Back to Work

Today was my first day back at work. Our morning at school started with an informal breakfast, giving us time to catch up with our colleagues who we haven't seen in a few months. I must say that Panera Bread has terrific bagels and to make them easier to eat, and to not eat too much, they even slice them up into sections. After the nice breakfast, we were treated to a torturous three-and-a-half-hour-long meeting. After lunch, for which I went to Panera (love that new seafood bisque), I finally had time to work in my classroom. I really don't feel ready for school which begins on Thursday. Fortunately only the incoming freshmen, and any other new students, will be at school that day, which we will use as an orientation day. Everyone else is supposed to show up on Friday. We'll see how well that works.

At our lengthy staff meeting this morning, we were informed that our school is a "school in need of assistance" as far as the No Child Left Behind Act is concerned. We met all of our academic goals, and at least 95% of our eleventh grade students took the math and reading portions of the Iowa Tests of Educational Development. Where we fell short was with participation in one of the subgroups assessed. That would be something such as low socioeconomic status or a subgroup defined by race. In one group of 57, only 53 students took the test, giving us a participation rate of 93% for that group. Because of that, our school is now in need of assistance. I don't believe that there are any consequences for us right now since we do not receive Title 1 funds, but it's still not a good label to have, and it is going to create extra work for the administration which now has to develop a plan to make improvements.