0 Chart Your Path: Navigating Massachusetts' Education Initiatives

Posted by Atsumori. Category:

I'm all for moving education ahead and meeting students' needs with the best of our intellect, energy, care, and attention.

I'm also an advocate for creating structures, schedules, and routines that support optimal education. I believe that teachers want to do a good job, but sometimes the supports are not in place to make that intent a reality.

Massachusetts has been leading the way with child-centered initiatives. Yet, at this juncture in the road, educators and leaders have to stop and survey the landscape, and make the time to look carefully at all the initiatives on the education table--initiatives that have the potential to move our schools forward with strength if carried out with care and attention.

The first reflection should be centered on the teacher--is it possible for a teacher to teach children well with little planning time and also complete RETELL, district determined measure pilots, new evaluation criteria, new content and pedagogy standards, recertification requirements, and their typical teaching responsibilities at the same time. The critical component that will make this possible is teacher-leadership collaboration that makes the time upfront to focus and coordinate all of these efforts in the following ways:

• Look for ways to combine the efforts so that you're completing more than one criteria at the same time. Leaders can support this by carving out time for teachers to work on these efforts in diversified, responsive ways.  

• Look for ways to complete the efforts and also advance on the pay scale--meet the requirements, earn credits, get new degrees--advance professionally so that your paycheck will rise with your hard work. Be on the look out for cost-free options in this regard. 

• Take the time to read all the information related to the initiatives; it could be that you've already met the standards in some of these areas.

• Organize your professional files, if you haven't already done so. I'm so sorry that I didn't make more time to put all those little PDP and course slips in a file--slips I thought wouldn't matter, but now could have made a difference with respect to the RETELL initiative and a new pay grade in my school system.  

• Ask questions, seek help, work with colleagues, and chart your professional path this month. You have the chance to turn this potent to-do list to your advantage if you make the time to carefully seek support and craft a plan. 

This is an example of a potential professional learning chart for MA educators.

Let me know if I've left off any initiatives.

Research and Understand

• RETELL obligations
• Special Education course obligations (coming up)
• New Standards expectations, focus.
• Teacher Evaluation System Expectations.
• Typical Professional Expectations.
• Recertification Information.
• District Determined Measures

Chart Your Professional Path.

Season/Initiative	RETELL	New Teacher Evaluation	Curriculum Standards District Determined Mesures**	Recertification or Certification	Professional Learning and Advancement
Summer 2013	Read and understand. Plan accordingly. If you’re in first cohort sign up on 8/5. This course is worth grad credits if you pursue it. Also, the credits can roll over to the next cert. period if you’re already for this year’s recertification.	Study and understand. Think about the goals you might write.	Create or study existing curriculum maps, standards.  Be prepared to apply and review  unit-by-unit. Understand which district measures are being piloted and what the expectation is in that regard.	Organize all materials. Prepare documentation for signatures. Know expectations, dates.	Create a professional path which will advance your career monetarily and w/regard to expertise and leadership.  Include new requirements in your plan such as the new special education requirement and RETELL*. Look for nocost opportunities to gain credits, learn, and advance.
Fall 2013	Take RETELL if needed.	Set goals, organize information. I recommend an online system of organization such as an ePortfolio. Collect evidence.	Apply and review.	Get signatures during initial evaluation meetings. Bring folder to the meetings.	Follow Plan
Winter 2013-2014	Continue course if needed.	Continue evaluation system work by collecting evidence, assessing efforts, revising where necessary, documenting.	Apply and review.	Apply for recertification if you’re ready and your renewal is due in June.	Follow Plan.
Spring 2014	Complete course if you took it. Document all certificates and efforts.	Prepare materials for final meeting.	Apply and review.	Apply for recertification if it is your time and you haven’t applied yet.	Follow Plan.
Summer 2014	Assess your needs in this area.	Prepare for the next year’s evaluation cycle.	Assess standards’ implementation and any new requirements such as PARCC (if officially adopted).	Make sure you’ve received a system reimbursement for license fee if that’s part of your contract. Check to make sure the process went as planned.	Assess and revise professional plan as needed.

*Starting July 1, 2016, in order to renew a professional license, all educators will need to accrue 15 PDPs in Sheltered English Instruction (SEI) and 15 PDPs in Special Education during each 5-year recertification cycle. The total number of PDPs required for recertification remains the same (150); however, 30 of those PDPs need to be in these specific areas.

**In 2013-2014, districts are required to research and pilot DDMs for some grades and subjects. In 2013-2014, at a minimum, districts must pilot at least one DDM that is aligned to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks in each of the following areas:

1. Early grade (K-3) literacy
2. Early (K-3) grade math
3. Middle grade (5-8) math
4. High school writing to text
5. Traditionally non-tested grades and subjects (e.g., fine arts, music, p.e.)

Tweet

Komentar →