From the Inquirer today.
...So rarely is the summer feeding gap discussed that Ruth Damsker, a former Montgomery County commissioner, said she was shocked to hear about it from a reporter. "I'm appalled, frankly. Maybe it happens because kids don't vote. That's sad."
...Someone should consider rearranging budgets to feed these children, said Joe Quattrocchi, executive director of the Pennsylvania Hunger Action Center. "It does beg common sense that if you have students availing themselves of free lunch during the school year, what happens when it's out?"
Check out Philabundance.org. And don't forget there's free lunch students in Morrisville too. Not sure where to start? There's always the Morrisville Presbyterian Church food bank.
Summer brings hunger in suburbs
There are fewer options to replace free school lunches.
By Alfred Lubrano, Inquirer Staff Writer
Hunger lined up, quiet and orderly, in the summer heat of a Delaware County day.
Suburban women, many looking a decade older than their ages, awaited their turn to collect strawberries, bananas and bread being distributed by Philabundance, the hunger-relief agency, at a Delaware County Housing Authority building in Woodlyn.
Several of them, including Marisa Koerbel of Lower Merion, were there to plug the summer feeding gap - to find food for their children, who usually get free or reduced-price breakfasts and lunches in schools now closed for summer.
Hunger isn't just an empty plate on a Philly table.
It touches the suburbs, too. And the number of poor and working-poor families scrambling to find food outside Philadelphia is growing.
Although various suburban programs offer meals for youngsters in July and August, there are far fewer options than in Philadelphia, which has many more feeding sites.
"Look at him, he's underweight," Koerbel, 37, said, tilting her head toward her son, Tyler Sylvester, who completed fourth grade at Merion Elementary School. "There are days I can't feed him everything he needs. I feel embarrassed being on welfare in the high-dollar area where I live."
Tyler, 10, who gets free lunch at school, said he understands what's happening and feels bad. "She doesn't have much money," he said of his mother. "My best friend's dad works at Villanova. He makes lots of money and he has lots of food."
Koerbel said she gets no child support and is home to care for her two other children, ages 2 and 4. Shaking her head, she said, "It's hard being hungry on the Main Line."
Suburban need is growing. In the 2006-07 school year, 54,905 children in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties relied on free or reduced-price school lunches - a 24 percent increase in four years.
Chester County experienced the biggest jump - 42 percent. More than 10,000 children countywide got subsidized meals in the 2006-07 school year, according to data from the Pennsylvania Department of Education compiled by the Pennsylvania Hunger Action Center in Harrisburg.
An Inquirer survey of summer programs in the Pennsylvania suburbs found they fed only 15 percent of eligible low-income children.
That left some 47,000 youngsters in the suburbs who normally eat subsidized meals without that food in July and August.
"These kids are orphaned for the summer," said Patrick Druhan, food-resources director for the Montgomery County Community Action Development Commission. "Aside from pockets of poverty like Norristown, many hungry suburban kids are scattered.
"It's one of these cracks in the system, where everything is fine till school lets out. And nobody's taken up the task."
To qualify for a free school lunch, a family of four can make up to $27,400 a year - 130 percent of the federal poverty level.
For reduced-price meals, a family of four can't exceed $39,200 - 185 percent of poverty. A reduced-price meal costs parents 40 cents or less.
Knowing there are hungry children unseen in the suburbs "makes me crazy," said Anne Ayella, assistant director at Nutritional Development Services, part of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Ayella's group runs 550 summer feeding programs in the five-county area. "People don't realize there are poor people in the suburbs."
Feeding gaps also exist in South Jersey, where nearly 70,000 students are eligible for free and reduced summer feeding programs but few exist, advocates say.
In Philadelphia, where census figures show that one-third of children aged 5 to 17 live in poverty, there is greater awareness of the need to provide summer meals.
Around 53 percent of students who get subsidized meals in school are in a summer feeding program, more than three times the suburban rate.
So rarely is the summer feeding gap discussed that Ruth Damsker, a former Montgomery County commissioner, said she was shocked to hear about it from a reporter.
"I'm appalled, frankly. Maybe it happens because kids don't vote. That's sad."
County government is not responsible for children's meals; it's a school district problem, county-level officials say. Meanwhile, district officials throughout the area say they don't have the budget to offer summer food.
"Our buildings are not open, and we don't have summer feeding programs," said Susan Phy, a spokeswoman for the Bensalem Township School District, where the number of poor children increased 68 percent between 2000 and 2005, according to a census analysis by Mark Price, labor economist at the Keystone Research Center in Harrisburg.
In one district school, Rush Elementary, 56 percent of fifth graders are eligible for subsidized lunches, according to state figures.
"As far as I know, there has never been any discussion" of instituting summer feeding, Phy said.
Someone should consider rearranging budgets to feed these children, said Joe Quattrocchi, executive director of the Pennsylvania Hunger Action Center.
"It does beg common sense that if you have students availing themselves of free lunch during the school year, what happens when it's out?"
It's a problem clear to everyone who was waiting in the Woodlyn Philabundance line. Koerbel, of Lower Merion, knows it. So does Jean Shaw of Linwood, Delaware County.
Her son, Thomas Leo, 14, gets free lunch at Chichester Middle School. But school's out.
"I'm here trying to make do," said Shaw, 45, an unmarried woman who said she is out of work because she was attacked by a dog she was working with at a dog day-care. She normally makes $12,000 a year.
Now, she said, "lunches and breakfasts that he got for free cost me. He tells me he's hungry. It hurts."
Recently, one of her son's friends came over and opened the refrigerator. "You don't have a thing to eat in here," Shaw remembered the boy saying.
Overhearing this, Rose Ann Robertson, the grandmother of a 6-year-old girl in Eddystone, Delaware County, commiserated. Thank goodness, Robertson said, for food pantries and distribution sites.
But pantries run low this season precisely because of the lunch feeding gap.
"My kids are hungry, so I hold back," Koerbel said. "A lot of parents in Lower Merion look at me differently. And kids can be cruel to my children with teasing because they don't have much.
"We try to make the best of it."
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
From the Mailbag
Another satisfied customer...
Dear STS--
Thanks for the job you're doing. Please consider printing this.
I am so tired of hearing how Morrisville test scores "stink" and the students and teachers are all under-performing slackers. Here was another uninformed and ignorant comment today about how the schools system is completely responsible for the decline of Morrisville's home values.
"Borows, you're right again. But how do we increase property values and improve our borough at the same time? It's easy, have an excellent school district with outstanding test scores. Then everything would fall into place. Better businesses and families would flock here. The trouble is no matter how much money is pumped into that school district the test scores stink and people don't want to live here because of that. So instead of the bloggers being worried about money (lord knows we've had plenty, 20k per student) why don't you consider ways to improve academics in the schools?"
I won't speculate on who anonymous is. I'll tell you right now that I am proud of the education my two children have received in this district, from kindergarten to the present. I have one child who completed 11th grade and one who completed 9th.
I can only speak to what I know. I know I have worked hard as a parent to ensure how my children learn and what they learn. I know that the Morrisville teachers have been uniformly one of the most dedicated and experienced groups of people I have had the pleasure to work with. I have had dealings with the present administration and find them to also be extremely dedicated and responsive. I'm still waiting for the current board of education to get back to me on items from January.
I had a good education in a middle sized district in central New Jersey. My SAT and NJ evaluation test scores were pretty darned good back in 1978 and 79. My son's SAT and PSSA scores are just as good and better in many areas. My daughter's PSSA scores are also excellent, and I'm expecting her to exceed my SAT scores.
I'll sit down with you, Anonymous, and we can take the placement tests together.
The test scores across the country are lower. That makes it an American problem, not only a Morrisville problem. Assuming that every teacher is at fault for this is ludicrous. Assuming that throwing money at the problem is the answer is also ludicrous. What is needed here is a solid and sober look at how to make things better, not tearing them apart for the sake of tearing them apart.
The problem here is leadership. The school board has abandoned any sense of leadership by slashing and burning their way through the oversight of the schools. The aim is to have a takeover of the school system by anyone else, no matter how it is achieved. Ignorance is not bliss and solving problems by ignoring them or handing them over to someone else is no solution. After reading those stories about the Arkansas district's problems, why would we want to try the same thing?
A leadership problem also exists on the boro council. A great example of the lack of leadership is Gateway. Instead of letting the process do the job, they simply abdicated responsibility and wanted problems to go away. The boro council is responsible for the condition of Morrisville's tax base. Instead of slash and burn, here it's just inaction and indifference. Thinking that with a better school system, everything will "fall into place" sounds just like the prevailing ostrich style thinking of the boro council.
Dear STS--
Thanks for the job you're doing. Please consider printing this.
I am so tired of hearing how Morrisville test scores "stink" and the students and teachers are all under-performing slackers. Here was another uninformed and ignorant comment today about how the schools system is completely responsible for the decline of Morrisville's home values.
"Borows, you're right again. But how do we increase property values and improve our borough at the same time? It's easy, have an excellent school district with outstanding test scores. Then everything would fall into place. Better businesses and families would flock here. The trouble is no matter how much money is pumped into that school district the test scores stink and people don't want to live here because of that. So instead of the bloggers being worried about money (lord knows we've had plenty, 20k per student) why don't you consider ways to improve academics in the schools?"
I won't speculate on who anonymous is. I'll tell you right now that I am proud of the education my two children have received in this district, from kindergarten to the present. I have one child who completed 11th grade and one who completed 9th.
I can only speak to what I know. I know I have worked hard as a parent to ensure how my children learn and what they learn. I know that the Morrisville teachers have been uniformly one of the most dedicated and experienced groups of people I have had the pleasure to work with. I have had dealings with the present administration and find them to also be extremely dedicated and responsive. I'm still waiting for the current board of education to get back to me on items from January.
I had a good education in a middle sized district in central New Jersey. My SAT and NJ evaluation test scores were pretty darned good back in 1978 and 79. My son's SAT and PSSA scores are just as good and better in many areas. My daughter's PSSA scores are also excellent, and I'm expecting her to exceed my SAT scores.
I'll sit down with you, Anonymous, and we can take the placement tests together.
The test scores across the country are lower. That makes it an American problem, not only a Morrisville problem. Assuming that every teacher is at fault for this is ludicrous. Assuming that throwing money at the problem is the answer is also ludicrous. What is needed here is a solid and sober look at how to make things better, not tearing them apart for the sake of tearing them apart.
The problem here is leadership. The school board has abandoned any sense of leadership by slashing and burning their way through the oversight of the schools. The aim is to have a takeover of the school system by anyone else, no matter how it is achieved. Ignorance is not bliss and solving problems by ignoring them or handing them over to someone else is no solution. After reading those stories about the Arkansas district's problems, why would we want to try the same thing?
A leadership problem also exists on the boro council. A great example of the lack of leadership is Gateway. Instead of letting the process do the job, they simply abdicated responsibility and wanted problems to go away. The boro council is responsible for the condition of Morrisville's tax base. Instead of slash and burn, here it's just inaction and indifference. Thinking that with a better school system, everything will "fall into place" sounds just like the prevailing ostrich style thinking of the boro council.
Council Rock Renovations
In Council Rock, the untouched 40 year old school buildings will each need $10 to $12 million dollars for renovations. What will it cost here in Morrisville?
Crews remove asbestos tiles from schools
Next year, renovations at each school will begin to update the more than 40-year-old buildings.
By RACHEL CANELLI
Churchville and Holland elementary schools aren’t just closed for the summer — they’re sealed.
Work is under way at both buildings in Northampton to remove asbestos tile flooring in the classrooms to prepare for future renovations, according to Superintendent Mark Klein.
Together, the abatement projects, which cost less than $300,000, are the first part of a two- to three-year renovation process at each school, officials said.
Since serious illness can be caused by inhaling asbestos, which is a group of minerals with long, thin, fibrous crystals, both schools have been closed up, and their offices have been temporarily relocated to modular structures, administrators said.
Klein emphasized that neither school has asbestos problems and that the shutdowns are precautions.
“The tiles served each school well, but they need to be taken off by a professional contractor,” he said.
After this month’s construction, desks and chairs will be returned to the classrooms, where floors will be covered by area rugs, officials said.
The renovations are expected to begin next summer. Each of the two projects is estimated to cost between $10 million to $12 million, but those numbers could change depending on yet-to-be-determined design details and bids, administrators said.
At the very least, Churchville and Holland should receive new heating and air-conditioning systems, refurbished classrooms, updated libraries and new computers, officials said.
“Both schools need significant work because they haven’t been touched in the 40 years they’ve been in service,” Klein said. “This should add another 25 to 30 years to their life cycle.”
Crews remove asbestos tiles from schools
Next year, renovations at each school will begin to update the more than 40-year-old buildings.
By RACHEL CANELLI
Churchville and Holland elementary schools aren’t just closed for the summer — they’re sealed.
Work is under way at both buildings in Northampton to remove asbestos tile flooring in the classrooms to prepare for future renovations, according to Superintendent Mark Klein.
Together, the abatement projects, which cost less than $300,000, are the first part of a two- to three-year renovation process at each school, officials said.
Since serious illness can be caused by inhaling asbestos, which is a group of minerals with long, thin, fibrous crystals, both schools have been closed up, and their offices have been temporarily relocated to modular structures, administrators said.
Klein emphasized that neither school has asbestos problems and that the shutdowns are precautions.
“The tiles served each school well, but they need to be taken off by a professional contractor,” he said.
After this month’s construction, desks and chairs will be returned to the classrooms, where floors will be covered by area rugs, officials said.
The renovations are expected to begin next summer. Each of the two projects is estimated to cost between $10 million to $12 million, but those numbers could change depending on yet-to-be-determined design details and bids, administrators said.
At the very least, Churchville and Holland should receive new heating and air-conditioning systems, refurbished classrooms, updated libraries and new computers, officials said.
“Both schools need significant work because they haven’t been touched in the 40 years they’ve been in service,” Klein said. “This should add another 25 to 30 years to their life cycle.”
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Pennsylvania State 2008-09 Budget
Thanks to jon for the link. Is there anyone out there "in the know" who might be able to let us know why we were not eligible for more?
Jon has left a new comment on your post "Pennsylvania Budget Deal":
There's an article in today's Phila. Inquirer at this link:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/24058084.html
It has an accompanying graphic at this link:
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/gallery/24050274.html
Anyway, the graphic lays out state education funding increases for each district in the 5-county Phila. metro area, based on the recent PA budget deal.
What I learned from this is:
1. Morrisville gets the minimum 3% funding boost;
2. The boost is only in the state's "basic education funding", which for M'ville is only on the order of $2.9-3.0 million, not $5.45 million.
So, PA's funding of M'ville basic ed goes from $2,882,794 in 2007-08 to $2,969,278 in 2008-09, an increase of $86,484. This equates to only about $26 for the home assessed at the M'ville average of $18,000.
Not that much really.
Pa. support for schools jumps
By Dan Hardy Posted on Tue, Jul. 8, 2008
Inquirer Staff Writer
Philadelphia and its Pennsylvania suburban school districts will share $82.6 million in new basic education funding next school year under the state budget signed Friday by Gov. Rendell.
The increase in basic education funding represents the largest dollar increase in the program since 1991.
"Even though we are in an economic slowdown, this was our number-one issue this year," said Rep. Dwight Evans (D., Philadelphia), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
Philadelphia will get about $50.8 million, a 5.8 percent basic subsidy hike. Other districts will receive increases based on need and how highly taxed they are, ranging from $4.9 million for Upper Darby in Delaware County, a 22.4 percent increase, to $22,900 for Jenkintown in Montgomery County, or 3 percent.
Of the 64 school districts that make up Philadelphia and its Pennsylvania suburbs, 37 will get the minimum 3 percent increase.
Rendell had initially proposed minimum increases of only 1.5 percent for the wealthiest districts, but unhappy Republicans in the legislature added $17 million to the budget to boost everyone's funding by at least 3 percent.
Overall, the basic education subsidy will increase by $275 million statewide, or 5.5 percent. The subsidy formula represents the largest single item in kindergarten-through-12th-grade funding.
Spending on other K-12 programs will bring the total education increase to $347.4 million, or 3.3 percent. Education is the largest single spending category - $9.7 billion - in the state's $28.3 billion budget.
Rendell did not get everything he asked for. His proposed increases for several programs were trimmed by 1.3 percent. Additionally, his Classrooms for the Future program to put laptop computers in every high school core-subject classroom was cut from $90 million to $45 million, delaying the complete rollout of the program by a year.
While the Philadelphia School District will receive $34 million less in basic subsidies than it had been slated to receive in earlier versions of the budget, the shortfall will be made up in other subsidies, said Rendell's senior policy adviser, Donna Cooper.
Just as important as increased basic funding for school districts, Rendell administration and school-reform advocates said, is the way that funding will be distributed.
The $275 million increase will be handed out according to a funding formula based on a 2007 study of the cost of an adequate education for children in each school district.
The use of the new funding formula, said Janis Risch, of Good Schools Pennsylvania, a reform group that has campaigned for increased funding, "is a tremendous step forward - it . . . begins to really address the education funding inequities experienced by students and communities."
But the legislature, shying away from committing itself to similarly large increases in future years, included only a vague commitment to meet new "state funding targets" by the 2013-14 school year.
The Rendell administration had wanted lawmakers to commit to increasing basic education funding by a total of $2.6 billion during six years, including the coming school year.
Nevertheless, Rendell aides and Democratic leaders say they see the language that did make it into the legislation as a call to keep increasing state funding until then, using the Rendell formula.
"I think we dramatically advanced the conversation on closing the adequacy gap" among school districts, said Cooper, Rendell's policy adviser. "The legislation has put into law language saying there is a [new funding] target to achieve and they will try to achieve that within six years - that is a giant step forward."
Republicans see the matter differently, saying the legislation is only a commitment to study funding further and come up with some kind of new subsidy scheme.
"It is very clear that the only commitment is to utilize the [Rendell] budget formula for one year - there is no commitment beyond that," said Senate Majority leader Dominic Pileggi (R., Delaware).
The only other thing the new legislation commits the legislature to doing, Pileggi added, is examining the funding formula and the study on which it was based to determine how best to provide money to the districts most in need.
Timothy Allwein, the legislative liaison for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, which supports the Rendell funding formula, said that at the very least, the "target" funding language provides a framework for further discussion.
Rendell suffered at least a partial defeat on one other initiative that he had strongly backed when the legislature delayed implementation of a plan for mandatory state subject tests for at least a year.
The legislature and many school boards had strongly opposed the tests, which some students would have to pass to demonstrate mastery in basic subjects before they could graduate from high school. Some larger school districts, including Philadelphia, have supported the testing requirement.
The state Board of Education had proposed new regulations, saying that the tests would be offered to students starting in 2010, with seniors having to pass them or show their mastery of basic skills in other ways by 2014. The school bill that was passed this year forbids those regulations from being "further promulgated, approved or proposed" before next July.
Cooper, the Rendell senior staffer, said that funding is still in the budget bill for both the development of the tests and the development of a model curriculum to ensure that students are learning what was included in the exams. The state Department of Education will go ahead with developing those tools, she said, and school districts will be able to voluntarily use the tests, even if the state cannot for now mandate them.
Jon has left a new comment on your post "Pennsylvania Budget Deal":
There's an article in today's Phila. Inquirer at this link:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/24058084.html
It has an accompanying graphic at this link:
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/gallery/24050274.html
Anyway, the graphic lays out state education funding increases for each district in the 5-county Phila. metro area, based on the recent PA budget deal.
What I learned from this is:
1. Morrisville gets the minimum 3% funding boost;
2. The boost is only in the state's "basic education funding", which for M'ville is only on the order of $2.9-3.0 million, not $5.45 million.
So, PA's funding of M'ville basic ed goes from $2,882,794 in 2007-08 to $2,969,278 in 2008-09, an increase of $86,484. This equates to only about $26 for the home assessed at the M'ville average of $18,000.
Not that much really.
Pa. support for schools jumps
By Dan Hardy Posted on Tue, Jul. 8, 2008
Inquirer Staff Writer
Philadelphia and its Pennsylvania suburban school districts will share $82.6 million in new basic education funding next school year under the state budget signed Friday by Gov. Rendell.
The increase in basic education funding represents the largest dollar increase in the program since 1991.
"Even though we are in an economic slowdown, this was our number-one issue this year," said Rep. Dwight Evans (D., Philadelphia), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
Philadelphia will get about $50.8 million, a 5.8 percent basic subsidy hike. Other districts will receive increases based on need and how highly taxed they are, ranging from $4.9 million for Upper Darby in Delaware County, a 22.4 percent increase, to $22,900 for Jenkintown in Montgomery County, or 3 percent.
Of the 64 school districts that make up Philadelphia and its Pennsylvania suburbs, 37 will get the minimum 3 percent increase.
Rendell had initially proposed minimum increases of only 1.5 percent for the wealthiest districts, but unhappy Republicans in the legislature added $17 million to the budget to boost everyone's funding by at least 3 percent.
Overall, the basic education subsidy will increase by $275 million statewide, or 5.5 percent. The subsidy formula represents the largest single item in kindergarten-through-12th-grade funding.
Spending on other K-12 programs will bring the total education increase to $347.4 million, or 3.3 percent. Education is the largest single spending category - $9.7 billion - in the state's $28.3 billion budget.
Rendell did not get everything he asked for. His proposed increases for several programs were trimmed by 1.3 percent. Additionally, his Classrooms for the Future program to put laptop computers in every high school core-subject classroom was cut from $90 million to $45 million, delaying the complete rollout of the program by a year.
While the Philadelphia School District will receive $34 million less in basic subsidies than it had been slated to receive in earlier versions of the budget, the shortfall will be made up in other subsidies, said Rendell's senior policy adviser, Donna Cooper.
Just as important as increased basic funding for school districts, Rendell administration and school-reform advocates said, is the way that funding will be distributed.
The $275 million increase will be handed out according to a funding formula based on a 2007 study of the cost of an adequate education for children in each school district.
The use of the new funding formula, said Janis Risch, of Good Schools Pennsylvania, a reform group that has campaigned for increased funding, "is a tremendous step forward - it . . . begins to really address the education funding inequities experienced by students and communities."
But the legislature, shying away from committing itself to similarly large increases in future years, included only a vague commitment to meet new "state funding targets" by the 2013-14 school year.
The Rendell administration had wanted lawmakers to commit to increasing basic education funding by a total of $2.6 billion during six years, including the coming school year.
Nevertheless, Rendell aides and Democratic leaders say they see the language that did make it into the legislation as a call to keep increasing state funding until then, using the Rendell formula.
"I think we dramatically advanced the conversation on closing the adequacy gap" among school districts, said Cooper, Rendell's policy adviser. "The legislation has put into law language saying there is a [new funding] target to achieve and they will try to achieve that within six years - that is a giant step forward."
Republicans see the matter differently, saying the legislation is only a commitment to study funding further and come up with some kind of new subsidy scheme.
"It is very clear that the only commitment is to utilize the [Rendell] budget formula for one year - there is no commitment beyond that," said Senate Majority leader Dominic Pileggi (R., Delaware).
The only other thing the new legislation commits the legislature to doing, Pileggi added, is examining the funding formula and the study on which it was based to determine how best to provide money to the districts most in need.
Timothy Allwein, the legislative liaison for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, which supports the Rendell funding formula, said that at the very least, the "target" funding language provides a framework for further discussion.
Rendell suffered at least a partial defeat on one other initiative that he had strongly backed when the legislature delayed implementation of a plan for mandatory state subject tests for at least a year.
The legislature and many school boards had strongly opposed the tests, which some students would have to pass to demonstrate mastery in basic subjects before they could graduate from high school. Some larger school districts, including Philadelphia, have supported the testing requirement.
The state Board of Education had proposed new regulations, saying that the tests would be offered to students starting in 2010, with seniors having to pass them or show their mastery of basic skills in other ways by 2014. The school bill that was passed this year forbids those regulations from being "further promulgated, approved or proposed" before next July.
Cooper, the Rendell senior staffer, said that funding is still in the budget bill for both the development of the tests and the development of a model curriculum to ensure that students are learning what was included in the exams. The state Department of Education will go ahead with developing those tools, she said, and school districts will be able to voluntarily use the tests, even if the state cannot for now mandate them.
Archives- Election 2007
I received this scan today along with the reminder that the election for the new school board, the one that the Emperor threatened the late Ed Frankenfield with, is fast approaching.
They suggested that this could be added to our collection of memorabilia from 2007 to eventually see if the candidates, indeed, are keeping their word.
Does anyone have items from the 2005 election cycle? These are the same people whose seats would be up in 2009.
Now appearing: The Democrats
Reithmeyer for school board; Panzitta, Rivella, and Sherlock for borough council.
They suggested that this could be added to our collection of memorabilia from 2007 to eventually see if the candidates, indeed, are keeping their word.
Does anyone have items from the 2005 election cycle? These are the same people whose seats would be up in 2009.
Now appearing: The Democrats
Reithmeyer for school board; Panzitta, Rivella, and Sherlock for borough council.
Skills of the American Workforce
Thanks to the emailer for this post from the Sunday Parade Magazine. Take a look at that last Q&A. It's far more complex than the Emperor thinks it is.
Website for the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce
Executive Summary of the report PDF format, 26 pages
Power Point presentation (PDF format only)
The first Commission Report (June 1990), PDF format, 164 pages
Fixing Our Schools
Former Labor Secretary William Brock leads the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, created to report on the state of U.S. education.
How can we fix American education?
First, we have to agree that we have a problem. In the last 25 years, spending has risen 240% while performance has barely changed. Only 68% of students graduate from high school, and many states require only eighth-grade skills in reading and math to get a diploma. We need to start with better early-childhood education. We need the very best among us to become teachers, and we need to ensure that standardized tests of rote knowledge don’t drive education away from the very things that have made America special: critical thinking, creativity, innovation, and teamwork.
You’ve said publicly that we are failing our teachers. How?
We recruit new teachers largely from the bottom 30% of entering college students, train them, and then assign them to the toughest jobs in the most challenging schools with very low pay. When the results fall short, we tell them, “You just have to work harder.” Most feel that they have no voice in their schools. This is no way to treat professionals.
Why isn’t education a bigger political issue?
Primarily because there is no quick fix. It’s complex. Perhaps most of all, no one really wants to admit that we are leaving millions of children behind. Education is the key to better jobs, higher incomes, and greater growth in what has become an extremely competitive global economy. Nothing is more important than education. Absolutely nothing.
Website for the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce
Executive Summary of the report PDF format, 26 pages
Power Point presentation (PDF format only)
The first Commission Report (June 1990), PDF format, 164 pages
Fixing Our Schools
Former Labor Secretary William Brock leads the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, created to report on the state of U.S. education.
How can we fix American education?
First, we have to agree that we have a problem. In the last 25 years, spending has risen 240% while performance has barely changed. Only 68% of students graduate from high school, and many states require only eighth-grade skills in reading and math to get a diploma. We need to start with better early-childhood education. We need the very best among us to become teachers, and we need to ensure that standardized tests of rote knowledge don’t drive education away from the very things that have made America special: critical thinking, creativity, innovation, and teamwork.
You’ve said publicly that we are failing our teachers. How?
We recruit new teachers largely from the bottom 30% of entering college students, train them, and then assign them to the toughest jobs in the most challenging schools with very low pay. When the results fall short, we tell them, “You just have to work harder.” Most feel that they have no voice in their schools. This is no way to treat professionals.
Why isn’t education a bigger political issue?
Primarily because there is no quick fix. It’s complex. Perhaps most of all, no one really wants to admit that we are leaving millions of children behind. Education is the key to better jobs, higher incomes, and greater growth in what has become an extremely competitive global economy. Nothing is more important than education. Absolutely nothing.
Special Ed Woes at BCTHS
From this morning's BCCT
School facing special education legal challenges
Such challenges are typically resolved by offering additional education to special education students as compensation, an administrator said.
By JOAN HELLYER
Two legal challenges have prompted Bucks County Technical High School administrators this summer to review their procedures for handling special education students, an official said.
The challenges, which will be handled by a hearing officer, are common in every school district, said Kevin Gentilcore, the school’s supervisor of pupil services. However, they are the first to be filed against the tech school in its 50-year history, he said.
“We’re not happy that we have a couple cases. We’re looking at all of our procedures and those of our sending districts to make sure we are all legally sound and have processes in place to continue to have positive relationships with our students and parents,” Gentilcore said.
He would not identify the students involved in the due process cases, citing confidentiality restrictions, and declined comment on the cases.
But generally speaking, Gentilcore said, due process cases come about after a parent, guardian or other party connected to the student “feels that his or her Individual Education Plan was not appropriately implemented.” The interested party could claim that since the IEP was not properly implemented, the student did not learn and achieve as much as expected, he said.
The IEP is developed in a joint effort by public school officials, the student, and his or her guardian as required of public schools by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It is designed to meet the unique educational needs of a child, taking into consideration how the disability affects the student’s learning, education department officials said.
The IEP describes how the student learns, how he or she best demonstrates that learning, and what teachers and service providers are required to do to help the student learn more effectively, officials said.
The cost to implement an IEP depends on the student’s individual disability, they said, and can range from a few thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.
Typically such challenges to IEP implementation are resolved by offering the student additional education as compensation, Gentilcore said.
The comprehensive technical high school off Wistar Road in Bristol Township already has procedures in place to ensure that a student’s IEP is being followed, the supervisor said.
Initially, when a special education student is accepted into the school that serves the Bensalem, Bristol, Bristol Township, Morrisville, Neshaminy and Pennsbury school districts, the sending school reviews the student’s IEP.
Then, representatives from the sending school and BCTHS meet with the student and his or her parent or guardian to make sure the IEP is appropriate in a technological setting, Gentilcore said. It is adjusted as needed to accommodate the technical environment.
It’s also reviewed by representatives of the home school and the tech school, as well as the student and parent or guardian, on an annual basis, he said.
School officials now are in the process of doing “preventive maintenance” by making sure they are handling the IEP cases correctly in light of the legal challenges, Gentilcore said.
“We figure let’s be ahead of the curve here. There’s probably nothing more to do than we are already doing, but we are in a heightened sense of awareness,” the administrator said.
Gentilcore believes the cases can be tentatively resolved by the time the school’s joint board committee meets again in late August. The board will have to approve the settlements before they can be enacted, he said.
School facing special education legal challenges
Such challenges are typically resolved by offering additional education to special education students as compensation, an administrator said.
By JOAN HELLYER
Two legal challenges have prompted Bucks County Technical High School administrators this summer to review their procedures for handling special education students, an official said.
The challenges, which will be handled by a hearing officer, are common in every school district, said Kevin Gentilcore, the school’s supervisor of pupil services. However, they are the first to be filed against the tech school in its 50-year history, he said.
“We’re not happy that we have a couple cases. We’re looking at all of our procedures and those of our sending districts to make sure we are all legally sound and have processes in place to continue to have positive relationships with our students and parents,” Gentilcore said.
He would not identify the students involved in the due process cases, citing confidentiality restrictions, and declined comment on the cases.
But generally speaking, Gentilcore said, due process cases come about after a parent, guardian or other party connected to the student “feels that his or her Individual Education Plan was not appropriately implemented.” The interested party could claim that since the IEP was not properly implemented, the student did not learn and achieve as much as expected, he said.
The IEP is developed in a joint effort by public school officials, the student, and his or her guardian as required of public schools by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It is designed to meet the unique educational needs of a child, taking into consideration how the disability affects the student’s learning, education department officials said.
The IEP describes how the student learns, how he or she best demonstrates that learning, and what teachers and service providers are required to do to help the student learn more effectively, officials said.
The cost to implement an IEP depends on the student’s individual disability, they said, and can range from a few thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.
Typically such challenges to IEP implementation are resolved by offering the student additional education as compensation, Gentilcore said.
The comprehensive technical high school off Wistar Road in Bristol Township already has procedures in place to ensure that a student’s IEP is being followed, the supervisor said.
Initially, when a special education student is accepted into the school that serves the Bensalem, Bristol, Bristol Township, Morrisville, Neshaminy and Pennsbury school districts, the sending school reviews the student’s IEP.
Then, representatives from the sending school and BCTHS meet with the student and his or her parent or guardian to make sure the IEP is appropriate in a technological setting, Gentilcore said. It is adjusted as needed to accommodate the technical environment.
It’s also reviewed by representatives of the home school and the tech school, as well as the student and parent or guardian, on an annual basis, he said.
School officials now are in the process of doing “preventive maintenance” by making sure they are handling the IEP cases correctly in light of the legal challenges, Gentilcore said.
“We figure let’s be ahead of the curve here. There’s probably nothing more to do than we are already doing, but we are in a heightened sense of awareness,” the administrator said.
Gentilcore believes the cases can be tentatively resolved by the time the school’s joint board committee meets again in late August. The board will have to approve the settlements before they can be enacted, he said.
Special Facilities Committee Meeting Tomorrow
Reminder about the special meeting of the facilities committee tomorrow night. This is not a full board meeting. This would only be the facilities committee.
Does anyone know who the facilities committee members are? It's not well publicised.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Facilities Committee Meeting
The Morrisville School District's Facility Committee will hold a meeting on July 9, 2008 at 7:00 pm in Conference Room F-10 of the Middle/Senior High School, 550 W. Palmer St., Morrisville, PA. Marlys Mihok Secretary
Site: HS F-10
Time: 7:00PM
Does anyone know who the facilities committee members are? It's not well publicised.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Facilities Committee Meeting
The Morrisville School District's Facility Committee will hold a meeting on July 9, 2008 at 7:00 pm in Conference Room F-10 of the Middle/Senior High School, 550 W. Palmer St., Morrisville, PA. Marlys Mihok Secretary
Site: HS F-10
Time: 7:00PM
Open Door vs. Closed Door
Thanks to the emailer who mentioned this.
Are you a solid wall or an open door?
By TOM NORLEN
No matter what our job title may be, there is most likely always an element of customer service involved in our responsibilities. When it comes to serving others, both knowledge and attitude are important. Every day we need to accomplish a variety of activities. To do so requires interacting with people who are necessary in the process of resolving an issue, purchasing an item, answering a question, providing a service, etc.
There is often a great difference between what another person knows and what is in their heart. People can become a Solid Wall that stops us in our tracks and leaves us frustrated, or they can be an Open Door that provides true and meaningful service and satisfaction.
What might be some of the characteristics of the “Solid Wall” personality? This person can be hard. He or she can be difficult to pass through. The Wall can be a stopper of the flow of positive efforts and ideas. You cannot see past the Wall. It blocks your vision. The Wall can be a divider. The Wall might be decorated with nice pictures and a coat of paint, but underneath are drywall, studs and sharp nails. The Wall is set and solid, often rigid. The Wall can cast a shadow. Have you ever met a “Wall” personality? Sadly to say, we find these people at every turn, and perhaps they are not even aware of how they are perceived by others.
What might be some characteristics of the “Open Door” personality? This person has hinges and can be flexible in movement. You can see through the Open Door. Light can enter through it. The Door moves as needed to open the way. By its very nature the Door is inviting you to enter. It is welcoming. The Open Door says, “Come in and let's solve this together.” A breath of fresh air is able to flow through the Open Door. You often leave this Door with satisfaction, a smile on your face and a bounce in your step. Have you ever met an Open Door? You are blessed if you know a whole collection of Open Doors!
I have witnessed the Open Door attitude in all walks of life. The garbage man sets the cans down in our yard and doesn't just throw them in the street. A principal greets a new student with a smile. The cashier makes eye contact with you and her thank you is sincere. The customer service rep on the phone is friendly and actually helps you. A supervisor at work understands about an unexpected event in your family life. A contractor does a quality job and takes care to clean up. The list is endless.
May your life be filled with Open Doors and may you show great appreciation for each one of them. Please don't take them for granted. They are as precious as gold. I challenge and encourage anyone reading this article to evaluate how you relate to others.
You can have all the head knowledge in the world and leave another person feeling empty if you don't balance this knowledge with compassion, patience and respect. The smallest actions in life can often produce the biggest results. I thank God for the Open Doors in my life.
Are you a solid wall or an open door?
By TOM NORLEN
No matter what our job title may be, there is most likely always an element of customer service involved in our responsibilities. When it comes to serving others, both knowledge and attitude are important. Every day we need to accomplish a variety of activities. To do so requires interacting with people who are necessary in the process of resolving an issue, purchasing an item, answering a question, providing a service, etc.
There is often a great difference between what another person knows and what is in their heart. People can become a Solid Wall that stops us in our tracks and leaves us frustrated, or they can be an Open Door that provides true and meaningful service and satisfaction.
What might be some of the characteristics of the “Solid Wall” personality? This person can be hard. He or she can be difficult to pass through. The Wall can be a stopper of the flow of positive efforts and ideas. You cannot see past the Wall. It blocks your vision. The Wall can be a divider. The Wall might be decorated with nice pictures and a coat of paint, but underneath are drywall, studs and sharp nails. The Wall is set and solid, often rigid. The Wall can cast a shadow. Have you ever met a “Wall” personality? Sadly to say, we find these people at every turn, and perhaps they are not even aware of how they are perceived by others.
What might be some characteristics of the “Open Door” personality? This person has hinges and can be flexible in movement. You can see through the Open Door. Light can enter through it. The Door moves as needed to open the way. By its very nature the Door is inviting you to enter. It is welcoming. The Open Door says, “Come in and let's solve this together.” A breath of fresh air is able to flow through the Open Door. You often leave this Door with satisfaction, a smile on your face and a bounce in your step. Have you ever met an Open Door? You are blessed if you know a whole collection of Open Doors!
I have witnessed the Open Door attitude in all walks of life. The garbage man sets the cans down in our yard and doesn't just throw them in the street. A principal greets a new student with a smile. The cashier makes eye contact with you and her thank you is sincere. The customer service rep on the phone is friendly and actually helps you. A supervisor at work understands about an unexpected event in your family life. A contractor does a quality job and takes care to clean up. The list is endless.
May your life be filled with Open Doors and may you show great appreciation for each one of them. Please don't take them for granted. They are as precious as gold. I challenge and encourage anyone reading this article to evaluate how you relate to others.
You can have all the head knowledge in the world and leave another person feeling empty if you don't balance this knowledge with compassion, patience and respect. The smallest actions in life can often produce the biggest results. I thank God for the Open Doors in my life.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Millage Rates
The Department of Blogosphere Safety has issued a threadjack alert for this blog. The previous thread discussing digitalization of board records has turned into a millage discussion. Here's the millage information that was referenced.
And the comment:
Threadjack Alert!!!
Anyone notice the millage chart in today's BCCT?
Interesting to note:
The Morrisville School Millage of 187.3 Mills is 58.84 mills above the county average of 128.46 Totals rounded.) This represents a 31% above average amount.
The Morrisville Municipal millage of 35.9 is 26.15 mills above the county average of 9.75. This represents a 73% above average amount.
So, I ask all council people who are reading, including a certain High Public Official, who needs their expenses examined more closely? It seems that the erstwhile council, while decrying the runaway expenses of the schools, is doing a far worse job of keeping costs contained relative to their peers.
/Glass Houses
//Stones
///Not Yours!
////slashies FTW!
2008-09 millage rates in Bucks County
And the BCCT article: On July 1 Bucks County updated its website to reflect the current millage rates for the county’s school districts now that all school budgets for 2008-2009 have passed. Below are those rates, from highest total millage to lowest. Municipalites and school districts with high property values typically assess lower millage rates. Towns and districts with low property values have to boost the millage to collect sufficient tax revenue.
And the comment:
Threadjack Alert!!!
Anyone notice the millage chart in today's BCCT?
Interesting to note:
The Morrisville School Millage of 187.3 Mills is 58.84 mills above the county average of 128.46 Totals rounded.) This represents a 31% above average amount.
The Morrisville Municipal millage of 35.9 is 26.15 mills above the county average of 9.75. This represents a 73% above average amount.
So, I ask all council people who are reading, including a certain High Public Official, who needs their expenses examined more closely? It seems that the erstwhile council, while decrying the runaway expenses of the schools, is doing a far worse job of keeping costs contained relative to their peers.
/Glass Houses
//Stones
///Not Yours!
////slashies FTW!
2008-09 millage rates in Bucks County
And the BCCT article: On July 1 Bucks County updated its website to reflect the current millage rates for the county’s school districts now that all school budgets for 2008-2009 have passed. Below are those rates, from highest total millage to lowest. Municipalites and school districts with high property values typically assess lower millage rates. Towns and districts with low property values have to boost the millage to collect sufficient tax revenue.
Director of Pupil Personnel Services, Part II
The search continues...
Director of Pupil Personnel Services: BOROUGH OF MORRISVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Job ID 0005546143-01
Company Name BOROUGH OF MORRISVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Job Category Education/Training
Location Morrisville, PA
Position Type Full-Time, Employee
Experience 0-1 Years Experience
Desired Education Level Other
Date Posted July 6, 2008
BOROUGH OF MORRISVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Director of Pupil Personnel Services
Requirements: Supervisor of Pupil Services (or Principal) and Supervisor of Special Education Services certifications in addition to School Psychologist certification with at least 3 yrs. exp and a minimum of an Educational Specialist degree. Send letter of interest, resume, copy of certifications, clearances and three letters of reference to: Office of the Superintendent, Morrisville School District, 550 W. Palmer St., Morrisville, PA 19067, Fax: 215-736-2413. Applications will be accepted until position is filled.
Director of Pupil Personnel Services: BOROUGH OF MORRISVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Job ID 0005546143-01
Company Name BOROUGH OF MORRISVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Job Category Education/Training
Location Morrisville, PA
Position Type Full-Time, Employee
Experience 0-1 Years Experience
Desired Education Level Other
Date Posted July 6, 2008
BOROUGH OF MORRISVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Director of Pupil Personnel Services
Requirements: Supervisor of Pupil Services (or Principal) and Supervisor of Special Education Services certifications in addition to School Psychologist certification with at least 3 yrs. exp and a minimum of an Educational Specialist degree. Send letter of interest, resume, copy of certifications, clearances and three letters of reference to: Office of the Superintendent, Morrisville School District, 550 W. Palmer St., Morrisville, PA 19067, Fax: 215-736-2413. Applications will be accepted until position is filled.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Digital Board?
Here's a money saving suggestion for the Emperor and the Board of Chosen Accomplices. Join the 21st Century. The board secretary wants ream after ream of documentation on all the bills, down to the cost per petal for the homecoming flowers.
We do not need to go overboard here. How about a copy machine that can scan the documents too? Heck, we can get by with a higher capacity desktop scanner. Let's save a forest or two.
GUSD board packets going the digital route
July 3, 2008 6:22 PM By Sara Suddes
A few days before every school board meeting, Marlene Hughes, the superintendent's assistant, loads bulky board packets into her car and heads out to schlep them all over town, from northwest Gilroy to the eastern hills.
But the three-hour and $4.60-per-gallon task is going the way of the dinosaurs starting in September. The school board is moving online and going paperless this fall in an attempt to boost efficiency, save money and do its part to go green.
Add up the cost of 58,512 pages of paper, copies, toner, and $4,000 worth of time, gas and labor, and putting together the board packets costs the district $7,313 annually, according to a spreadsheet Trustee Tom Bundros put together with the help of the district. To get started, the district will spend $6,318 on two more laptops, one scanner, wiring the board room and a $3,000 fee for a service called Agenda Online, provided by the California School Boards Association. Some board members, like Bundros, have opted to use their own laptops, while others will use the new laptops or one of the computers the district already owns. In its first year, the service will save the district nearly $1,000. Subsequent yearly savings amounts to $4,800.
Agenda Online has several advantages which include archiving the district's board meeting packets electronically and allowing the public to access the packets in their entirety prior to the board meetings, rather then gathering them piecemeal the evening of.
On the other hand, yet another barrier will be built between the seven board members, superintendent and public - a laptop screen, set atop an imposing dais that already puts the board at arm's length.
"We're going to have to be careful," said Bundros, who works for IBM. Enthusiastic about what the online service has to offer, he took the lead in researching the product and teasing out the pros and cons. "There is the danger of putting a computer screen in front of us."
"On the other hand," he added, "it provides a level of transparency to the public."
Public documents related to agenda items would be available online several days before the meetings, allowing anyone to view documents they would otherwise have to request from the district.
Plus, trustees conceded that they are sick of the mountains of paperwork they hang onto from bygone board meetings. Currently, agendas are published online but the real meat of the meetings - budgets, construction plans, contracts - are not. Trustees receive all this information in hard copy and the public has immediate access to only a fraction of what they are poring over.
"I have an entire file cabinet already filled with papers from less than a year of school board meetings," said Trustee Denise Apuzzo.
"Two or three times a week, I'm asking Marlene to find me a prior agenda," said Superintendent Deborah Flores, gesturing to her assistant. "I think this is an incredible deal. I'm really excited about this," she said with a smile.
Training provided by CSBA and included in the first-year fee will teach board members to use the technology to enhance, rather than hinder, public communication.
Although board members liked the idea of saving money and cutting back on waste, some suspected that the program wouldn't suit their style.
"I still need to have the document in front of me," Trustee Javier Aguirre said.
The board agreed that it would be up to the individual members whether or not to print out certain items, a service the district would still provide upon request although it wouldn't result in the maximum savings. But some trustees still like to sit down at the dining room table with a cup of coffee and highlight their way through sections of the agenda, like Trustee Pat Midtgaard.
"There's no way I can read all of this online," she said, gesturing to the inch-thick packet that lay before her on the dais. She agreed, however, that while some documents might be more appropriate to read in hard copy, others could be left on the screen.
"It's a huge document," she said. "It's nice to know you don't have to print it all out. We're drowning in paper as it is."
She said she would do her part to keep the lines of communication open at the meetings by bringing her laptop but lowering the screen when she could.
"I think the board is somewhat far removed anyway," she said. "But we're trying to be accessible. The dais is ridiculous for discussion. A horseshoe shape would be more conducive. I want to look at someone, not at a screen."
We do not need to go overboard here. How about a copy machine that can scan the documents too? Heck, we can get by with a higher capacity desktop scanner. Let's save a forest or two.
GUSD board packets going the digital route
July 3, 2008 6:22 PM By Sara Suddes
A few days before every school board meeting, Marlene Hughes, the superintendent's assistant, loads bulky board packets into her car and heads out to schlep them all over town, from northwest Gilroy to the eastern hills.
But the three-hour and $4.60-per-gallon task is going the way of the dinosaurs starting in September. The school board is moving online and going paperless this fall in an attempt to boost efficiency, save money and do its part to go green.
Add up the cost of 58,512 pages of paper, copies, toner, and $4,000 worth of time, gas and labor, and putting together the board packets costs the district $7,313 annually, according to a spreadsheet Trustee Tom Bundros put together with the help of the district. To get started, the district will spend $6,318 on two more laptops, one scanner, wiring the board room and a $3,000 fee for a service called Agenda Online, provided by the California School Boards Association. Some board members, like Bundros, have opted to use their own laptops, while others will use the new laptops or one of the computers the district already owns. In its first year, the service will save the district nearly $1,000. Subsequent yearly savings amounts to $4,800.
Agenda Online has several advantages which include archiving the district's board meeting packets electronically and allowing the public to access the packets in their entirety prior to the board meetings, rather then gathering them piecemeal the evening of.
On the other hand, yet another barrier will be built between the seven board members, superintendent and public - a laptop screen, set atop an imposing dais that already puts the board at arm's length.
"We're going to have to be careful," said Bundros, who works for IBM. Enthusiastic about what the online service has to offer, he took the lead in researching the product and teasing out the pros and cons. "There is the danger of putting a computer screen in front of us."
"On the other hand," he added, "it provides a level of transparency to the public."
Public documents related to agenda items would be available online several days before the meetings, allowing anyone to view documents they would otherwise have to request from the district.
Plus, trustees conceded that they are sick of the mountains of paperwork they hang onto from bygone board meetings. Currently, agendas are published online but the real meat of the meetings - budgets, construction plans, contracts - are not. Trustees receive all this information in hard copy and the public has immediate access to only a fraction of what they are poring over.
"I have an entire file cabinet already filled with papers from less than a year of school board meetings," said Trustee Denise Apuzzo.
"Two or three times a week, I'm asking Marlene to find me a prior agenda," said Superintendent Deborah Flores, gesturing to her assistant. "I think this is an incredible deal. I'm really excited about this," she said with a smile.
Training provided by CSBA and included in the first-year fee will teach board members to use the technology to enhance, rather than hinder, public communication.
Although board members liked the idea of saving money and cutting back on waste, some suspected that the program wouldn't suit their style.
"I still need to have the document in front of me," Trustee Javier Aguirre said.
The board agreed that it would be up to the individual members whether or not to print out certain items, a service the district would still provide upon request although it wouldn't result in the maximum savings. But some trustees still like to sit down at the dining room table with a cup of coffee and highlight their way through sections of the agenda, like Trustee Pat Midtgaard.
"There's no way I can read all of this online," she said, gesturing to the inch-thick packet that lay before her on the dais. She agreed, however, that while some documents might be more appropriate to read in hard copy, others could be left on the screen.
"It's a huge document," she said. "It's nice to know you don't have to print it all out. We're drowning in paper as it is."
She said she would do her part to keep the lines of communication open at the meetings by bringing her laptop but lowering the screen when she could.
"I think the board is somewhat far removed anyway," she said. "But we're trying to be accessible. The dais is ridiculous for discussion. A horseshoe shape would be more conducive. I want to look at someone, not at a screen."
Leadership
Wow! What a district in distress this is. There a "brain drain" as teachers and administrators leave, and a general arrogance toward the staff and community. At least here in Morrisville, the superintendent is on the ball and getting the job done. The school board? Not so much...
On the same day that the board slapped her in the face and shortened her contract, Dr. Yonson presided over a meeting with her staff and told them that "they would all get through this together." There's inspirational leadership for you.
SV school board, superintendent take it on the chin
Written by Chuck Anderson | Press Banner
Thursday, 03 July 2008
It’s going to be a long, hot summer for leaders of Scotts Valley Unified School District.
School board members and Superintendent Susan Silver find themselves facing increasingly harsh criticism from teachers, parents and other area residents over several issues.
Although she wasn’t present, Silver took a verbal beating Monday, June 30, during public comment time before the board started its annual closed-door review of her performance.
Speakers told trustees that Silver is arrogant, has fostered a "climate of fear" among employees and told teachers they were to blame for last month’s failure of Measure Q, the $55 million school bond.
"There is a leadership vacuum centered around your superintendent," said resident Gene Scothorn. "She demonstrates arrogance toward your employees and the community."
"What good has she brought us?" asked parent Wendy Brannan. "There aren’t good relations with parents or the teachers."
"I have serious concern with Superintendent Silver’s leadership or lack of it in rushing the bond issue," noted Martha Montelongo, executive director of Santa Cruz-based Californians for Clean Government.
"She didn’t even pretend to hear the concerns of the community. I hope you hold back on any raises or an extension of her contract. The teachers ought to come first — they are the ones doing the job."
Resident Linda Santos told the board that because of Silver, "teachers were fearful to speak out against Measure Q" and then "she told the teachers it was their fault the bond didn’t pass."
The blunt assessments came after word leaked out that Silver’s second-in-command has left, the latest in an unusually high turnover of district teachers and administrators.
A district brain drain
Teacher Ann Codd, president of Scotts Valley Education Association, said Tuesday that 10 percent to 12 percent of teachers and administrators have left the district in the past year, a higher percentage than usual in the district. (See Commentary, Page 6.)
The association voted "no confidence" in the superintendent last year during long, bitter contract negotiations. Codd had sounded conciliatory last fall when she told the board it was time for a "new beginning," but things have changed.
"Teachers feel demeaned, discouraged, fearful of retribution should they speak up and overall they feel as though they are not treated in the professional manner which their position and credentials deserve," Codd said.
Silver acknowledged Tuesday that Mary Navarro, assistant superintendent for instructional services for just a year, no longer works for the district. Trustees had a closed-door meeting May 29 with an agenda item labeled "public employee discipline/dismissal/release," but it isn’t known whether the subject was Navarro.
Silver said she wasn’t free to say whether Navarro resigned or was dismissed because it was a confidential personnel matter, but that she wasn’t aware of Navarro taking a new position elsewhere.
Navarro, who had been director of a charter home-school program in Antelope, near Sacramento, was hired to replace Susan Walker, whom Silver had inherited when she was appointed in 2005. Silver and Walker reportedly didn’t see eye to eye on matters, leading to her departure.
In May, Liann Reyes, the district’s director of business services, left to become chief business official of San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District.
A serious split
The Measure Q failure appears to have exposed a serious split between the district leadership and much of the community.
The school bond had been heavily favored by Silver and the majority of trustees, even though numerous residents had warned the board at several meetings about the size and timing of the measure.
The board voted 4-1 on Feb. 26 to put it on the June ballot, with Jondi Gumz dissenting. She favored a November vote that would have given the community more time to learn about the proposal.
Resulting voter rejection of the measure was widespread. Final accounting shows that of the district’s 15 precincts, voters in only four cast enough "yes" votes to have provided the 55 percent majority needed for passage. In four others, there were more "no" votes than "yes."`
Overall, the measure lost with 3,020 "yes" votes to 2,617 "no" — a 53.57 percent margin.
Silver attributed the community dissension to "a handful of folks."
"There can be a faction that’s very loud and others out doing the work, and that gives a skewed view of what’s going on," she said. "It’s my wish that we would stay focused on the children and the progress being made, which gets lost in the politics."
Last year, after Silver’s performance review, the board gave her a "superior" rating and a raise equal to that agreed to with teachers — 1 percent retroactive to July 2006 and 2.46 percent retroactive to February 2007.
Board President Allison Niday said Tuesday’s closed session lasted about three hours and the performance review likely will continue in August.
When asked about the comments before the session, she said:
"I always take into consideration public input, but oftentimes the board has additional experience and understanding of how the district works that is just as important."
A board decision on any extension of Silver’s contract, which goes until 2010, or raise in her $135,867 annual salary will be discussed in public, Niday said.
On the same day that the board slapped her in the face and shortened her contract, Dr. Yonson presided over a meeting with her staff and told them that "they would all get through this together." There's inspirational leadership for you.
SV school board, superintendent take it on the chin
Written by Chuck Anderson | Press Banner
Thursday, 03 July 2008
It’s going to be a long, hot summer for leaders of Scotts Valley Unified School District.
School board members and Superintendent Susan Silver find themselves facing increasingly harsh criticism from teachers, parents and other area residents over several issues.
Although she wasn’t present, Silver took a verbal beating Monday, June 30, during public comment time before the board started its annual closed-door review of her performance.
Speakers told trustees that Silver is arrogant, has fostered a "climate of fear" among employees and told teachers they were to blame for last month’s failure of Measure Q, the $55 million school bond.
"There is a leadership vacuum centered around your superintendent," said resident Gene Scothorn. "She demonstrates arrogance toward your employees and the community."
"What good has she brought us?" asked parent Wendy Brannan. "There aren’t good relations with parents or the teachers."
"I have serious concern with Superintendent Silver’s leadership or lack of it in rushing the bond issue," noted Martha Montelongo, executive director of Santa Cruz-based Californians for Clean Government.
"She didn’t even pretend to hear the concerns of the community. I hope you hold back on any raises or an extension of her contract. The teachers ought to come first — they are the ones doing the job."
Resident Linda Santos told the board that because of Silver, "teachers were fearful to speak out against Measure Q" and then "she told the teachers it was their fault the bond didn’t pass."
The blunt assessments came after word leaked out that Silver’s second-in-command has left, the latest in an unusually high turnover of district teachers and administrators.
A district brain drain
Teacher Ann Codd, president of Scotts Valley Education Association, said Tuesday that 10 percent to 12 percent of teachers and administrators have left the district in the past year, a higher percentage than usual in the district. (See Commentary, Page 6.)
The association voted "no confidence" in the superintendent last year during long, bitter contract negotiations. Codd had sounded conciliatory last fall when she told the board it was time for a "new beginning," but things have changed.
"Teachers feel demeaned, discouraged, fearful of retribution should they speak up and overall they feel as though they are not treated in the professional manner which their position and credentials deserve," Codd said.
Silver acknowledged Tuesday that Mary Navarro, assistant superintendent for instructional services for just a year, no longer works for the district. Trustees had a closed-door meeting May 29 with an agenda item labeled "public employee discipline/dismissal/release," but it isn’t known whether the subject was Navarro.
Silver said she wasn’t free to say whether Navarro resigned or was dismissed because it was a confidential personnel matter, but that she wasn’t aware of Navarro taking a new position elsewhere.
Navarro, who had been director of a charter home-school program in Antelope, near Sacramento, was hired to replace Susan Walker, whom Silver had inherited when she was appointed in 2005. Silver and Walker reportedly didn’t see eye to eye on matters, leading to her departure.
In May, Liann Reyes, the district’s director of business services, left to become chief business official of San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District.
A serious split
The Measure Q failure appears to have exposed a serious split between the district leadership and much of the community.
The school bond had been heavily favored by Silver and the majority of trustees, even though numerous residents had warned the board at several meetings about the size and timing of the measure.
The board voted 4-1 on Feb. 26 to put it on the June ballot, with Jondi Gumz dissenting. She favored a November vote that would have given the community more time to learn about the proposal.
Resulting voter rejection of the measure was widespread. Final accounting shows that of the district’s 15 precincts, voters in only four cast enough "yes" votes to have provided the 55 percent majority needed for passage. In four others, there were more "no" votes than "yes."`
Overall, the measure lost with 3,020 "yes" votes to 2,617 "no" — a 53.57 percent margin.
Silver attributed the community dissension to "a handful of folks."
"There can be a faction that’s very loud and others out doing the work, and that gives a skewed view of what’s going on," she said. "It’s my wish that we would stay focused on the children and the progress being made, which gets lost in the politics."
Last year, after Silver’s performance review, the board gave her a "superior" rating and a raise equal to that agreed to with teachers — 1 percent retroactive to July 2006 and 2.46 percent retroactive to February 2007.
Board President Allison Niday said Tuesday’s closed session lasted about three hours and the performance review likely will continue in August.
When asked about the comments before the session, she said:
"I always take into consideration public input, but oftentimes the board has additional experience and understanding of how the district works that is just as important."
A board decision on any extension of Silver’s contract, which goes until 2010, or raise in her $135,867 annual salary will be discussed in public, Niday said.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Greenland Update
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...
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...
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.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Galloway is FOR the PA Taxpayer
Thanks for this email submitted by a reader from Rep. Galloway. It looks like the Democrats and Rep. Galloway are working FOR the Pennsylvania taxpayer. The Republicans? The Republicans tried to stop the funding requested by Governor Rendell. Senator McIlhenney? I guess you'll have to ask him yourself.
Independence from school property taxes closer than ever
I am pleased to announce that on the eve of the Independence Day holiday, we are closer than ever to independence from school property taxes.
On July 3, I voted to move a bill out of the House Finance Committee that would eliminate school property taxes and replace them with an increase in the state sales and/or income tax (read more about it).
Eliminating school property taxes was a promise I made to the people of the 140th Legislative District, and it is a promise I work tirelessly to keep, which is a key reason why I am here in Harrisburg working through the July Fourth holiday (hear my comments).
Please visit my Web site to sign a petition to help keep the momentum going on eliminating school property taxes.
As always, please contact me if I may be of service to you and your family, and may you have a happy and safe Fourth of July.
Independence from school property taxes closer than ever
I am pleased to announce that on the eve of the Independence Day holiday, we are closer than ever to independence from school property taxes.
On July 3, I voted to move a bill out of the House Finance Committee that would eliminate school property taxes and replace them with an increase in the state sales and/or income tax (read more about it).
Eliminating school property taxes was a promise I made to the people of the 140th Legislative District, and it is a promise I work tirelessly to keep, which is a key reason why I am here in Harrisburg working through the July Fourth holiday (hear my comments).
Please visit my Web site to sign a petition to help keep the momentum going on eliminating school property taxes.
As always, please contact me if I may be of service to you and your family, and may you have a happy and safe Fourth of July.
Changes in Philly
The new superintendent in Philadelphia has started streamlining the behemoth district. "We're in the business of education here, which means that we need to think strategically and thoughtfully about how we use taxpayer dollars," [Superintendent Ackerman] said. I'm sure these words warmed the cold Grinch-like heart of the Emperor, but before we set off to feasting in Who-ville, there's another little detail.
Jerry Jordan, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, which represents most of the affected coaches, said he was not surprised by the shake-up. "This is the kind of thing that happens each time a superintendent takes over," Jordan said. "It's not unusual. We have to wait and see what Dr. Ackerman's plan is."
A PLAN!! A public, open for all to see, real-life plan! What a quaint notion. Ackerman needs to get a grip, and contact the Emperor. He can do to Philly what he's doing to Morrisville.
Phila. School District lays off 200
Posted on Wed, Jul. 2, 2008
By Kristen A. Graham, Inquirer Staff Writer
Call it Arlene Ackerman's opening salvo.
More than 200 Philadelphia School District staffers received layoff notices this week, a move the new schools chief hopes will begin to de-centralize the district and move resources into classrooms.
The employees were all academic coaches, mostly veteran educators who supported teachers in a variety of roles, from technology to mentoring new teachers.
The 218 coaches will be eligible to apply for other jobs within the district, and Ackerman said she did not expect anyone to be laid off completely. The notices come one month into Ackerman's tenure, as she begins to address "incoherency" in the district.
Similar shake-ups will happen in other departments throughout the summer, said Ackerman, who previously ran the Washington and San Francisco school systems.
"This is not the only resource that I'm going to take a look at," Ackerman said. "It's just the beginning."
The academic-coach position was too nebulous, a catch-all, and not all coaches were based in schools, said Ackerman, whose background is in instruction. Some coaches worked 10 months a year, some worked 12, and there was no common training.
"When I asked what these coaches do, people would sort of shrug their shoulders and say, 'Well, I don't know.' We need to be more intentional in terms of how we use those coaches," Ackerman said.
She called the district "top-heavy and with no real rhyme or reason for why it's organized the way it is" and said that she wants "new job descriptions that clearly define what the coaches are doing, how they're going to be trained, and what kind of measurable outcomes we expect."
And though all coaches will be invited to re-apply for a yet-to-be determined replacement position, which could be advertised in a week, there will be fewer coaching spots in the future.
"We're reducing the number significantly, as we will be reducing the size of central office again in terms of other positions," Ackerman said. She has not yet figured out how many coaches she will need, she said.
When the certified letter came to her home Monday, Tara Ardary, who has 14 years in the district, was stunned. She thought her job as a school-growth coordinator - a type of coach - at Edison High might change, but never dreamed it would be eliminated.
"School is out of session, and now everyone's eliminated? The letter said we were demoted, and now we have nobody to talk to," said Ardary, whose job includes helping teachers focus instruction and teaching them how to interpret data.
Now she's not sure if she should wait or apply for a classroom job.
Cyvi Levin has worked in the district for 20 years and been a coach for five years. She's a school-growth coordinator based at Frankford High and worries that a reduced number of coaches will hurt schools.
"I don't know if the students of Philadelphia are going to be best served by providing their teachers with fewer supports," Levin said.
Ackerman said that although the move was not made to cut costs, the district does have a deficit - currently about $5 million in a $2.3 billion budget - and resources will be carefully monitored.
"We're in the business of education here, which means that we need to think strategically and thoughtfully about how we use taxpayer dollars," she said.
Jerry Jordan, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, which represents most of the affected coaches, said he was not surprised by the shake-up.
"This is the kind of thing that happens each time a superintendent takes over," Jordan said. "It's not unusual. We have to wait and see what Dr. Ackerman's plan is."
Though Ackerman wants to streamline the central administration, she will also move to re-open two regional offices - Southwest and Central East - that had previously been shuttered, and to create new regional offices for early-childhood education and alternative schools, she said.
"It seems to me that we need to provide services to parents where they live," Ackerman said. "Plus, I'm trying to bring everything together so that we have no people working in isolation."
The moves come amid many changes at the district. Interim chief academic officer Cassandra Jones left the district Monday, and her job will be temporarily filled by Ackerman herself. LaVonne Sheffield, the well-respected chief accountability officer, recently left for New Orleans, and top finance and operating positions will also be turning over.
Jerry Jordan, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, which represents most of the affected coaches, said he was not surprised by the shake-up. "This is the kind of thing that happens each time a superintendent takes over," Jordan said. "It's not unusual. We have to wait and see what Dr. Ackerman's plan is."
A PLAN!! A public, open for all to see, real-life plan! What a quaint notion. Ackerman needs to get a grip, and contact the Emperor. He can do to Philly what he's doing to Morrisville.
Phila. School District lays off 200
Posted on Wed, Jul. 2, 2008
By Kristen A. Graham, Inquirer Staff Writer
Call it Arlene Ackerman's opening salvo.
More than 200 Philadelphia School District staffers received layoff notices this week, a move the new schools chief hopes will begin to de-centralize the district and move resources into classrooms.
The employees were all academic coaches, mostly veteran educators who supported teachers in a variety of roles, from technology to mentoring new teachers.
The 218 coaches will be eligible to apply for other jobs within the district, and Ackerman said she did not expect anyone to be laid off completely. The notices come one month into Ackerman's tenure, as she begins to address "incoherency" in the district.
Similar shake-ups will happen in other departments throughout the summer, said Ackerman, who previously ran the Washington and San Francisco school systems.
"This is not the only resource that I'm going to take a look at," Ackerman said. "It's just the beginning."
The academic-coach position was too nebulous, a catch-all, and not all coaches were based in schools, said Ackerman, whose background is in instruction. Some coaches worked 10 months a year, some worked 12, and there was no common training.
"When I asked what these coaches do, people would sort of shrug their shoulders and say, 'Well, I don't know.' We need to be more intentional in terms of how we use those coaches," Ackerman said.
She called the district "top-heavy and with no real rhyme or reason for why it's organized the way it is" and said that she wants "new job descriptions that clearly define what the coaches are doing, how they're going to be trained, and what kind of measurable outcomes we expect."
And though all coaches will be invited to re-apply for a yet-to-be determined replacement position, which could be advertised in a week, there will be fewer coaching spots in the future.
"We're reducing the number significantly, as we will be reducing the size of central office again in terms of other positions," Ackerman said. She has not yet figured out how many coaches she will need, she said.
When the certified letter came to her home Monday, Tara Ardary, who has 14 years in the district, was stunned. She thought her job as a school-growth coordinator - a type of coach - at Edison High might change, but never dreamed it would be eliminated.
"School is out of session, and now everyone's eliminated? The letter said we were demoted, and now we have nobody to talk to," said Ardary, whose job includes helping teachers focus instruction and teaching them how to interpret data.
Now she's not sure if she should wait or apply for a classroom job.
Cyvi Levin has worked in the district for 20 years and been a coach for five years. She's a school-growth coordinator based at Frankford High and worries that a reduced number of coaches will hurt schools.
"I don't know if the students of Philadelphia are going to be best served by providing their teachers with fewer supports," Levin said.
Ackerman said that although the move was not made to cut costs, the district does have a deficit - currently about $5 million in a $2.3 billion budget - and resources will be carefully monitored.
"We're in the business of education here, which means that we need to think strategically and thoughtfully about how we use taxpayer dollars," she said.
Jerry Jordan, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, which represents most of the affected coaches, said he was not surprised by the shake-up.
"This is the kind of thing that happens each time a superintendent takes over," Jordan said. "It's not unusual. We have to wait and see what Dr. Ackerman's plan is."
Though Ackerman wants to streamline the central administration, she will also move to re-open two regional offices - Southwest and Central East - that had previously been shuttered, and to create new regional offices for early-childhood education and alternative schools, she said.
"It seems to me that we need to provide services to parents where they live," Ackerman said. "Plus, I'm trying to bring everything together so that we have no people working in isolation."
The moves come amid many changes at the district. Interim chief academic officer Cassandra Jones left the district Monday, and her job will be temporarily filled by Ackerman herself. LaVonne Sheffield, the well-respected chief accountability officer, recently left for New Orleans, and top finance and operating positions will also be turning over.
Another Quiet Board Meeting
This time in Detroit. The scale is larger, but there's just as much fun.
"It's gonna hurt": DPS school board OKs massive budget cuts
by: Minehaha Forman
Wednesday (07/02) at 15:23 PM
Angry mood at meeting
A buzz of anxious voices carries through the crowded auditorium of Martin Luther King High School in Detroit. It's 6 p.m. on Monday, time to start the last Detroit Public School (DPS) board meeting before the proposed budget for the 2008-2009 school year is voted on and submitted to the state, but there's one problem: The budget has not arrived.
When the meeting finally begins at 6:40 p.m. without copies of the budget, many are not shy about vocalizing their frustrations. There are shouts from the crowd, demanding to see the budget. About 10 DPS security and Detroit police officers with watchful eyes line the walkways leading to the door. One man who is referred to as "Elder" goes up as the meeting begins and asks School Board President Carla Scott to change the order in which the meeting will be conducted so that action items, or issues the board would vote on, would come after they heard public comments, not before. Scott said she heard him but called one of the DPS security officers to remove him from the microphone.
Within the first five minutes of the meeting, it became clear that there was a split in the audience between the more reserved supporters of Scott and Superintendent Connie Calloway and those who were vocally opposing them by shouting insults even as they spoke. Board members Marie Thornton and Tyrone Winfrey -- the two who voted down the budget -- seemed to be more in the protesters' favor.
But one woman felt there was no escaping tough times ahead for DPS no matter who was in charge. "It's gonna hurt. It's not gonna be pretty," Maureen Stapleton said about fixing DPS' plight. "I think [Calloway is] doing the best job she can do with the situation. But there are people throwing bombs at her, keeping information from her so nothing gets done."
The school board voted 9-2 Monday night to approve a budget proposal calling for $500 million in cuts for 2009 and 2010, including more than 1,700 layoffs, seven school closures, and delaying contractual pay raises for union and non-union workers. The board faced a record $400 million budget deficit for this year and next.
State legislators have been watching DPS, too. Over the weekend, the Michigan Senate passed a resolution for a state investigation of DPS finances after reports of questionable money management. Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) sponsored the legislation and has been criticized by community leaders and Senator Irma Clark-Coleman (D-Detroit) for "plotting" to dismantle public education in Detroit.
DPS officials project enrollment to drop this fall to 98,356, a record low that would take away DPS' first-class title and with it the state limit for the number of charter schools that can open in the district. Under current law, a first-class district is defined as having enrollment over 100,000 and is qualified the for extra funding of more than $15 million annually. More charter schools would make the enrollment drop for DPS even more steeply, and further stretch the deficit, leaving DPS in a grim situation. In fact, some are speculating that it could mean a dissolution of public education in Detroit.
One parent was very upset about the whole situation. "[The government is] dismantling public education," said the parent who did not wish to give her name. "It's happening all over the country. They're closing schools because of so-called deficits." She sighed and put her hand on her forehead, then continued in a softer voice, "No one cares about the children."
The revised budget met some criticism from the two board members who voted not to approve it. "Why is the state beating up on Detroit?" Thornton asked, to some cheers from the audience. "Birmingham, Benton Harbor … these school districts are in debt. No one is threatening to shut off the lights on them. This is a scare tactic, this is racism," Thornton said.
Throughout the meeting, Connie Calloway hardly spoke. She observed the proceedings and interjected when she needed to answer a question. For the most part she simply nodded or shook her head. Most of the hostility in the audience was directed at Carla Scott and Joyce Hayes-Giles.
Ruby Johnson, a teacher at Marquette Middle School, felt there was something missing in the board's discussion. "The children are my main concern with all of this. Students are getting lost in this. We need a corporate person who knows about money to take over the money so that the superintendent and the school board focus on the children."
Another concern in the meeting was the proposal to cut out social workers and school psychologists from DPS and "outsource" the jobs to a third-party agency, leaving no social workers in schools. The council voted down this strategy to loud applause.
"If you look around you'll see the loud people are the ones that get attention," said parent Steve Perkins, who sat listening quietly throughout the entire meeting. "This meeting is tame compared to the last one. Usually the police have to take somebody out."
Standing outside after the meeting, one laid-off teacher was sharing his frustrations with other DPS workers. When asked if he was content with how the meeting went, he responded quickly, "I'm never happy with anything they do. Everything is political."
"It's gonna hurt": DPS school board OKs massive budget cuts
by: Minehaha Forman
Wednesday (07/02) at 15:23 PM
Angry mood at meeting
A buzz of anxious voices carries through the crowded auditorium of Martin Luther King High School in Detroit. It's 6 p.m. on Monday, time to start the last Detroit Public School (DPS) board meeting before the proposed budget for the 2008-2009 school year is voted on and submitted to the state, but there's one problem: The budget has not arrived.
When the meeting finally begins at 6:40 p.m. without copies of the budget, many are not shy about vocalizing their frustrations. There are shouts from the crowd, demanding to see the budget. About 10 DPS security and Detroit police officers with watchful eyes line the walkways leading to the door. One man who is referred to as "Elder" goes up as the meeting begins and asks School Board President Carla Scott to change the order in which the meeting will be conducted so that action items, or issues the board would vote on, would come after they heard public comments, not before. Scott said she heard him but called one of the DPS security officers to remove him from the microphone.
Within the first five minutes of the meeting, it became clear that there was a split in the audience between the more reserved supporters of Scott and Superintendent Connie Calloway and those who were vocally opposing them by shouting insults even as they spoke. Board members Marie Thornton and Tyrone Winfrey -- the two who voted down the budget -- seemed to be more in the protesters' favor.
But one woman felt there was no escaping tough times ahead for DPS no matter who was in charge. "It's gonna hurt. It's not gonna be pretty," Maureen Stapleton said about fixing DPS' plight. "I think [Calloway is] doing the best job she can do with the situation. But there are people throwing bombs at her, keeping information from her so nothing gets done."
The school board voted 9-2 Monday night to approve a budget proposal calling for $500 million in cuts for 2009 and 2010, including more than 1,700 layoffs, seven school closures, and delaying contractual pay raises for union and non-union workers. The board faced a record $400 million budget deficit for this year and next.
State legislators have been watching DPS, too. Over the weekend, the Michigan Senate passed a resolution for a state investigation of DPS finances after reports of questionable money management. Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) sponsored the legislation and has been criticized by community leaders and Senator Irma Clark-Coleman (D-Detroit) for "plotting" to dismantle public education in Detroit.
DPS officials project enrollment to drop this fall to 98,356, a record low that would take away DPS' first-class title and with it the state limit for the number of charter schools that can open in the district. Under current law, a first-class district is defined as having enrollment over 100,000 and is qualified the for extra funding of more than $15 million annually. More charter schools would make the enrollment drop for DPS even more steeply, and further stretch the deficit, leaving DPS in a grim situation. In fact, some are speculating that it could mean a dissolution of public education in Detroit.
One parent was very upset about the whole situation. "[The government is] dismantling public education," said the parent who did not wish to give her name. "It's happening all over the country. They're closing schools because of so-called deficits." She sighed and put her hand on her forehead, then continued in a softer voice, "No one cares about the children."
The revised budget met some criticism from the two board members who voted not to approve it. "Why is the state beating up on Detroit?" Thornton asked, to some cheers from the audience. "Birmingham, Benton Harbor … these school districts are in debt. No one is threatening to shut off the lights on them. This is a scare tactic, this is racism," Thornton said.
Throughout the meeting, Connie Calloway hardly spoke. She observed the proceedings and interjected when she needed to answer a question. For the most part she simply nodded or shook her head. Most of the hostility in the audience was directed at Carla Scott and Joyce Hayes-Giles.
Ruby Johnson, a teacher at Marquette Middle School, felt there was something missing in the board's discussion. "The children are my main concern with all of this. Students are getting lost in this. We need a corporate person who knows about money to take over the money so that the superintendent and the school board focus on the children."
Another concern in the meeting was the proposal to cut out social workers and school psychologists from DPS and "outsource" the jobs to a third-party agency, leaving no social workers in schools. The council voted down this strategy to loud applause.
"If you look around you'll see the loud people are the ones that get attention," said parent Steve Perkins, who sat listening quietly throughout the entire meeting. "This meeting is tame compared to the last one. Usually the police have to take somebody out."
Standing outside after the meeting, one laid-off teacher was sharing his frustrations with other DPS workers. When asked if he was content with how the meeting went, he responded quickly, "I'm never happy with anything they do. Everything is political."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)