As a new school year begins all eyes turn towards DPS and what bag of tricks they have up their sleeve this year. As a parent I look forward to what ludicrous and ridiculous polices, edicts, or decisions that would give Jay Leno enough material for a month. Life, liberty, and common sense are in jeopardy when the DPS administrators gather……
So where to begin? How about wasting money….again. Take a tour down Memorial Drive and look at the new Taj Mahal being built at the softball field at Langston. This building rivals any structure ever built on DPS property (I exclude Galileo, the most magnificent of all wasteful construction due to the fact it is NOT on DPS property, go figure that one.) An exterior of beautiful rock, central air conditioning, and architecturally exquisite design this building could be a model for future educational structures that could educate our children in pleasant surroundings. But wait, this isn’t a school, it’s a bathroom. Yes, a bathroom, locker room, and concessions stand for the softball field. All this at a field that is used perhaps two months a year. I imagine the teachers working in twenty plus year old trailers at Johnson are cringing a little. Who is in control here? Where are the priorities? Hello, anyone home?
To continue the march of the ignorant lets turn to parent conveniences. As a parent of a student starting a new school I looked for the bus schedules to find the stop nearest our home. After searching the newspaper for a schedule I contacted the school to find out when the schedules were going to be in the paper. I was informed the schedules have not been printed for several years. Here is how the conversation went:
Me: ”Why are they not printed anymore, is it a budget issue.”
School: “No, the paper printed them for free.”
Me: “So why are they not printed then?”
School: “Well the central office says it is a security issue.”
Me: “How is it a security issue?”
School: “ Err, well child molesters could see where the buses went and stopped and could
prey on the children.”
Me: “Geez, well could they not just follow the big yellow vehicle anyway.”
School: “ Well I guess they could ….but security is important.”
Me: “Yes but could a child molester just see where the buses are going anyway ?”
School: “ Yeah but it would not be printed.”
Me: “ So how do we find out the stops?”
School: “Call transportation services”
Me: “How many students ride buses?”
School: “About 4,000 I think.”
Me: “So 4,000 parents are to call transportation”
School: “Well….err…maybe. Some already know.”
Me: “Can you tell me where the closest stop is to my house?”
School: “Yes, I think …maybe….I’ll have to see.”
ME: “So how do you know I’m not a child molester?”
School: “Well…I…you see….well I really don’t but this is what we are supposed to do.”
Me: “Does this make any sense?”
School: “I really can’t answer that.”
The lemmings are running the district. If they all follow each other over the cliff I feel the intelligence level of the district may go up about fifty points.
So during the simmer the “dance of the lemons” took place. This is where administrators, teachers, etc are swapped among schools to move the incompetence around. Principals make quiet deals among each other in a “I’ll take yours if you take mine” scenario. Some teachers have been known to move around to five different schools in five years. So check your child’s teacher, have they been on the passport to incompetence? If so you are in for a rough year.
Finally, as a precaution be sure your child is in a school where the administrator has a clue what they are doing. Now I realize that knocks out a lot of schools but the administrator is the instructional leader of the school. Poor principal, poor instruction. It does not matter how good the teachers are, if they are hampered by a leader who should have been weeded out by Darwin then you are treading on educational thin ice.
Well there are always the private schools. Such a shame to have to say that in 2011 but it is a fact of life. Danville, wake up. Only the citizens can change this situation. Lets elect some school board members who have a clue about education or in fact a clue about anything besides their own egos. Will the last student leaving DPS please turn out the lights.
So where to begin? How about wasting money….again. Take a tour down Memorial Drive and look at the new Taj Mahal being built at the softball field at Langston. This building rivals any structure ever built on DPS property (I exclude Galileo, the most magnificent of all wasteful construction due to the fact it is NOT on DPS property, go figure that one.) An exterior of beautiful rock, central air conditioning, and architecturally exquisite design this building could be a model for future educational structures that could educate our children in pleasant surroundings. But wait, this isn’t a school, it’s a bathroom. Yes, a bathroom, locker room, and concessions stand for the softball field. All this at a field that is used perhaps two months a year. I imagine the teachers working in twenty plus year old trailers at Johnson are cringing a little. Who is in control here? Where are the priorities? Hello, anyone home?
To continue the march of the ignorant lets turn to parent conveniences. As a parent of a student starting a new school I looked for the bus schedules to find the stop nearest our home. After searching the newspaper for a schedule I contacted the school to find out when the schedules were going to be in the paper. I was informed the schedules have not been printed for several years. Here is how the conversation went:
Me: ”Why are they not printed anymore, is it a budget issue.”
School: “No, the paper printed them for free.”
Me: “So why are they not printed then?”
School: “Well the central office says it is a security issue.”
Me: “How is it a security issue?”
School: “ Err, well child molesters could see where the buses went and stopped and could
prey on the children.”
Me: “Geez, well could they not just follow the big yellow vehicle anyway.”
School: “ Well I guess they could ….but security is important.”
Me: “Yes but could a child molester just see where the buses are going anyway ?”
School: “ Yeah but it would not be printed.”
Me: “ So how do we find out the stops?”
School: “Call transportation services”
Me: “How many students ride buses?”
School: “About 4,000 I think.”
Me: “So 4,000 parents are to call transportation”
School: “Well….err…maybe. Some already know.”
Me: “Can you tell me where the closest stop is to my house?”
School: “Yes, I think …maybe….I’ll have to see.”
ME: “So how do you know I’m not a child molester?”
School: “Well…I…you see….well I really don’t but this is what we are supposed to do.”
Me: “Does this make any sense?”
School: “I really can’t answer that.”
The lemmings are running the district. If they all follow each other over the cliff I feel the intelligence level of the district may go up about fifty points.
So during the simmer the “dance of the lemons” took place. This is where administrators, teachers, etc are swapped among schools to move the incompetence around. Principals make quiet deals among each other in a “I’ll take yours if you take mine” scenario. Some teachers have been known to move around to five different schools in five years. So check your child’s teacher, have they been on the passport to incompetence? If so you are in for a rough year.
Finally, as a precaution be sure your child is in a school where the administrator has a clue what they are doing. Now I realize that knocks out a lot of schools but the administrator is the instructional leader of the school. Poor principal, poor instruction. It does not matter how good the teachers are, if they are hampered by a leader who should have been weeded out by Darwin then you are treading on educational thin ice.
Well there are always the private schools. Such a shame to have to say that in 2011 but it is a fact of life. Danville, wake up. Only the citizens can change this situation. Lets elect some school board members who have a clue about education or in fact a clue about anything besides their own egos. Will the last student leaving DPS please turn out the lights.
