Stephanie Conlon's Blog

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 11,000 times in 2010. That’s about 26 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 412 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 516 posts. There were 3 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 3mb.

The busiest day of the year was March 29th with 256 views. The most popular post that day was About me.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were facebook.com, mail.yahoo.com, mail.live.com, search.aol.com, and google.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for stephanie conlon, pope john paul ii high school royersford, daniel boone school district, daniel boone school district blog, and stephanie conlon blog.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

About me March 2009
3 comments

Some Great Q and A regarding Daniel Boone School District Taxes and Teacher’s Contracts April 2010
8 comments

Tuition Rates for the New Catholic High School in Royersford – Pope John Paul II March 2010

Kindergarten: Ready or not? February 2010
1 comment

100 Best Nonfiction Books March 2010

Please check out www.Community-Buzz.com.  It’s “live” and up and running!  If you are a self-employed person, a home-based business owner or a local retail business owner, please feel free to submit your information to the business directory (it will be “approved” and “published”).  This is a free listing.  If you know of an activity or event that should be listed in the events calendar, please email info@community-buzz.com for submission.  This website will help bring the community together in one place for up-to-the minute information on what is going on!  Please share “the buzz” with friends and neighbors!

http://www.pottstownmercury.com/articles/2010/06/30/news/doc4c2bcf6f84cb3259356363.txt

Published: Wednesday, June 30, 2010

By Laura Catalano

Special to The Mercury

SOUTH COVENTRY — The Owen J. Roberts School Board unanimously approved a two-year teachers’ contract Monday that agrees to a zero percent raise to the salary scale for a two-year period.

Teachers will continue to advance on the salary scale over those two years, however 50 percent of the first year’s increase will be deferred until the second year of the contract.

A “step increase” is a built-in salary ladder that increases pay based on years of service. Typically, previous contracts have included a percentage increase on each of those steps.

A contract with no increases in the steps would mean that those who have reached the top of the scale (or the top of the ladder) would receive no increase at all.

However, the approved contract includes a one-time $500 stipend paid to teachers at the top of the salary schedule.

The agreement was ratified by the Roberts Education Association prior to the board meeting. The former contract was set to expire on June 30.

The board also approved a one-year policy change for administrative contracts that grants Act 93 employees and confidential employees a 1.5 percent base salary increase, and includes a new “professional responsibility model.”

And, a memorandum of understanding was also approved between the board and the Teamsters Local Union No. 384, allowing the district to offer those employees a lower cost, higher deductible insurance.

Neither the board nor the REA representatives wished to comment on the new agreement after it was approved at a special meeting. However, they did provide a press release following the meeting.

“The REA recognizes the need to return stability to a District that has been plagued by turmoil over the past two years. This contract agreement helps bring stability to the District. The teachers of the Owen J. Roberts School District look forward to the start of the 2010-2011 school year free from distractions,” REA chief negotiator Daryl Walmer was quoted as saying in the press release.

The contract addresses salary and healthcare issues only, according to the press release. The district agreed to increase the amount of its healthcare premium contribution by 4 percent each year of the two-year agreement. 

In addition, the contract calls for the creation of a committee to review and consider changes to department heads and extracurricular and supplemental activities. Any changes agreed upon by July 31 will be added to the contract and implemented for the 2010-11 school year.

“The Board believes the new two-year contract is reflective of the cost considerations currently facing public school districts in Pennsylvania,” the press release stated. “With an unresolved Pension Crisis being debated in Harrisburg, a tax base struggling through the prolonged economic downturn and an Act 1 index that will significantly restrict future budgets, the Board believes this new deal recognizes those issues as well as the need for labor peace heading into the next school year.”

There was little comment on the agreement during the meeting. Board member Debbie Bissland noted that she would have preferred to see standardized test scores before approving the contract, however those are not yet available from the state.

“I do think we have been fair,” she added.

Board member Barbara McMeekin thanked the teachers’ union and the negotiators for working to get the contract resolved before the former contract expired.

Board member Douglas Hughes also thanked all involved.

“It was a long process and I think people will find that the district and the REA recognized what we were up against in the last year as a community and also with the economy,” Hughes said.

Board President Debbie Eddinger was quoted in the press release as saying “I believe this contract represents a fair balance between the economic needs of our valued professional employees and the financial concerns of the school board and taxpayers in the district.”

The district also provided a statement concerning the Act 93 plan which governs compensation of about 47 administrative employees. In addition to building principals and other administrators, Act 93 employees include various supervisors and coordinators, such as the transportation supervisor and food service coordinator.

The new plan will result in a 1.5 percent increase over each Act 93 employee’s base 2009-10 salary. In addition, a section of the former Act 93 plan titled “self-insurance fund” has been removed because it is no longer permissible to categorize funds as such, according to Business Administrator Jaclin Krumrine.

Therefore, the district is adding a one-time compensation of $3,000 for each Act 93 employee, and is creating a flexible spending account which can be used toward health insurance premiums, child care and medical costs.

The new plan also removes calculations for other salary increases, according to Eddinger.

“Every job had a point value,” under the old plan, she explained. “Instead of that, we will just be taking (administrators) current salaries and increasing them by 1.5 percent.”

A press release distributed on the Act 93 plan stated that “The compensation portion of the plan reflects the financial condition of the OJRSD and as such is fiscally responsible.”

The release also points out that “a major change in the plan has to do with the inclusion of a new professional responsibility model that aspires to creating a district culture that focuses relentlessly on teaching and learning.”

It states that the plan encourages professional growth through “the use of district, school, department and individual performance feedback.” It also indicates that goals for student achievement would be set and monitored in order to measure performance.

It further calls for regular assessments as well as monthly meet-and-discuss sessions between the district and Act 93 group representatives.

Published: Tuesday, June 22, 2010  By Mark D. Marotta, Special to The Mercury

HARRISBURG — Seventeen members of the Spring-Ford Area School District community traveled to Harrisburg Monday morning to hear Gov. Ed Rendell, U.S. Sen. Robert Casey and others, including their own school board President Joe Ciresi, speak in favor of increased funding for public education.

“Very rarely do we ever have the chance to be heard at the state level,” Superintendent Marsha Hurda said, as a school bus with parents, school board members, district staff and students prepared to pull out of the parking lot of the Upper Providence Elementary School at about 8:50 a.m.

One of the rally-goers, Diana DiBello, a Limerick Township mother of two children going into eighth and ninth grades, explained that she was attending because she thought “the education of our children is very important, and I think that the funding that the school district gets is critical to continue the programs that’ll keep our children competitive.”

She added she hoped that the governor would understand the impact of the current financial impact on the school districts.

Arriving at the state Capitol building a little less than two hours later, the rally-goers headed to the nearby Pine Street Presbyterian Church, where a table was stacked with signs with messages such as “Support Public Education” and “No more cuts for our kids.”

Held in the Capitol Rotunda at 11:30 a.m., the rally had been organized by the Pennsylvania School Funding Campaign, a coalition of more than 30 groups working together for improvements in the state’s educational funding system.

Ron Cowell, president of The Education Policy and Leadership Center, explained that the campaign supported a $354 million increase in state support for basic education contained in Rendell’s proposed budget for 2010-11.

According to Cowell, Pennsylvania has one of the worst school funding systems in the country. For instance, he said, in 2007, the state was below the national average in terms of the amount of dollars directed to education from kindergarten through 12th grade. Because of its dependence on local revenue sources, Pennsylvania has one of the most unequal school funding systems in the country, Cowell said. He added that many districts were considering budget cuts because of the financial bind they were in.

In his remarks, Ciresi said that in an effort to balance its budget, the Spring-Ford district had eliminated programs in elementary mathematics support and library services, while programs in art and music had also been altered. Among the financial burdens facing the district, he cited a projected increase in contributions to the Pennsylvania School Employees Retirement System, which will grow from $2.3 million in 2010-11 to $9.3 million in 2012-13.

“Because of the ever-increasing costs that are not directly related to the much needed materials, books, and technology, our children will ultimately suffer in the end,” Ciresi said.

Under Rendell’s budget, he added, Spring-Ford would receive an additional $600,000 over what the district had originally anticipated.

Other speakers at the rally expressed similar sentiments. Marian Rucci, a parent from the Upper Darby School District, in Delaware County, said equity in education was the key to future economic success.

“It is essential that the Senate support this budget bill,” she added. Without passage of the budget, Rucci said, school funding will be cut, which will affect the quality and equality of education for every student.

Susan Berrier, a parent from the Chambersburg Area School District, in Franklin County, said there had been staffing cuts over the past two years, and library services had been cut at the junior and senior high school levels.

“We anticipate larger class sizes,” she added. Berrier also said building plans had been put on hold, as the district had depleted its fund balance over the past two years.

Kris Newbern, a parent in Carbon County’s Jim Thorpe Area School District and the advocacy chair of the Pennsylvania PTA, said school districts had had to make difficult decisions about cutbacks.

“All these cuts have a direct, negative effect” on children, she added. Newbern said districts and children were relying on the state to come through with adequate funding for education.

Noting that 584,000 people were still out of work in Pennsylvania, Casey said it was important to “make the right decisions now” in order to provide for a better future.

“We’ve got to keep our educators working,” he added. It would not only mean that teachers’ jobs were preserved, but also that children would receive the education they need to succeed in the future.

“School districts have been pounded this year,” Rendell said. For instance, he pointed out that the Daniel Boone School District in Berks County had cut staff and was considering rolling back its full-day kindergarten program, while the Penn Hills district, near Pittsburgh, had furloughed nearly 50 teachers.

“And the beat goes on and on and on,” Rendell said.

He added that taxes on natural gas extractions from the Marcellus Shale formation, as well as on the sale of cigars and smokeless tobacco, and the elimination of a 1 percent discount on timely remittance of sales taxes, as well as a 10-cent per pack tax on cigarettes, would generate almost all the money for the proposed $354 million boost in the basic education subsidy.

“It isn’t hard,” said Rendell.

Spring-Ford board member Bernard Pettit asked if the taxes that Rendell mentioned could be dedicated specifically for education.

“It’s a good idea,” Rendell replied. “There’s no legislative appetite to do that.”

In response to a question from Spring-Ford board Vice President Thomas DiBello about the amount of state education funding allocated to Philadelphia, as opposed to Montgomery County, Rendell said that the funding formula established by the Legislature took factors such as poverty levels and the numbers of children for whom English is a second language into consideration. He added that, under the funding formula, Spring-Ford would receive a 252 percent increase over what it would have received otherwise.

Giving an assessment of the rally afterward, Ciresi said he thought it accomplished something.

“They asked us to come, and we gave our side of the case,” he said.

http://www.pottstownmercury.com/articles/2010/06/22/news/srv0000008612235.txt

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foleman wrote on Jun 22, 2010 9:29 AM: ” Can these dolts see that the continued funding of the Public Education system is simply not economically feasible? Spring Ford has a 120 million dollar budget! Guess what, almost all of that money goes to teachers salaries and pensions and it goes up every single year! 105K for a football coach! Why didn’t Ciresi mention that? Soon, for many, your school tax bill will be more than your mortgage, Seniors will have a bill that they simply cannot afford to pay! Teachers unions are bankrupting several states-look at Cal-NY-NJ. Chris Christie cuts 850 million from the bloated education budget in NJ and The teachers unions attached him at every turn. 3.5 Billion dollars for education in Philly for a 55% graduate rate, the single largest waste of money in the State. Tax education credits, vouchers, try anything but the current system, we simply cannot afford it and its going to get worse! “
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Target wrote on Jun 22, 2010 9:54 AM: ” Pure theater. Fast Eddie used the rally to try and get his swollen budget passed but he’s a lame duck. The legislators are in control and they know the NOV elections are not far away. Be careful, legislators.

What brought Casey to this silly rally? Sestak, Specter, and Toomey were smart enough to stay away, right?

I wonder who will hire Rendell when his term is up. Maybe, PSEA. Well no, Obama probably has a job waiting for him in DC. “
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Sportsman wrote on Jun 22, 2010 10:15 AM: ” Once again (Foleman, in this instance), another topic of discussion that includes Spring-Ford School District makes reference to the new football coach. Mr. Brubaker was hired as a teacher and the new football coach, and his salary – unless Spring-Ford and every other school district has changed their hiring process – is based on his education/years teaching.

Mr. Brubaker’s teaching salary is very similar to everyone else’s with his credentials (as in education and years teaching), and his coaching salary is in-line with a lot of head football coaches in this immediate area as well as around the state.

Once again, it sure sounds like a few educators (not at Spring-Ford) envy what he makes. I personally envy his commitment to education. It sure sounds like a head football coach or two (definitely not at Spring-Ford) are envious of his coaching salary, which isn’t high at all for a school the size of Spring-Ford or any other school in the Pioneer Athletic Conference for that matter.

People were all over Spring-Ford administration to get rid of Gary Rhodenbaugh, a true gentleman who was not rehired as the head football coach. The administration gets a very, very, very qualified coach in Mr. Brubaker, and one who seems committed to turning the football program around. Now all some of those people want to whine about is his “combined salary.”

Why don’t you go earn a couple of degrees, put your time in as an assistant for a dozen years in a high-profile and very successful football program, and maybe you can make big money too.

Whine, whine, whine … if the Spring-Ford taxpayers and football experts whines could be measured in yards and points the team would never lose a game. “
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thetruth2316 wrote on Jun 22, 2010 10:56 AM: ” Joe Ciresi and Tom DiBello went to Harrisburg in the morning, then returned the same evening and raised my taxes at the school board meeting. Good job guys after you promised us no tax increase when you were campaigning last year. You laid off teachers then hired them back at same salary. What is this voodoo economics? It would be nice if the Mercury reporter would actually report what happened at the School Board meeting. “
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badabing wrote on Jun 22, 2010 11:18 AM: ” @Target: Senator Mumbles was there because the teacher union says “jump” and Junior asks “how high?”.

Junior gets a boatload of money from them, so he is at their beck and call. “
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harmonyville hill wrote on Jun 22, 2010 11:41 AM: ” ‘No more cuts for our kids’ !!!! The kids in public schools today have it better than anyone who went before them. The teacher’s union is not concerned about cuts for the kids but they don’t want to see any cuts for them. Thankfully Rendell is on his way out after all these years of sending this state in a downward spiral. He’s the worst gov we ever had! “
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Raymond wrote on Jun 22, 2010 12:46 PM: ” The teacher’s union is killing the taxpayer….Remember how the steelworkers unions priced the steelworkers out of jobs. The NEA will price the taxpayers out of their homes and who will be left to pay? Now wait….The Government to the rescue, how about ANOTHER bail-out? Wait another moment, who pays for the bail-outs…that’s right, the taxpayers! November elections are critical…Let’s have a tea party and invite those “for the people!” “
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Fasteddie2 wrote on Jun 22, 2010 2:22 PM: ” Why don’t they have a rally to help senior making $1200 a month on social security who has not had a child in the district in 40 years! against the crooks in the teachers union taking $500 a month from them for nothing! Would fast Eddie attend that one? “
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dibello wrote on Jun 22, 2010 2:26 PM: ” Few points of clarification, I never promised not to raise taxes. I stated I would do what I can to reduce spending which with this budget we reduced spending by over $4 million. The tax increase is directly related to pensions, contracted salary increases, and debt service which is over 1/4 billion. The savings is attributed to reduction of programs, switching to self funded insurance and other cuts. For the past several years the district has seen an average 4% tax increase. I think being able to cut that in half during this recession was a good starting point. As informational most of the increase is for the $9 million we will need to contribute to the pension in 2012/2013.
We went to Harrisburg to fight for our district and try to get additional funds instead of watching it go to other districts. Not sure why some would few that as a bad thing. I agree the system is broken and it needs to change but people can’t even agree where to start.
Teachers filling long term sub position are required when a full time teacher takes a leave of absence. We are pleased that we are able to still utilized teachers furloughed due to program cuts.
The teaching salary for the football coach is solely based, as spelled out in the current contract, on his education, experience and years of service. You can’t complain about a football program and then complain about bringing an experienced educator and football coach into the program.
As far as Gary being the previous coach in my eyes he was a solid educator who cared and continues to care not only about his players but all students he interacts with on a daily bases. Reading these and other comments over the past few weeks have been very enlightening; I wish people would come to the board meetings to discuss. I think it would be beneficial for the district and community at large. If you aren’t able to attend the meetings I would be more than happy to discuss any issue related to the district. Please contact me anytime. “
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badabing wrote on Jun 22, 2010 4:00 PM: ” Fighting for funds to go to your district “instead of watching it go to other districts” is one thing.

But this rally was for Rendell’s budget, and for an addtional $354 million in spending – in a state budget where 42% of the entire budget already goes to education spending.

I guess the Government-Education Complex won’t be happy until they get all of it… “
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Bruce Bailey wrote on Jun 22, 2010 4:09 PM: ” Thanks and congrats to the board members and residents who made the trip. As a Spring-Ford taxpayer and parent of a 2010 SF grad, I’m proud of this district and the job that it does. We’re fortunate to have such dedicated faculty, administrators, staff and board members working to help our kids succeed.

I hate to hear people make the argument that “I haven’t had kids in these schools for XX years.” If you’re a member of the community, they are ALL your kids. “
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bigbarney wrote on Jun 22, 2010 5:07 PM: ” The simple reality is that public sector employees and politicians from both parties – most notably Tom Ridge and Ed Rendell – have painted themselves into a corner. By every study that I have seen from The Bureau of Labor Statistics to The Employee Benefit Research Institute, public sector compensation is out of phase with private sector compensation by about 40%. The root causes have typically been overly generous compensation awards and overly optimistic expectations regarding returns on pension funds.
In Europe, where I have worked, there is competition for the education dollars between public schools and private institutions. The net result is that kids are educated at about half the cost here and they score higher on standardized tests. One of the fringe benefits of competition is that it weeds the poor performers out of the teaching profession.
In the near term, one obvious cost containment option would be to graduate kids in three years of high school versus four by extending school years through the summer. It is quite common to read about athletes matriculating at their universities in what would have been the spring semesters of their senior years. So, it is doable. Compensation levels for district employees would remain constant and teachers could prove that they truly have the kids interests at heart. Unfortunately and despite protests to the contrary, right now it is all about the money. “
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badabing wrote on Jun 22, 2010 5:16 PM: ” They are ALL our kids, but that doesn’t mean they get ALL our money… “
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Fasteddie2 wrote on Jun 22, 2010 6:13 PM: ” Dear Bruce Bailey,

If “they are all our kids” them tell them to get off the x box and get over here and cut my grass!

It’s your liberal gibberish that is wrecking this country. If I decide to have 1 child and you have 10, why should I pay the same in property tax! You decided to have more now pay up!

Your logic is like me expecting you to pay for gas if I drive a truck and you drive a Prius!

The system stinks the teachers our overpaid and the schools are a big waste of money! Kids learn better in a shack in India then they do in your palaces, But then again they don’t play X box there! “
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jimmyboy wrote on Jun 22, 2010 8:00 PM: ” To “Fasteddie2″, I don’t know who you are but you took the words right out of my mouth with your last post. Keep after them with your comments. They are the truth and they don’t like it so they attack you. Great posts. “

Originally Published: 6/8/2010

About 300 seniors graduated from Daniel Boone High School during ceremonies Monday night in the Sovereign Center.

The valedictorian was Joel Kutz, son of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Kutz, Douglassville. The salutatorian was Jonathan Thompson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Blake Thompson, Douglassville.

Other speakers were Dr. Gary L. Otto, superintendent; William McIlmoyle, high school principal; and Kevin F. McCullough, school board president.
http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=225673

By Maia Szalavitz Monday, May. 24, 2010
At a public school in Toronto, 25 third- and fourth-graders circle a green blanket and focus intently on a 10-month-old baby with serious brown eyes. Baby Stephana, as they call her, crawls toward the center of the blanket, then turns to glance at her mother. “When she looks back to her mom, we know she’s checking in to see if everything’s cool,” explains one boy, who is learning how to understand and respond to the emotions of the baby — and to those of his classmates — in a program called Roots of Empathy (ROE).

After the recent bullying-related suicide of a 15-year-old in Massachusetts, parents and educators around North America are wondering: Could her death have been prevented? What can schools do to stop the taunting that takes place on and off campus? And most important, can positive qualities like empathy and kindness be taught? In December, the Campbell Collaboration, an international research network, published an examination of decades of data from the bewildering array of school antibullying programs (with names like Expect Respect, Youth Matters and S.S.GRIN) and found that the ones that work best have many different elements — including engaging and training parents — and last the longest, sometimes for years.
(See pictures of a diverse group of American teens.)

One of the most promising antibullying programs, ROE (along with its sister program, Seeds of Empathy) starts as early as preschool and brings a loving parent and a baby to classrooms to help children learn to understand the perspective of others. The nonprofit program is based in part on social neuroscience, a field that has exploded in the past 10 years, with hundreds of new findings on how our brains are built to care, compete and cooperate. Once a month, students watch the same mom and baby interact on the blanket. Special ROE instructors also hold related classes and discussions before and after these visits throughout the course of the school year.

“We love when we get a colicky baby,” says founder Mary Gordon. Then the mother will usually tell the class how frustrating and annoying it is when she can’t figure out what to do to get the baby to stop crying. That gives children insight into the parent’s perspective — and into how children’s behavior can affect adults, often something they have never thought about.
(See pictures of a public boarding school in Washington, D.C.)

When Baby Stephana cries, an ROE instructor helps students consider what might be bothering her. They are taught that a crying baby isn’t a bad baby but a baby with a problem. By trying to figure out how to help, they learn to see the world through the infant’s eyes and understand what it is like to have needs but no ability to express them clearly.
(See what can be done about bullying in school.)

Founded in 1996 in Canada, ROE has taught 315,000 children in four countries. It reached 50,000 children in some 2,000 classrooms this academic year. To date, nine independent studies have shown that ROE schools experience “reduced aggression” and “increased prosocial behavior” among students. (ROE’s use of these terms is probably the reason it was not evaluated in the Campbell study, which used a keyword search for studies on “bullying.”) In the U.S., where momentum is starting to build for a congressional bill that would create federal grants for social and emotional learning in elementary and secondary schools, ROE is currently used in 40 schools, and Seeds of Empathy is in three Head Start centers in Seattle, with expansion planned next year.

“When kids are able to watch an interaction that’s empathic, empathy isn’t just being taught; it’s being demonstrated,” says Dr. Daniel Siegel, a clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA. ROE is unique, he notes, because it “combines the direct observation of babies and their mothers, weekly time devoted to talking about the internal world of mind and watching a baby grow up over time.” Among the program’s many big-name fans: the Dalai Lama, who has twice appeared publicly with Gordon and thinks ROE can help spur world peace.

Although human nature has historically been seen as fundamentally selfish, social neuroscience suggests otherwise. Researchers are finding that empathy is innate in most humans, as well as in some other species. Chimps, for instance, will protest unfair treatment of others, refusing to accept a treat they have rightfully earned if another chimp doing the same work fails to get the same reward.
(See the top 10 scientific discoveries of 2009.)

The first stirrings of human empathy typically appear in babyhood: newborns cry upon hearing another infant’s cry, and studies have shown that children as young as 14 months offer unsolicited help to adults who appear to be struggling to reach something. Babies also show a distinct preference for adults who help rather than hinder others.

But like language acquisition, the inherent capacity to empathize can be profoundly affected by early experience. The first five years of life are now known to be a critical time for emotional as well as linguistic development. Although children can be astonishingly resilient, studies show that those who experience early abuse or neglect are at much greater risk of becoming aggressive or even psychopathic, bullying other children or being bullied themselves.

That helps explain why simply punishing bullies doesn’t work. Most already know what it’s like to be victimized. Instead of identifying with the victims, some kids learn to use violence to express anger or assert power.
(See pictures of the college dorm’s evolution.)

After a child has hurt someone, “we always think we should start with ‘How do you think so-and-so felt?’” Gordon says. “But you will be more successful if you start with ‘You must have felt very upset.’” The trick, she says, is to “help children describe how they felt, so that the next time this happens, they’ve got language. Now they can say, ‘I’m feeling like I did when I bit Johnny.’”

When children are able to understand their own feelings, they are closer to being able to understand that Johnny was also hurt and upset by being bitten. Empathy is based on our ability to mirror others’ emotions, and ROE helps children recognize and describe what they’re seeing.

Observing infants is simple and effective. Their helplessness and cuteness evoke a powerful protective response — quite different from what happens when bullies sense vulnerability. “Babies are exquisite teachers of empathy because they are theaters of emotion,” says Gordon. “They don’t hide anything.” If only adolescents were so easy to read.

Szalavitz is a co-author of Born for Love: Why Empathy Is Essential — and Endangered (Morrow, 2010)

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1989122-2,00.html#ixzz0oJuAA6Nh

My comment:  I’d like to give a “shout out” to my favorite teacher, Ms. Gilliland (now Mrs. Pollock), my high school English Lit teacher.  Ms. Gilliland was a true free-spirit and had a passion for teaching her students about literature and about life.  She once wore the same (but clean) denim jumper to school every day of the school year to demonstrate to the kids (the high school girls were targeted for this message, I assume!) that it doesn’t matter what you wear and what you look like, but who you are in the inside is what matters most. 

She also told us many times to look around the classroom, at the students we were in school with – in many instances, since kindergarten – and realize we will never be as close to this many people, and know so much about these people we had spent years growing up with, ever again.  And you know, she was right.  I can still tell you something about just about everyone in my graduating class. 

By John Norton

This group contribution from the Teacher Leaders Network is inspired by California’s Day of the Teacher, which falls on May 12, and a timely blog post titled “Thank You Notes” by 2010 National Teacher of the Year finalist Kelly Kovacic, who wrote in part:

One of my advisory students, a young woman I had as a student for seven years, recently sent me a two-page letter. She attached a short note to the letter explaining that after all the letters of recommendation I wrote for her she wanted to write one for me because “you can never have too many letters of recommendation.”

Kovacic went on to offer a few spontaneous letters of recommendation of her own, and TLN members have followed suit. Here are several of their posts from the TLN daily discussion group, where we’ve decided to declare California’s Day of the Teacher a National Day of Recognition.

It is my pleasure to recommend Mrs. Dorothy Grenell, teacher of English for 40 years at East Side High School in Cleveland, Mississippi. I was actually hired to replace her when she retired 20 years ago. The principal insisted that she conduct the interviews for her replacement. Mine was a delightful, 45-minute conversation in late April with her about teaching, the East Side school community, and children—I was a mother of four when I started teaching. When the principal reappeared at the door, he didn’t even acknowledge me, but looked directly at Mrs. Grenell and asked, “What do you think?” Mrs. Grenell graciously answered, “I think she’ll do well.”

But her graciousness did not end there. In August as I was moving into her empty room and wondering where to begin, I heard a knock at the door. It was her husband, with a dolly and several boxes. Mrs. Grenell had saved and sent me many of her books, classroom materials, lessons, and other items to help me start my new career. She also served as my informal mentor during that first year and for the many years since. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to repay her for her recommendation and her confidence in me.

Colorado educator Marjorie Larner is a teaching coach, a leader of the Colorado Critical Friends Group, and author of Pathways: Charting a Course for Professional Learning.

I am writing a recommendation for Dr. Dan Lutz, the principal of Denver Center for International Studies, a 6-12 urban public school. In these times of spin and doublespeak, Dan provides a haven of unerring integrity, honesty, clarity, and consistency, undergirded by a belief in preparing our students for service in a world community. Even with the stress and overwork associated with a new small, school no teacher has chosen to leave this campus in its four years, except for one young man who left to get his doctorate. With a faculty of highly qualified strong-minded individuals, we maintain our sense of community through conflicts, ambitious plans, budget cuts, and directives with Dan’s example of unwavering regard for the potential contribution of every human being. When the political and financial landscape or all that still needs to be done leads me to despair, I am especially thankful to work for someone who cares so much and who can always remind me of our deeper purpose—opening up every opportunity in the world for the students at DCIS.

Shannon C’de Baca teaches high school chemistry and forensic science for the public virtual network Iowa Learning Online. She is a 30-year veteran and Milken Award winner.

The person who jumps into my mind is Emily Vickery, the 21st century learning specialist at a north Florida high school. I follow Emily on Twitter (tons of great technology ideas) and through TLN, where she is a fellow member. Emily is a trailblazer who fearlessly embraced technology when others were holding back. She keeps up with an amazing sphere of innovations and research. It is, however, her grasp of what should change and what should stay the same in education that puts her ahead of most innovators. She is the first person I go to when I have a question about technology and teaching because she has a rich and deep understanding of both.

Bob Williams teaches high school mathematics in Alaska, where he was the 2009 state Teacher of the Year. He recently received an excellence in teaching award from the National Education Association.

Calculus consumed my life the first year I taught AP calculus. I was terrified of making mistakes in instruction, homework load, and in the level of difficulty of assessments. Isolation is common for calculus teachers since many schools only have one section of calculus each year. Chuck Strauss is a phenomenal Anchorage calculus teacher 50 miles from where I teach. I timidly asked him for guidance and he openly shared assignments, resources, and assessments. He welcomed me to observe his classes. On more than one occasion rescued me from deep despair as I tried to understand and explain a complex problem. His openness, transparency, and sharing gave me the confidence to challenge my students to work at much higher levels than if I had been teaching in isolation. I own all of my own failures; however, my successes are shared because I would not be the effective, competent teacher that I am today without the assistance and mentoring of Chuck Strauss.

Literacy coach and new-teacher mentor Cindi Rigsbee is the 2009 North Carolina Teacher of the Year and author of Finding Mrs. Warnecke, a book about the teacher who helped shape Rigsbee’s early life.

I have had the honor recently to write graduate school recommendations for several beginning teachers who are in their first three years in the classroom. Although I could list many veteran teachers I’ve had through the years who are deserving of such praise, some of our colleagues who are new to the profession are deserving of praise, too. I was so excited to write a letter for Jenny, my mentee. Here’s an excerpt:

“Last year I served as Jenny’s mentor while she was a first year teacher. I can truly say that she would have survived very well without me. She came to teaching prepared for all of the nuances—from classroom management to curriculum design to leadership; Jenny presented herself as an experienced teacher, much more capable than her teaching years would suggest.

Currently, Jenny serves as the grade level chair, a job that usually is held by someone with more experience. It is apparent to our administrators that she has the leadership ability and organizational skills that it takes to carry out those important duties. Meanwhile, Jenny is the cheerleading coach, a job she does with passion and excitement. Jenny’s cheerful personality and strong work ethic have made her an asset to the community of the school.”

Writing recommendations for those beginning to teach strengthens our profession as we support their efforts to grow and learn more about what’s best for kids.

Kathie Marshall is a middle grades literacy teacher and coach in inner-city Los Angeles. She writes frequently about teaching policy and practice for Teacher and other publications.

My letter of recommendation goes to Ms. Xochitl Cortez, who has been a sixth grade teacher at my middle school for the past seven years. To all who enter her room and have the privilege of observing her in action, Xochitl is a phenomenal teacher. Even the NCLB team who visited our campus for three days commented: “Oh, you have a lot of great teachers here, but Xochitl Cortez—she’s fantastic!” She is both creative and tireless in her efforts, and her instruction is seamless. She moves easily from English to history to science to math: a true multi-subjects teacher. As a favor to her literacy coach at the time (me) she even “volunteered” to teach our two-hour reading intervention course for several years. Each child whose life she touches is better for having known her. She connects deeply with her Latino students and knows just how to draw from their language and experiences to support their learning and develop their confidence. She is stellar among the hundreds of teachers I have known in nearly four decades as a teacher. I highly recommend her for any position anywhere; she is a shining star.

Sadly, Xochitl Cortez is leaving our school at the end of this school year, a victim of deep budget cuts. She is irreplaceable, and the loss of her talents is heart-wrenching.

Before becoming the 8th grade English teacher at San Diego Cooperative Charter School, Ellen McClurg Berg taught in inner-city St. Louis, Missouri. She writes regularly for the TeachersCount group blog.

Dear Mrs. Shew: You probably don’t remember me, but I was a very shy, very quiet kindergartener in your class in 1974. I want to tell you that you changed my life and set me on the path to becoming a teacher. No other teacher in my K-12 experience held quite the same magic or power that you did. I am a teacher because of you.

I remember the day the gingerbread man we made disappeared from the cafeteria while he was baking. We walked all over the school searching for him. We ended up in the principal’s office, all 20-something of us crowded into his room, where we discovered the gingerbread man hiding! We found out that the principal was a really nice guy. We took the gingerbread man back to our classroom and ate him.

I remember playing instruments, shaking buttermilk until it became butter, story time, and the super cool little kitchen we could play with. Most of all I remember how safe I felt in your classroom. It was a place where nothing bad could happen to me, where learning was fun, and where the 5th graders couldn’t sing “Kindergarten babies” to us like they did when I walked to school.

You worked with kids at the beginning, and I just want you to know you made a huge difference in my life. You are the gold standard of teachers, the teacher I strive to be every single day. Thank you for being the teacher you were.

P.S. Thank you also for reprimanding Sarah for pinching me.

Who would you send a letter of recommendation to?

John Norton is the co-founder and moderator of the Teacher Leaders Network. Read more of our “teacher letters of recommendation

Originally Published: 4/30/2010

The Lauer’s Park Elementary School fifth-grader was one of 14 students to attend the unveiling of a special project – a woven piece of artwork that Felix and his classmates created for display in the Berks County Community Foundation building.

“I like to think that it’s one of my first achieved goals,” Felix, 11, said of the project.

Boyertown High Performing Schools

Originally Published: 4/16/2010

By Ron Devlin Reading Eagle

The Associated Press It may be some time, if ever, before Oley Valley High School issues laptops to its students. But two key school board committees that could influence the decision – curriculum and technology – raised the issue at a recent joint meeting. Technology committee Chairman Carl J. Kubitz Jr. emphasized that no action was taken by the committees, nor has Oley Valley undertaken a detailed study of the cost and impact of issuing laptops. For the complete article, please go to:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=213179 Contact Ron Devlin: 610-371-5030 or rdevlin@readingeagle.com.