IPS B.S. is wondering how many kids has your school sent home because of the flu or flu-like symptoms. Twenty kids were sent home from our school today and the bus was half empty. Do you worry about so many kids being absent that you'll have to play catch up or you'll get ill yourself?
You only have one bus? Is our blogmaster really Jeff White? It sounds like the rumors must be true. Only a small charter would have only one bus. This also makes sense why the posts are fewer and less relevant with more ripped from the headlines type topics or mere speculation. Seriously, you are really losing your spunk, and, my respect!
ReplyDeletePrudence, quit coming on here and spread your hate....you are a hater!!!!
ReplyDeleteWe were at 20% absent last week. Students and teachers are dropping like flies. Yes, I do worry about getting sick myself. I can understand how some parents send their children to school because they figure they are safer being there than being at home alone. However, I can't understand how some parents who purport to love their children send them with fevers and vomiting. Most of the children who are not sick, don't seem to know any better and I watch them digging into Hot Cheeto bags after three or four others have done the same thing. I have watched two or three students take a drink from the same Powerade bottles. Yuck! If you are sick--please stay home!
ReplyDeleteThe blogmaster is an IPS employee and loves remaining anonymous. In all honesty, it is not Jeffrey White!!
ReplyDeleteI'm realy curious to hear more about the rap contest at Arlington. Can anyone who was present when Dr. W. spoke to the boys give us the details? Are the girls excluded? Is that fair? Is he bringing the same opportunity to the other high schools?
ReplyDeleteSome of the most raucous aggressive behavior comes from the females. Why are they being ignored in this?
ReplyDeleteWe had over 100 students absent on Tuesday with flu like symptoms and we didn't close. Nothing was sent home to parents, not even and Ed-connect message. I don't even think any special cleaning was done in our building. Keeping our building open was not putting our children first.
ReplyDeleteSpecial cleaning is not being done.
ReplyDeletesick teachers and kids need to stay home.
Our maintenance/janitorial people [sorry, I don't know the politically correct term] are very conscientious about cleaning our building. Mr Murf is a wonder and everything is spotless in our building. I get to work at 6:30 or so and he's in there scrubbing and spraying disinfectant everywhere. We've still had quite a few children sick and several teachers have been out as well with the flu.
ReplyDeleteEarlier this week Arlington had 13 teachers out sick. Subs could not be found so the students were herded into the mini-auditorium and supervised. No teaching can be done there; too many kids in a huge room and things get crazy.
ReplyDeleteMaybe if Eugene had not cut the sub pay for retired teachers by over 50% that many of those people would be available for subbing. As it is, many no longer sub with such a huge pay cut.
ReplyDeleteMore IPS budget cuts are in the works for next year. Perhaps up to $12M in cuts which would come from reducing the numbers of administrators and support personnel.
ReplyDeleteI work at Arlington Community High School. The school is out of control!!! People are calling in sick and the kids run the school....
ReplyDeletefrom above "More IPS budget cuts are in the works for next year. Perhaps up to $12M in cuts which would come from reducing the numbers of administrators and support personnel."
ReplyDeleteI heard basically the same thing late yesterday after a big administrative meeting ended.
I had a kid throw up in my room, I sent him to the nurse, and they sent him back to stay in the room until his parent came to fetch him.
ReplyDeleteOMG, Arlington is out of control with "Dr. Dexter" at the wheel? What happened the savior that Dr. White held up high to the white female teachers. Not the same man that left young children downtown while he had lunch and went back to his office? I have 165 sick days, I might start calling in sick.
ReplyDeleteWhy bother showing up? Our lesson plans consist of "Diagnostic Test". Grades were done two weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteWith all the illness, no one is questioning absences anyway, and those of us with tons of days can burn through them without threat of reprisal. All my days won't benefit me when I retire. "Stay home if you're sick" is a free pass to watch Judge Joe Brown and Jerry Springer.
While you're out, you might happen to run into a parent at WalMart. Just throw Kleenexes and Purelle in your cart, then cough into your elbow. You'll be golden.
Test scores? We don't need stinkin' test scores!
After reading the postings about Arlington I became very curious and I decided to take a trip up to Arlington and see for myself. I was very impress the school was very clean, students moved throughout the school in an orderly fashion. Teachers actually spoke to the students. I also stuck my head into the auditorium to watch some of the convocation. As a parent of four males, this was a beautiful site to see. The truth of the matter is Arlington High School looked very good. I witnessed no children in the hallways, and unlike other schools that I have visit students were not sleeping in class they appeared to be very attentive; in the a.m. I saw only female students in the classroom. I came back around 1:00 p.m. and witnessed the same thing in the classrooms. Either Dr. Suggs has upset a lot of teachers at Arlington, which is what I heard from a few teachers who work at Arlington, or the persons posting on the blog does not work at Arlington. I would recommend that everyone take a trip to Arlington. I’m not sure what the true purpose of this blog is for, but lies and false allegations will not help improve IPS. To the staff of Arlington keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteClassrooms are never cleaned at 74 (custodians are in the basement sleeping, principal locks himself in a closet) and the we're not allowed to say or even know who has the flu. We can't violate confidentiality, you know.
ReplyDeleteLooks like Dr. Suggs has put his foot in the ass of all the WTF at Arlington. It is about time, and long overdue. Dr. Greenwood wanted to love everyone "I Love You" she did nothing and held know one accountable. Arlington was out-of-control, students and staff. It's amazing what WHITELIES they will tell when someone forces them to do there job. I guess you have to earn your paycheck now.
ReplyDeleteI work at Arlington and this school year has been great. Yes, we have some issues, but they are addressed by administration. I feel safe for the first time, and I know that if I have an issue with a student I will be supported. Unlike last year. Now last year was the year from hell. Unfortunately, we do have a large number of teachers that are only at Arlington to collect a paycheck. The level of accountability is extremely high, and people are very scared because unlike past years they are not allowed to do what they want to do. Change is hard for some people. I am enjoying watching them sweat. LOL The best part is I really don't think Dr. Suggs cares what the adults think about him, or if we like him. The students have a great deal of respect for him.
ReplyDeleteDid a student get jumped and is suffering from a fractured skull? You damn right!! I work at Arlington. Quit lying.. We are in a state of emergency.
ReplyDeleteTo anyone working at Arlington. I am a Reading Teacher in IPS and would love to work at Arlington. If you would be willing to switch schools with me after first semester, please contact ANN in IEA.
ReplyDeleteThe student was attacked the 2 week of school by non Arlington students after school over a incident during the summer. NO, he did not suffer a fractured skull. Dumb ass! You quit lying.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the jungle a.k.a Tech High School
ReplyDeleteIs it true that Washington has the most gay teachers in the district?
ReplyDeleteHow about gay personnel, not just teachers
ReplyDeleteCan we get a new principal at Shortridge
ReplyDeleteand BRHS, I'm sick of that trash looking B#%@* with her favorite playing ass.
ReplyDeleteCan you find a new job since you don't like Shortridge B#%^&?
ReplyDeleteAt Attucks students are having sex in the auditorium.
ReplyDeleteAt 108 a student got caught having sex with a teacher.
ReplyDeleteDID SOME OF YOU READ THE INDYSTAR THIS MORNING? WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL...THERE IS HONESTY, AND THEN THERE IS DEFAMATION.
ReplyDeleteWE NEED TO KEEP THIS BLOG GOING, AND TO DO THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT IS SAID ON HERE CAN EASILY BE INVESTIGATED AND DEEMED TRUE.
This is an anonymous blog and can't be traced. Please do not use any IPS computer.
ReplyDeleteI want to teach at Shortridge and may apply for a transfer in the spring. Someone tell me what is going on there before I do?
ReplyDeleteI worked at Arlington for five years under the JG admin. I've been out of there eight years, and would love to return & work for Dr. Suggs. I've applied for transfers from my elementary school, which has been discussed openly in this blog, with no success. Perhaps when I send in my THIRD transfer request this year I'll send a note to Dr. Suggs.
ReplyDeleteto the "WHITELIES" poster...are you a teacher? Surely not..."held KNOW one accountable"...Now, you KNOW that cannot be what you KNEW about holding NO one accountable"...and were they doing THEIR job over THERE at AHS?...perhaps this blog needs "spell check"...but I guess that wouldn't help if someone didn't KNOW the difference between KNOW and NO. We might just have to "grin and BARE it"...whoops, do we really want to BARE it or BEAR it? LOL
ReplyDeleteWhy doesn't someone get concerned about Tech....it is out of control and the Deans' office seems clueless.....rules and policies are not being followed.
ReplyDeleteOctober 17, 2009
ReplyDeleteLetter to the Editor/Indy Star Online
Eugene White
No room in our schools for verbal violence
I commend Star columnist Matthew Tully for his work on "The Manual Project." He has spent many hours in the school observing and talking to teachers, support staff, students and others. What he writes is not always easy to accept or to understand, but it is some of the reality occurring in that high school.
However, I must respond to his piece on "If the violence is verbal, they let it pass," Oct. 11. My response is in the sad truth of the matter. The truth is, I have met with all IPS administrators, teachers and support staff and told them not to accept this inappropriate behavior. Faculty and staff have been told this for the past five years at the beginning of each school year. We have created 21 alternative option programs in order to accommodate students we remove from schools for inappropriate behavior.
Why would my teachers and/or administrators put up with this kind of misbehavior and overt disrespect? One of the four District Values is "Respect." Some teachers and administrators are failing to live up to the District Value of "Courage." They must have the courage to confront and eliminate this behavior.
Tully's observation that staff feels "hamstrung by district suspension guidelines" is troubling. I will not tolerate this kind of verbal violence and disrespect -- and I certainly don't expect any employee to accept it. We have a Six-Step Discipline Plan that ranges from verbal reprimand to expulsion or change of school assignment. Suspension is the automatic response to offenses involving threat of violence, touching or hitting a teacher, cursing out other students or school employees, fighting, drugs and weapons.
Employees, from principals and teachers to custodians and secretaries, must have the courage to end this nightmare. To me, there is no such thing as profanity against a teacher. If a teacher accepts being called a b----, she shouldn't be working in the new IPS. Why? Because by accepting the profanity she is hurting students and setting them up for failure. If a dean accepts a threat on her life and does not suspend and place the student up for expulsion, she is enabling the student to prepare for failure, jail or some other sad reality.
We can change Manual; we must care enough to stop the madness. It takes courage and true love to get it done.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's have a discussion about the wonderful Six(39)Step Discipline Plan. How's that working for you?
ReplyDeleteEugene White must be totally unaware of what is going on in the IPS high schools. Teachers are cursed and threatened on a daily basis. Teacher reports of this on his 6 step policy are ignored or the procedure is not followed. Many students have repeated write ups from a variety of teachers and never reach Step 6. The principals are afraid of Eugene and what he will say if they enforce HIS policy. This 6 Step policy is just for the public and media to make them think something is being done. Time to get real, EUGENE!!
ReplyDeleteA refresher to the SIX STEP Discipline Plan
ReplyDelete26 DISCOVER . . . DESCUBRE . . .
Six-StepDisciplineProcess
The use of the Six-Step Discipline procedure allows
flexibility within and between the six formal steps.
A key guideline in the application of this procedure
is that the appropriate reaction to a disciplinary problem is
the least extreme reaction that reasonably holds promise of
resolving the problem.
STEP ONE:
When a student has a problem in class, the teacher may
use, but not be limited to, the following strategies:
􀂃 Verbal reprimand in a respectful, dignified manner (in
other words, not in front of others)
􀂃 Teacher-student conference(s)
􀂃 Teacher-parent conference(s) and/or informal contacts
􀂃 Counselor-teacher consultations
􀂃 Phone call to parent
STEP TWO:
Continued concerns and/or repeated behavior from Step
1 will result in a teacher-parent verbal conversation. The
teacher may use, but not be limited to:
􀂃 Counselor-student conferences
􀂃 Counselor-parent conferences
􀂃 Individualized program and schedule change(s)
􀂃 Teacher-parent conference
Note: The student should be directed to write about the
behavior and which of the district’s four values it violated.
The writing should be filed by the teacher.
.....
STEP FOUR:
ReplyDeleteRepeated misbehavior by the student will result in a
parent-teacher conference. The parent will be informed
that any additional misbehavior will result in a referral to
the school’s administrator.
STEP FOUR:
Additional misbehavior by the student will result in an
automatic referral to the school’s administrator. The referral
will include the Pupil Discipline Referral Form which
shows the prior actions taken by the teacher. The
administrator will review the Pupil Discipline Referral
Form when considering the action to be taken against the
student.
Note: The teacher should not refer a student to an administrator
before working through Steps 1, 2 and 3; however,
some offenses are too serious to wait for the three steps
(such as fighting, drug use or possession or possession of
a weapon).
This step does not end until the administrator is satisfied
that all efforts have been made to resolve the problem. The
administrator may use, but not be limited to:
􀂃 Verbal reprimand (includes verbal contact with parent)
􀂃 Detention
􀂃 Assign work detail
􀂃 Assign in-school suspension
􀂃 Hold a staffing conference
􀂃 Hold a conference with the student and parent/guardian
to review the situation
􀂃 Assign a behavior contract
􀂃 Establish a general intervention committee
(comprised of the student’s counselor,teachers,
parent, school psychologist and school
administrator) to review the student’s schedule and
status and recommend appropriate strategies
􀂃 Have the parent shadow the student
􀂃 Suspend until a parent conference
􀂃 Suspend (1 to 5 days)
􀂃 Expel
Administrators are expected to make contact with parents
whenever any of the above steps are initiated.
STEP FIVE:
The student is again referred to the administrator. The
administrator may use, but not be limited to:
􀂃 Suspend (1 to 5 days)
􀂃 Assign a formal probation
(The parent/guardian and student must have a meeting
withtheschooladministratorandformallysigntheprobation
agreement.)
􀂃 Determine new school placement, if possible.
It should be clearly understood that suspensions and
expulsionsarepenaltiesoflastresort, tobeimposedonlyafter
other possible alternative forms of discipline have been used.
Note: When students are suspended from school they
are expected to complete all assignments missed in
accordance with district policy, administrative guidelines
and/or school rules.
STEP SIX:
The student is referred to the administrator and the
administrator will suspend for up to 5 days for the purpose
of the following:
􀂃 To seek alternate placement for student, if possible
􀂃 To initiate the due process procedure against the student
Note: If the student is a special education student, a case
conference must be convened prior to any due process
procedure.
REFERRAL RESPONSE TIME
When a teacher uses the Student Discipline Referral
Form for Steps 4, 5 and 6, the administrator will provide
a response within 48 hours (two school workdays).
When a teacher puts a student out of class for the day/
period, the student will not return to class without a
formal response from the administrator. (This applies to
Steps 3, 4, 5 and 6 only.)
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
It is imperative that, in addition to district policies and
rules on student discipline, the appropriate state and
federal statutes and rules be followed when disciplining
a student with a disability. If there are questions about
the appropriate procedures to follow, please contact the
campus administrator/principal, assistant principal, or
the Office of Special Education at 226-3852.
And the tooth fairy will leave you a quarter under your pillow tonight!
ReplyDelete...and then your administrator will write you up for failing to have proper classroom management skills. Meanwhile, the problem continues.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the principals need to be reminded immediately about a student hitting a teacher. Also, about a student fighting needs to be suspended immediately. And my favorite a student cussing a teacher out and calling them a bitch. PS. This goes on in the elementary schools not just the high schools.
ReplyDeleteNot in my building. Two years ago, our principal suspended a sixth grader for using "friggin'".
ReplyDeleteIf an adult tolerates, condones, and/or ignores the foul language, it will become part of the background noise. If that same adult reacts and demands action, the inappropriate conduct will cease.
Are you an educator or a doormat? Classroom control begins when the children enter our campus. Provide rules and consequences, then maintain that level.
Yeah, roll your eyes. I see 90 southside fifth and sixth graders every day. Each student rises to our team's expectation of appropriate conduct. If not, he or she goes home.
Thanks, "School Mom"!
Eugene White only steps in buildings if the media is there. How dare he say WE have no self-respect...he is a PIG who has done nothing for our district but implement uniforms. He has no respect for us. He has no idea what it is like in my school.
ReplyDeleteCOME WALK IN OUR SHOES FOR A DAY BEFORE YOU MAKE ANY FURTHER IDIOTIC COMMENTS.
At Arlington the students are out roaming the hallways all day long, how would anyone know who is absent from school? How can the adminstration send in a correct percentage of ill stdents to the Education Center?
ReplyDelete...but he can't walk in our shoes because we dont wear red Prada slippers!!
ReplyDeleteThe teachers can demand respect and order, but without an administrator to back them up, they are powerless.
ReplyDeleteIf you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.
ReplyDelete-- Mark Twain
A student was having sex with a teacher at 108? Isn't that an elementary school? When did this happen?
ReplyDeleteSince when is it "okay" for a teacher not to teach a subject for 9 weeks. To not take grades in any subject area? The pacing guide is available to anyone to follow the standards, and yet this teacher only met a few standards in a nine week period? And WHEN did it become "ok" for a principal to go into this classroom and teach a subject area for one day to cover up for this teacher and HIMSELF (since already being written up) and will have 5-10 grades to make up for this so that there will be "Grades" on the report card. THIS IS JUST PLAIN WRONG!!
ReplyDeleteBTW- that's school 74
ReplyDelete108 is a middle school, and it didn't happen you dolt.
ReplyDeleteI'm a parent at a magnet school and the rules there are more strict than the Catholic school my kids used to go to. So it sounds like White is doing his part and at least some of the administrators are doing their part. Is there some sort of procedure teachers can follow if your supervisors aren't following the district guidelines?
ReplyDeleteWhite has the responsiblity to check if his administrators are following his policies. If they are not [and many are not] then it is his fault for having no accountability for his administrative staff.
ReplyDeleteWHITE BEING ACCOUNTABLE FOR ANYTHING...RIIIIGHT.
ReplyDeleteIF HE WAS BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN GONE BY NOW.
Dr. White needs to be held accountable by the "Bobble-Headed" Board, but nooo. The "Bobble-Head" Board will listen to his lies and then agree to hire more administrative staff to watch the over worked teacher.
ReplyDeleteSorry for being a "dolt" and I apologize for not knowing the numbers of the schools. I guess I shouldn't believe everything I read here, huh?
ReplyDeleteTo the parent above, contrary to what you read here, most teachers I know don't have a problem with White. I don't agree with everything he does or everybody he hires, but that's not even why people dislike him, mock him, call him names, etc. It's because he is trying to change the helpless, hostile culture of IPS staff. And he's done a good job if you compare things to the way they were 10 years ago. But obviously the helpless and hostile teachers aren't exactly overjoyed!
ReplyDeleteI find the remarks of the teacher above very inaccurate. I hope it is because the teacher is naive and not because he/see is a liar...perhaps it is not even a teacher. Believe me when I say that teacher morale is at an all time low. The abuse and intimidation from the administrative staff has taken a huge toll. I believe every teacher I know believes there needs to be change. Teachers are not fighting change. It needs to be change that makes sense and helps our students. I dont know why the above person chose to bash teachers in such a tasteless manner.
ReplyDeleteNow, the above poster hit upon a valid point. I don't agree with about 50% of what Dr. White is doing but, I don't have the blatant disrespect for the man a lot of people exhibit on the blog. For one thing, I don't think some of the policies are his idea. I think they are the brainchildren of his underlings ( aka as dep. superintendants, directors, head of this & that, etc.) Some of the petty, jealous,narrow-minded people who keep talking about his Prada shoes need to rise above that and ask themeselves: What does that have to do with raising achievement levels in IPS? Are they doing their part? If Dr. White changed to beat-up loafers would if matter? The real issue is that change is hard and things have been allowed to flounder in IPS for so long, that we are unopen to change. It is a hostile culture, and it is not just the students, but many of the teachers as well. Even when I question whether something will work or not, I'll give a try because by any means necessary, I want my students to succeed!
ReplyDeleteYou can look at the disrespectful way a lot of us talk to each other on this blog to know that some of us are burned-out and need to move on.
As far as discipline goes, a lot of our principals are too soft-hearted and some, downright cowardly to do their jobs. Students with over 20 discipline referrals should not be in a regular school.
Obviously we might different working environments and coworkers, so I suppose we'll just have to agree to disagree. But if I was as unhappy as some of you, I would change districts or even professions. The reason I do not is NOT because I cannot get a job anywhere else. I'm sure I could. I have a good record of achieving success from inner city kids. That's pretty valuable out there. I'm here because I want to be here. And most of my coworkers are here because we want to be here. The only ones I know who are angry and miserable are the ones who don't want to be here but feel trapped. And there's not a superintendent on the planet who can fix that.
ReplyDeleteTo "Now, the above poster" -- excellent post! I agree 100%
ReplyDeleteTo the teacher two entries above....you are naive!! Many excellent teachers in IPS could not get a job elsewhere. With the exception of a couple of critical shortage areas, most surrounding school systems cut staff this year. Many have a policy of not hiring a veteran teacher in order to save money. There are even some systems who like to hire their own....their graduates or community members. Many teachers are trapped and it has nothing to do with their teaching skills. This actually benefits IPS as it helps keep good teachers in the system. You would think that White and his hit team would appreciate that.
ReplyDeleteAnother crazy, out-of-control day at the "Bell" academy. A student takes a swing at a teacher, (fortunately misses), and gets ONE lousy day of suspension. So...what is a mere teacher to do? Why do we HAVE to endure this overt disrespect? Oh, right. The teacher is always at fault. Well guess what, Dr. White? We teachers NEVER, NEVER, EVER have the final say. Suggestions?
ReplyDeleteArlington is out of control. Anyone that says otherwise is not there on a regular basis or lying.
ReplyDeleteSchool Mom, that is the way it should be, however it is not that way in most schools. What is tolerated is allowed. And every day more and more is tolerated. Physical violence is dismissed as "just playing", cursing in conversation, in the hall, and at teachers and classmates is permissable.
ReplyDeletePeople only do what works for them, so these behaviors must be working for the students.
They are getting what they want out of them, we need to figure out what that is and stop it from happening. My guess is peer acceptance and fun. So stop making it acceptable and stop making it fun.
Most in school suspension rooms are party central, students in coats, listening to IPODS, chatting, sitting on desks, visiting. I really don't care what they do in there academically but this has to stop, get them dictionaries and make them copy vocabulary words, but make it NO FUN. Until we begin to analyse what is going on and why we won't be able to change it. Suspend them and take them to a central site where they are taken out to pick up trash, NO FUN.
Here are some facts. Every year, the Department of Education takes three "counts" of the average daily membership of each school in the state. The amount of money each district gets is dependent on that count. Many students are "kept" because to get rid of them all would lessen the amount of money the district gets. Secondly, the special education students are protected by law from being suspended for more than ten days-to expell a special education student takes a manifestation hearing, at which evidence must be produced that the IEP has been followed to the letter. If the IEP has not been followed, the kid stays. Thirdly, the alternative schools Dr. White touts as the savior of IPS are generally full by Christmas. Each school has a certain number of slots, and when those slots are used, the school is unable to send any more students. Teachers have no say (at least at the high school) in the disposition of discipline-they only have to deal with the results when the policies aren't followed, or the other factors above come in to play. We are teaching many of these young people that there are no consequences for any behavior-because the rules protect them. How will they react as adults? Check the crime statistics for Marion county to find out.
ReplyDelete