Teachers issues With Scripted Lessons

[raspberrygrace41]

the scripted lessons is just incase a student transfers to another school in the district

or when parents want to follow along

its a way for the district to keep everythin in order

so teachers wont WASTE time thinkin about lessons and how they should present it.

if these teachers dont like it, they can MOVE somewhere else, where there isnt a scripted lesson

we dont need people holding dumb signs and REFUSING to teach

teaching is your job,you chose to be one

deal w/it

[AnnabelleFun]

Yeah. You wouldn't want teachers wasting time thinking about lessons or how to present them would you?

[raspberrygrace41]

then they would have to make a test/quiz, then make extra time to grade them.

and make extra time to grade hw and projects.

its time consuming.

then they'll turn to robots and have their life completely revolving around test/quiz/lesson prep, and how to present it, then grade them.

later they would probably ask for more days off and ask for a higher pay after this contract is over.

[Sonibethk]

I'm not sure I agree with the logic that these teachers who are lobbying to do more of this work because they believe it to be in the best intrest of the students would then turn around and demand time off.

Especially given that the raise they are asking for is not really a raise, but simply being paid to work more hours.

[rabejo3]

That's only true if you are replacing individual lessons. Not true if you feel a series of lessons won't work for your kids.

I'm going to wait and see. If things truly change- great. If not, I'll be applying to other districts next year. There's a reason Seattle University and UW have slowed or stopped placing student teachers with us- they can't get enough practice creating lesson plans and units of their own.

[rabejo3]

Yes, you can use "professional judgment to modify, supplement or replace lessons". This means you are still using the district lessons. This doesn't say you can use lessons you create yourself. If you want to replace more than just a couple of lessons you need to get approval, and until then, you are using the district's lessons. I guess this is not a problem if you think the district lessons are great lessons. I don't. We're each entitled to our opinion.

[BellevueTeacher]

Of course we are entitled to our opinions about the quality of the curriculum lessons, that is not what I am saying.

If you use your own lessons you DO NOT have to get approval. You only have to NOTIFY people and start the process. You don't have to wait till people have agreed on them, you just have to start the process.

[rabejo3]

Did you see their newest proposal on their website? They took the BEA's language and stuck the words "series of lessons" right back in. They clearly are insisting that those lessons stay for everyone to use.

[BellevueTeacher]

How can you possible get that from their language?? It's like you pick and choose what you want to read? USE PROFESSIONAL JUDGMENT! The flexibility is there. What is with everyone's desire to think BSD is out to get them?

[rabejo3]

We're not talking about a curriculum that is research-based (like the math curriculum at the elementary level, for example). No one has a problem using that kind of curriculum. People don't like using lessons written by beginning teachers- especially when the lessons are often poorly written (as noted by the authors themselves), not piloted/tested, not appropriate for every student they are intended to be used for, etc.

Why is the district so stuck on this??? Anyone ask the Gates Foundation?

[BellevueTeacher]

How do you figure the district is "stuck" on it?

[BellevueTeacher]

I simply do not understand why there are people that think the district is still mandating scripted lessons. Firstly, there are only a few areas that actually had scripted lessons to begin with, many didn't. Second, the district curriculum proposal SAYS to use professional judgment in how we modify, adapt and even replace lessons. The ONLY time it says "occasional" in reference to replacement, not modifying.