Oh the places we’ll go: First in series
TUSD staff travelled across the world this past year. From Korea to Canada, California to Maryland they attended conferences that appear to have little to no real value to students. 62% of TUSD schools, failed to make “Adequate Yearly Progress” this past school year. The evidence indicates that the amount of staff travel has no positive relationship to student performance. TUSD staff was absent from the district for travel purposes a total of 1626 days for one quarter. The amount of monies paid for staff travel from April to June was $272,324.
Calgary, Alberta
Journey of Possibilities: Reggio Inspirations in Elementary Contexts
Ochoa Elementary School
$14,286.60 Magnet Grant
Principal
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
Program Coordinator
Teacher
Teacher
Speech Clinician
Teacher
Teacher
$2441.66 Magnet Grant
Speech Clinician “(Had to stay an extra day to to illness and hospitalization of other teacher)”
Teacher “(Had to stay an extra day to to illness and hospitalization of other teacher)”
__________________
This conference will bring together international and Canadian educators to engage in dialogue around the Reggio Emilia philosophy in elementary and middle school contexts. The conference will be of interest to teachers, educators, parents and administrators from Kindergarten to middle school settings. Key themes of the conference will include documentation, negotiating mandated curriculum, addressing issues of cultural diversity, and building school environments and culture.
Key Speakers: Paola Cagliari – Pedagogista, Director of the Preschools and Infant toddler
Centres Istituzione of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia, Italy
Lella Gandini – U.S. Liaison for Reggio Children
Harold Göthson – Senior Consultant for Reggio Emilia Institute – Sweden
Mara Krechevsky – Project Zero – Harvard University
Cost: 2 day conference – $395/person
Ochoa School details:
Address: 101 W 25th St, Tucson, AZ 85713
Grades: PreK-5
According to the district’s website, “Ochoa is a First Choice Reggio-inspired Elementary School. In our Pre-K through Grade Five Ochoa School Community children and adults are committed to creating a learning community that values caring relationships, inquiry and innovation, creativity and a democratic way of life. We are inspired by the values and practices of the Reggio Emilia approach to learning. The Reggio approach is symbolized by the metaphor that children have a “hundred languages” for learning.”
The past two years the students of Ochoa School did not make “Adequate Yearly Progress.” In 2010, their students’ overall Reading scores were 58.30% compared to the district average of 69.50%. In 2010, their students’ overall Math scores were 47.00% compared to the district average of 53.50%.