The VIVA Project

This is SHAMEFUL Chicago, Detroit, Boston. When are all our public officials going to stop playing games with students and teachers. What do you think teachers can do to show the investment isn't just needed, it's deserved? http://www.freep.com/story/news/education/2016/03/09/dps-rhodes/81528678/

Detroit schools can't pay staff after April 8, lawmakers told Transition manager Steven Rhodes again urged lawmakers to act soon to pass reform legislation.

What can educators do to put their best professional foot forward? What happens when public policy is made against the worst instead of for the best http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-vergara-tenure-battle-20160225-story.html

Judges weigh arguments over teacher vs. student rights in landmark tenure lawsuit An overflow crowd at a Los Angeles appeals courtroom listened attentively Thursday to the latest round in an ongoing argument about the intersection of students’ rights and teachers’ rights.

REALLY? Do you agree that we don't know how to educate poor kids? Isn't it more that we don't invest adequately in doing what we know? http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/stop-humiliating-teachers?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=

Stop Humiliating Teachers - The New Yorker The U.S. has a tendency, when there’s an economic or social crisis, to affix unfair blame on public-school teachers.

Do you wish you wrote this piece? In a world where "PD" was banned, what would you call it? How would you do it? http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/edtechresearcher/2016/02/no-more-professional-development.html?cmp=soc-edit-tw

No More "Professional Development"! Time for a New Jargon To truly support teachers in their efforts to improve student learning, maybe we need to stop doing professional development.

If "hiring of new teachers will continue to trail the production of new teachers." What do we do about "spot shortages" http://www.caldercenter.org/missing-elements-discussion-teacher-shortages?utm_content=bufferba088&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer =lvy8BW

Missing Elements in the Discussion of Teacher Shortages | CALDER

ME, MA, VT, CT, NY, & RI Friends, Neighbors & supporters of New Hampshire educators, please share this link and help add new educator voices http://vivanea-nh.mysocialsphere.com This goes for everyone else too! Let your NH friends know.

vivanea-nh.mysocialsphere.com

Are you an introvert? Does that REALLY mean you can't succeed as a teacher? http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/01/why-introverted-teachers-are-burning-out/425151/

Teaching: Not for Introverts Educators are feeling drained by the insistent emphasis on collaboration and “social learning” in America’s classrooms—and that’s taking a toll on kids’ learning.

The headline says" Study Calls into Question the Effectiveness & Fairness of Teacher Observation in Evaluation" VIVA network teachers have been pretty firm about training observers, multiple observations and the use of observations for both evaluation and professional growth. Does this research change your mind?http://scholar.gse.upenn.edu/steinberg/files/steinberg_examiningteachereffectiveness.pdf

scholar.gse.upenn.edu

Hi VIVA friends Does this ring true to those of you in Ohio? How does it compare to other states, you non-Ohios? https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/07/14/teacher-ive-loved-my-very-difficult-job-but-now-ohio-has-made-it-impossible/

Teacher: I’ve loved my ‘very difficult’ job. But now Ohio has made it ‘impossible.’

As we always say, "Talk to a Teacher" A blog post for the end of week 1, 2016. http://vivateachers.org

The VIVA Project | Strengthening Education Policy Through Teacher Insight

Be careful what you wish for? How would you define & measure "Much Greater" "Consistently underperforming" and "Substantial" Unhttp://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2015/12/everyone_agrees_that_the_brand.html

How Far Should the Education Department Go in Regulating on ESSA?

WOW. What if the wonks actually asked teachers to participate in this design contest! Let's GO FOR IT The VIVA Project Teacher Network! Sign up on our website if you want to participate http://edexcellence.net/articles/accountability-under-essa-announcing-a-design-competition

Accountability under ESSA: Announcing a design competition | The Thomas B. Fordham Institute

Thank you President Obama for the leaderships on reducing violence. And, thank you teachers in America for your daily work at the front line of the scourge of violence, your vision for a real, permanent solution and the bravery to agree to disagree on the role of gunshttp://vivateachers.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/VIVANEA_IE_final_web.pdf

vivateachers.org

Doing the Testing Dance: PAARC, SmarterBalance, ACT, SAT, "MAAARC"...states are playing & paying to shift tests. What test does your state use? How long has it been since the last switch? If you ruled the world, what single, statewide, all-in assessment would you use? Why?

Nebraska teachers: There's a new kid on the block & we're excited to meet with them and bring teachers' voices to their work. http://ow.ly/WBcXI Let us know if you are interested in learning more

New Nebraska nonprofit will weigh in on state education issues, promote... The group's director says the organization aims to offer ideas on all K-12 matters, including Nebraska's new school accountability system.