r e t t a M e h t f o T HAR Volume 3, Issue 1 A PAR Center Publication Fall 2005 A Rose By Any Other Name and a group of dedicated mentors called Support Providers and Consulting Teachers. Our programs aim to advance teaching practice with programmed collaboration between veteran and neophyte teachers. They are also about establishing a habit of mind: reflection on practice. The tools of our formative assessIt turns out that induction is a word that every ment system (FAS, as it is called by the Santa Tom, Dick and Harry of an educational institu- Cruz New Teacher Center) are designed to altion has been using with every neophyte low new teachers opportunities to self-assess teacher in sight. And I’m equally guilty as I competency based on an examination of pracam running both a BTSA/Induction Program tice. Participants have a mandate to study the and a 2042 Hart Induction Program. Some of community, district, school, class and then a the Hart district’s newest teachers have already Case Study student. Mentors and new teachers been inducted by their intern program, again work together to lesson plan, communicate by their university-led preliminary credential with parents and analyze student work. All of program and now are told that they need to do this work is focused through the lens of the an induction program as part of their employ- California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTPs). ment, or as a way to clear their credential. This means yet another induction choice of BTSA or BTSA plus 2042. No wonder we So is this rose any different from the others? Yes. Our induction programs are designed to face rampant induction phobias in our office! advance the practice of new teachers who are We are part of the state’s most radical change ready to leave their classroom management in credentialing: districts recommending can- fears behind begin the process of differentiatdidates for clear professional credentials. ing lessons to meet the needs of all of their stuTherefore we have two overlapping programs: dents. They were designed with the Hart disBTSA, a state program mandated by our dis- trict teaching and student population in mind trict, and the Hart Induction (read Credential) and in a way that often allows participants to Program. Each has something very important choose their own path to personal excellence. The word induction has become a term that simply shivers me timbers. Its meaning is innocuous enough on its own—just to initiate, bring into the fold—nothing scary in that. But it’s a word that has produced some hostile reactions this year. Inside this issue: Welcome to The Ranch 2 Mix-It-Up 2 Spotlight on Cassandra Cross 3 Spotlight on John Salapatek 3 Upcoming Workshops 4 Letter from Linda 4 Jokes and Trivia 4 in common: a formative assessment system It is a different rose. Honest. Linda “The point is to develop the childlike inclination for play and the childlike desire for recognition and to guide the child over to important fields for society. Such a school demands from the teacher that he be a kind of artist in his province.” Albert Einstein Volume 3, Issue 1 Page 2 Welcome to The Ranch “Relationship, rigor, and relevance” is the mantra of one of our newest high schools, West Ranch. Bob Vincent, principal, says that these ideals are embedded in everything that happens on the campus. West Ranch High School opened this fall to 1452 students in the 9th and 10th grades at the top of Valencia Boulevard, even though the school officially opened last year on the Rancho Pico Junior High School campus. The beautiful 52 acre campus has a incredible view of the Santa Clarita Valley and houses 59 teachers with 41 other support staff. Opening day did have a few interesting moments when Valencia Boulevard was closed to medivac a local resident making it quite challenging for students to arrive on time. Thankfully, the rest of opening week, dubbed the “Week of Welcome,” went extremely well. Students were greeted on opening day with velvet ropes guiding them onto a red car- pet while music played. The week ended with a “Welcome to the Ranch Dance” attended by 900 students. The campus took two years and $80 million to build. Construction continues to complete the 550-seat theatre and athletic complex for football, soccer, and track. The Ranch has had to cope with the usual school start problems, such as errant bells and air conditioning issues, but the staff and administration all feel that they have such an exceptional school. Wildcat TV is in full swing, and the athletic teams are already competing in most sports. Mix It Up What is Mix It Up? Mix It Up is a project that supports student efforts to identify, question and cross social boundaries within their schools and communities. When is Mix It Up at Lunch Day? This year, Mix It Up at Lunch Day is November 15, 2005. However, you can organize a Mix it Up Lunch Day at your school anytime. Why Mix It Up? For many students, social boundaries are a troublesome, daily constant. Although the types of boundaries may vary from school to school, a 2002 Mix It Up survey showed: • A majority of middle and high school students said that schools were "quick to put people into categories." • 40% admitted that they had rejected someone from another group. • One-third said it's hard to become friends with people in different groups. Which boundaries are the hardest to cross? Student respondents' top answers: Personal appearance Athletic achievement Style Race Academic achievement Where did students see the boundaries most clearly? Cafeteria Classroom Bus Recreational activities After-school clubs What does Mix It Up hope to accomplish? Organizers hope students will take a fresh look at their school environments and ask why the barriers that divide groups exist. For more information, visit www.tolerance.org/teens for more information. “Students and their teacher allies can help form safe, welcoming schools — places where every student can grow socially and academically. The goal of Mix It Up is to help make that possible.” Volume 3, Issue 1 Page 3 Spotlight on Cassandra Cross Cassandra Cross is a new teacher in the Hart District but she's not a new teacher. She's been an instructor since she was 15, first at her church, both in Sunday school and an after-school program for 5th and 6th graders, and then at an elementary school while pursuing her education degree at Fresno State. Now she's back in her hometown of Valencia making a living at it, teaching Special Education at Rio Norte Junior High. It's a position for which she is well-suited; among her favorite quotes is, "With understanding comes a time when difference no longer makes a difference." Cassandra is quite an inspiration herself. In February 2004, while walking through a parking lot at Fresno State, she was hit by a car and dragged 30 feet. The mishap left her with a broken pelvis, hip, shoulder and vertebra - injuries that required a month of hospitalization and six weeks in a wheelchair. She nevertheless completed her 19 units that semester and graduated on time in May - and did it walking to boot. Her interest in working with students with disabilities started at home. Cassandra's sister, Tiffany, suffered a traumatic brain injury at the age of twenty months, and through her Cassandra got involved early on with the Special Olympics, "and as Tiffany will tell you, 'My sister only teaches Special Education because of me. I am her inspiration.'" It comes as no surprise, then, to hear Cassandra describe her teaching philosophy. "I believe that all children have the ability to learn," she says. "I also believe that most educators, especially in my field, have too low an expectation for students. Students will either fall to your expectations or rise to them. I have high expectations that I believe my students will rise to." Spotlight on John Salapatek Every teacher is part performer, but it's no exaggeration to say that when it comes to acting, John Salapatek is a real pro. Before becoming an English teacher at Golden Valley High School, he spent more than 20 years as an actor and writer - including portraying Cousin Itt in the two "Addams Family" movies. When not in the classroom, John loves to travel the country in his RV, listens to the Beatles and other classic rock and has a preference for Italian and Mexican food. His favorite actors are Daniel Day Lewis and Meryl Streep, and he cites Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations" as his favorite book. A native of Blue Island, Ill., John got a bachelor of fine arts degree in theater at the University of Illinois. But he'd already made his professional acting debut by then. In 1984, using his stage name of John Franklin, he played the head of a cult of obsessed teenagers in the movie adaptation of Stephen King's "Children of the Corn." He later starred in and co-wrote one of the sequels, "Children of the Corn 666." He's a big fan of the PAR program - "every time I go to a seminar I learn something great that I incorporate the next day" - but this former actor's teaching philosophy is completely his own: "First do no harm, then keep them laughing." Besides movies, John's first career took him to stage work around the country and to guest appearances in such TV series as "Highway to Heaven," "Star Trek: Voyager," "All That" and "Cagney & Lacey." So what made him give it up? "After the events of 9/11," he explains, "I saw the shallowness of showbiz and felt a great desire to leave a greater legacy than just being Cousin Itt. Teaching seemed to be a perfect fit for my theatrical talents and to touch many lives." Workshops Nov. 3 Cooperative Learning I 4-6pm Nov. 8 Time-Saving Strategies 4-6pm Announcements CSUB credit for BTSA dates: Win ter due February 10 and Spring due May 5 Nov. 17 Who’s on First? 4-6pm Coming soon: We received a grant with t he New Teacher Network. Books and a companion DVD will be distributed in December. These materials are linked to online courses that can be used for BTSA workshop credit and university credit. Nov. 29 HOTS 4-6pm Additional offerings of Induction sem inars are now online with ERO. Dec. 6 If you continue to have problems with ERO, please contact Mary Delgado at the PAR Cen ter ASAP. Nov. 15 It Isn’t Just For English Anymore 4-6pm Got Speech? 4-6pm Trivia and Cartoon Fall Trivia 1. Which famous American icon suggested that the U.S. national bird should be the turkey? 2. Which state is represented by the coin with a maple leaf? 3. What are the only two regions in the world that have a distinctive colorful autumn season? The first person with all correct answers will win a great prize. Please send your [email protected]. responses to Phone: (661) 259-0017 Fax: (661) 284-3064 E-mail: [email protected] 26111 Bouquet Canyon Road Suite H-1 Santa Clarita, CA 91350 April Carey Francine dos Remedios Monica Ludlow Linda Margulies Claudia Padilla Jolene Smith Stephanie Viramontes James Webb