Education – Words from the Long Run

New Year, New Reforms

February 4, 2020 by Kimberly Frey, posted in Education, Uncategorized

Hello, and Happy New Year! The Roaring 20’s is one of my favorite time periods in history, and I look forward to what this new decade has in store for us. It’s been awhile since my last post, but now that the hustle and bustle of the holiday season is over, I’m ready to get back to work and am focused on my goals for the year.

Interestingly enough though, this post is NOT about my 2020 goal agenda. I was actually inspired to write this post because of events that unfolded during our mid-year standardized testing that occurred upon our return from winter break.

I have been teaching for almost 20 years, and I have spent the majority of this time teaching special education. Even during the years I taught high school, although I wasn’t specifically teaching special education classes, as a dual-licensed faculty member of the English department, if you were a student with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that qualified you for special education services, I was your English teacher. So as a teacher who has had to administer standardized tests to students with special needs every year, I am intimately aware of the fact that the overabundance of standardized testing, and the subsequent reliance on their results, has wreaked damage to a population of students who already have a plethora of obstacles hindering their educational success.

Just to be clear, standardized testing is not new. Ever since Alfred Binet developed an intelligence test in 1905, there has been standardized testing designed to determine if you are smart enough, performing to certain measures, and/or the right fit for the job (or school). However, when then-President George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act was passed in 2001, the use of standardized testing proliferated, and is now present across all grade levels, even amongst our youngest students in preschool and kindergarten and our most fragile populations of students with special needs.

Going back to our school’s recent testing window, our district was conducting Middle-of-the-Year NWEA MAP testing. Within my district, this same test is given at the end of the year as well. If you are in certain “benchmark” grades and you don’t pass the test, it is mandatory for you to be retained.

The MAP test in and of itself is not the worst test out there. It is an adaptive test. It is designed to either increase or decrease the rigor depending on the student’s performance. However, it also purposefully gives students questions on topics they haven’t been taught yet (supposedly to determine the student’s readiness for those topics). It is an untimed test, and students are allowed to take a break, pause the test, or even suspend it until a later time. All of this sounds great in theory. Until you have a student in the third grade on the Autism Spectrum who has extreme testing anxiety or a fifth grade student who has been diagnosed with significant emotional disabilities and is currently living with his aunt as his foster parent due to the emotional trauma he suffered when living with his mother. Both of these students are below-grade level. Their teachers already know that. Their cognitive and academic testing that was completed in order for them to qualify for special education services has proven that. The progress monitoring that is completed all throughout the year to determine whether or not they are on-track to meet their IEP goals shows their progress and keeps all of their teachers accountable. But yet, these students, and thousands like them, are required to take a test that creates undue stress and negatively impacts their self-esteem. My third grade student with autism was so frozen with fear all he could do was sit and cry. My fifth grade student had a complete breakdown in the testing room and had to be removed altogether. Why are non-educators so intent on forcing kids who already know what they don’t know (and feel inferior to their peers because of it) to prove on a test what exactly they don’t know?

For the parents who are reading this blog, please know that this unhealthy pattern of over-testing and developmentally inappropriate testing will continue until you band together and demand change. Teachers will support you if you demand testing policy overhauls, because teachers know that all this testing isn’t in the best interest of any of our students, not just those with special needs. The testing craziness began in earnest with politicians who didn’t have any teaching experience of their own trying to hold teachers accountable. (Oh, the irony, I know.) It is time to tell our current, and future, politicians that the harm we are causing our children must be put to an end. Let’s put policies in place that ensure that no student has to walk out of a room feeling broken and defeated. Now that would truly ensure that no child is left behind.

And They Say We’re Just Being Greedy

October 22, 2019 by Kimberly Frey, posted in Chicago, Civic engagement, Education, politics, Uncategorized

Rain or shine…we are taking a stand (or seat!) for our kids.

The last time I posted, Chicago teachers had just approved a strike if deemed necessary to get a fair contract for teachers and students. This morning, I started this post from the picket line where teachers have been since Thursday taking a stand for equity in Chicago Public Schools.

For those who are wondering what is at stake or believe that teachers are just being “greedy,” let me share a day in my life….

I teach at a school on the southeast side of the city. We are a small neighborhood school with an enrollment of slightly more than 300 students in grades PK-8. Almost 100% of my students receive free or reduced lunch. I have students who live in foster care along with students who are being raised by somebody other than a biological parent for various reasons. As the case manager for my school, I am in charge of the entire special education department, which serves approximately 45 students across all grade levels. We have been short a special education teacher since the start of the school year, along with being down two classroom assistant positions. Sometimes we have substitutes for those positions, other times we don’t. Regardless of the staffing, I am still responsible for ensuring that my students receive the services listed in their Individual Education Plans (IEPs). There has been a shortage of special education teachers in CPS for quite some time, but there is nothing in the contract outlining a plan for how to address that. There is an even greater shortage of classroom assistants because the starting wage is too low for people to survive off of, even though a bachelor’s degree is required for the position. I spend my days trying to provide services to as many students as I can while at the same time juggling all the responsibilities of case management: scheduling all IEP meetings (plus attending them), writing IEPs, meeting with other special education teachers, collaborating with general education teachers, and more.

Meanwhile, my coworkers in the general education classrooms are putting forth their best efforts to teach their students, often without the support of the classroom assistants they should have. Furthermore, they are teaching groups of thirty plus students at a time. Be honest – how is a teacher supposed to provide quality, rigorous instruction to thirty-one 3rd graders, thirty-four 4th graders, or thirty-one 7th graders at a time….with no assistance? Because those are the real numbers for those groups of students at my school.

Furthermore, let’s hope that none of our 300-plus students have a nursing emergency, unless it happens on the one day a week the nurse is scheduled at my school. I have one student on my caseload with epilepsy and another student who has a shunt from her brain to her abdomen area. Both of them have a lengthy list of precautions and advisories that need to be followed. We have students with asthma and others with allergies. There recently was a school in my network where a student died from an asthma attack. Every day, teachers are being asked to wear the hat of a medical professional on top of their many other responsibilities.

As if that wasn’t enough of a load to carry, the majority of schools on the south side do not have a full-time social worker. My students are confronted by a whole world of problems that many of us know nothing about: gangs, gun violence, drug and alcohol abuse, absentee parents, abuse… the trauma that my students suffer is heart-breaking. Yet, our school (along with most of the schools on the south side) only has a social worker on site one day a week. To add insult to injury, because of overcrowded caseloads, the social worker only has time to see the students with IEPs who have social work listed as a service.

The day before the strike, I was sitting with one of my 6th grade students. He had asked what a strike was, so I explained the concept and also what exactly teachers were asking for. He didn’t know what a social worker was, so when I explained that it was someone who the kids would be able to talk to about their problems, his words really hit me. He said that he thought that would be a good thing because “there’s a lot of bad stuff that happens in our neighborhoods, Ms. Frey, and it’s hard for us to come in here and focus on learning.” Out of the mouths of babes….

That is what I am fighting for. Please support us in our fight to get our students the services they need to be successful. If we are truly committed to decreasing violence in this city, then we must be committed to providing the services our kids need in order to get the education they deserve.

Waiting for a Truly Good Deal

September 29, 2019October 10, 2019 by Kimberly Frey, posted in Chicago, Education, politics, Uncategorized

This week, approximately 94% of Chicago Public School educators, clinicians, paraprofessionals, and school-related personnel voted in favor of authorizing the Chicago Teachers Union to authorize a strike if a satisfactory contract cannot be reached with the Chicago school district, and ultimately the newly elected Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot.

Mayor Lightfoot campaigned under the banner of eliminating old-school politics. On her own campaign website, lightfootforchicago.com, the then-candidate stated that, “We must do better to halt the declining conditions of our neighborhood schools. We must do better to change an education policy that does not view parents, teachers, principals, staff or other stakeholders as valued partners. We must do better by insisting on a comprehensive plan to invest in families and neighborhoods, and to end the violence that plagues too many communities.” The contract that the CTU is currently fighting for is wanting to do just that. With their overwhelming vote this week, teachers are saying that it is time to eliminate the inequity that exists in Chicago schools, and it is time to prioritize agendas that research has proven will help children be more successful in school.

Let’s start with class sizes. Although there is a plethora of research proving that smaller class sizes are a fundamental piece of the academic success puzzle, schools all across the city are grossly over-crowded. I personally know of elementary school classrooms where anywhere from 32- 35 children are sitting in one room with one teacher and up to 37-38 middle school students are doing the same. If Mayor Lightfoot is serious about wanting students to achieve, then there should not be any hesitation on her part to include language in the contract that assures the district will begin taking steps to address overcrowded classrooms.

The next item on the agenda? School nurses. I personally do not know of a school on the south side that has a full-time nurse at their school every day with the exception of schools that have a large population of students with special needs who require medical assistance during the day. I currently have students with a myriad of medical conditions such as allergies, asthma, and seizure disorders. If one of these students has a medical emergency, we basically know to call 911 and hope for the best. Medical conditions aside, if a student falls and hits his/her head on the playground, we do not have a nurse to determine if a severe head injury has occurred. However, talking to parents of students on the north side, many of those schools have the discretionary funds due to parent and community donations to pay for a nurse themselves. Instead of stating that there is a nurse shortage all over the state, why won’t the mayor show her commitment to finding solutions to the problem by including language in the contract that addresses the situation?

Let’s also talk about those social workers the union is calling for. Currently, most schools on the south side do not have a full-time social worker. In fact, most of these schools have a social worker who only comes one day a week, with maybe a second day every other week. These are the very schools that are serving students who experience trauma, violence, and the effects of gang violence along with that of drug and alcohol abuse. It is very difficult for students to focus on their education when they are worried about whether or not they will be shot on their way home from school. To truly be committed to ending violence in this city means that we must truly be committed to helping support the students’ social/emotional and mental health in the very communities where the violence has caused the most damage.

Lastly, let’s bring to light a little-known fact about the current “good deal” that is being offered to Chicago teachers. The current proposal is calling for a reduction of planning time for teachers, who already often lack the proper planning time necessary to adequately teach students. However, this proposal is being buried by both the mayor’s office and the news media who are endorsing her deal.

The very fact that Mayor Lightfoot, the Chicago Tribune, and the Chicago Sun-Times are all urging teachers to just take the deal because the financial terms are “generous” (Chicago Tribune editorial, 9/13/19) shows the lack of understanding as to what this fight is all about. It’s not about money (although more money would be nice). Chicago teachers, so by default the Chicago Teachers Union, are not strike-hungry as those in the media are stating. In fact, the overwhelming majority of teachers do not want a strike. We want to be in our schools with our students. To be honest, having just come back from the summer break (which to make very clear to the public – we DO NOT get paid for; nor do we even collect a check….for about two months), teachers really can’t even afford to strike. However, we cannot support a deal that continues to put our most disadvantaged students at an even greater disadvantage and has no real plan for how to remedy the situation. That is how important this struggle is to us as champions of our youth. We are willing to risk financial strain and the possibility of negative opinions from the public as we fight for what our students so rightly deserve.

If you are serious about halting the declining conditions of neighborhood schools and changing educational policies, then address these issues, Mayor Lightfoot. Be willing to be the mayor that the overwhelming majority of Chicago citizens believed you were going to be when you won the election. Then, and only then, will we truly have a “very good deal.”

For further opinions on this topic, please read my colleague’s editorial which can be found at https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/9/26/20885381/chicago-teachers-union-strike-vote-class-sizes-social-workers-librarians-letters-to-the-editor

Trying Something New

July 5, 2019July 5, 2019 by Kimberly Frey, posted in Education, Motivational, Running, fitness, Uncategorized

Hello, summer! I realize that summer vacation for the majority of teachers is already almost halfway over, but my school district didn’t have their last day for students until June 20th. So for me, summer vacation is really just getting started.

Initially, I had planned on finding a job for the summer to supplement my income since my school district distributes our salaries over a 10-month schedule instead of a full year. The thought of not having a steady income coming in was very nerve-wracking for me – even though I have money saved and my regular bartending gig. However, as I sat and went through my actual income vs. expenses, I realized that I would be able to swing not taking on (technically) a third job. Furthermore, not getting another job would give me the time I have desperately been needing to check off some major items on my to-do list:

Half-marathon training (trying to run a sub-2 hour race this year)
Organizing the piles of papers that have taken over my apartment (plus maybe even some deep cleaning)
Focusing on writing (for both my blogs, my novel draft, and my personal journals)
Getting ready for my trip (longest vacation ever!)
Getting everything ready for the launch of my new website (can’t wait to share with you all!)

Looking at this list, it doesn’t seem that long. Just five items, right folks? Breaking down each item on the list though, makes it seem daunting for even a fierce goal-setter such as myself. My planner and I have become best friends as I have spent time breaking down each of these tasks into manageable chunks for each day while making sure I also have time to catch up with family and friends. I am excited about all the opportunity this time is presenting for me since this is only the second time in my teaching career that I haven’t taught summer school. I guess since item #3 on this list is to be more focused on my writing, you should be hearing updates on my progress on a more consistent basis. I look forward to sharing this summer with you as I try new things, explore new places, and begin new ventures. Hopefully my tales will inspire others out there to attempt something new as well, and if so, I hope you will comment here so I can join you on your journey.

Let the adventures begin!

The Beginning of the End…and the End of the Beginning

June 12, 2019June 22, 2019 by Kimberly Frey, posted in Education, Parenting, Uncategorized

Although it seems as if school has ended for everyone, the district where I teach still has another week to go. The last day for students is next Thursday, the 20th. For teachers? Well, we have not only Friday the 21st to go, but also Monday the 24th. However, it is close enough to the end of this year to finally feel it is the right time for reflection.

This year was one of major changes for me professionally. It was my first year in a new role and with a new district. I had to learn all new systems – and am still learning them. I had to get to know new administrators and teaching staff, and also learn how I fit into this organization. It was my first time not having my own classroom or a home room of my own students, but instead being a part of multiple classrooms and working with a variety of students in all grade levels. It was a year where I often felt I didn’t quite fit in, even though I was serving in exactly the role I wanted for myself. I was no longer a classroom teacher in the traditional sense, but I also was not technically an administrator. It has been a year of challenging myself in new ways and identifying new goals. On top of that, as I shared with readers in a previous blog, this past year was one of great loss and deep grief. Managing all of these obstacles has been hard, but I’ve made it. This is just the beginning of this chapter of my life, so I look forward to how the rest of the story will play out.

For all my fellow educators, I hope you have time this summer to pursue the things that are important to you. Parents, take the time to make memories with your children. Students, be open to explore new places and ideas because you are only young once. Congratulations to everyone for closing out another school year, but remember that summer is just the start of yet another adventure. Let’s go write the next chapter of our lives.

Spring Fever

May 22, 2019May 22, 2019 by Kimberly Frey, posted in Education, Uncategorized

It’s May. Mid-May to be exact. While spring is a time of freshness and excitement as we leave behind the bitterness of winter, for teachers it is probably the hardest time of the year. For teachers, spring means students who are so close to summer vacation they struggle even more than usual to pay attention in class. Spring means students getting a week off from school and returning to class saying they don’t remember anything from the week prior. Spring means lots of rainy days where kids can’t go outside for recess. And spring means end-of-the-year testing – which will often determine whether or not students are promoted to the next grade and is also a large factor of a teacher’s performance evaluation.

Generally speaking, teachers are fond of assessments. We understand that in order to determine what our students learn, there must be an assessment given. We know that analyzing student assessments will guide our future instruction to make it more meaningful for our kids. We firmly believe that educators need to be held accountable for the education they are providing. No truly good teacher wants a bad teacher tarnishing the profession and creating an increased workload for his or her co-workers. However, the increased amount of standardized testing, the pressures it places on our students, and the degree of importance it now has been given to both students and educators is overwhelming. Children as young as eight and nine discuss being scared about testing because they’re afraid they’re going to fail. Teachers lose over a month of instructional time a year due to students taking standardized tests. Because these tests are now used as promotion criteria for many students, they usually take place about a month ahead of the last day of school. So teachers lose even more valuable instructional time because once these tests are completed, students simply check-out mentally seeing as they have already taken “the test.” And teachers who work with some of the most challenging populations are penalized on their evaluations because their students did not perform well due to a myriad of factors that were out of the teacher’s control.

Teacher Appreciation Week was already held at the beginning of May, but if you didn’t get a chance to thank a teacher, it’s never too late. As the school year is winding down, take time to acknowledge the growth your child has shown over the course of the school year and to appreciate your child(ren)’s teacher(s) for the part they played in it. If you don’t have school-aged children, send some encouragement to your friends who are teachers or maybe even drop off a surprise at your local neighborhood school. It will only take a few minutes of your time, but will mean a whole lot more than you know.

I’m Back!

February 17, 2019 by Kimberly Frey, posted in Education, Parenting, Parenting, Empty Nest, Parenting, Running, Fitness, Running, fitness, Uncategorized

So, it’s been awhile since I was last on this site. Five years to be exact. It is amazing how true the saying is that, “the days go by slow, but the years go by fast.” When I first moved back home to Chicago, my intent was to continue sharing my experiences as a teacher, mother, runner, and woman in today’s society. However, over time, I felt that blogging under the name “pseducator” (public school educator) wasn’t genuine since I was not teaching in a public school at the time. I thought about creating a new blog, but to be honest, life got in the way, and I never got around to it. So, here I am, back in the public education sector, and ready to muse about all that life has to offer. Since I last wrote you, so much has happened in my life and the world itself. To be honest, many times when I would be out running, I would craft a new blog post in my mind and think about getting on here to write it. I apologize that I never did, but I look forward to all that we have to discuss. If you were a previous follower of this blog, welcome back! If you are new to this site, welcome! Let this be the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship. I’ll talk to you soon.

So Much to Say (sorry, DMB)

April 8, 2014 by Kimberly Frey, posted in Education, Parenting, Empty Nest, Running, fitness, Uncategorized

I must admit – since the last time I actually wrote, there have been many times when I’ve started a new blog post in my mind (usually while running or when reading something interesting while on my commute to work). Unfortunately, I didn’t sit and actually write them. That is definitely something I am going to work on improving over the course of this year. The whole reason I started this blog is because I have a lot to say, but it doesn’t do much good if I don’t actually take the time to say it.
Having gotten that off my chest, there is so much going on right now. Winter is fading, spring break is four days away (along with a trip to Florida), my son is officially living here (and just got a job!), I’m running strong again (outside!)…the list could go on. It’s hard to believe I’ve already been back in the city for almost nine months. Every day, I wake up at peace with my decision to move up here- even though I miss my Florida friends and family dearly. I still haven’t met a lot of people outside of my co-workers, but with the weather warming up, I’m looking forward to being out and about in the city and having more opportunities to strike up friendships. While my work is emotionally exhausting at times, I love my students and the adults who work alongside me. I am loving my life and want to help others do the same. So excuse me for being all over the place with this post. I promise I’ll be more on-topic in the future, or at least stick to one topic. For now, to borrow from my absolute favorite band yet again – “Celebrate we will, because life is sweet but short for certain.” (Dave Matthews Band for those who aren’t in the know)

Thanks, Matt Damon

February 11, 2014February 11, 2014 by Kimberly Frey, posted in Education, Parenting, Uncategorized

In a recent blog post for The Washington Post, Valerie Strauss discusses actor Matt Damon’s most recent defense of teachers. Damon has had a history of speaking out on behalf of educators in America. I had the privilege of being at the 2011 Save Our Schools rally in Washington D.C. when he gave an impassioned speech defending teachers and attacking the current trends that are threatening public education today. In that speech, he mentioned “corporate reformers” who had never taught a day in their lives making decisions about what happens in classrooms across the country. In his most recent speech, he states, “I’ve always believed that they have to invite teachers into the discussion to help design policy. We would never let business men design warheads, why would you cut out educators when you’re designing education policy?” This is approximately the same question I ask consistently, to anyone who will listen. This is the same question that the American public needs to start asking as well. And not just who is guiding educational policy, but why? Why are wealthy private citizens and corporations trying (and often succeeding) to shape the future of public education? Why are they so determined to paint teachers as money-hungry, over-compensated, and only in education because it is a cush job? Have any of them ever spent a day with a room full of 5 year olds? Or adolescent, hormonal middle schoolers? I dare any of them to live a teacher’s life for one week. However, until the American public stands up for public education, these private entities will continue to yield an unreasonable amount of power and influence. After all, education is funded by public dollars, politicians determine where public dollars get spent, and private corporations bankroll politicians’ careers. In the meantime though, I do appreciate Matt Damon’s efforts on our behalf.
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Save Our Schools

Remembering Dr. King

January 21, 2014 by Kimberly Frey, posted in Education, Uncategorized

Every year in January, our country pauses to reflect on the life of one man. Dr. King was an inspiration to so many, and his legacy continues to this day. He told the world that he had a dream, but he also sacrificed so much to help make that dream come to pass. I’m afraid that that part of his message has been lost to so many in our current times.
I have seen the poison of laziness first-hand. Students want good grades without doing the required work, parents want well-behaved children without having to do the difficult job of setting limits for them, and many in society just want the rewards of hard work without actually having to do the hard work. Dr. King consistently spoke of a person’s moral obligation to do something. Speak out against hatred, work towards a goal, seek out knowledge. Those who want to blame the government, society, their family, or any other outside influence for their lack of fulfillment must realize that ultimately they are responsible for their lives. The road is not easy, and sometimes it treks through some pretty deep wilderness, but it is there for those who seek it.
As we honor the life of Dr. King today, let us follow his example and work to make our world, our communities, and in the end – ourselves the absolute best.

“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”

― Martin Luther King Jr.

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