Profile: MACE -- The Teacher's Advocate

For more information about MACE, please view its website as well as its videos on YouTube.

Besides SOS Million Teacher March, if there was another education organization that I am excited about, it is the Metro Association of Classroom Educators (MACE) in Georgia. Since Georgia is a "right-to-work" state, teachers here do not have unions, but rather they have teacher associations with very limited power. In Georgia, there are three major teacher associations:

1. Georgia Association of Educators (GAE), the largest teachers' association in Georgia and the state affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA), the largest teachers' union in America
2. Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE), the second largest teachers' association in Georgia
3. MACE, "the radical teacher union" since 1995

NOTE: The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the second largest teachers' union in America, does not have a state affiliate in Georgia. Instead, at least in the metro Atlanta area, it has two local affiliates.

Dr. John Trotter, Chairman of MACE

Of the three teachers' associations, MACE has a hard-knocks reputation for serving and representing their members. Unlike GAE and PAGE, MACE represents classroom teachers ONLY to avoid any conflict of interest; GAE and PAGE allowed administrators in their membership ranks. MACE is headed by Dr. John Trotter, a former teacher and school principal, who is also  a lawyer; he is tough, knowledgeable, and loyal to MACE's causes and members. While small in numbers, several school districts and school administrators have become fearful of MACE. Of the three teachers' associations in Georgia, MACE behaves more like a "union".

In addition, I love the philosophical positions of MACE when it comes to education reform. It is not always about the teachers, but about properly educating children and holding the entire village accountable. Its motto is simply this: You cannot have good learning conditions until you first have good teaching conditions. Plus, according to MACE's The Lion's Roar, the real problems in public schools are as follows:

• Defiant and disruptive students
• Irate and irresponsible parents
• Angry and abusive administrators
• Widespread, systematic cheating
• Naive and spineless educational policymakers in the state

Granted, there are some bad teachers whose actions are indefensible. However, most teachers I know work hard and strive to give their best to their students. However, many of them have to deal with these obstacles that MACE mentioned that reduced their desires to do their jobs right. To me, MACE's position is about holding the whole village accountable, not just the teachers.

Perhaps the only thing I don't like about MACE is its unwillingness to expand in other states; as Dr. Trotter explains, "MACE is committed to Georgia...You don't stretch your supply line...You keep your troops in tact; so, you know, you can be there to defend the teachers". I beg to differ, but OK. Nevertheless, kudos to MACE for truly being "The Teacher's Advocate".

Finally, on a personal note, when I taught in Georgia, I was a member of GAE. I didn't heard about MACE until after I joined GAE. Despite my affiliation and the alleged reputation of teachers being "black-balled" due to their MACE membership, I have always been a huge fan of MACE. However, I remained a member of GAE due to its networking connections locally, statewide, and nationally. Unfortunately, last school year when I was Associate Representative at my school site, I was exposed to too many things that I was displeased with the central office and GAE. Politics ruled more so than the needs of the members. Consequently, the teachers (and other employees) got screwed and nothing was done by GAE to rectify the mess. That was my personal nail to the coffin to leave the district and possibly the profession. My blind allegiance to GAE is one of the reasons why I left the profession, at least in Georgia. I don't care what the risk are; if I ever teach in Georgia again, I will become a member of MACE and give them a try.  In additional to the members' testimonials on MACE's website, one of its members has a blog; in one of his blog entries, he praises and advocates for MACE.

Food for Thought by MACE

There is a wealth of information and insights on MACE's website. However, there are a few tidbits I want to share with you all. Please, visit its website for some candid, yet colorful and comical commentaries from MACE. Enjoy...

A student will not learn unless that student is MOTIVATED TO LEARN.  The motivation to learn is a cultural phenomenon or social process.  Peer pressure, family history and appreciation for academia, family income, culture, etc., are many of the factors which bear upon a student's MOTIVATION TO LEARN.  What is wrong with so many of our schools today is that students simply do not bring the proper motivation to the table of learning.  It is not that the student is incapable of learning; the problem is that the student does not want to learn.  I have always said that 90% of our students could master (not just have a grade given to them, as is often the case today) 90% of what we dish out to them in way of academics if they truly were motivated to do so.

Without the proper motivation to learn, no student will learn, regardless of who is teaching.

Order is the first law of the Universe, and without order, a school will always be in chaos.

Four Horsemen of Real School "Reform"

By John R. Alston Trotter, EdD, JD and Norreese L. Haynes, BSBM

(l-r) Dr. John Trotter (Chairman) and Mr. Norreese Haynes (COO of MACE)

Reform # 1:  Restore classroom discipline.  Make sure that teachers are supported when it comes to classroom discipline.   Order is the first law of the Universe. 

Reform # 2:  Realize that you cannot have good learning conditions until you first have good teaching conditions.  All of the top-down, heavy-handed snoopervision is counter-productive to establishing good teaching conditions.  

Reform # 3:  Put the onus for learning on the students and their parents.  This is the modus operandus of the private schools, and it works.  Pampering and coddling the students do not work. 

Reform # 4:  Realize that the motivation to learn is a social/cultural phenomenon.  Teachers teach the students, not learn the students.  If a student refuses to learn, then Arne Duncan himself cannot make this student learn and therefore should not be held accountable for the student's refusal to learn.  (c) MACE, September 9, 2010.

Teachers "teach" the students, not "learn" the students.  Physicians "treat" the patients, not "heal" the patients.  Lawyers "defend" the accused, not "acquit" the accused.  Until our politicians and policymakers start holding the students and their parents responsible for the learning facet of the educational equation, then improving education is like spitting into a tsunami.  Other countries and cultures understand this simple concept, but in our "wisdom," we have become educational "fools."  (c) MACE, August 27, 2010.

Characteristics Of An Effective Principal.

by Daniel D. Trotter, Sr.

MACE reps on the picket line

       

       The author is the father of Dr. John Trotter, and he serves on the MACE Board of Directors.  Mr. Trotter is a retired Georgia school principal. 

The following is a list of characteristics that I would suggest to any principal who cares to be respected and admired by both students and teachers:    

    

1. 
   
   Always be completely open to teachers.  Be willing to discuss any policy that you have and give the background as to why you instilled the policy.              
2. 
   
    It is important that you always speak pleasantly to your teachers and never put them down in the presence of others.  All constructive criticism should be done in private.  Never raise your voice when you have a need to correct a teacher.  Never strip your teachers of their dignity.           
3. 
   
   Be generous with praise and cautious with criticism.  Be quick to give credit to others when it is due to them.  Make it a policy to commend your teachers often.  Look for reasons to commend them and you will see that they will work harder for you.           
4. 
   
    Always tell the truth – even when it hurts.  No one respects a person whom they can’t depend on to tell the truth.  As the saying goes, “Tell it like it is.”      
5. 
   
   Be easily approachable.  Encourage teachers to ask you for help, if needed.
   
6. 
   
   Be seen!  A principal should be in the school halls when students are in the halls.  You should be in and out of the cafeteria during lunch.  You should go into the classrooms often, if only for a few minutes.  You should be visible in order to be a leader. 
7. 
   
   Make discipline your number one concern.  Without discipline, little teaching or learning can take place.  You are the key to any school’s discipline.  You must have a firm policy and be sure that both teachers and students fully understand it.  Be willing to take a stand and then stand.            
8. 
   
   Never accept an accusation against a teacher until you first speak with that teacher.  Be a friend to your teachers and support them as much as possible.  When they make mistakes, let them down easily.    
9. 
   
   Be open to teachers’ suggestions and, if you disagree, be pleasant in your discussion.  You have no need to be threatened, if you are open and honest.          
10. 
    
    The last characteristic is a summary of the other nine.  When you deal with teachers, remember two things:  Tell the truth and treat others like you would want to be treated.

MACE’s Eleven Simple Statements (MESS) 

 

By Dr. John Trotter and Norreese Haynes

  

     We often see such ludicrous actions or lack of actions taken by public school systems that we are dumbfounded at the school systems lack of ability to subscribe to simple precepts.  When a school system simply refuses to acknowledge simple realities relative to the public schooling processes, the results are disastrous.  From our combined experiences as a teacher, administrator, and/or representative of teachers over the years, we have compiled some simple realities that most superintendents, school boards, policy-makers, and politicians ignore when dealing with the public schooling processes.  Below are eleven simple statements which, in our opinion, are irrefutable and intractable.  To ignore these simple statements will imperil any school system.

 

1. All children can learn but not all children want to learn but rather some children even refuse to learn.
2. Unmotivated and disengaged students often disrupt the learning environments of those students who want to learn.
3. You cannot have orderly learning taking place in the classroom without order first being established in the classroom, and the chronically-misbehaving and disorderly students must be removed from the regular classroom.
4. You cannot have good learning conditions until you first have good teaching conditions.
5. Creative teaching is effective teaching, and states and school systems need to free up teachers to be more creative and therefore more effective.
6. A smothered, suffocating, beat-down, and beleaguered teacher is an ineffective teacher.
7. A top-down, heavy-handed approach to teacher supervision kills a teacher’s spirit and creativity and works counter to effective teaching and student learning.
8. A teacher can only teach the student, not learn the student, just like a physician can only treat the patient, not heal the patient, and a lawyer can only defend the accused, not acquit the accused.
9. Ultimately, the student is responsible for appropriately engaging or not engaging in the learning processes, and the onus for learning must be put on the student, not the teacher.
10. If the student refuses to appropriately engage in the learning processes and therefore refuses to learn, there is nothing that the teacher can do to make the student learn, and the teacher should not be held responsible for the student’s refusal to learn.
11. The artificial and manipulative inflating of standardized test scores is no true indication that students are learning but that a superintendent is trying to financially bolster his or her professional resume at the students’expense.

Profile: NBC's Education Nation and its upcoming Teacher Town Hall meeting

For more information on Education Nation, please visit its website, like its Facebook page, and/or follow on Twitter.

Since I am all for the village coming together to raise and educate a child, I am appreciative that NBC is taking a more pro-active initiative to bring school stakeholders together to discuss the education crisis (and solutions) in this country. With its Education Nation multimedia platform, meaningful dialogue in and public awareness of current issues and possible solutions in education will commence during the week of September 26th.

In addition, what I am more appreciative of is its Teacher Town Hall meeting that it will hold on Sunday, September 26, 2010 at noon. Finally, we teachers have a chance to have a voices heard nationwide via this venue. So please register, be vocal, and be real. For more information about the meeting and its registration procedures, click here.

While I cannot register since I am unemployed, I hope and pray that the teachers will take advantage of this opportunity and speak up for the children they serve and for our profession.

Profile: Geoffrey Canada and the Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ)

For more information about the HCZ, visit its website and/or its Facebook page, as well as view its videos on YouTube.

Official biography of Geoffrey Canada

While he is a major proponent of the education reform tactics that I am somewhat against, I will make an exception for this man. His project, HCZ, has years of data and experiences to show the success of many of these education reform tactics that are being rush into mainstream public schools. With HCZ, Mr. Canada has taken a more holistic approach in educating children; not only providing high-quality education via its charter schools, but also considering and striving to meet the overall needs of these children. From parenting seminars for young parents to free medical services to after school programs for all children, HCZ is addressing the needs of the children where the community is lacking; it is doing so by making long-term investment into children from birth to college graduation. HCZ comprises a nearly 100-block area of Harlem, serving over 10,000 children, where poverty, drugs, and crime have ruled and ruined this once-vibrant community.



One of the first high-prolific reports on HCZ was done by the late Ed Bradley on 60 Minutes. Currently, Mr. Canada and HCZ will be profiled in the upcoming documentary Waiting for Superman. President Obama like HCZ so much, he has planned to invest in government funding to create "Promise Neighborhoods" similar to HCZ in other large poverty-stricken communities across America.



Unfortunately, according to this blog entry, Congress is stalling the process via budget cuts to the initiative. Hopefully, Congress will have a change of heart and re-consider investing in a promising program. But that's money being taken away from public schools? Perhaps. But the program works; there is no denying that. If you want the critics to buy into these education reform tactics, invest into something that works...and you have long-term data to prove it. To me, among other things, this is what separates HCZ from other charter school programs.

But, I do have to wonder...If HCZ had to adhere to federal mandates like public school do, would it have the same level of success? Good question...Nevertheless, kudos to Mr. Canada, a fellow educator and activist, who understand the importance of involving the village while educating and raising children.

Lean on Me...The Need for Effective School Leadership

Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on
...
So just call on me brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you'd understand
We all need somebody to lean on
~ Bill Withers

This weekend during my Advanced Supervision in Curriculum and Instruction class, my instructor had us watched the cult classic movie Lean On Me, the story of Principal Joe Clark and how he turned a troubled New Jersey high school around.  Afterwards, in small groups and later as a class, we discuss his leadership style depicted in the movie. Prior to this, I have seen this movie dozens of times. Nevertheless, the impact of effective school leadership and collaboration, in spite of, on this school was nothing short of astonishing.

As a principal, Joe Clark was tough, yet passionate. Despite his pressed mandates and contiguous school issues, he did what he had to do to get the job done. He did it with tough love and being visible.  However, while he set high expectations for everyone in the school house, in the beginning, he alienated and ridiculed his faulty and staff. Some may say it was necessary to get them to change their ways. Some may say he was too harsh and difficult to work for. Nonetheless, they came around and Clark himself later show respect and support for them.

The overarching theme of the movie is the need for effective leadership in the school. Personally, I rather work for a troubled school who has a strong, yet supportive administration than a good school without one. The principal is the school leader for the students and teachers, school marketer to the community, school liaison to the district, and tone-setter for school reform. However, as stated in an earlier blog entry, nowadays principals behave more like micro-managers and bureaucratic puppets to the district, than leaders who will follow their own vision and meet the needs of their individual schools. If a principal today try to emulate anything Joe Clark did in the 80's, he/she would be out of a job.

The lyrics to the classic song Lean on Me is befitting to achieving effective school leadership. While they set the tone, principals cannot do it alone; nor they should be expected to do it alone. It takes a village. However, as shown in the movie, even if some within the village don't want to help, the principals still must take the lead in the school house and strive to make something out of nothing, for our children's sake. However, support and respect are a two-way street; the principals never can forget that if they want to succeed.

A lesson on bad teachers, teacher tenure, and teachers unions...from a teacher's perspective

Today, I came across an article about Educators 4 Excellence, a new teacher organization that will "authentically" represent the teachers' voices and concerns, unlike the established teachers unions can. One of its founders, Sydney Morris, is an educator who, according to the article, feels like

[she should] be rewarded if she can show she helps students make progress in her classroom. She also wants to make job protections such as tenure more difficult to get, and in the event that layoffs have to happen she wants the worst teachers to be let go first, no matter how long they've been teaching.

As a fellow teacher, I wholeheartedly agree with her. While I am pro-teacher union, this position definitely goes against what teachers unions advocate. Like Ms. Morris, I believe we need a professional entity that will voice and represent the needs of its members first and foremost.

These are my personal feelings...

...regarding teachers unions:

• WE NEED THEM to protect us teachers from incompetent administrators, irate parents, and any form of litigation.
• WE NEED THEM to ensure our tenure privilege
• WE NEED THEM to provide us with a professional public voice

However, teachers unions must change in the following areas:

• STOP taking teachers' misfortunes for granted; unions are not for-profits businesses
• WORK smarter for your member's needs
• LISTEN to your members; be more supportive
• GROW a backbone and stand for what's right, even at the risk of alienating political partnerships
• STOP perpetuating the stereotypes of protecting bad teachers
• ENERGIZE your membership base on EVERY critical issues regarding our profession
• STOP "sleeping with enemy"
• SOLICIT more support, don't kiss butt,  from other school stakeholders
• IMPROVE the public image of public schools and the teaching profession
• COMMUNICATE & DISSEMINATE information to your members more effectively

...regarding tenure:

• Definition -- Tenure is a form of job security for teachers who have successfully completed a probationary period. Its primary purpose is to protect competent teachers from arbitrary non renewal of contract for reasons unrelated to the educational process -- personal beliefs, personality conflicts with administrators or school board members, and the like.
• Thus, tenured teachers are guaranteed due process i.e., the opportunity for individuals to explain and defend their actions against charges of misconduct or other reasons.
• Where in the world did the public perception of teacher tenure equates in sparing bad teachers come from? Tenured teachers can be terminated for unprofessional behavior and poor job performance
• Tenure is not the problem; lack of sufficient documentation from administrators is.
• Since the current statistics states that nearly half of new teachers will leave the profession in five years, the probationary period for new teachers should be extended to 5-7 years before attaining tenured status.
• Therefore, tenure provides teachers with job protection, not job security...KNOW THE DIFFERENCE!
• As long as there are incompetent administrators in the school house, I will forever advocate for teacher tenure. It is an earned privilege, not a right!

... regarding bad teachers:

In an earlier blog entry, I stated seven characteristics of an incompetent teacher:

1. Engage in illegal activities
2. Violate the teacher-student sacred relationship
3. Hurt our students physically, verbally, and/or emotionally
4. Low our standards by publicly acting unprofessionally
5. Speak up and stand for the might, instead of for the right
6. Look the other way and remain silence when wrong is done by others
7. Show job apathy while cashing your paycheck

Nevertheless, rating a "bad teacher" can be relative to incompetent administrators. Hence, documented evidence is critical in labeling teachers as "bad" or "incompetent".

There are severe public misconceptions concerning these three areas. Teachers unions are not perfect; yet we teachers need them. Tenure protects teachers from senseless firings via due process rights. Bad teachers are defined by official documentation of unprofessional misconduct and actions, not by others' opinions.

From a teacher's perspective, I hope this piece shed a more accurate light to the public, especially after just reading the recent TIME poll findings of Americans' views on teacher tenure and teacher unions, among other things...*shrug*

Back to School Challenges

Today, President Obama gave his second annual Back-to-School speech. Read the transcript or view his speech below:

While his speech focus primarily on student responsibility and setting goals, this blog entry will focus more on the challenges teachers will face this school year. For many schools, they are probably at least on their second weeks; many schools in metro Atlanta are on their fifth week. Nevertheless, the challenges are real and may provide a potential adverse impact on student achievement if nothing is done soon. In an article published yesterday, NEA Today cited eight back-to-school challenges for teachers:

1. Overcrowding classrooms
2. Proper use of technology
3. Cyberbullying
4. The implementation and reauthorization of NCLB
5. Parental involvment
6. Teachers' salaries
7. Healthy nutrition for students
8. Funding for public schools

Regardless of the challenges teachers will face this school year, I want them to know they are still loved and appreciated. As a former teacher, I do understand your struggles and fears; yet, I commend you all for doing something I could no longer do...hang in there in spite of. Teachers, as long as you do what you are supposed to do, you will forever have my unconditional support. Courtesy of SOS Million Teacher March, cheers to you:



May God bless you all as you endure another school year while inspiring and educating our children. Indeed you all make a difference.

Profile: Author/educator Charles Sykes and HIS rules on life

A half truth is a whole lie. ~ Yiddish Proverb

For the past couple of days on Facebook, some of my friends shared and posted this note entitled Bill Gates speech: 11 rules your kids did not and will not learn in school. While I am not a fan of Bill Gates and most of his educational philosophy, I thought the list of rules were on point. So here they are...

1. Life is not fair - get used to it!
2. The world doesn't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
3. You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both
4. If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
5. Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
6. If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
7. Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
8. Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
9. Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
10. Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
11. Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

What's more interesting about this is THESE RULES WERE NOT WRITTEN BY BILL GATES. Thanks to one of the note's commentator, this website debunks the e-rumor that Bill Gates shared these rules with a group of high school students during his speech to them; in addition, I came across another website that confirms this as well. According, these rules originated from the 1996 book Dumbing Down Our Kids by educator Charles Sykes (official biography).

It is always amazing to come across books written years ago whose contents and messages are still prevalent today...must add to my book list.

Also, another book by Sykes that I may get as well is 50 Rules Kids Won't Learn in Schools.

College-bound: Putting the eggs in one basket

Only the educated are free. ~ Epictetus

Is that right?

College isn't the place to go for ideas. ~ Helen Keller

Oh really?

No one wants a good education; Everyone wants a good degree. ~ Lee Rudolph

Hmmmm...

While I am proud to be a college graduate and am thankful for the opportunity to pursue a college degree(s), the older that I have become, the more I realized that it takes more than a college degree to get ahead. Yet, we as a village, especially educators, feed into our children that college is the ONLY way to go, if you want to succeed. That is not always true. In fact, released last month, a new book entitled Launching Points profiles 50 career paths that don't require a college degree, as well as several high-prolific people who became successful without attaining a college degree.

To the village, this is your daily dosage of reality check for today:

COLLEGE ISN'T FOR EVERYONE!

Therefore, more post secondary options should be offered and pursued by students besides going to college. There is nothing wrong with learning a trade, serving in the military, following your dreams of becoming famous, or even becoming an entrepreneur. Of course, there is a risk of failure and disappointments. That's life; no one simply can avoid it. Then there is the potential of successful outcomes. You will never know unless you explore your options. We don't allow our kids to choose the path they want to pursue. This is a part of a looming problem with the college-bound mantra being fostered in K-12 schools.

• With the current unstable economic climate, as college enrollment increases, the debt accrued will increase. Thus, the more difficult it will be for college graduates to pay it off, especially since the job market is in a slump
• More incoming freshmen are required to take remedial courses, while budget cuts in remedial education is increasing
• According to one article, the current college dropout rate is approaching 50%
• According to another article, 1 in 4 (25% of ) college students will drop out during their freshmen year.

Apparently, K-12 schools are doing a poor job in preparing our students for college. Is it perhaps due to the  increasing pressure from the village and the society as a whole we place on ALL children to pursue a college education when it may not be for them? It is a times like these where the STUDENTS' voices and inputs should be considered, not dictated or coerced. As a village, we should stop placing our children's future in one egg basket; allow them to take risks in following their own dreams and ambitions, as well as supporting them in their endeavors.

In closing, I would like to quote the late Dr. Dondra West, mother of the hip-hop superstar Kanye West, as she described  her feelings in retrospect when her son dropped out of college:

It was drummed into my head that college is the ticket to a good life... but some career goals don't require college. For Kanye to make an album called College Dropout it was more about having the guts to embrace who you are, rather than following the path society has carved out for you.

My sentiments exactly! College is not the only pathway to success; the village needs to stop spreading such propaganda onto our children. College (as well as the other options mentioned earlier) can only open doors, ultimately it is up to you to go through them and make something happen.

Profile: One Nation Working Together DC March 10-2-10

For more info on One Nation Working Together (ONWT) and its upcoming march, please view its website, like its Facebook page, and/or follow it on Twitter.

I will be attending this march, because I believe in its cause to ensure every US citizen the opportunity to have access to and to pursue the American dream:

• A good job
• A safe home
• A quality education
• Human dignity
• Life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness for ALL Americans

A progressive grassroots movement, consisting of a coalition of various organizations, ONWT wants to make the voices of the people heard, without the political partisan rhetoric or the offensive overtone. People from all walks of life will be in attendance. So, if you live in the DC area or is able to travel there, please come and support the march by attending. Otherwise, sign up to stay inform on local events in your area and support ONWT.