Where does the accountability lie? November 24, 2009

One of the distinguishing differences of my charter school is that we provide students opportunities to learn at their challenge level.  This has been difficult to define and also to implement.  We’ve attempted to level the students as best as we can although it is very tricky.

One of the greatest problems with this leveling system is that accountability seems to be lost.  As a colleague put it, I feel partially responsible for 60+ students and not fully accountable for any of them.

I only have a handful of my students all day.  The rest are taught also by the other two fifth grade teachers in an attempt to challenge the students at their level.  However, I’ve encountered the accountability conundrum these last couple weeks.  I have a student from my home class that is performing poorly in spelling.  I am not her spelling teacher yet I feel responsible since I am the one who will report her grades.  I drafted an email to her parents last week when I recognized that she had two weeks of bad test scores, but I never sent it.  I couldn’t offer any specific suggestions for their daughter, because I didn’t have any anecdotal notes.  I spoke with the student briefly in the hall to attempt to find out information.  I was still at a loss.  Do I not say anything and trust that her spelling teacher is intervening?

I teach a split class for math of 15 students working out of an above grade level text book and 9 students working out of a grade level text.  This means that 7 of my homeroom students are being taught by the other two fifth grade teachers.  I just received emailed test scores from the most recent math test.  Three of my homeroom students who are  being instructed by another teacher scored D’s or F’s.  One student only got half of the questions right.  HALF.  Am I supposed to intervene with these students?  Or do I trust that this other teacher is re-mediating appropriately?

I’m worried about the academic success of the students.  And I’m also worried about my professional success.  The 7 math students and 20 Language Arts students of mine that are being instructed by the other two teachers will take end-of-level tests under my name.  I may never teach them these subjects this entire year, yet their scores will reflect on my competency as a teacher as viewed by the state office of education and the federal government.  How much do I trust these other two teachers?

An introduction August 3, 2009

I graduated this past spring from Dixie State College in St. George, Utah with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education.  I accepted a job at Exclesior Academy in Erda, Utah, because I was impressed with the vision for the school.  I’ll be teaching 5th grade.

I’m excited and nervous and trying not to be overwhelmed.  I am confident in my abilities and my training, but I just don’t know exactly what to expect.  Fortunately, the fear of the unknown is keeping me humble and thus forcing me to think more about the upcoming year.

Excelsior Academy is a charter school and brand new this year.  As I type, construction continues on the building.  It is scheduled to be completed on August 14.  I’m hoping, praying, knocking on wood, all while crossing my fingers that it will be completed on time and that we will receive all our supplies in a timely fashion so that we can open as scheduled on August 24.

The facultly is from all over the United States representing such locations as Maine, New Hampshire, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan, Wyoming, and Washington with three colleagues recently teaching in a remote location of Northwest Alaska.  I’m excited for the diversity and hope that we all bring the best of our backgrounds and experiences to the table.  This diversity has the potential to create the best school around.