Last week, Marilyn Brown with the Tampa Tribune wrote this:

TAMPA - Lack of communication.

It's often the official answer when things go sour in Hillsborough County schools.

When another class period was added to the day for high school teachers in 2007, and a new middle and high school curriculum program adopted, district officials admitted that communication was poor.

In late August, as the new school year's bus debacle unfolded, Superintendent MaryEllen Elia apologized for the late notification to parents, schools and bus drivers, and a lack of staff to answer phones.

After every communications miscue, there follows a promise to do better.

"We need to do a better job giving information to parents and our principals next year," Elia said at a town hall meeting Sept. 2.

At a town hall meeting recently, when a parent complained about communication, saying, "We are not part of the process," Elia responded, "You're absolutely right - we've got to get better at that."

In fact, the only real criticism school board members have of Elia's management has focused on communication."

follow links to find it: PRO on HCPS: There Is Communication In No News


Yesterday, Marilyn Brown with the Tampa Tribune wrote this:

"Elia said she was surprised when she got notice Monday of the upcoming news conference because she was not aware of the concerns."

follow links to find it: Motel Special Ed: Where Is The Substance To The IEP?

I know first hand over many many years what it is like to try to get attention to a legitimate "parental concern". I know first hand how I was lied to, deceived and "given the run-a-round" both up and then back down the chain of command.

Same old news to me.