Common Core, Danielson, “Short Frequent Observations” – where did the principals get this stuff?
September 7, 2011 pm30 11:00 pm
We’ve had two days of meetings (and classroom set up, if you are lucky) in New York City, and as we compare notes, there’s a lot of new things principals are pushing that sounds similar from one school to the next.
- get teachers to align curriculum (lucky, I guess, if they have one) with the common core
- push (some, I think) teachers into inquiry teams, and look at how to get student work to match the common core
- get (some, I think) teachers to align one major English task with the common core (read or analyze informational text and write opinions and arguments in response)
- get (some, I think) teachers to align one major Math task with the common core (model with math and/or construct the reasoning behind arguments to create a viable solution, whatever that means)
- quote Danielson as they tell teachers what they expect in their lessons
- Observe a lot, briefly. (Engage in short, frequent cycles of classroom observation). In many schools this has been translated into “8 per year” or “10 per year” or “rating in January and again in June”
Any of this sound familiar? It should. It all comes from the NYC Department of Education’s “Citywide Instructional Expectations for 2011 – 2012.” But don’t believe me – download the DoE’s pdf, and read it yourself. It’s been there since June. And it’s what your principals were quoting (or misquoting) at you.
(can you imagine your rating if you lectured your students the way your administration has just lectured you…)
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JD2718 
What is more disturbing is the administrators’ inability to grasp and convince themselves of the nonsense they are parroting at these meetings.
We were told to expect about 10-12 five-minute snapshots over the first “observation cycle” (whatever the heck that is). With admin walking in with their iPads (or whatever), jotting down what they see, or don’t see, and walking out. Seems Danielson is the new Calkins. Wonder if Lucy is jealous that Charlotte stole her sunshine, or if Lucy is laughing all the way to the bank.
We’ve seen this in Philadelphia for the last few years.(I call them drive bys) .They are not supposed to be THE formal observatons, but as one adminstrator told us, “if they are good we can use them as your observation.”. Uh ‘scuse me, no you cannot. People have to make use of their building reps and unions for anything that’s suspicious, and some of these administrators have been running amok. Perhaps with our vigilante Superindentent gone, things will be better.