capital next week against proposed education funding budget cuts. I will be there to make sure that my voice is heard.

President Kennedy made a declaration that we should land a man on the moon before the Soviets. Our president should point the country in the right direction with a declaration and financial backing. I think we need a new event to spark attention and commitment to science education reform to bring it back to the forefront of global competition. What could be our Sputnik? I think it could be the perfection of nuclear fusion that could provide a feasible, clean energy source for the 21st century and beyond. Something that would leave the need for fossil fuels obsolete. Free and clean energy in buildings, and converters for free and clean energy in vehicles. A source of energy that would not only allow us to save our planet, but that would also make it possible for us to allow humans to travel past the moon…to other planets, and other worlds.

References
Friedman, T. L. (2010, January 17). What’s our sputnik? [Op-Ed]. The New York Times [Late Edition (East Coast)], p. WK.8.
Changing the Equation in STEM Education. The White House Blog. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/09/16/changing-equation-stem-education
Welcome to MSDE. Maryland State Department of Education. Retrieved from http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE