the scores are upon us

Day One of the LIDs is done. Highlights:

1. Learning that, in lieu of our WASL performance, our school has hired a "math intervention specialist." Gauzy / watery screen wipe, with harp glissandos...

Brian walks into his pre-algebra classroom, his backpack slung over his shouler, his iPod earbuds deeply implanted. Brian is grooving to one of those indistinguishable emo outfits, when suddenly he notices that the entire class is standing by their desks, staring intently at him. A stranger sits his teacher's desk. A stranger with a clipboard.

"Dudes... what's up? Why's everybody lookin' at me?"

"Brian," says Clipboard Toter, "We're here because we love you. And also because you didn't meet standard on the WASL."

(Let your imagination fill in the rest.)

2. XpressNap
It's a napkin dispenser. It is also a talent I would kill for.


3. A fire drill.
Right in the middle of the new staff introductions, the alarms start whooping, the lights a-flashing. Nobody panics, or even budges, until the superintendent says, "Give it two minutes, and we'll see." Fifteen seconds later, he says, "Okay, better go. Everybody out." Twenty-two seconds later, the alarm turns off.

4. WASL results
They are confidential, so I can't share any numbers. Suffice it to say that, at least as far as reading and writing went, our district's numbers shot up. At our school, nearly 90% passed both on the first try. Not bad for our demographic, which includes more and more English-speaking novices than ever. Math, though... not so good. Maybe if we emphasize math across the curriculum, like we did with writing, scores will improve.