I believe money will control almost everything this year. It has been announced in the news Kansas is $279 million short in their budget; education cuts are definitely going to happen this year. And next year the budget shortfall is predicted to be $438 million. Some schools will have difficulty meeting payroll if state payments are late. Unfortunately, we are one of those districts that will have a great deal of difficulty. If an innovation is not expensive and can be implemented with minimal cost, we have leaders that are open to new ideas and very willing to implement new concepts. It is a rotten deal that so much of what we would like to do hinges on money!
Yes I feel money will not be good this year. This will cut schools back in everything. Like you said though innovation is not expensive and implemented with minimal cost. I know that our school when to a math curriculum that is free however the materials have to be printed off which is not free and they only saw free.
Money is a major drive when being innovative for most. I know in our building due to lack of funding we were supposed to adopt a new reading series. Well now we are being asked to think outside of our boxes and consider creating our own reading series. The panic button was pushed when our administrator asked teachers to think outside of the box and come up with ideas instead of spending big amounts of money. The fear of the unknown was heavy in the room. Yes there are lots of things to take into consideration when you don’t buy a boxed reading series and it is a large gamble to ensure there are not gaps and large holes but it can be done with determination and lots of hard work.
I can just see the look of a deer caught in the headlights when the teachers were told to think outside the box. It's nice to have a guideline. If you think about it, the standards are the guideline and now you just have to find a way to teach that. There was that fear of changing to a new curriculum and now they don't have a specific curriculum, from one end of the continuum to the other. That can be a big stress maker. Hopefully the teachers are in the groove and trust their backgrounds and learning and are doing just fine teaching their students.
One of my districts doesn't use a Science text book at the elementary level. Considering how Science tends to be pushed to the side, I can understand the decision. However, what I see is that many grade levels are picking the same key concepts to teach. What I have seen doesn't lead me to think that they are introducing new concepts or more depth each year, but that they hit many of the same concepts. If this would happen in Science, I could only imagine what would happen with Reading. You are so right that preventing that is possible, but only with a lot of hard work, and hopefully shared planning times and work days!
I'll admit that I would panic as well. I think that your district should choose another expense to do away with. Having a reading series that aligns throughout grade levels and is research based is worth the money.
If your school doesn't want the expense of a reading series, they need to read the Book Whisperer. There are strategies to implement that would be great.
I would be worried to!! I have worked in a school where there wasn't a reading series and teachers were left to come up with things on their own. It was very hard, not uncomfortable, but hard to do. There were always holes from grade level to grade level. If your district is really wanting to make that change, there has to be lots of time with vertical alignment among the grade levels so that there aren't holes. It could turn out awesome because it is teacher created, but it will take a lot of work. Good luck!!! :)
Leadership is the authority on picking new curriculum and having the teachers implement it. If the leadership is positive and willing to listen to teachers' opinions on piloted curriculum then there will be more positive attitudes from the teachers. I have a teacher friend in another school who teaches general education math to 8th graders. This year she is hating her job because she is forced to follow a script. It was piloted last year and the math teachers said they didn't like it because there was no flexibility. The administrators decided that this scripted free curriculum was the way to go and the teachers are not allowed to supplement or deviate from the script or they can lose their job! This does not make the teachers happy when the school could pull anyone off the street to follow a math script. The teachers then fell undervalued.
Money is another issue that leads to innovation problems. The school district only has so much money to spend. They are stressed about finding the right curriculum that will work for their students while still showing student progress and growth. With that stress from the federal government, the fear of trying something new and it failing is huge. The schools don't want the government taking over the school but they know what is best for students. Finding the balance of teaching and innovation with the stress of standardized tests is hard. I don't think there is an easy answer. It also takes money to send teachers to professional development workshops to learn new strategies or bring in speakers on a new strategy that the school may not have.
We have been fortunate enough in our school district the last few years with some exceptions that administrators have let teachers get involved in deciding on the type of curriculum to teach whether it is math or language arts.
Money is just plain a scary proposition out there right now. Everyone is worried about what may happen, cuts, late payments, etc. When money is this tight a lot of innovative projects get put on hold. The priority becomes just make it through with what we currently have.
Absolutely! Technology dramatically affects innovation, and technology costs money. With budgets the way they are, it takes specific action by administration to make sure teachers and students have adequate technology. I realize that a lack of technology does not mean teachers and students can’t be innovators, but often technology facilitates innovation. I can say that some of my schools are very on board with spending money on technology. They have found grants to provide i-pads or laptops for students and encourage teachers to use the technology in the classroom. Other school districts don’t provide for that as much. I’ve tried to do some activities to allow collaboration between students of different districts, which requires some access technology. It’s proven to be difficult for students who don’t have school-issued e-mail accounts or more access to computers/chromebooks/i-pads.
Money is definitely a driving force in education. Schools are having to do more with less and that l(hopefully) eads to some very creative and innovative ideas in schools/classrooms! When we still have a job to do but with less financial resources available we have choices to make. I see school administrators having to make choices like replacing textbooks or add technology. Often technology wins out because the impact is greater than new textbooks. I think administrators will continue to face difficult decisions based on lack of finances. One example is our upper elementary school cutting the art teacher position (years ago). Elective teachers feel especially vulnerable during this financial educational crisis. In order for schools to not only survive but be competitive and grow is for administrators and teachers to be more creative, innovative, and take risks to educate our students without them realizing what a financial mess our education system is swimming in! I feel for administrators having to make tough financial choices but with risk-taking teachers who are creative and innovative students can feel like they are getting a "million dollar" education!
sorry- but it should read- Money is definitely a driving force in education. Schools are having to do more with less and that (hopefully) leads to some very creative and innovative ideas in schools/classrooms. I thought I had proof read it better!!!
School Leadership and money have a big impact at any school. Leaders who are positive and supportive make it easier for teachers to feel good about what they do and have the confidence to try new or different ideas in their classrooms. On the downside Leadership that is nit picky or comes across as not valuing teachers makes survival instincts kick in and everyone just wants to keep their heads down and not attract attention. It certainly makes for an environment that does not invite trying new things. In a previous district one of the elementary teachers was the wife of the superintendent who was also the elementary principal. She got everything she wanted as far as classroom supplies and aides. She was confident that she would get a good evaluation. Don’t get me wrong, she is a wonderful school teacher. But she always knew that any new idea she tried would be fully supported. Finances - $$$: with federal mandates and federal dollars attached, I think money is affecting schools all over the country; especially in rural areas where the population base and local tax dollars are shrinking. Just a lunch today a conversation with the teachers and principal took place where the current state of education dollars in Kansas was being discussed and the fear is that educational dollars will be cut in February of this year…..and then more cuts next year. Yikes! My school district proposed a bond issue for a new elementary school that did not pass in April and again failed this November. The school leadership is really focused on the bond and that is the main topic of conversation. School board members just recently met with groups of teachers to ask for their ideas about where to go from here…..
The government is over involved in the area of education and they need to step away and let teachers teach the kids what they need to learn. We have big wig money corporations out there that are influencing our senators, congressmen, and state officials that teachers need to be teaching this and that so kids coming out of high school and college will be better prepared to work in their corporations. There are too many kids out there now that are seeing their parents or their siblings working at a job and getting paid really well and this kid still in school is deciding not to work hard and get good grades because he or she already knows what kind of job they will have and that is what their parents or older siblings are doing at this moment. Young kids are not taking the time to look further ahead down the road because they don't know if that same corporation or company that their parent or older siblings is working for might not be there when they're ready for a job.
Almost every school I'm aware of (in my home state of Colorado) and in Kansas are facing budget crunches, yet the schools are feeling the need to seek new curriculum to meet Common Core standards and spend $$ on this.
My school district recently announced that we need to cut $66,000.00 out of our expenses this year. Today, at our staff meeting, they informed us of three aspects of this cut: USD 210 classified staff will no longer have a substitute replacement on days that they take off, our one-to-one initiative (iPads or lap tops) for the fifth and sixth graders has been "postponed" and certified staff are requesting all paid time off days next year rather than 10 sick days and two personal days. All three of those topics are controlled by funds. The school leaders have the difficult job of deciding where the district's funds should go and they can never please everyone. I really hope that some day, the priviledged people of our nation stop complaining about how far behind our education system is and do something to fix it ($$$).
Most innovation projects require some amount of money, so the fact that it isn't available leaves those projects unable to continue (or even begin). I also believe that many educators don't take the time to brainstorm innovative techniques and projects, because they don't have the time... why put in extra work (on top of the 60+ hours of work we put in each week) when you will be paid the same amount of money?
The bottom line is that schools need money for basic necessities and they deserve those government and community funds more than prisons and welfare programs - that is just my opinion.
We are short on substitutes at my school, so certified staff have been filling in during their plan times. They have been told not to turn this time in as extra duty pay. This was supposed to be a short term solution.
Hannah- I COMPLETELY agree with your comment about school funding versus prison and welfare funding. Have you ever watched "Waiting for Superman"??? The stats they gave on educational funding literally made my stomach sick. I know the movie's pretty old by now, but I can't imagine the numbers have gotten any better.
It sounds like everyone is on the same page. Everything right now is about money and the lack thereof. Innovation to me does not always mean items that cost. There are new strategies that can be introduced to teach subjects, creative ways of current resources, etc. My district is definitely feeling budget cuts and some of the teachers are going to have to change. They will have to be innovative in order to meet the needs of the students. I see change happening already with personnel that has been cut. The innovation that costs money in my district has been tabled for at least a year.
Innovation does not have to cost money. As teachers and educational leaders, we are in this business to make a difference in kids and I feel as if by our very nature that we will do this regardless of money. Students will continue to show up at our doors expecting our best as we do of them. How many teachers and administrators use their own money and put in extra time to do what is right for kids? Almost all at some time or another. Lucky for students, we will do what is right for them even when funds are scarce.
We don't need fancy workshops or to be paid more in order to be innovative. It's not a waste of time or resources... it's our job. Students don't expect everything we do to be flashy. In fact, for many of our students, money is an issue in their lives. I think a great way to be innovative and help our students is to show what we can do in spite of lack of funding. Show them that learning, thinking, and collaborating can change the world... not money.
I agree with both Amber and Courtney. I guess when I answered the question, I was thinking about the direction of education as an entire district versus what can happen in each classroom. Good to consider both!
Unfortunately, too many of us are unwilling to sacrifice our time and money for the betterment of our students. Instead of conducting our own research, we seek what others have already produced. I'm not saying that this is a bad thing, I think collaboration is a great thing and as teachers we all generally love to learn. However, too many of us rely on our schools and administrators to make this happen. So, I don't know that the administration or funding really inhibits innovation as much as our individual pride does.
I agree with your assessment about funding. Innovation can happen with or without money. Innovation CAN happen without a great leader but a great leader sure does help.
I feel that as money is scarce we are using many resources on the internet that teachers have already provided for us and all we have to do it push print. I feel that many of us use our own money to buy the things needed in our classrooms if it is not available to us. I know many of us pay membership fees for many of the sites out there so that we are able to use them in our lessons. Many of us make homemade things to use in the classroom such as games. I also make my things in my closet work for a game I want to do. I figure it out and make my resources work for me. I also am able to borrow things from other teachers and they borrow things from me. I have many things that I have made or Krista has made that works just as good for teaching a skill. Funding is hard on teachers but in order to do what we love which I hope is teaching kids, we have to roll with it and figure out what is best for the kids even if it isn't the latest ipad app that cost 200.00 something else is out there that is free and will teach the same skill. I feel teachers have to do more research and time spent making things rather than grabbing the item and teaching the skill. It is probably harder work in which some are not willing to do however it is just as durable laminated and can be wiped off easily, put back in its place and used again continuously.
I believe that leadership is much more important than money when comes to innovation. All the money in the kingdom doesn't make a great school like having a great leader can.
Right now there are many talks about the "how's". There are fewer talks about solutions. There are less talks about the "git 'er done".
Someone mentioned in an earlier post about the amount of work "it" takes. Well innovation is definitely an "it". Technology is only as good as its trained user. Teachers don't need to be an expert on every program but they do need to know which programs are used for what. It takes leadership to know how to organize that information and get teachers properly trained/informed. It takes a leader to know WHAT kind of technology (and other low tech innovations) can best fit the culture of the school. Getting the best and brightest doesn't mean a thing if it doesn't serve the needs of the audience (students).
This question goes back to the previous one - new v. tried and true. Without leadership innovation (no matter the cost) will just be a pretty thing on the shelf or worse a hunk of junk in the district storage closet
Since I'm late on answering this I have the Gifted news of the day that next week there possibly will be a bill introduced to get GT out of special education and if that happens, GT will no longer be funded by the state...how's that for the people in government looking out for all types of students?
There is so much stuff on the internet for free or little cost that running a classroom shouldn't be a problem for schools. But I know (look at our school district's financial crisis the past 2 years thanks to the former supt and school board) it costs money to run everything else but if the administration/leadership is intelligent and resourceful and FRUGAL, money problems shouldn't be affecting the day to day workings of the classrooms. Teachers just have to take it upon themselves to learn about new technology or that new app so that there can be a justifiable argument as to why or why not the students need something.
Sadly, money affects everything; it forces us to make decision about every facet of our lives. So it's only understandable that it would also affect the direction of education. Technology is a line item that wasn't there 25-30 years ago and is now a vital part of our children's education. Administration has the dutiful job of expending funds to meet the needs of the students (i.e. teacher training and retention, new curriculums, facilities, extracurriculur activies and safety of students to just name a few). Administration and school funding are HUGE factors in the direction of education.
School leadership and money typically go hand-in-hand when it comes to innovation in any district and any school across the state of Kansas. Our superintendent is very interested in innovation and increasing student success and doing what is best for kids; however, sometimes his hands are tied because of budget cuts and/or lack of funding. I think that as educators we do the best we can with what we've got. Right now in the budget crisis that our state is facing, I think that we will be in this mindset for quite awhile. I know that in our district, if/when we get more funding, there will definitely be innovative things that will happen on a larger scale. Right now, though, innovation is on a smaller scale in the classrooms.
I can see the perspective of both directions of this discussion. Innovation is possible at the classroom level to driven innovators with low start-up cost - used books, internet research, home made materials. Getting everyone on board with a change, providing training for all, or time for all to train each other, and enough staff that teachers are not too tired just keeping up with the day to day, to seek out new ideas, requires some funding. Technology helps lessen the load, but has cost associated as well.
I believe that money strongly influences innovation within schools. The fact is that to make change, people often expect that change to cost money and time. Especially at this point, with the political controversies and budget cuts, money is influencing leadership, innovation, and the entire staff overall. I believe that innovators can still help to create change without costing too much money, if they can be creative with the resources they have. However, it often comes to show that states, school, districts, school, and even teachers within those schools, come to the table with all different resources.
Money: I commonly hear teachers/administrators saying that this program seems really great, or that implementing this would be beneficial, or whatever, but then it always comes down to what this thing is going to cost (which is understandable), and that’s about as far as innovation goes for the most part. Leadership: On the other hand, I have another school that always seems as if they’re trying out something different (And kudos to their administration for being willing to try out new things I guess), but they jump around from program to program so often that they may as well have done nothing and probably would’ve ended up with the same results.
I believe money will control almost everything this year. It has been announced in the news Kansas is $279 million short in their budget; education cuts are definitely going to happen this year. And next year the budget shortfall is predicted to be $438 million. Some schools will have difficulty meeting payroll if state payments are late. Unfortunately, we are one of those districts that will have a great deal of difficulty. If an innovation is not expensive and can be implemented with minimal cost, we have leaders that are open to new ideas and very willing to implement new concepts. It is a rotten deal that so much of what we would like to do hinges on money!
ReplyDeleteYes I feel money will not be good this year. This will cut schools back in everything. Like you said though innovation is not expensive and implemented with minimal cost. I know that our school when to a math curriculum that is free however the materials have to be printed off which is not free and they only saw free.
DeleteMoney is a major drive when being innovative for most. I know in our building due to lack of funding we were supposed to adopt a new reading series. Well now we are being asked to think outside of our boxes and consider creating our own reading series. The panic button was pushed when our administrator asked teachers to think outside of the box and come up with ideas instead of spending big amounts of money. The fear of the unknown was heavy in the room. Yes there are lots of things to take into consideration when you don’t buy a boxed reading series and it is a large gamble to ensure there are not gaps and large holes but it can be done with determination and lots of hard work.
ReplyDeleteI can just see the look of a deer caught in the headlights when the teachers were told to think outside the box. It's nice to have a guideline. If you think about it, the standards are the guideline and now you just have to find a way to teach that. There was that fear of changing to a new curriculum and now they don't have a specific curriculum, from one end of the continuum to the other. That can be a big stress maker. Hopefully the teachers are in the groove and trust their backgrounds and learning and are doing just fine teaching their students.
DeleteOne of my districts doesn't use a Science text book at the elementary level. Considering how Science tends to be pushed to the side, I can understand the decision. However, what I see is that many grade levels are picking the same key concepts to teach. What I have seen doesn't lead me to think that they are introducing new concepts or more depth each year, but that they hit many of the same concepts. If this would happen in Science, I could only imagine what would happen with Reading. You are so right that preventing that is possible, but only with a lot of hard work, and hopefully shared planning times and work days!
DeleteI'll admit that I would panic as well. I think that your district should choose another expense to do away with. Having a reading series that aligns throughout grade levels and is research based is worth the money.
DeleteIf your school doesn't want the expense of a reading series, they need to read the Book Whisperer. There are strategies to implement that would be great.
DeleteI would be worried to!! I have worked in a school where there wasn't a reading series and teachers were left to come up with things on their own. It was very hard, not uncomfortable, but hard to do. There were always holes from grade level to grade level. If your district is really wanting to make that change, there has to be lots of time with vertical alignment among the grade levels so that there aren't holes. It could turn out awesome because it is teacher created, but it will take a lot of work. Good luck!!! :)
DeleteLeadership is the authority on picking new curriculum and having the teachers implement it. If the leadership is positive and willing to listen to teachers' opinions on piloted curriculum then there will be more positive attitudes from the teachers. I have a teacher friend in another school who teaches general education math to 8th graders. This year she is hating her job because she is forced to follow a script. It was piloted last year and the math teachers said they didn't like it because there was no flexibility. The administrators decided that this scripted free curriculum was the way to go and the teachers are not allowed to supplement or deviate from the script or they can lose their job! This does not make the teachers happy when the school could pull anyone off the street to follow a math script. The teachers then fell undervalued.
ReplyDeleteMoney is another issue that leads to innovation problems. The school district only has so much money to spend. They are stressed about finding the right curriculum that will work for their students while still showing student progress and growth. With that stress from the federal government, the fear of trying something new and it failing is huge. The schools don't want the government taking over the school but they know what is best for students. Finding the balance of teaching and innovation with the stress of standardized tests is hard. I don't think there is an easy answer. It also takes money to send teachers to professional development workshops to learn new strategies or bring in speakers on a new strategy that the school may not have.
We have been fortunate enough in our school district the last few years with some exceptions that administrators have let teachers get involved in deciding on the type of curriculum to teach whether it is math or language arts.
DeleteMoney is just plain a scary proposition out there right now. Everyone is worried about what may happen, cuts, late payments, etc. When money is this tight a lot of innovative projects get put on hold. The priority becomes just make it through with what we currently have.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! Technology dramatically affects innovation, and technology costs money. With budgets the way they are, it takes specific action by administration to make sure teachers and students have adequate technology.
ReplyDeleteI realize that a lack of technology does not mean teachers and students can’t be innovators, but often technology facilitates innovation.
I can say that some of my schools are very on board with spending money on technology. They have found grants to provide i-pads or laptops for students and encourage teachers to use the technology in the classroom. Other school districts don’t provide for that as much. I’ve tried to do some activities to allow collaboration between students of different districts, which requires some access technology. It’s proven to be difficult for students who don’t have school-issued e-mail accounts or more access to computers/chromebooks/i-pads.
Money is definitely a driving force in education. Schools are having to do more with less and that l(hopefully) eads to some very creative and innovative ideas in schools/classrooms! When we still have a job to do but with less financial resources available we have choices to make. I see school administrators having to make choices like replacing textbooks or add technology. Often technology wins out because the impact is greater than new textbooks. I think administrators will continue to face difficult decisions based on lack of finances. One example is our upper elementary school cutting the art teacher position (years ago). Elective teachers feel especially vulnerable during this financial educational crisis. In order for schools to not only survive but be competitive and grow is for administrators and teachers to be more creative, innovative, and take risks to educate our students without them realizing what a financial mess our education system is swimming in! I feel for administrators having to make tough financial choices but with risk-taking teachers who are creative and innovative students can feel like they are getting a "million dollar" education!
ReplyDeletesorry- but it should read- Money is definitely a driving force in education. Schools are having to do more with less and that (hopefully) leads to some very creative and innovative ideas in schools/classrooms.
ReplyDeleteI thought I had proof read it better!!!
School Leadership and money have a big impact at any school.
ReplyDeleteLeaders who are positive and supportive make it easier for teachers to feel good about what they do and have the confidence to try new or different ideas in their classrooms. On the downside Leadership that is nit picky or comes across as not valuing teachers makes survival instincts kick in and everyone just wants to keep their heads down and not attract attention. It certainly makes for an environment that does not invite trying new things. In a previous district one of the elementary teachers was the wife of the superintendent who was also the elementary principal. She got everything she wanted as far as classroom supplies and aides. She was confident that she would get a good evaluation. Don’t get me wrong, she is a wonderful school teacher. But she always knew that any new idea she tried would be fully supported.
Finances - $$$: with federal mandates and federal dollars attached, I think money is affecting schools all over the country; especially in rural areas where the population base and local tax dollars are shrinking. Just a lunch today a conversation with the teachers and principal took place where the current state of education dollars in Kansas was being discussed and the fear is that educational dollars will be cut in February of this year…..and then more cuts next year. Yikes!
My school district proposed a bond issue for a new elementary school that did not pass in April and again failed this November. The school leadership is really focused on the bond and that is the main topic of conversation. School board members just recently met with groups of teachers to ask for their ideas about where to go from here…..
The government is over involved in the area of education and they need to step away and let teachers teach the kids what they need to learn. We have big wig money corporations out there that are influencing our senators, congressmen, and state officials that teachers need to be teaching this and that so kids coming out of high school and college will be better prepared to work in their corporations. There are too many kids out there now that are seeing their parents or their siblings working at a job and getting paid really well and this kid still in school is deciding not to work hard and get good grades because he or she already knows what kind of job they will have and that is what their parents or older siblings are doing at this moment. Young kids are not taking the time to look further ahead down the road because they don't know if that same corporation or company that their parent or older siblings is working for might not be there when they're ready for a job.
ReplyDeleteAlmost every school I'm aware of (in my home state of Colorado) and in Kansas are facing budget crunches, yet the schools are feeling the need to seek new curriculum to meet Common Core standards and spend $$ on this.
DeleteMy school district recently announced that we need to cut $66,000.00 out of our expenses this year. Today, at our staff meeting, they informed us of three aspects of this cut: USD 210 classified staff will no longer have a substitute replacement on days that they take off, our one-to-one initiative (iPads or lap tops) for the fifth and sixth graders has been "postponed" and certified staff are requesting all paid time off days next year rather than 10 sick days and two personal days. All three of those topics are controlled by funds. The school leaders have the difficult job of deciding where the district's funds should go and they can never please everyone. I really hope that some day, the priviledged people of our nation stop complaining about how far behind our education system is and do something to fix it ($$$).
ReplyDeleteMost innovation projects require some amount of money, so the fact that it isn't available leaves those projects unable to continue (or even begin). I also believe that many educators don't take the time to brainstorm innovative techniques and projects, because they don't have the time... why put in extra work (on top of the 60+ hours of work we put in each week) when you will be paid the same amount of money?
The bottom line is that schools need money for basic necessities and they deserve those government and community funds more than prisons and welfare programs - that is just my opinion.
We are short on substitutes at my school, so certified staff have been filling in during their plan times. They have been told not to turn this time in as extra duty pay. This was supposed to be a short term solution.
DeleteHannah-
DeleteI COMPLETELY agree with your comment about school funding versus prison and welfare funding. Have you ever watched "Waiting for Superman"??? The stats they gave on educational funding literally made my stomach sick. I know the movie's pretty old by now, but I can't imagine the numbers have gotten any better.
It sounds like everyone is on the same page. Everything right now is about money and the lack thereof. Innovation to me does not always mean items that cost. There are new strategies that can be introduced to teach subjects, creative ways of current resources, etc. My district is definitely feeling budget cuts and some of the teachers are going to have to change. They will have to be innovative in order to meet the needs of the students. I see change happening already with personnel that has been cut. The innovation that costs money in my district has been tabled for at least a year.
ReplyDeleteInnovation does not have to cost money. As teachers and educational leaders, we are in this business to make a difference in kids and I feel as if by our very nature that we will do this regardless of money. Students will continue to show up at our doors expecting our best as we do of them. How many teachers and administrators use their own money and put in extra time to do what is right for kids? Almost all at some time or another. Lucky for students, we will do what is right for them even when funds are scarce.
ReplyDeleteWe don't need fancy workshops or to be paid more in order to be innovative. It's not a waste of time or resources... it's our job. Students don't expect everything we do to be flashy. In fact, for many of our students, money is an issue in their lives. I think a great way to be innovative and help our students is to show what we can do in spite of lack of funding. Show them that learning, thinking, and collaborating can change the world... not money.
DeleteI agree with both Amber and Courtney. I guess when I answered the question, I was thinking about the direction of education as an entire district versus what can happen in each classroom. Good to consider both!
DeleteUnfortunately, too many of us are unwilling to sacrifice our time and money for the betterment of our students. Instead of conducting our own research, we seek what others have already produced. I'm not saying that this is a bad thing, I think collaboration is a great thing and as teachers we all generally love to learn. However, too many of us rely on our schools and administrators to make this happen. So, I don't know that the administration or funding really inhibits innovation as much as our individual pride does.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your assessment about funding. Innovation can happen with or without money. Innovation CAN happen without a great leader but a great leader sure does help.
DeleteI feel that as money is scarce we are using many resources on the internet that teachers have already provided for us and all we have to do it push print. I feel that many of us use our own money to buy the things needed in our classrooms if it is not available to us. I know many of us pay membership fees for many of the sites out there so that we are able to use them in our lessons. Many of us make homemade things to use in the classroom such as games. I also make my things in my closet work for a game I want to do. I figure it out and make my resources work for me. I also am able to borrow things from other teachers and they borrow things from me. I have many things that I have made or Krista has made that works just as good for teaching a skill. Funding is hard on teachers but in order to do what we love which I hope is teaching kids, we have to roll with it and figure out what is best for the kids even if it isn't the latest ipad app that cost 200.00 something else is out there that is free and will teach the same skill. I feel teachers have to do more research and time spent making things rather than grabbing the item and teaching the skill. It is probably harder work in which some are not willing to do however it is just as durable laminated and can be wiped off easily, put back in its place and used again continuously.
ReplyDeleteI believe that leadership is much more important than money when comes to innovation. All the money in the kingdom doesn't make a great school like having a great leader can.
ReplyDeleteRight now there are many talks about the "how's". There are fewer talks about solutions. There are less talks about the "git 'er done".
Someone mentioned in an earlier post about the amount of work "it" takes. Well innovation is definitely an "it". Technology is only as good as its trained user. Teachers don't need to be an expert on every program but they do need to know which programs are used for what. It takes leadership to know how to organize that information and get teachers properly trained/informed. It takes a leader to know WHAT kind of technology (and other low tech innovations) can best fit the culture of the school. Getting the best and brightest doesn't mean a thing if it doesn't serve the needs of the audience (students).
This question goes back to the previous one - new v. tried and true. Without leadership innovation (no matter the cost) will just be a pretty thing on the shelf or worse a hunk of junk in the district storage closet
Since I'm late on answering this I have the Gifted news of the day that next week there possibly will be a bill introduced to get GT out of special education and if that happens, GT will no longer be funded by the state...how's that for the people in government looking out for all types of students?
ReplyDeleteThere is so much stuff on the internet for free or little cost that running a classroom shouldn't be a problem for schools. But I know (look at our school district's financial crisis the past 2 years thanks to the former supt and school board) it costs money to run everything else but if the administration/leadership is intelligent and resourceful and FRUGAL, money problems shouldn't be affecting the day to day workings of the classrooms.
Teachers just have to take it upon themselves to learn about new technology or that new app so that there can be a justifiable argument as to why or why not the students need something.
Sadly, money affects everything; it forces us to make decision about every facet of our lives. So it's only understandable that it would also affect the direction of education. Technology is a line item that wasn't there 25-30 years ago and is now a vital part of our children's education. Administration has the dutiful job of expending funds to meet the needs of the students (i.e. teacher training and retention, new curriculums, facilities, extracurriculur activies and safety of students to just name a few). Administration and school funding are HUGE factors in the direction of education.
ReplyDeleteSchool leadership and money typically go hand-in-hand when it comes to innovation in any district and any school across the state of Kansas. Our superintendent is very interested in innovation and increasing student success and doing what is best for kids; however, sometimes his hands are tied because of budget cuts and/or lack of funding. I think that as educators we do the best we can with what we've got. Right now in the budget crisis that our state is facing, I think that we will be in this mindset for quite awhile. I know that in our district, if/when we get more funding, there will definitely be innovative things that will happen on a larger scale. Right now, though, innovation is on a smaller scale in the classrooms.
ReplyDeleteI can see the perspective of both directions of this discussion. Innovation is possible at the classroom level to driven innovators with low start-up cost - used books, internet research, home made materials. Getting everyone on board with a change, providing training for all, or time for all to train each other, and enough staff that teachers are not too tired just keeping up with the day to day, to seek out new ideas, requires some funding. Technology helps lessen the load, but has cost associated as well.
ReplyDeleteI believe that money strongly influences innovation within schools. The fact is that to make change, people often expect that change to cost money and time. Especially at this point, with the political controversies and budget cuts, money is influencing leadership, innovation, and the entire staff overall. I believe that innovators can still help to create change without costing too much money, if they can be creative with the resources they have. However, it often comes to show that states, school, districts, school, and even teachers within those schools, come to the table with all different resources.
ReplyDeleteMoney: I commonly hear teachers/administrators saying that this program seems really great, or that implementing this would be beneficial, or whatever, but then it always comes down to what this thing is going to cost (which is understandable), and that’s about as far as innovation goes for the most part.
ReplyDeleteLeadership: On the other hand, I have another school that always seems as if they’re trying out something different (And kudos to their administration for being willing to try out new things I guess), but they jump around from program to program so often that they may as well have done nothing and probably would’ve ended up with the same results.