Postcards from Seattle

Greetings from the NAESP Convention in sunny (and slightly soggy) Seattle!

The thousands of elementary and middle level principals who flocked to this event have been treated to some amazing speakers and presenters thus far.

Yesterday, I had the chance to cover Dr. Thomasina Piercy's session on her book, Compelling Conversations, whch harnesses the power of one-on-one conversations between principals and teachers to help ensure all students reach their learning goals. An elementary principal in Baltimore, Piercy's multi-media presentation seemed to resonate with attendees.

NAESP always finds powerful keynoters, and this year is no different. I've been chewing on the remarks of authors and educators Jonathan Kozol and Erin Gruwell. Kozol is a well-known speaker on issues of education, poverty and race; Gruwell is inspiration for the The Freedom Writers project. Personally, I was moved more by Gruewell's speech (and her delivery) and will probably blog about that more later. Some of the more poignant comments from both:

• "I think aesthetics count-- a lot. It's one of the sharpest ways we draw the line of race and class in America." - Kozol
• "In America, because of archaic financing, the little ones we love come into school with a price tag already printed on their foreheads." - Kozol
• "If you teach one, they will teach another." - Gruwell
• "Every single day, these little kids are going to walk into your school and it's up to you tell your teachers to teach those kids, because every kid can and will make it, but it's up to us to be the unsung heroes and simply do the right thing..." - Gruwell
  

I met Gruwell (photo) briefly during a book signing following her presentation, and she was as genuine, bright and engaging in person. Can't wait to start reading her book.

Networking is also an important part of any conference or convention. Had a great lunch today at the Cheesecake Factory with four very hip, tech-savvy principals about blogging and how it has revolutionized their work. More on that later, too...Now off to dinner!

Kid Pan Alley Tunes

For those who thought imagination and play in the classroom are endangered species: take note.

Tennessee singer/songwriter Paul Reisler (not to be confused with Paul Reiser from TV's "Mad About You") is helping students from ages 6 to 10 create write their own songs. In an interview this week with NPR, Reisler talks about the joy he finds in helping children craft songs.

"The great thing about writing with kids is, it's not edited before it comes out of their mouth," Reisler tells NPR's Renee Montagne.

The result? Snappy little tunes like "The Rainforest" and "Cartoons," both inspired by subject matter close to kids' hearts. Although a folk singer by trade, Reisler helps children explore a variety of musical stylings and genres.

The result of his seven-year journey across America is a CD, Kid Pan Alley. You can buy the CD on the Kid Pan Alley Web site, order curriculum guide for teachers, or make a donation to Reisler's program. To date, he's helped create 600 songs with more than 12,000 children!

With all the musical talent in our great state, there just has to be a program like this somewhere in Washington. Do you know of any?

Also, starting tomorrow, I, along with about 230 elementary and middle level administrators from around the state will be in Seattle for the NAESP Convention. I'll try to do a little blogging from the Convention Center to share some of what I'm learning during my stay in Seattle. It's shaping up to be a great convention.

Forget March Madness...

Try Math Madness instead.

From the halls of Olympia to the daily newspaper on your computer or doorstep each morning, the headlines have all focused on math; today was no different.

What should 10th-graders know and be able to do on a test that counts for graduation two years later? What's the best way to test their knowledge? Is multiple choice really better? Fairer? And what if we 're still debating this five years from now? Then what? Legislators have until April 22 -- sine die -- to figure it all out. (Truth be told: AWSP has concerns about the rush to use any kind of test, be it the WASL or an off-the-shelf, multiple choice version.)

This is one time a study might be just the ticket.

On a lighter-but-still-math-related note: A belated Happy Pi Day, which took place on March 14 (3.14, of course). This high holy math day also coincided with Albert Einstein's birthday. A match made in mathematics heaven! No word yet on whether Hallmark has a card for this occasion...

A Nation at Risk?

Here's a thought: What if "A Nation at Risk" was wrong?

That's the premise behind an article in this month's issue of Edutopia (my new favorite education magazine). Author Tamim Ansary suggests that much of this landmark report was actually "misquoted, misinterpreted and often dead wrong." He goes on to track the origins of this Reagan-era document, suggesting that Cold War rhetoric and the need for better support from women voters led to the creation of what could arguably be the origins of the WASL and NCLB.

While Ansary does his homework to support his hypothesis, it left me wondering where we 'd be without "A Nation at Risk"? Would something else have come along to incite a similar reform in the K-12 world? With many subgroups of children still in need of remediation and support, it's tough to argue that we didn't need a catalyst for reform. Whether this was the right catalyst is another matter.

What do you think?

Five Minutes on NCLB with U.S. Senator Patty Murray

Just received an e-mail from U.S. Senator Patty Murray's office regarding an exchange she had last week with Education Secretary Margaret Spellings about NCLB.

Apparently she had five minutes to question Secretary Spellings about Pres. Bush's plan for NCLB, and made the most of it, to wit:

Q: How Do You Explain that To Educators Who Are Working Their Tails Off?

SENATOR MURRAY:
So, well, the way it sounds to me is, we're making this law try to work. But you continually don't fund it. How do you expect me to do my job?

How do you say that to an educator who is working, you know, 12 hours a day, 40 kids in their classroom, working really hard to meet it and they just feel left behind by this administration?

SECRETARY SPELLINGS:
Well, I would give them that answer, and I'd also say that I think that the policy that's before us now, with more information, more data around kids and their needs has allowed us to be a lot smarter and more precise about the resources we are spending.

SENATOR MURRAY:
Well, they're feeling it out there, and the anxiety is huge. And us Democrats, we're going to put together a budget that tries to meet that better. But it's very frustrating to not have that request come from you at your department where you're the top of Education. And believe me, the people I'm talking to are at the other end of it -- it's very frustrating.

You can view the entire exchange here. Or, sign up for Senator Murray's education updates online, if you'd like to receive her e-mail updates on this issue.

Got Mints?

With all the controversy in Olympia over the future of the math and science WASL, it was refreshing (pun intended) to read in this morning's Washington Post about a new testing aid for students: the mighty peppermint.

According to Lori Aratani's article, "The Power of Peppermint is Put to the Test," educators in one Maryland school district are giving their students a minty pick-me-up to help boost their performance on the Maryland School Assessments, which began this week. And yes, there is data to back this up. Apparently a handful of researchers have found a whiff of the minty extract has helped test takers concentrate and perform better on tasks. One study found that athletes who had a hint of mint also performed better than those who didn't. Similar efforts to boost achievement have been tried with citrus fruits and classroom paint colors.

While fresh breath is a nice benefit from this little psychosomatic ploy, it's a bit of a stretch to correlate higher WASL scores with an Altoid. I suppose anything that helps students relax and feel more confident is a good thing. But it's no substitute for strong building leadership, focused instruction, aligned curriculum and engaged families.

Mint, anyone?

Are You Smarter Than a Fifth-Grader?

The Fox Network is betting you're not, given its new show, "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?"

Let's warm up with an easy one: Can you name the five Great Lakes? Do you know which is bigger: 3/5 or 5/8? Which planet is closest to the sun? And, most importantly, who invented peanut butter? (Better know who invented jelly, too, just in case.) These and other probing questions are asked every Thursday night at 8 p.m. to either boost our confidence in today's youth or confirm what we already know: Adults should never compete with cute kids on TV.

As a self-confessed trivia junkie, I get the whole fascination with quiz shows. But I am puzzled to understand why any adult would boast they are, in fact, smarter than an elementary student. (That's how it's supposed to work, right?) This same sort of educational oneupsmanship has occurred for years each fall when the WASL scores are published in the paper alongside actual test questions.

I guess if there is any good to come of this show, it's that it may re-instill people's faith in kids and public education (but not, necessarily, in TV executives). Schools could use it to engage community members by hosting a local version in the cafeteria or gym, using it as an opportunity to show off programs and school talent.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recently compiled its own online quiz based on a set of questions fielded from a local fifth-grade teacher. Truth be told, I clocked in with 12/20 correct answers. No summer school for me, but I definitely need to pay closer attention in math...