Assigned IRAs draw criticism

A new Blair policy that requires teachers to participate in assigned Instructionally Related Activities (IRAs) has generated complaints from several teachers.

Julie Greenberg, who teaches both Algebra II and geometry, says the new IRAs make teachers into "glorified messengers," forcing them to perform duties that are not worth their time or effort. Her assigned IRA is SAT prep, which entails teachers visiting students and asking if they have signed up for the SATs.

Administrators, however, maintain that the IRAs were created according to what the teachers had suggested in the spring of last year. Assistant Principal Patricia Hurley said the Instructional Leadership Team condensed the issues that teachers had presented into five groups of IRAs: senior watch, homework club, Connections, SAT help and AP/Honors support; teachers could choose two of the options.

Greenberg said that this kind of activity is a waste of her allotted planning period during the day and prevents her from helping her students in academic support during lunch. "The IRAs detract from our putting on high-level instruction, and then we cannot help the students when they come in for academic support," she said. "We had a functional system, which has been diminished."

Although teachers may be making more of an effort because of IRAs, services like academic support during lunch and after school may be suffering, according to SAT prep and Geometry teacher Catherine Malchodi.
In addition, the number of planning periods for teachers has been decreased from two to one. "They actually had two periods for planning, and now they only have one like at the old Blair," Hurley said.

The problems with the IRAs are not limited to the loss of the planning period, according to Greenberg. "The issue is the purpose of this assignment and how it translates into something that affects the kids," she said.

Assistant Principal Linda Wolf admitted there have been some teacher objections over the IRA policy. "I have heard some complaints, but no one said they were not going to do their assigned IRA," Wolf said.

IRA committee member Patricia Anderson believes the IRA target areas are still important. "The reality is that all teachers need to step up," she said.