An article in Gotham Schools discusses a talk to principals by one William Ouchi, who is afraid what might happen should BloomKlein lose the election. Ouchi believes that a change-over would mean a drop in scores because a more centralized system would lead to an increase in what he calls TSL, or Total Student Load.
Here's the explanation: TSL differs from class size in that it considers the full number of students a teacher must get to know and see over the course of the day, not just in one period. “It’s not class size,” he said. “It’s the opportunity for the student to seek the teacher out during their time in school when they need help.”
I don't know about you, but my TSL has sure increased under BloomKlein. Not only do I teach more students, but I am expected to do a LOT more per student than I ever did in the pre-Klein era. What with TANs, portfolios, constant assessments, quality reviews, ARIS, and God knows what else, I spend at least triple the time on each student's paperwork than I did 8 years ago. So in my view, my TSL has increased--exponentially. I have less time than ever before to talk to kids and to get to know them on a personal basis. When students seek me out, I'm often ensconced in my room, filling out labels to stick in my TAN or filling out a spreadsheet of the strengths and weaknesses of each child. I definitely do not have time to talk to students who are "seeking me out".
In case you haven't figured it out by now, Mr. Ouchi was an early supporter of Mayor Bloomberg and an adviser to Klein, according to Gotham. That hardly speaks to his impartiality, but it sure does make his spiel seem like the total load it is.
