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
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
"Road to Recovery for DCHS" in today's (July 8) paper is encouraging. Involving teachers in the planning process may help the implementation phase of the plan. There has to be a school-wide commitment before any true change can happen. Every department has to be willing to help develop reading strategies for secondary students and the appropriate training for science and math teachers to teach reading has to be provided. Above all, Mrs. Halvorson and Mr. Terry and others are going to have to provide effective supervision to assure the plan is being implemented with fidelity. This means that when resistant teachers start crying to the Superintendent about what all they have to do (and they will) he is going to have to back the school's administration and his own director without fail.
ReplyDelete