Memphis schools are in the process of laying off teachers - including veterans and four from Teach For America. New hires were to be restricted to placement in only four schools (the lowest performing schools in the district, per the article) - I'll return to that later. The superintendent anticipated having over 500 job openings for this fall, but ended up with fewer than 200, meaning 60 out of 100 2011 Teach For America corps members who were to be in the district are still unplaced. The placement landscape looks somewhat bleak, but if you're a 2011 corps member in Memphis (or elsewhere) I'd love for you to comment and update others on what the latest information is. I wrote a post that can be found here about my experience with placement, and as I said, the process is a fickle one and can shift quickly. If I had to guess, I would guess that TFA may try to place teachers in the surrounding area or in charters to make up for the decreased demand from Memphis schools.
Something that concerns me each year is that each corps gets larger and larger while teaching positions get harder and harder to secure. I know of people who have gone unplaced and had to take the emergency release, which means that they packed their bags and moved home - in essence, setting themselves back a year in their professional development. Overestimating open positions by more than 300 is definitely surprising, and now there appears to be a number of corps members who are currently at institute with a lot of job uncertainty.
Finally, I want to return to the fact that the union negotiated an agreement that new hires would be hired only in the city's four lowest-performing schools. That's just... frightening. Unions argue (vehemently) that more senior teachers are more effective, and by sequestering themselves in the more manageable schools in the city, the union's members are protecting themselves from having to teacher where they're most needed, essentially saying "We give up on those students - our members don't want to teach there." This setup prevents young teachers from building relationships and learning from veterans and seems likely to foster an us-versus-them mentality that can't be a good work environment. Wow.
Showing posts with label Institute. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Institute. Show all posts
Friday, July 15, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Teach For America placement
Teach For America rightfully earns mediocre marks for its ability to place first year corps members into schools in a timely manner. Every year thousands of young people (and some not-so-young people) accept their Teach For America offers and wait eagerly for either a school assignment or interview opportunities. And each year, a sizable percentage of corps members go to induction unplaced and are reassured that they will have jobs and will likely leave institute with a school assignment. Many people fall into one of the following categories: placed in a position during institute, placed in a position between the end of institute and the beginning of the school year, placed in a position after the start of the school year, and not placed in a position at all. All four are problematic.
People who are placed during institute aren't in a particularly bad spot. However, a placement before institute begins would allow for alignment between summer and fall placements. And while good teaching is good teaching, and one can be successful without such alignment, it seems obvious that an elementary school teacher is best served with an elementary school institute experience. It builds familiarity with content, with students, and allows teachers to try out strategies and receive immediate feedback from faculty advisors, CMAs, and others in a way that's just not possible during the year.
People placed after institute but before the school year suffer because they often have little time to plan - I know several teachers who were placed in schools within two or three days of classes beginning. The challenges here are numerous: there's often little time for planning, you can't fully utilize your PD to get feedback (since you have so little time), and you have few opportunities to build a relationship with your school staff. They may be unable to set up their classroom or find out the details of what they're teaching. This stress and these challenges surely have a non-negligible effect on corps member satisfaction and effectiveness. TFA tells corps members that Round 0 is an integral foundation for success during the academic year, and people placed in this timeframe by and large miss that boat.
One of the biggest challenges is being placed in a school after the year begins. I was in this situation as a first year teacher. I had to learn everything on the fly: school procedures, teacher's names, what and to whom I'd be teaching. I couldn't plan effectively for the first month because I struggled to identify my role in my school, and my PD had to deal with 35 beginning teachers and couldn't give me the attention I needed. I also had to teach an entire course in a shortened timeframe, and obviously my not teaching on Day One meant I didn't have the impact I could have otherwise had.
Finally, there are some people who aren't placed at all. Don't panic - it is not common. When staff members say that they're confident you'll get placed, you should generally trust them. They'll place 95%+ of corps members, but it's not outside the realm of possibility that people are not placed. While there's not a lot you can do to get yourself placed, there are a few things that will maximize your chances of getting put in a school. First, be a presence at your regional office. If the school year's already started, visit the office daily to get some face time with your placement person. I did this because I was scared our office would be okay with placing 96% of our corps, and I wanted to convey my enthusiasm and invest them in getting the last few people placed. Was this necessary? Probably not, but at least I felt like I was doing something. I also wanted them to think of me and not somebody else when they found an opening. Self-serving, I know, but I wanted to maximize my impact on my students, and I can only do that if I have a teaching job. I also talked to placed corps members in my region and asked them to identify their school's needs. Schools can be slow in communicating their needs to HR, but I knew two high schools that needed math teachers, and I brought those positions to the attention of the right TFA staff member. Finally, I reached out to institute staff members, asking for advice and looking for tips. Most staff members are involved in their region and have worked on staff before (there are many staff returnees each year), and they're valuable thought partners.
If you're not placed, don't panic! Odds are you will be (placed, that is, not panicked). I'll also say that because I didn't start teaching until well into the school year, I had no time to be nervous. I also really appreciated my students and placement, and because I entered a classroom without a teacher, I knew I was at a school that truly needed me. I am rarely a person who says that everything happens for a reason, but I think my late placement helped me have a better year.
The goal of this post is twofold. First, I want corps members who are currently unplaced to know that their situation isn't uncommon and will likely work out. I want them to know from my experience that it's possible to be late placed and still have a great year. My second purpose is to address the fourth scenario I described above: teachers who aren't placed. This happens more than it should, because in my mind it shouldn't happen at all. It's wrong to bring a person to a new city, tell them to lease an apartment, enroll in graduate classes, and start training without being certain they'll have a job. An inability to count job openings doesn't inspire a whole lot of confidence. And while the organization says that these corps members can defer for a year and rejoin the next year's corps, few people in TFA's age bracket can put their lives on hold without employment only to go through the same process next year.
If I were a higher-up in TFA I would suggest the following: avoid aggressively increasing the corps size. This would reduce instances of unplaced corps members and would allow for a reallocation of resources to training and support. A slightly smaller corps of more effective teachers would help improve thousands of corps member classrooms and truly build a group of teachers who are well-suited for success on their first day. It would also reduce the number of corps members who struggle by giving PDs smaller cohorts to work with and giving each corps member substantially more classroom time with their PD. And TFA really ought to be focused on increasing teacher effectiveness rather than the size of the corps.
People who are placed during institute aren't in a particularly bad spot. However, a placement before institute begins would allow for alignment between summer and fall placements. And while good teaching is good teaching, and one can be successful without such alignment, it seems obvious that an elementary school teacher is best served with an elementary school institute experience. It builds familiarity with content, with students, and allows teachers to try out strategies and receive immediate feedback from faculty advisors, CMAs, and others in a way that's just not possible during the year.
People placed after institute but before the school year suffer because they often have little time to plan - I know several teachers who were placed in schools within two or three days of classes beginning. The challenges here are numerous: there's often little time for planning, you can't fully utilize your PD to get feedback (since you have so little time), and you have few opportunities to build a relationship with your school staff. They may be unable to set up their classroom or find out the details of what they're teaching. This stress and these challenges surely have a non-negligible effect on corps member satisfaction and effectiveness. TFA tells corps members that Round 0 is an integral foundation for success during the academic year, and people placed in this timeframe by and large miss that boat.
One of the biggest challenges is being placed in a school after the year begins. I was in this situation as a first year teacher. I had to learn everything on the fly: school procedures, teacher's names, what and to whom I'd be teaching. I couldn't plan effectively for the first month because I struggled to identify my role in my school, and my PD had to deal with 35 beginning teachers and couldn't give me the attention I needed. I also had to teach an entire course in a shortened timeframe, and obviously my not teaching on Day One meant I didn't have the impact I could have otherwise had.
Finally, there are some people who aren't placed at all. Don't panic - it is not common. When staff members say that they're confident you'll get placed, you should generally trust them. They'll place 95%+ of corps members, but it's not outside the realm of possibility that people are not placed. While there's not a lot you can do to get yourself placed, there are a few things that will maximize your chances of getting put in a school. First, be a presence at your regional office. If the school year's already started, visit the office daily to get some face time with your placement person. I did this because I was scared our office would be okay with placing 96% of our corps, and I wanted to convey my enthusiasm and invest them in getting the last few people placed. Was this necessary? Probably not, but at least I felt like I was doing something. I also wanted them to think of me and not somebody else when they found an opening. Self-serving, I know, but I wanted to maximize my impact on my students, and I can only do that if I have a teaching job. I also talked to placed corps members in my region and asked them to identify their school's needs. Schools can be slow in communicating their needs to HR, but I knew two high schools that needed math teachers, and I brought those positions to the attention of the right TFA staff member. Finally, I reached out to institute staff members, asking for advice and looking for tips. Most staff members are involved in their region and have worked on staff before (there are many staff returnees each year), and they're valuable thought partners.
If you're not placed, don't panic! Odds are you will be (placed, that is, not panicked). I'll also say that because I didn't start teaching until well into the school year, I had no time to be nervous. I also really appreciated my students and placement, and because I entered a classroom without a teacher, I knew I was at a school that truly needed me. I am rarely a person who says that everything happens for a reason, but I think my late placement helped me have a better year.
The goal of this post is twofold. First, I want corps members who are currently unplaced to know that their situation isn't uncommon and will likely work out. I want them to know from my experience that it's possible to be late placed and still have a great year. My second purpose is to address the fourth scenario I described above: teachers who aren't placed. This happens more than it should, because in my mind it shouldn't happen at all. It's wrong to bring a person to a new city, tell them to lease an apartment, enroll in graduate classes, and start training without being certain they'll have a job. An inability to count job openings doesn't inspire a whole lot of confidence. And while the organization says that these corps members can defer for a year and rejoin the next year's corps, few people in TFA's age bracket can put their lives on hold without employment only to go through the same process next year.
If I were a higher-up in TFA I would suggest the following: avoid aggressively increasing the corps size. This would reduce instances of unplaced corps members and would allow for a reallocation of resources to training and support. A slightly smaller corps of more effective teachers would help improve thousands of corps member classrooms and truly build a group of teachers who are well-suited for success on their first day. It would also reduce the number of corps members who struggle by giving PDs smaller cohorts to work with and giving each corps member substantially more classroom time with their PD. And TFA really ought to be focused on increasing teacher effectiveness rather than the size of the corps.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Institute
Institute is where incoming corps members are trained by experienced Teach For America teachers and staff members to become teachers. Corps members will also work with non-Teach For America teachers, called faculty advisors, in their classrooms. As a new teacher, institute can be tremendously overwhelming. You're presented with an incredible amount of information with little context and can be given 15 things to work on without ever actually seeing how each one should be implemented. Add in the stress of moving to a new city, working closely with strangers, and having too few hours in a day. You're given so much more information than you can hope to process that institute has rightfully been compared to collecting water by holding a dixie cup under a waterfall. It ain't easy.
When I was a corps member at institute I felt entirely overwhelmed. I left institute thinking that I had processed some of the key information I needed and zoned out the rest because I knew what was important and what wasn't. (Needless to say, I was not a rockstar corps member.) When I returned as a staff member, it all came together for me. Information I had previously disregarded made complete sense and matched what I had tried to do in my classroom as a teacher, and it all clicked. The lesson here is twofold: the things you will learn at institute are in fact important, and if you feel like you aren't processing everything being thrown at you, fear not - the exposure is a foundational step.
That said, here are a few things I'd advise corps members to keep in mind.
Advocate for yourself. If you don't understand something, don't assume it will magically click at some point in the future. Ask for clarification, a demonstration, and a follow-up. Your staff is there to teach you, but they can't read your mind. Ask for the things you need - for the sake of your development as a teacher and for your current and future students. If you're uncomfortable, frame your question in a manner that focuses on your students. It's better to be the one person who speaks up and then learns something than to be the other twenty who are afraid to speak up and then go home wondering about something all night because they thought someone would snicker at their question.
Be productive during the day. Spend your down time at school (yes, there will likely be some) working on lesson plans. Minimize the work you have to do at the end of the day. And when school ends, start working immediately. Work during dinner. This will get you to bed at a reasonable hour, and sleep deprivation makes institute unbearable. With a bit of work you can have your lights out by 10 o'clock.
Deadlines are not flexible. Meet them. If for some reason this will be a problem, talk to your CMA (or other staff member) immediately. There are situations where it's better to ask forgiveness than permission. Institute is not one of them.
Do not stress about your fall placement. Maybe you're teaching something different than you teach at institute. Maybe you don't have a placement. Maybe you dislike your placement. There isn't anything you can do about it. Many people go through institute unplaced or with placements different from their institute placement. Regardless of where you'll end up, you will be better off with a productive summer. Don't worry more than is necessary.
Do not despair. If you don't click with your collaborative or some of your staff members, that's okay. Institute can be a tough place to find your groove. Almost 50,000 people applied to Teach For America, and you were one of the 5,000 or so people chosen. You're here for a reason. Nobody slips through the cracks - you were chosen. Institute is not an attempt to weed out corps members - every bit of feedback you get (including any professionalism concerns documented by your CMA) is focused on your development. Your school team and collaborative group members bring a lot to the table. Leverage all of their experiences relentlessly. It will pay off.
When I was a corps member at institute I felt entirely overwhelmed. I left institute thinking that I had processed some of the key information I needed and zoned out the rest because I knew what was important and what wasn't. (Needless to say, I was not a rockstar corps member.) When I returned as a staff member, it all came together for me. Information I had previously disregarded made complete sense and matched what I had tried to do in my classroom as a teacher, and it all clicked. The lesson here is twofold: the things you will learn at institute are in fact important, and if you feel like you aren't processing everything being thrown at you, fear not - the exposure is a foundational step.
That said, here are a few things I'd advise corps members to keep in mind.
Advocate for yourself. If you don't understand something, don't assume it will magically click at some point in the future. Ask for clarification, a demonstration, and a follow-up. Your staff is there to teach you, but they can't read your mind. Ask for the things you need - for the sake of your development as a teacher and for your current and future students. If you're uncomfortable, frame your question in a manner that focuses on your students. It's better to be the one person who speaks up and then learns something than to be the other twenty who are afraid to speak up and then go home wondering about something all night because they thought someone would snicker at their question.
Be productive during the day. Spend your down time at school (yes, there will likely be some) working on lesson plans. Minimize the work you have to do at the end of the day. And when school ends, start working immediately. Work during dinner. This will get you to bed at a reasonable hour, and sleep deprivation makes institute unbearable. With a bit of work you can have your lights out by 10 o'clock.
Deadlines are not flexible. Meet them. If for some reason this will be a problem, talk to your CMA (or other staff member) immediately. There are situations where it's better to ask forgiveness than permission. Institute is not one of them.
Do not stress about your fall placement. Maybe you're teaching something different than you teach at institute. Maybe you don't have a placement. Maybe you dislike your placement. There isn't anything you can do about it. Many people go through institute unplaced or with placements different from their institute placement. Regardless of where you'll end up, you will be better off with a productive summer. Don't worry more than is necessary.
Do not despair. If you don't click with your collaborative or some of your staff members, that's okay. Institute can be a tough place to find your groove. Almost 50,000 people applied to Teach For America, and you were one of the 5,000 or so people chosen. You're here for a reason. Nobody slips through the cracks - you were chosen. Institute is not an attempt to weed out corps members - every bit of feedback you get (including any professionalism concerns documented by your CMA) is focused on your development. Your school team and collaborative group members bring a lot to the table. Leverage all of their experiences relentlessly. It will pay off.
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