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It shouldn’t be this hard
I’ve just finished an excellent book called The Morningside Model of Generative Instruction, which gives a nuts and bolts description of the awesome programs delivered at Seattle’s Morningside Academy. One thing that jumps out at the reader is the tremendous amount of training and support provided to Morningside teachers. Another is the incredible results achieved by the school. And a third is the atmosphere of business-like professionalism.
After reading about the high stress levels and huge time commitment of teachers at beat-the-odds schools like the KIPP schools and Harlem Success Academy, with teachers burning out all over the place, it is a revelation to read about the Morningside calm. It suggests to me that schools like KIPP are achieving their good results basically despite their inferior teaching methods and materials - by going all out. It’s true that you can accomplish much by working at a breakneck pace all the time, but it’s not sustainable.
Morningside Academy, on the other hand, has been in operation for more than 30 years and looks set to continue indefinitely.
Yes, I feel sorry for the teachers at KIPP.
In NA, specialists in subject matter aren’t hired to teach (up to and including gr 10 in Ontario); instead anyone who’s been to teachers college gets the job. Is this what all the extensive teacher training is all about? Even though Morningside Academy is doing the right thing by training, I would bet there would be very little training needed if they didn’t have to teach the subject to the teachers, in order for them to teach their students.