A band director from Gaston County Schools has been named Teacher of the Year for the Charlotte region, the third straight year that district has claimed the title, the Gaston Gazette reports.
Julian Wilson, band director at Gastonia's York Chester Middle School, will represent the Southwest region when the state teacher of the year is named this spring. That region includes Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, the city of Kannapolis and Anson, Cabarrus, Cleveland, Lincoln, Stanly and Union county districts.
Wilson follows a teacher from Gaston's Forestview High School last year and one from the district's Woodhill Elementary the year before that. Gaston County Schools, a district less than one-fourth the size of CMS, claimed the regional prize four of the nine years listed on the state Teacher of the Year web site (the CMS teacher topped the region once, in 2004-05). This year makes five of 10 for Gaston (the state hasn't posted the latest winners yet).
So what's going on across the river? With the holidays looming, I couldn't find anyone at the state available to discuss the competition on Thursday. Ironically, Gaston tends to look pretty bad on test-score comparisons with the rest of the Charlotte region.
But the teacher honors aren't based on numbers. According to the site, the selection committees look for candidates who are "dedicated, highly skilled (and) proven capable of inspiring students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn," as well as "poised, articulate and energetic."
All contests are a bit arbitrary, and I suspect many teachers in all the competing districts meet that definition. But clearly Gaston teachers deserve a salute. In this competition, they've become the powerhouse to beat.
Friday, December 21, 2012
Threepeat for Gaston teachers
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23 comments:
Does anyone else find it ironic that the state is rushing at breakneck speed to evaluate teachers based on standardized test scores yet ignores those scores when it comes to naming the best teacher in the state?
"...the selection committees look for candidates who are "dedicated, highly skilled (and) proven capable of inspiring students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn," as well as "poised, articulate and energetic."
Hmm, as a parent, I want my child with that teacher. I don't care about the test scores.
The simple reason is the flotsam left from the previous CMS administration laying blame on the many incompetent and undeserving teachers just picking up a paycheck for their few months of work each year. Leadership has a way of imprinting ill repute on an entire organization for decades or........motivating the troops. Mr. Morrison at least deserves some credit for trying to motivate the grunts in the trenches. Sadly, CMS will need decades to regain, if ever, a local/regional reputation. Ask this year's retirees.
I was just given my summative. At the "meeting" between my administrator and I, the only information he was interested in is how I track student progress. He wanted to see numbers. I had hundreds of parent contacts, I stay after every day (Fridays included) to help my students by allowing makeup test opportunities. My '11-'12 end of year IB test scores improved at the highest rate for IB in the school. I created the curriculum I teach because the text books I was given don't meet the needs of the IB program. I create 3 different lessons for the 3 different levels of my students. I work at least 10 hours every weekend and worked during the summer with students on extended essay concerns. I mentor 12 seniors who are not my students. and meet with them on after school.
I have taught for over 30 years and am Nationally Board Certified and recertified. I had a usb drive and wiki page to share with him all the ways I have tried to meet the requirements of the new teacher evaluation instrument. Not interested. When I read my evaluation I was told if I disagreed with anything to notate it but I had to sign it before I left school that day. I began to write a rebuttal as I was marked average for "differentiating instruction" and "being a leader in the classroom" as well as other categories but I was so depressed I just went home and went to bed.
All he wanted was my tracking chart. The future for teachers? My TFA (teach for America) friends tell me their motto is "submit and subvert." Pretend you are doing what admin wants you to do but do everything you can to survive. And then get out of education.
10:58 Hope you're a NCAE member. Time for a visit to their esteemed legal advisor in Charlotte for some power advice and a phone call or two.
Exactly why I retired from CMS. I still sub in ISS schools because I am good at what I do and provide so much more than babysitting. Merry Christmas to you from CMS. I wonder if you were someone who would stand up and take a bullet for your students what measures the educrats would use to evaluate your performance then?
10:58AM I'm so sorry that happened to you. Please know that your students would hate to lose you and appreciate all the effort you put forth.
My two band teachers (4th grade -12th grade) were two of the BEST teachers I ever had. Thank you Mr. Galish and Mr. Eric Osterling. Play on!
Alicia Durand
Cry in the night of the lone coyote. Wiley, where are you?
I have a feeling that the teachers of the year go whichever district and school are the most diligent in filling out the nomination forms. Bottom line: Not many people would move to gaston county for the quality of their schools and they are not exactly "the powerhouse to beat."
Gaston don't care what Anonymous 8:48 don't 'low,
We gon win that award anyhow!
To the teacher who was “just given her summative”, this could be the majority of teachers in CMS. Administrators waited to the last minute to conduct observations. They all at once requested a ton of paper work knowing teachers were continuing to teach classes. They are told to hold back “Distinctions ”on evaluations. It’s all FAKE! Enjoy your Holiday.
I'm curious how you had your summative just recently. Summatives happen in April and May.
Ann,
This happened to almost all the teachers at my school for the 1st and 2nd round of observations. The teacher's observation was not posted so the teacher could see until less than 24 hours before you had to meet with Admin. In an e-mail teachers were told to bring any proof they had if they thought they were performing higher in any areas. In many cases they were asked (less than 24 hours) before the post conference to respond to as many as 10 questions. This is unfair and unprofessional. Please look in to this! If there is not any written rules for this, there needs to be. The only thing I do know is the observer has so many days (10, I think) to post, meet, and sign from the date the teacher was observed or they have to do it again. Please help!
Same experience as many have posted about the summative evaluation. I am a teacher with over 20 years of classroom experience and this at best is a JOKE. What kind of professional can you expect to retain with this type of crap.
Merry Christmas, Wiley.
Focus , Focus we need alot of work in CMS. Looking at Gaston or Irdell will od us no good. THose schools are far ahead of CMS already.
A teacher was just given their Summative in December? This is either a mistake in wording or a complete shamble of organization. Summatives are completed in April/May for every teacher (BT, Probationary, Career-Renewal, Career).
Congratulations to Mr. Wilson, who is a fantastic music teacher and a Pinnacle Leader of his peers for the county.
I'd be curious to know Mr. Wilson's thoughts on CMS' attempt at standardized testing band directors.
How does one measure the ability to inspire?
Does Gaston County offer band in elementary school?
Alicia
*Wiley Dear,
I don't know how long you expect me to entertain myself in your absence?
Marching Band Drum Major Strut.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfpGQUZ5GIc
We all know Wiley marches to a different beat.
I just watched the "strut" video and hope I'm never tested on being able to do that!
Happy New Year to all TEACHERS
The 2% payroll tax increase means they are making less today than they were 5 years ago.
Explain to me again why someone would want to have this job?
Happy New Year, Wiley!
I sincerely hope the CO's favorite and most entertaining coyote lives on in the new year. It won't be the same here without you. I hope you come back.
"Oh where, oh where, has Wiley Coyote gone? Oh where, oh where, can he be...?"
Alicia
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