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NBC News was there during her first year of teaching. Now, several years later, we caught up with Monica Groves to see what she's learned. NBC's Rehema Ellis reports.
While I was interviewing Monica Groves in Atlanta recently, I couldn't help but wish that she were still in the classroom and that my son could have her as a teacher -- if only she moved to New York. This young woman is exactly the kind of person everyone wants in school: She is smart, engaging, curious, full of wonderful ideas, and what's most important, she believes in children and their ability to learn.
Ms. Groves, as her students respectfully referred to her, is also someone who's not afraid to reveal that from time to time she needs help. The country got to know her strengths and weaknesses through the award-winning Dateline story, "The Education of Ms. Groves." She was gracious enough to allow an NBC Dateline crew to follow her through her first year of teaching in 2004.
That took confidence and courage.
She was right out of college, 22 years old, fresh-faced, eager and unprepared for the enormous challenges awaiting her in the classroom.
In a 2006 personal essay, Groves wrote: “Over the course of my first year, I learned that education isn’t just about books, and education doesn’t just flow from teacher to student,” adding that “you can’t teach the child if you don’t have a positive relationship with them.”
Groves spent two years teaching at Jean Childs Young middle school in Atlanta before she went to Harvard University to pursue a Master’s degree in teaching and curriculum.
The hard-earned lessons she picked up along the way helped prepare her for her new role as a curriculum specialist for KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools, a network of free public charter schools.
Programs such as KIPP, which stands for the Knowledge is Power Program, have promoted a longer school day and and principals’ power to hire and fire staff at will. At the first KIPP school, in Houston, Texas, co-founders Dave Levin and Michael Feinberg filled the walls with slogans such as “Work Hard,”“Be Nice” and “There Are No Shortcuts.” But KIPP schools have come under fire from some observers for allegedly screening for the most driven students, with regular public schools left to educate the rest.
In her new role, Groves is still eager and excited about students. She smiles easily and laughs when talking about kids.
Hear more from Monica Groves, the subject of the Dateline documentary "The Education of Ms. Groves." Currently she's the curriculum specialist for KIPP-Metro Atlanta.
But rather than teaching in a classroom, she now guides more than 80 teachers in five schools. As her boss, Katie Rigby says, Groves is "creating the (blueprint) so that teachers know what to teach, how best to teach, and when to teach it throughout the year.”
Groves says teachers actively shape young minds in the classroom. "But there’s a lot that needs to happen inside the classroom and outside for us to really maximize what kids deserve to have," she said.
When she’s not working in small groups with teachers and principals, Groves is at her cubicle making phone calls, gathering information, sorting through materials, and prepping for her next meeting. Her work space is very quiet. It's a vast difference from what life was like for her when she was in front of students.
"Although it doesn't always have the hugs and smiles of kids every day, it's nice to feel like you're still part of a team, and you know it's a critical part,” Groves says. Helping teachers become better educators, she says, has been rewarding.
"Collaboration makes a difference," Groves said, "when you’re not just an island, when you’re not just in the classroom figuring it out by yourself and you only have your lens as the only lens to kind of check your reality and see what’s going on."
And she’s offering exactly what so many teachers tell me they need: professional development and curriculum support.
With all her she brings to the table, Groves would be a terrific leader of an entire school district someday. Everyone in the community would be better for it, I think, because she's someone who genuinely cares about education for the kids' sake. Knowing that, I wouldn't be surprised if Groves, as the future school leader, found a way to make long, meaningful visits to schools to offer encouragement and instruction.
I say that because when I listened to her talk about students and what she learned while she was teaching, there's no doubt her heart is still there with the kids -- in the classroom.
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She is such a wonderful teacher it appears she stayed in the classroom for 1 year.
Several comments deleted, Michelle Hollingsworth, douchebag-4228856, douchebag-4229176, banned, multiple accounts stalking Mr. Williams, rereg of mwoo.
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Ms. Ellis had a great opportunity to highlight a successful classroom teacher somewhere in America. Instead she chose the easy way out and focused on an administrator with what looks like a single year's experience. This piece was anti-public school, anti-union and anti-college of education. Opportunity missed.
Let's see, teach for a year then bail and get a deal at Harvard so as to not be in the classroom. Sounds like the perfect plan. Let's hope every teacher follows the same path.
Well, after all that's said above, I'd just like to say that whatever path she took after a year, it appears to me that she's seems to be of sound mind, not like the two teachers that recently appeared on Judge Judy's show a few weeks ago because one called the other "Daffy Duck" (I kid you not) and I think she threw a punch at the other teacher or something.
Needless to say, Judge Judy pointed out that both of their first grade classes were much more better behaved than they were and they're the ones that folks send their children to learn how to become the future leaders of the world.
Doug is right. She is an example of one the major problems in education. The people at the top have no experience with teaching. She is telling teachers how to teach, when she has 1 or 2 years of experience. It's completely illogical.
ShirleyW - You're going to judge hundreds of thousands of teachers based on 2 idiots you saw on Judge Judy? Problem #2. A public who doesn't have a clue about life in a classroom, yet thinks they are qualified to judge.
"Pursing a Master's degree in teaching and curriculum" - can you explain to me what is illogical about that and, how Ms. Groves is an example of a major problem in education.
Can you read?
What part of my comment sounds like I'm judging all teachers? I say above since she seems to be of sound mind she's not like the two teachers on the show. How does that sound like I'm putting down all teachers when I just compared her to two other teachers?
Just like Obama
You know he went Punaho, a private school. I went to Radford, a public school in Hawaii. Not the Prez, but doing well.
teach the teachers, i like that......
This young lady deserves a lot more credit then you all are giving her. She continued her educations and received a professional diploma from a prestigious school. She is making a big difference in the educational industry and helping hundreds of children through helping their teachers. If she wasn't helping then she would be failing. Doesn't appear she is.
How are you going to decide if she's failing? If the only evaluation for teachers comes from test scores, I guess that means if all of her "students" don't improve their class test scores, she'll have to go. That's certainly not going happen, but it does to the teachers.
HBrady: If you watched the video you would have seen testimony from other teachers praising her for how much she has helped them. I suppose the teachers aren't to be believed either, huh? Two facts we know so far 1) Teachers giving her high praise 2) She has not been fired or let go from her position because of incompetency. Please enlighten me to what your facts are against the woman, other then speculation and assumptions?
Improving your reading comprehension skills would help your enlightenment. I never stated that she was the problem, rather an example of the problem of inexperienced leaders in the educational system. I was using her as an example of how teachers are treated in the system while there are no checks and balances at the administrative level.
My reading and comprehension skills are just fine thank you. Yours show a perpetual lack there of because you have shown no evidence again to back up your speculation and assumptions. Your all talk and it is coming from the wrong end. But by all mean, keep spouting out your baseless and unsubstantiated ideas. As if the world should believe what you say at face value and drop to their knees and bow to your gracious rantings.
SOS. Another administrator with one years experience. After 25 years no one writes a story about me because I have stuck it out because I want the kids to become good, honest, and thinking people. Thank you for your sacrifice, little missy. I got my M.ED. just like you while working full time. Boo hoo for you.
If the story had been about a new teacher who loved her job and the kids she taught, and who was then re-visited 20 years later - and still loved her job and the kids - that would have been a great story about a good teacher.
cmac and gb, didn't get those gold watches, huh?
I agree with you, CMAC. I can't believe how many teachers can't handle the classroom so they become administrators. There are plenty of teachers who've been in the classroom for years and still love it. Why not do a story about them?
Ms. Groves said she still misses the classroom. Get back IN and show us what you can do!
eejay - not yet! :)
As for this story, Ms. Groves learned that teaching/supervising adults is much easier than teaching children - and it pays better - so what is the story there? Don't teach kids? We need more good teachers, not more administrators.
I agree with those who have commented about teachers who have a year or so experience, then go back to school for a masters' and start teaching other teachers.... and people wonder what is wrong with education?? Principals who have less than 5 years in the classroom - as well as the"specials" teachers who become principals - and cannot relate to the regular classroom teachers, yet dictate how the classroom should be run. Then there are the people that transition from the business world and get a 2 year masters' degree in something like "Ed Tech" without any actual classroom experience. I have actually heard comments in masters courses from these business people who are looking for an "easy" job as a teacher. There are also those who, like the teacher in this story, as well as many college professors that moved along the fast track to work in colleges and universities without the experience of classroom knowledge, mostly reading theories and basing their teaching from book knowledge - and they are educating future teachers. We wonder why there are so many turnovers within the first five years of teaching! Survival usually depends on the quality of mentoring teachers, the support of peers and staff, as well as the determination of the beginning teacher. All-in-all, the educational policies should be changed to prevent people from becoming principals unless they have at least 5 years regular classroom experience and their contract renewals should be dependent upon reviews by teacher peers. College Professors should have at least 10 years classroom teaching experience and they should be considered "master teachers" by their peers - after all, they are teaching future teachers based on their own knowledge...
Yep, another arm chair general, going to tell master sargents how to fight a war. I find the reporters wording beneath High School level standards, and the headline is misleading. Get us a story about a "TEACHER" that is making good. You know, stand and deliver.
This story bothers me. Not that a talented, idealistic young woman can overcome extremely difficult classroom conditions and succeed. But that she would leave the classroom after two years for an advanced degree and never return. Teaching teachers would logically seem to have a multiplier effect on students in classrooms elsewhere and there is surely some truth to that. However, after 26 years in the same kind of setting Ms. Groves found herself in I can tell stories about No Child Act mandated consultants wasting our funding and time. I do not mean to say I think Ms. Groves is not a good consultant. I expect that she is. I do mean to say that good teachers belong in the classroom for more than 2 years. Did you know Michelle Rhee had just 3 years experience in a similar setting before moving on too? Footnote: I am happy where I am. I am very successful with my students. However, dealing with the issues surrounding teaching in an impoverished community requires another conversation. And a long term commitment.
most of the posts noticed the obvious: she dipped her toe in a school environment, and then departed to harvard to get a crimson piece of paper so like the past several presidents, who also dipped their toe in the real world, she will be able to lead others and to successfully manage.
great way to run schools and a great way to run the government. just look at the results.
Hey! It's Education Nation week at NBC News. Which means that Brian Williams and everyone else at NBC are pretending to care about education so they can get a ratings boost during a sweeps period. Here are some of the exciting Education Nation features you can look forward to seeing in the near future:
***Brian Williams will convene an expert panel of education experts who will expertly share their expert expertise on education. Panelists will include Bruce Springsteen, Bono, The Edge and Jon Bon Jovi.
***Susan Boyle and Jackie Evancho will sing the Education Nation theme song, assisted by the singing NYC construction worker.
***Brian will have an exclusive education-related interview with Will & Kate. (Note: At Nightly News, "exclusive" means that it may not actually be exclusive. This isn't really an interview--it's just a bunch of old Will & Kate sound bites cobbled together to make it seem like an interview.)
***Mary Thornberry will narrate a 10-part series about her harrowing escape across the Egyptian border into Education Nation as hordes of hostile illiterates stormed her door.
***Brian will show clips of himself showing clips of himself showing clips of himself showing clips of himself talking about education.
***One word: Carmageducation.
***Brian will interview Mishka the talking dog about education. Which is kind of weird because Mishka is, you know, a dog.
***Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer will reveal his plans to become a New York City public school teacher.
***Maria Shriver will talk for hours and hours and maybe mention education, but maybe not.
***We will see a special report about the appropriateness of wearing flip-flops to school.
***Brian will work the word "McDonald's" into as many education stories as possible.
***Ann Curry will ask a hologram of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad about education reform in Iran before taking full credit for recently freeing the two imprisoned American hikers.
***Rehema Ellis will present an in-depth special report about unaccredited sham online-only universities like the University of Phoenix.
***Brian will show multiple clips of his questions to Republican presidential candidates from the 9/7 GOP debate he co-moderated, with every question newly dubbed so that it is now about education.
***A Lisa Myers special Education Nation investigative report: "The Ugly Truth Behind Finger Painting."
***Brian Williams Reports: What can our children learn from adorable videos of Pandas?
Gee, a whole two years teaching! Give me a break. My mentor had over thirty years experience. I have fourteen years experience. Give me a veteran in the classroom over someone who went running from the classroom only two years into teaching. In my fifth year my administration hired a Science teacher straight out of Harvard. I saw her struggling during her first week, so I told her she could ask for help and ideas anytime. She put me in my place by stating that she survived Harvard and this teaching thing was easy. She left after one month.
what a positive example to our educational system. teaching the teachers, mentoring and setting up a solid proactive format improves teacher- student academic drive and empowerment. if my teachers were as motivated and interactive such as Ms. Groves my attitude towards education would have been the impetus to a successful future. i'm so impressed with Ms. Groves contribution to the educational needs of our youth and more importantly, those who teach.
The problem is Lisa, Ms. Groves would have never been your teacher unless you fortunately fell within the 2-year span of her teaching career. The point most are making is that in order to have a firm grasp on most things in life you have to take the time to learn them. In order to tell a teacher that they should follow a specific format she should probably have taught it herself. Not just read about it in a book.
During one of Monday's Education Nation reports, Brian Williams told us that among the world's countries, U.S. students ranked 25th in math. The Nightly News producers illustrated this point by placing the U.S. flag below the flags of all the countries whose students outrank us in math. But the Norwegian flag was shown twice in the array. Why? Are the Norwegians so awesomely super-duper in math that their flag needs to be shown twice? No--sadly it's just another example of the Nightly News producers not caring about what they are doing.
Later in the broadcast, Lee Cowan reported a story on trigger laws, which allow parents to fire teachers or close failing schools if 51% of them sign a petition. Here's what Cowan told us: "California, Texas and Mississippi all have trigger laws on the books and at least 22 other states are considering it." But the accompanying map showed a total of 22 states shaded in red--including California, Texas and Mississippi. If 22 other states are considering trigger laws, there should have been 25 states shaded in red. I guess what Brian said earlier about the U.S. lagging in math skills is really true. His own producers can't even count to 25.
I find it entertaining, too, that Ms. Groves works for the KIPP group in Atlanta. If they are anything like KIPP in Washington D.C., they are spending about 3x as much to educate their students as their public school counterparts. This is the same DC local school district that reformers point to as being the glaring problem in school spending, yet KIPP spends 35K per kid (as opposed to 14K on public). There are so many holes in this anti-public school story it's laughable.
NBC Nightly News made a big stink over the now-discredited story of the $16 government muffin. But it didn't follow up to say it was wrong, and I'm still waiting to hear how much extra each taxpayer had to pay to cover the millions in taxes NBC owner GE didn't have to pay last year. Zero in federal income taxes. Which by the way Nightly News never got around to reporting.
President Obama defended the gay soldiers and called for all Americans to defend them after the attacks to one soldier at the Tea Party/Republican Debate. Well the Commander-in-Chief spoke up and you betcha the law makers are now following his lead. Herman Cain says he should have spoken up but didn't and even Senator McCain is now speaking up. Well it would have been nice if these men had not waited for the President to do it.
Perry is still in the running and the Koch Bros need to get more deals with Iran and can't with the current Administration. Perry has to win or alot of Corporations like the Koch Bros will lose business deals. Perry is looking for the large minority votes to help win. Let's hope he doesn't invite the minorities to his hunting camp which might offend people of all races. West Texas hunting camp where Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) hosted friends and lawmakers bore the offensive name “@!$%#head. Not a good name for today's generation and a bad reminder for pass generations, but some today might think it's great.
Have a great evening all
Brian I don't complain often but I have to tell you the person you highlighted as a "teacher" is the problem with education. I was a math teacher, too, 30 years ago with a Masters Degree. Your 6th grade teacher couldn't cut it as a teacher so she moved on as I did. She left the classroom as many do. It took me 6 years before I quit. Your teacher quit after only 1 year, she should be embarrassed. We should be keeping our smart teachers in the classroom. After 30 years you’re highlighting a person that quits after one year and joins the problem people, bureaucracy. I can see why it's good for her because she got out of the classroom. Education has to figure out how to keep good teachers! Regards, Francis
Brian,
A good teacher makes the difference. When I was a stenographer at General Electric
in 1958 or 1959 I took an English Course from Professor Patterson at Indiana
University and thanks to him, "You know your English," he said to me one evening
and also because of his encouragement I stopped agonizing over every sentence I
wrote. Had it not been for Professor Patterson I would not be contributing to the
Blog. I would not get past the first sentence.. GE paid for the course. I consider
myself still in the family of General Electric, and I am grateful for the experience
with the Company. I would have floundered otherwise and no telling what would
have becomeof me. Only a prophet could have predicted what became of
Jane Austen's Emma. Me, I was not complicated then. Just give me a Pink Lady,
and I was happy:o) Have a nice evening everybody. Phyllis
PS Teachers deserve big salaries like CEO's
I find it sad to see responses like this from "educators" who shoot their mouths off before they learn what they are talking about. I have been an educator for 22 years, and I see this way to often.
For those of you who are saying she taught for one year. She taught for two before going to Harvard and getting her masters. After that, when she could have taught anywhere in the country, she went back to that same inner city school in Atlanta for 3 more years of teaching. Then she took a job in curriculum, which is what here masters is in!
I used to complain about the little work that the administrators did and that they were there because they couldn't handle being a teacher. That was until I became a principal. I did it for one year and couldn't wait to get back to my math classroom. I never complained about administrators again.
Monica is probably brighter than all of us combined!
Why would NBC do this story, because it is a follow up to a one hour story they did seven years ago about a first year teacher, and where is she now.
We should be happy someone like this is interested in being an educator instead of being a lawyer. She has made the decision that I did many years ago when I decided to be a math teacher instead of an actuary. If I was an actuary I would probably be making $300,000 a year and I'm sure that Monica could be making considerably more money with her gifts.