5 Things You Should Know
- Looking Ahead: Preference Sheets
We’ve received most preference sheets responses and an initial table of organization is already made. I will be meeting with several teachers this week to discuss their programs and then I should be able to let everyone know their intended programs for next year. All programming decisions are made for educational reasons and seniority applies only when the qualifications between two candidates are identical. Please note that any preference sheets with less than three choices will be deemed deficient, thus waiving your right to submit a preference sheet for consideration. You can address this by submitting a new preference sheet no later than 4PM, March 28th.
Once you have your intended program for next year you will be able to select your preferences for your professional periods. I will be consulting with UFT to determine the menu of choices and the number of positions for each of them.
- This Year: Paid Coverages
If you are interested in covering classes during your prep periods please email me immediately. You should let me know the maximum number of periods per week you are willing to cover and any other special requests (e.g. it’s is better to cover classes during Monday preps but not Wednesdays, etc.)
The following rates apply for each coverage assigned during prep periods:
Effective May 1, 2015………………………………$37.09
Effective May 1, 2016………………………………… $38.38
Effective May 1, 2017………………………………… $40.13
Effective May 1, 2018………………………………… $40.92
Effective June 16, 2018..……………………………..$42.15
- iPads and Their Use
Many of you opted to use their discretionary funds to purchase iPads and they will be an important element of our school wide intervention programs for next year. Subpar ed-tech and tech instruction run rampant in schools across the country because many schools often confuse technology with educational buzzwords such as “ STEM”, “rigor”, “innovation”, and “21st century instruction”. Our vision is to push student thinking (yes, that’s italicized, bolded, AND underlined), and to plan instruction that allows them to carry most of the cognitive load in creating meaning and knowledge from various sources of information and experiences. And having students passively watching a cartoon explaining digested and prepackaged content is not effective instruction.
In order to support our students with effective ed tech, I’ve purchased 200 iPads for teachers and students to use with programs that are proven by sound research and provide increased accessibilities. The 102 approach is to get really good at doing what works and not waste time on many the things that don’t. PDs will be scheduled later this year for the following research-backed programs:
Grades 3-8 Humanities Intervention: Achieve3000 provides leveled texts for students to engage in material that is within their zone of proximal development. After 15 years of implementation, Achieve3000 has a proven track record of dramatically increasing the literacy of struggling readers.
ENL All Grades: Lexia Reading Core5 provides explicit, systematic, personalized learning in the six areas of reading instruction, and delivers norm-referenced performance data and analysis. Designed specifically to meet the Common Core and the most rigorous state standards, this research-proven, technology-based approach accelerates reading skills development, predicts students’ year-end performance and provides teachers data-driven action plans to help differentiate instruction. To learn more about Lexia, click here.
All Classes: OpenEBook is an incredible new resource made available to all Title I schools from the White House It makes available to students most of the most popular titles both present and past and you can sign up now. Please let me know if you have trouble getting access.
Everyone: Use Google Translate by pointing your phone/iPad camera to any document to translate it to other languages in real time. If you’re not using it already with our families, you should. Install it for both Android and iOS devices.
Teachers should also look into using Apple Classroom to implement iPad use in the classroom.
- A/C Installation: A technician will be coming around this week to take some measurements for the upcoming air conditioning installation. It’ll take a few minutes and we appreciate your understanding if they come in during instruction. 102 is about to enjoy its best—or at least most comfy—summer yet.
- ELA Scoring Cancelled for 4/19. Due to the upcoming primary elections, scoring has been cancelled for 4/19 and teachers previously assigned to score must report to 102 as usual. You will report to the scoring site from 4/20-4/22.
BONUS: We’re excited to have Ms. Rosenberger join our team as a F-Status interventionist for struggling readers in K-1. She brings incredible experience, expertise, and energy to our school and I’m sure our students will make incredible gains. She will be working from room 342—make sure to drop by and say hi!
mrkobot.com 