Getting Grief From the Public and Staff? Beg for Positive Feedback.
I don’t read fark.com anymore - I read plenty of zany stuff just following education - but when I did, I loved the little category images to the left of each post. The tags are words like “Interesting,” “Strange,” and “Unlikely.” One of their categories is “Florida.” If you read Fark with any regularity, you’ll understand why.
And it’s not much different with public education. That’s why keeping tabs on the Hillsborough County School District is a worthwhile task.
Steve Otto of the Tampa Bay Tribute writes that the Hillsborough administration has debuted Springboard:
“It is a $30 million program designed by the College Board, the same company that does the SAT and Advanced Placement courses. The new program, which is going to be in all middle and high schools, will replace the old math and language arts programs.”
There are far worse curricula than Springboard. The problem is that it came out of nowhere:
“What was a little surprising to me was that something as monumental as SpringBoard would be sprung on the system out of the blue in important subjects such as math and language arts.
There was training and there were test programs at selected schools. But with only two to four days of training in the new system, there are plenty of unhappy teachers.”
If there’s one word school officials need to learn and learn well, it’s implementation. Shoddy, haphazard, ill-conceived implementation has ruined more school initiatives - curricular, building and more - than anything else. Plus, poor implementation of any program is guaranteed to raise ire among staff.
Some teachers have reacted negatively. As I’ve pointed out before - along with many others who work for HCPS - staff are afraid of retribution:
“Another says, “Please do not use my name. I do not trust the higher-ups. In any case I am teaching a new English curriculum, SpringBoard, and my students do not have books. … Other schools are apparently in the same (sinking) boat.”"
Well, someone at HCPS is not happy that Steve Otto is only hearing the negative comments:
“Since Steve Otto is only hearing from the anti-Springboard folks, it would be nice if he also heard some of the positive aspects of the program. If you have any teachers who have positive comments to share and are so inclined, please ask them to send him their positive thoughts. We would like him to be inundated with the other side. Maybe things kids are saying about their English classes this year.”
Alice Wuckovich, NBCT
Springboard Coordinator
Language Arts 6-12
ROSSAC #7
813-272-4834
Emphasis mine.
There ya go, Hillsborough. HCPS might have a new motto: Don’t be honest, be positive. This initiative would make the Party History Research Centre proud. [Really, "inundated by the other side?"]
It’s necessary to beg for positive feedback when implementation has alienated staff/parents and shows little early evidence of effectiveness. Ms. Wuckovich shouldn’t shoulder blame - there’s likely enough pressure on her shoulders coming from above.
Check a couple other posts on HCPS’s Springboard initiative:
EsKay: Gone Nowhere Fast
Lee Drury de Cesare: Teachers’ Political Forum Looms and Return of the Native
PRO on HCPS: Atta Boy and an Anagram for Otto
If you’d like to follow HCPS, consider this tiny blogroll. I read every post in full [have I left any out?]:
http://soundoffandbeheard.blogspot.com
http://leedrurydecesarescasting-roomcouch.blogspot.com/
http://call-in-6.blogspot.com/
http://es-kay.net/
http://specialedmotel.blogspot.com/
http://blogs.tampabay.com/schools/
One Response to “Getting Grief From the Public and Staff? Beg for Positive Feedback.”
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- Hillsborough County Schools’ Blog Problem is About Communication « UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI EDUCATION STUDENTS - [...] - in fact, they don’t like criticism much at all, legitimate or otherwise. Remember when HCPS begged for positive ...
Back in March a group of 13 Hillsborough County teachers met with Tampa Tribune editorial page editor Rosemary Goudreau and pointed out the numerous problems with the Springboard program. We spent 3 hours with her detailing the weaknesses of this program as well as a discussion of the deliberate grade inflation and general lack of respect for teachers.
Teachers dont like this program because is was not written with with real world children in mind. This is a college prep program and not all kids need to be in college. The only people who will benefit from this is the College Board. They are making big bucks.