Virginia Journal of Education: November 2021

VIRGINIA JOURNAL of

EDUCATI N The magazine of the Virginia Education Association November 2021

The Right

FIT

Finding what our most vulnerable students need as we recover from the pandemic.

INSIDE • Members fight for pro-education candidates. upg. 12 • A day without ESPs? Scary thought. upg. 18 • Richmond, Loudoun move closer to contract negotiations. upg. 21

Editor Tom Allen VEA President Dr. James J. Fedderman VEA Executive Director Dr. Brenda Pike Communications Director John O’Neil Graphic Designer Lisa Sale Editorial Assistant/Advertising Representative Yolanda Morris Contributors

COVER STORY

Nora Edwards Joy

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Donna L. Shrum Robley S. Jones

The Right Fit: Helping Our Most Vulnerable Students

Courtney Cutright

CONTENTS

Vol. 115, No.2

Copyright © 2021 by the Virginia Education Association

UPFRONT

The Virginia Journal of Education (ISSN 0270-837X) is published six times a year (October, November, December, February, April and June) by the Virginia Education Association, 116 South Third Street, Richmond, VA 23219.

4-7 This month: ‘The highest test,’ sleeping in, gold stars and Touching Base With Nora Edwards Joy of Fairfax.

Non-member annual subscription rate: $10 ($15 outside the U.S. and Canada). Rights to reproduce any article or portion thereof may be granted upon request to the editor. Periodicals postage paid in Richmond, VA.

FEATURES

Members have been advocating for months.

Postmaster: Send address changes to Virginia Journal of Education, 116 South Third Street, Richmond, VA 23219.

Positive, Not Punitive Done right, teacher evaluation is all about growth.

Article proposals, comments or questions may be sent to the editor at tallen@veanea.org or Tom Allen,116 South Third Street, Richmond, VA 23219, 800-552-9554.

18 Support Professionals Use Conference to Gear Up ESPs hone bargaining, recruiting skills.

Member: State Education Association Communicators

A Helping Hand Jobs for Virginia Graduates has been helping young people for decades.

VEA Vision: A great public school for every child in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

DEPARTMENTS 20 Membership Matters VEA members create model COVID policy.

24 Insight on Instruction Empowering teacher leaders.

30 First Person A ‘stamp’ of approval?

Cover and above photo by iStock.

My excuse for being late is so good I have a patent pending on it.”

VEA Mission: The mission of the Virginia Education Association is to unite our members and local communities across the Commonwealth in fulfilling the promise of a high quality public education that successfully prepares every single student to realize his or her full potential. We believe this can be accomplished by advocating for students, education professionals, and support professionals.

UP FRONT

Compared to students with lower grades, students with higher grades are more likely to: • Engage in physical activity for at least 60 minutes per day on all 7 days.

• Play on at least one sports team. less likely to: • Watch television for 3 or more hours per day.

• Play video games or use a computer 3 or more hours per day.l

“OK, first things first. How many kids are walking around with multiple apples?”

Source: Centers for Disease Control

Booker T. Washington once said, “The highest test of any civilization or any race is in its willingness to extend a helping hand to the less fortunate.” With that in mind, here’s an excerpt from NEA’s Policy Statement on Digital Learning:

Educational programs and strategies designed to close achievement and digital gaps must address equity issues related to broadband Internet access, software and technical support, and hardware maintenance. Also, technical support must be adequate to ensure that digital classrooms function properly and reliably for both educators and students. Under our current inequitable system of funding, simply moving to a large-scale use of technology in preK–12…will more likely widen achievement gaps among students than close them. For example, school districts with lower income populations simply will not be able to provide or maintain appropriate and relevant digital tools and resources for their students. We as a nation must address the issues of equity and access in a comprehensive manner in order to see the promise and realize the opportunities that digital learning can provide.l

Virginia Holocaust Museum Holding Essay Contest

“I was waiting for a good time to show you my grades. These are actually from third grade…”

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Propaganda is the attempt to use a message, in a wide variety of forms, to change people’s opinion. It’s also the theme of the 2021 White Rose Student Research Contest, sponsored by the Virginia Holocaust Museum. The contest is open to students in grades 8-12, who may enter by writing an essay of no more than 1,200 words answering one of two questions on the museum’s website by using as sources a list of documents also on the site. Winners in each age category will receive $300.

Entry deadline is November 30, 2021. To learn more, visit www.vaholocaust.org/white-rose-student-research-contest.l

VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | NOVEMBER 2021

TOUCHING BASE WITH… NORA EDWARDS JOY

FAIRFAX EDUCATION ASSOCIATION Elementary School Social Worker What do you like about your job?

Every year, multiple children with severe disabilities teach me not to count them out. They often have a sense of humor and resilience, and I’m encouraged when they use what they’ve learned in group counseling sessions to engage in activities outside of school together. I enjoy engaging in cultural practices such as drinking tea, taking my shoes off, or reviewing the magic of Goya seasoning, which sometimes happens at a student’s home as we discuss Homebound Services. My colleagues inspire me with their ingenuity and stamina.

How has being a Union member been helpful to you?

We all share a common purpose. VEA has taught me to advocate for the quiet adults in school buildings whose efforts often go unnoticed but whose services are essential to keeping children safe, and VEA was critical in making sure teachers and ESPs were protected as much as possible before returning to school buildings. Parents and staff come in with their own experiences and I get the opportunity to highlight what we all have in common. l

VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | NOVEMBER 2021

Photos by iStock

Moving Ahead

Will Our Nation Pass This ‘Highest Test’?

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UP FRONT

“Education is the way to move mountains, to build bridges, to change the world. Education is the path to the future. I believe that education is indeed freedom."l — Oprah Winfrey

You Do It Every Day “Educators, always remember that right now, someone out there is a better thinker because of you.

Someone is standing a little taller because you helped her find the confidence she needed. People are kinder because you showed them what that meant. Your strength and resilience, your creativity and kindness, are changing lives and changing the world.”l — First Lady Jill Biden, a community college instructor

Better Together If we want strong public schools, we must make more space at our decision-making tables — formalizing and encouraging regular communication between school leaders and educators through unions and by other intentional means.

The pandemic exposed our school governance systems’ shortcomings, and if there was a surprise, it’s how so few districts treat educators like the vital partners they are. For the future of public education in this country, that must change.l

Let ‘em Rest!

Teenagers are notorious for sleeping in, and, while that may sometimes frustrate adults who’d like them to be more productive, a study in Colorado shows that delaying school start times by a little more than an hour led to less drowsy driving and fewer accidents involving young drivers.

Automobile safety is just one thumbs-up for letting teens start school later: Previous studies have also pointed to increased academic engagement and fewer days lost to migraines.

The Colorado study examined the effects of a school start that 70 minutes later than it had been on the driving statistics of 2,100 high-schoolers in that state’s Arapahoe County. The county’s accident rate dropped from 78.9 crashes for every 1,000 drivers the year before the start time was changed to 76.6 per 1,000 drivers in the first year. The second year of the new start time was even better: 68.7 per 1,000 drivers.l

— Lesley Lavery, author of A Collective Pursuit: Teachers’ Unions and Education Reform

Keeping Our Teachers of Color

SOURCE: ACLU

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%

The percentage of calories eaten by kids and teens in the U.S. that come from ultra-processed foods such as pizza, microwaveable meals, cookies, and chips.

“Especially right now I’m afraid that the teaching profession might be at risk of losing a lot of great teachers of color, and that’s not something that we can afford. For me, it’s personal because I only joined the profession after having an inspiring teacher of color who introduced me to the field of education. So, I think that if we want to retain the teachers that we have, it starts with listening to the great teachers that we already have in classrooms. Also, [we should be] pairing new teachers with veteran mentor teachers and, in order to prevent them from feeling isolated, creating different affinity spaces for teachers just so they can discuss different challenges and offer

“We’re doing in-person learning now.

So, no, you can’t mute Suzy.”

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VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | NOVEMBER 2021

ongoing support, mentorship, and encouragement.” l

Sources: Study led by researchers at Tufts University and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association

— 2021 Washington, DC Teacher of the Year Alejandro Diasgranados

“And then the principal said it wouldn’t kill me to have 46 students in my class.”

It Works for Us, Too Just like our students, we learn most effectively when we’re taught in a way that suits our abilities and learning styles. Here are four important aspects for successful professional development, from UCLA’s Center for Mental Health in Schools: • inservices that account for interests, strengths, weaknesses, and limitations • approaches that overcome avoidance motivation • structure that provides personalized support and guidance • instruction that’s designed to encourage intrinsic motivation for learning and problem solving.l VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | NOVEMBER 2021

Photo and illustrations by iStock

YOU Get a Gold Star, and YOU Get a Gold Star…

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T

The Right Fit Helping our most vulnerable students put their school lives back together after more than a year of COVID.

By Tom Allen

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VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | NOVEMBER 2021

he effects of COVID-19 have been brutal on all our public school students, leaving no segment of the youth population unscathed. But, as so often seems the case when times are hard, the most vulnerable in our communities may have suffered the most.

The enforced isolation and disruption of important routines brought on by the pandemic have been especially debilitating to some.

Consider, for instance, the plight of students with disabilities, who include children and young adults dealing with a range of mild to severe cognitive, physical, social, emotional, and behavioral needs. For a young person dealing with a disability, even “a slight change in their routine has a huge impact on their development and ability to learn,” notes a report from Harvard Medical School. Because many of these students couldn’t understand why they were unable to go to school, the report adds, teachers and caregivers were left with the difficult task of trying to explain why they must learn from home for an extended time.

Many young people with disabilities also find almost their entire social lives at school, and some, like those on the autism spectrum, have had great difficulty adjusting to new circumstances.

Making things even more difficult is the fact that some special education services are almost impossible to provide remotely and, given the individualized approach educators must create

for students with disabilities, there’s no easy, one-size-fits-all answer.

The pandemic has been similarly hard on English Language Learners, who now account for about 10 percent of public school students nationwide (8.5 percent in Virginia), according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The Century Foundation (tcf.org) reports that ELLs had a disproportionate likelihood of not having access to the equipment, online connections, and/or the digital literacy skills needed for virtual classes. They, too, were hit hard by pandemic isolation, which sidetracked language and academic development, and likely faced family challenges as well, as ELLs often come from communities of color and/or immigrants. Many face other barriers, as well, such as a lack of school information in their home language, a shortage of educators who can communicate with them, limited access to jobs with living wages, and insecurity related to their immigration status.

COVID demonstrated how important being in school can be for our youngest students, as well. Children in preschool through third grade rely on early childhood education to lay the foundation for the academic, linguistic, social, and emotional skills they’ll need to succeed as they grow. Many of our youngest children lost access even to remote learning during the pandemic and also lost out on the important socialization experience of being in school.

So, as the 2021-22 school year gets into high gear, educators are dealing with several groups of students who, in addition to the extra challenges they normally

face, are coming off a year that was far from normal. Meeting their needs will be difficult, must be a priority, and will take significant investments in resources, staff, and time.

Our schools are filled with dedicated education professionals who are qualified and ready to take this on, but it will take time. It takes time to build the kind of relationships that change the trajectory of young people’s lives—and that means we must focus on how we’re staffing schools.

HOW SOME VIRGINIA EDUCATORS ARE RESPONDING To see how individual educators can help students overcome such obstacles, we spoke with several members of VEA’s Special Education Committee.

There’s reason for optimism, says Diane Outlaw of the Education Association of Norfolk. “I am hopeful,” she says. “I feel students will recover, and so will educators. We have experience with students who need learning support, and we believe we can do it together. We note students’ needs and aggressively

move to meet them. We are undeniably working with a lot of unknowns, but we feel good about how we’re moving forward.”

The first step for many educators is looking after the social and emotional health of these most vulnerable among our students. “The one thing I can do individually to get my students back up to speed is to allow them a safe space to express their feelings, fears, and frustration,” says Shari Diggs of the Newport News Education Association.

Kim Hasty, also of NNEA and 17-year veteran of the special education classroom, agrees.

“My students have missed the socialization of friends in the past year and a half,” she says. “The first thing to help get each student up to speed post-pandemic is to have morning and afternoon groups. Social groups are a non-negotiable.”

Nevine Youssef of the Fairfax Education Association is using a variety of strategies to make up for lost time. “I’m using research-based reading programs that enable my students to enhance their reading readiness and comprehension skills,” she says. “I also make a lot of file folder activities that fit my students’ academic needs. While some students are completing the file folder activities independently, I am working with others in small groups. In addition, I use puppets while reading books to my students to make the content engaging and exciting. I continually assess my students and collect data.”

The task set before our

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Image page 8 by iStock

COVER STORY

COVER STORY

THE WAY FORWARD The National Education Association has pulled together a list of ways that we can protect and advance our most vulnerable students. Here’s some of the NEA advice: •

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Recruit and retain substantially more specialized instructional support personnel (therapists, counselors, speech-language pathologists, school psychologists, behavioral specialists, school nurses, etc.) and spe-

be provided by school districts. A potential model is the guidance provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, which focuses the use of compensatory services on those students who, after several months back in school, need extra academic support. Pennsylvania has provided extra funding for these efforts, which will consist of after-school services and summer school.

cialized teachers and classroom paraprofessionals with the necessary preparation, credentialing and expertise in early childhood education, bilingual education, and special education.

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Increase learning opportunities so students can meet grade-level benchmarks and educators can ascertain academic growth.

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Ensure that professional development enables teachers and support professionals to build on ELLs’ strengths in their home language so they can advance in core academic subjects.

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Ensure a maximum amount of interactive, intensified oneon-one instruction. Additional tutoring support, whether virtual or in person, must be prioritized.

Provide structured programming and resources for parents and caregivers of young children (from preschool to third grade) because their involvement is vital to their child’s education outside of school.

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Ensure every student has access to healthy and nutritious meals regardless of their ability to pay.

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Fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act fully and provide additional, targeted funding toward additional support for students with disabilities to enable them to make appropriate progress.

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Provide legal guidance to school districts, with educator and other stakeholder input, regarding how COVID-19 compensatory and other recovery services should

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SUPPORTING ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS Here’s some advice on how to help your ELL students, from The Century Foundation: •

Ask their families which languages they speak, read, and understand best, and use them for communications. Commit time, staffing, and resources toward ensuring that all school communications are translated into languages that families understand.

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Hire multilingual family liaisons and other staff—optimally from within the same community—to facilitate culturally and linguistically competent communication.

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Reach out to families using multiple methods—phone calls, mail, in-person visits, text messages, apps like TalkingPoints and WhatsApp, and more—and ask families for frequent feedback on which of these communication methods they prefer.

EDUCATING OUR EDUCATORS Giving our most vulnerable students the help they need is going to require outstanding, updated, and ongoing staff development for the educators working with them every day.

Youssef can point to some very specific needs. “I’d like to see something about creating social-emotional learning lessons,” she says, “and on writing good IEP goals while taking into account methods to collect data if we must switch back to virtual learning.

I’d also like help learning to develop ‘make and take’ fun activities for all subjects for students with autism.”

Hasty would like to see some long-term thinking, suggesting an after-school strategy for reading or math designed to meet students’ most pressing deficits. “It could be a two- or three-year program that follows the growth of students,” she says. “For example, a reading program that continuously builds on the development of students and where change is genuinely recognized. It should be free for all children, whether after school, on weekends, or bi-weekly. Educators can depend on doing remediation without jeopardizing classroom rigor and scaffolding to give the students support.”

Carlene Eller of Accomack is looking to make sure everyone is thriving. “I think we need professional development focusing on supporting each other, as well as our students,” she says. “We all

need it. Let’s make sure to have mental health workshops for staff and students.”l Allen is the editor of the Virginia Journal of Education.

Bolstering Mental Health for Students, Colleagues COVID has wreaked havoc with what was an already growing need for student mental health support. According to a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, 71 percent of students say the pandemic raised their levels of stress and anxiety, and 9 out of 10 said it’s had a negative impact on their mental health.

Educators dealing with all students, not just our most vulnerable ones, will need to know more about social and emotional learning and mental health for students and staff. To help you better prepare, NEA is offering a variety of resources, including blended learning courses, webinars, trainings, and online communities of support.

To learn more, visit www.nea.org SEL.l

VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | NOVEMBER 2021

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Photos by iStock

teachers is made more difficult by class sizes and understaffing. “All this needs a lot of planning and preparation,” says Youssef, who chairs VEA’s Special Education Committee.

“When you work in a self-contained classroom, you are the therapist and speech-language pathologist. I am overwhelmed. Since the start of the school year, I have been going to school very early in the morning before my contract hours and staying after my contract hours, often until 6:30 pm. I just started to leave on time this week for the first time because I am starting to get burned out.”

Hasty feels the pressure, too.

“I’ve been the only special education teacher in my entire K-5 building,” she says. “The expectations of a caseload of 19-26 students are very high, as if I had another teacher or assistant to support me. I want to see equity for every child.”

Outlaw believes understaffing keeps her from being able to move as quickly as she’d like. “Having limited help means slowing everything down—pace-setting, setting the tone and connecting to students,” she says.

FEATURE STORY PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

As November’s crucial elections near, VEA members have been out in force advocating for students and public schools. In a statewide string of listening events, educators met with elected officials and candidates to ensure that the needs of public education were kept front and center. Union members also worked to encourage early and safe voting, canvassed for education-friendly candidates, made calls in phone banks, and generally spread the word about the importance of these elections to our schools and our future.

“This is about everyone’s future,” says VEA President James J. Fedderman. “Throughout COVID, teachers and school support staff have gone above and beyond the call of duty, keeping everyone safe and delivering instruction creatively and tirelessly. As Virginia recovers from the pandemic, we can’t waste any time investing in students and those who teach and support them.”

See below for candidates recommended by the VEA Fund for Children and Public Education and the facing page for election thoughts from Fedderman.

Candidates Recommended by the VEA Fund for Children and Public Education Governor: Terry McAuliffe Lieutenant Governor: Hala Ayala Attorney General: Mark Herring House of Delegates:  Candi King, House District 2  Israel O’Quinn, HD5*  Wendy Gooditis, HD10*  Sam Rasoul, HD11*  Chris Hurst, HD12*  Danica Roem, HD13*  Chance Trevillian, HD16  Kelly Convirs-Fowler, HD21*  Bill Helsley, HD26  Debra Gardner, HD27  Joshua Cole, HD28*  Deetzie Bayliss, HD29  Elizabeth Guzman, HD31*  David Reid, HD32*

                      

Paul Siker, HD33 Kathleen Murphy, HD34* Mark Keam, HD35* Ken Plum, HD36* David Bulova, HD37* Kaye Kory, HD38* Vivian Watts, HD39* Dan Helmer, HD40* Eileen Filler-Corn, HD41* Kathy Tran, HD42* Mark Sickles, HD43* Paul Krizek, HD44* Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, HD45 Charniele Herring, HD46* Patrick Hope, HD47* Rip Sullivan, HD48* Alfonso Lopez, HD49* Michelle Maldonado, HD50 Briana Sewell, HD51 Luke Torian, HD52* Marcus Simon, HD53* Rachel Levy, HD55 Sally Hudson, HD57*

                      

Ben Moses, HD59 Jasmine Gore, HD62 Lashrecse Aird, HD63* Karrie Delaney, HD67* Dawn Adams, HD68* Betsy Carr, HD69* Delores McQuinn, HD70* Jeff Bourne, HD71* Schuyler VanValkenburg, HD72* Rodney Willett, HD73* Lamont Bagby, HD74* Roslyn Tyler, HD75* Clinton Jenkins, HD76* Cliff Hayes, HD77* Nadarius Clark, HD79 Don Scott, HD80* Scott Flax, HD82 Nancy Guy, HD83* Kim Melnyk, HD84 Alex Askew, HD85* Irene Shin, HD86 Suhas Subramanyam, HD87* Jay Jones, HD89*

 Angelia Williams Graves, HD90  Martha Mugler, HD91*  Jeion Ward, HD92*  Mike Mullin, HD93*  Shelly Simonds, HD94*  Marcia Price, HD95*  Mark Downey, HD96  Linwood Blizzard, HD99 *Incumbents

By Dr. James J. Fedderman

As you read this, Election Day is right in front of us. Many of you have voted already, which is great. We’ve kept our members informed since late summer about how to vote early and safely, because every vote matters.

Our gubernatorial election presents a very stark choice for supporters of our public schools: Terry McAuliffe’s record and plans clearly show that he has the backs of our students and educators; Glenn Youngkin, on the other hand, wants to siphon essential funding from public education, sacrificing it for politically expedient tax cuts.

When McAuliffe was governor, he invested a record $1 billion in public schools, boosting workforce readiness, expanding pre-K and computer science education, and eliminating unnecessary Standards of Learning tests. His plans for another stay in the governor’s mansion include making school funding a priority, expanding access to broadband, and beefing up educator support and retention.

He knows that if we’re going to attract and keep the best educators we possibly can, which our students deserve, we must pay them well. Right now, teachers in the commonwealth are paid $6,500 less than the national average. In a state as wealthy as Virginia, that’s unacceptable; McAuliffe plans to raise teacher salaries to above that average within four years.

He, along with his running mates

Hala Ayala and Mark Herring, also wants to fully fund Virginia’s Standards of Quality, something the state Board of Education has been pushing for, to no avail, for several years—and he supports our newly-regained right to collectively negotiate contracts with our school divisions.

So, as Election Day approaches, let’s keep our focus. Let’s encourage voter turnout, making sure as many of our colleagues, friends, and family members as possible vote, either in person or by mail, and let’s get true supporters of public education elected.

There’s far too much at stake for our students and educators at the polls this year to sit this one out. Your schools and communities need you to stand up for them!l

Educate Yourself veanea.org/vea-votes For information on voting options and election updates

va.candidatecomparison.org To view candidates recommended by the VEA Fund for Children and Public Education, see where Terry McAuliffe and Glenn Youngkin stand on the issues, and check out a sample ballot based on where you live.

VEA President James J. Fedderman (above, center) and Vice President Carol Bauer (above, right), along with other Union leaders and members from around the state, held meetings in September and October with elected officials and candidates, including Delegate Martha Mugler (above, left), Delegate and Lt. Governor candidate Hala Ayala (above, between Fedderman and Bauer), and House candidate Mike Downey (lower right).

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VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | NOVEMBER 2021

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Photos by Olivia Geho

Educators Fight for Students, Schools as Elections Approach

Speak Up for Your Students at the Polls!

STORY TheFEATURE Virginia Public Education CoalitionThe

When it’s done right, teacher evaluation is all about growth, both for you and for your students.

By Donna L. Shrum

Evaluations shall include student academic progress as a significant component and an overall summative rating. Teacher evaluations shall include regular observation and evidence that instruction is aligned with the school’s curriculum. Evaluations shall include identification of areas of individual strengths and weaknesses and recommendations for appropriate professional activities.

— Code of Virginia § 22.1-253.13:5. Standard 5. Quality of classroom instruction and educational leadership.

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ducators invest countless hours honing their professional skills, but the yearly official record of their work boils down to a handful of administrative observations and evaluations (O/E). The main purpose of O/E is to promote educator growth and thus maximize student learning, but they also carry repercussions for contracts, job retention, placement, and other important decisions. O/E are

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often sources of unnecessary stress and confusion, quickly forgotten and useless after they’re filed. We can do better, but before looking at how to improve the current situation, it’s useful to first understand how O/E evolved in Virginia.

The 1983 report A Nation at Risk created a panic by blaming students who didn’t work hard enough and improperly supervised staff for public schools’ problems. At the time, formal O/E didn’t happen because no state or national law

VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | NOVEMBER 2021

required it. After the report, many administrators began to use observations primarily as a tool to document why a teacher should be dismissed.

Virginia had Standards of Learning in the 1980s, but they were much different than the SOLs we know today. The Improving America’s Schools Act in 1994 led to Virginia’s creation of the first SOLs in 1995, accompanied by mandatory testing. President Bush signed No Child Left Behind in 2002, and Virginia’s 2004

can agree to make changes before the form is finalized. If you disagree with comments in the observation document, you can either write a rebuttal in the comments area of the electronic form or a separate one that is added to your personnel file. School divisions around the state vary in how they handle rebuttals: One, for instance, says rebuttals can lead to changes in the form “if justifiable;” another system says the rebuttal is merely added to the file; and another allows its employees to withhold their signature if they disagree with the O/E until it’s changed. O/E remain within the school system, but if you apply for a job elsewhere, the O/E can be referenced if the administrator is contacted.

Here in Virginia, administrators receive brief training at the beginning of earning their leadership degree in how to observe and evaluate teachers.

They must also pass the School Leaders Licensure Exam, for which the current Study Companion contains this question: A new school leader can best assess the competence of the campus faculty by: A. Asking teachers to complete weekly self-evaluations B. Reviewing teachers’ past performance evaluations C. Checking weekly lesson plans for alignment to state standards D. Using walk-throughs that target evidence of positive student outcomes The correct answer is (D). This question tests the school leader’s knowledge of processes that best assess the competency levels of teachers.

By conducting frequent walk-throughs, the school leader can observe teachers and gather evidence on whether they are utilizing effective instructional practices.

New administrators are often assigned a mentor, but refining how to conduct O/E and write appropriate and targeted feedback is often overshadowed by other demands. System-wide training often focuses more on how to use computer programs to record the O/E rather than the best ways to achieve inter-rater reliability, which means that any administrator in the system should evaluate an educator comparably. This isn’t an easy goal and requires focused training and practice in a school system. Time, money, and administrator turnover are obstacles even when uniformly training leaders in best practice is a priority.

The more traveled path for administrators to improve their observation and evaluation skills is self-study and the passage of time. Just as most educators grow with their years of experience, administrators also grow in their ability to process what’s happening in a classroom and writing about it clearly and objectively. A 2019 study in Michigan showed three factors influenced how principals make sense of and ultimately enact teacher evaluation policies and systems: years of experience as a principal, years of experience at one school, and years of experience as a teacher prior to becoming an administrator.

Dr. Kim Marshall, a former principal and administrator coach, points out that every time an administrator walks into classrooms, educators feel their jobs are on the line, creating tension and anxiety which makes it difficult to admit errors, listen, or talk about needed improvement. Educators usually feel the principal owns the feedback, not them. While the O/E form asks for identification of areas of strength and weakness, many educators worry anything they admit can and will be used against them. With

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Photo by iStock

Positive, not Punitive

graduating class was the first required to pass standardized tests to earn a diploma.

Once the state held students accountable for their learning, educators came next. In 2000, Virginia’s Board of Education approved the first Guidelines for Uniform Performance Standards and Evaluation Criteria for Teachers, Administrators, and Superintendents.

In 2009, O/E became more intense when President Obama announced Race to the Top, designed “to overhaul teacher evaluation, move toward performance pay, improve low-performing schools and raise academic standards.”

Although Virginia never received any RTTT dollars, the federal government mandated that states revise their evaluations and have them in place by 2011. They now included value-added measures (VAM): student scores on standardized tests were 40 percent of a teacher’s rating.

In 2016, the federal government adopted the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and retracted its control over states’ evaluation systems, leading Virginia to begin overhauling its system again. Beginning in January 2020, student growth no longer counted for 40 percent of the evaluation and was not necessarily attached to standardized test scores, but “student academic progress” as defined by local school boards.

Two decades after Virginia created its first mandatory O/E system, mid-year and summative reviews occur annually with observations, mini-observations, and walk-throughs recommended.

Observations can be announced or not, preceded by a pre-conference as well as one after, informal or just a walkthrough. Virginia law requires them, but local school divisions determine frequency, duration, and completion dates.

Afterward, the evaluator and educator discuss the observed lesson and

FEATURE STORY

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or derogatory, instead of constructive and helpful, the damage can’t be understated: a Harvard Business School study showed employees react six times more strongly to negative interactions with a supervisor and half of employees who receive harsh criticism reduce their productivity. The study noted that negative feedback must be delivered appropriately, preferably through ongoing conversation that is free of conflicting messages. Teacher turnover is at an all-time high, so it’s crucial that comments and feedback don’t plant the seeds of teacher disaffection, which can spread throughout a school.

Virginia’s 2021 Guidelines offer some very promising directions for O/E. One is the recognition that not all performance standards are found in every lesson, and expecting an administrator to check them all off in one observation may be a bit much: “Given the complexity of the job

VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | NOVEMBER 2021

system’s handbook, the state’s current Guidelines, or follow the news about changes. Like Titanic’s lifeboats, you don’t worry about them until you need them, mainly because you never thought you would.

In the new Guidelines, ratings have been changed to Highly Effective, Effective, Approaching Effective, and Ineffective. During the RTTT years, many teachers became upset or confused at being rated Satisfactory when a rating of Exemplary was added. The new Guidelines provide greater description of the qualities that distinguish an Effective educator from a Highly Effective one.

Areas targeted for growth in an observation and evaluation can be addressed by an informal Learning Dialogue or the more formal Performance Improvement Plan (see www.veanea. org/how-to-handle-a-performanceimprovement-plan/.

As Virginia’s school systems begin to incorporate the new Guidelines, we have an opportunity to refine how observations and evaluations can be consistently used to meet their primary purpose: increased student learning and achievement. As educators are trained to use the new Guidelines, hopefully school systems will also provide professional development, retraining, and mentorship for administrators aimed at enhancing their understanding of how to use O/E to foster educator growth.

A first step for us is to inform ourselves and plan purposefully to be an active, not passive, participant. Then we’ll be ready to engage students in providing regular feedback to us so we can better understand how to meet their academic needs.l

Why the Proper Evaluation of Teacher Effectiveness Matters

Shrum, a Shenandoah County Education Association member, is a history and geography teacher at Central High School.

An excerpt from Guidelines for Uniform Performance Standards and Evaluation Criteria for Teachers, Administrators, and Superintendents (VDOE)

Teacher effectiveness is important because of the direct impact teachers have on student performance. In fact, teacher effectiveness is the most significant school-related variable impacting student learning outcomes. Teachers have a powerful, long-lasting influence on their students. They directly affect how students learn, what they learn, how much they learn, and the ways they interact with one another and the world around them. Considering the extent of the teacher’s influence, it is important to recognize teacher effectiveness and understand what exactly a teacher can do to promote positive results in the lives of students – with regard to school achievement, attitudes toward school, interest in learning, and other desirable outcomes. This understanding should be based on what educational research has shown to be significant in teacher practices. Since the breakthrough of behavioral learning theory in psychology in the 1950s and 1960s, research on teaching practice has made momentous advances and evolved drastically. We know more about teaching and learning than we ever have. Given this rich evidence base, teacher evaluation should be built on this body of research so that it can measure the specific qualities that matter most.

Purposes of Evaluation The primary purposes of a quality teacher evaluation system are to: • contribute to the successful achievement of the goals and objectives defined in the school division’s educational plan; • improve the quality of instruction by ensuring accountability for classroom performance and teacher effectiveness; • promote a positive working environment, as well as collaboration and continuous communication between the teacher and the evaluator, that promotes continuous professional growth and improved student outcomes; • promote self-growth, instructional effectiveness, and improvement of overall professional performance; and, ultimately (italics added) • optimize student learning and growth for all students.

A high-quality teacher evaluation system includes the following distinguishing characteristics: • benchmark behaviors for each of the teacher performance standards; • a focus on the relationship between teacher performance and improved student learning and growth; • a system for documenting teacher performance based on multiple data sources regarding teacher performance, including opportunities for teachers to present evidence of their own performance as well as student performance evidence; • a procedure for conducting performance reviews that promote professional improvement, increase teacher involvement in the evaluation process, and adequately include accountability; and • a system for providing assistance when needed.l

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llustration by iStock

such an uneven balance of power, it’s often impossible to use O/E as an opportunity for professional growth, despite that being one of their most important purposes.

To make the most of evaluations, it’s vital that administrators build relationships before sitting down with an educator and be ready with planned and supported ways to assist them in their growth, not meet them with immediate punishment for missing the mark. A single observation should not be the first and last time an educator discovers a perceived weakness, and written evaluation comments should reflect ongoing observation of the educator, not one visit. Dr. James H. Stronge, a William & Mary education professor whose work is the foundation of Virginia’s Guidelines, says, “Systematic communication should be viewed as a hallmark of sound evaluation.”

When comments are inaccurate

responsibilities of teachers, it is unlikely that an evaluator will have the opportunity to observe and provide feedback on all of the performance standards in a given visit. . . In fact, an observation might focus on a specific standard.”

The O/E forms include educator artifacts as evidence, which was only mentioned in prior Guidelines. Some school systems currently require educators to collect artifacts during the year, which can be time-consuming, but it shifts some of the responsibility and power for O/E to the educator.

The new Guidelines note: “Direct classroom observation can be a useful way to collect information on teacher performance; as a stand-alone data collection process, however, it has major limitations. If the purpose of a teacher evaluation system is to provide a comprehensive picture of performance in order to guide professional growth, then classroom observations should be only one piece of the data collection puzzle.”

Previous Guidelines also mentioned collecting data through student surveys, but now age-appropriate sample surveys are provided to encourage and simplify the opportunity for a major stakeholder, the student, to give feedback to the educator.

New educators are told they’ll be observed and evaluated and where to find the county’s Guidelines-based handbook. They then begin the adventure of their first year of teaching and experience their first observations and evaluations. Learning about that process, however, often isn’t a priority, and rookies may not know that a wealth of information is on their system’s and the VDOE’s website to help them. Many don’t have the time or realize it’s helpful to read the

FEATURE STORY

FEATURE STORY

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five-minute horror film was on the agenda at VEA’s 2021 Education Support Professionals Conference in Williamsburg in October, and it turned out to be a big crowd-pleaser.

The movie short, called “A Day Without ESPs,” offered an extremely bleak scenario: Students stranded on a cold morning with no one to pick them up, a locked and filthy school building, and no nourishment to be had anywhere.

Parents lost their tempers and Together again. Among the participants learning and networking at the ESP Conference were Alyce Pope of the superintendent had to shut Fairfax (lower row, left), Cindy Roop of Montgomery County (with Pope), and Valerie Smith of Arlington. down the schools before prepared to build unity among ESP celebrate their often-overlooked roles, the morning was out. members, to develop and use the but to hone their professional skills to The film felt more like a docpower that comes with joining tobetter serve students and colleagues, umentary to Valerie Smith of the gether, to communicate effectively and to better equip themselves to Arlington Education Association. “It with current and not-yet members, further Union goals. told the truth,” she says with a laugh. and to speak with one, strong During the intensive two-day “That’s the way it is—the schools voice. event, member- or staff-led sessions can’t run without us.”

Last year’s event was a victim focused on the collective bargainThat sentiment was echoed by of the COVID pandemic, so “It was ing process, effective recruitment of VEA President James J. Fedderman, great to be together and see both fellow ESPs, the power of organizing, who told conference attendees old and new faces,” says Javonnie self-care, transgender awareness, and that he has a special soft spot in his Hill, also of the Arlington Educaan election and legislative update. In heart for them and the work they do tion Association. “Especially now, addition, Fedderman, 2021 VEA ESP because he began his own educawith collective bargaining, it was a of the Year Brandi Wilder of Frederick tion career as an elementary school chance to communicate, see how County, and VEA Vice President Carol custodian. everyone else is doing, get some Bauer all spoke.

The annual ESP event, themed excellent ideas to take back to our ESPs present, and some who “Uniting Our Union Voice” this year, locals.”l attended virtually, came away better was a chance for ESPs not only to

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A Helping Hand for Students Who Need It Most Jobs for Virginia Graduates has been giving young people a boost for decades.

By Robley Shelton Jones

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hat would you call a drop-out prevention program that seeks out at-risk and disadvantaged students, bolsters their skills, helps them graduate and transition into the work world—and graduates 95 percent of its participants? I’d call it a big success! You can call it Jobs for Virginia Graduates (JVG), a nonprofit affiliated with Jobs for America’s Graduates that’s been hard at work in our state since 1996.

JVG changes lives, like that of Chad, a Prince George County student who went from struggling student to high school graduate to a well-paid job as a forklift operator.

How does JVG succeed?

In each participating school there is a teacher called a JVG specialist, funded jointly by JVG and by the school division, who works with individual students.

The specialist builds relationships with students, offers trauma-informed instruction, and teaches employment, critical thinking, and teamwork skills. In addition, students get opportunities to interact with potential employers doing job shadowing, internships, and volunteer activities. JVG also offers a program for middle school students.

JVG differs from other dropout prevention programs in two key ways: One, it’s highly accountable and, two, the JVG job special-

ist continues working with students to ensure their success after they graduate. JVG sticks with students, supporting them as they get jobs, raises, and promotions, continue their education, or join the armed services. JVG has won Jobs for America’s Gradu-

ates’ top award for program accountability, the 5 of 5 Award, for the past 23 consecutive years for achieving high student outcome standards.

There are now 56 JVG programs in Virginia, from Highland County to Northampton County and from Arlington to Danville. The good news is that, thanks to Governor Northam and the General Assembly, there are now funds to add new programs.

Please urge your school superintendent to apply for a JVG $30,000 incentive grant (jobsforvagrads. org/incentive-grants) to pilot JVG

programs in your locality and reach out to the students who most need help. There, you’ll find a sample budget, a job description for the JVG specialist, and an overview of the program.

To learn more about JVG, visit the website at www.jobsforvagrads.org or contact Antonio Rice, President and CEO, at Antonio.Rice@jobsforvagrads.org.l Jones, a former VEA President and VEA Director of Government Relations, joined the JVG Board of Directors in 1996 and has served as treasurer of the organization for over a decade.

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Photo page 19 by iStock

Support Professionals Use Conference to Gear Up for Year Ahead

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

VEA Members Create Model Policy to Protect Students, Colleagues A

fter hearing alarming stories of how some educators were having to use up sick leave to quarantine or care for family members who’d contracted COVID, VEA held a town hall meeting to discuss a model policy on emergency leave for school employees during the pandemic. Members told their stories and voiced their suggestions and, as a result, a policy has been hammered out.

That, however, is just the beginning of the story. Local union leaders around Virginia have been presenting that policy to school boards and division leadership and the number of school divisions who have adopted it, in whole or in part, has been growing steadily through the early fall.

As fashioned by VEA members, the policy calls for paid leave and full

benefits for educators who’ve been told to quarantine and that such periods not be deducted from an employee’s leave. It also says that if an employee is complying with the school division’s vaccination instructions, he or she can receive up to 14 days of emergency leave if told to stay home by a health care provider, tests positive for COVID, or must care for a family member who’s quarantined or tested positive.

At press time, these school divisions have approved the VEA policy: Albemarle, Arlington, Brunswick, Buchanan, Charlottesville, Clarke, Dickenson, Dinwiddie, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fauquier, Fredericksburg, Giles, Gloucester, Hopewell, Loudoun, Manassas City, Manassas Park, Mecklenburg,

Richmond, Loudoun move closer to contract negotiations Decisive days are approaching at some local school board meetings as VEA members continue to build momentum toward gaining official rights to negotiate contracts with school divisions. Virginia’s new law dictates that a specific resolution be passed by the local school board before negotiations can begin. And that’s what’s in the offing now: Resolutions are expected to be discussed in both Richmond and Loudoun County shortly, as other locals begin making similar progress.

VEA members have been working hard to spread the word that contract negotiations are a win for everyone—students, educators, and communities. In other states where educators routinely negotiate their contracts, research shows that learning conditions for students improve. That’s why our members have been working so hard with their school divisions—to use this effective tool to create the opportunities our students and communities deserve.

Negotiating contracts also helps make sure that educators are paid for their professional skills, a very important Raising their voices. Richmond Education Association members drew media coverage when they rallied at a recent meeting of the city’s school board. The contract negotiation process continues objective in a state where teachers there; a school board resolution is expected soon. lag some $6,500 behind the national average salary of their peers.

The message is beginning to take hold in Virginia, a state with a long history of denying public employees the right to bargain collectively. Stay tuned for breaking developments!l

UPDATE

Pittsylvania, Prince William, Scott, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Sussex, and Winchester.

Contact your UniServ Director to see the policy and get advice and support for proposing it in your school division.l

What It Is—and What It’s Not Collectively negotiating contracts IS…

Illustration page 20 by iStock

• A process resulting in a formal, written, and binding agreement between educators and their school division arrived at by negotiations between equal partners.

• A way to address the concerns we see our students and colleagues encountering, like class sizes, access to up-to-date resources, planning time, or meaningful professional development.

• A situation where no agreement can be unilaterally imposed by either side—it must be mutually agreed upon.

Collectively negotiating contracts IS NOT… Spreading the word, not the virus. Arlington Education Association member Josh Folb appeared in a recent NBC Nightly News feature on the COVID-19 risks educators face as students and staff work together in school buildings.

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• A process in which what the school division wants is rubberstamped.

• A chance to air individual complaints.

• A deal cut in a back room, in an aura of secrecy.l

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MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

Amanda Kail is a new Organizer in Hampton Roads, coming to VEA after serving as president of the Metropolitan Nashville Education Association for the last two years. She’s a 2017 graduate of the NEA Pre-UniServ Academy and led two campaigns for contract negotiations votes covering 147 schools.

Devon Mervis joins VEA’s organizing staff and will be based in Fairfax, coming from the Democratic National Committee in Washington, DC. There, she served as the Internship Program Coordinator for two years, responsible for recruiting and mentoring activists and organizers.

Kevin Rogers is the new Director of Communications and Public Affairs, joining VEA from the North Carolina Association of Educators. He brings 13 years of experience in nonprofit organization public relations. He’s also an attorney and has worked with Obama for America, Huron Consulting Group, and Action NC, a community organizing and issue advocacy organization working on behalf of low-income communities.

Taisha Steele VEA’s new Director of Human and SOURCE: ACLUCivil Rights, has 20 years of experience in K-12 education in Virginia, beginning with 12 years in school counseling for the Roanoke City Public Schools, including two years as the School Counseling Coordinator and School Test Coordinator. She later became RCPS’s Director of School Counseling and Student Assistance Program before moving to the division’s Executive Director of Equity and Counseling position.

Justin Yampolsky is an Organizer based in Fairfax and brings over eight years of experience in the labor movement with SEIU. A former college English instructor, he joined SEIU’s Organizer-in-Training program, eventually becoming Senior Organizer for the DC metro region.l

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Plan for Tomorrow, Today Using VRS Resources

Keep in Touch with Your Union on Social Media

Facebook: We’re at facebook.com/virginiaeducationassociation, and we encourage members to add to our posts with photos and comments, too.

Calculate Your Debt

Twitter:

Debt, especially credit card debt, is one of the biggest obstacles to retirement security. Log in to your myVRS account at myVRS.varetire.org and select Financial Wellness to use the Credit Card Paydown Tool. Using your input, it will estimate the amount of time needed to eliminate your credit card debt, based on different paydown strategies.

Our handle is @VEA4Kids, and we offer a steady stream of Union updates and media coverage of education issues.l

Talk to a Certified Financial Planner All VRS members and retirees have access to Certified Financial Planning services provided through MissionSquare Retirement. Visit varetire.org/ make-a-plan to sign up for free webinars and one-on-one 30-minute consultations with CFP professionals.

Contribute to a Supplemental Savings Plan Save more for the future and build on your VRS benefit by contributing to the Commonwealth of Virginia 457 Deferred Compensation Plan, if your employer participates, or contribute to a supplemental savings plan offered by your employer. Check with your human resource office to see your options.

If you are eligible, visit varetire.org/457 and select Plan Info for enrollment options. If you’re already enrolled, check and adjust your contributions through Account Access at varetire.org/dcp-login, your online portal for VRS defined contribution accounts.

Max Out Your Hybrid Savings First You don’t have to stop at the minimum voluntary contribution to the Hybrid Retirement Plan. Before contributing to another supplemental savings plan, save the hybrid plan maximum of 4 percent and you’ll receive 2.5 percent in employer matching contributions. If you can’t save 4 percent now for the full match from your employer, use SmartStep to make small increases gradually.

Calculate Impact to Your Pay If you participate in the Commonwealth of Virginia 457 Deferred Compensation Plan or are a member in the Hybrid Retirement Plan, go to varetire.org/PaycheckCalculator to see how increasing your contributions will affect your take-home pay.l

vea.link/ipd2021

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Bland, Fulson, Harrington VA Regional Teachers of the Year

VEA connects with members and the public on social media. If you’re not following us, here’s how to find us:

Small, simple changes can help you save more and reach your retirement goals.

VRS members have access to tools, calculators and resources to boost your financial knowledge and help you take action today to benefit your future.

KUD

Ashley Sharell Bland of the Richmond Education Association, Daphne Tamara Fulson of the Chesapeake Education Association, and Eboni Jenee Harrington of the Roanoke Education Association have been named among Virginia’s 2022 Regional Teachers of the Year. Bland is a technology resource teacher at John B. Cary Elementary School; Fulson is a second grade teacher at Portlock Primary School; Harrington is a math teacher at Lucy Addison Middle School.

Three VEA members were chosen to serve as UVA Democracy Biennial Ambassadors, an event sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs: Cluny Brown of the Chesterfield Education Association and Clover Hill High School, Kimberly Dove of the Rockingham Education Association and Wilbur S. Pence Middle School, and Christina Takach of the Fairfax Education Association and Mark Twain Middle School.

The Sports Analytics Club at Armstrong High School in Richmond played a key support role in the recent induction of pro basketball star Ben Wallace’s induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The club’s students, using the advanced calculations NBA teams use to evaluate player performance, created information to supplement Wallace’s portfolio and build his case for induction. Wallace, who played college basketball at Richmond’s Virginia Union University, said he was “honored” by the students efforts.

The club is sponsored by Richmond Education Association members Mary Smith, Rashaad Johnson, and Glenn Anderson.l

VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | NOVEMBER 2021

Illustration and photo by iStock

VEA Adds New Staff

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INSIGHT ON INSTRUCTION

Empowering Teacher Leaders

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Teachers are empowered when their skills are developed, acknowledged, and utilized. Educators have a vast set of skills that extend far beyond academic content. Tanasha Mahone, an Atlanta-area teacher, says, “Teachers are solving these problems in their other lines of work; teachers run organizations outside of school, they are on boards, they do all kinds of advocacy work, but they’re not brought into the conversation within the school to help make those decisions.”

Leveraging these talents does more than attract and retain teachers; it is a valuable opportunity to address school needs.

2

Engaging connections play a valuable role in developing teacher leaders. Teachers that engage with education networks and organizations helps quell isolation while fostering leadership skills.

“We know community is key in order for us to stay in this profession,” says Detroit teacher Patrick Harris. “I would not have made it to year six if I had not had the community.” Teachers shared that having the opportunity to elevate their activism and advocacy keep them energized and connected to the profession. Examples of connections and leadership fostered in education organizations include leading committees and connecting outside of the school setting to discuss district, state, and national education issues.

3

Educators need opportunities for continuous learning. Educators want to learn. One teacher leader notes, “People stay when they feel like they’re growing.” For teacher and advocate Lauren Jewett in New Orleans, National Board certification “shaped my advocacy. It continues to embed the fact that we are lifelong learners.” State and local districts require teachers to earn continuous learning points, often expecting credits to be earned outside of school hours and without funding, in order to maintain certification. Teachers are spending their personal time and self-funding opportunities to further their

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own professional learning regularly, which isn’t sustainable, say teachers. Continuous learning opportunities aren’t just about checking off re-licensure requirements; they are valuable opportunities to leverage learning as part of retention strategies. Teachers suggest considering hybrid roles that allow teachers to learn, mentor, advocate, and still stay in the classroom are one proven solution to keeping teacher leaders active.

4 5

Teachers crave collaboration. When asked what schools and the Department of Education can do to support teacher leadership, Colorado educator Mark Sass stressed the importance of convening teachers to share and build ideas.

Fostering this “helps provide a sense of agency for teachers to feel like they can actually have an impact,” he says. This can be particularly salient after a challenging year. Teachers all shared a desire to know what other districts are doing successfully and noted “Right now is a good time to have conversations with teachers about what they’ve learned during the pandemic and remote teaching.”

A culture of leadership is more powerful than policies. Teachers suggest putting the community, students, and teachers at the forefront of decisions making, instead of using top-down approaches. “Superintendents change, but the community does not,” says one teacher, which is why educators say listening is the first step in supporting teachers. “What would it look like if all the practices were based on what the community needed, and the leader was expected to come in and serve that community?” asks Atlanta’s Mahone. Sass agrees: “Some of the issues with teacher leadership have less to do with policy and more to do with culture. It won’t be one or two policies that shift teacher leadership thinking.” l Source: Home Room, the official blog of the U.S. Department of Education

Leading the Way in Important Conversations For educators in mostly white rural and suburban neighborhoods, race-related conversations are vital.

For educators in mostly black and brown urban and rural neighborhoods, race-related conversations are vital. In racially-mixed schools, race-related conversations are vital…This should be a moment for all of us to recommit to being better, to doing better in the fight for racial equality and justice. Schools can and should be the shining examples of what our society can look like when we have the moral conviction to be better.l — Tyrone C. Howard, professor of education at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and the director of the university’s Black Male Institute

Nature and Learning Make for a Great Partnership Annie Murphy Paul, author of The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain, believes we do our students an enormous favor when we ask them to think differently. One of the best ways to do that, she says, is to incorporate the natural world in education regularly. “While spending time in built interiors and urban settings drains students’ attentional resources, spending time outside refills the tank, restoring their ability to focus,” she says.

Here are some of her tips: Think in terms of “environmental self-regulation.” Instead of asking students to get a grip on their thoughts and feelings from the inside, use exposure to the outside world—especially nature—to help them restore their equilibrium and refresh their attention.

Have students practice “soft gazing.” When in nature, encourage students to relinquish the sharp-edged focus that is required by schoolwork.

This involves allowing their gaze to become relaxed and diffuse, drawn here and there by whatever attracts it.

Direct students to seek out “micro-restorative opportunities.”

Research shows that looking at a scene of natural greenery—even through a window—for as little as 40 seconds offers mental benefits, including improved concentration.

Bring nature inside: Natural light, potted plants, and even images and motifs borrowed from nature help students enter a state of relaxed alertness.

During a break in learning, try showing students a nature video.l Source: Edutopia

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Illustration page 24 by Reuben Smith; Illustration page 25 by iStock

WE NEED THEM MORE THAN EVER:

When teachers add leadership roles to their duties, they’re better at their jobs and tend to stay in the profession longer. Retaining excellent and experienced teachers is key to solving our nation’s teacher shortage, and teacher leadership plays an important role—it builds collaboration, boosts morale, increases skills, and helps communities.

Donna Harris-Aikens, a Senior Advisor for Policy and Planning at the U.S. Department of Education and former NEA staff member, met with teacher leaders to talk about what sustains them in their work. These are the top five takeaways from that gathering:

INSIGHT ON INSTRUCTION

From VEA Teaching and Learning

Need More Great Classroom Resources?

The Virginia Department of Education is highlighting #GoOpenVA, a collaborative effort to help Virginia teachers find new, exciting, and effective classroom resources.

All materials on the site are openly-licensed educational resources (OER, also called open education resources), meaning they’re free and also unencumbered by normal copyright limitations. There are hundreds of OERs on #GoOpenVA, all created by teachers and developed to meet student needs. Many aim to align standards-based lessons with the 5 C’s or to provide examples of studentcentered instructional strategies, and all can be freely edited and adapted for your students’ use.

Check out the site here: https://goopenva.org/ For assistance with this tip or any other aspect of professional learning, feel free to reach out to VEA Teaching and Learning at dhamilton@veanea.org.l

Want to Share What You’ve Learned with Your Colleagues?

VEA Teaching and Learning is looking for members to help create content for webinars, trainings, independent study sessions, and more. We’re working on topics including trauma and resilience, culturally responsive teaching and equity, blended learning, digital pedagogy, differentiation/reteaching/intervention, mindfulness, social/emotional support for adults, and social/emotional support for students.

If you’re interested in helping create content, please scan the QR code or use this link (which is case sensitive): vea.link/ContentDev.l

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It’s a sad fact today that suicide is the leading cause of death for school-age youth. The even sadder fact is that it’s often preventable—kids frequently signal their distress with warning signs. Educators are in an excellent position to recognize and act on those signals. Here are some of those warning signs and some ways you and your colleagues can respond, from the National Association of School Psychologists. Read on: You could save a life.

Suicide Warning Signs • Suicidal threats in the form of direct (“I am going to kill myself”) and indirect (“I wish I could fall asleep and never wake up again”) statements.

• Suicide notes and plans (including online postings).

• Prior suicidal behavior.

• Making final arrangements (e.g., making funeral arrangements, writing a will, giving away prized possessions).

• Preoccupation with death.

• Changes in behavior, appearance, thoughts and/or feelings.

What Educators Can Do Youth who feel suicidal are not likely to seek help directly; however, parents, school personnel, and peers can recognize warning signs and take immediate action. When a youth gives signs that they may be considering suicide, the following actions should be taken: • Remain calm.

• Ask the youth directly if he or she is thinking about suicide (e.g., “Are you thinking of suicide?”).

• Focus on your concern for their well-being and avoid being accusatory.

• Listen.

• Reassure them that there is help and they will not feel like this forever.

• Do not judge.

• Provide constant supervision. Do not leave the youth alone.

• Remove means for self-harm.

• Get help: No one should ever agree to keep a youth’s suicidal thoughts a secret and instead should tell an appropriate caregiving adult, such as a parent, teacher, or school psychologist. School staff should take the student to a school-employed mental health professional or administrator.l

I BELONG, SO I WILL GROW IF STUDENTS FEEL THEY BELONG AT SCHOOL, THAT THEY BELONG WITH, AND TO, THE ADULTS AND PEERS IN THEIR LIVES; IF STUDENTS FEEL LIKE THEY ARE CAPABLE, AND THAT THEY ARE LEARNING THE SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, AND ACADEMIC SKILLS THEY NEED TO KEEP FROM FEELING EMBARRASSED OR INCOMPETENT; AND IF STUDENTS FEEL LIKE ADULTS ARE FOSTERING THEIR AUTONOMY—THEIR POWER OF “SELF-DETERMINATION,” THEIR SENSE OF BEING EMPOWERED TO BECOME CAPABLE INDIVIDUALS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT—THEN THEY TEND MUCH MORE WILLINGLY TO ACT BOTH FOR THEIR OWN POSITIVE GROWTH AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY. THE MORE THEY FEEL SELF-DIRECTED, THE MORE POSITIVE THE RESULTS. — David Streight, author: Breaking Into the Heart of Character

Photo and illustration by iStock

Youth Suicide is Often Preventable: How You Can Help

“I tried to cover myself on some of the answers by adding ‘LOL.’”

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FIRST PERSON: NARRATIVES FROM THE CLASSROOM

A ‘Stamp’ of Approval?

Surviving when you’re not thriving.

Illustration by iStock

— Courtney Cutright

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I feel a strong sense of accomplishment when one of my lessons or assignments is a major success—when students are engaged, technology cooperates, and learning is both meaningful and fun. It’s a trifecta that never seems to hit on the days when an administrator comes to observe, but when it does happen, I savor the moment.

That’s because teaching also brings plenty of “meh” days, when I cover the required material and my students complete their assignments with nearly neutral levels of enthusiasm and interest. These are the days when my students and I may not be thriving, but at least we are surviving.

But sometimes a lesson falls short of my expectations – no matter how grand the plans were and for any number of reasons that are out of my control. It is a fact of teaching life; occasionally a lesson just flops.

I assigned a mini project this fall to assess students’ understanding of setting in whatever book they had been reading during our daily silent reading time. The assessment was to design a postcard that illustrated the setting and included a message from the main character, a stamp, and a recipient’s address. I thought I planned a good, wholesome paper-and-pencil assignment that students could complete with their novels in hand.

The first snag hit when I had to be away unexpectedly on the day I was planning to introduce the assignment. Students viewed a PowerPoint presentation I created to explain the requirements and expectations of the assignment. I included videos about postcards and how to format them. Students were provided with a detailed handout that included instructions and a grading rubric.

VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | NOVEMBER 2021

My vision was for students to spend significant time and effort planning, designing, and producing these postcards in a way that showed their comprehension of the independent novels and allowed for creativity. I also expected to uncover a fake reader or two.

The second snag hit when I began to grade the postcards and realized we were going to have to make a U-turn and go back. Part of the problem was many of the kids I teach, who were born circa 2009, had never sent or received a postcard.

The concept of mailing something – with stamps, in a post office, while on vacation – is foreign to most of them.

As it turns out, knowing their own addresses and properly formatting addresses also were foreign concepts. The teachable moments were stacking.

When I thought about it, I realized I have not received a postcard in many years, unless you count the reminders of upcoming dentist appointments. I questioned myself and wondered if I should have chosen another more modern or relevant product instead.

The third snag was that many students simply did not follow directions. I graded and returned the postcards, and we reviewed the project requirements and the grading rubric together. I offered students the opportunity to take the postcards home to correct, revise, and return to me for a better grade.

While awaiting those resubmissions, I surveyed students to gauge their impressions of the assignment. Most said illustrating the setting was the most difficult part, but a handful of students reported really enjoying drawing and coloring. One student said what he liked most about the project was that it challenged his art skills.

More than half of the students I surveyed said they were unhappy with their grade and planned to resubmit. I also asked the students to rate their effort on the assignment on a scale of one to five. The average response was 4.17, but a few students admitted they could do better.

“I didn’t really try as hard as I could,” one said. Another student said she needed to pay more attention to her book and the setting.

“I have more trouble with settings than I thought I did,” a student reflected.

Not all feedback was bad. One student said, “I liked that we got to try to think like the character from a book.”

Another said, “What I liked most about the postcard assignment was writing about what I have read, acting like the main character, and pretending to send it to my mom.”

Several students said they learned a lot about postcards from the assignment, and one student said she finally learned her address.

I guess maybe the lesson wasn’t a complete flop after all.l Cutright (courtcut@gmail.com), a member of the Roanoke County Education Association, teaches English at Northside Middle School.

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