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Improving schools may take incentives

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Sunday, September 20, 2009

(Updated 3:00 am)

By J. Brian Ewing
Staff Writer

GREENSBORO — Turning low-performing schools around is going to take leadership, scrutiny and likely some financial incentives, school officials say.

The Guilford County Board of Education met Saturday for its annual fall planning retreat. Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green and his staff discussed what they believe it will take to turn around the district’s low-performing schools.

Much of that plan includes borrowing initiatives from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, where Green was second in command before coming here last year.

In 2007-08, Guilford had nine low-performing schools. Green called for reducing that number by two last year in his strategic plan. Instead, the number increased by one, bringing the total currently listed as low performing to 10 schools.

The board heard from John Modest, one of the five new regional superintendents. Modest is responsible for the Northern region and is one of several former Charlotte schools employees Green plucked from his former employer. Modest was the principal of West Charlotte High, a historically low-performing school that has seen tremendous improvement in recent years.

Modest said teachers at Charlotte schools were assessed, and those that failed to meet expectations, about 60 teachers, were given performance improvement plans. Most succeeded, Modest told the board, but some did not. Those who didn’t make the cut were let go .

The staff members who remained at the low-performing schools were offered 15 percent salary increases if the schools made better than 60 percent performance growth. The raises are reviewed annually and are based on the school’s continued improvement.

West Charlotte High made its goal in the first year, and West Mecklenburg High did so last year. But none of the system’s other low-performing schools have.

In Charlotte, the key to the improvement was ensuring that the teachers and principals were well trained and meeting expectations, Modest said. Not everyone was excited about that level of scrutiny, he said.

Guilford school board Chairman Alan Duncan phrased it differently. “What John’s saying politely is that if we do this, we’re going to hear a lot of griping,” he said.

Most of the improvement efforts are under way already. The regional superintendents told the board they are visiting schools twice a week, and principals are observing teachers and providing them with written feedback daily. Teachers are also expected to review student performance data regularly.

Green said the changes and efforts may not be greeted warmly by everyone. However, “All of us are going to have to have the constitution to hold the standard.”

There was no talk of extending the incentive pay plans that the district already has, but Green said he will pursue it while planning next year’s budget.

Board member Amos Quick said that whatever is done, progress must be made now rather than later. For too long, he said, schools have been experimented on with little in the way of achievement.

“Dudley was low performing when I graduated from there in 1986, and it’s still on this list today,” Quick said. “My daughter graduated from there this year. That’s generational.”

Quick said teachers and school officials must stop citing how poorly prepared students are when they arrive in class and instead work to improve the students as much as possible: “We’ve got to start having compassion for every child.”

Contact J. Brian Ewing at 373-7351 or brian.ewing@news-record.com

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bettejayne

September 20, 2009 - 10:48 am EDT

We have found that pouring money into teachers and building schools is not the answer.Jim Hunt has done that every year he was govenor which seems like 25 or so years. Why should teachers in high performing schools be punished by NOT getting the 15% raise the low performing school teachers get, just because they do their job. I like the part, if they are not performing to standards, give them a chance, if they fail, let them go to work for Walmart(parapharse). Why should 15% raise come out of our taxes just to get teachers to do the job they were hired to do and what is expected out of them? Turn it around, if they are not performing take 15% from their pay for underperformance.If it is not the teachers then its the students, eliminate the problem students that is costing the rest a quality education in which they are entitled.

Proud to Teach

September 20, 2009 - 2:40 pm EDT

I have taught for 16 years, and my mother taught for 25 years before me. Over the years, I have watched everyone come up with every plan under the sun to help improve low-performing schools. Some ideas were fantastic and others left a lot to be desired, but the one thing that they all had in common is the fact that they failed in their purpose. I have taught at the very schools that are referred to in this piece, and I know that the majority of teachers work diligently to provide the best education possible for their students. So...now what? Almost every teacher that I come into contact with agrees with the fact that the student is the issue at hand. Parents can sit by their child in class every day and the teacher can utilize every tool in their tool chest, but until the student decides that education matters to them, then nothing will change. Throwing money at the problem will not fix anything, we are already paid to see that each student performs. We must shift our focus to the student and their personal motivations. The million dollar question is - How do we do that? The schools cannot do it alone - it is a joint effort with the family and the community.

Paul Daniels

September 21, 2009 - 12:05 pm EDT

Proud to Teach:

Amen!! I have said over and over again that unless parents are involved and do simple things like ensuring that homework is done and that their children understand they are to work hard at school and behave, and children understand that the quality of the education they get is largely up to them, we will never "fix" what's wrong. I was very pleased that this was exactly what the President said in his recent speech. It appears that his message has fallen on deaf ears, however, at least as far as most school boards and education experts are concerned.

I am very disturbed by what I have seen since I joined the board almost a year ago. There are very influential people in the education establishment who believe if we just get good teachers, we can teach any child (apparently regardless of whether the child sleeps through class or does homework), and if a child is not learning it is the fault of the teacher (again, regardless of whether the child sleeps through class or does homework). I am convinced that until we have parents who understand what happens at home affects how their children do at home, and children understand that like most things, you get from education what you put into it, we will never have the education system that we should expect given the huge financial investment that we make year in and year out.

Paul Daniels

basehitter

September 20, 2009 - 8:00 pm EDT

I find it odd that Dudley, who has the DUDLEY ACADEMY, is still low performing. Isnt the Dudley Academy supposed to pull in higher level students... or is it just being used to bring in athletes? Just a thought!

DaveW

September 21, 2009 - 8:48 am EDT

Are you sure you are just a basehitter?You may have some power in that your comment MAY HAVE HIT A 450 FOOT HOMERUN.

Gymnaseum

September 20, 2009 - 11:59 pm EDT

Yes, the student and his/her parent(s) are the prime cause of low performance. It may be motivation, expectations and/or (lack of) value for an education (beyond, perhaps, vocational training). Teachers, however, play a huge role in helping to motivate and enlighten the child as to why an education should matter. The culture beyond family and classroom also contributes mightily.

True, increases in salary of 15% won't make anyone a miracle worker. But it may attract better talent into the profession overall. One of the side benefits of the current recession is that a number of skilled people with sharp minds have re-thought the corporate world and opted to try teaching, or at least gone back to get licenses. It may be we will see some improvement simply from this shift. Of course, burnout rates are still high, especially at said at-risk schools.

Finally, the key to across- the-board improvement in attitude and performance on tests and grades is a carefully calibrated mixture of vocational training, education for the "jobs of today/tomorrow" AND an emphasis on critical thinking skills, communication and sheer exploration. The latter, particularly, has been largely lost in the crush of No Child Left Behind and the attempts by businesses to co-opt ALL of the educational enterprise for their own needs...and the resultant predictable monotonous drill-and-spit-out approach.