my sisters have never been nominated
for teacher I THINK THEY HAS BEEN DOING A GOOD JOB.
THERE JUST FORGOTTEN

Kristin Covaleskie is, without a doubt, a phenomenal teacher and person, who deserves to win the Teacher of the Year award. Go Miss Covaleskie!

Maybe more teachers are not nominated because they are too busy fighting with students or fending off rapes... The baltimore city school system is a joke.

If the police were notified of the crime at around 3:30pm Sunday (as reported in your article), why did they wait until Monday morning to apprehend the suspects? Could they not locate the boys? Clearly they posed a danger to the community during those eighteen or so hours.

The fact that so few teachers are nominated is a reflection of the feelings many administrators have toward teachers in BCPSS. They neither respect nor support teachers, why would we expect them to nominate them for this honor?! I am in awe of the talent and skill of so many of my colleagues. It's disheartening to see it go unrecognized.

Ms. Covaleskie, is more than deserving of the award, she taught my daughter in the past and she still continues to inspire both students and parents. Much Success.

To me, what's more disturbing than the amount of time it took to apprehend these students, is that first, nobody reported that several rooms in the school were ransacked over the weekend. I don't know if these same students were involved with this, but I know first-hand of several staff members who walked into their rooms on Monday to an unpleasant surprise.

Second, the assault was not reported to any STAFF in the school, never mind parents. Consequently there were several events (suspension/discipline/etc.) that took place in the school with regard to these students' behavior that did not take the assault into account at all. As a result, some offices in the school, and at Central Office, were working with incomplete information. And all of that is without regard to concern for the overall teachers' safety. School administrators really dropped the ball on this one.

WHERE ARE THE PARENTS??? Or is that becoming a rhetorical question? These kids are becoming monsters at such early ages and I can't help but think that these "parents" send their kids to school just to get rid of them so that they can watch TV and get high. Have mercy!

It is rarely the teacher, often the administrators usually the parents who fail "problem" students the most.

Congrats to the Teacher of the Year!

As Avalon said, most administrators neither respect or support their teachers. When we hear it, it is usually just lip service.

Congratulations Ms. Covaleskie!!!!!

We, the Northwood Elementary School family, are thrilled to have a second Teacher of Year in three years be recognized. Our school, like many other schools in Baltimore City, have many teachers who are very deserving of such an award. Northwood Rocks!

I think Sara's blog here is symptomatic of the whole problem. Ridiculous in some ways to blog first about "great teachers" and then as an aside, mention a negative incident at the end. So, look at the mix of comments.

I think it is symptomatic that every time Baltimore educators focus on positive steps to becoming great, we get distracted by ridiculous, horrendous problems that are tearing at the fabric of the community.

My principal is too busy now working on the budget. She hardly ever gets out of her office. Too many issues keep her trapped there (and the APs too). Discipline, paperwork, meetings, etc.

Really, you have to wonder what motivates anyone to become an administrator. It's a no-win job: trapped in between the competing pressures and issues of so many pockets-- the central office, the teachers, the children, the parents, the surrounding community. Ugh!

When I first started five years ago, I really enjoyed it. But now I'm not so sure. And I'm fortunate that my school is not totally chaotic. But the kids seem to be getting nastier, and the I'm starting to question my methods and pedagogy and become concerned because I don't think the children are learning. And while I once thought I was becoming a great teacher, I have so many issues coming at me that I have to take stock. At the point when I want more help, I look around the system and there is NOTHING! No support in my school, no one to talk to!

1. Congrats very much to our Teacher of the Year! It sounds like it's very much deserved.

2. I disagree with VoiceforSchoolTruth that Sara's blog here it ridiculous. The ups and downs are part of what teaching is, and part of what I'm sure covering education in the city is. I think she does a good job here of reporting the positive and the negative, and her entry here juxtaposes them both next to each other, just like in real life.

3. I do totally agree with VFST, though, about the state of the schools and administration. I don't particularly feel supported by the administration, but I also feel like these folks are trapped in their offices. I rarely see my principal or AP.

Really, you have to wonder what motivates anyone to become an administrator.

I think this is pretty simple: less work, more money, no work to bring home.

I agree with A Teacher re: work load. I've been trying to find a new way this year: just don't take it home!

That is hard to do!

I did not mean to disparage Sara! I think I was trying to say essentially the same thing, that it is so contradictory to be positive when there are so many things going on that we should never have to deal with.

As someone who is moving from the classroom to administration I can assure you that the "work load" thing is actually laughable. The amount of work that administrators (well, good administrators) do is mind boggling. Sure, they (we) are free from the daily planning that is so challenging as teachers have to do to prepare for classes. Having said that, think about what good principals have to be:

1) Business people who can not only manage a budget, but meet with and navigate the business world as it tries to help out schools
2) Managers of people: Not just teachers, but all members of the school community - other administrators, parents, students, community leaders, system people, the list goes on and on.
3) Educational leaders: good (okay, maby only great) principals should be setting a clear vision for what their school will look and sound like. They should be finding resources that ensure that teachers are moving students forward
4) Peace maker: And again, it's not just kids that need this skill - staffs, parents, families all need someone with a cool head who can help see the bigger picture
5) Mom/Dad: Not only the kids need this, but I watch great principals help their staffs through breakups with sig. others, moves, illness, all of the things that people with real lives deal with.
6) Building experts: The pipes break, the bathrooms get flooded, the floors need to be waxed. How to ensure that all of this gets done?

I am, in no way, taking away from how insanely hard great teachers work - the ones I work with and will work with this coming year have jobs that are so very difficult. I am just saying that just as great teachers work really hard, and some not so great ones, well, not so much, great principals work really hard too. And frankly the money is better but not great considering the hours.

I applode the teachers of the year and I too wonder why more aren't nominated. I know many great teachers who go without recognition (not in my new school!). It is possible that one reason is that sometimes teachers feel mad because teacher A got the nomination and teacher b, c, and d who all work hard too didn't. Other's thoughts?

BTW, if you are a great teacher who is looking for a better place to work, there are lots of them not. Reach out, don't leave the profession.

If Dr. Alonso really believes that in every school there is at least one great teacher (and I would agree from a parent's perspective) perhaps seeing at least one nomination would be a metric that could be used to judge principals. If they don't know their staff well enough to identify that great teacher or if they don't respect their staff enough to agree that they have at least one great teacher than they are a failing principal. Just a thought, because I worry about identifying failing principals as we move to this new school structure. I am shocked that no teachers were nominated from my kids' "blue ribbon" school. How did it get to be a great school without at least some great teachers?

What is the process for nominating teachers for Teacher-of-the-Year? Can only administrators make the nomination? Can colleagues, School Improvement Team members or parents nominate? I read almost everything published on the BCPSS website, intranet, and Blackboard, and I haven't seen any type of announcement calling for nominations this year...

I called around at North Avenue this fall to try and nominate my son's fabulous teacher. I finally found someone who said they coordinated the "teacher of the year" program and took the teacher's name. They never told me to submit something in writing or to get letters from other supporters of this teacher (and she has many supporters). Who knows how many other deserving nominations were mis-handled by this office?

There should be a clear, easy path for teacher nominations, that can be used by administrators, fellow teachers, parents, and members of the community,

To InterestingObservations:

Thanks for the perspective. I've actually never had a good principal, and know several administrators who took the job because they wouldn't have to take work home anymore after they started families, so that's why I think what I do.

I see my principal once a week, if that.

And, lastly, I'll just say that as a teacher for several years in the system, I've never heard of the Teacher of the Year nomination process. I think it's telling that two teachers came from this particular school in recent years because (a) they probably have really great teachers there as well as (b) they have folks/administrators there that know about the application process. I know I've never been given a flier or an email about it; I think I'd love to nominate a colleague for this sort of honor. Maybe I'll look into it next year.

Congrats Ms. C. I had the pleasure of working with both of Mr. English's "Teacher's of the Year." Not only is Ms. C a great teacher, she has dedicated herself to providing a superior education for her young people. Ms. C. is receiving the recognition and she deserves it. However, there are many unsung heros in the city's classrooms and in the schools' main offices. I hope this upcoming school year, with all its uncertainties, produces the same quality instruction that Ms. C delivers every day.

Dear A Teacher:

GET OUT! Not of teaching, but of being in a bad situation. I was with principals who were more like abusive sig others - yelling, screaming, blaming me and making sure I knew that I was lucky to just be there. Then I got out from those situations. It can be different. You can be a great teacher surrounded by other great people. And it can all happen in the city - yes hard to believe, but totally true. Check out Charter Schools, New Schools, Inovation High Schools, Transformation Schools and the other good quality schools. These schools all serve real city kids with real city issues and yet manage to do so with a real vision for what schools can be. I know there are other good places in the city but the changes of a principal staying is so slim, but I have worked in "traditional" schools that were great too. Just don't get into that feeling that you have to be abused to stay in the city - it isn't true. I promise.

www.baltimorecivitas.org

Thank you, Interesting Observations.

I actually really love my job, and my department is full of people who I feel lucky to be surrounded by, and kids who constantly impress and inspire me. I haven't ever been impressed with most of administration, especially principals, but I don't feel like they affect me much. As aforementioned, I literally only see my principal a couple of times a month. I don't think a good principal is necessary for a good school - good teachers are. But I will admit that I don't really know what having a good principal would feel like.

There are great teachers in BCPSS. Most schools have several good and or great teachers. They use to be selected by their peers. It use to be such a great honor to be nominated as Teacher of the Year. Admin started rewarding their favorite people, teachers who did special things or were in charge of special projects rather than those with the best teaching techniques or had great progress or just the best teachers so to many teachers it lost it real worth and didn't mean as much any more.Every school should have a a few teachers to select from and every admin/school should be encouraged to send in recommendations every year.Parents, peers,teachers, community leaders should be aware and be encouraged to particpate in the nomination process.