Odds and Ends

I have been negligent keeping up with the blog but things have been happening so fast. First, getting to the results of the worst ideas by DPS or the biggest waste of money, here they are in order of the most votes:
1) By far the most votes went to Chalk Talk. If there ever was a complete waste of money and time this is it. One person wrote “…..like watching a train wreck…” to describe the show. One described it as the Diane Locker Comedy Hour. How can you ask so many questions and then proceed to answer them also? Most one sided show on TV. Seriously, it is a ridiculous waste of money.
2) Langston School. Once a proud part of the DPS system it is now a holding pen for the alternative school disaster. The campus needs to be shut down to save money or until they find a reasonable use for the campus.
3) Surprise, surprise, The Galileo School came in Number 3. As one person stated “It is the golden child at the expense of everything else. The worst part is that it isn’t very good either…..”
4) The quality and experience of administrators. Many felt that principals around the city are the bottom of the barrel. Some noted the tendency to only hire people retiring from somewhere else. Waste of time and effort.
The rest of the votes were scattered among different issues, some very personal. But the votes show that many employees are very unhappy about the way things are being run. Please note school board: Your time is coming. A lot of interesting names surfacing about people who may run. More on that later.

Without a doubt the “mysterious raise” was the talk of the town. The explanation given defies all logic. The facts are simple. Anyone who has ever been on a board knows that you discuss the terms of a contract with a candidate prior to any vote. Therefore the superintendents knew she was getting a raise—first lie. Two weeks later she announces she knows nothing about it---second lie. Board vice chair tries to cover and just muddies the water. Teachers get no raise but super does? Credibility is at an all time low. Fail-superintendent. Kudos to Adam Tomer for calling the board’s hand. Hope he remembers it next year at budget time.