Fertile Concrete

Back in the day when I was a good blogger, I wrote about a young man named "Bobby," my most memorable student ever. I taught this enigmatic young man as a 9th grader way back in 2003, then as a 11th grader in 2005. I also went on several Outward Bound trips with him, and we became close. I became familiar with his tragic story -- no father, a mother dead to drug addiction, an older brother shot on the streets in a drug-related murder, the responsibility of keeping the lights on at his house through his own burgeoning drug trade -- all the while trying to be a student and athlete in high school. I became so close with Robert that when he was struggling his senior year with homelessness, he stayed in my house in his waning high school days as he awaiting his matriculation into the University of Maryland (on an academic scholarship).

Robert, now 23 years old and a father, has written a moving and raw memoir (Fertile Concrete) about his experiences growing up in Baltimore and dealing with the issues described above. The book is a great read, not only to read about the experiences of this tough young man who has been through more than most people three time his age, but also as a window into the world of poverty and drugs that so many of our students have to live in. Ultimately, though, it's a story of redemption and hope, which makes me all the more happy.

(I also have a real nice section in the Acknowledgements.)

Buy the book here: http://www.thefcmovement.com/

You can hear Rob talk about his book on the 11/11 & 11/12 show of "The Signal" on WYPR here: http://www.wypr.org/stationprogram/signal

(I'm so proud.)

Obliblog II

I'm trying to be a good blogger, but I haven't even had a Facebook Status update since Friday, and that one was just asking if we had the "Works" sessions on that Saturday. I'm a big FB updater, so this is weird for me.

I have a lot going on in my head right now. It's the kind of stuff that I should be writing about, but not in a public space. It's good stuff and it's bad stuff, back and forth, up and down.

My classes are going well. I wish we had Wednesday off, or at least a half day, but that's not new. Maybe someday.

Lame blog entry, I know. This month of blogging (which I've been pretty good about) is mostly reminding me that blogging, at least the way I like to blog, isn't very useful for me or fun to read in a non-anonymous setting. Blah.

AUs = Leprechaun Gold

Today, I attended the 3rd of 10 AP English "Works" sessions conducted by the BCPSS. I like it -- it's a group of teachers sitting around talking about how to teach rigorous skills and texts to urban kids, sharing materials and discussing strategies -- and probably would have done it even without the carrot of an "AU." But an AU is what I'll be getting.

If you remember from around this time last year, Baltimore teachers ratified a new 3-year contract that placed teachers on different pathways instead of steps. We're moved up by receiving 12 AUs, and 12 AUs are received via a proficient evaluation. In addition, we were told that AUs would be available for any college credit courses, as well as for anything above-and-beyond that connected with student growth or learning - for example, attending a conference or running an academic student group.

The NCTE conference is occurring this week in Chicago, and, upon hearing about AUs, I thought it would be worth it, financially, to pay out of pocket to attend. The cost of this would be well over a thousand bucks, but if I could more quickly get a raise, it seemed like it'd be worth it. However, there is not yet anything in place yet for AUs except for credits.

Yes, we're over a year into the contract and the system hasn't figured out how to reward teachers with AUs, even though that was a major selling point of the contract.

Therefore, the AU has turned into this sort of nebulous unit that teachers have begun to feel like we're being bribed with, but not many are actually trusting they mean anything. "What am I going to do with all this leprechaun gold," one of my colleagues asked today, "after the contract runs out next year?" AUs are kind of like unicorns -- no one really believes that they exist.

Dumb It Down

I think, if I get between units and the time to do it, I'd like to give my 9th graders -- particularly the ones in the afternoon, the ones really rough around the edges -- the chance to dig into a hip-hop song like this. I bet this one could really catalyze a great Socratic Seminar. Very literary (plus this interesting thing he does with a stereotypically white voice interjecting itself between the verses) and the ideas are profound -- plus relatable for the kids. I think there are versions I could find without so many n-words.




[Verse 1:]
I'm fearless
Now hear this
I'm earless
And I'm peerless
That means I'm eyeless
Which means I'm tearless
Which means my iris resides where my ears is
Which means I'm blinded
But I'm gonna find it I can feel it's nearness
But I'm gonna veer so I don't come near
Like a chicken or a deer
But I remember I'm not a listener or a seer so my windshield smear
Here, you steer, I really shouldn't be behind this, clearly cause my blindness
The windshield is minstrel, the whole grill is roadkill, so trill and so sincere. Yeah, I'm
Both them there
Took both pills, when a bloke in a trench coat and the locs in the chair had approached him
Here
And he clear as a ghost, so a biter of the throats in the mirror
The writer of the quotes for the ghosts who supplier of the notes to the living
Riveting is rosy, pockets full of posies, given to the mother of the deceased. Awaken at war,
'til I'm restin' in peace

[Chorus 1:]
You goin' over niggas' heads Lu (Dumb it down)
They tellin' me that they don't feel you (Dumb it down)
We ain't graduate from school nigga (Dumb it down)
Them big words ain't cool nigga (Dumb it down)
Yeah I heard Mean And Vicious nigga (Dumb it down)
Make a song for the bitches nigga (Dumb it down)
We don't care about the weather nigga (Dumb it down)
You'll sell more records if you (Dumb it down)

[Verse 2:]
And I'm mouthless
Which means I'm soundless
Now as far as the hearing, I've found it
It was as far as the distance from the earring to the ground is
But the doorknockers on the ear of a stewardess in a Lear
She fine and she flying, I feel I'm flying by'em 'cause my mind's on cloud nine and I'm a mime
At the same time
Pimps C the wings on the underground king
Who's also Klingon
To infinity and beyond
Something really stinks, but I Sphinx like Leon
Or lying in the desert
I'm flying on Pegasus you're flying on the pheasant
Rider of the white powder, picker of the fire flowers, spit hot fire like Dylon on Chappelle's
Skit
Yeah, smell it on my unicorn, snort the white horse, but toot my own horn (sleep)

[Chorus 2:]
You've been shedding too much light Lu (Dumb it down)
You make'em wanna do right Lu (Dumb it down)
They're getting self-esteem Lu (Dumb it down)
These girls are trying to be queens Lu (Dumb it down)
They're trying to graduate from school Lu (Dumb it down)
They're starting to think that smart is cool Lu (Dumb it down)
They're trying to get up out the hood Lu (Dumb it down)
I'll tell you what you should do (Dumb it down)

[Verse 3:]
And I'm brainless
Which means I'm headless
Like Ichabod Crane is
Or foreplay-less sex is
Which makes me stainless
With no neck left to hang the chain with
Which makes me necklace-less
Like a necklace theft
And I ain't used my headrest yet
They said they need proof like a vestless chest 'bout the best, fair F-F-jet in the nest
Who exudes confidence and excess depth
Even Scuba Steve would find it hard to breathe
Around these leagues
My snorkle is a tuba, Lu the ruler around these seas
Westside Poseidon, Westside beside'em, chest high and rising
Almost touching the knees of stewardess and the pilot
Lucky they make it flowered
Personal floating devices, tricks falling out of my sleeves
David Blaine
Make it rain
Make a boat
I make a plane
Then, I pull the plug and I make it drain
Until I feel like flowing and filling it up again..(Westside)

[Chorus 3:]
You putting me to sleep nigga (Dumb it down)
That's why you ain't popping in the streets nigga (Dumb it down)
You ain't winning no awards nigga (Dumb it down)
Robots and skateboards nigga? (Dumb it down)
GQ Man Of The Year G? (Dumb it down)
Shit ain't rocking over here B (Dumb it down)
Won't you talk about your cars nigga? (Dumb it down)
What the fuck is goyard nigga (Dumb it down)
Make it rain for the chicks (Dumb it down)
Pour champagne on a bitch (Dumb it down)
What the fuck is wrong with you? (Dumb it down)
How can I get on a song with you? (Dumb it down)

[Gemini: talking]
Look B, here's my man, my two way, (hey) uh, what should I - ah here take this (hey) that
Right there, fuck what my boys talking about nigga, (hey) nigga you hot to me, I like you (Dumb
It down)

[Lupe:]
Bishop G, they told me I should come down cousin, but I flatly refuse I ain't dumb down nothing

Obligablog

I don't know much about Daylight Savings but I know that I leave when it's dark and I get home when it's dark this time of year.

It's been an exhausting week, but mostly pretty good I guess. I came up with an interesting idea to practice commentaries with my seniors and I'm excited about replicating it. A "Network" person from North Avenue came in to watch one of my classes and was very complimentary. Took my 9th graders to an assembly; they were pretty good, especially considering how hard it is to hear in there.

Not bad. I don't have much in me to blog tonight.

Made It through Hump Day

A few randoms:

1. Tomorrow, my students will be debating the merits of Muslim women wearing the veil. Strange lesson for English class, maybe, but fits right into Persepolis.

2. Today was a better day with the 9th graders. It's really up and down. They want to do well.

3. I've been exhausted lately. It's probably waking up at 4:30. I'm good about going to bed at 10, though.

4. My seniors are having more problems with James Baldwin than I remember previous classes having.

5. Five more school days until Thanksgiving. I really wish I worked in a district that gave Wednesday off, or at least a half day.

It's only Tuesday

I have some of the roughest 9th graders I've ever taught this year. And, by "rough", I don't mean they're mean, or bad, or not smart -- they're just rough around the edges. Really unprepared for high school. Really loud. I have good days and bad days with them, but the bad days are making me think that I need to not teach 9th grade for a little while.

Today was one of those days. Nothing in particular happened, but yesterday was just about the best day of the year with them, and, then, today, which featured kids giving only about 10 minutes of total engagement and then slow devolution into almost no engagement by the time the bell rang at the end. And I had a great lesson for them. On days like these, I just think to myself, "When the pupil is ready, the teacher will appear. When the pupil is ready, the teacher will appear.When the..." I repeat this old Chinese Proverb to myself like a mantra. Because, today, I didn't appear. 

So, yes, it wasn't a great day. I left after Coach Class to work my frustrations out at the gym, and stopped at 7-11 for some coffee. A middle school aged kid was in front of me in line, so I set my coffee and my car keys down on the counter while I fished for my $1.33 in my pocket for the coffee refill. The kid ordered some pizza, right in front of where my coffee and keys were, so he sort of shoved himself in the space between me and my keys, not even taking notice of his total violation of my space. Then, he got his pizza, and left, and I left right behind him. Then, right on 33rd street, he took his piece of pizza out of the square cardboard pizza box and tossed the box on the street, and ran across to the Waverly Library. He didn't appear to have a care in the world. Absolutely no shame in throwing a big piece of trash on the street in the middle of rush hour.

It was the punctuation mark on a bad day, one full of disappointment. And it's only Tuesday.


***

I'm also supporting the other Baltimore Education bloggers who are also blogging every day this month. Check out their blogs!:

http://survivingthesystem.blogspot.com/

http://bmoreschools.org/

http://www.thesmallesttwine.blogspot.com/

http://nyates314.wordpress.com/

A Socratic Seminar during a 45-minute period

I'm struggling with the 45-minutes class period, which is new this year.

I thought 50 minutes was short, and struggled with it. But 45 minutes? Crazy short.

A typical class with my seniors is this: I will give them a passage from what we are reading. They will have 20 minutes to mark it up according to the passage's purpose and the author's techniques. (This replicates the 20 minutes of preparation they will get for the IB Oral Commentary). Then, they will have 15 minutes to discuss the passage in a graded Socratic Seminar. Then, there will be 10 minutes of feedback from the outer circle.

However, the discussion doesn't usually get good until about Minute #12, so I usually cut it off when it's going well. And it the timing is as good as I can make it, but doesn't account for moving seats, explaining any new instructions, assigning roles in the outer circle, etc. Today, we got 4 minutes of feedback and I totally didn't feel like we got into the meat of the discussion. I could get this discussion done last year. If I had 90 minutes, I'd really be able to dig deep.

I'm thinking of having the students prepare their passage at home the night before, but that takes away some of the pressure. We'll see how I can improve. 

Persepolis and Its Connection to Fahrenheit 451

Persepolis remains one of my favorite books to teach. The kids -- the same kids who struggled through Fahrenheit 451 -- can take a whole page and make inferences like crazy about author's purpose and how her techniques create meaning. At the same time, I love how its ideas match so well with F451... we had the kids mark for three motifs in F451: ignorance vs. knowledge, rebellion vs. conformity, and the influence of technology and, even though we didn't ask for it, they're naturally using those three motifs as springboards for their analysis of Persepolis. "Oh", they might say, "That's another example of conformity, isn't it?" and me, taken aback because it wasn't what I had asked them to do but, somehow, they're synthesizing the themes in Bradbury's dystopian futuristic novel with Satrapi's non-fiction memoir. It's actually quite wonderful.

I've finally written the rest of my unit plan, which sees us completing more analytic assignments this week and, next week, watching the excellent film adaptation. We're going to use a film review at the end -- perhaps Roger Ebert's, perhaps Slant Magazine's-- to work in another informational text into the unit.

Feeling good about it all...

Grading

After all year hearing about the changed grading system for BCPSS -- that, from now on, grades will be reported as letter grades instead of number grades -- all report cards had NUMBER grades on them when they were handed out yesterday. Ugh. I kind of liked the announced change to letters, not having to worry if a kid got a 93 or a 94 and have them comparing report cards. An 'A' is an 'A'. And it didn't happen. Oh well.

As for Power Teacher Gradebook, though, apparently passwords have been sent home because I'm starting to get questions about grades that parents (and their students, through their accounts) are accessing. Of course, I can't find the directions on either http://www.baltimorecityschools.org or our school website about how to access. I think this system could be a great boon for parents, and I hope the system starts rolling it out better than it has thus far.

Observation

I think my observation went pretty well, though, during observations, I tend to go a little slower and don't get through everything I'd like to get through. I had assessments built in during the lesson, but the summative assessment ended up being homework.

Also, I usually try to have the observer come in after I'd timed the lesson, and this one was fresh during 1st period. It became a bangup lesson by the afternoon. Such is life. I don't think I'm ever going to get used to 45-minute periods. Drive-thru teaching that I feel like allows us to generally achieve the analysis level of Bloom's Taxnomy but not quite to Synthesis. I thought about cutting out drills this year to accommodate for the short class periods, but I just can't: that's how I teach grammar. So it's rush, rush, rush.

I'm confident enough in my teaching and planning that I would be fine with anyone coming in and observing at any point ever, and genuinely wish I was watched more because I like getting feedback (from knowledgeable folks). This year, though, since our observations linked to our evaluations, which are linked to our AUs, which are linked to our payscale, the observation becomes stickier. I always try to do well with it, but, with financial gains tied to it, you hope nothing bad comes of it.

I'm also supporting the other Baltimore Education bloggers who are also blogging every day this month. Check out their blogs!:

http://survivingthesystem.blogspot.com/

http://bmoreschools.org/

http://www.thesmallesttwine.blogspot.com/

http://nyates314.wordpress.com/

Censorship lesson went well. Get observed tomorrow. I'm planning a lesson on interpreting images in Persepolis and then having the students synthesize that information into making a statement on Satrapi's view on imperialism.

This is a lame entry, but it's all I got.

Big censorship lesson in the library with the 9th graders tomorrow.

We just finished Fahrenheit 451 and have moved onto Persepolis, and students are concurrently reading a book commonly banned in the U.S. Tomorrow, with the help of our librarian, students will be discussing different manifestations of censorship in the world (from Nazi Germany to Egypt to banning of The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things  in Howard County).

Wish me luck. That's all I got for a blog entry today. It was an impossibly beautiful autumn day in Baltimore today, and I got tons done.

My internet problems seemed to be the result of an automatic update that changed my security settings and proxy settings and I was eventually able to figure out my problem by googling on my phone. woo-hoo!

Grades were due on Friday, until our union cried foul (Friday is the last day of the quarter, giving absolutely no turnaround time), and now, I think, they're due on Wednesday so kids can have their report cards printed out for Friday. I wish I had kept up better with grades and learned PTG a little bit more in September, because now I'm really backed up. It didn't help that I had a wonderful day in DC on Sunday (saw the new MLK Memorial... awesome) and left the grading on my desk here in Baltimore. I'll finish tomorrow, I hope.

I have playoff softball tonight, but just wanted to get a quick update on here since I'm now two entries behind the blog-every-day-of-November thing.

Week in Review

I didn't blog yesterday. I'll try to write three entries this weekend to make up for it.

I just got home after happy hour and was too tired after this week. Here's what happened:

1. I woke up at 4:30 am every day and made it to the gym every day, except for Friday, when I just woke up at 4:30 but realized I was too sore and behind in work, so just went into work early.

2. I've figured out Power-Teacher Gradebook, and love it, because it means I can do grades at home without worrying about saving a version of EasyGradePro and e-mailing it to myself. I'm a luddite, so this is impressive that I was able to figure it out so quickly. But grades are do Monday and I still have much to enter. Each night this week, a significant chunk was spent grading and entering assignments.

3. Two pre-season workouts with the baseball team. It's mostly 9th graders and a few returners who aren't playing other sports, and I'm making them pretty sore, plus myself pretty sore. In fact, if I don't say so myself, I feel like I'm getting in pretty great shape.

4. Finished up a break-neck (10 class days) teaching of Richard III, and tried to order the Baldwin collection of essays (total cost each: $22.65) when I'm completely broke. I'm still hurting from the summer, so ordering these books on different credit cards is the way I've got to go. Stressful, to be sure.

5. Watched my colleagues turn in their Model Teacher Pathway applications. When the signups were happening, I didn't have power or the internet, and I thought I'd get in for the spring cohort instead. I'm kind of regretting this decision, but we'll see if I can figure things out or not when the new cohort opens up. I also want to see how many people actually get it. Frankly, I think National-Board certified teachers (there are only 40 or so of them in the system, I'm one of them) should have been grandfathered in anyway. I think it's much more indicative of being a good teacher than the grandfather rule they did use (10 years of experience, Masters plus 30 - I had the 10 years and the Masters but not quite "plus 30").

6. Banged my head against the wall about one of my afternoon classes, which has the distinction of being the class I've taught in my career that has the most problems controlling themselves. I really need to reboot next week for the 2nd quarter.

7. Every day this week was a 12-hour day, and some stretched to 14. I need to get out of this cycle of work, work, work, time suckage, time suckage, time suckage.

***

I'm also supporting the other Baltimore Education bloggers who are also blogging every day this month. Check out their blogs!:

http://survivingthesystem.blogspot.com/

http://bmoreschools.org/

http://www.thesmallesttwine.blogspot.com/

http://nyates314.wordpress.com/

Beginning Research with Satrapi's Persepolis

Starting Persepolis tomorrow.

Beyond reading it and using it as part of our 'Coming of Age in an Unjust Society' curriculum -- this year, we're connecting it to Fahrenheit 451 and emphasizing the governmental suppression of books/information (along with the students reading a commonly banned book in the U.S.) -- we also use the text as a jumping off point for research.

Much of my teaching career has been spent without a librarian, and so my formative years as a teacher were spent without doing much research. And my own generation -- graduating from high school in 1995 -- seemed to be int he middle between using books and using the internet, and I never did much research on databases or things like that in college. In other words, I don't know how to do it very well, at least in an academic setting. That, plus not having a librarian for the first five or six years of my career, got me set in my ways.

The last couple of years, though, I've been tentatively trying it, and got pretty excited about having the students -- in their international literary circles unit -- form their own research question and do a little bit of database research last year. This year, we have a new librarian who is a good friend of mine, and today, along with another 9th grade teacher, we discussed our goals for this particular research assignment.

Last year, with Persepolis, we did a cool, but very unwieldy and confusing, research assignment on antiquated computers. Most of our computers are still antiquated, but we'd like to tighten up the assignment while still making it as authentic as possible. At our students' 9th grade skill level, their computer literacy is not great. They can text really well, but research on databases, or even on websites other than wikipedia? Not so much.

So we discussed our goals for the assignment. Is it researching - forming a research question, seeking sources, even when there's going to be confusion and maybe even failure in finding information, etc.? Or is it reading and evaluating sources (which fall under the "informational texts" umbrella that the system is really gung-ho about this year)? Or a little bit of both? And, then, when they find some information that helps them illuminate the text, what do they do with it? Powerpoint for the rest of the students? Something else?

So many decisions, and we haven't made them yet. Lots swimming around in my head and I think I need the weekend to let it stir around...

***

I'm also supporting the other Baltimore Education bloggers who are also blogging every day this month. Check out their blogs!:

http://survivingthesystem.blogspot.com/

http://bmoreschools.org/

http://www.thesmallesttwine.blogspot.com/

http://nyates314.wordpress.com/

The long-winded story of why I voted for Jody Landers

I didn't vote for Stephanie Rawling-Blake during the primary. It's not the I don't like her -- I think she's alright, and actually think she's done some good things. In fact, I have a bit of a crush. I appreciated her arrival on the scene in the middle of the blizzard of 2009, as I think she did a great job managing resources during that time. And I don't have any big issues with how she is running the city. In fact, one of my favorite former students campaigned for her and I had a sign in my yard until someone stole it.

However, sometime in August, I attended a meet-and-greet with her at a private residence in west Baltimore. It was myself and around 12 others, having a conversation with the mayor. I had a great time and Ms. Rawlings-Blake was both effervescent and kind, while also being business-like and professional. I was asked there along with another teacher so we might bring some education discussion to the table. Indeed, we did, and that was the moment that turned me a bit.

When we asked Rawlings-Blake about education issues, and she mentioned two things her administration has done: that she has quadrupled (could have been tripled) funding for Teach for America, and that she has championed another program that brought senior citizens into the classroom. I'd never heard of the latter, so I dismissed it, and my feelings on the former are decidedly mixed. Ultimately, Rawlings-Blake's insufficient answer made her seem out of touch with the schools, and made me realize that I didn't want to excitedly vote for a candidate that seemed to have this sort of distance from her school system.

Now, I mentioned earlier that my feelings on Teach for America are decidedly mixed, because they are, and that's ultimately what this post is about. Now, I think the program itself is great in many ways. But the way it works in Baltimore City Public Schools makes hiring anyone else impossible.

You see, the way things are set up, because BCPSS has some sort of exclusive contract with TFA, that schools are not allowed to hire any new teachers except if they are (a) TFA or (b) castoffs from another school. A teacher like me, who wanted to be a teacher since I was a freshmen in college, and worked hard in my Education courses and made into a competitive College of Education at my university, and then received my certification before I got my first job, would be ineligible to be hired by schools. Is this not crazy? We can only hire young teachers straight out of college who weren't trained to be educators in college.

In addition, if a great 6-year veteran from another district moved to the area, she would also be ineligible to be hired. She might as well put her application into the county because, unless a principal can convince the higher-ups to get around the rules and the talent pool, she won't be getting a job in the schools that might need her the most.

Part of this is budgetary and because jobs aren't available for all, and because teachers who have been excessed from other schools have to go somewhere. But the exclusivity deal with TFA (which, apparently, even charter schools are held to -- Dr. Alonso told principals who balked to "take me to court") really ties the hands of schools.

This is not an anti-TFA post. We've hired one per year in our department the last two years and they're both doing great.  But a hiring system that doesn't allow the hiring of teacher with teaching certification and education degrees can't be getting the best and brightest in the system. We need a wide net.

And that's the story of why I voted for Jody Landers. That, and he cleaned up on the debates and I knew Rawlings-Blake was going to walk away with it anyway.

By the way, I'm supporting the other Baltimore Education bloggers who are also blogging every day this month. Check out their blogs!:

http://survivingthesystem.blogspot.com/

http://bmoreschools.org/

http://www.thesmallesttwine.blogspot.com/

http://nyates314.wordpress.com/

Power Teacher Gradebook

One of the changes this year is that the BCPSS has adopted Power Teacher Gradebook, a new program that allows us teachers to record student grades online.

I believe the goal was for all teachers to be using it by October 15th, but I was going to let someone hold my feet to the flame in order to start using it. I had heard it was probably someone at North Avenue's pet projecs, and that it wasn't as user friendly as the grade program most of us use -- Easy Grade Pro. Most annoyingly, the program could not be used at home, so I couldn't use it at all how I wanted to. That recently changed, though, and we began being allowed to use the program at home (it was on the internet instead of the intranet, or something like that).

Once we were allowed to use it at home, I've shaken off my cynicism and jumped right in -- and I kind of like it. The program seems as easy to use as Easy Grade Pro (except for the lack of seating charts) and I've been busily taking all my grades from Easy Grade Pro and entering them into PTG. It's so nice not to have to deal with saving my current version of Easy Grade Pro and e-mailing it to myself, so I could work on it at home and at school. Instead, it's right online for me at either place. The only annoyance right now is that the students cannot access these grades and, as of now, neither can parents (or, at least, I have no idea how parents can access them, and no one I've spoken to in the school knows either... I think this is coming).

For this program to be as useful as it should be, students will need to be able to access their grades at any time, as well as parents. That doesn't seem like it'd be hard to do, so hopefully it happens soon. As of now, though, I'm excited, and am hopeful it can make the monitoring of progress a little more in the hands of the student and parent, and make overall grades a little more transparent. All of this would be good for the student, so hopefully BCPSS does as the tech guy at my school says they need to do (just "check a box", he says) and allow student access to their own grades as well as parents.

I'm liking what I've seen of it so far, though.