RALEIGH-EGYPT MIDDLE SCHOOL
HOME OF THE MIGHTY PHARAOHS
4215 ALICE ANN DRIVE
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE 38128
Telephone: 901-416-4141
Fax: 901-416-4110
FACULTY HANDBOOK
2011-2012
Rommie Vasser, Jr., Principal
Janice R. Brown, Assistant Principal
RALEIGH EGYPT MIDDLE SCHOOL
Mission
The mission of Raleigh Egypt Middle School, in partnership with our community, is to ensure each student is empowered with the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the challenges of our ever-changing society.
Vision
We envision a nurturing environment in which our students are being respectful and disciplined at all times. These three pillars: being nurturing, being respectful, and being disciplined will ensure that all students are able to learn thereby becoming successful, productive citizens.
Motto
DREAM.BELIEVE.ACHIEVE
PRINCIPAL”S MESSAGE
August 1, 2011
Dear Faculty and Staff:
Welcome back! I hope you all had a fine vacation and are looking forward with enthusiasm to the new school year.
A new school year presents opportunities for various beginnings- new classes, new faces, new thoughts, and even new environments for some. Summer and vacation can be great healers; and as we approach the opening day of a new year, the end-of –year pressures that plagued us in May seem quite remote and inconsequential.
Newness alone, however, cannot produce transformation. We ourselves must be willing to be caught up in the rebirth that is possible with each new year. Starting a new year gives us opportunity to make new plans, design new strategies, and implement new ideas. There is a special kind of joy and satisfaction in planning lessons and activities for a new class; for although the subject or grade level is the same, the students are new, and they appreciate the planning that is done for them. Whether one’s responsibility is administrating, supervising, teaching, preparing lunches, maintaining the building, or managing an office, there is always room for improvement and for new ways to do a good job even better.
We can be proud of the strides we made as an institution of learning and development last year: in our classrooms, in our offices, and on our playing fields and stage, but our achievements are not due to complacency and satisfaction with the status quo. Our program is what it is because of a staff of dedicated and aspiring men and women who have a consistent focus and common goal: to do what is best for students.
This year, we must concentrate on the processes that spur continuing advancement: evaluating what we have, determining what we can do to improve, and identifying what we need to make those improvements.
Let us make the 2011-2012 school year our best year yet!
Enthusiastically,
Rommie L. Vasser, Jr.
Principal
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Teacher Effectiveness Measure (TEM)
General Information ......
Professional Tasks ......
Instructional Time…………………………………………..
Classroom Admin./Management ......
Financial Tasks ......
Appendices ......
Ø Memphis City Schools Calendars
Ø Report of Planned Teacher Absence Form
Ø Request for Personal Day
Ø Request for Technical Assistance
Ø Discipline Tracker
Ø Textbook Forms (Assignment Log, Initial Inventory Form)
Ø OOPS Form
Ø Some Things to Think About
Ø Lesson Plan Template
Ø Lesson Plan Feedback Form
Acknowledgement Form
Teacher Effectiveness Measure (TEM)
A Clear Definition and Valid Measures of Evaluation
The Teacher Effectiveness Measure (TEM) is the new measure for evaluating teachers. Because it was critical that the TEM be a fair, valid, and reliable measure of effectiveness for all teachers, it was developed by a working group largely comprised of MCS teachers, with input from their colleagues, administrators, education experts, and stakeholders.
TEM Components
Historically, teachers have been evaluated by a single measure – classroom observations. The TEM is more objective in that it includes multiple measures that result in an evaluation of the whole teacher, creating multiple avenues for assessing teacher performance which will ultimately promote teacher and student growth. TEM looks at:
Growth in Student Learning
As mandated by the State of Tennessee, fifty percent of a teacher’s evaluation will be determined by student growth data. Thirty-five percent of the student growth measure will be either the teacher’s Tennessee Value Added Assessment System (TVAAS) data for teachers of tested subject areas or the school’s TVAAS data for teachers of non-tested subject areas. The other fifteen percent of the student growth measure will be student achievement data that will be selected by the teacher from a menu of options provided by the State of Tennessee.
Observation of Practice
MCS will implement more rigorous, objective classroom observations. Observers – principals and other administratively certified district personnel- will be trained on how to use the new MCS observation rubric to provide objective, behavioral-based, accurate assessments of teacher performance. As mandated by the State of Tennessee, tenured teachers will be observed four times each academic year; and pre-tenured teachers will be observed six times each academic year.
Stakeholder Perceptions Surveys
For the 2011 – 2012 school year, MCS will administer the TRIPOD Student survey to gain insight into classroom instructional practices, the learning environment, and student engagement. Students will complete this survey once per semester, Fall 2011 and Spring 2012. Data gathered from this survey will be useful to teachers in that it will provide feedback on teacher performance in vital areas that have been proven to show strong correlations with student achievement.
Teacher Knowledge
For the 2011 – 2012 school year, MCS will be field-testing knowledge measurements for determining what teachers know and understand in their particular subject areas. A teacher’s subject area mastery is a critical foundation for effective teaching. Thus, we need to know how deeply our teachers understand the content that they teach to their students. This school year teachers will select the measure that will be used for their knowledge measurement from a menu of options that will be provided in August 2011.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Parking: Faculty parking is provided in two lots at the school. Spaces are available on a first come, first serve basis. Please do not park in the handicapped or designated parking spaces at the front of the school.
Sign In/Work Hours:
Our school hours are 7:15 a.m. – 2:15 p.m. Teachers are expected to be in their classrooms or duty posts at 7:15 a.m. and to remain until 2:30 p.m. Please electronically sign in each morning. Records are kept of tardies and absences. Being on time is important to your personal success and the overall success of Raleigh Egypt Middle School. Setting good examples for the students is the first step to building strong and meaningful relationships. At 7:15, the students will be escorted to homeroom and it is critical that every teacher be in his or her designated area to greet the students and monitor their behavior. The workday for most of us lasts well beyond the required hours. However, the official day ends at 2:30 p.m., unless there is a scheduled faculty or team meeting. Alternate Mondays and Wednesdays are permanently set aside for staff and departmental meetings, respectively. Please do not schedule any personal appointments on these afternoons. In addition, all faculty members are encouraged to support our extracurricular activities. All open houses, parent-teacher conferences and in-service activities are considered part of the normal working day.
Mailboxes: Teacher mailboxes are housed in the teacher’s lounge on the 2nd floor. It is recommended that boxes be checked daily in the mornings as well as at the beginning and end of your “planning period”.
Email: The Memphis City School system has set up email accounts for every teacher. It is recommended that you check your email at least three times a day. Most correspondence coming from the administration and from the district will be via email.
Messages/ Phone Use: Personal phone calls should be kept to a minimum. Your work in the classroom is important to us and our goal is to avoid any interruption in that process. Unless there is a true family emergency, messages will be taken and placed in the teacher’s box. Please refrain from using your personal cell phones in the presence of the students. We must model the behavior we expect from our students.
Emergency Drills: Creating and maintaining a safe environment that promotes learning requires a proactive approach. It is necessary that we engage in simulations of potential hazards and natural disasters that could affect the health and safety of our staff and students. Every teacher will be provided a copy of the multi-hazard plan. Please make yourself familiar with this plan and your responsibilities.
Calendar/Activities: Planning is important to the success of any teacher. Activities that require students to miss classes seriously impact that planning. It is very important that teachers have a minimum one week notice when students must be removed from instruction (ie. Athletics, Band trips, Choir trips, contests, etc.). We are all committed to flexibility and supporting each other’s work, but effective planning can help maintain effective work relationships. Sponsors requiring students to deviate from their regular schedule are responsible for letting the faculty know which students will be involved and for how long. A school wide calendar may be accessed from our school website. If you have any events that need to be included on this calendar, please get that information to Mrs. Gathright in the attendance office. All activities must have received approval from Principal Vasser or Asst. Principal J. Brown before being submitted to be placed on the calendar.
PROFESSIONAL TASKS:
Absences: Our goal is that every teacher will report to work each and every day ready to provide the best instruction possible for our students. Setting a good example for our students will go far in our quest to maintain the attendance requirements for NCLB. Every teacher is afforded two personal days to use at their discretion. Please check with the administration prior to using those days or risk nonpayment for them. Certain activities at school may require securing a better day for personal leave. We ask that if you must miss a day of school that you place the absence on the SMARTFIND system to secure a substitute and contact Asst. Principal J. Brown by phone as soon as possible to notify her of your absence and the reason. The “Teacher Report of Absence” form must be filled out for all planned absences and left in Ms. J. Brown’s office at least 24 hours in advance. Check with Mrs. J. Brown if you do not remember your pin or do not have one. In the past the sub system has not always filled the absence. Unfortunately, because of this your colleagues may have to cover your classes and we all want to be sensitive to that.
Absences - Professional Development: All professional development absences should be reported to Asst. Principal. J. Brown and Mrs. Miller, financial secretary, in order to be paid. Mrs. Miller must receive the date(s) of the PD absence and the title of the Professional Development. NO EXCEPTIONS!!
Professional Dress: We never get a second chance to make a first impression. Professional dress is every teacher’s visual proclamation that they take their job seriously and have high expectations for their students in the classroom. Your personal appearance can greatly influence your students. The students will notice the expression on your face and the clothes you wear. Because our students are not allowed to wear any form of denim, it is important that we set the example by not wearing denim in any style or color, especially jeans. Please remember, “if there is any doubt please do not wear it.” You have a captive audience looking at you – make the most of it by modeling professional dress every day.
Formal Evaluation: Teacher Effectiveness Measure (TEM) is the new measure for evaluating teachers. Every teacher in this building will be evaluated during the 2011-2012 school year starting in September, 2011. The formal evaluation process involves four to six classroom observations. Prior to the evaluation cycle, administration will hold a meeting with the scheduled teachers to further explain the process and clarify any questions you may have at that time. An observation schedule will be provided and administration expects you to be ready on the scheduled date. All necessary paperwork for the observation should be submitted as requested. All evaluations are taken very seriously and are intended to encourage the use of best practices in the classroom.
Informal Evaluation: In addition to the formal evaluation process, several informal observations will take place as well. Informal observations will primarily be conducted using the classroom walkthrough instrument. A sample of the instrument will be provided to all teachers, as well as an explanation of the walkthrough process.
Administrative/Planning Periods: Maintaining the educational integrity of Raleigh Egypt Middle School requires commitment and planning on the part of the teachers. Planning effective instruction takes time and must be purposefully spent. Conferences, team meetings and covering classes for colleagues are also integrated into this planning period. It is essential that teachers remain on campus throughout the school day. If a teacher must leave campus for any reason, you must speak directly to an administrator. We ask that you sign out in the main office after receiving administrative approval.
Emergency Lesson Plan: A set of emergency lesson plans will need to be compiled for your classes in the event an unexpected absence arises. These plans will need to be updated on a regular basis. Be sure that you leave quality assignments for students to complete. Also, leave an adequate amount of work for students to complete. The substitute should not run out of work for the students to complete. Emergency lesson plans are due by August 31, 2011. Math and Science lesson plans should be given to Mr. McGlothian. Language Arts/Reading and Social Studies lesson plans should be given to Mrs. Knapp.
Assigned Duties: You will receive a Duty roster for the morning and afternoon. It is imperative that everyone be in his or her designated place to ensure smooth transitions at arrival and dismissal. Every teacher is assigned morning, afternoon and hall duty primarily to monitor the arrival, dismissal and hourly movement of students throughout the building. Every teacher is expected to actively and positively monitor students to maintain a safe and healthy environment. Remember: 100% Responsibility. Homeroom activities will be conducted at the beginning of the first academic period. Homeroom teachers will monitor dress code compliance and locker use. When attending assemblies in the auditorium, teams will sit in assigned areas.