Saturday, January 25, 2014
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
There's a Sucker Born........
Ahhhh back from a cruise and reading the stacked up papers (yes, I’m an old person who still likes the feel of newspaper in my hand!) Anyway it’s hard to decide which is the dumber story, the City and its fantom school closing, or Pittsylvania County and supervisors and their crossed fingers behind their back.
If it wasn’t so sad it would be funny. But I gotta admit the City story is much juicier! So let me get this straight , a superintendent makes up a fake story about closing a school to force council to give them more money. The weirdest part was that the council fell for it!
Lets dissect this conspiracy first. The superintendent, with the school board, conspired to announce that they were going to close Gibson. Why Gibson? Well that school has the heaviest minority population, is headed by a popular principal, is one of the last schools named after a black leader, and is located in a high minority neighborhood. Result, maximum pressure and disruption to the city council. Everyone saw this one coming…..except city council. They never realized they were set up. Some councilmen even ran on a platform of NOT giving the extra money to the schools. So much for their word…
So in the midst of this passion play they suddenly come up with a plan to LEND the schools the money they say they need. As every accountant in a grave starts rotating they develop a plan to lend the money to the schools and they pay in back over 5 years. Hmmm, so next year they will still be short the $2.1 million AND $500,000 for the first payment. Now what economics class was this taught in? Besides being financially ridiculous, it puts the schools in an even worse position next year.
Why has this crisis come about? Because despite numerous warnings and data provided to them years ago the school board has refused to address the issue of declining enrollment. DPS has been losing students at a steady rate since 2000 yet no plans were ever made to address this issue. Despite these warnings the board turned a blind eye to the issue. Instead they created a bloated central office, a flash in the pan high school, and wasted money on frivolous projects. A impeccable inside source has identified some major money debacles perpetrated by this administration. Those will be identified in later blogs.
Now let’s recap what happened. A manufactured crisis, creative posturing to bring pressure, and a swoop in for the financial kill. Have to give it to them, it worked. But next year the same problem will still be there. What’s next holding the GW eagle hostage? They better hurry, only ten months left to manufacture a crisis. And city council get ready to have your leg jerked….again.
If it wasn’t so sad it would be funny. But I gotta admit the City story is much juicier! So let me get this straight , a superintendent makes up a fake story about closing a school to force council to give them more money. The weirdest part was that the council fell for it!
Lets dissect this conspiracy first. The superintendent, with the school board, conspired to announce that they were going to close Gibson. Why Gibson? Well that school has the heaviest minority population, is headed by a popular principal, is one of the last schools named after a black leader, and is located in a high minority neighborhood. Result, maximum pressure and disruption to the city council. Everyone saw this one coming…..except city council. They never realized they were set up. Some councilmen even ran on a platform of NOT giving the extra money to the schools. So much for their word…
So in the midst of this passion play they suddenly come up with a plan to LEND the schools the money they say they need. As every accountant in a grave starts rotating they develop a plan to lend the money to the schools and they pay in back over 5 years. Hmmm, so next year they will still be short the $2.1 million AND $500,000 for the first payment. Now what economics class was this taught in? Besides being financially ridiculous, it puts the schools in an even worse position next year.
Why has this crisis come about? Because despite numerous warnings and data provided to them years ago the school board has refused to address the issue of declining enrollment. DPS has been losing students at a steady rate since 2000 yet no plans were ever made to address this issue. Despite these warnings the board turned a blind eye to the issue. Instead they created a bloated central office, a flash in the pan high school, and wasted money on frivolous projects. A impeccable inside source has identified some major money debacles perpetrated by this administration. Those will be identified in later blogs.
Now let’s recap what happened. A manufactured crisis, creative posturing to bring pressure, and a swoop in for the financial kill. Have to give it to them, it worked. But next year the same problem will still be there. What’s next holding the GW eagle hostage? They better hurry, only ten months left to manufacture a crisis. And city council get ready to have your leg jerked….again.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
The Votes Are In!!
Thanks to many who contributed to the annual "What Should Be Cut" contest! The entries were well thought out, imaginative, somewhat cruel, and downright funny. Whatever, here they are in no particular order except the first two which had the most votes.
1. Cut Superintendents Salary. By far the number one entry. One person wrote, "She needs to pay back all the years she did nothing for us....." A little cruel but these are the feelings.
2. Close Schools. Most writers realized that this was inevitable based on the population of the district however the schools were the real surprise. Glenwood and Woodrow got the most votes. Gibson and Langston received a few votes. The real surprise was 10 votes to close Galileo! as one reader put it, "A private school fraud perpetraded at the expense of all the others." Also a few votes for Forest Hills. Surprisingly not one vote for W. Townes Lea.
3. Scale Back Preschool Several readers mentioned that this program appeared to have no measureable success.
4. Fire Anyone with an Assistant in their title.
5. Stop middle school athletics programs.
6. Drop Asst Superintendent for Human resources back to a Director position and reduce that department.
7. Higher deductable for insurance.
8. Eliminate all curriculum director positions.
9. Eliminate afterschool programs.
10. Eliminate Gifted/Security position.
11. Reduce Assts. at GWHS by one position.
12. Drop Governors School
13. Close GED program and move to DCC.
14. Eliminate year round schooling.
15. Move central office to a closed school.
The remainder were person specific and were rather cruel so I chose not to print them. My daughter thought thry were funny but I felt it was a little much.
So the tribe has spoken. Come forward and extinquish their torches. Come school board, grow a pair.
Keep the letters coming to savetheschools2@aol.com.
1. Cut Superintendents Salary. By far the number one entry. One person wrote, "She needs to pay back all the years she did nothing for us....." A little cruel but these are the feelings.
2. Close Schools. Most writers realized that this was inevitable based on the population of the district however the schools were the real surprise. Glenwood and Woodrow got the most votes. Gibson and Langston received a few votes. The real surprise was 10 votes to close Galileo! as one reader put it, "A private school fraud perpetraded at the expense of all the others." Also a few votes for Forest Hills. Surprisingly not one vote for W. Townes Lea.
3. Scale Back Preschool Several readers mentioned that this program appeared to have no measureable success.
4. Fire Anyone with an Assistant in their title.
5. Stop middle school athletics programs.
6. Drop Asst Superintendent for Human resources back to a Director position and reduce that department.
7. Higher deductable for insurance.
8. Eliminate all curriculum director positions.
9. Eliminate afterschool programs.
10. Eliminate Gifted/Security position.
11. Reduce Assts. at GWHS by one position.
12. Drop Governors School
13. Close GED program and move to DCC.
14. Eliminate year round schooling.
15. Move central office to a closed school.
The remainder were person specific and were rather cruel so I chose not to print them. My daughter thought thry were funny but I felt it was a little much.
So the tribe has spoken. Come forward and extinquish their torches. Come school board, grow a pair.
Keep the letters coming to savetheschools2@aol.com.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Budget Time Fantasies
As the new budget is getting ready for discussion the school board is preparing their fantasy proposal and their “draconian” budget cuts. It is an indication that spring is on the way as the ground around city hall will not be covered with snow but tons and tons of BS.
As is their usual procedure the board and administrators will moan and groan about “the children” when in reality they are trying to protect their sacred programs. One such program is the pre-school which they claim is the answer to all their problems. In reality it is a glorified babysitting program that produces no sustainable results. The school board cannot point to one single peer review based analysis of the preschool program that would show that it works. Children in this program may gain a little in the beginning but by grade four they have lost all benefits of the program. But the administration not only clings to this failure program but actually invested quite heavily in it with the construction of a new, and might I say, ugly addition to Johnson School.
DPS has a little over 6,000 students and is dropping at the rate of roughly 100 students a year with no end in sight. Yet the budget continues to rise and decreases in personnel do not match the drop in enrollment. In addition buildings are being kept open that are underutilized and need to be mothballed. Reducing overhead and personnel is the only way DPS will reach a balanced budget.
Unless the board takes a serious look at these issues there is no chance of cutting what needs to be cut. They need to wake up, look at the figures, and realize some drastic reductions are needed.
Attention potential school board candidates! Here is your platform. It will ring clear with the beleaguered citizens of Danville. Reduce, cut, and better use the money they have.
Now for our third annual “What to Cut” forum. Send in your suggestions for cuts to savetheschools2@aol.com by February 15. The best will be printed and discussed. As always no one will be identified since we are all aware of the revenge nature of DPS. If the school board can’t do their job I guess it’s up to the citizens and employees of DPS to do it for them.
As is their usual procedure the board and administrators will moan and groan about “the children” when in reality they are trying to protect their sacred programs. One such program is the pre-school which they claim is the answer to all their problems. In reality it is a glorified babysitting program that produces no sustainable results. The school board cannot point to one single peer review based analysis of the preschool program that would show that it works. Children in this program may gain a little in the beginning but by grade four they have lost all benefits of the program. But the administration not only clings to this failure program but actually invested quite heavily in it with the construction of a new, and might I say, ugly addition to Johnson School.
DPS has a little over 6,000 students and is dropping at the rate of roughly 100 students a year with no end in sight. Yet the budget continues to rise and decreases in personnel do not match the drop in enrollment. In addition buildings are being kept open that are underutilized and need to be mothballed. Reducing overhead and personnel is the only way DPS will reach a balanced budget.
Unless the board takes a serious look at these issues there is no chance of cutting what needs to be cut. They need to wake up, look at the figures, and realize some drastic reductions are needed.
Attention potential school board candidates! Here is your platform. It will ring clear with the beleaguered citizens of Danville. Reduce, cut, and better use the money they have.
Now for our third annual “What to Cut” forum. Send in your suggestions for cuts to savetheschools2@aol.com by February 15. The best will be printed and discussed. As always no one will be identified since we are all aware of the revenge nature of DPS. If the school board can’t do their job I guess it’s up to the citizens and employees of DPS to do it for them.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
School Board Elections/Pre-school Debacle
As the end of the year approaches it becomes more imperative that individuals considering running for the school board begin the groundwork of collecting petitions and talking up their candidacy. This year is an important one since city council members are also up for election. From sources it appears that several interesting potential candidates are considering both boards. A widely respected businessman with critical views of the school board is considering a run. His intent is to get the board back on the “right track”. Specifically he wants a careful audit of all school board expenditures. He already has uncovered some questionable uses of funds. He has stated he will not be “a board yes man” but intends to ask questions that many people want to know the answers to but that school board members have been negligent in asking. This person is just one in a growing list of people who want to see real change and fiscal responsibility in regards to the city schools.
A common theme among all new candidates is the fact that the district needs to consolidate operations and close some underused facilities. There is simply no reason for some facilities to continue to operate with such low numbers. It is time the school district got off its high calorie diet and trimmed a little fat.
The district unwisely already has committed funds to an ill conceived pre-school program at Johnson. At one time pre-school programs were thought to give disadvantaged children a “leg up” on the learning process. Head Start was based on a few pilot programs, such as the Perry Preschool program, that were believed to be effective. Advocates asserted that a national preschool program for disadvantaged children would yield the same positive results. However, the 2010 Head Start Impact Study, a scientifically rigorous evaluation of multiple Head Start sites throughout the nation, found that the program is clearly ineffective. The program has had little to no positive effects for children granted access to Head Start. More recently, the General Accounting Office reported that there is simply no evidence that Head Start provides lasting benefits. Essentially, children end up back where they started. Those findings are consistent with 40 years of research on early intervention that shows that short-term benefits are possible but lasting gains are elusive.
So why is DPS investing so heavily in this program that has statistical evidence that it does not work? That’s a question for the new candidates to ask. And also ask why $600,000 has been thrown away while other students at Johnson are still learning in 20 plus year old trailers..........
A common theme among all new candidates is the fact that the district needs to consolidate operations and close some underused facilities. There is simply no reason for some facilities to continue to operate with such low numbers. It is time the school district got off its high calorie diet and trimmed a little fat.
The district unwisely already has committed funds to an ill conceived pre-school program at Johnson. At one time pre-school programs were thought to give disadvantaged children a “leg up” on the learning process. Head Start was based on a few pilot programs, such as the Perry Preschool program, that were believed to be effective. Advocates asserted that a national preschool program for disadvantaged children would yield the same positive results. However, the 2010 Head Start Impact Study, a scientifically rigorous evaluation of multiple Head Start sites throughout the nation, found that the program is clearly ineffective. The program has had little to no positive effects for children granted access to Head Start. More recently, the General Accounting Office reported that there is simply no evidence that Head Start provides lasting benefits. Essentially, children end up back where they started. Those findings are consistent with 40 years of research on early intervention that shows that short-term benefits are possible but lasting gains are elusive.
So why is DPS investing so heavily in this program that has statistical evidence that it does not work? That’s a question for the new candidates to ask. And also ask why $600,000 has been thrown away while other students at Johnson are still learning in 20 plus year old trailers..........
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Castaways
Ahhh back from hiatus. What has been happening while I was out of the country? Lets see. Same old thing? Hope not! Let’s look at the highlights:
Langston Focus School (is it still a focus school? Focus on what?) gains accreditation. Sounds good doesn’t it? But let’s look into it a little deeper. Danville hired a company to help them get accredited. So who did they hire? Pearson Educational Measurement. Now who designs and writes the SOL tests? Surprise! Pearson Educational Measurements. Despite the fact they were the high bidder Pearson was awarded a $139 million contract by the Commonwealth of Virginia to produce the SOL tests even though they were $35 million more than Harcourt Assessment. Well discussions of the wisdom of the DOE are for another day. The point here is simple, the same company that is helping Langston pass the SOL’s is the same company that is testing them. Conflict of interest? Perhaps but let’s look a little further.
Part of the Langston “plan” was that the state gives a little leeway to “special schools”. A part of that is that they do not have to meet the same requirements as other schools. So the fact that Langston is “accredited” takes on a new meaning. Let’s look at what accreditation means for Langston. Here are the “accredited” scores: English-59, Math-48,History-31, Science-39. Compare that to GWHS “accredited” scores: English-90, Math-82, History-75, Science-76.
So as you can see accredited rates don’t really mean much in Virginia’s watered down standards. How about NCLB (No Child Left Behind)? Ooops, they failed in every category. Another interesting statistic: Of the five teachers in the district provisionally licensed all five are at Langston! Way to go!
Again the cause of this problem is poor leadership from the top. The emperor has no clothes. THAT my friends, is the naked truth.
Langston Focus School (is it still a focus school? Focus on what?) gains accreditation. Sounds good doesn’t it? But let’s look into it a little deeper. Danville hired a company to help them get accredited. So who did they hire? Pearson Educational Measurement. Now who designs and writes the SOL tests? Surprise! Pearson Educational Measurements. Despite the fact they were the high bidder Pearson was awarded a $139 million contract by the Commonwealth of Virginia to produce the SOL tests even though they were $35 million more than Harcourt Assessment. Well discussions of the wisdom of the DOE are for another day. The point here is simple, the same company that is helping Langston pass the SOL’s is the same company that is testing them. Conflict of interest? Perhaps but let’s look a little further.
Part of the Langston “plan” was that the state gives a little leeway to “special schools”. A part of that is that they do not have to meet the same requirements as other schools. So the fact that Langston is “accredited” takes on a new meaning. Let’s look at what accreditation means for Langston. Here are the “accredited” scores: English-59, Math-48,History-31, Science-39. Compare that to GWHS “accredited” scores: English-90, Math-82, History-75, Science-76.
So as you can see accredited rates don’t really mean much in Virginia’s watered down standards. How about NCLB (No Child Left Behind)? Ooops, they failed in every category. Another interesting statistic: Of the five teachers in the district provisionally licensed all five are at Langston! Way to go!
Again the cause of this problem is poor leadership from the top. The emperor has no clothes. THAT my friends, is the naked truth.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
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.
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.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Integrity in Leadership
"Leadership is the capacity and will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character which inspires confidence." British Field Marshall Montgomery Integrity and leadership go hand in hand. Integrity is one of the positive traits for an effective and good leader. Personal integrity represents an honest, reliable and trustworthy person. If you are a leader; then you will bring along that good trait into your leadership style. It is a blessing for an organization to have such a leader in their organization. Having many integrity leaders will indirectly shape up the organization to be an integrity organization; be respected by employees and public. Why integrity is very important to leadership? Since integrity is a trait that exists from inner self; as a leader, you only can prove your integrity by the actions that you took and the decision that you choose. Integrity speaks by itself and it reflects on all your actions and decision. A leadership that built with integrity normally is part from an integrity organization; they can be confident that an individual with flawed character will not last long in their organizations ; as it goes to the good people, will not stay for long in bad organizations. As the result; only integrity people will be working in the integrity organization. DPS lacks this integrity combined with leadership. The most recent events concerning the superintendent accepting a pay raise in light of the current economic conditions makes this issue even more important. Employees have gone three years without a pay raise, several employees have lost their job, teachers lack adequate materials for their classrooms, yet the board offers the superintendent a raise for mediocre performance? Being paid over $50,000 more then the county superintendent with a district almost 25% smaller shows just how far out of touch the board is to the realities of the time. At least the county superintendent had the integrity to turn down any raise. That is one word that we will never hear describing the leadership in DPS—integrity. This lack of integrity carries over to the board. Have they been living under a rock for the past three years? Have they not observed the recent economic conditions in Danville? How totally out of touch can one board become? The proverbial handwriting is on the wall. This is not Wall Street. We should not reward bad, unethical behavior. The board needs to show some integrity themselves and resign and apologize to Danville on their way out.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
April Fools and other School Board Employees
Well it appears the inmates are running the asylum. Word is out that the school board offered a new contract through 2014 to the worst leader DPS ever had. I can see Mr, Christopher turning over in his grave. What a shame that the board is so clueless as to what is happening to the district. I think it’s interesting that the salary for the new year was not revealed. Do you think the employees might just be a little perturbed that their concrete queen is getting a raise while they have been without one for three years? Is anyone really surprised at the lack of leadership on the part of the school board? Well readers it is time again for the DPS Darwin Awards! This award goes to the dumbest, most wasteful decision, project, or program in DPS. Yes I know there are so many to choose from but each year I try to narrow it down to one. This year, due to the tight budget, the award has more meaning then in other years. Send your nominations to savetheschools2@aol.com. Remember to include as much information as possible. As always, your identity will be protected. So write up those nominations and get them in by April 20. How much is that wall in front of Galileo? The wall along the street is being replaced with really nice landscape block. After several calls it was confirmed that the city is paying for the work and not the school board. I guess so since the city still owns the Galileo site even though the school board has invested almost $1 million in the building. I bet a lot of landlords would love to get a tenant invest that much money in their building!!!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Fiscal Irresponsibility
Well now is the time for the school board to circle the wagons, open up the coffers, and wait for the city to fill them with gold. Soon you will read about the “fiscal crisis”, the “money worries”, and oh yes “possible layoffs”. All these phrases are intended to scare the council and the public into giving them money. Hopefully these are some council members with kahunas that will not fall for this dog and pony show.
Since 2004 the fiscal irresponsibility of the district under the present leadership has skyrocketed. Even though the population of the district hovers around 6,000 (from the 2000 level of 8,200) yet the budget and number of employees continues to climb. The cost per pupil is at an all time high.
Recently it was pointed out in another blog that the IB program at Galileo is a farce. In 2009, there were two eligible students, and neither one received the diploma. In 2010, there were three eligible but only one received the diploma and he was a transfer from Martinsville after their program shut down. This is a $10,000 yearly cost for the program not counting the cost of the testing. DPS was never an organization that could evaluate itself. Perhaps it is time to cut their losses and get out of the program. But of course the powers to be would never admit they were wrong.
The district board needs to take a long hard look at their finances and get back to the core values of the system. The truly hard decisions will be closing schools, eliminating programs, and letting pet projects die. These are the type of decisions that a school board needs to make. If they can’t step up to the plate perhaps the council will do it for them.
“Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.”
Benjamin Franklin
Since 2004 the fiscal irresponsibility of the district under the present leadership has skyrocketed. Even though the population of the district hovers around 6,000 (from the 2000 level of 8,200) yet the budget and number of employees continues to climb. The cost per pupil is at an all time high.
Recently it was pointed out in another blog that the IB program at Galileo is a farce. In 2009, there were two eligible students, and neither one received the diploma. In 2010, there were three eligible but only one received the diploma and he was a transfer from Martinsville after their program shut down. This is a $10,000 yearly cost for the program not counting the cost of the testing. DPS was never an organization that could evaluate itself. Perhaps it is time to cut their losses and get out of the program. But of course the powers to be would never admit they were wrong.
The district board needs to take a long hard look at their finances and get back to the core values of the system. The truly hard decisions will be closing schools, eliminating programs, and letting pet projects die. These are the type of decisions that a school board needs to make. If they can’t step up to the plate perhaps the council will do it for them.
“Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.”
Benjamin Franklin
Sunday, January 16, 2011
New Year Resolutions
At the beginning of a new year people usually sit down and evaluate the actions of the previous year and see what can be changed for the better. Whether its losing weight, exercising more, concentrating on business, or connecting with old friends a resolution is developed and decided upon. Unfortunately in a majority of the cases the resolution vanishes into thin air within a matter of months or even weeks.
The DPS board should consider the same routine. Sit down and look upon the last year (or in their case years) and see what could be changed or improved. However based on past experience this could be a hard task for them. Honesty has never been a strong point with the board. In light of this I had some associates “suggest” some resolutions for the board to embrace.
Board Members should submit to a “test” in order to remain on the board. This would consist of a simple cognitive ability evaluation. Can you stay awake for a whole meeting? Do you understand what is going on? A simple ink blot test would do. We just need something to assure the citizens that rubber stamping zombies have not replaced the board members but that they can still think and reason.
Board members should make a pact to ask questions about proposals and really review financial data. So often they pass resolutions without knowing the financial impact or at worst don’t know how to read financial reports. They simply allow the staff to present overviews without specifics. The result of this is an out of control spending splurge. Where are the tea party people when you need them?
Board Members Need to get a handle on the actions of the administrative services division. Of all the divisions this is the life blood area. Instruction cannot function without the funds to drive the programs. Over the last few years this business area has been allowed to fester into a quagmire of conflicting reports and unanswered questions. Lifes Little Lesson: Its About The Money Stupid! Check the increases in all aspects of the school operations. The areas that previously were under control are now spinning up like the national debt. Check it out.
For God’s sake stop reading the handbook at meetings! Self explanatory.
Make the superintendent speak for the district. Never before have we ever seen a superintendent throw so many people into the fire rather then take the heat for a decision. Time to errrrrr “man up”? Be a leader. Leaders don’t hind behind walls, they stand out front.
Just a few suggestions. Perhaps they may consider them, perhaps not. Either way I would imagine they would be forgotten within a few weeks anyway.
The DPS board should consider the same routine. Sit down and look upon the last year (or in their case years) and see what could be changed or improved. However based on past experience this could be a hard task for them. Honesty has never been a strong point with the board. In light of this I had some associates “suggest” some resolutions for the board to embrace.
Board Members should submit to a “test” in order to remain on the board. This would consist of a simple cognitive ability evaluation. Can you stay awake for a whole meeting? Do you understand what is going on? A simple ink blot test would do. We just need something to assure the citizens that rubber stamping zombies have not replaced the board members but that they can still think and reason.
Board members should make a pact to ask questions about proposals and really review financial data. So often they pass resolutions without knowing the financial impact or at worst don’t know how to read financial reports. They simply allow the staff to present overviews without specifics. The result of this is an out of control spending splurge. Where are the tea party people when you need them?
Board Members Need to get a handle on the actions of the administrative services division. Of all the divisions this is the life blood area. Instruction cannot function without the funds to drive the programs. Over the last few years this business area has been allowed to fester into a quagmire of conflicting reports and unanswered questions. Lifes Little Lesson: Its About The Money Stupid! Check the increases in all aspects of the school operations. The areas that previously were under control are now spinning up like the national debt. Check it out.
For God’s sake stop reading the handbook at meetings! Self explanatory.
Make the superintendent speak for the district. Never before have we ever seen a superintendent throw so many people into the fire rather then take the heat for a decision. Time to errrrrr “man up”? Be a leader. Leaders don’t hind behind walls, they stand out front.
Just a few suggestions. Perhaps they may consider them, perhaps not. Either way I would imagine they would be forgotten within a few weeks anyway.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
On The Mark
This letter was published in the county newspaper but never made it into the Register/Bee (wonder why). It was sent to me by a frustrated teacher. It really says it all.
Daily I am struck by the changing nature of education. Perhaps this is too lenient a description, however.Lest I be too bold, the mutation of our educational system from Jekyll to Hyde has created a marked dissonance between administrators and teachers and - to quote Herbert George Wells - our history and now our future become "more a race between education and catastrophe."
My reflections are not intended to create a comparative and contrastive framework between the educational methodologies of yesteryear and modern instructional approaches.Rather, they are intended to provide simple truths based upon basic human interaction and the apparent lack of quality leadership within the Danville city school system.To be fair, such a bleak outlook is not applicable to all schools and administrations.Indeed, many schools are forward thinking and relatively free of the moral and mental lassitude which now slowly envelops many others.
Thus, my comments are directed at those who would stunt the natural progress of academia through soul-crushing micromanagement, needless bureaucracy, and a lack of imagination.
Simple Truth Number 1: Micromanagement creates an environment devoid of trust and enthusiasm.Pointless policies, arbitrary preconditions, inane interpretations of existing protocol, and the mandatory approval of illogical rules and regulations are the trimmings and trappings of a magic show designed to deceive and manipulate, not foster an atmosphere of mutual respect.It is chicanery at its best, and smacks of insecurity.To borrow a phrase from Ross Perot, "the giant sucking sound" heard throughout the local streets is the power of the teacher being slowly extracted from the classroom.
Simple Truth Number 2: Administrators should support teachers and listen to the voices of experience.Unable to fathom the concepts of flexibility and compromise, many so-called leaders would adopt the E.B. White "It's broccoli, dear," "I say it's spinach, and I say the hell with it" approach.Any leader worth her or his salt will surely understand that teachers enable learning and facilitate growth, and thus the most humble opinion of the teacher should account for some iota of importance.Yes, the sarcasm is palpable and intentional.Most of the changes instituted within schools, however, are one-sided and neither broccoli nor spinach. Rather, they are lacking in nutrition and fortified with high fructose corn syrup.
Simple Truth Number 3: Erratic, unreliable, and unpredictable administrators create chaos.Faced with difficult disciplinary decisions, the fickle administrator will say one thing and do another.Announcements and emails have become the new standards, as administrators raise high the preferred anonymity of the intercom and the protective screen of the computer.Far away from the maddening crowd, our fearless leaders search for loopholes within their own regulations, changing them to suit the needs of the student, parent, and themselves.Instead of resolutely meting out punishment, the procedure-obsessed pencil pushers refer the offender to the teacher yet shy away from the responsibility of supporting the corrective measures taken.Indeed, teachers are held accountable for behavioral problems, informed that poor classroom management is to blame for disruptive deeds, and ultimately bear the burden of proof.More disturbing, however, is the frequency with which administrators have adopted bullying tactics to strong-arm teachers and students into compliance with new systems of governance.Abhorrent as this may sound, it should come as no surprise that timidity, a lack of self-confidence, and a woeful absence of courage breed such contemptuous practices.Simple
Truth Number 4: Classrooms have become parental theaters.Whereas parents should be involved and provide guidance for their child, doing so at the expense of the child's education is unacceptable.Administrators all too often kowtow to parents for fear of repercussions from immediate supervisors and, at the end of the day, divest teachers of any vestiges of authority.Some parents understand that their voices often carry more (financial?) weight than the teacher, and are able to coerce and manipulate to ensure that educational advancement depends more on identity rather than ability.Imagine, if you will, a place where men and women hide behind curtains, employing smoke and mirrors to deter those children seeking courage, hearts, and brains, yet welcome the voices of the parents who demand social promotion and hurl threats and insults at teachers who are left defenseless in the wake of administrative desertion.Fascinating.
Simple Truth Number 5: Students ultimately suffer more than anyone.Timothy Leary's words are possibly more poignant now than during the 1960s and 1970s, as his chilling message seductively encourages students to "Turn on, tune in, drop out."Children are being left behind, and standardized testing has become the crutch of the inept or unwilling.Critical thinking and conceptual analysis have been replaced by memorization and intellectual apathy, and students superficially tune in and profoundly drop out, instead plugging in to a vapid electronic world.The stark truth is that students learn at different rates, and have varied intellectual capabilities.Administrators and overzealous bureaucrats understand only quotas and statistics, however, and erroneously assume that if one closely adheres to prescribed agendas, then prescribed results will materialize.In a word: failure.Such a gross underestimation of both teacher and student performance underscores the uncertainty surrounding the future of education within our community.And so the question is posed, "What happens next?"Often, simple answers are found within simple truths.My observations are certainly not applicable to everyone, but those who most vociferously deny their validity might do well to revisit his or her beliefs and leadership skills.The final analysis reveals an educational apparatus occasionally offering glimpses of hope, but ultimately beset by an over-extension of authority, a paucity of academic freedom, and mind-numbing parochialism.An atmosphere of low morale, fear, and bitterness hangs over Danville city schools, and the self-centered, egotistical, and cowardly manner in which administrators govern is deplorable.Perchance the assertion of educational philosopher Robert Maynard Hutchins is correct, that "we do not know what education could do for us, because we have never tried it."
Tom Efersun
Danville
Daily I am struck by the changing nature of education. Perhaps this is too lenient a description, however.Lest I be too bold, the mutation of our educational system from Jekyll to Hyde has created a marked dissonance between administrators and teachers and - to quote Herbert George Wells - our history and now our future become "more a race between education and catastrophe."
My reflections are not intended to create a comparative and contrastive framework between the educational methodologies of yesteryear and modern instructional approaches.Rather, they are intended to provide simple truths based upon basic human interaction and the apparent lack of quality leadership within the Danville city school system.To be fair, such a bleak outlook is not applicable to all schools and administrations.Indeed, many schools are forward thinking and relatively free of the moral and mental lassitude which now slowly envelops many others.
Thus, my comments are directed at those who would stunt the natural progress of academia through soul-crushing micromanagement, needless bureaucracy, and a lack of imagination.
Simple Truth Number 1: Micromanagement creates an environment devoid of trust and enthusiasm.Pointless policies, arbitrary preconditions, inane interpretations of existing protocol, and the mandatory approval of illogical rules and regulations are the trimmings and trappings of a magic show designed to deceive and manipulate, not foster an atmosphere of mutual respect.It is chicanery at its best, and smacks of insecurity.To borrow a phrase from Ross Perot, "the giant sucking sound" heard throughout the local streets is the power of the teacher being slowly extracted from the classroom.
Simple Truth Number 2: Administrators should support teachers and listen to the voices of experience.Unable to fathom the concepts of flexibility and compromise, many so-called leaders would adopt the E.B. White "It's broccoli, dear," "I say it's spinach, and I say the hell with it" approach.Any leader worth her or his salt will surely understand that teachers enable learning and facilitate growth, and thus the most humble opinion of the teacher should account for some iota of importance.Yes, the sarcasm is palpable and intentional.Most of the changes instituted within schools, however, are one-sided and neither broccoli nor spinach. Rather, they are lacking in nutrition and fortified with high fructose corn syrup.
Simple Truth Number 3: Erratic, unreliable, and unpredictable administrators create chaos.Faced with difficult disciplinary decisions, the fickle administrator will say one thing and do another.Announcements and emails have become the new standards, as administrators raise high the preferred anonymity of the intercom and the protective screen of the computer.Far away from the maddening crowd, our fearless leaders search for loopholes within their own regulations, changing them to suit the needs of the student, parent, and themselves.Instead of resolutely meting out punishment, the procedure-obsessed pencil pushers refer the offender to the teacher yet shy away from the responsibility of supporting the corrective measures taken.Indeed, teachers are held accountable for behavioral problems, informed that poor classroom management is to blame for disruptive deeds, and ultimately bear the burden of proof.More disturbing, however, is the frequency with which administrators have adopted bullying tactics to strong-arm teachers and students into compliance with new systems of governance.Abhorrent as this may sound, it should come as no surprise that timidity, a lack of self-confidence, and a woeful absence of courage breed such contemptuous practices.Simple
Truth Number 4: Classrooms have become parental theaters.Whereas parents should be involved and provide guidance for their child, doing so at the expense of the child's education is unacceptable.Administrators all too often kowtow to parents for fear of repercussions from immediate supervisors and, at the end of the day, divest teachers of any vestiges of authority.Some parents understand that their voices often carry more (financial?) weight than the teacher, and are able to coerce and manipulate to ensure that educational advancement depends more on identity rather than ability.Imagine, if you will, a place where men and women hide behind curtains, employing smoke and mirrors to deter those children seeking courage, hearts, and brains, yet welcome the voices of the parents who demand social promotion and hurl threats and insults at teachers who are left defenseless in the wake of administrative desertion.Fascinating.
Simple Truth Number 5: Students ultimately suffer more than anyone.Timothy Leary's words are possibly more poignant now than during the 1960s and 1970s, as his chilling message seductively encourages students to "Turn on, tune in, drop out."Children are being left behind, and standardized testing has become the crutch of the inept or unwilling.Critical thinking and conceptual analysis have been replaced by memorization and intellectual apathy, and students superficially tune in and profoundly drop out, instead plugging in to a vapid electronic world.The stark truth is that students learn at different rates, and have varied intellectual capabilities.Administrators and overzealous bureaucrats understand only quotas and statistics, however, and erroneously assume that if one closely adheres to prescribed agendas, then prescribed results will materialize.In a word: failure.Such a gross underestimation of both teacher and student performance underscores the uncertainty surrounding the future of education within our community.And so the question is posed, "What happens next?"Often, simple answers are found within simple truths.My observations are certainly not applicable to everyone, but those who most vociferously deny their validity might do well to revisit his or her beliefs and leadership skills.The final analysis reveals an educational apparatus occasionally offering glimpses of hope, but ultimately beset by an over-extension of authority, a paucity of academic freedom, and mind-numbing parochialism.An atmosphere of low morale, fear, and bitterness hangs over Danville city schools, and the self-centered, egotistical, and cowardly manner in which administrators govern is deplorable.Perchance the assertion of educational philosopher Robert Maynard Hutchins is correct, that "we do not know what education could do for us, because we have never tried it."
Tom Efersun
Danville
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Stuck in Gear
Recently the citizens of Danville were encouraged to read “Switch” to find out how to reinvent the city. The purpose was to set Danville on a new direction that would move it away from a strictly manufacturing economy to a mixture of high tech/renewable energy/ information based structure that would increase the job market. In addition it was the belief that this “switch” would radically change the future of Danville and set it on the path to prosperity.
One major part of this change would involve radically changing the direction of the mindset of the citizens of Danville which is a challenging task. A subsection of this would be to radically change the educational system in the city. This change alone would be a challenge due to the current direction of the school system.
The DPS system unfortunately is stuck in reverse and can’t seem to move forward. Like a bad transmission it requires a major overhaul and rebuilding of the major parts of the system. As in a rebuilding of a transmission you have to discard the old broken parts and introduce new updated ones to the system. In most cases the main control systems need replacement. In the case of DPS the leadership needs replacement.
In order for DPS to be in synch with the reinventing of the city a new mind set is needed, No longer can they look at themselves as a group just “getting by” but as an integral part of the repackaging of the city.
Danville needs a school system that is open, honest, and willing to change. That is not true now. The system is bogged down with old ideas, lack of accountability, finger pointing leadership, and a board that operates like a McDonalds (We want it OUR way). As a result the students get cheated, the teachers get cheated, and the city gets cheated.
Until the city government realizes DPS is part of the problem and not part of the solution they will never “switch” to a new economy.
Like that broken transmission it needs to be rebuilt and the old ideas, leadership, and board hauled away to the nearest junk yard. Such “recycling” will provide a decent smooth ride the children of Danville.
One major part of this change would involve radically changing the direction of the mindset of the citizens of Danville which is a challenging task. A subsection of this would be to radically change the educational system in the city. This change alone would be a challenge due to the current direction of the school system.
The DPS system unfortunately is stuck in reverse and can’t seem to move forward. Like a bad transmission it requires a major overhaul and rebuilding of the major parts of the system. As in a rebuilding of a transmission you have to discard the old broken parts and introduce new updated ones to the system. In most cases the main control systems need replacement. In the case of DPS the leadership needs replacement.
In order for DPS to be in synch with the reinventing of the city a new mind set is needed, No longer can they look at themselves as a group just “getting by” but as an integral part of the repackaging of the city.
Danville needs a school system that is open, honest, and willing to change. That is not true now. The system is bogged down with old ideas, lack of accountability, finger pointing leadership, and a board that operates like a McDonalds (We want it OUR way). As a result the students get cheated, the teachers get cheated, and the city gets cheated.
Until the city government realizes DPS is part of the problem and not part of the solution they will never “switch” to a new economy.
Like that broken transmission it needs to be rebuilt and the old ideas, leadership, and board hauled away to the nearest junk yard. Such “recycling” will provide a decent smooth ride the children of Danville.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Convocation Chaos
While flipping through the tv channels I happened upon the Diane and Sue Show on the local government channel. This particular fabrication….errr….episode was about the convocation that is held at the beginning of each year.
For those who do not know what a DPS convocation consists of just imagine a mega church service without the collection plate (that has already been passed around the city council). All employees are required to attend this Amway style meeting to hear the latest indoctrination by the wizard behind the curtain. All the bright and shiny faces attend clutching their “bible” (DPS employee manual). Their eager eyes look longing towards the stage as they await the words of the “chosen”.
This year the meeting topped all the previous ones. Not only would the captive audience be mesmerized by the words of the exalted leaders but a new twist was added. In addition they would be showered with the words of two success stories in the form of two graduates of Danville Public Schools. So who would these honored quests be? Out of all the many graduates which ones would be chosen?
In a page right out of Saturday Night Live the special quests were a school board member and the son of a school board member! How self serving can one organization become? How many times can they pat themselves on the back? It must be a real strain getting your arm in a position like that. How condescending can one organization get?
Thousands of graduates with much more meaningful success stories could have been chosen but they resort to their own little clique. But should we expect any less?
The tenor of their “party” was diminished somewhat with news from the state that the eternally troubled alternative school (what are they calling it now?) had failed so miserably that it is in trouble of being taken over by the state. Despite numerous revivals, changes in administrations, restructuring of classes, changes in focus, it still is what it has always been, a miserable failure. So what to do next? I’m sure their will be another name change. This is what they usually do to try to reinvent a school. A rose by any other name….. Isn’t the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome? If that was true the school should be a mental hospital or did they already try that route?
So the new year starts and the same old tired ideas are being recycled as a new step forward. Well guess what? Your can repackage crap and its still crap. Until the school board is replaced and the top administration replaced their will be no improvements. It is time the citizens in Danville said enough is enough. Cut off the head of the snake and let it whither and die. Replace it with a board and administration that are not out for themselves and know how to take responsibility. Then and only then can the employees of DPS attend a convocation that may have some real meaning.
For those who do not know what a DPS convocation consists of just imagine a mega church service without the collection plate (that has already been passed around the city council). All employees are required to attend this Amway style meeting to hear the latest indoctrination by the wizard behind the curtain. All the bright and shiny faces attend clutching their “bible” (DPS employee manual). Their eager eyes look longing towards the stage as they await the words of the “chosen”.
This year the meeting topped all the previous ones. Not only would the captive audience be mesmerized by the words of the exalted leaders but a new twist was added. In addition they would be showered with the words of two success stories in the form of two graduates of Danville Public Schools. So who would these honored quests be? Out of all the many graduates which ones would be chosen?
In a page right out of Saturday Night Live the special quests were a school board member and the son of a school board member! How self serving can one organization become? How many times can they pat themselves on the back? It must be a real strain getting your arm in a position like that. How condescending can one organization get?
Thousands of graduates with much more meaningful success stories could have been chosen but they resort to their own little clique. But should we expect any less?
The tenor of their “party” was diminished somewhat with news from the state that the eternally troubled alternative school (what are they calling it now?) had failed so miserably that it is in trouble of being taken over by the state. Despite numerous revivals, changes in administrations, restructuring of classes, changes in focus, it still is what it has always been, a miserable failure. So what to do next? I’m sure their will be another name change. This is what they usually do to try to reinvent a school. A rose by any other name….. Isn’t the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome? If that was true the school should be a mental hospital or did they already try that route?
So the new year starts and the same old tired ideas are being recycled as a new step forward. Well guess what? Your can repackage crap and its still crap. Until the school board is replaced and the top administration replaced their will be no improvements. It is time the citizens in Danville said enough is enough. Cut off the head of the snake and let it whither and die. Replace it with a board and administration that are not out for themselves and know how to take responsibility. Then and only then can the employees of DPS attend a convocation that may have some real meaning.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
A New School Year
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.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
DPS Yard Sale
In order to address the financial problems of DPS I suggest that the Concrete Queens and the worker bees get together and have a yard sale to raise some money. This way the board can get rid of old unused items and at the same time raise a little money.
A table could be set up labeled “Magnet Mess”. This would feature all the equipment that was purchased with magnet money that is no longer being used. Hmmm on second thought you may need eight to ten tables for all that crap. Since no one I believe is still using the magnet themes there should be a lot available. However a lot has already been torn out and thrown away since it was purchased through shady dealings from a northern Virginia company that had a special relationship with the former magnet mistress that the superintendent allowed to run rough shod over people and budgets. Wouldn’t that make interesting reading for someone to go back over the magnet budget and see just what happened to all the money. Eight million just doesn’t buy what it used to. Step right up, get your barely used Montessori furniture while it lasts! This table should sell well. Too bad they can’t sell all the ridiculous training that was paid for by the district.
Another table could feature slightly used administrators. There should be a lot to sell on it since I believe the average experience of an administrator in Danville is something like thirty minutes. In the last six years the district has gone through administrators like water. I believe the main criteria for hiring was that they be at least room temperature. And the board sees no problem? As Sarah Palin would say, “How’s that superintendent working out for ya?” Another one bit the dust again this week as an elementary principal was escorted out of the building after being given thirty minutes to gather her belongings and turn in her keys. I’m surprised they just didn’t create a central office position and move her there.
The next table would feature about fifty 800 lb bags of rubber mulch. That was another idea that worked out well. Go by any elementary school and see how well that idea worked.
The last table would feature new ideas, creative programs, fiscally responsible projects, strong leaders, and positive views. But wait, that’s right, this table is empty since such things don’t exist in DPS.
Bring your own bag, the superintendent will help you carry your purchases out to your car while telling you how good things are going. Errr, by the way, there is a no return policy.
A table could be set up labeled “Magnet Mess”. This would feature all the equipment that was purchased with magnet money that is no longer being used. Hmmm on second thought you may need eight to ten tables for all that crap. Since no one I believe is still using the magnet themes there should be a lot available. However a lot has already been torn out and thrown away since it was purchased through shady dealings from a northern Virginia company that had a special relationship with the former magnet mistress that the superintendent allowed to run rough shod over people and budgets. Wouldn’t that make interesting reading for someone to go back over the magnet budget and see just what happened to all the money. Eight million just doesn’t buy what it used to. Step right up, get your barely used Montessori furniture while it lasts! This table should sell well. Too bad they can’t sell all the ridiculous training that was paid for by the district.
Another table could feature slightly used administrators. There should be a lot to sell on it since I believe the average experience of an administrator in Danville is something like thirty minutes. In the last six years the district has gone through administrators like water. I believe the main criteria for hiring was that they be at least room temperature. And the board sees no problem? As Sarah Palin would say, “How’s that superintendent working out for ya?” Another one bit the dust again this week as an elementary principal was escorted out of the building after being given thirty minutes to gather her belongings and turn in her keys. I’m surprised they just didn’t create a central office position and move her there.
The next table would feature about fifty 800 lb bags of rubber mulch. That was another idea that worked out well. Go by any elementary school and see how well that idea worked.
The last table would feature new ideas, creative programs, fiscally responsible projects, strong leaders, and positive views. But wait, that’s right, this table is empty since such things don’t exist in DPS.
Bring your own bag, the superintendent will help you carry your purchases out to your car while telling you how good things are going. Errr, by the way, there is a no return policy.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
And the Merry Go Round Keeps Turning
Just when you think its safe to sit back the city drops a new bomb on us all. I am talking about the YMCA debacle. After weeks of anticipation and hype worthy of a carnival barker, the YMCA committee announced a new site in Danville near the white mill for a new Y. Heralding it as a renaissance for the downtown the required group of dignitaries and publicity prostitutes gathered under a tent and patted each other on the back for such a wonderful decision. Not only would the site revitalize the downtown it would be a nice addition to the white mill site to hopefully attract a new business to the building. All the players saw it as a good thing right?
No, that was not right. A few “movers and shakers” on the Y committee objected to the site from the beginning. They continued to throw monkey wrenches into the machine until it finally broke a gear and ground to a stop. With internal threats and “or else” conversation the committee revered itself and the project imploded. On the surface they claim “higher then expected construction costs” but what real reason lurked behind the surface……politics of course. Several influential members were pushing other sites that had high placed ambassadors.
The committee knew the asking price, they had estimates on site development so the cost should not have been a surprise to anyone. They also claimed that fundraising was not an issue either. So what changed? Nothing changed except that a few influential people got their way….again. All this happened at the expense of the residents of Danville and the surrounding areas.
The committee has been left red faced and shocked by the turn of events. The most shocking has been the general public’s condemnation of the committee’s decision to pull out. These elite individuals are so used to being worshipped that they cannot bear to hear that their reputations are being tarnished. But so goes things in Danville.
Keep swimming in the river kids…..the grown ups have taken their flotation devices and gone home.
On the school front the city council has again caved into the school board’s ridiculous budget without a whimper. After all the hand wringing by the concrete queens the budget not only was passed but increased by $600,000. While other departments suffered through state cuts and local cuts the school board whined its way to more money with threats of massive layoffs. One particular lie was their highly reported budget “cut” of reducing a principal position at Bonner. They claimed they made this gesture to show the public just how frugal they were being. Unfortunately it was all smoke and mirrors. Yes they cut the principal job, then turned around and gave that principal a newly created central office position at a higher salary AND hired another assistant principal for Bonner! Is this the new math they are talking about? If it is we don’t need it! This is just ANOTHER example of how the school board and administration of DPS pulls the wool over the eyes of the city council. Someone is asleep at the wheel. Wake up and see what is happening! Just more of the same…smoke and mirrors folks….smoke and mirrors.
No, that was not right. A few “movers and shakers” on the Y committee objected to the site from the beginning. They continued to throw monkey wrenches into the machine until it finally broke a gear and ground to a stop. With internal threats and “or else” conversation the committee revered itself and the project imploded. On the surface they claim “higher then expected construction costs” but what real reason lurked behind the surface……politics of course. Several influential members were pushing other sites that had high placed ambassadors.
The committee knew the asking price, they had estimates on site development so the cost should not have been a surprise to anyone. They also claimed that fundraising was not an issue either. So what changed? Nothing changed except that a few influential people got their way….again. All this happened at the expense of the residents of Danville and the surrounding areas.
The committee has been left red faced and shocked by the turn of events. The most shocking has been the general public’s condemnation of the committee’s decision to pull out. These elite individuals are so used to being worshipped that they cannot bear to hear that their reputations are being tarnished. But so goes things in Danville.
Keep swimming in the river kids…..the grown ups have taken their flotation devices and gone home.
On the school front the city council has again caved into the school board’s ridiculous budget without a whimper. After all the hand wringing by the concrete queens the budget not only was passed but increased by $600,000. While other departments suffered through state cuts and local cuts the school board whined its way to more money with threats of massive layoffs. One particular lie was their highly reported budget “cut” of reducing a principal position at Bonner. They claimed they made this gesture to show the public just how frugal they were being. Unfortunately it was all smoke and mirrors. Yes they cut the principal job, then turned around and gave that principal a newly created central office position at a higher salary AND hired another assistant principal for Bonner! Is this the new math they are talking about? If it is we don’t need it! This is just ANOTHER example of how the school board and administration of DPS pulls the wool over the eyes of the city council. Someone is asleep at the wheel. Wake up and see what is happening! Just more of the same…smoke and mirrors folks….smoke and mirrors.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
It Pays to Plan Ahead, It Wasn't Raining When Noah Built the Ark"
School districts, especially DPS, have a hard time with a simple concept--planning. You would naturally assume that a district whose main function is education would be good at something as basic as this but they are not. It appears their long term goals never extend beyond the end of the week. To actually plan a long term strategy is so foreign to them you might as well be speaking Russian. DPS, its board and administrators, have no experience with this concept and therefore they are so far behind the learning curve that it often seems they have never heard of the term
Unfortunately the latest budget woes brings this issue to the surface and makes it even more obvious that they are incapable of implementing, or even understanding, this basic of all concepts. It is a problem that a lot of school districts must deal with but in Danville it is crippling. Planning is one of the most important project management and time management techniques. Planning is preparing a sequence of action steps to achieve some specific goal. If you do it effectively, you can reduce much the necessary time and effort of achieving the goal.
Planning is also crucial for meeting your needs during each action step with your time, money, or other resources. With careful planning you often can see if at some point you are likely to face a problem. It is much easier to adjust your plan to avoid or handle a coming crisis, rather than to deal with the crisis when it comes unexpected. The old adage, “ Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.” Is never more true then in the case of DPS and budgeting. Alan Lakein a well-known author on personal time management, including How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life, states, “Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now”. I firmly believe the upper administration of DPS should take this quote to heart and start dealing with issues that are facing them in a reasonable, professional, and sane way. This is because their recent action only illustrates their lack of understanding of this concept of planning.
Recently they announced that because it is a bad budget year (when has a school district ever said it wasn’t a bad budget year……) several capital projects would be put on hold. They give the reason for this is because funding is not available for the projects because they used the money for instructional purposes. Well first this can’t possibly be totally true because some of the money from the state has earmarks for capital projects only. If they used it for instruction they violated state law. Of course with all the recent budget juggling they have done it may be more then just this issue that needs to be scrutinized. DPS has a history of playing fast with money and adhering to the Houdini Accounting Process (now you see it, now you don’t…..).
Let’s look at recent decisions. They announced they are putting off needed capital repairs such as the Park Ave HVAC replacement. This is where the planning concept spins right over their head. Park Ave is a school on the western part of the city that has managed to maintain a healthy enrollment to the point of being pretty full. Being located in the only area of town with open land suitable for residential development and the only location in Danville where building is actually taking place should make it a strategic part of a long term “plan” of school building management. GWHS also as the flagship school of the district fits well into the overall strategic plan for long term pupil management.
Yet these schools appear to be the victims of the school boards short sighted attempt to control their hemorrhaging pocketbook.
On the other hand DPS is investing $300,000 plus in a landlocked, outdated, under utilized school in an area of declining population with no viable possibility of reversing the trend. The school Woodrow Wilson, was actually closed in the late 90’s because of it was obsolete (history repeats itself doesn’t it…..) Long term planning? No. Short sighted shoot from the hip action? Yes.
Unfortunately the latest budget woes brings this issue to the surface and makes it even more obvious that they are incapable of implementing, or even understanding, this basic of all concepts. It is a problem that a lot of school districts must deal with but in Danville it is crippling. Planning is one of the most important project management and time management techniques. Planning is preparing a sequence of action steps to achieve some specific goal. If you do it effectively, you can reduce much the necessary time and effort of achieving the goal.
Planning is also crucial for meeting your needs during each action step with your time, money, or other resources. With careful planning you often can see if at some point you are likely to face a problem. It is much easier to adjust your plan to avoid or handle a coming crisis, rather than to deal with the crisis when it comes unexpected. The old adage, “ Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.” Is never more true then in the case of DPS and budgeting. Alan Lakein a well-known author on personal time management, including How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life, states, “Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now”. I firmly believe the upper administration of DPS should take this quote to heart and start dealing with issues that are facing them in a reasonable, professional, and sane way. This is because their recent action only illustrates their lack of understanding of this concept of planning.
Recently they announced that because it is a bad budget year (when has a school district ever said it wasn’t a bad budget year……) several capital projects would be put on hold. They give the reason for this is because funding is not available for the projects because they used the money for instructional purposes. Well first this can’t possibly be totally true because some of the money from the state has earmarks for capital projects only. If they used it for instruction they violated state law. Of course with all the recent budget juggling they have done it may be more then just this issue that needs to be scrutinized. DPS has a history of playing fast with money and adhering to the Houdini Accounting Process (now you see it, now you don’t…..).
Let’s look at recent decisions. They announced they are putting off needed capital repairs such as the Park Ave HVAC replacement. This is where the planning concept spins right over their head. Park Ave is a school on the western part of the city that has managed to maintain a healthy enrollment to the point of being pretty full. Being located in the only area of town with open land suitable for residential development and the only location in Danville where building is actually taking place should make it a strategic part of a long term “plan” of school building management. GWHS also as the flagship school of the district fits well into the overall strategic plan for long term pupil management.
Yet these schools appear to be the victims of the school boards short sighted attempt to control their hemorrhaging pocketbook.
On the other hand DPS is investing $300,000 plus in a landlocked, outdated, under utilized school in an area of declining population with no viable possibility of reversing the trend. The school Woodrow Wilson, was actually closed in the late 90’s because of it was obsolete (history repeats itself doesn’t it…..) Long term planning? No. Short sighted shoot from the hip action? Yes.
Also in a continuation of the Impulse School of Budget Directing they are also in the process of spending god knows what resurfacing the track at Langston. As far as anyone is aware the Langston track hosts no athletic teams, no games are played there, and basically the field in unused except by a small group of students from the alternative school. Not to say the track did not need resurfacing (I use it myself) but on a priority list this project should have been placed just above tearing down the unused greenhouse at Gibson (a whole other Magnet School fiasco……)
As if this isn’t enough, ground was recently broken on bathrooms and equipment storage rooms and concessions stands at the Langston softball field. Do I even have to explain the fallacy of such a project is a tight budget year ? Again, it may have been needed but in light of economic conditions I believe the district could have survived a few more years without them.
An old Chinese proverb states, “When planning for a year plant corn, when planning for a decade plant a tree, when planning for a lifetime train and educate people.” DPS must get out of the corn planting stage. Lead, follow, or get out of the way. The students deserve no less.
As a footnote if the present school board member running for city council supported these irrational decisions then he is surely someone who is not needed on city council. When a cancer is present we don’t introduce it to another host we fight it where it is. The city cannot afford any more short sighted people in leadership rolls.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
The Ringling Bros. Report
It appears the obvious has happened. As predicted in the last post the made up job posted several weeks ago went to..…ta da…..an administrator already in the district. This is Danville’s modus operendi. When a person becomes too incompetent to do their job they are transferred or promoted.
So while the asst. superintendent is pulling the wool over city council’s eyes telling them they cut an administrative position she conveniently leaves out the fact they created another one! So send in the second team to deliver the news. You can’t be accused of losing the game if you never play. Doesn’t the council think it’s a little strange that the district sends in a second hand messenger? Well you can’t really blame the superintendent since last year the council grilled her like an angus meat hamburger. So to avoid third degree burns she sends in, well, ground chuck. The really sad thing it that council appears to have bought the dog and pony show.
In the meantime the cuts proposed have led to a game of musical chairs in the Concrete Palace. Everyone is scrambling to be sure they have a seat when the music stops.
So while the asst. superintendent is pulling the wool over city council’s eyes telling them they cut an administrative position she conveniently leaves out the fact they created another one! So send in the second team to deliver the news. You can’t be accused of losing the game if you never play. Doesn’t the council think it’s a little strange that the district sends in a second hand messenger? Well you can’t really blame the superintendent since last year the council grilled her like an angus meat hamburger. So to avoid third degree burns she sends in, well, ground chuck. The really sad thing it that council appears to have bought the dog and pony show.
In the meantime the cuts proposed have led to a game of musical chairs in the Concrete Palace. Everyone is scrambling to be sure they have a seat when the music stops.
Friday, March 12, 2010
The Academy Awards of Cuts.........
Well the results are in concerning budget cuts and the suggestions were far reaching. One suggestion came from England! Most however were indeed insightful, well thought out and amazingly simple in their design. One thread was present in most of the suggestions and that was the contributors tried to make suggestions that had the least impact on the students themselves..
Out of all the replies I have selected six which received the most votes. I disregarded the suggestions that were a bit retaliatory or provided little savings. The top suggestions were:
1) Eliminate Curriculum Coordinators- This was by far the most reported area that the readers felt they could easily do without and it would not effect student achievement. One teacher wrote , “These people do nothing but e-mail us pointless articles and provide no service that we can use on a daily basis.”
2) Close a school- This suggestion had several scenarios which all had merit. They ranged from closing Glenwood or Woodrow to shutting down Galileo. A few felt also that Fresh Start, or whatever they call it now, needed to be completely overhauled, reestablished as a true alternative school, and moved to the GW campus. Woodrow was mentioned most frequently as a school to close due to location and structure limitations. I know this school has been regarded as some type of “golden child” but if the program, not the building, is so good it should be able to be moved to another location and still be just as successful. Glenwood with its dwindling student population could easily be mothballed at considerable savings. A lot of venom was directed towards Galileo. Many felt this school was given more benefits to the detriment of the districts flagship school, GW. Several people felt the facility Galileo was in was nor conducive to a school and thus the program needed to be moved to the Langston campus or even to GW so faculty could be shared giving both schools a needed boost. The renovations at Galileo would not be a waste since the city has been looking for a new location for the Bridge Street fire station and this site would fit the bill plus provide a training facility for police and fire.
3) Offer a retirement incentive. Perhaps increasing the ERIP to 25% or pay part of the health insurance would be enough to get teachers near the retirement age to take the plunge . The cost of a new teacher versus an experienced teacher in considerable salary wise. Also some of the positions may not need to be filled. For example at GW the number of classes being offered needs to be pared. The district can no longer afford the wide range of specialized classes that only have 8-10 students. Also increasing class size, while not desirable, will reduce the need to replace some positions.
4) Twelve month and eleven month teachers need to be moved back to ten month. There are to many teachers who supposedly needed twelve month contracts but that need has decreased over the years.
5) Eliminate after hours use of buildings. This is obvious however the board and the administration have been very lax in recommending or supporting any energy management issues. Reductions in heating and cooling will result in significant savings. This category alone could result in over $200,000 in savings.
6) Eliminating Preschool and Switching to Half Day Kindergarten. Preschool has its value for sure but in an age of decreasing budgets something has to go. This program is a duplication of the preschool program already offered through Community Services. Cut this out and you eliminate eight teachers, principal, support people AND take another building (Grove Park) off line for considerable savings. Half day kindergarten is the norm in most states and is prevalent in Virginia. Twice as many students could be served by one teacher. This would not only cut the kindergarten teaching staff in half it would free up some space in schools for other programs.
Well that’s the list. Many more suggestions were made but the ones listed above were mentioned more then once. Thanks to all who contributed to the list. Since the central office administration can’t seem to get their heads out of the sand long enough to come up with a plan then I guess it is up to the public to make the list. All around this area districts have already presented proposals for discussion but in Danville?.....the silence is deafening. The school board should be jumping up and down wanting proposals but look at what we have to work with there! The clueless bunch !!
Lets see if any of these make the cut.
Out of all the replies I have selected six which received the most votes. I disregarded the suggestions that were a bit retaliatory or provided little savings. The top suggestions were:
1) Eliminate Curriculum Coordinators- This was by far the most reported area that the readers felt they could easily do without and it would not effect student achievement. One teacher wrote , “These people do nothing but e-mail us pointless articles and provide no service that we can use on a daily basis.”
2) Close a school- This suggestion had several scenarios which all had merit. They ranged from closing Glenwood or Woodrow to shutting down Galileo. A few felt also that Fresh Start, or whatever they call it now, needed to be completely overhauled, reestablished as a true alternative school, and moved to the GW campus. Woodrow was mentioned most frequently as a school to close due to location and structure limitations. I know this school has been regarded as some type of “golden child” but if the program, not the building, is so good it should be able to be moved to another location and still be just as successful. Glenwood with its dwindling student population could easily be mothballed at considerable savings. A lot of venom was directed towards Galileo. Many felt this school was given more benefits to the detriment of the districts flagship school, GW. Several people felt the facility Galileo was in was nor conducive to a school and thus the program needed to be moved to the Langston campus or even to GW so faculty could be shared giving both schools a needed boost. The renovations at Galileo would not be a waste since the city has been looking for a new location for the Bridge Street fire station and this site would fit the bill plus provide a training facility for police and fire.
3) Offer a retirement incentive. Perhaps increasing the ERIP to 25% or pay part of the health insurance would be enough to get teachers near the retirement age to take the plunge . The cost of a new teacher versus an experienced teacher in considerable salary wise. Also some of the positions may not need to be filled. For example at GW the number of classes being offered needs to be pared. The district can no longer afford the wide range of specialized classes that only have 8-10 students. Also increasing class size, while not desirable, will reduce the need to replace some positions.
4) Twelve month and eleven month teachers need to be moved back to ten month. There are to many teachers who supposedly needed twelve month contracts but that need has decreased over the years.
5) Eliminate after hours use of buildings. This is obvious however the board and the administration have been very lax in recommending or supporting any energy management issues. Reductions in heating and cooling will result in significant savings. This category alone could result in over $200,000 in savings.
6) Eliminating Preschool and Switching to Half Day Kindergarten. Preschool has its value for sure but in an age of decreasing budgets something has to go. This program is a duplication of the preschool program already offered through Community Services. Cut this out and you eliminate eight teachers, principal, support people AND take another building (Grove Park) off line for considerable savings. Half day kindergarten is the norm in most states and is prevalent in Virginia. Twice as many students could be served by one teacher. This would not only cut the kindergarten teaching staff in half it would free up some space in schools for other programs.
Well that’s the list. Many more suggestions were made but the ones listed above were mentioned more then once. Thanks to all who contributed to the list. Since the central office administration can’t seem to get their heads out of the sand long enough to come up with a plan then I guess it is up to the public to make the list. All around this area districts have already presented proposals for discussion but in Danville?.....the silence is deafening. The school board should be jumping up and down wanting proposals but look at what we have to work with there! The clueless bunch !!
Lets see if any of these make the cut.
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