Skoolaid: A School Leader Who Really Understands How to Assess a Student's Growth

Sunday, September 9, 2012

A School Leader Who Really Understands How to Assess a Student's Growth

A 16-year-old girl finds out that she is pregnant. The school finds out. She is escorted to her locker, told to take her things and leave the rest, and sent out of the building.

Forty years later, having grown into a remarkable businesswoman and mother, the former student calls the school and asks what can be done about the degree the school stole from her.

Have a conversation with her. Read a writing sample. Decide that she has demonstrated far and beyond the competency to deserve her high school diploma. Then, have a lovely private ceremony where she can finally graduate.

Glad no one is saying she needs to take the ACT!

Who am I?

I'm Melissa Barton. I taught English in CPS for 2.333 years before opting for early retirement. I was also a delegate to the Chicago Teachers Union for just under nine months. I trained to become a CPS teacher in the AUSL teacher residency program.

Before my stint in CPS, I was a full-time graduate student at the University of Chicago, where I finally earned my doctorate this past December. My doctorate is in English Language and Literature, which should not be confused with English Education. Before I moved to Chicago, I taught for two years at Westtown School, a Quaker boarding school near Philadelphia.

I started this blog in June 2010, the week I started the AUSL residency. I found that I needed a place to collect my thoughts about my experiences in the AUSL network, and to voice my opinions on education and education policy, because I realized very quickly that I wouldn't be able to give them a hearing anywhere else.

I disagree with many of CPS's policies as well as some of AUSL's. But I believe fervently in the mission of both: we all want to help the children of Chicago succeed.