Accreditation Relaxation

Each spring most schools around Oklahoma start a mad scramble. We begin by gathering up a lot of information that the Oklahoma State Department of Education requests from us. This is called an Accreditation Checklist. It is a lengthy list of all the stuff we are supposed to have to do or have in place for each school year. It is one of the areas that when we gripe about paperwork it is included in that grouping. I would like to see the OSDE make a few changes in this area.

First, I would like to see it broke up into two areas. The first area would be those things we need in place before the school year started. It doesn't make any sense to ask me in April if I have policies in place for the current school year. If I don't, it's a little late. March or April is a little late to ask if we are using PASS skills, if my teachers know their Conducts and Standards. To check and see if our teachers have certificates. This all needs to be done in September at the latest. There are several areas like Safety Drills, Teacher Evaluations, and proper number of Professional Development hours that can still be checked later in the school year.

Second, I would like the OSDE to check every other year for those items that have not been changed or updated. An example would be a counseling plan requirement. Let's say in the 2014-2015 school year that my Regional Accreditation Officer came and checked my policy and it met all the requirements. If no changes by the State Legislature or OSDE were made in requirements for the counseling plan, then the following year it shouldn't be on the checklist to provide. So in the 2015-2016 school year it is one less item that needs to be brought out. This would reduce time on the part of both school officials and OSDE staff members. We obviously have a plan and its current. I do believe that should be no longer than a one year hiatus from the checklist though.

Let me be clear. I wholeheartedly believe that we need accreditation standards and they be followed. My Regional Accreditation Officer is a pleasure to work with and I think she does a wonderful job. I want to have in place every policy I need, and want to follow whatever rule we need to follow. I just think we can do that and simplify the process as well. We eat up enough time on Teacher Evaluations as it is. This would help alleviate so time that can be better spent on kids and instruction.

Hopes, Fears, & Dreams for Oklahoma Education

  Today marks the day that Joy Hofmeister takes over for Janet Barresi and her Reign of Error. It marks the end of four miserable years for Oklahoma Education. Janet, and honestly other leaders in the state, spent most of four years bowing down to Jeb Bush and the privatization movement. Her whole term was marked by a constant battle between those who were labeled the status quo and attempts to demoralize teachers and downgrade public education. Thankfully though those days are gone. But what does the new days ahead and Joy mean?  There are a lot of fanfare and celebrations going on today.

  My hopes for Joy and her team are that she can repair some of the damage done to public education. I truly hope that Joy will bring back to the table those with education knowledge. Get input from those that are experts in their field, whether that is testing, accountability, finance, or school management. I hope she can have some say in carving out meaningful education legislation and deter those bills aimed at meddling in education. My true hope is that Joy can be half she has been built up to be in the last year.

  I will be honest and say that I have some fears. I have seen hundreds of administrators and teachers jump on the Joy bandwagon. Following Janet we are all looking for a hero. My fears are she has never been a school administrator and has very limited classroom experience. We just riled the last superintendent for both of those. Stop me if you have heard this but there have been people who have run for public office and made promises never to come close to keeping those promises. Joy has all kinds of landmines to dodge.  She has a governor who if she wasn't so political favors the Jeb Bush privatization reforms. Was a champion for Common Core until her governor's race got too close for comfort. What happens the first time that Joy and "The Establishment don't agree"? Joy said all the right things up until today. Saying and doing are two different things! She is going to get pressure from all sides, which side will she choose?

  My dreams for this new day are pretty simple. I want respect brought back to our fine men and women who enter the classroom every day with thousands of challenges. They don't deserve lagging pay, less money for supplies, unfair evaluations, and to be demeaned. When I got into education I knew I wanted to coach, with that I knew people were going to say things about me and try to get me fired for not playing Johnny or Sally enough. When I went into administration I knew the same things were a potential reality. But our hardworking classroom teachers don't deserve that ridicule. They just want to make a difference in children's lives everyday. My dream is that they find Joy and it's all that its cracked up to be!!