Solidarity Rallies Set in 50 States TODAY—Support Your Wisconsin Brothers and Sisters

In 50 state capitols tomorrow, workers and activists from faith, civil rights and other communities will rally in solidarity for Wisconsin public service workers who are engaged in a historic struggle to keep their right to bargain for middle-class jobs.

Led by MoveOn.org, union leaders and other activists are moblizing members to join these “Save the American Dream” rallies. You can find details about a rally near you by clicking here. Click here for a list of union-sponsored rallies in the upcoming days following tomorrow’s national actions.

While the action in Wisconsin is drawing most of the attention, this attack on middle-class jobs and workers by politicians and the CEOs who financed their campaigns is being waged in Ohio, Indiana and more than a dozen states.

TODAY, take some time and join the tens of thousands of us who are set to tell Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), their Republican colleagues and CEO friends that they have gone too far.

In Washington DC:

Today (2.26.2011) at Dupont Circle, 12 noon

Rally in Support of the Wisconsin public employee workers, including teachers.

In The Name of Democracy

I was driving to school this morning reflecting about the series of protests happening across the nation, the uprising in Egypt, and the 25th Anniversary of our bloodless revolution in the Philippines. I recall printing out a write up by a group of highschool Filipino students who created a website in remembrance of our People Power and the fall of a dictator..."In The Name of Democracy" -


For three days, men, women and children filled the streets of EDSA holding on frail hope. For those brief moments, they feared for their security, their lives, their future.

Rumors were spreading all over that the forces from the loyalists were coming in from the north to silence the cry of the people through bullets and shells. The prayers grew louder; anxiety filled the air.

From above, the citizens of Manila resembled ants swarming on the entire stretch of EDSA. Most of the streets were blockaded and trees were cut down to serve as makeshift anti-tank barricades. Curious civilians climbed the 25-ft. light posts to have a glimpse over the crowd. Along the curbs, women attended to the thirsty, hungry and the weary. Men stood vigilant and served as perimeter guards just in case loyalist troops decided to attack. Priests and nuns prayed and comforted people as they made their way through the population with rosaries at hand..

Tanks were on the other edge of EDSA, and the people had no hesitation to meet them with bare hands and prayers. Soldiers aboard the vehicles climbed out and were ordered to shoot. Most either shot in the air or were simply shocked at the amount of sacrifice ordinary people are willing to gamble. Tears rolled down their eyes as they were greeted with food and comfort from the rebels.

As Marcos proclaimed his presidency atop the balcony of the Malacañang, little did the remaining supporters realize that their would-be president was already arranging his plans for Hawaii.

All these events happened 14 years ago and are still alive in the hearts of many Filipinos who were there to experience it first hand.

This is the EDSA revolution – the peaceful cry for freedom.

Today, the Wisconsin Assembly has passed legislation that would curb collective-bargaining rights for most public employees, including teachers. This is a call to action. We must be activists in defense of our faith, our jobs, and our security. We can't turn a deaf ear to those who casually malign our beliefs. We can't daydream while the political, economic and cultural agendas are crafted and imposed by others. The complacent and the apathetic are the weakest among us. The strongest among us must get up and speak up.

We can influence the world through our prayers, our words, and our example. We are one million strong, we will keep the spirit of unity and solidarity in our hearts, and minds, and actions...in the name of democracy.



Bill curbing collective-bargaining rights advances in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Assembly has passed legislation that would curb collective-bargaining rights for most public employees, including teachers, and the bill will now go to the Senate for a vote. Democrats in that body, however, have fled the state in an effort to stall the vote indefinitely. Democratic lawmakers in the Assembly drafted an alternative to Gov. Scott Walker's proposals that would maintain cost-cutting measures, but keep collective bargaining intact. Republicans quickly turned it down. Yahoo!/The Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal

What happens when no one makes a stand?

It was a quote from a German preacher (Nazi era) that summarized the outcome of what happens when no one makes a stand...

Ways to teach about the uprisings in the Middle East

The writers of this blog post offer suggestions and starting points for teaching students about the upheaval in the Middle East. Students can start by exploring how Twitter is being used to disseminate information about protests in numerous Middle Eastern countries, and then can compare Twitter feeds with what is being reported in the press. In a follow-up activity, students can be split into groups to discuss the protests and answer the questions: who, what, where, when, why and how. NYTimes.com/The Learning Network blog

Ravitch: In defense of teachers' rights

In this column, author and education expert Diane Ravitch continues her defense of the country's teachers, who are angry over attempts to curb their collective-bargaining power. She refutes critics who suggest that teachers have it too easy, listing the many challenges that teachers face in the classroom and pointing out the ways in which their jobs have changed. Ravitch argues that Wisconsin teachers -- and others nationwide -- deserve the right to negotiate fair wages and benefits. "If the voices of their teachers are silenced, who will stand up for students?" she writes. CNN

California lawmaker seeks to curb collective-bargaining rights: A California lawmaker has introduced legislation similar to a controversial bill being considered in Wisconsin, which would eliminate some collective-bargaining rights for public employees. Under the California bill, public employees no longer would be able to negotiate pension benefits. Pensions have been a hot topic in California, where some have said the growing obligation is unaffordable. The proposal, however, is not expected to pass in the Democratic-controlled legislature. San Francisco Chronicle/The Associated Press

EDSA Revolution...mabuhay Pilipinas!!

Happy 25th Anniversary People Power Revolution, Philippines (February 22-25, 1986)...

I was so young when this happened but I vividly remember everything..."The People Power Revolution (also known as the EDSA Revolution and the Philippine Revolution of 1986) was a series of popular nonviolent revolutions and prayerful mass street demonstrations in the Philippines that occurred in 1986, which marked the restoration of the country's democracy." (Wikipedia)

ONE Facebook invitation...

I had this FB status posted on my wall last Friday:

I'm in solidarity with teachers, fire fighters, nurses, construction workers...I am ONE with the American workforce...


As of now there are already 12,451 people who LIKE this page. Please do the same, show your support to our colleagues in WI. Thank you...let's keep the fire burning!!

http://www.facebook.com/werunited

Why teachers nationwide are angry, protesting

Attacks on the teaching profession have escalated over the past two years, says author and education historian Diane Ravitch. She writes that the protests in Wisconsin are the result "of a simmering rage among the nation's teachers," brought on by attempts to tie teacher evaluations to test scores, threats to collective bargaining, widespread teacher firings and other issues. She predicts an increasing number of teacher protests, including a July march on Washington, D.C., led by a group of National Board Certified Teachers. CNN


Ways to incorporate the Wisconsin protests into lessons:

Protests in Wisconsin over the collective-bargaining rights of teachers and other state workers -- which forced the closure of many schools across the state -- offer opportunities for student learning, columnist Eugene Kane writes. When teachers return, they should use the experience to teach students about citizens' rights under the U.S. Constitution to peaceably protest policies they do not agree with. Students could research the history of such protests in the U.S. or compare them with uprisings in other countries to help put the events into context, Kane writes. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Washington Post/The Associated Press

In these tough economic times, schools are being forced to make tough cuts in their programs due to a lack of funding. Northridge Mass Media students put together a public service announcement about what might happen if budget shortfalls continue due to education reforms and property tax caps. Education reform is meaningless without proper funding.

Rewarding good teachers in tough times could take a hit

From a NBCT in Washington State:

"National Board Certification is a voluntary process whereby teachers evaluate teachers. I certified last year. Currently, about 8% of teachers in Washington have achieved this status. NBCT's study hard and become specialists who use the reflective process to pinpoint areas that students' struggle. We can zero in on misconceptions and correct them. We also learn strategies to engage parents in the schools, and make them feel part of the education process. Finally, we are teacher leaders in the schools who work analyzing data and developing plans to improve the delivery of education throughout our buildings and districts. Test scores do not measure the extent of our influence. Respect for our hard-won experience and insights might be more than monetary, but in our culture we at least pay lip service to the need for a quality teacher in every classroom. NBCT's are quality teachers and do deserve every penny they have earned!"

Wear your heart on your sleeve

Dear Colleagues,

Wear a Pink Heart on Valentine's Day!

This Monday, Valentine’s Day, show your love for quality education and public services: Wear a pink heart. 
 

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As lawmakers across the country prepare their state budgets, they need to recognize that teachers, school support staff, higher education faculty, government employees and healthcare workers make a difference every day in the lives of our children and in our communities. 
 


We help deliver vital services that are essential to the well-being and safety of our communities. Our jobs are some of the most important and demanding in the country. Many of us choose this work because we believe in public service, even though we could earn more in other fields. As lawmakers develop their state budgets for the coming year, we need to remind them to have a heart and not shortchange the services our children and communities rely on. Wear a pink heart on Feb. 14.

In unity,

Kris Havens

AFT communications director

P.S. We’d love to see pictures of you and your colleagues wearing your pink hearts. E-mail your photos to: AFTfieldreports@gmail.com .

From a colleague in Franklin, TN

I was adding my last photos last night on the album that I created on Facebook on my teacher conventions around the country with the National Writing Project. The NWP convention in Nashville TN was one of the best! Then I received an email from a special education teacher in Franklin, TN...

Hi Ms. Angala,

I just caught up on your blog today and was so encouraged in your response to the teacher from Ohio. I too, feel exactly like her and I have used your blog as a weekly resource to help me in so many ways. I am a first year special education teacher and it is overwhelming. I felt like your response to her was one to me as well. Thank you so much for your work and effort in maintaining your blog. It is an incredible tool and one that is very much needed and appreciated.

Best regards,


D. S.
Franklin, TN

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Hello D.S.,

Thank you for your kind words and glad to know that through my blog I am somehow positively impacting new teachers as well. It was "double the challenge" for me when I was a new teacher in the inner-city school where I teach (still here!). Coming from the Philippines it was a difficult adjustment for me in all major areas of my life and all levels of teaching and learning framework. My survival and success not only was a result of my persistence but also because of the support systems from the experts and well experienced educators, high quality professional development trainings and innovative resources.

Teaching is a highly skilled craft, requiring patience, commitment, dedication, a sincere love of children, charisma, confidence, and competence. You are a new teacher, you know that it is your sincere desire to be successful, to inspire, to touch lives, and to make a difference. Seek out the most positive, enthusiastic, successful teacher around you, reach out to her and learn from her.

Hey, you have chosen the most noble of all profession...be the best teacher that you can be...I believe in you!! Cheers!!

Sincerely,

Maria Angala, NBCT
Washington, DC

I am about to be...officially...

It's good to routinely clean-up the inbox every week, I found another important message in the junkmails. I saved it just in time!!!

Here's a section of the invitation to join the Teacher Leaders Network. It's an honor to be invited, thank you!!

Click on the image to enlarge

Hello and thank you!

My response to my colleague C.C. (An Email from Ohio):

Hello Colleague**,
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Sorry, I saw your email when I was doing my weekly spam clean up, it got mixed up there for awhile. Don't worry, my computer will recognize your email from now on.

Thank you for the kind words. I can see just by reading from your email that you are very passionate with what you do. The mere fact that you reached out to me and to other teachers for supports, and that you came across my blog while researching/ surfing the internet for ways how to make it work for your students, speak of how determined you are to succeed so you can better maximize their potential.

Despite our distance we are on the same train; as individuals we are living parallel lives. I am also a mom of two kids, very active in professional communities, trying my best to be a great special education teacher.

Though I may seem so relaxed and comfortable with what I do as a classroom teacher on my blog, I am facing exactly the same issues as other special education teachers/ inclusion specialists across the nation: effectively dealing with discipline problems, dealing with difficult classroom, dealing with difficult co workers, planning effectively, managing time wisely, remaining calm and professional in the face of unnerving situtations, utilizing most effective teaching strategies, accomodating individual differences of my students, engaging students in critical thinking, overwhelmingly larger case loads, very challenging multi-categorical/ mixed disability classrooms, lack of assistive resources to accomodate our kids, list goes on...I try to stay focused on my goals for my kids. I make sure that at the end of the day they have produced something concrete that is aligned to the standards of learning. It is important for me that at the end of the week at least 80% of my students have mastered the standards. It's easy to get drowned in gossips, issues, and politics going around the corridors of the school buildings but I always remind myself that we are here in this job for the kids. In fact, these are the same challenges that remain common for many seasoned teachers throughout their careers.

I have 2 students on alternate assessments and I have alloted our seventh period to just work on their portfolios one-on-one while others are working on the learning centers. I also have an instructional aide who's a wonderful help for me. She assists other teachers for other classes too, but we already sat down in the beginning and talked about the systems that I have in place that we have to follow everyday. I gave her some responsibilities and she makes sure she sticks with it.
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Here's some lesson planning resources that our school district use, although you can have something that works better for you and your kids, this is just a suggestion (I use them as a guide). Your local union website may have some professional development supports for you too:

Teaching and Learning Framework
Teaching and Learning Framework - Resource Pages
Teaching and Learning Framework - Training Presentations - Day 1
Teaching and Learning Framework - Training Presentations - Day 2
Teaching and Learning Framework - Training Presentations - Day 3
Chancellor’s Letter Introducing the Teaching and Learning Framework
Sample Behavior Management Plan Template
Sample Lesson Planning Document
Sample Unit Plan Worksheet

My advise to you:
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- have procedures and systems in place for almost everything

- make decisions based on what's best for students

- stick to your IEP timeline, ask your special ed coordinator if you can get at least a half day to work on your IEP preps and have your inclusion classes covered

- don't let negative co-workers affect you

- read about how to teach students at their "level", differentiating instruction, other best teaching practices for special ed teachers

- join a professional learning network (online) for special education teachers

- surround yourself with positive people who can help you, collaborate with them on pursuing the mission and vision of the school

- have fun with your students and the people who work with you, stay positive

- consistency, consistency, consistency

Smile, you are doing a great job!! Enjoy the rest of the weekend...have that glass of wine while reading a good book ;-)


Sincerely,
Maria Angala, NBCT
Washington DC
http://twitter.com/TeacherSol = follow me on Twitter


**name changed to protect my colleague

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C.C.'s RESPONSE:
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Hello Maria,

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I don't recall if I replied to you or not. :) I've had a very busy week this week. Thank you for the resources. I'm definitely going through the booklets. I could not access the lesson plan template or unit template again. I don't know why, but it didn't come up for me. That's okay. I'll find one somewhere. The ones I have from ODE are multiple pages long. They are very detailed and do allow you to put everything together in one big file. It's kind of nice, but can get tedious to fill out. I appreciate all the information you gave.
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This week I have accomplished all of my IEP meetings held for the year. I will have 6 meetings for seniors and students at other schools by the end of the year, but those are short easy to do meetings. I also finished and organized and put together my alternate assessment binders. We got to have our fun cooking day finally. :) I had a student finish all of his work from last semester that was due in January so he could pass the class. It was a very busy and chaotic week, but I feel so good that now I get to focus on my instruction, how to meet all the students' needs with no aide, and grading. I appreciate the encouragement.
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About IEPs in our district, we have it in the contract that we get to have 1 day to write IEPs and 1 for meetings for every 6 students on our caseload. That is helpful, but it was just not as helpful to me this year since IEP due dates and Alternate Assessment due dates were the same time.
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Thank you for the encouragement. It's much appreciated.

- C.C.  (Ohio) -

An email from Ohio

I was checking my junk mails for my weekly inbox cleanup and found a letter from a special education teacher from Ohio. Her letter has validated the fact that the special education issues teachers currently experience are happening not just in DC but in other school districts as well. My response on my next entry...

Hello Mrs. Angala,

I am new to your blog, but have enjoyed spending some time reading it today. I am an intervention specialist (Mild/Moderate) at a high school in Ohio. I must say that before reading your blog, I was ready to call it quits or at least look into a new school or transferring out of my current situation. I have found a little hope in your blog but have no clue how to even begin implementing anything because I'm so exhausted. This is my 4th year teaching.

I currently have 18 students on my caseload. 5 students participated in social graduation and simply receive services through the vocational school. The remainder are all students I see daily- which is nice. We are on a block schedule- so each class is 90 minutes long and there are 4 each day. One of those is my prep period where I also have to spend half of it doing my lunch duty or other duty, plus duty to do in the morning 12 weeks a year. All of the students I work with are alternately assessed (I don't know if you have that in DC). In the 3 blocks that I teach, there are at least 3 classes in each block and at least one student who needs a one on one aide. This leads me to the fact that I do not have an aide but for one block and she doesn't care to be there (sme misses at least 1-2 days a week and spends a lot of time on her phone texting) or learn from me so she can be a better help. She does help with note taking and classroom management. The general education teachers that my students see are asking me to help the students in my room with the work they are missing (which is fine) but I also have content I have to cover. I have 2 non-reader/non-writers in my room as well. The reading levels vary in my room from pre-k to 6th grade with some able to comprehend up to 8th grade material. I don't know how much longer I can keep it together and do all of this work. I feel like it's all I do- plan my lessons, help with others lessons and meet with them to modify curriculum and assignments then help the students with the work, write IEPs, complete Alternate Assessments, do my duty, and be a wife and mother to my 19 month old. How do you do it? Is this a typical set up for SPED? I feel like it's the kids who are suffering more than I am.

I mention all of this because 1. I'm at a loss for what to do, 2. I liked the blog about organizing- it's what I've been working on this year, 3. I was curious about the lesson plan templates you had on the lesson plan log. I couldn't seem to find a link to lesson plans on the hyperlink you have set up. Did I miss it somewhere? I am really trying to do better with planning ahead of time but right now, I'm focused on the IEP meetings and alternate assessments that I have due next week.

Again, thank you for your blog and for inspiring me.

- C. C. -
Ohio


My response to her email is here.

National Board calls on president to continue federal budget commitment to effective teaching

NBPTS PRESS RELEASE: NBPTS Applauds Obama’s Call to “Reward Good Teachers”

February 4, 2011

Arlington, Va. – The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) commends President Obama in his call to “reward good teachers” during the recent State of the Union address. NBPTS encourages the President to deliver on that message by continuing and broadening federal support of the nation’s most effective program that develops, recognizes and retains effective teachers National Board Certification.

More than 91,000 of the nation’s most accomplished educators have achieved National Board Certification, which is based on the most advanced teaching standards and rigorous assessment in the country. More than half of those teachers are serving in some of the nation’s most challenged schools.
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All 50 states, the District of Columbia and more than 700 school districts currently recognize National Board Certification as a mark of distinction.
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“National Board Certification is a model of pay-for-performance that is supported by teachers and administrators nationwide,” said Joseph A. Aguerrebere, president and CEO, NBPTS. “The rigorous standards and assessments of the National Board provide policymakers with the tools to define and measure teaching and leadership excellence.”
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“As a recognized leader in defining educator effectiveness, the National Board is uniquely positioned as a proven catalyst for education reform and school improvement intervention efforts, all designed to support student success,” said Aguerrebere.
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In his speech, President Obama described the federal government’s Race to the Top program as “the most meaningful public school reform of our generation.” In fact, Aguerrebere emphasized, “many states already recognize the importance of NBPTS and National Board Certification in Race to the Top, as it was referenced in eight of the 10 winning Race to the Top Round Two applications last year.”
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NBPTS stands ready to work with U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who has publicly stated his support of National Board Certification as part of the school reform agenda: “As we move forward on this turnaround agenda nationally, I would love for National Board Certified Teachers to be at the forefront of that movement.” Additional recognition of the National Board’s leadership in the area of school reform includes a highly competitive five-year, $27 million Teacher Incentive Fund grant awarded NBPTS by the U.S. Department of Education to help build teacher and leadership capacity in 23 urban and rural high-need schools in Richmond, Va. and the State of Maine.
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A voluntary assessment program developed and administered by NBPTS, National Board Certification is achieved through a performance-based assessment that typically takes one to three years to complete. While state licensing systems set basic requirements to teach in each state, NBCTs have successfully demonstrated advanced teaching knowledge, skills and practices.
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About the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

NBPTS, an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan and nongovernmental organization, is an integral part of America’s growing education reform movement. In developing, recognizing and retaining accomplished educators, NBPTS provides advanced standards, assessments and professional development resources to support educators at all stages of their professional growth; links subject-matter knowledge and effective teaching practices to student learning and achievement; and helps build and support school-based professional learning communities. Today, more than 91,000 National Board Certified Teachers are making a positive difference in the lives of students across the nation. For more information, visit http://www.nbpts.org/.

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Contact: James R. Minichello
(703) 465-2171
Cell: (202) 360-9973
jminichello@nbpts.org