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When Turnaround Holds Its Breath
Tonight, my chest feels tight. My emotions are swirling. Not because it is the night before another week of school. Not because I do not know what to do tomorrow on Day 1 of testing. But because I know exactly what is at stake. As a TOSA and the leader of our AZELLA testing team, my mind keeps circling the same questions again and again. Did I do enough to prepare them? Are the teachers ready? Are the students ready? Are they all prepared to do their best?Could I have done mo
Melissa France
Feb 223 min read
One Degree
“Thanks for helping me believe I’m not dumb.”
If a student felt the need to say that, what had school taught them before they ever walked into that classroom?
In the urgency of turnaround, we measure growth, track data, and chase outcomes. But beneath every score is a belief a student holds about themselves. The question we rarely stop to ask is this: What does your classroom teach students about who they are when the test is over?
Stephanie Nardi EdD
Jan 192 min read
Refereeing the Court of Learning
As I reflect on my week while watching a basketball game, I am struck by how much being a TOSA feels like being a referee on the court. You are constantly watching the action, listening to both sides, making judgment calls in real time and trying to keep the game moving forward in a way that is fair, safe and focused on the purpose of why everyone is there. Working with a teacher on a Professional Improvement Plan is rarely about the game plan itself. It is about listening, r
Melissa France
Jan 103 min read
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