This month the principals of the seven schools in the San Bruno Park School District were all offered an opportunity to have training for their teachers in meeting the needs of gifted students. The training would be funded through a grant so would come at no cost to the schools. Not one principal jumped at the chance.
The same offer was going to be made to the principals in the Burlingame School District but no one there responded to letters and e-mails.
A principal of a school near Menlo Park attended a meeting with the parent of a highly gifted child. The principal told the parent that the teacher had direct orders from him not to modify the curriculum one bit for the child.
A traditional career path for a principal is a few years in the classroom, then an administrative position, then perhaps a move to a supervisory role (such as assistant superintendent) at the district office. When we consider that 61% of public school teachers have had no training in gifted education, then it comes as no surprise that principals are putting up barriers for gifted students.
It is very clear that teacher education programs need to include classes in gifted education. I have heard so often that we need to train teachers to work with inner city kids, not with “easy” gifted students. What this does not take into account is that there are gifted students in every school. Joy Oatman from Tilman High School in Chicago Illinois states, “People need to know that there are children with talents here. People who live in the inner city in the barrio, or on the reservation need to know that their children are smart. There’s too much raw ability going through the cracks. If a child we might lose had the ability to cure cancer but ends up joining a gang or dealing dope, that’s a double loss to the country.”
Yes, teacher education programs need to change but one area that we can start to change right now is to educate our teachers who are already in the classrooms. The parents of gifted students can do this. All parents of gifted students need to learn to advocate for their children. We need to start teaching the teachers that the needs of gifted students are different. We need to ask for enrichment programs, depth and complexity in the curriculum, and practice with critical thinking skills. We need to go into the classrooms and share our talents with the students and through our modeling, hopefully change the thinking of the teachers, a little bit at a time.
I recently suggested the idea of “compacting” to a teacher. This is a method often used to meet the needs of gifted students. She hadn’t heard of the term so I explained that she would give the post-test to her class before teaching the next unit. If any of her students scored 90% or above on the test, then they already know those skills and should be given the opportunity to move ahead with their learning rather than required to do the work as outlined in the textbook. She followed through with my idea and was surprised to realize that half of her class scored 90% or above on the post test before she even taught the unit. Wow!
What would it be like if we changed our goal from “high test scores for all” to “continuous academic progress for each student”? Many of our students are already performing well on the tests. How can we really say our students are “learning” when they are just doing work that they already know how to do? What could they do if we made sure that each day they learned something?
The San Bruno Park School District spends a huge portion of its budget on special education funding and roughly 1/15 of that amount on education for gifted students. Is it fair that all of these resources are being poured into some populations of students and not others? Let’s make “continuous academic progress for each student” our mantra and work together with our teachers make this a reality for our students. A few years down the line, this may pay off as one of these teachers becomes a principal and searches out programs for the gifted students, as well as the other populations in his/her school.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Underachievement
I recently had the pleasure of attending a few workshops taught by Sally Reis from the University of Connecticut. She was in California for the CAG conference and I went to every session she offered!
My favorite was a session on underachievement. Dr. Reis feels that this is the biggest problem facing gifted students and it is on the increase today because bright kids are not learning to put forth effort. I can only infer that this is due to the unchallenging curriculum offered in schools due to NCLB.
Dr. Reis encounters many gifted college students who have not yet learned to study because they have cruised through school. They have gotten 100% on every test with minimal effort. Due to classrooms aimed at students who are struggling, gifted students have missed out on learning study habits as well as things such as perseverance and resilience. She told the story of a pharmacology student who got an “F” on his first test, decided he was stupid, and was then ready to drop out of school. What he needed instead, however, was to learn how to study to improve his grades. It was the first time he had received less than an “A” and he just didn’t know what to do, attributing his difficulty to his intelligence rather than a missing skill.
I was grinning broadly as Dr. Reis said that activities outside of school teach that effort matters. For years, families of second graders have come to me frustrated because their children are having a hard year. These young children often learned to read early and so kindergarten and first grade, where much of the focus is on reading, came easily to them. It is not until second grade that they realize they really need to work in school and this feels hard to them. At this point I like to recommend piano lessons or sports activities so that students can learn the value of practice. We also need to help parents understand that it is actually a blessing if schoolwork feels hard (within reason). It means that their children are being challenged and are learning life skills in the process.
Dr. Reis’ definition of “achievement” is “the act of accomplishing something of merit by means of effort, skill or perseverance.” If we use this definition, many students still have not yet accomplished anything by second grade. Though they may have gotten good grades, they have not yet accomplished anything.
Some of the most successful students I have known have been gifted students with learning differences. They have had to work hard from the beginning. They are bright but they also know how to study and they know how to put forth effort, often producing great results.
In her research on underachievement Dr. Reis found that “busier adolescents underachieve less” and that “students with regular patterns of work in music or athletics develop positive self-regulation strategies in academics.” She also found that underachievement can be reversed in 70-80% of kids. Two important factors in this reversal are parental interaction and involvement in enrichment opportunities.
So, how can we use this information to guide younger students? Acceptance and rejection letters were sent out by Nueva School last week. I have received many phone calls from parents whose children did not get in. They are at a loss as to how to proceed. With all of California’s budget cuts, GATE programs have been eliminated in many districts in the Bay Area, leaving parents of gifted students with few options. Parents feel a responsibility towards their gifted children but feel frustrated about how to meet their needs in this economy. Listening to Dr. Reis made me realize that there is one big thing we can do. We can involve our children in learning the importance of effort and perseverance. Sign your child up for music lessons or a sports team. No one gets to be an expert piano player by just sitting down at the piano. They need to put in the work to improve. This is an important lesson we can give our children at this time.
For more on this topic read, Work Left Undone: Choices and Compromises of Talented Women by Sally Reis.
My favorite was a session on underachievement. Dr. Reis feels that this is the biggest problem facing gifted students and it is on the increase today because bright kids are not learning to put forth effort. I can only infer that this is due to the unchallenging curriculum offered in schools due to NCLB.
Dr. Reis encounters many gifted college students who have not yet learned to study because they have cruised through school. They have gotten 100% on every test with minimal effort. Due to classrooms aimed at students who are struggling, gifted students have missed out on learning study habits as well as things such as perseverance and resilience. She told the story of a pharmacology student who got an “F” on his first test, decided he was stupid, and was then ready to drop out of school. What he needed instead, however, was to learn how to study to improve his grades. It was the first time he had received less than an “A” and he just didn’t know what to do, attributing his difficulty to his intelligence rather than a missing skill.
I was grinning broadly as Dr. Reis said that activities outside of school teach that effort matters. For years, families of second graders have come to me frustrated because their children are having a hard year. These young children often learned to read early and so kindergarten and first grade, where much of the focus is on reading, came easily to them. It is not until second grade that they realize they really need to work in school and this feels hard to them. At this point I like to recommend piano lessons or sports activities so that students can learn the value of practice. We also need to help parents understand that it is actually a blessing if schoolwork feels hard (within reason). It means that their children are being challenged and are learning life skills in the process.
Dr. Reis’ definition of “achievement” is “the act of accomplishing something of merit by means of effort, skill or perseverance.” If we use this definition, many students still have not yet accomplished anything by second grade. Though they may have gotten good grades, they have not yet accomplished anything.
Some of the most successful students I have known have been gifted students with learning differences. They have had to work hard from the beginning. They are bright but they also know how to study and they know how to put forth effort, often producing great results.
In her research on underachievement Dr. Reis found that “busier adolescents underachieve less” and that “students with regular patterns of work in music or athletics develop positive self-regulation strategies in academics.” She also found that underachievement can be reversed in 70-80% of kids. Two important factors in this reversal are parental interaction and involvement in enrichment opportunities.
So, how can we use this information to guide younger students? Acceptance and rejection letters were sent out by Nueva School last week. I have received many phone calls from parents whose children did not get in. They are at a loss as to how to proceed. With all of California’s budget cuts, GATE programs have been eliminated in many districts in the Bay Area, leaving parents of gifted students with few options. Parents feel a responsibility towards their gifted children but feel frustrated about how to meet their needs in this economy. Listening to Dr. Reis made me realize that there is one big thing we can do. We can involve our children in learning the importance of effort and perseverance. Sign your child up for music lessons or a sports team. No one gets to be an expert piano player by just sitting down at the piano. They need to put in the work to improve. This is an important lesson we can give our children at this time.
For more on this topic read, Work Left Undone: Choices and Compromises of Talented Women by Sally Reis.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
How to Advocate for Funding for Public Schools
Recently I feel like I am seeing the widening of the gap between the “haves” and the “have nots.” Last week parents in San Bruno were out on El Camino waving signs and gathering at City Hall to protest cuts to education. I called my friend in Palo Alto to ask if she was going out to protest and she didn’t know what I was talking about. Then I called a friend in Burlingame to see if she was going out. She didn’t know what I was talking about either. I thought since the budget cuts are going to be statewide it would affect all districts equally but apparently it doesn’t.
I was at the California Association for the Gifted Conference in Sacramento this weekend and I purposefully attended two workshops with a woman named Teri Burns. She is the Director of Legislative Advocacy at School Innovations and Advocacy. I wanted to understand what is going on with the California budget and I wanted to understand what the vehicles are for effective action.
Ms. Burns explained that there are statewide cuts of about $225 per student in the new budget but the cuts come from a pot of flexible-spending money. Districts can choose how they want to cover that shortfall. Many districts are in danger of losing their GATE programs. San Bruno wants to lay off teachers, eliminate class size reduction, close our school library, eliminate PE, and eliminate art. It was eye opening to realize that we don’t have to eliminate class size reduction. Yes, we only have so much money to spend but there has not been a statewide declaration that class size reduction will end now. It is our district’s choice.
To be fair, Ms. Burns pointed out that the Governor still owes the schools money from 2005 so for years now the school districts have been cutting back and cutting back and for some, there is nothing left to cut. Some districts like Palo Alto and Burlingame raise a lot of money from their community education funds. I surmise that they must be planning to reroute some of this money to cover the budget shortfall and thus continue with class-size reduction and many of their other programs like PE, music, and library. My friend in Palo Alto was asked to give $700 this year to the community education fund. In San Bruno we were asked to give $100. That leaves the communities with very different amounts of money to use in situations like this.
The schools are owed $11.2 billion dollars in outstanding Prop 98 balances from 2005-2006 to 2008-2009. The Governor would like to continue to ignore the repayment schedule for this money by deferring the first year obligation until 2012-2013. This will actually require a change in existing law and this is where parents and teachers need to come in. We need to let our legislators know that we do not support changing the law. This is the worst economic time for our schools in a long time. Schools have kept up their end of the bargain with the Governor and it is now time for him to pay up.
Ms. Burns closed her session by saying that people involved in education are often fair and accommodating. This, however, is not getting us very far on the political scene. She said we should have “righteous indignation” about the fact that our schools have not been paid. She gave a valuable lesson about how to get one’s voice heard and advocate for our schools. I want to share her information with all parents in the area so that we can effectively let the legislators know how we feel about this subject and hopefully make the voice of education louder so that when it comes down to a vote, schools get their due. Please come to a workshop Thursday, April 8 at 6:30 PM at the Franco Real Estate Group Offices at San Bruno Towne Center, 1230-A El Camino Real, San Bruno. We need to come together and work to close the gap.
__________________________________________________
For up to date information on education issues, visit http://www.lao.ca.gov/laoapp/main.aspx Click on “subject areas” and then click on K-12 education. This website is maintained by the legislative analyst’s office and is meant and is meant to help lawmakers stay up to date on current issues. The general public can use it to stay informed as well.
I was at the California Association for the Gifted Conference in Sacramento this weekend and I purposefully attended two workshops with a woman named Teri Burns. She is the Director of Legislative Advocacy at School Innovations and Advocacy. I wanted to understand what is going on with the California budget and I wanted to understand what the vehicles are for effective action.
Ms. Burns explained that there are statewide cuts of about $225 per student in the new budget but the cuts come from a pot of flexible-spending money. Districts can choose how they want to cover that shortfall. Many districts are in danger of losing their GATE programs. San Bruno wants to lay off teachers, eliminate class size reduction, close our school library, eliminate PE, and eliminate art. It was eye opening to realize that we don’t have to eliminate class size reduction. Yes, we only have so much money to spend but there has not been a statewide declaration that class size reduction will end now. It is our district’s choice.
To be fair, Ms. Burns pointed out that the Governor still owes the schools money from 2005 so for years now the school districts have been cutting back and cutting back and for some, there is nothing left to cut. Some districts like Palo Alto and Burlingame raise a lot of money from their community education funds. I surmise that they must be planning to reroute some of this money to cover the budget shortfall and thus continue with class-size reduction and many of their other programs like PE, music, and library. My friend in Palo Alto was asked to give $700 this year to the community education fund. In San Bruno we were asked to give $100. That leaves the communities with very different amounts of money to use in situations like this.
The schools are owed $11.2 billion dollars in outstanding Prop 98 balances from 2005-2006 to 2008-2009. The Governor would like to continue to ignore the repayment schedule for this money by deferring the first year obligation until 2012-2013. This will actually require a change in existing law and this is where parents and teachers need to come in. We need to let our legislators know that we do not support changing the law. This is the worst economic time for our schools in a long time. Schools have kept up their end of the bargain with the Governor and it is now time for him to pay up.
Ms. Burns closed her session by saying that people involved in education are often fair and accommodating. This, however, is not getting us very far on the political scene. She said we should have “righteous indignation” about the fact that our schools have not been paid. She gave a valuable lesson about how to get one’s voice heard and advocate for our schools. I want to share her information with all parents in the area so that we can effectively let the legislators know how we feel about this subject and hopefully make the voice of education louder so that when it comes down to a vote, schools get their due. Please come to a workshop Thursday, April 8 at 6:30 PM at the Franco Real Estate Group Offices at San Bruno Towne Center, 1230-A El Camino Real, San Bruno. We need to come together and work to close the gap.
__________________________________________________
For up to date information on education issues, visit http://www.lao.ca.gov/laoapp/main.aspx Click on “subject areas” and then click on K-12 education. This website is maintained by the legislative analyst’s office and is meant and is meant to help lawmakers stay up to date on current issues. The general public can use it to stay informed as well.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
The Power of Biography
Every year in February I read my students the story of Ruby Bridges. She was a first grader in New Orleans, LA. She was the first African American student to go to a white school in the American South.
This is always one of my most powerful lessons of the year. The students sit with rapt attention as I read The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles and George Ford. They are first struck by the fact that this is a first grader who is making a HUGE difference in history. Secondly, they are struck by the fact that she doesn’t get mad at the protestors. The images in the book show angry people waving signs and shaking fists at her as she heads to school. Her family is very religious and not only does she not get mad at the protestors, she prays for them. The third thing that strikes the students is the fact that the white families were so opposed to integration that they didn’t send their children to school for quite a while. My students cannot imagine a reason their parents wouldn’t want them to go to school. We discuss what their parents might have done and what they would have felt if they were some of those students. They wonder what it must have felt like to be Ruby Bridges at school, alone with your teacher, for weeks on end.
The last question they always ask me is, “Does anything like this happen today?” When I share with them that it does they are fascinated. Where? Who?
I love the story of Ruby Bridges because it brings up the difficult topic of racism in a kid-friendly way. I also love the power it gives to the children. “Wow! If Ruby Bridges could do something like that, what could I do?” They find inspiration in Ruby’s courage in facing so many people who were opposed to what she was doing.
Gifted students think differently from others. They will come up with original ideas and will face opposition. Hopefully with a little inspiration from Ruby, they will stand by their ideas and confidently share them.
I was reading recently about Leta P. Hollingworth. When she started a program for gifted students in 1935 in New York City, she had biographies as a big piece of the curriculum. She felt it was important for the students to hear stories of the accomplishments and life paths of others so they could start to envision their own paths. She also wanted the students to develop attitudes they would need throughout life. I think perseverance and courage are two attitudes that will serve gifted students well.
My reading about Leta P. Hollingworth reaffirmed my desire to have a yearly homage to Ruby Bridges. It also made me want to find other kid-friendly biographies that young gifted students will find to be inspirational. I have found Teammates by Peter Golenbock, which is the story of Jackie Robinson’s friendship with Pee Wee Reese. I also really enjoy The Genius of Leonardo by Guido Visconti and Bimba Landmann. This book is full of descriptions and pictures of Leonardo’s inventions and has a fun subplot about his assistant which students always enjoy. I also have been keeping my eyes open for biographies of Galileo. He was another gifted individual who faced opposition to his ideas. I loved reading a grown-up biography of him but haven’t yet found one for kids that is very accessible. Please share biographies you have found to be accessible and have found to have an impact on young students.
By reading biographies we all see the paths others have followed and begin to imagine our own paths. We learn that there are challenges and the road is not always smooth. We learn new strategies for approaching difficulties. We learn that people can do great things. These are all important life skills. It is worth taking time to share these ideas with our students.
This is always one of my most powerful lessons of the year. The students sit with rapt attention as I read The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles and George Ford. They are first struck by the fact that this is a first grader who is making a HUGE difference in history. Secondly, they are struck by the fact that she doesn’t get mad at the protestors. The images in the book show angry people waving signs and shaking fists at her as she heads to school. Her family is very religious and not only does she not get mad at the protestors, she prays for them. The third thing that strikes the students is the fact that the white families were so opposed to integration that they didn’t send their children to school for quite a while. My students cannot imagine a reason their parents wouldn’t want them to go to school. We discuss what their parents might have done and what they would have felt if they were some of those students. They wonder what it must have felt like to be Ruby Bridges at school, alone with your teacher, for weeks on end.
The last question they always ask me is, “Does anything like this happen today?” When I share with them that it does they are fascinated. Where? Who?
I love the story of Ruby Bridges because it brings up the difficult topic of racism in a kid-friendly way. I also love the power it gives to the children. “Wow! If Ruby Bridges could do something like that, what could I do?” They find inspiration in Ruby’s courage in facing so many people who were opposed to what she was doing.
Gifted students think differently from others. They will come up with original ideas and will face opposition. Hopefully with a little inspiration from Ruby, they will stand by their ideas and confidently share them.
I was reading recently about Leta P. Hollingworth. When she started a program for gifted students in 1935 in New York City, she had biographies as a big piece of the curriculum. She felt it was important for the students to hear stories of the accomplishments and life paths of others so they could start to envision their own paths. She also wanted the students to develop attitudes they would need throughout life. I think perseverance and courage are two attitudes that will serve gifted students well.
My reading about Leta P. Hollingworth reaffirmed my desire to have a yearly homage to Ruby Bridges. It also made me want to find other kid-friendly biographies that young gifted students will find to be inspirational. I have found Teammates by Peter Golenbock, which is the story of Jackie Robinson’s friendship with Pee Wee Reese. I also really enjoy The Genius of Leonardo by Guido Visconti and Bimba Landmann. This book is full of descriptions and pictures of Leonardo’s inventions and has a fun subplot about his assistant which students always enjoy. I also have been keeping my eyes open for biographies of Galileo. He was another gifted individual who faced opposition to his ideas. I loved reading a grown-up biography of him but haven’t yet found one for kids that is very accessible. Please share biographies you have found to be accessible and have found to have an impact on young students.
By reading biographies we all see the paths others have followed and begin to imagine our own paths. We learn that there are challenges and the road is not always smooth. We learn new strategies for approaching difficulties. We learn that people can do great things. These are all important life skills. It is worth taking time to share these ideas with our students.
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