By Jove, Someone Is Paying Attention Over In The ESE Department

I will take a day off from by broad brush attacks against the HCPS that were based on my two decades of countless numbers of isolated incidents to send out some "kudo's" over to the HCPS ESE website people. If I'm not mistaken, Mr. Carullo must own some stock in the use of the word "kudos", so I am not trying to confiscate his word.


Although it is apparent "they" have given up on the ESE newsletter's to the parents and staff as I still "check back often" as the directions used to say, I did happen to see that there were some major updates in their IDEA 2004 information links.

Frequent readers, who really take the time to read this stuff, I am sure remember this post I made in August:

Motel Special Ed: Are ESE Personnel, including teachers, being made Patsies?

I had used occupational therapy as an example of how misguided their information was because I assume the District is looking over their back waiting for the next State Complaint regarding how they provide, or don't provide, occupational and physical therapy as a related service under IDEA 2004.

And then there were the issues I raised at this link, Motel Special Ed: Why Parents Get Angry When They Learn The Truth


Well, forget those broad brush attacks. Their website seems to have taken a major "truth is reality" turn for the better. Whatever gobbledy gook that was there before about having a double eligibility requirement for occupational therapy is now gone.

An easy way to see the improvement for IEE information is to compare this old 2007 link to this new link HCPS ESE Fast Facts and then click on "Independent Eduational Evaluation" tab #9.



I wonder who was responsible for this new information, and why now.

Cut The Cameras For The Sake Of The Kids

In today's St. Pete Times, Leticia Stein may unwittingly be setting the stage for another HCPS School Board blow up.

Cleverly nestled in the puff piece of how the Board is addressing financial woes, there is this nugget:


"I'd eliminate the School Board meetings altogether before I'd eliminate the Math Homework Hotline," said board member Candy Olson, after learning at a recent workshop that the district is paying about $250 per hour to broadcast the meetings live with two replays. "This is not the best use of our resources at this time."

I am sure every one is as eager as I am to hear Ms. Falario's response to this suggestion to eliminate the broadcast of the School Board meetings. After all, what better medium to operate one's PR. program than live action, and Board member Olson is suggesting putting a speed bump right in the middle of the roadway to transparency. Lest we forget the past, here is what Ms. Falario recently proposed:

"I'm tired of hearing what a bad job we're doing," she said. "We do a great job, and people need to have more access to what we're doing."

More cynical people might try to think past Ms. Olson's idea of cancelling the publicized Board meetings as an attempt to limit "white propaganda", the kind that is mentioned here, with a hint that the Board meetings may "produce undesirable effects":

11. Black rather than white propaganda may be employed when the latter is less credible or produces undesirable effects.

As we stand by our tumtum trees and wait for their vorpal blades to go snicker snack, you don't suppose that these two politicians would come up with a scheme to take the money they save from publicizing the Board meetings and apply that money to some type of PR program, do you?

Does Anyone Trust Any Numbers?

Maybe it's just me, but I try to analyze the public comments to try to conceptualize the issue better. I gave up trusting the system a long time ago because it can't be trusted. Fair is foul and foul is fair. "They" throw numbers around like a used car salesman - no offense to used car salesman, or saleswomen. "The Model Education System" is the same system saying they need more money because they are failing.

My personal opinion is that "trust" is a necessary ingredient to educate our children. This trust, or lack of it, goes both ways. Read all of the public comments in the link below and you will see what I am talking about. "Broad brush" accolades are just as off base as "broad brush" attacks. When neither "side" examines themselves to see their part of it, their arrogance with ignorance continues to entrench themselves in their faults.

I think "wcmartin" covers the critical issues in the below snippet:



Superintendent Sees Problems In New Grading System:

"Posted by ( wcmartin ) on 12/27/2008 at 11:12 am.
",,,,,,,,,,There is no accountability to terminate poor performing teachers. There is no accountability for poor administrators. There is no accountability for parents who have no involvement in their children's education........."

Another Validation Of The PRO By The Tribune

An elf placed the below Carrolwood TBO article under my Christmas tree, and I have waited to open the present.

I started blogging mainly because I saw it as method to deal with my feelings about the local education system. Back in the day, I tried to bring attention to systemic issues within the world of special education in hopes there would be positive change. While I, and some of my friends, did bring about some changes, it was not without a lot of kicking and screaming, and paperwork. After years of experience, I gave up using the mechanisims that the system sanctioned. As long as "reformers" follow the decorum of the system, the "reformers" will lose. There is a lot to that sentence for those who connect the dots.


For those within the system who read this, I hope you hear loud and clear that if you truly want to improve the system, you are going to have to change the mindset of how the system works within itself. In other words, the sytem creates these problems. It creates these problems of employees and it creates these problems of parents. If you doubt what I say, just look at the time lines that follow all of the major ills of the system. The Alafia debacle started a long time ago. The Tribune article suggests that it started 34 years ago. The sex case(s) went on for a long time, despite numerous warning signs, and now in a sense, it is still going on. It makes one wonder if the Judge turned the tables against the special ed student in order to protect the liability of the system. Does anyone else see that as a posibility?

As I was frequently labled an isolated incident and broad brush attacker, I revel in the validations of my opinions when I see them. I haven't started tracking them yet, but here is an example of a previous validation

:PRO on HCPS: This Is It - The Tribune's Validation Of My Previous Post

I said all of that to say this. Compare the Tribune editorial here to what we have been talking about and it sure looks like the same kind of thinking to me.


Make Special Session Special

"Bad Educational Parlay"

"It was not a good week for the Hillsborough County school district.

It began with the embattled principal of Alafia Elementary, Ellyn Smith, stepping down. She had her detractors and defenders, but ultimately the divisiveness at Alafia became a morale-sapping distraction impossible to overcome.

While that controversy has been quelled, another question arises. Smith is a veteran of the Hillsborough system. Her tenure has been marked by outstanding evaluations and promotions.

And yet, despite 34 years of experience, Smith had to be "mentored" and "coached" by a former principal for the two weeks prior to her announcement to leave. The mentor/coach was there at the suggestion of a school effectiveness assessment team that had reviewed the school in response to parents' complaints about Smith. The mentor/coach's responsibilities included helping Smith work on her personal interaction with teachers and parents.

And the coach/mentor, Grace Ippolito, was paid $340 per diem for her work. Smith was also slated for leadership training at Eckerd College that would have cost the county $4,500. What budget cuts?

So the key query is this: How do you get 34 years into your professional career and still need a mentor/coach? And more specifically, who did the evaluating? Who did the promoting? Who determined the criteria? And who is still perpetuating this system?

Another incident was worse. Much worse.

Christina Butler, a former Middleton High School special education teacher, was sentenced for having sex multiple times with one of her students. It brought back into public consciousness - aided by the media - all the other nefarious cases. May we never become inured to this sort of disgusting betrayal of trust.

The shock, however, was Butler's actual sentence: five years of probation. Even more startling was Hillsborough Circuit Judge J. Rogers Padgett's rationale. He noted that the victim, 16, and borderline retarded, was probably more mature and less vulnerable than Butler, 33. Padgett saw the student as more seducer than "victim." By contrast, he saw the defendant as immature, frightened and bipolar - a psychologically fragile woman who had been in way over her head by being in charge of high school students.

He took pity on her, which is his, however controversial, prerogative.

Butler has those five years of probation and can no longer teach.

Which begs two questions:

•Butler, as a registered sex offender, can't teach. But can she learn anything from this sordid ordeal and do something constructive with her life?

•Granted, special education teachers are at a premium nationwide. With good reason. The field requires teachers with discipline, empathy and the right skill set, including diagnostic, for reaching and motivating a school's most challenging learners. It's the worst of all pedagogical places for the fragile and the incompetent.

So, how much lower can the bar get in Hillsborough for hiring special education teachers? Might not psychological screenings, which are not part of the background-checking process, be especially applicable for this field?"

Joe O'Neill is a South Tampa writer who can be contacted at moesez@aol.com or www.opinionstogoonline.com.

Found on the PRO:

Something about this story got my attention the very first time it was written about by Marilyn Brown:Public Education - Politics, Business and Education: Ellyn Smith, Ashley Smith, and a "Miffed Elia" - Relationships are Important:

"An astute public commenter wondered 'where did this statement come from?' How did the name of the husband of a principal just get thrown into this article as if he was pertinent to the issue? I know several principals, and I am quite sure that if their spouse turned up at a school board meeting, their name wouldn't be printed just because they were there alone."

PRO on HCPS: ILMC vs. yipyap = Another Lesson To Be Learned:

(look in the comment section)

"One part of the madness of the system I haven't figured out is how the spouse of a principal can be so involved in the principal's position. From the very first time Marilyn Brown wrote about it in the Tribune, it just seemed odd. Above and beyond the alledged personal relationships, I would think it is very difficult for the natural employee/supervisor process to work itself out under those circumstances.

Which brings me to my last point. You have identified that it is more than 'just you', and the Alafia gang carried a banner that they were 'about the system', along with other banners, figuratively speaking. What most of the District people don't understand and just can't seem to process is that people can engage in issues that are above and beyond personal ones.

If you look at all of the people I have written about that have fought against the system, they were all fighting a cause bigger than just for them."

Part Two:
PRO on HCPS: Ding, Lady Justice is Done:

"While I wait for the next shoe to drop over on the Alafia Blog, to me, the below story regarding the outcome of a teacher having sex with a student is evidence of how whacked out our society is. An adult teacher was considered less competent than a teen student is the premise. But there is more. Their relationship within the world of Special Education seems to now be reversed. You have to read the article to see how it happened.

Does the student now get to write goals and objectives for the teacher?"

When things don't make sense, someone else is pulling the strings.

Real Professionals and Parent's Suffer For District's "Breakdown In Communication"

I find it interesting that parents of public school children just seem to never get it right. A while back we heard they are not involved:

'I'm really appalled at the lack of community attendance at this meeting,' school board member Jack Lamb scolded ....."

Elia Apologizes Again For Bus Schedule Confusion:

or, they are helicopter parents that spew

"misinformation, anger and ugliness", according to the statements made by Ms. Elia in the Dec. 17th, board meeting.

In today's Times', we see that the Alafia gang, true to their history of advocating for the public to be involved in the public education system, asked the systemic questions that are needed to be asked:

"What is it you're going to do to ensure this isn't going to happen at other schools?" asked Dawn Nichols,......"

Frustrated Alafia Elementary parents welcome change in principals - St. Petersburg Times:

"Elia said that she would re-evaluate the way principals are reviewed. Citing a breakdown in communication, she also said that the district shouldn't have gone so long without having meetings with parents."

I seem to recall there was an awful lot of anger and ugliness that was aimed at these parents. There were comments made on blogs and local newspaper's public comment sections. Some of the posters claimed they were close to the action, so one would assume they were either employees of the system or were a confidante of an employee. These supporters of the system seemed to take satisfaction with the idea that if parents or teachers didn't like what was going on, get the hell out and good riddance. All of that anger and ugliness at the same time the public is told that the school people are the professionals and are experts at running their business of education.

What should be noted is that there were also many comments among these postings from employees asking for help. At least the parents can't be fired for voicing their concerns over a long period of time.

And now we find out it was simply a "breakdown in communication."

Yesterday, I witnessed a lot of gifts being opened that were designed to fool the gift receiver. What one might think was a box of chocolates turned out to be a shirt, or there was a small piece of jewelery in the biggest box under the tree.

I can just imagine how all of the real professional, responsible employees and the responsible parents that were involved in this Alafia debacle feel hearing that there was a "breakdown in communication." Do you think they really believe that is what is in the box of chocolates?

Start Tomorrow Because of Heller

Random Acts of Kindness:
A quote from his blog:

"The truth is, however, “random acts of kindness” implies chance, arbitrary, haphazard, or accidental acts. Heller’s family, friends, and those new friends who are choosing to join us, know that our plans to deliver acts of kindness on December 22nd are quite intentional. Our acts are not random in any way. They are purposeful, premeditated, deliberate, and planned. Our abilities to perform these acts are a gift from God, given to us because He knew our path would be a difficult one. He knew that “those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” J.M. Barrie"

Hot Diggity Dog Ziggity, Boom What You Do To Me

Perry Como sang more than "White Christmas".

Perry Como – Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom) – Listen free and discover music at Last.fm



A couple of Tribune articles to dig on during our festive holidays, when few people will be paying attention.

State Wants City's Past Dug Up:

"In an April 14 letter to the city, DEP identified nine of the city's historical landfills as priorities with 'the potential to pose the greatest risks to public health and safety.'
Among them are three former landfills near public schools - Pizzo Elementary, Roland Park Middle School, Lockhart Elementary and Young Middle Magnet School - where previous tests revealed elevated levels of methane and other volatile contaminants.
Other sites include Rogers Park Golf Course, parks such"

Schools Delay Notification Of Risk:

"On Nov. 7, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection sent a letter to the Hillsborough County School District informing officials that higher-than-acceptable levels of arsenic, lead and other toxic contaminants had been discovered in soil and groundwater tests taken at the sites through the years.
The letter said state law requires the to district notify teachers, parents and guardians whose children attend the four schools and that more extensive testing was needed.
But the notification letters were never mailed."

Today is Dec. 21.

"In a response to DEP's demands, the school district's attorney, George Gramling III, requested an extension to notify teachers, parents and guardians until April 30".

"The district also disputes some of DEP's information on the old dumps, arguing that there is no record of contamination at the Young, Lockhart and Roland Park schools and that Pizzo has been monitored for methane gas emissions since it opened in 1998.
Gramling said the district plans to hire a consultant to review test results."

Who Knows?

As "They" Say, "Beneath All Is The Foundation"

This is the kind of public education we need more of. I love it when people read with interpretational intent.

From a previous post, a critical reader in the form of an anon has presented very interesting information. Thankfully, anons can still get their ideas out.


I wanted to make sure this anon was not spouting off misinformation, so I read the report and did the math. Looks good to me. All we are now left with is trying to answer anon's question about the school system donating money to an entity that was designed to lessen the burden on the school system.

I would add one thing. Read the donor list carefully. It does have Alafia Elementary in there. Who knows.

Here is the full context:

Blogger: PRO on HCPS - Post a Comment: "I suggest that you read the 2007 Annual Report available at the same site.

The Education Foundation reports that they raised $6,470,000 in 2007. But 15% of that money is from the Hillsborough School District itself. When the Foundation was conceieved, it was meant to make a 'small' investment (a few hundred thousand dollars) in order to garner private funds for the school district. Why then did the school in one year allocate almost a million dollars of taxpayer funds to an organization that funds programs that are not or cannot be funded by taxpayer dollars? I am sure that the Foundation is designed to do good things. But I see what was once a small grass-roots effort to raise funds for our schools ballooning into a multi-million dollar organization that, per a 2007 report, holds 10 million dollars in assets and yet is still siphoning almost a million dollars from our school's annual budget. Factor in that the Foundation's President earned 2.3% of the funds raised ($147,500 in 2007) and an additional unknown amount is paid to other employees (the number of Foundation employees now stands at 20). Of course there are plenty of other operating costs. So how much of that almost 1 million dollars of taxpayer money went directly to benefit our students, teachers and classrooms?

How much of Ms. Elia's $42K bonus will benefit our students, teachers and classrooms, and how much will benefit other interests or costs associated with the Foundation?

Since the Foundation now has sizable assets, does it continue to require the annual infusion of cash from our school district? Is $970,000 an appropriate amount of annual support for our school system's education foundation?
December 21, 2008 12:17 PM"

"Yes, This Place Really Is A Zoo!"

I have never had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Otto. I like his style of writing and his perspective on local life. He might be a great source to study that Human Geography that is being touted as a landslide of a cash cow.


You gotta love the title of this opinion he wrote. I, of course, view the local politics as it relates to our public education system. For some reason, this title just got my attention. If you have watched the HCPS Board meetings for the last 10 plus years, you might understand what I am talking about.

I have never watched a Tampa zoo Board meeting. How many of you are like me and wonder if, in reaction to some type of criticism of the zoo be it media or public, the Board brings in a targeted show to the next Board meeting. Say, someone complains how the otter's don't have any opportunity to expend energy. Or perhaps the elephants only do that two step rocking motion, sort of like some kids do. In response to these types of comments by concerned people which translates into bad PR, does the zoo Board bring in an otter performance or a three ring elephant show to demonstrate how hard the zoo employees are working and that these shows demonstrate why the Tampa zoo is a model for the nation? Does each Board member fawn over these hapless deer or, in the case of the big cats, should we just see it as mane lying?

I had to read the article twice to make sure I knew which Board Mr. Otto was writing about.


Yes, This Place Really Is A Zoo!:

"Instead of a nationwide search, they ought to find a few people in their boardroom who might be interested in actually knowing what's going on at the zoo."

There Is More Than One Kind Of Double Dipping To Fatten One's Coffers

One day out of routine, and I forget to check my sources of information. One thing I am beginning to see is that there are more people learning to do their own research to connect the dots.

Thanks to the person who sent me these two articles:

Broward Teachers Union: Stop rehiring retirees - Education - MiamiHerald.com:

"Broward Schools Superintendent Jim Notter said the district only rehires select retired employees for specific reasons -- a policy he put in place when he started leading the district two years ago.
When former Northeast High Principal William Kemp wanted to be rehired after retirement to work at that Oakland Park school, he turned Kemp down.
''I had people ready to be a high school principal,'' Notter said.
But Cypress Bay High Principal Scott Neely was rehired for the same job after retirement because, at the time, the school was one of the largest in the country and students were split between two counties.
''I didn't have somebody ready that could step in and handle two different campuses with almost 6,000 kids,'' Notter said.
The union disagrees."

Teachers union rips Broward schools over rehiring of retired administrators -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

"The cash-strapped Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports School District spent more than $3 million to rehire retired administrators for managerial or teaching jobs, the Broward Teachers Union said Thursday.

At least one-third of the retirees rehired by the district for management jobs are earning more than they did before they retired, according to information provided by the union. Other retired administrators were rehired for teaching jobs with the district."

Sounds like working for the school system can be a sweet gig. Where do I sign up?

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Sorry, I missed this one the other day.

I mentioned the other day that kumbaya is wafting across the county. I thought I first heard it coming from the east, and it appears it is making it's way across the District.

Bus Issue Still Vexes Hillsborough School Board#comments#comments:

"Member Candy Olson said the district should make customer service as much of a priority as student achievement. The district needs training, Olson said, possibly from local companies, on how to deal with its customers, whether it is on transportation or other issues.
'When parents feel respected and trusted, they're more likely to work with us and trust us,' she said.
She hoped the workshop could come at a time when parents could attend, listen to the discussion and offer solutions."

As always, read the public comments for added flavor.

This article makes a direct connection to my previous blog. There is that word "trust".

Why now?

The Topography Of Humans. Who Knew?

Is ninth grade too early for college prep classes? - St. Petersburg Times:

What is AP Human Geography?

The College Board course description says the purpose is to 'introduce students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding ... Students employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to examine human social organization and its environmental consequences.'"

Thanks to The Gradebook for the above link to the above article in the St, Pete Times. I am sure that Leticia Stein and Shirl Kennedy purposely chose the above "AP Human Geography" question as a springboard for us, the intuitive public, to systematically examine the human, political, cultural, social, and economic aspects of Hillsborough County.

For lack of time, plus trying to recover from my yesterday's trip to Canada all the way around the big lake to Mexico which my feet still remember, I will draw attention to one aspect of the local human landscape.


As physical changes of the earth are dependent on the timing of the various variables that cause effective change, so does our own local events effect our own little world of Hillsborough County.

Hillsborough superintendent: 42K bonus to charity#comments#comments:

"Hillsborough Superintendent MaryEllen Elia is donating her $42,438 bonus to charity this year."

The public comments, even though they are not identifiable and cannot be held accountable for their opinions, already demonstrate there are differing views on the function of this donation.

Can also be found here:

Schools Chief Passes Bonus

I am sure it is just me because I am an isolated incident, but I just can't help thinking about some other events effecting the local human geography.


Here

:Public Education - Politics, Business and Education: Media Blitz - Truth or Propaganda

Here

:Sound Off And Be Heard: Superintendent Elia shows sensitivity during financially trying times

And then of course there is this under ground rainbow:

)Is ninth grade too early for college prep classes? - St. Petersburg Times):

"It weighs into Hillsborough Superintendent MaryEllen Elia's annual bonus."

Maybe it's just me, but could this be dialing up an old page from the same play book?:

An A+ Plan for Education:

"In the Tampa area, Hillsborough County school superintendent Earl Lennard made statewide news recently when he vowed to take a 5 percent pay cut, or a personal loss of $8,250, if any school in Hillsborough County receives an F grade. To meet this high expectation, Lennard promised his schools the support they need, including reduced class sizes for select 'D' schools and money for after-school or Saturday tutoring at all schools. This pledge prompted one Hillsborough schoolteacher to remark, 'I've seen principals eat worms. I've seen vice principals kiss pigs to get students to read a certain number of pages, but I have never seen a superintendent put his salary on the line.' At least not until the A+ Plan."

The problem with numbers is trust. And it ain't about me, babe.

All Quiet On The Eastern Front

There is an old adage that no news is good news. A cynical old man in the sea such as myself wonders if the messenger was bumped off. Or co-opted.

I heard the sounds of kumbaya wafting over the air.

Time will tell, and it is what it is.

FIRE - Foundation for Individual Rights in Education

FIRE - Foundation for Individual Rights in Education

Salisbury out as Lowry Park Zoo president - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

Salisbury out as Lowry Park Zoo president - Tampa Bay Business Journal::


"until the board can fill the position from a national search,"



Hmmmmm. What are the odds that this national search will end up finding out that the person was right here in Hillsborough County all along? Despite the fact that all of this trouble happened right under the very noses of everyone that is involved, shouldn't we just to continue to trust?

Don't other Boards within Hillsborough county keep it real within their own ranks?

Bill aims to curb Net censorship - CNET News

Bill aims to curb Net censorship - CNET News:

"The Internet has an opportunity to live up to its billing as the single greatest democratizing technology ever invented.'"

How Interesting To Find Old News

Agenda Item Cover Sheet
July 19, 2006

Moral Courage Award

I sure wouldn't want to convey misinformation. Page 8 is interesting.

Arresting Development: Hillsborough County

I would assume that all of the HCPS School Board members have their fingers on the pulse of the true status of what is happening within the District. It was only a few months ago that the now Board Chair admonished a couple of her Board peers for not trusting the professionalism of the highly competent staff that oversees various programs within the District.

I hear there is a going to be a PR blitz to say what is right about the District. It must not have ever occcured to those that are eager to put tinsel on a dried out Christmas tree that perhaps watering the tree may do a lot more than just putting on some fake bling-bling.

The morally bankrupt piece of this is that inactions such as outlined below have been going on for a period of time and no one seems to have any accountability about it. Just like the Alafia debacle, the time delay before issues are addressed should be a concern for all.

I first heard about the high siginficance of arrests of special education kids when I was the V.P. and the Pres. of the Superintendent's Advisory Council on Special Education in 1998' Ten years ago, this problem had been going on long enough to rise to the level of concern, except those that have the responsibility to address this concern are oblivious to it.

Now there is a "class action" state complaint. The link can be found at the top right of this blog.

PR opportunities are all around us and have been there for years.

Read Here: "Arresting Development. Hillsborough County

"...We put them in a special center because of their problem, and then, when they act out, they’re acting consistent with their problem, we charge them with a felony. There’s something wrong with that. There’s something very, very wrong with that.”
-Theda James, Chief of the Juvenile Justice Division, Hillsborough County Public Defender Office

The morally bankrupt piece of this is that these actions have been going on for a period of time and no one seems to have any accountability about it. Just like the Alafia debacle, the time delay before issues are addressed should be a concern for all.

What Do Board Members Do?

This sounds familiar.

Maybe it's a Hillsborough County Board thing.

No one seems to know anything.

Public exposure could be prevented.





Iorio Stunned Activities At Zoo Didn't Raise Flag:

"the mayor said she doesn't understand how some board members seemed to know so little about Salisbury's mingling of zoo and private business."

"It really has caused us to wonder how all this could've gone on so long without anyone raising a red flag about it," Iorio said.


"Iorio said some board members didn't even know basic information like how much the zoo was paying Salisbury. Auditors reported that with salary and benefits, Salisbury pulled in an annual package worth more than $330,000.

"When we briefed them, some members of the committee were unaware of what Lex made," Iorio said.

Massive Sociological Forces At Our Fingertips And Before Our Eyes

I have just composed this blog post:

Click Here: Public Education - Politics, Business and Education: Please, carefully read all of the points of Joseph 2.
and then I get to read this:


Anonymous said...
Don't get too excited. All the parents that don't see the big picture are looking at the appointment of the new principal as "a gift" from Elia. I could pull my hair out. The people that went to the school board to speak are now silenced once again because they are "grateful" that we didn't get someone who was just like Smith. Some of them are telling others not to speak up. Even though we have been given a good principal, the issues are still there in the system. Some people appear smarter than what they really are no matter where you live.

December 16, 2008 9:52 PM


******************

In my mind there are two seperate issues. While everyone was focused on the one issue concerning the principal, I was trying to use that to advance the concept of the big picture.

Even to the point that this was posted on my blog:

Anonymous said...
So who do you think the "insider" is? He/she claims to be a higher up downtown. Any ideas? It is almost like he wants us to give up the fight or did I not get it? Most of us see the big picture. We have copies of evaluations dating back to 1999 where Smith has been protected by the same Sykes and Otero that are on the focus team. We get it. But right now that is not our focus. Getting SMith out of our school is the focus. We will deal with the school board later.
December 4, 2008 7:46 PM

Ok. Later is here. I've done so many Gestalt Therapy sessions in my life that my now is here.

So now, few people care what the reasons were that they were so angry and spouted all of that misinformation, anger and ugliness?

So now, when the time is here to truly bond with the person that they will be dependent on for the rest of the time they must deal with each other in Hillsborough county, the public walks away?

It is not about attacking anymore. It is about learning what it takes to change the war between the public education system and the public. This is more than about parents. It is about the teachers that can't speak out.

Go back to the top. Click on the link.

Who Rang That Bell?

Continuing with the land of Oz metaphor, there was a scene where the gang of four finally made it to the door of the Emerald City. They rang the door bell and then were admonished because they didn't read the sign that wasn't hanging there. The Guardian of the Emerald City Gates then hangs up the sign that says "Bell out of order. Please knock". Dorothy knocks. The Guardian of the Emerald City Gates says "Well, that's more like it! Now, state your business!"

Obviously, the door bell worked the first time. The doorbell worked, but when it was rang appropriately, the rules of access were changed. The access to the Emerald City was full of gimmicks, slights of hand and a dog and pony show, or maybe it was a horse of a different color.

To cut to the chase, the Alafia Gang has an opportunity to engage in an open dialog with the Superintendent about how she thinks the public school system and the public can work collaboratively. No more hiding behind the curtain and hoping to scare everyone into submission with the "Do not arouse the wrath of the great and powerful Oz".


Whatever happened at Alafia should have been taken care of a long time ago. Instead, the posturing of the system and the dog and pony show played out that I have seen countless times before.

Gators Are Snapping At Joseph

I think I have that malady where there are dots before my eyes, but I can't make sense of them.

Recent events just seem to be connected somehow. They have led to the following quotes:

1 “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” - Joseph Goebbels


2 - “The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly - it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over” - Joseph Goebbels

3- "Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play.” -Joseph Goebbels

4 - "Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.” = Plato

******


What would it take to overcome or defeat the premise of each of the first three quotes?

1 - the lie was not maintained long enough?
- dissent was not repressed ?
- the truth got out?

2 - There were too many points being made?
- There were too many angles from which the points were being made?

3 - the "government" could not control the keyboard?
- the people obtained their own keyboard?


One thing the government institution did control was the televised media.

The calculated rigidity and control in the above quotes is not conducive to a collaborative relationship between a government institution and the public. I keep hearing how bad the public is when it comes to education. I keep hearing how expert the education people are.

Just how expert are they?

I threw in the last quote by Plato for my own benefit. I hate politics but the quote sure makes a lot of sense.

The Alafia meeting is tomorrow night. I understand that it is a public meeting. I wonder how it will be it accurately kept for historical purposes. It would be a shame to have all of that time and resources spent for only a relatively small percentage of the many across the district that are sincerely interested in the process as much as the outcomes.

"Toto" is to "dog" as "????" is to "gator"

I know most of you have always fantasized about Dusty Springfield and the Hollies being in bed together. C'mon. Don't lie. Speaking of lying, is it true that our local education agency is soon going to start sending out "truth squads". I will assume that they won't be wearing those jack-boots. They wouldn't be that stupid to recreate a point in history, would they?

So, I was wishing and hoping' and trying to get a message to you about this dream I had. I think it can be done by some of you out there in gatorland that have a more imaginative mind than mine. I am sure all of you have seen the movie "The Wizard of Oz". And if they can make a movie called "The Wiz", I know damn good and well they can fullfil my dream.

Do you remember the scene where Dorothy, the lion, tinman and scarecrow are standing before the giant curtain? Remember those big, billowing flames of hot air with that thunderous noise scaring you to death and making you pee your pants? But the real important part was the scene where the little dog is pulling back the massive curtain.

Bingo. We may have to create a reptile union of sorts, but somehow we have to replace that little canine with a true little blue gator. If they have cowardly lions and strawmen scarecrows, I think we can work in a blue hued gator.

Is it true that the local education agency is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on maintaining the curtain and the huge gas bags required to blow all that smoke? I heard a rumor that their road crew was right now as we speak gearing to go out on the road tommorow night. How much money does that cost, especially paying their key grips at union prices?

I have written about Toto before:
PRO on HCPS: An Atta-boy and an Anagram For Otto

Why not have a gator and pony show. It might be less expensive.

Maybe we could call it "Gaga".

Who knew? "The school system is a pain in the ass."

page 17, 151 3/12/2008 4:36:32 PM


Text messages that you can't make up.



This person was an employee of a public school system and she commanded all of the authority invested into any employee of a public school system. She was considered "a professional educator".

I am quite familar with broad brush attacks. I have been accused many times of making them. It is a double edged sword.

Recently, within "misinformation, anger and ugliness on blogs and at meetings", there have been comments made such as the following:

Posted by ( aquestiontoponder ) on 12/09/2008 at 08:59 pm.

Yet ANOTHER case of a bunch of meddling, soccer moms and dads trying to tell a professional educator how to run a school when most of them can't run their household without the help of ritalin, adderol or some other "magic pill".It's too bad that the district knuckled under to these busy-bodies and forced a veterans educator to "transfer".Here's something else to consider...Who in there right mind would WANT to work at this school???

Posted by ( miamicanes33511 ) on 12/10/2008 at 07:02 am.

Public schools are such a mess. Parents feel they are better trained than the people who actually have the expertise like Elia and Smith. Schools in other counties (Pinellas) are being closed. There are plenty of public, charter, private and christian schools within a five mile radius of that school. These are typically the same parents that also complain about the bussing situation at the beginning of each school year and every other problem in the public schools throughout the year. Public schools are like a Walmart, designed to be accessible by the masses, poor and rich, whatever. If you want Dillards service and brands, you gotta pay the price. This is a further waste of tax money. What if the parents don't like the new principal? Certainly, the new principal will bring in some of their own teachers from their previous school. Are the parents going to blame the new principal for the new personnel changes? If you don't like a school, move your kids to a different school.

Posted by ( dadof2 ) on 12/10/2008 at 09:10 am.

I can only hope that Ellyn Smith gets a big fat promotion and raise in her new position but where ever she goes she will stay until retirement. How much fun she will have knowing that the loud mouth bandits, oh I mean concerned parents and tax payers will be paying her retirement for the rest of her life along with her husbands!

Posted by ( wth1000 ) on 12/10/2008 at 11:31 pm.

Now I understand the thinking, I've been converted. I forgot, we're dealing with ADHD children. For the uninformed, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. You know, that "disorder" that never gets press. That would be were small children get no attention (i.e. butt whipping) as preschoolers so that they know how to respect authority and when to sit down and shut up and keep your hands to yourself. Then the ADHD parents get all offended when someone actually has the audacity to expect common, decent behavior out of their poor, disabled child. These (not all) Alafia parents are a bunch of idiots and will complain about every principal. Mrs. Smith's predecesor had similar problems, but these sweet, supportive parents won't tell you that. Truly, no one wins in this situation. Mrs. Smith's reputation is ruined in Hillsborough County and the internet forever and Alafia Elementary looks like it is filled with fools. FYI ... 275 parents is not a majority, silent or screaming fools.

Posted by ( ILMC ) on 12/11/2008 at 06:26 pm.

HA! 275! There are over 650 students at that school-- not a majority at all, whether are not there are single or two-parent families. Plus, both husbands, wives, grandparents, and people who don't even have children at the school signed the petition. Do you think we are idiots? And the emergency PTA meeting? You people wasted your money on postcards to send to my house and solicit from me. Don't act like you don't have other ways to get the word out. The meeting wasn't posted on your blog! Who checks the PTA website these days anyways? We are all too busy looking for what scandal is coming up next on the blogspot. If you REALLY wanted people to come, you would have put it there as well. Also, if you saw how few parents, teachers, and children actually wore red to school the other day, you would know you are in the minority. But again, facts hasn't been this group's strong suit. For those who think, Mrs. Smith didn't do follow the children who left campus, you are wrong. For those of you who say it is inappropriate not to allow a child to have medication in their classroom, take it up with the school board not Mrs. Smith. It is a district policy. You people talk so much garbage and don't even have all the facts of straight, it makes me sick. You all won't see any other side to this if it hit you in the face. While most of us who have remained silent are willing to admit fault where it is due, we are also willing to be rational and respectable. Skills that have been lost on most of those still complaining."

Sounds like the professional's have a serious task of moving forward since there seems to be a lot of people who "can't be held accountable for what they said", none of which apparently "helped to establish a better environment for the kids."

Interesting. What is different now than last spring, when this debacle first started to air itself?

The No-Blog Defense Means Good PR

Maybe I am figuring it out. If a school employee does not have a blog, the school district will go the extra mile to protect them, even if it means ignoring their own policies, not following up on specific reports by their supervisors or even suspending students who talk about the truth.

It is left up to our imagination what would have happened to these teachers and the below mentioned student if she they had written their opinions on a blog. We can assume they would have been escorted out of the ROSSAC building, even during public oomment time.



Middleton High Teacher Pleads Guilty In Student Sex Case:

"Another Middleton student, a 15-year-old female, was suspended as a gossip-monger after refusing to stop talking about rumors of the affair after telling a school official about it."


And then there is this one:
Teacher May Have Had Sex With Other Students:

"By MIKE WELLS and THOMAS W. KRAUSE
The Tampa Tribune
Published: March 14, 2008
Updated: 03/14/2008 06:01 pm"

Note the date.


Disciplinary report.

Note the date: August 7. 2006

"Failure to call by August 28, 2006, may effect your employment status".

Ragusa Complained About School's Public Reprimands#comments#comments#comments:

"There was a pattern of inappropriate behavior,' Cobbe said of Ragusa's teaching record before the investigation. 'It was never anything that rose to the level of sex, but it was clear she didn't know her boundaries.'
However, one of the instances Cobbe cited as inappropriate behavior ultimately led to sex between a Davidsen Middle School student and Ragusa during the 2006-07 school year, according to court records"

Maybe, just maybe, there is some unwritten standard practice that school employees should not have a blog, should not speak their concerns at school board meetings, and if the public never hears about it, all is well behind the giant curtain.

Ding, Lady Justice is Done

Click Here for special Christmas music sung by a regular citizen:

Ding Fries Are Done!

Connecting the dots sometimes is extremely frustrating. I have to take 10 deep cleansing breaths and then remember to tap into my sarcastic mocking of the system.

While I wait for the next shoe to drop over on the Alafia Blog, to me, the below story regarding the outcome of a teacher having sex with a student is evidence of how whacked out our society is. An adult teacher was considered less competent than a teen student is the premise. But there is more. Their relationship within the world of Special Education seems to now be reversed. You have to read the article to see how it happened.

Does the student now get to write goals and objectives for the teacher?


Click Here:Judge defends probation for teacher in sex case - St. Petersburg Times:

"....He said from the bench that the victim, then 16 and borderline mentally retarded, according to prosecutors, was probably the more mature and less vulnerable of the two. "

"He exercised authority over her," Padgett said."

"Even though the teen was in a special education class, one psychologist who testified for the defense said he wasn't mentally retarded. The state provided no experts to contradict that claim."

I can't believe I am reading this. However, this is not the first time I have heard it. It is stated right here in King Of The Hill.


Get through the advertisement and then watch "No Bobby Left Behind" whole episode or else you won't get it.


Click Here:FOX on Demand

Aired 11/9/2008
Principal Moss has the low achievement kids (including Bobby) evaluated for “special needs”.

Thanks go to Lee and Thomas for the links.

Florida State Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes - Inhalers and auto-injectors

I am not an attorney, nor do I give legal advice. But I can read.


We, and by that I mean all of us in the education community which includes the public and the public school system, should always be diligent in separating fact from fiction. Somewhere on one of my blogs, I am sure I have written about myths that are propagated by the public school system. While the public may also propagate myths, the professionals have a responsibility to be accurately informed. I have heard my fair share of erroneous information presented as fact by a school employee, therefore I learned to verify.


Local standard practice and policies (SP&P's) frequently contain bastardized translations of state statutes. This practice is pervasive in the special ed world.

Remember to check to a higher authority.


Here is an interesting link about drug use in the classroom:

Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine:



1002.20 K-12 student and parent rights.

(2) ATTENDANCE.--

"(h) Inhaler use.--Asthmatic students whose parent and physician provide their approval to the school principal may carry a metered dose inhaler on their person while in school. The school principal shall be provided a copy of the parent's and physician's approval.



(i) Epinephrine use.--A student who has experienced or is at risk for life-threatening allergic reactions may carry an epinephrine auto-injector and self-administer epinephrine by auto-injector while in school, participating in school-sponsored activities, or in transit to or from school or school-sponsored activities if the school has been provided with parental and physician authorization. The State Board of Education, in cooperation with the Department of Health, shall adopt rules for such use of epinephrine auto-injectors that shall include provisions to protect the safety of all students from the misuse or abuse of auto-injectors. A school district, county health department, public-private partner, and their employees and volunteers shall be indemnified by the parent of a student authorized to carry an epinephrine auto-injector for any and all liability with respect to the student's use of an epinephrine auto-injector pursuant to this paragraph."

ILMC vs. yipyap = Another Lesson To Be Learned

I see that there is continued discourse about the Alafia debacle, of course.



Over on the Tampa Tribune link found here:


Click Here


as always, the public comments provide plenty of learning opportunities for the education community, which includes the public and the public school system.


Below is an example of the "when and how" things go wrong, and then the "how" that things can be fixed.


Here is when and how it started:

Posted by ( ILMC ) on 12/11/2008 at 06:26 pm.

"............ For those of you who say it is inappropriate not to allow a child to have medication in their classroom, take it up with the school board not Mrs. Smith. It is a district policy. You people talk so much garbage and don't even have all the facts of straight, it makes me sick..........."

What do you think? Is ILMC a voice of authority?


Here is how things can be fixed:

Posted by ( yipyap ) on 12/12/2008 at 07:46 pm.

"..........2008-2009 Hillsborough County Student Handbook: Inhaler UseAsthmatic students whose parent and physician provide their approval to the school principal may carry a metered dose inhaler on their person while in school.Epinephrine UseA student who has experienced or is at risk for life-threatening allergic reactions may carry an epinephrine auto-injector and self-administer epinephrine by auto-injector while in school, participating in school-sponsored activities, or in transit to or from school or school-sponsored activities if the school has been provided with parental and physician authorization."

I don't have a student handbook, but if I were in this mix, I would make sure I read it for myself.

Let's see how ILMC responds. If yipyap is right, will ILMC concede the truth?

An Introduction To The Psychology of Advocacy

Click on this link to see what the snippets below mean:

From Wrightslaw:

"Stop playing the victim and being the overly-emotional parent"


",,, I turned my anger into
something else - ADVOCACY. "

".....Although I felt the school had attempted to assassinate my character, I had no proof. I learned from the Wrights to focus only on issues that can be proven. I was determined to get the help my children needed. I would use my emotions as a source of energy. I would become a mighty force."

*********************


From my life experiences and training, I think I understand a lot about how parents feel when the parent loses trust in the system. Heck, I will even add the same premise to employees who lose trust for the system.

We need to tap into the emotions to provide us with motivation, but we need to learn how to make sure the emotions are channeled into true advocating for our position.

"Regular Ed" people can learn a lot from the world of special education people.

Alafia Elementary's Heller Koch To Be Remembered Through Random Acts of Kindness

Each of us have experiences in our life that no one else will ever comprehend, yet each of us can share experiences as if we maybe do comprehend in some manner. Each of us in some way want to make a difference in the world around us.

In today's St. Pete Times, there is another story about Alafia Elementary. This time it is a story about a student who is remembered for making people feel special:



Family asks for acts of kindness to remember their son - St. Petersburg Times

"Now his family is asking the community to remember Heller on the first anniversary of his death by doing simple, random acts of kindness."

You can link to his blog here and continue to make a difference for Heller:

Random Acts of Kindness:

"Perhaps you shared a kindness with someone or perhaps someone shared a kindness with you. Maybe you have an idea for a kindness project to host on December 22nd. We would love to hear from you so we may post it here on our site in order to spread the joy and to inspire others."

If You Are Looking For Some Responsible Blogging Discourse - Check This Out

I don't know a lot about the First Amendment. I am not a strong believer in Wikipedia, but I will start with it:

Talley v. California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"Talley v. California, 362 U.S. 60 (1960), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that a Los Angeles city ordinance which forbade the distribution of any handbills in any place under any circumstances if the handbills did not contain the name and address of the person who prepared, distributed, or sponsored it was void.

Talley is often cited for the proposition that identification requirements burden speech."

Let me know if I am off base on this one. I must say I am having a difficult time processing what I have read and heard recently regarding blogging. I can't grasp how such a concept can be proposed from such a public position. My concern is not who said it. My concern is that it was said by an official of the public.

I can't help but think that perhaps the daily reminders to these public officials to not speak out because of legal repercussions has somehow been twisted into "if we can't say what we think, neither can the public."


Anyway, the title says something about responsible blogging, so go here:


Blogger: Sound Off And Be Heard - Post a Comment

"Hillsborough County Public Schools and the Blogging Problem " - "American School Issues and Analysis" - From Florida to New York

Recently, one of the HCPS Board members used a local blog to put the world on notice. For fear I might provide false information, I will provide the original source:

Hillsborought[sic] School Board wants better PR:

"November 10, 2008
Hillsborought [sic]School Board wants better PR

The Hillsborough School Board is tired of getting bad press. It's time for a PR blitz.

Chairwoman Jennifer Faliero shared today plans to build an e-mail listserv, where parents can sign up to receive e-mails directly from the district on everything from transportation updates to the role of the School Board.

She said automated phone calls are in. Letters sent home are out. And stay tuned for exciting new programming for television about the positive things going on in Hillsborough schools.

'I'm tired of hearing what a bad job we're doing,' she said. 'We do a great job, and people need to have more access to what we're doing."

********************** ************************
"A little PR goes a long way." This new campaign is off and running, right out of HCPS.

From Cooperstown
Hillsborough County Public Schools and the Blogging Problem — Education for the Aughts - American School Issues and Analysis

Click on that link to read what he had to say - and here is who said it:

"
by Matthew K. Tabor on March 9, 2007

Matthew’s background includes work in higher education, executive recruiting, consulting and government.

He consults on graduate/professional school admissions, academic media and a broad range of communication issues.

He has experience with:

* College admissions consulting for undergraduate, graduate and law/medical/MBA programs
* Job search and executive placement
* Website design and utility
* Strategic alignment with blogging/websites and individual branding
* Elections/political campaigns

syndication

Education for the Aught’s content has been featured by the Chicago Sun Times, Reuters and other major websites. It is syndicated by Newstex and Blogburst.

Matthew is a member of the National Association of Scholars. He writes out of Cooperstown, New York."

To Miami:
University Of Miami Education Students: Hillsborough County Schools' Blog Problem is About Communication

Click on that link for a slightly different twist.


********************* ************************



In a sly, cost saving move, this Eastern Seaboard PR exposure came by using the same free media outlet as the one used to announce the PR campaign:

THe Gradebook: Comments vs. content

You gotta read the public comments, as those who are the ones that have the relationship.


It is of my humble opinion that the Alafia Debacle has started some crafty thinking mechanism deep in the engine rooms of the HCPS. The fact that the oil level may be a quart or two low may impede the engine performance.

Freedom From Education - Connecting The Dots

The title of former Hillsborough County teacher William Wieser's book was not happenstance:

Death by Education: An American Autopsy by William Wieser (Used, New, Out-of-Print) - Alibris


In his book, he addresses the fact that writing his book was his last resort. He ran out of money fighting the appeals after he won in court.


Last night, a group of parents gave up their right to speak their opinions during their allotted time frame at the HCPS school board meeting. In the end, it appears they were snookered. For those school administrators seeking good PR relations, what could have been a phlegmatic announcement of a principal's transfer turned into an apparent soapbox for harangue. Why bother to concede one's position to have it carried out in that fashion?

Yesterday, there was another event that occurred over on The Gradebook, a local blog administered by the St. Pete Times. Read the public comments to gain understanding of the issues here:

Comments vs. content


This may be of interest to some:

Wrightslaw - Retaliation: School Administrators Develop an "Enemies List":

"The Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) represents over 14,000 California school administrators. This group surveyed their membership to identify groups and parents who had been critical of schools.

The School Administrators Association organized the survey responses into a secret Enemies List. This document included the name of the group, and names of parents who were identified with the groups, and name of superintendant. There was a section for comments about the parents' subversive activities - what actions they took that earned them a place on the Enemies List.

Someone leaked the Enemies List to the press.

The Association of California School Administrators was confronted with their Enemies List,. The Association said they were just trying to identify 'disruptive' individuals and groups.

A copy that was circulated shows that the report is organized by district, with columns for the name of the superintendent, the name of the group, followed by names of the parents involved in the group. There was also a section for comments describing the activities of the groups and what they did to earn a place on the list.

Targeted parents were guilty of 'disruptive' acts that included questioning special education placements, filing complaints with the Office of Civil Rights, and objecting to the way Parent Advisory Groups were set up.

"The existence of such a list confirms the worst fears of many parents - that schools single out parents who advocate for their children. It further suggests an adversarial and repressive attitude towards these parents - a precursor to the retaliation reported by many."

Lessons To Be Learned

One more episode of the Alafia Gang is in the archives of history. For many, I would assume that the effort needed to address their individual needs may or may not have been met and life will go back to "normal" quickly.

Hopefully there will be a few who have the wisdom and insight to see that as long as they reside in Hillsborough County, or perhaps any public school system, that they need to be involved as much as possible with their child's school setting.

I finally read on one of today's newspaper links a few of the specific concerns that were part of the issue. While there are always different perspectives to the same event, the lack of bringing collaboration to these differences obviously led to bigger and greater problems.

As some have already commented on, the parents were chastised for their actions, even after they decided to not hammer a point when the asked for solution had been given to them. Frequent readers of my blogs may understand when I have written about the "war on parents" and the mantra of "first you blame the kid, then you blame the parent".

The war between the public and the public school system may be inevitable. I find it ironic that the same system that complains about broad brush attacks makes broad brush claims of competency within their ranks. Frequent readers of mine would recognize how I mock the arrogance of the system. For the system to believe that all discontents or malcontents do not have a legitimate reason is simply a head-in-the-sand defense.

Another point to remember is that the Alafia Alliance had what most communities or individuals do not have to deal with situations like this. From the lessons learned, time will tell if these types of situations are settled more quickly or will the system develop stronger methods to quell the discontented. Time will tell how much "public" there is in "public school system".

I don't think that it was coincidental that these two events happened at the same time:

News Travels Fast and

Comments vs. Content

From Collier County - A Blog That Contains A Message

While doing a little research about how blogs are being attacked, I found this link from Collier County. It is a parody. Too bad it wasn't written about the truth. This is not a read for concrete thinkers.




Linda Abbott says: "Visit Rockford!": "labbottsaysvisitrockford.blogspot.com


Found close to the bottom of the blog,

"......

Everyone who interacts with children would earn more than everyone who pushes paper. (Or, stated another way: everyone who pushes paper would earn less than those who interact with children.) In short, the lowest teacher salary would be higher than ANYONE who works in the administrative center. NO MORE SIX-FIGURE SALARIES FOR ANYONE WHO IS A PAPER-PUSHER IN A SCHOOL DISTRICT ADMIN CENTER. Instead, such people can keep their big titles -- and can each make up to $29,000 per year, if the lowest paid teacher is making $30,000. (And, there are some teachers in this country who make even less than $30,000. Yes, it's true.)

There's a lot more that goes on in this school district that I really hate to see. And, I've been seeing it for about 15 years now. In any event -- I like to laugh. So, I hope you had a good time here! And, I'm glad my work made you laugh. (It made me laugh, too!) :)"

News Travels Fast

While I am patiently waiting for the public comments,

from The Gradebook


Alafia principal to leave school

Attack On Blogs

While I am patiently waiting for the 5:00 public comments of the Gator gang, I will provide this link for all to see that came up over on The Gradebook today. Thanks for the tip to the person who sent it.


Comments vs. content


I have been a long time reader of The Gradebook. Why would the system start with The Gradebook? Maybe because it would be an easier task to accomplish since "a reputable company" would certainly not want to seem accomodating.

Maybe it would be the beginning of the slippery slope.

District Funds To The Rescue

In today's Tribune's South Shore edition, D'Ann Lawrence White provides some investigative reporting for the public:



Coaching Alafia Principal Could Cost District Thousands#comments

Hillsborough County Is Just Buzzing To Be Slammed

Could it be that we just live in Hillsborough County and "it is what it is".

Take a little time out from the gator crawl and look at this article from The Bay Buzz:



Auditor slams Hillsborough housing office#comments

Here are a few snips from the 104 page report:

misplaced trust in unproductive and inept management;

a defective reporting system preventing executive awareness;

no transparency or accountability fostered by an ineffectual performance management
system;
3

heavy reliance on limited and perfunctory oversight by the grantor/regulatory agencies;

poor planning and execution; and

a lack of formal policies and procedures

and then there were these:

Action plans appeared to be “shelfware,” and were not executed as approved or amended
to account for unanticipated changes or the need for modifications.

According to the County Administrator, she was unaware that the housing assistance program
was in disrepair, the extent of poor performance during the 2004 to 2006 timeframe, or that the
loss of funds announced in 2007 was a possibility until it was too late for her to take corrective
action. It was not until funds were lost that she realized, questioned, and critiqued the
performance of the housing agency. The County Administrator now recognizes the need for
affirmative, constructive and remedial actions and has taken positive steps in that directionl.

As we discovered during the initial stages of the audit, the agency does not have a bona fide
performance management system in place that, among other requirements, gathers and tracks
performance data. This severely limited our ability to assess the agency’s performance. In order
to accomplish this audit objective we would have had to construct our own performance
framework and data, a sizeable task requiring thousands of staff hours. This issue is discussed
in this report and will be the subject of future audits.

In February 2008, County Administration’s Consumer Protection and Professional Responsibility
Agency (CPPRA) initiated an investigation into allegations made about AHO employees. In May
2008, the County Administrator discussed the results of the CPPRA investigation with the US Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the HUD Inspector General, and an
external criminal investigation by those agencies began. The Tampa Tribune subsequently
issued a newspaper story relating to the investigation and naming the suspected employees.

Midday Synopsis

Having a few moments to scan the local blogs, there have been some interesting comments made on the Alafia blog, April's blog and Lee's blog. Forgive me if I missed any others.

What interests me is that more people seem to have a concept of how the system works. While I have written about many events, each day I am reminded of the seedy side of the system that I engaged for many years.

The gator gang did a bang up job of painting a picture with past Tribune or Time's quotes. Also, you may want to do a search for the words "cavalier" or "obfuscation" on my blogs for an historical perspective.

A little over 24 hours until show time for the next publicized episode. I keep waiting for a power play from the District, but maybe there is just too much public attention for "them" to try one now.

Alafia Countdown Continues

Snippets keep coming throughout the night. Tomorrow's Board meeting ought to be good. Order your chili early.

Avid readers of the Alafia Debacle may want to revisit the public comments on my last two posts, plus The Sound Off and Be Heard blog:

PRO on HCPS: Wow - It Was Right There And I Missed It.

PRO on HCPS: Effervescent Commentary By Goader

Sound Off And Be Heard: My response to a question posted about Alafia

And might as well add to check up on the latest over on The Gator Blog

Effervescent Commentary By Goader

Goader always puts information in perspective.

EsKay » Outsider… Not

There is no workings of the District that is or should be isolated from the whole. What effects one part effects another.

For those who are entrenched with the issues of Alafia Elementary, Goader offers another perspective and other challenges.

Wow - It Was Right There And I Missed It.

Someone asked me if I had a bad day yesterday. I thought it was an interesting question. What do they know and how do they know it? To make up for it, this will be my second post today, so don't neglect the other one.

As I re-read my post from the day before, I must have really had a bad day. I try to read between the lines when it comes to the ways of the District, and now I see it clear as a bell.

If nothing else, the District is usually entrenched in the chain of command. And "they" are very, very protective of their "site-based" commanders, be it Area Director's, Principals or Teachers, each within their own realm.


Yesterday, or maybe it was the day before, Ms. Faliero made a comment over on the Alafia blog. This fact in itself should be notable. But I just re-read it and bam- here is the meat of the comment:

"Mrs. Elia has asked me to support her most recent decision and to give her a chance to address the many concerns you have raised. She will give her recommendation by December 20. What is unusual is that the Superintendent is involved at this level. The Area Director is the direct Supervisor for principals in a given area. The next in line would be Assistant Superintendent for Administration Lewis Brinson. Both are highly qualified, successful staff members. I have worked with both individuals and consider them to be two of the best administrators in our district. As I have said before, this is an unprecedented situation."

I knew I knew it before:

Click Here:

Public Education - Politics, Business and Education: Parents Critical Of Alafia Elementary Principal - Part Two On This Blog:


"I happen to know one of the key players in this arena. I am not divulging who it is nor which side they are on. I do respect this person, so I am interested in the outcome."

Yes folks, there something different about this Alafia Debacle. What is different is that systemic issues are being exposed.

Alafia Elementary Debacle - Preparing For Dec. 9th Board Meeting

Should we go straight Lumsden west all the way until it comes to 60 and then turn left?

Should we take the Crosstown? It exits right at that building that has those fortress type windows.


How many of you think the ROSSAC building was built to withstand bow and arrow attacks? The only word I can think of at this time is "meurtriere". There is probably a better suited word for how the windows are protected by those funny looking slats, mais je ne sais pas.

Got maps? Got parking money? Got bail money?

The Alafia Alliance is better than anything I have seen. They must have a veteran trained in warfare as part of their team. Who else would have thought of hiring a security guard to watch the carpool lot? In this day and age of retaliation, who would have been surprised to see these vehicles vandalized while the troops were off to the war arena?

It appears that the gator group has thwarted the usual tactics of the District, so far. I see there is a meeting scheduled for Dec. 17th, so that should effectively carry the conflict out through the end of this year. Another meeting strategically scheduled after things have settled down from the New Year and after the FCAT money scam week and shortly before spring break could grind this issue out until the end of the school year.

The District detests outside influence and interference. The Alafia gang have it all. The public. The media. At least one vocal politician. Apparent attempts to bring in the State people. What started out as a "site based" problem - the term the District prefers to use to assuage outsiders - has now blossomed into damn near a global spectacle.

Many years ago when I was involved in my own siege against the buttresses of the Great Land of Oz, one of the Captains of Mayhem took me off to the side and said "Richard, next time, ask a specific question, then wait for the specific answer, and don't let go of the question."

The Board already has insulated themselves from answering questions on the night of the meeting. Read their public comment pronouncement. However, it doesn't say that they will ever answer the question, only that they will consider the question or what ever word they use that can be obfuscated later. The trick is to ask the question in a formal manner that commands a response.

Bonne chance!

Ms. Faliero Goes Sphere's To The Barricade

OK, now that I have your attention, that means balls to the wall - or ovaries to the fallopian tube - I report, you decide.


At this point, I am speechless. All I can interpret is that there has to be something good to come out of this. I hope.


Go to the Alafia Blogspot to see if it still has this post:




BoardmemberFaliero said...
Dear Alafia Parents,

For the past six years, I have served as your elected school board member in District 4. My success has come from being an outsider.

My background is in corporate Public Relations. My connection to the Adminstration is through the relationships I have fostered in order for me to be an effective board member, much like those necessary to succeed in any organization. I'm also a parent with two daughters who attend schools in the Valrico area. Both my children went to Buckhorn, and my youngest attended Bevis. Valrico has been my home since 1993. After reading over some of the blog entries, I felt you needed background information on me. Your voices have not fallen on deaf ears when speaking at the board meetings. I have never seen an uprising from the parents as I have witnessed from the parents and teachers at Alafia. Further concerning and enlightening to me was being witness to the parent meeting held with Mrs. Elia and afterwards hearing firsthand your struggles with the principal.

Mrs. Elia has asked me to support her most recent decision and to give her a chance to address the many concerns you have raised. She will give her recommendation by December 20. What is unusual is that the Superintendent is involved at this level. The Area Director is the direct Supervisor for principals in a given area. The next in line would be Assistant Superintendent for Administration Lewis Brinson. Both are highly qualified, successful staff members. I have worked with both individuals and consider them to be two of the best administrators in our district. As I have said before, this is an unprecedented situation.


It is important that you get accurate information. BLOGS have become breeding grounds for discontents and false information.

So, what happens next? As a board member, it is my responsibility to hold the superintendent accountable for her decisions. She is the only employee other than the board attorney that the board has hiring and firing authority over. She has until December 20 to make a final recommendation.

Please utilize this uncomfortable time to read to the students, hold a breakfast for parents at the school site, do something nice for a teacher, send notes from your children, focus on making sure the students have a memorable time at school. These issues will be resolved.

If you have any questions or want to share something personally with me, please call me at 813-571-2705 or email me at jfaliero@sdhc.us.


Jennifer Faliero
School Board Member District 4
901 E. Kennedy Blvd.
Tampa, Florida 33602

December 4, 2008 5:23 PM

Yeaah- That's The Ticket - What I Would Have Said - I Mean, What I Used To Say

I feel like a discount broker. Over the 20 +- years of my interactions with the District, I think I can honestly say I was discounted in every manner "they" could muster.

It only takes a comment from someone that indirectly knows someone who indirectly knows someone that tells me "I" made a difference back in the day when I was on stage in many different venues of the District. Maybe it was because I called so many people out on their ignorance of IDEA. Maybe it was because of the OCR complaint that turned the District on it's "diabetic ear". Maybe it was because of the IDEA state complaint I filed that listed the 10-15 people that "should" have taken care of the problem. The astounding fact is that that state complaint was filed a year after "mediation" was accepted by the trusting parent. Maybe it was because the trusting parent, a year after the first mediation, kept very good records of who she had contact with, and of the 10-15 people, she got the same result that she had received the year before, prior to mediation, which was nothing.

One more point to be made - the investigating officer from the State tried to get me to dismiss the State complaint. I wouldn't do it, because I understood the game. She said all I wanted to do was cause trouble for the District. In the end, she had to do her job.


That single mother from another country used to call me her "angel". Unfortunately, I knew I was only a brief glimpse of hope.

Never, ever, trust the system.


All of that brings me to this:

Over on the Alafia Elementary Blog - which gets more hits than a whack-a-mole at Chuck the Cheese, there are some telling comments from those who see the real picture.

What grinds my corn is that they have conceptualized the systemic issues that have plagued many a school site and they are up to the challenge. Instead of the apple-pie-throwing-PTA approach (not saying that apple pies and PTA's don't need each other), this group of people somehow have grasped the notion that what happens to one student/parent/teacher/principal/community could happen anywhere in the great county of Hillsborough, the "model school district", by some accounts.


I will commence to do what the "drive by media" does. I will take snippets of comments to advance my own agenda. The complete comments can be found on their blog.

Anonymous 10:40

............... The fight is bigger than the fight going on at Alafia. Alafia is a battle in a much bigger war. ...............


If the districts culture is not changed, this WILL happen again. Possibly at your kids middle scholl in several years, possibly their high school or maybe even right back at Alafia. As a matter of fact, if you force their hand at Alafia I expect that you might get worse right away. This administration is VERY vindictive. Has this even occurred to you?


......


You guys have sent out some redundant communications (As in form emails). You might find more responsiveness if your campaign did not come off as form letter communication. Form letters really detract from your credibility when you are lobbying and trying to get attention. Peronsalized emails are much more effective.

Harken back to this comment I made:

The Special Ed Concierge said...
Well written letters that are not acusatory but simply state the facts, the concern and the desired result have a lot of power.

Not e-mails. Not phone calls. Not verbal conversations.

Well written letters that are cc'd at least to your own file.

October 17, 2008 6:12 PM

To the next snippets:

..........As for gain, I want to see this district be what it can be. I want it to fulfill it's unrealized potential. The only way that I know to do that is to advocate and embrace a REAL culture change and that means a very different school board. To assist in this goal I have decided to approach groups of parents (and presumably voters) and try to get them engaged and to understand what is really going on here.

The voters have to fix this mess by seating a majority of outsiders on the board. The public needs to give this deep thought and analysis, not the superficial type of assessment that you brought forth. A movement needs to be started. A movement for the greater good of ALL the counties children not just your own child.

December 4, 2008 8:31 AM
Anonymous said...
To Anonymous 8:31

Thank you very much for your blog. Please also be aware that not only are parents wanting to be a part of fixing this situation, but so are teachers. There are numerous teachers, not only at Alafia but from Seffner as well, who would love to continue "fighting" this fight. The issue for the teachers at Alafia is that when Elia spoke to our school, one sentiment was apparent. We (the teachers) either needed to get on board, move forward, and make this work or we would no longer be employees of Hillsborough County Schools. When the leader of ALL the leaders comes into a forum and gives this "ultimatum?" (or would you call it pep talk, I'm not sure what I would call it) what are teachers to do? We love working with children. We enjoy the parents. We have strong relationships with the other teachers. Do we fight the fight and quit our jobs? Do we quietly go to work, smile and pretend like all has been fixed? Let me tell you, it's a confusing place to be in. I can tell you I honestly don't which way is up any more.

I applaud and appreciate so much what the parents are doing for us (teachers). I want to help as much as possible....I just don't know how.

************************
Baby the rain must fall
Baby the wind must blow
Wherever my heart leads me
Baby I must go
Baby I must go. - Glen Yarborough

Alafia Elementary Gearing Up For Another Board Meeting

If nothing else, the goings on at the Alafia Elementary seems to draw a lot of attention from an eclectic sort of interested educational, governmental and media types. This would be a statistical guess on my part, since I am just an isolated incident of a blog that happens to have a link to the gatorland.

Those who are serious about the greater issues facing our local public education agency should connect with the issues that are outlined at EsKay. The bells and whistles of these issues can be found over at Lee Drury De Cesare's Casting-Room Couch
One thing can be said about the Alafia Alliance is that they are loud and proud so far. I have reason to believe they have dug deep into the dusty ditty bag of forgotten history of events that may shed more interest into the present kadoodle.

We can hope that the attention that this group is bringing out about how the system works (or doesn't) can spread to other major concerns that effect a large number of people that don't have the soap box stance afforded to the Gatornationals, yet.

From The Gradebook: Pinellas middle school teachers win: Arbitrator orders return to old schedule

Thanks To The Gradebook for this link:


Pinellas middle school teachers win: Arbitrator orders return to old schedule


I would assume that Hillsborough did it right.

What Does Dick Clark, Alafia Elementary and HCPS Have In Common? -- The Hits Just Keep Coming.

I will assume that most of you reading this are looking for the next dirt on Alafia Elementary, if not just the launching pad to The Alafia Blog spot. I will submit at this point that you, be it parent or employee, are being selfish if you don't understand the big picture.

Alafia Elementary is a gigantic dot, but unless those who are concerned connect it with the big picture, we will miss a golden opportunity to bring about positive educational outcomes for our students.

It is the systemic issues that need attention.

Most of the key people who flat out lied to me are gone. It appears that I was not an isolated incident after all.

It is difficult for me as a parent who dealt with years of lies and obfuscation to have empathy for a system that is, in my opinion, more about an image than professional education substance.

I would ask that all concerned expand the below comments to the entire Hillsborough County Public School system. Most communities or families do not have the needed resources to challenge the system.


Keep that in mind - if the system isn't fixed, this will just be another isolated incident, just like the thousands of broad-brushed-malcontents-such-as-I.


Alafia Elementary School: Can Mrs. Smith be taught 'People Skills'?: "Anonymous said...
Ms Smith came to Seffner in an 'untraditional' route. Normally a person is an assistant principal for years and is reviewed and trained to assume the roll of school principal. Ellyn, on the other hand, was 'downtown' a supevisor. She was sent to Seffner where she destroyed a wonderful school. If anyone cared there are MANY current and former Seffner teachers who would be happy to talk to anyone. Ask youeself WHY was she removed from downrown. Who and what does she know that protects her in the school system.
November 30, 2008 3:06 PM
Anonymous said...
The answers to those questions as to why was she pulled from downtown may be the reason why there is no place to put her. Anyone who has any sense (although HCPS don't seem to have much) would know that transferring her to another school isn't an option. If they don't want her downtown, the only other route would be to fire her. Let's see if they have the guts to do it.
November 30, 2008 3:45 PM
Anonymous said...
This woman has consistently proven herself to be a poor leader. There is no 'fixing' her. Read the following article (see link below) on bullying bosses. I bet there are several teachers who could identify many tactics that were used to control both faculty and parents. We need to keep digging too regarding Elia's drive to protect her. There is definitely something shady that lurks behind this relationship.

Academic Leadership The Bullying Boss
November 30, 2008 3:51 PM"