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Back Letter to the Editor Public school reform

Public school reform

Monday, 21 May 2012 03:30am
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
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AS WE know on Guam, the biggest job of local government is the education of our youth. The Guam Department of Education has a current array of challenges and problems. It's true everywhere that Departments of Education all over the nation are facing severe budget restraints and major challenges in the public schools to provide quality education for all children. Perhaps, the Guam Board of Education, the Guam Federation of Teachers, Gov. Calvo, and the Guam Legislature can take a look at what has happened in Connecticut.

Gov. Dannel “Dan” P. Malloy, D-Conn., and the state legislature have recently signed into law new public school reform legislation. Apparently, this was a bipartisan effort with both political parties working together. The object was to upgrade, modernize, and make the schools more effective. Instead of cutting back on educational budgets by laying-off teachers, Connecticut has moved forward to strengthen their public school system.

The government of Connecticut has committed more funding for low-achieving schools by spending more on reading teachers, especially in pre-school programs. In addition, more money will be spent for alternative (charter) schools and the new law provides local school board flexibility to hire private educational consultants. These consulting services are charged with working cooperatively with the administration and teachers in those particular school districts.

Major changes have occurred with the teacher unions. Targeted low-student achieving schools can re-negotiate working conditions with the teachers. Regular evaluations (and more supportive supervision) of the teachers and administrators are established in this school reform law. The University of Connecticut, Neag School of Education, will participate in testing a teacher evaluation model; and, at the same time, the teachers will have a role in the negotiations and establishing plans to fix individual school problems.

It's never too late to improve our schools. After all, what greater investment do we as a community have?

Bruce G. Karolle
Tamuning, Guam and Vernon, Conn.

Comments  

 
-1 #1 Kalaukieleula 2012-05-29 13:25
There is a .8 correlation between progress monitoring on Galileo and state assessment for AYP. Progress monitoring with targeted interventions makes a difference for teachers and students. The formative assessments drive the instruction. Reading and arithmetic have to be fluent for achievement to graduation. Invest in teachers with the right resources in response to universal screening and progress monitor. That's the only evaluation the system needs. Side by side coaching not mentoring. Changing instruction for the better has to be in the classroom when it is observed. SAT9 Data already clarifies the challenge. Instructional Design for classroom management changes attitudes about success in school. Cuts down on absences and tardies. Core culture of the school has to be about the business of schooling.
 

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