Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Hostile Takeover

Has anyone else heard that the state has started its takeover of some IPS schools?

42 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 20, 2010

    I work in IPS, I'd be the last one to ask.

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  2. AnonymousJuly 20, 2010

    I think you want your title to read Hostile... don't you?

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  3. AnonymousJuly 20, 2010

    What is a hotile takeover?

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  4. AnonymousJuly 20, 2010

    The state awarded Marion University a half a million dollars to start a turn around principal program. They are recruiting educators and people from the business community to become school administrators through the program. They are hiring management consultants and administrators to teach in the program.

    Here's a link to the IBJ article:
    http://www.ibj.com/state-slects-marian-to-train-turnaround-leaders-for-struggling-schools/PARAMS/article/21069

    Interestingly, the article lists Jane Ajabu as one of the management 'gurus' who will teach in the program.

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  5. AnonymousJuly 20, 2010

    Where is the line forming for the rats who wish to leave this sinking ship? Perhaps it's at Tech during our Back to School rally.

    Me? I'm sticking around, and paying my union dues as soon as possible.

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  6. AnonymousJuly 20, 2010

    The state cannot do any worse job or create a worse work place than the arrogant bully Eugene White. Maybe the state would get rid of deadwood like Larry Yarrell and Sara Bogard.

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  7. AnonymousJuly 20, 2010

    Mike Sertic, Dexter Suggs, C. Shipp, Kami Phelps, and Linda Davis.

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  8. AnonymousJuly 20, 2010

    Brandon Cosby!!

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  9. AnonymousJuly 21, 2010

    re: :The state awarded Marion University a half a million dollars to start a turn around principal program."

    Isn't there a requirement that one be a licensed teacher for a number of years before becoming a principal? I guess Dr. B. is going around that requirement as well. Sounds like we will end up with "principals fellows" just like we had "teaching fellows". Oh great.

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  10. AnonymousJuly 21, 2010

    The requirement that one must have an education background to be a school administrator was eliminated with REPA. Tony Bennett has the power to approve anyone with a master's degree to be a school administrator.

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  11. AnonymousJuly 21, 2010

    The state has money for this while 11 IPS elementary schools will start school in two weeks without AIR conditioning. Even the prisons and the humane shelter have air. Guess that show you where are politicians rank IPS kids!!!

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  12. AnonymousJuly 21, 2010

    The only problem with this statement (which is true) is it hard to ask for funds when you are frittering away money, hiring friends and family in make work positions, Buying expensive programs and not implementing them correctly. If I were in charge of the money, I'd say NO MORE MONEY till you clean up you act. Little comfort to sweaty kids.

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  13. AnonymousJuly 21, 2010

    Talk about frittering away money.

    http://www.indystar.com/article/20100721/LOCAL1803/7210322/IPS-project-would-uproot-7-Eastside-homeowners

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  14. AnonymousJuly 21, 2010

    @The state has money for this while 11 IPS elementary schools will start school in two weeks without AIR conditioning.
    _________________________________________________

    Arlington Community High School is totally renovated, has the coldest A/C in town, and continues to post some of the lowest ISTEP+ scores in the State.

    Your argument does not hold.

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  15. AnonymousJuly 21, 2010

    @Talk about frittering away money.

    http://www.indystar.com/article/20100721/LOCAL1803/7210322/IPS-project-would-uproot-7-Eastside-homeowners

    _____________________________________________

    Geez, this move by IPS is worse than simply frittering away money. With all the empty buildings and space that IPS has in its inventory, why would they even entertain building a larger parking lot at an elementary school? Didn't we all think that IPS was financially broke? Now, IPS wants to buy 7 houses to build a parking lot. Surely, with all the Ed Center administrative talent, a solution for buses arriving/leaving can be figured out without displacing 7 families from their homes.

    White surely shows his arrogance by mentioning eminent domain to these homeowners. My hope is that this group of homeowners can find a reasonably priced attorney who'll block this IPS threat.

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  16. AnonymousJuly 21, 2010

    Go back a few years and look at the building assessments done about ten years ago, school 58 has been an ongoing money pit, ten years ago it got a new furnace, which required removing exterior walls, new windows, etc...I wonder who owns the companies that did that work. The school has always been landlocked, the parking lot and playground are the same area. Meanwhile IPS owned another school on a huge lot just north of that school, What would be the cost to remodel that school and reopen it?

    First Gene bullies the teachers, then the board, then the kids, then the parents, and now the community.

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  17. AnonymousJuly 21, 2010

    copied from comments in IndyStar article.

    That corner is dangerous, and there are around 400 kids coming and going daily. However, I am not a fan of eminent domain...it is used incorrectly in many cases, stomping on citizen's rights. My question for this particular case is in regards to School 78. This closed school is about six blocks from 58, has a playground (which 58 doesn't have), has extra acreage for parking and expansion, and is sitting vacant. I know it will need renovation to make it usable, but hey, why take away peoples' homes when you have a vacant building that closeby? School 58 is 101 years old and is still a good structure, but in these hard economic times, I question IPS's property acquisitions when so much property is sitting vacant. Housing for low income families is disappearing. Let's consider all options before displacing more families.

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  18. AnonymousJuly 21, 2010

    This sounds like a "hostile takeover" of peoples' homes - crazy when other buildings are closed or under-used. Sell the building and use another one!

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  19. AnonymousJuly 21, 2010

    In the very best of economic times forcing people to leave their homes for some 'public' cause is always an iffy proposition; however, forcing people to leave/sell their homes during an economic recession is a public relations nightmare. What is the IPS School Board thinking? This is NOT the time to stir up the ire of the community at large.

    Back off, IPS School Board and Superintendent. Revisit this idea and find a solution that does NOT involve ripping families from their homes.

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  20. AnonymousJuly 21, 2010

    Several years ago IPS attempted to take over a historic church (Neighborhood Fellowship) which was doing a great work among the people in the neighborhood. Dr. Prichett made the comment that "there would be a school on that corner" - well, the community arose to the occasion and the school was built behind the church. By the way, the church also housed a school for kids who were not making progress in IPS or for students who wanted them to have a Christian education.

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  21. AnonymousJuly 21, 2010

    TO the person talking about ARlington, I believe tht point was that prisoners and dogs are more comfortable in their air conditioned cages than our students are in their 85+ degree rooms. It's a shame we care more about prisoners civil rights than the future.

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  22. AnonymousJuly 21, 2010

    One of the rooms at school 58 smells like monkey island. Yuck. I know because I taught in that room for years, maybe mold?

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  23. AnonymousJuly 22, 2010

    Eugene White is a fraud.....a liar.....and an arrogant abusive liar...and many people know it.

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  24. AnonymousJuly 22, 2010

    It made me sad to see the picture of the woman crying, due to fear of losing her home, in the IndyStar.
    Either Dr. White is really callous, or really stupid.

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  25. AnonymousJuly 22, 2010

    Is it ironic how people on this blog continue to talk about the same issues over and over again? We never hear individuals talk about John Marshall, Manuel, Broad Ripple, or Cripus Attucks. Is it because there are no disagreements at these schools or are they one big happy family?

    We have come to our conclusions on Li Yen, Dr. White, Greenwood, Kendrick, Ajabu, let talk about other B-S in the district.

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  26. AnonymousJuly 22, 2010

    @Is it ironic how people on this blog continue to talk about the same issues over and over again?
    _______________________________________________

    No, there's no irony involved in what the posters are concerned about. Common sense would dictate that the posters continue to share about the Ed Center group because the Ed Center group and their actions continue to be a major IPS issue.

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  27. AnonymousJuly 22, 2010

    "Arlington Community High School is totally renovated, has the coldest A/C in town, and continues to post some of the lowest ISTEP+ scores in the State.

    Your argument does not hold."

    I'm sure you sit behind a desk in a corporate building with NO air then proceed to your OWN home where you live without air condioning as well?? I doubt it. Not in the year 2010. So if a school has high ISTEP scores but had daily drive by shootings it would be just fine as long as the scores were high?? Your COMPARISON is dumber than my argument.

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  28. AnonymousJuly 22, 2010

    "It made me sad to see the picture of the woman crying, due to fear of losing her home, in the IndyStar.
    Either Dr. White is really callous, or really stupid."

    If Butler University wanted the same property it wouldn't even be in the Star News let alone with a picture of a crying homeowner. Just another attempt from the corporate media to run down BIG BAD OLE IPS. Wake up people.

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  29. AnonymousJuly 22, 2010

    The local 'corporate media' (aka Indy Star) is the best friend IPS has in Central Indiana. The Indy Star keeps a tight lid on most of the stories of interest that occur within IPS.

    If the Indy Star printed a story about IPS wishing to displace 7 families to make space for a parking lot, then I'd say IPS has gone beyond the edge with this idea. The Star generally is very liberal and gives IPS the benefit of the doubt in most instances.

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  30. AnonymousJuly 22, 2010

    Benefit of the doubt? Then were are all the stories of the good things in IPS that do occur.

    The STAR generally sticks their head in the sand instead of mentioning those. Some things only get mentioned of a township or donut county school alos achieves and then the story is slanted towards that school with a "oh, by the way IPS so -and- so school also was recognized."

    Give me a break. There is a lot more good going on in IPS than what the STAR prints (that is next to nothing, same for all the other local media outlets. It is just NOT recognized because the media in Indianapolis thinks its only news worthy if township or donut scools accomplish.

    We have our problems but the good should also be recognized. The good though rarely does.

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  31. AnonymousJuly 22, 2010

    Talk to Andy Gammill, the Indy Star Education reporter, about your concerns.

    Andy and Mary Louise Bewley are on friendly professional terms. Maybe you could chat with her about this issue, also.

    Many education articles appear in the Indy Star simply because the Information Office of a particular school corporation submitted the articles as Press Releases. Perhaps the IPS Information Office needs to submit/send more Press Releases. The squeaking wheel usually gets the grease.

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  32. AnonymousJuly 22, 2010

    I completely disagree with the poster above who thinks that the Star is too hard on IPS. It's completely the other way around. Earlier this year whenever Mary Louise Bewley illegally kicked out those people during a public meeting, not only did the Star not report on it, they deleted comments made about it in the discussion forums and refused to print editorials or Let it Out comments about it. Instead of reporting the news, the Star helped shove it under the rug.

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  33. AnonymousJuly 22, 2010

    I'm with you. The Star lets IPS off the hook on lots of controversial issues, i.e., our low ISTEP scores -- the Star could make mincemeat out of IPS, Dr. White, and the School Board over these scores -- the Star also could take Eugene White to task for his salary, his bonuses based supposedly on increased test scores, his hiring of friends and cronies, and so on, ad nauseum.

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  34. AnonymousJuly 22, 2010

    I actually think the Star is pretty fair to IPS. Sometimes I think they seem critical and other times I think they ignore pertinent stories, but overall, I think they're pretty objective. The thing with burying the story of Bewley kicking out the cameras had less to do with protecting IPS and more about protecting the Star (The video made Gammill, and thus the Star, look really, really bad)

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  35. AnonymousJuly 22, 2010

    @ if Butler University wanted the same property...

    Your comparison is weak. Butler University would have no choice but to make room for itself.

    IPS, on the other hand, has a handful of buildings that sit vacant. We closed 98 because of declining enrollment, but it was open all year for another building during renovations. Apparently, it is in stable enough condition to be transition housing for students. Schools 102, 21, and 92 are also vacant, along with a number of others.

    Is it really necessary to uproot 7 families when we have so many buildings that are unused?

    By the way, I am awake (in response to "Wake up, people"). I plan on sleeping at Dr. White's back-to-school speech.

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  36. AnonymousJuly 22, 2010

    Indy Star is not easy on the teachers. Everything is our fault.
    They let Central Office off-the-hook.
    It was disgusting to watch how Andy Gammill giggled like a tickled pig when Mary Louise huffed and puffed like the big, bad Wolf to kick out te research team that videotaped a public forum.

    ReplyDelete
  37. AnonymousJuly 22, 2010

    te = the, sorry!

    ReplyDelete
  38. AnonymousJuly 22, 2010

    @Indy Star is not easy on the teachers. Everything is our fault.
    They let Central Office off-the-hook.

    It appears that way, at least on surface; however, the Indy Star only gets its info for print from the Ed Center, not from the buildings or the teachers. The Star publishes what Ms. Bewley/Dr. White send them or allow them to print.

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  39. AnonymousJuly 22, 2010

    Not many job opportunities out there for us -- Here's the 16 open positions (certified & non certified) at Lawrence Township.

    Caregiver
    Loving Care
    General Employment

    Assistant Boys Tennis
    Lawrence North High School
    Athletic

    MEDIA IA
    Sunnyside Elementary School
    General Employment

    Elementary Music (Orchestra) Teacher
    Harrison Hill School of Inquiry
    Elementary Teacher

    6.5 hr ED Instructional Assistant for Belzer Middle School
    Special Education
    Special Education

    Food Service Substitute
    Food Service
    General Employment

    Licensed School Psychologist
    Special Education
    Special Education

    Elementary Bilingual Instructional Assistant
    ESL Program
    General Employment

    High School Bilingual Instructional Assistant
    ESL Program
    General Employment

    6 hr. Resource Instructional Assistant at Belzer Middle School
    Special Education
    Special Education

    Elementary General Music Teacher (Temporary Contract)
    Winding Ridge
    Elementary Teacher

    Science / Biology
    Lawrence North High School
    Secondary Teacher

    Special Education Resource Teacher for Fall Creek Valley Middle School
    Special Education
    Special Education

    6.5 hr. Special Education Instruction Assistant for Crestview Elementary
    Special Education
    General Employment

    6 hr Special Education Program Support Instructional Assistant for Lawrence North High School
    Special Education
    Special Education

    Science / Biology Temporary Contract
    Lawrence Central High School
    Secondary Teacher

    ReplyDelete
  40. AnonymousJuly 23, 2010

    "@ if Butler University wanted the same property...

    Your comparison is weak. Butler University would have no choice but to make room for itself.

    IPS, on the other hand, has a handful of buildings that sit vacant."

    Having buildings sit vacant clear across town doesn't solve a need somewhere else. IPS is trying to make room. Having moved here from another city it amazes me how IPS gets demonized for everything while people jump on the Butler bandwagon. It's all MEDIA driven. If you are that unhappy at IPS then I hope you find different employment...maybe at Butler. I love my job, our school, my principal, our families and especially our students. I look foward to the opening of school. Sorry you don't feel the same way. Not everyone at IPS has an axe to grind or is bitter. While things are not perfect and they may never be anywhere.

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  41. AnonymousJuly 23, 2010

    Butler is not a state university, it is a private school, and can't use eminent domain to "take" what it wants. Better look at what happened in Cleveland when they tried to take several houses from people who didn't want to sell, the thing stretched out for three years and the city ended up losing.

    ReplyDelete

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