Principal’s Flyer Volume 7 January 23-27, 2012 Number 19

Half Year Point/ Teachers' Comings and Going/ Health Insurance/ Congats Jodie/ Art Teachers Works on Display/ Framingham Younger than  State in Age of Teachers/   “If I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been due more to patient attention than to any other talent…” Isaac Newton Hi All; The Patriots Read More
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More on Value Added Evaluations

  In my blog on Monday discussing the Value Added report, I included this quote from one of the authors: Professor Chetty acknowledged, “Of course there are going to be mistakes — teachers who get fired who do not deserve to get fired.” But he said that using value-added scores would lead to fewer mistakes, not more. On a more complete Read More
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Principal’s Flyer Volume 7 January 17-20, 2012 Number 18

 Did Mike Jinx snow day possibilities? Will Framingham have a Favorite Teacher? “The only thing that keeps man going is energy. But what is energy but liking life?…” Louis Auchincloss Hi All; Thank goodness some bone-chilling cold returned briefly over the M.L. King weekend. I was worried that my backyard skating rink was doomed Read More
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Value Added Measurements Work and Tell Us a Lot About Teachers.

    I don't know how I missed it  but an article in Jan. 6 New York Times, and the research report* that was its source, provided some definitive answers to a major question in teacher evaluation. Race to Top guidelines insist that teacher evaluations must include students's test scores. A major complaint of this approach is that Read More
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Bonuses Improve the Perception of Teachers.

When Michelle Rhee resigned as chancellor of the D.C. Schools after her supporter Mayor Adrian Fenty lost in the mayoral primary, I posited that the new mayor would appoint either a union candidate who would wipe out any reforms she had made, or a moderate who would more diplomatically institute many of those reforms.Apparently the latter is true and Read More
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Principal’s Flyer Volume 7 January 9-13, 2012 Number 17

“Comparisons of one’s lot with others teaches us nothing and enfeebles the will…”Thornton Wilder  Hi All;Welcome back, and welcome to 2012! As of today we have completed 75 of the 180 required school daysthis year. We have but nine short days of classes before the end of term 2, and we close out the first semesterwith our usual four Read More
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Principal’s Flyer Volume 7 January 3-6, 2012 Number 16

      “Fortunately for children, the uncertainties of the present always give way to the enchanted possibilities of the future…” Gelsey Kirkland   Hi All; Welcome back, and welcome to 2012! As of today we have completed 75 of the 180 required school days this year. We have but nine short days of classes Read More
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Principal's Flyer Volume 7 December 19- 22, 2011 Number 15

“Any man’s life will be filled with constant and unexpected encouragement if he makes up his mind to do his level best each day…” Booker T. Washington    Hi All; And so we have reached the last week of school in the 2011 calendar year. This week also marks the winter solstice. This is the time at which the sun’s rays are directly Read More
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The Dilemma

"All educational Miracle Cures and panaceas are wrong, and many who push them are charlatans" "But, even with shortcomings, the new approach to teacher evaluation is a vast improvement over the one it replaced. " You might think the authors of these two quotes are in agreement; the first decrying magic bullets and quick fixes, while the second is acknowledging Read More
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Principal's Flyer Volume 7 December 12- 16, 2011 Number 14

“To do things today exactly the same way as we did them yesterday saves thinking…” Woodrow Wilson  Hi All; As we begin to settle into winter, the days seem to end earlier and earlier, with darkness descending upon us by just after 4:00 PM these days. I find myself shuttling my children between hockey rinks and swimming pools, as they can’t Read More
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