Governor Kitzhaber made several stops in Eugene on Tuesday, January 8th. One important visit was to Eugene School District 4J. Dr. Shelley Berman introduced the Governor to an audience of 4j Principals, District Administrations, teachers, City Officials, and Board Members. Dr. Berman shared information about District 4J and our commitment to excellence in teaching and learning and the professional growth of teachers.
Dr. Celia Feres-Johnson provided an overview of the new teacher Professional Growth and Effectiveness System. She shared a brief history describing how 4J began work before the passing of Senate Bill 290. Seven working groups, comprised of educators and community members, worked collaboratively to develop Eugene’s new teacher evaluation system. The pilot began this fall with four elementary schools, one middle school and a high school volunteering to participate, 60 teachers are participating in the pilot. The goal is full implementation in the 2013-14 school year.
Tasha Katsuda, principal at McCornack Elementary stated that all her teachers volunteered to participate in the pilot for the Professional Growth and Effectiveness System this year. The school’s focus for professional development was designed around Dr. Saphier’s book, The Skillful Teacher. Ms. Katsuda believes an important factor in the success of the pilot is the emphasis on collaboration. This focus has changed helped change the climate and professional culture and has improved and increased conversations about teaching and learning at McCornack.
Judy Davies, a 2nd grade teacher at McCornack, stated: “Dr. Saphier encouraged teachers to give students the opportunity to determine classroom criteria on some projects. ” When she implemented this idea Ms. Davies found that students looked more deeply into the work they were doing.
BJ Blake, Principal at Spencer Butte Middle School stressed the value of the district initiative, Learning about Learning. It provides the opportunity for principals, district staff and teachers to visit classrooms and talk to students about learning and take data. She stated, “It is a powerful time to talk with colleagues.”
Dr Saphier, a consultant from Research for Better Teaching, Inc shared that District 4j is unique in its long-term commitment to improve teaching and learning. A key factor in improving instruction he stated was the development of a non-defensive culture about teaching. Teachers open to new solutions and continuous learning. He also commended the fact that all stakeholders are involved and committed to teacher leaders and to raise the bar for student expectations.
Governor Kitzhaber agreed that collaboration provides an excellent opportunity to learn as well as the need for on going improvement. He gave several examples in other industries where collaboration with ongoing improvements has been exceptionally successful.
Governor Kitzhaber also presented a brief glimpse of his plans for the economic changes for our state. He admitted that education is underfunded. He believes that public education is the means to bring back the middle class.
