March 5th, Sunday night 5 days until spring break. It has been a tumultuous time here in Shelby for the last month. My classroom, The SKC, the affectionate title for the Shelby Middle School Knowledge Corporation had been moving toward excellence. Students were learning, systems were working, progress appeared to be happening.

The students would spend the first 60 minutes out of a hundred doing a lesson. Introduction to new material, some guided practice, some independent practice a closing and BOOM the lesson is over. The remaining forty minutes were reserved for centers, activities to reinforce previously taught skills.

CENTERS
The system was self-sufficient. Students would self regulate, and practice their skills. A classroom full of students would remain focused for a twenty-minute activity, then rotate to a different activity and continue working with out teacher supervision for another twenty minutes. During which time I could pull students based on academic need and level and work in a small group situation to remediate knowledge deficits.

THEN THE STATE TAKES OVER...State take over occurred post Christmas but they didn't start getting their hands dirty until early February. The sate came in because we work in the worst district in the state, test scores low and achievement virtually non-existent. The state has hired consultants, implemented not well-laid plans and has driven what was a horribly underachieving academic district into total chaos. They come and repeatedly change plans and shift and alter keeping everybody off guard. We can only hope that this chaos is the necessary shake up. But then again we are talking about the state of Mississippi consistently ranked in the bottom three of national education. Add the icing to the cake...a MS state takeover has never been successful. Oh except for that one time when there was redistricting near Tunica to make use of a loophole to get the state out.


This impacts me b/c the head consultant who everyone has to listen to came into my classroom and said all this "froo froo”, yes she said froo froo, stuff had to go. She was talking about manipulatives and centers, key elements of a model classroom. I was floored it only took 6 freaking months to get my centers successfully running. But I have recovered from the trauma of this overhaul and am once again revamping and reorganizing to make my classroom successful within the confines of this state mandated system.

Well, I am ready to attack the last nine weeks of school with vigor in a relentless pursuit of achievement. So here comes a busy week but then a week off with a trip to San Francisco and some relaxation time on the farm.