Fabulous idea! I have looked extensively into starting a charter school. The Mayor's charter school website offers terrific information, example applications of charter schools that did and did not get approved and funding sources. The application itself is really in-depth and would require a group of committed individuals to see it through. Me personally? I would love to start a school where there is joy put back into real-world learning, including inquiry-based projects, field trips and community service. How could we set up a site where interested individuals could sign up?
I didn't get laid off, but I would be excited to join a group starting a school (I don't care what kind of school . . . charter, private, whatever). Our school would limit class sizes so we could teach, insist that our students be well-behaved (and have serious consequences when they are not), have an infusion of academic support, and prepare all of our kids for college. In short, I would work to create the school for my students that I want for my own kids. We could do this without some idiot who could no more lead a school than finger paint. We could still have union representation (I have checked the charter law, and teachers can organize if they choose), and we would focus resources on making sure that great teaching is valued. More than anything, we would tell the truth. If you are making all of our jobs harder by virtue of the fact that you are a miserable instructor, a poor classroom manager, or you lack sufficient content knowledge, we, as your colleagues, will tell you so, and then we will show you the door. I would love to work in a school where great teachers get paid and awful teachers get relieved of duty. Sign me up!
I'm still in school and won't graduate until 2012, but I would love to teach in a charter school established by teachers. In a perfect world, I'd prefer a non-unionized school, but that's not a hill I'm willing to die on. I love the idea of real-world learning. I even have a notebook of ideas I plan to use when I'm a teacher of how to incorporate standards and objectives into projects where those skills and lessons are used in real life (industry, academia, charity, home and family, etc.)
It is obvious that the above posting was made by someone who has not taught yet. His/Her anti union barb showed just how naive he/she is. The rhetoric of the right wing has trapped that person. Beside representing teachers in contracts and job protections, teachers unions are busy in state capitols and D.C. working to improve teaching and learning conditions for teachers and students. It is a shame that someone so young has allowed the flame throwing of the right wing influence his/her way of thinking.
I have been thinking that a charter school is needed that begins the students education at age 3 especially for disadvantaged kids. This way the students are much better prepared both socially and academically by the time they reach Kindergarten.
Not if they start with academics at age three, they need developmentally appropriate activities that build background knowledge. Look at the Harvard study about developmental milestones. http://www.hepg.org/hel/article/479 Pushing things on kids who are not ready for them simply creates kids who already view themselves as failures....
At risk kids are often at-risk because their parents haven't been active participants in parenting. It is a lot more that toilet training and feeding your kid...take them places, talk to them.
I didn't mean education in the form of academics but precisely the kind of background knowledge that more advantaged children receive from their parents. Having books read to them,play that is both free, safe, and stimulating. Trips to local places etc. It is all of that which prepares a child to start school ready to learn academics. I guess I wasn't specific enough before. Sorry
I looked all through the line items that are being cut (see ips email from Bewley, or Indychannel.com).
I couldn't find anyplace where clothing or vehicle allowances for Big Gene were reduced, but we are eliminating the people who fix the kids' musical instruments!
I'm still in school, but I'm not young. I'm 38. I'm not naive, and I'm not uninformed. I'm not even particularly anti-union. But part of what appeals to me about working in a charter school is being able to be autonomous and innovative. Unions can be as limiting as school boards, no? But like I said, it's not like I would refuse to work in a school that was unionized. It's just not my personal preference. The fact that not a single charter school in Indiana is unionized is evidence that I'm not alone.
Someone I know looked into starting a charter school and reported that there is a MOUND of paperwork. It would take over a year to get things started. I would LOVE to open a charter school with effective, motivated, and child-focused teachers. My rif may just be a blessing in disguise. I would only come back to IPS if I was guaranteed my current school. Although there are a handful of teachers that should be ousted from my school, there are many who share my passion. Our administrators are fabulous and very easy to work for. It's been a great year! I will check this blog off and on for info about starting up a charter school. Sign me up, too!
"I would LOVE to open a charter school with effective, motivated, and child-focused teachers."
It's harder to find motivated, focused students who want to learn or parents that are equally excited...dream on people. This state has cleverly turned the image of the noblest profession- teaching into that of an overpaid Detroit autoworker. Much like another political group has turned people against Muslims without a reason.
I had the same idea, first I would hand pick the students, then after ADM, force 3/4 of them to resign and head back to their boundary school. I could make millions in a few years, fire the teachers that I don't need and pay myself $500,000 per year. Ballard would keep rubber stamping my operations, as I would hire a few "temp" to cry and beg" the board to keep us going for ten to fifteen years. $$$$$
And the last two posts show the mindset that charter school families and teachers are escaping. I mean really, how can you not be embarrassed to post the things you do! Give me disinterested students and distrustful parents over dishonest, incompetent teachers any day of the week. I have ways of engaging difficult students and parents, but toxic teachers make a real teacher's job so much more difficult because we have to repair their damage before we can even get started. I honestly would work for 30,000 a year for the rest of my life if I could work in an urban school with inspired, intelligent, capable teachers who believe in their own power and ability.
Okay, we get it, Ms. Bender doesn't like charter schools, even if her understanding of charter schools is completely fictional. That doesn't mean the rest of us can't discuss it.
If you started your own charter schools, you could accept special needs students until after ADM and then tell the parents back to the public school since you did not have the staff to provide services. You would not need to hire a special education teacher, speech therapist, PT, OT, Psychologist, special education assistants or be bothered with those pesky case conferences. The other charter schools already do that.
My child goes to a charter school for the second year and has special needs with an IEP. Special education teachers and speech therapist are all there and work with my child. Perhaps some charters are different, but the one I know does an outstanding job with many children with various special needs and communicates with their parents. Please don't lump them all together, unless you have visited each of them to see which fit your description.
I teach at a charter school, and we have special needs students and staff too. Also, it wouldn't make sense for schools to send back students after ADM. Some charter schools have waiting lists, so the spot would be immediately filled, and no money would be saved. And the charters without waiting lists aren't at maximum enrollment, so they are trying to INCREASE enrollment, not get rid of students. Plus, even if, hypothetically, for whatever reason, someone from a charter school was going to recommend a different choice of school to a parent, they certainly wouldn't recommend IPS. These are families who have already gotten so fed up with IPS that they left. The only groups who leave charter schools for IPS with any sort of statistical significance are those who move away from the charter school mid-year. A solution to this would be to revamp the funding process to divide funding into two dates, for example early September and then late January. But then IPS would lose all the funding it receives for students who leave or drop out, which is far more students than the handful of mid-year transfers into IPS.
So what kind of health insurance coverage do you have at that charter school? How many students per classroom? What is your percentage of passing the ISTEP and most importantly what is the name of this fabulous institution?
I have the best health coverage (Advantage HMO) dental, vision and benefits that are much more superior than when I was in IPS. I don't pay a lot for it either. I don't make what I made, but I can actually TEACH. I have involved parents and we offer so many opportunities for kids. I am not around toxic union teachers who drive in from the stick to collect their 50K and degrade kids all day.
I'm an IPS teacher, but the accusation that struggling students are pushed out of charter schools is verifiably false. Most charter school students are behind when they enroll. People don't leave their schools for charter schools unless there is a problem. Instead of making up rumors about charter schools, we should learn from the families who are leaving IPS and focus on repairing the problems so that families feel they can trust IPS with their children.
Remember that charter school teachers negotiate their own salaries, so even though one teacher might make more than IPS scale, another teacher might make less. Or one teacher might agree to take on more students and/or larger classrooms for higher pay, or take a lower salary for fewer or smaller classes, or for a higher performance bonus, or whatever.
Under no circumstances should anyone here feel secure in divulging any personal or identifying information. The blogmaster has exposed the identity of anonymous posters before, and people have used information from this blog and posted it on the Star forums and vice versa. ISTEP percentages are easily available online. The phishing tactics being employed are much more suspicious.
My charter school ISTEP pass rate is 70% higher than the IPS pass rate. If we don't count the students who have been here less than 2 years (still recovering from IPS), our percentages are even higher. We have 89% free/reduced lunch, 13% special ed, 25% ELL, and we have made AYP every year we've been eligible. While you're over there wringing your hands that it can't be done, we're over here getting it done.
The point is that people are raving about how GREAT their charter school is, and putting our ips schools down. If you can't identify where this greatness is, it's probably made up. I could look up their ISTEP pass rate if I KNEW WHAT SCHOOL IT WAS! Since it's all a big mystery you are probably lying.
My school passes ISTEP with a 48% pass rate, if you pass 70% higher than mine, that makes your pass rate 118%. Impossible. Liar.
Indianapolis Public Schools’ reckless spending to blame for mass teacher layoffsBy Ben | Published: April 14, 2011 Indianapolis Public School’s decision to lay off 357 educators comes after a school year full of questionable expenses by the school corporation. Before blaming the layoffs solely on state funding cuts, Superintendent Eugene White should reflect on how a series of unwise spending decisions and pay raises have contributed to IPS’s $21 million budget hole.
In February, White pressured the school board into giving $45,000 in pay raises to top administrators.
Last November, EAG reported that the principals of five troubled high schools were all paid more than $100,000 in 2009-10. These were the same principals who White indirectly blamed for failing to “properly supervise” the bad teachers working in those schools.
EAG’s investigation also revealed that 177 IPS administrators received compensation packages worth at least $100,000 in 2009-10, and 251 of 258 administrators received compensation of at least $80,000. (IPS’s Top 10 administrators earned more than $150,000 in 2009-10.)
IPS’s 2009-10 salary schedule for teachers gave 2 percent across-the-board raises. Since the corporation “does not track payroll cost by school year,” IPS was unable to determine how much was spent on automatic pay raises for educators.
Step increases in districts with similar step guides and fewer teachers than IPS can total well over $1 million per year.
Additionally, records show that IPS paid out $13.4 million in retirement bonuses in 2010 alone.
Another hugely unnecessary drain on the IPS budget was taxpayer-funded cell phones for IPS administrators. EAG reported that IPS spent $24,812.29 on cellular charges during December 2009. Simple math suggests that the school system could pay out about $225,000 for the service over the course of a school year.
Taken altogether, the IPS has been unwise in managing its finances, and now students will be forced to live with the consequences in terms of larger class sizes and cuts to academic programs.
If IPS had managed its finances better and eliminated the waste, a good number of teachers would not have to be laid off. The IPS took a bad economic situation and made it worse. Indiana’s taxpayers deserve better than what they’re getting from IPS’s leadership.
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The funny thing is, I knew if I said "every year we've been open" you'd say "That's impossible!! There can't be improvement the first year!! She's lying!!" I also avoided, "every year it was possible" because then you'd counter "yes, we've done it every year it was possible too. Most years it's not possible because students are stupid evil beasts." So I used the word eligible. You don't like that either. Let me clarify. We opened in 2003. We made AYP every year since 2004. I don't think I'm the one who looks silly when you act like this.
Why do you put words in IPS teachers' mouths? This is my 33rd year. I've NEVER heard any staff member or educator refer to our students at "stupid evil beasts".
I call bullshit. I only taught at IPS two years and not a single day went by when I didn't hear a teacher insult children's intelligence and morality and compare them or their parents to animals or demons. And there are countless posts on this blog that say basically the same thing (even if they don't use the exact words "stupid evil beasts") As others have said (I think there are at least two of us who post here, because not all the charter school teacher comments are mine), the environment and atmosphere at charter schools is completely different. I'm sure it's hard for you to imagine after 33 years, but until you escape IPS, you don't realize how toxic it really is there.
I too call bullshit. I have worked at IPS for many years and I have found that most teachers are dedicated and truly care about their students. These charter school "teachers" get on here and only talk about how wonderful it is on their cloud. No place is that perfect. Every job has it's ups and downs, good days and bad days.
My charter school has a PPO where I choose my own doctor. We have low office visit co-pays, and an 80/20 split on major medical procedures. My yearly out of pocket maximum is $3,000 (then I don't pay anything more). We pay $150 a month for medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, and life insurance. There isn't a teacher in our building that makes less than $35,000 (that is with zero experience). This is all public information. If you succeed, you get rewarded, if you struggle, you don't. I don't have a union, but I don't need one. I am a great educator. My school is also successful (not that all charters are) . . . far more successful than schools serving a similar population. Why? We don't have better parents, brighter kids, or more money. In short, we work our behinds off, and it makes a difference for our kids. Any school can do this (even if it is in IPS). So, stop making excuses and make a difference.
Then what school is it? If you claim to be so proud of your charter school and you guys are the best and blah blah blah then tell us which school it is! You come on here and bash ips but we aren't the ones hiding which school district we work for you are. Its very amusing and says a lot about what kind of person you are (coward) when you can go on here and talk about IPS because this is a blog about IPS but you can't let us know what school you work for so we can talk about that particular school too. You are a like a kid who pinches somebody and then runs away to hid behind their mommy because you don't want any reactions to what you have done. So if you are so proud of this charter school then tell us the name or are you scared we might talk about your school in a negative way like you do IPS. All schools have a good days and bad but I can tell you this, I can at least tell people... Strangers, friends, family whomever that I work for IPS and you on the other hand can't. Keep saying your proud of where you work but are you really? Would you tell strangers, friends and family where you work? Or just say it's this great place but I'm not telling you where.
More progaganda and brain washing...Charter teachers are sooo much better and blah blah blah. Wonder what the Charter school teachers are saying at the Charters that are closing around the nation? http://www.uscharterschools.org/cs/dia/view/dai/95?x-t=summary.view
......and if teaching in Charter schools is sooooo great then why? Teacher turnover rates at charter schools nationwide are more than double those of traditional public schools, according to a study done by the National Center on School Choice
For me, it's not that I'm afraid to tell you what school I work at, it's that I'm afraid I can be identified if I give that information. Charter schools don't have thousands of teachers like IPS. It would be the equivalent of you telling us which school and grade level you teach. You wouldn't be telling us exactly who you were but you would be making it much easier to figure out because you'd be narrowing the possibilities down to a dozen or so teachers.
Charter schools aren't perfect and teachers who don't like urban kids and urban problems leave charter schools just like young teachers often leave IPS. But for the "lifers" the ones who will work with urban kids forever because that's what they love doing, I think most charter schools in the city are better than IPS. I don't know if your turnover numbers are correct because you didn't say where they came from, but I guarantee you, teachers aren't leaving charter schools for other urban district schools. They're either leaving the city, or leaving teaching. On the other hand, teachers ARE leaving urban district schools for charter schools. Not because they're magic or perfect. They're neither. But they're better than the alternatives.
Bs no it wouldn't. All it would be is saying the school name. That's all. Can't figure out much from a school name. I don't care of you are elementary, high school, or middle school or if you teach in s special area. Charter schools have plenty of employees, I know I have worked at one and left it for IPS! All we want to know is what's the name ? That's all!!! As I said, you talk all sorts of negativity about IPS but you won't dare tell us where you work? Nice try, but it still is a coward move.
Yes. Most of the magnet schools are good. I personally would choose an IPS k-8 magnet over most of the Indianapolis charter schools, from a parent's perspective. They have admittance requirements, so they don't have the behavior problems that boundary schools and charter schools have, and you have to enroll in a magnet school way in advance, so you don't get the families who move around a lot. The magnet schools have more funding, more teacher support, and more quality experienced teachers compared to charter schools, with none of the toxic or burned out teachers.
I went to School 46 yesterday. What a wonderful place. Well behaved students, cheeful teachers, obviously a great principal. We should all be so lucky. Oh and yes, AYP.
I bet their teachers aren't afraid to identify their school.
Some of you burned out, downtrodden teachers need to look in the mirror and ask yourselves if you are being ethical by staying in the classroom. Karma is a bitch, which is why you are so miserable. Do us all a favor: have the courage to get yourselves in check by NOT blaming parents, administrators and young teacher; could the problem be staring back at you? I left the classroom after 17 years of giving teaching my all. It was mentally time to go for me, and my motto is that I always want to go to bed at night with a clean heart. Maybe some of you should do the same because you know you aren't current on your methods, your rapport with students and parents, and you spend more time griping and gossiping about incompetent administrators and young teachers than you do trying to reinvent yourself, delving into a scholarly journal on teaching, or having the humility askingone of our many coaches to help you improve.
I'm a middle-aged teacher too, and I learn from new teachers and veteran teachers alike. The best teachers out there are veteran teachers who have use their experience and passion for teaching to constantly learn and improve their craft. But those teachers are few and far between. So many older teachers are more like the ones who post here -- angry, burned out, and with absolutely no interest whatsoever in becoming a better teacher. Many younger teachers make a lot of rookie mistakes, but they care so much about getting through to the kids that others haven't, and that's half the battle. Sure, youth is arrogant. That's been the case since the beginning of time. It's one of the best and worst things about being young. If veteran teachers would combine their expertise with some of the energy, passion, and technology that some of the young teachers are using, no charter school in the city could touch IPS. It's our game to lose, and we seem in very real danger of losing it.
Well, 32 percent of new teachers nationally leave teaching within their first two years of starting teaching careers and 62 percent leave within five years.
Obviously, the energy and passion wears out pretty fast.
Not too many, percentage wise, want to put up with the low pay, lack of respect from bosses and often students, long hours of work during the school year.
With what Daniels and the Legislature is doing at this very moment, there is going to be a tremendous teacher shortage within a few years.
H. OFFICIAL NOTIFICATIONS The Superintendent recommends the cancellation of the administrative contracts for the following certificated personnel. The reduction will become effective at the close of the 2010-2011 school year.
Don't know Christina Shepard, but do know the other three, The loss of Linda Poulter is very sad, she has been a real advocate for music education in IPS for years. I can hardly wait to see the districts line up to hire the other two, after all that is how Dr. White explained their high salaries.
Oh my God, Pamela Denny-Rohrbach and Prudence Bridgwaters, both of them are so hateful? Who can Dr. White find that can screw up school system like these partners? I know that the township schools have all ready lined up interviews for these two professionals for their stownships. Pamela and Prudence it's karma, what comes around goes around, I hope this places undue stress for paying your bills.
Here's another question. If Ritalin and Adderall are in short supply and a lot of pharmacies won't get more for a month, how will that affect IPS test scores when 1/5 of students are special ed? Testing starts in one week. I am wondering if this shortage was planned? The shortage was just talked about on Channel 13 news at 5:30. Charter schools have about 12% special ed compared to our 20%.
You think the pharmaceutical companies are in cahoots with charter schools? How would that make sense? What on earth could they possibly gain? And why would drug companies plan a drug shortage when it would cost them so much money? I think you need to adjust your tin foil hat a little.
It looks like you might be right, the notice last week said 6 administrators would return to the classroom, instead it looks like six administrators will instead be "on special assignment". It looks like he missed the deadlines to get rid of these people again.
Charter school teachers have to say good things or they will lose their jobs. They won't admit that they send the troubled students back to public schools. They won't admit how many of their teachers are not licensed. They won't admit how little money they make. They won't admit the very high teacher turnover rate. They won't admit how many of their teachers are interviewing in public schools trying to get the hell out of the school factories!!!
OK boys and girls. Read the above paragraph and tell me what it's about. What does the author want to tell you. Very good. The author wants you to believe that charter schools are inferior to boundary schools. Are the author's statements objective or subjective. Exactly. They are objective because they can be proven right or wrong. So what sources could we use to verify the accuracy of the author's claims? Yes, the IDOE would be a good place to start to prove or disprove the claims about teacher licenses, experience, salaries, and student mobility. What other sources? Very good. We could look for research on teacher satisfaction in various types of schools. How would we look for it? Yes, Google would be a good start. Anywhere else? Excellent! Academic journals! Does anyone know where we could search all kinds of academic literature for research on teacher satisfaction. ERIC! Yes! Great job, boys and girls! I love this class! Wonderful critical thinking skills! If you learn nothing else in school, you must learn to separate objective from subjective information, and always verify sources. Class dismissed.
Why is lame Superintendent of Public Instruction trying to hide his dissertation submitted on April 15, 2005? Perhaps it is because he set out to prove that teacher unions and just cause clauses in contracts hindered the dismissal of poor teachers. After research his own conclusion was that there was no resistance from unions and that the just cause clause did NOT impeded the dismissal process. It shows how shallow he is that he now takes the opposite position of his dissertation conclusions and does it for purely partisan political reasons. I think SHALLOW sums him pretty well.
@Ok boys and girls. Sounds like a charter school teacher or administrator has too much time on his/her hands. Probably because most of the students have been sent back to public schools. It is filled with typical educational jargon and is no more than an attempt to obfuscate the true picture from the public. That is a frequently used tactic by the Charter school propaganda machine.
I'm an IPS parent, and I'm happy with my child's school. But just out of curiosity, is the person who posted the last two posts an IPS teacher? If so, which school?
Actually, not just the last two posts. I'd be curious if the poster (or posters) of the last eight posts are from IPS teachers. (Except for the "okay boys and girls" one. Kind of snarky, but not as over-the-top as the other posts. Are these posts typical of views of IPS teachers, or would this be over-the-top to other IPS teachers as well?
Yes, this is over-the-top to other IPS teachers as well. There are certainly some sourpusses in IPS, but I don't know a single teacher that is anything like the person who posts this kind of craziness. Most of us are fairly normal, I swear!!
"I'm an IPS parent, and I'm happy with my child's school. But just out of curiosity, is the person who posted the last two posts an IPS teacher? If so, which school?"
Please don't take this blog seriously. I teach at an IPS school and I love my school, my students and my parents. This blog does not speak for ALL of IPS. Many of us don't have an axe to grind with downtown, the School Board or Dr. White. We recognize the state lobbyists and policymakers as the REAL enemies. Phony education reform disguised as being "for kids" is really all about handing over public money to corporate pals. Nothing will change for the better of our students.
I do have problems with the School Board, has one of them asked teachers if SpringBoard is working? A simple survey would answer their questions, or are the netbooks the students are given, are they helping in the classroom?
For those of you who think education reform is about corporate profit, I suggest you read The Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto (a veteran public school teacher). School choice breaks up the corporate powers, corruption and greed created from education monopolies. I hate to sound like our resident conspiracy theorist, but the "propaganda machine" is what makes otherwise intelligent people believe the state should have total control over educating children and that teachers unions are benevolent doers of good. The socialist factory model for educating children has failed. It will be nothing but an embarrassing blip in the history books. Democracies and education work best when people have control over their own lives, their own families, and their own choices. If we want to publicly fund education, fine. If we don't fine. But either way, we need to give back control of education to parents. The whole point of taking it in the first place was to "fix" city kids (specifically the Irish and then the Slavic immigrant kids). Not only did it not work, it made things worse. As we all know, when schools and parents are on opposite sides, children don't tend to learn what we want them to, and they understandably become resentful at being forced into a position of inferiority. I think history will be amazed that we ever fell for state-controlled public education in the first place. It's actually a good example of exactly how effective government propaganda can be. (Along with other famous examples, like Manifest Destiny, slavery, and the Holocaust.)
Where's the outrage? It's nepotism in your face! Eugene White has taken a principal of a failing high school, Larry Yarrell, and given him a plum position at Tech---"Campus Administrator"! Larry Yarrell's wife is a sister to Eugene White's wife! Now, with his brother-in-law as principal and his son, Reggie, as assistant principal, Eugene White, nepotist, can thumb his nose at the school board, the State, the teachers and anyone else as he laughs all the way to the bank!
From John Taylor Gatto (who I'm not sure believes in any kind of structured education) This is why many alternative schooling ideas fizzle out quickly. However inadvertently, most of them breed an independence of mind which inevitably gets people thinking about self-sufficiency. From the point of view of big government, big corporation, big institution the incentive to support educational practices whose graduates would not fit easily into your own plans just isn't there
Standardized testing, which has always been about standardization and never about quality standards, must no longer be debated, but brutally and finally destroyed if schooling is ever again to take up a mission of intellect and character enhancement
I have no problem with doing away with standardized testing if we have a voucher system (which it looks like we will). Then the free market forces ensure taxpayers get what they pay for. However in a state-run education system, the state takes responsibility for deciding what programs are best and what's the most efficient use of money. Standardized testing is the only way to objectively measure student progress.
Gatto tends to frame his arguments in a black/white way, either oppressive, ineffective schooling or completely self-directed. I do think there is middle ground.
I have a problem with school vouchers, the amount should tied to the amount of property taxes that you pay to the county/township. No free rides by Mitch and Bennett. I will not support private schools with my tax dollars. Parents need to pay out of pocket like my family did for years. That is why we formed a Family Trust, to pay for services, housekeeping,vehicles, travel, and education. I refuse to fund private schools for poor families, we need to cut the tax rates for the higher level families, not increase the taxes.
That makes no sense. Why tie it to property taxes? If taxpayers are going to pay for education, it should be equal, not based on income or property values. Otherwise, just privatize education completely.
I'm all for charter schools. I get tired of renewing my license every 5 years. I'll just stick with the knowledge I have now and teach for the next 20 years without ever gaining new techniques.
INDIANAPOLIS -- The family of an embattled Indianapolis teen could lose their taxpayer funded rent assistance because of alleged illegal activity inside his mother's home. 6News has learned that Brandon Johnson's mother, Chantay Chandler, received a letter from the Indianapolis Housing Agency late last week warning her that she was in violation of the federal code of regulations. The notice was triggered a month after Indianapolis Metro Police reported finding a gun and drugs inside Chandler's home on the 7700 block of Mountain Stream Way.
The Marion County Prosecutor's office recently made the Housing agency aware of what police found insider her home, 6News' Rafael Sanchez reported. Police said Chandler is being given 10 days to appeal the agency's decision or lose her monthly rent assistance which ranges from $900 to $1,000 a month. _______________________________________________
Maybe I'm just clueless, but I had no idea that housing assistance paid $900 to $1000 each month. If so, maybe I'd be better off not working at all.
But again, it is our responsibility as teachers (Warren Township in his instance) to educate young Brandon -- no problem whatsoever, right -- since his mother is suc a fine upstanding citizen. What a f%^*+%* joke. She should lose ALL of her housing subsidy, her SSDI payments on her kids (yes, young Brandon is in special education and getting our money for his disability), and all the other perks she gets THAT WE TAXPAYERS FUND for her not willing to better herself. I am a teacher. I work my butt off every day, as does my husband, to provide for our children. We live paycheck to paycheck and over a third of my pay gets taken out for taxes, insurance and our modest retirement savings. 900 to 1,000 dollars a month! What a crock of shit! I would love it if my husband and I could afford that type of house payment.
"The family of an embattled Indianapolis teen could lose their taxpayer funded rent assistance because of alleged illegal activity inside his mother's home."
This is nothing new. In 1984, as a fourth-year teacher at IPS #114, I watched in awe as the cable company installed service to Clearstream Gardens, a notorious subsidized housing complex at Emerson and Raymond. This crime-ridden location caused the post office and fire department to request protection when entering the premises.
At this time, I was barely making MY house payments. My two IPS-enrolled children received reduced-fee lunch (yes, I know, we were receiving subsidies, but, dammit, I was working and paying taxes). Cable was a distant dream for my family.
Amazingly, our students began sleeping during the day, since they had stayed up all night watching movies.
I'm outraged too, but it's important to know that even though the cost to taxpayers is real and the profit made from the owners of subsidized rentals is real, the homes aren't really $900 to $1000 a month apartments. They're really bad complexes that most people wouldn't pay $400 a month to live in. It's not like that can take that money to a nice area and use that money for rentals.
I also take offense to the "us and them" attitude above as far as teachers and IPS families. I live in IPS and my mortgage is less than $400 a month. I work and I pay taxes. Don't my kids deserve a decent education? Their boundary school treats every family like welfare collectors. The school they go to know treats every family like they're from Carmel. There are Brandon Johnsons in every school in the state. But only IPS lets kids like that drag down everybody in the school.
Mrs. Yarrell is NOT related to the superintendent. She does have a relative that is a superintendent but not in this distrit or even anywhere in the area. Get your facts straight before make those claims.
Regarding the link, I agree with the girl and her family. The school had no legal right to go through the phone looking for pictures. The rule she broke at school was having the cell phone. They should have punished that offense, confiscated the phone until after school and that should have been the end of it. The rest was an illegal invasion of privacy, which is why she won the lawsuit.
"I'm all for charter schools. I get tired of renewing my license every 5 years. I'll just stick with the knowledge I have now and teach for the next 20 years without ever gaining new techniques."
Really?? I didn't know Kevin Teasley read this blog. You must know something we don't. NO prep time, constant, pointless meetings, discipline problems etc. If you want the corporate atmosphere without the professional pay then go for it. Honestly I've heard nothing good about working in them and I'd LIKE to think they hold hope. But those of us that left the corporate world to try and make a difference hate to see the micromanaging that has become public education. I see more "bad" parenting than "bad" instruction.Until parents AND students feel the same heat we do there will never be TRUE reform. Good luck.
NEW TOPIC.... How about the Board Report? Nothing like moving principals around (with no decrease in salary) and calling them "Administrators on Special Assignment". I see Bridgewaters is being let go too.
Oh, please four posts up. Yarrell is related to Eugene. They are in-laws, but who cares? Nepotism is nepotism, no matter how you look at it. Remember that Eugene had the nepotism policy changed so that his son could be hired in on a hiring freeze.
@ Until parents and students feel the same heat we do...
Do you know how stupid that is? That's like saying it's not fair to expect salesmen to sell unless customers are forced to buy. It's like saying police officers can't be expected to get criminals off the streets until criminals are forced to surrender. Hey dumbass, if the parents and the students already believed education was important and were already motivated, we wouldn't need teachers in the first place, now would we.
How much did IPS spend on trips to China or Taiwan a couple of years ago...the ones that Dr. White and Li-Yen Johnson enjoyed? Is IPS more transparent in its exorbitant travel spending than Wayne Township was until caught?
From Channel 6 News tonight _____________________________________________
INDIANAPOLIS -- A school district already under fire for a pricey retirement payout and lavish travel by board members is now taking heat over money spent on trips to China. Wayne Township Schools spent more than $50,000 to send board members, administrators and staff on four trips to China, in October of 2008, 2009 and 2010 and spring 2010, according to records obtained by 6News' Kara Kenney. Attendees include former Superintendent Terry Thompson, who has been criticized for his $1 million retirement package, current Superintendent Jeff Butts and school board members Stan Ellis, Mike Nance and Phyllis Lewis.
The China expenditures come as the district has cut $10 million from its budget since 2007, including 15 teaching positions -- six classroom teachers, five instructional coaches, two band directors, a transitional job coach and a volunteer literacy program lead teacher. "It doesn't sound great to have those cuts, but you're still spending money in that way," said Clay Swain, a Wayne Township taxpayer. "Why? When we have schools closing here, sending people to China when they could be taking care of our kids here," said Jessica Coning, a mother of two children in the district. "It doesn't make any sense."
Larry Yarrell gets his rocks off to the voice of Eugene White. Call anybody within Pike Township Schools and they will tell you Larry in a joke. Yes, his wife is related to Gene White. If you look at her one time, you could tell she is related to Gene White. Big, fat, and ugly. As for Kim White, leave her alone. She is the only one within the White family that can stand by herself.
I have had the chance in the last few days to talk with teachers from all over the district. Middle schools teachers and HS teachers are noticing the large number of really vicious fights that are happening in the schools. Is there something causing the uptick? Are they the usual uptick near the end of school? Are the building administrators backing down on discipline so the disruptive students believe that they the option of fighting. Several teachers have been injured lately. It is only time before a serious injury or death occurs in one of our schools.
Exactly leave Kim White alone! She is great with her kids and a great teacher! She really amazes me how much she really cares about the kids. And some of them really could use an adult like her caring about them. :)
Well good for Kim. Maybe she can pass along her morals and work ethic to her dad, brother, uncle-in-law (or whatever Yarrell is to her), and Victor Bush (I am sure he is related to someone, somehow) too.
A "Administrator on Special Assignment" really just collects their normal salary, retirement, and benefits, while doing crossword puzzels at the Education Center.
I am thinking about starting the Daniels and Bennett School of Business Charter School. I will show the students how to cheat employees out of their 401K(IPL), lie to Congress/taxpayers about the cost of the Iraq War, keep changing the budget forecast for Indiana, and how to be a failing leader in a school system, but put on a phony front to the public. Then become the voice of the right and the crazy GOP with a huge salary. Cheated investors, taxpayers, or Tim Durham, please apply for teaching positions. Tim you can sleep in the boiler room, while wearing your Gucci sunglasses.
There are several of these folks listed in the recent Agenda from the Board Briefing. Most were Asst. Elementary Principals this current year, but they're new assignments (same pay) are listed as Administrators on Special Assignment.
Sounds to me like Gene and his central office clique found a not so hidden method of gathering yet more administrators into the Ed Center fold.
And by the way, what the heck is a Principal Practitioner? Hell, I thought all Principals were supposed to be practitioners. Or, does that mean we have a Principal who needs practice? That's another one of those newly minted job titles!
As far as Keith White, he's being assigned to a new job with a brand new job title that never existed...Director of Fine Arts. Whoopee! The Board has saved another Gene White buddy's job.
I just have to say that the State of Indiana is dumb. First they pick on the teachers...and now the kids...at least that is what I would call the EARTHQUAKE DRILL one week before ISTEP. Now the Kids all think we are going to have earthquakes...It just goes to show how stupid the State is and how uneducated the adult population who runs the state are. They need to go back to school and take a class in Indiana geology.
I read the board report too, and had the same question about the principal practitioner, try Googling that. Also the Asst. Athletic Director at 716. The replacement from 57,000 to 76,000 and the new position of the current Asst. Athletic Director to GLC. Won't mention the CUT IN PAY. Whoa!
With the posibility of collective bargaining being a thing of the past, how will this affect teaching within IPS? I think we will experiences an increase in retirement.
I think the fact that so many IPS teachers are near or at retirement age, coupled with the reform and accountability measures and the state takeovers will pretty much guarantee an increase in retirement. I know some amazing veteran teachers, and I know some amazing teachers who support the reform and accountability measures, but they're not the same people. I don't know any retirement-age teachers who are excited about the changes. I imagine most will get out as soon as they can.
Speaking of retirement age, I looked for Jackie Greenwood's name on the recent Board Briefing Agenda, but it was not there. She's got to be 70 or maybe even a year or two older than 70. Not to push someone out of a job, but c'mon, enough is enough.
What is this obsession with getting rid of veteran [old] teachers? These youngsters seem to think that you become senile, lazy, uncaring and worthless at age 50. Good teachers come in all ages. So do poor ones. Just look at SOME of the 2 year wonders that have come from the assembly line in the last couple of years
I don't think there is an obsession with getting rid of veteran teachers. I think there is an obsession with getting rid of the worst of them. Like you said, poor teachers come in all ages, but bad teachers who are also veteran teachers are the most expensive, and the least likely to accept coaching, improvement strategies, etc.
I also am in favor of getting rid of poor performing teachers but some of those are new teachers and some are the Teach for America teachers. Many of the TFA teachers think and say that all veteran teachers need to be gone because they need a job. How biased and selfish can one person be.
I would also like your source of data that veteran teachers are least likely to accept coaching, improvement strategies. The veterans are least likely to stay out drinking until the wee hours of the morning and come to school hungover and still reeking of alcohol.
The Teach for America people we saw were flunkies who couldn't make it in the corporate world who were lousy teachers as well. They couldn't relate to the kids and didn't understand the teacher workload. The young, new teachers were consumed with their dating life, Broad Ripple and where their parents were paying for them to go for Spring Break. I saw a few crying to their students over a breakup with a boyfriend-pathetic and unprofessional. This was their first real-paying job so it was like giving the Lottery to a homeless person. Whoopee. Plus once they get married they were always on maternity leave. Afterwards after three kids, they figured that they paid MORE in daycare so they became stay-at-home moms instead. This "glorification" of new teachers is all about cutting wages. They have their share of "bad" in their group as well. Don't be fooled by Mitch's commercial on new teachers. Voters should know how political commercials distort facts beyond lies. Sorry gang..it's just not like that in the REAL world.
What a shame about the Director of Fine Arts. Linda Poulter should have that job. She has done more for music than any one in IPS. Now we'll see how Song Fest, Folk Dance, BOA, contests, kids performing at board meetings, etc. etc. etc. go. And, she ATTENDED every function to support the kids and teachers. What a loss and what an insult to her that Keith got the job.
I don't know any teachers like the new ones you're describing. I know several young teachers who are in over their heads, and several more who leave to raise families, but none as unprofessional as you act like. But 75% of the teachers I know over 45 are the poster children for everything you're not supposed to do in a classroom. I'm closer to veteran than novice, so I feel like I have a balanced perspective. But I don't know how you can deny that this is a real problem in this district.
What a shame about the Director of Fine Arts. Linda Poulter should have that job. She has done more for music than any one in IPS. Now we'll see how Song Fest, Folk Dance, BOA, contests, kids performing at board meetings, etc. etc. etc. go. And, she ATTENDED every function to support the kids and teachers. What a loss and what an insult to her that Keith got the job.
Absolutely true...too bad she doesn't belong to one of the powerful mafias in IPS, and only belongs to the teachers, students, parents, and community that make up IPS.
I'm in HELL right now. I've been begging for a change in assignment for years, but I've never requested Marshall. Will JM be an improvement, or more of my private hell??
Ok, if it was me, I would go on FMLA than work at John Marshall, they had teachers walk out of the school. John Marshall is horrible and has never been under control.
Yeah, I don't know why people think many IPS teachers are defeatist and ineffective. That's just what we need at IPS, more people who think that teaching IPS kids is a private hell.
I live in the John Marshall district by the way, so I'm perfectly comfortable with John Marshall kids and John Marshall parents because they're my neighbors. But I wouldn't send my kids to John Marshall because of the defeatist, ineffective staff. It started to improve with Jeff White a few years back but of course IPS couldn't have that.
John Marshall Community High School has the best high school building in IPS. The primary reasons for the poor academic scores are due to its location and leadership. I worked for Mrs. Carol Craig and I consider her the best Principal John Marshall ever had. The best thing that could ever happen to Marshall is having the community choose who they want as the Principal of the school. The community hates outsiders such as the IDOE and anyone who is assigned to be the Principal or a teacher for school.
"I worked for Mrs. Carol Craig and I consider her the best Principal John Marshall ever had."
Sweetie, whatever you're smoking, I want some of it too :-) I won't drink the Kool-Aid though =8-O
Good Lord, where have you been if you think Carol Craig was a good administrator? That woman personified evil at its best, and that was some of her better points. When she was appointed aa a mentor to Yvonne Rambo, that was like pouring stink on shit.
Fabulous idea! I have looked extensively into starting a charter school. The Mayor's charter school website offers terrific information, example applications of charter schools that did and did not get approved and funding sources. The application itself is really in-depth and would require a group of committed individuals to see it through. Me personally? I would love to start a school where there is joy put back into real-world learning, including inquiry-based projects, field trips and community service. How could we set up a site where interested individuals could sign up?
ReplyDeleteI didn't get laid off, but I would be excited to join a group starting a school (I don't care what kind of school . . . charter, private, whatever). Our school would limit class sizes so we could teach, insist that our students be well-behaved (and have serious consequences when they are not), have an infusion of academic support, and prepare all of our kids for college. In short, I would work to create the school for my students that I want for my own kids. We could do this without some idiot who could no more lead a school than finger paint. We could still have union representation (I have checked the charter law, and teachers can organize if they choose), and we would focus resources on making sure that great teaching is valued. More than anything, we would tell the truth. If you are making all of our jobs harder by virtue of the fact that you are a miserable instructor, a poor classroom manager, or you lack sufficient content knowledge, we, as your colleagues, will tell you so, and then we will show you the door. I would love to work in a school where great teachers get paid and awful teachers get relieved of duty. Sign me up!
ReplyDeleteI'm still in school and won't graduate until 2012, but I would love to teach in a charter school established by teachers. In a perfect world, I'd prefer a non-unionized school, but that's not a hill I'm willing to die on. I love the idea of real-world learning. I even have a notebook of ideas I plan to use when I'm a teacher of how to incorporate standards and objectives into projects where those skills and lessons are used in real life (industry, academia, charity, home and family, etc.)
ReplyDeleteThis would be a wonderful thing! How can we sign up?! Let's think of a way to get a group started...
ReplyDeleteIt is obvious that the above posting was made by someone who has not taught yet. His/Her anti union barb showed just how naive he/she is. The rhetoric of the right wing has trapped that person. Beside representing teachers in contracts and job protections, teachers unions are busy in state capitols and D.C. working to improve teaching and learning conditions for teachers and students. It is a shame that someone so young has allowed the flame throwing of the right wing influence his/her way of thinking.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.susanohanian.org//outrage_fetch.php?id=914
ReplyDeleteYou must read this on the attack on teachers and schools.
I have been thinking that a charter school is needed that begins the students education at age 3 especially for disadvantaged kids. This way the students are much better prepared both socially and academically by the time they reach Kindergarten.
ReplyDeleteNot if they start with academics at age three, they need developmentally appropriate activities that build background knowledge. Look at the Harvard study about developmental milestones.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.hepg.org/hel/article/479
Pushing things on kids who are not ready for them simply creates kids who already view themselves as failures....
At risk kids are often at-risk because their parents haven't been active participants in parenting. It is a lot more that toilet training and feeding your kid...take them places, talk to them.
I didn't mean education in the form of academics but precisely the kind of background knowledge that more advantaged children receive from their parents. Having books read to them,play that is both free, safe, and stimulating. Trips to local places etc. It is all of that which prepares a child to start school ready to learn academics. I guess I wasn't specific enough before. Sorry
ReplyDeleteI looked all through the line items that are being cut (see ips email from Bewley, or Indychannel.com).
ReplyDeleteI couldn't find anyplace where clothing or vehicle allowances for Big Gene were reduced, but we are eliminating the people who fix the kids' musical instruments!
I'm still in school, but I'm not young. I'm 38. I'm not naive, and I'm not uninformed. I'm not even particularly anti-union. But part of what appeals to me about working in a charter school is being able to be autonomous and innovative. Unions can be as limiting as school boards, no? But like I said, it's not like I would refuse to work in a school that was unionized. It's just not my personal preference. The fact that not a single charter school in Indiana is unionized is evidence that I'm not alone.
ReplyDeleteMy question about these cuts...will these people be able to return to classrooms and bump more teachers to the RIF list?
ReplyDeleteSomeone I know looked into starting a charter school and reported that there is a MOUND of paperwork. It would take over a year to get things started. I would LOVE to open a charter school with effective, motivated, and child-focused teachers. My rif may just be a blessing in disguise. I would only come back to IPS if I was guaranteed my current school. Although there are a handful of teachers that should be ousted from my school, there are many who share my passion. Our administrators are fabulous and very easy to work for. It's been a great year! I will check this blog off and on for info about starting up a charter school. Sign me up, too!
ReplyDelete"I would LOVE to open a charter school with effective, motivated, and child-focused teachers."
ReplyDeleteIt's harder to find motivated, focused students who want to learn or parents that are equally excited...dream on people. This state has cleverly turned the image of the noblest profession- teaching into that of an overpaid Detroit autoworker. Much like another political group has turned people against Muslims without a reason.
I had the same idea, first I would hand pick the students, then after ADM, force 3/4 of them to resign and head back to their boundary school. I could make millions in a few years, fire the teachers that I don't need and pay myself $500,000 per year. Ballard would keep rubber stamping my operations, as I would hire a few "temp" to cry and beg" the board to keep us going for ten to fifteen years. $$$$$
ReplyDeleteAnd the last two posts show the mindset that charter school families and teachers are escaping. I mean really, how can you not be embarrassed to post the things you do! Give me disinterested students and distrustful parents over dishonest, incompetent teachers any day of the week. I have ways of engaging difficult students and parents, but toxic teachers make a real teacher's job so much more difficult because we have to repair their damage before we can even get started. I honestly would work for 30,000 a year for the rest of my life if I could work in an urban school with inspired, intelligent, capable teachers who believe in their own power and ability.
ReplyDeleteOkay, we get it, Ms. Bender doesn't like charter schools, even if her understanding of charter schools is completely fictional. That doesn't mean the rest of us can't discuss it.
ReplyDeleteIf you started your own charter schools, you could accept special needs students until after ADM and then tell the parents back to the public school since you did not have the staff to provide services. You would not need to hire a special education teacher, speech therapist, PT, OT, Psychologist, special education assistants or be bothered with those pesky case conferences. The other charter schools already do that.
ReplyDeleteMy child goes to a charter school for the second year and has special needs with an IEP. Special education teachers and speech therapist are all there and work with my child. Perhaps some charters are different, but the one I know does an outstanding job with many children with various special needs and communicates with their parents. Please don't lump them all together, unless you have visited each of them to see which fit your description.
ReplyDeleteI teach at a charter school, and we have special needs students and staff too. Also, it wouldn't make sense for schools to send back students after ADM. Some charter schools have waiting lists, so the spot would be immediately filled, and no money would be saved. And the charters without waiting lists aren't at maximum enrollment, so they are trying to INCREASE enrollment, not get rid of students. Plus, even if, hypothetically, for whatever reason, someone from a charter school was going to recommend a different choice of school to a parent, they certainly wouldn't recommend IPS. These are families who have already gotten so fed up with IPS that they left. The only groups who leave charter schools for IPS with any sort of statistical significance are those who move away from the charter school mid-year. A solution to this would be to revamp the funding process to divide funding into two dates, for example early September and then late January. But then IPS would lose all the funding it receives for students who leave or drop out, which is far more students than the handful of mid-year transfers into IPS.
ReplyDeleteSo what kind of health insurance coverage do you have at that charter school? How many students per classroom? What is your percentage of passing the ISTEP and most importantly what is the name of this fabulous institution?
ReplyDeleteI may want to work there.
I have the best health coverage (Advantage HMO) dental, vision and benefits that are much more superior than when I was in IPS. I don't pay a lot for it either. I don't make what I made, but I can actually TEACH. I have involved parents and we offer so many opportunities for kids. I am not around toxic union teachers who drive in from the stick to collect their 50K and degrade kids all day.
ReplyDeleteThe percentage of passing should be high since students who are struggling are sent back to the public schools.
ReplyDeleteI'm an IPS teacher, but the accusation that struggling students are pushed out of charter schools is verifiably false. Most charter school students are behind when they enroll. People don't leave their schools for charter schools unless there is a problem. Instead of making up rumors about charter schools, we should learn from the families who are leaving IPS and focus on repairing the problems so that families feel they can trust IPS with their children.
ReplyDeleteRemember that charter school teachers negotiate their own salaries, so even though one teacher might make more than IPS scale, another teacher might make less. Or one teacher might agree to take on more students and/or larger classrooms for higher pay, or take a lower salary for fewer or smaller classes, or for a higher performance bonus, or whatever.
ReplyDeleteSo, once again, which charter school is this?
ReplyDeleteAnd you conveniently left off your ISTEP percentages.
If you won't tell us, it seems rather suspicious.
Under no circumstances should anyone here feel secure in divulging any personal or identifying information. The blogmaster has exposed the identity of anonymous posters before, and people have used information from this blog and posted it on the Star forums and vice versa. ISTEP percentages are easily available online. The phishing tactics being employed are much more suspicious.
ReplyDeleteMy charter school ISTEP pass rate is 70% higher than the IPS pass rate. If we don't count the students who have been here less than 2 years (still recovering from IPS), our percentages are even higher. We have 89% free/reduced lunch, 13% special ed, 25% ELL, and we have made AYP every year we've been eligible. While you're over there wringing your hands that it can't be done, we're over here getting it done.
ReplyDeleteThe point is that people are raving about how GREAT their charter school is, and putting our ips schools down. If you can't identify where this greatness is, it's probably made up.
ReplyDeleteI could look up their ISTEP pass rate if I KNEW WHAT SCHOOL IT WAS! Since it's all a big mystery you are probably lying.
My school passes ISTEP with a 48% pass rate, if you pass 70% higher than mine, that makes your pass rate 118%. Impossible. Liar.
You're obviously not a math teacher. 70% of 48 is 33.6. 48 + 33.6 is 81. I'm not the charter school teacher, just thought I'd help with the math.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/04/11
ReplyDeleteThis whole blog is about putting IPS down.
ReplyDeleteIndianapolis Public Schools’ reckless spending to blame for mass teacher layoffsBy Ben | Published: April 14, 2011
ReplyDeleteIndianapolis Public School’s decision to lay off 357 educators comes after a school year full of questionable expenses by the school corporation. Before blaming the layoffs solely on state funding cuts, Superintendent Eugene White should reflect on how a series of unwise spending decisions and pay raises have contributed to IPS’s $21 million budget hole.
In February, White pressured the school board into giving $45,000 in pay raises to top administrators.
Last November, EAG reported that the principals of five troubled high schools were all paid more than $100,000 in 2009-10. These were the same principals who White indirectly blamed for failing to “properly supervise” the bad teachers working in those schools.
EAG’s investigation also revealed that 177 IPS administrators received compensation packages worth at least $100,000 in 2009-10, and 251 of 258 administrators received compensation of at least $80,000. (IPS’s Top 10 administrators earned more than $150,000 in 2009-10.)
IPS’s 2009-10 salary schedule for teachers gave 2 percent across-the-board raises. Since the corporation “does not track payroll cost by school year,” IPS was unable to determine how much was spent on automatic pay raises for educators.
Step increases in districts with similar step guides and fewer teachers than IPS can total well over $1 million per year.
Additionally, records show that IPS paid out $13.4 million in retirement bonuses in 2010 alone.
Another hugely unnecessary drain on the IPS budget was taxpayer-funded cell phones for IPS administrators. EAG reported that IPS spent $24,812.29 on cellular charges during December 2009. Simple math suggests that the school system could pay out about $225,000 for the service over the course of a school year.
Taken altogether, the IPS has been unwise in managing its finances, and now students will be forced to live with the consequences in terms of larger class sizes and cuts to academic programs.
If IPS had managed its finances better and eliminated the waste, a good number of teachers would not have to be laid off. The IPS took a bad economic situation and made it worse. Indiana’s taxpayers deserve better than what they’re getting from IPS’s leadership.
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"we have made AYP every year we've been eligible"
ReplyDeleteWhat??????????????
Hell, so do we at IPS! If our scores are high enough, we're eligible, and we make AYP! So there!
Silly, silly statement.
The funny thing is, I knew if I said "every year we've been open" you'd say "That's impossible!! There can't be improvement the first year!! She's lying!!" I also avoided, "every year it was possible" because then you'd counter "yes, we've done it every year it was possible too. Most years it's not possible because students are stupid evil beasts." So I used the word eligible. You don't like that either. Let me clarify. We opened in 2003. We made AYP every year since 2004. I don't think I'm the one who looks silly when you act like this.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you put words in IPS teachers' mouths? This is my 33rd year. I've NEVER heard any staff member or educator refer to our students at "stupid evil beasts".
ReplyDeleteHow dare you.
Too bad you can't be fined for simply being mean.
I call bullshit. I only taught at IPS two years and not a single day went by when I didn't hear a teacher insult children's intelligence and morality and compare them or their parents to animals or demons. And there are countless posts on this blog that say basically the same thing (even if they don't use the exact words "stupid evil beasts") As others have said (I think there are at least two of us who post here, because not all the charter school teacher comments are mine), the environment and atmosphere at charter schools is completely different. I'm sure it's hard for you to imagine after 33 years, but until you escape IPS, you don't realize how toxic it really is there.
ReplyDeleteI too call bullshit. I have worked at IPS for many years and I have found that most teachers are dedicated and truly care about their students.
ReplyDeleteThese charter school "teachers" get on here and only talk about how wonderful it is on their cloud. No place is that perfect. Every job has it's ups and downs, good days and bad days.
My charter school has a PPO where I choose my own doctor. We have low office visit co-pays, and an 80/20 split on major medical procedures. My yearly out of pocket maximum is $3,000 (then I don't pay anything more). We pay $150 a month for medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, and life insurance. There isn't a teacher in our building that makes less than $35,000 (that is with zero experience). This is all public information. If you succeed, you get rewarded, if you struggle, you don't. I don't have a union, but I don't need one. I am a great educator. My school is also successful (not that all charters are) . . . far more successful than schools serving a similar population. Why? We don't have better parents, brighter kids, or more money. In short, we work our behinds off, and it makes a difference for our kids. Any school can do this (even if it is in IPS). So, stop making excuses and make a difference.
ReplyDeleteThen what school is it? If you claim to be so proud of your charter school and you guys are the best and blah blah blah then tell us which school it is! You come on here and bash ips but we aren't the ones hiding which school district we work for you are. Its very amusing and says a lot about what kind of person you are (coward) when you can go on here and talk about IPS because this is a blog about IPS but you can't let us know what school you work for so we can talk about that particular school too. You are a like a kid who pinches somebody and then runs away to hid behind their mommy because you don't want any reactions to what you have done. So if you are so proud of this charter school then tell us the name or are you scared we might talk about your school in a negative way like you do IPS. All schools have a good days and bad but I can tell you this, I can at least tell people... Strangers, friends, family whomever that I work for IPS and you on the other hand can't. Keep saying your proud of where you work but are you really? Would you tell strangers, friends and family where you work? Or just say it's this great place but I'm not telling you where.
ReplyDeleteMore progaganda and brain washing...Charter teachers are sooo much better and blah blah blah. Wonder what the Charter school teachers are saying at the Charters that are closing around the nation?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.uscharterschools.org/cs/dia/view/dai/95?x-t=summary.view
......and if teaching in Charter schools is sooooo great then why?
Teacher turnover rates at charter schools nationwide are more than double those of traditional public schools, according to a study done by the National Center on School Choice
so save the bull
For me, it's not that I'm afraid to tell you what school I work at, it's that I'm afraid I can be identified if I give that information. Charter schools don't have thousands of teachers like IPS. It would be the equivalent of you telling us which school and grade level you teach. You wouldn't be telling us exactly who you were but you would be making it much easier to figure out because you'd be narrowing the possibilities down to a dozen or so teachers.
ReplyDeleteCharter schools aren't perfect and teachers who don't like urban kids and urban problems leave charter schools just like young teachers often leave IPS. But for the "lifers" the ones who will work with urban kids forever because that's what they love doing, I think most charter schools in the city are better than IPS. I don't know if your turnover numbers are correct because you didn't say where they came from, but I guarantee you, teachers aren't leaving charter schools for other urban district schools. They're either leaving the city, or leaving teaching. On the other hand, teachers ARE leaving urban district schools for charter schools. Not because they're magic or perfect. They're neither. But they're better than the alternatives.
ReplyDeleteBs no it wouldn't. All it would be is saying the school name. That's all. Can't figure out much from a school name. I don't care of you are elementary, high school, or middle school or if you teach in s special area. Charter schools have plenty of employees, I know I have worked at one and left it for IPS! All we want to know is what's the name ? That's all!!! As I said, you talk all sorts of negativity about IPS but you won't dare tell us where you work? Nice try, but it still is a coward move.
ReplyDeleteSorry for typos.. Typing on my phone! :)
ReplyDeleteIs the culture at the IPS magnets (#91 specifically) less toxic than what's reflected in many of the posts on this site?
ReplyDeleteYes. Most of the magnet schools are good. I personally would choose an IPS k-8 magnet over most of the Indianapolis charter schools, from a parent's perspective. They have admittance requirements, so they don't have the behavior problems that boundary schools and charter schools have, and you have to enroll in a magnet school way in advance, so you don't get the families who move around a lot. The magnet schools have more funding, more teacher support, and more quality experienced teachers compared to charter schools, with none of the toxic or burned out teachers.
ReplyDeleteI went to School 46 yesterday. What a wonderful place. Well behaved students, cheeful teachers, obviously a great principal. We should all be so lucky. Oh and yes, AYP.
ReplyDeleteI bet their teachers aren't afraid to identify their school.
Some of you burned out, downtrodden teachers need to look in the mirror and ask yourselves if you are being ethical by staying in the classroom. Karma is a bitch, which is why you are so miserable. Do us all a favor: have the courage to get yourselves in check by NOT blaming parents, administrators and young teacher; could the problem be staring back at you? I left the classroom after 17 years of giving teaching my all. It was mentally time to go for me, and my motto is that I always want to go to bed at night with a clean heart. Maybe some of you should do the same because you know you aren't current on your methods, your rapport with students and parents, and you spend more time griping and gossiping about incompetent administrators and young teachers than you do trying to reinvent yourself, delving into a scholarly journal on teaching, or having the humility askingone of our many coaches to help you improve.
ReplyDeleteI get a kick reading the frequent posts where younger teachers brag about how wonderful they are in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteKind of reminds me of the Dustin Hoffman character in the movie "Rainman."
"I'm an EXCELLENT driver!"
And no I'm not an old teacher. Just someone who believes that humility and honest introspection are good character traits.
I'm a middle-aged teacher too, and I learn from new teachers and veteran teachers alike. The best teachers out there are veteran teachers who have use their experience and passion for teaching to constantly learn and improve their craft. But those teachers are few and far between. So many older teachers are more like the ones who post here -- angry, burned out, and with absolutely no interest whatsoever in becoming a better teacher. Many younger teachers make a lot of rookie mistakes, but they care so much about getting through to the kids that others haven't, and that's half the battle. Sure, youth is arrogant. That's been the case since the beginning of time. It's one of the best and worst things about being young. If veteran teachers would combine their expertise with some of the energy, passion, and technology that some of the young teachers are using, no charter school in the city could touch IPS. It's our game to lose, and we seem in very real danger of losing it.
ReplyDeleteWell, 32 percent of new teachers nationally leave teaching within their first two years of starting teaching careers and 62 percent leave within five years.
ReplyDeleteObviously, the energy and passion wears out pretty fast.
Not too many, percentage wise, want to put up with the low pay, lack of respect from bosses and often students, long hours of work during the school year.
With what Daniels and the Legislature is doing at this very moment, there is going to be a tremendous teacher shortage within a few years.
From the Board Briefing Agenda published today:
ReplyDeleteH. OFFICIAL NOTIFICATIONS
The Superintendent recommends the cancellation of the administrative contracts for the following certificated personnel. The reduction will become effective at the close of the 2010-2011 school year.
NAME / LOCATION
Prudence Bridgwaters
#924
Pamela Denny-Rohrbach
#951
Linda Poulter
#951
Christina Shepard
#723
Don't know Christina Shepard, but do know the other three, The loss of Linda Poulter is very sad, she has been a real advocate for music education in IPS for years. I can hardly wait to see the districts line up to hire the other two, after all that is how Dr. White explained their high salaries.
ReplyDeleteOh my God, Pamela Denny-Rohrbach and Prudence Bridgwaters, both of them are so hateful? Who can Dr. White find that can screw up school system like these partners? I know that the township schools have all ready lined up interviews for these two professionals for their stownships. Pamela and Prudence it's karma, what comes around goes around, I hope this places undue stress for paying your bills.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't they return to the classroom if they wanted? Don't teachers who become administrators retain their seniority?
ReplyDeleteFor the sake of children, let's hope not.
ReplyDeleteHere's another question. If Ritalin and Adderall are in short supply and a lot of pharmacies won't get more for a month, how will that affect IPS test scores when 1/5 of students are special ed? Testing starts in one week. I am wondering if this shortage was planned? The shortage was just talked about on Channel 13 news at 5:30. Charter schools have about 12% special ed compared to our 20%.
ReplyDeleteYou think the pharmaceutical companies are in cahoots with charter schools? How would that make sense? What on earth could they possibly gain? And why would drug companies plan a drug shortage when it would cost them so much money? I think you need to adjust your tin foil hat a little.
ReplyDeleteInteresting--
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/indiana-government-exposed/today-in-stupid-indiana-education-history-sup-of-public-instr-tony-bennett-relea/218105088204126
Watch it closely. He changed Dr. Bridgwaters title. Both she and her cat will be back. Same pay...
ReplyDeleteThe Director of Visual Arts position was cut rather than laying off two classroom Art teachers. It was an honorable choice and I respect it.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you might be right, the notice last week said 6 administrators would return to the classroom, instead it looks like six administrators will instead be "on special assignment". It looks like he missed the deadlines to get rid of these people again.
ReplyDeleteThe Director of Visual Arts position was cut rather than laying off two classroom Art teachers. It was an honorable choice and I respect it.
ReplyDeleteI just bet this is Denny Rohrbach posting, there has never been a bigger a** kisser in the history of IPS.
Both will still be a central office with the same pay. The carpet licking continues.
ReplyDeleteShould be "at" central off. Typing on phone
ReplyDeleteCharter school teachers have to say good things or they will lose their jobs. They won't admit that they send the troubled students back to public schools. They won't admit how many of their teachers are not licensed. They won't admit how little money they make. They won't admit the very high teacher turnover rate. They won't admit how many of their teachers are interviewing in public schools trying to get the hell out of the school factories!!!
ReplyDeleteOK boys and girls. Read the above paragraph and tell me what it's about. What does the author want to tell you. Very good. The author wants you to believe that charter schools are inferior to boundary schools. Are the author's statements objective or subjective. Exactly. They are objective because they can be proven right or wrong. So what sources could we use to verify the accuracy of the author's claims? Yes, the IDOE would be a good place to start to prove or disprove the claims about teacher licenses, experience, salaries, and student mobility. What other sources? Very good. We could look for research on teacher satisfaction in various types of schools. How would we look for it? Yes, Google would be a good start. Anywhere else? Excellent! Academic journals! Does anyone know where we could search all kinds of academic literature for research on teacher satisfaction. ERIC! Yes! Great job, boys and girls! I love this class! Wonderful critical thinking skills! If you learn nothing else in school, you must learn to separate objective from subjective information, and always verify sources. Class dismissed.
ReplyDeleteWhy is lame Superintendent of Public Instruction trying to hide his dissertation submitted on April 15, 2005? Perhaps it is because he set out to prove that teacher unions and just cause clauses in contracts hindered the dismissal of poor teachers. After research his own conclusion was that there was no resistance from unions and that the just cause clause did NOT impeded the dismissal process. It shows how shallow he is that he now takes the opposite position of his dissertation conclusions and does it for purely partisan political reasons. I think SHALLOW sums him pretty well.
ReplyDelete@Ok boys and girls. Sounds like a charter school teacher or administrator has too much time on his/her hands. Probably because most of the students have been sent back to public schools. It is filled with typical educational jargon and is no more than an attempt to obfuscate the true picture from the public. That is a frequently used tactic by the Charter school propaganda machine.
ReplyDeleteI'm an IPS parent, and I'm happy with my child's school. But just out of curiosity, is the person who posted the last two posts an IPS teacher? If so, which school?
ReplyDeleteActually, not just the last two posts. I'd be curious if the poster (or posters) of the last eight posts are from IPS teachers. (Except for the "okay boys and girls" one. Kind of snarky, but not as over-the-top as the other posts. Are these posts typical of views of IPS teachers, or would this be over-the-top to other IPS teachers as well?
ReplyDeleteYes, this is over-the-top to other IPS teachers as well. There are certainly some sourpusses in IPS, but I don't know a single teacher that is anything like the person who posts this kind of craziness. Most of us are fairly normal, I swear!!
ReplyDelete"I'm an IPS parent, and I'm happy with my child's school. But just out of curiosity, is the person who posted the last two posts an IPS teacher? If so, which school?"
ReplyDeletePlease don't take this blog seriously. I teach at an IPS school and I love my school, my students and my parents. This blog does not speak for ALL of IPS. Many of us don't have an axe to grind with downtown, the School Board or Dr. White. We recognize the state lobbyists and policymakers as the REAL enemies. Phony education reform disguised as being "for kids" is really all about handing over public money to corporate pals. Nothing will change for the better of our students.
I do have problems with the School Board, has one of them asked teachers if SpringBoard is working? A simple survey would answer their questions, or are the netbooks the students are given, are they helping in the classroom?
ReplyDeleteFor those of you who think education reform is about corporate profit, I suggest you read The Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto (a veteran public school teacher). School choice breaks up the corporate powers, corruption and greed created from education monopolies. I hate to sound like our resident conspiracy theorist, but the "propaganda machine" is what makes otherwise intelligent people believe the state should have total control over educating children and that teachers unions are benevolent doers of good. The socialist factory model for educating children has failed. It will be nothing but an embarrassing blip in the history books. Democracies and education work best when people have control over their own lives, their own families, and their own choices. If we want to publicly fund education, fine. If we don't fine. But either way, we need to give back control of education to parents. The whole point of taking it in the first place was to "fix" city kids (specifically the Irish and then the Slavic immigrant kids). Not only did it not work, it made things worse. As we all know, when schools and parents are on opposite sides, children don't tend to learn what we want them to, and they understandably become resentful at being forced into a position of inferiority. I think history will be amazed that we ever fell for state-controlled public education in the first place. It's actually a good example of exactly how effective government propaganda can be. (Along with other famous examples, like Manifest Destiny, slavery, and the Holocaust.)
ReplyDeleteWhere's the outrage? It's nepotism in your face! Eugene White has taken a principal of a failing high school, Larry Yarrell, and given him a plum position at Tech---"Campus Administrator"! Larry Yarrell's wife is a sister to Eugene White's wife! Now, with his brother-in-law as principal and his son, Reggie, as assistant principal, Eugene White, nepotist, can thumb his nose at the school board, the State, the teachers and anyone else as he laughs all the way to the bank!
ReplyDeleteAll Eugene needs to accomplish his familial triumvirate is to have his daughter Kim reassigned from Marshall to Tech.
ReplyDeleteLay off Kim. She is an excellent educator, and earns every penny she's paid.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how that happened, either.
Maybe Kim lives closer to Tech and could get to work on time!!
ReplyDeleteFrom John Taylor Gatto (who I'm not sure believes in any kind of structured education)
ReplyDeleteThis is why many alternative schooling ideas fizzle out quickly. However inadvertently, most of them breed an independence of mind which inevitably gets people thinking about self-sufficiency. From the point of view of big government, big corporation, big institution the incentive to support educational practices whose graduates would not fit easily into your own plans just isn't there
I do agree with Gatto on this---
ReplyDeleteStandardized testing, which has always been about standardization and never about quality standards, must no longer be debated, but brutally and finally destroyed if schooling is ever again to take up a mission of intellect and character enhancement
I have no problem with doing away with standardized testing if we have a voucher system (which it looks like we will). Then the free market forces ensure taxpayers get what they pay for. However in a state-run education system, the state takes responsibility for deciding what programs are best and what's the most efficient use of money. Standardized testing is the only way to objectively measure student progress.
ReplyDeleteGatto tends to frame his arguments in a black/white way, either oppressive, ineffective schooling or completely self-directed. I do think there is middle ground.
ReplyDeleteI have a problem with school vouchers, the amount should tied to the amount of property taxes that you pay to the county/township. No free rides by Mitch and Bennett. I will not support private schools with my tax dollars. Parents need to pay out of pocket like my family did for years. That is why we formed a Family Trust, to pay for services, housekeeping,vehicles, travel, and education. I refuse to fund private schools for poor families, we need to cut the tax rates for the higher level families, not increase the taxes.
ReplyDeleteThat makes no sense. Why tie it to property taxes? If taxpayers are going to pay for education, it should be equal, not based on income or property values. Otherwise, just privatize education completely.
ReplyDeleteYou can say you "refuse" to fund private schools all you want, but that's not going to change the voucher bill that just passed.
ReplyDeleteI'm all for charter schools. I get tired of renewing my license every 5 years. I'll just stick with the knowledge I have now and teach for the next 20 years without ever gaining new techniques.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea.
Copied from Channel 6 News
ReplyDeleteINDIANAPOLIS -- The family of an embattled Indianapolis teen could lose their taxpayer funded rent assistance because of alleged illegal activity inside his mother's home.
6News has learned that Brandon Johnson's mother, Chantay Chandler, received a letter from the Indianapolis Housing Agency late last week warning her that she was in violation of the federal code of regulations.
The notice was triggered a month after Indianapolis Metro Police reported finding a gun and drugs inside Chandler's home on the 7700 block of Mountain Stream Way.
The Marion County Prosecutor's office recently made the Housing agency aware of what police found insider her home, 6News' Rafael Sanchez reported.
Police said Chandler is being given 10 days to appeal the agency's decision or lose her monthly rent assistance which ranges from $900 to $1,000 a month.
_______________________________________________
Maybe I'm just clueless, but I had no idea that housing assistance paid $900 to $1000 each month. If so, maybe I'd be better off not working at all.
But again, it is our responsibility as teachers (Warren Township in his instance) to educate young Brandon -- no problem whatsoever, right -- since his mother is suc a fine upstanding citizen. What a f%^*+%* joke. She should lose ALL of her housing subsidy, her SSDI payments on her kids (yes, young Brandon is in special education and getting our money for his disability), and all the other perks she gets THAT WE TAXPAYERS FUND for her not willing to better herself. I am a teacher. I work my butt off every day, as does my husband, to provide for our children. We live paycheck to paycheck and over a third of my pay gets taken out for taxes, insurance and our modest retirement savings. 900 to 1,000 dollars a month! What a crock of shit! I would love it if my husband and I could afford that type of house payment.
ReplyDelete"The family of an embattled Indianapolis teen could lose their taxpayer funded rent assistance because of alleged illegal activity inside his mother's home."
ReplyDeleteThis is nothing new. In 1984, as a fourth-year teacher at IPS #114, I watched in awe as the cable company installed service to Clearstream Gardens, a notorious subsidized housing complex at Emerson and Raymond. This crime-ridden location caused the post office and fire department to request protection when entering the premises.
At this time, I was barely making MY house payments. My two IPS-enrolled children received reduced-fee lunch (yes, I know, we were receiving subsidies, but, dammit, I was working and paying taxes). Cable was a distant dream for my family.
Amazingly, our students began sleeping during the day, since they had stayed up all night watching movies.
I'm outraged too, but it's important to know that even though the cost to taxpayers is real and the profit made from the owners of subsidized rentals is real, the homes aren't really $900 to $1000 a month apartments. They're really bad complexes that most people wouldn't pay $400 a month to live in. It's not like that can take that money to a nice area and use that money for rentals.
ReplyDeleteI also take offense to the "us and them" attitude above as far as teachers and IPS families. I live in IPS and my mortgage is less than $400 a month. I work and I pay taxes. Don't my kids deserve a decent education? Their boundary school treats every family like welfare collectors. The school they go to know treats every family like they're from Carmel. There are Brandon Johnsons in every school in the state. But only IPS lets kids like that drag down everybody in the school.
Does this kid even attend school?
ReplyDeletehttp://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39290437/ns/today-parenting/
ReplyDeleteMrs. Yarrell is NOT related to the superintendent. She does have a relative that is a superintendent but not in this distrit or even anywhere in the area. Get your facts straight before make those claims.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the link, I agree with the girl and her family. The school had no legal right to go through the phone looking for pictures. The rule she broke at school was having the cell phone. They should have punished that offense, confiscated the phone until after school and that should have been the end of it. The rest was an illegal invasion of privacy, which is why she won the lawsuit.
ReplyDelete"I'm all for charter schools. I get tired of renewing my license every 5 years. I'll just stick with the knowledge I have now and teach for the next 20 years without ever gaining new techniques."
ReplyDeleteReally?? I didn't know Kevin Teasley read this blog. You must know something we don't. NO prep time, constant, pointless meetings, discipline problems etc. If you want the corporate atmosphere without the professional pay then go for it. Honestly I've heard nothing good about working in them and I'd LIKE to think they hold hope. But those of us that left the corporate world to try and make a difference hate to see the micromanaging that has become public education. I see more "bad" parenting than "bad" instruction.Until parents AND students feel the same heat we do there will never be TRUE reform. Good luck.
NEW TOPIC....
ReplyDeleteHow about the Board Report?
Nothing like moving principals around (with no decrease in salary) and calling them "Administrators on Special Assignment".
I see Bridgewaters is being let go too.
Oh, please four posts up.
ReplyDeleteYarrell is related to Eugene. They are in-laws, but who cares? Nepotism is nepotism, no matter how you look at it. Remember that Eugene had the nepotism policy changed so that his son could be hired in on a hiring freeze.
@ Until parents and students feel the same heat we do...
ReplyDeleteDo you know how stupid that is? That's like saying it's not fair to expect salesmen to sell unless customers are forced to buy. It's like saying police officers can't be expected to get criminals off the streets until criminals are forced to surrender. Hey dumbass, if the parents and the students already believed education was important and were already motivated, we wouldn't need teachers in the first place, now would we.
How much did IPS spend on trips to China or Taiwan a couple of years ago...the ones that Dr. White and Li-Yen Johnson enjoyed? Is IPS more transparent in its exorbitant travel spending than Wayne Township was until caught?
ReplyDeleteFrom Channel 6 News tonight
_____________________________________________
INDIANAPOLIS -- A school district already under fire for a pricey retirement payout and lavish travel by board members is now taking heat over money spent on trips to China.
Wayne Township Schools spent more than $50,000 to send board members, administrators and staff on four trips to China, in October of 2008, 2009 and 2010 and spring 2010, according to records obtained by 6News' Kara Kenney.
Attendees include former Superintendent Terry Thompson, who has been criticized for his $1 million retirement package, current Superintendent Jeff Butts and school board members Stan Ellis, Mike Nance and Phyllis Lewis.
The China expenditures come as the district has cut $10 million from its budget since 2007, including 15 teaching positions -- six classroom teachers, five instructional coaches, two band directors, a transitional job coach and a volunteer literacy program lead teacher.
"It doesn't sound great to have those cuts, but you're still spending money in that way," said Clay Swain, a Wayne Township taxpayer.
"Why? When we have schools closing here, sending people to China when they could be taking care of our kids here," said Jessica Coning, a mother of two children in the district. "It doesn't make any sense."
Larry Yarrell gets his rocks off to the voice of Eugene White. Call anybody within Pike Township Schools and they will tell you Larry in a joke. Yes, his wife is related to Gene White. If you look at her one time, you could tell she is related to Gene White. Big, fat, and ugly. As for Kim White, leave her alone. She is the only one within the White family that can stand by herself.
ReplyDeleteI have had the chance in the last few days to talk with teachers from all over the district. Middle schools teachers and HS teachers are noticing the large number of really vicious fights that are happening in the schools. Is there something causing the uptick? Are they the usual uptick near the end of school? Are the building administrators backing down on discipline so the disruptive students believe that they the option of fighting. Several teachers have been injured lately. It is only time before a serious injury or death occurs in one of our schools.
ReplyDeleteWhat exactly does an Administrator on Special Assignment do?
ReplyDeleteExactly leave Kim White alone! She is great with her kids and a great teacher! She really amazes me how much she really cares about the kids. And some of them really could use an adult like her caring about them. :)
ReplyDeleteWell good for Kim. Maybe she can pass along her morals and work ethic to her dad, brother, uncle-in-law (or whatever Yarrell is to her), and Victor Bush (I am sure he is related to someone, somehow) too.
ReplyDeleteA "Administrator on Special Assignment" really just collects their normal salary, retirement, and benefits, while doing crossword puzzels at the Education Center.
ReplyDeleteKeith White
ReplyDeleteFrom:
Director of
Instrumental Music
95400222-110190
$91,684.00
To:
Director of Fine Arts
TBD
TBD
No Change
07-01-2011
If you don't think there are mafias functioning in IPS how can you possibly explain this one?
"crossword puzzels"
ReplyDeleteNo, these are educated administrators. They do the Sudoku in the Star, along with the Jumble.
I am thinking about starting the Daniels and Bennett School of Business Charter School. I will show the students how to cheat employees out of their 401K(IPL), lie to Congress/taxpayers about the cost of the Iraq War, keep changing the budget forecast for Indiana, and how to be a failing leader in a school system, but put on a phony front to the public. Then become the voice of the right and the crazy GOP with a huge salary. Cheated investors, taxpayers, or Tim Durham, please apply for teaching positions. Tim you can sleep in the boiler room, while wearing your Gucci sunglasses.
ReplyDeleteRe: Administrators on Special Assignment
ReplyDeleteThere are several of these folks listed in the recent Agenda from the Board Briefing. Most were Asst. Elementary Principals this current year, but they're new assignments (same pay) are listed as Administrators on Special Assignment.
Sounds to me like Gene and his central office clique found a not so hidden method of gathering yet more administrators into the Ed Center fold.
And by the way, what the heck is a Principal Practitioner? Hell, I thought all Principals were supposed to be practitioners. Or, does that mean we have a Principal who needs practice? That's another one of those newly minted job titles!
As far as Keith White, he's being assigned to a new job with a brand new job title that never existed...Director of Fine Arts. Whoopee! The Board has saved another Gene White buddy's job.
I just have to say that the State of Indiana is dumb. First they pick on the teachers...and now the kids...at least that is what I would call the EARTHQUAKE DRILL one week before ISTEP. Now the Kids all think we are going to have earthquakes...It just goes to show how stupid the State is and how uneducated the adult population who runs the state are. They need to go back to school and take a class in Indiana geology.
ReplyDeleteIt was STUPID!
ReplyDeleteI read the board report too, and had the same question about the principal practitioner, try Googling that. Also the Asst. Athletic Director at 716. The replacement from 57,000 to 76,000 and the new position of the current Asst. Athletic Director to GLC. Won't mention the CUT IN PAY. Whoa!
ReplyDeleteLove how that works, tell the city you are eliminating administrators then just retitle them and no one's the wiser.
ReplyDeleteWhatever. I so need a new job. Wonder if McD's is hiring?
Jeff White, I guess you have a lot of time on your hand to write about Larry Yarrell on the blog since you don't have a job, you sorry loser
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to Angie Peterson and her Athletic Director's position at John Marshall?
ReplyDeleteJohn Marshall should be closed.
ReplyDeleteI am a friend of Jeff White. He is STILL the principal of East Chicago Central H.S. The Ed. Center blogger is wrong ONCE AGAIN.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ecps.org/schools/secondary/central/eccstaff.asp
ReplyDeleteWebsite for East Chicago Central High School updated 4/15/11.
Jeff White is listed as the Principal. Check for yourself.
With the posibility of collective bargaining being a thing of the past, how will this affect teaching within IPS? I think we will experiences an increase in retirement.
ReplyDeleteI think the fact that so many IPS teachers are near or at retirement age, coupled with the reform and accountability measures and the state takeovers will pretty much guarantee an increase in retirement. I know some amazing veteran teachers, and I know some amazing teachers who support the reform and accountability measures, but they're not the same people. I don't know any retirement-age teachers who are excited about the changes. I imagine most will get out as soon as they can.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of retirement age, I looked for Jackie Greenwood's name on the recent Board Briefing Agenda, but it was not there. She's got to be 70 or maybe even a year or two older than 70. Not to push someone out of a job, but c'mon, enough is enough.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.secondaryed.ips.k12.in.us/index.php?id=2118
ReplyDeleteGreenwood could be as young as 68...
Why retire when she can work where and when she pleases?
Dr. Greenwood started teaching in Atlanta when she was 19. She is even younger than you think.
ReplyDeleteWhat is this obsession with getting rid of veteran [old] teachers? These youngsters seem to think that you become senile, lazy, uncaring and worthless at age 50. Good teachers come in all ages. So do poor ones. Just look at SOME of the 2 year wonders that have come from the assembly line in the last couple of years
ReplyDeleteI don't think there is an obsession with getting rid of veteran teachers. I think there is an obsession with getting rid of the worst of them. Like you said, poor teachers come in all ages, but bad teachers who are also veteran teachers are the most expensive, and the least likely to accept coaching, improvement strategies, etc.
ReplyDeleteI also am in favor of getting rid of poor performing teachers but some of those are new teachers and some are the Teach for America teachers. Many of the TFA teachers think and say that all veteran teachers need to be gone because they need a job. How biased and selfish can one person be.
ReplyDeleteI would also like your source of data that veteran teachers are least likely to accept coaching, improvement strategies. The veterans are least likely to stay out drinking until the wee hours of the morning and come to school hungover and still reeking of alcohol.
The Teach for America people we saw were flunkies who couldn't make it in the corporate world who were lousy teachers as well. They couldn't relate to the kids and didn't understand the teacher workload. The young, new teachers were consumed with their dating life, Broad Ripple and where their parents were paying for them to go for Spring Break. I saw a few crying to their students over a breakup with a boyfriend-pathetic and unprofessional. This was their first real-paying job so it was like giving the Lottery to a homeless person. Whoopee. Plus once they get married they were always on maternity leave. Afterwards after three kids, they figured that they paid MORE in daycare so they became stay-at-home moms instead. This "glorification" of new teachers is all about cutting wages. They have their share of "bad" in their group as well. Don't be fooled by Mitch's commercial on new teachers. Voters should know how political commercials distort facts beyond lies. Sorry gang..it's just not like that in the REAL world.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame about the Director of Fine Arts. Linda Poulter should have that job. She has done more for music than any one in IPS. Now we'll see how Song Fest, Folk Dance, BOA, contests, kids performing at board meetings, etc. etc. etc. go. And, she ATTENDED every function to support the kids and teachers. What a loss and what an insult to her that Keith got the job.
ReplyDeleteI don't know any teachers like the new ones you're describing. I know several young teachers who are in over their heads, and several more who leave to raise families, but none as unprofessional as you act like. But 75% of the teachers I know over 45 are the poster children for everything you're not supposed to do in a classroom. I'm closer to veteran than novice, so I feel like I have a balanced perspective. But I don't know how you can deny that this is a real problem in this district.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame about the Director of Fine Arts. Linda Poulter should have that job. She has done more for music than any one in IPS. Now we'll see how Song Fest, Folk Dance, BOA, contests, kids performing at board meetings, etc. etc. etc. go. And, she ATTENDED every function to support the kids and teachers. What a loss and what an insult to her that Keith got the job.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely true...too bad she doesn't belong to one of the powerful mafias in IPS, and only belongs to the teachers, students, parents, and community that make up IPS.
Poulter doesn't belong to THAT Ed Center mafia.
ReplyDeleteI've just learned I've been asssigned to Marshall for next year. Should I be scared?
ReplyDeleteDepends on where you are now.
ReplyDeleteAre any more rifs coming?
ReplyDelete@Depends on where you are now.
ReplyDeleteI'm in HELL right now. I've been begging for a change in assignment for years, but I've never requested Marshall. Will JM be an improvement, or more of my private hell??
Ok, if it was me, I would go on FMLA than work at John Marshall, they had teachers walk out of the school. John Marshall is horrible and has never been under control.
ReplyDeleteOh, goody. The above comment will definately help me sleep tonight.
ReplyDeleteSigned,
Kill Me
Yeah, I don't know why people think many IPS teachers are defeatist and ineffective. That's just what we need at IPS, more people who think that teaching IPS kids is a private hell.
ReplyDeleteI live in the John Marshall district by the way, so I'm perfectly comfortable with John Marshall kids and John Marshall parents because they're my neighbors. But I wouldn't send my kids to John Marshall because of the defeatist, ineffective staff. It started to improve with Jeff White a few years back but of course IPS couldn't have that.
As a professional educator it really drives me crazy when my colleagues can't spell.
ReplyDeleteDEFINITELY
How can we expect to be taken seriously as future builders when we can't even spell?
@ All comments about John Marshall: Marshall has the greatest kids within IPS but you will catch pure hell working for Mr. Sullivan.
ReplyDeleteJohn Marshall Community High School has the best high school building in IPS. The primary reasons for the poor academic scores are due to its location and leadership. I worked for Mrs. Carol Craig and I consider her the best Principal John Marshall ever had. The best thing that could ever happen to Marshall is having the community choose who they want as the Principal of the school. The community hates outsiders such as the IDOE and anyone who is assigned to be the Principal or a teacher for school.
ReplyDeleteMr. Sullivan really does not know how to relate to teachers because he wasn't one very long. His attitude towards them is atrocious.
ReplyDelete"I worked for Mrs. Carol Craig and I consider her the best Principal John Marshall ever had."
ReplyDeleteSweetie, whatever you're smoking, I want some of it too :-) I won't drink the Kool-Aid though =8-O
Good Lord, where have you been if you think Carol Craig was a good administrator? That woman personified evil at its best, and that was some of her better points. When she was appointed aa a mentor to Yvonne Rambo, that was like pouring stink on shit.