th ‘e Mel Debbie Westmoreland Fwd: Coaching and workshop model at the middle school 1 message Kimberly Stender Wed, Oct 14, 2015 at 9:41 AM To: Debbie Westmoreland Kimberly Stender Community Liaison Office of the Superintendent Amherst, Pelham & Regional Public Schools 413-362-1825 stenderk@arps.org Forwarded message ~ From: Marisa Mendonsa Date: Wed, Oct 14, 2015 at 7:15 AM Subject: Re: Coaching and workshop model at the middle school To; Alfie Alschuler Cc: schoolcommittee@ams.org, Maria Geryk Mr, Alschuler- ‘Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns and comments on the current state of Amherst Regional Middle School. I'm not sure we have officially met yet 50 I'd like to extend an open invitation to meet with me at any time to discuss either your current concerns or other concerns that may come up during your son’s tenure here. First, | would like to acknowledge the very valid points that you make in your email. | could not agree more that the teachers at ARMS are “incredibly accomplished and professional teachers”, Having teachers such as these, makes the ability to implement research based and student-centered educational changes that meet the needs of diverse learners even more possible. | also agree that Mr. Hanson is highly respected and valued teacher at ARMS. While we are disappointed that Mr. Hanson chose to seek a coaching position in another district, | am excited for him as he pursues this position. Coaching positions that have long been sought after in districts are important features to improve and support the instruction of classroom teachers as they seek to support all students while meeting the demands of an ever changing field. Finally, | agree that the workshop model is an excellent approach to teaching. The primary reason it was selected for ARMS was to both bring greater consistency to our classrooms and to ensure that daily lesson plans included a strong structure that allows students the time to dig deep into the curriculum and to be able to demonstrate the meeting of the daily learning target (student objective) and for teachers to track this progress and identify any re-teaching or challenge activities they may need to develop. am going to assume that, whether in your current or past teaching experience, you have used the ‘workshop model yourself in one form or another, but may have never had ongoing professionaldevelopment to support these good teaching practices. This model allows incredible flexibility and creativity within each component. The bottom line- we ask that teachers start their lesson with an activator (a task that launches their math brain for instance) we then ask for a teacher section (mini-lesson) a student working session (working session) and a debrief (a closing to the lesson that circles back to the objective for the day). Within each of these components teachers design each section as they choose. | am certain, as a teacher, you see the value of each of these. While there are guidelines as to the estimated “minutes” assigned to each section, we know that this is not possible in each class. In fact, we just worked with a teacher on the idea that if he was three days into a project his mini-lesson may be just 5 minutes or so as he reviews directions or expectations for group work and then launches students into a 45 minute working session which he facilitates, There are variations of the workshop model and with our instructional coaches, teachers will dig deep into these variations and select the one that meets the needs of their intended outcomes and those which complement their teaching styles, For example, Workshop Model 2.0 has students “grappling” with material first with the mini-lesson coming after- many math teachers are interested in learning more about this model. You mentioned that you don’t know about the inner workings of the school, yet you reference a specific Learning Walk that occurred with checklists that coaches used. So, while you may not be fully aware of the inner workings, you do have basic knowledge. As such there are several missing pieces. In the faculty handbook there is a section titled “Classroom Must Haves”. These items are expected to be posted or available in each classroom. Examples are bathroom sign out logs, PBIS posters, learning agendas, etc. | think you might agree that these kinds of items are expected in the majority of schools across the country. ‘Additionally, we had a Learning Walk a few weeks ago- this was an announced walk in which we told faculty zhead of time that we would be visiting classrooms to see if the “must haves” were posted. So yes, this was a check list of items. Consistency and accountability are important in any school building. | must say, the teachers you spoke to must have left out the strong feedback and praise that was given following this learning walk. That's @ shame, as it was one of the best learning walks | have ever been on as an administrator. As for the teacher that was not in her room, there was no need to be there, she knew ahead of time that this was an environmental learning walk and that we were not focused on the instructional practices for this walk. In closing- this was NOT a coaching cycle, this was a learning walk. All learning walks this year will be connected to either school -wide expectations or the School Improvement Plan. Teachers and central office folks will be invited to participate on these walks as well. ‘As for coaches working with faculty, this is new for almost everyone in the building. Having someone support you whether you have been teaching for one year or 30 years can at times feel like a burden or undue anxiety. However, as a school district we are looking to reverse this mentality. Math coaches have been up and running at the elementary level and there is also a part time coach at the high school this year. 1am incredibly proud of the work coaches are doing thus far and grateful that as we seek to make instructional ‘changes in our building (workshop model and co-teaching) that we have built in personnel who will work with teachers weekly. In so many suburban districts the time and resources dedicated to new initiatives is lacking and therefore teachers feel abandoned and unsupported yet still must implement these changes. | hope you will meet with me to discuss your concerns, as It saddens me that you are making assumptions about the way coaches are working to support teachers when you only have second -hand knowledge of the work they are doing. | believe that many of the teachers working with coaches would share a differing opinion. Change is hard- there is no doubt about that, Teachers who have been teaching the same way for 20 yearsare being asked to reflect, learn and change. This will take time, which is the reason why | have created a ‘two-year school improvement plan to help guide teachers through this new work. (Most school improvement plans are 1 year). It's also important to note that teachers get weekly PD from the coaches on the workshop model and coaches are also available to meet individually with teachers as well. Every faculty member will benefit from working with @ coach for a short or long cycle this year. | am incredibly proud to implement this support for teachers, Again- | would be more than happy to meet with you at this time or another should you wish to express any concerns or provide any feedback Best, Marisa (On Mon, Oct 12, 2015 at 4:36 PM, Alfie Alschuler wrote: ‘Dear Ms. Mendonsa, Ms. Geryk and School Committee Members, As a former teacher at the Amherst Middle school and current parent, I feel compelled to share some serious concerns, In sharing my concerns, I am not speaking for the excellent teachers at the middle school. However, | realize that their professionalism and current employment by the district has the effect of limiting what they can publicly say. None of them have asked me to speak up and none of them have shared information about the inner-workings of the school. Rather, when T run into my former colleagues and ask how it is going some alarming similarities emerged. ‘The departure of Mr. Hanson from the Amherst Middle School is the most recent evidence of a deteriorating school climate, Mr. Hanson embodies professionalism, dedication and excellence in teaching. His departure is a serious loss. When I had the privilege of working with him he was always positive, focused on students and willing to examine his own practice to improve. This is reflected in his continual participation in professional growth opportunities, most recently a masters program at Mt. Holyoke college for math educators. When I learned that my son was going to have Mr. Hanson as his math teacher I was pleased and excited. Mr, Hanson’s departure from the middle school could be looked at as instance of an outstanding professional being wooed away to another position by a school district that recognized his excellence. However, that view is incomplete, Mr. Hanson has been committed to the Amherst schools and unwilling to leave in the past. His willingness to do so now reflects some significant problems at ARMS. Teacher morale is abysmally low. This I have witnessed and heard from multiple teachers. The primary cause of this poor climate is the proscriptive and authoritarian style of management. In essence, teachers jobs are being deprofessionalized and bureaucratized. As professionals, with training and experience, teachers should be given some trust and flexibility to determine how best to meet the needs of their job. A professional is someone whose opinion and ideas are valued, They are hired and paid because of their expertise. Teachers are not bureaucrats. Bureaucrats are people who conduct a job according to a fixed set of rules and their effectiveness can be measured by their adherence to, and implementation of, those fixed set of rules. When professionals are treated like bureaucrats, it is a misuse of incredible human potential and a recipe for under-performance, job dissatisfaction and conflict. One current example of this approach that is leading to dissatisfaction amongst teachers is theblanket implementation of the workshop model of teaching and the coaching regime in place to support this, implementation, The workshop model, exemplified and made famous by the Luey Calkins is an excellent approach to teaching. However, it is one approach and there are others. At the middle school teachers are being told that every class must adhere to the workshop model. This means that every class, in every ‘ipline starts with an activator, then leads into a short teacher led lesson, then... Demanding that all teachers perform their teaching in the same way is reflective of a bureaucracy, not a professional organization. Then instituting a coaching system designed to push the implementation of this one model is compliance control. Coaches are entering teachers’ rooms with checklists, preconceived notions of what they should see and what specific actions and elements will be evidence of effective teaching. The coaching and observation process has become so rigid and simplistic that at least one teacher was ‘observed’ while no cone was in the room, The coaches looked to see that the required posters were appropriately placed on the wall, that bulliten boards with student work had the required descriptions of the assignment and associated rubrics, and that learning targets were written clearly and prominently in the room, This teacher then received a report based on this ‘observation’. This is not coaching, itis not professional development and it is not constructive. According to Bob Tschannen-Moran and Megan Tschannen-Moran in their article, The Coach and the Evaluator, published in Educational Leadership on October 2011, “Burcaueratic organizations rely on elements such as hierarchy of authority, a division of labor with specialization, and standardization of work valuations are conducted against these standards. Professional organizations are marked by inquiry, reflection, shared norms, and standardization of skills.” They go on to deseribe the negative consequences of implementing a bureaucratic coaching regime. “When the balance of power tips too far in favor of bureaucratic elements, schools experience the pitfalls of bureaucracies: Rules replace trust, communications become constrained, people hide problems, management becomes intrusive, and cooperation is withheld. Such pitfalls inevitably take a toll on the essential work of schools—student why Mr. Hanson left. ‘The painful irony is that coaching, when done well, has the power to transform a school by supporting teachers in self-reflection and growth. However, for coaching to achieve this it must move away from bureaucracy. The Tschannen-Morans explain, “Good coaches respect teacher awareness, choice, and responsibility. They understand teacher experiences and show empathy and appreciation. They recognize vitality and build on teacher strengths.” They also say that good coaching encourages teachers “to experiment in the service of mutually agreed-on goals” (emphasis mine) A further prerequisite to good coaching described by the authors is that “for true learning to take place, coaching must also unleash creativity. The coaching space needs to be a no-fault playing field in which teachers can follow their motivation end adopt a beginner’s mind as to what steps they will take to achieve their goal.” As a former colleague I know that the teachers of the Amherst Regional Middle school are incredibly accomplished and professional teachers. These teachers need to be supported and encouraged s0 they can best serve the students that come to them every day. The administration needs to encourage teachers’ creativity, rely on their professionel judgement and support them in becoming even better. One approach to teaching, however meritorious, is not good for teachers or students. Students need diversity of experience, Different approaches will reach different students more effectively. Different approaches will best support different teachers’ personalities and strengths. I want my son to attend a school where differences are celebrated, where teachers are engaged in their own growth and where teachers are supported to explore and experiment. The implementation of coaching and the blanket use of the workshop ‘model are only two examples of the administration's bureaucratie approach to middle school management. not coaching, i learning.” One cannot help but wonder if this isThis needs to change. If nothing is done and this push for compliance and control continues, we will lose more and more teachers like Mr. Hanson. That is @ loss we should not take lightly, And itis loss the most important stakeholders, the students, will suffer from most. Sincerely, Alfie Alschnler Marisa Mendonsa Principal ‘Amherst Regional Middle School 170 Chestnut Street Amberst, MA 01002 413-362-1850 mendonsam@amps.org