Indiana's second virtual charter school is taking applications for students in first through eighth grades.Spokeswoman Pat Laystrom says Indiana Connections Academy Virtual Pilot School will serve about 280 students from around the state.Students receive personalized learning plans but do their work from home. A certified teacher will work with them in live, online classrooms and by phone.
The school also will offer extracurricular activities and electives, including online chess
clubs , a student newspaper and science clubs.The program is free and is financed with state
Indiana's first virtual charter was Hoosier Academies, a combination virtual and bricks and mortar school that opened in 2008-09.education money.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
A New Virtual Reality?
From today's Indianapolis Star.
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Someone will make some money on this one.
ReplyDeleteIf they want a school like this more power to them except the state of Indiana has NO business paying for it.
ReplyDeleteThey will be like most other charter schools. As soon as a student shows poor attendance, poor motivation, or having a learning challenge, they will send them back to public schools immediately. They want to promote their phony test scores and one way to do that is to purge their schools of students at risk. Not one cent of taxpayer money should be used for this scam by Tony Bennett and Mitch Daniels.
ReplyDeleteThe board report reveals that Eugene plans to hire Clark Bridgewater and Ramon Batts. Clark is the son of IPS infamous Prudence Bridgewaters. Ramon was Eugene's losing candidate for the school board. Maybe with the new jobs one of the above can get his back child support paid in full and get his driver's license reinstated. What a role model for the IPS students!!
ReplyDeleteWhat about Jonathan Grismore? Any relation?
ReplyDeletethe mafias function
ReplyDeleteClark Bridgwaters has been recommended for a position as Compliance Monitor for the Transportation Department -- job pays $36K+.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, what does a Compliance Monitor do for the Transportation Department? Sounds like a job that is 'made-up' for relatives or friends.
Ramon Batts has been recommended as an Instructional Assistant at HLHMS -- hourly pay of $14.41.
Dr. White and/or Jane Kendrick have totally fallen prey to IPS suck-ups. Well, Clark and Ramon will be indebted to Eugene and Jane forever and will do anything they're asked to do - legal or not so legal.
The real question...now that he has a job provided by Eugene, will he pay his back support and get his driver's license out of suspended status????????
ReplyDeleteRamon Batts declared Chapter 7 Bankruptcy back in 2005. Lucky guy, he got off from paying $44,000 in student loans to Sallie Mae. He also owed his ex-wife over $1800 in child support for their four children. What a jerk! And, imagine...he was running for School with Dr. White's silent endorsement.
ReplyDeleteCheck out this website:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.centerofhopebaptist.org/templates/System/details.asp?id=40792&PG=Album&LID=6348
Dr. Ramon Batts is listed as a "Financial Coach/Income Specialist" at an Indy church. This is the same guy who declared personal bankruptcy only a few years ago! Oh, talk about reinventing your persona...LOL
I thought IPS and its HR Department were all about hiring and retaining the most qualified people available...LOL
I don't think you can discharge federal student loans through bankruptcy. He is far from the role model the kids need, yet another person who gets his job because of who he knows not his own talents and abilities.
ReplyDeleteI am so happy, I now have my check from my father's estate, it's retirement time. But, I will use my 300 days of sick leave first. That means two years of repair on my body, knees, hip, hand surgery, and some nips and tucks.
ReplyDeleteRamon Batts still owes back child support.....what a role model for IPS students!! He wants to work with other people's children and won't even pay the support for his OWN children. This shows Eugene's judgement as he backed him on his recent losing attempt to be elected to the school board. The voters are much smarter than White gives them credit. Now if the voters will do the same to worthless Mary Busch when she runs again.
ReplyDeleteI certainly hope that Ramon Batts does not get anywhere close to my children. Suspended driver's license, not paying his bills, not paying his child support...whew, I wonder if Eugene will arrange to have a IPS school police office provide transportation to and from work for him......
ReplyDeleteI interviewed at this school last year when it was running its pilot program.
ReplyDeleteAnd?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/07/19/commenting.on.news.sites/index.html?hpt=C2
ReplyDeleteHere's a view of future responses to blogs.
"They will be like most other charter schools. As soon as a student shows poor attendance, poor motivation, or having a learning challenge, they will send them back to public schools immediately. They want to promote their phony test scores and one way to do that is to purge their schools of students at risk. Not one cent of taxpayer money should be used for this scam by Tony Bennett and Mitch Daniels. "
ReplyDeleteAll kinds of state money for corporate gimmick schools as we start the school year in an elementary school WITHOUT air conditioning or handicapped accomdations. Shameful.Can't wait till they give money to start the Nascar Charter School, the American Idol Charter School, the Indy Star Charter School and lastly the Bob and Tom Q95 Charter. All great corporate sponsors. Stop the insanity! The only "schools" that would hire comedian/talk radio shills for the Republican party.
Evidently this virtual charter school mentioned in the original post would not have attendance as we know it in the traditional school setting. There are some students, for whatever reasons, cannot function in a traditional school setting. A virtual (aka Online) school might be a viable option/alternative for those kids. When a sped student is expelled from a traditional school, Public Law mandates that the student continues to receive a free, appropriate, public education (FAPE in sped jargon). A virtual school would satisfy that requirement.
ReplyDeletePerhaps LiYen Johnson and Ramon Batts have the same financial advisor and the same bankruptcy attorney. LiYen did manage to cheat her creditors out of much more money that Ramon did. Perhaps he was her financial advisor since he claims that is his position with the church.....now explain why his driver's license is suspended...
ReplyDeleteDon't forget about Baby Bridgwater. Kid can't get a job without his daddy Prudence Bridgwater.
ReplyDeleteAnother gripe you see in writing, "If there's black expo, why isn't there white expo?"
ReplyDeleteAmos Brown said, "You know, I jokingly have said over the years, that white expo is called the State Fair. Not because it's a racial component, but because it portrays a part of Indiana that is predominantly of one race."
Channel 8 News, 7/19/2010
Above is true. I just Googled "Amos Brown White Expo"
ReplyDeleteAmos Brown apparently hasn't been to the State Fair lately...I sure wouldn't call that "White Expo." THe Brickyard 400, on the other hand...
ReplyDelete...I find it mildly amusing the way some people are attacking "all" charter schools. Having worked with a couple of charter schools (not as a teacher, and not FOR the schools), there are some who do a very good job, and I think should be praised for it. There's nothing wrong with doing things differently to teach kids.
But, some here keep attacking "all" charter schools as being bad. That's kind of ironic since those are the same people who probably complain about "all" of IPS being grouped together, or "all" teachers being portrayed as being bad at IPS. There is room for both types of schools...we just need to make sure that we do a better job of "weeding out" the bad schools- public or charter.
You can bet the farm there will not be 10 people getting shot at the State Fair or the Brickyard
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the above post about there being room for both types of schools.
ReplyDeleteState law allows school districts to sponsor charter schools. If you are losing students to charters, you don't like your teachers, you don't like the union and you don't think the regulations are balanced, why wouldn't you take advantage of the law and sponsor a charter school?
ReplyDeleteThe teachers will get another opportunity to hurl their angry. The state took in $1 billion less this year. The crystal ball says Mitch will cut 300 - 400 Mil from schools and that will mean $30 Mil from IPS.
Quote: You can bet the farm there will not be 10 people getting shot at the State Fair or the Brickyard.
ReplyDeleteI'll bet the farm that there weren't 10 people shot at Black Expo either. These incidences didn't occur during any of their activities, or in the convention center. It occured in the streets of downtown Indy...with a lot of young, dumb kids who don't attend black expo.
And, don't be so sure...I have been at the fair when there has been a shooting right outside the fences. You get a lot of people, especially young people, together and things happen.
I say lets try the Virtual Online Charter School and see if we can reach all of the students. We have over the radio waves (Ham Radio) school in Australia, and many online courses. In the 1800's, we had correspondent college courses, yes from Indiana University. I have a feeling that some of the home schooled students will take some courses online. Some parents would welcome a licensed teacher's help with some of the difficult courses (Algebra, ELA, Spanish). If this online school works, then it's a wonder idea, but IPS has the same type of program with their homebound, this program is failing. I am not a licensed attorney in Indiana, but if you have not paid on your Student Loans for at least seven years, then the Court can discharge them under Bankruptcy Rules if no one has tried to collect them.
ReplyDeleteLooks like we will be having Dr. White's "Come and Celebrate How Great I Am" back-to-school convocation again.
ReplyDeleteSo much for having some time to get my room ready.
Looks like we will be having Dr. White's "Come and Celebrate How Great I Am" back-to-school convocation again.
ReplyDeleteWas this in the mail?
God, I have been waiting all summer long to see what "shoes" he will wear with his too small suit, and all of that bing. I will just stay late and finish up my room, and note the items that are missing from my room.
ReplyDeleteRamon Batts should have to work a year to repay his massive student loan debt that he beat the government out of......how could IPS consider hiring some one of his ilk? I wonder if he has paid any child support lately? Not supporting your children is unexcusable.
ReplyDelete"But, some here keep attacking "all" charter schools as being bad."
ReplyDeleteI think it's because the corporate media and talk radio have drummed it into people's heads that ALL chatter skools are so great. I've always found it odd that conservative politicians who think school accountability involved tons of paperwork and busywork for teachers is the way to "improve" schools, believe it's ok for chatter skools to waive those responsibilities. I see chatter skools as just another way to cut teacher wages making the school look efficient. Teacher turnover is rampant from what my parents have told me and yes they DO send kids BACK to the public schools- NOT the Einsteins either. After looking at ISTEP scores and seeing little difference between the two concepts I'd rather them FIX public schools rather than start another fad only to say they need to FIX IT as well down the road. To quote Mr. Amos Brown,"We don't need to re-invent the wheel. We already have it." Thank you Mr. Brown!
I am personally "boycotting" Dr. White's back to school convocation speech..............I am taking a half sick day or half personal day. Either way I refuse to have to sit there and listen to his lisping lies and bullshit! Maybe they will have a translator to translate what he is saying. LOL
ReplyDeleteIt is a collossal waste of time we could be using to work to get ready for the kids. You know the reason we are all there?
ReplyDeleteI will work in my room rather than listen to the pompous, pimp like Eugene White.....if I need to, I will also take a half sick or personal day. Eugene lies and the school board believes everything he says.......
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who signed her daughter up for the virtual school. She is really excited about it and have already done some bonding experiences this summer with other students, even though school doesn't start for another 7 weeks.
ReplyDeleteVirtual school provides more ways for students to learn to take adavantage of the system. Look at the virtual school/Indy works thing this summer. They just have to get it done on their timetable which is not how the real world works. This will provide a way for students to sleep in and to accomplish the minimum but expect the "A" for accomplishing that. What a joke! In all fairness, this is probably called for in about 10% of the attendees. The rest are looking for an easy way, not the best way.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a great idea. I think it's funny how when people want to homeschool their children because they think the schools are bad or dangerous, people panic about the idea of children being homeschooled without state regulation. So a charter school opens up a school that offers state regulation without forcing parents to put their kid in dangerous or poor-performing schools, and people bitch about that too. Some people will always complain.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine how nice it would be to TEACH in a virtual school? Seriously, that would be soooo nice!
ReplyDeleteChoice, competition, the Charter school represents a threat to the entrenched unions. As a parent I love the idea of a Virtual school run by a for profit company.
ReplyDeleteRamon Batts seems to have trouble with the truth. He must be given credit for being so calculating, but how could anybody trust this guy?
ReplyDeleteRamon Batts ?Doctor?
ReplyDeleteIs this a phd or a mail order divinity degree?
Dr. Ramon Batts still does not pay his child support. He is over $14,000 behind now. Someone forgot to mention that he is the director of a non violence program within the charter schools(Andrew J Brown). He is getting grant monies to teach other people's kids about non violence. I too am glad that he is not around my kids. How pathetic. How in the heck did he write off his student loans?
ReplyDeleteramon batts has a mail order theology 'degree'. I feel sorry for any church members he pastors...
ReplyDeleteI think it's really cruel and unfair to make anonymous attacks against someone and their character, they way some are making comments against Dr. Batts. It's like slapping someone on the dark and lying about it when the lights are turned on.
ReplyDeleteEverybody needs to stop getting on DR.BATTS' back. He probably has more degrees than any of you that are talking about him. It's bad enough that you all are talking about him but you all are doing it anonymously. This is disappointing. I was there when he got his Doctors Degree.
ReplyDeleteThis guy is a joke.
ReplyDeleteAs President of Mapleton Fall Creek Neighborhood Assoc., he has done nothing in 8 months. What a waste.
I've read some of this guy's writing. He is illiterate and rambling. Whatever schools he attended should be quite embarrassed.
ReplyDeleteHe appears to many to be a fraud, liar and yes man.
All defensive talk and no action.