Since Thomas Smith can't get test scores up as principal at SSHS, let's see if he can get them up as principal at Wayne, which is even worse. He can't, and that's not a reflection on Mr. Smith whose fate depends on the middle schools. The administrative musical chairs makes no sense, especially when Wendy isn't taking away any chairs. It's hard to see how the Feds will view this as a reason to lavish "Race to the Top" money on the district, but you never know. It doesn't address the current budget shortfall, as board member Kevin Brown pointed out. Most important it won't improve achievement in the high schools. Yet only one board member, Pamela Martin Diaz, refused to rubber stamp the proposal and voted against it.
Yesterday's JG printed a letter from a former FWCS educator Ronald Flickinger (how come more retired teachers don't speak out?) that referred to an article documenting improved performance in several urban school districts. It was done by adapting teaching methods to the realities of modern day society, something which most education bureaucracies, including FWCS, don't seem to be able to do. They still cling to methods based on the ideal middle class family of the fifties. The article said nothing about shuffling administrators and teachers. But they have to learn to adapt, most importantly in the earlier grades if we want to see the later grades improve.
Sorry, but full day kindergarten isn't going to turn the tide. So what's the rest of the plan for the elementary and middle schools?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
I can't believe only Kevin Brown seems concerned about the budget. Robinson was quoted in today's paper as saying administrative pay raises are part of the natural progress up the pay scale. That is ABSOLUTELY not true...administrative pay is one thing the board has direct control over (no union). Teachers max out in salary after 17 years, or when they are about 40 years old! Administrators NEVER max out...when they do, FWCS creates a new pay grade, as they just recently did. The school board should be ashamed...all employees earning above 100K should have their salaries frozen.
Siesta-
Although everythihg the JG prints has to be taken with a giant grain of salt, Wendy does tend to stick her foot in her mouth. She and most of her board just don't get it. One of my favorite Wendy "quotes" was something to the effect that changing the district was like turning a battleship around. Yeah, Wendy, and that's why battleships are obsolete.
Wendy is pure politician...she will say whatever she thinks a target audience wants to hear. Her message depends on the audience. You ought to try to get a tape of a "leadership" meeting for administrators some time...it would be entertaining.
Ok, I give up. Chinese, Korean, Japanese? Enlighten us, please.
It’s Chinese and it translates as “Never lost their appeal here is really a blog”
OMG..I know that this has nothing to do with this exact story but come on? JG has to put the Keystone School closing as the headline news on 1/30/10...They are still looking for that Pulitzer Prize for Krista's husband aren't they? I don't think that one is issued for the best smear campaign on Don Willis...anyone in their right mind can read right through this story. If Don Willis weren't involved this would have made the Metro page..squeezed in between other stories that are not important. I think the Navistar story would have been a better headline instead of in the business section.. quite a few people that could be leaving or losing a job...(aka subscribers to your paper) but I guess Marty doesn't have a spouse at FWCS..not that the Keystone School employees deserve this or the students..I am sure it is a good school...it would have to be... it's a Don Willis school.
Keystone is a private school where Willis was trying some new ideas. The one that really appealed to me was letting kids go at their own pace. If they mastered a course they went on to the next level regardless of their age or grade level. In effect he was doing away with advancing them by grade and in stead was advancing them by knowledge.
My take was that parents and kids loved the school and will be very disappointed if they have to enroll at FWCS. But the $5000 yearly tuition is a stretch for inner city parents even with subsidies. The economy is just taking its toll.
I read more of a sense of glee from the JG that one of his schools might close rather than a continuation of their smear campaign,
very true..and keep up the good job!
Good grief, who came up with SOCIAL PROMOTION ANYWAY?? This is the most ludacrious thing I have ever heard of. Rewarding failture....everyone is a winner in every class, every sport, every school activity. Uh, no they aren't. And where is the incentive to learn if you are going to get kudos whether you try or not? Right, there isn't any.
Post a Comment