The Renewal Schools continue to shed students and must take over-the-counter students just to kept student numbers from falling over the cliff. Despite Chancellor Carmen Farina's commitment to eliminate the Renewal Schools reliance on over-the-counter students, the fact is that the percentage of over-the-counter students has remained virtually unchanged since Mayor Bill de Blasio and Chancellor Carmen Farina formed the Renewal School program due to the loss of so many potential students. Moreover, these schools puts greater accountability on teachers and few veteran teachers apply to work in these hard to staff schools. Therefore, quite a few teachers are inexperienced and these Renewal Schools suffer from high teacher turnover. Finally, few academically proficient students apply to the Renewal Schools as parents refuse to allow their child to go to a school with a poor academic reputation.
Chalkbeat published an article that shows how the Renewal Schools want the over-the-counter students so that they don't need to excess staff and lose badly needed funds. This shows up in the 2016-17 school year as Renewal Schools had basically the same amount of over-the-counter students as the previous year. Despite the Chancellor's commitment, to the Renewal Schools to reduce the over-the counter students. The Renewal Schools averages 19% of the student body compared to 15% for the average school. Since most over-the-counter students are academically behind because of their previous academic performance, coming from a different country with an inferior educational systems, or lack English skills, Putting them in already academically struggling schools like the Renewal Schools is a recipe for disaster.
The bottom line is that the Renewal Schools continue to lose student, cannot recruit experienced quality teachers, and have a disproportionate percentage of "high needs students"and expecting significant academic improvement from these schools is just wishful thinking.
Does anyone have information if those within the ATR pool will mostly be getting assigned to Renewal Schools? Any word on this?
ReplyDeleteAlso, who will be representing those within the ATR pool at the UFT?
That is the question! Now that Amy is gone who is the new go to person?
ReplyDeleteI never understood how they decided the rotation system either.
Placements looked like what the DOE would have wanted the principles to do.
Principles are notorious for not placing staff where they are needed. Principles play with the budgets and the result is a disaster for the students and a burden on the staff that are in place.
DOE does nothing when the staffing procedures are not being followed.
Principles should be thankful that ATRS come in and pick the slack!
What a mess!
yes I heard this from a friend at tweed that all most atrs will be placed in renewal schools unless the have outstanding 3020a cases or charges filed. also she told me this is going to be a very hard year for atrs because the principals will have almost full autonomy over what happens to atrs forced assigned. bend over backwards my fellow atrs and don't rock the proverbial boat. you will get through this! good luck.
ReplyDeleteHow are renewal schools on the inside? What's the scoop?
ReplyDeleteWell, hopefully principals are nice, professional people that are interested in developing educators' careers, not destroying them. Hopefully no drama; there's all ready too much of it. May this be the beginning of a new mindset to treat educators well. With so many battles (e.g. pensions, tenure, seniority, alternate teacher certifications, etc.), all need to work together. People - BLOOMBERGS IS GONE! Get with it all ready.
ReplyDeleteThey could solve the problem very easily. I know this a radical idea, but they could go back to zoned schools. It doesn't solve all the problems but it certainly takes more of Tweed's hands out of the cookie jar. And I will take any of that I can get.
ReplyDelete