GSU Blogger - Dr. J. Kahrs

Educators are leaving the profession each year for various reasons. We may soon have a teacher shortage with the new recommendations for performance pay linked to test scores. So how do we fix this problem? Do we back off of the teachers and school leaders about test scores. Do we allow teachers to sit behind the desk most days while they give their students worksheets. With the change in the standards, it not only changed what you teach but how you must teach in order for students to now be proficient. Do we not say anything to a teacher who gives her students low level assignments that don't meet the expectations of the standards to prevent critiquing their work? At the end of the day, who is being held accountable for the achievement of the students? Educators are putting students at risk of not being able to graduate, not to mention college and career ready. What will happen to a child that comes to middle school struggling in math and has a brand new 6th grade math teacher tha...

Thomas Hoerr wrote an interesting article about school restrooms and the images they portray. Restrooms are not considered safe places in some schools. They are the least supervised locations in the building. Additionally, some school restrooms are plagued with rusted pipes, chipped paint, and doors to stalls unhinged. If administrators invested time in edifying bathrooms through fresh paint, student paintings, proper illumination maybe positive changes will occur. Faculty will be more likely to supervise this normally unsupervised area and deter negative student behavior. Just a thought.

Dazed and Confused  I have recently experienced something that really bothers me. Before I began my current position, I was the media specialist. In this role I discovered my unofficial role was what I called the "bar tender" of the school. Every day I had teachers coming to me to talk about their day, their challenges, complaining, crying, etc. Fast forward to this year. I am walking down the hall the other day and a group of teachers are talking. I am in my own little "Traci" world when something they do catches my attention. One of the teachers starts talking a little loud and one of the other teachers (under her breath) goes, "Shh" All of the teachers turn and look at me and then the one talking demeanor changes and she noticeably changes the subject. While I am flattered they think I am so great at my job that I have time to "spy" for my principal, I am also taken aback that people would be be so upset I am now in a leadership position. I...

This has been a very busy month. We set a goal to have all of our 30 minute observations completed before Thanksgiving along with Mid year conferences. The Fierce conversations have lasted longer than expected, with so many questions at the same time trying to deliver information for needs improvement in a way that the individuals still have their dignity has been tough. I think we have all learned a lot from this experience. I had the opportunity of modeling lessons and strategies for teachers who need additional support. I will continue to support teachers in every way that I can.

A safe and orderly school is very important. I had the opportunity to review a number of referrals submitted by teachers this past week. Students are chronically skipping classes and going to other teachers' classes without permission. The issue I have with these referrals is that while the students are in an unauthorized area, are they really if they are in another teachers' class unbeknownst to the assigned teacher? Shouldn't the adult in the classroom send the student for a pass so the student should not receive a referral and/or be marked absent?

Our administration just finished up the mid-year TKES evaluations for all certified staff. Talk about starting a WAR! It seems as in years past, 4s were given out like candy on Halloween. Well, this did not happen with our new principal as has caused quite a fuss at work. In truth, many 4s that were handed out in years past were not deserved. This was done because the game of favoritism was played. My new principal's belief: your walk throughs and evaluations are a measurement of growth, therefore, you should receive all 4s on your first formative evaluation. Makes sense to me. Chatter quickly spread throughout the building, evaluations were shared, and emails were sent to leadership demanding their scores be changed. I never was one to share my evaluations with anyone I worked with, because I felt that it was personal and to better my professional skills and growth as an educator. What would you do if you were the new administrator and you were faced with this?

           On November 8-10 th , I had the privilege to attend the Georgia Association of Elementary School Principals 2015 Fall Conference at the Marriott Riverfront in Savannah, Georgia. This year’s theme was The Three R’s: Refocus, Recharge, Reconnect. There were so many great keynote speakers: Richard Hight, Patrick Grady, and Deborah Tyler just to name a few.             In one of the breakout sessions, I was fortunate to attend Andria Bunner’s “Praise, Praise, Praise, With a Word or Phrase! This session was awesome! It fits so well with the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports initiative that my school will officially implement in January. Mrs. Bunner used the book, If You Don’t Feed the Teachers They Eat the Students! by Neila Connors as a framework for her presentation. She mentioned how this book contains words of wisdom and inspiration to both a...

As schools introduce multiple programs concurrently, it can become confusing for the masses. This school year, we have several programs. We are Title I, Personalized Learning, Professional Development, 4x4 and STEAM. It appears that teachers and kids are everywhere and nothing is accomplished and/or mastered. What does the research say about implementing programs to increase student achievement?

"How can I be an effective teacher in this world of technology?"  "Technology is not going anywhere no time soon."  Comments I made to myself in reflecting on things needed in order to be on my "game" with my students.  It was suggested from a colleague to go on Twitter because in her opinion Twitter caters more to specific middle school content and concerns (Pinterest has great stuff but at times can be a bit elementary school focused).  I bit the bullet and forged ahead and joined Twitter.  I'm happy I stepped outside of my comfort zone.  Twitter provides information that is trending (happening) now.  Believe it or not there are folks who share a plethora of information concerning any and everything dealing with education.  It really is a great resource for educators to explore as well as dialogue with other professionals the latest trends in the profession. By the way, if you decide to set up a Twitter account I suggest having two separate ac...

I wanted to share an accomplishment and an insight that I had this past week, which I feel should be at the heart and soul of leadership...but I'd like your thoughts. Last Thursday, I presented at a regional conference for the first time ever (Griffin RESA Drive-In STEM Conference), and it was an amazing, but somewhat conflicting experience. On one hand, it was exhilarating to share ideas and resources with other teachers and administrators from other districts (it was a hands-on, experiential, "explore & do" session). We jammed as many lesson/unit ideas as we could into one hour, let them actually create/build/test whichever and as many as they wanted to, and provided one link to all of the materials and handouts. The participants were visibly engaged, extremely complimentary, and asked many specific questions about the individual units and our STEAM program as a whole. However (this is not boasting, it's just my personal observations and perspective), some of th...

SIEP My school just started its annual SIEP. Students who struggle reading and math come one day for each subject they need help with. For example, a student who struggles in both reading and math come on Monday for reading and Wednesday for math. They stay from 4:30 to 5:30. We get them from the cafeteria at 4:30 and by the time they log onto computer and the program they are using they get started around 4:45. They have to be at the front of the school by 5:25 to catch the bus home. SIEP will continue until the Ga. Milestones is administered in April. This year we will be using Study Island for reading and ST Math for math. Study Island will start the Monday after Thanksgiving break (hopefully), so for now we are using either BrainPop or for students who have it, Read180. This is my 4th year teaching reading SIEP. The students who are in my class are very low readers according to the MAP data. As a matter of fact, some of them scored at the beginning reader level. I do not feel th...

When I was growing up, I often frequented the bus mobile, the library on wheels.  I grew up on military bases and the mobile libraries were a wonderful and convenient way to get new books to read.  When I began teaching in 2004, the library was the hub of activity in my school.  I taught a remediation class and my kids loved Accelerated Reader, racing to get to school in the morning to take an AR test, and trying to finish their work so that they could go to the library to trade in their completed book for a new adventure.  The library was also where small groups were held, children completed tutorials online, or students simply went to visit the librarian. The school where I do my practicum has a beautiful state of the art media center with a bank of 20 computers.  The ceiling is high and vaulted, there is a study room for small groups, and comfortable furniture for the students is everywhere.  But the library is not on the block rotation, and often time...

With the 2nd 9 weeks of school quickly approaching, we are creating ways to improve attendance and reduce tardies. We are implementing an incentive program for students. School is a job and will be treated as such with a salary. A salary will be determined for students based on the career they choose. As students come to school each day on time, bonus money will be added. As they miss days and come to school late, money will be deducted. At the end of each month students will be able to buy activities such computer time creating projects, purchasing a leadership position in the school etc. Other incentives will be in place to purchase with money earned. For parents we are creating workshops to have conversations about the importance of attendance and being at school on time, lunch bunch workshops to inform parents on how they can help their children at home and school etc. We started with monitoring 10 students with 10 or more absences and tardies. There is also a check in system in pl...

I am in charge of testing at Hampton High School and this covers all testing besides that SAT.  The SAT pays a stipend so unfortunately I didn't land the once test that pays to administer.  As the first semester ends I and testing is beginning to begin after Thanksgiving break I am struggling to find time to complete my formative assessments.  There is so much work and planning that has to go into setting up the testing matrix, ensuring we are all online, and making sure students requiring accommodations are provided them. Are there any other administrators who are in charge of testing at their schools?  How do you manage the time set in stone of testing and formal evaluations?

I know I may be putting the cart before the horse but i have a question concerning the interview process. As an aspiring principal what should I look forward to concerning the interview process? For example, when interviewing teachers, we often make the aspiring teacher walk us through a lesson from development to completion. Is there anything like this for aspiring assistant principals? More importantly, what should be some of the key points I should focus on?   Lastly, what were some of your best moments in the interview process?  

I also attended GaETC (Georgia Educational Technology Conference) this past week, along with several of you that I saw and probably more that I didn't, and I'm wondering if you all are feeling my thoughts...such amazing ideas, but can we really DO them? I really appreciate my position and perspective as teacher-leader because it helps me see the issues from both angles, school administrators and classroom teachers. But when I'm sitting in a GaETC session hearing the research and suggestions for doing this or that or the other, for example Erin Klein's session on redesigning classrooms to make them brain-friendly and student-centered, I can't help but side and sympathize with the teachers. I would guess that 95% of the time (my own personal guess-timation) school and district administrators would not be supportive of giving teachers the high degree of autonomy that it takes to be creative and innovative in their decision-making, much less encourage them to "take...

I had the pleasure and opportunity to attend the GASSP conference in Savannah on Monday, November 2, 2015.  It was truly very enlightening. As I walked in the room I was a little nervous...fear of the unknown seeing that I am not in an administrator role.  There were lap tops, computers, and i-pads EVERYWHERE.  I sat and I listened to what was being presented.  There were presenters about every 20 minutes plugging there school and strategies on why their school is currently being successful and what strategies brought the change.  Being a little confused on the rushed presentations I finally womaned up and asked my neighbor what was going on.  He informed me the venue was being set up like TED Talks. TED Talks!  Ohhhhhh and Duuhhhh! No wonder presenters were straight to the point. Here are a few comments from different presentations (in no particular order) I want to share: 1) If we take care of relationships, data will follow. 2) Lesson plans ar...

Ruby Payne My school had Ruby Payne come and speak about the 10 Actions to Understand and Educate Students Application of a Framework for Understanding Poverty.  It was the most amazing PD I have ever received and really hit home on so many points. She helped us understand why our students act the way they do. She spoke about how school norms are built around the dominate culture. Usually the dominate culture within a school building is middle class. This makes it hard for students of poverty to understand what is being asked of them. She touched on the differences between generational and situational poverty. She gave us 5 areas that students of generational poverty are not understood. As for difficult students, she said to ask them 2 questions. Who cares the most about you? and Who do you care the most about? If students do not mention an adult they are at risk. School staff need to ensure they find someone on staff who will spend 4-5 minutes a day with this student. S...

What is your idea of collaborative planning? I always enjoyed planning with my grade level, sharing ideas, and discussing data to drive instruction. This idea (collaborative planning) is new to my school and has many teachers on edge. Just last week, I heard a teacher say that she doesn't like posting her lesson plans or sharing her ideas because fellow teachers "steal" her ideas and thoughts. Um, shouldn't we be working together towards the common goal of student achievement and success? Starting in the spring, thanks to recent Milestone Data, the coaches (me) will be meeting every Tuesday with each grade level to collaboratively plant for the following week. We are there to serve as a resource, help provide materials, plan, and co-teach with teachers. I am hoping for positive feedback and participation on this new idea, and would welcome any support, ideas, or recent encounters with this!

It has been very interesting. I know with this program, we are supposed to be more involved than ever. Yet, I have really stepped back this year. I have always been on the go and the first to spearhead and volunteer. I have let go of the reigns to help push others into stepping up. I have been amazing and excited to see the little acts that are happening all over the school. Teachers are fundraising for the first time. We have a few working on a community event. The first in over a year. I had to listen to my own words: if you always let the alphas run the show, you will only get their results. This experience has let me see things from a different perspective, and not all of it I have liked. I feel like I am more in pulse with the school versus banging the drum. Yet the politics that I notice make me very nervous and apprehensive.

November is Parent Engagement month in the state of Georgia! What are you doing to honor and highlight the contributions parents provide at school and home to support student success?   The traditional African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child” is so very true! It is important to engage parents in their children’s education. As educators, we all know that children benefit academically, socially, and emotionally when parents and educators work together. November 19th has been declared National Parent Involvement Day. Many schools across Georgia will reflect on the vital partnership needed between schools and parents. Recognition such as this goes a long way! Do not let November slip away without acknowledging your PARENTS and getting them involve. Please share ways your school gets parents involved in their children’s education.

This year my school has fully implemented Personalized Learning. One component of our Personalized Learning plan is Advisory. Advisory is designed to create a smaller community within our larger community. There is one teacher to approximately 16 students and teachers will loop with their students. This gives students a chance to have a “champion” and someone who they feel comfortable going to with anything they might need help or advice with. It will also give students a chance to bond with their peers. All certified personnel in the school participate in Advisory. Since my school is a Title One school, we are able to provide laptops for most students. While we are not 1 to 1, we are very close and students are allowed to bring their own devices. As project manager, one of my jobs is to coordinate the implementation of Advisory. For uniformity, I have been tasked with creating all the lessons. I work closely with our graduation coach, instructional coaches, teachers, professional l...