The CSI crew won't be adding any new techs from the Las Vegas/Clark County Schools System anytime soon.
91% + 87% + 88% = FAILED
But...do we need to know this anyway?
What is the Rationale for Requiring Higher Mathematics Proficiency for All K-12 Students?
And why did we do so poorly?
It’s not easy to understand why students perform dismally on high school standard math tests
Starting over from scratch is easier than rebuilding and restoring?
Vallas: New Orleans is a breeze
Monday, March 31, 2008
At Least We're An Example
Here's a letter from today's BCCT regarding the new William Tennent High School. Sounds like someone has seen the long term effects of our bad decisions here in Morrisville. I'll post the direct link shortly.
The right decision
I believe that, in our great country, governments at all levels should operate as constitutional republics, wherein elected officials govern the people as opposed to direct democracies wherein the elected officials are bound by the so-called will of the people as oftentimes expressed by referendums.
In theory — at least at the local level, certainly not at the federal level — I wouldn’t have a big problem with a referendum vote as long as the electorate was informed of the facts surrounding the issue at hand and understood the facts and voted accordingly as opposed to voting based on emotion or self-interest or to follow a party line. I’m not big on anarchy or mob rule!
I have witnessed cases where the voting public was purposely given false information promulgated by a vocal minority of community members that resulted in the defeat of a worthwhile referendum in one case, and the passing of a very questionable, if not detrimental referendum in another case.
Regarding the construction of a new William Tennent High School,all the facts indicate that it is in the best interest of everyone concerned that a new building be constructed, as opposed to renovating the existing building or, as some have suggested, do nothing. Since people tend to vote with their wallets, a referendum asking for approval to raise their school tax would likely be rejected by the residents of the Centennial School District. In this case compliance with the will of the people would be a tragedy.
Robert A. Shaffer Upper Southampton
The right decision
I believe that, in our great country, governments at all levels should operate as constitutional republics, wherein elected officials govern the people as opposed to direct democracies wherein the elected officials are bound by the so-called will of the people as oftentimes expressed by referendums.
In theory — at least at the local level, certainly not at the federal level — I wouldn’t have a big problem with a referendum vote as long as the electorate was informed of the facts surrounding the issue at hand and understood the facts and voted accordingly as opposed to voting based on emotion or self-interest or to follow a party line. I’m not big on anarchy or mob rule!
I have witnessed cases where the voting public was purposely given false information promulgated by a vocal minority of community members that resulted in the defeat of a worthwhile referendum in one case, and the passing of a very questionable, if not detrimental referendum in another case.
Regarding the construction of a new William Tennent High School,all the facts indicate that it is in the best interest of everyone concerned that a new building be constructed, as opposed to renovating the existing building or, as some have suggested, do nothing. Since people tend to vote with their wallets, a referendum asking for approval to raise their school tax would likely be rejected by the residents of the Centennial School District. In this case compliance with the will of the people would be a tragedy.
Robert A. Shaffer Upper Southampton
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Documents Now Available
The rather incoherent and poorly written defeasement defense documents are available at the district website. Considering that the defeasement was approved January 30 and actually done in February, the documents are available on a timetable similar to the meeting minutes.
Also available is the proposed 2008-2009 budget.
Here's the district's strategery plan too.
Discussion?
Also available is the proposed 2008-2009 budget.
Here's the district's strategery plan too.
Discussion?
Residents may see lower taxes
The BCCT today covers the budgetary aspect of Wednesday night's slugfest and headlines the story as "Residents may see lower taxes." Note the "may" in the headline. That's only because it's a proposed budget. The "may" there does not really apply. The correct word is "will." That's why the Emperor and His Court of Toadies exist.
I'm sure that if commonwealth law allowed it, the budget would start out something like this: We have decreed that the taxes are absolutely lowered in this, the first Royal Budget Proclamation released in the first Year of the Reign of William I, over all the Dominions and Countries which then did, or thereafter should belong, to the Imperial Educational Crown of this Realm.
I love the way royalty sure can speak the lingo goodly!
We've discussed this before, and the lower taxes are a certainty. The actual amount was the only variable. And I welcome it. Lord knows how much I cringe each month as that escrow payment goes out. Keeping in mind the story told Wednesday evening by one of the seniors in the audience, I know the folks on fixed incomes welcome it as well.
Echoing Ed Frankenfield for a moment though, what's the plan? Lower the taxes, and then what? "Shhh...", says the Emperor. "It's a secret."
My cloudy, cracked, and overused crystal ball sees what's next. Tell me if you agree.
In the first year, the bond money is returned, the taxes are lowered, and the Emperor basks in the general huzzahs and acclamations. As a result of this popularity, there is a general exodus of talented people from the district as well. Lily pads will be installed in the district offices as loyal toadies receive the jobs they were promised.
In year 2, it's much harder. The three schools are still here, and without an overall strategy (as in the Frankenfield plea for a plan), money is thrown left and right at issues and problems. All of a sudden, the money used to repair something yesterday becomes meaningless as it now has to be replaced today. The budget, well folded, spindled, and mutilated, has no room for the expansion to cover the rising expenses that we all face. Where does the money come from? Glad you asked.
Watch November 2009. There will be a general election that will have four board seats up (depending of course, on the primary results from the previous May), but there will be a referendum on the ballot to raise the taxes because they were lowered too much this year. And when the referendum fails, then what?
Yes, I did say that taxes are being lowered too much. Without an overall plan in place, there is no real way to plan for the future and how to pay for it. This is no different than the idiots who took out home mortgages without a clear plan on how to actually pay for them. We're all paying for the home mortgage mess. And we're going to all pay for the penny-wise and pound-foolish follies right here at home.
And then all local control will be stripped from Morrisville. The Hellmann dream of having the state come in will finally be fulfilled. We'll be mandated to do certain things and pay certain costs. And there will be no one to complain to.
I'm sure that if commonwealth law allowed it, the budget would start out something like this: We have decreed that the taxes are absolutely lowered in this, the first Royal Budget Proclamation released in the first Year of the Reign of William I, over all the Dominions and Countries which then did, or thereafter should belong, to the Imperial Educational Crown of this Realm.
I love the way royalty sure can speak the lingo goodly!
We've discussed this before, and the lower taxes are a certainty. The actual amount was the only variable. And I welcome it. Lord knows how much I cringe each month as that escrow payment goes out. Keeping in mind the story told Wednesday evening by one of the seniors in the audience, I know the folks on fixed incomes welcome it as well.
Echoing Ed Frankenfield for a moment though, what's the plan? Lower the taxes, and then what? "Shhh...", says the Emperor. "It's a secret."
My cloudy, cracked, and overused crystal ball sees what's next. Tell me if you agree.
In the first year, the bond money is returned, the taxes are lowered, and the Emperor basks in the general huzzahs and acclamations. As a result of this popularity, there is a general exodus of talented people from the district as well. Lily pads will be installed in the district offices as loyal toadies receive the jobs they were promised.
In year 2, it's much harder. The three schools are still here, and without an overall strategy (as in the Frankenfield plea for a plan), money is thrown left and right at issues and problems. All of a sudden, the money used to repair something yesterday becomes meaningless as it now has to be replaced today. The budget, well folded, spindled, and mutilated, has no room for the expansion to cover the rising expenses that we all face. Where does the money come from? Glad you asked.
Watch November 2009. There will be a general election that will have four board seats up (depending of course, on the primary results from the previous May), but there will be a referendum on the ballot to raise the taxes because they were lowered too much this year. And when the referendum fails, then what?
Yes, I did say that taxes are being lowered too much. Without an overall plan in place, there is no real way to plan for the future and how to pay for it. This is no different than the idiots who took out home mortgages without a clear plan on how to actually pay for them. We're all paying for the home mortgage mess. And we're going to all pay for the penny-wise and pound-foolish follies right here at home.
And then all local control will be stripped from Morrisville. The Hellmann dream of having the state come in will finally be fulfilled. We'll be mandated to do certain things and pay certain costs. And there will be no one to complain to.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Update on Ed Frankenfield
I received this message and the poster asked that it be spread out to the public. Please consider dropping Ed a line. He has come through for all of the people of Morrisville. Despite the "shame on you" catcalls the other night from some of the duller witted people in the crowd, Ed has a vision and sees a future for this little town and all of us together.
I'd like to request that you put this information up as a post, please.
Ed Frankenfield is in the ICU at Frankford Hospital (Oxford Valley).
I spoke with his wife, Pat and she said he'll probably be in the
hospital for a while as he's fighting a bad case of pneumonia. It
would be great if we can get a Santa-bag of Get Well cards mailed to
Ed's house. The address is 613 Crown St., Morrisville, 19067.
--Some believe there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world's ills -- against misery, against ignorance, or injustice and violence. Yet many of the world's great movements, of thought and action, have flowed from the work of a single man. A young monk began the Protestant reformation, a young general extended an empire from Macedonia to the borders of the earth, and a young woman reclaimed the territory of France. It was a young Italian explorer who discovered the New World, and 32 year old Thomas Jefferson who proclaimed that all men are created equal. ‘Give me a place to stand,’ said Archimedes, ‘and I will move the world.’ These men moved the world, and so can we all. - Robert F. Kennedy
I'd like to request that you put this information up as a post, please.
Ed Frankenfield is in the ICU at Frankford Hospital (Oxford Valley).
I spoke with his wife, Pat and she said he'll probably be in the
hospital for a while as he's fighting a bad case of pneumonia. It
would be great if we can get a Santa-bag of Get Well cards mailed to
Ed's house. The address is 613 Crown St., Morrisville, 19067.
--Some believe there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world's ills -- against misery, against ignorance, or injustice and violence. Yet many of the world's great movements, of thought and action, have flowed from the work of a single man. A young monk began the Protestant reformation, a young general extended an empire from Macedonia to the borders of the earth, and a young woman reclaimed the territory of France. It was a young Italian explorer who discovered the New World, and 32 year old Thomas Jefferson who proclaimed that all men are created equal. ‘Give me a place to stand,’ said Archimedes, ‘and I will move the world.’ These men moved the world, and so can we all. - Robert F. Kennedy
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Dear Abby
I received this email today and I thought I would leave it to the audience to answer the question posed.
Hello,
I was reading your blog and found it very interesting. My fiancé' and I are contemplating buying a house in Morrisville. I don't know much about Morrisville other than it's close to Princeton, where I work. Your blog makes it seem like Morrisville is, well simply, a mess. The taxes are high and the school system, which is not on par with others in the region show's no sign of improvement. So, would you recommend that a young couple with a 8 month of child move to Morrisville?
Thanks.
Dear Reader,
I can understand why this blog would appear to make Morrisville appear to be a mess. There's some validity to that statement. I would compare Morrisville to a maturing teenager where the process is somewhat messy and painful, but will ultimately be successful. Right now is the messy and painful part.
This is a great place to raise a family. I've been here for quite a while now and I'm glad I made the choice to live here for my family's sake. My children are receiving a good grounding and education at the high school. They received a very good education at the elementary schools. The town seems ready to move forward (hopefully) with a downtown revitalization program that will ultimately lead to a much more prosperous Morrisville.
Williamson Park is a great place to take the children to play. Check out Imagination Island. It was built by the hard work and dedication of community volunteers, damaged by fire, and rebuilt better than before. There are many, many other opportunities available. Yes. Come. Explore Morrisville and see the opportunities and join the team making Morrisville better. Do not let the actions of a few unhappy people stop you.
Hello,
I was reading your blog and found it very interesting. My fiancé' and I are contemplating buying a house in Morrisville. I don't know much about Morrisville other than it's close to Princeton, where I work. Your blog makes it seem like Morrisville is, well simply, a mess. The taxes are high and the school system, which is not on par with others in the region show's no sign of improvement. So, would you recommend that a young couple with a 8 month of child move to Morrisville?
Thanks.
Dear Reader,
I can understand why this blog would appear to make Morrisville appear to be a mess. There's some validity to that statement. I would compare Morrisville to a maturing teenager where the process is somewhat messy and painful, but will ultimately be successful. Right now is the messy and painful part.
This is a great place to raise a family. I've been here for quite a while now and I'm glad I made the choice to live here for my family's sake. My children are receiving a good grounding and education at the high school. They received a very good education at the elementary schools. The town seems ready to move forward (hopefully) with a downtown revitalization program that will ultimately lead to a much more prosperous Morrisville.
Williamson Park is a great place to take the children to play. Check out Imagination Island. It was built by the hard work and dedication of community volunteers, damaged by fire, and rebuilt better than before. There are many, many other opportunities available. Yes. Come. Explore Morrisville and see the opportunities and join the team making Morrisville better. Do not let the actions of a few unhappy people stop you.
Yeah, But Could Rich Little Do It Better?
Here's an interesting item. An impression of the Emperor, as performed by an aspiring impersonator. It's as haughty, disdainful, and dismissive a performance as the original. So?
Speaking of the original, come on out tonight to Wednesday Night Live, starring Bill Hellmann and eight other rather insignificant and minor cast members. The warm ups start at 6:30 with the Education Committee and at 7:00 with the Human Resources Committee. Both of those meetings are in the G-Hall conference room.
This is followed by the full show at 7:30 in the LGI. Bill's topics tonight include waffling on the $2.4 million dollars he spent to save the district, and seeking to remove the superintendent, Dr. Yonson, and the facilities director, Tim Lastichen. It looks like Mr. Lastichen is going to be the ceremonial scapegoat to take on all of the sins of the past boards for failing to fund proper maintenance.
We're also going to go ahead and use the $2500 Hellmann Buildings Report to fund repairs. This might be a problem as Robin Reithmeyer has already shown that once this item was defeated at the February meeting, it needs to be off the schedule for three months before it can be reintroduced. (Memo to Emperor: You really needed to have an item in the agenda rescinding the rule before introducing the repairs item.)
Finally, we're going to approve some of the minutes outstanding since Marlys Mihok assumed the secretarial office. It doesn't seem like this is all of them though.
Come on out and join the fun. Come out and SUPPORT YOUR KIDS!
Speaking of the original, come on out tonight to Wednesday Night Live, starring Bill Hellmann and eight other rather insignificant and minor cast members. The warm ups start at 6:30 with the Education Committee and at 7:00 with the Human Resources Committee. Both of those meetings are in the G-Hall conference room.
This is followed by the full show at 7:30 in the LGI. Bill's topics tonight include waffling on the $2.4 million dollars he spent to save the district, and seeking to remove the superintendent, Dr. Yonson, and the facilities director, Tim Lastichen. It looks like Mr. Lastichen is going to be the ceremonial scapegoat to take on all of the sins of the past boards for failing to fund proper maintenance.
We're also going to go ahead and use the $2500 Hellmann Buildings Report to fund repairs. This might be a problem as Robin Reithmeyer has already shown that once this item was defeated at the February meeting, it needs to be off the schedule for three months before it can be reintroduced. (Memo to Emperor: You really needed to have an item in the agenda rescinding the rule before introducing the repairs item.)
Finally, we're going to approve some of the minutes outstanding since Marlys Mihok assumed the secretarial office. It doesn't seem like this is all of them though.
Come on out and join the fun. Come out and SUPPORT YOUR KIDS!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Or Maybe Sheepish School Board Members?
Has anyone found out ANYTHING specific about the $2.4 million toilet flush yet? Have any of the other eight lemmings even squeaked public disapproval since the last business meeting about the lack of information provided to the public?
Considering all factors, I'm guessing the information will be released at 7:29 P.M. tomorrow night, just in time to proudly say "We released it before the meeting." This is the public equivalent of a report in the board packet two hours before the meeting, and would also effectively silence the public commenting that would ensue for at least another two to four weeks.
Isn't anyone else tired of the silliness?
Monday, March 24, 2008
MHS Students Working in Community
Those horrible MHS kids (you know, the ones we want to farm away?) are at it again.
Morrisville students collect sneakers to help families in Africa
Do you have some sneakers hanging around unused at home? Donate them to Morrisville High School students, who are collecting them to help families in need in Africa.
The money from refurbishing and selling the sneakers would help pay for livestock, wells and other essential resources. It would help families create a perpetually sustainable income through the tools that the sneaker money would buy.
So far, National Honors Society advisor Elizabeth Glaum-Lathbury has collected about 20 pairs in her classroom. She’s working with the middle school service advisor and said she expects the Sneakers for Africa initiative to bring in more than 600 pairs by the end of the school year.
Morrisville students collect sneakers to help families in Africa
Do you have some sneakers hanging around unused at home? Donate them to Morrisville High School students, who are collecting them to help families in need in Africa.
The money from refurbishing and selling the sneakers would help pay for livestock, wells and other essential resources. It would help families create a perpetually sustainable income through the tools that the sneaker money would buy.
So far, National Honors Society advisor Elizabeth Glaum-Lathbury has collected about 20 pairs in her classroom. She’s working with the middle school service advisor and said she expects the Sneakers for Africa initiative to bring in more than 600 pairs by the end of the school year.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
The High Cost of Repairs
My commute was impacted rather severely by the innocent yen for a sausage sandwich that was experienced by a PennDOT engineer, yet the Inquirer today talks about an even larger bill to repair and maintain the 50-year old U.S. Interstate Highway System.
Sounds like the Morrisville school system, except that thousands of commuters do not use the school here, just a few kids that we can safely farm out. Who cares what those kids and their parents think: Just lower my taxes!
For the people who voted in the Stop the School candidates, let's re-ask the question I've been posing: What's Next?? It's pretty clear that you voted to lower your taxes. Have they dropped yet? Well, fast on the heels of the $2.4 million dollar squander to give back the bond money, it's nearly time for the Emperor's budget to be unveiled.
The budget and your taxes will be a bit lower, I'm sure. But how much? And what will we have to show for it? The $4.5 million dollar open-air sports complex pretty much looks like it used to, except that the grass grows a little faster due to the dumping of post-board meeting waste in the fields. Expect for the grass to be REALLY green around the time the budget comes out.
Just imagine...you're still paying the same taxes, but if the school had been allowed to be built, it would be just about half completed. For all the distress about the high taxes and how the school would bankrupt us, I guess you were right. We still have the high taxes, and the cost of the school that never was is bankrupting us.
Sounds like the Morrisville school system, except that thousands of commuters do not use the school here, just a few kids that we can safely farm out. Who cares what those kids and their parents think: Just lower my taxes!
For the people who voted in the Stop the School candidates, let's re-ask the question I've been posing: What's Next?? It's pretty clear that you voted to lower your taxes. Have they dropped yet? Well, fast on the heels of the $2.4 million dollar squander to give back the bond money, it's nearly time for the Emperor's budget to be unveiled.
The budget and your taxes will be a bit lower, I'm sure. But how much? And what will we have to show for it? The $4.5 million dollar open-air sports complex pretty much looks like it used to, except that the grass grows a little faster due to the dumping of post-board meeting waste in the fields. Expect for the grass to be REALLY green around the time the budget comes out.
Just imagine...you're still paying the same taxes, but if the school had been allowed to be built, it would be just about half completed. For all the distress about the high taxes and how the school would bankrupt us, I guess you were right. We still have the high taxes, and the cost of the school that never was is bankrupting us.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Oh The Comments I Receive...Part 2
Sorry to take everyone's time up with housekeeping details, but I've received several responses so far to the anonymous posting and comment I discussed earlier, and several of them are probably not the person I want to talk to.
If you are the anonymous commenter who left me a detailed response, please, go to Google or Yahoo, or another free emailer, create a fictitious email for yourself, and drop me a line at savethemorrisvilleschool@yahoo.com so that we can communicate in some sort of real time. To prove you are really the same person, you mentioned a person's name in the 3rd paragraph of your reply. Please mention that name again.
If you are the anonymous commenter who left me a detailed response, please, go to Google or Yahoo, or another free emailer, create a fictitious email for yourself, and drop me a line at savethemorrisvilleschool@yahoo.com so that we can communicate in some sort of real time. To prove you are really the same person, you mentioned a person's name in the 3rd paragraph of your reply. Please mention that name again.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Don't Hold Your Breath Waiting for the Answer
A letter from the BCCT today:
How can they run a school if they can’t run a meeting?
Regarding the Feb. 27 meeting of the Morrisville school board: I found it interesting that in the public comment portion of the meeting, when people were trying to figure out why it would cost so much to dissolve the $30 million bond, board President William Hellmann said, “It is too complicated to explain here.”
He did make an offer to explain it in private.
How as a resident and taxpayer can I get that information — and the explanation should be public record and explained at a board meeting in detail.
The new school board ran on a platform to save money and now it will cost the borough another $2.4 million (as reported in the Feb. 28 Bucks County Courier Times). This “new” board and its president showed that they cannot conduct a proper meeting — how are they going to run a school? Has the board ever read the Morrisville schools mission statement?
Hellmann has created a new fiefdom in Morrisville.He continues to go around the board members by acting on his own with his own agenda, as pointed out by several board members and by the board’s legal council, Thomas Kelly.
I applaud Robin Reithmeyer, Edward Frankenfield and Joseph Kemp for not following Hellmann and the other members of the board and actually speaking their mind for the good of the children and the residents of the borough.
The question that we have no answer to as of yet is, “What is the plan for the schools in Morrisville Borough?” Does anyone see that we are in a Catch-22 here? No school plan = lower property values = more rental properties = less involvement in the community = less tax base = HIGHER TAXES for all. Good schools mean families moving in to the borough and getting involved.
Mr. Hellmann, what is your plan? Please tell us; we are waiting.
David H. Masse` Morrisville
How can they run a school if they can’t run a meeting?
Regarding the Feb. 27 meeting of the Morrisville school board: I found it interesting that in the public comment portion of the meeting, when people were trying to figure out why it would cost so much to dissolve the $30 million bond, board President William Hellmann said, “It is too complicated to explain here.”
He did make an offer to explain it in private.
How as a resident and taxpayer can I get that information — and the explanation should be public record and explained at a board meeting in detail.
The new school board ran on a platform to save money and now it will cost the borough another $2.4 million (as reported in the Feb. 28 Bucks County Courier Times). This “new” board and its president showed that they cannot conduct a proper meeting — how are they going to run a school? Has the board ever read the Morrisville schools mission statement?
Hellmann has created a new fiefdom in Morrisville.He continues to go around the board members by acting on his own with his own agenda, as pointed out by several board members and by the board’s legal council, Thomas Kelly.
I applaud Robin Reithmeyer, Edward Frankenfield and Joseph Kemp for not following Hellmann and the other members of the board and actually speaking their mind for the good of the children and the residents of the borough.
The question that we have no answer to as of yet is, “What is the plan for the schools in Morrisville Borough?” Does anyone see that we are in a Catch-22 here? No school plan = lower property values = more rental properties = less involvement in the community = less tax base = HIGHER TAXES for all. Good schools mean families moving in to the borough and getting involved.
Mr. Hellmann, what is your plan? Please tell us; we are waiting.
David H. Masse` Morrisville
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Oh The Comments I Receive...
Going back to the February Job Performance Poll post of February 10, a thread of comments was started on March 16 that I am reposting below.
I have an answer from anonymous addressing peter's comment that is currently pending approval for posting. I generally have no problem posting anonymous comments. This one is rather lengthy and specifies certain areas where there appear to be issues.
Without corroboration or substantiation, I cannot print this reply. If there is something the poster would like to add with some sort of independent proof, I'd be happy to post it. Send me an email at savethemorrisvilleschool@yahoo.com with the details. To prove you are really you, you mentioned a person's name in the 3rd paragraph of your reply. Mention that name when you reply.
Anonymous said...
Does anyone realize that over the past 10 years, almost 10 million was appropriated to address the physical conditions of our school buildings? Yes, all of this for absolutely nothing. Face it, were a big cow that's been getting milked for years through corruption and mis-managment but it is politically incorrect or people are the scared to speak of it. Good concerned citizens are to busy working 2 jobs to pay attention. So who then runs for the power positions? Yes, the oppertunists. If you divide the total school budget by the TRUE amount of students and compare that cost to state assessment scores, taxpayers should be outraged. Clearly, as much as it may hurt some, Mr. Stout is absolutely correct.
March 16, 2008 2:22 PM
Peter said...
anonymous said...
"Does anyone realize that over the past 10 years, almost 10 million was appropriated to address the physical conditions of our school buildings? Yes, all of this for absolutely nothing. Face it, were a big cow that's been getting milked for years through corruption and mis-managment but it is politically incorrect or people are the scared to speak of it. Good concerned citizens are to busy working 2 jobs to pay attention. So who then runs for the power positions? Yes, the oppertunists. If you divide the total school budget by the TRUE amount of students and compare that cost to state assessment scores, taxpayers should be outraged. Clearly, as much as it may hurt some, Mr. Stout is absolutely correct."
Anonymous, I'd really like to understand your position. I have a few questions:
[1] What corruption and/or mis-management are you speaking of? I'm not saying none exists, or has existed, but what specifically do you mean?
[2] Why do you feel opportunists run for the "power positions?" I can only speak for myself, but I really had the best of intentions, to serve our town as best I could and do what I thought was best. I can think of several others that have also served on the school board and I believe their intentions were pure as well. I'm not sure what personal gain you think we get from this.
[3] I do agree that our cost per student is high. I also know that we have areas that require improvement. I'm not sure that makes Mr. Stoudt right, though.
March 16, 2008 9:43 PM
I have an answer from anonymous addressing peter's comment that is currently pending approval for posting. I generally have no problem posting anonymous comments. This one is rather lengthy and specifies certain areas where there appear to be issues.
Without corroboration or substantiation, I cannot print this reply. If there is something the poster would like to add with some sort of independent proof, I'd be happy to post it. Send me an email at savethemorrisvilleschool@yahoo.com with the details. To prove you are really you, you mentioned a person's name in the 3rd paragraph of your reply. Mention that name when you reply.
Anonymous said...
Does anyone realize that over the past 10 years, almost 10 million was appropriated to address the physical conditions of our school buildings? Yes, all of this for absolutely nothing. Face it, were a big cow that's been getting milked for years through corruption and mis-managment but it is politically incorrect or people are the scared to speak of it. Good concerned citizens are to busy working 2 jobs to pay attention. So who then runs for the power positions? Yes, the oppertunists. If you divide the total school budget by the TRUE amount of students and compare that cost to state assessment scores, taxpayers should be outraged. Clearly, as much as it may hurt some, Mr. Stout is absolutely correct.
March 16, 2008 2:22 PM
Peter said...
anonymous said...
"Does anyone realize that over the past 10 years, almost 10 million was appropriated to address the physical conditions of our school buildings? Yes, all of this for absolutely nothing. Face it, were a big cow that's been getting milked for years through corruption and mis-managment but it is politically incorrect or people are the scared to speak of it. Good concerned citizens are to busy working 2 jobs to pay attention. So who then runs for the power positions? Yes, the oppertunists. If you divide the total school budget by the TRUE amount of students and compare that cost to state assessment scores, taxpayers should be outraged. Clearly, as much as it may hurt some, Mr. Stout is absolutely correct."
Anonymous, I'd really like to understand your position. I have a few questions:
[1] What corruption and/or mis-management are you speaking of? I'm not saying none exists, or has existed, but what specifically do you mean?
[2] Why do you feel opportunists run for the "power positions?" I can only speak for myself, but I really had the best of intentions, to serve our town as best I could and do what I thought was best. I can think of several others that have also served on the school board and I believe their intentions were pure as well. I'm not sure what personal gain you think we get from this.
[3] I do agree that our cost per student is high. I also know that we have areas that require improvement. I'm not sure that makes Mr. Stoudt right, though.
March 16, 2008 9:43 PM
Monday, March 17, 2008
Are You Sure This Isn't From Morrisville?
When the words "Residents Are Split..." show up in the headline, I assume that our intrepid BCCT reporters have just come from another Palmer Avenue free for all session.
However, this time it's our brethren in Neshaminy where the fight is over closing some schools to save money. The only real difference between this fight and ours in Morrisville is that the Neshaminy students would remain inside their own district. The Morrisville school closure would scatter the students to the lowest bidder.
Otherwise, it's the same fight. Senior citizens want the board to close schools to ease growing tax bills. Kids and parents want the schools to stay open.
Take a look at the comments from the BCCT readership. Looks like another contentious schools fight is brewing in Lower Bucks.
Residents are split on closing schools
By RACHEL CANELLI
Bucks County Courier Times
To many Neshaminy students, parents and teachers, a school isn't just people - it's a place they call home.
That's what some educators, parents and pupils told the Neshaminy school board Friday night when more than a few hundred people turned out for two public hearings to discuss the possible closure of Neshaminy Middle School and the Tawanka Learning Center, the district's alternative program facility.
That program would be moved to another district building, officials said. But kids and teachers said it's important that Tawanka have its own separate place.
“I strongly believe that the program will not be as effective in any other setting,” said senior Katie Colon. “It's a tremendous difference to go to school where the hallways are never crowded, and the classrooms are safe and inviting.”
The edifice, built in 1964, and its 21 acres, could be worth $4.25 million officials said.
“My fear is that students will return to the very environment where they felt unknown and unwanted,” said teacher Josh Krieger.
Many senior citizens, though, asked the district to consider closing both schools to help ease their burden of growing tax bills.
With declining enrollment, underutilized buildings and a projected more than $12 million deficit, business administrator Joseph Paradise said the district has to consider closing schools.
Neshaminy Middle School was previously scheduled to close next year when ninth-graders move to the newly renovated high school. The board recently decided to reconsider this year as an option due to financial constraints and a strict timeline.
But students asked the board to wait one more year.
“We're searching for our identities,” said Jacqueline Kramer, an eighth-grader at Maple Point Middle School who presented the board with a petition of 260 students opposing the closure. “If our schools are combined, we'll be lost in the crowd.”
Both educators and parents like Fran Weiner said they're concerned the board is rushing into the decision to close a middle school and redistrict without planning.
“Allow the ninth-graders to finish in the school they started,” said Weiner, of Langhone.
With more than 660 students, Neshaminy Middle was built in 1965. The school, nationally recognized for its health initiatives, has 47 classrooms and 40 acres, officials said.
Teacher Kevin Knowles called Neshaminy Middle School a community that's created a tradition of culture and achievement.
“It's more than just a building, you'll be closing the spirit of our school,” said ninth-grader Mark Stanford.
Students also expressed concern over continuing extracurricular activities at another school and asked for the chance to have one last great year in their building.
In anticipation of a possible closure, a redistricting committee has already been formed of board members, administrators and parents. Their recommendation is expected in May, administrators said.
The school board did not make any decisions Friday night to close either facility because school code mandates that 90 days pass before they vote.
However, this time it's our brethren in Neshaminy where the fight is over closing some schools to save money. The only real difference between this fight and ours in Morrisville is that the Neshaminy students would remain inside their own district. The Morrisville school closure would scatter the students to the lowest bidder.
Otherwise, it's the same fight. Senior citizens want the board to close schools to ease growing tax bills. Kids and parents want the schools to stay open.
Take a look at the comments from the BCCT readership. Looks like another contentious schools fight is brewing in Lower Bucks.
Residents are split on closing schools
By RACHEL CANELLI
Bucks County Courier Times
To many Neshaminy students, parents and teachers, a school isn't just people - it's a place they call home.
That's what some educators, parents and pupils told the Neshaminy school board Friday night when more than a few hundred people turned out for two public hearings to discuss the possible closure of Neshaminy Middle School and the Tawanka Learning Center, the district's alternative program facility.
That program would be moved to another district building, officials said. But kids and teachers said it's important that Tawanka have its own separate place.
“I strongly believe that the program will not be as effective in any other setting,” said senior Katie Colon. “It's a tremendous difference to go to school where the hallways are never crowded, and the classrooms are safe and inviting.”
The edifice, built in 1964, and its 21 acres, could be worth $4.25 million officials said.
“My fear is that students will return to the very environment where they felt unknown and unwanted,” said teacher Josh Krieger.
Many senior citizens, though, asked the district to consider closing both schools to help ease their burden of growing tax bills.
With declining enrollment, underutilized buildings and a projected more than $12 million deficit, business administrator Joseph Paradise said the district has to consider closing schools.
Neshaminy Middle School was previously scheduled to close next year when ninth-graders move to the newly renovated high school. The board recently decided to reconsider this year as an option due to financial constraints and a strict timeline.
But students asked the board to wait one more year.
“We're searching for our identities,” said Jacqueline Kramer, an eighth-grader at Maple Point Middle School who presented the board with a petition of 260 students opposing the closure. “If our schools are combined, we'll be lost in the crowd.”
Both educators and parents like Fran Weiner said they're concerned the board is rushing into the decision to close a middle school and redistrict without planning.
“Allow the ninth-graders to finish in the school they started,” said Weiner, of Langhone.
With more than 660 students, Neshaminy Middle was built in 1965. The school, nationally recognized for its health initiatives, has 47 classrooms and 40 acres, officials said.
Teacher Kevin Knowles called Neshaminy Middle School a community that's created a tradition of culture and achievement.
“It's more than just a building, you'll be closing the spirit of our school,” said ninth-grader Mark Stanford.
Students also expressed concern over continuing extracurricular activities at another school and asked for the chance to have one last great year in their building.
In anticipation of a possible closure, a redistricting committee has already been formed of board members, administrators and parents. Their recommendation is expected in May, administrators said.
The school board did not make any decisions Friday night to close either facility because school code mandates that 90 days pass before they vote.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Schoolyard Bullying
I found some of these articles and links fascinating. Just wish I could remember why I was drawn to them...
Expert Answers on Workplace Bullying
Workplace Bullying: What Can You Do?
The Workplace Bullying Institute, WBI
Expert Answers on Workplace Bullying
Workplace Bullying: What Can You Do?
The Workplace Bullying Institute, WBI
Agenda Meeting Wrap-Up
I usually start this out by asking if anyone has anything to report. The first report is in! Thanks jon.
Any news to report from tonight's agenda meeting? I heard the following has made the agenda for the March 26 board meeting - whose theme should be "We've learned nothing, except how to punish anyone who disagrees with us or tries to tell us things we don't want to hear":
1. Hiring law firm Curtin & Heefer to review Dr. Yonson's contract;
2. Replacing Solicitor Robert Kelly;
3. Replacing the district's insurance broker.
Attempts were also made to put on the agenda the ~$200,000 in repairs to the Middle-High School that failed in a 3-3 vote at last month's meeting. But Robin Reithmeyer pointed out that the rules say this (and other items that failed at last month's meeting), can't be put back on the agenda for 3 months. Rules? We don't need no stinkin' rules!
Can't wait until everyone takes the "How to be a School Board Member" class at taxpayer expense - then things will be just grand...
Let's watch the rules get speedily changed at the next meeting in item 4a so that the repairs can be done in item 4b. It's school safety! Don't you care about the children?? *sigh*.
Wasn't the Emperor "doing lunch" with the insurance broker candidates mano-a-mano last month in violation of board rules? Did anyone call him on this?
Anyone else? Anything about the survey? Anything about the $2.4 million dollar toilet flush? Anything about Marlys and her magical writing skills?
Any news to report from tonight's agenda meeting? I heard the following has made the agenda for the March 26 board meeting - whose theme should be "We've learned nothing, except how to punish anyone who disagrees with us or tries to tell us things we don't want to hear":
1. Hiring law firm Curtin & Heefer to review Dr. Yonson's contract;
2. Replacing Solicitor Robert Kelly;
3. Replacing the district's insurance broker.
Attempts were also made to put on the agenda the ~$200,000 in repairs to the Middle-High School that failed in a 3-3 vote at last month's meeting. But Robin Reithmeyer pointed out that the rules say this (and other items that failed at last month's meeting), can't be put back on the agenda for 3 months. Rules? We don't need no stinkin' rules!
Can't wait until everyone takes the "How to be a School Board Member" class at taxpayer expense - then things will be just grand...
Let's watch the rules get speedily changed at the next meeting in item 4a so that the repairs can be done in item 4b. It's school safety! Don't you care about the children?? *sigh*.
Wasn't the Emperor "doing lunch" with the insurance broker candidates mano-a-mano last month in violation of board rules? Did anyone call him on this?
Anyone else? Anything about the survey? Anything about the $2.4 million dollar toilet flush? Anything about Marlys and her magical writing skills?
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Now What?
You talkin' to me?
Yeah. I'm talkin' to you.
If you're angry, irritated, infuriated, exasperated, aggravated, upset, wound up, bothered, maddened, frustrated, displeased, provoked, riled, incensed, cheesed off, put out, hacked off, narked, ticked off, dissatisfied, discontented, disaffected, displeased; fretful, complaining, querulous, pettish, testy, petulant, cranky; chafed, annoyed, piqued, vexed, aggravated, amplified, angry, anxious, augmented, beset, bothered, browned-off, bugged, burnt-up, chafed, deliberately provoked, distressed, disturbed, embarrassed, embittered, enhanced, enlarged, exacerbated, exasperated, galled, griped, harassed, heated up, heightened, hotted up, huffy, inconvenienced, increased, intensified, irked, irritated, magnified, miffed, nettled, peeved, perturbed, piqued, plagued, provoked, put-out, put to it, puzzled, resentful, riled, roiled, ruffled, sore beset, soured, troubled, vexed, worried, worse, worsened, or something else in that general mood, then you're exactly the one I want to talk to.
The problem is that I need you to take action. Are you ready? Thanks to jon for providing this comprehensive list of the Hellmann Administration's successes so far:
1. Hire a note-taker for Marlys;
2. Pay back this year's portion of the $2.4 million bond defeasement costs;
3. Pay this year's costs to switch banks to satisfy Bill Hellmann's vendetta against the original bond broker, if he succeeds at next month's meeting in passing the vote, provided his buddies Marlys, Al, & Gloria are there this time to bail him out);
4. Pay for the $2,500 flimsy unauthorized study Hellmann unilaterally commissioned on the Middle-High School;
5. Pay for $8,000 in similar flimsy studies Hellmann wants to do on the elementary schools, if he succeeds at next month's meeting in passing the vote, provided his buddies Marlys, Al, & Gloria are there this time to bail him out);
6. Pay for the ~$200,000 in repairs to the Middle-High School mentioned in the flimsy unauthorized $2,500 study above that Hellmann claimed were safety-related but Dr. Yonson, Reba Dunford, the District's maintenance guy, and about 15 other engineering firms indicated are not - again, if he succeeds at next month's meeting in passing the vote, provided his buddies Marlys, Al, & Gloria are there this time to bail him out);
7. Pay again to fix the doors at MR Reiter that were not fixed properly on the cheap in another unilateral move by Hellmann and will now have to be re-done, at a greater cost than the original estimate.
I know there's more. But isn't this enough?
The parents WILL be shut out of the decision process unless you take action now.
Tell the board you are disgusted with their antics so far. You can do it by email or by telling them face to face at one of the opportunities listed below:
**Parent Advisory, Tuesday March 11, 6:00 P.M. in the MHS LGI
**Infrastructure and Finance Committee Meetings, Wednesday March 12 at 6:30 and 7:00 P.M. MHS G-Hall conference room.
**Board of Ed Agenda Meeting, Wednesday March 12, 7:30 P.M. MHS LGI
**Education and Human Resources Committee Meetings, Wednesday March 26 at 6:30 and 7:00 P.M. MHS G-Hall conference room.
**Board of Ed Business Meeting, Wednesday March 26, 7:30 P.M. in the MHS LGI
Your silence or inaction gives them the courage to continue their disregard for the parents as an integral part of the education process. Don't let that happen.
Yeah. I'm talkin' to you.
If you're angry, irritated, infuriated, exasperated, aggravated, upset, wound up, bothered, maddened, frustrated, displeased, provoked, riled, incensed, cheesed off, put out, hacked off, narked, ticked off, dissatisfied, discontented, disaffected, displeased; fretful, complaining, querulous, pettish, testy, petulant, cranky; chafed, annoyed, piqued, vexed, aggravated, amplified, angry, anxious, augmented, beset, bothered, browned-off, bugged, burnt-up, chafed, deliberately provoked, distressed, disturbed, embarrassed, embittered, enhanced, enlarged, exacerbated, exasperated, galled, griped, harassed, heated up, heightened, hotted up, huffy, inconvenienced, increased, intensified, irked, irritated, magnified, miffed, nettled, peeved, perturbed, piqued, plagued, provoked, put-out, put to it, puzzled, resentful, riled, roiled, ruffled, sore beset, soured, troubled, vexed, worried, worse, worsened, or something else in that general mood, then you're exactly the one I want to talk to.
The problem is that I need you to take action. Are you ready? Thanks to jon for providing this comprehensive list of the Hellmann Administration's successes so far:
1. Hire a note-taker for Marlys;
2. Pay back this year's portion of the $2.4 million bond defeasement costs;
3. Pay this year's costs to switch banks to satisfy Bill Hellmann's vendetta against the original bond broker, if he succeeds at next month's meeting in passing the vote, provided his buddies Marlys, Al, & Gloria are there this time to bail him out);
4. Pay for the $2,500 flimsy unauthorized study Hellmann unilaterally commissioned on the Middle-High School;
5. Pay for $8,000 in similar flimsy studies Hellmann wants to do on the elementary schools, if he succeeds at next month's meeting in passing the vote, provided his buddies Marlys, Al, & Gloria are there this time to bail him out);
6. Pay for the ~$200,000 in repairs to the Middle-High School mentioned in the flimsy unauthorized $2,500 study above that Hellmann claimed were safety-related but Dr. Yonson, Reba Dunford, the District's maintenance guy, and about 15 other engineering firms indicated are not - again, if he succeeds at next month's meeting in passing the vote, provided his buddies Marlys, Al, & Gloria are there this time to bail him out);
7. Pay again to fix the doors at MR Reiter that were not fixed properly on the cheap in another unilateral move by Hellmann and will now have to be re-done, at a greater cost than the original estimate.
I know there's more. But isn't this enough?
The parents WILL be shut out of the decision process unless you take action now.
Tell the board you are disgusted with their antics so far. You can do it by email or by telling them face to face at one of the opportunities listed below:
**Parent Advisory, Tuesday March 11, 6:00 P.M. in the MHS LGI
**Infrastructure and Finance Committee Meetings, Wednesday March 12 at 6:30 and 7:00 P.M. MHS G-Hall conference room.
**Board of Ed Agenda Meeting, Wednesday March 12, 7:30 P.M. MHS LGI
**Education and Human Resources Committee Meetings, Wednesday March 26 at 6:30 and 7:00 P.M. MHS G-Hall conference room.
**Board of Ed Business Meeting, Wednesday March 26, 7:30 P.M. in the MHS LGI
Your silence or inaction gives them the courage to continue their disregard for the parents as an integral part of the education process. Don't let that happen.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Push Polling
Thank you to everyone who has contributed their experiences with the biased push poll that they received from the "school district." As previously noted, the district did not authorize this poll.
So before we take a look at this poll, let's review some of the bias that the phrasing of the questions and the recording of the answers can cause. A great sample of this bias comes from the Non Sequitir comic from Sunday.
A quote that has been attributed to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin goes like this: Those who cast the Votes, they decide nothing. Those who count the votes, they decide everything. A variant translation is: The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything. **Please note: Hold the hate mail. Despite the dictatorial similarities between the Emperor and Stalin, I am not comparing them. Stalin is still far more autocratic than a local school board president.**
So in this case, we answer a biased poll and the desired answers are pulled from the loaded questions already asked. Check out this short video on how to make a biased poll.
For those of you who were not blessed by the postal fairy with a survey, TA-DA! Here it is. The sound you just heard was a million English teachers crying out in unison in great pain and torment.
Among the misspellings and grammatical errors are "INFARSTRUCTURE" in the title (should be "INFRASTRUCTURE") and return no later "that" 3/17/2008 rather than "than." Question 4 references "formally" rather than "formerly", and also does not capitalize "high school" as in "Morrisville high school."
That's the easy stuff that probably lowers this by at least one grade level. Now for the advanced errors in presentation.
Question 1 sets up the idea that *gasp* we might need a single school to service the approximately 1000 students.
Question 2 addresses the urgent need for plumbing, HVAC, electric and window infrastructure upgrades, as well as an opportunity to determine which one is more important, of if we should do them all together. This sounds like one of those triage scenes from M*A*S*H where Hawkeye and BJ decide who gets to be operated on first and then get into a fight over the diagnosis. The patient is terminal. Almost no amount of renovation will be a cost-effective life saver.
Question 3 goes to the heart of the screaming from the people so concerned that their little 4 year old pre-schoolers would be subjected to 18 year old seniors in the same school building. Do we need one, two, or three buildings in town. For everyone who missed it, the defeated new high school was specifically designed to keep the grades separated in different wings. Now we'll reverse engineer the process on the fly.
Question 4 is the payoff question that you were led to from the first three questions. You already agreed to renovate the high school for 1000 students. You agreed that one or more of the critical systems are failing, and you agreed to fix at least one building. So you are committed to answering yes. You are further committed to closing the two elementary schools OR closing 75% of MHS. How? To "continue as usual" is a ridiculous answer because you already said that we cannot continue along the same path.
You also unknowingly agreed to the fallacious argument that a reduction of 75% in the number of students means that 75% of the school is unused. With this same logic, since we had nine school board members for 4000 students, we should now reduce the board down by 75% and eliminate 6.75 members. Ouch! Sounds like it might be painful to be the designated 1/4 member.
What about the heating costs? We're using oil heat in inefficient boilers with antiquated single pane window glass. Both are well past their useful life and need to be replaced. Just doing the boilers and windows would reduce the heating costs. I'd even like to see floor plans of just what 75% you want to shut off. With the hallway configurations available, show us what is superfluous.
Question 5. My, oh my. There was an audit done in 2008? Perhaps you are referring to the I'll take "Cover The Emperor's Butt" for $2500, Alex hastily prepared defeasement report? If that is an audit, then I want these people working at the IRS for my next audit. You have an RFP out for a real audit that includes poking and prodding into critical systems.
In fairness, we pretty much already know what the audit will find. That we were getting off easily with a $32 million dollar new school. We'll probably find that even with cost overruns, we were getting off easily with a $37 million dollar new school.
There's another issue here as well. Have you ever heard about the the five phases of any project: “Enthusiasm, trouble, search for a scapegoat, punishment of the innocent, and praise and reward for all non-participants”? It looks like the board is setting up one or more scapegoats to accept punishment for the condition of the schools. Maybe they should keep in mind that the political side (the board itself) sets priorities and spending limits and the operational side (the people who actually do the work) work within those limits.
So you want to hire a "skilled facilities director"? With what money? What rich uncle died and left money to the district? Maybe we can ask the secretary to give back her (so far) under-earned stipend to help defray part of the cost. I see a lot of spending going on ($2500 for the Hellman building report, $2.4 million to return the bond money, for example) but I am unclear on the savings that have been achieved so far.
Final thoughts: Where are replies sent? Where is anything identifying this as a product of the MSD? Well, maybe that was a saving grace, because this is an embarrassing contribution to this contentious battle. Is there no one else out there who can obtain the information in a reasonably fair and unbiased way without embarrassing us all?
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Gym Night Participation
Last night was the 44th annual Morrisville Gym Night fought between the Gold and the Blue teams at the high school. For those of you who keep score, Gold won last night over Blue.
I'm not a fan of the "everyone is great" school of recognition. Once the fundamentals are learned and you reach a certain age of awareness and accountability, it's time to learn the stark real-life lesson that not everyone wins every time. Life doesn't award participation trophies.
This time though, it's different. If you participated in gym night, then the reality that one team will win and another will lose was clear. However, all of the participants won, and here's why.
Those sixth through twelfth graders learned real life lessons like:
** Just because I worked hard does not mean I or my team will win. I and my team may not have won, but my hard work is still meaningful.
** A team together is stronger than the individual alone, but the team fails without the individual contribution.
** I am an individual, but my contribution toward the team goal raised all of us up. I may not necessarily be good performing a cheer, acting in the skit, or playing the sports, but I do know where I can contribute, and I did.
** I can be a good winner, because the next time I could be the loser. I can be a good loser, because I could be the winner the next time.
Were you there? What other life lessons do you think our kids learned last night?
The next time someone tells you that Morrisville produces lower quality students, point to gym night and tell them that you were there and saw the high quality of our students. Ask if they saw this alleged low quality themselves. The answer will probably be "NO", because they were not there to see the reality of the schools, and the good students that are the products of the Morrisville school system. Sadly, that probably includes the school board members and their sycophants who are bent upon the destruction and eradication of this little school system. I know I did not see any of them there. If this is wrong, please feel free to send word of your school board member sighting. Take a look at that "Citizenship" theme that was included in the programs last night. The next time you hear them talking, ask yourself if they are demonstrating "good citizenship" or "poor citizenship."
Thank you to the MHS administration, teachers, staff, and especially the students, who worked together to make this a success. You deserve a lot more than a mention here for your hard work and dedication. Also, a special thank you to everyone who participated in the "Locks of Love" donations. I know the hair will grow back, but I hear several Bulldogs had a rather close shave.
I'm not a fan of the "everyone is great" school of recognition. Once the fundamentals are learned and you reach a certain age of awareness and accountability, it's time to learn the stark real-life lesson that not everyone wins every time. Life doesn't award participation trophies.
This time though, it's different. If you participated in gym night, then the reality that one team will win and another will lose was clear. However, all of the participants won, and here's why.
Those sixth through twelfth graders learned real life lessons like:
** Just because I worked hard does not mean I or my team will win. I and my team may not have won, but my hard work is still meaningful.
** A team together is stronger than the individual alone, but the team fails without the individual contribution.
** I am an individual, but my contribution toward the team goal raised all of us up. I may not necessarily be good performing a cheer, acting in the skit, or playing the sports, but I do know where I can contribute, and I did.
** I can be a good winner, because the next time I could be the loser. I can be a good loser, because I could be the winner the next time.
Were you there? What other life lessons do you think our kids learned last night?
The next time someone tells you that Morrisville produces lower quality students, point to gym night and tell them that you were there and saw the high quality of our students. Ask if they saw this alleged low quality themselves. The answer will probably be "NO", because they were not there to see the reality of the schools, and the good students that are the products of the Morrisville school system. Sadly, that probably includes the school board members and their sycophants who are bent upon the destruction and eradication of this little school system. I know I did not see any of them there. If this is wrong, please feel free to send word of your school board member sighting. Take a look at that "Citizenship" theme that was included in the programs last night. The next time you hear them talking, ask yourself if they are demonstrating "good citizenship" or "poor citizenship."Thank you to the MHS administration, teachers, staff, and especially the students, who worked together to make this a success. You deserve a lot more than a mention here for your hard work and dedication. Also, a special thank you to everyone who participated in the "Locks of Love" donations. I know the hair will grow back, but I hear several Bulldogs had a rather close shave.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Items to Think About
Here's a sample of some items that have crossed my browser.
Another submission for the Wayback Machine, from October 2003 where Steve Worob was concerned that a sham feasibility study was being used by the administration to build the new school. Wow. Now it's a sham study for renovation and squandering $2.4 million in administrative fees to defease the bond. Some things never change. (Thanks to the anonymous submitter.)
Defense of Testing Series: The Forgotten Middle: Improving Readiness for High School
The percentage of eighth graders on target to be ready for college-level work by the time they graduate from high school is so small that it raises questions not just about the prospect that these students can eventually be ready for college, but also about whether they are even ready for high school. But when students' skills are improved during middle school, the results by the end of high school can be astounding.
Who Shall Govern Our Schools?
The question of how best to "inform their discretion" while retaining control by "the people" is the task facing democratic-minded school reformers. If democracy be our ends, noted another famed educator, John Dewey, then it must also be our means.
Control school budgets; give the voters final say
Another submission for the Wayback Machine, from October 2003 where Steve Worob was concerned that a sham feasibility study was being used by the administration to build the new school. Wow. Now it's a sham study for renovation and squandering $2.4 million in administrative fees to defease the bond. Some things never change. (Thanks to the anonymous submitter.)
Defense of Testing Series: The Forgotten Middle: Improving Readiness for High School
The percentage of eighth graders on target to be ready for college-level work by the time they graduate from high school is so small that it raises questions not just about the prospect that these students can eventually be ready for college, but also about whether they are even ready for high school. But when students' skills are improved during middle school, the results by the end of high school can be astounding.
Who Shall Govern Our Schools?
The question of how best to "inform their discretion" while retaining control by "the people" is the task facing democratic-minded school reformers. If democracy be our ends, noted another famed educator, John Dewey, then it must also be our means.
Control school budgets; give the voters final say
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Where Are We Going Today, Mr. Peabody?
Anyone remember Sherman and Peabody and the Wayback Machine?
I came across this mention from the New York Times, April 20, 1997. Did this policy work as well as it was hoped? What are we doing today?
School Districts Are Getting Tougher on Illegal Students Who Come From Other Places
By TAMAR LEWIN
Published: April 20, 1997
It's crackdown time in Morrisville, Pa.: this summer, in an effort to stop students from trickling across the state line from New Jersey, the school board will require all students in the district to re-enroll and prove their residency.
And if that doesn't do the trick, the board in the 1,050-student suburban district near Trenton has also voted to award a $500 bounty to any school security guard who identifies, and turns in, an out-of-town student illegally attending the local schools.
''When school lets out and you see a lot of cars with out-of-state license plates picking children up, that's a problem,'' said Stephen Worob, treasurer of the Morrisville board and a leading supporter of the new policy. ''Another board member and I followed some over the border, on a kind of fact-finding mission. We're convinced that there are a substantial number of out-of-district kids in our schools illegally.''
The bounty payment may be unique to Morrisville. But as American society generally becomes more hostile to outsiders -- witness the backlash against immigration -- many school districts are taking a tougher line on families who illegally enroll their children in school districts where they do not pay taxes.
Usually, it is affluent suburban districts with reputations for educational excellence that guard their borders most zealously, but some urban districts, too, have discovered outsiders enrolling illegally at specialized or magnet schools.
In New York City, it was still news last year when two suburban youngsters were found to be attending Public School 41.
But on Long Island, many Nassau County school districts routinely spend much time and effort weeding out students from Queens by requiring re-registration, hiring private detectives or making home visits. In January, in the first such case on Long Island, a couple from Far Rockaway, Queens, were charged with criminal fraud for enrolling their 12-year-old son in Lawrence Middle School. The charges were based on a five-month investigation that grew out of a tip to a school registration phone line that the Lawrence district set up last year.
''I think what's driving this is that in the last two or three years, all kinds of school districts have come under more pressure to account for every dollar and every kid than in years past,'' said Michael Casserly, executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools, a coalition of the largest urban school systems.
In Ohio earlier this year, a single mother who drove a bus for the Cleveland school board was sent to jail for five days for illegally sending her kindergarten son to school in Euclid, a nearby suburb.
There are no good statistics on how many students, nationwide, enroll illegally in schools outside their own districts. But the New Jersey School Board Association estimates that 8,000 to 10,000 students in that state alone enroll illegally in suburban districts to avoid school in their poor urban areas.
According to the Education Commission of the States, 14 states have adopted legislation that either requires or encourages school districts to accept children from elsewhere in the state. Even in those states, however, districts are generally allowed to set limits and rules on how many, and which, out-of-district students they will accept, based on the openings available.
And in most states, districts can ban out-of-district students. ''Over all, on the state level, I'd say the trend is toward school choice,'' said Kathy Christie, information coordinator of the commission. ''But the wealthier school districts tend to be very concerned about out-of-district students trying to come in.''
Given the mix of tighter financing, crowded classrooms and parents' increasing sense of urgency about getting their children into good schools, education lawyers and school boards say that student residency questions seem to be arising more frequently, especially in suburban districts near struggling big-city school systems.
An Illinois law that took effect earlier this year makes illegal school registration a misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail, a $500 fine and tuition reimbursement.
''Our hope is that the new law will provide some type of chilling effect on those who are undermining the system by falsely enrolling their children and not paying their share,'' said State Representative James Durkin, a chief sponsor of the law.
Mr. Durkin said the legislation had been spurred by complaints from his constituents, in a district that includes Oak Park, River Forest and other affluent suburbs just outside the Chicago city limits.
''Whenever I went to forums in my district, I would hear a great deal of concern about the number of students from Chicago falsifying their addresses,'' he said. ''In a most basic sense, it's a theft from the people who provide the funds. My constituents would tell me they were paying incredibly high local tax bills of $5,000 to $8,000 to support their schools, while these district jumpers were getting a free ride.''
Many school officials, echoing Mr. Durkin's feelings, see the issue as simply a matter of fairness to insure that only those who pay for the district's services get them.
''We have a wonderful educational program, tops in technology, with quality staff and small class size,'' said Elizabeth Fineberg, the superintendent of the Morrisville district. ''But we're only staffed for the number of children we're supposed to have in the district. We don't want to have to give less to our students. So we have worked very hard, and made every effort, to keep illegal students out. In past years, we've put out 10 or 12 students a year.''
Like many districts nationwide, Morrisville used to allow out-of-district students to attend its schools if they paid tuition. But it ended that program several years ago.
And this summer, said Mr. Worob, the board treasurer, the district will require every family to re-enroll, by requiring four proofs of residency, such as a utility bill or driver's license, and three proofs of identity. Anyone who is not the parent of the child being registered will also have to show proof of legal guardianship, he said, and other checks are being devised for divorced families with dual custody when only one parent lives in Morrisville.
But others say the number of students trying to sneak across the lines from poor neighborhoods in big cities into richer suburban schools is a powerful indicator of the poor-quality education offered in many cities.
They argue that it is not good social policy to criminalize parents' efforts to get their children into better schools -- efforts prompted by a lack of resources and a commitment to a good education, rather than by any malicious intent.
''If this country has gotten itself into a situation where we criminalize parents for searching out the education they want for their kids, we're going in the wrong direction,'' said Mr. Casserly of the urban schools coalition.
And many are troubled by the undertone of racial inequality: it is no accident, they say, that the policies tend to fall most harshly on poor black parents who cannot afford either out-of-district tuition or private school, women like Judy Kincaid, the 36-year-old Cleveland school bus driver who went to jail for sending her 5-year-old son, Quenten, to school in Euclid, Ohio.
''I put my child in the Euclid school system because I wanted him to have a better life and a better education,'' Ms. Kincaid told reporters when her case was being heard.
There was good reason for Ms. Kincaid to think the Euclid schools might be better for her son: Euclid has smaller classes, a lower dropout rate and a higher graduation rate than the troubled Cleveland schools. For Ms. Kincaid, who gave the authorities a false address, reporting that she lived with her son's aunt, the difference came down to something simpler and more tangible: in Euclid, Quenten got his own workbook, while his Cleveland kindergarten uses photocopied work sheets.
Last month, Ms. Kincaid lost her job with the Cleveland school board, said a spokesman for the schools, who said the dismissal was related to her driving record, not the district jumping. Ms. Kincaid, who now has an unlisted telephone, could not be reached for comment.
Ms. Kincaid, the first parent caught by Euclid's new enforcement policy, was confronted after a tip from a school bus driver who saw that Quenten got into a car each day when the driver dropped him off.
''The Kincaid case was our first one,'' said Patrick Newkirk, a retired detective from the Euclid Police Department who was hired by the district as a full-time residency officer in October. ''But we've referred five other fraud charges to the city prosecutor since then. And there's a lot more people we've found who registered legally, then moved, but didn't take their kids out of our schools. Those we just tell to withdraw.''
I came across this mention from the New York Times, April 20, 1997. Did this policy work as well as it was hoped? What are we doing today?
School Districts Are Getting Tougher on Illegal Students Who Come From Other Places
By TAMAR LEWIN
Published: April 20, 1997
It's crackdown time in Morrisville, Pa.: this summer, in an effort to stop students from trickling across the state line from New Jersey, the school board will require all students in the district to re-enroll and prove their residency.
And if that doesn't do the trick, the board in the 1,050-student suburban district near Trenton has also voted to award a $500 bounty to any school security guard who identifies, and turns in, an out-of-town student illegally attending the local schools.
''When school lets out and you see a lot of cars with out-of-state license plates picking children up, that's a problem,'' said Stephen Worob, treasurer of the Morrisville board and a leading supporter of the new policy. ''Another board member and I followed some over the border, on a kind of fact-finding mission. We're convinced that there are a substantial number of out-of-district kids in our schools illegally.''
The bounty payment may be unique to Morrisville. But as American society generally becomes more hostile to outsiders -- witness the backlash against immigration -- many school districts are taking a tougher line on families who illegally enroll their children in school districts where they do not pay taxes.
Usually, it is affluent suburban districts with reputations for educational excellence that guard their borders most zealously, but some urban districts, too, have discovered outsiders enrolling illegally at specialized or magnet schools.
In New York City, it was still news last year when two suburban youngsters were found to be attending Public School 41.
But on Long Island, many Nassau County school districts routinely spend much time and effort weeding out students from Queens by requiring re-registration, hiring private detectives or making home visits. In January, in the first such case on Long Island, a couple from Far Rockaway, Queens, were charged with criminal fraud for enrolling their 12-year-old son in Lawrence Middle School. The charges were based on a five-month investigation that grew out of a tip to a school registration phone line that the Lawrence district set up last year.
''I think what's driving this is that in the last two or three years, all kinds of school districts have come under more pressure to account for every dollar and every kid than in years past,'' said Michael Casserly, executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools, a coalition of the largest urban school systems.
In Ohio earlier this year, a single mother who drove a bus for the Cleveland school board was sent to jail for five days for illegally sending her kindergarten son to school in Euclid, a nearby suburb.
There are no good statistics on how many students, nationwide, enroll illegally in schools outside their own districts. But the New Jersey School Board Association estimates that 8,000 to 10,000 students in that state alone enroll illegally in suburban districts to avoid school in their poor urban areas.
According to the Education Commission of the States, 14 states have adopted legislation that either requires or encourages school districts to accept children from elsewhere in the state. Even in those states, however, districts are generally allowed to set limits and rules on how many, and which, out-of-district students they will accept, based on the openings available.
And in most states, districts can ban out-of-district students. ''Over all, on the state level, I'd say the trend is toward school choice,'' said Kathy Christie, information coordinator of the commission. ''But the wealthier school districts tend to be very concerned about out-of-district students trying to come in.''
Given the mix of tighter financing, crowded classrooms and parents' increasing sense of urgency about getting their children into good schools, education lawyers and school boards say that student residency questions seem to be arising more frequently, especially in suburban districts near struggling big-city school systems.
An Illinois law that took effect earlier this year makes illegal school registration a misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail, a $500 fine and tuition reimbursement.
''Our hope is that the new law will provide some type of chilling effect on those who are undermining the system by falsely enrolling their children and not paying their share,'' said State Representative James Durkin, a chief sponsor of the law.
Mr. Durkin said the legislation had been spurred by complaints from his constituents, in a district that includes Oak Park, River Forest and other affluent suburbs just outside the Chicago city limits.
''Whenever I went to forums in my district, I would hear a great deal of concern about the number of students from Chicago falsifying their addresses,'' he said. ''In a most basic sense, it's a theft from the people who provide the funds. My constituents would tell me they were paying incredibly high local tax bills of $5,000 to $8,000 to support their schools, while these district jumpers were getting a free ride.''
Many school officials, echoing Mr. Durkin's feelings, see the issue as simply a matter of fairness to insure that only those who pay for the district's services get them.
''We have a wonderful educational program, tops in technology, with quality staff and small class size,'' said Elizabeth Fineberg, the superintendent of the Morrisville district. ''But we're only staffed for the number of children we're supposed to have in the district. We don't want to have to give less to our students. So we have worked very hard, and made every effort, to keep illegal students out. In past years, we've put out 10 or 12 students a year.''
Like many districts nationwide, Morrisville used to allow out-of-district students to attend its schools if they paid tuition. But it ended that program several years ago.
And this summer, said Mr. Worob, the board treasurer, the district will require every family to re-enroll, by requiring four proofs of residency, such as a utility bill or driver's license, and three proofs of identity. Anyone who is not the parent of the child being registered will also have to show proof of legal guardianship, he said, and other checks are being devised for divorced families with dual custody when only one parent lives in Morrisville.
But others say the number of students trying to sneak across the lines from poor neighborhoods in big cities into richer suburban schools is a powerful indicator of the poor-quality education offered in many cities.
They argue that it is not good social policy to criminalize parents' efforts to get their children into better schools -- efforts prompted by a lack of resources and a commitment to a good education, rather than by any malicious intent.
''If this country has gotten itself into a situation where we criminalize parents for searching out the education they want for their kids, we're going in the wrong direction,'' said Mr. Casserly of the urban schools coalition.
And many are troubled by the undertone of racial inequality: it is no accident, they say, that the policies tend to fall most harshly on poor black parents who cannot afford either out-of-district tuition or private school, women like Judy Kincaid, the 36-year-old Cleveland school bus driver who went to jail for sending her 5-year-old son, Quenten, to school in Euclid, Ohio.
''I put my child in the Euclid school system because I wanted him to have a better life and a better education,'' Ms. Kincaid told reporters when her case was being heard.
There was good reason for Ms. Kincaid to think the Euclid schools might be better for her son: Euclid has smaller classes, a lower dropout rate and a higher graduation rate than the troubled Cleveland schools. For Ms. Kincaid, who gave the authorities a false address, reporting that she lived with her son's aunt, the difference came down to something simpler and more tangible: in Euclid, Quenten got his own workbook, while his Cleveland kindergarten uses photocopied work sheets.
Last month, Ms. Kincaid lost her job with the Cleveland school board, said a spokesman for the schools, who said the dismissal was related to her driving record, not the district jumping. Ms. Kincaid, who now has an unlisted telephone, could not be reached for comment.
Ms. Kincaid, the first parent caught by Euclid's new enforcement policy, was confronted after a tip from a school bus driver who saw that Quenten got into a car each day when the driver dropped him off.
''The Kincaid case was our first one,'' said Patrick Newkirk, a retired detective from the Euclid Police Department who was hired by the district as a full-time residency officer in October. ''But we've referred five other fraud charges to the city prosecutor since then. And there's a lot more people we've found who registered legally, then moved, but didn't take their kids out of our schools. Those we just tell to withdraw.''
So What Did You Think?
I'm sitting here through the viewing of the Emperor's meltdown session. It's just about to end. Does anyone have any comments or observations?
The joint council-board meeting is also going on tonight. Anyone care to report from there?
The joint council-board meeting is also going on tonight. Anyone care to report from there?
Who Will Win in Ohio?
I can't answer that just yet, but thanks to the emailer who alerted me to this piece by Andrew Sullivan today. Sullivan was looking at the appeal of Hillary Clinton in Ohio and the reader forwarded the article to me with the comment: "Saw this, thought of Morrisville. In fact, if you replace Ohio with Morrisville, you will get a very accurate assessment of where the drivers of the town have put us."
The shame of it all is that it is a very apt illustration of life circa 1950 right here in Pleasantville...er...Morrisville.
Ohio still wants to have those high paying, manufacturing jobs of the 50's and 60's, and agriculture. I was struck by the interviews on 60 Minutes, Sunday night, from Chillcothe, Ohio. They all seemed to be bemoaning not being able to go to Florida once a year and buying a new car every two years. But only one had tried to get more education for the new challenges of the Global Market.
The state legislature has dragged its feet on fulfilling the Ohio Constitution’s mandate for state funding of education. The Supreme Court of Ohio has told them many times of the requirement, but is ignored. The legislature’s laughable solution was school vouchers, in effect, subsidizing the haves’ private education while giving the have-nots a limited choice. So Ohioans still are in a 50’s movie, play football in high school and Dad’s job will be waiting for you.
NAFTA did not kill the manufacturing jobs in Ohio; they were going, going, gone, before the agreement. But Ohioans have been waiting for some miracle to bring them back, and if their children do get an education, the children leave the state for better opportunities.
So we are in a state very much fighting the culture wars of the last century, educated in the last century, looking for the last century’s solutions.
The shame of it all is that it is a very apt illustration of life circa 1950 right here in Pleasantville...er...Morrisville.
Ohio still wants to have those high paying, manufacturing jobs of the 50's and 60's, and agriculture. I was struck by the interviews on 60 Minutes, Sunday night, from Chillcothe, Ohio. They all seemed to be bemoaning not being able to go to Florida once a year and buying a new car every two years. But only one had tried to get more education for the new challenges of the Global Market.
The state legislature has dragged its feet on fulfilling the Ohio Constitution’s mandate for state funding of education. The Supreme Court of Ohio has told them many times of the requirement, but is ignored. The legislature’s laughable solution was school vouchers, in effect, subsidizing the haves’ private education while giving the have-nots a limited choice. So Ohioans still are in a 50’s movie, play football in high school and Dad’s job will be waiting for you.
NAFTA did not kill the manufacturing jobs in Ohio; they were going, going, gone, before the agreement. But Ohioans have been waiting for some miracle to bring them back, and if their children do get an education, the children leave the state for better opportunities.
So we are in a state very much fighting the culture wars of the last century, educated in the last century, looking for the last century’s solutions.
Comic Relief Vision Quest
This is an oldie but a goodie.
Planning ahead is vision. Can anyone tell me the vision of the Emperor and his Trusted Toadies?
A closed and shuttered school system in Morrisville is the vision. It's like the cans you put out twice a week. Someone comes around and it just goes away. *POOF* No more pesky uncooperative administrators and no more parents concerned about their children. No more teacher labor contracts, cafeteria expenses, books, wintertime plowing and salting, PSSA or SAT scores, and Thank God!, no more feasibility studies for these decrepit school buildings.
The district problems become someone else's problem. Instead of too many IEP students in Morrisville and too low test scores, the surrounding districts each have a few more and either they prosper in their new surroundings, or the larger class numbers statistically mask their failure.
If you have time to visit the Home Depot on Route 13 at the old Levittown Shopping Center site, take a moment to stand in the parking lot and gaze east across Route 13. You can't miss it. The non-stop line of trucks with their seagull heralds. It's the Tullytown landfill.
Those things we got rid of never just "went away." They were just transported somewhere else and became some one else's problem. I know we can do better. Do you?
Planning ahead is vision. Can anyone tell me the vision of the Emperor and his Trusted Toadies?
A closed and shuttered school system in Morrisville is the vision. It's like the cans you put out twice a week. Someone comes around and it just goes away. *POOF* No more pesky uncooperative administrators and no more parents concerned about their children. No more teacher labor contracts, cafeteria expenses, books, wintertime plowing and salting, PSSA or SAT scores, and Thank God!, no more feasibility studies for these decrepit school buildings.
The district problems become someone else's problem. Instead of too many IEP students in Morrisville and too low test scores, the surrounding districts each have a few more and either they prosper in their new surroundings, or the larger class numbers statistically mask their failure.
If you have time to visit the Home Depot on Route 13 at the old Levittown Shopping Center site, take a moment to stand in the parking lot and gaze east across Route 13. You can't miss it. The non-stop line of trucks with their seagull heralds. It's the Tullytown landfill.
Those things we got rid of never just "went away." They were just transported somewhere else and became some one else's problem. I know we can do better. Do you?
Monday, March 3, 2008
Joint Council-BOE Meeting Tuesday
Here's a reminder that we all need to take notice of: A joint borough council-board of education meeting. It will be tomorrow evening, March 4, 2008, at BOROUGH HALL ON UNION STREET at 7:30 P.M.
What would you ask the combined members of our joint tax force?
What would you ask the combined members of our joint tax force?
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Buildings Survey?
What's up with this? Does it have anything to do with this previous post?
DISCLAIMER - SCHOOL BUILDING SURVEY
Recently some district residents received a survey concerning the school district buildings.
This survey was NOT authorized by the Administration of the school district.
DISCLAIMER - SCHOOL BUILDING SURVEY
Recently some district residents received a survey concerning the school district buildings.
This survey was NOT authorized by the Administration of the school district.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
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