Yesterday an update on the proposed magnet schools was sent out by the Superintendent’s office in advance of tonight’s school board meeting. Final proposals are due on Thursday, but so far there are six proposals on the table as “innovative programs and magnet schools” and they are:
- 21st Century Learning at Bay Farm
- Math, Science, Technology with Integration of Music at Earhart
- K-2 Family Support at Earhart
- 6-12 School at Encinal
- Global Education Through the Arts (magnet school)
- School of Sustainability, Arts, and Science (magnet school)
From the proposals it looks like the Arts magnet would be housed at Washington Elementary and the Sustainability one would be housed at Wood Middle school.
I have to say I’m disappointed that there isn’t a language magnet program. I know that the ones in San Francisco are super popular between both the Mandarin and the Spanish immersion programs. I’ll confess, the only time I seriously considered not sending my kids to Ruby Bridges was when I was toying with the idea of sending them to the new Mandarin immersion charter school that opened up last fall to serve Northern Alameda County elementary school aged students. They had considered siting the school in Alameda which made it doubly interesting, but eventually chose Oakland Chinatown for the school. Now, I hear that they are moving the school to Berkeley which makes me awfully glad that we didn’t select the school and plus, we are really happy at Ruby Bridges anyway, but I digress.
There should be more information at tonight’s school board meeting for those interested. I have to say I am a bit puzzled by the need for more innovative programs at the two Bay Farm schools, I guess I thought that the whole point of these innovative programs was to provide a draw for schools with lower enrollment and neither Bay Farm nor Earhart really have enrollment issues, but their proposals do sound mighty interesting.
I heard the sustainability curriculum includes urban planning. In grade school? Really? Given test scores, I suggest reading, writing, and arithmetic. An arts school would be good. I know quite a few kids serious about the arts from Alameda go to OSA.
Comment by Denise Shelton — November 29, 2011 @ 6:52 am
#4. 6-through-12 at Encinal, why not just make it K-through 12 and be done with it. I’m sure these sixth graders will be able to learn a lot from the seniors while their at school.
Comment by John P. — November 29, 2011 @ 7:45 am
I was thumbing through the link in the post and stopped at the Encinal 6-12 School when I read, “…better vertical articulation…”. What does that mean in real talk, anybody know? Sounds like it has something to do with posture but that’s just a guess.
Comment by Jack Richard — November 29, 2011 @ 12:29 pm
@3 “better vertical articulation” means better connections across grade levels. For example, clearer connections and linkages between what students learn in 8th grade English and what they’ll be learning in 9th grade English.
Comment by Jen Laird — November 29, 2011 @ 1:26 pm
What you’re describing is teachers communicating with one another. I suppose this really is something worth magnetizing a school for. Wouldn’t it be nice, though, if all the schools’ teachers were aware of what the previous grade subject teachers were actually teaching in order to bring a little coherence for their students?
Comment by Jack Richard — November 29, 2011 @ 3:37 pm
Jack if 48 % are scoring basic and far below basic like they are in Science and 42% in Math and 41% in History I would be questioning the effectiveness of the teachers in Communicating to the Students. BWTFDIK.
Looks like we are setting up our students to be great Target employees.
Basic: This level represents a limited performance. Students demonstrate a partial and rudimentary understanding of the knowledge and skills measured by this assessment, at this grade, in this content area.
Far Below / Below Basic: This level represents a serious lack of performance. Students demonstrate little or a flawed understanding of the knowledge and skills measured by this assessment, at this grade, in this content area.
Comment by John — November 29, 2011 @ 4:23 pm
John P. : That should read while they’re at school or they are, not”their.” Where did you go to school again and what did you learn from older siblings and friends? Was it always negative? Did you have role models?
As far as vertical articulation, the problem is that the two feeder middle schools (Wood and The Academy/Chipman) to Encinal are in”program improvement” I.e. failure mode, and although Encinal has for years raised these kids level of academic prowess (hence the 6/10 API ranking- highest cumulative ranking in Alameda high achools) it cannot last given the number of poorly prepared students coming in to that site. Therefore, a magnet school makes total sense so Encinal can do its own vertical articulation (translation- better prepare students for high school and increase graduation rates).
If I were a middle school parent I would jump at the chance to bypass the middle schools to go with a new innovative program with a higher academic ranking, AP and Honors classes, an award winning marching band, a crack JROTC brigade, great sports programs, labs, gyms, equipment, a veteran teaching staff and a proven track record.
Comment by Makeitgoaway — November 29, 2011 @ 4:26 pm
7
Why wouldn’t we have new innovative programs at all schools. How would you feel as a parent if you had your child in Wood and The Academy/Chipman.” I.e. failure mode”
Comment by John — November 29, 2011 @ 5:01 pm
The Energy isn’t in the Ideas. It’s in the Execution. Everyone wants to sit around and think up cool stuff. Sooner or later the School District is going to have actually do something.
Looks like they moved it out another year til August 2012.
In the meantime could we have a little something more for the effort.
Comment by John — November 29, 2011 @ 5:37 pm
7. Mr. Makeitgoaway (please)
“… vertical articulation (translation- better prepare students for high school and increase graduation rates).”
The problem with Alameda’s public schools is exactly what you imply but do not state…they do not prepare students for high school…and they do not prepare high school students for college and since the students end up in college anyway they have dumbed down colleges and are NOT prepared to seek gainful employment in the world outside their cloistered academic experience.
So in lieu of schools doing what they should, but can’t, magic programs must be invented with mumbo-jumbo but meaningless labels in order that parents can be impressed and not send their kids to new Mandarin immersion programs in Beijing.
I used the word ‘can’t’ instead of ‘won’t’ in the above paragraph because teachers do not run their schools. It’s not only the Unions that strangle innovation in teaching but every petty political bureaucrat stretching from every public school district to Washington DC must have his dirty finger in the pie.
It’s a testament to the human spirit that more than a few kids make it through the public school morass and in spite of the obstacles place before them become delightful educated adults.
Comment by Jack Richard — November 29, 2011 @ 5:51 pm
Jack and John…First visit a public school classroom, talk to Seniors who will be applying to all the UCs (deadline tomorrow), talk to their teachers, observe a modern classroom, and then we’ll talk about how you think they are not prepared for college and a job.
And what you are implying Jack is that “you” were prepared even though kids today are not. Really? Or did you learn from experience and failure like most people?
I also think you might learn something new in that Mandarin immersion program…
Comment by Makeitgoaway — November 29, 2011 @ 6:38 pm
11
Good points Ms/r Makeitgoaway. I was not prepared for college even though I graduated from a Parochial school that was known for its academics (and I had good grades). But it certainly was not the school’s fault…and fancy named programs wouldn’t have helped. Lots of kids need real life experiences more than they need shunted off to college, I was one of them. But, I don’t recognize failure because negative achiements, like you say, add to learning from experience.
Also, I definitely would learn many things new in that immersion program. I was in Beijing (and many other SE Asian cities) last month and marveled at the obvious dynamism throughout that seems to be lacking here. Something is wrong here.
Comment by Jack Richard — November 29, 2011 @ 7:16 pm
9. “the execution”. tell us about your vast experience teaching in a classroom. that’s right, you have none, or if you claim you do, why should we believe a ghost writer for a libertarian prankster?
My gut reaction to what I perceive this plan to propose ( which may be incorrect) is potential logistical nightmare of cross enrollments all over town.
Previously Wood school had two academies on site for Wood students, plus the majority of the school remained traditional. There was some open enrollment to academies from other middle schools. That was a little less of a juggling act. Those academies where emphasis on either science or liberal arts. Our older boy was involved local theater like Children’s Musical Theater and he was in arts academy where he had the same teacher for core ( history and English ) as well as theater which was all integrated. He then did theater with Fred Chacon at Alameda High all four years and ended up studying theater in NYC in serious conservatory program. He now has minimal paying day job and is starving would be actor in Manhattan the rest of the time. Who knows, maybe he would have been better with straight education and ended up on Wall Street in the money. Certainly more practical career pursuits, but enough personal digression.. Anyhow, the Wood academies were scrapped for money reasons back when district had more than we do now. I’d love to see reintroduction of academies magnets whatever, but don’t want to be too ambitious.
Comment by M.I. — November 29, 2011 @ 8:25 pm
M.I
“I’d love to see reintroduction of academies magnets whatever, but don’t want to be too ambitious.”
You can take that off your worry list. That is least of your concerns about the School District.
Regarding execution
Execution Management is essentially translating your strategy into reality. It is not just accomplishing a task or a goal, but also to achieve the underlying objectives. It has to enable a constant review and fine-tuning of your strategy. A good execution management will focus on WHAT as well as HOW of an achievement. Execution management is linked to culture and people management, but is not their parent.
Comment by John — November 29, 2011 @ 8:47 pm
post #7, Makeitgoaway. I went to Encinal, guess I didn’t learn much. When my sons started in the AUSD my wife went and observed their classes. We promptly pulled them out and sent them to St. Barnabas and on to St. Joseph. I worked two jobs until they were through there. How about fixing the two middle schools instead of trying to just bypass them.
Comment by John P. — November 30, 2011 @ 7:22 am
That’s interesting because the period between grammar school and high school in Alameda gets a lot of attention at social gatherings, but never seems to rise up to the top of serious lists of things to fix. For some time, there has been wide-spread agreement that our intermediate schools are lacking. In the sixties I was told that while my children had passed the entrance test for BO’D, I should look for a tutor because kids from Alameda weren’t prepared for an academic high school. One of my kids was coming from private, one from public school here. The administrator lived in Alameda. People pull their kids out after grammar school and put them back in for high school. The high schools scramble to bring kids up to scratch. What about it? How come the ball gets dropped in the middle?
Comment by Li_ — December 5, 2011 @ 9:42 am