This is about the fifth person in our group, starting with Chris in the early fall, who has been in a position similar to the one described below. This time it’s Jen. I don’t know what to say. Can those who have been there arm Jen with something? Maybe something from the Administrator/Teacher/Parent Re-education category, but what? Honestly, though, yoiu can kind of tell below that anyone in this situation who believes in alternatives to the book doesn’t stand a chance and if it were me I wouldn’t dare open my mouth. Anymore than I’d stick my arm in a tubful of piranha.
Dear Ben,
I have the opportunity to be in the same room with the newly-hired Director of Curriculum & Instruction for our district in a few days. My “lead” teacher just informed the department of an after school webinar session opportunity regarding the New Jersey Core Curriculum standards and the DCI will most likely be there. All the others are grammar/traditional teachers. I need some help with the best things to say when the discussion swings in their favor, as I know it will, to represent us and sway it back. I know others have come to you with similar querries but I don’t know where to search. I overheard my lead teacher on the phone with the new DCI to tell her that some of us in the department are interested in the webinar session. I eavesdropped in and out since I was doing other things but I heard the lead teacher say that she was appreciative that our middle school got on board with the sending districts and finally started using the same text book series as the rest of us do so that there is more of a common goal for all of us. (insert crying sounds HERE). The webinar session that the DCI may attend will be on Oct 29th after school.
Also, some time next week I am going to have my one yearly observation by the Director of Pupil Personnel Services aka Director of Guidance. I already showed him the TPRS Observer’s Checklist for Admins just today. He likes it! I want to know if the PLC has any tips or suggestions or things to look out for when he comes. This DPPS already knows I’m doing some new things and he’s the one who helped me to tweak the jGR to something our school’s grading scale would accept. He’s an ok guy and I know I can sway him in my favor. (As a side note: he told me a few years ago he got to observe a Latin teacher and it was an interesting class. I asked him if he could estimate the amount of time the teacher spoke Latin during that class. Looking down at the Admin checklist, the DPPS chose 50%. He said the teacher was doing a short grammar session. I responded that it was, in my opinion, 50% of a missed chance…..I wonder if I’m being too bold…hmm…)
Thanks again,
Jen