Test Taking Faculty Meeting

The meeting is with everyone in the library and hopefully will be quick enough to allow time for phone calls.  We were given a list of emergency preparedness steps to do in our box, just an FYI.  We were also given a laminated sheet of what to do in various emergencies to post in our room.  Alex has been selected to be a principal at a small District 7 high school and he will be leaving after testing.  We will have an interim (retired) AP for the remainder of the year and someone next year, depending on displacements and seniority and whatnot.  Take a test taking strategies poster on your way out.

Kathy Garner is leading a discussion of test-taking strategies.  She has pulled some old video tapes and has added a BrainPop video and some YouTube videos to her website (since Michele isn't here to put them under teacher resources.  I guess that this is a taste of what next year will be like), that you can (should) show to your ET.  YouTube requires you to enter your SSO username and password to show the video.  Some are made by teachers and some by kids.  Kathy Gonnella says that if you don't have a cart in your ET or don't know how to use technology, see Kathy Garner, but every ET should see at least a few videos.  Apparently Michele will put them on the website tomorrow when she gets back.

Alex has asked us to have small group discussions about what we are doing in our ET to reinforce good test taking strategies.  I mentioned that I told the kids not to eat any fat or sugar before testing which Robin restated as reinforcing healthy eating.

On a side note, there were two agendas for this meeting, both provided only minutes before the meeting started, a pink one which I think is from the PD committee and which we are disregarding and a blue one which I believe is from administration, which is the one we are using.

Back to the all mighty test.  We are sharing with the whole group.  Sharon says choose the "best" answer.  Students often think two answers are right, but reinforce that only one is the best. Steve says make sure that you understand what the question is asking for. Other people shared stuff, but I stopped listening.  I started wondering about free books, because it was my understanding that we had set aside money for the free books this year, but no one has done anything about this and what's up with the money for the books.

This year's testing schedule is very different from last year. Apparently we are having practice testing on 5/9, minimum days 5/10-5/13 with one testing session per day and some classes, and testing on 5/16 and 5/17 with all classes meeting those days (I think).  The schedule will be provided tomorrow as it was just run by SBMC last night.  Several faculty members are expressing that they are frustrated to find out that the schedule is so different from last year and we are only now finding out.  Kathy says that we were told several weeks ago, but again faculty members expressed that while it may have been mentioned, nothing was concrete and we were not given specifics.  There is a high level of frustration that things like schedules are not communicated adequately or in a timely fashion.

Short Break

Faculty meeting begins.  An announcement that the father of two students died suddenly last night and to cut those kids a break.  Faculty members suggest a collection for burial expenses and a sign up for food delivery.  Wednesday, 5/4 the principals' meeting will be here so the yard will be used for parking.  We have a new complex manager who will be here on Friday because they may be drilling on the South field on Friday to do testing for the new gym building.  Camp Emerson will be Aug 30-Sept. 1 with Howdy Day on Sept. 1 from 1:30-3:00.  The PIGG day will be either August 29th or September 5th depending on furlough days.  Start thinking about eighth graders who may want to do speeches at culmination.  X period starts this week.  Give out program cards in ET, collect them in X and turn them in to the Student Services office.  Make sure that every kid in your room is supposed to be there.  Sheila is sharing an article from the LA Times about improving test scores of African-American students by having them read articles about overcoming adversity.  Also students who are directly taught about how learning occurs and that people are not born smart or dumb makes a difference.

Now we are having our Spring Recertification of district policies. Don't discriminate.  Report child abuse.  Don't be alone with kids. (Time out for an anecdote about a teacher who was recently removed from Palms for "baking cookies for a kid". ) Be vigilant about bullying and cyber-bullying. (Side conversation about "burn pages".) Be vigilant about hate crimes - take them seriously. Be safe, don't do stupid things to put yourself at risk.

Now a UTLA update - there is a proposed one hour job action and a protest on Pershing Square on Friday May 13th.  There is some dissent about whether or not we should go forward with it.  We are being asked to sign a pledge to do the one hour job action and to commit to attending the rally (separate sign ups). There is a question about whether or not we should do the testing in light of the proposed cuts.  Cecily says, per UTLA lawyer, you must administer the test or you will likely lose your job.  We are working on fixing testing at the state level, but that fight is not for this week.  We are joining together, statewide for actions during the week of testing, including the one hour action.  There is a movement in the state and the union to move toward a strike, but we aren't there yet, though it is on the table.  We need to stop being reactive and start DOING things and this is our start.  Noriko suggests that there may be some riffed teachers willing to not give the test and test the union contract.  Cecily says she will talk that over with her people.  Remind those teachers you know at other schools to show up and walk out for the job action.  Only 27 people signed during the meeting.