Maybe It's Just Me

While my local school system is in the public throes of who is really running the show, I get stuck on the meaning of words.

Now that freedom of speech issues have finally reached the point that the HCDS police are called to action, I wonder where has everyone been all of these years.

I will always vividly recall the day at Mann Middle School when I was told by the principal that if I came on campus without checking in to her office first, I would be charged with trespassing.

The fact that I was making a big squawk about my repeated attempts to address issues with my son’s education and the fact that this threat came the day after I wrote a complaint letter gave me reason to believe that the 3 months of previous same actions on my part were now under a different line of scrutiny.

At least I didn’t have the security called on me. Instead, I called the Director of ESE while sitting in the office. I had the number saved because I used it a lot over the years. This may have saved my immediate arrest. It was a gutsy move on my part, because Directors have as much say over what a principal does or does not do as I did. But there is something to say about safety in numbers, and how many people know.

I was not accustom to this type of treatment, or rather, the treatment was getting worse. I did not think the setting was safe for my son. So when I said I was keeping him home until we could have another of those countless meanings, the veiled threat of truancy was thrown out. Knowing the absolute power of the school District, I made sure I obtained a Dr's excuse to protect me.

As the days and weeks played out, since I had become learned in the ways of paper warfare, my documentation along with proof that “they” had changed theirs, probably saved me from the usual bulldozed flattening that most parents end up with.

Taking on the system means that you must have documentation and make sure some one else has a copy of it too.

Yesterday I posted the link to some probable cause affidavits.

One of the sentences struck me as odd, so I revisited it today. On page two, it says that the teacher’s strikes (to the kid who was an “equivalent 11 to 14 month old reference motor skills”) “were often prompted by an incorrect answer to a question, not any disciplinary problem or wrong doing. In that sense, there was no legal justification for her to strike the child.”

And then on page 3, we find: the teacher’s statement of “you gonna kick me, I’m gonna kick you (pg 2),” “implies revenge as a motive and a desire to hurt of cause pain to … rather than any educational purpose.”

I am thankful that the writer was able to determine that there was no educational purpose for the actions the teacher took upon the kid. It must have been a tough legal decision to write that out.

Hey Mister Editor, May I Have A Job?

That's what I'm talking about.

Today in the Tampa Tribune, we have this: All Students, Athletes Included, Are Entitled To School Choice.

It restates what I said here: Footballs, Business Cards, Gavels and Scientific Method and bolsters the need for the District to pay attention to appropriate numbers that I mentioned here: Numbers and Coke Leave One Out of Touch with Reality.

This paragraph drew my attention: "It's interesting to note, however, that while Hillsborough coaches claim to know other coaches who have broken the transfer rules, none has the courage to report the details to the district for investigation. It's hard to have sympathy for coaches and schools unwilling to police themselves."

I was a founding member of the Superintendents ESE Advisory Council. While acting in the capacity as President of same, I was told straight forwardly by a District representative that the District did not need policing. I assume that those who are keenly aware of the difficulties facing all of those involved in ESE issues silently plead for some accountability.

It may be a complete surprise to some that I possess a degree in Sociology. The only time I used it for gainful employment was during my stint with the University of Miami. While I have retired a few times already, it would be fun to be an investigative reporter delving into the networking of the HCDS. Ferreting out how the District runs their business of education would be intriguing. Instead of me being a keyboard mocking critic, I could be a professional gumshoe.

So maybe I should put in a formal job application. I would of course have to become educated in writing. My participles not only dangle, most outright hang themselves. Commas and llamas all seem the same to me. The only ‘grammer’ I have ever known spent a lot of time in the kitchen baking pies.

And I could just imagine the look on the faces of all of those that I used to spend a lot of time with and know that I have seen the truth and don’t buy into their scripted rationalizations, such as “the District is too big for everyone to get the correct information.” I could provide the information for them, but no one is going to tell them what to do, much less how to do it.

This Dot may be Huge if it is truly connected

While reading a story that appeared to be about the misstep of a Band Director, Texting Puts Teacher In Bind , I also read the comments.

If one reads this and follows the connections, it says a lot. First there is an allegation about a band director's ex-wife had an affair with the husband of a school board member who was having an affair with an administrator.

A more direct comment about the story is that apparently the "complaining parent" against the Band Director is also a "teacher". And the teacher/parent wants something.

This is just too much if it is true. Education just has to take a back seat to this story. And to think that decisions are made in the best interest of our children and our teachers.

This one stands out like a Dot of a solar ray:

Posted by ( cshultz110 ) on November 22, 2007 at 1:06 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

luvpercussion

You are completely correct! God forbid the truth come out. It is all politics, just ask Jenifer Felairo and Mark Hart (Opps, I forgot that affair was covered up . . . I am sooo sorry!) he, he Amazing how he just "left".

Folks, I have been in this district for 11 years and know for a fact that it IS a good ole' boys system. Lots of corruption and politics. To give you an idea (and yes, this is first hand knowledge), I was a band director and took a leave of absence last year after my now ex-wife had an affair with a promonent school board members now ex-husband. (Yes, they were both cheating on each other. See previously mentioned) After getting my act back together and returning from my leave, I was shocked to find that no principal would hire me. Not because of my performance, but because nobody wanted to touch the situation since it delt directly with a school board member and the politics it would involve. That is our school board folks!!! I can't wait for Mr. S to be obsolved of this accusations. Shame on the parent who is a teacher trying to play the system to get what they want. That should be the real headline: "How a teacher uses politics to ruin anothers career and how the school board helps them to do it."

We are Playing Those Mind Games Together

Hillsborough: Suspension without rules


I have written before about obfuscation.

I have a question. The administration (some)say that these suspensions are not a punishment.

How does a student process this information? From an educational point of view? From a behavior modification point of view?

In this case, we are talking a student with a processing difficulty.

Does anyone know what concrete thinking is?

Does anyone know what abstract thinking is?

Does anyone know how to ascertain when these different cognitive skills are needed to process information?

I keep hearing echos in my mind "But I didn't do anything wrong". (inside voice - I didn't get punished, so must not have done anything wrong.)

But other kids, when they get suspended, they are being punished. Why am I different? They are just playing mind games with me.

Training kids that suspension is not a consequence for "their" behavior, but the suspension is for the "parents" behavior is somewhat confusing.

Do they have different colored suspension forms so one can tell if it is the student behavior that gets the student suspended or the parents behavior that gets the student suspended?

Must be hell to have a parent that won't contact the school. In more ways than one.

Correlations Are Serendipitous - I hope

Bare with me while I set this up.

In Hillsborough County, there has been a long standing rumor that the local Tampa Tribune does not write articles that are negative towards the HCDS. There has been rumors of some type of relationship between school officials and Tribune decision makers. Over the last 15 years, I have read several articles regarding the school system that seemed to paint the school system as a victim of circumstances in controversial events. A couple of these articles I was personally involved in, and I knew a lot more information than what was reported.


Part two of this set up is that I have a tendency to promote my philosophy that "one gets more of what they pay attention to" when it comes to people's behavior. I use this in teaching class room management and dealing with employee issues. That is not to say that I am blinded to what I don't want. I deal with what I want to see more of and what I want to see less of in two completely different approaches.

Now to put these two together. Prior to my blogging, I thought the Tribune seldom, if ever, printed critiques about the HCDS. It seemed, over the years, that if I read the St. Pete Times, I saw more critical information. This was especially true the day after a Board meeting. Having watched the meeting myself and then reading the two different print medias, I felt my perceptions were validated.

On my side bar, I started tracking the reports from both sides. What has completely surprised me is that since I have started keeping track, there have been a lot of reports generated. Interesting correlation.

Click here: Vision Thing Too Much For 'Kumbaya' Set


Mr. Otto has had his finger on the pulse of the District for a long time. He has been the voice of question about the HCPS, or is it HCDS, long before it was a hot item.

He needs more backup from his company such as they have done this week. Over the years, it has been difficult to not believe that Mother Trib has provided ostensible support to the "Kumbaya Sets" by not ferreting out to see if there really is a fire when there is smoke all around.