Lockdown at pahoa high AGAIN.

[VancouverIslander]

quote:

---

Originally posted by shockwave rider
Correction:
Teachers love having smart kids because they make teaching a worthwhile, administrators love having smart kids there to keep averages up. For administrators it is all about the numbers, not individual kids' needs, most teachers my kids had in multiple school districts really cared about the needs of the individual, more than the test scores or averages, the administrators everywhere pretty much just care about the numbers.

---

25 years in the profession and I concur. The majority of teachers truly just want to inspire and teach kids. Most administrators want to create an environment where their teachers can get that job done. That said, there is big pressure to get the numbers. Some organisations rank their schools based on test scores, which is really mostly a measure of the socioeconomic status of their catchment area. Some remarkable schools manage good test scores despire low SES catchment areas (and without cherry picking the 'good' kids) and are good role models for other schools.

School culture is a difficult thing to change, but it can be done. It takes a dedicated staff and buy in from parents to accomplish. Dealing with 'difficult' kids involves having responsible adults making meaningful connections with them. They respond well to personal connections and loyalties and in the absence of adults to connect with they connect with their peers, who are generally not the best guides. Some schools can benefit from 'behavioral programs' with a lot of one on one assistance available. Most students can improve their behavior dramatically once they start making connections with responsible adults and get learning support to help build their self esteem. At the same time, you can't use 'self esteem' as an excuse for not disciplining bad behavior, just discipline in a way that doesn't destroy relationships with positive role models.

Just call me Mike