Leaky roof at Archer should prompt major call to action

(N&R)

Pictures like this represent an abomination of our public schools. One has to wonder where we as a county school system went wrong.

This is Archer Elementary School in Greensboro, where after five days of rain, trash buckets dot the hallways collecting the rain water because the rook leaks. It is not scheduled to be replaced until 2011.

The lack of money, both locally and from the state, has now put this issue at center stage.

Today's N&R:

Leo Bobadilla, the school system’s chief operations officer, said what the parents expect is more than reasonable. But meeting those expectations costs money, money Bobadilla is struggling to find.

“The reality is the funding is not keeping pace with the needs of our schools,” he said.

About two-thirds of the county’s 120 schools are more than 30 years old and have never undergone a major renovation. Archer, on Four Seasons Boulevard in Greensboro, was built in 1962. That, Bobadilla says, works out to a lot of leaky roofs and other major facilities concerns.

It will cost an estimated $375,000 just to replace Archer’s roof.

The bond passed by voters last year will pay for some of those needs, including a new boiler unit for Archer. But the school system had to reprioritize the projects on the bond list earlier this year when, fearing the full bond amount would not sell, they lowered the amount they placed on the market.

I wonder if the HVAC at Andrews has been fixed yet. You see, when I taught there four years ago, I had to buy fans to keep the air circulating through my classroom because the A/C in the middle of the building remained inoperable. Only I had the crown jewels to complain about it. Suffice to say, I wasn't at Andrews for very long after voicing a complaint, but I have no regrets. Because our children are in conditions that are similar all over this county.

E.C. :)

Regional reorganization plan approved

Despite its unknown ancillary costs, your School Board approved Supt. Mo Green's administrative reorganization plan that decentralizes Central Office Staff. The vote last night was 8-1 with Board member Paul Daniels voting no. Board members Deena "never-miss-a-meeting" Hayes was absent, along with Kris Cooke.

The move will divide the county into these regions, each with a regional or assistant superintendent:

• Central: central Greensboro and Jamestown.
• Western: High Point, Colfax, Oak Ridge and Stokesdale.
• Northern: Summerfield, northern Greensboro, Browns Summit and the Reedy Fork area.
• Southeast: Eastern and southeastern Greensboro, McLeansville and Gibsonville, and the area from I-85 Business to the Alamance County line.
• Enrichment region: Schools described as low-performing academically, with high rates of poverty and “historically challenged”: Bessemer, Montlieu and Wiley elementary; Hairston, Jackson and Welborn middle; and Andrews, Dudley and Smith High.

Daniels was uncertain of the costs associated with such a plan, saying the Board still does not know what the true costs are.

N&R:

“The board has expressed its reservations about cost,” said board member Paul Daniels.

“But we’re still waiting to find out what this is going to cost us.”

I tend to agree.

E.C. :)

Another embarrassment for GCS

Apparently, GCS staffers had to whip out their own credit cards recently when buying supplies...this from today's N&R:

Some school employees learned about system spending cuts in haphazard — and embarrassing — fashion in recent days when they tried to use school-owned debit cards to pay for supplies at local stores. The cards were rejected and the purchases denied.

Nora Carr, Green’s chief of staff, confirmed the purchasing orders and debit card accounts for the schools were frozen over the past few weeks, but school employees weren’t notified, which left some to find out at the register.

“We didn’t handle the communications well internally on that,” Carr said. “That was a place where we made an error.”

The funds have since been reinstated.

That's ridiculous.

E.C. :)

Layoffs pending, more supply cuts in store

Just in to GSW...GCS may cut as many as 100 jobs systemwide.

News & Record reports the cuts may include:

• 64 media assistants from all levels
• 11 from computer tech
• 7.5 English as a second or other language from the elementary school level
• 7.5 testing coordinators at the high school level

Supt. Mo Green may also slice $6 million in funding for supplies and "other needs such as field trips and other discretionary spending."

Green says "the cuts will be made only if state funding is as bad as expected."

Not good. This is going to be a nasty budget.

E.C. :)

More targeted schools, more opt-outs, oh my

Pretty soon, we're not going to have any more opt-out schools because every school will be targeted under No Child Left Behind-leaves many children behind.

This nonsense needs to stop.

E.C. :)

GCS Board agenda for 3/26/09

Click here for the GCS Board meeting agenda for 3/26/09. Items of note include a possible revised academic calendar for next year (gee, I wonder why...) to additional opt-out schools to an update on the regionalization effort.

E.C. :)

No Child Left Behind = No Idiots Left Behind in Raleigh

Those Raleigh bureaucrats are at it again. This time, attempting to misuse No Child Left Behind, low-stakes test data.

Doug Clark reports on his blog that state Senate democrats introduced a bill effectively prohibiting any and all athletics at any school where a majority of students score below the 50th percentile on end-of-course tests for two or more consecutive years.

You can thank Sen. Charlie Albertson, D-Duplin, and co-idiots Tony Rand, D-Cumberland, state Senate majority leader, and Dan Clodfelter, D-Mecklenburg, co-chairman of the Finance Committee.

These fools can't find time to solve the delayed state tax refund problem, but they have time to find ways to punish 100% for the actions of less than that.

NCLB low-stakes test data is not supposed to be used for this purpose, nor are their scores supposed to be used to either hire or fire teachers. And if they want to help failing schools, then contribute to the discussion or come up with a better way other than this.

Jerks.

E.C. :)

The Logistician tackles public education

I owe this fella a phone call and a cup of coffee...soon, I promise.

Greensboro's Reggie Greene, a.k.a. The Logistician, tackles the subject of public education. Specifically, he asks and ponders: should the government get out of the business of education?

He makes some points:

Many have argued that the only things that government does well are the maintenance of the armed forces and law enforcement. We occasionally hear from those who contend that private schools are of higher quality of than public schools. (At this point, we do not wish to discuss school vouchers.)

However, we have never heard anyone suggest that government remove itself entirely from the field of education. We all know the arguments which prompted government involvement years ago.

However, many argue today that the “free market” is a far better mechanism for driving progress and innovation in society than the government. Should we just let everyone in society decide for themselves how their children should be educated, and leave them to fend for themselves?

I've been of the opinion lately that runaway, low-stakes testing is ruining public education. I've also been of the opinion that too many administrators are a barrier to a good, quality education. We need more teachers and less administrators.

I believe the arguments are strong on both sides, and like Greene says, we need to constantly examine and question whether there is a better way to educate children in this country. And there's nothing wrong with that.

E.C. :)

Students produce anti-bullying spot

...cross-posted on Triad Media Watch...

Students at Northeast Guilford Middle School have produced an anti-bullying public service announcement to fight back against bullying in school, CBS-2 (WFMY) reports.

The children teamed up with the National Conference for Community and Justice to create the spots, which will play on the school's morning TV show.

The report says the Northeast students learned about "appreciating differences, building communication skills and getting to know people from other groups."

E.C. :)

Western's Jazz Band needs our help

Seems as though the Jazz Band at Western Guilford H.S. need our help in replenishing instruments and maintaining the overall upkeep of the band's equipment. Even the group's music stands are falling apart.

The band was profiled this morning on CBS-2 WFMY. See and read the story here.

Good luck to them.

E.C. :)

The calendar caper continues

Bills are being introduced in the State House allowing local school districts to have more flexibility with creating school calendars; this in the wake of the recent public dog fight between Guilford County Schools and the state Department of Public Instruction over the district's calender and end-of-school-year make-up days that were added due to the snowstorm earlier in the month.

And it is still a point of controversy.

The latest...a LTTE in today's News & Record mentions the group Save Our Summers in advocating that the school calendar should not be toyed with.

Doug Clark, whose wife is a teacher, mentions in his N&R blog that local school boards should be in charge of their calendars, not Raleigh bureaucrats.

And while I also think school should not start in early August, I do think that it should be left up to local boards. In addition, I think our calendar is too dependent on low-stakes testing of our children (notice I didn't say high-stakes testing...because there's nothing high-stakes about it).

I welcome the debate also.

E.C. :)

Teacher choked at Northwest High, questions raised

UPDATE FOLLOWS...

More questions than answers surround a terrible incident at Northwest Guilford High School earlier this month. News & Record reports that a female student was arrested yesterday after she allegedly choked EC teacher Laura Knox. According to arrest warrants, the article says an incident back on March 5 involved the student "choking Knox and clawing her neck with with her fingernails." The student was "also accused of knocking over a computer and desk, in addition to throwing property belonging to the teacher and other students."

The question I have is that why did it take so long to make an arrest? Some of the comments on this story point to the fact that the incident was at Northwest and it may have been swept under the rug. I contend whether it happened at Northwest or Northeast, kids shouldn't be choking teachers. But it does raise a questionable eyebrow.

***********************

UPDATE:

Remember this incident from almost two years ago:

http://erikhuey.wordpress.com/2007/04/30/studentteacher-confrontation-at-southeast-hs/

Similar circumstances?

E.C. :)

Hiring a math teacher, Part II

Reaction seems to be mixed among you from yesterday's post. You can view those comments there.

I forwarded the link to selected members of the GCS Board and certain individuals within Central Office. I heard back from two Board members:

Paul Daniels:

I understand how one could be confused.
Keep up the good work! Paul

I also heard from Board member Garth Hebert, who writes:

Eric, hiring is at a stand still as we face layoff possibilities. I doubt much of anything is open and administrative staff that are teaching certified will get first shot at classroom positions in any reorganization of staffing. Mission possible schools are now the hardest to get into because of the premium we pay there.

It's a tad bit interesting in some respects because as of March 16, there were over 40 positions listed on the GCS Website, from curriculum specialists to central office staff.

Hiring freeze? Hmmmm...

Instincts would say that if there's a hiring freeze, shut the site down...and don't engage in false advertising. How much of your taxpayer money did GCS pay Yahoo to run that ad on Hot Jobs?

E.C. :)

Will someone please hire this math teacher?

Scores of stories surrounding teacher layoffs from California to Charlotte, and now in Guilford County, is getting all of you off the arm-chair and over to the computer. You're angry and frustrated. I feel your pain.

What's more shocking is this local job ad from Yahoo's Hot Jobs:

THIRD LARGEST DISTRICT IN N.C.

More than 70,000 Students

nationally recognized, award winning public school district

committed to high achievement for all students

120 schools

great location-three hours to beach or the mountains

urban,suburban and small community schools

44 magnet schools featuring 50 programs

YOU"RE INVITED TO JOIN THE TEAM AT GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS

We are Looking for:

Teachers, Administrators and

Support Personnel

for 2009-10!

Guilford County Schools

712 N. Eugene St.

Greensboro, NC 27401

(336)370-8318

www.gcsnc.com

STRIVING.ACHIEVING.EXCELLING

So is GCS hiring or laying off? That's the question of the day.

You may remember me briefly mentioning my sister in law a few months ago; she's fully math-certified with two math degrees from Greensboro College and has a full teaching licensure. She's been looking for a math teaching job for almost three years. Her student-teaching record, squeaky-clean. Her Faberman screening, solid. And yet, she ponders and questions the motives of GCS, and questions the professionalism among administrators from both Central Office and in the field. One administrator even told her to send resumes to other counties in order to land employment.

Again, I'm intervening on her behalf.

Here's a letter she sent to GCS Supt. Mo Green recently:

Mr. Green,

My name is _______ and for the last year and a half I have been trying to obtain a position with Guilford County Schools. I am a graduate of Greensboro College with a degree in Mathematics/Math Education and earned my teaching license through the college, as well. I am licensed to teach at the high school and middle school levels. I have a current application on file and my personnel file is complete and in good standing.

I have applied to every math position posted but have had only a few interviews. I understand it is the principals who make the decision to follow-up on applications. What concerns me is the lack of professionalism I have found among the principals to whom I have sent letters of interest. The majority of the time I receive no response at all to any of my emails. I am frustrated and at a loss as to how I can begin my career helping the students of my community. I have recieved NO help from the central office. Instead, I am given excuses and the run around.

I find it extremely disappointing to hear those associated with GCS complaining about a lack of teachers when there are teachers trying to work in the county. Imagine my dismay when I discovered a Yahoo hot jobs ad created by GCS in an effort to recruit teachers! The teachers are already here, Mr. Green. We are willing, ready and able but we must first have the opportunity extended to us.

If it is the case that GCS does NOT want new teachers then this needs to be made clear to every university and college in the county. Hundreds enroll in their teaching programs and work hard just for the privilege of serving the students in this community. Had I known that GCS is resistent to hiring new teachers, I would have gone elsewhere to earn my teaching license, as would many of others. However, I have lived in Guilford County for 25 years and was led to believe that a teaching license would provide me a chance to work within the area I call home.

Any advice or comments from you would be most welcome and appreciated. Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to your response.

It is preposterous that we can even ponder layoffs or run job ads (pardon the mass confusion, I don't know what the heck GCS is doing, hiring or laying off) when we have out-of-work teachers, ready to go into the classroom.

There are even schools now asking parents to make contributions in order to SAVE TEACHING JOBS! Where have we gone wrong? See this incredible story from the Orlando Sentinel, where an elementary school principal has asked for donations in order to save teaching jobs.

And when we have governors allegedly promising the world for education while schools are laying off teachers, taxes are on the rise, and tax refunds are delayed, I question our so-called leaders and their motives.

No math teacher should be out of work in this county. Not one.

My sister in law also said this morning:

...there are plenty of newly licensed teacher from area schools but if GCS and others don't want to hire them it would be smarter to go to another state and earn the degree...

...I know it's not just me having issues. I went to school with some good people who really care and want to be a part of the process to help the children...

Principals, administrators, GCS; you have the power. And you know this blog has power. Please contact me if you're interested in hiring this math teacher: guilfordschoolwatch@gmail.com

E.C. :)

Standardized tests still driving our schools

It's sad that it has taken another chaotic incident, such as last week's calendar mess, to realize that standardized, high-stakes tests are still driving our schools.

The proverbial question seems to abound lately...what to do with our children after these high-stakes tests have concluded.

School board member Dr. Nancy Routh ponders, in a N&R article over the weekend:

“We make such a big deal out of testing that we act as if anything that comes after testing is of no use,” she said.

When she was a teacher, Routh used those days after exams to go more in-depth with subjects that are important but maybe didn’t carry as much weight on the exam.

...which begs the question...is anything being taught these days that doesn't have a standardized test attached to it? Or am I the only one that has a problem with this?

Obviously not, according to your letters to the editor in the N&R:

I applaud the school board’s decision to stand up to the Department of Public Instruction regarding the proposed makeup days in June. However, a couple of things in the March 11 article bother me.

School board members “argued that if having makeup days is truly about making up lost education, then the makeup days should occur before end-of-course exams.” From this, can I assume that any school days beyond the end-of-grade testing are of no educational value? It would seem so. (Or is that yes, it really is all about the tests?) Second, dear school board, please do not seek to start earlier in the year. Since when are the days of June any more sacred that the sweltering days of August?

Denise B. Young
Browns Summit

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Illiterati said:

School attendance after the EOGs does indeed seem to be the crux of the issue, which points to exactly how much these standardized tests have become the point of attending school at all. Get the kids to pass the tests, receive funding, rinse, repeat. Our neighbors' kids tell us every spring that once the EOG tests are finished, all they do in school is play games and, if they raised enough through the various candy sales, have all-school carnivals. Funding education with our tax dollars hardly seems like a good investment anymore.

********************

mamaboilermaker said:

Since the sole purpose of school is for kids to pass EOGs and make administrators look good why not immediately double promote/graduate all students who score 80% or above? Get them out faster, reduce overcrowding, preserve resources for those kids who still can't read or do arithmetic? If, indeed, nothing else matters but EOGs, that would be a logical course of action.

Frankly, the brightest students would probably be better off heading to college early and not wasting any more time on state tests.

Oops! I forgot. You need those bright students to stay in high school, bored out of their minds, in order to pull up the average scores for each school. If you allow them to escape and get a real education, that will leave only the struggling students and the taxpayers might find out that a frightening number of them have not experienced success in the government-controlled system.

They're not robots, they're not test scores, they're children. And I look forward to the day that we get beyond this test-driven insanity and get back to what school is really about.

E.C. :)

Analyzing the calendar mess

One thing's for sure...you've got to admit that this week's public calendar squabble between your Board of Education and DPI became very public and very ugly. GCS may have had the last word, but no one walked away with a true victory here.

If anything, this shows a strong need for changes...and fast. If I were on the board, I would be calling for a special called meeting to discuss this subject and reopen the calendar issue. Because something clearly didn't work right.

The Rhino Times has a very nice rollup on this week's events leading up to yesterday, when DPI decided to back off and let GCS add those makeup school days at the end of the year.

I particularly am fond of this snippet:

School board Chairman Alan Duncan, as he has for several years, voted against this year's calendar, saying it would leave Guilford County Schools with no maneuvering room if it did snow. He was right.

"The reason I've done it is exactly because of this," Duncan said. "We shouldn't be at all surprised that we are exactly here."

"Here" is in a pickle – playing chicken with the state, its main source of funding, with no option but to enrage parents by, one way or another, scheduling school on days for which families already have vacation or travel plans.

Playing chicken with the state clearly did not go over well with the citizens of Guilford County, as evidenced in some of these letters to the editor in today's N&R:

Congratulations to the Guilford County school board. What a wonderful example you are making to your students, staff and the community at large. We don’t like the state rules; therefore, we will ignore them. The date of June 10 for the last day of school was set in state law by the Legislature. Saying the law does not apply to us is like telling the highway patrolman, “Sure I was doing 80 in a 65, but so were others; therefore, it’s OK.”
Shame, shame, shame.

Richard Schroer
Oak Ridge

**********************************
This from a middle school teacher:

MSTeacher said:

As an 8 year veteran of middle school teaching, it is pointless to have kids in school so long after testing and retesting has taken place. With the mandated start and end dates, it is already difficult to encourage and inspire enthusiasm in test-weary kids to "go to the next level" for two weeks! It is difficult to do that from August to test day..I mean May...Making up days at the end of the year, as others have already said, won't make up for the instruction students need before their AP Exams, EOCs and EOGs. When my eighth graders asked me why they couldn't make up days on Saturdays or take one from Spring Break, I told them that that decision was above my pay grade.

On top of that, these make up days will eat up the teacher workdays--that we have to make up as well! Consider this...If I worked on the snow days that were optional work days for me, should I have to come on those make up days? Should I have to use any of my earned leave time if I don't?

*************************

And Guilford County's own Joe Stafford sounds off:

We are very fortunate to have Alan Duncan as the chairman of the school board. Although his motion was defeated, he wanted to have the snow makeup days prior to graduation and exams. He always supports what is in the best interest of educating our students. He gives priority to giving our students what they need rather than what their parents consider convenient or popular. We would all be better off if the superintendent, other board members and the citizens of Guilford County paid more attention to what he said. He is the best chairman the consolidated district has ever had.

Joe Stafford
Greensboro

**********************************
While I'm not exactly ready to sing praises of Alan Duncan, I will say that the ball was clearly dropped here. You have DPI setting the rules on calendars, then backpedaling on its own rules; you have GCS trying to abide by the state initially, then setting a fine example for our children by deciding to thumb their nose at the state, you also have a district who can't seem to create a calendar without controversy. You have gung-ho, test-driven DPI who demands state tests be given on specific days, and will strong-arm you if you don't. You have a state that says school must start by a certain date and end by a certain date, and laughs at the mere thought of local control being given to a school system.

And newsflash...gee, how do other districts create calendars...and seem to do it so well? It does snow in North Carolina in the winter.

This fight isn't over, in fact, it is just beginning. If I were Paul Daniels or Belton or Hebert, or Garrett, I would call a special meeting, hold hearings, do something. Yank the current calendar, start over, make doggone sure all I's are dotted, all T's are crossed. Because what happened this week was nothing short of a public distraction.

Borderline embarrassing, if you will. But embarrassing is Guilford County's middle name.

E.C. :)

Garrett hints at teacher layoffs within GCS

Big meeting today between GCS Supt. Mo Green and Guilford County Commissioners on the forthcoming budget. Grim news coming from Raleigh (via N&R):

[Gov.] Perdue’s office has warned school systems to prepare from anywhere between a 3-7 percent budget decrease. That would mean Guilford County could lose between $10.8 million and $23.7 million in state funding.

That's a major hit, folks. Major, indeed. And consider this:

School officials said if those cuts occur teacher job cuts would be almost unavoidable, even with the cuts in other areas they are already considering. Some of those job loses could be absorbed through attrition but how many would depend on the depth of the budget cuts, Green said.

“To get up into $20 million its' going to be people, it's going to be teachers,” said school board member Darlene Garrett.

This is unfortunate.

E.C. :)

Score: GCS 1, DPI 0

This just in to GSW...DPI has retreated in its thinly-veiled threat to Guilford County Schools, and will allow the district to make up its lost school days due to the recent snowstorm at the end of the school year.

More from N&R.

Unnecessary drama.

E.C. :)

Despite Perdue's "plans" for education, statewide cuts will be stinging and painful

(via CLT Observer)

Pictures like this don't prove to me one bit that Gov. Perdue is serious about public education in this state.

I mean, I'll give her kudos that she's re-jigging the top spots when it comes to overseeing public education. But it seems as though that's where my support ends.

How can she possibly be serious in one aspect, with all kinds of grandiose plans, and then have school systems laying off teachers, such as the Charlotte-area teachers pictured above, protesting over proposed teacher layoffs?

How can this Governor be serious about public education, when Wake County Schools, in the Capitol's own backyard, may not re-sign over 1,000 instructor contracts for next year?

How can this Governor be serious about public education when textbooks are being delayed, magnet programs are being cut....I can go on and on.

And we can debate the success rate/failure rate of GCS programs that are on the chopping block here for days (we have, in the past...and we've said here that some programs work, many do not)...we can debate the merits of keeping overpaid administrators on the payroll, while sacrificing teachers (remember, Mark Jewell reiterated this week that many of those teachers hold part-time jobs on the side to help make ends meet).

There's no merit debate in laying off a teacher. None.

But it means nothing if we have a Governor talking out of both sides of her mouth. And as usual, our children suffer at the hands of Raleigh bureaucrats.



E.C. :)

State education officials to meet regarding calendar controversy

More on the calendar controversy...GCS told the state to go to hell last night, instead, the state plans to go to the meeting table, tomorrow.

N&R:

State education officials will meet Thursday to discuss what to do now that the Guilford County school board has said it will not change its scheduled snow make-up days.

Andrew Cox, an official with the state Department of Public Instruction, said the state associate superintendent and state school board chairman will meet tomorrow morning in Raleigh to discuss what to do about the matter.

************************

E.C. :)

Former board candidate Mike Stone weighs in on calendar controversy

More on the calendar controversy...former GCS Board candidate Mike Stone, unsuccessful in his bid to unseat Dist. 3 Board member Darlene Garrett this past fall, tells Guilford School Watch today:

Bad call last night. It's not so much about an arbitrary start and end
date for the school year enacted by Raleigh, but it's about the education
process. Amos hit the nail on the head... adding days to the end of a
school year (after EOG testing and exams are over) is simply putting in the
time. There's no instructional value to adding 3 days to the end of the
year. It would be more educationally advantageous to have made up the days
by giving up part of the spring break.

If I recall correctly, the school board agreed to use spring break as make
up days when they were developing this year's calendar. So the school
board makes a decision - hoping they won't have to enforce it - and when it
becomes necessary, they cave in and penalize the students' academic
opportunities. The school board simply decided to take the easy way out by
meeting the letter of the law in the number of instructional days rather
than show leadership and do what the board agreed to do earlier in the
year.

Now that said, I don't think there's any teeth in the law that says you
can't teach past June 10th. I can't imagine there will be any ramifications for going past the cut off date.

At least there's nothing written that says, "if you teach past 6/10 then we'll do... fill in the blank." There are enough loopholes in the law to allow school districts to make local decisions, and weather related incidents are one of them. I
don't expect anything to come of this situation.
************************
Good points, Mike.

E.C. :)

Board member Hebert responds to calendar controversy

More on the calendar controversy...GCS Board member Garth Hebert tells the N&R Chalkboard:

Garth said:

Over a year ago the Board published proposed schedule, debated proposed schedule, revised proposed schedule, published for public comment, revised for comments and then approved. A year later, a little more snow and following what Board, teachers and public came up with is all wrong. Yes, I agree it is wrong, it is poor legislation (caused by School Boards who all hade various and sundry ideas of scheduling and had run amuck, Guilford included), poor testing rules, an inconsistent Block/traditional calendar system in our county and a fickle public/voter base.

Now, let’s review next year’s calendar again, why not, public had chance to input, teachers and administrators input, Board input…GIGO all over again and we expect what? Sadly, I look in the mirror and ask “now what was the definition of insanity?”. I voted for something a bit less realistic, consistency, we (Board) made commitment, public and staff had every reason to believe we would honor commitment (yes commitment to drive off cliff argument has merit) and if I believed cliff was ahead I would have had to change commitment, I can’t see cliff…sure hope someone with better eyesight comes along.
************************
E.C. :)

Situation at Eastern Middle/High?

GSW is learning via a N&R Chalkboard posting that something's happening over at Eastern Middle and High:

Parent said:

Anyone know what it going on at Eastern Guilford?

All students....middle and high are in the
stadium and all lunches were cancelled.

Anyone know anything?

E.C. :)

No more year-round schools?

Busy day in school-ville...this just in to GSW that GCS year-round schools may be on the chopping block, such as Hampton Academy (shown).

N&R reports GCS chief Mo Green is looking at how returning some or all of the year-round schools in the county back to a regular calendar might save the school system money.

Is this part of the grandiose strategic plan, or is this simply to satisfy Skip?

E.C. :)

IT workers cut at GCS

Information technology workers inside Guilford County Schools are being told their department numbers will be cut, and they're also being told to reapply for their old jobs back...geez!

Last night's Board meeting coverage continues...News & Record reports the IT department will be cut from 14 employees to five under a proposed organizational plan. Five IT employees for the entire Guilford County School system.

There's something about this that stinks. Five employees for more than 100 GCS facilities? Come on, guys...think a little bit on this one, will ya???

Local bloggers Sue Polinsky and Roch Smith, both of whom are local IT professionals, have choice words about this issue.

Sue:

We hear a lot about “the schools” acting more “like business.” I can’t imagine a business expecting to survive (let alone move forward) and decimating its IT support staff. Better hope nothing breaks. No viruses. No malware. No crashed hard drives. No new machines need installing. Ever. You want data from “the schools?” Sorry, you’re out of luck.

Roch:

Yesterday, however, GCS took two actions that I fear will be a detriment to students and appear to misplace priorities. While the school board approved a plan to create "regional superintendents," GCS announced it is cutting its IT staff from fourteen to five.

Five? Cutting the tech staff to the bone while making the system more top-heavy at the same time doesn't seem wise.
************************
E.C. :)

Board member Daniels responds to calendar controversy

More on the calendar controversy...GCS Board member Paul Daniels tells the N&R Chalkboard:

...Time after eogs and eocs is just "fluff" time to meet the 180 day requirement. We need to have our make up days before the testing, not after it, to allow our students to get the most out of the time at school. I don't know if you watched the BOE meeting last night, but there were several proposals to use spring break, Memorial Day, Saturdays, etc. as make up days, all of which failed to garner enough votes to pass.

With Alan's leadership I think that the Board will fix this chronic problem once and for all by ensuring that all makeup days occur prior to the last day of school. Hopefully this is the last year that we have to deal with this problem.

On the issue of the letter from DPI, speaking for myself only, I think that it would be silly for DPI to try to enforce what it believes the law to be, for at least two reasons. First, I think that their interpretation of the law is wrong. Secondly, it would be a very unwise use of time and money. Let's hope that cooler heads prevail.

Best regards,

Paul Daniels

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I agree, in theory, but it would also be a case of lobbying DPI to give school calendar control back to the local boards so that they can craft their own calendars. It may take an act by our General Assembly to do just that, but we may need to start talking about it.

E.C. :)

School Board tells state to go to hell, Belton questions legitimacy of DPI

Good ole'fashioned theater at a school board meeting creates good blogs...this is no different.

Apparently, there's now a school calendar controversy, and it is creating chaos down on Eugene Street as school brass go back to the drawing board with next year's calendar; this following a stinging rebuke by DPI officials telling GCS that the District is breaking state law if it mandates sending kids to school after June 10.

Will they be handcuffed? Bail amounts? Let the jokes start flying...because, my friends, this is ridiculous.

Let's recap...the makeup days were instituted following last week's late-season snowstorm, which closed schools for two days straight. Because of the nature of this year's calendar, makeup days built in at the end of year were now in play, they were previously end-of-year teacher workdays, which are usually reserved for final grades, classroom clean-outs, and end of year shut-downs.

Reports surfaced late yesterday, according to the News & Record, that DPI sent a letter to GCS, informing them that the end of year makeup days are out of compliance.

The issue took center stage at last night's Board meeting, with Chairman Alan Duncan accusing DPI of crafting the rules that created this mess in the first place, and Board member Jeff Belton accusing DPI of being illegitimate.

N&R:

Duncan said the school system finds itself in the position because the Department of Public Instruction supported a bill pushed by tourism lobbyists that restricted school calendars.

"DPI supported that, DPI did that, DPI is not looking out for our students," Duncan said.

Paul LeSieur, DPI's School Business Department director, said school boards can extend the school year beyond June 10, if they have no other options.

Board member Jeff Belton questioned LeSieur's authority to even write the letter, calling it an "illegitimate opinion."

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DPI has NEVER looked out for your children; that office is about as broken as a three dollar bill; are you just now finding this out, Mr. Chairman?

More from the article:

Students currently are not scheduled for class on March 30, a teacher workday, April 13-17, for spring break, and May 25, Memorial Day. LeSieur said students also can attend class on Saturday.
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Take a note from Alamance County, in which their students this past Saturday were in school. Matter of fact, that system reported an 82 percent attendance rate for Saturday classes, according to the Burlington Times-News:

...Alamance-Burlington School System spokeswoman Caron Myers said the attendance rate for Saturday's make-up day was 82 percent.

"I was talking to an algebra teacher (Saturday) and she said she had a 100 percent rate in her class," Myers said. "She said she couldn't remember having a 100 percent rate before."

That's a high percentage rate considering the day and the weather.

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But Saturday classes may not fly with the rank-and-file in Guilford County.

GCAE head Mark Jewell tells the N&R:

"I don't think Saturday is going to be a viable option," said Mark Jewell, president of the Guilford County Association of Educators.

Jewell said Saturday is a day of worship for several faiths and many teachers work second jobs on the weekend. He said he sees little option other than taking days from spring break.

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So it all goes back to how we got ourselves in this mess...and how it can be prevented in the future?

I think part of the answer should be letting school systems decide their calendars, not DPI, not bureaucrats in Raleigh, and definitely not lobbyists for the state's lagging tourism industry mandating when our children should be in school and when they shouldn't. This is a case here where local control works best, not Raleigh bureaucrats.

N&R:

Should the school system decide not to comply it would be the first incidence of this, according to LeSieur. The ramifications of which aren't clear.

"We've not had a school district that's not complied, but if they did (not comply) we'd have to take that to the state board," LeSieur said.

LeSieur said Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and McDowell County Schools are being presented with the same letter as well as a third school system he could not recall.

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This one even stumped paid-by-the-hour attorney Jill Wilson, who suspects the state has no case.

N&R:

School board attorney Jill Wilson said state law is too vague on the matter.

"There's no clear guidance on the statute," Wilson said. She added the state has not issued the same letter to other area school systems operating on similar calendars, including Rockingham County, which Wilson also represents - and Winston-Salem/Forsyth County.

The state statute provides that, "A local board may revise the scheduled closing date if necessary in order to comply with the minimum requirements for instructional days or instructional time."

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And then the other angle...what drives the days at the end of the year? Exams...yep, it's all about those EOCs/EOGs/high stakes tests. And yes, it was a bone of contention during a heated vote.

N&R:

Several motions were made, remade, failed and withdrawn before the board agreed on the motion. The motion to leave the makeup days as they are failed originally but won after board members Deena Hayes and Carlvena Foster changed their votes to support it.

Board Chairman Alan Duncan, Vice Chairman Amos Quick and board member Sandra Alexander voted against the motion. They argued that if having makeup days is truly about making up lost education then the make up days should occur prior to end of course exams. Makeup days, as scheduled by the board last fall, that would meet this criteria would be the last three days of spring break — April 15-17.

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Will the testing schedule be changed? State law mandates precisely when these high stakes tests must be administered, almost down to the hour.

And seeing some of the preliminary comments on the N&R will almost certainly provide fuel to this debate, for this one is not over:

If we have to make up those dates in a different manner, I think that the way Burlington-Alamance County handled the make-up days would be the best for most families...

...The way it falls this year, most companies use Good Friday (this is the Friday before Easter) as a Holiday, and the GCS is scheduled to be in class. Why can't the School Board do anything right?...

...I personally am a teacher, and many teachers have plans for spring break too, so you can count on a lot of subs in the buildings if that is what is forced by the state...

...Extending school to June 15 means bringing back on Monday after a weekend. If EOC's are completed on Friday, June 12, then this will be a wasted day.

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Stay tuned...

E.C. :)

Regionalism to be discussed

School brass will discuss, among other things, the plan to reorganize academic services under the proposed Strategic Plan's reorganization scheme at tomorrow evening's GCS Board meeting (more from the N&R here).

A larger "Sunday" piece that appeared in yesterday's N&R waxed poetic on how a similar plan seems to be working quite well in Charlotte. And while I'm hearted at the plan, time will tell if another Charlotte plan can work here...and if the money can be provided for it to succeed here.

Added to that, this was an interesting tidbit from the article:

Some Charlotte-Mecklenburg officials praise the regional superintendent system as well.

School board member Trent Merchant said the regional system has improved communication with families and communities, getting both the support they need.

But, he said, it is not a cure-all.

"Test scores aren't going up," he said. "You aren't going to save money. It'll probably cost you more money."

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More money...Skip's not going to like that!

E.C. :)

Fire at Cone this morning

N&R reports a bathroom fire at Cone Elementary School this morning caused a building evacuation. Thankfully, no injuries and no structural damage. GSO fire officials are treating the incident as suspicious.

E.C. :)

DPI mega-report released

Your state Department of Public Instruction reports crime, violence, long-term suspensions and expulsions are up in our state's public schools...oh joy. This from DPI's first and newly-consolidated data report on school crime, violence, suspensions, expulsions and drop-out rates.

DPI:

While there were few statewide patterns concerning school district performance in all three areas, the report noted that ninth grade males are the group at highest risk for dropping out, being suspended or expelled and for committing acts of crime or violence at school.

Yadkin County was the only school district to have low rates for all three measures. Five school districts - Clay County, Mount Airy City, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City, Elkin City and Cherokee County - were on two of the three top 10 lists in terms of districts with the best performance in all three reporting areas.

"We know that there often is a relationship between crime and violence incidents, suspensions and expulsions and high school dropouts," said State Superintendent June Atkinson. "By consolidating the reports that look at each area, we hope that we can better understand how to efficiently address student needs and help more students stay in school and be successful. It is important for all education leaders to examine our policies to be sure none of them have the unintended consequence of encouraging students to drop out."

Sounds as though a summit needs to be convened to discuss the status of ninth graders.

E.C. :)

Kindly report any posting problems

Cross-posted on GreensboroMetro, Guilford School Watch and Triad Media Watch:

It has been brought to my attention that some of you may be encountering problems with posting comments on my blog(s). To this end, I will be sending out test comments over the next day or so. If you have had problems posting to me or anyone else on the Blogger network, please let me know. My forums are uncensored and unfiltered, so your comments should be posting okay. Nonetheless, I want to know if anyone else has had any problems.

Thanks,

E.C. :)

Mo defends late decision to delay/cancel classes

GCS chief Mo Green tells the News & Record the late decision to delay school by two hours this morning and to wait until the last minute to cancel classes the last two days is "is in line with how we have typically handled these decisions in the past."

N&R:

Green said he understands how Guilford County parents could wonder why an early decision didn't happen here. He reiterated he wanted students to have a full day of class, especially after missing the last two days, but also to ensure their safety.

"I hope they will appreciate we're trying to make the best decision," he said.

I still think we can perform better in this department.

E.C. :)

Another day...another school delay

The call went out shortly before 5:30am this morning to delay the start of school by two hours in Guilford County today. As usual, GC was the LAST to make its call. Other area systems made their calls before 10pm last night.

It's getting irritating, GCS. You know doggone well the roads are going to freeze overnight. With the melted snow runoff and at overnight temps hovering around 10 degrees, it isn't rocket science.

GCS must do a better job in this department.

E.C. :)

Saturday School?

Hey...we could be Alamance County, where their children will have to make up one of their snow days this Saturday. And it's drawing a mixed reaction across the area.

Burlington Times-News:

Superintendent Randy Bridges said having school on Saturday avoids using a day of spring break as a make-up day. He said some students' families have already made travel plans for the break.

While holding school on Saturday may not be convenient for everyone, the school system has limited choices. Bridges noted that state law does not allow students to be in school more than five days a week. Between now and the end of the school year, he said, there are three potential make-up days that would allow the school system to meet that requirement. Bypassing one of those days is a bad idea, he said, "because we don't know what the future holds weather-wise."

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E.C. :)

Yet another snow day

For the second day in a row, students across Guilford County received an unscheduled day off...and the school year just got another day longer. The last day of school now stands at Monday, June 15.

But one thing that bears noticing...why Guilford County has been the last major area system to call off school over the past two days.

When Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and other small systems reported their Monday closures fairly early in the evening on Sunday, Guilford did not publicly call off school until late in the evening Sunday. Same thing last night...when many others made their calls during the 7pm and 8pm hour, Guilford made the call after 11pm.

Snow days are great for the kids, but they're a pain on the grown-ups, especially those who need to plan alternate arrangements at the last minute.

It's understandable when weather conditions deteriorate overnight and it is not forecasted, and the call must be made before 5am. But it is something different when it is known ahead of time that conditions will be poor and other systems make their call early in the evening the night before.

Just my $.02.

E.C. :)

I support more charter schools...why doesn't Jeffus?

Rep. Maggie Jeffus (D-Guilford) does not support additional charter schools.

This from today's News & Record, where she's on the record in opposing lifting the cap on the numbers of charters operating in the state.

News & Record:

State law limits to 100 the number of charter schools, which are funded by tax dollars but are run by private boards. That reflects a certain legislative ambivalence toward the schools, which were created under a 1996 law but never fully embraced by the General Assembly's top voices on education.

Despite Obama's call to increase funding and "help create new, high-quality charter schools," N.C. lawmakers remain cautious.

"I don't, at this point in time, support raising the cap on the number of charter schools," said Rep. Maggie Jeffus , a Guilford County Democrat and former teacher who is involved in education policy in the General Assembly. She said some charters she had visited had excellent programs, but others struggled to keep pace with expectations in academics and management.

Maybe it's me, but I support more charters. There's a market for charters. There's a market for private education. There's a market for home school education. A little competition will only make our public schools better in the long run. And our children will be winners in the long run.

N&R:

Leanne Winner, a lobbyist for the N.C. School Boards Association, says charter schools sap resources from the state that could be used to help public school systems.

How about Raleigh sapping resources from its schools back to its wallet? The money school districts across the state had to send back to cover its "shortfall" recently? This argument holds no water.

E.C. :)