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THE INSPIRATION OF GREAT TEACHERS

11 Jun

Notes from the Field
Submitted on June 11, 2012 by Frank Murphy

Almost everyday, some bad news story concerning the School District of Philadelphia seems to be in the newspaper. Budget shortfalls, school closures and employee layoffs are commonplace events. The education of our city’s children has become a political football. It seems that nearly every person with some kind of power or title in our city and state wants to give a good kick to Philadelphia’s schools.

Everyone these days, powerful or not, proclaims to be an expert with their own ideas on how our schools should operate. They say our schools are “broken”. Are they really or have schools become the convenient scapegoats for our society’s unwillingness to take responsibility for all of its citizens? For all of these experts’ criticisms, none of them show any willingness to provide the resources necessary to fully support our public schools. What a depressing state of affairs this all has become.

Amidst this political bickering and acrimony, our schools are indeed taking quite a beating. But despite this sorry situation, there is cause for hope. Teachers, those inspirational people who do the real work of educating our children, haven’t surrendered to the chaos that threatens to overwhelm our school district.

Teachers continue to walk into their classrooms every day and help their children to learn and grow. They know how to plant the seeds of wonder and excitement in their children’s minds. They lovingly tend to their students’ needs, cultivating their development so that the habits of critical thinking and communication can take root.

Educators draw inspiration for their work from other great educators. Our role models aren’t famous business people, billionaires or ambitious politicians. We admire people who have both the commitment and skill to help children find the power of their potential.

It’s been another long and stressful school year. Thank you to all of the great teachers of our city who make our schools a good place for our children to learn and grow. And as you deal with the final details of closing out another year, take a moment to reflect on why you have chosen to be a teacher.

Here is a great song to listen to as you renew your resolve. It is a musical compilation of the words of Fred Rogers, a revered and truly inspirational teacher.

 

Universal Shame

05 Jun

Notes from the Field

Submitted by Frank Murphy on June 5, 2011

If you haven’t seen Benjamin Herold’s recent post at the Notebook.org, you should take the time to read it.  Ben is doing an excellent job of investigative reporting concerning the operations of the School District of Philadelphia.

Here is a slightly revised comment that I posted on the Notebook blog in response to his article.

According to Chief Academic Officer Penny Nixon, “We lack the appropriate funding to provide our students with the education they deserve.”  In practice, this means most schools have no full time nurses, fewer counselors and greatly reduced support staff (noon time aides, school police officers, school climate aides, etc.).  In addition, music, art and extra-curricular activities are being reduced or eliminated.  This is a sorry state of affairs for our public school children.

The situation however is much better at the Universal Family of Schools. They have already managed to operate their publically-owned school buildings by using custodial and maintenance workers who are employed by the School District of Philadelphia.  This has cost the District $1.8 million of scarce public funds.  Universal also occupies these facilities rent-free.  They are doing well in these poor economic times.  Now they have taken possession of yet another public school, Creighton Elementary School.

They acknowledged this latest acquisition with the following statement;  “We are excited and look forward to educating the children in a loving, holistic and nurturing environment, which we embody as the Universal Way.”

The “Universal Way” isn’t a very inclusive approach to dealing with the needs of the majority of Philadelphia’s school children.  The agreements which this charter management organization continue to strike with the managers of the School District of Philadelphia, have been beneficial to their financial bottom line.  They prosper at the expense of the majority of our public schools.

And they call this school reform?   I call it shameful!

 

 

 

 

Community-led meeting on District overhaul plans

21 May

Notes from the Field

Submitted by Ray Murphy on May 21, 2012

Dear friend,

All of us want Philadelphia to be vibrant. Which is why the current debate over Philadelphia’s schools is so important to Bread & Roses Community Fund stakeholders. But it’s not easy keeping up with all of the details.

Here is a quick summary of what’s going on:

Next week, the School Reform Commission (SRC) will vote on a budget for the School District of Philadelphia which will include a $218 million deficit.1

The School District has made some questionable spending choices in the past. But this year’s multimillion dollar budget gap is largely due to cuts at the state level. And Governor Corbett has proposed even more cuts in education spending, while increasing funds for prisons.

In the midst of this budget crisis, a few weeks ago, the SRC announced a plan to:2

  • increase enrollment at charter schools to 40%
  • close 64 schools in the next five years
  • divide the remaining schools into independent networks to be run by private operators

This plan will not necessarily save the school district money. Nor does it address the lack of equity in public school funding. And it may cost teachers and other school staff their jobs.3 Read the rest of this entry »

 

“Grow Up and Deal With It”

26 Apr

Notes from the Field

Submitted by Frank Murphy on April 26, 2012

It has taken me a few days to process the latest radical plan offered for reforming the Philadelphia School District.  This is essentially a blueprint for the dissolution of the district.  At first I didn’t even want to think about this proposal.  The notion that the entire district is broken and needs to be tossed out and then reinvented represents a new low in the language of school reform demagoguery.  This commentary written by Helen Gym started to stir me out of my funk.  But it wasn’t until another respected Philadelphia activist asked me what I thought of this newest plan that I started to put my thoughts to paper.

On one level, the idea of creating autonomous networks of schools that share a common mission and purpose sounds like an exciting idea.  If I were an active principal I would consider reaching out to other school leaders that I respect in order to develop a plan. Read the rest of this entry »

 

My Teacher Doesn’t Let Us Talk

09 Apr

Teacher Stories

Joy of Teaching, April 9, 2012

 

I often work with students in small groups providing strategies for improving reading.  One of the activities I ask students to complete is a word sort that directs student focus on word features to improve decoding skills.   Part of this activity involves students working together to decide how a group of words can be sorted.  They must reach a conclusion and describe for me their thinking behind the word sort that they created.

Recently, I was observing students during this process, when one of the students shared that she thought this was fun.  I asked her why she thought so and she replied “My teacher doesn’t let us talk!”

It reminded me that, in our classroom lives of school reform, so many important things have been pushed out of daily instruction.  As adults we can surely recognize the importance of communication in our lives.  We become successful through communicating with peers, employers and partners.  Without good communication skills, we are usually unable to reach our best potential.

So why is that we forget to let our students do the talking.  I learn so much about my students and their thinking through their impromptu conversations.  Children develop language skills by using language.  Yet, quiet classrooms are often perceived as ‘good’ classrooms.  Noisy classrooms are perceived as ‘unruly’. A really productive classroom is a combination of both.

Teachers who direct students on a task and then allow them to work together to complete the task expect to hear a productive level of conversation.  Sure, students get off task, but that is the teacher’s job to redirect the students.  A teacher should monitor conversation, guide and engage in the conversations.  Most importantly, the teacher should listen to the conversations.  I actually learn from my students when I am part of the process.  Students demonstrate their higher order thinking skills through language.  My instruction is often guided by this enjoyable opportunity.

I hope we can all find the time in our busy instructional days to allow our students the opportunity to enrich their language development through the art of conversation.  In my classes, we will continue to talk, talk, talk!  After all, the skill of communication will largely determine a student’s success, now and in the future.

 

 

 

Students First and Jim Roebuck

04 Apr

Notes from the Field

Submitted by Frank Murphy on April 4, 2012

During this electoral primary season, I have paid little attention to anything other than the hype surrounding the Republican presidential nomination race. Then last week I read this article in the City Paper that describes a “big money pro voucher group’s” attack on Pennsylvania House Representative James Roebuck. A second article also appearing in the City Paper, detailed additional attacks on Representative Roebuck that were initiated by a mysterious third party group. This group, Public Education Excellence claims Roebuck is responsible for just about everything that is wrong with public education in Philadelphia and in Pennsylvania.

Roebuck has represented the 188th Pennsylvania House District in which I reside since 1985. He is an elected official who has won my respect and support. In my estimation, Roebuck is a government official who is focused on representing the best interests of his constituents. He is a humble, hard working legislator, who for the last 27 years without great fanfare has supported the special interests of the people who elected him to office. Read the rest of this entry »

 

Hope Street…Reviews

30 Mar
Notes from the Field
Submitted by Frank Murphy on March 30, 2012

World Premiere!
Hope Street and Other Lonely Places

By Genne Murphy
Directed by Kevin Glaccum

The Off-Broad Street Theater | at First Baptist Church | 1636 Sansom Street

March 15, 2012 – April 1, 2012

Frankie searches Philadelphia libraries for her long-lost love, Jack snaps photos of the city like love letters for Megg, and Sam tries to help his mother, Jeanette, cope after the death of her older son. As five individuals struggle to cope with love and loss, they are divided by addictions both physical and emotional and united by a need to find acceptance in the city that lives and breathes around them. Hope Street and Other Lonely Places explores what it means to “hope” in the City of Brotherly Love.


 

Hope Street…

15 Mar
Notes from the Field
Submitted by Frank Murphy on March 15, 2012

Don’t miss the world premiere of one of America’s promising new playwrights, Genne Murphy.   Genne is a graduate of the Philadelphia Public School District and alumni of Philadelphia Young Playwrights.   The first preview of this play, “Hope Street and Other Lonely Places”, was performed today.  The opening audience was composed of students from Philadelphia’s Central High School, who are participants in the Young Playwrights program at their school.

The official opening of the play will be staged on Wednesday, March 21, 2012.

World Premiere!
Hope Street and Other Lonely Places

By Genne Murphy
Directed by Kevin Glaccum

The Off-Broad Street Theater | at First Baptist Church | 1636 Sansom Street

March 15, 2012 – April 1, 2012 PURCHASE TICKETS | CALENDAR

Running Time: 130 minutes (includes 15 minute intermission)    Tickets: $15.00 – $27.00

Frankie searches Philadelphia libraries for her long-lost love, Jack snaps photos of the city like love letters for Megg, and Sam tries to help his mother, Jeanette, cope after the death of her older son. As five individuals struggle to cope with love and loss, they are divided by addictions both physical and emotional and united by a need to find acceptance in the city that lives and breathes around them. Hope Street and Other Lonely Places explores what it means to “hope” in the City of Brotherly Love.

Honorary Producers: Annie & Ken Goldenberg

Mary Lee Bednarek Kimberly S. Fairbanks Leslie Nevon Holden Delanté G. Keys Joe O’Brien

 


 

The Silly Language of School Reform

29 Feb

You Got To Be Kidding

Submitted by Frank Murphy on February 29, 2012

This video was linked in a post titled “Geezer Teachers” written by Nancy Flanagan and published on the blog Teacher in a Strange Land. It was written in response to the statement that career teachers are becoming a thing of the past. This article is an interesting read.

I watched this You Tube video several times.  After each new viewing, I wondered the same thing.  Do people really talk like this?  Or is this video a gag?

If Teach for America fellows truly do engage is this type of dialogue, then I have to say they’ve got to be kidding.  This school reform gibberish is seriously silly. It is as nonsensical as the  “words of mass reduction” that I discussed in this post.  What do think?

 

 

When Did ‘Walkthrough’ Become a Bad Word?

21 Feb

Teacher Stories
Submitted by: Joy of Teaching on February 21, 2012

In 2003-04 I had the benefit of attending a year-long professional development series that focused on school improvement working with School Based Leadership Teams. During these meetings the leadership teams at various schools worked to improve classroom instruction using strategies that provided information using classroom walkthroughs. Each school team identified areas of strengths and needs at their individual school. Then, the team designed a template to measure and record observations during the walkthrough. The team would visit designated classrooms together and following the walkthrough, the team would consult and share their observations. At Leadership Team meetings the results of the walkthrough observations and data collection would guide the team to identify areas of need. The team would then design professional development for the faculty based on these walkthroughs. It was collaborative, informative and designed to assist teachers in improving classroom instruction.

In recent years, the Philadelphia School District created Walkthrough Teams from the regional offices. These teams would visit schools, make observations and suggestions for improvement. I thought that, based on my past experience, this would be beneficial to all involved. I did not expect that these Walkthrough Teams would twist the goals of a collaborative exercise in school leadership into a punitive and painful experience for teachers. Read the rest of this entry »