so did the schools with "Instructional Coaches" have an improvement on the sol scores? Coach

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Name
Title
E-mail Address
Brown, Monica Instructional Coach mrbrown@fcps.edu
Dutchie, Patricia A Instructional Coach PADutchie@fcps.edu
Green, Rashida Instructional Coach rjgreen1@fcps.edu
Kale, Lynda Instructional Coach lskale@fcps.edu


TELL ME THIS IS AN ERROR AND Mount Vernon High doesn't have 4 Coaches lol..,

You need these instructional coaches for things like marking laps when the kids do the Boosterthon fun run.

Balint, Amy L Centreville High Instructional Coach $81,758.00
Baskette Tierney, Jennifer L Belle View Elementary Instructional Coach $91,838.00
Beck, Amy Ravensworth Elementary Instructional Coach $82,506.00
Bird, Brittany L Centre Ridge Elementary Instructional Coach $64,003.00
Blomquist, Eric R Baileys Elementary Instructional Coach $70,820.00
Blunt, Veronica Y Kings Glen Elementary Instructional Coach $81,758.00
Brasseur, Darby K Saratoga Elementary Instructional Coach $70,820.00
Brooks, Gina S Sandburg Middle Instructional Coach $65,264.00
Brown, Monica R Mount Vernon High Instructional Coach $59,750.00
Cable, Linda M Glasgow Middle Instructional Coach $94,562.00
Carey, Kari L Herndon Elementary Instructional Coach $77,176.00
Casablanca, Francoise L Laurel Hill Elementary Instructional Coach $70,555.00
Chang, Melissa S Riverside Elementary Instructional Coach $66,963.00
Cleary, Carrie Fort Belvoir Elementary Instructional Coach $77,082.00
Denton, Erin L Daniels Run Elementary Instructional Coach $66,963.00
Dipert, Annette M Keene Mill Elementary Instructional Coach $86,639.00
Dugan, Sarah E Poe Middle Instructional Coach $77,176.00
Dutchie, Patricia A Mount Vernon High Instructional Coach $91,838.00
Erickson, Christina B Poe Middle Instructional Coach $70,555.00
Farrelly, Megan L Fairfax Ridge Instructional Coach $64,003.00
Fiocchi, Caitlyn A Woodley Hills Elementary Instructional Coach $64,003.00
Fleischer, Melissa A Annandale Terrace Elementary Instructional Coach $91,838.00
Foglio, Cynthia L Brookfield Elementary Instructional Coach $79,431.00
Forest, Vanessa M Bull Run Elementary Instructional Coach $61,832.00
Franks, Hannah L McNair Elementary Instructional Coach $70,820.00
Garant, Christine J Cunningham Park Elementary Instructional Coach $81,758.00
Garcia, Dana E Coates Elementary Instructional Coach $74,990.00
Ghrist, Christina B Bonnie Brae Elementary Instructional Coach $66,963.00
Ginsberg, Adrienne C Dogwood Elementary Instructional Coach $62,879.00
Glei, Cristine E Fairfax Ridge Instructional Coach $61,832.00
Green, Rashida J Mount Vernon High Instructional Coach $70,555.00
Gresick, Mary M Oak View Elementary Instructional Coach $103,285.00
Guzman, Donna J Lorton Station Elementary Instructional Coach $76,714.00
Hammond-Holt, Karen A Weyanoke Elementary Instructional Coach $100,277.00
Hanson, Raegan N Columbia Elementary Instructional Coach $77,176.00
Harvey, Darnessia Y Mount Vernon Woods Elementary Instructional Coach $86,639.00
Holley, Tylea L Westlawn Elementary Instructional Coach $68,831.00
Holmes, Tara C Hunters Woods Elementary Instructional Coach $70,820.00
Holvey, Sarah L Groveton Elementary Instructional Coach $62,878.00
Horton, Gail C Freedom Hill Elementary Instructional Coach $74,597.00
Iaquinta Springer, Karri R Holmes Middle Instructional Coach $91,838.00
Jacobson, Halissa D Hughes Middle Instructional Coach $73,041.00
Johnson, Michele Lanier Middle Instructional Coach $83,482.00
Jones, Alison S Orange Hunt Elementary Instructional Coach $68,831.00
Joyner, Amy E Luther Jackson Middle Instructional Coach $77,176.00
Kale, Lynda S Mount Vernon High Instructional Coach $91,838.00
Kengor, Wendy D Rose Hill Elementary Instructional Coach $72,872.00
Lamson, Carolyn J Fairfax Ridge Instructional Coach $99,099.00
Lear, Erin S Deer Park Elementary Instructional Coach $65,264.00
Lee, Tiffany T Woodlawn Elementary Instructional Coach $61,339.00
Lekoski, Lori Whitman Middle Instructional Coach $104,995.00
Lynch, Erin M Key Middle Instructional Coach $68,687.00
MacWilliams, Christine L Halley Elementary Instructional Coach $88,363.00
Manora, Anna J Lynbrook Elementary Instructional Coach $78,900.00
Martin, April G Lane Elementary Instructional Coach $65,897.00
Martinson, Holly A Fairfax Ridge Instructional Coach $62,879.00
Mason, Megan M Baileys Upper Elem Instructional Coach $66,181.00
Maurizi, Margaret H Glen Forest Elementary Instructional Coach $79,431.00
McCormick, Amanda J Twain Middle Instructional Coach $65,264.00
Michaels, Bonnie B Parklawn Elementary Instructional Coach $65,264.00
Moore, Jordan E Forestdale Elementary Instructional Coach $72,544.00
Moore, Michelle C Lake Anne Elementary Instructional Coach $85,885.00
Nestler, Kristen B Parklawn Elementary Instructional Coach $66,988.00
Ngo, Kathryn A Fairfax Ridge Instructional Coach $66,988.00
Novack Lakenbach, Lara B Bucknell Elementary Instructional Coach $76,835.00
ONeal, Gina D Graham Road Elementary Instructional Coach $68,831.00
Ott, Shala A Garfield Elementary Instructional Coach $86,639.00
Pappas, Alisa J Kings Park Elementary Instructional Coach $81,758.00
Parker-McElroy, Emelie M Camelot Elementary Instructional Coach $86,639.00
Pensiero, Tara N Washington Mill Elementary Instructional Coach $72,872.00
Prahl, Christine C Stratford Landing Elementary Instructional Coach $74,597.00
Preston, Emily A Herndon Middle Instructional Coach $65,264.00
Reid, Forrest Y Liberty Middle Instructional Coach $90,921.00
Reisman, Kathryn L Hollin Meadows Elementary Instructional Coach $97,375.00
Ritchie, Gail V Cameron Elementary Instructional Coach $96,048.00
Robinson, Kristen H Beech Tree Elementary Instructional Coach $93,562.00
Rozzoni, Leslie E South County Middle Instructional Coach $77,176.00
Shellhouse, Sarah A Deer Park Elementary Instructional Coach $77,176.00
Shroyer, Jessica A Marshall Road Elementary Instructional Coach $76,714.00
Silva, Sonia C Herndon High Instructional Coach $68,299.00
Skerker, Jennifer P Terraset Elementary Instructional Coach $68,299.00
Smith, Amy E Frost Middle Instructional Coach $81,758.00
Smith, Lauren H Braddock Elementary Instructional Coach $81,758.00
Smoyer, Patricia A Woodburn Elementary Instructional Coach $79,431.00
Spera, Erin J Stone Middle Instructional Coach $66,988.00
Stavish, Kate P McLean High Instructional Coach $65,264.00
Swann, Laura E Crestwood Elementary Instructional Coach $84,160.00
Swanson, Victoria M Dranesville Elementary Instructional Coach $74,990.00
Tiplady, Brittany A Clearview Elementary Instructional Coach $63,556.00
Tisnado, Melissa Fort Hunt Elementary Instructional Coach $77,176.00
Whitt, Collin T Hutchison Elementary Instructional Coach $65,264.00
Wolling, Katharine M Westlawn Elementary Instructional Coach $79,431.00
Yeager, Cory C Sleepy Hollow Elementary Instructional Coach $72,544.00

How do you get one of these coach jobs?

Tax Payer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Balint, Amy L Centreville High Instructional
> Coach $81,758.00
> Baskette Tierney, Jennifer L Belle View
> Elementary Instructional Coach $91,838.00
> Beck, Amy Ravensworth Elementary Instructional
> Coach $82,506.00
> Bird, Brittany L Centre Ridge
> Elementary Instructional Coach $64,003.00
> Blomquist, Eric R Baileys Elementary Instructional
> Coach $70,820.00
> Blunt, Veronica Y Kings Glen
> Elementary Instructional Coach $81,758.00
> Brasseur, Darby K Saratoga
> Elementary Instructional Coach $70,820.00
> Brooks, Gina S Sandburg Middle Instructional
> Coach $65,264.00
> Brown, Monica R Mount Vernon High Instructional
> Coach $59,750.00
> Cable, Linda M Glasgow Middle Instructional Coach
> $94,562.00
> Carey, Kari L Herndon Elementary Instructional
> Coach $77,176.00
> Casablanca, Francoise L Laurel Hill
> Elementary Instructional Coach $70,555.00
> Chang, Melissa S Riverside
> Elementary Instructional Coach $66,963.00
> Cleary, Carrie Fort Belvoir
> Elementary Instructional Coach $77,082.00
> Denton, Erin L Daniels Run
> Elementary Instructional Coach $66,963.00
> Dipert, Annette M Keene Mill
> Elementary Instructional Coach $86,639.00
> Dugan, Sarah E Poe Middle Instructional Coach
> $77,176.00
> Dutchie, Patricia A Mount Vernon
> High Instructional Coach $91,838.00
> Erickson, Christina B Poe Middle Instructional
> Coach $70,555.00
> Farrelly, Megan L Fairfax Ridge Instructional
> Coach $64,003.00
> Fiocchi, Caitlyn A Woodley Hills
> Elementary Instructional Coach $64,003.00
> Fleischer, Melissa A Annandale Terrace
> Elementary Instructional Coach $91,838.00
> Foglio, Cynthia L Brookfield
> Elementary Instructional Coach $79,431.00
> Forest, Vanessa M Bull Run
> Elementary Instructional Coach $61,832.00
> Franks, Hannah L McNair Elementary Instructional
> Coach $70,820.00
> Garant, Christine J Cunningham Park
> Elementary Instructional Coach $81,758.00
> Garcia, Dana E Coates Elementary Instructional
> Coach $74,990.00
> Ghrist, Christina B Bonnie Brae
> Elementary Instructional Coach $66,963.00
> Ginsberg, Adrienne C Dogwood
> Elementary Instructional Coach $62,879.00
> Glei, Cristine E Fairfax Ridge Instructional
> Coach $61,832.00
> Green, Rashida J Mount Vernon High Instructional
> Coach $70,555.00
> Gresick, Mary M Oak View Elementary Instructional
> Coach $103,285.00
> Guzman, Donna J Lorton Station
> Elementary Instructional Coach $76,714.00
> Hammond-Holt, Karen A Weyanoke
> Elementary Instructional Coach $100,277.00
> Hanson, Raegan N Columbia Elementary Instructional
> Coach $77,176.00
> Harvey, Darnessia Y Mount Vernon Woods
> Elementary Instructional Coach $86,639.00
> Holley, Tylea L Westlawn Elementary Instructional
> Coach $68,831.00
> Holmes, Tara C Hunters Woods
> Elementary Instructional Coach $70,820.00
> Holvey, Sarah L Groveton Elementary Instructional
> Coach $62,878.00
> Horton, Gail C Freedom Hill
> Elementary Instructional Coach $74,597.00
> Iaquinta Springer, Karri R Holmes
> Middle Instructional Coach $91,838.00
> Jacobson, Halissa D Hughes Middle Instructional
> Coach $73,041.00
> Johnson, Michele Lanier Middle Instructional
> Coach $83,482.00
> Jones, Alison S Orange Hunt
> Elementary Instructional Coach $68,831.00
> Joyner, Amy E Luther Jackson Middle Instructional
> Coach $77,176.00
> Kale, Lynda S Mount Vernon High Instructional
> Coach $91,838.00
> Kengor, Wendy D Rose Hill Elementary Instructional
> Coach $72,872.00
> Lamson, Carolyn J Fairfax Ridge Instructional
> Coach $99,099.00
> Lear, Erin S Deer Park Elementary Instructional
> Coach $65,264.00
> Lee, Tiffany T Woodlawn Elementary Instructional
> Coach $61,339.00
> Lekoski, Lori Whitman Middle Instructional Coach
> $104,995.00
> Lynch, Erin M Key Middle Instructional Coach
> $68,687.00
> MacWilliams, Christine L Halley
> Elementary Instructional Coach $88,363.00
> Manora, Anna J Lynbrook Elementary Instructional
> Coach $78,900.00
> Martin, April G Lane Elementary Instructional
> Coach $65,897.00
> Martinson, Holly A Fairfax Ridge Instructional
> Coach $62,879.00
> Mason, Megan M Baileys Upper Elem Instructional
> Coach $66,181.00
> Maurizi, Margaret H Glen Forest
> Elementary Instructional Coach $79,431.00
> McCormick, Amanda J Twain Middle Instructional
> Coach $65,264.00
> Michaels, Bonnie B Parklawn
> Elementary Instructional Coach $65,264.00
> Moore, Jordan E Forestdale
> Elementary Instructional Coach $72,544.00
> Moore, Michelle C Lake Anne
> Elementary Instructional Coach $85,885.00
> Nestler, Kristen B Parklawn
> Elementary Instructional Coach $66,988.00
> Ngo, Kathryn A Fairfax Ridge Instructional Coach
> $66,988.00
> Novack Lakenbach, Lara B Bucknell
> Elementary Instructional Coach $76,835.00
> ONeal, Gina D Graham Road Elementary Instructional
> Coach $68,831.00
> Ott, Shala A Garfield Elementary Instructional
> Coach $86,639.00
> Pappas, Alisa J Kings Park
> Elementary Instructional Coach $81,758.00
> Parker-McElroy, Emelie M Camelot
> Elementary Instructional Coach $86,639.00
> Pensiero, Tara N Washington Mill
> Elementary Instructional Coach $72,872.00
> Prahl, Christine C Stratford Landing
> Elementary Instructional Coach $74,597.00
> Preston, Emily A Herndon Middle Instructional
> Coach $65,264.00
> Reid, Forrest Y Liberty Middle Instructional
> Coach $90,921.00
> Reisman, Kathryn L Hollin Meadows
> Elementary Instructional Coach $97,375.00
> Ritchie, Gail V Cameron Elementary Instructional
> Coach $96,048.00
> Robinson, Kristen H Beech Tree
> Elementary Instructional Coach $93,562.00
> Rozzoni, Leslie E South County
> Middle Instructional Coach $77,176.00
> Shellhouse, Sarah A Deer Park
> Elementary Instructional Coach $77,176.00
> Shroyer, Jessica A Marshall Road
> Elementary Instructional Coach $76,714.00
> Silva, Sonia C Herndon High Instructional Coach
> $68,299.00
> Skerker, Jennifer P Terraset
> Elementary Instructional Coach $68,299.00
> Smith, Amy E Frost Middle Instructional Coach
> $81,758.00
> Smith, Lauren H Braddock Elementary Instructional
> Coach $81,758.00
> Smoyer, Patricia A Woodburn
> Elementary Instructional Coach $79,431.00
> Spera, Erin J Stone Middle Instructional Coach
> $66,988.00
> Stavish, Kate P McLean High Instructional Coach
> $65,264.00
> Swann, Laura E Crestwood Elementary Instructional
> Coach $84,160.00
> Swanson, Victoria M Dranesville
> Elementary Instructional Coach $74,990.00
> Tiplady, Brittany A Clearview
> Elementary Instructional Coach $63,556.00
> Tisnado, Melissa Fort Hunt
> Elementary Instructional Coach $77,176.00
> Whitt, Collin T Hutchison Elementary Instructional
> Coach $65,264.00
> Wolling, Katharine M Westlawn
> Elementary Instructional Coach $79,431.00
> Yeager, Cory C Sleepy Hollow
> Elementary Instructional Coach $72,544.00


You’re a jerk.

These people have no accountability. They do not teach any classes nor do they give grades (or talk to parents or have parent conferences). Who rates them? Do they support jobs for others who are their "bosses"? No doubt there is an "executive instructional coach" at Gatehouse (to "train" them and make PowerPoints for them to use to "help" teachers).

The best way to create excellent instruction is to hire the best and let them use their minds. Internal motivation and reflection can never be replaced externally.

Am in complete agreement with Zero to parents and students. The ICs do not work with students or parents; instead, they sit in meetings all day with teachers and administrators. They are not impacting student achievement at all....very disappointing that FCPS is keeping these positions.

You could buy two teachers for the price of one of these.

Smaller class sizes would help a lot.

I wonder if these instructional coaches feel they earn their money.


I'd rather have two teachers than one coach.
-------------------------------------------------------
> You could buy two teachers for the price of one of
> these.
>
> Smaller class sizes would help a lot.

The concept is solid. Skilled professionals in place at schools to help with instruction. The execution of the concept in times when we have overloaded classes, stagnant pay, and the perceived need to fund parent desires for later start times makes it unaffordable and wasteful. As long as we have an educational system that reveres DATA like a supreme being, we will have instructional coaches to coach teachers to get the data points to point to "success."

Two for one Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You could buy two teachers for the price of one of
> these.
>
> Smaller class sizes would help a lot.


Sounds good. What do these people do? Tell teachers what to teach so kids can pass the standardized tests and make the scores look good? That is a lot of money.

Although it may not be at the forefront of their job description, the two main things instructional coaches do (in order of visibility):

1. Analyze data from test scores (ecart especially, but sols and others) to determine what concepts students get, and what needs to be reviewed/retaught.

2. Preside over 2x/week mandatory meetings during the school day with teachers (these are called CLTs) to discuss findings and plan for future lessons.

Job descripton nailed what they do. Question is, do we need 70K per year employees to show teachers results that teachers themselves can datamine on their own time from e-cart and other sites rather than take up meeting time to hear the obvious. Many employees say no - especially when the position is "bought" by having larger class size. Keep in mind that the assistant supers tell SB they are critical because they need the DATA to show progress!

This is a stupid waste of money. Do these 'coaches" work with kids at all? Or, just tell teachers how/what to teach? Here's a clue: most teachers know how to teach. They would just like to be allowed to do it. I taught school. I am sure that a couple of these coaches are helpful, just as I am sure that most of them spend their time drinking coffee and looking at the computer "data." Then, they waste the teacher's time.

Not only is the position a waste, but these people often waste classroom teacher's valuable time by scheduling meetings that they must attend, so the Instructional Coach can "show" the bosses that they are actually doing something. This same circus is repeated with several positions at the county (gatehouse) level as well. If you eliminated these positions you could hire a couple more teachers and reduce the amount of busy work that classroom teachers are getting hammered by. Maybe then more of the great classroom teachers would stay in the classroom instead of looking for their way out as well.

Job description Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> 2. Preside over 2x/week mandatory meetings during
> the school day with teachers (these are called
> CLTs) to discuss findings and plan for future
> lessons.


Is that pronounced "clit?" I would go to a clit meeting without it being mandatory.

where did you pull all this data from?

I work in sales and we sure as hell don't need a coach.

Are there that many incompetent teachers ou there?

These are some pretty stiff salaries and I assume these "coaches" only work 9 months a year??

What a gig if you can get it.

I now know why FCPS has a 2.3 Billion dollar budget!!

FCPS needs to be audited!

tax payer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> FCPS needs to be audited!


"Believe it or not", I think they are.

No impact Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Am in complete agreement with Zero to parents and
> students. The ICs do not work with students or
> parents; instead, they sit in meetings all day
> with teachers and administrators. They are not
> impacting student achievement at all....very
> disappointing that FCPS is keeping these
> positions.


And that is why the teachers associations gave been quietly supportive of proposals to cut positions for instructional coaches. Maybe some of those positions will disappear this year, so that the savings can be used more wisely.

Approximately 90 instructional coaches (on the list) at 85K on average is close to 8 million dollars (and this does not include health insurance and retirement benefits that are paid for by FCPS). It could come in closer to 10 million or even more.

We don't have an instructional coach, but I can tell you about looking at data at CLT meetings. We give a third grade math test. I could tell you before the test was given which kids were going to have trouble, and why. Then we all sit there with everyone's scores on a chart (which took a good while to input, child by child). Then we all agree that question number 3 was poorly written, and question number 7 was hard for most of the students and we should all keep practicing that skill. This is a waste of time. A much better use of the time would be to discuss what is coming next in the curriculum and how to plan for those lessons.

On top of this, we are giving mostly multiple choice tests from Ecart, while we are being told to do "project based learning". We have to give the multiple choice tests, because they are going to be taking the SOL, and 40 percent of the teacher's evaluation is going to be tied to those scores.

Parents should raise a ruckus about what is happening to their children. CLT waste illustrates in the previous post what all the data digging results in - meetings to figure out the obvious led by highly paid coaches who are in it for the short term - road to administration, or are being given a cushy job without kids. Kids are being e-carted to death, to the point of being turned off of school. Yet the SB spends the $ without the thought of educational ramifications.

"Yet the SB spends the $ without the thought of educational ramifications."


+1000

But with all these instructional coaches, why are we sliding farther and farther down the world standings in math and science.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/12/03/248329823/u-s-high-school-students-slide-in-math-reading-science

We spend a bunch of money on education why are our students not the best?

Why? Because everyone is looking for a "fix". The teacher above gave a great illustration of what is happening. Teachers are spending too much time in analysis of poor data and not teaching. The teachers would rather be teaching.

Educators are always looking for the silver bullet--guess what? There is not one. It is work and preparation. It is classroom management and motivation. And, like it or not, boring or not, practice is needed. Every child is not going to get individual attention 100% of the time. Teachers are hamstringed by regulations that require them to document things that once were taken for granted. This latest fad, Common Core, is just another spin. The "experts" claim that we are not teaching critical thinking, so they have developed a ridiculous and confusing process to teach math. Are there some good things in Common Core? Sure. But, there is a lot more unnecessary process that could be eliminated.
Who is making money off of this? Book companies and bureaucrats.

and you ask who is making money off of this... I guess those instructional coaches are doin pretty well too - too bad the students may not ever make as much as them

They get paid a teacher salary and are on an 11 month contract. The ones making close to 6 figures have been teaching 20 plus years.

"They get paid a teacher salary and are on an 11 month contract. The ones making close to 6 figures have been teaching 20 plus years."


They are still wasteful spending. When teachers ask for help, they don't mean they need a PowerPoint presentation or a meeting, but that's what they get. Teachers are asking for direct help for their students---"hands on" is where the work gets done. Instead of IC positions, there should be more teachers in order to lower the class sizes or to help students who are falling behind.

There are too many "bosses" and self proclaimed "experts" and not enough workers.

get hands dirty Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> They are still wasteful spending. When teachers
> ask for help, they don't mean they need a
> PowerPoint presentation or a meeting, but that's
> what they get. Teachers are asking for direct
> help for their students---"hands on" is where the
> work gets done. Instead of IC positions, there
> should be more teachers in order to lower the
> class sizes or to help students who are falling
> behind.
>
> There are too many "bosses" and self proclaimed
> "experts" and not enough workers.

Agreed, however the best way to not need ICs is for taxpayers to fully rise up against the culture of data-driven education and standardized testing.

The best thing taxpayers could do would be to wake up and realize that their jobs and well-being here critically depend on Fairfax County continuing to provide a top-flight school system. Attempts to gut the FCPS budget in order to keep taxes low is a fine example of being penny wise and pound foolish. Another word for that is "stupid".

"The best thing taxpayers could do would be to wake up and realize that their jobs and well-being here critically depend on Fairfax County continuing to provide a top-flight school system. Attempts to gut the FCPS budget in order to keep taxes low is a fine example of being penny wise and pound foolish. Another word for that is "stupid"."



Cutting IC positions is not equal to cutting the FCPS budget. It is just directing the money to a more productive use. Nobody said anything about "attempts to gut th FCPS budget in order to keep taxes low" on this thread. You are off base. This thread is about using money wisely and that should happen all the time (no matter what the tax rate is). Using money wisely is an example of being pound wise. These are not pennies being spent---they are millions of dollars.

say what? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Cutting IC positions is not equal to cutting the
> FCPS budget. It is just directing the money to a
> more productive use.

Transparent bullshit. These pillow-headed wankers were complaining about IC's (and of course their salaries) before they freaking knew what an IC was. When taxpayers are urged to "rise up against the culture of data-driven education", we are not talking about some minor reallocation of funds. All of that worthless load of crap is just reactionary asshole-speak for gut the budgets and kill the schools. Not sure what these morons think education should be driven by if not by data, but this is just more senseless nutcase folderol from the mega-dumbed-down right-wing.

Meanwhile, between short-sighted policies at both the county and state levels, FCPS has been seriously underfunded for five years. Taxpayers need to face the fact that if we want to preserve the health of our schools and the attractiveness of the region to workers and corporations, we are going to have to hang an IV-bag stat.

" When taxpayers are urged to "rise up against the culture of data-driven education", we are not talking about some minor reallocation of funds. All of that worthless load of crap is just reactionary asshole-speak for gut the budgets and kill the schools. Not sure what these morons think education should be driven by if not by data, but this is just more senseless nutcase folderol from the mega-dumbed-down right-wing."



Wrong. LOL. You are oh so wrong. This isn't reactionary or right wing. This is the middle rational person on the street talking. Yes, it is always good to have data drive the schools (geez, if not the holy data, we might go right down the tubes). Funny how there are great schools that are not "driven by the data" out there.

You are obviously not a teacher or a student. We've had more than enough "data" and it isn't the answer. Now those who backed the "data" want to blame the lack of progress on a lack of money. Nobody's buying it.

If they had the "data" that really meant something, maybe we could go with it. But (news flash) the tests and quantitative measures are far, far from perfect and they cannot be the end all, be all that they are being made out to be.

We have far too many students who are not free to find out what their talents and skills are (and develop them) because they are all worried about the "data". It has become totally absurd.

get hands dirty Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> " When teachers
> ask for help, they don't mean they need a
> PowerPoint presentation or a meeting, but that's
> what they get. Teachers are asking for direct
> help for their students---"hands on" is where the
> work gets done. Instead of IC positions, there
> should be more teachers in order to lower the
> class sizes or to help students who are falling
> behind.
>
> There are too many "bosses" and self proclaimed
> "experts" and not enough workers.

Am in 100% agreement with Get Hands Dirty. The ICs do not impact student achievement at all.....they have no contact with the students. The Instructional Coaches sit in CLT meetings all day and analyze data that is easily analyzed and understood by all. Use the IC Staffing position to educate the students whether it's the at-risk kids or the high performers.

say what? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "The best thing taxpayers could do would be to
> wake up and realize that their jobs and well-being
> here critically depend on Fairfax County
> continuing to provide a top-flight school system.
> Attempts to gut the FCPS budget in order to keep
> taxes low is a fine example of being penny wise
> and pound foolish. Another word for that is
> "stupid"."
>
>
>
> Cutting IC positions is not equal to cutting the
> FCPS budget. It is just directing the money to a
> more productive use. Nobody said anything about
> "attempts to gut th FCPS budget in order to keep
> taxes low" on this thread. You are off base.
> This thread is about using money wisely and that
> should happen all the time (no matter what the tax
> rate is). Using money wisely is an example of
> being pound wise. These are not pennies being
> spent---they are millions of dollars.

Great response. FCPS would have more credibility with the Supervisors if it could demonstrate that FCPS doesn't waste money.

If instructional coaches are decent teachers, they should be assigned to teach students all day long as classroom teachers. If instructional coaches can't teach worth beans and landed their plum jobs as instructional coaches for political reasons, then instead of shunting them into another cushy job as a resource teacher, specialist or administrator, FCPS should fire them.

Our principal hired our coach with only three years of teaching experience at only one grade level. How do you think this person is going to help any of the teachers in the seven grade levels in our school. She offers little, tells us that she is not there to work with students and we just make up reasons not to meet with her. A true waste of taxpayer money. Just add up the money and see how much this has cost us!

reaching ridiculous levels Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wrong. LOL. You are oh so wrong.

Dismissed. You plainly know dog-shit about ICs.

> This isn't reactionary or right wing.

Yes, it is. It is just another turf-fields, SLEEP-like chapter in a continuing saga of populist assaults stoked by the right-wing in an attempt to discredit public education in general in the public mind. All of it is intended to create mounting antagonism toward FCPS and pressure to slash budgets, cut taxes, and further siphon funds away from public schools through eventual voucher schemes that allow those who choose sectarian schools or who "home school" to pass the bill for their choices off onto taxpayers instyead of actually paying for their choices out of their own pockets. Don't think so? You don't know the history! Hardly surprising.

> Yes, it is always good to have data drive the schools (geez,
> if not the holy data, we might go right down the
> tubes). Funny how there are great schools that
> are not "driven by the data" out there.

What a foolish claim. There are no great schools out anywhere that ignore the data. Schools that try to ignore reality or simply choose not to know what their reality is will way disproportionately fail in their mission. Outdated models and old wives' tales don't get the job done for anybody. How dumb does one have to be to believe to the contrary?

> You are obviously not a teacher or a student.

I'm retired. From a career that included 25 years in post-secondary education.

> We've had more than enough "data" and it isn't the
> answer. Now those who backed the "data" want to
> blame the lack of progress on a lack of money.
> Nobody's buying it.

There you go, whining about money already. Never would have expected THAT! And as an FYI for morons, it would be only the dupes and dumbasses who are not buying it. You know, the mindless flash-mob, Muslim-cartoon-protester type goobers who don't actually know their ass from a hole in the ground. Everyone else realizes that FCPS has been underfunded for years, that it faces new challenges in the wake of the Great Recession, and that it is going to require an infusion of catch-up extra funding if the standards of the past are to be maintained into the future. Non-assholes also understand that between maintaining and not maintaining those standards, it is the LATTER that will be much more expensive in the long run.

> If they had the "data" that really meant
> something, maybe we could go with it. But (news
> flash) the tests and quantitative measures are
> far, far from perfect and they cannot be the end
> all, be all that they are being made out to be.

Don't know what data-driven means either, eh? Again, no surprise at all. Do the words "comparative effectiveness" still rankle you from PPACA or something? Until you know how and how well something actually works, you are throwing darts while wearing a blindfold. Take the damned thing off, dumbass.

> We have far too many students who are not free to
> find out what their talents and skills are (and
> develop them) because they are all worried about
> the "data". It has become totally absurd.

More vapid asinine bullshit. Why don't you just go sit in a corner. What a total waste of time you are. On top of all the rest, ICs are trained in adult education. Their core function is to help students indirectly by helping teachers directly -- particularly younger and less-experienced teachers. Which FCPS now has in ever greater abundance thanks to severe underfunding. FCPS has used ICs since at least 2005 and they are a part of major school systems all over the country. The one and only reason for this is that they work. Whether dimbulbs can manage to grasp and understand the situation or not.

Get rid of instructional coaches Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If instructional coaches are decent teachers, they
> should be assigned to teach students all day long
> as classroom teachers. If instructional coaches
> can't teach worth beans and landed their plum jobs
> as instructional coaches for political reasons,
> then instead of shunting them into another cushy
> job as a resource teacher, specialist or
> administrator, FCPS should fire them.

LOL! What was the highest grade that YOU ever completed? Whatever the case, systems analysis is plainly not one of your strengths, assuming that you actually have any of those.

gt3 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Our principal hired our coach with only three
> years of teaching experience at only one grade
> level. How do you think this person is going to
> help any of the teachers in the seven grade levels
> in our school. She offers little, tells us that
> she is not there to work with students and we just
> make up reasons not to meet with her. A true waste
> of taxpayer money. Just add up the money and see
> how much this has cost us!

Three years in a classroom is typically the minimum required to apply to become an IC. While dire straits may have led to a few being picked up and relied upon from that level, most are well beyond it. It is teachers meanwhile who remain responsible for mastery of the grade-level curriculum. ICs are there to help teachers progress and grow as teachers in light of general and particular classroom needs and problems.

If you meanwhile busy yourself in making up excuses not to meet with an IC, YOU are the problem, not the IC. I would suggest that you begin looking for a different career. You likely have very little future as a teacher. Walking out is better than washing out.

"I'm retired. From a career that included 25 years in post-secondary education."



You have no street cred on this issue. You have not been in a K-12 school in years. Listen to the teachers. Do you consider them to be right wing nut jobs? Do you think they are trying to get funding cut to the schools? Are they looking for pay cuts? Is it in their interests to help students? Think long and hard about this.

What you are saying leads me to think you have some interest in keeping the ICs in place (and it's not an altruistic one). Maybe your daughter is an IC? Maybe you researched this idea? Maybe you are a "consultant" on this?

"It is teachers meanwhile who remain responsible for mastery of the grade-level curriculum. ICs are there to help teachers progress and grow as teachers in light of general and particular classroom needs and problems."


It just gets more and more confusing. "in light of general and particular classroom needs and problems"???? Isn't that an oxymoron? "General and particular"??? Are you an expert on these ICs? How can anyone understand this eduspeak?

An Instructional Coach is just another person doing the job of an administrator. The "IC" is there to inform and protect those in charge. On a day to day basis they meet with teachers to only ensure the top is getting pushed down and the bottom is brought up in the data. If you can get the data to move in that trained direction, then your school is wonderful. If a teacher stands up to this process of leaving many children behind for the sake of this focus, then they are quickly noted on the naughty list.
If the teacher is viewed as the master of the curriculum, then why aren't they allowed to lead? Why can't teacher team leaders guide the data analysis? They are the experts as to what is behind the number. Also, since they have been continuously denied pay raises and have endured benefit cuts, it would be easy to recruit teachers to take on these tasks with an extended contract. It could save millions of dollars and the analysis of the data would be more accurate and authentic coming from a "master of the curriculum".

One of the inservice days I was assigned at my school to look at the data of math SOL scores for a grade I taught last year. It would have been much more beneficial for the teachers who taught those kids to do this. Instead it was a varied group of teachers at different grade levels. It was a total waste of time. We spend so much time sitting in meetings talking about why three kids missed question number five. If you asked the teachers, they could tell you right then that Johnny had a bad cold that day, Susie had been in South America for six weeks over the winter and had entirely missed the math topic that was taught, and Billy had taken the test on a day he didn't have his ADHD meds. Instead, these coaches make a big deal about reteaching and presenting the lesson differently. The teacher can tell you with surprising accuracy who is not going to do well on the test ahead of time from teaching the kids day in and day out, with NO FREAKING TEXTBOOKS! The online textbook for little kids is ludicrous and nobody uses it. It is like herding cats to try to get them all to look at it at the same time, and the ones in the back can't see it clearly anyway.

DataWaste Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> One of the inservice days I was assigned at my
> school to look at the data of math SOL scores for
> a grade I taught last year. It would have been
> much more beneficial for the teachers who taught
> those kids to do this. Instead it was a varied
> group of teachers at different grade levels. It
> was a total waste of time. We spend so much time
> sitting in meetings talking about why three kids
> missed question number five. If you asked the
> teachers, they could tell you right then that
> Johnny had a bad cold that day, Susie had been in
> South America for six weeks over the winter and
> had entirely missed the math topic that was
> taught, and Billy had taken the test on a day he
> didn't have his ADHD meds. Instead, these coaches
> make a big deal about reteaching and presenting
> the lesson differently. The teacher can tell you
> with surprising accuracy who is not going to do
> well on the test ahead of time from teaching the
> kids day in and day out, with NO FREAKING
> TEXTBOOKS! The online textbook for little kids is
> ludicrous and nobody uses it. It is like herding
> cats to try to get them all to look at it at the
> same time, and the ones in the back can't see it
> clearly anyway.

Finally a voice of REASON.

If people would just open their eyes, they can actually see the world and know what is going on!!!

It's not that hard.

Wow, your math is awful.
These salaries are on the same scale as teachers. So how could you get 2-for-1?

Get rid of instructional coaches Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> say what? Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > "The best thing taxpayers could do would be to
> > wake up and realize that their jobs and
> well-being
> > here critically depend on Fairfax County
> > continuing to provide a top-flight school
> system.
> > Attempts to gut the FCPS budget in order to
> keep
> > taxes low is a fine example of being penny wise
> > and pound foolish. Another word for that is
> > "stupid"."
> >
> >
> >
> > Cutting IC positions is not equal to cutting
> the
> > FCPS budget. It is just directing the money to
> a
> > more productive use. Nobody said anything
> about
> > "attempts to gut th FCPS budget in order to
> keep
> > taxes low" on this thread. You are off base.
> > This thread is about using money wisely and
> that
> > should happen all the time (no matter what the
> tax
> > rate is). Using money wisely is an example of
> > being pound wise. These are not pennies being
> > spent---they are millions of dollars.
>
> Great response. FCPS would have more credibility
> with the Supervisors if it could demonstrate that
> FCPS doesn't waste money.
>
> If instructional coaches are decent teachers, they
> should be assigned to teach students all day long
> as classroom teachers. If instructional coaches
> can't teach worth beans and landed their plum jobs
> as instructional coaches for political reasons,
> then instead of shunting them into another cushy
> job as a resource teacher, specialist or
> administrator, FCPS should fire them.

Those who transitioned to the instructional coach career are those who no longer wanted to teach in the classroom, for whatever reason. If the program were changed to assign them back to teach in the classroom, the candidates for the program might well diminish to zero.

"Those who transitioned to the instructional coach career are those who no longer wanted to teach in the classroom, for whatever reason."


And this reason becomes very apparent to the teachers who are being told what and how to do things by these people.

The instructional coaches could help by pulling out the really low students for very small group instruction. Instead, the teacher is required to include in lesson plans how they are differentiating for all the levels in the room. So for 28 fourth graders, two from another country that speak virtually no English, 5 that failed the 3rd grade math SOL and need reteaching, another 5 that are really strong in math and need many above grade level objectives taught - that teacher has to provide for all of them at once. The administrator is going to come in and ask to see evidence of differentiation, which would be dandy, except the class sizes are so big. Finding different things for each level to do, on their own, as the teacher can only meet with one group at a time, is very time-consuming. With only online math books, the teacher has to find time to copy any papers with problems to do.

At Wolf Trap, there are 36 kids in a 4th grade math class. Put the instructional coaches in the rooms where the actual children are.

It is not a matter of teachers not knowing how to teach, it is having the time to work with kids that need to be met at so many levels.

Fairfax County,
Please eliminate all of the instructional coaches.

They add nothing but one more layer of Adults in a school that do not work with kids!!!
Put the instructional coaches in the
> rooms where the actual children are.
>
> It is not a matter of teachers not knowing how to
> teach, it is having the time to work with kids
> that need to be met at so many levels.

-------------------------------------------------------
> The instructional coaches could help by pulling
> out the really low students for very small group
> instruction. Instead, the teacher is required to
> include in lesson plans how they are
> differentiating for all the levels in the room. So
> for 28 fourth graders, two from another country
> that speak virtually no English, 5 that failed the
> 3rd grade math SOL and need reteaching, another 5
> that are really strong in math and need many above
> grade level objectives taught - that teacher has
> to provide for all of them at once. The
> administrator is going to come in and ask to see
> evidence of differentiation, which would be dandy,
> except the class sizes are so big. Finding
> different things for each level to do, on their
> own, as the teacher can only meet with one group
> at a time, is very time-consuming. With only
> online math books, the teacher has to find time to
> copy any papers with problems to do.
>
> At Wolf Trap, there are 36 kids in a 4th grade
> math

I have never seen our instructional coach pull out students

The new teachers have to take a class called "Great Beginnings" where they have more coaching on how to teach. They have all been student teachers. They are all assigned a mentor teacher who is right there in the building to help them. They all have a teaching team or department to help them. The Instructional Coaches are not needed for them. The experienced teachers know what to do. They attend professional development regularly and have to take courses to keep their licenses current (at their own expense and on their own time, often).

The instructional coaches have ideas about how to teach that are very time consuming. They want the kids moving from stations to stations. Well, who has to set up all those stations and all the materials that go along? The classroom teacher.

Smaller class size is the biggest factor that affects student performance and learning. Our first grade has 27 kids with one teacher. That is just too many with the needs they all have these days - ESL, special ed, ADHD, kids in poverty, kids that need enrichment, kids that are reading well above grade level and kids that only have ten sight words at the start of first grade.

Make the instructional coaches accountable for how much time they spend working with students directly. Teachers don't need them to tell them what to do. We know what to do.

I know an Instructional coach who never was a classroom teacher. I don't see how she can be giving advice to teachers. Nice lady, though.

Our $79,000 coach is to collect data and run meetings.
I don't think that the inst. coach taught in a classroom. It's as though she is allergic to children




-------------------------------------------------------
> I have never seen our instructional coach pull out
> students

Current Teacher Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not only is the position a waste, but these people
> often waste classroom teacher's valuable time by
> scheduling meetings that they must attend, so the
> Instructional Coach can "show" the bosses that
> they are actually doing something. This same
> circus is repeated with several positions at the
> county (gatehouse) level as well. If you
> eliminated these positions you could hire a couple
> more teachers and reduce the amount of busy work
> that classroom teachers are getting hammered by.
> Maybe then more of the great classroom teachers
> would stay in the classroom instead of looking for
> their way out as well.


+1000

My sister-in-law taught elementary school for two years. Hated it. Complained about the students, the principal, the parents, the workload, everything.

Now she is an instructional coach. Very happy.

Solution: Rotate experienced teachers through an instructional coach assignment and then send them back to the classroom.

ICs are teachers who were 10 month employees who were promoted to an 11 month employee. They get the exact same monthly pay they would have gotten as a teacher except they get paid for the 11th month they work. So you could have 11 teachers for every 10 ICs, not 2 for 1. Anyone who is claiming the 2:1 figure were taught in schools that were in desperate need of an IC.

4 Coaches and sol scores till suck

One of the first cuts from the school budget for the 2016-2017 school year should be instructional coaches and math and reading resource teachers. If you are highly qualified teacher, you don't need an instructional coach. As to math resource and reading resource teachers, they are totally dispensable. They don't work with students, they offer minimal support to the classroom teacher, and quite frankly, they have little to no impact on the educational outcomes for students. At a school where there is an educational coach, two reading specialists and two math specialists, FCPS could save a minimum of $250,000.

Actually in Elementary Reading Spealists are very helpful and useful.

These teachers actually pull out small groups of kids to help with reading and will often uncover other issue that are impacking a students ability to read.

Match Spealists?? Not sure if they are necessary, maybe, but never had any involvement with these folks.

Instructional Coaches, again, not sure if they are necessary.

where are these people assigned? how much is spent in each pyramid?

The reading specialists in my school don't pull kids, don't work with kids, and certainly aren't assessing the needs and/or reasons some students are struggling in the area of reading.

Garza and the school board need to get serious about making cuts before anyone else gets serious about their so called budget crisis.

A good place to start would be instructional coaches. FCPS needs to recoup $100 million? Getting rid of the instructional coaches would certainly help.

Taxpayers are stupid Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> gt3 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Our principal hired our coach with only three
> > years of teaching experience at only one grade
> > level. How do you think this person is going to
> > help any of the teachers in the seven grade
> levels
> > in our school. She offers little, tells us that
> > she is not there to work with students and we
> just
> > make up reasons not to meet with her. A true
> waste
> > of taxpayer money. Just add up the money and
> see
> > how much this has cost us!
>
> Three years in a classroom is typically the
> minimum required to apply to become an IC. While
> dire straits may have led to a few being picked up
> and relied upon from that level, most are well
> beyond it. It is teachers meanwhile who remain
> responsible for mastery of the grade-level
> curriculum. ICs are there to help teachers
> progress and grow as teachers in light of general
> and particular classroom needs and problems.
>
> If you meanwhile busy yourself in making up
> excuses not to meet with an IC, YOU are the
> problem, not the IC. I would suggest that you
> begin looking for a different career. You likely
> have very little future as a teacher. Walking out
> is better than washing out.

I've seen more than a few with very, very low numbers of years of teaching, especially if in this discussion we also speak of math resource teachers and other such folks. I would think the minimum number of years necessary to talk to other teachers about how to teach would be 10 with those years being spent in several different grade levels and subjects. It is a bit jarring when you meet a coach and he or she talks about all their teaching experience and then you find out they taught for three years.

Sorry, but FCPS is, in my opinion, going down the wrong path with all this coaching stuff. If you look at the whole world American teachers have very, very low amounts of planning time. In your average ES it works out to about 45 minutes a day, maybe 50. Take up two of those planning periods with meetings to look at data--look, you're going to get worksheets off the photocopier. Sorry, but you are.

And I'm always amused at all the coaches and specialists who go on and on and on and on about how much they love teaching and children. "Oh, would you like to come and do a mini-unit with my class?"

"I DON'T WORK WITH KIDS. I AM HERE IN AN ADVISORY ROLE. I DON'T WORK WITH KIDS."

"Oh, I just thought, because you love teaching and children so much--oh, you're leaving? You're fleeing down the hall to your office? The children would love to say hello. Well, goodbye."

Our reading teacher sits in her office and reads Lucy Caulkins books all day. She also helps the male teachers with their PBL projects even though in no way does her job entail anything about PBL. If you ask her to help a child who is actually--think of this--having trouble with reading, you get nothing but excuses.

000909093 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Our reading teacher sits in her office and reads
> Lucy Caulkins books all day. She also helps the
> male teachers with their PBL projects even though
> in no way does her job entail anything about PBL.
> If you ask her to help a child who is
> actually--think of this--having trouble with
> reading, you get nothing but excuses.


PBL is Buck Institute nonsense. Trips to the Buck Institute in CA are responsible for a lot of questionable travel claims. How much money could FCPS save by dispensing with PBL and the travel?

These instructional coaches are BCBAs. That is a big deal. They help teachers with students that have behavioral issues, such as ADHD and autism.

W/o these coaches, SN teachers would be lost. The students would be lost. Gen ed teachers usually throw their hands up in the hair if they have an ADHD kid in their classroom.

One ABA coach is spread to 3 or 4 schools.

They come up FBAs and BIPs. I can tell you first hand, they are worth their weight in gold.

Mary123456789 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> These instructional coaches are BCBAs. That is a
> big deal. They help teachers with students that
> have behavioral issues, such as ADHD and autism.
>
> W/o these coaches, SN teachers would be lost. The
> students would be lost. Gen ed teachers usually
> throw their hands up in the hair if they have an
> ADHD kid in their classroom.
>
> One ABA coach is spread to 3 or 4 schools.
>
> They come up FBAs and BIPs. I can tell you first
> hand, they are worth their weight in gold.


What the hell does this gibberish mean?

Speak English Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mary123456789 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > These instructional coaches are BCBAs. That is
> a
> > big deal. They help teachers with students that
> > have behavioral issues, such as ADHD and
> autism.
> >
> > W/o these coaches, SN teachers would be lost.
> The
> > students would be lost. Gen ed teachers usually
> > throw their hands up in the hair if they have
> an
> > ADHD kid in their classroom.
> >
> > One ABA coach is spread to 3 or 4 schools.
> >
> > They come up FBAs and BIPs. I can tell you
> first
> > hand, they are worth their weight in gold.
>
>
> What the hell does this gibberish mean?


It means she does not want to have to go back to teaching in a classroom

There is an option to eliminate instructional coaches in the FCPS budget tool -- saves $1.9 Million.

https://budgettool.fcps.edu/

"Speak English Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mary123456789 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > These instructional coaches are BCBAs. That is
> a
> > big deal. They help teachers with students that
> > have behavioral issues, such as ADHD and
> autism.
> >
> > W/o these coaches, SN teachers would be lost.
> The
> > students would be lost. Gen ed teachers usually
> > throw their hands up in the hair if they have
> an
> > ADHD kid in their classroom.
> >
> > One ABA coach is spread to 3 or 4 schools.
> >
> > They come up FBAs and BIPs. I can tell you
> first
> > hand, they are worth their weight in gold.
>
>
> What the hell does this gibberish mean?


It means she does not want to have to go back to teaching in a classroom"


LOL. Depressingly true.

That is complete BS. Teachers know how to handle their students. The coaching position is held by useless jerks who want out of the classroom and who have been given the position for political and or preferential reasons not because of competence.

PBL = Snake Oil Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 000909093 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Our reading teacher sits in her office and
> reads
> > Lucy Caulkins books all day. She also helps
> the
> > male teachers with their PBL projects even
> though
> > in no way does her job entail anything about
> PBL.
> > If you ask her to help a child who is
> > actually--think of this--having trouble with
> > reading, you get nothing but excuses.
>
>
> PBL is Buck Institute nonsense. Trips to the Buck
> Institute in CA are responsible for a lot of
> questionable travel claims. How much money could
> FCPS save by dispensing with PBL and the travel?



It sounds like the Buck Institute/PBL is actually a cover-up for a wine tasting conference.

Instructional coaches that I know are good people, and do their job well.

The problem is the job- to analyze data from standardized tests subjected to students dozens of times during the school year.

Those tests, and the software to administer them are created by Pearson and Learning Tree, which charge INCREDIBLE prices for them.

Seriously, the overall cost of the school system would decrease by 1/4 - 1/3 if standardized testing and everything related to it in schools didn't exist.

As long as our culture embraces 20 days of testing instead of 20 days of teaching, be prepared to pay the piper.