Comments

Ed just got home and said he doesn't like this contract, either.

Me, too.

My kid's not signing any contracts.

EOS

-- CatherineJohnson - 09 Dec 2005

He does, however, VASTLY PREFER the DI contract to the non-DI contract.

-- CatherineJohnson - 09 Dec 2005

Ed made the obvious point, which has somehow eluded me thus far, that contracts are entered into voluntarily.

If you're forced to sign a contract, it's not a contract.

It's coercion.

-- CatherineJohnson - 09 Dec 2005

That's a good word, coercion.

-- CatherineJohnson - 09 Dec 2005

Here's what the DI people say about them:

Contracts

In addition to praise and the use of points, contracts can be useful motivating tools for students. Contracts often contain several components including who the participants are and what their responsibilities are, the positive consequences for fulfilling their responsibilities, and the negative consequences (if any) for not fulfilling their responsibilities (Martella et al., 2002). Figure 4 provides a sample contract used in the Spelling Through Morphographs program. Notice that the contract is signed by the student and the teacher (the teacher also agrees to the terms of the contract), and specific information on grades and point delivery is provided.

-- KDeRosa - 09 Dec 2005

It's a MAJOR improvement.

It's still coercion.

This, btw, is the aspect of Engelmann that I think Carolyn always picks up on, and that's subliminally there for me.....and is why people react to 'scripting.'

He's got a wide authoritarian streak.

I'm going to be HAMMERING teaching-to-mastery, formative-assessment, and direct-instruction for the rest of my years inside this school system.

But I'm not going to be signing any contracts.

Not while I'm paying the bills.

-- CatherineJohnson - 09 Dec 2005

but, hey!

I've got a very nice Marital Contract all ready for you husbands to sign!

-- CatherineJohnson - 09 Dec 2005

If you're forced to sign a contract, it's not a contract.

It's coercion.

Legally, it's called an adhesion contract.

-- KDeRosa - 09 Dec 2005

adhesion contract

That's interesting.

What does that mean?

What does it encompass?

When are adhesion contracts used?

(yes, I realize I'm soliciting Even More Writing In Your Free Time!)

anyway, this is a lot of questions, but if you've got a thumbnail I'm interested

-- CatherineJohnson - 09 Dec 2005

AN adhesion contract is "a contract that heavily restricts one party while leaving the other free (as some standard form printed contracts); implies inequality in bargaining power"

It is your standard form contract where you have no ability to modify the terms.

-- KDeRosa - 09 Dec 2005

Ah, your standard college-student-apartment-lease sort of contract.

-- CarolynJohnston - 09 Dec 2005

Right. And almost every other contract a consumer has to sign. Just try and vary a term and see how flexible they are.

-- KDeRosa - 09 Dec 2005

oh boy, I wish you could have seen these two special-ed lawyer parents in their CSE meeting.

Unbelievable.

That meeting needed to be filmed.

They had PERFECT control of their tone. Talk about modulated; they didn't even have to modulate. They were just in command.

(Although, I will add that CRYING can be highly effective under the right circumstances. I did it once, after 9/11, and got a personal call from the head of BOCES to fill me in on how hard he was working to put together an evacuation plan for our kids if Indian Point got hit....)

Anyway, this couple read through the IEP plan, discussed it with the school officials in attendance, and then just crossed stuff out.

They took their time about it, too.

By the end of the meeting the administrators were saying things like, "Would that be OK with you?"

-- CatherineJohnson - 09 Dec 2005

I learned about crossing stuff out with book contracts.

I love to cross stuff out on contracts.

-- CatherineJohnson - 09 Dec 2005

Actually, that's another route I could have taken with Christopher's grade contract.....

-- CatherineJohnson - 09 Dec 2005

That's a great idea! Just cross out all the stuff you don't like!

Do you sign it once everything is crossed out, or just send it back unsigned?

-- CarolynJohnston - 09 Dec 2005

Do you sign it once everything is crossed out, or just send it back unsigned?

With book contracts you cross off and amend by writing things into margins, then sign.

Simple.

-- CatherineJohnson - 09 Dec 2005

Great! A whole new negotiating tactic!

-- CarolynJohnston - 09 Dec 2005

Great! A whole new negotiating tactic!

If parents could see a videotape of that couple in action, special ed would never be the same.

-- CatherineJohnson - 09 Dec 2005

With book contracts you cross off and amend by writing things into margins, then sign.

Simple.

In effect, this is now an arm's length negotiation based on a standard form contract. Both parties should date and initial all changes made and then sign the modified contract.

The ability to make such changes is highly dependent upon each partie's bargaining power. I'd bet lower tier authors get a take it or leave it deal while first tier authors can pretty much get whatever they want.

-- KDeRosa - 09 Dec 2005

The ability to make such changes is highly dependent upon each partie's bargaining power. I'd bet lower tier authors get a take it or leave it deal while first tier authors can pretty much get whatever they want.

I don't know if things have changed, but throughout my career there was always dickering.

The crossing-off, I should add, was more of a convenience than a negotiation (I have zero expertise in negotiation, so bear that in mind).

I don't think anyone was crossing off anything the other side didn't agree could be crossed off.....

-- CatherineJohnson - 09 Dec 2005

Also, nobody (in my career) ever signed anything until everyone had agreed to all the changes, crossings off, etc.

-- CatherineJohnson - 09 Dec 2005

It was the same thing at the CSE meeting, BUT it was more than a 'convenience' because they had the factor of momentum working for them.

Psychologically, it was powerful.

They would do mild, brief little sidebars between the two of them, then cross something off, and the administrators (and I) just sat there in awe, and it worked.

If the administrators were used to seeing married lawyers come into a meeting and start crossing stuff off, it wouldn't work as well.

It would still have an effect, though. The administrators want the signature.

-- CatherineJohnson - 09 Dec 2005

They don't want to come back to the table.

-- CatherineJohnson - 09 Dec 2005