-
LoriT1 01/28/2012 4:04:00 AM
So the economy takes a dive and what better way to save DPS than to go after the teachers costing them the most, the teachers who have committed their lives to serving the children of Metro Denver!
Just take a look at what has happened in the last few years, Many veteran teachers have been forced into retirement or threatened with dismissal proceedings.
And so, Tom Boasberg, old buddy of former superintendent Michael Bennett, leads the charge.
it just makes me wonder whether or not the state of Colorado, especially the Department of Education, has completely thrown out the original requirements for certification. Apparently, it is not what you know, but what you know.
And so. experienced teachers are replaced by teachers half their age due to DPS's inability to balance a budget.
-
CuriousGeorge 07/14/2011 3:53:00 AM
The subsitute came in with a 1/3 of the school year left, that sounds like enough time to me to make a rapport with a first grade class.
-
Mikedoug 07/14/2011 3:49:00 AM
What data did you see to suggest this amazing amout of student growth? If students were growing by more then a years growth (or more) how could they lose all that growth in just a few months with a new teacher?
-
Sweet Pea 6 02/11/2011 11:30:00 PM
Thank you so much for sharing our similar fates! "DPS cares about education"...sometimes (often) makes me wonder who the powers that be can say that with a straight face...practice, I guess! I have heard stories of how the TUB (thrown under the bus) teachers have been treated and stopped from getting employment, even OUTSIDE of education! Shades of McCarthyism, education style, I'd say and just as rotten!
Ms P.
-
Josh Martinez 11/23/2010 4:14:00 PM
I totally agree with bill 191, that is the only way to get rid of BAD teachers. Teachers who in my opinion do not care about our kids at all.
-
Lori 11/10/2010 1:49:00 AM
Dear Ms. Pishney:
I can relate to your emotional pain and what has been done to you. I taught at the same Denver High School for 28 years. When the economy took a dive, the first people to be cut from any Denver school budget were those who were veteran teachers. For each one of us, the district could hire 2-3 newbies. After years of positive evaluations, all of a sudden, I was inefficient. You're kidding! Even after Michael Bennett made confessions regarding his poor decisions to take risky chances with DPS's money. Both individuals involved with my evaluation had serious political and personal ties with the powers that be or the powers that had been. The nepotism, favoritism and politicism was and still is ridiculous.
I have been nominated over five times by former students who recommended for Who's Who Among America's Teachers. Apparently, none of that matter. After a Master's + 90 college credits I became too expensive for the district. I was put in a position to retire after 28 yeats or face dismissal.If the powers that be were so unhappy with my performance, why did it take the district 28 years to make that determination?
I can only say that a prior principal at my high school was the chairman of the local homeowner's association. His girlfriend who soon became his wife, a teacher at the school, brought her friend from the local junior high school to teach at the school. Her friend was appointed an assistant principal and then, eventually, became principal at the school. It was obvious that the "Old Boys' Club" was and is alive and well at the school.
The personal politics in this system are ridiculous. No wonder this district still struggles to reach some level of achievement.
Please remember that for each of us veteran teachers the district can hire 2-3 newbies. What it boils down to is money management. Since we know, as far as the media is concerned, the district leaders have totally mismanaged their funds and, as a result, teachers, the true people who make this district work, are put in a position to suffer.
My own doctor indicated to me that this could be a chance for me to pursue great new things, great new careers. This is true. However, nothing is more important to making a connection to those young people whose lives you and I can truly impact.
Miss Pishney, you are not alone. Perhaps, there should be a way for all of the 57 teachers who fell victim to the district's budgetary mismanagement to make connection and examine what injustices have been done in each of our cases.
Sincerely,
Lori
LoriT1@comcast.net
-
Sue 11/08/2010 6:17:00 AM
Please please read "When Teachers Talk" by Rosalyn Schnall! There is a plague of hostile work environments in schools. This needs to be corrected for the sake of both the children and adults who work there. What kind of example is this for our kids?
Ms. P, I hope you are recovering from this!
-
Officious Interloper 07/26/2010 7:33:00 PM
Dear Carol Ratledge. I'm sorry, but you don't know what you're talking about. First grade teacher Mary Pishney is not one of those teachers not "meeting the expectations of the school district" or not "meeting students' needs in order to achieve high academic expectations." The problem here is not Mary Pishney; the problem is principal Jody Cohn who is using grossly inappropriate tactics to carry out the school district's agenda to obtain Race to the Top money. While no one blames the school district for trying to obtain its fair share of federal money, it (the school district) should be very careful not to condone any inappropriate conduct by its administrators, including Jody Cohn. I, for one, believe this whole matter should be thoroughly investigated by the school board. Why isn't the teacher's union (of which Mary Pishney is a member) calling for such an investigation? Teachers of the world--UNITE!!!!
-
Carol Ratledge 07/21/2010 7:36:00 AM
Although it's hard to know the validity of either side, It is true that many teachers who have been teaching for years, may not be meeting the expectations of the district. I believe that anyone who opposes the changes to teacher performance evaluation that are forthcoming, are those who are not meeting the expectations of the district. Denver Public Schools has been plagued with low achievement and test scores for way too long! Something has to be done. Too many tenured teachers have been protected from the urgent need to improve student achievement. Bringing a parrot to school or singing a bunch of songs does not address the state standards nor the lessons laid out by the district to promote high student achievement. I'm sorry, but we are in desperate times and cannot be in a position to protect teachers who are not willing to meet students' needs in order to achieve high academic expectations. The days of "Ring Around the Rosie" and "London Bridges" are gone. The question remains, What are you doing to prepare your students for college? It doesn't matter their age! All teachers need to do what is ethically and morally right for their students. Anything less, in my opinion, is a disservice to the profession!
-
leslie 06/28/2010 5:51:00 AM
Some of the best teachers I now do not fit into a cookie cutter mold. n, rne Duncan, tho he may want the best for children, seems to have a one dimensional view of learning. Quantifiable. Test-driven. like "some one-eyed jack invents an instrument to measure Spring with" (thanx to ee cummings) After 30 yrs of teaching in Chicago Public Schools, I have only witnessed a decline in learning and....teaching.
-
Ex-Pat Ex-Lawyer 06/21/2010 3:07:00 PM
Looking at the big picture, 70 teachers out of over 4,000 merely being placed on evaluation is startling low. As usual, the teachers are out in force commenting. Note the poor writing skills exhibited by so many of them.
-
Eleganza DeHerrera 06/20/2010 4:13:00 AM
This article is on the mark. I am one of the 58 teachers who "failed" their evaluation at DPS this year. Ironically, while I was on administrative leave, pending dismissal, I was invited to a reception for teachers whose students "exceeded expectations" two years in a row on the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP).
Principals are aware of how teacher expectations shape student achievement. However, Principals are unaware of how their low expectations, prejudices, and personality conflicts shape how they evaluate teacher effectiveness. Senate Bill 191 will do absolutely nothing to protect good teachers, such as myself, from being targeted by administrator biases.
Sincerely,
Ms. D (psuedonym)
-
Its all about the money 06/19/2010 10:53:00 PM
I heard that DPS created several new HR positions and filled them at the end of last year/beginning of 2010. DPS wanted to make it look as if they were cleaning house and getting rid of bad teachers but we all the know the truth. ITS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY PEOPLE!! Whether it is Race to the Top or the $10 million dollar grant from the Bill& Melinda Gates Foundation, DPS needed to look like they were doing something about ineffective teachers. I don't think its a coincidence that a lot of these teachers were older teachers, getting ready to retire. DPS has admitted to a failing pension plan. I guess the plan was to kill two birds with one stone- allowing DPS to qualify and get the Race to the Top /grant money and preventing teachers from collecting their (well earned) pensions.
-
disillusioned DPS teacher 06/18/2010 11:45:00 PM
This controversy only touches the surface of the mindset of the DPS administration in regards to the district's teachers. I was told by a very high person within DCTA that, "At least 50% of the DPS principals are bullies!" Accident, dumb luck OR intentional design?
Ms. Cohn appears to be one such administrator who may be still in her position due to the approval of her tactics by those above her!
-
Tom 06/18/2010 5:57:00 PM
I guess if there was an indiscretion on Mr. Bennett's part, with someone who works at Bromwell, your wife wouldn't want your kids there!
-
Molly 06/18/2010 5:20:00 PM
Michael Bennet's children do not attend Bromwell Elementary even though they live in the neighborhoods' boundaries. Has anyone questioned why that is? His children attend another DPS school outside of the neighborhood. There are more DPS schools than Bromwell where the parents are running the school behind the scenes. That needs to be addressed by the school board, as it has gotten out of control, and in more situations than Ms. P's, great teachers' careers are being put at risk due to these animal parents who think their money talks. And if 20% of Bromwell's population are "gifted", EIGHTY PERCENT are not, what about those students??
-
Disappointed 06/17/2010 5:23:00 AM
Well said, Mr. Scott. What is so unfortunate about Mary's case is DPS will have to pay the price $$ for their arrogance, which really means we all (the taxpayers) pay the price. In an already tough economic time, it is distressing to think that DPS could be so careless. In the end, its really our kids that suffer the consequences of their arrogance.
-
a member of the Bromwell commu 06/16/2010 10:01:00 PM
To Mr. Scott, Thank you for telling the truth and your work on behalf of Ms. P. First graders need a caring and engaging teacher, not a mathematical genius.
-
Christopher Scott 06/16/2010 8:12:00 PM
Since February, I have been fielding e-mails from parents about Ms. P. and the situation at Bromwell. Most of the parents have been desperate to figure out how to return Ms. P. to the classroom, for many, the classroom attended by their 1st grade student. I know many of these parents have met with Ms. Cohen about the issue and have met with nothing but rebuke. These same parents have met with DPS and its leadership. They have testified at school board meetings. They have had one-on-one conversations with school board members about the issue. It has all been for naught. Circling this story, and what the Bromwell community seems afraid to talk about, is that many believe 5 parents and one kindergarten teacher have had an undue influence in this process. The 5 parents seem to have had a hand in elevating the kindergarten teacher to DPS teacher of the year in 2009/10. They also played a role in having the principal dismissed as part of what Mr. Crowley called "Boundarygate." This year, these parents appear to have decided Ms. P. had to go and the hate campaign began. One way or another, we know this for sure: (1) these 5 parents seem to get a thrill out of playing God in their kids' school, (2) Ms. Cohen has been completely inept at handling the situation both within Bromwell and without, (3) a poorly conceived "anonymous" letter writing campaign against Ms. P erupted out of the kindergarten classroom run by the former teacher of the year, and (4) DPS leadership has done nothing to address the issue. Couple these with the facts that (1) Ms. P is the oldest teacher at Bromwell, (2) DPS has stated countless times that younger teachers are better teachers, (3) an inordinate number of the teachers dismissed by DPS are over the age of 50, (4) DPS is straining under the costs associated with its pension, and (5) DPS has shown complete disregard for the contractual requirements associated with removing Ms. P from the classroom, and it becomes pretty clear what the circumstantial case is here. While we have no idea what Ms. P's performance metrics looked like, the aforementioned facts make one suspect her performance metrics were just fine and, thus, the powers that be ginned up this charade. Sadly, Ms. P will never be able to return to a Bromwell classroom, if any DPS classroom, at all. The next question is, who will be held accountable for this travesty?
-
smash44 06/16/2010 4:47:00 PM
Please lady - RETIRE. You're a dinosaur. How nice teaching kids cute little poems that they recite instead of teaching arithmetic, reading and writing. Maybe this is part of the reason kids that graduate high school relate more to Dr. Seuss than algebra or science. No wonder the US ranks far behind every major industrialized nation in the world. But we can all say "Sala-ma-Sond."
-
J.Z. 06/16/2010 2:01:00 AM
On the Bromwwell Web site:
Ms. Pishney's classroom is a model for student engagement and learner-friendly environment. She is a warm and caring teacher and is an effective communicator with families. She is dedicated to students and brings a wide range of expertise to her assignment.
- Ms. Cohn
-
Former bromwell student 06/16/2010 1:20:00 AM
I was a student of Ms. Pishney 7 years ago. In my opinion She was one of the greatest teachers in all of DPS. People say that you don't learn much in her classroom. I feel i learned more that year than i could of dreamed of. I was more than prepared for the years of school after that. I dont think that Ms. Pishney deserves such treatment.
-
Mads 06/15/2010 10:19:00 PM
The more I read, the more I think this is becoming a "playground" session with name calling and naming people that have nothing to do with this story. Westword should not allow this to be happening. The fact that Bromwell has had 5 principals in 10 years says many things about the community.
There is one part of the story I disagree with totally and that is "The people who live in this neighborhood have big homes," says one parent. "They're pretty successful, which means they're pretty smart. Eighty percent of the kids at Bromwell would be way above the average of the typical DPS student. Bromwell is like a mini private school." Why would anyone in Denver Public Schools say this? What makes these students "way above average?" Could it be those big homes? The vacations to Paris? The ski trips to Switzerland over winter break? Ask the students at Smith how many have been out of Denver? Experiential learning has SO much to do with how "smart" we are. Lottery winners get big homes, does that mean they are smarter and more successful? What PTSA raises hundreds of thousands of dollars? How many parents OR teachers could afford to even BID on an African safari? "I ask the PTSA, I say, 'I need this,' and they make it happen," says Cohn. I bet every principal in Denver would love to hear this.
Michael Bennett uses his children in a political ad, I should care that he sends his kids to Bromwell? "That being said, do I think it increases our chances to win Race to the Top?" This is exactly what it is all about.
Bromwell should be happy that anyone would even want to teach there. This sounds like a dysfunctional school, and I am certainly not talking about the students.
-
Bromwell Parent 06/15/2010 10:08:00 PM
I support Jody and her drive to improve the school. It's true that word around the school is that there is a stellar Kindergarten, a miserable 1st grade, and then things go up from there. It sounds like Ms P is the one that is discriminating on age - she sounds like she doesn't want someone younger than she to actually manage her (which clearly was NOT done by the previous principals). I know many kids love Ms P (just as they love TV and candy - but that doesn't mean that it's good for them). BUT... if Ms P (or rather, her insistancy of a regressive curriculum) is going to drive all of my child's progress in Kindergarten into the ground, then PLEASE FIND A BETTER TEACHER. Thank you for standing up for what's best for the kids at Bromwell, Jody!
-
friend of Bromwell 06/15/2010 9:51:00 PM
You are correct Julie that I jumped to conclusions about the reading scores, my bad, emotions got the best of me!- Let me tell you why. My understanding from both Miss P. supporters and those that were concerned about her teaching this year was that there were many things shared that were not appropriate nor professional. I know from experience how much out of pocket expenses are associated with teaching. I assure you, I have no problem with teachers working to off set the costs-teachers should be paid ten times what they are, especially when they have to put up with all of us. The article implied that this was a volunteer after school program. I just think if you print something, as a reporter, it is your obligation to present the whole story, especially when it is under the "News" section. Not everyone thinks Miss P. is as saintly as the article portraits her and I wonder if the reporter truly looked into the concerns or if the parents or if it was more interesting to only present her side. I hope this issue is resolved for Bromwell, one way or another, and I hope the staff and parents, yes including me, can put our passion back into doing what is best for kids, after all, that's what sparks these kinds of emotions, from both sides.
-
Julie 06/15/2010 8:53:00 AM
Dear "Friend of Bromwell": You have jumped to an erroneous conclusion. The names of Ms. Pishney's 2009-2010 students were redacted from the list of reading, writing and math scores that I have seen. Ms. Pishney did not violate anyone's privacy. I agree with Verde Legume that you seem to have a problem with Ms. Pishney's being paid for the time she spent "conducting" (I am using that word because you seem to be so offended by the word "hosting" that Melanie Ashmar used in the article) after school enrichment sessions and tutoring several students privately. It is my understanding that the enrichment classes were conducted on Ms. Pishney's own time and involved at least some students who were not in her classroom this year, and that none of the children she was tutoring privately were in her classroom this year. Finally, I would like to suggest that you add something to your resolution not to believe everything you read -- do not believe everything you hear. You wrote: "It has been rumored for years in the neighborhood that first grade is the weak link at Bromwell." The outstanding improvements in achievement made by Ms. Pishney's students each year that she has been at Bromwell belie that rumor. Ms. Pishney, at least, is not and never has been a weak link at Bromwell. I tend to discount rumors and gossip, and I have never heard your rumor recounted with respect to Ms. Pishney. What I have heard for several years around the neighborhood is that the problem among the teachers at Bromwell can be found at the kindergarten level. I wonder if there is any truth to that rumor. For myself, I assume it has about as much truth as your rumor/gossip about Ms. Pishney has. I can only hope the Bromwell principal (whether it be Ms. Cohn or a successor) allows the kindergarten teachers to respond and be evaluated fairly rather than just assuming that the gossip is true.
-
david french 06/15/2010 8:18:00 AM
We should be holding more parents accountable for the education of their children. Too often we blame it on the school or the teacher.
Students need to have a rich learning enviornment at home so that they can show up at school ready to learn!!
Find a non-preforming student and you will usually find a non-preoforming parent!!!!!!!!
-
t 06/15/2010 7:47:00 AM
If you think Jody Cohn is a cunning, deceitful principal destroying people's livelihoods, Park Hill Elementary has an even more unscrupulous principal, Tonda Potts. Park Hill Elementary has the same exact scenario going on. A great teacher, who was a year away from retirement, was put on administrative leave and then fired. From what I hear, all the parents in the class were more than happy with the teacher's performance. It was well known that the principal didn't like the teacher and had spent years trying to get rid of her. I have heard MANY parents talk about how Tonda Potts is outrageously unfair and deceitful. She supposedly cooks up slanderous stories to get the support of DPS and certain parents on PTA and CSC. How can the MOST requested teacher at Park Hill be put on administrative leave and then fired?
-
verde legume 06/15/2010 7:02:00 AM
Dear "Friend" of Bromwell, I am not affiliated with Bromwell although I am in the neighborhood. The first graders are the weak link, eh? I am guessing you are one of the parents of the little soccer players who fall down and pretend they're hurt when they make an error in play. That's because of parents who are so determined to have "GT" students they continually "help" their children till they are afraid to fail and try again.
I also assume from your comments that you are another one of those who think teachers should continually donate their personal time. I am sure you do that in your line of work.
And finally, the students' assessment scores are easily obtained, because they are public knowledge (student names are not, of course).
From all that I've read, my conclusion is not that Ms. Cohn was on a witch hunt, but that she is not competent as a manager of people, and perhaps not that sharp, generally. I suppose time will tell. It seems unfortunate that the students of Bromwell will have to do without Miss Pishney, but from what I understand from those whose children benefited from her classes, she will be able to find fulfilling work elsewhere, if she wishes to teach anymore. Meanwhile, many of us will be keeping a very close eye on further developments at Bromwell, and the activities of its principal.
-
Non Renewed Teacher 06/15/2010 6:51:00 AM
Ms.P is certainly not alone. The problem with an evaluation is that it was written by lawyers that protect the principal and the school district and does NOT allow for improvement once the principal has written a negative review of the teacher. This is done so the principal can justify either getting a teacher fired or not renewing the teacher's contract again. Imagine what would happen if the principal offered suggestions for improvement and there was a stepwise way for the teacher to make those improvements. Unfortunately, what happened to Ms. P. has happened to many other teachers. Another problem is the mentality that "older" teachers are not as effective as the younger ones coming into the system. One of the reasons for this is that younger teachers are able to be formed by the principal to what they want done vs the veteran teachers who knows much more about teaching than most principals and have also seen the trends in education. Good luck Ms. p.- They don't deserve you!!
-
friend of bromwell 06/15/2010 5:19:00 AM
I have learned one important lesson from all this: Don't believe everything you read! As I read the article I realized I was reading a "story" not a news item. Knowing some of what has gone on at Bromwell, I assure you, there is much more to the story, but that's not what the writer or Miss P. were aiming for. There were many misleading and inaccurate details in this story. I won't tear it all apart, but I laughed as I read she "hosted" after school enrichment. Charging parents up to $180 for "First Grade Polishing" is not what I would consider "hosting". Of course, Miss P. would offer tutoring also, $50/hr. She could have easily used her time to do the "polishing" during instruction time- after all, isn't that what we're suppose to do? Just one example of misleading comments. Miss P. did not have to reveal anything unflattering in this article, it is simple her version. Parents were not on a witch hunt, and neither was Jody. It has been rumored for years in the neighborhood that first grade is the weak link at Bromwell. To those who have seen her reading scores from her students, shame on Miss P. for sharing private information. This article should be read with a grain of salt, as it does not present the whole story.
-
Lisa 06/15/2010 3:07:00 AM
Ms. P is a Gem and we are grateful for her contribution and the extraordinary teaching during our 1st grade year at Bromwell. May all students be so lucky. Bromwell parent.
-
jann 06/14/2010 4:20:00 PM
Education is like a triangle. when I was a kid, my parents taught me how to read before I even went to school. Parents are the missing element in today's classroom. You can't take pictures on a two-legged tripod; nor can you educate a child from 5 - 18 without the parents. Where are you Mom and Dad?
-
Elise Power 06/14/2010 6:34:00 AM
Mary, on our PA license plates we used to have a really dumb slogan; "You have a friend in Pennsylvania." Well, now you do have one, someone who supports and understands the sadness and the gross unfairness of your situation. I am going through a very similar ordeal in a public school in Pittsburgh. Our district also has the money from Bill Gates for "improving teacher effectiveness" and it's disrupting careers and doing terrible damage to teacher morale. I too have been put on an improvement plan with the threat of being fired. I have 25 years in public school teaching. I too have been a creative, caring teacher and my students learn. I too have taken on a lot of extra work in a vain attempt to appease the administrators involved. I too felt frustrated and humiliated and it affected my health. I am on a medical leave for the last 5 weeks of the school year and will take an early retirement this summer. I too have a young principal who has been groomed for this new regime. She is very weak on discipline but uses negative student behavior as one way of attacking me. For the coming year she has eliminated the position of social worker, pushing out a remarkably kind and competent 20-year veteran who will also retire early. This principal thinks 500 urban teenagers don't need help with family and legal problems. It's all about test scores now. 150 Pittsburgh teachers were put on improvement plans this year. We are currently waiting for results of a union vote on a new contract that will set the Gates plan in stone for 5 years. I was happy to be able to vote No before I officially retired. I will survive but it's been very painful. I hate to think of what current and future teachers will go through if the contract goes through. Those who think education will be improved by forcing out wonderful teachers like Mary are making a terrible mistake.
-
still withheld 06/14/2010 4:33:00 AM
I do not believe that the other teachers necessarily denounced Mrs. P. I believe that Jody cooked something up. When I worked for her, she violated many rights of privacy and made up stories about what other people said in order to force people to quit. She enjoyed it.
-
dps teacher 06/14/2010 4:21:00 AM
Thank you for addressing the teachers who wrote letters. I agree, we do not spend time in our peers classrooms, therefore, how could they possibly been able to comment on Miss P. teaching? Great way to build trust with their fellow staff members at Bromwell and enhance the learning environment for the children of DPS.
-
ghp 06/14/2010 3:45:00 AM
As a teacher I'm frightened by the fact that this principal is citing letters by the teacher's peers - teachers are so busy teaching they are not in one another's rooms in order to make a judgement call - I know the teachers that wrote the "letters" and they should be careful of throwing stones because they are not perfect either - no teacher is - as one reader suggested, if video cameras were rolling in all classrooms everyone would be placed on remediation plans - it is not humanly possible to be perfect in the classroom all time - shame on those teachers that went after a colleague - Karma is a wonderful thing.
-
disgusted 06/14/2010 3:37:00 AM
What "anoynmous" has written is correct -with excpetion- the teacher's response is not what is ridiculous - if you knew the background and back story of the truth of how the situation has been handled you would understand. I understand that all teachers should be open to constructive criticism and professional comment in order to improve their practice but this principal is a true bully and should have some accountability for how she treats her teachers. A rare few people are willing to call a spade a spade and this principal is not a healthy leader for any school. The teacher may or may not be effective - this article provides no true data for any jury to decide - but the principal has not exhibited her professional responsibilities in how she handled the situation.
-
former Bromwell teacher 06/14/2010 3:30:00 AM
As a former Bromwell employee this article makes me very sad. Some of my best friends are still teaching there and their creativity and passion have been killed - what makes...no made, Bromwell great was the staff - creative, inspired, passionate and connected to kids. The teachers are not in control of the "amazing test scores" and these students would do well on CSAP without teachers - what the Bromwell staff did was create a well-rounded, artistic, inspired whole child that loved to learn- that happened to do well on standardized tests. The teachers at Bromwell were (emphasis on WERE) allowed to use the mandated curriculum in a unique fashion - they taught the curriculum but enhanced it with drama, music, art and JOY. I'm thankful to never have had to work under this principal because I would most likely have quit mid-year. She manages with a tone of intimidation and fear - not compassion and respect. Yes, Bromwell has a handful of "power parents" but it also has grounded, wonderful parents that do see through the smoke of this new principal - many of them are thankful to be gone after this year and join me as sad to witness such distruction in our beloved Bromwell. Once upon a time I was the youngest teacher on the Bromwell staff and was in awe of the veteran (and yes older) teachers that inspired me with their creativity and passion for the classroom. Sadly, a day will come too soon when these teachers will be gone and Bromwell will be left with young teachers that have been groomed by a single-minded dictator - DPS should look closely at this situation and find principal #6 in 10 years - and SOON - as many readers have said - kids should come first and this environment is not healthy for any child -with this principal, my children wouldn't go there if I lived across the street.
-
anonymous 06/14/2010 3:02:00 AM
This is a fairly balanced article on a difficult subject--how does one attempt to improve a teacher's actual teaching or, if necessary, remove an ineffective teacher from a top ranked school--one in which ALL students will probably get top scores regardless of who's teaching the class. NO teachers in any school should get an automatic pass on their teaching methods if we want to have the best for our kids. As I understand it, remediation is a first step in improving one's teaching methods, and I have never heard of anyone having such stressful reactions to a simple remediation. I hope Miss Phisney can recover, get back to the classroom, and take her remediation as a positive effort towards her continued teaching career. I feel her response to remediation has been ridiculous, selfish, and far from the reality in the majority of Denver Schools.
-
James Scott 06/13/2010 9:21:00 PM
One of my sons graduated Bromwell three years ago, and another son is still a student there. I have taught 7th grade language arts for 14 years in Jeffco Schools. Your article speaks to a real fear I have, both as a teacher and a parent, that the humanistic side of teaching is being sacrificed for the bottom line of testing. "Mrs. P doesn't teach enough math"??!! She teaches seven year old children for crying out loud! At that age, kids should be learning how to learn, developing a love for learning, growing their self esteem, and enjoying their childhood, not getting ahead in the race to admission to Harvard.
-
verde legume 06/13/2010 9:09:00 PM
From 08 to 09 CSAP 3rd grade reading scores descended from 92 to 85 percentage points, according to the CDE for Bromwell. If there is more recent data it is not obvious.
-
withheld 06/13/2010 7:52:00 PM
As far as Michael Bennet goes, does anyone ever wonder how much needless district money he spent in DPS on motion detecting hand towell dispensers in every class and restroom district-wide?
I would also be curious to know how much DPS paid Jody Cohn to go to Spain to recruit teachers last year, in this depressed job market. Your reporter also needs to understand Miss Cohn is not young, but well-maintained (surgically?) and simply refuses to dress her age.
As for the district wasting money, it's a crime they pay for such ridiculous things while they cheat most of their paraprofessionals out of health insurance by making jobs that are only 6.5 hours instead of 7 hours a day. Shame. Shame. And then this incredible abuse of older teachers. . . people who deserve our reverence. No wonder we're 49th in the nation in education!
-
Paul S 06/13/2010 3:55:00 PM
Best wishes to Mary.
Please know, you're fighting a goliath with tons of resources. Even if you are in the right, suing your employer could have you unofficially blacklisted for years to come. I have seen it happen first hand when people sue school districts. Please consider that suing could perhaps make it worse.
I am so sorry that Mary was let go. It seems her dismissal has more to do with a conspiracy than her own shortcomings.
Jody, the boss, seems more like a status quo barbie doll puppet.
"Denver seems to operate in more of a business-model mode. It's like a big corporation. Their employees are more like numbers than employees."
Gee, BIG MONEY??? Ya think?????
Also, why does the district want to recommend a doctor to evaluate Ms. P? Wouldn't that doc represent a conflict of interest? Why not 'any' professional doc that is recognized by the laws/rules of the state?
I have this deep feeling that a nice lady was let go because some barbie doll boss didn't like her style.
I'd let Ms. P teach my daughter any day. :)
On the flip side, I'd like to get more and more 'Jody Cohn' types fired.
Jody Cohn = a blind barbie heartless status quo puppet.
-
unknown 06/13/2010 9:37:00 AM
By the way, Bromwell's 3rd grade scores DID NOT drop eight points, instead they went UP five points. Get the facts straight. Maybe a lot of the facts from the article AREN't correct. It sounded like a sympathy vote for Ms. P.
-
Jen 06/13/2010 12:15:00 AM
For your information...DPS is certainly not the only district with principals who are bullying their staff, making outrageous claims against them privately and publicly to get them in trouble and then somehow still leading the same school the next year. Unfortunately, some districts have even tried surveys where staff members are given the opportunity to speak their minds about their school environment, principal, other staff members, curricula, etc. This sounds like it would be a good idea, but each time it comes out, principals are enraged their staff would "sell them out", yell at them during staff/ professional development meetings, and then smooth talk the district administrators enough that they remain principal for another year- continuing to ruin staff members lives and making them believe they are the worst teachers ever.
I absolutely believe there are some terrible teachers out there- and some of these teachers weren't always bad, but have taught for so long they are out of touch with current teaching strategies or not sufficiently trained; then there are those younger teachers who are terrible too. But, I STRONGLY believe a great leader will lead the school in such a way that staff will want to come to work, teach students in an appropriate, successful way and boost student achievement- the unfortunate thing is that there are not even close to enough qualified principals to handle this understanding, helpful, non-attacking, discussion- oriented job. Let's not worry so much about teacher tenure, but administration tenure.
-
George Caffine 06/13/2010 12:04:00 AM
When did they do the evaluation on the principal? If she can say: It's about the practice of teaching, not the personality of the teacher," then she doesn't understand what teaching is all about. It's the teacher's personality that sells the value of learning. To this school principal, it's just a job. Poor schlemiel!
-
verde legume 06/12/2010 11:39:00 PM
I note that Bromwell's 3rd graders seem to have had an eight point drop in the 3rd grade reading scores. I'm sure it is being explained as an expected blip which is bound to happen as Cohn "improves" teaching. But, suck it up, Bromwell community. I'm sure she will be there till she crosses one of the Bromwell parent mafia. By the way, I don't think she is very young, judging by her picture (unless she has sustained lots of sun damage). And, since she was principal for ten years at Munroe, it can't be her lack of experience to explain the drop.
-
Julie 06/12/2010 5:30:00 PM
This class was a very special experience for my daughter.
While I absolutely agree that teachers must have accountability, making learning creative and fun is also critical. It enables kids to be more engaged in the learning process, absorb, and retain their education over time. Unfortunately, it seems like that aspect of school is becoming devalued because it's hard to measure.
Having some tolerance for different teaching styles and strengths as a parent is the only realistic way to get through the school system. Enjoy the parts your kid thrives at, supplement the parts they don’t at home. Hope for teachers that bring a fresh way of teaching to the table - which keeps it memorable.
-
JOE 06/12/2010 5:29:00 PM
One of the saddest public comments at a DPS BOE meeting I ever recall was the session when 1st graders and their parents begged the Board to return their first grade teacher. Because of privacy concerns, of course, the little children did not even know why their Ms. P was gone. The parents asked for support, explanation, and a return of Ms. P.
One of the most destructive elements of the DPS political culture is the pattern where children come and beg before the BOE. Children beg for their schools not to be closed; for their teachers not to be fired, for special programs not to be eliminated. In the many years in which I have observed this humiliating parade, I have never observed that the pleas have been successful. Yet, still they come.
Parents should not have the ability to make decisions for other parents' children. Yet, cliques, outside funded groups, and well placed parent politicians do have this influence over children not their own. What is unique about the Bromwell situation is that it is happening in a school with an affluence population.
My heart goes out to the impacted first graders.
-
gary 06/12/2010 4:32:00 PM
Many of these comments are very interesting. We all want accountability from everybody from our auto mechanics to our doctors. When accountability comes home then there is an outcry. A teachers job is to teach young students. I was a very active parent when my children were school aged; however, when parents didn't show any interest neither did many teachers. I'm not soley blaming teachers for the failure of students, but I see no problem with holding professionals accountable. Government has taken over the parents ability to raise and discipline their children which impacts the ability of teachers to teach when there is a handful of unruly children disrupting the educational process. When I read the comments about older teachers being forced out to hire new and cheaper teachers, I also wonder if with age comes complacancy. We've all worked at jobs where there is at least one fixture who has been there so long he/she believes they can or will never get fired. During the first 12 years of schooling, I remember three teachers who had a great impact on me. I would guess the other nine were not much more than filling a slot for pay. Professionals need to stay tuned with with modern trends. If my mechanic still only new how to work on vintage cars I'd most likely hire a new mechanic.
-
undisclosed 06/12/2010 3:50:00 PM
I work at Bromwell. What happened to Ms. P. shouldn't happen to anyone ever!
-
Bromwell Advocate 06/12/2010 2:32:00 AM
Didn't one of the kindergarten teacher's receive the DPS Teacher of the Year Award?
-
kaila devorah 06/12/2010 2:29:00 AM
When I began teaching for DPS over twenty-five years ago I was warned that I should get out before the age of forty to avoid the age discrimination rife in the district. Unfortunately I did not heed that advice--I was young and thought I would be different, that I would be such a good teacher that such discrimination would wilt in the face of my obvious excellence. Now, with twenty-five years of "exceeds satisfactory" evaluations, a handful of teaching awards, and several advanced degrees I worry about staying employed these last few years leading up to retirement. I'm still a good teacher, I think, but that won't really matter in the brave new world of Senate Bill 191. If I can't somehow force all of my students to take standardized tests seriously--test that mean absolutely nothing to them, I'm toast. Add to that the unpardonable sin of earning more at 55 than I did at 30 and it's a wonder that an expensive drag on the system such as myself is still standing.
The age discrimination experience that stand out most in my mind concerns the closure of Manual High School in 2006. All of the displaced teachers were allowed to interview for new positions in a special "first round." Many teachers were hired through this process; however, these hirees did not include a single teacher over the age of 50. The district told us it was just a coincidence.
-
Bart Baron 06/11/2010 10:02:00 PM
As an answer to a question by another commentor the following:
"Bennett's kids only went to kindergarten at Bromwell."
-
Wes Buckley 06/11/2010 7:11:00 AM
Back in February, Tom Boasberg said there would be a direct placement at Bromwell. Now Denver Public Schools has created the opening for that placement. Trust me, it will be filled by the worst teacher DPS can find. Why? For no good reason other than DPS hopes the Bromwell parent community will create an uproar about the direct placement of teachers. This whole tragedy is about political strategy to bust a teacher's union that is completely ineffectual so a group of administrators who are ineffectual can look good. Our kids are getting placed in the cross fire.
-
Kenneth Sun 06/11/2010 6:43:00 AM
Do the math. Bromwell: five principals in ten years in one of the wealthiest neighborhood schools in Denver. Mrs. P. is hired by a veteran principle away from highly rated Carson Elementary. Young, less experienced principal puts Mrs. P on a remediation plan. What a joke. Principal Cohn won’t last at Bromwell. I am biased. Sweet Pea saved my bacon when my kids needed help to meet Colorado’s reading standards. A leader at DPS needs to intervene and send a veteran principal to Bromwell and Mrs. P. to whatever DPS school she wants to go to. She is a very good teacher and she loves to teach.
-
Verde Legume 06/11/2010 5:57:00 AM
Many of us are discussing ways to remedy problem regarding suspect poor evaluations. There are too many stories about principals and other administrators either twisting events or even just misreporting events for at least some of them to not be credible. Since it is now both cheap and easy, and every school now has the equipment, we suggest lessons being used for the purposes of evaluation be video taped. Also, if a teacher or a principal feels it is a good idea, the evaluation meeting should also be video taped. Both parties can be provided with copies of these for review if it comes to mediation. If teachers are not competent they may not like this, and if administrators are not competent, they won't like it either. Everyone else should find it a big relief. Perhaps this could be written into evaluation procedures for the state. Seems like an easy fix.
-
MM 06/11/2010 5:32:00 AM
Cohn was basically trying to force this teacher to retire on her own. She wanted to put her through hell so she would say, "I quit." I know because I heard my principal this year say the same thing about teachers who were over the age of 60 because she wanted "new blood". She actually cheered when one of the teachers retired and the other decided to leave the classroom. People not in education are fooling themselves if they do not think ageism happens in schools. When some younger, especially woman principal, who thinks they have something to prove comes in, all hell breaks loose. It's a principal with a controlling personality who wants everyone to know she has the power. WELL, COHN, IF YOU ARE READING THIS, I HOPE YOU GET YOURS!!!!
-
Julie 06/11/2010 4:31:00 AM
I am concerned that this article may not have made something crystal clear. I have seen this year's scores for Ms. Pishney's 1st grade students at Bromwell. The children were tested at the beginning of the school year, and by the time Ms. Pishney left in February because of health issues caused by the abuse to which she had been subjected by Ms. Cohn for months, every child in her classroom had progressed at least one grade level and some had progressed as much as one-and-a-half grade levels in reading, writing, and yes, folks, in math. With three months to go before the end of the 2009-2010 school year, it is clear that most, if not all, of Ms. Pishney's students would have achieved a two grade level improvement in all three subjects by the end of the year -- improvement levels that Ms. Pishney has achieved with all of her students since she has been with the DPS. [First grade students do not take CSAP tests, but when Ms. Pishney was teaching at Mary Carson Elementary, her students' CSAP scores were incredible -- it was one of the reasons that she was asked to interview for a position at Bromwell.] Of course, by the end of the 2009-2010 school year, many of the children in Ms. Pishney's classroom had fallen back in their achievement levels -- the substitute teacher, a recent college graduate, lacked the experience that was making a real difference for these students. There may be incompetent teachers in the DPS, but Ms. Pishney is not one of them. Far from it, she is among the very best teachers in the DPS. So, why is this happening to Ms. Pishney? I did not just fall off the turnip truck -- and I do know age discrimination when I see it. How many times did someone quoted in this article refer to Ms. Pishney as "a little old lady" or as being "grandmotherly"? The article says she is the oldest teacher at Bromwell. If it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, I say "it's a duck"! What is the DPS going to do to try to rectify Ms. Pishney's situation as well as the complete mess at Bromwell? Is the DPS even considering the liability that the DPS has incurred because of the actions of an out-of-control principal who does not appear to want older teachers in "her school"? The answer appears to be that the DPS is doing nothing, and we, the Denver taxpayers, will no doubt be paying for the DPS' arrogance. Mr. Boasberg won't be paying though -- it is my understanding that he still lives in Boulder.
-
Verde Legume 06/11/2010 2:49:00 AM
"Pishney tried to defend herself but didn't get far: "Every time I would say, 'I am doing guided reading, my students are advancing,' any time I would defend myself, she would get enraged and yell and say, 'You're bucking me! I'm going to put you on a growth plan!'" To Pishney, that sounded like she would be "on the precipice of bye-bye.""
Ms. Cohn sounds like a bully to her teachers, and a sycophant to the parents of this school. And neither she nor the parents seem to have the best interests of the students at heart. Instead, they seem to be obsessed with assessment scores. I'm sure it is no accident that there are so few students of poverty at this school, as that might bring down the CSAP scores. It might be an interesting story to examine how students are admitted to this school.
Another story that might be instructive is the backgrounds of the people who are made principals. I have been observing school principals for the last 15 years, and it appears to be a deteriorating situation. At one time, principal was short for principal teacher, and all had come from many years of teaching, before becoming a principal. For the the last 11 years, coinciding with the time CSAPs were beginning to be implemented, a number of the principals retired. Many teachers who could not or did not like to teach, opted to obtain their D license, allowing them to get out of the classroom and into administration. This allowed them to avoid the scrutiny of their students' performance on standardized tests. As administrators, they could always find others to blame. Many programs, which were not in any way rigorous, appeared to accommodate this folks, and from this mediocre pool many of today's principals were drawn. If investigated, I believe it would be found that several have taught for less than five years before training as principals. The chief ability a number of these possess is political instinct; who to suck up to and who to blame. They pay lots of lip service to the needs of the students, but their main interest is survival of their careers.
One of the areas that will be most interesting and entertaining to watch for the next few years, with the advent the accountability amendment, is the microscope principals and other administrators will now be subjected to by the teachers. Try to imagine the documentation teachers and other staff will recording on their administrators, in order to protect themselves.
-
Sally 06/10/2010 11:53:00 PM
Are you kidding - the principle says it isn't personal! That is crap- I worked for DPS under a principle who had more personal attacks(in private) for teachers, para and office staff that she didn't like and would go on a mission to get rid of them! Also I like that she makes the comment the PTSA provides the school with a lot of money- because our schools PTA does to- but that "gives" them a lot of power with the Principle- again I seen that one first hand! I know that schools are nothing more than business- from the top on down the first priority isn't to our children- but to how much money these children can provide in federal grants or fund raising! I don't sub standard teachers in the classroom more than any body else- but what good does that do when you have sub standard Principles, and Administrator running our schools!
-
Shannon 06/10/2010 11:10:00 PM
CAROLYN, THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. DID YOU READ THE STORY? THE TEACHER'S CSAP SCORES CAME FROM SOME SCHOOL CALLED CARSON. AS FOR THE PRINCIPAL, NO COMMENT MEANS SHE EITHER HAS SOMETHING TO HIDE OR SHE DOESN'T HAVE HER ACT TOGETHER TO DEFEND HERSELF. WE BOTH ABSOLUTELY AGREE THAT DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOL OR WESTWORD SHOULD FIGURE OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING AT BROMWWELL. BETWEEN THIS AND THE FACT THAT PARENTS ARE AFRAID TO TALK, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A VERY HEALTH PLACE FOR KIDS.
-
Tim 06/10/2010 10:43:00 PM
"Good article BUT, I have heard other things on the jungle telegraph that suggest to me that Sen. Bennet may have had a liason with another teacher at this school and that may be behind what happened to Miss P" -- What are you saying, Bart? Bennet was pokin' the 5th grade teacher? Wouldn't that be immoral for a U.S. Senator? LoL!
-
Susie Smith 06/10/2010 10:36:00 PM
Make teachers accountable? Imagine that!
I work for DPS and the teachers are protected no matter what. Just like in any profession, you have good teachers and bad teachers. I have seen MANY incompetant teachers. We must protect our kids. Teachers must have standards.
-
Carolyn 06/10/2010 9:41:00 PM
The article said that the district and principal couldn't comment on specifics. It isn't up to Westword to "dispute" the facts. They reported them as they were told, by Ms. P. DPS doesn't measure success by CSAP scores solely anymore. The kids at Bromwell would have high CSAPs if a chimp was teaching the class. Demographics will do that.
There are always parents who are happy with their student's teacher, regardless of how poor their performance. The article stated that most parents wouldn't comment at all due to fear of retaliation by the PTA (which sounds like another article altogether).
-
Cameron Hays 06/10/2010 9:03:00 PM
You know who is almost guaranteed not to be an effective teacher (in the sense of raising test scores and improving student achievement)? A long-term substitute teacher brought in mid-way through the school year. It's not the fault of the substitute: they haven't had a chance to build rapport with the students, get used to the way a school does things, or even familiarize themselves with the curriculum. Whether or not Mrs. P was an amazing teacher or not, she was better than what the students got instead.
-
Shannon 06/10/2010 8:58:00 PM
DID ANYONE ACTUALLY READ THIS ARTICLE? THE TEACHER SAID HER CSAPS IN 4TH GRADE WERE EXCELLENT AND HER KIDS WERE GROWING IN 1ST GRADE. SHE SAID HER CLASS WAS SINGLED OUT BY OBSERVERS FROM DPS AS BEING EXCEPTIONAL. SHE SAID SHE HAD NEVER FAILED AN EVALUATION. WESTWORD DIDN'T REFUTE ANY OF THESE CLAIMS. PARENTS ARE SPEAKING OUT FOR THE TEACHER. WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT IF THE TEACHER WASN'T DOING HER JOB? WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THAT SCHOOL IF THEIR KIDS MIGHT BE IMPACTED BECAUSE THEY SUPPORTED A TEACHER? WHAT'S UP, MELANY? DID YOU LOOK INTO THESE?
I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS. ON THE SURFACE SOMETHING SEEMS WRONG WITH THIS WHOLE STORY. WE AREN'T GETTING THE WHOLE PICTURE. WESTWARD NEEDS TO DO SOME MORE DIGGING AND FIND OUT WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON AT THAT SCHOOL.
-
Ms. Statue o' Lib 06/10/2010 8:44:00 PM
Jimmyz, you are so right. Where are the data? If DPS wants to make a case against the teacher, just show the teacher's performance data. For 1st grade teachers, my husband is one, there is benchmark testing done. These show how well students are improving during a year. They do one at the start of the year and three times after that. Data for the entire class can be put together so each student's progress isn't shown. The school counsel where my children attend looks at the benchmark data by grade. That tells me DPS has to have data for this teacher's classroom. Why not use that? It doesn't make any sense to me.
-
JimmyZ2 06/10/2010 8:43:00 PM
JimmyZ is right on. Where are the achievement observations? This is just whiney teacher vs. headstrong principal.
They should teach all of these teachers the "ABC"s of the real world. Always...Be..Closing. It's about results and always will be. Maybe that's why whiney teacher is so stressed out; she can't produce. It's time to retire and it isn't health related, it's performance related.
-
Druid 06/10/2010 8:21:00 PM
DPS is like any other organization: 1/3 of the teachers are great; 1/3 are adequate; and 1/3 are sub-standard. However, I worked for a public school system in another state, and I know that many problems reside with principals, many of whom could no longer stand teaching and wanted the bump-up in pay. In sum, many prove the concept of the Peter Principle, namely that some people are promoted to the level of their incompetence. That was certainly true in the administrator ranks as well.
Of course teachers should be held accountable - just like any other profession. But in reading evaluations, always consider the source. When a teacher who has had decades of good evaluations suddenly receives a poor one, the poor evaluation must be investigated.
-
Agusta Breeze 06/10/2010 8:05:00 PM
I can't believe how unsympathetic readers are here for the teacher. I have worked under this principal and found her to be outrageously unfair. At best, she has a personality disorder. At worst, she is psychopathic. She ruins careers. She ruins dreams. I can't believe the district doesn't see through her. Hope the teacher wins her case.
-
Bart Baron 06/10/2010 6:48:00 PM
Good article BUT, I have heard other things on the jungle telegraph that suggest to me that Sen. Bennet may have had a liason with another teacher at this school and that may be behind what happened to Miss P. Have heard this from a number of sources and at this point, given the credibility of the sources, I am discounting your article in favor of the more dark side reason. DPS, having attended only one meeting with the superintendent and a number of board members, for a presentation and frank discussion is rife with incompetence and corruption. We need someone from the business sector to fix the problem akin to what was done in NYC. I have run for congress in both parties in another state and CO for all its illusions has rushed to the bottom of the education scale. One of my daughters is a former principal in the NYC school system and we discuss events and programs. What DPS needs is a non biased leader to as Obama put it recently "Kick Ass" and take names. Cut the administration staff, reject Federal Dept. of Education Funds and the strings that come with them that cost multiple dollar expenditures for each dollar recieved and go back to basics. Size of class up to 40 means nothing. Expulsion and being sent to a hard knocks school as was the pattern in my day would work.
-
Jimmyz 06/10/2010 5:30:00 PM
Wow, that was one long story that devoted essentially no focus on the most important aspect of this situation, student achievement. Whiney teacher vs. new principal, great. Where in those 8 pages was the student achievement addressed? The parakeet surfaced at least 5 times, and yet not a single mention of test scores or growth. If everyone involved in this story, including the reporter and editors would put this much energy into analyzing and improving student achievement, we wouldn't be dealing with this mini-drama. Baby-stuff is what this story is. Now let's hear about how dramatically these first-graders grew, or more likely, didn't grow. Maybe parakeet visits to the classroom are the answer to improving student achievement, but this story doesn't offer any supporting evidence.
-
Cher 06/10/2010 5:24:00 PM
Age or not this teachers acts like many eduactors and buck any criticism from authority. They believe the classroom is their domain and that no one can tell them what to do, even though many times it might enrich the learning of a child. Being put on an improvement plan and not implementing that plan would be grounds for dismissal in the private sector but instead she had found a doctor to enable her opinion and symptoms of how poorly and unfair she is treated. I am not saying all instances of reprimand are warranted but be an adult and stand up like one and do your job.
-
Carolyn 06/10/2010 3:50:00 PM
I found something quite annoying about this teacher, and I can't put my finger on exactly what. Maybe it's that it seems like she spend more time complaining to this reporter than she did actually trying to rectify the situation before she went on leave. Maybe it's that in a district that is overwhelmingly low income and minority, yet the teacher only was only willing to work at Bromwell. Often, the trade-off for working in a school in a wealthy area is that you get demanding and entitled parents. If this teacher had been most other schools in DPS, she probably would have been the top teacher every year.
Unless there is more to the story than is written here, she doesn't have an age discrimination claim. Older people can do a subpar job and be let go. This is another example that teacher tenure needs to go. If my boss and some of my clients and peers complain about my performance, I'll be let go. It doesn't matter if I'm doing a great job by my standards, or by standards at other companies. DPS is on the right track.
-
Dante 06/10/2010 9:14:00 AM
I find it ironic, that now that as a society, we have reached a point where we can truly let our childen be kids but don't allow it. Now instead of slaving in the fields or warehouses, they are forced to slave in other ways. Everyone wants to run with that Baby Einstein crap when it truly does significant harm and no good at all. Children need to be children, then they can fully develop their senses and brains, and really can learn something. Ever notice how these alleged young genius children have no cognitive ability or an equilibrium of any sort. Just because you can repeat something does not mean you understand it. You have all these highly educated people in charge of our children, and look where we are. While the ones who really know how to teach are kicked to the curb. And by all accounts, learning poetry at that age is quite impressive. Don't hate it just because YOU can't understand it. But as today goes, let's teach them a bunch of stuff they don't understand and then throw an IPHONE into their hands, like their parents use.
-
Sad2C 06/10/2010 7:21:00 AM
Funny how what society thinks is "best" for kids is often the opposite.
-
Frank Galmish 06/10/2010 1:50:00 AM
I believe the poor evaluation is most unfair and unwarranted. It you get rid of older teachers it saves money and I believe this is age discrimination pure and simple.Tmc
-
ck 06/10/2010 12:05:00 AM
xx
-
Andrea Merida, Board Member, S 06/09/2010 11:46:00 PM
A few things, from my perspective:
1. It is absolutely true that Ms. P would be bound by the standard district curriculum. She could actually be evaluated negatively if she were "caught" deviating too much from the prescribed lesson planning guides, etc. It's always been my assertion that the curriculum is not rigorous for ANYONE in the district, whether your first language is English or not. These parents want more, and they're right, but EVERYONE needs the flexibility and curriculum augmentation that these powerful parents are getting for their kids.
2. Learning poems by rote is a very important method for younger kids. It helps them put together phonics with the printed words. They hear pronunciation. They learn syntax. One of the reasons why Rosetta Stone language software, for example, is so popular and effective, is because of the use of the aural centers of the brain to teach language usage. If it works for adults, it will work ever more so for kids when their brains are much more plastic.
3. Shayne Spalten's assertion that the higher incidences of teacher dismissals point to "a push for higher teacher standards" is specious, especially weighed against the Superintendent's comment that the current evaluation system is "an extraordinarily cumbersome and time-consuming process." One hand does not know what the other is doing...which in my experience, is par for the course in the DPS central administration. Melanie, why did you let this go by?
4. I am personally alarmed by the increase of older and minority teachers being placed on non-renewal lists. Melanie, there's a project for you.
-
Sad2C 06/09/2010 11:46:00 PM
Too many teachers have been axed for the sake of this ridiculous "Race to the Top" education grant. It has turned Denver Public Schools into henchmen at the administrative level and turned principals into cow-towing, tunnel-visioned strong armed hit men and women. I know 8th graders who do not have the academic focus to accomplish what Ms. Pishney's students recited in their presentation. Ms. Pishney has done nothing wrong. Her methods must have been effective in order to get students to perform so well at such a young age. My own students grew phenomenally these past few years and I am now looking for a new position. It is not the quality of the teacher. It is the new trend toward managing education the way one would a corporation. What I have seen in school districts recently (a few years now) has been to implement the Milton Friedman theories of how to conduct business in a free market. Imperialism basically. There is nothing wrong with a "free" market as long it doesn't come at the expense of human beings well being. At sixty five where will Ms. Pishney go for a new, less stressful position? Beaware that the new wave of teaching is data driven and does not account for the human element except as far as it can be counted. How can educators measure seeds of ideas, germination of hope, growth of human spirit? That is unmeasureable. Educators who stubbornly cling to their "data" will wonder where the inventors have gone, why the artists have shriveled. Data has its place even in education for skill level assessment. However, as a teacher, I can say for certain, data has become a god to be feared in education because it is attached to tunnel vision and frightened administrators and teachers. We all know that if the god of data doesn't smile upon us we are useless and expendable. Obama is intelligent, but he has no conception of how his actions are translating into human collateral, NO idea.
-
discrete ex 06/09/2010 9:32:00 PM
My ex teachers at a DPS school and has tenure. He shouldn't. He lied about his experience from back in Memphis where we were from. He had friends on a local community college that said he had more experience than he had. He was fired from three public schools back in Florida and Tennessee (and one private school in Vegas) for things like picking up a desk and throwing it across the room. But he lied about that on his DPS job application. I was there and I know about all of this. He now teachers music to elementary kids. So watch out. He has tenure.
-
BT 06/09/2010 8:54:00 PM
My mother quit teaching after 30 years because of exactly the same kind of situation. Whether they explicitly state it, or even mentally acknowledge it on a personal level, or not, administrators feel pressure to save money, and forcing out older teachers, no matter how good they are, is often a hidden motivation in the evaluation of an overly ambitious or aggressive administrator, who is often many years less senior than the teacher.
There is no easy answer, but tenure is not a bad thing. Though even with tenure, administrators can find ways to make life so miserable for a teacher that the teacher is forced to leave in order to maintain any kind of positive lifestyle.
The additional pressure on the administrator, in this instance, is that she may feel pressure to have a certain bell-curve distribution of negative to positive evaluations, so someone had to draw the short straw. All in the name of a "race to the top."
-
Alice 06/09/2010 8:16:00 PM
It's nice that Ms. Phisney worked so hard to have her first grade students memorize poems every year and put on the plays...Makes me wonder how much more her students could have achieved if she had put that much effort into their other subjects such as phonetics and number concepts.
