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Teacher satisfaction, Ted-ed, drop-outs, small classes

Education Roundup

Adele Harrison has been selected to pilot an “early warning system” to identify students who are at risk of dropping out, and then to vigorously intervene so they don’t. The school will use a free data tool to track student attendance, school behavior and course performance. In the pilot project, schools establish a team of teachers, counselors, a district representative and the principal or other school leader with decision-making authority. The program is a product of the K-12 Innovation and Improvement Office at the Dept. of Education.

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Teachers are less satisfied with their jobs than they have been in decades according to a recent Met Life survey of public school teachers, parents, and students. Teacher job satisfaction has fallen by 15 percentage points since 2009 (from 59 percent to 44 percent saying they are very satisfied). This decline is coupled with a large increase in teachers reporting that they are likely to leave teaching for another occupation (17 percent in 2009 vs. 29 percent today). In addition, 53 percent of parents and 65 percent of teachers today say that teachers’ salaries are not fair for the work they do. It is thought that the economic downturn is one factor in this declining satisfaction and increasing feeling of insecurity. I would be interested to hear Sonoma teacher reaction to this data.

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The president of the California State Board of Education will speak at Sonoma State University on Thursday, March 22. The presentation is free. Michael Kirst, formerly of Stanford, will speak on the current state of education in California at 7 p.m. To read Kirst’s blog, visit collegepuzzle.stanford.edu.

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Sonoma Valley Christian School has made a terrific new addition to their faculty with Philip Amormino joining them as science director next fall. He will teach both the elementary and junior high levels. Amormino has 30 years of teaching experience, including advanced classes in physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics at Justin Sienna. He was a nominee for the prestigious National Teacher of the Year Award in 1989. Amormino is also an accomplished inventor. He will be teaching robotics and rocketry at the school.

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Community service-minded, Spanish-speaking, students 15 to 18 years of age should consider apply for the AMIGOS Youth Ambassador Program.  Selected students will travel free to Paraguay for a three-week international training and exchange from July 10 to Aug. 3.  The program is aimed at teens who want to travel to another country and are eager to make a difference in their communities.  Apply at amigoslink.org/apply-yap by March 30.

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This event is in Santa Rosa but I am a sucker for all things STEAM …  Sonoma Country Day School is hosting a free youth-oriented DIY (Do-It-Yourself) event to promote interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math – the “STEAM” careers – on Saturday, March 31. Middle and high school students and a handful of adults will show off their inventions, including robotics, rockets, digital video, crafts, food, music and more.

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The Sonoma Classical Music Society is bringing one of Sonoma’s most musically accomplished natives, Nigel Armstrong, home to perform at the Sonoma Community Center at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 25. Tickets are $30 for non-members/$20 members/$10 students. Armstrong is returning from four international prize-winning competitions to perform music by Beethoven, Debussy, Pagnini, Faure and others.

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Khan Academy, the popular educational lecture series for students, has launched a new, free iPad app that includes interactive transcripts of the lectures for easy searching. This iPad app may eventually replace or supplement textbooks, saving cash-strapped schools and students a lot of money. Students can download content and then view it without a laptop or Internet connection. (khanacademy.org).

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Similarly, the folks behind the famous TED talks, last week unveiled a “TED-Ed” initiative for high school students and life-long learners. Their goal is to grow the archive to hundreds of videos within a year. TED-Ed’s mission is to capture and amplify the voices of great educators around the world by pairing renowned educators with animators to produce a library of nop-notch educational videos. education.ted.com.

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Not exactly education, but important for parents of teens ... a new app completely disables texting while driving. Textecution ($29.99) is designed for parents to install on their teenagers phone so they know their child is safer behind the wheel of the vehicle. If the user removes Textecution from the phone, it notifies the parent by text.

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A head’s up to high school seniors: Recent reports indicate organizations are researching their scholarship applicants online. Every parent and student should “Google” themselves monthly.

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On Wednesday, April 4, Sonoma Charter School will present a panel of graduates who are currently at a wide range of high schools, who will describe their experiences and answer questions. The students attend Sonoma Valley High School, Artquest, Tech high at SSU and Cardinal Newman. Open to all at 7 p.m. in the Playbox.

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United States Naval Academy Summer STEM Program is held in three sessions: June 4 through 9 for rising eighth- and ninth-graders; June 11 to 16 for rising 10th-graders; and June 18 to 23 for rising 11th-graders. This residential academic program gives students hands-on practical math and science instruction from Naval Academy professors in world-class lab facilities. Approximately 480 total students will be accepted to STEM.  The cost is only $200. Visit usna.edu/admissions/stem.html by Sunday, April 15.

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Students in small classes in grades four to six have better school achievement and higher wages as adults than those who learned in large classes, according to a recent Swedish study. This study found that those in small classes had better cognitive and non-cognitive skills, had better scores on standardized national tests in grades six and nine, perceived themselves as having more self-confidence and greater endurance. The differences in school outcomes persisted throughout the rest of their compulsory schooling. The probability of going on to higher education was also greater for students in small classes. Finally, those who were in small classes also earned more money as adults. A reduction in class size of five students resulted in more than 3 percent higher wages.

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On Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., the art room at the Maxwell Clubhouse is open to all high school Boys & Girls Club members for pottery, painting, drawing, etc. The garden is also available for them to plant, weed and maintain. Students can become B&G Club members by paying the annual $20 fee (special high school students price) or by volunteering at the club.

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I am working on a story on the pros and cons of attending junior college after high school.  I am looking for students who have pursued an AA or a certificate at Santa Rosa Junior College and students who have had either a positive or negative experience attempting to transfer to a four-year college. Please email me at ourschools@sonomanews.com.