Kaycee Oakes Salmacia, who lives in Philipstown, is the head of partnerships and strategy for the teachers’ college at Arizona State University, where she leads efforts to introduce a team-based staffing model for K-12 education.
What’s wrong with K-12 classes?
We ask teachers to be alone behind a door, teaching all subjects to all levels of students and to meet all the health, social and emotional needs of all their students. When I was a novice sixth-grade teacher, it was sink or swim. No one walked into my room for two months. As a result, teachers are leaving the profession and fewer teachers are entering. There’s tremendous burnout. The issue shouldn’t be framed as a teacher shortage. We think the job isn’t designed correctly.
What can be done?
We should move to team teaching, allowing deeper and more personalized learning. We call it Next Education Workforce. Instead of one teacher for 20 students, you could have four teachers for 80 students; it’s cost-neutral. For instance, with a math lesson, the teacher will say, “OK, turn to Page 56. We’re working on fractions.” You’re teaching to the “middle,” but you may not be helping many kids. With a team approach, you can divide students into groups based on needs and interests. Some students get the basics from one teacher while others get more advanced ideas from another teacher.
Has this been tested?
Last year, the ASU models were implemented in 13 states, 34 districts and 97 schools, including two in Dutchess County.
For teachers, it fosters growth and provides a way to advance without having to move into administration. If I’m a 20-year veteran teacher, my job looks the same as the novice. Who wants to do the same thing day after day for 20 years? Team teaching provides more opportunities for educators to learn and support one another. You can grow from a novice to a team leader and set the agenda for the classroom. The leaders coach the novices.
For the students, they get to work in more thoughtful and challenging ways with their peers and teachers. And it’s working. Students enjoy the experience. We’re seeing improved academic outcomes, including higher attendance rates, algebra passing rates and reading growth.
You’re also a proponent of the Wait Until 8th movement. What is that?
It’s an initiative where parents pledge not to let their children have smartphones until the end of eighth grade. It lessens peer pressure. There’s lots of data that proves smartphones are addictive, just like alcohol, drugs and gambling. They’re an academic distraction. They interfere with relationships. They increase the risk of anxiety, depression and eating disorders. I wouldn’t let my child smoke. I wouldn’t let my child drive a car without a license. Giving a child a smartphone puts them in harm’s way. We need 10 Garrison School families in one grade level to take the pledge to be listed at waituntil8th.org. We have a handful.
What do you tell your fourth grader when she asks for a smartphone?
I tell her that when she’s in middle school she can have a simple phone. But I tell her that smartphones can harm her. I try to explain it in ways that resonate, such as how some things are fun but not always good for you — like how eating too much candy can cause a stomachache. We discuss fun things you can do instead of playing with smartphones, like going to movies or having sleepovers with friends.
