Although he was seen packing up his office two weeks ago, FWCS is still not commenting on Thomas Smith's departure from Wayne HS. The Sentinel's story the other day pretty much made it "official". How swapping the principals at two failing high schools was ever going to work in the first place is still a mystery. Apparently only Pamela Martin Diaz, the lone board member to vote against the switch, was astute enough to see what would happen. The rest, who have been fooled more than once, figured Wendy knew best.
The question now is whether Carlton Mable will survive at South Side. There's very little chance he can actually do better but it may be more a question of putting on a better front for the consultant, Cambridge, than Mr. Smith was able to do. Consultants are not your friends, as Smith apparently failed to realize. They can sink you. And although Mable has been anointed by FWCS, we'll see if Cambridge can see through it.
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13 comments:
Losing Smith at Wayne is a true loss for the students of FWCS.
He related well to the kids and the teachers but I think his management skills were questionable. Certainly strategizing a turnaround in an urban high school where performance is determined by the feeder middle schools requires changes in the whole district from the bottom up. If a high school principal were able to drive change in the schools that fed his building he might have a chance. I don't think he had the wherewithall or the influence he needed to do that.
The only thing that made Mabel stand out at Lakeside M.S. was the assistant principal who was the disciplinarian. Mable is lax at best, and lacks the management skills necessary for a turn around. I have heard from a South Side High School teacher who is wishing this year never happened.
Rumor has it that he was removed so that Wendy would have a location where she could "place" one of her "peeps." Yes, that is what she calls her supporters. With FWCS cutting back, Wendy wants to make sure to save her friends.
Anonymous said...
The only thing that made Mabel stand out at Lakeside M.S. was the assistant principal who was the disciplinarian. Mable is lax at best, and lacks the management skills necessary for a turn around. I have heard from a South Side High School teacher who is wishing this year never happened.
I wonder how many people know that Carlton Mabel is Wendy's godson.
So let me get this straight... Mr. Mable is black. Dr. Robinson is black. Consequently, they are somehow related?
I wonder which administrator Fowler-Finn was related to? Or Bill Coats? How about Grile or Anthis?
Smith was at SSHS for 8 years. When I tutorored freshman algebra there about 5 years ago, their math skills were abysmal. That was right before Geyer closed, but apparently that didn't help much. I talked to him several times about what I was seeing but he obviously wasn't able to change it.
Anon #2 said...
So let me get this straight... Mr. Mable is black. Dr. Robinson is black. Consequently, they are somehow related?
Who said they are related? Why don't you use a dictionary and find the meaning of godmother, godchild, godson.
Please stop spreading lies. You don't know what you are talking about. The bulk of your posts are based on "rumor" and what you "have heard."
So, could we know the evaluation, results, and/or scores given by the Cambridge group as an assessment/evaluation of the "LEAD" process and of the all changes made including Mr. Smith's assignment? Should this not be public information?
We have recently taken in a foster child who is now a senior at Wayne. I am shocked at how little he can do and how little is expected of him. Tonight my third grader at Imagine Master Academy had to do a subtraction timed test for homework. He had to do 30 in a minute. He hit 26, but my Wayne student could hardly do 8. I am sad to see Mr. Smith leave, but I am not partial to him since we don't have much history or knowledge of his performance. All I know is that SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE at that school. It is dismal. And tonight our Wayne student told us that a teacher is being investigated for inappropriate behavior. Really?
Anon#2,
Sorry to tell you, but I worked with Gene Mabel (Carlton's father) at Slater Stainless Steel for over 25 years. I know what he said.
They come into high school not knowing how to do math and high schools are not designed for remediation. They should never get that far in the first place.
On the bright side we're working with third graders at Indian Village on the basic math you talked about with your Imagine student. Maybe FWCS is finally getting the message.
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