The July 14 D-Day for the Greenland, Arkansas school district is rapidly approaching. So what's going on?
June 24: Greenland counters the seven reasons for annexing the district.
June 25: They fired their superintendent. The Pennsylvania Avenue psychic says, "I knew that."
June 26: Good news: District deficit isn't $300,000. Bad news: It's $139,000. School board starts passing the hat at board meetings. Emperor nods approvingly, directs Reba Dunford to buy a REALLY big hat.
June 27: The neighboring Fayetteville school district says, "No thanks. Stay right where you are."
June 28: The neighboring West Fork school district says, "Greenland! Come on down!" Just kidding. The hot potato gets passed from Fayetteville to West Fork to...
June 29: School's future is a source of angst in community. Madame Marie reports she's two-for-two.
June 30: The district borrows $121,000 to maintain solvency. The loan raises the district's debt liability at that bank to $621,000.
July 1: ...the neighboring Farmington school district, who says, "thanks, but we already have students."
While I treated the Greenland situation rather lightly in this post, this is a lose-lose situation all around. No one wins in this tragedy. Especially the students.
Substitute "Morrisville" for "Greenland". "Fayetteville", "West Fork", and "Farmington" could be "Pennsbury", "Bristol", and "Council Rock". All of a sudden it starts to hit home how serious this situation is.
These students are treated like latter-day Typhoid Marys, rejected at the schoolhouse door by a George Wallace wannabe. *Some* of the financial problems are not Greenland's fault. Some of the forced Winslow annexation's financial issues changed the complexion of Greenland's budget. And now with this extremely fresh example, the neighboring school districts look at their bottom lines and fervently pray for this cup to pass. How many of these same conversations have been held within Bucks County school boards over the past six months since the Emperor announced he was interested in selling our kids to the lowest bidder?
I really do hope that Greenland can come out of this intact.
I hope the Bulldogs can too...
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Leadership and Independence Day
Browsing through the holiday weekend editorial cartoons, I came across this one from Scott Stantis from the Birmingham (Alabama) News.
It speaks more to the state of leadership in our national government, but that empty dais looks suspiciously like the LGI during a board meeting.
It speaks more to the state of leadership in our national government, but that empty dais looks suspiciously like the LGI during a board meeting.
Another ticked off resident
Thank you for writing!
If you're just as ticked off as this writer is, DO NOT sit there fuming in silence. Take action.
From:
Subject: Morrisville School District
To: 00statbd@psupen.psu.edu
Cc: savethemorrisvilleschool@yahoo.com
Date: Friday, July 4, 2008
Good morning. I want to share my concerns about the Morrisville School District in Bucks County, and am seeking some guidance and direction. There are frightening things going on here with our current school board and the education of Morrisville children is at serious risk. The current school board is in a slash and burn mode, the primary focus being the reduction of taxes and the stripping of funds for programs and personnel. This mode will dramatically and negatively impact the progress this district has made in recent years.
I have watched them in action and it is clear that the majority of the board, led by a despotic president, truly want to run our school district into the ground. Who can intervene? Some of the things said by the President are truly disturbing, such as asking for the names and addresses of children who are in special education (fortunately, this was not provided to the board). And there have been allegations of racism against one board member. When I sit in some of these meetings, I am amazed at the discourse, I cannot believe the things that are said at these meetings, and the lack of concern for the education of our children, the disrespect by the president of our school personnel, the flippant and rude dismissal by the president of those who do not share his views, and the uncivilized, often undemocratic (secret meetings of board members?) manner of doing school board business in this borough. There is also a tone of, if not racism, at least classism, against the children and families who reside in apartments and rental properties, those parents who do not pay property taxes. Some of these children receive special education services.
What can be done? There is an attorney assigned to this board and present at the meetings; however, he was selected by the Board, and while he may keep the Board within the letter of the law, may not always be objective. There are a couple board members who fight hard and do their best to do the right thing for the district and all of the children, but they are the minority and are always voted down.
Someone from outside this district really needs to take a look - someone in an official capacity who can offer some objective guidance and advice to the citizens of this town who are truly committed to quality education for all of our children, and to ensure that this board is operating ethically and legally, and to assist with an assessment of whether or not this board is operating within the established codes of conduct for school boards. I am not sure who can play this role. Perhaps a public advocate or ombudsman? Your advice will be appreciated.
If you're just as ticked off as this writer is, DO NOT sit there fuming in silence. Take action.
From:
Subject: Morrisville School District
To: 00statbd@psupen.psu.edu
Cc: savethemorrisvilleschool@yahoo.com
Date: Friday, July 4, 2008
Good morning. I want to share my concerns about the Morrisville School District in Bucks County, and am seeking some guidance and direction. There are frightening things going on here with our current school board and the education of Morrisville children is at serious risk. The current school board is in a slash and burn mode, the primary focus being the reduction of taxes and the stripping of funds for programs and personnel. This mode will dramatically and negatively impact the progress this district has made in recent years.
I have watched them in action and it is clear that the majority of the board, led by a despotic president, truly want to run our school district into the ground. Who can intervene? Some of the things said by the President are truly disturbing, such as asking for the names and addresses of children who are in special education (fortunately, this was not provided to the board). And there have been allegations of racism against one board member. When I sit in some of these meetings, I am amazed at the discourse, I cannot believe the things that are said at these meetings, and the lack of concern for the education of our children, the disrespect by the president of our school personnel, the flippant and rude dismissal by the president of those who do not share his views, and the uncivilized, often undemocratic (secret meetings of board members?) manner of doing school board business in this borough. There is also a tone of, if not racism, at least classism, against the children and families who reside in apartments and rental properties, those parents who do not pay property taxes. Some of these children receive special education services.
What can be done? There is an attorney assigned to this board and present at the meetings; however, he was selected by the Board, and while he may keep the Board within the letter of the law, may not always be objective. There are a couple board members who fight hard and do their best to do the right thing for the district and all of the children, but they are the minority and are always voted down.
Someone from outside this district really needs to take a look - someone in an official capacity who can offer some objective guidance and advice to the citizens of this town who are truly committed to quality education for all of our children, and to ensure that this board is operating ethically and legally, and to assist with an assessment of whether or not this board is operating within the established codes of conduct for school boards. I am not sure who can play this role. Perhaps a public advocate or ombudsman? Your advice will be appreciated.
Schools News Around the Blogosphere
Check out SpecialEdAdvocate.org
Schools can't punish a kid into cooperation
Providence Journal
No one likes an unruly, mouthy or disruptive brat. But the adult urge to fight unwanted behavior by shaming, temporarily banishing or otherwise hurting the kid into compliance has begun to seem not just ineffective to me, but full-on Jurassic. "Zero tolerance?" Does that even sound like a good idea, when you think about it?
Goodbye, SAT
Washington Post
Nathan O. Hatch
Wake Forest hopes dropping the test requirement will open its doors. The College Board amended its policy on reporting SAT scores this month in an effort to ease stress on student test takers. While all scores are currently reported to colleges students apply to, starting with the Class of 2010 students who take the entrance examination multiple times will be able to control which of their scores admissions officers see.
Why You Are Hearing More about Autism
Vallejo, CA - It has been a high profile year for autism. A severely autistic Minnesota boy was banned from church. An autistic kindergartner in Florida was voted out of class. A mother and her autistic son were thrown off an American Airlines flight at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. And another mother and autistic toddler were kicked off an airplane in Huston reportedly because the boy was repeating 'bye, bye plane' during the safety speech.
Schools can't punish a kid into cooperation
Providence Journal
No one likes an unruly, mouthy or disruptive brat. But the adult urge to fight unwanted behavior by shaming, temporarily banishing or otherwise hurting the kid into compliance has begun to seem not just ineffective to me, but full-on Jurassic. "Zero tolerance?" Does that even sound like a good idea, when you think about it?
Goodbye, SAT
Washington Post
Nathan O. Hatch
Wake Forest hopes dropping the test requirement will open its doors. The College Board amended its policy on reporting SAT scores this month in an effort to ease stress on student test takers. While all scores are currently reported to colleges students apply to, starting with the Class of 2010 students who take the entrance examination multiple times will be able to control which of their scores admissions officers see.
Why You Are Hearing More about Autism
Vallejo, CA - It has been a high profile year for autism. A severely autistic Minnesota boy was banned from church. An autistic kindergartner in Florida was voted out of class. A mother and her autistic son were thrown off an American Airlines flight at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. And another mother and autistic toddler were kicked off an airplane in Huston reportedly because the boy was repeating 'bye, bye plane' during the safety speech.
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