GSU Blogger - Dr. J. Kahrs

Believe it or not it's that time of the year....STATE TESTING!  Yipppeeee.....Stress time, rather watch paint dry time, I'd rather be somewhere else time, etc. What is it about testing that brings out the hives?!  If you've been doing what you're suppose to do since day one then there's no need for panic.  I'm not saying I meet the testing spirit with whistles and rainbows.  I just recognize the sun is going to still rise in the morning despite if Johnny or Susie shows up on testing day.  So in the spirit of testing here are a few tips to remember:  Wear comfortable shoes that have a rubber sole....think nothing that will make a sound.  Nobody really cares that your tennis shoes does not match the day's ensemble.  Wear comfortable clothes. Nothing too tight (This includes girdles)...but then again it may just keep you awake wondering why in the world did you stuff yourself in too small clothing....Try not to p...

"Student learning is the ultimate measure of the success of a teacher and an instructional leader" (GADOE, 2016). Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) measure student growth over an academic year in non-tested subject areas. I asked a Curriculum Specialist how did she feel about SLOs. She said that it increased student teacher accountability for student learning across all areas. She also stated that it was just too much testing. I asked a Coordinator how did she feel about SLOs. She said that it was a good pre/post test. She also stated that is was not valid because some teachers has access to the questions. When we administered SLOs across the district 2014-2015, teachers across the county came together to unpack standards and create curriculum maps in courses that usually were "islands" in their schools. Testing was a nightmare though. Scheduling issues and data from scores being erased. Now that we no longer have SLOs, will teachers that teach non-tested subject a...

I am very excited that our school district is going to use AppliTrack as our online application system. Many of you who are a part of a big school district are probably already using this now. I went to a training three weeks ago and we were so amazed at how this tool would help our recruiting, screening, and Employee File Management efforts. AppliTrack provides applicants with a user-friendly tool to browse and apply for positions. Applicants are only a click away from viewing current vacancies, completing an online application, and uploading necessary documents. As far as school leaders, AppliTrack helps in quickly accessing qualified applicants, filtering and sorting through candidates, and improving communication throughout the process. I am curious to know if your district is using AppliTrack and if so, do you like it?

For those of you who have become principals or assistant principals, on average how many interviews did you go through before attaining your leadership position? I talked to my principal today and he reminded me that he went eight (8) principal interviews before his role as our principal. I want to know if this is normal, just an expectation of the process or should one interview be the norm in this process.

Our greatest challenge with behavior exists within our Kindergarten classes. Parents are not very supportive when we ask them to intervene. We have students that hit teachers, spit on teachers, hit other friends, throw chairs, use profanity etc. At the local school we have counselors involved to a great extent before discipline referrals are actually processed. We have SST meetings for behavior to provide a number of interventions as well Once have exhausted our options at the local school and other students are put in a unsafe environment, we have no other choice but to move forward with disciplinary actions.

I teach a middle school REP mathematics class.  I'm considered a connections teacher.  Because of this I see all grade levels.  I teach students who struggle in mathematics.  I was/am happy with my current position.  I pride myself in knowing how to reach the lower ability student.  As of late, I am questioning myself about if I'm really making a difference in this position.  In the regular classroom, I taught the standards and knew what was expected of me.  Right now I am still creating this class from scratch.  I am considered an interventionist but still have a heart of a regular content teacher.  One of the biggest issues I struggle with daily is my role as an "interventionist."  As an interventionist I am required to fill in the gaps to assure students can achieve mastery of basic skills in order to be successful with current grade level content.  However having come from the regular content class how can I sit by and watc...

It's obvious that a vacation is right around the corner. It seems as though faculty, staff and students all have one thing on their minds...SPRING BREAK! How do you deal with the lack of focus and increased misbehavior in the building? I know that I am ready for a week at the beach but realize I still have work to do before then. Does your school do incentives for good behavior leading up to a break? Please share!

I want to know who actively handles discipline in your building. I write this because after 16 years of teaching I like to see my administrators roaming the halls. In my current school I believe the teachers handle the everyday, every situation of student issues. Our administration just completes the referral process. Do the administrators in your building roam the halls? Does your administration lead by walking? What type of administrative presence dominates your building?

When I took on the job of Project Manager (PM), I had no idea my principal was such a micro-manager. I had worked with her for 6 years as the media specialist and she never "bothered" me. She just let me do my job the way I saw fit. Fast forward to almost a year as being the project manager and I am beyond frustrated. Every time the district asks me to do something, I have to clear it with her. She gets upset that the district does not copy her on EVERY email they send me. She has also told me on a number of occasions that what they are asking me to provide is her job or tells me not to do it at all. It is becoming a problem since I am tasked with replying to what the county requests. It is part of my job description. Up until recently I have just complied with what she said and not brought it to my boss's attention. My thinking was she is my boss. This changed when I got an email from one of the people the district hired to implement a couple of programs emailed my pri...

If you read my last post about my district's pay policy for administrators NOT really supporting the decision to advance in the profession by seeking a doctorate degree, you may have found yourself in the same boat as myself, wondering whether such a huge investment is worthwhile. Well, if you also happened to revisit that thread and read my latest contribution, I realized that such a momentous decision has to be intrinsically driven, regardless of any potential financial benefits. Salaries get raised and cut, policies change back and forth, but the degree is about personal and professional growth, contributing to the profession, and the hope of opening up greater opportunity for yourself in the future. Now with that being said, here's the very positive news that I referred to in my last comment (Note: this only applies to certification only (Add-on) folks...sorry). Apparently there is a little bit of a difference between the Leadership Add-on (Certification-Only) and Lea...

Do you agree with the statement that dismissing a student for bad behavior in school often simply pushes that behavior out into the world? Majority of students in the Southern States that are suspended from public schools are black. Some people have referred to some schools that have a high suspension rate as "Prison Pipelines". Many districts are incorporating Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) to decrease the behavior students are typically written up for. PBIS schools have shown a decrease in the amount of students being suspended.  So what are school's role in addressing the diverse needs of our students and families that they serve. We cannot simply tolerate bad behavior in our schools to prevent suspension, but how do we put in supports that allow us to remediate behavior and provide students with a better opportunity?

Our principal has submitted their letter of resignation and Hampton High School will be looking for a new principal in the coming weeks with a new principal being approved by the Board of Education April 11th.  The dilemma I am facing is this.  If any of the three current AP's applies than no AP will be part of the hiring process, we lose our voice so to speak.  If none of us put in for it than I would hope I would be the AP involved in the hiring process because I have the most years of experience and I am the only AP left from last year when Hampton High School.  It has come to my attention that one of our AP's is going to apply even though they are in their first year as an AP.  That means we as AP's will not have a voice in the hiring process.  I had said I didn't want to put in for it but because I wanted to have a voice, but with the voice now gone I am wanting to go through the process of seeing what it is like to apply for a head principal's job. ...

As a special education resource teaching, I enjoyed working with my general education colleague to plan and implement lessons for our math students.  There were days when I used Alternative Teaching as a strategy to break the skills in manageable parts for the students I was working with (both general and special education), and then there were times when I was conducting the lesson.  My co-teacher and I would collaborate all the time and sometimes even in the presence of the students.  She would say, "Now Mr. Gamble, I'm not too comfortable with these algebraic expressions. You're going to have to take it from me." In the middle of the lesson, I would take over and the students encountered effective communication as well as learned to compute algebraic expressions.  There were days when I would have the gifted students extending their learning by creating math projects which would be spread out of the floor.  I miss that type of co-teaching.

Seeing that there is a lot of conversation on how to achieve "buy-in" from veteran teachers with newer agendas, I read an interesting article that provided suggestions on how to achieve this.  Of course this is not a one size fit all solution.  However, it is a starting place to assist with moving forward. https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-01-21-how-to-rally-veteran-teachers-around-a-personalized-learning-model Feel free to share thoughts or suggestions on how you achieved buy-in from your veteran teachers who are "reluctant" to get on board with newer agendas.

My boss is getting ready to discuss grade level placements for the upcoming next year that the next faculty meeting. This has many teachers up in arms. The conversations that have gone through he building have not been the most positive. Many believe that they should stay in their respective grade level as they have been teaching that specific level for 5, 10, or even 20 years. But, isn't your contract to the county and for the grades in which you are certified for - P - 5, K - 8, etc? How would you as a leader handle this sticky situation and what would you say to back your decision.

I recently attended a training on leadership and I wanted to share what I think is great information for all of you aspiring to be principals. The first golden nugget is that building-level leaders must understand that leadership is second only to classroom instruction among all school-related factors that contribute to what students learn at school (Leithwood, Louis Anderson, Wahlstrom, 2004) (www.wallacefoundation.org). In fact, the total (direct and indirect) effects of leadership on student learning account for about a quarter of total school effects. Building-level leaders primary areas of work include: Setting directions Developing people Redesigning the organization People are motivated by goals which they find personally compelling, as well as challenging but achievable.  Having such goals helps people make sense of their work. The second golden nugget has to do with expectations of school leaders. I have listed 25 I thought were worth sharing. Th...

Students are not allowed to leave campus at any point during the school day unless they are checked out or absent. I am noticing students during the lunch hour walking the halls with various fast food items. It has been brought to the attention of administration. The problem is if something happens to a student who leaves campus without permission the school is responsible. I am of the opinion that students who leave campus should have their parking privileges revoked. What are other schools' policy on students who leave campus?