Happy New Year!

A couple of new things...

I have a new gig, teaching in the district immediately south of the one I was in previously. My old district was one of the worst in the state, which is one of the worst states in the nation relative to SAT and ACT scores. The 17 high schools in Old District can be grouped into 4 categories, with about 4 schools in each. My old high school was in the middle of the 3rd best group.

My new district has been the best in the state for each of the past 3 years, based on scores on the state-mandated tests. My new high school is essentially tied for worst in the district, although there are only six. For perspective, Old District has 4 magnet high schools. Three of the 4 magnets, plus one "standard" school, are the upper echelon of Old District. My new school, worst in New District, would be in the upper echelon in math and just outside it in English in Old District. (New District has no magnets, but does have one technical high school.)

New District is very rich and very white. New High School (hereinafter referred to as NHS) is much, much poorer than the rest of the district and also less white, although whites still comprise roughly 80% of the student body. The area is very rural, whereas the rest of the county is very suburban. So I'm still teaching a somewhat disadvantaged group of kids, although without the oppressive environmental issues associated with urban poverty (e.g., single family households, students having significant out-of-school family responsibilities, relatively low value placed on education). We'll see how big a difference that makes.

The other interesting thing about this year is I'll be teaching Algebra I + Intensive Math, the lowest of the low in terms of math skill. It's a challenge I'm actually looking forward to, although I fear I may change my tune in a month or two. In the meantime, however, I can't wait to get to work.