EDUL 639 T Bethke What is best for kids?

One of the first items I recall about this class was that Brad stated very early that the endgame of what we do in education always should go back to “what is best for kids.” The situation that started this thinking process revolved around a teacher asking to leave school during the day because of a non-emergency. Competent principals are to respond with “I am sorry about your situation and I feel really bad about it but here in this district we need to do what is best for kids.”

This concept of doing things right for kids should be clearly stated in the district vision and mission statements. Everything that is negotiated should revolve around that simple, unassuming party. Kids. One could argue that in order to provide the best possible education for our children we in turn need to fairly compensate our teachers. A sediment from the teaching position would be “care for your teachers like they care for your children.” That is true and indirectly by “caring” for teachers (with salary, benefits and proper working conditions) we are doing what is best for kids. However do teachers need to have premium insurance policies? Especially during these economic times when jobs are hard to find. Do teachers need to have unbelievable post-retirement benefits?

There needs to be a balance with keeping kids in the forefront and at times some unions, became overzealous with the best interest of their members. In the final stage it became hard to determine who was benefiting the most, teachers or students. Some unions have gotten out of control with over-the-top requests and proposals that were not at all benefiting the students. This is a difficult predicament. I believe the strength of the unions led in part to our state government trying to reduce their power. Unions can be very beneficial for the students, when considering class size limitations and other pertinent working conditions. Do their members need a fair salary? Yes. Do their members need reasonable health care? Yes. However should unions defend poor teachers? Incompetent or insubordinate teachers should not be defended in any way shape or form. I get the fact that there is strength in numbers. In Wisconsin we are currently witnessing what happens when that strength is not acting in the best interest of the most valuable party. Kids. 

EDUL 639 T Bethke Chapter 115 WI state stats

State Superintendent; General Classifications and Definitions; Children with Disabilities

Chapter 1

• Definitions are provided for all different schools, Charter through Tribal
• Classifications about public schools, grades, school districts, school day

Chapter 2

• General Duties like licensing, evaluations, student information systems, online courses
• General Powers of State Super educational meetings, high school grad equivalency, teen pregnancy
• Federal appropriations adjustment
• Statewide student data and written agreement, evaluations, data sharing, and exceptions
• Forms and reports like 3rd friday in september count and biennial report
• License or permit revocation, investigations
• Immoral conduct
• Report a person charged with a crime
• the person is convicted of a crime
• person is dismissed
• resigns due to immoral conduct
• Memo of understanding license restriction and suspension delinquent in making court ordered payments
• Inspections of school buildings
• in compliance
• proposed use

• School Lunch programs operation payment and maintenance
• School Breakfast Program - 15 cents for each breakfast
• Wisconsin School day Milk Program Free or reduced students receive milk
• Nutritional info for the elderly
• (60 years or more) elderly may eat 1 meal per day when school is in session
• Health programs education program
• Adoption programs
• Assistance on drug and alcohol abuse programs
• Head Start, Suicide Prevention, Second Chance Partners
• Alternative Education Grants, Protective Behaviors Programs
• Blind and Visual impairment education
• meet twice a year
• make recommendations for improvements

• Deaf and hard-of-hearing education
• meet twice a year
• make recommendations for improvements

• School performance report
• parents can request a performance report

• Grant Program for peer review and mentoring
• Teacher improvement program
• 1 semester internships under licensed teachers

• Educator effectiveness
• 50% based on measures of student performance
• 50% based on total evaluation score
• Planning and prep, classroom environment, instruction, responsibilities

• Grants for teacher cert and master educator
• Professional standards for council for teachers
• advise super on standards
• report annually findings
• Pre-college scholarships
• Supplemental aid
• apply by Oct 15 for a grant for aid
• Sparsity aid
• deals with free and reduced lunch

• 4 year old kindergarten grants
• $3000 for first year for each 4 year old
• $1500 for each second year 4 year old

Chapter 3

• Program for the deaf and hard of hearing

• 3 to 20 year olds
• 21 year old or older with fees

• Wisconsin Center for Blind and Visually impaired

• 3 to 20 year olds
• 21 year old or older with fees

• State Superintendent Powers within above schools

Chapter 4

• American Indian Language and Culture Ed program

Chapter 5

• Child with a disability
• Cognitive, hearing, speech, visual, emotional behaviors, orthopedic impairments, autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairments, learning disabilities
• Local educational agency duties
• identifies locates and evaluates all children with disabilities
• Special Education referrals
• physician, nurse, psychologist, social worker
• referrals in writing, inform parent
• attendance

• IEP Team
• Evaluations, notify parents
• determination of eligibility for special ed
• reevaluations

• IEP’s
• lots of requirements, development, review and revision

• Educational Placements
• rules for placing a child with disabilities

• Reimbursement for private school placement
• Many procedural safeguards are in place
• Mediation
• happens when there is a disagreement
• agreements

• Due Process
• Transfer of parental rights
• Children in residential care
• Children with disabilities education board
• State aid
• Personnel,program aid, transportation aid, Board and lodging, hospitals
• Supplemental state aid
• Noncompliance

Chapter 6

• Education for school age parents
• program rules and state aid

Chapter 7

• Bilingual-bicultural education
• policy, programs, requirements
• contracts, advisory committee, pre and summer school
• state aid, $250,000 for at least 15% limited english proficient students

Chapter 8

• Military Children
• records and enrollment
• placement and attendance
• withdrawal - apropo to end on!!!

EDUL 639 T Bethke Principal Job Description

Lead the process of developing and implementing the mission and vision of the school

Be the positive leader of the school

Observe staff and complete evaluations in a timely manner

Attend school functions

Organize and lead staff meetings

Organize and lead professional development

Incorporate technology into staff meetings and professional development

Work on becoming RTI compliant

Develop RTI Handbook with guidelines

Monitor attendance of students and staff

Delegate responsibility to qualified staff

Be visible in the entire school-hallways, classrooms, outside, after school

Demonstrate a passion for learning

Become educated with the budget process

Enforce discipline policies

Build relationships with students, staff and parents

Stay up to date on current educational trends

Communicate effectively with students, staff and parents

EDUL 639 T Bethke Job Description

The teacher will be able to use common core state standards to drive curriculum

Demonstrate knowledge and experience teaching the Connected Math Project

Experience in collaborating in Professional Learning Communities

The teacher will have knowledge and understanding of using balanced assessment

Develop an RTI ready classroom incorporating best practices

Effectively communicate with students, parents and staff

The teacher will be able to work in a team setting

Be able to implement technology into their math lessons

Build rapport and develop relationships with middle school students.

Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures

Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs

Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate these objectives to students

Implement effective discipline strategies

Be a productive professional development participant

Be a positive role-model

Create a culture which encourages students to show appropriate growth on the MAP tests

Teach students the importance of becoming a lifelong learner

Love what you do!