Thank you for this. You have the first comment I've seen about how technology in the classroom affects the quality of teachers, not just the direct impact on kids. This is all curriculum-driven. The current math & reading curricula in elementary is about as teacher-proof as you can get. Everything must be done on devices. Of course this …
Thank you for this. You have the first comment I've seen about how technology in the classroom affects the quality of teachers, not just the direct impact on kids. This is all curriculum-driven. The current math & reading curricula in elementary is about as teacher-proof as you can get. Everything must be done on devices. Of course this is terrible pedagogy, but it equalizes teachers to the lowest common denominator. Retention doesn't matter then - as we've seen with veteran teachers leaving in droves. Hiring new teachers who stay a year or two isn't such a problem. As long as someone is there babysitting, while the kids watch the instructional videos and do all the work online, quality teaching isn't necessary. I'm not saying there aren't still amazing teachers in the district - there absolutely are. However, with the curriculum the district has chosen, you don't have to be an amazing teacher. You don't even have to be a good teacher. Responsible technology belongs in the classroom, but d65 has jumped that shark with its curriculum choices and over-reliance on screens.
We have seen that the veteran teachers are MUCH better at minimizing screen time and working with parents to reduce the use of iPads, whereas the newbies are much more reliant on the iPads and more likely to say "its District policy" when you ask them to reduce exposure for your kids.
I chalk this up to the exodus of experienced teachers pushed out by Horton's poor leadership.
We talk a lot about the financial disaster that Horton and the Board have created. But we should also highlight the degradation of the District's human capital that they also created.
The Administration can babble on about how much they value teachers but they still don’t conduct exit interviews with younger staff who walk away and then push retirement incentives for those who did make a career in D65 so there are no mentors.
When I started my career in Evanston over 30 years ago, it was a coveted job; now it is very close to becoming what is the nightmare scenario for school stability in a community, a “starter district”. My wife worked in such a district in a suburb north of here but there it was admin instability combined with very low pay; to see this happening in Evanston where pay and benefits are quite good in comparison should scare parents. Teachers will start their careers here and, after a couple of years, look for their “real” job.
Thank you for this. You have the first comment I've seen about how technology in the classroom affects the quality of teachers, not just the direct impact on kids. This is all curriculum-driven. The current math & reading curricula in elementary is about as teacher-proof as you can get. Everything must be done on devices. Of course this is terrible pedagogy, but it equalizes teachers to the lowest common denominator. Retention doesn't matter then - as we've seen with veteran teachers leaving in droves. Hiring new teachers who stay a year or two isn't such a problem. As long as someone is there babysitting, while the kids watch the instructional videos and do all the work online, quality teaching isn't necessary. I'm not saying there aren't still amazing teachers in the district - there absolutely are. However, with the curriculum the district has chosen, you don't have to be an amazing teacher. You don't even have to be a good teacher. Responsible technology belongs in the classroom, but d65 has jumped that shark with its curriculum choices and over-reliance on screens.
We have seen that the veteran teachers are MUCH better at minimizing screen time and working with parents to reduce the use of iPads, whereas the newbies are much more reliant on the iPads and more likely to say "its District policy" when you ask them to reduce exposure for your kids.
I chalk this up to the exodus of experienced teachers pushed out by Horton's poor leadership.
We talk a lot about the financial disaster that Horton and the Board have created. But we should also highlight the degradation of the District's human capital that they also created.
This is the saddest of all developments - took decades to build and only a few years to undo
The Administration can babble on about how much they value teachers but they still don’t conduct exit interviews with younger staff who walk away and then push retirement incentives for those who did make a career in D65 so there are no mentors.
When I started my career in Evanston over 30 years ago, it was a coveted job; now it is very close to becoming what is the nightmare scenario for school stability in a community, a “starter district”. My wife worked in such a district in a suburb north of here but there it was admin instability combined with very low pay; to see this happening in Evanston where pay and benefits are quite good in comparison should scare parents. Teachers will start their careers here and, after a couple of years, look for their “real” job.