Teachers, Schools, and Society by Sadker & Sadker
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1. Observation: Peer Review p. 495

As you read on page 495, peer review has become popular in an increasing number of school districts. To learn more about peer review, check out the following links, then answer the questions below.

The Toledo Plan
(http://www.tft250.org/the_toledo_plan.htm)

Peer Review of Teacher Performance (NCPA)
(http://www.ncpa.org/pi/edu/dec97f.html)

Teacher Peer Review
(http://www.pacificresearch.org/kqed/99-02.html)

California Bill Rekindles Debate Over Teacher Peer Review (Education Week)
(http://www.edweek.org/ew/1999/23peer.h18)

Peer-Review Programs Catch Hold As Unions, Districts Work Together (Education
Week)
(http://www.edweek.org/ew/vol-17/38peer.h17)

As a new teacher under observation, what are the advantages and disadvantages of the peer review system? How does its potential effectiveness compare with more traditional approaches? Would you want to be observed and evaluated in this way? Explain your answer.

2. Finding That First Teaching Position pp. 501-5

Though you may not be in a position to start looking for your first teaching job, it's never too early to learn about the employment resources available to you. This exercise will introduce you to a variety of online tools that can facilitate your job search.

Imagine you are ready to start looking for your first teaching job. The following Web pages provide links to dozens of teacher employment sites and other online resources. These range from national, for-profit employment services to local district job postings. You may want to bookmark these pages for future reference.

Links to Teaching Job Postings (from Krista Easton's Teaching Information
Page)
(http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/6600/tlinks.html)

Teacher Job Links 2000
(http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/2080/tjobs.html)

Employment Resources (from Eagle's Resume Services)
(http://www.nr.infi.net/~leeann/list8.htm)

Using these Web pages as starting points, begin a search for your "dream job." (The first step, of course, is to think about what your dream job would be.) Make sure you use as many different types of Web sites as you can. You may stop looking when you have found and bookmarked five positions you would like to apply for. Once you have done so, reflect on your job search experience by answering the following questions.

How many different types of online job resources can you identify? Write a one-paragraph description of each type. Which resources did you find most helpful? Least helpful? When it comes time to start your real job search, do you think you will use the Internet as a primary resource? Why or why not?

3. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards pp. 506-7

Click here (http://www.nbpts.org/nbpts/) to visit the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Web site. As you enter the teaching profession you will want to stay abreast of the activities concerning the NBPTS and determine if you want to work toward board certification.

What are the latest activities and initiatives of this organization? Write a two-paragraph update for the NBPTS section of Chapter 15 (see pp. 506-7). Your update should be entitled "The NBPTS: Latest Developments and Future Plans."

Now that you are more familiar with this organization, do you think you will work toward board certification? Why or why not?

4. Teacher Recognition: Merit Pay pp. 507-9

As you read on pages 507-9, merit pay plans are controversial in the educational community. Using the following Web sites for reference, write a position paper expressing your own views on this topic. Is merit pay a good way to improve teacher performance? Would you want to work in a merit pay environment? Of all the teacher recognition/compensation alternatives discussed in your textbook and on these Web sites, which makes the most sense to you? Explain your answers.

About Teacher Compensation (from the Consortium for Policy Research in Education)
(http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/cpre/teachercomp/tchrcomp/teachercomp.HTM)

Lessons from 10 Years of Teacher Improvement Reforms
(http://carson.enc.org/reform/journals/enc2402/nf_2402.htm)

Reinventing Teacher Compensation Systems
(http://165.224.220.67/pubs/CPRE/fb6/index.html)

Little Merit to Merit Pay (from New York State United Teachers)
(http://www.nysut.org/dept/media/topics/meritpay.html)

Merit Pay Doesn't Add Up
(http://www.tahoe.com/appeal/stories.11.23.98/news/1merit23Nov734.html)

5. Teacher Associations: The NEA and AFT pp. 509-18

To further explore the question posed at the end of Chapter 15 -- "Does the NEA or AFT speak for you?" -- check out the following Web sites.

National Education Association
(http://www.nea.org/)

American Federation of Teachers
(http://www.aft.org/)

What do these sites tell you about these organizations that is not covered in your textbook? After perusing both Web sites, has your opinion of either organization changed? Which are you more inclined to join? Explain your answer.

Be sure to check out the AFT affiliates in your state (http://www.aft.org/web/stateweb.html) and/or local area. Then explore the corresponding NEA affiliates (http://www.nea.org/aboutnea/affil.html). Do these more localized organizations give you a different impression of the NEA or AFT? Compare your affiliates to affiliates in other states and local areas. How much variation is there among these organizations?

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