New Haven Independent

Reform Drive Snags “New Teacher” Team

by Paul Bass | July 22, 2009 2:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

With help from local business leaders, Mayor John DeStefano has brought in experts from New York for a central part of his school reform plan: attracting and retaining great teachers.

Starting this week, The New Teacher Project plans to spend up to four months in town surveying teachers and principals and drawing up recommendations.

The New York-based not-for-profit — whose board includes school reformer Wendy Kopp, founder of Teach for America — bills its mission as “working with school districts and states nationwide to ensure that poor and minority students get outstanding teachers.”

DeStefano (pictured) said the group will be paid $200,000 to help the city figure out how to attract top teachers, including “non-traditional” applicants who “want to see this” as a “five to 10 year” gig rather than a lifetime career; how to “keep them here”; and how to “keep the staff excited and engaged in their work.”

The $200,000 will be privately raised. Dan Weisberg, New Teacher Project’s team leader for the New Haven contract, said his group will raise half the money from its own charitable donors. A group of local business people, chaired by Webster Bank’s Jeff Klaus, has promised to raise the other $100,000.

Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce President Anthony Rescigno, a member of the committee, said he’s confident it can raise the money, even in hard times.

“There’s enough interest in the subject. We’ll do it,” said Rescigno, whose daughter teaches in a New Haven public school. “This is a subject people have been pressing for a long time. They see sincerity on the mayor’s part.”

“I believe a lot of people are going to be behind this initiative, including people who find change difficult.”

Part of The “Portfolio”

Rescigno was referring to the Portfolio Schools Initiative, the school reform plan that Mayor DeStefano has made the centerpiece of this phase of his administration. Officials are in the process of putting together that plan in consultation with the teachers’ union and applying to the Obama administration for millions to fund it.

DeStefano said the initiative will have four core goals:

• Accountability, through better measurements of student and school performance.

• Talent: Attracting and keeping great teachers and principals.

• School intervention: Grading schools in three “tiers.” Principals at top schools would get freedom to operate more independently. Failing schools would receive outside help and if they continue doing poorly, they would be closed, and possibly reopened as charters.

• The “Promise”: A new fund will ensure that every high school graduate can afford to go to college. The system will monitor how they do.

The New Teacher Project contract fits into the first half of the second goal: attracting teachers.

In a conversation this week, Weisberg said his group will spend three to four months “gathering data.” It will hold focus groups with teachers and administrators. It will also survey all teachers and principals in the system. Questions will concern hiring, compensation, transfer, promotions. “We almost always get major insights from soliciting the views of teachers,” he said.

Then Weisberg’s group will present a report to the city with recommendations for how to attract, continue training, and hold onto great teachers. The contract will include some follow-up work too, Weisberg said.

Relations with the teachers, especially the teachers’ union, will be one of the trickiest challenges. In cities like D.C., the teachers’ union has fought against ideas like merit pay and alternatives to tenure. In New Haven, DeStefano and Mayo have made a point of including the teachers’ union, especially President Dave Cicarella, in the loop from the start. Cicarella has expressed a willingness to participate in reform; he has also expressed skepticism about the decision to bring in a reform quarterback, Garth Harries, who lacks public-school classroom experience.

Cicarella spoke briefly with Weisberg by phone Wedesday. He said he’s keeping an open mind about the group’s work; he plans to learn more by speaking with an official with his national union, Joan Devlin, who travels the country helping locals with school reform. (Devlin couldn’t be reached for comment.)

“I don’t know much about what they do. He told me they help with [recruitment]. They get teachers certified. That certainly sounds like a good thing,” Cicarella said.

“He said they also do reports. They go into school districts and look into policies and procedures. Sometimes the teachers unions don’t like what we say. Sometimes they do. He gave me names and numbers of people to call.

“My question to him: ‘You are hired by the board. Do any unions hire you?’ His answer was no.”

Weisberg said earlier this week that union leaders in town “certainly seem amenable to talking about different ways of doing things.” He cited that as one reason his organization wanted to work with New Haven, along with the mayor’s iron political grip on the schools.

He didn’t use those words. He used upbeat words.

He said New Haven has “tremendous potential to see some dramatic school reform.”

“You’ve got a clear system of authority with the mayor and the school board and superintendent,” Weisberg said. “You have a coherent management structure, which is important.

“Mayor DeStefano is quite sophisticated about the issues in education reform and very committed to moving beyond incremental steps. Dr. [Reggie] Mayo, the same thing: an experienced superintendent who is embracing change.”

Duncan Pitch

DeStefano said he’s also looking to Weisberg’s group to help the city make a strong pitch to the U.S. Department of Education for money to pay for school reform in New Haven.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan has invited school systems around the country to apply for two pots of money totaling $5 billion earmarked for school reform initiatives.

One of them is called “Innovation — What Works.” That’s the one he hopes The New Teacher Project can help by crafting a strong plan for teachers.

The other initiative is called “Race To The Top.” That money goes through states. DeStefano said he plans to pitch the state on applying for that money on behalf of a network of Connecticut urban school systems, including New Haven’s.

Some previous stories about New Haven’s school reform drive:

• Can He Work School Reform Magic?
• Some Parental Non-Involvement Is OK, Too
• Mayor: Close Failing Schools
• Union Chief: Don’t Blame The Teachers
• 3-Tiered School Reform Comes Into Focus
• At NAACP, Mayo Outlines School Reform
• Post Created To Bring In School Reform
• Board of Ed Assembles Legal Team

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Comments

Posted by: Darnell | July 22, 2009 5:51 PM

Where are the parent's in this equation? How does reform move forward without their input and participation?

Posted by: The Truth | July 22, 2009 11:00 PM

Teach for America must be New Havens answer to Donald Trump. Ask the teachers some loaded questions and YOUR FIRED.

Its also very sad DeStefano sees teaching as a five to ten year GIG. Just the thing to attract commited professionals.

Posted by: Concerned about teaching | July 23, 2009 11:27 AM

Is it fair to the children of New Haven to bring in people who will teach for only a few years before moving on to something "more important"?

As a college student, I heard the Teach for America sales pitch --

Spend a couple years doing "community service" by teaching disadvantaged school children!

No experience is necessary!

And after a couple of years (the time it takes to actually learn how to handle a classroom) you can leave!

It's a great way to pad your resume for law school or a public policy career!

Now, I know many well-intentioned people who have done the TFA program. Some have put in a few years and done a decent job by the second or third year. Others have dropped out, realizing that they just didn't have the necessary preparation, and it wasn't fair to the kids.

So how is New Haven going to RETAIN and SUSTAIN the long-term, committed, qualified and experienced teachers that children need?

Posted by: Beavis and Butt Head | July 23, 2009 7:53 PM

Being Mayor in New Haven is a 2 year gig. The talented and gifted move on.

Posted by: teachergal | July 24, 2009 11:21 AM

How can New Haven retain qualified teachers?

Simple answer: Respect them. Principals, be open and know your staff and build relationships. Talk to teachers about possible movements regarding grade changes...don't just thrust them into positions they may not want or feel prepared to teach. Becoming a good teacher is an ongoing process. Some of the best teachers have been teaching the same grade for many years, maybe even their whole career. Some teachers are moved around frequently to fill the spaces left by those who leave the district. This only alienates and frustrates teachers as they now have to learn a new curriculum. Believe it or not (for those not in education) teaching first grade is very different than teaching 5th. Yes, you can do it but at what cost.

As a verteran teacher, I have invested much money in materials and professional development and then been told that I will not be teaching the same grade next year. No discussion, just "do it" and don't complain. This is not fair. I don't see many other professions that have there positions changed as much as I see in New Haven Schools.

So my point is, if you want to retain "good teachers" then treat them with RESPECT. Administrators, try to be kind and smile once in awhile and let teachers know when they have done something positive. This is psychology 101...people don't need more money to feel happier at their job, although that would help, BUT need to hear that they are doing well and are being noticed. This is what good teachers do with their students, notice them, praise them, coach them and call their parents when they have been caught doing something well or good!!!!

Lastly, if a teacher is not doing a good job, then coach them through it early before giving tenure...just don't unload them off to another school. This does not help solve the problem, it just moves the problem. Administrators, do your job and get in those classrooms where you see a problem and evaluate early. Don't rely on the Literacy and math coaches to be your spies, you get into the classrooms and take a look around. Then meet with teachers, one on one, to share what you see that needs improvement. Don't share it at a staff meeting with everyone that some people are doing this or that, meet with the ones who have a problem. Generally, at meetings the ones with the problem are checking their cell phone messages and not listening anyway.

Posted by: Jack | July 25, 2009 1:54 PM

Hopefully this would prepare any student graduating from the NH public school system,to be able to pass a civil service promotional exam .Any bets? Or dose the problem lie in the culture and values of the individuals community? If it dose, when will we finally get a political leader with the courage to say so?

Posted by: pat shortt | July 26, 2009 9:38 PM

Teach for america is a joke

Posted by: New and Improved | July 27, 2009 12:35 AM

And with these reforms, we can presumably expect a bagman located in every school. Time to pay up teachers - Johney plans to keep his campaigning up until the end of the century 2099.

Posted by: teachergal | July 27, 2009 8:56 AM

It's funny that Teach for America is deemed to be so wonderful when it's graduates have no education courses to back them up? I don't think that many people would agree with the mayor on this one.

Posted by: FIX THE SCHOOLS | July 27, 2009 12:29 PM

With one exception, that education courses play an important role in delivering high quality education, TeacherGal makes some great observations about the kind of productive relationhsip that a capable and progressive schools administration MUST have with teachers. But we should not look at TFA as an either/or proposition:

A few observations:

Teach for America has widespread documented success in raising academic outcomes within classrooms and entire schools in some of the toughest districts in the country.

Besides the impact in their individual classrooms, TFA members help inject a sense of urgency and mission within the rank and file. Leading by example is a powerful force. In this way, TFA helps to absolutely catalyze the process of change within big bureaucracies.

Whether TFAers stay in education or not, we now have a generation of leaders in all disciplines and professional fields who understand from firsthand experience that ALL children are capable of learning at high levels. That understanding was not prevalent ten years ago. TFA is in no small part, the reason that we are seeing ambitious student-centered reform programs coming out of the Obama administration right this very minute.

Since TFA has been in CT. (TFA CT. actually started in New Haven 4 years ago) the number of corp. members has actually DROPPED in NHPS. Meanwhile TFA placements have risen in other cities in CT., most significantly in Hartford.

Today the Hartford Public schools announced some pretty impressive academic gains over the last year. The great progress being made in Hartford and its embrace of TFA is not coincidental. TFA is a vital part of establishing a culture of "can do".

Hopefully, New Haven will see a strong TFA recovery within its schools.

Posted by: Concerned about teaching | July 27, 2009 5:45 PM

"Fix the Schools" --

What evidence do you have that teacher education is irrelevant to good teaching? Don't you think that our classrooms should be run by professionals who have been trained in the art of teaching?

Posted by: RichTherrn | July 27, 2009 8:21 PM

Fix,I believe that research on TFA usually has to do with elem teachers in reading and math... I think New Haven tends to hire more middle and high school TFA teachers, and we've had very good ones, and very bad ones... pretty similar to our regular hires.I welcome any teachers dedicated to putting students first. I agree that it will be interesting to see how the achievement of our students working with "regular" elem teachers compares....

Posted by: FIX THE SCHOOLS | July 28, 2009 2:52 PM

"Teacher education is the Dodge City of the education world. Like the fabled Wild West town, it is unruly and chaotic. There is no standard approach to where and how teachers should be prepared, and the ongoing debate over whether teaching is a profession or a craft has too often blurred the mission of education schools that are uncertain whether to become professional schools or continue to be grounded in the more academic world of arts and sciences."

- Arthur Levine, president of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, and former president of Columbia University Teachers College.

Concerned,

When 3 out of 5 ed. school grads say that their grad program did not prepare them well to cope with the realities of today's classrooms, then you'ver heard it from the best source.

If graduates themselves and the former president of the leading ed school in the country aren't enough to convince you that ed. school training is dubious at best, then simply look at the results. I don't think that there is a correlation between good student outcomes and education school experience amongst teachers.

School environments which don't place a high value on education degrees and teacher certification include outstanding private schools, parochial schools, and successful charter schools.

This is not to say that you don't have to be trained and experienced to be an effective teacher. But this IS to say that the typical ed. school is certainly not the differentiator between a poor, good, and excellent teacher.

Posted by: Cross Teacher | August 6, 2009 5:58 PM

One of the reasons that the number of TFA teachers has dropped could have to do with the field of new teachers coming out of colleges with degrees and certification from traditional education programs. I don't know about 2008 or 2007, but in 2009 the hiring freeze in NYC has greatly increased the number of well-qualified education graduates looking for teaching jobs in Connecticut.

Posted by: nh adm | September 7, 2009 2:33 PM

Fix the Schools doesn't know what she is talking about.

Teach for America is used as a last resort, when highly qualified teachers cannot be found. TFA's are not highly qualified and perform in such a fashion time and again. Their retention rate is terrible and they have difficulty establishing meaningful realationships with children.

New Haven's scores blow the scores of Hartford out of the water. What Hartford gained this year, New Haven gained years ago and sustained it. As more "real" teachers flood the work force, there will be no more need for TFA. Thank goodness!

Reform Drive Snags “New Teacher” Team

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