As I was tending my spring crop of rutabagas, I had an amazing insight. Some of the HCDS employees are indeed quick witted. I was contemplating the recent "crutch incident" after reading some more of the public comments on the Tampa Tribune post.
After reading some of the comments, I was trying to empathize with the plight of the person who allegedly took the crutches away. It dawned on me that coming up with the idea that crutches are weapons and therefore the strict enforcement of the "policy" was actually a heroic act by the person who protected the innocent from this threat. I had to admit, I don't think I would have thought of that quickly.
I have had the benefit of days to think and scheme. I think I may have something that will solve this issue for the next person. The following comment got my attention:
( cshultz110 ) on March 31, 2008 at 10:38 a.m: "One point you are missing is that the district is planning on putting the policy of NO crutches or wheelchairs without a doctors note into next years student handbook, which means that the only difference between this happening this year or next year is that the school district (not just the nurses supervisor) will have the nurses back!!!"
On a side note, for those who are in to dot connecting, this person may be connected to this one: "This Dot may be Huge if it is truly connected".
Back to the crutch of the matter. Next year, once this policy is in the student handbook, I have the answer to the issue, should it happen again. If the student does not have a Dr's note for the crutch or wheelchair, they will be on the school grounds illegally. So, the school person charges the student with trespassing, calls the police and they come and arrest the student and handcuff them, and take them away. Problem solved and all legally neat and tidy.
Tomorrow I have to shovel the stuff the bull puts out, and I am hoping then I can figure out how to save the unknowing person that picks up those crutches, to take them to the student in jail, from being tasered.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Disconnect? - Must Be The Money
If I understand the general state of the public education system, if it wasn't for the bad students and bad parents, the system would be just fine, thank you.
I was making some notes:
STUDENTS
- Disrespectful
- Poor learning attitude - this could be from many different causes including, but not limited to, social, economic and familial background
- Exploit teachers sexually
- Are "wilted lettuce and rotten tomatoes" - which ruins the "good" salad
- The ones that do respect authority should have known better, such as getting off on the wrong bus stop and willingly giving up their crutches
-Unsocialized behavior
PARENTS
- Disrespectful
- Poor parental skills - do not instill proper learning attitude
- Poor sex education - should teach their children to only have sex with their peers.
- Are not educators and need to understand that premise. However, without their assistance, the real educators can't do it all.
- Must take full responsibility for teaching appropriate socialization skills and understand that the schools will not do that for them. On the other hand, the schools will take on the responsibility of teaching proper sex education, however the students must maintain a proper relationship with the teachers as they (the teachers) are easily exploited. There is a teacher shortage already, and money is wasted on defending the teachers from the students.
- Must join PTA's and other School Support groups.
- Must not tell the "T's" in the PTA group how to do their job.
- Must speak up at school board meeting, but also remember not to tell the administration how to do their job.
- Must continue to be a member of the PTA and "be involved" with the school system despite clear message that their input is meaningless.
**************************
One might think that if there is such a war going on between the student/parent and school people, that maybe they would just do better if they got away from each other.
And they try hard. Students and parents want change of teachers, change of schools and vouchers if necessary. School people want suspensions, expulsions, ATOSS and alternative placements. They readily provide exemptions from high stakes testing, but try getting a 504 plan or an evaluation for a suspected disability.
Home schooling seems like it would settle the problem. The student/parent won't have to listen to how bad they are and the school people won't have to listen to how bad they are.
But not in California. And I am quite sure this will be a eastward movement.
It must be about money.
If it was about education, you would think that the schools would just say "don't let the door hit you". Now these unwanted kids are going to disrupt the education process, drive down high stakes test scores and be a liability to the public school system. If the parents are too stupid to teach the kids, then we all know the kids are gonna be stupid - we see it all the time - don't we? I mean, isn't it a major predictor that if the parent shows up in flip flops, the kid isn't going to pass the FCAT?
I don't think the ATF will have to be called in. Hopefully there won't be any tanks placed around their house with loud music playing. And hopefully the government won't kill them to give them a better educated life. Randy and David were taught not to home school. What about those terrorist schools - do they get voucher money? If we can show that the terrorist schools are keeping money from the public schools, those schools would be shut down in a heart beat.
I was making some notes:
STUDENTS
- Disrespectful
- Poor learning attitude - this could be from many different causes including, but not limited to, social, economic and familial background
- Exploit teachers sexually
- Are "wilted lettuce and rotten tomatoes" - which ruins the "good" salad
- The ones that do respect authority should have known better, such as getting off on the wrong bus stop and willingly giving up their crutches
-Unsocialized behavior
PARENTS
- Disrespectful
- Poor parental skills - do not instill proper learning attitude
- Poor sex education - should teach their children to only have sex with their peers.
- Are not educators and need to understand that premise. However, without their assistance, the real educators can't do it all.
- Must take full responsibility for teaching appropriate socialization skills and understand that the schools will not do that for them. On the other hand, the schools will take on the responsibility of teaching proper sex education, however the students must maintain a proper relationship with the teachers as they (the teachers) are easily exploited. There is a teacher shortage already, and money is wasted on defending the teachers from the students.
- Must join PTA's and other School Support groups.
- Must not tell the "T's" in the PTA group how to do their job.
- Must speak up at school board meeting, but also remember not to tell the administration how to do their job.
- Must continue to be a member of the PTA and "be involved" with the school system despite clear message that their input is meaningless.
**************************
One might think that if there is such a war going on between the student/parent and school people, that maybe they would just do better if they got away from each other.
And they try hard. Students and parents want change of teachers, change of schools and vouchers if necessary. School people want suspensions, expulsions, ATOSS and alternative placements. They readily provide exemptions from high stakes testing, but try getting a 504 plan or an evaluation for a suspected disability.
Home schooling seems like it would settle the problem. The student/parent won't have to listen to how bad they are and the school people won't have to listen to how bad they are.
But not in California. And I am quite sure this will be a eastward movement.
It must be about money.
If it was about education, you would think that the schools would just say "don't let the door hit you". Now these unwanted kids are going to disrupt the education process, drive down high stakes test scores and be a liability to the public school system. If the parents are too stupid to teach the kids, then we all know the kids are gonna be stupid - we see it all the time - don't we? I mean, isn't it a major predictor that if the parent shows up in flip flops, the kid isn't going to pass the FCAT?
I don't think the ATF will have to be called in. Hopefully there won't be any tanks placed around their house with loud music playing. And hopefully the government won't kill them to give them a better educated life. Randy and David were taught not to home school. What about those terrorist schools - do they get voucher money? If we can show that the terrorist schools are keeping money from the public schools, those schools would be shut down in a heart beat.
Supportive Data Regarding Another One Of My Dots
For those who think I just pull this stuff out of the air or maybe some other place, here is a post from "The Gradebook":
"How many rotten apples are there?"
For those who don't understand why the teaching profession and public education is not held in high reverence, just think about the statistics that have been kept hidden. Additionally, every one of these "isolated incidents" effects a family, not just one person. Additionally, every one that works within the system that hides the dirty secrets is compromised. Everyone makes mistakes, but when it becomes a cultural acceptance to "look the other way", systems suffer.
From "The Gradebook", we have this statement:
"In its 2003 series, "Coaches Who Prey," the Seattle Times found 159 coaches in Washington state who had been fired or reprimanded over the course of a decade for sexual misconduct. The newspaper found at least 98 of those coaches continued to coach or teach.
Closer to home, the Sarasota Herald Tribune reported last year – after a two-year investigation – that more than 300 Florida teachers have been punished in recent years for sexual misconduct and nearly 450 more for physically attacking or verbally terrorizing students. And yet, the Herald Tribune found, more than half of those teachers kept their teaching licenses and at least 150 of them were still teaching in Florida."
************************
Now maybe my post about the cows always coming home and the chickens always roosting has more credibility, even if I did just grow up on the farm, and actually did ride on the turnip truck.
A little anecdotal information just adds to the story.
"How many rotten apples are there?"
For those who don't understand why the teaching profession and public education is not held in high reverence, just think about the statistics that have been kept hidden. Additionally, every one of these "isolated incidents" effects a family, not just one person. Additionally, every one that works within the system that hides the dirty secrets is compromised. Everyone makes mistakes, but when it becomes a cultural acceptance to "look the other way", systems suffer.
From "The Gradebook", we have this statement:
"In its 2003 series, "Coaches Who Prey," the Seattle Times found 159 coaches in Washington state who had been fired or reprimanded over the course of a decade for sexual misconduct. The newspaper found at least 98 of those coaches continued to coach or teach.
Closer to home, the Sarasota Herald Tribune reported last year – after a two-year investigation – that more than 300 Florida teachers have been punished in recent years for sexual misconduct and nearly 450 more for physically attacking or verbally terrorizing students. And yet, the Herald Tribune found, more than half of those teachers kept their teaching licenses and at least 150 of them were still teaching in Florida."
************************
Now maybe my post about the cows always coming home and the chickens always roosting has more credibility, even if I did just grow up on the farm, and actually did ride on the turnip truck.
A little anecdotal information just adds to the story.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Beware of False Prophets
Having retired at least twice, sometimes I have too much time on my hands and my thoughts get way out of hand. My track record for recognizing correlations between small bits of information to form a big picture is uncanny. My friends and family can attest to that. Henceforth, the little blurb above about connecting the dots.
I fully understand this person's position on not speaking up while one's kids are in the system.
Maybe now would be a good time to throw this concept out and let the readers ponder it's merits. For me, it is a hunch based on years of observation.
I have written a few times about the "arrogance and ignorance" concept of our local school system. I have another perception that goes along with this.
I am sure that all of us at one point or other has seen someone else do something and they make it look easy. Then when we try it, we just don't get the same results. Most frequently, it is because we do not have the experience necessary, and with practice, we do get the same results.
However, sometimes there are situations where the reason we don't get the same results, and may not ever achieve them, is because there is knowledge and expertice that is necessary that we don't have. If we do not recognize this, we may find ourselves "talking the talk" without having the necessary tools to "walk the walk".
Some people have "power" because of their "knowledge". Some people have "power" because of their "position". If a person in a "position" tries to exert "power" that is only begot by "knowledge", yet they are "ignorant", they will end up in a compromised situation because their "position" can not back up their action because they acted ignorantly.
A recent example would be like the HCDS School Board Chair person stopping a speaker from "free speech". While the Chair had "power" because of their "position", the chair did not have "power" based on "knowledge".
I have said all of this to say that perhaps some of the decision makers in the HCDS have a false sense of "power" because they lack the knowledge of the one's they are trying to mimic.
The concern of the District may be that they should protect the integrity of decisions based on "knowledge" more than they should attempt to protect decisions based simply on "position". It maintains credibility, and may be a more sound financial decision, to defend "knowledgeable" actions than simply defending "positions".
I fully understand this person's position on not speaking up while one's kids are in the system.
Maybe now would be a good time to throw this concept out and let the readers ponder it's merits. For me, it is a hunch based on years of observation.
I have written a few times about the "arrogance and ignorance" concept of our local school system. I have another perception that goes along with this.
I am sure that all of us at one point or other has seen someone else do something and they make it look easy. Then when we try it, we just don't get the same results. Most frequently, it is because we do not have the experience necessary, and with practice, we do get the same results.
However, sometimes there are situations where the reason we don't get the same results, and may not ever achieve them, is because there is knowledge and expertice that is necessary that we don't have. If we do not recognize this, we may find ourselves "talking the talk" without having the necessary tools to "walk the walk".
Some people have "power" because of their "knowledge". Some people have "power" because of their "position". If a person in a "position" tries to exert "power" that is only begot by "knowledge", yet they are "ignorant", they will end up in a compromised situation because their "position" can not back up their action because they acted ignorantly.
A recent example would be like the HCDS School Board Chair person stopping a speaker from "free speech". While the Chair had "power" because of their "position", the chair did not have "power" based on "knowledge".
I have said all of this to say that perhaps some of the decision makers in the HCDS have a false sense of "power" because they lack the knowledge of the one's they are trying to mimic.
The concern of the District may be that they should protect the integrity of decisions based on "knowledge" more than they should attempt to protect decisions based simply on "position". It maintains credibility, and may be a more sound financial decision, to defend "knowledgeable" actions than simply defending "positions".
A Crutch, A Crutch -My District for a Crutch
I have put off making comments about this latest incident for a while. There is a chance that the reporter was negligent, unprofessional and simply wrote an irresponsible article that painted a biased picture about the local school system.
That slim chance keeps me from jumping on the band wagon and bashing the system one more time based on false information. Because that would mess up my credibility about my perception of how "the HCDS" is rampant with arrogance and ignorance and abuse of power.
Once again, my comments are not about individuals. But maybe, just maybe, if one has read all of my rants and raves about how I perceive the District as dysfunctional because of some of those who are in power are arrogant, ignorant and abuse their power, this story, if true, fits my template.
It is my hope that those who understand what I am talking about and are in a position to bring about positive change, it will give them insight. And for those who are not in a position of power, it will give insight into how your current job situation is compromised because of other's actions.
For those who want to argue that I haven't heard the whole story, I will say "you are right". And I will leave it at that, and wait for the next story and we can go through another "isolated incident" again.
So here it is: Mother: School Took Girl's Crutches
If you read the public comments, I am "RLH".
What got my attention about this article was this statement:
"We ask for a doctor's prescription or a doctor's note, but there's nothing that says take away the crutches," Cobbe said.
Again, if this is all true, this statement should be used in every professional training program the District uses.
I have had the finger of authority in my face. I have been threatened with trespassing. The day after I wrote a letter outlining serious concerns that had been ongoing. I dealt with "intimidation" and "obfuscation" in several different settings over several years. It was not "isolated incidents" and I do not use a "broad brush".
It is what it is. For those who want to say I am a "malcontent", I say one thing: Prove me wrong.
If this story is true, it fits the template of an employee who perceives their job as "controlling" as opposed to "administering". Whether it be in the classroom, the health clinic, the office, the front secretary's desk, the locker room, the lunchroom, the Velasco building or the ROSSAC, when a person sees their job as maintaining "power and control" vs "professional administration", these stories will continue to be told.
That slim chance keeps me from jumping on the band wagon and bashing the system one more time based on false information. Because that would mess up my credibility about my perception of how "the HCDS" is rampant with arrogance and ignorance and abuse of power.
Once again, my comments are not about individuals. But maybe, just maybe, if one has read all of my rants and raves about how I perceive the District as dysfunctional because of some of those who are in power are arrogant, ignorant and abuse their power, this story, if true, fits my template.
It is my hope that those who understand what I am talking about and are in a position to bring about positive change, it will give them insight. And for those who are not in a position of power, it will give insight into how your current job situation is compromised because of other's actions.
For those who want to argue that I haven't heard the whole story, I will say "you are right". And I will leave it at that, and wait for the next story and we can go through another "isolated incident" again.
So here it is: Mother: School Took Girl's Crutches
If you read the public comments, I am "RLH".
What got my attention about this article was this statement:
"We ask for a doctor's prescription or a doctor's note, but there's nothing that says take away the crutches," Cobbe said.
Again, if this is all true, this statement should be used in every professional training program the District uses.
I have had the finger of authority in my face. I have been threatened with trespassing. The day after I wrote a letter outlining serious concerns that had been ongoing. I dealt with "intimidation" and "obfuscation" in several different settings over several years. It was not "isolated incidents" and I do not use a "broad brush".
It is what it is. For those who want to say I am a "malcontent", I say one thing: Prove me wrong.
If this story is true, it fits the template of an employee who perceives their job as "controlling" as opposed to "administering". Whether it be in the classroom, the health clinic, the office, the front secretary's desk, the locker room, the lunchroom, the Velasco building or the ROSSAC, when a person sees their job as maintaining "power and control" vs "professional administration", these stories will continue to be told.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
More On "It Is What It Is"
In response to this post
After the 12 or 13 years I spent learning the ways of the HCDS and special education gimmicks, there are so many different avenues of concepts I could go down, I don't know which one to take first.
I will start with that I did all of the following except picketing. My trip to Washington D.C. to speak to legislators may substitute for that.
"We've yelled, picketted, written e mails, spoken at SB meetings, tried to get straight answers from ROSSAC....".
I fully understand that ESE issues are systemic and nation wide. In the last Report to Congress, not a single state was in full compliance with IDEA, with of course some states worse than others. I can find the link to the report if it matters.
In response to this statement, "Parents need to get togeter--LOTS of you and start showing some muscle-- and legal authority.", I will say this:
You may or may not be surprised how difficult it is for "legal authority" to be brought about. The District understands this fully well. They know exactly how to limit their liability, and it has nothing to do with dealing up front with parents.
I think I have used the word "obfuscation" a few times. "Smoke and mirrors" comes to mind, also. "The shell game" may be another apt metaphor.
Over the years, I have witnessed some school employees, some of who I knew in other settings outside of the school system, act in ways that were quite shocking when it comes to wriggling around ESE issues.
For the one's that end up with problems, parents, and teachers, simply have too much trust for the system until they get to the point where they become so angry they lose their ability to advocate. Another dirty secret is, "the system" understands that and relies upon it. I don't make this stuff up. I have lived it and studied it.
I agree that parents can bring about change. On one of my posts on this blog or over in the Motel Special Ed, I wrote about how parents and teachers together could be more effective, as teachers have the "inside information" and parents have the "right to be a fully informed participant of the IEP process" and they are (supposed to be) a decision maker regarding their child's Individualized Education Program. I emphasise the word "Individualized", one because that is the word used in IDEA, and two, because it holds more implications than just simply "individual". How many ESE classrooms have IEP's that all look the same?Or, maybe if the written IEP's don't actually look the same, the related services and supports are delivered the same to all of the students?
And then there is this: "Teachers just can't do any more."
The more and more that teachers don't carry the water for the district and instead be honest with parents, the quicker parents will understand the game. I have written before about how teachers, unwittingly or not, create a relationship with parents where the parents (metaphorically) end up "slapping the teacher" because the teacher is the "closest" one to the parent. I believe this was the statement almost at the end of the post that I used to try to illustrate the concept: "To make the metaphor clear, teachers are getting slapped by the parents because of what the administration is doing."
I believe you make my point when you said: "I'm sick to death of having to apologize and explain to parents."
Somebody once said "love is never having to say you're sorry". Teachers and parents may not have to love each other, but they should treat each other with respect. I have many times said I would trust a used car salesman as much as I would trust what I was told from some school people.
I am not sure if this mess can be cleaned up from the bottom. Time will tell. Because it is what it is.
After the 12 or 13 years I spent learning the ways of the HCDS and special education gimmicks, there are so many different avenues of concepts I could go down, I don't know which one to take first.
I will start with that I did all of the following except picketing. My trip to Washington D.C. to speak to legislators may substitute for that.
"We've yelled, picketted, written e mails, spoken at SB meetings, tried to get straight answers from ROSSAC....".
I fully understand that ESE issues are systemic and nation wide. In the last Report to Congress, not a single state was in full compliance with IDEA, with of course some states worse than others. I can find the link to the report if it matters.
In response to this statement, "Parents need to get togeter--LOTS of you and start showing some muscle-- and legal authority.", I will say this:
You may or may not be surprised how difficult it is for "legal authority" to be brought about. The District understands this fully well. They know exactly how to limit their liability, and it has nothing to do with dealing up front with parents.
I think I have used the word "obfuscation" a few times. "Smoke and mirrors" comes to mind, also. "The shell game" may be another apt metaphor.
Over the years, I have witnessed some school employees, some of who I knew in other settings outside of the school system, act in ways that were quite shocking when it comes to wriggling around ESE issues.
For the one's that end up with problems, parents, and teachers, simply have too much trust for the system until they get to the point where they become so angry they lose their ability to advocate. Another dirty secret is, "the system" understands that and relies upon it. I don't make this stuff up. I have lived it and studied it.
I agree that parents can bring about change. On one of my posts on this blog or over in the Motel Special Ed, I wrote about how parents and teachers together could be more effective, as teachers have the "inside information" and parents have the "right to be a fully informed participant of the IEP process" and they are (supposed to be) a decision maker regarding their child's Individualized Education Program. I emphasise the word "Individualized", one because that is the word used in IDEA, and two, because it holds more implications than just simply "individual". How many ESE classrooms have IEP's that all look the same?Or, maybe if the written IEP's don't actually look the same, the related services and supports are delivered the same to all of the students?
And then there is this: "Teachers just can't do any more."
The more and more that teachers don't carry the water for the district and instead be honest with parents, the quicker parents will understand the game. I have written before about how teachers, unwittingly or not, create a relationship with parents where the parents (metaphorically) end up "slapping the teacher" because the teacher is the "closest" one to the parent. I believe this was the statement almost at the end of the post that I used to try to illustrate the concept: "To make the metaphor clear, teachers are getting slapped by the parents because of what the administration is doing."
I believe you make my point when you said: "I'm sick to death of having to apologize and explain to parents."
Somebody once said "love is never having to say you're sorry". Teachers and parents may not have to love each other, but they should treat each other with respect. I have many times said I would trust a used car salesman as much as I would trust what I was told from some school people.
I am not sure if this mess can be cleaned up from the bottom. Time will tell. Because it is what it is.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
It Used To Be - "First You Blame the Student, Then You Blame the Parent"
I know I am probably one of the few parents who see the school district for what it is. For those who are waiting on the public to cause a change within the system, it may never happen.
First of all, there are too many "transplants" that are not "rooted" to go up against the "rooted" establishment.
Secondly, with so many snow birds that don't have kids, they don't care.
Lastly, as this post says it all, it takes a lot to fight. It takes time, money, intellectual and emotional resources, intelligence and perseverance. But first, it takes the ability to analyze it for what it is. For the parents who have money, they take their kids out when they see what they are up against. I did the same for my regular ed kids when the situation called for it. For the rest of the parents, it is extremely difficult to bring about accountability when obfuscation is the name of the game.
What gets me is, each faction is complaining about the same thing. Each one defines it from their perspective, but there is no accountability.
I have many times mocked the statement "first you blame the kid, then you blame the parent". It has been a staple of the system defense.
But, as always in dysfunctional cultures, they start to eat their own. This cannibalism has been happening. I just don't think people recognize it for what it is. A teacher here, a teacher there. Especially the ones who are for positive change, but don't know to protect themselves.
Here is a question for all of the teachers: How many of you have, in one way or another, if not directly verbatim, been told: "Don't bite the hand that feeds you" when you try to right a wrong.
It is my understanding that it happens a lot.
I have been watching for this phrase for years, and here it is: ""Blame the teachers!" I am sick of this mantra." - posted by an anon.
It is what it is.
First of all, there are too many "transplants" that are not "rooted" to go up against the "rooted" establishment.
Secondly, with so many snow birds that don't have kids, they don't care.
Lastly, as this post says it all, it takes a lot to fight. It takes time, money, intellectual and emotional resources, intelligence and perseverance. But first, it takes the ability to analyze it for what it is. For the parents who have money, they take their kids out when they see what they are up against. I did the same for my regular ed kids when the situation called for it. For the rest of the parents, it is extremely difficult to bring about accountability when obfuscation is the name of the game.
What gets me is, each faction is complaining about the same thing. Each one defines it from their perspective, but there is no accountability.
I have many times mocked the statement "first you blame the kid, then you blame the parent". It has been a staple of the system defense.
But, as always in dysfunctional cultures, they start to eat their own. This cannibalism has been happening. I just don't think people recognize it for what it is. A teacher here, a teacher there. Especially the ones who are for positive change, but don't know to protect themselves.
Here is a question for all of the teachers: How many of you have, in one way or another, if not directly verbatim, been told: "Don't bite the hand that feeds you" when you try to right a wrong.
It is my understanding that it happens a lot.
I have been watching for this phrase for years, and here it is: ""Blame the teachers!" I am sick of this mantra." - posted by an anon.
It is what it is.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Elephants Have Good Memories
I have a comment to make about a comment to me:
Nobody's Patsy said...
Hey Pro--
"It's all about the documentation. If it isn't on paper, then it never happened. The best things people like you and myself (and countless others) is to teach our breatheren who, how, when, and why to document. We are all highly educated folks, we of all people should know about the power of the pen. I am availble for lessons if need be.
March 23, 2008 10:18 PM" and can be found here
I have started the process of labeling my previous posts. I am now more and more seeing issues and ideas coming up that I have given an opinion or comment on from my position. I can't find my comments very easily, so maybe if I have a label system, it will help me find the links faster.
I know full well about the importance of a paper trail. Of equal importance is whether the trail is present or not present. Somewhere I wrote about how much power the entity has that controls the paper trail. Fabrication, fraudulent change and missing documentation is all part of the game. Somewhere I wrote about how important it is to make copies and make sure someone else has a copy, and everyone knows that someone else has that copy. It is called insurance.
Below is what I wrote about my perception of district documentation. The full context can be found here: Big Fat Money
"I have been in many, many IEP meetings. I know the game. If an elephant came into the IEP meeting, dropped a load right in the middle of the table, no one could ever prove it if it wasn't written in the IEP form or the conference notes. Even when there are teachers, ESE specialists, related service personnel, principals, directors and parents that see the elephant, moved their papers out of the way of the big dump, and smelled the aroma that stunk up the whole room. If it wasn't written, it didn't happen."
S""t happens all of the time, and with elephants in the room, it's a load.
Nobody's Patsy said...
Hey Pro--
"It's all about the documentation. If it isn't on paper, then it never happened. The best things people like you and myself (and countless others) is to teach our breatheren who, how, when, and why to document. We are all highly educated folks, we of all people should know about the power of the pen. I am availble for lessons if need be.
March 23, 2008 10:18 PM" and can be found here
I have started the process of labeling my previous posts. I am now more and more seeing issues and ideas coming up that I have given an opinion or comment on from my position. I can't find my comments very easily, so maybe if I have a label system, it will help me find the links faster.
I know full well about the importance of a paper trail. Of equal importance is whether the trail is present or not present. Somewhere I wrote about how much power the entity has that controls the paper trail. Fabrication, fraudulent change and missing documentation is all part of the game. Somewhere I wrote about how important it is to make copies and make sure someone else has a copy, and everyone knows that someone else has that copy. It is called insurance.
Below is what I wrote about my perception of district documentation. The full context can be found here: Big Fat Money
"I have been in many, many IEP meetings. I know the game. If an elephant came into the IEP meeting, dropped a load right in the middle of the table, no one could ever prove it if it wasn't written in the IEP form or the conference notes. Even when there are teachers, ESE specialists, related service personnel, principals, directors and parents that see the elephant, moved their papers out of the way of the big dump, and smelled the aroma that stunk up the whole room. If it wasn't written, it didn't happen."
S""t happens all of the time, and with elephants in the room, it's a load.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Ask - And we shall receive
The other day I posted this comment:
"What was interesting to me is how this can go on without other school employees stopping it. I also have this vision that when people retire from the system, they will come out and publicly denounce what they tolerated for so many years."
The whole context can be found here:
Get Rid of the Good, Keep the Bad - Makes It All Ugly
And now we have someone from within the system that is coming out:
I am Nobody's Patsy
For those who want to debate the merits of Good Friday, at least this was a good Saturday.
It comes down to trust. Systems need trust between the components to be successful. Trust leads to respect. Look at the components of students, parents, teachers, school staff, and administration. How many of them trust each other? How many of them disrepsect each other?
We all have stories to tell about disrespect. I am upfront that I don't trust the system. When I was in the system, there were a few teachers, principals and maybe one administrator I trusted. There were a few teachers, principals and administrators that taught me not to trust. It took me a few years to learn, because I never recognized the patterns of how I was dealt with. Once I recognized it, everything became clear. I caught them in their lies. I paid attention to the paperwork, kept copies, and was able to produce evidence of how they forged documents. Their arrogance and abuse of their authority was then difficult to be carried out. Not that they didn't continue to try, because that is all they have when the truth doesn't work for them.
Look around at your own situation, and tell me I'm wrong.
I am glad someone is coming out. Maybe someday we can have a "no patsy parade".
"What was interesting to me is how this can go on without other school employees stopping it. I also have this vision that when people retire from the system, they will come out and publicly denounce what they tolerated for so many years."
The whole context can be found here:
Get Rid of the Good, Keep the Bad - Makes It All Ugly
And now we have someone from within the system that is coming out:
I am Nobody's Patsy
For those who want to debate the merits of Good Friday, at least this was a good Saturday.
It comes down to trust. Systems need trust between the components to be successful. Trust leads to respect. Look at the components of students, parents, teachers, school staff, and administration. How many of them trust each other? How many of them disrepsect each other?
We all have stories to tell about disrespect. I am upfront that I don't trust the system. When I was in the system, there were a few teachers, principals and maybe one administrator I trusted. There were a few teachers, principals and administrators that taught me not to trust. It took me a few years to learn, because I never recognized the patterns of how I was dealt with. Once I recognized it, everything became clear. I caught them in their lies. I paid attention to the paperwork, kept copies, and was able to produce evidence of how they forged documents. Their arrogance and abuse of their authority was then difficult to be carried out. Not that they didn't continue to try, because that is all they have when the truth doesn't work for them.
Look around at your own situation, and tell me I'm wrong.
I am glad someone is coming out. Maybe someday we can have a "no patsy parade".
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Feel Like A Number
"To workers I'm just another drone
To ma bell I'm just another phone
Im just another statistic on a sheet
To teachers I'm just another child
To IRS I'm just another file
Im just another consensus on the street
Gonna cruise out of this city
Head down to the sea
Gonna shout out at the ocean
Hey it's me
And I feel like a number" - Bob Seger
hghhhghgghhgggghh - not sure what "a number" really means, but I have a few hits on numbers when it comes to the HCDS.
Today, we have this article from the Tampa Tribune: Lack Of Students Makes 'Lonely' Day
While a lot of people can debate the issues of religion, I want to focus on an interesting phenonenon I see. When one makes statements about how well someone does something, how does one know? Is there scientific methodology or just a call for faith and good will -in other words "trust us".
This part got my attention:
"Student Numbers Not Precise
Principals were told to count heads Friday morning and reported those to the district as well as to reporters. By late afternoon when the district issued its official school-by-school count, some numbers didn't match.
For example: Durant High Principal Pam Bowden told a reporter Friday afternoon that 220 students showed up. The district numbers shows 611.
Also, Boldt's head count at Chamberlain shows 260. The district report shows 386.
"I wonder where they got that from," Boldt said. "It doesn't match my hand body count."
Shortly after being asked for a head count, principals were asked to send in the number of absences. Either way, Boldt said, he had 260 students and can't believe another 126 showed up later.
Every day, school personnel scan attendance cards collected from teachers. That number is the official count sent to the state for funding and other reports. Chamberlain does that during the second class period.
That could be the difference in those two counts on Friday, Boldt said, if fewer cards got scanned because they were locked in teachers' desks or substitutes didn't have access.
Lewis Brinson, the district's assistant superintendent for administration, also unofficially reported low numbers from high schools during the day. He said they came from principals.
Scanned numbers sent to the district mainframe "are as accurate as the person who was on the other end scanning," Brinson said. "Whether they're right or not, these are the official numbers."
"I don't know if scanning created this problem or not," he said. Then he promised, "We're going to get to the bottom of this."
I humbly ask - bottom of what and how will you know when you get there. And who will you tell, if and when you do?
"Numbers" that the District have, or don't have, seem to be a recurring issue. I guess it is based on trust.
I found a couple of hits right here:
Numbers and Coke Leave One Out of Touch with Reality
Footballs, Business Cards, Gavels and Scientific Method
To ma bell I'm just another phone
Im just another statistic on a sheet
To teachers I'm just another child
To IRS I'm just another file
Im just another consensus on the street
Gonna cruise out of this city
Head down to the sea
Gonna shout out at the ocean
Hey it's me
And I feel like a number" - Bob Seger
hghhhghgghhgggghh - not sure what "a number" really means, but I have a few hits on numbers when it comes to the HCDS.
Today, we have this article from the Tampa Tribune: Lack Of Students Makes 'Lonely' Day
While a lot of people can debate the issues of religion, I want to focus on an interesting phenonenon I see. When one makes statements about how well someone does something, how does one know? Is there scientific methodology or just a call for faith and good will -in other words "trust us".
This part got my attention:
"Student Numbers Not Precise
Principals were told to count heads Friday morning and reported those to the district as well as to reporters. By late afternoon when the district issued its official school-by-school count, some numbers didn't match.
For example: Durant High Principal Pam Bowden told a reporter Friday afternoon that 220 students showed up. The district numbers shows 611.
Also, Boldt's head count at Chamberlain shows 260. The district report shows 386.
"I wonder where they got that from," Boldt said. "It doesn't match my hand body count."
Shortly after being asked for a head count, principals were asked to send in the number of absences. Either way, Boldt said, he had 260 students and can't believe another 126 showed up later.
Every day, school personnel scan attendance cards collected from teachers. That number is the official count sent to the state for funding and other reports. Chamberlain does that during the second class period.
That could be the difference in those two counts on Friday, Boldt said, if fewer cards got scanned because they were locked in teachers' desks or substitutes didn't have access.
Lewis Brinson, the district's assistant superintendent for administration, also unofficially reported low numbers from high schools during the day. He said they came from principals.
Scanned numbers sent to the district mainframe "are as accurate as the person who was on the other end scanning," Brinson said. "Whether they're right or not, these are the official numbers."
"I don't know if scanning created this problem or not," he said. Then he promised, "We're going to get to the bottom of this."
I humbly ask - bottom of what and how will you know when you get there. And who will you tell, if and when you do?
"Numbers" that the District have, or don't have, seem to be a recurring issue. I guess it is based on trust.
I found a couple of hits right here:
Numbers and Coke Leave One Out of Touch with Reality
Footballs, Business Cards, Gavels and Scientific Method
More On Sex
For a good time, jump on this:
HIgh School Sex -It's More Than Just Sex
and, now due to circumstances on my control:
Moron Sex - After All of these years.
HIgh School Sex -It's More Than Just Sex
and, now due to circumstances on my control:
Moron Sex - After All of these years.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Living In The Wild Wild West
A little Escape Club to start off the day:
"Heading for the nineties living in the eighties
screaming in a back room waiting for the big boom
give me give me wild west
give me give me safe sex
give me love give me love
give me time to live it up"
Maybe the name of the group says it all. We have another allegation about a teacher having sex with a student. The story made both papers - The Tribune and The Times
Some day I just have to organize by blogs. I have written before about how human sexual behavior transcends sexual education. While I agree that we all should be educated about sex, I keep trying to make a point that sex has a head of it's own, or maybe it's just a wild cat that can't be tamed.
I do find it interesting that at the same time the public is being educated about the risks of smoking, the kids aren't being given free ashtrays at the prom. At the same time the public is being educated about the risks of drugs, they aren't being provided sterile needles in a box at the door.
For some reason, we just seem to know that sex is going to happen. The Puritan Ethic just tried to delay the inevitable. That has gone by the wayside. It inflicted too much guilt, some believe.
It used to be that only men and women were openly allowed to be doing it. That is not the case anymore. So maybe the slippery slope of lovin' the one your with is getting steeper. Add a little suggestive clothing, some jive talk, a little mood alternator, and some lubricant, and the slope gets easier to go down.
Have the leader of our cuntry deny that getting a head in this world is not about sex helps grease the slope. Passing the trash in the public school system, a well known practice that has been exposed, adds a little grease to the slope. It also appears that somehow the boys get to be heard when they talk about cleaning the chalk board, but the girls never had any credence when they talked about how they were polishing the teacher's apple.
The tensions of FCAT, the stress of the whole realm of being involved in education needs some release somewhere. What's a student and teacher to do? And if it wasn't for the poor parental upbringing, these kids wouldn't be bringing these teachers down.
Maybe this story isn't true. I have already read one public comment on the Trib's page that hints that the kid was lying. Maybe he will be suspended until the authorities can talk to his parents. Gotta circle the wagons, and remember the mantra - "First you blame the kid, then you blame the parent".
"Heading for the nineties living in the eighties
screaming in a back room waiting for the big boom
give me give me wild west
give me give me safe sex
give me love give me love
give me time to live it up"
Maybe the name of the group says it all. We have another allegation about a teacher having sex with a student. The story made both papers - The Tribune and The Times
Some day I just have to organize by blogs. I have written before about how human sexual behavior transcends sexual education. While I agree that we all should be educated about sex, I keep trying to make a point that sex has a head of it's own, or maybe it's just a wild cat that can't be tamed.
I do find it interesting that at the same time the public is being educated about the risks of smoking, the kids aren't being given free ashtrays at the prom. At the same time the public is being educated about the risks of drugs, they aren't being provided sterile needles in a box at the door.
For some reason, we just seem to know that sex is going to happen. The Puritan Ethic just tried to delay the inevitable. That has gone by the wayside. It inflicted too much guilt, some believe.
It used to be that only men and women were openly allowed to be doing it. That is not the case anymore. So maybe the slippery slope of lovin' the one your with is getting steeper. Add a little suggestive clothing, some jive talk, a little mood alternator, and some lubricant, and the slope gets easier to go down.
Have the leader of our cuntry deny that getting a head in this world is not about sex helps grease the slope. Passing the trash in the public school system, a well known practice that has been exposed, adds a little grease to the slope. It also appears that somehow the boys get to be heard when they talk about cleaning the chalk board, but the girls never had any credence when they talked about how they were polishing the teacher's apple.
The tensions of FCAT, the stress of the whole realm of being involved in education needs some release somewhere. What's a student and teacher to do? And if it wasn't for the poor parental upbringing, these kids wouldn't be bringing these teachers down.
Maybe this story isn't true. I have already read one public comment on the Trib's page that hints that the kid was lying. Maybe he will be suspended until the authorities can talk to his parents. Gotta circle the wagons, and remember the mantra - "First you blame the kid, then you blame the parent".
Monday, March 17, 2008
Elvis, Elton and Judas
Update - After a nights sleep and a little more research, I may have a misperception on what I wrote below. Time will tell.
-----------
There is something to be said about one having experience in the ways of the world. It may be a sense that is based on fact. Or it may be completely wrong. Time will tell.
Since I have nothing substantial to base my perception on, I will try sublination for those who goad me to blog.
First, I will call on Elvis;
"Why can't you see
What you're doing to me
When you don't believe a word I say?
We can't go on together
With suspicious minds
And we can't build our dreams
On suspicious minds"
and then, I will connect with Elton:
"Cold cold heart
Hard done by you
Some things look better baby
Just passing through
And it's no sacrifice
Just a simple word
It's two hearts living
In two separate worlds
But it's no sacrifice
No sacrifice
It's no sacrifice at all
Mutual misunderstanding
After the fact
Sensitivity builds a prison
In the final act
We lose direction
No stone unturned
No tears to damn you
When jealousy burns"
and then finally, to connect the abstraction, I call on Judas. He is known for his role of betrayal. I look back on the postings on the Ides of March, couple them with other slight comments, and I am both suspicious and fear a sacrifice.
And then, for the last piece, I recollect the Delphi technique.
Maybe it's just me, for I am lost and wonder aimlessly amongst the trees of the forest.
-----------
There is something to be said about one having experience in the ways of the world. It may be a sense that is based on fact. Or it may be completely wrong. Time will tell.
Since I have nothing substantial to base my perception on, I will try sublination for those who goad me to blog.
First, I will call on Elvis;
"Why can't you see
What you're doing to me
When you don't believe a word I say?
We can't go on together
With suspicious minds
And we can't build our dreams
On suspicious minds"
and then, I will connect with Elton:
"Cold cold heart
Hard done by you
Some things look better baby
Just passing through
And it's no sacrifice
Just a simple word
It's two hearts living
In two separate worlds
But it's no sacrifice
No sacrifice
It's no sacrifice at all
Mutual misunderstanding
After the fact
Sensitivity builds a prison
In the final act
We lose direction
No stone unturned
No tears to damn you
When jealousy burns"
and then finally, to connect the abstraction, I call on Judas. He is known for his role of betrayal. I look back on the postings on the Ides of March, couple them with other slight comments, and I am both suspicious and fear a sacrifice.
And then, for the last piece, I recollect the Delphi technique.
Maybe it's just me, for I am lost and wonder aimlessly amongst the trees of the forest.
Get Rid of the Good, Keep the Bad - Makes It All Ugly
I follow the local blogs on the discussion of how teachers try to gain respect and be called "professionals". For every anecdotal story one has about how great teachers are, I can provide an anecdotal story that happened to me that demonstrates how some teachers and administrators are not great. Some lie. Some falsify records. Some abuse their power to overcome legitimate criticism.
What was interesting to me is how this can go on without other school employees stopping it. I also have this vision that when people retire from the system, they will come out and publicly denounce what they tolerated for so many years.
"The Gradebook" provides a link (March 17 - Unions ruining our schools) to a story about teachers and unions. I once may a statement that there is no bigger business than public education and unions. The word business is still being defined.
Here is the story from the "The Examiner"
I frankly have no grudge against unions. But I do have a grudge against the public education system. It is fraught with deceit. Like boxing, it really doesn't matter the integrity of the individual boxer, it is the overall organization that is defective.
A signing student once needed a signing adult to help the student in a non-signing class. It was written into the IEP. The principal hired someone who did not sign, was in their last year of employment and up front said they would not learn to sign. My argument that this person did not meet the spirit of the IEP contract for service fell on deaf ears. The principal stated he had to hire from a pool. The fact that the kid's needs were not being met, as required by federal law, was blown off by local SP&P's. So, if you want to talk about professional actions with me, be prepared for me to be sceptical.
To illustrate that point, if the following statements are true, then it shows there is disregard for individual teacher performance.
"Though she was named Minnesota's Teacher of the Year, Cathy Nelson was laid off when her school's enrollment declined -- because of her union's contract, which required the most junior teachers to be canned first, regardless of ability.
Sarah Gustafson was laid off from her teaching job the day after she was named to the Florida Educator Hall of Fame - again, because her union contract valued seniority over talent.
Union blindness also protects some truly unfit teachers whom no one would want in a classroom. In most schools few teachers need to be replaced, but tenure laws keep the numbers down to very, very few indeed.
In Illinois, a recent study found that only two out of the 95, 500 union-protected, tenured teachers outside of Chicago are dismissed annually for poor teaching. Of the 21 school districts investigated by the Center for Union Facts, not a single one - including Boston, Columbus, Houston, Minneapolis, and Newark - had a tenured-teacher firing rate in excess of 0.5percent a year. Surely they can't all be that good, in light of our kids' demonstrated skill levels"
What was interesting to me is how this can go on without other school employees stopping it. I also have this vision that when people retire from the system, they will come out and publicly denounce what they tolerated for so many years.
"The Gradebook" provides a link (March 17 - Unions ruining our schools) to a story about teachers and unions. I once may a statement that there is no bigger business than public education and unions. The word business is still being defined.
Here is the story from the "The Examiner"
I frankly have no grudge against unions. But I do have a grudge against the public education system. It is fraught with deceit. Like boxing, it really doesn't matter the integrity of the individual boxer, it is the overall organization that is defective.
A signing student once needed a signing adult to help the student in a non-signing class. It was written into the IEP. The principal hired someone who did not sign, was in their last year of employment and up front said they would not learn to sign. My argument that this person did not meet the spirit of the IEP contract for service fell on deaf ears. The principal stated he had to hire from a pool. The fact that the kid's needs were not being met, as required by federal law, was blown off by local SP&P's. So, if you want to talk about professional actions with me, be prepared for me to be sceptical.
To illustrate that point, if the following statements are true, then it shows there is disregard for individual teacher performance.
"Though she was named Minnesota's Teacher of the Year, Cathy Nelson was laid off when her school's enrollment declined -- because of her union's contract, which required the most junior teachers to be canned first, regardless of ability.
Sarah Gustafson was laid off from her teaching job the day after she was named to the Florida Educator Hall of Fame - again, because her union contract valued seniority over talent.
Union blindness also protects some truly unfit teachers whom no one would want in a classroom. In most schools few teachers need to be replaced, but tenure laws keep the numbers down to very, very few indeed.
In Illinois, a recent study found that only two out of the 95, 500 union-protected, tenured teachers outside of Chicago are dismissed annually for poor teaching. Of the 21 school districts investigated by the Center for Union Facts, not a single one - including Boston, Columbus, Houston, Minneapolis, and Newark - had a tenured-teacher firing rate in excess of 0.5percent a year. Surely they can't all be that good, in light of our kids' demonstrated skill levels"
Saturday, March 15, 2008
The Cows Have Been Coming Home and the Chickens Have Always Roosted
I grew up on a farm in Fort Lonesome, six miles east of Wimauma. In my adolescent years, I would ride my bicycle the six miles to play county league baseball. My dad left when I was seven. There were a couple of years that my mom did not have a car. The neighbors made sure she made it to the store.
I never had a T.V. I learned to ask questions on the morning bus ride about T.V. shows that the other kids had watched so I could talk about it at school as if I had seen the shows too.
I was a prolific reader as a kid. I read a vast amount of subject areas by a vast amount of writers. I've been to outerspace, under the sea, fought all of the wars, fought wind mills, looked through the iron mask, was all for one and one for all and wondered what that couple really did that the woman had to wear a scarlet letter.
One of the writers was Zane Grey. A country boy's writer. In Grey's stories, the cowboys, after they wiped out thousands of buffaloes or the wagon wheel fell off crossing the river, were always circling the wagons to protect themselves from the Indians. A few pioneers were savagely scalped. Went with the territory.
Last night I watched a TV Channel 8 spot about a kindergartner that was put on the wrong bus and left off at a wrong stop. I was quite shocked to hear the HCDS spokesperson say out loud that these were two mistakes. There was no circling of the wagons. There was no blaming the kid for being responsible for getting on the wrong bus. There was no blaming the parents for aiding and abetting the kid's behavior.
There is also news about another teacher having sex with a student. The student who ratted them out, as far as I can tell, was not suspended for talking about the teacher. The student victim, as far as I can tell, has not been accused of making the story up, urged on by a vindictive parent angry at some school person. Perhaps like Monica's blue dress, the alleged fact that the teacher discussed the details on the wiretap may have protected the others from the wrath of the HCDS.
Parents who challenge the HCDS know what it's like for the HCDS to circle the wagons. And apparently teachers know what it's like for the HCDS to circle the wagons. And students. And now apparently, some school board members.
These events have been happening, just as the cows come home and the chickens roost. But just like the pioneers of old, maybe the circling of wagons may become an event of the past. Maybe, just maybe, everyone will look at the same events and make professional decisions based on the need to do the right thing, instead of just covering their mistakes to limit monetary liability. It could have been another $200,000.
I never had a T.V. I learned to ask questions on the morning bus ride about T.V. shows that the other kids had watched so I could talk about it at school as if I had seen the shows too.
I was a prolific reader as a kid. I read a vast amount of subject areas by a vast amount of writers. I've been to outerspace, under the sea, fought all of the wars, fought wind mills, looked through the iron mask, was all for one and one for all and wondered what that couple really did that the woman had to wear a scarlet letter.
One of the writers was Zane Grey. A country boy's writer. In Grey's stories, the cowboys, after they wiped out thousands of buffaloes or the wagon wheel fell off crossing the river, were always circling the wagons to protect themselves from the Indians. A few pioneers were savagely scalped. Went with the territory.
Last night I watched a TV Channel 8 spot about a kindergartner that was put on the wrong bus and left off at a wrong stop. I was quite shocked to hear the HCDS spokesperson say out loud that these were two mistakes. There was no circling of the wagons. There was no blaming the kid for being responsible for getting on the wrong bus. There was no blaming the parents for aiding and abetting the kid's behavior.
There is also news about another teacher having sex with a student. The student who ratted them out, as far as I can tell, was not suspended for talking about the teacher. The student victim, as far as I can tell, has not been accused of making the story up, urged on by a vindictive parent angry at some school person. Perhaps like Monica's blue dress, the alleged fact that the teacher discussed the details on the wiretap may have protected the others from the wrath of the HCDS.
Parents who challenge the HCDS know what it's like for the HCDS to circle the wagons. And apparently teachers know what it's like for the HCDS to circle the wagons. And students. And now apparently, some school board members.
These events have been happening, just as the cows come home and the chickens roost. But just like the pioneers of old, maybe the circling of wagons may become an event of the past. Maybe, just maybe, everyone will look at the same events and make professional decisions based on the need to do the right thing, instead of just covering their mistakes to limit monetary liability. It could have been another $200,000.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
