With Initiative you get Promethean Boards!

Thanks to the January 8, 2008 Tilden Middle School PTSA minutes we have information about how MCPS initiatives go forward. 9 more schools were added to the MCPS Middle School Initiative this school year, but the schools had to apply! And if your school was selected, your school won 18 Promethean Boards!

I thought the Board of Education decided how programs were introduced in schools? But according to this information, your local school actually had to apply! These minutes also show that even before the FY09 budget was approved, plans were in the works to put the Middle School Initiative in to 9 more schools and to add 162 more Promethean Boards.

PRINCIPAL'S REPORT:... Mrs. Baker provided an update on Tilden’s application to be an MCPS Middle School Reform school. 55% of Tilden’s staff would like to apply as a Middle School Reform school. One reason to apply now is that the county will run out of money to support this initiative, which provides 18 Promethean boards for the school, and a couple elective classes that will be new to students. We have a declining enrollment at Tilden with the phasing out of the learning center. We’re projected to have 650 students for the next school year. Being a Middle School Reform school, we would get a math content coach and a literacy content coach. So we will not lose staff because we would be gaining the 2 coaches. There will be 9 more Middle School Reform schools for next year. There are 5 middle schools in right now, and 5 who are not eligible. There are 28 middle schools who will be vying for the 9 spots. We have a good case. There would be a lot of professional development for the staff, which they’ll be paid for attending. 2700 hours of staff development that Tilden would receive. The leadership would expand. Resource teachers will no longer have to be team leaders so more teachers can be team leaders. There’s a great chance for professional growth, interactive Promethean boards, which make the classroom, come alive. A Promethean board is like a giant computer screen. Teachers would receive training in it also. Since 55% said they would like to apply, the school will apply. We will know February 29 whether or not we’ve been accepted. If accepted we’ll make it look and work the way Tilden wants it to work, but can also go to other schools to see what they’ve done.
Why would the staff be against it? One teacher thought it would be a lot more work in the beginning.

If you have a Promethean board you’re creating lesson plans that use the board. It’s a learning curve at the beginning.

Would some teachers have to reapply for their leadership positions? Possibly. Team leaders will not be able to be department chairs as well.