We started some pretty good posts in the last comment section regarding what IPS spends on "consultants and programs" . Let's list all the fat in IPS that can be cut!
You can see where this budget cut thing is going...
The IPS adminstration will use this as an excuse to fire a bunch of experienced teachers (who we all know are the REAL problem in IPS, right? Being sarcastic here).
Matthew Tully will write a commentary in The Star that this is another stroke of genius by the IPS administration and suggest a big raise for the superintendent and his staff. On The Star's editorial page, an editorial will be published saying that IPS made a great leap of progress by firing its experienced teachers.
Tully will then write another front-page column in which he waxes co-dependent on the Manual choir and band (while ignoring the hundreds of other extra-curricular groups at the other IPS schools).
No fat will be trimmed from the massive gifts under the perpetual Christmas tree at IPS headquarters - gifts going to most-favored friends and acquaintances who take day-long coffee breaks.
The school board will congratulate the administration on another fine job of handling the budget crisis and then head off for a retreat.
Yep, the Board was happy with the poor service, nasty remarks, and unprofessional behavior of the administrators. Get your copy of Sunday's newspaper, Dr. White and the "Bobble-Headed Board" will look like fools to the public.
See, to me salary freezes are better than layoffs. You all don't think so? Even though I probably wouldn't be laid off, a decrease in teaching staff makes it tough on everyone.
Ann Grooms is ripping of the District. She helps Dr. White complete his dissertation and is good friends with Jane Kendricks. This is a TOTAL waste of money.
***Superintendent’s Recommendation:
I recommend that the Board of School Commissioners authorize the Business Manager to enter into a contract with Educational Services Institute, Inc. in the amount not to exceed $90,000 to provide professional development and guidance to elementary and secondary division administrators for the 2009-2010 school year. Funding will be provided by Title I.
Yep, the Board was happy with the poor service, nasty remarks, and unprofessional behavior of the administrators. Get your copy of Sunday's newspaper, Dr. White and the "Bobble-Headed Board" will look like fools to the public.
Ann Grooms must be a really bad presenter. I know an asst. principal who must attend monthly meetings with other administrators and sit through Ann Grooms' disjointed and useless presentations. She must be totally unprepared because at the last meeting she spent most of her time 'winging it' with talk about global warming. What's that got to do with being a principal?
The principals are pulled away from their schools for these meetings during the middle of the day. Grooms arrives here from Cincinnati where she lives. I suspect her Cincinnati domicile is the reason for Kendricks association with her.
This is totally off the subject - sorry. What is the deal with the letter we received with today's paycheck? It tells us we will receive a check on December 31, 2009; but there will be no deductions taken from it because it is the 27th check of the year. We aren't paid on a calendar year, rather, we are paid from August to August - per our contract. This isn't the 27th check, it's the 10th check of our contract year. How can it be legal for the corporation to give us our paycheck without withholding federal taxes, state taxes, local taxes, social security, etc? What is the reason they would do something so stupid? This messes with our taxes, as well as what they are obligated to pay as their share of our Social Security and workmen's comp. I'm puzzled by this and see no reason for it. Anyone have a clue why they would do this?
This is all so sad. The hundreds of thousands of dollars we waste on people who a) don't know what they are doing, and/or b) live out of state and come here at their convenience.
Sports World, INC is not really an incorporated business. It's actually Sports World Ministries and is located on Post Road near 19th St. It is listed as a non-profit, yet the Board elected to award them another one of those special contracts recently. See below. _______________________________________________
SPORTS WORLD, INC. Action of the Board Commissioner Busch made a motion to approve the Superintendent’s recommendation to authorize the Business Manager to execute a contract with the Sports World, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $20,000.00 to provide a character education and mentoring program working with athletic directors, coaches and student athletes at Arlington Community, Arsenal Technical, Broad Ripple and Northwest High Schools beginning November 2009 through June 2010 with funding provided through the Safe and Drug Free Grant. Commissioner Zaphiriou seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
I would like to know how much money is spent for Mary Busch....salary, retirement contribution, fringes....computer, cell phone.....trips....security etc...who would know that info....I sure hope we don't have to pay for her hair care as that must cost a fortune.
i doubt all of that is in any one place. i also doubt that's not deliberate. i can also say that i know for certain many people who are hired never make the board reports if they're well connected and choose not to.
To the poster who asked about the paycheck: while our contract is from August to August, the district operates like a business. Their fiscal year, for tax reporting purposes, ends on December 31, just like every other business. If they didn't, you couldn't receive your W-2 in January, as required by the IRS. It's kind of confusing, because as teacher, we think of school years, but there is a business side of the school district. Maybe instead of having a principal in charge of HR/payroll, we should have a business-minded person! But that's a topic for another time...hope I helped!
Did anyone see what is going to be in the IndyStar on Sunday? "Superintendents get CEO-like perks". "Investigation into metro-area district contracts being padded with rising salaries, luxury cars with free gas, and can't-be-fired clauses". Should be interesting.
The Board bails out Tech HS for unpaid bill of over $142,000. How can this happen? Is there no financial oversight at Tech? _________________________________________________
5.07 Textbook Bill Owed to Pearson/Prentice Hall Publisher Meeting: 11/24/2009 Board Action Session Category: 5. General Superintendent's Recommendations - New Business Agenda Type: Action Preferred Date: Fiscal Impact: Yes Absolute Date: Dollar Amount: $142,978.02 Budgeted: Yes Budget Source: General Fund
TOPIC: Request permission to pay textbook bill that Arsenal Technical High School owes Pearson/Prentice-Hall Publisher
Background Information:
Arsenal Technical High School (Tech) owes Pearson/Prentice-Hall a balance of $142,978.02 on the 2008 English/Language Arts and World Languages adoption. The total cost of the adoption for students to have the appropriate books was a little over $450,000. Tech has paid the remaining amount along with other textbook deficits inherited from previous adoption. The Publisher is threatening to sue the school for the $142,978.02 balance.
The school does not have the funds to pay the balance. The school has done all it can to payoff the various textbook deficits at the school. Tech needs help to pay off the remaining $142,978.02 textbook bill to Pearson/Prentice-Hall.
Superintendent’s Recommendation:
I recommend that the Board of School Commissioners authorize the Business Manager to pay the balance due Pearson/Prentice-Hall Publishers in an amount not to exceed $142,978.02. This will be a textbook General Fund expense. Action Agenda Details Motion: To approve the Business Manager to pay the balance due Pearson/Prentice-Hall Publishers in an amount not to exceed $142,978.02. This will be a textbook General Fund expense. Motion By: Mary E Busch Second: Elizabeth M Gore
I have heard of the Princeton Review, but the other outside groups are not showing up at my school. Look at that total figure (almost $4 million) for outside tutoring! IPS really is a Cash Cow for subcontractors in the educational business. _______________________________________________
5.08 Approval to Increase Contract with Supplemental Eudcational Services Providers Meeting: 11/24/2009 Board Action Session Category: 5. General Superintendent's Recommendations - New Business Agenda Type: Action Preferred Date: Fiscal Impact: Yes Absolute Date: Dollar Amount: $17,095.00 Budgeted: Yes Budget Source: Title I Grant
TOPIC: Request permission to increase contract amounts with approved Supplemental Educational Services Providers based on parental choice for specific providers. Total amount of increase is $17,095. .
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Board agenda No. 5.14, approved September 22, 2009, authorized the Business Manager to execute contracts with state approved providers. Funding is provided by the Title I grant. Contract increases are necessary due to parental choice for specific providers.
ADMINISTRATIVE CONSIDERATION:
Each Supplemental Educational Services provider will provide a minimum of 30 hours of instruction to students to be held at a variety of locations including school sites, community sites, students’ homes, or providers’ businesses.
Providers Type of Service Current Contract Amount Increase Contract Amount New Contract Amount Club Z! Tutoring Individual tutoring and small group instruction $2,286,576.00 $6,770.20 $2,293,346.20 Educational Recovery Clinic, LLC Individual tutoring, small group instruction, and large group instruction $609,432.00 $5,162.39 $614,594.39 The Princeton Review Individual tutoring, small group instruction, and large group instruction $902,088.00 $5,162.41 $907,250.41 Total $3,815,191.00
***SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION:
I recommend that the Board of School Commissioners authorize the Business Manager to increase the contract amounts with the above named providers to provide Supplemental Educational Services to Title 1 eligible students based on parental choice. The total amount of increase is $17,095. Funding is provided by a mandatory amount set aside in the Title I grant. Action Agenda Details Motion: To approve an increase in contract with Supplemental Educational Services Providers. Motion By: Elizabeth M Gore Second: Marianna R Zaphiriou
Here's a good one. Almost $500K for some electronic message signs. What a bargain! Signs really make for a safe and clean learning environment. Where are the 'various locations' of these signs and how many are there? _______________________________________________ 6.07 Contract Award for the Pylon Electronic Messgaing Signs at Various Locations throughout IPS Meeting: 11/24/2009 Board Action Session Category: 6. General Superintendent's Recommendations - Business & Finance - General Resolutions Agenda Type: Action Preferred Date: Fiscal Impact: Yes Absolute Date: Dollar Amount: $433,900.00 Budgeted: Yes Budget Source:
Agenda Item Content Presented By: Steve Young Debra Hineline Strategic Plan: Providing Safe, Clean Learning Environments
TOPIC: Contract Award for the Pylon Electronic Messaging Signs at Various Locations throughout IPS.
Tech already had a brand new electronic sign presented to the school by the Tech Alumni Assoc. Now they have one on the back entrance. What a waste of money the second sign is.
"Did anyone see what is going to be in the IndyStar on Sunday? "Superintendents get CEO-like perks". "Investigation into metro-area district contracts being padded with rising salaries, luxury cars with free gas, and can't-be-fired clauses". Should be interesting." -------------------------- Where did you find that information? Has it been in the newspaper or on its website. I get The Star and I haven't seen an announcement that they are going to have this in Sunday's paper.
If so, it is a good first step. They need to pursue this with a passion, similar to how they have pursued the lobbyist mess in the Statehouse. They could spend a month on the Cash Cow that is IPS.
Minetta Richardson must be the most powerful person in IPS. She holds the purse strings to Title 1 monies which is better than having a grove of money trees.
If Title 1 funds all were directed straight to the classrooms filled with students, then all would be well; however, the Title 1 funds go through so many middle man hands (i.e., consultants, special service providers, tutoring groups, cronies, buddies, and patrons) that the students receive little of the intended benefits.
Doris Thompson? IPS just can't remove some folks from the payroll. Recycle the old principals into consultants. Can't beat that. ________________________________________________
5.32 Request Permission to Enter into a Contract with Doris Thompson Consulting Meeting: 08/28/2008 Board Action Session 7:00 P.M. Category: 5. General Superintendent's Recommendations - New Business Agenda Type: Action Preferred Date: Fiscal Impact: Yes Absolute Date: Dollar Amount: $35,000.00 Budgeted: Yes Budget Source: Lilly School Improvement Grant
Agenda Item Content Presented By: Dr. Willie Giles Dr. LiYen Johnson Strategic Plan: Eliminating Achievement Gaps
TOPIC: Request permission to enter into a contract with Doris Thompson Consulting (Doris Thompson) to provide professional development as described below to ten elementary schools at a cost not to exceed $35,000.
Background Information:
Doris Thompson is an educational consultant that provides professional development services to schools. She will provide professional development services in the following areas to ten elementary schools.
Provides on-site support in setting up a comprehensive data room in each school highlighting real-time data on attendance, benchmark and scrimmage results, reading assessment, and math assessment results. Design and review instructional plans at each of the ten schools to ensure high level of fidelity in the implementation phase. Coordinate and work with instructional coaches and principals to bridge gaps in instructional practices. Design targeted professional development activities to heighten the level of rigor in lesson designs as well as implementation. Model for principals best practices in instructional supervision and monitoring.
The following schools will receive services for the 2008-2009 school year: 15, 20, 31, 42, 44, 81, 93, 98, 106, and 315.
Administrative Consideration:
Doris Thompson is the former principal of Riverside School 44. She led the school to meet, after a number of years of not meeting, AYP standards her first year as principal of the school. Her leadership in improving instruction and students’ academic achievement has proven itself over the years as an effective principal in IPS. She will work with principals and teachers to improve their instruction and students’ academic achievement.
Each month in the Board minutes under Claims there's an item called "Travel Leaders" and checks are drawn for this item at a minimum of $500 per month. Who are these mysterious 'travel leaders'?
How about eliminating all the teacher coaches positions. They are anoying and speak in double talk (about differing techniques) when they do venture out of their offices.
In addition they all put forth teaching styles we all learned in ED101. Let the students learning styles dictate the type of teaching being done. Not what someone from the ed center (who has not been in a classroom in years) dictate how to educate them.
In many cases the ideas the coaches have will only slow down the progress. Remember the district does have pacing guides out there as well. To do what the coaches say would mean to get rid of pacing guides and ignore them.
Paying the teachers annoy other teachers is throwing money down the drain. Get rid of their positions and return them to classroom.
The IndyStar information I found was on Indystar.com. I am actually looking forward to reading it. It would be nice to think that this topic came up as an indirect result of this blog. Doris Thompson does not do half of what she is paid to do. Not only that, but $35,000 to work with one school? Insane. Central Office is making themselves look more and more corrupt. Are there any good people with morals and values downtown anymore?
The academic coaches are a 100% waste of time. They do little or nothing but look down at other people who have to work. The one in our building (T.E.) does nothing but eat or talk about eating or call other coaching friends to make plans where to meet for lunch. What a waste of taxpayers' money.
What this information says loud and clear to me is that most of the IPS School Board has to go! Someone should print off all this waste of money and use it in their campaign flyer to unseat some of these people. I remember one board meeting when the board just wanted to blanket a vote on all these tutoring companies. Only one voice spoke up and questioned whether they should just vote yes without knowing how effective these companies have been. Everybody thinks they can tutor. Now we have teachers starting their own tutoring services. ( Good for them, they may as well get a piece of the action!)
Title 1 in IPS is a gravy train for 'friends of people in high places'. Tony Wallace is a nice guy, but why pay him big bucks to train parent liaisons? Why? Because it's Jackie Greenwood's way of paying him back for past favors; however, she's using taxpayer's money.
Doris Thompson -- the same thing.
Carole Craig -- the same thing.
Jimmy Hill -- same thing only on a much larger scale.
Ann Grooms -- same thing.
The large number of 'tutoring groups' who are non-profits and are operated by local people with IPS connections and who have little to no qualifications -- same thing.
Title 1 is supporting financially a small closely knit group of 'friends of IPS'.
If you are a high school kid considering teaching or if you have already started college with that goal: I have some advice for you...don't!
I am not a teacher, but I have and have had several good friends who are/were IPS teachers.
If you are in line to inherit a large estate and if you don't mind being treated like dirt by people making two or three times your salary (example: berated in front of your students because you don't have enough pictures on your bulletin board) then maybe you'll decide to be a "missionary teacher."
But if you actually want to make a living, be treated with respect and dignity, and be able to support a family someday - find another profession.
Most teachers are gone within the first few years that they get into teaching. The average length of time is five years in the U.S. In the urban areas, it's probably half of that.
Once you stay in a district for more than a year or two, you could easily find yourself "stuck" for your entire career in that district - because no other district will hire you since they don't want to pay for your years of experience. However, the school boards and superintendents will dole out plenty of financial goodies to their friends and build elaborate sports facilities, etc. Heaven forbid hiring a teacher who has three years of experience!
You will live at a level of working poor (if you don't have a spouse who makes a big salary) and you will someday likely find yourself working two part-time jobs (Dollar Store, Wal-Mart, etc.) to pay the bills and try to help your kids go to college.
You and your family will have terrible health care benefits and will often be forced to avoid medical treatments and medicines because of ridiculous deductibles and co-pays.
Then, when you retire, you will receive a lousy pension and look forward to the rest of your days standing in line to get food stamps.
Consider this "the ghost of Christmas teaching future" advise, young person.
---------- Note: the above message should be printed out and posted on bulletin boards of all major schools of education in Indiana.
When the IPS School Board does not request or demand, if necessary, financial transparency in dispersement of Title 1 funds, then it leads one to think some of the Board members are on the receiving end, either directly or, more likely, indirectly through promised jobs for friends or family.
Although I do not know the legal aspect of it, for several years IPS has funneled millions of dollars through the University of Indianapolis. Mary Bush is a Vice President there. I have always thought that presented a conflict but she never recuses herself from voting or mentions anything about. Another board member has an out of control son who would have been expelled if he had not been his son. I think the building administrators are afraid to deal with the son of a school board member.
Check out the website Indianapolis Times blogspot and you will find an interesting article about Democrat mayoral candidate Brian Williams concerning IPS. The article was posted Dec. 16.
In it, Williams recommends IPS coming under the control of the mayor's office with an implication of getting rid of its elected school board and superintendent.
He questions that the elected school board is doing its job and suggests alternatives.
To the teacher who posted the warning. I am a relatively new teacher. Teaching is my third career. My first career was eliminated by computers, my second career was virtually destroyed by outsourcing to India. For the second career, I went 10 years making the same wage, so that when adjusted for inflation, I actually lost money every year. I have never had employer paid health insurance. I never had paid maternity leave (returned to work less than one week after giving birth, twice), never had paid days off (if I didn't work, I didn't get paid). Ever. Now, I have a stable career where the starting salary is higher than any salary I've ever made, plus really good benefits. Plus I get a rewarding job doing something I feel like I was born to do. Forgive me if I don't share in your misery. Maybe the solution is to require teachers to work in the private sector for at least 5 years before they become teachers. This is a good job. Really. It's not perfect and I get as frustrated as anyone else. But let's keep some perspective, shall we?
I'm a taxpayer, not a teacher. And I have nothing but respect for teachers and I hope they gut the administration instead of freezing salaries or laying teachers off. But I would love to know what professions the poster above would advise that would-be teachers go into that treat employees better, pay them more, and are more economy-proof? Your post comes across petulant and entitled and completely disrespectful to the way the rest of the world lives and works.
Taxpayer again. I was posting while the teacher above me was posting. I'm so glad you posted. It somehow rings more true for a teacher to say it. I really do think most teachers are amazing.
From above (Check out the website Indianapolis Times blogspot and you will find an interesting article about Democrat mayoral candidate Brian Williams concerning IPS. The article was posted Dec. 16.
In it, Williams recommends IPS coming under the control of the mayor's office with an implication of getting rid of its elected school board and superintendent.)
If IPS does go under, I do not think the State wants the responsibility of operating the district. On the other hand, the City might be a viable option. It happened in Chicago, and it apparently worked. It would insure an absolute clean wipe of the Ed Center administrators and a fresh start.
Reorganization does not work from the bottom up, as we've witnessed. It does work from the top down.
@teacher outsourced to india, ditto. this is the first job i've had with any health benefits or paid time off or any sick leave whatsoever. i agree, work in the private sector before you complain.
Since the mayor is the mayor for all of Indianapolis, I find it curious that Williams chose to only propose takeover of IPS. IPS is not the only struggling distict in the city of Indianapolis and yet Williams is silent about other local districts. Makes me question whether this was just a political gimmick.
IPS is the most expensive both because it is the largest district and because it spends the most per pupil. Combine that with its struggles (both academically and declining enrollment) and it's pretty obvious why the focus is on IPS over other districts.
The school with the son of a school board member has so many other issues that need to be addressed as well. There are a lot of things that happen there swept under the proverbial rug.
Change cannot happen until we address the major areas of concern. The major areas of concern include upper administration. We need a shake up that will improve morale and save money. Is that even possible in a district ran on nepotism and favortism?
When going over the list of our School Board members, none of them seems especially important or well connected. I fear they actually do represent the people who elected them. Perhaps a couple of them do have leadership skills and eventually will step up to bat for the district they control.
Busch, Gore, and Brown are hypnotized by their positions and fairly clueless about running a school district. Busch should know better, but she's been in her position so long, she's now oblivious to the situation. Gore and Brown are simply not quite ready for prime time; they are not very bright.
Take at look at White's CEO-like perks on IndyStar.com. We pay for his electronic equipment at home (computer, fax machine, printer, car cell phone AND Blackberry, etc). We paid his moving expenses. He gets a $10,000 annual car allowance and an annual gas reimbursement of $3,600. We pay all of his union dues. He receives full coverage of all medical benefits for his entire family. He receives full reimbursement for "reasonable" meals, entertainment, travel, professional books, and supplies while on business trips.
If we expect to ever make a difference with our ideas here on this blog, then we'd be better off focusing on the School Board. That is the only group that can control anything -- White included. It is time to put the heat on the School Board. With enough heat, anybody will begin to move, especially an elected official.
I think that doing what are doing on this Blog is getting a lot of things out there. That is the first step. I do wish that we could all be a bit more professional in our posts. I find no need for cursing, and personal attacks.
quote "I find no need for cursing, and personal attacks."
I agree totally. The last couple of topic threads have had more professional discussions. We have actually used 'data' (items from Board minutes, etc.) to support our arguments which is a good thing.
The School Board is the major player!
We won't change anything by pointing out other teachers, a few coaches, or even an incompetent building principal. When we do that, we sound small, petty, and even occasionally jealous. They are minor annoyances in the big scheme and are not major players in our issue.
To those of you that want to get rid of coaches, please understand that coaches are in place because of NCLB. We are a failing district, and NCLB states that failing districts muct have reading and math coaches. If you want coaches to be put back in the classroom, then we have to start making AYP. If you feel that the coach that serves your building in ineffective, call downtown.
Oh, yeah. Call downtown to the very friends of the people who selected the coaches. The coaches hinder achievement and improvement not help. If those coaches know everything about everything then they need to be in the classroom with the students helping us making AYP. Classroom teachers know the charade of the coaching positions. Does NCLB require that coaches eat nonstop and talk non stop about food?
To the naive and apparently historically clueless couple of Stepford Teacher people who wrote on here that teachers have it so cushy:
In the first place, despite how one person responded: the above post that you responded to was NOT by a teacher and it was stated clearly as such. Suggestion - read carefully before responding.
Certainly, because of the current recession people in other professions are going through rough times now.
But when the recession lifts, public school teachers will STILL be underpaid and overworked and underappreciated. Always have been, always will be.
Study some history, for crying out loud. Women who were married couldn't even teach in many Indiana schools until the 1930s. They had to be single to teach. Starting salaries for teachers in Indiana in 1980 was $10,000 a year.
For a period of time in the '90s, some advances were made for teachers, but now it is going back in the other direction.
Why in the crap do you think that the average time a new teacher spends in education in the United States is five years? That fact alone blows your argument completely out of the water.
It's pretty bad when teachers won't advocate for other teachers. In this case, experienced teachers.
The post above is very true, and now with Mitch we are headed back to the "low wages" while the administrators are still being paid huge sums to do nothing.
Quote from above ". . . and now with Mitch we are headed back to the "low wages" while the administrators are still being paid huge sums to do nothing."
If we truly wish to make a real difference in IPS, then playing the blame game will not serve our purpose. The last two days there have been several informative posts with documentation that gets the public's attention. Let's keep it at that level. Search the Board minutes for facts, figures, and expenses. Post those. Petty complaints are a dime a dozen and don't help our larger cause of getting the School Board's attention.
"Search the Board minutes for facts, figures, and expenses....playing the blame game will not serve our purpose."
BOTH are needed - facts as well as perspective. I hate it when people here tell other people what they should or should not share from their own experiences and/or observations concerning IPS.
Unless I am mistaken, I don't think this is the intent of the blogmeister.
Makes me wonder if it is a strategy of the administration to create disunity and division within the ranks of teachers.
Besides, seems to me there is one hell of a "blame game" to be played if you analyze those facts and figures you mention.
Let's put the blame where it belongs -- on the School Board. Not a penny spent in IPS is spent without the Board's approval. Not a crony of Dr. White's is hired without the Board's approval. Not a bush league administrator is hired or allowed to continue in IPS without the Board's approval. Not an expensive unproven program is put into place without the Board's approval. Blame the Board for our woes. Blame the Board for allowing Dr. White to make unilateral decisions. Blame the Board for carte blanche approval of anything and everything placed on the agenda whether it's nepotism or bidding out over $4M in special contracts to tutoring groups. Blame the Board for sending White and Johnson to Taiwan to recruit teachers of Chinese. Blame the Board for approving the travel/hotel expenses for 110 IPS folks to Orlando for an expensive vacation under the guise of AVID training. Blame the Board for allowing/appoving Title 1 funds to become a gravy train for making jobs for old cronies and buddies of the IPS elite.
I think the problem is that the board lacks the ability to think. Some are lacking I.Q. points. They can bob their heads up and down but they can't ask questions and they have bullied by Eugene White so much that they are afraid to say NO.
I don't know anything about Cohen, but I have heard many positive things about Bentley - who appears to be very ethical and conscientious.
However, I would like to see the elected school board system end in IPS. Elected school board members have not served the district well. You don't have an informed public voting in the district so that is how incompetent board members are elected and stay in office to continue screwing things up in IPS.
A couple of years ago this writer was mandated to attend the AVID Summer Institute knowing that AVID teaching would NOT be one of my assigned classes. Others who have attended AVID Summer Institutes did not teach AVID classes either. The AVID program in IPS does not follow the AVID guidelines set forth by the national group._______________________________________
LODGING FOR AVID SUMMER INSTITUTE Action of the Board Commissioner Gore made a motion to approve the Superintendent’s recommendation to authorize the Business Manager to pay the Monumental Movieland Hotel an amount not to exceed $57,475.00 for providing five days of lodging each for the 110 teachers and administrators to attend the AVID Summer Institute for training which is essential to the successful implementation of the AVID Program with funding provided through the Title I and Title IIA and other professional development grants. Commissioner Arnold seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. GROUP AIRLINE TRAVEL FOR AVID SUMMER INSTITUTE 2009 Action of the Board Commissioner Brown made a motion to approve the Superintendent’s recommendation to authorize the Business Manager to pay Southwest Airlines an amount not to exceed $35,200.00 for roundtrip airfare each for the 110 teachers and administrators to attend the AVID Summer Program with funding provided through the Title I and Title IIA funds and other professional development grants. Commissioner Gore seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
The Board approved approximately $4.5 Million in special contracts to "service providers" from 4/29/09 to 7/31/09. The time period approved is only 12 weeks which means these "service providers" altogether received $375,000 per week. That seems extravagant. From reading the Board minutes, not any Board member requested discussion about this expense. No Board member wanted to know if student academic growth had been increased by these "service providers". In short, the Board signed off without asking any questions. _______________________________________________
APPROVAL TO INCREASE CONTRACTS WITH APPROVED SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICES PROVIDERS
Providers Type of Service Original Capacity Original Amount Amended Capacity Amended Amount Club Z! Tutoring Individual tutoring, small group instruction, and large group instruction 750 $1,127,000.00 1,239 $1,994,790.00 Educational Recovery Clinic, LLC Individual tutoring and small group instruction 180 $289,800.00 276 $444,360.00 The Princeton Review Individual tutoring, small group instruction, and large group instruction 800 $1,288,000.00 980 $1,577,800.00 VC Rowley & Associates Individual tutoring, small group instruction, and large group instruction 180 $289,800.00 267 $429,870.00
Action of the Board
Commissioner Brown made a motion to approve the Superintendent’s recommendation to authorize the Business Manager to increase the contract amounts with the above named providers for a total amount of $4,446,820.00 for 2,762 students to provide Supplemental Educational Services for the period of April 29, 2009 to July 31, 2009 with funding provided through the mandatory amount set aside in the Title I grant. Commissioner Zaphiriou seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
Taken from the 4/28/09 Board Minutes. At the close of each Board meeting, the School Board members have the opportunity to report on their activities since the prior meeting. Michael Brown invaribly has his act together and offers yet another rich comment. Is this not totally clueless from a man who's charged with running the largest district in the state?
_________________________________________________
COMMISSIONERS’ COMMENTS
Commissioner Brown said he attended the track meets for Arlington and Northwest, and that IPS has some very good athletes.
I am extremely disappointed with our School Board. They are elected officials, and the Superintendent works at their discretion. Or, that's the manner in which it's supposed to work.
At this point, as a taxpayer, I can say the School Board is not showing me a lot. How can a body of elected officials charged with overseeing a large school district not question the items in the Board Agenda? A few weeks ago the Superintendent evidently made sounds of threatening to quit when he was questioned regarding an Agenda item. This leads me to believe the School Board needs to step up to the plate and begin asking hard questions about all items which require large expenditures, i.e., over $10,000.
The Superintendent is merely an employee of the Board. Have the Board members forgotten the power they possess?
To the above poster...Not all the school board members have forgotten the power they possess? Unfortunately only 3 of them give a crap, and you need 4 votes. The other 4 give a crap, but only at looking good to Dr. White. I do not know who is running again, but I do know Cohen and Bentley are up for re-election. If we lose them , it could be really bad. WE have to replace them with someone who cares aobut the schools, the teachers, the students, and who isn't afraid to stand up to Dr. White and the bobble heads. I know a few good (possible) candidates, if they run we need to rally behind them. The deadline for applying is in sight, we will know soon enough who we should stand by.
@ above poster: In law, defamation—also called calumny, vilification, slander (for spoken words), and libel (for written or otherwise published words)—is the communication of a statement that makes a claim, expressly stated or implied to be factual, that may give an individual, business, product, group, government or nation a negative image. It is usually, but not always,[1] a requirement that this claim be false and that the publication is communicated to someone other than the person defamed (the claimant).
In common law jurisdictions, slander refers to a malicious, false and defamatory spoken statement or report, while libel refers to any other form of communication such as written words or images. Most jurisdictions allow legal actions, civil and/or criminal, to deter various kinds of defamation and retaliate against groundless criticism. Related to defamation is public disclosure of private facts, which arises where one person reveals information that is not of public concern, and the release of which would offend a reasonable person. "Unlike [with] libel, truth is not a defense for invasion of privacy."[2]
False light laws are "intended primarily to protect the plaintiff's mental or emotional well-being."[3] If a publication of information is false, then a tort of defamation might have occurred. If that communication is not technically false but is still misleading, then a tort of false light might have occurred.[3]
In most civil law jurisdictions, defamation is dealt with as a crime rather than a tort[4].
@ above poster: U R a smart-ass Your entire response, save the last line, was copied from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defamation .... which may itself have been copied from another source) ... and you didn't give them credit ... so you're also a plagiarizer. Those little brackets with numbers inside are called references - they're used for a reason.
I'm not a plagiarizer, I never said or pretended the content was my own. It's true, I didn't cite the source, but few others who post on this blog do, so whoop-dee-doo.
That still doesn't negate my point in posting the legal definition of libel and slander. Posters who think they are anonymous when posting legally questionable content need to be aware that there are legal consequences - even on the 'Net.
The standard for people identified as "public figures" to win slander or libel cases is "a callous and reckless disregard for the truth" and the alleged slanderer's own knowledge that what they are contending is patently false.
It is almost impossible for a public figure to win a slander or libel case. It happens quite rarely.
However, I do think all people who post here should use caution when posting remarks about the personal lives of the "main players" in IPS. There is plenty to talk regarding how they perform (or fail to perform) in their jobs. How can it be 100 percent proved that anyone is involved in adulterous sexual escapades who works in the IPS administrative offices?
Having said that, I am aware of only one litigated case nationally when a blog was successfully sued for libel/slander.
Simply stated: it's next to impossible to successfully prosecute a case involving internet discussion about public figures.
Doesn't mean people shouldn't be careful about their accusations concerning the personal lives of others.
Kokomo use to have an appointed school board and it was horrible. So before you wish for someone to appoint school board members think long and hard. I do agree that outside of Bently the rest don't have a clue as to what is going on. Hopefully, they can be voted out or retire.
What about the $14 million IPS received from the government for PD and developing a "Cadre" (i.e. glorified subs)? That money could surely be utilized in a better way.
In defense of the Cadre, the stimulus money used to pay the Cadre is designated for use only for Professional Development. Forming the Cadre initially saved many 'riffed' IPS teachers their jobs. Rather than dumping them, they were allowed to become Cadre members with their full teacher pay and their benefits protected. Then, as the school year progressed and vacancies became available, IPS had a ready supply of teachers (the Cadre) to place immediately into the vacant positions.
LOL High school students are taught to never use Wikipedia as a source for anything due to lack of accuracy. It sounds like some of the people posting on here need to consult with a high school 9th grader for info on computer research.
Did anyone notice that Manual High School was visited by a small group of "professionals" who are looking at taking over Manual from IPS. Folks this is one of many school that DOE will try to correct and handle with Dr. Bennett leading the way? Yep, the same who ran a failing school system that was a small rural school with a small number of students?
Lynne Varner editorial columnist We have the power to make school boards more relevant Mark Twain's withering contempt for a body elected to oversee the person hired to run schools remains as fresh today as in 1897. "In the first place God made idiots. This was for practice. Then He made School Boards." M. Twain Twain's withering contempt for a body elected to oversee the person hired to run schools remains as fresh today as in 1897 when the writer penned the words.
Several years back, while on academic sabbatical at Stanford University, I came across similar attitudes in a provocative but reasoned argument for abolishing school boards.
The case was argued by the Hoover Institution, a conservative think tank on campus. The opening salvo was a description of school boards as dysfunctional families filled with unlovable types such as would-be politicians, teacher-union sympathizers and single-issue advocates. They are people who would run screaming from the label conservative, yet they block reform efforts such as charter schools and high-stakes testing in favor of conserving the status quo.
School boards are veering toward irrelevancy as the federal No Child Left Behind law leapfrogs accountability from the schools directly to state education departments. Ouch. The truth packs a wallop.
There remains, however, a critical role for local school boards. I doubt that I'm alone in preferring education leadership and accountability located in my zip code. Rather than abolish this arrangement, let's rout out the dysfunction in exchange for stronger, more-skilled units.
The need is urgent. Public education struggles because it is pulled in every direction by disparate constituencies. One group clamors for reform and everything swings. Another cries for a return to basics and the system sails in the opposite direction. No surprise when it warps and strains from the pull of such forces.
A school board's top priority ought to be creating consistency by controlling the pendulum's shift.
No time like the present to be thinking about this. In Seattle, four board seats are up and at least one contender has emerged in each race.
Voters shouldn't need a background in education or perfect board meeting attendance to choose the right candidate. An understanding of quality leadership and an ability to recognize it will suffice.
If our votes reflect our desires, Seattle's next school board will be a functioning body with no interest in using the superintendent or controversial issues like school closures as tetherballs. Differing visions won't become quagmires of discontent. "Time is money" will be the new mantra and whether the money is their own or taxpayers', there will be a distaste for wasting it.
I have sat through too many school board meetings hoping for a story and getting instead a lesson into the many ways time and intellectual capital can be wasted.
Everyone has war stories; mine include long meetings featuring board members whose questions revealed zero preparation. Or the meetings where district employees took turns on the hot seat, some lying like rugs rather than telling a board member that their half-baked idea would cost too much and accomplish too little. And the telling moments when it was crystal clear that a schools chief and the school board were not on the same page, or even holding the same book.
Whether board members are appointed, elected or hatched in an incubator, we ought to choose the next batch with a demanding focus as though we were sending them to Congress. Important policy issues await a proficient, capable board. Among the issues the next board will not only have to take up but actually follow through on are how much school choice is too much for Seattle, whether principals are too autonomous, and new strategies for attracting families currently enrolled in private and parochial schools. The nagging achievement gap will require more than hand-wringing from the next board.
Twain wouldn't like this, but we've got to retain the structure of school boards and vote informed, intelligently and like crazy this fall to improve their quality.
The school board election is in the Spring...Fall will be several months too late. Filing of candidates starts in mid January and the election is in May.
According to the latest board report Corey Greenwood received a $31,000 dollar increase in salary for moving from Behavior Dean to Vice Principal. He went from $51,081 to $82,164 but apparently this was not questioned by anyone on the Board. I can certainly understand receiving a raise for a promotion - but $30,000?
Why does this shock you? This would be the same school board that hired a person who does bus duty and coaches basketball and pulls down over $100,000 a year. Is there another district in the state that spends money like this?
For the previous three years this bus duty was done by two teachers as a service to the school, for no cost.
Eugene White....they don't get any fatter and he would not be missed if dismissed. In fact, the system might run better without him.
ReplyDeleteLet's see...there's so many to choose from...
ReplyDeleteYou can see where this budget cut thing is going...
ReplyDeleteThe IPS adminstration will use this as an excuse to fire a bunch of experienced teachers (who we all know are the REAL problem in IPS, right? Being sarcastic here).
Matthew Tully will write a commentary in The Star that this is another stroke of genius by the IPS administration and suggest a big raise for the superintendent and his staff. On The Star's editorial page, an editorial will be published saying that IPS made a great leap of progress by firing its experienced teachers.
Tully will then write another front-page column in which he waxes co-dependent on the Manual choir and band (while ignoring the hundreds of other extra-curricular groups at the other IPS schools).
No fat will be trimmed from the massive gifts under the perpetual Christmas tree at IPS headquarters - gifts going to most-favored friends and acquaintances who take day-long coffee breaks.
The school board will congratulate the administration on another fine job of handling the budget crisis and then head off for a retreat.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
To the poster above: U R really stoopid.
ReplyDelete"Included in the proposals are freezing salaries for teachers which could save up to 89 million dollars next year."--fox 59
ReplyDeleteIf this happens I am done with IPS and I am done teaching! I can't believe these people are actually considering this. This is some real bulls*!
If I'm not paid...I'm not working...
ReplyDeleteRumor has it that some administrators received a bonus...has anyone else heard this?
ReplyDeleteYep, the Board was happy with the poor service, nasty remarks, and unprofessional behavior of the administrators. Get your copy of Sunday's newspaper, Dr. White and the "Bobble-Headed Board" will look like fools to the public.
ReplyDeleteSee, to me salary freezes are better than layoffs. You all don't think so? Even though I probably wouldn't be laid off, a decrease in teaching staff makes it tough on everyone.
ReplyDeleteHow about salary freezes for those who do NOT come in contact with children??
ReplyDeleteAny takers?
Ann Grooms is ripping of the District. She helps Dr. White complete his dissertation and is good friends with Jane Kendricks. This is a TOTAL waste of money.
ReplyDelete***Superintendent’s Recommendation:
I recommend that the Board of School Commissioners authorize the Business Manager to enter into a contract with Educational Services Institute, Inc. in the amount not to exceed $90,000 to provide professional development and guidance to elementary and secondary division administrators for the 2009-2010 school year. Funding will be provided by Title I.
When will the public wake up?
ReplyDeletec&p from above Where did this appear?
ReplyDeleteYep, the Board was happy with the poor service, nasty remarks, and unprofessional behavior of the administrators. Get your copy of Sunday's newspaper, Dr. White and the "Bobble-Headed Board" will look like fools to the public.
Ann Grooms must be a really bad presenter. I know an asst. principal who must attend monthly meetings with other administrators and sit through Ann Grooms' disjointed and useless presentations. She must be totally unprepared because at the last meeting she spent most of her time 'winging it' with talk about global warming. What's that got to do with being a principal?
ReplyDeleteThe principals are pulled away from their schools for these meetings during the middle of the day. Grooms arrives here from Cincinnati where she lives. I suspect her Cincinnati domicile is the reason for Kendricks association with her.
This is totally off the subject - sorry. What is the deal with the letter we received with today's paycheck? It tells us we will receive a check on December 31, 2009; but there will be no deductions taken from it because it is the 27th check of the year. We aren't paid on a calendar year, rather, we are paid from August to August - per our contract. This isn't the 27th check, it's the 10th check of our contract year. How can it be legal for the corporation to give us our paycheck without withholding federal taxes, state taxes, local taxes, social security, etc? What is the reason they would do something so stupid? This messes with our taxes, as well as what they are obligated to pay as their share of our Social Security and workmen's comp. I'm puzzled by this and see no reason for it. Anyone have a clue why they would do this?
ReplyDeleteThis is all so sad.
ReplyDeleteThe hundreds of thousands of dollars we waste on people who a) don't know what they are doing, and/or b) live out of state and come here at their convenience.
Sports World, INC is not really an incorporated business. It's actually Sports World Ministries and is located on Post Road near 19th St. It is listed as a non-profit, yet the Board elected to award them another one of those special contracts recently. See below.
ReplyDelete_______________________________________________
SPORTS WORLD, INC.
Action of the Board
Commissioner Busch made a motion to approve the Superintendent’s recommendation to authorize the Business Manager to execute a contract with the Sports World, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $20,000.00 to provide a character education and mentoring program working with athletic directors, coaches and student athletes at Arlington Community, Arsenal Technical, Broad Ripple and Northwest High Schools beginning November 2009 through June 2010 with funding provided through the Safe and Drug Free Grant. Commissioner Zaphiriou seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
We got paid today???
ReplyDeleteI would like to know how much money is spent for Mary Busch....salary, retirement contribution, fringes....computer, cell phone.....trips....security etc...who would know that info....I sure hope we don't have to pay for her hair care as that must cost a fortune.
ReplyDeletei doubt all of that is in any one place. i also doubt that's not deliberate. i can also say that i know for certain many people who are hired never make the board reports if they're well connected and choose not to.
ReplyDeleteTo the poster who asked about the paycheck: while our contract is from August to August, the district operates like a business. Their fiscal year, for tax reporting purposes, ends on December 31, just like every other business. If they didn't, you couldn't receive your W-2 in January, as required by the IRS. It's kind of confusing, because as teacher, we think of school years, but there is a business side of the school district. Maybe instead of having a principal in charge of HR/payroll, we should have a business-minded person! But that's a topic for another time...hope I helped!
ReplyDeleteDid anyone see what is going to be in the IndyStar on Sunday?
ReplyDelete"Superintendents get CEO-like perks".
"Investigation into metro-area district contracts being padded with rising salaries, luxury cars with free gas, and can't-be-fired clauses".
Should be interesting.
The Board bails out Tech HS for unpaid bill of over $142,000. How can this happen? Is there no financial oversight at Tech?
ReplyDelete_________________________________________________
5.07 Textbook Bill Owed to Pearson/Prentice Hall Publisher
Meeting: 11/24/2009 Board Action Session
Category: 5. General Superintendent's Recommendations - New Business
Agenda Type: Action Preferred Date:
Fiscal Impact: Yes Absolute Date:
Dollar Amount: $142,978.02 Budgeted: Yes
Budget Source: General Fund
Agenda Item Content
Presented By: Dr. Willie Giles
Strategic Plan: Financial Responsibility
TOPIC: Request permission to pay textbook bill that Arsenal Technical High School owes Pearson/Prentice-Hall Publisher
Background Information:
Arsenal Technical High School (Tech) owes Pearson/Prentice-Hall a balance of $142,978.02 on the 2008 English/Language Arts and World Languages adoption. The total cost of the adoption for students to have the appropriate books was a little over $450,000. Tech has paid the remaining amount along with other textbook deficits inherited from previous adoption. The Publisher is threatening to sue the school for the $142,978.02 balance.
The school does not have the funds to pay the balance. The school has done all it can to payoff the various textbook deficits at the school. Tech needs help to pay off the remaining $142,978.02 textbook bill to Pearson/Prentice-Hall.
Superintendent’s Recommendation:
I recommend that the Board of School Commissioners authorize the Business Manager to pay the balance due Pearson/Prentice-Hall Publishers in an amount not to exceed $142,978.02. This will be a textbook General Fund expense.
Action Agenda Details
Motion:
To approve the Business Manager to pay the balance due Pearson/Prentice-Hall Publishers in an amount not to exceed $142,978.02. This will be a textbook General Fund expense.
Motion By:
Mary E Busch Second:
Elizabeth M Gore
I have heard of the Princeton Review, but the other outside groups are not showing up at my school. Look at that total figure (almost $4 million) for outside tutoring! IPS really is a Cash Cow for subcontractors in the educational business.
ReplyDelete_______________________________________________
5.08 Approval to Increase Contract with Supplemental Eudcational Services Providers
Meeting: 11/24/2009 Board Action Session
Category: 5. General Superintendent's Recommendations - New Business
Agenda Type: Action Preferred Date:
Fiscal Impact: Yes Absolute Date:
Dollar Amount: $17,095.00 Budgeted: Yes
Budget Source: Title I Grant
Agenda Item Content
Presented By: Dr. Willie Giles
Minetta Richardson
Strategic Plan: Eliminating Achievement Gaps
TOPIC: Request permission to increase contract amounts with approved Supplemental Educational Services Providers based on parental choice for specific providers. Total amount of increase is $17,095.
.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Board agenda No. 5.14, approved September 22, 2009, authorized the Business Manager to execute contracts with state approved providers. Funding is provided by the Title I grant. Contract increases are necessary due to parental choice for specific providers.
ADMINISTRATIVE CONSIDERATION:
Each Supplemental Educational Services provider will provide a minimum of 30 hours of instruction to students to be held at a variety of locations including school sites, community sites, students’ homes, or providers’ businesses.
Providers Type of Service Current Contract Amount Increase Contract Amount New
Contract Amount
Club Z! Tutoring Individual tutoring and small group instruction $2,286,576.00 $6,770.20 $2,293,346.20
Educational Recovery Clinic, LLC Individual tutoring, small group instruction, and large group instruction $609,432.00 $5,162.39 $614,594.39
The Princeton Review Individual tutoring, small group instruction, and large group instruction $902,088.00 $5,162.41 $907,250.41
Total $3,815,191.00
***SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION:
I recommend that the Board of School Commissioners authorize the Business Manager to increase the contract amounts with the above named providers to provide Supplemental Educational Services to Title 1 eligible students based on parental choice. The total amount of increase is $17,095. Funding is provided by a mandatory amount set aside in the Title I grant.
Action Agenda Details
Motion:
To approve an increase in contract with Supplemental Educational Services Providers.
Motion By:
Elizabeth M Gore Second:
Marianna R Zaphiriou
Here's a good one. Almost $500K for some electronic message signs. What a bargain! Signs really make for a safe and clean learning environment. Where are the 'various locations' of these signs and how many are there?
ReplyDelete_______________________________________________
6.07 Contract Award for the Pylon Electronic Messgaing Signs at Various Locations throughout IPS
Meeting: 11/24/2009 Board Action Session
Category: 6. General Superintendent's Recommendations - Business & Finance - General Resolutions
Agenda Type: Action Preferred Date:
Fiscal Impact: Yes Absolute Date:
Dollar Amount: $433,900.00 Budgeted: Yes
Budget Source:
Agenda Item Content
Presented By: Steve Young
Debra Hineline
Strategic Plan: Providing Safe, Clean Learning Environments
TOPIC: Contract Award for the Pylon Electronic Messaging Signs at Various Locations throughout IPS.
Background Information:
Resolution No. 3080-09 – November, 2009
Vendor(s) Amount Estimated
Completion Date
Mattcon General Contractors $433,900.00 March, 2010
Tech already had a brand new electronic sign presented to the school by the Tech Alumni Assoc. Now they have one on the back entrance. What a waste of money the second sign is.
ReplyDelete"Did anyone see what is going to be in the IndyStar on Sunday?
ReplyDelete"Superintendents get CEO-like perks".
"Investigation into metro-area district contracts being padded with rising salaries, luxury cars with free gas, and can't-be-fired clauses".
Should be interesting."
--------------------------
Where did you find that information? Has it been in the newspaper or on its website. I get The Star and I haven't seen an announcement that they are going to have this in Sunday's paper.
If so, it is a good first step. They need to pursue this with a passion, similar to how they have pursued the lobbyist mess in the Statehouse.
They could spend a month on the Cash Cow that is IPS.
Minetta Richardson must be the most powerful person in IPS. She holds the purse strings to Title 1 monies which is better than having a grove of money trees.
ReplyDeleteIf Title 1 funds all were directed straight to the classrooms filled with students, then all would be well; however, the Title 1 funds go through so many middle man hands (i.e., consultants, special service providers, tutoring groups, cronies, buddies, and patrons) that the students receive little of the intended benefits.
Doris Thompson? IPS just can't remove some folks from the payroll. Recycle the old principals into consultants. Can't beat that.
ReplyDelete________________________________________________
5.32 Request Permission to Enter into a Contract with Doris Thompson Consulting
Meeting: 08/28/2008 Board Action Session 7:00 P.M.
Category: 5. General Superintendent's Recommendations - New Business
Agenda Type: Action Preferred Date:
Fiscal Impact: Yes Absolute Date:
Dollar Amount: $35,000.00 Budgeted: Yes
Budget Source: Lilly School Improvement Grant
Agenda Item Content
Presented By: Dr. Willie Giles
Dr. LiYen Johnson
Strategic Plan: Eliminating Achievement Gaps
TOPIC: Request permission to enter into a contract with Doris Thompson Consulting (Doris Thompson) to provide professional development as described below to ten elementary schools at a cost not to exceed $35,000.
Background Information:
Doris Thompson is an educational consultant that provides professional development services to schools. She will provide professional development services in the following areas to ten elementary schools.
Provides on-site support in setting up a comprehensive data room in each school highlighting real-time data on attendance, benchmark and scrimmage results, reading assessment, and math assessment results.
Design and review instructional plans at each of the ten schools to ensure high level of fidelity in the implementation phase.
Coordinate and work with instructional coaches and principals to bridge gaps in instructional practices.
Design targeted professional development activities to heighten the level of rigor in lesson designs as well as implementation.
Model for principals best practices in instructional supervision and monitoring.
The following schools will receive services for the 2008-2009 school year: 15, 20, 31, 42, 44, 81, 93, 98, 106, and 315.
Administrative Consideration:
Doris Thompson is the former principal of Riverside School 44. She led the school to meet, after a number of years of not meeting, AYP standards her first year as principal of the school. Her leadership in improving instruction and students’ academic achievement has proven itself over the years as an effective principal in IPS. She will work with principals and teachers to improve their instruction and students’ academic achievement.
***Superintendent’s Recommendation:
Oh, this is disgusting!!
ReplyDeleteJohnson and Thompson are best friends! This is beyond corrupt. When will the Board wake up?
When will the public wake up? The board is either clueless or scared of the bully superintendent........Let's look at board members perks.
ReplyDeleteEach month in the Board minutes under Claims there's an item called "Travel Leaders" and checks are drawn for this item at a minimum of $500 per month. Who are these mysterious 'travel leaders'?
ReplyDelete"Let's look at board members perks."
ReplyDeleteThat is a good point and one I have thought about often. Why is the school board's loyalty so strong?
As the old saying goes, who is feathering their nests? What form of "gratitude" is being expressed to the board? Only verbal... or tangible?
So many questions.
Can't help but wonder.
Doris Thompson doesn't live in Indiana anymore. She relocated to Atlanta.
ReplyDeleteHow about eliminating all the teacher coaches positions. They are anoying and speak in double talk (about differing techniques) when they do venture out of their offices.
ReplyDeleteIn addition they all put forth teaching styles we all learned in ED101. Let the students learning styles dictate the type of teaching being done. Not what someone from the ed center (who has not been in a classroom in years) dictate how to educate them.
In many cases the ideas the coaches have will only slow down the progress. Remember the district does have pacing guides out there as well. To do what the coaches say would mean to get rid of pacing guides and ignore them.
Paying the teachers annoy other teachers is throwing money down the drain. Get rid of their positions and return them to classroom.
The IndyStar information I found was on Indystar.com. I am actually looking forward to reading it.
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice to think that this topic came up as an indirect result of this blog.
Doris Thompson does not do half of what she is paid to do. Not only that, but $35,000 to work with one school? Insane.
Central Office is making themselves look more and more corrupt. Are there any good people with morals and values downtown anymore?
The academic coaches are a 100% waste of time. They do little or nothing but look down at other people who have to work. The one in our building (T.E.) does nothing but eat or talk about eating or call other coaching friends to make plans where to meet for lunch. What a waste of taxpayers' money.
ReplyDeleteWhat this information says loud and clear to me is that most of the IPS School Board has to go! Someone should print off all this waste of money and use it in their campaign flyer to unseat some of these people. I remember one board meeting when the board just wanted to blanket a vote on all these tutoring companies. Only one voice spoke up and questioned whether they should just vote yes without knowing how effective these companies have been. Everybody thinks they can tutor. Now we have teachers starting their own tutoring services. ( Good for them, they may as well get a piece of the action!)
ReplyDeleteTitle 1 in IPS is a gravy train for 'friends of people in high places'. Tony Wallace is a nice guy, but why pay him big bucks to train parent liaisons? Why? Because it's Jackie Greenwood's way of paying him back for past favors; however, she's using taxpayer's money.
ReplyDeleteDoris Thompson -- the same thing.
Carole Craig -- the same thing.
Jimmy Hill -- same thing only on a much larger scale.
Ann Grooms -- same thing.
The large number of 'tutoring groups' who are non-profits and are operated by local people with IPS connections and who have little to no qualifications -- same thing.
Title 1 is supporting financially a small closely knit group of 'friends of IPS'.
If you are a high school kid considering teaching or if you have already started college with that goal: I have some advice for you...don't!
ReplyDeleteI am not a teacher, but I have and have had several good friends who are/were IPS teachers.
If you are in line to inherit a large estate and if you don't mind being treated like dirt by people making two or three times your salary (example: berated in front of your students because you don't have enough pictures on your bulletin board) then maybe you'll decide to be a "missionary teacher."
But if you actually want to make a living, be treated with respect and dignity, and be able to support a family someday - find another profession.
Most teachers are gone within the first few years that they get into teaching. The average length of time is five years in the U.S. In the urban areas, it's probably half of that.
Once you stay in a district for more than a year or two, you could easily find yourself "stuck" for your entire career in that district - because no other district will hire you since they don't want to pay for your years of experience. However, the school boards and superintendents will dole out plenty of financial goodies to their friends and build elaborate sports facilities, etc. Heaven forbid hiring a teacher who has three years of experience!
You will live at a level of working poor (if you don't have a spouse who makes a big salary) and you will someday likely find yourself working two part-time jobs (Dollar Store, Wal-Mart, etc.) to pay the bills and try to help your kids go to college.
You and your family will have terrible health care benefits and will often be forced to avoid medical treatments and medicines because of ridiculous deductibles and co-pays.
Then, when you retire, you will receive a lousy pension and look forward to the rest of your days standing in line to get food stamps.
Consider this "the ghost of Christmas teaching future" advise, young person.
----------
Note: the above message should be printed out and posted on bulletin boards of all major schools of education in Indiana.
When the IPS School Board does not request or demand, if necessary, financial transparency in dispersement of Title 1 funds, then it leads one to think some of the Board members are on the receiving end, either directly or, more likely, indirectly through promised jobs for friends or family.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do not know the legal aspect of it, for several years IPS has funneled millions of dollars through the University of Indianapolis. Mary Bush is a Vice President there. I have always thought that presented a conflict but she never recuses herself from voting or mentions anything about. Another board member has an out of control son who would have been expelled if he had not been his son. I think the building administrators are afraid to deal with the son of a school board member.
ReplyDeleteCheck out the website Indianapolis Times blogspot
ReplyDeleteand you will find an interesting article about Democrat mayoral candidate Brian Williams concerning IPS. The article was posted Dec. 16.
In it, Williams recommends IPS coming under the control of the mayor's office with an implication of getting rid of its elected school board and superintendent.
He questions that the elected school board is doing its job and suggests alternatives.
After reading it, what do you think?
To the teacher who posted the warning. I am a relatively new teacher. Teaching is my third career. My first career was eliminated by computers, my second career was virtually destroyed by outsourcing to India. For the second career, I went 10 years making the same wage, so that when adjusted for inflation, I actually lost money every year. I have never had employer paid health insurance. I never had paid maternity leave (returned to work less than one week after giving birth, twice), never had paid days off (if I didn't work, I didn't get paid). Ever. Now, I have a stable career where the starting salary is higher than any salary I've ever made, plus really good benefits. Plus I get a rewarding job doing something I feel like I was born to do. Forgive me if I don't share in your misery. Maybe the solution is to require teachers to work in the private sector for at least 5 years before they become teachers. This is a good job. Really. It's not perfect and I get as frustrated as anyone else. But let's keep some perspective, shall we?
ReplyDeleteI'm a taxpayer, not a teacher. And I have nothing but respect for teachers and I hope they gut the administration instead of freezing salaries or laying teachers off. But I would love to know what professions the poster above would advise that would-be teachers go into that treat employees better, pay them more, and are more economy-proof? Your post comes across petulant and entitled and completely disrespectful to the way the rest of the world lives and works.
ReplyDeleteTaxpayer again. I was posting while the teacher above me was posting. I'm so glad you posted. It somehow rings more true for a teacher to say it. I really do think most teachers are amazing.
ReplyDeleteFrom above (Check out the website Indianapolis Times blogspot
ReplyDeleteand you will find an interesting article about Democrat mayoral candidate Brian Williams concerning IPS. The article was posted Dec. 16.
In it, Williams recommends IPS coming under the control of the mayor's office with an implication of getting rid of its elected school board and superintendent.)
If IPS does go under, I do not think the State wants the responsibility of operating the district. On the other hand, the City might be a viable option. It happened in Chicago, and it apparently worked. It would insure an absolute clean wipe of the Ed Center administrators and a fresh start.
Reorganization does not work from the bottom up, as we've witnessed. It does work from the top down.
@teacher outsourced to india, ditto. this is the first job i've had with any health benefits or paid time off or any sick leave whatsoever. i agree, work in the private sector before you complain.
ReplyDeleteSince the mayor is the mayor for all of Indianapolis, I find it curious that Williams chose to only propose takeover of IPS. IPS is not the only struggling distict in the city of Indianapolis and yet Williams is silent about other local districts. Makes me question whether this was just a political gimmick.
ReplyDeleteIPS is the most expensive both because it is the largest district and because it spends the most per pupil. Combine that with its struggles (both academically and declining enrollment) and it's pretty obvious why the focus is on IPS over other districts.
ReplyDeleteThe school with the son of a school board member has so many other issues that need to be addressed as well. There are a lot of things that happen there swept under the proverbial rug.
ReplyDeleteChange cannot happen until we address the major areas of concern. The major areas of concern include upper administration. We need a shake up that will improve morale and save money. Is that even possible in a district ran on nepotism and favortism?
ReplyDeleteWhen going over the list of our School Board members, none of them seems especially important or well connected. I fear they actually do represent the people who elected them. Perhaps a couple of them do have leadership skills and eventually will step up to bat for the district they control.
ReplyDeleteBusch, Gore, and Brown are hypnotized by their positions and fairly clueless about running a school district. Busch should know better, but she's been in her position so long, she's now oblivious to the situation. Gore and Brown are simply not quite ready for prime time; they are not very bright.
Take at look at White's CEO-like perks on IndyStar.com.
ReplyDeleteWe pay for his electronic equipment at home (computer, fax machine, printer, car cell phone AND Blackberry, etc).
We paid his moving expenses.
He gets a $10,000 annual car allowance and an annual gas reimbursement of $3,600.
We pay all of his union dues.
He receives full coverage of all medical benefits for his entire family.
He receives full reimbursement for "reasonable" meals, entertainment, travel, professional books, and supplies while on business trips.
If we expect to ever make a difference with our ideas here on this blog, then we'd be better off focusing on the School Board. That is the only group that can control anything -- White included. It is time to put the heat on the School Board. With enough heat, anybody will begin to move, especially an elected official.
ReplyDeleteI think that doing what are doing on this Blog is getting a lot of things out there. That is the first step. I do wish that we could all be a bit more professional in our posts. I find no need for cursing, and personal attacks.
ReplyDeletequote "I find no need for cursing, and personal attacks."
ReplyDeleteI agree totally. The last couple of topic threads have had more professional discussions. We have actually used 'data' (items from Board minutes, etc.) to support our arguments which is a good thing.
The School Board is the major player!
We won't change anything by pointing out other teachers, a few coaches, or even an incompetent building principal. When we do that, we sound small, petty, and even occasionally jealous. They are minor annoyances in the big scheme and are not major players in our issue.
To those of you that want to get rid of coaches, please understand that coaches are in place because of NCLB. We are a failing district, and NCLB states that failing districts muct have reading and math coaches. If you want coaches to be put back in the classroom, then we have to start making AYP. If you feel that the coach that serves your building in ineffective, call downtown.
ReplyDeleteOh, yeah. Call downtown to the very friends of the people who selected the coaches. The coaches hinder achievement and improvement not help. If those coaches know everything about everything then they need to be in the classroom with the students helping us making AYP. Classroom teachers know the charade of the coaching positions. Does NCLB require that coaches eat nonstop and talk non stop about food?
ReplyDeleteTo the naive and apparently historically clueless couple of Stepford Teacher people who wrote on here that teachers have it so cushy:
ReplyDeleteIn the first place, despite how one person responded: the above post that you responded to was NOT by a teacher and it was stated clearly as such. Suggestion - read carefully before responding.
Certainly, because of the current recession people in other professions are going through rough times now.
But when the recession lifts, public school teachers will STILL be underpaid and overworked and underappreciated. Always have been, always will be.
Study some history, for crying out loud. Women who were married couldn't even teach in many Indiana schools until the 1930s. They had to be single to teach. Starting salaries for teachers in Indiana in 1980 was $10,000 a year.
For a period of time in the '90s, some advances were made for teachers, but now it is going back in the other direction.
Why in the crap do you think that the average time a new teacher spends in education in the United States is five years? That fact alone blows your argument completely out of the water.
It's pretty bad when teachers won't advocate for other teachers. In this case, experienced teachers.
Sure gives more ammunition to the administrators.
The post above is very true, and now with Mitch we are headed back to the "low wages" while the administrators are still being paid huge sums to do nothing.
ReplyDeleteQuote from above ". . . and now with Mitch we are headed back to the "low wages" while the administrators are still being paid huge sums to do nothing."
ReplyDeleteIf we truly wish to make a real difference in IPS, then playing the blame game will not serve our purpose. The last two days there have been several informative posts with documentation that gets the public's attention. Let's keep it at that level. Search the Board minutes for facts, figures, and expenses. Post those. Petty complaints are a dime a dozen and don't help our larger cause of getting the School Board's attention.
"Search the Board minutes for facts, figures, and expenses....playing the blame game will not serve our purpose."
ReplyDeleteBOTH are needed - facts as well as perspective. I hate it when people here tell other people what they should or should not share from their own experiences and/or observations concerning IPS.
Unless I am mistaken, I don't think this is the intent of the blogmeister.
Makes me wonder if it is a strategy of the administration to create disunity and division within the ranks of teachers.
Besides, seems to me there is one hell of a "blame game" to be played if you analyze those facts and figures you mention.
Let's put the blame where it belongs -- on the School Board. Not a penny spent in IPS is spent without the Board's approval. Not a crony of Dr. White's is hired without the Board's approval. Not a bush league administrator is hired or allowed to continue in IPS without the Board's approval. Not an expensive unproven program is put into place without the Board's approval. Blame the Board for our woes. Blame the Board for allowing Dr. White to make unilateral decisions. Blame the Board for carte blanche approval of anything and everything placed on the agenda whether it's nepotism or bidding out over $4M in special contracts to tutoring groups. Blame the Board for sending White and Johnson to Taiwan to recruit teachers of Chinese. Blame the Board for approving the travel/hotel expenses for 110 IPS folks to Orlando for an expensive vacation under the guise of AVID training. Blame the Board for allowing/appoving Title 1 funds to become a gravy train for making jobs for old cronies and buddies of the IPS elite.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the last post on "blame":
ReplyDeleteYou nailed it, my friend. They should be ashamed of themselves. I don't know how these people sleep at night. I guess numbed consciences.
The buck stops with the Board. Ultimately, everything we see that is dysfunctional about IPS is within the purview of the Board.
ReplyDelete* Nepotism
* Cronyism
* Questionable expenditures
* Anything to do with money
* Anything to do with hiring
* the Superintendent
I think the problem is that the board lacks the ability to think. Some are lacking I.Q. points. They can bob their heads up and down but they can't ask questions and they have bullied by Eugene White so much that they are afraid to say NO.
ReplyDeleteBusch, Gore, Brown, Zaphiriou - gone
ReplyDeleteBentley, Cohen - stay
I know that I missed someone. Who?
"In the first place God made idiots. This was for practice. Then He made School Boards."
ReplyDeleteMark Twain - 1897
Diane Arnold,runs the Hawthrone Community Center, a neighbor of Washington Community School. A good person, thinks on her feet.
ReplyDelete"Bentley, Cohen - stay."
ReplyDeleteI don't know anything about Cohen, but I have heard many positive things about Bentley - who appears to be very ethical and conscientious.
However, I would like to see the elected school board system end in IPS. Elected school board members have not served the district well. You don't have an informed public voting in the district so that is how incompetent board members are elected and stay in office to continue screwing things up in IPS.
Once upon a time, in a land far away, a school board decided superintendents should not have affairs with subordinates. They fired both individuals.
ReplyDeleteLibel and slander are dangerous things. And can be litigated, even from anonymous blog posts.
ReplyDeleteA couple of years ago this writer was mandated to attend the AVID Summer Institute knowing that AVID teaching would NOT be one of my assigned classes. Others who have attended AVID Summer Institutes did not teach AVID classes either. The AVID program in IPS does not follow the AVID guidelines set forth by the national group._______________________________________
ReplyDeleteLODGING FOR AVID SUMMER INSTITUTE
Action of the Board
Commissioner Gore made a motion to approve the Superintendent’s recommendation to authorize the Business Manager to pay the Monumental Movieland Hotel an amount not to exceed $57,475.00 for providing five days of lodging each for the 110 teachers and administrators to attend the AVID Summer Institute for training which is essential to the successful implementation of the AVID Program with funding provided through the Title I and Title IIA and other professional development grants. Commissioner Arnold seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
GROUP AIRLINE TRAVEL FOR AVID SUMMER INSTITUTE 2009
Action of the Board
Commissioner Brown made a motion to approve the Superintendent’s recommendation to authorize the Business Manager to pay Southwest Airlines an amount not to exceed $35,200.00 for roundtrip airfare each for the 110 teachers and administrators to attend the AVID Summer Program with funding provided through the Title I and Title IIA funds and other professional development grants. Commissioner Gore seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
The Board approved approximately $4.5 Million in special contracts to "service providers" from 4/29/09 to 7/31/09. The time period approved is only 12 weeks which means these "service providers" altogether received $375,000 per week. That seems extravagant. From reading the Board minutes, not any Board member requested discussion about this expense. No Board member wanted to know if student academic growth had been increased by these "service providers". In short, the Board signed off without asking any questions.
ReplyDelete_______________________________________________
APPROVAL TO INCREASE CONTRACTS WITH APPROVED SUPPLEMENTAL
EDUCATIONAL SERVICES PROVIDERS
Providers Type of Service Original Capacity Original Amount Amended Capacity Amended Amount
Club Z! Tutoring Individual tutoring, small group instruction, and large group instruction 750 $1,127,000.00 1,239 $1,994,790.00
Educational Recovery Clinic, LLC Individual tutoring and small group instruction 180 $289,800.00 276 $444,360.00
The Princeton Review Individual tutoring, small group instruction, and large group instruction 800 $1,288,000.00 980 $1,577,800.00
VC Rowley & Associates Individual tutoring, small group instruction, and large group instruction 180 $289,800.00 267 $429,870.00
Action of the Board
Commissioner Brown made a motion to approve the Superintendent’s recommendation to authorize the Business Manager to increase the contract amounts with the above named providers for a total amount of $4,446,820.00 for 2,762 students to provide Supplemental Educational Services for the period of April 29, 2009 to July 31, 2009 with funding provided through the mandatory amount set aside in the Title I grant. Commissioner Zaphiriou seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
Taken from the 4/28/09 Board Minutes. At the close of each Board meeting, the School Board members have the opportunity to report on their activities since the prior meeting. Michael Brown invaribly has his act together and offers yet another rich comment. Is this not totally clueless from a man who's charged with running the largest district in the state?
ReplyDelete_________________________________________________
COMMISSIONERS’ COMMENTS
Commissioner Brown said he attended the track meets for Arlington and Northwest, and that IPS has some very good athletes.
There's no way he went to Arlington to see a track meet. He is too busy wearing Northwest apparel and roaming the halls daily.
ReplyDeleteI am extremely disappointed with our School Board. They are elected officials, and the Superintendent works at their discretion. Or, that's the manner in which it's supposed to work.
ReplyDeleteAt this point, as a taxpayer, I can say the School Board is not showing me a lot. How can a body of elected officials charged with overseeing a large school district not question the items in the Board Agenda? A few weeks ago the Superintendent evidently made sounds of threatening to quit when he was questioned regarding an Agenda item. This leads me to believe the School Board needs to step up to the plate and begin asking hard questions about all items which require large expenditures, i.e., over $10,000.
The Superintendent is merely an employee of the Board. Have the Board members forgotten the power they possess?
To the above poster...Not all the school board members have forgotten the power they possess? Unfortunately only 3 of them give a crap, and you need 4 votes. The other 4 give a crap, but only at looking good to Dr. White. I do not know who is running again, but I do know Cohen and Bentley are up for re-election. If we lose them , it could be really bad. WE have to replace them with someone who cares aobut the schools, the teachers, the students, and who isn't afraid to stand up to Dr. White and the bobble heads. I know a few good (possible) candidates, if they run we need to rally behind them. The deadline for applying is in sight, we will know soon enough who we should stand by.
ReplyDelete@libel: only if it's not true, and in that case it is. also only if the site is hosted in US jurisdiction which this one is. but not all.
ReplyDelete@ above poster: In law, defamation—also called calumny, vilification, slander (for spoken words), and libel (for written or otherwise published words)—is the communication of a statement that makes a claim, expressly stated or implied to be factual, that may give an individual, business, product, group, government or nation a negative image. It is usually, but not always,[1] a requirement that this claim be false and that the publication is communicated to someone other than the person defamed (the claimant).
ReplyDeleteIn common law jurisdictions, slander refers to a malicious, false and defamatory spoken statement or report, while libel refers to any other form of communication such as written words or images. Most jurisdictions allow legal actions, civil and/or criminal, to deter various kinds of defamation and retaliate against groundless criticism. Related to defamation is public disclosure of private facts, which arises where one person reveals information that is not of public concern, and the release of which would offend a reasonable person. "Unlike [with] libel, truth is not a defense for invasion of privacy."[2]
False light laws are "intended primarily to protect the plaintiff's mental or emotional well-being."[3] If a publication of information is false, then a tort of defamation might have occurred. If that communication is not technically false but is still misleading, then a tort of false light might have occurred.[3]
In most civil law jurisdictions, defamation is dealt with as a crime rather than a tort[4].
U R a dumbass.
@ above poster: U R a smart-ass
ReplyDeleteYour entire response, save the last line, was copied from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defamation .... which may itself have been copied from another source) ... and you didn't give them credit ... so you're also a plagiarizer. Those little brackets with numbers inside are called references - they're used for a reason.
I'm not a plagiarizer, I never said or pretended the content was my own. It's true, I didn't cite the source, but few others who post on this blog do, so whoop-dee-doo.
ReplyDeleteThat still doesn't negate my point in posting the legal definition of libel and slander. Posters who think they are anonymous when posting legally questionable content need to be aware that there are legal consequences - even on the 'Net.
And yes, I am a smart ass.
Next?
The standard for people identified as "public figures" to win slander or libel cases is "a callous and reckless disregard for the truth" and the alleged slanderer's own knowledge that what they are contending is patently false.
ReplyDeleteIt is almost impossible for a public figure to win a slander or libel case. It happens quite rarely.
However, I do think all people who post here should use caution when posting remarks about the personal lives of the "main players" in IPS. There is plenty to talk regarding how they perform (or fail to perform) in their jobs. How can it be 100 percent proved that anyone is involved in adulterous sexual escapades who works in the IPS administrative offices?
Having said that, I am aware of only one litigated case nationally when a blog was successfully sued for libel/slander.
Simply stated: it's next to impossible to successfully prosecute a case involving internet discussion about public figures.
Doesn't mean people shouldn't be careful about their accusations concerning the personal lives of others.
Kokomo use to have an appointed school board and it was horrible. So before you wish for someone to appoint school board members think long and hard. I do agree that outside of Bently the rest don't have a clue as to what is going on. Hopefully, they can be voted out or retire.
ReplyDeleteWhat about the $14 million IPS received from the government for PD and developing a "Cadre" (i.e. glorified subs)? That money could surely be utilized in a better way.
ReplyDeleteIn defense of the Cadre, the stimulus money used to pay the Cadre is designated for use only for Professional Development. Forming the Cadre initially saved many 'riffed' IPS teachers their jobs. Rather than dumping them, they were allowed to become Cadre members with their full teacher pay and their benefits protected. Then, as the school year progressed and vacancies became available, IPS had a ready supply of teachers (the Cadre) to place immediately into the vacant positions.
ReplyDeleteLOL High school students are taught to never use Wikipedia as a source for anything due to lack of accuracy. It sounds like some of the people posting on here need to consult with a high school 9th grader for info on computer research.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone notice that Manual High School was visited by a small group of "professionals" who are looking at taking over Manual from IPS. Folks this is one of many school that DOE will try to correct and handle with Dr. Bennett leading the way? Yep, the same who ran a failing school system that was a small rural school with a small number of students?
ReplyDeleteLynne Varner editorial columnist
ReplyDeleteWe have the power to make school boards more relevant
Mark Twain's withering contempt for a body elected to oversee the person hired to run schools remains as fresh today as in 1897.
"In the first place God made idiots. This was for practice. Then He made School Boards."
M. Twain
Twain's withering contempt for a body elected to oversee the person hired to run schools remains as fresh today as in 1897 when the writer penned the words.
Several years back, while on academic sabbatical at Stanford University, I came across similar attitudes in a provocative but reasoned argument for abolishing school boards.
The case was argued by the Hoover Institution, a conservative think tank on campus. The opening salvo was a description of school boards as dysfunctional families filled with unlovable types such as would-be politicians, teacher-union sympathizers and single-issue advocates. They are people who would run screaming from the label conservative, yet they block reform efforts such as charter schools and high-stakes testing in favor of conserving the status quo.
School boards are veering toward irrelevancy as the federal No Child Left Behind law leapfrogs accountability from the schools directly to state education departments. Ouch. The truth packs a wallop.
There remains, however, a critical role for local school boards. I doubt that I'm alone in preferring education leadership and accountability located in my zip code. Rather than abolish this arrangement, let's rout out the dysfunction in exchange for stronger, more-skilled units.
The need is urgent. Public education struggles because it is pulled in every direction by disparate constituencies. One group clamors for reform and everything swings. Another cries for a return to basics and the system sails in the opposite direction. No surprise when it warps and strains from the pull of such forces.
A school board's top priority ought to be creating consistency by controlling the pendulum's shift.
No time like the present to be thinking about this. In Seattle, four board seats are up and at least one contender has emerged in each race.
Voters shouldn't need a background in education or perfect board meeting attendance to choose the right candidate. An understanding of quality leadership and an ability to recognize it will suffice.
If our votes reflect our desires, Seattle's next school board will be a functioning body with no interest in using the superintendent or controversial issues like school closures as tetherballs. Differing visions won't become quagmires of discontent. "Time is money" will be the new mantra and whether the money is their own or taxpayers', there will be a distaste for wasting it.
I have sat through too many school board meetings hoping for a story and getting instead a lesson into the many ways time and intellectual capital can be wasted.
Everyone has war stories; mine include long meetings featuring board members whose questions revealed zero preparation. Or the meetings where district employees took turns on the hot seat, some lying like rugs rather than telling a board member that their half-baked idea would cost too much and accomplish too little. And the telling moments when it was crystal clear that a schools chief and the school board were not on the same page, or even holding the same book.
Whether board members are appointed, elected or hatched in an incubator, we ought to choose the next batch with a demanding focus as though we were sending them to Congress. Important policy issues await a proficient, capable board. Among the issues the next board will not only have to take up but actually follow through on are how much school choice is too much for Seattle, whether principals are too autonomous, and new strategies for attracting families currently enrolled in private and parochial schools. The nagging achievement gap will require more than hand-wringing from the next board.
Twain wouldn't like this, but we've got to retain the structure of school boards and vote informed, intelligently and like crazy this fall to improve their quality.
ReplyDeleteThe school board election is in the Spring...Fall will be several months too late. Filing of candidates starts in mid January and the election is in May.
ReplyDeleteWhich School Board members terms will be up in Spring of 2010? I can't find it posted anywhere on the IPS homepage or website.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the latest board report Corey Greenwood received a $31,000 dollar increase in salary for moving from Behavior Dean to Vice Principal. He went from $51,081 to $82,164 but apparently this was not questioned by anyone on the Board. I can certainly understand receiving a raise for a promotion - but $30,000?
ReplyDeleteWhy does this shock you? This would be the same school board that hired a person who does bus duty and coaches basketball and pulls down over $100,000 a year. Is there another district in the state that spends money like this?
ReplyDeleteFor the previous three years this bus duty was done by two teachers as a service to the school, for no cost.