After waking up some really tired kids, we ate breakfast and took the thirty minute bus ride to the Georgia dome for the massed rehearsal. There were nine marching band waiting for us and it was LOUD! The students rehearsed the national anthem together while the colorguard practiced their work. The CEO and founder of Chick-Fil-A brought his trumpet and played with the students. He even gave them a brief talk about keeping music in their lives.
Next, we got the students into their formation (humongous) and rehearsed the patriotic medley for pregame.
The halftime music went well and what was supposed to be a four hour rehearsal was cut short by an hour because the students were so prepared.
We returned to the buses and ate lunch at the CNN center (large foodcourt). We split the kids into two groups and took the CNN tour.
After returning to the hotel, we had about 90 minutes before the kids had to be ready for the awards ceremony and dance.
The dinner was nice and seeing all of the kids looking so good and clean was great.
We ended up winning marching percussion and had the highest score of any of the marching group. Concert and jazz took 3rd.
Our kids then took unofficial first place in dance moves and booty shaking. Wait until you see the pictures!!!!
We got back at 11:15 and lights out was midnight.
Ben
12.31.2010
12.30.2010
ATL day 2
The kids performed three times yesterday! We got 9 hours of sleep and woke up to a great buffet breakfast. Our concert band performed first, followed by our jazz band. Both groups were clinic-ed. Concert band had Gary Smith, direct emeritus of the
Marching Illini. Mr. Heath was his first graduate assistant in the 70's when he started at the school.
Jazz band had the former director of the Geogia Tech band. He switched up some things for them and they sounded great.
We then went to Dr. Martin Luther King National historical site. That was moving. The students visited his tomb and were able to see his former church, and multiple exhibits on his life. We all viewed a movie a out his up-bringing. That was incredible.
We then bused over to Olympic park and the kids blew off some steam in ultimate frizzbee. We walked over to the Georgia Dome and the drumline warmed up for their contest. The was a band from Alabama an in true southern style, they had featured twirlers and high steppers. It was cool for our kids to see something like that. Another state finalist band from Flordia performed. They were very good.
Our drumline took the stage and they had a clinic. The clinician pulled the kids in and said this: "y'all are good. I think you're ready for harder music."
Our buses then loaded and we invaded Dave and Buster's. I am not kidding when I say that we cleaned out the tickets by buying every stuffed animal they had.
Lights out was midnight and we woke them up at nine.
Ben
Marching Illini. Mr. Heath was his first graduate assistant in the 70's when he started at the school.
Jazz band had the former director of the Geogia Tech band. He switched up some things for them and they sounded great.
We then went to Dr. Martin Luther King National historical site. That was moving. The students visited his tomb and were able to see his former church, and multiple exhibits on his life. We all viewed a movie a out his up-bringing. That was incredible.
We then bused over to Olympic park and the kids blew off some steam in ultimate frizzbee. We walked over to the Georgia Dome and the drumline warmed up for their contest. The was a band from Alabama an in true southern style, they had featured twirlers and high steppers. It was cool for our kids to see something like that. Another state finalist band from Flordia performed. They were very good.
Our drumline took the stage and they had a clinic. The clinician pulled the kids in and said this: "y'all are good. I think you're ready for harder music."
Our buses then loaded and we invaded Dave and Buster's. I am not kidding when I say that we cleaned out the tickets by buying every stuffed animal they had.
Lights out was midnight and we woke them up at nine.
Ben
12.29.2010
Atlanta Day 1
What a day! Our kids stayed up all night watching movies and playing card games. We commandeered an IHOP to the surprise of their manager (who was very kind) and went on merry way to Stone Mountain park.
The kids took the gondola to the top of the rock, which gives you a view of the entire area. We watching southerners all bundled up in super snow suits, they aren't used to 30 degree weather.
We then ate at the Varsity which is the largest drive-in in the world.
Our hotel is VERY nice. There are nine marching bands here!!! Tons of kids walking around (one kid dropped an ihome off of the ninth story-not one of our's).
We had lights out at 11 and the kids got 9 hours of sleep. Hopefully they are rested.
Thanks,
Ben
The kids took the gondola to the top of the rock, which gives you a view of the entire area. We watching southerners all bundled up in super snow suits, they aren't used to 30 degree weather.
We then ate at the Varsity which is the largest drive-in in the world.
Our hotel is VERY nice. There are nine marching bands here!!! Tons of kids walking around (one kid dropped an ihome off of the ninth story-not one of our's).
We had lights out at 11 and the kids got 9 hours of sleep. Hopefully they are rested.
Thanks,
Ben
12.26.2010
Performance Counts Act
Merry Christmas,
If you haven't heard, there's a huge bill about to be tackled by the Illinois house and senate. This bill would make massive changes to the Illinois School Code, the governing rules for school district operating. Here is what the gist of the bill is:
1. School districts have to show school growth on their 2012-2013 report card. That's going to be difficult, unless districts stick to just standardized test scores. (So no one will mention the arts or other subjects.)
2. Tenure is completely different. If a teacher gets rated unsatisfactory, they could possibly go before the superintendent, a board representative, and a union representative. Three things can then happen: 1. They are recommended to be dismissed. 2. They are recommended to be reinstated. Or, 3. They are recommended to be returned to first year tenure status!!!!!!!! The reason that is so huge is because when you aren't tenured, the district can dismiss you without a reason. Another huge issue is the ruling can't be appealed and there is no hearing officer.
3. Striking is made more difficult due to a more complicated mediation process.
There are more changes but I think these three are the biggest and carry the more weight.
Point 1 is infuriating but that might be premature of me. Point 3 isn't really a big deal unless you work is a bad district that has poor compensation and benefits.
Point 2 is huge. I wonder how many districts will make personnel moves on teachers that used to be untouchable. I also wonder if this will improve job mobility, which has been a problem since the recession.
The next five years are going to be interesting.
If you haven't heard, there's a huge bill about to be tackled by the Illinois house and senate. This bill would make massive changes to the Illinois School Code, the governing rules for school district operating. Here is what the gist of the bill is:
1. School districts have to show school growth on their 2012-2013 report card. That's going to be difficult, unless districts stick to just standardized test scores. (So no one will mention the arts or other subjects.)
2. Tenure is completely different. If a teacher gets rated unsatisfactory, they could possibly go before the superintendent, a board representative, and a union representative. Three things can then happen: 1. They are recommended to be dismissed. 2. They are recommended to be reinstated. Or, 3. They are recommended to be returned to first year tenure status!!!!!!!! The reason that is so huge is because when you aren't tenured, the district can dismiss you without a reason. Another huge issue is the ruling can't be appealed and there is no hearing officer.
3. Striking is made more difficult due to a more complicated mediation process.
There are more changes but I think these three are the biggest and carry the more weight.
Point 1 is infuriating but that might be premature of me. Point 3 isn't really a big deal unless you work is a bad district that has poor compensation and benefits.
Point 2 is huge. I wonder how many districts will make personnel moves on teachers that used to be untouchable. I also wonder if this will improve job mobility, which has been a problem since the recession.
The next five years are going to be interesting.
10.18.2010
Does it constitute teacher bashing?
Anyone who has been paying attention to the national debates going on right now, have heard about the new documentary Waiting for Superman. I was sitting in the Music Education annex at Illinois two weeks ago discussing all of the education reform speak and I have to say, I'm always skeptical of a national discussion that involves non-professionals. I'm not arguing that people who can think intellectually about schools and improvement can't add to the conversation (i.e. Malcolm Gladwell), but I do think that politicians and members of the buisness community struggle to add any meaning or crystalize an argument.
Compare the education debate to global warming. You'll hear people state there is no possible way climate change could be true. Rarely do you see an actual scientist with a seat at the table. Stop a natural resources professors on any college campus and ask them about global warming. The media is so far behind on this issue.
So if education is treated in the same way, why would we expect a different outcome? I think that's why teachers feel "touchy" about this entire debate. They don't feel that they have a seat at the table, much like scientists.
The people representing them or usually union leaders. Weigarten does alright when it comes to speaking for teachers but I think this is a much more complicated issue. Yes, teachers who don't perform well need to be fired. Yes, teachers who don't stay current with important trends, lack focus later in their career, or who turn out to be lazy once they're tenured need to be fired. That's pretty obvious.
But, back to my original question. Does a film like Waiting for Superman constitute teacher bashing? I would have to say NO.
Here's why:
1. While teachers are at fault in many scenarios, they can't be blamed for everything problematic in education because...
2. When controlled for poverty, students fair much better and when controlled for parental support.....
3. ....students also fair much better.
What about the way we evaluate schools? We now expect many more students to go to college in the same system that wasn't set up for that kind of intellecutal heavy lifting. Should every child be expected to do well in high school? Some of the world's greatest minds were horrible in school and yet we hold it up on this pedestal. This is a much deeper debate than the short time I've spent on it here.
Compare the education debate to global warming. You'll hear people state there is no possible way climate change could be true. Rarely do you see an actual scientist with a seat at the table. Stop a natural resources professors on any college campus and ask them about global warming. The media is so far behind on this issue.
So if education is treated in the same way, why would we expect a different outcome? I think that's why teachers feel "touchy" about this entire debate. They don't feel that they have a seat at the table, much like scientists.
The people representing them or usually union leaders. Weigarten does alright when it comes to speaking for teachers but I think this is a much more complicated issue. Yes, teachers who don't perform well need to be fired. Yes, teachers who don't stay current with important trends, lack focus later in their career, or who turn out to be lazy once they're tenured need to be fired. That's pretty obvious.
But, back to my original question. Does a film like Waiting for Superman constitute teacher bashing? I would have to say NO.
Here's why:
1. While teachers are at fault in many scenarios, they can't be blamed for everything problematic in education because...
2. When controlled for poverty, students fair much better and when controlled for parental support.....
3. ....students also fair much better.
What about the way we evaluate schools? We now expect many more students to go to college in the same system that wasn't set up for that kind of intellecutal heavy lifting. Should every child be expected to do well in high school? Some of the world's greatest minds were horrible in school and yet we hold it up on this pedestal. This is a much deeper debate than the short time I've spent on it here.
I'm back
This exercise took a back seat to a school year that required more of me and drew my attention to other places. I've read some excellent books, had some invigorating conversations, and heard excellent music made by high school students.
I'm back online now, ready to rock.
Peace,
MC
I'm back online now, ready to rock.
Peace,
MC
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