Blue Ribbon Testing Reform (NCEA-JLF)

The North Carolina Education Alliance (the education arm of the Raleigh-based John Locke Foundation) released a column by NCEA fellow Kristen Blair on proposed state testing changes in our schools.

Here’s the column in its entirety, then I’ll interject with some analysis:

There’s a growing consensus that our state testing program is due for a major overhaul. But ideas on how to fix it vary widely. Last week, the Blue Ribbon Commission on Testing and Accountability (formed in May by the State Board of Education) circulated draft proposals for change. Curbing the number of tests topped the list: writing and computer skills tests could get the boot if the commission has its way. The commission’s final report is due in January, so stay tuned.

In the interim, new educational data may incite more calls for testing reform, particularly given the ongoing (and glaring) mismatch between national and state numbers. On November 15th, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released results from the
2007 Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA). The 2007 TUDA reported on the math and reading performance of fourth and eighth graders in 11 urban school districts (including the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System, CMS) on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

CMS students fared well compared to their peers in urban districts around the country, but they’re still a long way from making the grade. In reading, just 35 percent of CMS fourth graders and 29 percent of eighth graders were proficient or above on NAEP. In math, 44 percent of fourth graders and 33 percent of eighth graders performed at or above the proficient level.

How does this relate to the issue of testing reform? Consider that the state report carddiscrepancies between state tests and NAEP are nothing new. Still, lawmakers have yet to push through a testing program that accurately assesses student performance.

Instead of tightening testing rigor, the emerging trend – reflected in the Blue Ribbon Commission’s preliminary recommendations and also in national policy decisions – seems to be that less is more, at least when it comes to testing feedback. The NCES recently made the decision to withdraw American students from the international Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), due to “scarce resources.” So we’ll get a temporary reprieve from international embarrassment (the last time American 12th graders took the test, they came in 19th out of 21 countries). But our unenlightened state will eventually show us up as we fail to keep pace in the global economy.

TIMSS isn’t the only test on the chopping block. At their recent quarterly meeting, officials with the National Assessment Governing Board (the agency that sets policy for NAEP) warned funding shortfalls portend fewer NAEP tests. Exams in economics, foreign language, geography, and world history will likely be the first to go. Long-term trend tests in reading and math may take a break in 2012 for the first time in more than 40 years. Officials claimed the familiar refrain of insufficient funds as their rationale – a shocker given our hundreds of billions of dollars on annual K-12 education expenditures.

What’s the solution to our testing dilemma? Jettisoning valuable national and international assessments isn’t the answer. Simply cutting back on the number of exams at the state level won’t help us either – we’ll still have bad tests, albeit in shorter supply. Instead, we ought to trade our plethora of faulty state assessments for an independent, nationally normed achievement test. Such a move would enable us to trim state testing excesses and gain genuine accountability in the core subjects. Whether commissioners agree or not, that’s a blue ribbon proposal for reform. released this fall tells a far different story about CMS performance, lending credence to Mark Twain’s oft-cited assertion that “statistics are more pliable” than facts. According to data from 2007 state tests, 85 percent of CMS fourth and eighth graders were at or above grade level in reading; 68 percent of fourth graders and 63 percent of eighth graders scored at or above grade level on state math tests. Unfortunately, such gaping discrepancies between state tests and NAEP are nothing new. Still, lawmakers have yet to push through a testing program that accurately assesses student performance.

Instead of tightening testing rigor, the emerging trend – reflected in the Blue Ribbon Commission’s preliminary recommendations and also in national policy decisions – seems to be that less is more, at least when it comes to testing feedback. The NCES recently made the decision to withdraw American students from the international Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), due to “scarce resources.” So we’ll get a temporary reprieve from international embarrassment (the last time American 12th graders took the test, they came in 19th out of 21 countries). But our unenlightened state will eventually show us up as we fail to keep pace in the global economy.

TIMSS isn’t the only test on the chopping block. At their recent quarterly meeting, officials with the National Assessment Governing Board (the agency that sets policy for NAEP) warned funding shortfalls portend fewer NAEP tests. Exams in economics, foreign language, geography, and world history will likely be the first to go. Long-term trend tests in reading and math may take a break in 2012 for the first time in more than 40 years. Officials claimed the familiar refrain of insufficient funds as their rationale – a shocker given our hundreds of billions of dollars on annual K-12 education expenditures.

What’s the solution to our testing dilemma? Jettisoning valuable national and international assessments isn’t the answer. Simply cutting back on the number of exams at the state level won’t help us either – we’ll still have bad tests, albeit in shorter supply. Instead, we ought to trade our plethora of faulty state assessments for an independent, nationally normed achievement test. Such a move would enable us to trim state testing excesses and gain genuine accountability in the core subjects. Whether commissioners agree or not, that’s a blue ribbon proposal for reform.

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Here’s where I respectfully disagree, and only slightly…I don’t oppose accountability, I only oppose the methods used to obtain that accountability. Dumping one standardized test in favor of another is, in my opinion, not really the way to go.

Let’s take the bureaucrats out of the situation entirely in favor of leaving it up to local school districts because they would know more than anyone else how to best take an accurate read on how their schools are doing and how to measure accountability.

E.C. 🙂

Board Meeting Agenda for 12/4/07

 Click here for the 12/4/07 meeting agenda.

Items of interest on tap:

Election of Board Chairman and Vice Chairman
At the meeting of December 4, 2007, Board Attorney Jill Wilson will lead the board in the election process of the chairman position. The newly elected chairman will then lead the board in the election process of the vice chairman. If you have questions, please contact Attorney Wilson at 373-8850, prior to the meeting.

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So will Alan Duncan lead the board once again with Amos as vice-chair? Any bets or wagers? Who would you like to see in the top spot? Respond with pithy comments only.

 School Improvement Targets for SCALE and High School Ahead Academy for 2007-08
At the meeting of December 4, 2007, the consent agenda includes a recommendation to approve the proposed school improvement targets for SCALE and the High School Ahead Academy for the 2007-2008 school year. The State Board of Education allows three year school improvement plans for non-alternative schools, however, improvement targets for alternative schools must be approved by the local Board of Education annually. For the two SCALE sites, these are the same goals the board approved for the past three years with increased targets based on percentage increase from prior results.  For the High School Ahead Academy this is the first plan. If you have questions regarding this item, please contact Dr. Mack McCary, chief academic officer, at 370-8106 or Dr. John Morris, chief student services officer, at 370-8380, prior to the meeting.

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E.C. 🙂

PBS Initiative Strengthens Efforts to Make Schools Safe for Learning (DPI)

From DPI:

 *PBS Initiative Strengthens Efforts to Make Schools Safe for Learning*

The state’s Positive Behavioral Support Initiative (PBS) is a program adopted by schools that promotes high student performance in an effort to reduce behavioral problems. This team-based system involves the entire school staff. It uses the school’s safe school plan, character education efforts and strategies and discipline efforts to make schools caring and safe communities for learning. The following documentation and reference material have been added to the PBS site:

-Data requirements schedule. This schedule provides a list of reports, their deadlines and who is responsible for submitting each report.  The list can be reviewed or downloaded at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/positivebehavior/data/requirements/schedule.

–PBS module activities. A series of games that promote teambuilding and staff knowledge of PBS.  To view the activities please visit http://www.ncpublicschools.org/positivebehavior/implementation/modules/.

-School recognition documents. Beginning with the 2007-08 school year, schools participating in the PBS Initiative will be recognized based on how well they are doing in implementation, and in providing the implementation data to the state. An application and a checklist are available to download and review at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/positivebehavior/data/recognition/.

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E.C. 🙂

The minority are the kids there that want to learn

 While I was not able to make it to last night’s GCS school climate task force forum at Southern Middle due to a conflict I had, apparently there was some good discussion there.

Katisha Hayes from the High Point Enterprise reports on a little bit of that discussion:

Attendees broke off in small groups for about an hour, discussing everything from how to reduce the number of black students who are disproportionately suspended to how to handle the issue of gangs on school campuses.
The groups arrived at varying solu­tions – more parental involvement, more alternative programs, more con­sistent punishment for breaking school rules –with several agreeing, surpris­ingly, that only a small percentage of students at each school cause discipline problems.
Some believe too much emphasis is put on handling unruly students in the classroom, leaving the students who want to learn at a disadvantage.
“The minority are the kids there that want to learn, who are there because they want to be there,” parent Darilyn Knibb said.
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That last quote is striking. If this not a cry for change in our schools, I don’t know what is.

E.C. 🙂

Dudley teacher had an assault record (N&R)

 It’s deja vu.

Today’s News & Record reports the teacher that was charged for allegedly assaulting a student at Dudley High School had a reportedly shaky history, according to published reports.

So either background checks didn’t catch Social Studies teacher Robert Bullard’s past, or it did and it was too late.

I said deja vu at the top of the post because GCS went through this before, I think it was a couple of years ago where a teacher was hired with a checkered history that wasn’t thoroughly examined.

Why is it that GCS seems to be playing defense lately instead of offense?

N&R: Robert Lee Bullard, 59, of Greensboro was charged Tuesday with simple assault. He is accused of punching student Tyrick Glover in the face at school on Nov. 13, according to arrest warrants.According to court records, Bullard’s criminal record dates back at least 13 years to when he admitted to hitting a Danville, Va., man with a trophy, breaking his arm and sending him to the hospital.

Bullard pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon and avoided a trial. He was sentenced to 150 days in jail, placed on probation for five years, and ordered to pay court costs and restitution, records show.

Superintendent Terry Grier said Thursday that he was startled to hear about Bullard’s record.

“If true, that is very disturbing,” Grier said. “You can be assured that we will launch an immediate review into how we are conducting criminal background checks.”

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Honestly, is that the best you can do?

Oh…I forgot who we’re talking about…our illustrious superintendent of the year!

But wait…there’s more: Sharon Glover, the mother of the Dudley student, was angry when told of Bullard’s record.“That’s bad,” Glover said. “They are supposed to go back and see who is being allowed around your kids.”

She said the school system promised her paperwork and pictures from the assault, which she has yet to receive.

“I’ve called, but I haven’t gotten any kind of answer,” she said. “They want me to let it go, but I’m not going to let it go.”

Other parents also said they were concerned when told about Bullard’s past.

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Ms. Glover, I hate to say it, but this is your county government you’re dealing with. Unfortunately, I think you’re going to be waiting a while.

GCS…always on defense, never on offense.

E.C. 🙂

Dropout focus once again

We have breaking dropout numbers from GCS, but first…two opinions in today’s News & Record.

First, this Counterpoint:

Teachers were overcome by frustration

The following is a Counterpoint.

By Marilyn Fisher

I write this as a concerned citizen and a retired teacher. In recent weeks, I have been dismayed to read articles of student fights in our schools and even more appalled to learn of the reported student/teacher conflicts at Smith and Dudley high schools. At the very least, I hope that the superintendent will investigate the events and classroom environment that resulted in a teacher attaining such an intolerable level of frustration that it caused her to respond in the vernacular that she used.

Did the student who recorded the Smith teacher’s actions also record the events that led to her total meltdown?

The incident was preceded by a discussion regarding dissatisfaction on the part of the students with their conduct grades. Hopefully, Guilford County Schools Superintendent Terry Grier stressed the importance of proper behavior on the part of the students at some point during his apology to the students and their families. Respect is a two-way street and one must give it to receive it.

The words spoken by the teacher, “I love you and care about you …” are the words that should have made an impression on the class; they did on me. Evidently she did write references and referrals on the behalf of some students which also demonstrates the concern she has for her charges. Unfortunately, all of the positive things she has done have been negated by this incident. Music is an elective class and class members should appreciate and enjoy the experience.

It has been 10 years since I retired from my itinerant teaching position with the school system serving visually impaired students kindergarten through 12th grade. I had the good fortune to work in many schools throughout the county and spent massive amounts of time at Dudley and Smith. I was able to befriend, admire and observe teachers and students alike. I did occasionally witness acts of insolence and disrespect by students toward teachers. Yet in every class there are students who are focused on getting an education. Don’t they have the right to obtain one in an environment appropriate for learning by incorporating mutual respect and responsibility on the part of all involved?

I do not condone teachers losing control by using bad language or fighting with students. I do, however, recognize a call for help when I hear it.

School systems are rightfully concerned with student dropout rates. Shouldn’t they be at least as concerned with providing teachers with an optimum teaching environment to prevent them from leaving the profession?

The writer lives in Greensboro.

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Next, Greensboro resident Keith Hoile pens this article, saying high school dropouts will create an economic underclass:

 Andres Oppenheimer, a correspondent for the Miami Herald, discussed an alarming possibility in a column reprinted in the Nov. 7 News & Record. If the United States continues to adopt policies that tend to isolate illegal immigrants and their children who have been raised almost since birth in this country, Oppenheimer can imagine an ever-angrier immigrant underclass that may turn to violence when they perceive that even their children are legally proscribed from opportunities to participate fully in the American Dream.

I question whether violence would necessarily be limited to the so-called immigrant underclass. Data show that income and wealth gaps between the richest and poorest among us continue to increase, reaching extremes not seen since the 1920s. Because we have had such civil discourse and politics for so long, we forget that desperation can provoke protests and riots. For example, this occurred in the 1930s when World War I military veterans became frustrated enough to riot in the District of Columbia.

I am not suggesting current or future economic conditions are likely to be as severe as during the Great Depression. However, people’s expectations are much higher today, so they may not be willing to accept as much deprivation as our parents and grandparents. A recent Johns Hopkins report for the Associated Press called four Guilford County high schools “dropout factories,” together with 1,700 others throughout the country. What are the opportunities for high school dropouts today? Very dismal. On the Nov. 7 Diane Rehm program on WUNC-FM, former West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise, now the president of the Alliance for Excellent Education, stated that a high school dropout would typically earn $260,000 less during a lifetime than a high school graduate.

And we all know that even a high school education is not sufficient to prepare one for a job with a good economic future in America.

Returning to Guilford County, we should not be surprised at the four schools cited in the Associated Press report — Smith, Dudley, Eastern and Central. Dudley and Smith were threatened with outside intervention by Judge Howard Manning’s order last year. While some commentators have disputed the findings or methodology in the Associated Press report, the fact is that these four schools have struggled for years trying to educate all their students.

In 2000, I analyzed N.C. Department of Education data that showed Guilford County had much greater variation in test scores among its high schools than did Wake County. Much of the variation was accounted for by the different performance between schools like Grimsley and Dudley. (Incidentally, no Wake County high schools were included on the Associated Press dropout factory list.)

This situation need not be the case in Guilford County. Dudley was once a proud institution, graduating young men and women who have become some of our most distinguished citizens.

Academic problems do not suddenly materialize in ninth grade. They begin in elementary school, where we must increase our efforts, through special tutoring programs, more parental involvement, high quality teachers and other resources.

We can be proud that Guilford County’s Terry Grier was recently named the state’s top superintendent. Without taking any luster away from his many achievements, we still need a school system that educates all of our students, for their future and the future economic health of Guilford County.

We can’t tolerate a growing underclass here in Guilford County and the problems it would cause, whether or not we ever experience violence in the form of riots.

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All this…leading up to new numbers just released today, from GCS, claiming fewer students dropped out during this past academic year.

Via the N&R:  The district reports that 680 out of about 22,700 students dropped out for a rate of 2.99 percent. That compares to 766 dropouts and a rate of 3.41 percent in 2005-06. Seven additional students dropped out in elementary and middle schools.

Hmmm….

More coverage and links from the N&R Chalkboard.

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E.C. 🙂

Disruptive students get far too many assurances (N&R)

In a LTTE in today’s News & Record:

David Hoggard (Nov. 21) has it right. There is far too much emphasis on assuring the “rights” of the disrupter than there is on protecting the “rights” of the learner in our public schools. Are schools supposed to be places of learning or day care centers? I am luckier than most. In my classes, most of my students either want to learn or can be persuaded to. Some, a disruptive few, couldn’t care less and are there, I suspect, because their parents had no place else to put them during the day.

Sound harsh? What’s harsh (and unfortunate) is that the rights of good and decent children (and their parents) are violated every day in our public schools and it’s not politically correct to do much about it. Perhaps it is time for the advocates of the decent students to start pressing legislators and filing litigation in order to stem the tide.

No, it’s past time.

William Toth
Greensboro

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E.C. 🙂

Marching Red Raiders Heading to the Sugar Bowl (HPE)

(courtesy DAVID HOLSTON | HPE)

The High Point Enterprise has a good story today highlighting the Andrews H.S. marching Red Raiders and their quest to complete their fundraising goal to meet their invitation to march in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day. The band performed at the Cotton Bowl last year and brought home a nice trophy for their efforts.

See this excerpt:

But raising money for the trip to New Orleans has been anything but easy for the T. Wingate Andrews High School marching band. The group is in the “11th hour,” said band director Ricardo Reid, in fulfilling deadlines for the $44,000 trip.
Reid expressed disappointment at the thought of having to pull out from the Bowl Games of America’s invitation. He and others are hoping for a repeat of last year’s outpouring of support from the community which paid for a $60,000 trip to Dallas, Texas, for the Cotton Bowl. There they were awarded three trophies for their performance.
This year, the young musicians hope to take their song and dance that the Triad community has marveled at for years on the road again. This time to Louisiana, where they will get national attention dur­ing the annual Sugar Bowl game on New Year’s Day.
Fundraising efforts have been slow, but members of the Band Boosters club are banking on the kindness of local organizations, individ­uals and businesses to sup­port the band again.

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E.C. 🙂

Leave education to principals, teachers, parents (Leonard Pitts)

Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts inks a column today discussing the unfortunate state of public education nationwide, but primarily as it relates to children of color. Pitts recently visited two charter schools in Gaston County as part of a series of columns he has been running. Here’s the column, in its entirety:

GASTON, N.C. — As I wandered about looking lost, I chanced upon a teacher who volunteered to lead me where I needed to be. When I told her why I was here — a series of columns on What Works to change the culture of dysfunction that entraps too many African-American kids — she told me I had come to the right place: KIPP Gaston College Preparatory and KIPP Pride, two charter schools serving 600 kids here in farm country. She said she believes so much in what KIPP schools are doing — longer school day and year, higher expectations, more teacher freedom — that she came from Iowa to teach here.

In my last column, I told you about KIPP (the Knowledge Is Power Program), a network of 57 charter schools across the country that are reporting stellar results with their 14,000 mostly black and Hispanic students. Today I want to talk about the role teachers play in that, and all, academic success.

I’m not unmindful — a handful of readers brought this up — that parental involvement is also a key ingredient in that success. Some sorry parents never meet a child’s teacher until graduation day — if then. But even the most involved parent is limited in his or her ability to make a difference when teacher quality is, in the words of GCP Principal Caleb Dolan, “a crap shoot.”

”I understand how parents feel,” he said. ”If my child gets this side of the hall, they’re in great shape. If they get that side of the hall . . . ” He doesn’t finish the sentence. He doesn’t need to.

Having spent the last year studying educational success stories, I find myself increasingly convinced that much of what ails American schools can be traced to a bureaucracy that: a) doesn’t pay enough; b) does too little to encourage and reward creativity; c) doesn’t give principals authority over who works in their schools; d) makes it nearly impossible to fire bad teachers.

As Dolan put it, “I don’t think you can pay a good teacher enough, and I don’t think you can fire a bad teacher fast enough.”

”Teachers are generally very optimistic,” said KIPP co-founder Dave Levin. “Unfortunately what happens is, you don’t have a lot of examples in this country of systemic success and success at scale. You might have a good teacher there or a good teacher here, but you don’t get enough concentration within a school or a district to have a cycle of success.”

Spend enough time pushing boulders uphill, and it wears you out. Enthusiasm becomes indifference, energy burns out like candles, and success is defined down. Said Levin, “What you see in too many neighborhoods when people talk about schools, they want to talk about these tiny, incremental changes — which are necessary. But for individual kids, when you gain two or three points on a reading test, it doesn’t necessarily change your life options. As their teachers, we can’t just go blindly celebrating that without saying that we expect more.”

No one becomes a teacher to get rich. You become a teacher because you want to give back, you want to shape future generations, you want to change the world. But the reality of our educational system and the grimy culture in which it operates is that that prime directive often winds up subordinate to the directives of a creativity-choking bureaucracy that seems less interested in educating disadvantaged kids than in warehousing them.

And then, here comes a program that’s educating such kids so effectively a woman moves halfway across the country to be a part. The lesson could not be clearer.

You want to fix American education? Step one: Empower principals to hire good teachers. Step two: Require raised expectations.

Step three? Get out of the way.

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E.C. 🙂

New Link: Council of the Great City Schools

Just added to the blogroll/links section (to the right-hand side of your screen) is a link to the DC-based Council of the Great City Schools. This advocacy organization that claims to be the “only national organization exclusively representing the needs of urban public schools.”

Its goals:

To educate all urban school students to the highest academic standards. To lead, govern and manage our urban public schools in ways that advance the education of our children and inspire the public’s confidence. To engage parents and build a confident, committed and supportive urban community for raising the achievement of urban public schoolchildren.

Very noble.

E.C. 🙂

21st Century Public Education (cartoon)

From cartoonist Mike Keefe in the Denver Post…since “21st century education” is the new standard buzzword, this cartoon needs no introduction:

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E.C. 🙂

Truancy in Guilford County

Doug Clark at the News & Record posts a blog entry today on what he sees as truancy at its worst…he’s referring to High Point’s Greenway that runs between Andrews H.S. and Welborn Middle School right next door.

Clark describes the situation as he was jogging along the Greenway this morning after classes began (which is around 8:30-8:40am):

So why did I pass kids trudging s-l-o-w-l-y toward school or just hanging around laughing and smoking? Must have been about a dozen in three different groups.

Is this the norm around our schools?

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I told Clark:

…that greeneway has always had problems with kids either skipping school or being late to class. It was a problem two years ago when I was at Andrews.Nice to see things haven’t changed much.

Principals would try to rouse them periodically, along with SROs from both Welborn & Andrews, but they can only do so much, unfortunately. Since Guilford County (or Guilford County Schools) doesn’t have truant officers (wow…there’s a novel concept), it is left up to school administrators to shuffle them into school and back into class.

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Again, this is not rocket science, people. We do clearly have a truancy problem in Guilford County and our kids only seem to get a slap on the wrist…it’s like pulling fire alarms just to end school early, there are rules, but no teeth to them.

By the way, here are some other comments:

jaycee said:

Why should they bother? They won’t be punished because it might hurt their “self esteem”
So they’re pretty much free to do as they wish. If a teacher talks to them about it all they have to do is assault the teacher and then claim they’re a “victim” of teacher abuse.

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just saying said:

Plus, if the administration dared try to round up these kids, Deena Hayes and her buddies would promptly accuse the principal of racism. So like Jaycee says, the kids are pretty much free to act as they want. That’s just how it works in GCS.

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GCS, in its published student handbook, says the following with regards to truancy:

 Unlawful absence will result in conferences with parents/guardians.
Unlawful absence and/or truancy may lead to disciplinary action to
include court proceedings involving parents and/or students if the
student is under sixteen years of age. North Carolina General Statute
(G.S. 115C-378) requires attendance until age sixteen (16).

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I will point your attention to two other items…I reported on what Randolph County is doing back on April 19, 2007. Randolph unveiled a new truancy court back in the Spring designed to address chronic truancy in both Randolph County Schools and Asheboro City Schools. Reread this posting.

If we can’t be on the front-lines of this problem in GCS, then I will direct your attention to the headlining cartoon…if the kids can’t show up for school, then let’s get the parents in.

E.C. 🙂

Remarks Made at Jamestown Middle Forum 11/28/07

UPDATED…

Tonight was the second of two forums on the possible inclusion of Jamestown Middle School in next year’s proposed bond. An estimated 60-70 people came out to the JMS gym to voice opinions and ask questions, and receive instant feedback from GCS Board members. Grier was not there, neither were board members Deena Hayes nor Walt Childs.

What follows is the full text of my speech; see today’s News & Record coverage for more on last night’s forum:

Good evening Mr. Chairman, members of the Board.

In 2003, the citizens of this community voted in the affirmative for a school bond in which they were promised a replacement school for Jamestown Middle. Because of the incompetence of Guilford County Schools, that school never came.

Five years later, this system is coming to us once again, asking us to sign off on a nearly half-a-billion dollar bond referendum in which Jamestown Middle is at the top of the list. I’m not so sure you will have the same amount of support as you had in 2003, but this school needs to be built.

Let me say that I don’t like school bonds. And I know there are many in this audience who also despise bonds.

Those bonds must be repaid and it only creates more debt. For a school system that does not know how to control its expenses, debt seems to spiral like a bad bottle rocket. And it only hurts our children.

I’m very uncomfortable that Jamestown Middle is included in another bond…when it was already approved by the voters in the affirmative five years ago. No one has discussed what will happen if the bonds are voted down. Certificates of participation are indeed an option but if the County Commissioners will not agree to hand them out, then what? This community waits once again for a new middle school?

Then there was recent talk of redistricting part of the Jamestown Middle zone to Allen Jay. In my opinion, any talk of redistricting is dead on arrival. Nothing short of neighborhood schools will be acceptable to me or this audience you see behind me. Then there has been discussion about where to place the autism facility. I think a dedicated autism facility is a noble inclusion and it can be done, using existing facilities with minimal disruption. And while I’m not the biggest fan of large schools, I think if this Board sat down with this community not only as you’re doing tonight but more frequently and see what the community’s needs are, it will be more fruitful than arbitrarily making decisions that this community will be unhappy about.

My daughter is a second grader at Pilot Elementary School this year, which is a feeder school for Jamestown Middle. If we remain in this zone, the decisions you make for Jamestown Middle will affect her, and my neighbors.

Ladies and gentlemen, we’re gathered here simply because our elected school leadership once again failed to do its job. And as a result, Guilford County Schools continues to fail our children. The discipline and violence in our schools and classrooms is out of control, cultural arts is being scaled back in favor of teaching our children how to pass a two hour test, teachers are thrown under the bus if they blow the whistle and voice a complaint in their schools, construction projects are botched…I could go on and on.

This is an opportunity to do something right for our children, an opportunity to show the citizens of Jamestown that they can still have an ounce of hope in their public school system. This is an opportunity to commit yourselves to building this school, smartly and cheaply. This is an opportunity to both initiate and engage in substantial dialogue with this community instead of being reactionary and jumping the guns like this board does periodically.I urge this board to reconsider tying Jamestown Middle to a bond that’s likely to crash and burn. Build the school. Build it now. Show this community that you’re committed to our children. Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless the children of Guilford County.

E.C. 🙂

Triad Today hosts Dr. Grier this Sunday evening

Locally-produced Triad Today will host Supt. Dr. Terry Grier (GCS) and Don Martin, Supt. of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools as part of an anniversary broadcast celebrating the show’s 200th episode.

The show will air this Sunday, Dec. 2 at 10:30pm on MY-48 WMYV.

Here’s a link to the show’s Web site.

Here’s a short blurb found in this week’s YES! Weekly.

photo by Daniel Bayer (YES! Weekly)

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 E.C. 🙂

Audit: State overpaid on travel for education-board chairman (W-S Journal)

Get your barf-bags ready…I have here a very disgusting story because it involves government waste at its worst, almost borderline-fraud.

And for everyone out there who does NOT believe that our state department of public instruction needs reform…pay attention to this:

From today’s Winston-Salem Journal…a state audit uncovered overpayments for state travel reimbursements totaling more than $57,000 for state board of education chairman Howard Lee. Apparently, the good chairman felt as though he did not want to drive his personal car between his home in Chapel Hill and Raleigh, where he “conducts” most of his “state business.” Note…some of that “state business” also includes the work he does as an appointed member of the state utilities commission.

Now follow along…as a member of the utilities commission, Lee is classified as a state employee, pulling in a salary of $119,000. But as a member of the state board of education, he is not considered a full-time state employee.

But, according to the article, he requested use of a state-issued vehicle to use.

Here’s the sickening part:

Beginning in September 2004 – and continuing until recently – Lee shuttled back and forth between the two cities in rental cars paid for with taxpayer money, according to the report, which was released yesterday.During the 34-month period examined in the audit, Lee drove about 68,000 miles in rented Chrysler 300s at a total cost of $57,100.

Under state regulations, Lee was entitled to be reimbursed for his travel. Initially, he used his own car and was eligible for a reimbursement of 25 cents a mile, the same rate that is given to all members of state boards who are not state employees.

After a few months on the school board, because of increased mileage on his personal car, Lee asked to be given a state-issued vehicle to use. But only state employees are legally authorized to drive state cars, and Lee, as a board member, was not considered a state employee.

The N.C. Department of Public Instruction then considered renting or leasing a car for Lee to use. Because of concerns about being locked into a long-term lease, the department agreed to allow Lee to rent a car from a local rental company.

According to the auditor’s report, the state could have gotten a 36-month lease for the same car and saved about $26,000.

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I’m sorry…I only wish I could drive 68,000 miles in a rented Chrysler 300…my God, they couldn’t even give him a Hyundai subcompact? I would be very interested in knowing who at DPI signed off on this?

State Supt. June Atkinson in full damage control (the spin here is disgusting):
“In hindsight, given the Chairman’s extensive travels to address the significant reform issues facing our public schools, a lease would have been a more cost effective option,” wrote June Atkinson, the state superintendent of public instruction.

Atkinson added that at the time that the department settled on a rental car, renting seemed a better option because it required a shorter commitment than a lease.

The auditor’s office also said that Lee is now eligible to drive a state-issued vehicle – a cheaper option than either renting or leasing.

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More outrage:

According to the audit, once Lee became a state employee on the utilities commission, he could have driven a state-issued car instead of a rental. That would have saved the state about $33,000, the audit said.

But the department of public instruction disputed that finding. The department said it has repeatedly tried to get a state-issued car for Lee, but even after his appointment to the utilities commission, he remained legally ineligible to drive a state-issued car while carrying out education business.

The department “consistently has attempted to provide the State Board of Education Chairman with the most cost effective, legal transportation available while traveling on State Board of Education business,” the department said in a statement. The department also said that Lee stopped driving a rented car on Sept. 20.

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I’ve seen enough.

$57,000 would buy a whole lot of supplies for teachers. It would outfit a school computer lab nicely, it would be enough to provide laptops for several teachers, you know, the ones who you, the state, constantly harp on using technology in the classroom?

$57,000. It’s your money. Worst of all, it’s the children’s money. Now, if you will excuse me, let me go use that barf bag.

E.C. 🙂

To be partisan or nonpartisan in W-S…that is the question

School board elections in Guilford County are supposed to be nonpartisan. But school board elections in neighboring Forsyth County are partisan.

Are there benefits or drawbacks to this? Our local chapter of the League of Women Voters has called a forum to debate this issue.

See this posting from local blogger Diane Davis at Greensboro Peer Pressure:

The League of Women Voters of the Piedmont Triad will sponsor a public meeting on the issue of non-partisan school board elections for the Winston-Salem Forsyth County School District.

December 3, 2007, 7:00 PM
Central Library
660 W. Fifth Street
Winston-Salem, NC

Does a non-partisan school board do a better job? Do non-partisan school board elections help or hinder the recruitment of good candidates? The forum will explore these topics.

Sheree Fowler and members the CHANGE organization are the featured speakers. Call 996-7319 for details.

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E.C. 🙂

Best Day Ever

This Web site once again set another site record for one-day visitors: 273 today. That beats the old one-day record of 251 logged back in the Spring.

Thank You.

Clearly, the word is getting around about this campaign and this mission and you’re telling your friends, family, neighbors, colleagues and teachers. This is grass-roots at its finest, and this will be the key to victory next year.

And clearly, we’re turning heads downtown!

E.C. 🙂

Teachers on the Brink: Dudley teacher charged (N&R)

From a staff report in today’s News & Record:

GREENSBORO — A Dudley High teacher has been charged with simple assault after a 14-year-old student accused the teacher of hitting him on Nov. 13.

Robert Lee Bullard, 59, resigned the same day as the accusation.

According to his arrest warrant, Bullard punched Tyrick Glover in the face. He was released on a written promise to appear in court on Feb. 27.

Bullard was hired in August and taught social studies, according to Guilford County Schools.

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GCS’ image problem just got worse.

E.C. 🙂

More contradictions

UNC system schools statewide are reporting less and less freshman students needing remediation upon entering, according to a lengthy Sunday story in the News & Record.

N&R excerpt: Statewide, 5.1 percent of freshmen who enrolled in UNC universities in 2005 directly out of high school needed to take at least one remedial course, according to the system, down from a high of 14 percent in 1998.

Guilford County freshmen fared equally well in 2005, the latest year for which data are available.

Another UNC system study found the number of students taking remedial courses declined 48 percent from 1985-86 through 2003-04, while the number of students enrolling increased 40 percent.

But here’s an interesting quote/excerpt: Increasing the number of students taking Advanced Placement courses, halving the dropout rate and creating middle colleges for those who fare poorly in traditional high schools have helped better prepare students for college, Grier said.

“Do we still have students who leave here who go to college needing remedial help?” Grier said. “Yes. And your critics will point fingers and say, ‘See I told you, they aren’t doing a good job.’ Well, how I respond to that is we’re doing a much better job. We’re encouraging students who want to go to college to give it a try. And that often requires some remediation. And what I do is smile and say, so what? If that’s what it takes, why not remediate them?”

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Since when is he worried about “critics”? Is he saying the taxpayers…you know, the ones that pay his salary, are not supposed to criticize or form opinions about the job he is doing or the job our public schools are doing?

Is it any wonder why our schools are in shambles?

I’ve run this cartoon a couple of times here on this blog. I’m running it again because the referenced N&R story is contradictory to a March 27 post I wrote in regards to a book review where statistics on college freshman remediation say otherwise.

Another great edition to the “E.C. Huey bookclub” is “Battling the Hamster Wheel” by Grace Sammon, in which 40 percent of students entering college NEED remediation.

Fair & balanced reporting, my friends, fair and balanced.

E.C. 🙂

Community suggests ways to improve dropout rate (CP)

This week’s Carolina Peacemaker has the details on the recent forum held at Smith High School on the state’s dropout prevention initiative.

Some excerpts:

The N.C. Speaker’s House Initiative on Dropout Reform sponsored the public hearing on Thursday, Nov. 15. This was the legislative committee’s twelfth public hearing held throughout the state since April by Reps. Parmon, Alma Adams of Guilford County [pictured] and Susan Fisher of Buncombe County.
According to the N.C. State Department of Public Instruction (DPI), North Carolina high schools reported 22,180 students dropped out in 2005-06. The 5.04 percent dropout rate was an increase from the 4.74 percent rate reported from the previous academic year.
In Guilford County, 766 students dropped out for a rate of 3.41 percent in 2005-06. The previous year, 644 dropped out for a rate of 2.98 percent. Rates for the 2006-07 year have not yet been released by the state.

More:

Creating and furthering collaborative efforts between community-based groups and the school system was a common suggestion. “If school systems are not partnering with community-based agencies they’re missing a critical resource that can help to reach a lot of these kids who are at risk or have already dropped out,” said Guilford County Board of Education member, Amos Quick.
Quick also said the state needs to more accurately track students, be willing to try proven, innovative strategies, increase the construction and operation of non-traditional school environments and provide differentiated pay for educators and support staff.
“When we have to make decisions as to whether or not to cut those programs, it hurts our most fragile students the most,” said Quick.

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I have a novel idea…how about including parents as key stakeholders, recognizing them as true partners in this relationship and getting them more involved? What is the role of our PTAs in this?

One last quote:

Damon Williams, a parent and Smith High alumnus suggested creating an African-centered curriculum. “We have Spanish immersion schools, we have science and math schools, but nothing centered around an African perspective as it relates to history,” he said.
Tania Castillero Hoeller, program director of Latino Family Center encouraged the legislative committee to reach out to Latino families.

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E.C. 🙂

Saving the Music: Oxymorons Abound

The contradictions at GCS are so thick, you can cut them with a knife. Apparently, we were talking about this very thing two years ago.

(recent coverage on saving the music/saving the arts can be found here and here)

Refreshing your memories from two years ago, here is a link to the News & Record’s Chalkboard blog, in which former education reporter Bruce Buchanan inks a post (and story) on then-the number of students taking cultural arts classes on the increase, despite the then-non push by GCS to increase cultural arts offerings.

So if our children were enrolling in these classes and programs at a steady clip two years ago, why hasn’t anyone downtown been paying attention, instead of trying to cut back on these classes?

Again, cue the cricket sound effects.

Being asleep at the wheel does not win elections. But getting involved…does. Go to “Save GCS Arts” (at http://www.savegcsarts.com/) to learn more and to get involved.

E.C. 🙂

Grier’s going to do it anyway

So it is a given that Terry Grier did not look at the John Locke Foundation’s report which says that an extended school day does not necessarily translate into better performance.

This is the report Grier does not want you to see. But I want you to see it.

Because he’s determined to do whatever he wants to do and will strong-arm our school board to go along with whatever he wants to do…I can’t wait until May.

Today’s High Point Enterprise reports on Grier’s strong desire to make this happen, during an afternoon briefing yesterday at Central Office.

HPE: Superintendent Terry Grier re­iterated again Monday his interest in lengthening the time students spend in the classroom.
Grier is considering putting money in next year’s budget to expand the traditional school calendar an extra 20 days. Making the school day an hour longer at select elementary and mid­dle schools also is being studied.
Grier said during an afternoon meeting with staff and school board members that low-performing schools would be targeted under his proposal.
Extended-year schools already exist in Guilford County, including Johnson Street Global Studies and Brooks Global Studies. Grier wants more schools to add on the additional days. For now, the school system will pilot an extended-year cal­endar at Ferndale Middle and Washington Elementary that will apply to students in the newly developed mag­net programs at those schools. “For those two schools, that’s our plan,” Grier said during the meeting.

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Where oh where is the backbone from the Board?

E.C. 🙂

Regional Briefs for 11/27/07

Scanning the wires to continuously give you the best variety of public school news…

1. A task force in Lexington will study the problem of low graduation rates at the city-run schools there. This, from the Winston-Salem Journal…the task force will be comprised of parents, students, community leaders and school board members.

W-S Journal: In February, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction released graduation figures, which showed that 43.7 percent of freshmen at Lexington Senior High School graduated in four years.

It was the lowest rate in North Carolina. Statewide, 68.1 percent of high-school students graduated in four years. The figures covered students who started high school in 2002 and graduated in 2006.

The latest figures, released in September, showed that the graduation rate at Lexington City Schools had improved to 62.1 percent. The figures covered students who were freshmen in 2003 and graduated in June.

The low graduation rate for 2006 seniors prompted school officials to form the task force and look for ways to improve the rate.

Community leaders and school officials said that not much value had been put on getting a high-school diploma because the city’s once-booming manufacturing base almost guaranteed decent-paying jobs to people who didn’t graduate.

43.7 percent…that is frightening!

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2.  Garner wants a say on school diversity. The News & Observer reports the Wake County town wants a stronger say-so on the percentage of low-income students in its two schools.

N&O: The Board of Aldermen voted last week to require the school district to reduce the number of poor children at Aversboro and Smith elementary schools in exchange for permits allowing construction work to be done at those schools.

Though it is uncertain whether these conditions are legally enforceable, town leaders say they at least want to send a message that they’re tired of so many pupils from low-income homes being bused in from Southeast Raleigh.

“It’s part of the process that we’ve been doing to get the school board’s attention,” Mayor Ronnie Williams said Monday. “It sends the message that we’re committed to getting the free- and reduced- lunch percentage down.”

Williams said he considers the votes symbolic, but other town officials said they were ready to go to court.

“They can challenge it in court to see whether it can be enforced, and that will make things worse,” Mayor Pro-Tem Gra Singleton said.

The vote surprised school officials although they have known for several years that Garner officials have been getting increasingly unhappy about the demographics of the town’s schools.

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3. Three cheers for Randolph County in its early, aggressive start in its plans for its summer programs next year.  Today’s High Point Enterprise reports the school system plans full-day summer programs, and will incorporate exercise fitness, which will be related to the reading/writing curriculum.

HPE:  Pat Foust, assistant super­intendent of curriculum and instruction, said she wanted parents to take note of when summer school starts and to put the date on their calen­dars.
“They have a general idea of which children will be the ones that might not make it through those gateways,” Foust said.
Summer school will be held in each of the quadrant areas, though the specific locations have not been established until the number of students who need the school is deter­mined.
Summer school will also be offered at the Randolph Early College High School, though it will depend on the number of students attending.

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E.C. 🙂

New charter school coming to Guilford County

The Triad Math and Science Academy is the latest charter school approved by the State Board of Ed. recently and plans are already underway to open its doors by next fall, according to the News & Record.

See this excerpt:

Organizers expect to receive final state approval in March, and then they can start accepting student applications.

Now the group must find a building, market the program, hire teachers and determine class sizes and schedules, as well as whether the school will provide bus transportation.

The Triad Math and Science Academy would cost about $1.7 million in state and local funds to operate the first year.

The academy will start serving about 270 students in kindergarten through seventh grade during the 2008-09 school year.

Grades eight through 12 will be added in subsequent years for a total of 560 students.

[Ali] Tombak (a design engineer with RFMD and a member of the academy’s board) said organizers are looking for a building of at least 22,000 to 25,000 square feet in High Point or Greensboro.

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We wish them much luck, we’ll be watching closely.

E.C. 🙂

New Magnets–Your thoughts

GCS wants your thoughts on new proposed magnets…here we go again; boutique magnet programs.

The News & Record is reporting that GCS is seeking public comment on attendance zones for six schools that will add magnet programs next school year. See this excerpt:

The Board of Education plans to put the zones out for public comment at its regular meeting on Dec. 3. School officials already have started meeting with principals, teachers and parents to plan and promote the magnets.

They include an aviation academy at Andrews High, a science and technology program at Welborn Middle, a Montessori program at Washington Elementary and preparatory International Baccalaureate curricula at Northwood Elementary, Hairston Middle and Ferndale Middle.

“We want to make sure every single school has the ability to get the word out about who they are,” said Tony Burks, magnet director for the school system.

The U.S. Department of Education awarded $8.3 million to Guilford County Schools this fall. The grant includes $1.5 million for planning this year, with the rest spread out over the next two years.

Check out the proposed attendance zones here.

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E.C. 🙂

Teachers on the Brink–Rhino Readers Speak

Lots of support coming in for Dr. Evelyn Fair from the Rhino Times.

This week’s Rhino Times’ Sound of the Beep had several callers who were outraged at what happened…but more outraged at how GCS treated Dr. Fair, whereas very little response to the students.

In short, Dr. Fair had a bad day at the office…was this a reason to throw her under the bus? No.

BTW, these are all genuine callers, all anonymous…you be the judge..here we go:

Scott [Yost], if I was a school teacher, I would refuse to teach any of these children. The tape I’ve been hearing on TV, that sounds like a set-up job. They went in there with a tape recorder and got that teacher all irate as they called it. I would be irate to even teach them, let alone drive a school bus or anything pertaining to them. They’re monsters.

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In reference to the incident at Dudley and Smith High School, I taught at Dudley High School for 16 years. My mother and first cousin taught at Smith for years. We found that a large percentage of the so-called students at these two schools are belligerent, undisciplined, nonacademic and ill suited for the expectations and rigors of a classroom. A reshuffle of faculty and administrators has never enhanced these schools. The caliber of the student population remains constant or worsens with each passing year. Guilford County should thank the heavens some poor soul is courageous enough, naive enough or desperate enough to work one day at these institutions of terror. Under no circumstances would I ever again even dart into the doors of these places, much less work there. My advice for all of these abused and terrorized teachers at Smith and Dudley is to walk out today. Let those belligerent so-called students continue down their poverty and prison paths. Teachers, your mental and physical health is not worth …

My recommendation to the Smith and Dudley teachers is for every single one of you to walk out of those institutions. I’m not going to say institutions of education. Your lives are endangered. To all prospective teachers, there would be no amount of money that the school system could offer to me to go to those schools to teach. I have been at both of them. They’re horrible. Now, for the education professors at A&T, and for the school board members, and for Dr. Grier, since all of you seem to know so much about how to handle the problem, I suggest you come down from your ivory towers and you go show us how you …

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Yes, I’m calling in defense of the teacher who was suspended without pay for handling the kids. The school system is unfair. These kids are bad. Just look at her. She’s in school with a cell phone when she should be in school, and, plus, the teacher is surrounded by 40 students. Greensboro school system needs to act like they know what time of day and some people need to stop always screaming racism, because the children can push you on the edge. Thank you.

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My husband and I would like to extend our support and prayers to Dr. Evelyn Fair from Smith High School, her being suspended without pay is utterly absurd. She probably had reached her limit of dealing with slack behavior, teenagers of all races are extremely disrespectful and disruptive. They pay no attention to rules. For example, what was that student doing with her cell phone on in class in the first place? Is Smith exempt from cell phone policies? At most other schools they’re to be turned off during school or taken from the student. Something tells me she’s not the only student that disregards that rule. If she’s that quick to report the teacher’s role in this issue, why didn’t she push that little button to record what she and her fellow students did to cause the outburst in the first place? Second, did anyone else hear the students talking, laughing during the audio clip? They didn’t even shut up to listen to what she had to say. Yet another disregard for rules and disrespect. Also, let’s talk about the students’ parents on Fox 8. There was a woman that said she didn’t like the fact that people assumed that just because you are black you’re from the ghetto.

% % %

Continuing. Lady, I hate to break it to you, but my husband and I do more break-in and vandalism repairs to homes near Smith High School than just about any part of town. The other areas off it are also in predominantly black neighborhoods, not to mention the renters in that area are more destructive to property than in a lot of neighborhoods. You can’t drive down Darden, High Point Road or Vandalia without blasting and boom, boom car stereos, another law broken, am I stereotyping? In your opinion I probably am, but if you don’t like the truth, dig yourself a hole and crawl on in because there are thousands of other people in this beautiful city of ours that agree with what I’m saying. But going back to Dr. Fair, had she been a black teacher and said those things, the black parents wouldn’t have gotten their panties in a wad. You have the gall to say that a woman shouldn’t be a teacher like that? Well, your students shouldn’t be disrespectful, but I seriously doubt you’ve addressed that issue with you child, have you? Think about it.

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For the opinions to be this strong, GCS has a clear image problem and needs to do damage control on this one and fast.

 E.C. 🙂

Press Conference next Monday, Dec. 3

 

We’re getting this out early so that our weekly pubs such as The Rhino and Yes Weekly, whose deadlines are early in the week, can hopefully give brief mention to this event in this week’s editions.

M E D I A  A D V I S O R Y

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE E.C. HUEY CALLS PRESS CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS 2008 CAMPAIGN

JAMESTOWN/ADAMS FARM (26 November 2007) – Guilford County 2008 School Board at-large candidate Erik “E.C.” Huey will convene a press conference next Monday, Dec. 3, to discuss the status of his 2008 school board campaign.

The press event will convene at 12 noon on the sidewalk across from Guilford County Schools’ Administrative Offices at 712 N. Eugene Street in downtown Greensboro. The gathering point will be on the west side of Eugene Street in front of the parking lot.

Mr. Huey will make a brief public statement and will take questions from the news media.

The candidate will briefly discuss major highlights from his campaign and will address recent newsworthy events from school discipline to next year’s proposed bond issue.

Huey said today: “We have been on the (pre)campaign trail for one year now and the filing period for the May primary is two months away. Unfortunately in this past year, our schools in many cases are worse off than they were one year ago. It makes my school board campaign much more poignant and vital to the success of Guilford County Schools.”

Supporters of Huey’s grass-roots candidacy, including concerned parents, students, teachers, administrators, any current school board members and community leaders are invited to attend. Press coverage is welcomed and encouraged.

E.C. Huey is an unofficial candidate for the 2008 at-large position on the Guilford County Board of Education and will officially file for the position when the filing period begins in early February. More information about his candidacy, positions, published statements and blog can be found on his official campaign website: www.hueyforguilfordschoolboard.org.

 

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10PLUS with Terrina Picarello (N&R)

 UPDATE BELOW…

The News & Record today had a 10-PLUS Q&A with local schools advocate and current GCS School Discipline Task Force co-chair Terrina Picarello (click here for the full text).

And she was pretty blunt in many of her answers, here’s an excerpt:

Q. Will the school climate task force succeed in helping Guilford County Schools improve student discipline?

A. The individuals serving on the task force are very strong. … I don’t want to tip our collective hat, but we will be making recommendations about strategies for teaching appropriate behavior versus just expecting students to already have it and punishing them when they don’t have it. We don’t punish kids when they can’t do algebra; we provide additional help, so why not provide additional help and teaching for students who have behavioral problems?

Good answer, okay. What else did she have to say?

Q. What projects are the PTA council working on this year?

A. We just announced an advocacy initiative that will involve parent advocates getting together with the county commissioners and the Board of Education member in each district and discussing the specific needs of the schools in that district.

… The ritual here is that the Board of Education submits a budget, the commissioners claim it is padded and full of fluff, and the budget is not fully funded. As citizens we can just let that play out year after year, or we can get involved, examine the budget, point out the fluff if it’s in there and support a tight, fiscally responsible budget. We would then lobby for it to be fully funded.

…or we can get more involved by calling for a change in the state funding formula so that we won’t keep having to go through this vicious cycle year after year.

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  UPDATE: 11/26/07, 8:34AM: Terrina also did a one-on-one with CBS-2 WFMY as part of their “School Solutions” segment. Click here for the story and transcript.

E.C. 🙂

More support urged for early education (N&R)

Yesterday’s Guilford Education Alliance summit at Grandover brought in about 250 folks regionwide, including State Ed. Supt. June Atkinson, according to today’s News & Record.

Common themes: more money for early childhood education, along with a minor discussion of the funding formula…from Guilford Co. Commissioner John Parks…see what he says in the article:

John Parks, Guilford County commissioner, said county and school officials need to discuss how to balance the need for funds against regional economic challenges. Taxes that are too high can hurt economic growth, he said.

“That’s the big pinch that we have,” Parks said. “We have the growth but not the expansion of the tax base.”.

Okay, Commissioner Parks, you’re talking some sense, you’ve recognized the problem. Now, what do we do about it?

Another notable quotable from the article:

Richard Moore, board chairman for the alliance, said the community needs to become more innovative, such as extending the current 180-day academic calendar.

“Can we look at the sacred cows and do the things we need to do to make sure these gaps are closed?” Moore said.

With all due respect, I guess Mr. Moore didn’t see the recent report from the John Locke Foundation either…you know, the one that disputes that more class time does not necessarily equate to better classroom performance (see more coverage on this here and here).

But here’s the most shocking statistic of them all…again, from the article:

* 17 percent of principals left the district in 2006-07, higher than the five other counties and the state average of 12 percent.

GCS has turned over an alarming amount of principals as of late…what does that say? What message is that sending?

E.C. 🙂

Teachers on the Brink–Part Deux

More analysis on the Dr. Evelyn Fair saga from today’s News & Record.

(Refresh your memories both here and here)

First…today’s lead editorial partly paints Dr. Fair as “the bad guy” and yet asks Guilford County Schools to giver her a second chance:

Wrong words, right sentiment

Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2007 

The Smith High School teacher who exploded into a profanity-laced tirade toward her class let frustration and poor judgment get the better of her. She clearly deserves some form of discipline.

She also deserves a second chance.

Evelyn Fair came unhinged on Nov. 8 when students challenged bad conduct grades they had received from her. (No small irony there.) Obviously having had it up to here with the students’ rudeness and lack of respect, Fair let loose some words and emotions she shouldn’t have. That was wrong.

Not even the fact that Fair was handling combined classes because she was covering for a sick colleague excuses that. Fair, rightly, was suspended without pay.

Whatever the provocation, a teacher shouldn’t respond with unruly students by being unruly herself. Her use of profanity and her threat to “get ghetto” on the class were beyond inappropriate. Yet Fair appeared more frustrated than enraged. Among the words she spoke to the students, even as some of them chuckled: “I do all this (expletive) because I love you and I care about you and you’re going to treat me like this?”

Fair may have erred in her choice of words but not the spirit of them.

It would be encouraging to hear from some parents of Fair’s students involved, not only about Fair’s outburst but the unacceptable student behavior that helped precipitate it. That said, not everyone is cut out for teaching, which pays relatively little but requires an uncommon blend of knowledge and discipline, toughness and sensitivity.

Fair reported herself to her principal following her outburst. By most accounts, she is an outstanding teacher. It would be a shame to deny her a return to the classroom.

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N&R makes a good point…about the parents. Some parents were interviewed about Fair’s choice of words. Deena Hayes, GCS Board member whose district represents Smith High, was interviewed about her choice of words also…what about the behavior of the students that caused the reaction? There was extreme talking and laughter even while Dr. Fair was talking.

And…if Dr. Noah Rogers (pictured) is such the disciplinarian we keep hearing about in the drive-by media (and brought here with a whole lot of buck from Norfolk, Va. to reshape Smith H.S.), why the breakdown in discipline here? If cell phones were even out and on..and recording, isn’t that a blatant violation of school rules?
Has anyone asked these questions?

[cue the cricket sounds…]

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Next, my friend-in-blog-land David Hoggard inked a column for today’s N&R with his thoughts on the situation; some editorial is surrounded with his column on his blog this morning:

Recent incidents of some Guilford County teachers lashing out both verbally and physically at their students are certainly disturbing, but not all that surprising.  After all, despite what some students might think, teachers are humans, too.

As I listened to the cell phone recording (WGHP) of Smith High School piano instructor Dr. Evelyn Fair, the rage in her voice revealed to me a human who had reached her limit.  The other thing revealed in that recording was the probable reason for Dr. Fair’s full-tilt barrage of inappropriate obscenities and had-it-up-to-here dressing down of her charges: students were talking among themselves throughout the outburst and some even laughed at her as she raged.

Now I don’t know about you, but when I was in school, if a teacher became as enraged as Dr. Fair did (believe me, it happened), you would have been able to hear a pin drop during the brief pauses of her tirade.  We would have instinctively known we had crossed a line and were in big trouble.  Not so with Fair’s students.

They laughed because they knew no punishment would be forthcoming for their inappropriate and disruptive behavior; behavior that caused a doctor of education to completely lose her cool and probably her job.  The students knew they ruled the classroom and there was little that any mere teacher could do about it.

Ask any teacher in Guilford County and they will likely confess to arriving at the brink just like Dr. Fair.  “There but the Grace of God…”, they will say.  The only difference will be that they hopefully left out all of the expletives… or, no cell phones were recording them if expletives were used… or, they wisely left the room when they sensed themselves getting ready to go over the edge.

The latter choice would be the wisest, of course.  But more to the point; in today’s unruly classrooms, their leaving might be the only practical choice because teachers know it is very difficult – if not impossible – to get disruptive students out of their classrooms.

By law, a teacher or an administrator can no longer unilaterally decide to expel or otherwise mete out swift disciplinary action to deal with disruptive students – the litmus test for keeping order is now a legal question: is the observed bad behavior “significantly disruptive”?

Since the 1975 Goss vs Lopez Supreme Court ruling, students have learned they can do pretty much whatever they want without fear of swift consequences.   In effect, Goss vs Lopez elevated disruptive students’ due-process rights over the rights of the whole school to get a proper education free of disciplinary distractions.

In our schools, ‘due process’ is known as ‘writing him up’ – a legal set of documents that every teacher knows well and one that has caused many to absorb student abuse and look the other way rather than undertake the onerous paperwork required.

In an eye-opening, 2000 essay entitled “Who Killed School Discipline?”, City Journal author Kay Hymowitz put it this way, “…Because of Goss, you now had to ask: Would a judge find your procedures satisfactory? Would he agree that you have enough witnesses? The appropriate documentation? To suspend a student became a time-consuming and frustrating business.”

Frustrating indeed, right Dr. Fair?

Until teachers are once again able to call the shots in their classrooms with the confidence that the parents of disruptive children and administrators will back them up, I fear we’ll be hearing more and more of teachers losing it in the classroom in the future.

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Amen.

Ironically, it has been since 2000 when Guilford County Schools expelled its last student. You can probably thank No Child Left Behind for that. Well, our most challenged children are being left behind, along with our teachers and our highly-impacted schools…all the stakeholders are being left behind.

Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer, but one has to start somewhere. And until we get to that point, I will bet you a dollar to a Krispy Kreme donut that this will happen again.

E.C. 🙂