The horror that is Senate Bill No. 6...oh and some baby updates! Yea!

Well, the talk of Teachertown is Senate Bill No. 6. introduced by Sen. John Thrasher. And what a scary little bill that it is.

What? What you say? You don't know what Senate Bill No. 6 is about? Well, neither do the majority of people who are on the outside of the school system.

Let me break it down.

It is a merit based plan. Pay-for-performance. And this pay will be based on "learning gains." "Learning gains" is a secret code word used by Mr Thrasher which really means "FCAT scores."
"FCAT" is a secret code word used by teachers that really means...."annoying pain in my rear".

The bill does away with job security, doing away with tenure and instead replacing it with yearly contracts.

It also does away with the pay-incentive for National Board Standing. A process that is long and achieved by teachers who desire to increase their teaching excellence and have met high standards.

Sen. Thrasher feels this is the way to weed out "bad" teachers. Can we apply this same idea to every professional? How about weeding out "bad" doctors? Every patients that has high cholestrol....doctors can be penalized....Or dentists....every patient with cavities...and if the cavities increase or don't improve over a years time....they are penalized. Or, or, or....how about government officials....for every person who is on welfare....catch my drift?

So the general outcry teachers have is how can you base salary on the outcome of tests that you as the teacher have absolutely NO control over? Sure you teach them...you teach the curriculum, you teach to the test, and every pre-made practice FCAT that is handed out....but in the long run...who's taking the test? The kids. Kids who have paid attention, kids who are taking the test seriously, knowing it can affect the rest of their 3rd grade little lives forever. Who else is taking the test? The kids who didnt eat breakfast that morning. The kids that got yelled at for not picking up their socks for the billionith time. The kids that are so stressed out by even just by the mention of the word "FCAT" due to the amount of pressure put on them by the school. The kids who have missed 10 plus days of school are taking this test. Kids who don't care about learning. ESOL students, with limited language skills, are taking this test....a test that is already flawed in many areas. These are the kids...the ones who are well prepared and the ones who aren't so prepared...that are holding a teacher salary in their little hands.

Bill 6 will be voted on Tueday and teachers are watching like hawks....well except for the time they are...you know....teaching. Teaching with limited resources. Teaching with little time for creativity in the classroom. Teaching because they enjoy working with children.

Sigghhh..

Anyway.

Baby update:
Addison Marie is due at the end of April, by c-section. I am measuring a week ahead so it looks like I will have another ginormous baby on my hands soon. (Connor was 9lbs and 12 oz, 21 1/4 inches long. Every nurse who would walk into my hospital room would take a look at him, look at me, and back at him and say "You DID have a c-section right?" Yes, I did....now please administer my pain medicine, Nursey!)

It occured to me this past week, that just because Connor showed no signs of making his debut early, doesn't mean Addison won't. Labor would be a new experience for me even though Ive already had one child. But there's no chance of a labored delivery....even if I do go into labor...it will still be a c-section anyway.

So in the meantime....I'm working on putting her room together and such. Trying to spend as much mommy time with Connor, knowing I wont be able to snuggle up with him as much once I come home from the c-section. He has a baby doll to practice treating a baby the way we should. I spend a lot of time saying, "No we dont throw the baby in the bed. No we don't hold the baby by the legs." But he does like to feed his baby a bottle, and then pat him on the back to burp him. (Complete with sound effects). He calls him Baby Ernie....which is great....or sometimes it's "Baby with the dirty butt." (Which is another story).

So more updates to come...