=DeeperChalk= Where teachers can tell the truth about Public Ed.: How are recent Reform efforts, or other changes affecting YOU and YOUR STUDENTS at your school? Don't be afraid. Be bold.

Friday, March 03, 2006

At 6:44 PM, Anonymous said...: At my school, we are just getting strated with
"Small Learning Communities" (SLCs)
which have divided up the campus into 5 subdivisions, by theme.

So far, the plusses have been:

1.Closer physical proximity of teachers to other teachers
who share the same students.

2.Several pre-semester meetings aimed at getting teachers to work together better.

3.Attractive, SLC-personalized calendars on thick, colorful paper.

4.Good-quality, collared T-shirts with our SLC logo printed on them for only $20 each.

That's about it.

So far, there has been no time (other than lunch & afterschool) for our SLC teachers
to meet with each other for more effective counseling/advisory/organization functions.

I guess that would take some money to do.

At this early stage, it seems like more of the same old-same old:

LET THE TEACHERS DO EVERYTHING, BUT WITH FEW NEW
RESOURCES TO DO IT WITH.

Maybe this will change and things will improve as time goes on.

But so far, just as always, THE ONLY MEANINGFUL CHANGES I SEE
ARE THE ONES I DECIDE TO MAKE IN MY CLASSROOM WITH
THE SAME BASIC CONDITIONS AND RESOURCES THAT HAVE BEEN
COMMON IN THE PAST.

I'll post again if any significant changes take place.