A friend from grad school sent IPS B.S. the Charles Murray book "Real Education" today. IPS B.S. will try to read it over the week. Has anyone given it a read? What do you think?
I haven't read that particular book, but I'm familiar with Murray and with the Bell Curve. I'm not a proponent of "coming back to reality" and ignoring urban students, if that's what your asking. I would have never become a teacher if I thought like Murray. I find this line of thinking weak on science and strong on racism and elitism. While obviously everyone has different gifts and abilities, I have never in all my years of teaching had a student who I didn't think was CAPABLE of college. Not a single one. Focusing only on the "gifted" often simply means giving the most opportunity to those who already had a head start and come from the most priviledged homes, while punishing and ignoring those who most need us. I honestly would rather have no public education system at all than one that focuses only on subsidizing the achievement gap.
Not familiar with that book, but like the poster above, I've read the Bell Curve. I think the poster above has some valid points, but I also agree with some of the points in the Bell Curve. I do think we should have more occupational training options and not just college prep. But I also think "ability" has more to do with experience than heredity, and I think we as educators can significantly impact a child's "ability" and therefore the child's potential. Go ahead and read it and let us know what you think and if its similar to the Bell Curve.
Bob Segal (Channel 13) has been doing a story recently about the absurd things our tax dollars are being spent on by state/local government. The blogmaster (or whoever has copied all those facts/figures from the board report) needs to contact Bob Segal (or Rafael Sanchez 6 on Your Side) or both of them and get this type of stuff out there on the news! I think it would reach many more people and they would be in major shock of the corruption going on in IPS administration!!!!
House Named National Public Citizen of the Year 12-15-2009 (Washington, DC)
Harold House, a special education teacher at the Career & Technology Magnet, has been named the 2009 National Public Citizen of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Each year, NASW honors a person who is not a social worker whose accomplishments in the community exemplify the values and mission of professional social work. He will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., in April.
House has helped to raise more than $200 million for community programs that assist vulnerable youth, and he has assisted more than 2,000 children to secure much needed psychiatric treatment. Much of his work has been with incarcerated children and their families. His efforts have gone far to address the dropout rate of troubled youth and the disproportionate confinement of minorities in secure facilities.
In 2009, Harold was named a recipient of the International Heartspring Award for Creativity and Innovation in Special Education. In 2008, he was honored with the Upton Sinclair Award for Influential Educators.
Blogmeisters, what is going on with IPS BS? The discussion subject matter has been pretty testosterone-deficient in recent days and the posts seem to be dominated by people who think that being an IPS teacher at the moment is an absolutely idyllic situation.
Has IPSBS changed its acronym meaning to IPS "Be Sweet?"
It would sure be nice to see a return to commentary and dialogue with gonads.
To the poster above, can you find a single post on this entire blog that states that being an IPS teacher at the moment is an absolutely idyllic situation? This is a public blog. Spread discourse and drag people through the mud if that's your thing. But forgive the rest of us if we prefer our dialogue with a little more brains and less genitalia.
IPS has a total of 5,400 employees which includes administrators, teachers, and classified employees such as custodians, food service workers, transportation workers, etc.
A total of 1,919 of those employees earn $70,000 or more each year. Those earning more than $70K per year (base salary) are administrators/supervisors with work locations at the Ed Center or at the building level. That means that 36% of compensation in IPS is for administrative compensation. Cuts CAN be made w/out losing teachers. How many other school corporations spend 36% of their monies designated for salaries on administrative/supervisory positions? Do we really need such a heavily layered system of administrators/directors/supervisors? Do we have too many bosses? Risking political incorrectness, do we have too many chiefs and not enough Indians? How many administrators give you orders, either directly or indirectly? Do those administrators coordinate their communications regarding the various directives? No, the left hand continues not to know what the right hand is doing, and it's getting worse.
TOP 10 SALARIES: Eugene White – $240,640. Willie Giles - $189,361. Li-yen Johnson – $163,862 Jackie Clency – $151,645. Jane Kendrick – $151, 645. Wayne Wellington – $151,645. Dorothy Crenshaw– $150,548. Douglass Ann Kincaid– $150,548. Jane Ajabu – $150,548. Steven Young– $150,548. TOTAL: $1.5M+
What a relief! Instead of all of the "I'm just so happy to be an IPS teacher" postings over the past few days here, we have (in the post above this one) the kind of pertinent information and cutting-edge commentary that made me so interested in this blog in the first place.
I just attempted to do a 'Search' on the Board Docs page. It comes up blank for every word I searched, including the expected 'White' and 'education'. It's never failed before.
I think the 'Search' feature may have been disabled for the public. Perhaps another reader will attempt a 'Search' and see if it works for them. Let us know, please.
Beginning in January (next week), educational cuts of nearly $300 million will be spread among all Indiana school districts, based on the current funding formula, and amount to about 3.5 percent. The initial announcement indicated they would occur over 18 months, but they now will take place over 12.
Although the union is not always my favorite organization, I will say that now is the time for strong union leadership to step up to bat for the classroom teachers. The State DOE has recommended that NO teachers' jobs be cut, and they've even gone on record calling for reducing administrative compensation. We need union leadership who will support those two recommendations.
Fighting the 'cuts' is futile; they are inevitable, so we better prepare for saving our teacher positions, offer creative solutions for cutting costs, do our homework and work from logical arguments, not emotional pleas which usually fall on deaf ears.
We teachers need strong representation like we'd have received from Susan Garrison who ran against Ann Wilkins for the IEA President's spot. Susan Garrison lost the election; but IPS teachers lost even more when Ann Wilkins was elected.
You see, there are two kind of people in the world today. We have, the playaz, and we have, the playa haters. Please don't hate me because I'm beautiful baby.
Ann Wilkins is in the pocket of Eugene White and has turned her back on teachers. When was the last time you heard from her or IEA...We need to get her out of there SOON
Is it possible to have Susan Garrison take over the negotiations for the IEA? She is GOOD! She's strong and tough as nails. She's just the type person we need in the job.
That big 4x6 glossy of Ann Wilkins posted on the IEA homepage did it for me! Good grief, her bra is even showing in the picture. We know where her priorities are -- not with the IEA job, but with getting her face on the Internet.
I get uncomfortable with the personal insults. I have no issue with the appearance of Mr. White or Ms. Wilkins, and I have no issue with whether or not they post pictures. I'm not a member of the union, so I really don't have a say in who gets elected, but a new leader might encourage new members. As far as White, I'm not a fan, but I'm not as against him as some here obviously are. I don't think he'll be around for much longer, so I don't think it really matters, though.
I respect your comments. My thoughts about people who post their pictures prominently on a website of an organization that is representing a large number of people do not match yours.
To me, seeing Ann Wilkins' picture posted so 'up close and personal' on an education association's homepage says that her priorities are not aligned with what the good folks who are paying $800 annually expect to receive for their hard-earned cash. Perceptions are often more important than facts. Her picture on the homepage gives the perception that she cares more about herself than about the teachers who elected her.
$800.yearly for IEA?? You should ask for an accounting of where their money goes and what the salary scale is for the people who work for the union. I think you would be surprised.
Psst. I don't think IPS B.S. actually reads educational books, lol. I think she got the name of that one from another website, and she agreed with the overall theme of going back to when we didn't worry so much about educating poor and/or minority kids.
I haven't read that particular book, but I'm familiar with Murray and with the Bell Curve. I'm not a proponent of "coming back to reality" and ignoring urban students, if that's what your asking. I would have never become a teacher if I thought like Murray. I find this line of thinking weak on science and strong on racism and elitism. While obviously everyone has different gifts and abilities, I have never in all my years of teaching had a student who I didn't think was CAPABLE of college. Not a single one. Focusing only on the "gifted" often simply means giving the most opportunity to those who already had a head start and come from the most priviledged homes, while punishing and ignoring those who most need us. I honestly would rather have no public education system at all than one that focuses only on subsidizing the achievement gap.
ReplyDeleteNot familiar with that book, but like the poster above, I've read the Bell Curve. I think the poster above has some valid points, but I also agree with some of the points in the Bell Curve. I do think we should have more occupational training options and not just college prep. But I also think "ability" has more to do with experience than heredity, and I think we as educators can significantly impact a child's "ability" and therefore the child's potential. Go ahead and read it and let us know what you think and if its similar to the Bell Curve.
ReplyDeleteBob Segal (Channel 13) has been doing a story recently about the absurd things our tax dollars are being spent on by state/local government. The blogmaster (or whoever has copied all those facts/figures from the board report) needs to contact Bob Segal (or Rafael Sanchez 6 on Your Side) or both of them and get this type of stuff out there on the news! I think it would reach many more people and they would be in major shock of the corruption going on in IPS administration!!!!
ReplyDeleteMore evidence that IPS has good people:
ReplyDeleteHouse Named National Public Citizen of the Year
12-15-2009 (Washington, DC)
Harold House, a special education teacher at the Career & Technology Magnet, has been named the 2009 National Public Citizen of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Each year, NASW honors a person who is not a social worker whose accomplishments in the community exemplify the values and mission of professional social work. He will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., in April.
House has helped to raise more than $200 million for community programs that assist vulnerable youth, and he has assisted more than 2,000 children to secure much needed psychiatric treatment. Much of his work has been with incarcerated children and their families. His efforts have gone far to address the dropout rate of troubled youth and the disproportionate confinement of minorities in secure facilities.
In 2009, Harold was named a recipient of the International Heartspring Award for Creativity and Innovation in Special Education. In 2008, he was honored with the Upton Sinclair Award for Influential Educators.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteBlogmeisters, what is going on with IPS BS? The discussion subject matter has been pretty testosterone-deficient in recent days and the posts seem to be dominated by people who think that being an IPS teacher at the moment is an absolutely idyllic situation.
Has IPSBS changed its acronym meaning to IPS "Be Sweet?"
It would sure be nice to see a return to commentary and dialogue with gonads.
Congratulations to Mr. House!! What an honor!
ReplyDeleteTo the poster above, can you find a single post on this entire blog that states that being an IPS teacher at the moment is an absolutely idyllic situation? This is a public blog. Spread discourse and drag people through the mud if that's your thing. But forgive the rest of us if we prefer our dialogue with a little more brains and less genitalia.
ReplyDeleteSomebody wake me up when the commentary on this blog gets serious again. I certainly hope it does.
ReplyDelete*** Something to take seriously ***
ReplyDeleteWhere the BIG $$$ go in IPS:
IPS has a total of 5,400 employees which includes administrators, teachers, and classified employees such as custodians, food service workers, transportation workers, etc.
A total of 1,919 of those employees earn $70,000 or more each year. Those earning more than $70K per year (base salary) are administrators/supervisors with work locations at the Ed Center or at the building level. That means that 36% of compensation in IPS is for administrative compensation. Cuts CAN be made w/out losing teachers. How many other school corporations spend 36% of their monies designated for salaries on administrative/supervisory positions? Do we really need such a heavily layered system of administrators/directors/supervisors? Do we have too many bosses? Risking political incorrectness, do we have too many chiefs and not enough Indians? How many administrators give you orders, either directly or indirectly? Do those administrators coordinate their communications regarding the various directives? No, the left hand continues not to know what the right hand is doing, and it's getting worse.
TOP 10 SALARIES:
Eugene White – $240,640.
Willie Giles - $189,361.
Li-yen Johnson – $163,862
Jackie Clency – $151,645.
Jane Kendrick – $151, 645.
Wayne Wellington – $151,645.
Dorothy Crenshaw– $150,548.
Douglass Ann Kincaid– $150,548.
Jane Ajabu – $150,548.
Steven Young– $150,548.
TOTAL: $1.5M+
173 employees $100,000 – $150,000
171 employees $90,000 – $99,000
944 employees $80,000 – $89,999
621 employees $70,000 – $79,999
Less than $70,000 -- everybody else, including teachers, counselors, social workers, psychologists, speech therapists, and all classified employees.
"Where the BIG $$$ go in IPS:"
ReplyDeleteWhat a relief! Instead of all of the "I'm just so happy to be an IPS teacher" postings over the past few days here, we have (in the post above this one) the kind of pertinent information and cutting-edge commentary that made me so interested in this blog in the first place.
More serious info ---
ReplyDeleteI just attempted to do a 'Search' on the Board Docs page. It comes up blank for every word I searched, including the expected 'White' and 'education'. It's never failed before.
I think the 'Search' feature may have been disabled for the public. Perhaps another reader will attempt a 'Search' and see if it works for them. Let us know, please.
More serious stuff ---
ReplyDeleteFrom today's IndyStar:
Beginning in January (next week), educational cuts of nearly $300 million will be spread among all Indiana school districts, based on the current funding formula, and amount to about 3.5 percent. The initial announcement indicated they would occur over 18 months, but they now will take place over 12.
Although the union is not always my favorite organization, I will say that now is the time for strong union leadership to step up to bat for the classroom teachers. The State DOE has recommended that NO teachers' jobs be cut, and they've even gone on record calling for reducing administrative compensation. We need union leadership who will support those two recommendations.
Fighting the 'cuts' is futile; they are inevitable, so we better prepare for saving our teacher positions, offer creative solutions for cutting costs, do our homework and work from logical arguments, not emotional pleas which usually fall on deaf ears.
We teachers need strong representation like we'd have received from Susan Garrison who ran against Ann Wilkins for the IEA President's spot. Susan Garrison lost the election; but IPS teachers lost even more when Ann Wilkins was elected.
You R such a playa hater. We know who U R, BTW.
ReplyDeleteThanks much, Abdul!
U R so wrong.
ReplyDelete~~B.I.G.
You see, there are two kind of people in the world today.
We have, the playaz, and we have, the playa haters.
Please don't hate me because I'm beautiful baby.
Now back to serious stuff.
Ann Wilkins is in the pocket of Eugene White and has turned her back on teachers. When was the last time you heard from her or IEA...We need to get her out of there SOON
ReplyDeleteIs it possible to have Susan Garrison take over the negotiations for the IEA? She is GOOD! She's strong and tough as nails. She's just the type person we need in the job.
ReplyDeleteThat big 4x6 glossy of Ann Wilkins posted on the IEA homepage did it for me! Good grief, her bra is even showing in the picture. We know where her priorities are -- not with the IEA job, but with getting her face on the Internet.
I get uncomfortable with the personal insults. I have no issue with the appearance of Mr. White or Ms. Wilkins, and I have no issue with whether or not they post pictures. I'm not a member of the union, so I really don't have a say in who gets elected, but a new leader might encourage new members. As far as White, I'm not a fan, but I'm not as against him as some here obviously are. I don't think he'll be around for much longer, so I don't think it really matters, though.
ReplyDeleteTo the above poster:
ReplyDeleteI respect your comments. My thoughts about people who post their pictures prominently on a website of an organization that is representing a large number of people do not match yours.
To me, seeing Ann Wilkins' picture posted so 'up close and personal' on an education association's homepage says that her priorities are not aligned with what the good folks who are paying $800 annually expect to receive for their hard-earned cash. Perceptions are often more important than facts. Her picture on the homepage gives the perception that she cares more about herself than about the teachers who elected her.
$800.yearly for IEA?? You should ask for an accounting of where their money goes and what the salary scale is for the people who work for the union. I think you would be surprised.
ReplyDelete"Ann Wilkins is in the pocket of Eugene White..."
ReplyDeleteHe must have some huge pockets.
Did IPS B.S. ever find time to browse through "Real Education?" Is it similar to "The Bell Curve?" Just curious?
ReplyDeletePsst. I don't think IPS B.S. actually reads educational books, lol. I think she got the name of that one from another website, and she agreed with the overall theme of going back to when we didn't worry so much about educating poor and/or minority kids.
ReplyDelete