As an education researcher, I’ve been hearing about wasteful spending on teacher professional development for decades. Teachers do value quality professional development, but some will privately tell you that it can be a waste of their time, and taxpayer dollars.
It wasn’t that long ago that SAU21 brought the far-left political group Seacoast Outright to train teachers. What could have helped teachers in the classroom, instead time was spent indoctrinating the staff with a one-sided view of transgender issues. There is a debate going on politically on whether a child should receive hormone therapy or even receive drastic mutilation by removing their sex organs. I asked that the presentation to the teachers at least include other medical viewpoints, but Superintendent Nadeau refused my request.
De-transitioners are blowing the whistle on the severe trauma they are now dealing with because, as children, they wanted to transition to the opposite gender. Some of the de-transitioners are suing their medical providers for agreeing to these barbaric surgical procedures now that they are adults.
Professional Development (PD) can support teachers in the classroom by making sure teachers know the academic subject, and the best way to deliver the instruction to students. But when PD becomes a lesson in political biases, not only are you wasting valuable tax dollars, you are missing an opportunity to help teachers succeed in the classroom.
Recently, the Sanborn staff was subjected to a dose of biased information during a professional development day at school. Several staff members were bothered that the information provided was politically biased and possibly violated their civil rights. After requesting information on the presentation, I decided to speak up on their behalf with this email to the Superintendent and School Board Members. I thought you should know about it:
=================================================================================
Superintendent Ambrose and members of the Sanborn School Board:
Thank you for providing the information from the recent professional development offered to the school staff.
One of the biggest complaints I hear from teachers is that sometimes professional development is a waste of money. It’s also interesting to note that when Massachusetts drove their academic achievement to where their students were finishing at the top nationally, they focused on PD. But focused on academic content during PD.
Massachusetts students were able to compete with students at the top on international tests of math and science. They focused on improving their academic standards, tests, and made sure PD was academic based. This helped teachers in the classroom, and it helped their students academically. Parents could see that their public schools were the best in the country, and they supported them.
What you presented during PD did not sit well with some who attended this presentation. I can’t blame them. It was one-sided.
For instance, there was no balance to anything that was presented based on what you sent me.
In Dr. Parker’s bio, it says:
Dr. Don Parker is a transformational keynote speaker and professional development provider. He specializes in SEL, supporting teachers to build trusting relationships with students, restorative practices, trauma-informed practices, and improving the culture and climate of schools to enhance students’ and teachers’ feeling of belonging.
How is Dr. Parker a specialist in SEL? SEL programs tend to be developed by individuals who have a mental health background. These programs are now group therapy in the classroom. This is why I have teachers privately expressing concerns that they are not qualified to subjectively grade their students’ behaviors. They are not qualified, and they are concerned about where this sensitive data is shared. SEL is now a product to sell, and vendors profit off of this latest fad.
There are no privacy protections when SEL data is uploaded to a database, they are considered as part of the “exceptions” in the FERPA law. SEL Vendors do not have foolproof privacy protections for your students. I was told that Dr. Parker didn’t mention any of that, and I didn’t see that in the materials you sent.
Restorative practices have been criticized as unethical, and they have no place in the classroom. https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/restorative-circles-are-unethical-and-have-no-place-schools
EXCERPT:
In the past decade, the role of the teacher in schools has slowly shifted from pedagogue to therapist. Perhaps the most glaring example of this shift is the practice called “circle conversations.” These circles are cousins of the non-punitive approach to discipline called restorative justice, and are intended to be community-building prophylactics.While the ritual—I mean classroom practice—can vary from school to school, it has a few common characteristics: students sit in a circle, pass around a talking piece, and discuss open-ended questions, often deeply personal ones….
From what I was told, Dr. Parker didn’t mention any critical thought on this latest fad.
Trauma informed practices should come directly from a student’s therapist or mental health provider. Dr. Parker has no background in the field of Child Psychology. Why are you looking to an educator for this information?
Based on some of the books that are now available to children to read in the school library, many children are reliving trauma. It’s one of the worst things you can do to a child who has experienced abuse.
Improving culture and climate can be handled by exit interviews with families who are removing their children from the public schools. I don’t believe he mentioned that in his presentation. I do understand that the federal government has prioritized culture and climate, but one of the most important discoveries to make is why families choose other education options for their children. I just provided you with free advice; hopefully, you will act upon it.
I was told that research from this author was included. Zaretta Hammond is focused on implicit racial bias. Is racism a problem among the Sanborn staff? Implicit racial bias means that everyone is inherently racist. Is this a message important for the Sanborn staff to hear? Would this kind of message be considered a violation of their civil rights? Would this violate their rights under the anti-discrimination law in New Hampshire?
Feeling of belonging is certainly a worthwhile goal. How are you helping your religious families feel welcome? One of the biggest complaints among religious families today is, the public schools have made it a hostile environment for their children.
I wanted to take this opportunity to offer you some critical analysis on this chosen speaker. I did not see any documentation on how this would result in improving literacy in the core academic subjects.
The self esteem movement has been tried, and there wasn’t much success with it back in the 80’s. Teachers and public school supporters are desperate to get back to academics.
Successful leaders look at the good and bad in order to make an informed decision. They do not just surround themselves with “yes-men.” Those who are successful want to know ahead of time if what they are doing will have positive or negative consequences. I think your staff deserves that.
They were subjected to a slick salesman selling them the latest fads in education, and many people in the audience saw right through it.
Sincerely,
Ann Marie Banfield
