Nils De Vita (Los Angeles ’90) teaches math at New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn, NY.
Tenure for teachers has become a political football in state capitals across the nation. I understand the tension, because I’m in an unusual position. I’m a member of Teach For America’s charter corps and have worked at two summer training Institutes. I’m also a 23-year teaching veteran, elected union delegate for my school, and an AFT teacher leader charged with tackling issues that promote and protect public education for all American students. I’m considered conservative by TFA standards but progressive within the union.
Photo by Unknown via WikiCommons
In a climate where massive budget cuts are forcing public school districts to lay off hundreds of teachers, it is no wonder why unions are eager to arm their teachers with the relative security of tenure. However, in a world where we use “tenure” interchangeably with “highly qualified,” are we really putting the best teachers in front of our kids?
Tenure came about in the early 19th century to protect teachers from being fired for illegitimate reasons such as race, gender, or favoritism. Women could lose their jobs for getting pregnant or wearing pants (how dare they?), and tenure provided them with protection from this unfair discrimination. Since then, tenure has morphed into a no-questions-asked policy that preserves jobs for even the lowest-performing teachers.
Photo provided by U.S. National Archives and Records Administration via WikiCommons
Wondering what students want the newly-elected President to focus on for the next four years? Well, we asked them. And as it turns out, they’ve got a lot on their minds.
E.E., 5th Grade
Given the importance of mobilizing the youth vote in this country, I want to introduce you to Daranesha, a former student of mine. Even sharper and wittier than she was as a 7th grader, I have been admiring Nesha’s political activism on Facebook and Twitter these past few months. We had the opportunity to connect about today's election, and, not surprisingly, she is wise beyond her 19 years. In fact, she voted early, a step ahead of me!
CV: Nesha, you already cast your vote in Houston, Texas. Had your parents or anyone taken you to the polls before? What was the experience like?
DD: My parents have always voted. They were always stressing to me the importance of voting regardless of who I was voting for, because my vote could make a difference.
This election was my official first time voting. I must say that this experience was one that I will forever remember. Walking into the polls, I had the biggest smile on my face. I definitely felt the "freedom of speech" vibes kicking in. For the first time, I actually felt like I had a voice and it mattered, even though I didn't have to say a word. I didn't need to convince or explain to anyone who I was voting for and why. I could just simply walk in and speak through voting. Definitely a priceless moment marked in the books.
Photo courtesy of Daranesha D.
I’ve been bothered lately by the use of the term “so-called reformers.” Who decided that it was necessary to police the use of the word “reform,” and why and how do some people get legitimate claim while others are “fake”?
My decision to jump in the fray stems from NYU’s Dr. Pedro Noguera, who has replaced Diane Ravitch on the popular Education Week blog Bridging Differences. I had the pleasure of being taught by Dr. Noguera in 2000, when he first came to the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and the opportunity to serve as his teaching assistant for a couple of semesters after that. I always aspire to integrate theory, knowledge, and common sense like he can into my own public presentations. But his use of the term “so-called reformers” during an appearance on MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry show landed like a terrible insult. I worried that the term might somehow apply to me, but I wasn’t sure how my credibility or that of others was being called into question.
Dr. Noguera repeated the term in his recent post “A Call to Reclaim the Banner of Reform.” The title speaks volumes. It leads me to assume that he believes current reforms are wrongheaded and not reforms at all. But reform is not about a specific, definitive agenda. The content of reform often shifts—which is why we talk about it as coming in waves and associate it with different generations. Reform agendas may clash, but reform itself is ever-changing.
Photo by Clyde Robinson via WikiCommons
Five links that made us think this week:
“Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind.”
Gandhi’s famous words inspired 15-year-old sophomore Maisie Kate Millers to start a non-violent movement to tame a bully. Recently bullied by a classmate for wearing her hair in pigtails, Maisie took her campaign to Facebook, naming her protest “Pigtails for Peace.” She received huge outpourings of support from hundreds of students, most of whom didn’t know her. The next day at school hundreds of “girls, boys, a dog, and at least one teacher” showed up with their hair in pigtails. Maisie Kate’s bully without a doubt learned her lesson—she was a no-show at school the day of the protest.
Daniel Millenson was a 2009 Teach For America corps member in the Mississippi Delta.
On Tuesday, more than 100 million Americans will take an action that many consider the pinnacle of citizenship – we will cast our ballots for President. Change often starts in the voting booth, but as we pursue true, lasting change, we should view Election Day not as the end of the race, but merely the beginning.
Photo by Electiontechnology via WikiCommons
– Sylvia Plath
In August, I was writing my paternal grandmother’s obituary upon her death at the age of 84. I always knew she attended Simon Gratz Public High School in Philadelphia. But as I spoke with my grandfather and great aunt, neither could confirm if my grandmother actually graduated from high school.
These facts speak to a time over 60 years ago when opportunities and expectations were different for many African-Americans. Some may still debate how much this has changed for African-Americans in low-income communities, but I see glimmers of hope and movement in the right direction.
Photo courtesy of Michael Lewis
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays after Christmas and Easter. As a teacher in the South Bronx, I used to allow my students to dress up after school. We would get in on the fun as well. Each grade team would choose a theme and dress up to surprise the kids. Two years ago, my fourth grade team dressed up as witches. We had a blast!
But there’s a shadow over this year’s Halloween celebration—and I’m not just talking about the recent events of Hurricane Sandy.
Photo courtesy Janiceia Adams
When I entered the teaching profession, many warned me about the “disillusionment phase” to come. Though I anticipated some difficulty with teaching, when reality set in, I realized why people call October the dark days of teaching.
My first few weeks of teaching were amazing. I successfully introduced my class to scientific inquiry, found my students engaged with the curriculum, and encountered only a few behavior issues. I was walking on sunshine and telling myself “teaching is easy!”
Then a black cloud rose over my head. An almost paranormal shift occurred after the shiny days of September. Suddenly, the Las Vegas desert heat disappeared, the days got shorter, and my students were no longer perfect little angels. I left my desk each day with a giant pile of ungraded papers, and red Fs littered my grade book.
Photo by André Karwath via WikiCommons
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