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Friday, December 17, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The Rest of the "Emergency Measure" Story
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xxxxA story in a recent Arcadian (Oct. 15) sang the praises of a volunteer school “leadership team” charged with boosting abysmal reading scores. The story may have left readers thinking that a nascent remedial reading program for 9th and 10th graders stems from noble volunteerism and high-minded altruism. It doesn’t. In nearly the last paragraph, the story obliquely refers to the reading program as an emergency measure, as indeed it is. However, the report sidesteps the story behind the story: the remedial steps – led by an expensive outside consultant -- are part of a state-mandated intervention order to a superintendent and school board who preside over a school on the brink of failure.
xxxxHere’s the rest of the story: DeSoto High School’s 2009 FCAT scores landed it on the state’s list of schools requiring “level II corrective action,” one step from full-scale intervention. In a nutshell, DeSoto High must implement a substantial list of state-ordered steps. One step requires “highly qualified” leaders to train staff and coach students. To meet this requirement, the superintendent and school board hired a for-profit consultant and two reading coaches. If this management strategy doesn’t work, the state has put the district on notice: it goes to the next level, corrective intervention. That means the state will govern DeSoto High’s academic and administrative operations.
xxxxInstead of helping a worried community understand what’s happening – and the cost of the remediation -- a recent school board meeting sounded like a love fest: “...if parents could see the love and dedication our teachers and staff have for students, they would have a better understanding of how hopeful the future can be,” opined District 5 School Board Member Ronny R. Allen.
xxxxBut no board member raised the practical questions: How was the consultant, Performance Learning Systems, selected? What’s its track record for rescuing schools at risk? How much is it charging? For example, in August, a motivational teaching coach, Steven Barkley, pocketed $55,000 to dispense better-teaching advice – for the second year in a row, during which time the high school slipped from a C to a D rating. How much more will the district be budgeting for “professionals” and “consultants” to advise its nearly-failing high school year after year?
xxxxIn fact, the community may well be facing a systemic fault that no amount of outside consulting can adequately address. But no one wants to rock a boat that floats relatives, spouses, friends, and neighbors – while our students pay the price.
xxxx So, with big guns aimed at our high school – a young person’s gateway to the future -- we have only this academic year to improve or the state will intervene. And more threats loom on the horizon: three of four other schools have not made adequate yearly progress for several years in a row because their poorest and neediest students are being left behind.
xxxxUnfortunately, the “What does this all mean” part is complicated. There isn’t one simple answer to low test scores, high school students who can’t read, sky-high drop-out rates, pregnancy in the middle school, and children left behind. On these and other matters, Government in the Sunshine mandates a level of transparency, an openness and honesty with the community at large that both the superintendent and the school board clearly lack.
xxxxPeter Drucker’s dictum, “The best measure of management is performance,” is as true in education as it is in business. After reading just this one chapter in “The Rest of the Story,” I invite readers to weigh our schools’ performance and reach their own conclusions about the effectiveness of our local school management.
Read more....
xxxxHere’s the rest of the story: DeSoto High School’s 2009 FCAT scores landed it on the state’s list of schools requiring “level II corrective action,” one step from full-scale intervention. In a nutshell, DeSoto High must implement a substantial list of state-ordered steps. One step requires “highly qualified” leaders to train staff and coach students. To meet this requirement, the superintendent and school board hired a for-profit consultant and two reading coaches. If this management strategy doesn’t work, the state has put the district on notice: it goes to the next level, corrective intervention. That means the state will govern DeSoto High’s academic and administrative operations.
xxxxInstead of helping a worried community understand what’s happening – and the cost of the remediation -- a recent school board meeting sounded like a love fest: “...if parents could see the love and dedication our teachers and staff have for students, they would have a better understanding of how hopeful the future can be,” opined District 5 School Board Member Ronny R. Allen.
xxxxBut no board member raised the practical questions: How was the consultant, Performance Learning Systems, selected? What’s its track record for rescuing schools at risk? How much is it charging? For example, in August, a motivational teaching coach, Steven Barkley, pocketed $55,000 to dispense better-teaching advice – for the second year in a row, during which time the high school slipped from a C to a D rating. How much more will the district be budgeting for “professionals” and “consultants” to advise its nearly-failing high school year after year?
xxxxIn fact, the community may well be facing a systemic fault that no amount of outside consulting can adequately address. But no one wants to rock a boat that floats relatives, spouses, friends, and neighbors – while our students pay the price.
xxxx So, with big guns aimed at our high school – a young person’s gateway to the future -- we have only this academic year to improve or the state will intervene. And more threats loom on the horizon: three of four other schools have not made adequate yearly progress for several years in a row because their poorest and neediest students are being left behind.
xxxxUnfortunately, the “What does this all mean” part is complicated. There isn’t one simple answer to low test scores, high school students who can’t read, sky-high drop-out rates, pregnancy in the middle school, and children left behind. On these and other matters, Government in the Sunshine mandates a level of transparency, an openness and honesty with the community at large that both the superintendent and the school board clearly lack.
xxxxPeter Drucker’s dictum, “The best measure of management is performance,” is as true in education as it is in business. After reading just this one chapter in “The Rest of the Story,” I invite readers to weigh our schools’ performance and reach their own conclusions about the effectiveness of our local school management.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Sunshine Review Rates DeSoto School District's Citizen Transparency D Minus
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A new wiki project called Sunshine Review takes citizen access to government very seriously. One of the first projects it has undertaken is a review of Florida school districts for what SR calls transparency. The initial evaluations, released in August and based on public Web sites awards DeSoto County School District a D minus.
Specifically, the superintendent and school board members, who collectively pocket more than a quarter million a year in local tax money in the form of salaries and benefits, fail the transparency test in key areas including communicating how tax money is allocated and spent and who are the actual elected officials and top administrative personnel. The amazing part is, no other Florida district's Web site failed this category!
The school district, says Sunshine Review, fails in public access to its public records, audits, and fails in its background check procedures.
Just thought you should know.
xx Read more....
..
A new wiki project called Sunshine Review takes citizen access to government very seriously. One of the first projects it has undertaken is a review of Florida school districts for what SR calls transparency. The initial evaluations, released in August and based on public Web sites awards DeSoto County School District a D minus.
Specifically, the superintendent and school board members, who collectively pocket more than a quarter million a year in local tax money in the form of salaries and benefits, fail the transparency test in key areas including communicating how tax money is allocated and spent and who are the actual elected officials and top administrative personnel. The amazing part is, no other Florida district's Web site failed this category!
The school district, says Sunshine Review, fails in public access to its public records, audits, and fails in its background check procedures.
Just thought you should know.
xx Read more....
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
A Letter to Coco
Dear Coco-
xxxThank you for the contribution. I regard this appropriately titled article to be a “teachable moment” for a couple of reasons:
xxxFirst, from an academic perspective, this is a very well-crafted poem which English teachers would consider or categorize as a limerick. Due to my ignorance of this form of writing I felt compelled to research both its ‘origins’ and its ‘prosody’ (another new word for me which is defined as “the science or study of poetic meters and versification”). From the websites of both wikipedia and kieto I gleaned the following information:
xxx“The limerick is a form of humorous verse whose origin is obscure. The first English verse in something like limerick form is the jingle ‘Hickory, Dickery, Dock’, first printed in 1744. Langford Reed, the limerick’s only historian and principal anthologist, suggested that the name derives from a song brought back from France by returning members of the 18th century Irish brigade from Limerick, Ireland. In the early 1830’s Edward Lear composed limericks to amuse children and then published them in his Book of Nonsense (1846).” Some notable individuals who have employed this form of writing were Rudyard Kipling, Woodrow Wilson and W.S. Gilbert (of Gilbert and Sullivan fame). Today, in commemoration of Edward Lear, his birthday, May 12th, is called Limerick Day!
xxx“A type of joke written in strong rhythms and rhymed verse, limericks can become a classroom fad that are of great value in developing word choice, sentence structure, fanciful invention, stylistics and verse techniques (prosody). Most limericks have some form of internal rhyme (referred to as alliteration or assonance). It has five lines with a strong beat. The first two lines, each with three feet, rhyme with the fifth. The third and fourth lines, each with two feet, also rhyme. The first line often begins ‘There was a…’ “
xxxYour piece, Coco, adheres to all the rules of limerick composition. Therefore, despite the fact that I’m light years away from being an English instructor, I would have to say that your scholarly piece merits an A+. Well done Coco!
xxxSecond, from an actual teaching perspective, this parody, if you will, offers another “teachable moment”, although a failing one which rates an “F” grade. Not at all learning by youngsters occurs in the classroom. Simply look around you – look at National Geographic; look at the Nature television channel. All members of the animal kingdom teach their young by example – anotherwords, Do As I Do or quite simply, Monkey See – Monkey Do! A leopard teaches her kittens by examples, and on… and on… and on… Let us not forget that we are members of the same animal kingdom. Further let us not forget that this fundamental method of learning has not changed for any of its members. There are no exceptions or exemptions to this rule.
xxxOn the other hand, for those of you who consider yourselves exempt or “above”, as it were, membership in the animal kingdom (usually religious right nutcases), then, in lieu of National Geographic, I suggest reading the just – published book Walk The Walk by Alan Deutschman. How uncanny the timing of this release? Mr. Deutschman argues that “leaders (and those close to them) should practice what they preach and that they are most effective when they rely on the power of their example, but too few actually do it.” As one of those who did walk the walk he offers the following example:
xxx“As the expansion of McDonald’s was getting under way in the 1950’s, Ray Kroc, the company’s empire builder, listed cleanliness among the chain’s three key values (along with service and quality). But he just didn’t talk cleanliness; an early employee of a Chicago – area McDonald’s remembered him personally picking up trash around the restaurant and scraping up gum with a putty knife. Message: Cleanliness counts. And: If cleaning up isn’t beneath me, it isn’t beneath you.”
xxxWe learn much by example, especially from those who are either directly in the public cross-hairs or indirectly from those proxy to these individuals. Sorry about your luck but this comes with the territory. Set good examples because others are watching and learning.
xxxAs a post-script I’d like to make the following comment. It pertains to the article directly below the infamous police beat story about the superintendent’s wife, and is entitled “Former Sarasota sergeant claims alcoholism is a disability.” Without exception every remark that I’ve heard about this particular story is “he was drunk and is using alcoholism as an excuse for that groping incident.” Since I am not intelligent enough to arrive as quickly to such a profound conclusion, I’ll reserve judgment. However, having said that, something tells me that this same hasty judgment technique or condemnation will not be employed or applied uniformly in a discussion of the superintendent’s wife’s situation. This brings to mind a phrase that I once read: “Around here, how come whatever hits the fan is not evenly distributed?” Furthermore, would it be inappropriate of me to mention words like double standard or hypocrisy? I also read once that “hypocrisy is the homage that vice pays to virtue.” (anonymous).
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx- Mickey The Dunce Read more....
xxxThank you for the contribution. I regard this appropriately titled article to be a “teachable moment” for a couple of reasons:
xxxFirst, from an academic perspective, this is a very well-crafted poem which English teachers would consider or categorize as a limerick. Due to my ignorance of this form of writing I felt compelled to research both its ‘origins’ and its ‘prosody’ (another new word for me which is defined as “the science or study of poetic meters and versification”). From the websites of both wikipedia and kieto I gleaned the following information:
xxx“The limerick is a form of humorous verse whose origin is obscure. The first English verse in something like limerick form is the jingle ‘Hickory, Dickery, Dock’, first printed in 1744. Langford Reed, the limerick’s only historian and principal anthologist, suggested that the name derives from a song brought back from France by returning members of the 18th century Irish brigade from Limerick, Ireland. In the early 1830’s Edward Lear composed limericks to amuse children and then published them in his Book of Nonsense (1846).” Some notable individuals who have employed this form of writing were Rudyard Kipling, Woodrow Wilson and W.S. Gilbert (of Gilbert and Sullivan fame). Today, in commemoration of Edward Lear, his birthday, May 12th, is called Limerick Day!
xxx“A type of joke written in strong rhythms and rhymed verse, limericks can become a classroom fad that are of great value in developing word choice, sentence structure, fanciful invention, stylistics and verse techniques (prosody). Most limericks have some form of internal rhyme (referred to as alliteration or assonance). It has five lines with a strong beat. The first two lines, each with three feet, rhyme with the fifth. The third and fourth lines, each with two feet, also rhyme. The first line often begins ‘There was a…’ “
xxxYour piece, Coco, adheres to all the rules of limerick composition. Therefore, despite the fact that I’m light years away from being an English instructor, I would have to say that your scholarly piece merits an A+. Well done Coco!
xxxSecond, from an actual teaching perspective, this parody, if you will, offers another “teachable moment”, although a failing one which rates an “F” grade. Not at all learning by youngsters occurs in the classroom. Simply look around you – look at National Geographic; look at the Nature television channel. All members of the animal kingdom teach their young by example – anotherwords, Do As I Do or quite simply, Monkey See – Monkey Do! A leopard teaches her kittens by examples, and on… and on… and on… Let us not forget that we are members of the same animal kingdom. Further let us not forget that this fundamental method of learning has not changed for any of its members. There are no exceptions or exemptions to this rule.
xxxOn the other hand, for those of you who consider yourselves exempt or “above”, as it were, membership in the animal kingdom (usually religious right nutcases), then, in lieu of National Geographic, I suggest reading the just – published book Walk The Walk by Alan Deutschman. How uncanny the timing of this release? Mr. Deutschman argues that “leaders (and those close to them) should practice what they preach and that they are most effective when they rely on the power of their example, but too few actually do it.” As one of those who did walk the walk he offers the following example:
xxx“As the expansion of McDonald’s was getting under way in the 1950’s, Ray Kroc, the company’s empire builder, listed cleanliness among the chain’s three key values (along with service and quality). But he just didn’t talk cleanliness; an early employee of a Chicago – area McDonald’s remembered him personally picking up trash around the restaurant and scraping up gum with a putty knife. Message: Cleanliness counts. And: If cleaning up isn’t beneath me, it isn’t beneath you.”
xxxWe learn much by example, especially from those who are either directly in the public cross-hairs or indirectly from those proxy to these individuals. Sorry about your luck but this comes with the territory. Set good examples because others are watching and learning.
xxxAs a post-script I’d like to make the following comment. It pertains to the article directly below the infamous police beat story about the superintendent’s wife, and is entitled “Former Sarasota sergeant claims alcoholism is a disability.” Without exception every remark that I’ve heard about this particular story is “he was drunk and is using alcoholism as an excuse for that groping incident.” Since I am not intelligent enough to arrive as quickly to such a profound conclusion, I’ll reserve judgment. However, having said that, something tells me that this same hasty judgment technique or condemnation will not be employed or applied uniformly in a discussion of the superintendent’s wife’s situation. This brings to mind a phrase that I once read: “Around here, how come whatever hits the fan is not evenly distributed?” Furthermore, would it be inappropriate of me to mention words like double standard or hypocrisy? I also read once that “hypocrisy is the homage that vice pays to virtue.” (anonymous).
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx- Mickey The Dunce Read more....
Friday, September 25, 2009
Teachable Moment
x
Poor Mr. Adrian Cline
Has a problem too odd to define.
xxxxThough he dictates the rules
xxxxFor running our schools,
He can’t make his wife toe the line.
Mrs. Cline, who was once a Sorrells,
Leaned heavily on her name’s laurels,
xxxxTil her eye began drifting
xxxxAnd she started shoplifting.
Too bad she has issues with morals!
Now Janie is singing the blues.
Her deed’s splashed all over the news.
xxxxShe’ll just get Probation,
xxxxBut her grand reputation
Is something she’s likely to lose.
She intended to steal and not buy,
Got caught with the loot, that’s no lie,
xxxxAnd as if to mock her
xxxxThe evidence locker
Still holds the purse, glasses and tie.
Jane’s lesson is CRIME NEVER PAYS,
But it’s too late to be changing her ways.
xxxxFor her things are tough,
xxxxShe’s looking quite rough,
Indeed she’s seen better days!
And Adrian’s checking accounts
Will decrease by substantial amounts,
xxxxFor he’ll spend his life
xxxxDefending his wife
For taking five-finger discounts.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxCoco Bell
X
Read more....
Poor Mr. Adrian Cline
Has a problem too odd to define.
xxxxThough he dictates the rules
xxxxFor running our schools,
He can’t make his wife toe the line.
Mrs. Cline, who was once a Sorrells,
Leaned heavily on her name’s laurels,
xxxxTil her eye began drifting
xxxxAnd she started shoplifting.
Too bad she has issues with morals!
Now Janie is singing the blues.
Her deed’s splashed all over the news.
xxxxShe’ll just get Probation,
xxxxBut her grand reputation
Is something she’s likely to lose.
She intended to steal and not buy,
Got caught with the loot, that’s no lie,
xxxxAnd as if to mock her
xxxxThe evidence locker
Still holds the purse, glasses and tie.
Jane’s lesson is CRIME NEVER PAYS,
But it’s too late to be changing her ways.
xxxxFor her things are tough,
xxxxShe’s looking quite rough,
Indeed she’s seen better days!
And Adrian’s checking accounts
Will decrease by substantial amounts,
xxxxFor he’ll spend his life
xxxxDefending his wife
For taking five-finger discounts.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxCoco Bell
X
Read more....
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
FYI
X
From an article entitled "Founding Fathers," by Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, for The Wall Street Journal:
Questions: One -- Is there a message that we can take from these stories? Two -- Does that message stand the test of time? (like maybe 225 years)? Read more....
From an article entitled "Founding Fathers," by Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, for The Wall Street Journal:
"No matter how devoted, the Founding Fathers were not inclined, as today’s parents are, to lavish their students with praise. ‘Good job’ was not in their vocabulary. ‘Take care you never spell a word wrong,’ Jefferson admonished his younger daughter. John Adams said it best in a letter to Abigail: ‘The education of our children is never out of my mind… fire them with ambition to be useful and make them disdain to be destitute of any useful or ornamental knowledge or accomplishment. Fix their ambitions upon great and solid objects.' The nation's Founders called for passing on the passion for freedom, educational excellence and civic virtue."Fast forward 225 years – from a more recent article in The Wall Street Journal:
The Koh brothers, "Harold and Howard, are the sons of Korean immigrants and new additions to the Obama administration. Harold Koh, and international lawyer, a diplomat and former dean of Yale Law School is now legal adviser at the State Department. Howard Koh, a physician with board certification in four medical specialties and a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, is now assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services. Says Harold Koh, ‘To be honest I never had a teacher who was as rigorous as my parents.’ Howard says, ‘I guess, like any immigrant parents, they wanted their kids to succeed in this new country.’ His parent’s mantra, he says, was ‘It’s one thing to get a great education and do well in school, but its not important if you can’t ultimately use it to help other people.'"
Questions: One -- Is there a message that we can take from these stories? Two -- Does that message stand the test of time? (like maybe 225 years)? Read more....
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Education Pays
X
On Aug. 18, 2009, Dana Mattioli wrote an article for The Wall Street Journal entitled "Few Gender Differences in a Recession." She quotes the U.S. Labor Department:" 5.4% of men and 5.2% of women age 25 and older with college degrees were unemployed in July." This comment brought to mind similar information that a college instructor shared with me shortly after the May 9, 2009 headlines in The DeSoto Sun: "Eighty percent of DeSoto 10th graders fail FCAT reading test."
On Aug. 18, 2009, Dana Mattioli wrote an article for The Wall Street Journal entitled "Few Gender Differences in a Recession." She quotes the U.S. Labor Department:" 5.4% of men and 5.2% of women age 25 and older with college degrees were unemployed in July." This comment brought to mind similar information that a college instructor shared with me shortly after the May 9, 2009 headlines in The DeSoto Sun: "Eighty percent of DeSoto 10th graders fail FCAT reading test."
The national data, compiled by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, came with the following graphs:
Conclusion: "Education pays in higher earnings and lower unemployment rates."
A notable exception to this trend occurs in the DeSoto County School system, where the emperor’s loyal serfs are paid in direct proportion to their degree of political servitude as opposed to their level of education!
Conclusion: "Individuals with less education experienced greater percentage point increases in their unemployment rates than their more educated counterparts did."
The federal data reports "the unemployment rate for individuals 25 years and older with less than a high school diploma increased from 7.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2007 to 10.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008. The jobless rate for high school graduates with no college rose by 2.4 percentage points, to 7.0 percent, the highest quarterly rates since the series began in 1992"
The report goes on: "The unemployment rate for those with some college or an associate's degree increased by 2.0 percentage points, to 5.5 percent. Among college graduates, the unemployment rate increased by 1.2 percentage points, to 3.3 percent, equal to the previous peak in the fourth quarter of 1992."
And on: "The current national average rate of unemployment is 10%, with states such as Michigan and Ohio having unemployment rates of 15%. From the graphs, unemployment rates above 5% almost exclusively pertain to those individuals without college degrees."
And on: "The current national average rate of unemployment is 10%, with states such as Michigan and Ohio having unemployment rates of 15%. From the graphs, unemployment rates above 5% almost exclusively pertain to those individuals without college degrees."
If we compare these national statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor with the local statistic that 80 percent of our high school sophomores can’t pass a statewide reading test, then it is safe to conclude that individuals in this group will become future members of the lowest socio-economic class in our country. They have directly burdened themselves with a very low-income earning capacity, and, what's worse, they are likely to indirectly cost the rest of society plenty.
The generation that is supposed to be the future of our community is more than likely to become part of the predominant group on welfare rolls, food stamp programs and WIC programs. They join others who have driven health care costs to astronomical levels; they are likely to make up a disproportionate percentage of drug users and felons; and they will be the first group to become unemployed in tough times and therefore the first and largest group to seek and get unemployment compensation. Derek Bok, past president of Harvard University, recognized these sad realities long ago when he said, "If you think education is expensive you ought to try ignorance."
If performance reflects management, and if results speak for themselves, then it is reasonable to conclude that our school board members and school system emperor Adrian Cline have failed at their jobs. Their results indicate their willingness to settle for ignorance over education, making them complicit in the degradation of our society. And yet they display a shameless arrogance when they start school board meetings with the Pledge Of Allegiance. Hypocrites! If they truly cared for this country, they would strive to produce "assets" for our society instead of costly "liabilities," which is what individuals who can't read or hold a job become.
The truth hurts, doesn't it?
Read more....
The truth hurts, doesn't it?
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
DeSoto High Grad: Ignorant and Proud of It
X
I have a sense of humor, but I misplaced it after reading this morning’s paper. A local-color writer, Luke Wilson, gave me an unexpected -- and probably unintentional -- insight into some of this district’s problems. He calls his school days a "vicious cycle of endless classes."
In a feeble attempt at sweet nostalgia, Wilson writes a column that ends up sending a wrong-headed message about the value of education to local families and the students who are on the brink of starting fall classes in a high school that earned a “D” from the Florida Department of Education: “We were not only held against our will for 12 years, but were fed mostly useless information, right along with cafeteria food,” writes the man who never left Arcadia (from what I can glean from his columns) and is proud of it.
For the rest of the column, Luke Wilson doesn’t merely poke fun at the “useless” lessons he “suffered” in English grammar, mathematical reasoning, physical education and biology. He ends up saying that the shoe-shine box he made in shop was “as important as anything I learned.” He claims it taught him that if you don’t get good grades ... you may be building one of these things to make a living with on the street corner.”
Since Wilson is a local fellow, I zipped over to the high school’s web page to see if he had listed himself with one of the graduation-year groups. It was there that I stumbled on something just as alarming than his limp attempt.
DeSoto High uses a Google map to show its location, and the balloon that pops up offers “3 reviews” that expand when you use your brower’s cursor to activate the link. The first student-written review says DHS is fun and has fewer cliques than expected. Here are the other two:
Between Wilson’s headliner about his useless education, and the state DOE’s official evaluation based on reading scores (80 percent of DHS students aren’t reading on grade level), and the school board and superintendent’s apparent willful ignorance of all things surrounding these conditions –- well, I just made up my mind. I’m going to home-school my kids.
The ocular proof lies ---->
(Click on the image to enlarge it.)
Read more....
I have a sense of humor, but I misplaced it after reading this morning’s paper. A local-color writer, Luke Wilson, gave me an unexpected -- and probably unintentional -- insight into some of this district’s problems. He calls his school days a "vicious cycle of endless classes."
In a feeble attempt at sweet nostalgia, Wilson writes a column that ends up sending a wrong-headed message about the value of education to local families and the students who are on the brink of starting fall classes in a high school that earned a “D” from the Florida Department of Education: “We were not only held against our will for 12 years, but were fed mostly useless information, right along with cafeteria food,” writes the man who never left Arcadia (from what I can glean from his columns) and is proud of it.
For the rest of the column, Luke Wilson doesn’t merely poke fun at the “useless” lessons he “suffered” in English grammar, mathematical reasoning, physical education and biology. He ends up saying that the shoe-shine box he made in shop was “as important as anything I learned.” He claims it taught him that if you don’t get good grades ... you may be building one of these things to make a living with on the street corner.”
Since Wilson is a local fellow, I zipped over to the high school’s web page to see if he had listed himself with one of the graduation-year groups. It was there that I stumbled on something just as alarming than his limp attempt.
DeSoto High uses a Google map to show its location, and the balloon that pops up offers “3 reviews” that expand when you use your brower’s cursor to activate the link. The first student-written review says DHS is fun and has fewer cliques than expected. Here are the other two:
Zuppa isn't my real name. I want to speak without revenge from some teacher. They play favoriets, change grades for the pretty white girls, and ignore the poor kids. We da losers so why try to help us? I and my friends are really discouraged by the attitude that if your not in, then your OUT, OUT, I want to go to college and I screwed up last year. So theres no redemption for the black man in this skool. I heard the school got a D grade from the government and my english teacher said it was my fault. Sure theres sports but thats for the chosen few. Rescue me like the song sez.
SOme of the teachers are great and really... passionate about their subjects. Others so so new and uneffective. Overall, it is a friendly school but there is one major problem. Most of the teachers and falculty play favoritism.
Between Wilson’s headliner about his useless education, and the state DOE’s official evaluation based on reading scores (80 percent of DHS students aren’t reading on grade level), and the school board and superintendent’s apparent willful ignorance of all things surrounding these conditions –- well, I just made up my mind. I’m going to home-school my kids.
The ocular proof lies ---->
(Click on the image to enlarge it.)
Read more....
Thursday, July 30, 2009
DeSoto High Media Center Web Sites Fail Academic Standards
X
X
A package arrived in the mail this morning that gives me one huge indication as to why 80 percent of DeSoto High's students can’t read at grade level. It’s a memo to the school board from a concerned citizen who researched and documented recommended Internet sites that the high school’s library – ahem, “media center” – has been offering to students.
The superintendent’s reading material for the district’s D-rated high school includes Oprah magazine, Fitness Mind Body Spirit, and Teen Cosmo. The citizen researcher discovered these lightweight materials regularly feature very adult sex advice (a sex-workout to control weight, why birth control might dampen sex drive, how celebrities stay thin during pregnancy – this last one from the Encyclopedia Britannica, of all places -- and more, more, more of this sort of drek).
The memo writer showed the superintendent and school board members this week that high school librarians have allowed, for years, Internet links to pop-music Web sites that feature the worst kinds of slang to describe sexual characteristics of famous actresses. The high school’s “course links” page on the superintendent’s Web site has featured, for years, a nubile youngster, bare-shouldered, spaghetti-strapped, gazing deeply into the eyes of the camera; the book she leaned over was a prop to hide her breasts instead of an item of actual academic endeavor.
Back in the media center, “algebra” links to a commercial site selling a $60 software package so students don’t have to do homework the “old way” (whatever that is). Links to an Internet dictionary, atlas and encyclopedia all take students to the ad-driven “Info Please” site where they are told this “is all you need to know.” Info Please sites that purport to be atlases, thesaurus, and encyclopedias feature side-bar ads of female torsos (headless – objectifying women) in string bikinis to promote (1) weight loss (2) vacation resorts (3) fitness programs (4) dating sites.
The concerned citizen’s memo asks the superintendent and school board if the high school’s library Web site furthers “academic, vocational and civic scholarship” among our youngsters. When asked the question, no one answered.**
My own questions are:
--- Why did not one of the $25,000-a-year school board members not find this and correct it years ago?
--- Where has the $131,000-a-year superintendent been while an entire generation of students perused car ads, half-naked women, and sales-pitches for homework helpers in the school library at his recommended Web sites?
What in this picture says academic, scholastic, vocational, or civic education?
My favorite links on this "student" page are ones that encourage teachers to visit a site in order to download lesson plans and worksheets. No wonder students hold teachers in such low esteem.
_______
**The offensive sites have been taken down; in fact the entire high school media center page has been deleted. However, the evidence of what DeSoto County students have been given to read in their library time is readily available. I will be glad to e-mail the citizen's memo with working links to every one of the sites to anyone upon request: barryfresco@gmail.com
__________
Read more....
X
A package arrived in the mail this morning that gives me one huge indication as to why 80 percent of DeSoto High's students can’t read at grade level. It’s a memo to the school board from a concerned citizen who researched and documented recommended Internet sites that the high school’s library – ahem, “media center” – has been offering to students.
The superintendent’s reading material for the district’s D-rated high school includes Oprah magazine, Fitness Mind Body Spirit, and Teen Cosmo. The citizen researcher discovered these lightweight materials regularly feature very adult sex advice (a sex-workout to control weight, why birth control might dampen sex drive, how celebrities stay thin during pregnancy – this last one from the Encyclopedia Britannica, of all places -- and more, more, more of this sort of drek).
The memo writer showed the superintendent and school board members this week that high school librarians have allowed, for years, Internet links to pop-music Web sites that feature the worst kinds of slang to describe sexual characteristics of famous actresses. The high school’s “course links” page on the superintendent’s Web site has featured, for years, a nubile youngster, bare-shouldered, spaghetti-strapped, gazing deeply into the eyes of the camera; the book she leaned over was a prop to hide her breasts instead of an item of actual academic endeavor.
Back in the media center, “algebra” links to a commercial site selling a $60 software package so students don’t have to do homework the “old way” (whatever that is). Links to an Internet dictionary, atlas and encyclopedia all take students to the ad-driven “Info Please” site where they are told this “is all you need to know.” Info Please sites that purport to be atlases, thesaurus, and encyclopedias feature side-bar ads of female torsos (headless – objectifying women) in string bikinis to promote (1) weight loss (2) vacation resorts (3) fitness programs (4) dating sites.
The concerned citizen’s memo asks the superintendent and school board if the high school’s library Web site furthers “academic, vocational and civic scholarship” among our youngsters. When asked the question, no one answered.**
My own questions are:
--- Why did not one of the $25,000-a-year school board members not find this and correct it years ago?
--- Where has the $131,000-a-year superintendent been while an entire generation of students perused car ads, half-naked women, and sales-pitches for homework helpers in the school library at his recommended Web sites?
What in this picture says academic, scholastic, vocational, or civic education?
My favorite links on this "student" page are ones that encourage teachers to visit a site in order to download lesson plans and worksheets. No wonder students hold teachers in such low esteem.
_______
**The offensive sites have been taken down; in fact the entire high school media center page has been deleted. However, the evidence of what DeSoto County students have been given to read in their library time is readily available. I will be glad to e-mail the citizen's memo with working links to every one of the sites to anyone upon request: barryfresco@gmail.com
__________
X
X
X
Read more....
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
The Emperor's Clothes
X
Barry –
Your blog dated July 10, 2009, entitled "School Board Salary Data Difficult to Track Down," hit the proverbial nail on the head. You are certainly not alone in either your thinking or naiveté. Incredulously, several years ago our ‘muzzled’ news rag the Sun Herald published the following letter to the editor from Harvey Goldstein of Deep Creek:
If Mr. Allen (and his cohorts) would genuinely like to do the noble thing and actually practice what he (they) preaches – "service above self," he (they) should either forego their salaries altogether or give it back to the very school system that they are so genuinely concerned about! As both Harvey Goldstein noted in the local rag and you, Barry, in your blog, in most school systems nationwide school board service is regarded as "a civic privilege and duty, to be undertaken by people unmotivated by a substantial paycheck, retirement fund and health plans." So much for the idea of nobility. Given this reality of "self above service," I can't help but feel nauseated by disgust when they begin their school board meetings with a prayer. Hypocrites and/or a den of thieves?
As if this is not enough of an insult, these school board members as well as Mr. Cline, gladly accept their pay while running a crumbling school system. So I now ask, what is the difference between these phonies and their counterparts on Wall Street who also gladly accept astronomical bonuses while running corporations into the ground? Pay for non performance? Pathetic!
Further, as Mr. Goldstein suggested, our school system is top heavy with servile flatterers, especially in the school district offices. There is something terribly wrong when some individuals without higher education are making substantially higher incomes than those in the same system with higher education, specifically the ones who count most – the teachers. Again, hypocrisy rears its ugly head. But many of us know the reason for this – Mr. Cline's survival. The emperor has to surround himself with a cabal of "yes" people -- servants in order to feel powerful and in control. But what these folks forget is how Hans Christian Anderson’s eerily similar tale ends!
Read more....
Barry –
Your blog dated July 10, 2009, entitled "School Board Salary Data Difficult to Track Down," hit the proverbial nail on the head. You are certainly not alone in either your thinking or naiveté. Incredulously, several years ago our ‘muzzled’ news rag the Sun Herald published the following letter to the editor from Harvey Goldstein of Deep Creek:
A couple of years ago when Dr. McNulty criticized the school system and challenged school board members to make changes, specifically to ‘rein in’ (or at least hold accountable) their incompetent, deceitful and vindictive CEO, Mr. Cline, Mr. Allen (Mr. Cline’s cousin by the way = nepotism?) immediately scolded McNulty. Mr. Allen had the audacity to suggest that, as a school board member, he viewed his function as "service above self." How delusional? If "service above self" is truly his belief, then why not accept the state-designated salary of $5,833.00 instead of five times this amount. (The Florida legislators established the base salary of a school district having a population between 10,000-49,999, referred to as level II population group, to be $5,833.00. (See Florida Schools, Chapter 1001.30, Statute 1001.395)"As a retired teacher, professor and university dean, I support excellence in education. But, before I can support an increase in taxes for our schools, I have two requests. One: If the school board truly believes our schools need more tax dollars, they should give up their nearly $35,000 per year salaries including benefits). Indeed, at least one board member is in receipt of a generous pension as a retired… school teacher in addition to a fat school board salary. (Part Time!) Please note that in most of the U.S., elected school board members receive no compensation.
Two: The school board should review the need for every non-teaching administrative position. It seems clear that we are top heavy with high-paid administrators. …bureaucrats do not translate to good education. Good teachers and concerned parents do."
If Mr. Allen (and his cohorts) would genuinely like to do the noble thing and actually practice what he (they) preaches – "service above self," he (they) should either forego their salaries altogether or give it back to the very school system that they are so genuinely concerned about! As both Harvey Goldstein noted in the local rag and you, Barry, in your blog, in most school systems nationwide school board service is regarded as "a civic privilege and duty, to be undertaken by people unmotivated by a substantial paycheck, retirement fund and health plans." So much for the idea of nobility. Given this reality of "self above service," I can't help but feel nauseated by disgust when they begin their school board meetings with a prayer. Hypocrites and/or a den of thieves?
As if this is not enough of an insult, these school board members as well as Mr. Cline, gladly accept their pay while running a crumbling school system. So I now ask, what is the difference between these phonies and their counterparts on Wall Street who also gladly accept astronomical bonuses while running corporations into the ground? Pay for non performance? Pathetic!
Further, as Mr. Goldstein suggested, our school system is top heavy with servile flatterers, especially in the school district offices. There is something terribly wrong when some individuals without higher education are making substantially higher incomes than those in the same system with higher education, specifically the ones who count most – the teachers. Again, hypocrisy rears its ugly head. But many of us know the reason for this – Mr. Cline's survival. The emperor has to surround himself with a cabal of "yes" people -- servants in order to feel powerful and in control. But what these folks forget is how Hans Christian Anderson’s eerily similar tale ends!
Read more....
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
DeSoto School District Copies and Posts Web Pages; Fails to Credit Source
X
When I was in school, I learned to cite the sources that I used in essays and research papers. I now follow this practice on my Web site as well. I learned that not citing the source of my ideas or using the words of others as if they were my own has a special name: plagiarism. It's a form of cheating. At least, that's what I was taught. Apparently, the lesson hasn't been learned by the local superintendent or school district.
more..
The DesSoto County School District's Web site has a button to click, called Be There. The click takes readers to the school district's page that describes nice things that happen when parents connect with their children. The "be there" theme is in red letters, but there's no indication that's a citation or reference -- just emphasis. Indeed, none of the red letters are clickable links. They should be -- because "Be There" is a trademarked, copyrighted, properietary program that promotes its mission at http://www.bethere.org/. In short, the school district , in the form of Adrian Cline, Superintendent whose name is the "signature" on the page in question, has plagiarized. He has taken "Be There" words and reproduced them as if it were the district's, or the superintendent's, own work.
So, what's an old dog to think? Has the school district plagiarized? Comments welcome.
Read more....
When I was in school, I learned to cite the sources that I used in essays and research papers. I now follow this practice on my Web site as well. I learned that not citing the source of my ideas or using the words of others as if they were my own has a special name: plagiarism. It's a form of cheating. At least, that's what I was taught. Apparently, the lesson hasn't been learned by the local superintendent or school district.
more..
The DesSoto County School District's Web site has a button to click, called Be There. The click takes readers to the school district's page that describes nice things that happen when parents connect with their children. The "be there" theme is in red letters, but there's no indication that's a citation or reference -- just emphasis. Indeed, none of the red letters are clickable links. They should be -- because "Be There" is a trademarked, copyrighted, properietary program that promotes its mission at http://www.bethere.org/. In short, the school district , in the form of Adrian Cline, Superintendent whose name is the "signature" on the page in question, has plagiarized. He has taken "Be There" words and reproduced them as if it were the district's, or the superintendent's, own work.
The plagiarism isn't just the one page. It goes deeper. Click on a parent's tip link that appears on the District's Be There page, and readers get a bland looking PDF file of Parent Tips, typed into a plain white page. But if visitors were to visit the original Be There Web site, they'd find a remarkably similar document page -- word for word -- only prettier.
So, what's an old dog to think? Has the school district plagiarized? Comments welcome.
Read more....
Thursday, July 16, 2009
DeSoto School Board Votes on Non-Agenda Item: Raising Taxes
X
It's routine in that it happens every summer: DeSoto County School Board, like the thousands across the land, must create a budget for the upcoming year. After figuring how much money it takes to educate the 2009-2010 crop of kids, it caclulates the millage it must ask the tax collector to levy upon land- and homeowners. The millage is then advertised, and if approved, the tax collecter rounds up the money it generates and sends a check to Tallahassee. There it is massaged (so to speak) and the good governor remits the funds back to the locals with both some additions and some subtractions.
more...
Well, that's apparently the job the board was doing Tuesday night -- examining the draft of the proposed budget and setting the millage to fund it. The meeting wasn't routine in that not a single general citizen -- well one, and even he confessed to being surprised -- seemed to know this fiscal-year milestone was on the agenda.
Let me say this again: This important bit of business never appeared on the DeSoto County School District's published agenda. Citizens were not notified. No one outside an inner circle of boardmembers and administrators knew the time and place to discuss the next-year's tax rate.
And, making the whole operation a bit more hugger-mugger, even the newspaper was not notified that the public's business -- tax business -- was scheduled to be conducted. (I got wind of this from a blog that I follow. The writer focuses mostly on journalism, but he takes occasional side trips into the schools, which I why I recommend the site. )
But back to my concerns: I'm new to Florida, so I might have this all wrong. But I'm under the impression that public bodies have to do their business "in the sunshine." They aren't allowed to do things like award contracts, spend money, or set tax rates without some public notice -- hopefully accompanied by discussion. Am I wrong about this?
Read more....
It's routine in that it happens every summer: DeSoto County School Board, like the thousands across the land, must create a budget for the upcoming year. After figuring how much money it takes to educate the 2009-2010 crop of kids, it caclulates the millage it must ask the tax collector to levy upon land- and homeowners. The millage is then advertised, and if approved, the tax collecter rounds up the money it generates and sends a check to Tallahassee. There it is massaged (so to speak) and the good governor remits the funds back to the locals with both some additions and some subtractions.
more...
Well, that's apparently the job the board was doing Tuesday night -- examining the draft of the proposed budget and setting the millage to fund it. The meeting wasn't routine in that not a single general citizen -- well one, and even he confessed to being surprised -- seemed to know this fiscal-year milestone was on the agenda.
Let me say this again: This important bit of business never appeared on the DeSoto County School District's published agenda. Citizens were not notified. No one outside an inner circle of boardmembers and administrators knew the time and place to discuss the next-year's tax rate.
And, making the whole operation a bit more hugger-mugger, even the newspaper was not notified that the public's business -- tax business -- was scheduled to be conducted. (I got wind of this from a blog that I follow. The writer focuses mostly on journalism, but he takes occasional side trips into the schools, which I why I recommend the site. )
But back to my concerns: I'm new to Florida, so I might have this all wrong. But I'm under the impression that public bodies have to do their business "in the sunshine." They aren't allowed to do things like award contracts, spend money, or set tax rates without some public notice -- hopefully accompanied by discussion. Am I wrong about this?
Read more....
Friday, July 10, 2009
School Board Salary Data Difficult to Track Down
X
Boy, am I naïve. I thought reporting here exactly what I and my fellow taxpayers pay to school board members, a citizen-elected superintendent, and some key higher-ups in the main district office would be easy. Wrong. A deep troll through the posted budget for our local school district reveals none of this information.
more...
I did find out – on the sly – that DeSoto County School District pays its school board members $25,822 each year. The school budget also includes enough money to pay into the members’ Social Security fund, provide for their participation in a group medical and health plan, and contributes to a retirement account for them. We don’t yet have the grand total, but we’ll keep trying.
Meanwhile, Florida legislators have recommended that school board members be compensated on a sliding scale: the bigger the district, the more the base pay. In its wisdom, legislators deem that counties with a population under 50,000 (DeSoto is home to 33,991 souls at last estimate) should compensate school board folks at the rate of $5,833 a year.
So, even without exercising our privilege to have government in the sunshine, we know the school district pays about $20,000 more to each school board member (times five members equals =$100,000 a year) than the state’s recommendation. And that’s before retirements, health plans, and whatever else we pay for by way of carfare and expenses.
I thought school board service was a civic privilege and duty, to be undertaken by people unmotivated by a substantial paycheck, retirement funds and health plans. Boy, am I naïve.
Read more....
Boy, am I naïve. I thought reporting here exactly what I and my fellow taxpayers pay to school board members, a citizen-elected superintendent, and some key higher-ups in the main district office would be easy. Wrong. A deep troll through the posted budget for our local school district reveals none of this information.
more...
I did find out – on the sly – that DeSoto County School District pays its school board members $25,822 each year. The school budget also includes enough money to pay into the members’ Social Security fund, provide for their participation in a group medical and health plan, and contributes to a retirement account for them. We don’t yet have the grand total, but we’ll keep trying.
Meanwhile, Florida legislators have recommended that school board members be compensated on a sliding scale: the bigger the district, the more the base pay. In its wisdom, legislators deem that counties with a population under 50,000 (DeSoto is home to 33,991 souls at last estimate) should compensate school board folks at the rate of $5,833 a year.
Here's the chart from F.S. Chapter 1001.30
So, even without exercising our privilege to have government in the sunshine, we know the school district pays about $20,000 more to each school board member (times five members equals =$100,000 a year) than the state’s recommendation. And that’s before retirements, health plans, and whatever else we pay for by way of carfare and expenses.
I thought school board service was a civic privilege and duty, to be undertaken by people unmotivated by a substantial paycheck, retirement funds and health plans. Boy, am I naïve.
Read more....
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
More Excuses from Mr. Cline
X
In a June 13, 2009 Sun article, the newspaper paraphrases our superintendent: "Cline feels comparing DeSoto County with urban coastal areas like Charlotte and Sarasota is not fair. DeSoto is more like Hardee, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, and Okeechobee." His comments are in response to the lack of performance of DeSoto High School. So lets take him up on his challenge – lets look at the Florida DOE data for all eight high schools in these heartland counties:
1) In reading, DeSoto High School came in 8th- last place!
2) Only Avon Park High School did worse than us in math - DeSoto came in 7th place!
3) In science, DeSoto placed 5th out of eight.
4) In writing, DeSoto came in 3rd place.
more ...
With these results I’d like to ask Mr. Cline what he thinks now about the comparisons to the Heartland counties – below average wouldn’t you say? No, he wouldn’t say that – he’d offer another excuse! And the hypocrisy of his comparison is that two years ago Dr. McNulty compared our school system to that of Okeechobee because of similar demographics and he was scoffed at. Remember, "hypocrisy is the homage vice pays to virtue" (Anonymous).
In the same said article Mr. Cline states, "All three of our elementary schools are Title I schools and as of July 1, our middle school will be too." This statement sounds like an excuse, predicated on his assumption that the masses don’t know what a Title I school is (which is true) and that they will further assume this to be a reason for lack of performance. A Title I school is simply a school comprised of at least 35 percent of students from low-income families and thus is subsidized with free lunches, according to federal guidelines. Mr. Cline is merely playing the poverty victim card; that is, because we have a significant percentage of individuals that are poor (mainly Hispanics) and receive free lunches, we cannot expect them to do well academically! Why? Are there stupid pills in free lunches? How profoundly ignorant! Please correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t this year’s valedictorian from a minority group whose hard working parents are not wealthy? And isn’t he, like his brother several years ago, one of the brightest kids to graduate from this high school (even after valedictorian – salutatorian issues … more on this later)? The following shows the number of Title I schools in the other heartland counties :
Glades - 2
Hardee - 5
Hendry - 6
Highlands - 9
Okeechobee - 5
Further, lets look at two other Florida high schools with virtually the same ‘poverty’ demographics as DeSoto High School.
DeSoto High School - 63 percent qualify for free lunch
- ‘C’ rated in 2008
- now rated ‘D’ in 2008
South Brevard High School - 65 percent minority and 58 percent free lunch
- ‘D’ rated in 2008
- now rated ‘B’ in 2009
Pensacola High School - 68 percent minority and 62 percent free lunch
- ‘D’ rated in 2008
- now rated ‘B’ in 2009
At this point, let me expound upon a comment by anonymous on June 30 (to Barry’s blog on June 28). Concerned individuals at our high school should immediately meet with out-of-town administrators and teachers at both South Brevard and Pensacola high schools to find out what they are doing right – an ‘out-of-town’ educational summit. Galen, the father of medicine, said "Above all, do no harm." What harm would there be in this? Thank you, anonymous, for the educational summit idea! But even you know that Cline wouldn’t allow this!
Lastly, in the same newspaper article Cline says, "The question is : Have we improved from last year? Yes, we are showing improvement." Perhaps according to you, Mr. Cline, but certainly not according to who really counts, the DOE. Of the five schools in this county, only one -- West Elementary -- has achieved adequate yearly progress (AYP). And our high school is one step away from intervention as a corrective action by the state DOE.
Some of you may think that I'm being too harsh on Mr. Cline. As with all CEO's, Mr. Cline is where the buck stops. Management is measured by performance, and the performance stinks. It logically follows then that management stinks. When asked to comment on our schools' lack of performance Mr. Cline can only and always offer excuses. Let me ask those of you who read thi: Have you ever heard or read a statement from Cline claiming any responsibility for the condition of our schools? At least Bernard Madoff said he was sorry!
Mickey the Dunce
Read more....
In a June 13, 2009 Sun article, the newspaper paraphrases our superintendent: "Cline feels comparing DeSoto County with urban coastal areas like Charlotte and Sarasota is not fair. DeSoto is more like Hardee, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, and Okeechobee." His comments are in response to the lack of performance of DeSoto High School. So lets take him up on his challenge – lets look at the Florida DOE data for all eight high schools in these heartland counties:
1) In reading, DeSoto High School came in 8th- last place!
2) Only Avon Park High School did worse than us in math - DeSoto came in 7th place!
3) In science, DeSoto placed 5th out of eight.
4) In writing, DeSoto came in 3rd place.
more ...
With these results I’d like to ask Mr. Cline what he thinks now about the comparisons to the Heartland counties – below average wouldn’t you say? No, he wouldn’t say that – he’d offer another excuse! And the hypocrisy of his comparison is that two years ago Dr. McNulty compared our school system to that of Okeechobee because of similar demographics and he was scoffed at. Remember, "hypocrisy is the homage vice pays to virtue" (Anonymous).
In the same said article Mr. Cline states, "All three of our elementary schools are Title I schools and as of July 1, our middle school will be too." This statement sounds like an excuse, predicated on his assumption that the masses don’t know what a Title I school is (which is true) and that they will further assume this to be a reason for lack of performance. A Title I school is simply a school comprised of at least 35 percent of students from low-income families and thus is subsidized with free lunches, according to federal guidelines. Mr. Cline is merely playing the poverty victim card; that is, because we have a significant percentage of individuals that are poor (mainly Hispanics) and receive free lunches, we cannot expect them to do well academically! Why? Are there stupid pills in free lunches? How profoundly ignorant! Please correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t this year’s valedictorian from a minority group whose hard working parents are not wealthy? And isn’t he, like his brother several years ago, one of the brightest kids to graduate from this high school (even after valedictorian – salutatorian issues … more on this later)? The following shows the number of Title I schools in the other heartland counties :
Glades - 2
Hardee - 5
Hendry - 6
Highlands - 9
Okeechobee - 5
Further, lets look at two other Florida high schools with virtually the same ‘poverty’ demographics as DeSoto High School.
DeSoto High School - 63 percent qualify for free lunch
- ‘C’ rated in 2008
- now rated ‘D’ in 2008
South Brevard High School - 65 percent minority and 58 percent free lunch
- ‘D’ rated in 2008
- now rated ‘B’ in 2009
Pensacola High School - 68 percent minority and 62 percent free lunch
- ‘D’ rated in 2008
- now rated ‘B’ in 2009
At this point, let me expound upon a comment by anonymous on June 30 (to Barry’s blog on June 28). Concerned individuals at our high school should immediately meet with out-of-town administrators and teachers at both South Brevard and Pensacola high schools to find out what they are doing right – an ‘out-of-town’ educational summit. Galen, the father of medicine, said "Above all, do no harm." What harm would there be in this? Thank you, anonymous, for the educational summit idea! But even you know that Cline wouldn’t allow this!
Lastly, in the same newspaper article Cline says, "The question is : Have we improved from last year? Yes, we are showing improvement." Perhaps according to you, Mr. Cline, but certainly not according to who really counts, the DOE. Of the five schools in this county, only one -- West Elementary -- has achieved adequate yearly progress (AYP). And our high school is one step away from intervention as a corrective action by the state DOE.
Some of you may think that I'm being too harsh on Mr. Cline. As with all CEO's, Mr. Cline is where the buck stops. Management is measured by performance, and the performance stinks. It logically follows then that management stinks. When asked to comment on our schools' lack of performance Mr. Cline can only and always offer excuses. Let me ask those of you who read thi: Have you ever heard or read a statement from Cline claiming any responsibility for the condition of our schools? At least Bernard Madoff said he was sorry!
Mickey the Dunce
Read more....
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Superintendent: To Be Elected or Hired: That is the Question
X
Of the 17,000 school districts across the nation, only 147 still use the ballot box to determine who they call school superintendent.* Forty two of them are in Florida; the rest are in Alabama and Mississippi. None where superintendents are elected seems famous for academic achievement.** And, as one of the elected-superintendent districts is right here in DeSoto County, I went into list-making mode. Here are two lists, each comparing oft-cited pros and cons for hiring or electing the person who carries out the most important job that citizens entrust to local government: educating children and young adults.
More..
Districts that hire school superintendents:
-- can choose leadership and talent from a national pool. Elected superintendents must already live in the county, limiting choice to a pool of “qualified voters” willing to endure the time, trouble and expense of an election.
-- can set high standards, such as requiring a Ph.D., from applicants. Elected superintendents need only meet state-set minimum educational and experience standards.
-- can create a contract that allows for dismissal for poor performance. An elected superintendent may be removed only at the next election cycle except in cases of what is essentially criminal activity – which provokes a long, due-process investigation.
-- have a leader who answers to and is evaluated by the school board. An elected superintendent can ignore or override school board policies and decisions.
-- usually have fewer problems with nepotism, cronyism, and similar situations. Elected superintendents may feel obligated to reward those who helped them get into office.
Districts that elect superintendents:
-- are led by persons well known in the community. A hired superintendent is likely to be a “stranger” or “outsider.”
-- are assured of an orderly turnover at election time. Hired superintendents can be terminated by a school board for cause, resulting in periods of leadership vacuums.
-- generally pay less for a locally elected superintendent than a hired one. Hired superintendents often command higher salaries and require termination clauses.
-- don’t have to spend money on candidate searches. Locating, interviewing and selecting a hired superintendent can be costly and time consuming.
-- have a leader who answers to voters, not to the school board. A hired superintendent must respond to those who hired him or her.
-- may find it difficult to separate politics from education. Hired superintendents are usually less susceptible to local political pressures.
The Ultimate Criterion
Good arguments on both sides. But the final decision whether to elect or hire probably should be based on results. A couple of years back, DeSoto County School Board members heard from some folks in town who did their homework on this issue. The folder they passed along to me of quantifiable information extracted from the data warehouse at the state department of education concludes: “In all four years [of their survey 2003-2007] all school districts with hired superintendents outperformed, without exception, those districts with elected superintendents. In addition, in all four years, no school district with a hired superintendent was rated D or F by the Florida Department of Education.”
I’ve taken those materials and updated them to see if the four-year findings hold up over the two years since. They do. Based strictly on educational outcome as measured by the state and federal yardsticks, school districts managed by hired (also called “appointed”) superintendents, outperformed the few that still elect a beloved school principal or town politician to hold down the top job.
* so says the National School Boards Association.
** The thing I hear over and over in discussions about teen pregnancy, drop-out data, teacher pay, and similar school-quality indicators for Florida is, “Thank goodness for Mississippi.” Read more....
Of the 17,000 school districts across the nation, only 147 still use the ballot box to determine who they call school superintendent.* Forty two of them are in Florida; the rest are in Alabama and Mississippi. None where superintendents are elected seems famous for academic achievement.** And, as one of the elected-superintendent districts is right here in DeSoto County, I went into list-making mode. Here are two lists, each comparing oft-cited pros and cons for hiring or electing the person who carries out the most important job that citizens entrust to local government: educating children and young adults.
More..
Districts that hire school superintendents:
-- can choose leadership and talent from a national pool. Elected superintendents must already live in the county, limiting choice to a pool of “qualified voters” willing to endure the time, trouble and expense of an election.
-- can set high standards, such as requiring a Ph.D., from applicants. Elected superintendents need only meet state-set minimum educational and experience standards.
-- can create a contract that allows for dismissal for poor performance. An elected superintendent may be removed only at the next election cycle except in cases of what is essentially criminal activity – which provokes a long, due-process investigation.
-- have a leader who answers to and is evaluated by the school board. An elected superintendent can ignore or override school board policies and decisions.
-- usually have fewer problems with nepotism, cronyism, and similar situations. Elected superintendents may feel obligated to reward those who helped them get into office.
Districts that elect superintendents:
-- are led by persons well known in the community. A hired superintendent is likely to be a “stranger” or “outsider.”
-- are assured of an orderly turnover at election time. Hired superintendents can be terminated by a school board for cause, resulting in periods of leadership vacuums.
-- generally pay less for a locally elected superintendent than a hired one. Hired superintendents often command higher salaries and require termination clauses.
-- don’t have to spend money on candidate searches. Locating, interviewing and selecting a hired superintendent can be costly and time consuming.
-- have a leader who answers to voters, not to the school board. A hired superintendent must respond to those who hired him or her.
-- may find it difficult to separate politics from education. Hired superintendents are usually less susceptible to local political pressures.
The Ultimate Criterion
Good arguments on both sides. But the final decision whether to elect or hire probably should be based on results. A couple of years back, DeSoto County School Board members heard from some folks in town who did their homework on this issue. The folder they passed along to me of quantifiable information extracted from the data warehouse at the state department of education concludes: “In all four years [of their survey 2003-2007] all school districts with hired superintendents outperformed, without exception, those districts with elected superintendents. In addition, in all four years, no school district with a hired superintendent was rated D or F by the Florida Department of Education.”
I’ve taken those materials and updated them to see if the four-year findings hold up over the two years since. They do. Based strictly on educational outcome as measured by the state and federal yardsticks, school districts managed by hired (also called “appointed”) superintendents, outperformed the few that still elect a beloved school principal or town politician to hold down the top job.
* so says the National School Boards Association.
** The thing I hear over and over in discussions about teen pregnancy, drop-out data, teacher pay, and similar school-quality indicators for Florida is, “Thank goodness for Mississippi.” Read more....
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Department of Ed: Most DeSoto Schools Aren't Making Adequate Progress
X
Being new to Florida, I was thoroughly confused by all the ratings I've seen applied to schools and students: AYP, FCAT, A+Schools -- there's more, but these seem to be the ones most folks talk about. It all seemed to be a big muddle. So, I did a little research, and this is what I found out about our "school report cards." Understanding how these measure fit together (or don't) is crucial to understanding whether we should be thrilled or cautious when a school adminstrator assures us that a particular school is "an A school."
more...
Part I: Adequate Yearly Progress
Florida's public schools are supposed to improve from year to year. Teachers and students are expected to get better in their roles as educators and learners. How much they improve (or don't) is measured with several yardsticks. The major measurements, the ones getting the most general attention, are data collected from standardized tests that score reading, math, science and writing achievement. Each year, students across Florida take a comprehensive achievement test, the FCAT, to measure their progress, both as individuals and as a group.
The state's department of education -- prodded by the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 -- wants students in every school to score better this year than they did last year and to score better next year than they did this year. That’s the progress part. The DOE -- again prodded by the fed -- also wants improvements to be not just small or incremental, but “adequate.” The DOE describes in some detail how to measure adequacy by analyzing the data it collects in several categories. That analysis is labeled “adequate yearly progress,” or AYP for short.
Schools where children don't make adequate yearly progress get a Florida report card with a grade of D or F. But even schools with Florida grades of A, B, or C -- a state ranking summarized in Part II, below -- can be found not making adequate progress. And that's what happened in most of the local schools. Here's the tally:
DeSoto High -------------- Grade: D -- AYP? No
DeSoto Middle School -- Grade: A ---AYP? No
West Elementary -------- Grade: A -- AYP? Yes
Memorial Elementary -- Grade: B -- AYP? No
Nocatee Elementary ---- Grade: C -- AYP? No
A school makes adequate federal progress if:
(a) at least 95 percent of its students take FCAT or an acceptable substitute test.
(b) at least 65 percent of all students and 65 percent of students in designated subgroups (African American, Hispanic, Asian, etc.) read at grade level (FCAT level 3) or better.
(c) at least 68 percent of all students and each subgroup score at grade level in math (FCAT level 4) or better.
(d) writing scores improve over the prior year by at least 1 percent; graduation rate must improve by 1 percent, and the school must not be graded by the state as D or F.
So here's what seems to be going on at DeSoto Middle School, graded A by the state, but targeted as failing federal AYP measures: Overall, just 57 percent of the students read at grade level and only 60 percent do math at grade level. By both reading and math yardsticks an inadequate number of students have learned to grade-level proficiency.
At Memorial Elementary, the picture is a little different. Overall, reading and math scores cleared the numbers hurdle (65 percent and 68 percent performing at math and reading grade level or better, respectively). But key subgroups did not. For example, among children with disabilities, 57 percent aren't reading at grade level and 56 percent aren't doing math at grade level. Two other groups at the school were "left behind" in math: white children and economically disadvantaged children.
The full report with sub-group details is available at:
Florida School Grades Homepage. Click on "Measuring Adequate Yearly Progress AYP in Excel format for the DeSoto-Lee report.
Read more....
Being new to Florida, I was thoroughly confused by all the ratings I've seen applied to schools and students: AYP, FCAT, A+Schools -- there's more, but these seem to be the ones most folks talk about. It all seemed to be a big muddle. So, I did a little research, and this is what I found out about our "school report cards." Understanding how these measure fit together (or don't) is crucial to understanding whether we should be thrilled or cautious when a school adminstrator assures us that a particular school is "an A school."
more...
Part I: Adequate Yearly Progress
Florida's public schools are supposed to improve from year to year. Teachers and students are expected to get better in their roles as educators and learners. How much they improve (or don't) is measured with several yardsticks. The major measurements, the ones getting the most general attention, are data collected from standardized tests that score reading, math, science and writing achievement. Each year, students across Florida take a comprehensive achievement test, the FCAT, to measure their progress, both as individuals and as a group.
The state's department of education -- prodded by the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 -- wants students in every school to score better this year than they did last year and to score better next year than they did this year. That’s the progress part. The DOE -- again prodded by the fed -- also wants improvements to be not just small or incremental, but “adequate.” The DOE describes in some detail how to measure adequacy by analyzing the data it collects in several categories. That analysis is labeled “adequate yearly progress,” or AYP for short.
Schools where children don't make adequate yearly progress get a Florida report card with a grade of D or F. But even schools with Florida grades of A, B, or C -- a state ranking summarized in Part II, below -- can be found not making adequate progress. And that's what happened in most of the local schools. Here's the tally:
DeSoto High -------------- Grade: D -- AYP? No
DeSoto Middle School -- Grade: A ---AYP? No
West Elementary -------- Grade: A -- AYP? Yes
Memorial Elementary -- Grade: B -- AYP? No
Nocatee Elementary ---- Grade: C -- AYP? No
A school makes adequate federal progress if:
(a) at least 95 percent of its students take FCAT or an acceptable substitute test.
(b) at least 65 percent of all students and 65 percent of students in designated subgroups (African American, Hispanic, Asian, etc.) read at grade level (FCAT level 3) or better.
(c) at least 68 percent of all students and each subgroup score at grade level in math (FCAT level 4) or better.
(d) writing scores improve over the prior year by at least 1 percent; graduation rate must improve by 1 percent, and the school must not be graded by the state as D or F.
So here's what seems to be going on at DeSoto Middle School, graded A by the state, but targeted as failing federal AYP measures: Overall, just 57 percent of the students read at grade level and only 60 percent do math at grade level. By both reading and math yardsticks an inadequate number of students have learned to grade-level proficiency.
At Memorial Elementary, the picture is a little different. Overall, reading and math scores cleared the numbers hurdle (65 percent and 68 percent performing at math and reading grade level or better, respectively). But key subgroups did not. For example, among children with disabilities, 57 percent aren't reading at grade level and 56 percent aren't doing math at grade level. Two other groups at the school were "left behind" in math: white children and economically disadvantaged children.
The full report with sub-group details is available at:
Florida School Grades Homepage. Click on "Measuring Adequate Yearly Progress AYP in Excel format for the DeSoto-Lee report.
http://www.aypo809desototolee[1].xls/
Part II: Apples and Oranges: Why an "A School" Might Not Make "Adequate Yearly Progress"
All this might prompt a concerned parent to ask: Why would the state award a school an A if it’s not making adequate federal progress? The short answer is that different measures yield different results. The state's evaluation is based on different things than the federal evaluation.
The detail is found in looking at how Florida awards letter grade for schools. But here's a summary.
It’s actually pretty simple. It's a point system. Schools earn a point for each percentage point of students who meet eight standards. If 80 percent of a school’s students achieve a high standard, the school gets 80 points and if the remaining 20 percent of its students achieve a lower standard, the school gets 20 points for them. When all the eight categories are added up, schools with 525 points or more are graded A. Schools earning between 495 and 524 points are graded B. Those earning between 435 points and 494 points are graded C. Those earning between 395 and 434 points are. Less than 395 points equals an F.
The eight categories are tied to FCAT scores and earn points this way:
1. One point for each percent of students who meet high standards by scoring at or above FCAT Achievement Level 3 in reading.
2. One point for each percent of students who meet high standards by scoring at or above FCAT Achievement Level 3 in mathematics.
3. One point for each percent of students who meet high standards by scoring at or above FCAT Achievement Level 3 in science.
4. One point for each percent of students who meet high standards by scoring 3.5 or higher on the FCAT writing assessment. In the event that there are not at least 30 eligible students tested in writing, the district average in writing is substituted.
5. One point for each percent of students making learning gains in reading.
6. One point for each percent of students making learning gains in mathematics.
7. One point for each percent of the lowest performing students making learning gains in reading. In the event that there are not at least 30 eligible students, the school’s reading learning gains are substituted.
8. One point for each percent of the lowest performing students making learning gains in mathematics. In the event that there are not at least 30 eligible students, the school’s mathematics learning gains are substituted.
For schools that fall into the A,B, and C categories of points earned, two other measurements are applied: To keep the grade, the school must have tested 95 percent of its students (no "cherry picking" allowed) in order to keep an A, or have tested 90 percent of its students to keep a B or C.
In addition, to keep a point-scored letter grade of A, the school must show adequate progress compared to the prior year among children who tested in the lowest 25 percent in both reading and math; similarly, to keep an B or C, the school must show its lowest 25 percent of performers made adequate progress in reading and math compared to either of the two prior years.
It’s all pretty straightforward except for one hiccup: the state’s measure of adequate progress is not the same as the federal AYP! The state calls it adequate progress, or “learning gains” (essentially higher FCAT scores), when half of a measured group do better than the prior year.
Here's where it gets a little tricky. To calculate learning gains, Florida converts FCAT scores (reported on a scale of 100-500) into “developmental scores.” Developmental scores are pegged on a scale that ranges from zero to 3000. The conversion makes different year-to-year scoring readable on the same scale. Those of us not proficient at scale conversions will just have to trust the experts on this point. To check the math, go to page 20 and 21 of Florida's 2009 Guide to Calculating School Grades Technical Assistant Paper.
The result of Florida's grading scale is that a school earns points toward a letter grade based on how well children perform on the FCAT tests. That letter grade is retained (or dropped down a notch) based on a school’s lowest performers scoring better than last year or the year before. This is a quite different measure than the federal No Child Left Behind measure.
So, how does an "A school" fail to make "adequate yearly progress?" Apples and oranges; two yardsticks, two measures of cloth; nonequivalents.
In conclusion: Should I be concerned if my kid's school isn't making adequate yearly progress (AYP) even if the school district squeezes an A or B out of the state's rubric? Lots of folks are bad-mouthing "No Child Left Behind," and perhaps with some reason. Nonetheless, its a national measure and DeSoto isn't measuring up.
Read more....
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
DeSoto Education: Not Important
X
Dear Barry:
A recent DeSoto Sun article (June 13, 2009) quotes Mike McNulty as saying "Education is not a priority in this county... we're on the Titanic, Cline is on the bridge and we're sinking." Pretty strong words! Fact or opinion? Let's attempt to find the answer. Toward this end let's look at management -- the school board and the superintendent. After all, as the noted economist Peter Drucker once said, "The ultimate test of management is performance." Certainly no one with any common sense can argue with these words.
more ...
Way back in the summer of 2007, Mike McNulty urged school board members to join a key professional resource: Florida School Board Association. His request was logical and rational, given that school board members across the state gain useful information at such meetings and can avail themselves of a wealth of resources, e.g. how other school districts address and solve problems, what they are doing and what they are planning. After all, there are only three ways to do anything: my way, your way and the right way. Oops, I forgot -- our school system's way, the wrong way!
The ensuing vote speaks for itself. In a three to two vote, the local school board adopted the recommendation and joined the association. The dissenting voters, as it turned out, were long-serving good- ol' -boys, Mr. Ronnie Allen and Mr. Rodney Hollingsworth. At this point, I'd like to quote a sentence from the minutes of the school board meeting held Aug. 14, 2007: "Mr. Hollingsworth also admitted at one time he was not proud of the school board; now he is." Hold that thought.
Now in 2009, the board is suddenly no longer a member. The reason given for dropping membership is the cost and times are tough and membership costs $11,000. At least that's what I was told. So, DeSoto County School system is the only one in the state affected by this current economic downturn?
Now bear in mind that our school system's budget hovers somewhere around $50 million. If we perform higher mathematics and put 11,000 in the numerator and 50 million in the denominator and then multiply by 100 percent, we get 0.02. In other words, it costs two one-hundredths of a percent (0.02 percent) of the budget to belong to this oganization. Surely such a pittance cannot be the reason for withdrawal, especially given the fact that far more significant funds are spent frivolously, possibly for FDR memorabilia? (... more later)
So, all this begs the question: Why, really, did the school board withdraw from its state professional association? The board owes the community the real reason. Based on what I feel to be reliable "hearsay" three members went to these meetings periodically; no, I should say rarely. And two did not attend any of these meetings at all during this two year period! Guess who? The good-ol'-boys.
And now, at this point, let's ask Mr. Hollingsworth. "Are you proud of yourself? Are you proud of the school board?"
Just when we thought that it couldn't get any better (or worse), suddenly it does. Here is another example from those who are supposed to be in charge and concerned that "education is not a priority in this county:"
The Florida School Board Association is a statewide group; within this group are smaller groups. The so-called Heartland Consortium is one of them, and DeSoto is a member along with Hardee, Highlands, Hendry, Glades and Okeechobee counties. Like the state association, Heartland Consortium was formed to exchange information, ideas, and solutions to problems; its member school districts have virtually the same demographics as DeSoto, and therefore similar issues.
For example, after FCAT scores were released at the end of May, Heartland Consortium convened to discuss the scores as well as this past year's successes, failures, problems and future. Invited from all six counties were the superintendents, principals, and department heads. (Hardee County even sent its directors of transportation and maintenance -- and they went!)
Now let me ask a rhetorical question: What county was not represented at that meeting? If you answerd DeSoto County, you are right. Not one person from this district bothered to go. All five member counties were well represented, right up through their superintendents.
I believe it to be reasonable to assume our superintendent was aware of this event but perhaps failed to pass along the information. Perhaps he was too embarrassed to show up, given the FCAT performance (or lack thereof). So, is Dr. McNulty, if not on the bulls eye, at least near the mark, when he said, "Education is not a priority in this county?"
The following excerpt from Lee Iacocca's new book sums up our local situation:
Read more....
Dear Barry:
A recent DeSoto Sun article (June 13, 2009) quotes Mike McNulty as saying "Education is not a priority in this county... we're on the Titanic, Cline is on the bridge and we're sinking." Pretty strong words! Fact or opinion? Let's attempt to find the answer. Toward this end let's look at management -- the school board and the superintendent. After all, as the noted economist Peter Drucker once said, "The ultimate test of management is performance." Certainly no one with any common sense can argue with these words.
more ...
Way back in the summer of 2007, Mike McNulty urged school board members to join a key professional resource: Florida School Board Association. His request was logical and rational, given that school board members across the state gain useful information at such meetings and can avail themselves of a wealth of resources, e.g. how other school districts address and solve problems, what they are doing and what they are planning. After all, there are only three ways to do anything: my way, your way and the right way. Oops, I forgot -- our school system's way, the wrong way!
The ensuing vote speaks for itself. In a three to two vote, the local school board adopted the recommendation and joined the association. The dissenting voters, as it turned out, were long-serving good- ol' -boys, Mr. Ronnie Allen and Mr. Rodney Hollingsworth. At this point, I'd like to quote a sentence from the minutes of the school board meeting held Aug. 14, 2007: "Mr. Hollingsworth also admitted at one time he was not proud of the school board; now he is." Hold that thought.
Now in 2009, the board is suddenly no longer a member. The reason given for dropping membership is the cost and times are tough and membership costs $11,000. At least that's what I was told. So, DeSoto County School system is the only one in the state affected by this current economic downturn?
Now bear in mind that our school system's budget hovers somewhere around $50 million. If we perform higher mathematics and put 11,000 in the numerator and 50 million in the denominator and then multiply by 100 percent, we get 0.02. In other words, it costs two one-hundredths of a percent (0.02 percent) of the budget to belong to this oganization. Surely such a pittance cannot be the reason for withdrawal, especially given the fact that far more significant funds are spent frivolously, possibly for FDR memorabilia? (... more later)
So, all this begs the question: Why, really, did the school board withdraw from its state professional association? The board owes the community the real reason. Based on what I feel to be reliable "hearsay" three members went to these meetings periodically; no, I should say rarely. And two did not attend any of these meetings at all during this two year period! Guess who? The good-ol'-boys.
And now, at this point, let's ask Mr. Hollingsworth. "Are you proud of yourself? Are you proud of the school board?"
Just when we thought that it couldn't get any better (or worse), suddenly it does. Here is another example from those who are supposed to be in charge and concerned that "education is not a priority in this county:"
The Florida School Board Association is a statewide group; within this group are smaller groups. The so-called Heartland Consortium is one of them, and DeSoto is a member along with Hardee, Highlands, Hendry, Glades and Okeechobee counties. Like the state association, Heartland Consortium was formed to exchange information, ideas, and solutions to problems; its member school districts have virtually the same demographics as DeSoto, and therefore similar issues.
For example, after FCAT scores were released at the end of May, Heartland Consortium convened to discuss the scores as well as this past year's successes, failures, problems and future. Invited from all six counties were the superintendents, principals, and department heads. (Hardee County even sent its directors of transportation and maintenance -- and they went!)
Now let me ask a rhetorical question: What county was not represented at that meeting? If you answerd DeSoto County, you are right. Not one person from this district bothered to go. All five member counties were well represented, right up through their superintendents.
I believe it to be reasonable to assume our superintendent was aware of this event but perhaps failed to pass along the information. Perhaps he was too embarrassed to show up, given the FCAT performance (or lack thereof). So, is Dr. McNulty, if not on the bulls eye, at least near the mark, when he said, "Education is not a priority in this county?"
The following excerpt from Lee Iacocca's new book sums up our local situation:
"Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, 'Stay the course.' Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned Titanic. I'll give you a sound bite: Throw the bums out!" --- "Where have all the Leaders Gone?"
Mickey the Dunce
Read more....
State Assistance Program to Include DeSoto High
X
DeSoto High School appears prominently on the state's list of schools needing "level two" corrective action -- one rank above a full-scale intervention. The news came as part of a set of documents released Thursday by the state Department of Education. The DOE's announcement describes a major expansion of its Differentiated Accountability Program to include every public school in need of improvement. That category includes DeSoto High where students, as a group, have failed to make adequate academic progress in several consecutive years.
read more ...
LINK to Department of Education Press Release and supporting materials
Thursday June 25 2009:
Successful School Improvement Program Expands to Cover All Public Schools~ Schools unable to meet the academic needs of all students set to receive increased district and state assistance ~
Read more....
DeSoto High School appears prominently on the state's list of schools needing "level two" corrective action -- one rank above a full-scale intervention. The news came as part of a set of documents released Thursday by the state Department of Education. The DOE's announcement describes a major expansion of its Differentiated Accountability Program to include every public school in need of improvement. That category includes DeSoto High where students, as a group, have failed to make adequate academic progress in several consecutive years.
read more ...
LINK to Department of Education Press Release and supporting materials
Thursday June 25 2009:
Successful School Improvement Program Expands to Cover All Public Schools~ Schools unable to meet the academic needs of all students set to receive increased district and state assistance ~
TALLAHASSEE – Bolstered by strong performance increases in struggling schools this year, Florida’s Differentiated Accountability program has been expanded to account for every public school student in the state. Authorized by Governor Charlie Crist’s recent signing of House Bill 991, the successful pilot program now incorporates all public schools that, for two years in a row, fail to meet 100 percent of federal proficiency standards. These schools will receive escalating district and state support based on their specific needs.
For DeSoto High, the news means the district must implement a wide range of very specific steps aimed at improving teaching and learning. All the steps require state oversight. A few examples:
--The school assigns or hires lead teachers with district assistance and state oversight.
--School ensures performance appraisals of instructional personnel are primarily based on student achievement.
--The district uses a pay for performance system based on performance appraisals.
--The district implements a hierarchy of school and individual (teacher) improvement plans, professional study groups, and study groups.
--The school can employ no teacher who is rated as needing improvement.
--The school does not have a higher percentage of first-year or out-of-field teachers than the district average.
Local readers should click on the press release link above and scroll down the page to the DOE links. The supporting materials describe how the schools are ranked and what corrective measures each must take. More on this will follow.
Read more....
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
DeSoto County Schools, Some Thoughts
X
Dear Barry,
I'll begin with a couple of questions:
1) Question: What did President Obama say to his critics and the public regarding his nomination of Tom Daschle for a cabinet post when it was exposed that Mr. Daschle owed roughly 28 thousand dollars in back taxes?
Answer: Although I personally did not vet Tom, and although he came highly recommended, it was a mistake on my part and I take full responsibility because "the buck stops here."
2) Question: What did David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox, early in this year's season, say about his poor performance (batting average less than .200) when he was removed from the starting lineup by the manager?
Answer: I don't know what my problem is but I needed to be removed .... and if they didn't bench me, I would have benched myself.What we have here are two crystal-clear examples of responsibility and accountability, qualities found only in honorable individuals.
Now let's examine some comments either made or reported by the school superintendent regarding our schools' failing FCAT scores and grades:
Read more ...
1) May 24, 2007 - Cline: "The leadership team at DCHS will be mining the data to find how student achievement can be significantly improved in the future."
Comment: At this time, only 19 percent of 10th graders passed the FCAT reading test, well below state averages. Two years later, only 20 percent of 10th graders passed the reading FCAT, an improvement of 1 percent. Mathematically speaking, at this rate of 1 percent improvement every 2 years, it will take 40 years to get to the bottom of this "mine," a clear indication that it is very deep!
2) June 30, 2007 - Cline: "After examining the data that we received over the last several weeks, this drop was predicted due to the new school grading standards that include science for the first time."
Comment: First, he simply finds excuses. Second, if new school grading standards were the reason for low performances, what is he going to say when FCAT II and AYP arrive shortly? I predict we will hear the echo of this same excuse!
3) May 28, 2009 - Reporters : "Eighty percent of DeSoto 10th graders fail FCAT reading test ... DeSoto County School Superintendent Adrian Cline chose to focus on the very few positive performances."
Comment: I was informed that Mr. Cline complained to the newspaper about this article. At this point it is quite appropriate to share some wise words from Thomas Jefferson (considered by many to be the father of higher education): "Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. Truth is the first casualty of war."
4) May 28, 2009 - Cline: "At the high school, we are seeing an increase in the percentage of students who are passing the reading and math tests on the first attempt."
Comment: At first I want to ask "What high school are you referring to?" But on second thought, I must concede that Mr. Cline is at least partly correct. As noted above, only 19 percent of 10th graders passed the FCAT reading test 2 years ago and this year 20 percent of the same grade passed, technically an improvement of 1 percent in a 2-year period!
5) June 13, 2009 - Cline: "There is a reference in the newspaper that only 20 percent of 10th graders at DeSoto County High School passed the FCAT reading test - which is incorrect. The data analysis was certainly off point as far as the passing rate on FCAT."
Comment: After the May 28, 2009 newspaper article, Mr. Cline successfully put the "muzzle" back on the reporters and proceeded to tuck, torque, nip, and squeeze the data until it fit his desired theme. By attempting to split hairs, he came across much like Bill Clinton who famously stated "It depends on what the definition of 'is' is"!
6) June 26, 2009 - Cline: "Our biggest problem is the high school ... Once they (a group of high school volunteers) have had an opportunity to develop a plan then we will review it. I don't have the plan right now for you."
Comment: I have two things to say about this. Firstly, I whole heartily agree with the logical question posted on your blog site, June 28, 2009: "If these are the teachers who taught the kids who failed the test, why should anyone have a shred of confidence in their ability to figure out what the problem is?" However, I must say that it's always appreciated when the homeowner of the burning house assists the fire department in dousing the flames. Truthfully, I do not think it to be as much the teachers' fault as it is the regime's fault! Secondly, Mr. Cline's remark is a verbal replay of his statement on May 24, 2007 regarding "mining the data." What is really scary about this is that we're going to do the same experiment over again now, 2 years later, and expect different results. Isn't this one definition of insanity?
I'd like to now ask if you think Mr. Cline is in the same league as either President Obama or David Ortiz? Not hardly! For years he has never even suggested taking any responsibility for any bad news about our failing school system. Mr. Cline's incessant excuses are at best naive and at worst hypocritical. He should cease with the nonsensical, postured and ineffectual 'blah blah'.
In summary, and as noted previously, responsibility and accountability are qualities found only in honorable individuals.
Thank You,
Mickey the Dunce
Read more....
Dear Barry,
I'll begin with a couple of questions:
1) Question: What did President Obama say to his critics and the public regarding his nomination of Tom Daschle for a cabinet post when it was exposed that Mr. Daschle owed roughly 28 thousand dollars in back taxes?
Answer: Although I personally did not vet Tom, and although he came highly recommended, it was a mistake on my part and I take full responsibility because "the buck stops here."
2) Question: What did David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox, early in this year's season, say about his poor performance (batting average less than .200) when he was removed from the starting lineup by the manager?
Answer: I don't know what my problem is but I needed to be removed .... and if they didn't bench me, I would have benched myself.What we have here are two crystal-clear examples of responsibility and accountability, qualities found only in honorable individuals.
Now let's examine some comments either made or reported by the school superintendent regarding our schools' failing FCAT scores and grades:
Read more ...
1) May 24, 2007 - Cline: "The leadership team at DCHS will be mining the data to find how student achievement can be significantly improved in the future."
Comment: At this time, only 19 percent of 10th graders passed the FCAT reading test, well below state averages. Two years later, only 20 percent of 10th graders passed the reading FCAT, an improvement of 1 percent. Mathematically speaking, at this rate of 1 percent improvement every 2 years, it will take 40 years to get to the bottom of this "mine," a clear indication that it is very deep!
2) June 30, 2007 - Cline: "After examining the data that we received over the last several weeks, this drop was predicted due to the new school grading standards that include science for the first time."
Comment: First, he simply finds excuses. Second, if new school grading standards were the reason for low performances, what is he going to say when FCAT II and AYP arrive shortly? I predict we will hear the echo of this same excuse!
3) May 28, 2009 - Reporters : "Eighty percent of DeSoto 10th graders fail FCAT reading test ... DeSoto County School Superintendent Adrian Cline chose to focus on the very few positive performances."
Comment: I was informed that Mr. Cline complained to the newspaper about this article. At this point it is quite appropriate to share some wise words from Thomas Jefferson (considered by many to be the father of higher education): "Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. Truth is the first casualty of war."
4) May 28, 2009 - Cline: "At the high school, we are seeing an increase in the percentage of students who are passing the reading and math tests on the first attempt."
Comment: At first I want to ask "What high school are you referring to?" But on second thought, I must concede that Mr. Cline is at least partly correct. As noted above, only 19 percent of 10th graders passed the FCAT reading test 2 years ago and this year 20 percent of the same grade passed, technically an improvement of 1 percent in a 2-year period!
5) June 13, 2009 - Cline: "There is a reference in the newspaper that only 20 percent of 10th graders at DeSoto County High School passed the FCAT reading test - which is incorrect. The data analysis was certainly off point as far as the passing rate on FCAT."
Comment: After the May 28, 2009 newspaper article, Mr. Cline successfully put the "muzzle" back on the reporters and proceeded to tuck, torque, nip, and squeeze the data until it fit his desired theme. By attempting to split hairs, he came across much like Bill Clinton who famously stated "It depends on what the definition of 'is' is"!
6) June 26, 2009 - Cline: "Our biggest problem is the high school ... Once they (a group of high school volunteers) have had an opportunity to develop a plan then we will review it. I don't have the plan right now for you."
Comment: I have two things to say about this. Firstly, I whole heartily agree with the logical question posted on your blog site, June 28, 2009: "If these are the teachers who taught the kids who failed the test, why should anyone have a shred of confidence in their ability to figure out what the problem is?" However, I must say that it's always appreciated when the homeowner of the burning house assists the fire department in dousing the flames. Truthfully, I do not think it to be as much the teachers' fault as it is the regime's fault! Secondly, Mr. Cline's remark is a verbal replay of his statement on May 24, 2007 regarding "mining the data." What is really scary about this is that we're going to do the same experiment over again now, 2 years later, and expect different results. Isn't this one definition of insanity?
I'd like to now ask if you think Mr. Cline is in the same league as either President Obama or David Ortiz? Not hardly! For years he has never even suggested taking any responsibility for any bad news about our failing school system. Mr. Cline's incessant excuses are at best naive and at worst hypocritical. He should cease with the nonsensical, postured and ineffectual 'blah blah'.
In summary, and as noted previously, responsibility and accountability are qualities found only in honorable individuals.
Thank You,
Mickey the Dunce
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