Franklin Schargel’s Blog

Most states do not require that students attend kindergarten. But kindergarten provides structure for children and opens the door for learning.  While there has been a national drop in enrollment, the drop in kindergarten has been steeper than at other levels. For example, in Arizona the drop in kindergarten has been down 14 percent compared to a 5 percent drop across all grades. Pre-K and kindergarten enrollment fell 18 percent in Massachusetts, compared to decline of almost 4 percent for other grades.

Parents are turning to parochial and private schools which could result in an impact on funding and result in teacher layoffs. This has already happened in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where 300 fewer kindergarten students could mean a loss of $2.5 million in state financial aid. In Georgia, where kindergarten enrollment dropped 11 percent, public schools could loss $100 million in state funding.

The Covid-19 virus has turned a number of institutions on their sides ““ including education. Educators are taking early retirement. Many of them with existing health problems are not returning. School administrators ““ Assistant principals, principals and superintendents, are joining the exodus. The school superintendents in Denver CO, New Rochelle NY, Farmington NM, Dripping Springs TX, Loudon County, VA and my hometown- Albuquerque NM are in the group. When schools return to normal, a number of school districts will need a new superintendent.

Our school board has been conducting a search for a replacement since our superintendent submitted her resignation. In addition to hiring a professional search team they asked community residents for input.  8,244-members  of the community were polled that included parents and guardians (5,070) School employees (3,921), other Community members (304) Students (257) Business Community members 117) Elected Officials (36) The groups were asked “what characteristic would you look for?” Their responses to the questions are below:

• Puts the needs of students first
• Possesses a background in education
• Promotes safety and security at all levels of district leadership
• Takes responsibility for decisions and actions
• Promotes student participation in sports, and other extracurricular activities
• Experience managing a budget of a large organization
• Inspires and motives others
• Spends time in classrooms
• Sets high expectations for all students
• Experience increasing student achievement
• Uses data to make informed decisions
• Establishes strong relationships with outside parties such as community members, local businesses, and elected officials
• Provides opportunities for communication between educators and parents
• Values school autonomy
• Provides equitable access to technology across the district
• Effectively communicates vision
• Prior experience as a superintendent
• Holds a Ph.D. or Ed.D.
• Delegates responsibility
• Values a strong central office

I found it interesting that all of the stakeholders ranked the list as it appears above in the numerical order. The one exception was that the school employees rated “Puts the needs of students first” as number 2.

Can any readers of this posting thine of additional questions, they would add? If so, contact me at [email protected]

According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, US. News, (11/13/2020) based on a report by USAFacts, using data shows a trend that:

• Children in households with higher incomes are more likely to receive online instruction.
• Additionally, 23% of households with children have had classes canceled this year due to the pandemic,
• Low-income, households were more likely to have classes cancelled.
• Sixty-five percent of households reported using online learning,
• Eleven percent of families said they hadn’t had any interaction with a teacher in the last week.

Learning environments vary from state to state:

• About 85% percent of households in the state of Washington are learning remotely.
• Children who live in rural areas have connectivity and internet issues.
• Forty-seven percent of Wyoming’s population live in rural areas (Source: Wyoming, Department of Health.)
• Nine percent of households with children in the state of Washington live in rural areas.
• About 14% of households with children use paper materials at home, and 8% reported sometimes, rarely or never having access to a computer for educational purposes.
• One in 4 students who have disabilities, are English Learners, or are students in foster care.
• Migrant students or homeless have been shut out of education for months. This adds up to 3 million students or the equivalent of the entire school-aged population of Florida. The reasons why so many students have been cut off from education includes the lack of access to the internet or technical devices, lack of support for English learners and students with disabilities.

The economic pressures have forced some students to get a job to support the families and others have been forced to assume the role of the primary caretakers.  Many of these students will not return to school and will dropout. Once a student leaves school it is extremely difficult for them to return. One study, in a large urban district ,found that two-thirds of high school dropout never reenrolled.

In America, we talk of children who are at-risk. But the reality is that it is not the children who are at-risk. It isn’t even their families. It is our society that is at-risk.

The practical learning experience for my student teaching (now referred to as “clinical practice”) was greater than the theoretical learning of four years in a college classroom. The firsthand experience of observing experienced teachers at work and practicing my skills in front of a classroom was extremely valuable. Research from the National Council on Teacher Quality  “indicates that student teaching offers a direct path in improving classroom teaching performance. “A new teacher who has had student teaching is as effective in their first year as most third-year teachers.” A good student teaching experience jump-starts a new teaching career. The payoff in terms of teacher quality is enormous.

How are mentor teachers selected? Traditional schools generally select people who volunteer. “Currently only 4% of traditional programs appear to take much of a role in deciding who mentors the teacher candidate. Most programs send K-12 schools a list of student teachers who need mentors and accept the teachers that the schools propose. Because mentor selection has traditionally been the responsibility of the placement schools and because it can be hard to find teachers who are willing to serve as mentors.” (Source: 2020 Teacher Prep Review: Clinical Practice and Classroom Management, NCQT) Frequently, it is because they volunteer.K-12 schools I served as a mentor teacher several times. In K-12 schools I was offered a course at the university.

Colleges, provide students with background theory but little practical information. That comes with hands-on experience provided by someone who has been in a K-12 classroom. Some of the classes that I took in my College of Education were taught by people who lacked K-12 classroom experience. Two of the cooperating teachers I had were superb and even in the years that have passed, I remember Max Lipchitz and Marv Levine for their willingness to share their knowledge. They provided me with their years of experiences they had acquired in a variety of classrooms and situations.

Research indicates that when student teachers are matched with effective mentoring teachers, both groups learn from each other. With the narrowing of the university to K-12 classroom pipeline, fewer teachers are being prepared for the classroom. Only 4% of programs ensure that the mentor teachers have the skills necessary to effectively mentor potential teacher candidates.

Where can districts find effective mentoring teachers? There is a  large body of experienced, retired educators who can serve as mentors. The reason many are not being used is that states place a cap on how much income they can earn in addition to collecting a pension. However, because there is a narrowing of the available staff to be mentored, it would appear to me that in the interest of providing additional mentors, the cap could be lifted.

My book Who Will Teach the Children? Recruiting, Retaining & Refreshing Highly Effective Educators (available through Amazon) provides a number of suggestions of improving classroom instruction through the hiring of teachers who have had experience with student teaching. including the creation of a special license for substitute teachers.

The virus has had a tremendous impact on learning and parents of young children. Here are a few resources for parents of children 0-8. I am indebted to Laurel Wyckoff of NM PBS for coming up with this list. A resource for parents of young children 0-8 can be found here. https://momentsnm.org/  Also resources for Pre-5 in English and Spanish are here https://nm.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/everyday-learning/ NMPBS Parents and Educators Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/806289496574814/?multi_permalinks=873476853189411

Being a substitute teacher is one of the most difficult or possibly the most difficult job in K-12 education. It is one of the reasons that Education Week (10/26/2020) has found that “the Denver Public Schools system which normally has about 1,2000 substitute teachers  reported that only 300 were willing to come to work in-person.”  But the situation in Denver is not unique. Schools across the nation are reporting difficulty in finding substitutes. A survey conducted by EdWeek Research Center of 2,000 school leaders conducted in January 2020 found that only 54 percent of the respondents were able to fill an estimated 250,000 teacher absences each day and that was before the COVID-19 virus struck. The problem has been a perennial one, made more difficult by the virus. The situation in Denver is so dire that the state of Colorado has waived the requirement of a bachelor’s degree to become a substitute teacher.

What are some of the reasons why? (Based on my research)

• Low salaries
• Lack of respect from students, and other classroom teachers, school administrators
• Unless hired as a “long-term substitute” uncertainty of working every day
• Working on multiple campuses
• With the closing of schools, having to take care of their own children and the cost of daycare
• The fear of catching the virus
• No summer work or pay
• Last minute notifications
• Long commutes
• May be required to teach Special Education without adequate training.

My book Who Will Teach the Children? Recruiting, Retaining & Refreshing Highly Effective Educators (available through Amazon) provides a number of suggestions including the creation of a special license for substitute teachers.

Since 2011, the four-year high school graduation rate rose from 79% to 85% (2018 latest statistic).  There is concern that because of the Covid-19 virus, the closing of schools and the major economic crisis, that students will not be returning to schools. The Huffington Post reported that experts from the America’s Promise Alliance, GradNation, and the director of the Everyone Graduates Center believe that many students who have missed school since March 2020 will have a difficult time adjusting and returning to classrooms.

Some students obtained jobs during the break, while others have had difficulty adjusting to distance learning, or have had to help support their parents who may have lost their jobs. Many have had to  take care of younger siblings so that parents can go to work in lieu of stable childcare. Many students are missing important credits making it impossible for them to graduate on time.

Taking a “Gap Year” in K-12 Education

Part #2

Are we creating a lost generation?

There are many good reasons to open schools with face-to-face classes. There are just as many reasons not to. There still remains too many unresolved questions. None are good choices. Each present their own unique problems.

I wake up every morning wondering what has happened overnight that that effected our nation, it’s educators and it children. With the Covid-19 virus, the huge unemployment and the uncertainty of school closures.

I cannot imagine how this is affecting our children’s lives and the lives of their parents.

I cannot imagine what is going through the minds of our youngest children who have not yet entered kindergarten or the uncertainty of those who are supposed to be going into 1^st,  2^nd or 3^rd grade who miss not seeing the friends they made the previous year. I cannot imagine the anxiety, stress and trauma of middle and high school students not knowing what their future looks like.

I can only imagine the uncertainty of educators who are concerned about their future. Will they contract the disease? Will they get laid off?  Will there be enough sanitizing liquid, face masks and other protective material? Will they get push back from students who refuse to wear a mask for 6 hours? How will they deal with it? What support will they get from their administrators?

I am concerned about school supervisors and administrators having to worry about the funding and shrinking state and local budgets.

This is one of a series of several articles. The next one will be posted on Tuesday, October 20th. See previous articles on www.schargel.com.