Free Lunch Has Become A Little Cheesy

I guess free food isn't providing the sought after results of increased student attentiveness and the resulting increased test scores. Apparently the kids aren't holding up their side of the quid pro quo agreement that the money spent on free food would be returned to the Districts through improved test scores. Just like every other aspect of the public school system, if you don't perform, your compensation package is cut.

I am sure there is some collateral damage. I am willing to wager that you could find a few students who got the free food who actually did bring in money for the school system, but we look at statistics, not individual performance. Sort of like the teacher's union.



Everyday People Examiner: Cheese sandwiches for students whose parents are poor:

"The Albuquerque Public Schools system is not alone in their cheese sandwich lunch plan for children who do not have their lunch money. Reportedly, school districts in Chula Vista, California, Hillsborough County, Florida., and Lynnwood, Washington, have a 'cheese sandwich policy' in place."

Kids sure have a funny way of thinking. Somehow they seem to know who gets a free lunch and who doesn't, despite how professional the school personnel act in keeping student information protected. Just like kids know which kids are in the ESE classes. Maybe it's because ESE kids have different colored name tags, have a big sign on their bus that says "Alternative School", or even that little blue sign with the wheelchair on it. Kids just seem to know.

So, we have a group of kids eating together as a diversified unit, and the kids with the free lunch seem to have the most jewelry, most expensive clothes and the latest technology. The kids who pay for their lunch go home and tell their parents that they want this stuff too. After a few years of this, parents start to have a funny way of thinking, too.

Balancing Accountability With Love

There are a few who believe that the key to academic success, and life success, is based on the quality of relationship building. In today's world of parsed words, where we are not honest with ourselves, it should not be surprising that the quality of relationships is lacking. We could call it love, we could call it trust, we could call it quality relationships, but we can't call it something it isn't and get the results we say we want.


Thanks to The Gradebook, we have this article from the St. Pete Times:


Tampa Just Elementary intensely tracks students' FCAT progress so it can improve with them. - St. Petersburg Times:

"'High expectations are just critical, critical,' McManus says while passing out research articles at the start of a weekly meeting with her leadership team."

Along with those high expectations, dealing with reality has been addressed:

No more promoting third-graders who can't read. No more putting up with bad teachers. No more complaining about how hard it is to teach children who come to school unprepared, or tired, or hungry.

Using my usual mocking, sarcastic attitude towards the public education system, I have said before that the FCAT scores must not be easy for the school systems to manipulate, unlike the grades the systems can directly manipulate with grade curves, extra points for bringing in paper supplies and inflated GPA's.

I should have known there were other ways to skin a cat. While Ms. McManus is working hard at developing high expectations, which is a necessary ingredient to success, here comes a legislative proposal to keep the victimization of America going strong:


Note: I have removed the political party name from the below title so that it is not a distraction.

[Someone]take aim at third grade retention, and then some#comments:

"Heller’s bill would open the door for additional exemptions for students with unusual circumstances, such as “physical or emotional trauma resulting in test anxiety” or “unusual test anxiety, especially when it arises from being threatened with retention.”"

A DROP Kick In The Ass In The Money Field Of Education

UF's DROP program scrutinized | Gainesville.com | The Gainesville Sun | Gainesville, FL

"The University of Florida is investigating cases in which College of Medicine administrators used a state program to retire and then be rehired without searches for other candidates - receiving perks such as bonuses and raises in the process."


Any takers on the bet that there is a skewed Bell Curve towards the high salaried employees being re-hired across all settings of public education?

"The program is intended to provide incentives for long-time public employees to retire, clearing the way for lower-paid replacements."

Do You Trust The Gatekeepers While They Are Selling The Keys?

Joel Chandler may be doing exactly what has been done many times before.

The only difference may be that Joel was outed.

Joel was outed because the school systems made it public that Joel was being a "troublemaker". A few school employees took this premise and have gone to great lengths to out Mr. Chandler using the same access to public records that is afforded to all citizens. There has been some posturing by some Legislators to address what has been construed to be an apparent appalling misuse of the public records request law. The efforts so far just seem to be the half hearted kind. The point has been made that if school systems truly thought this was wrong minded, the school systems have plenty of clout to bring change. But we don't see this.

Maybe this "appalling misuse of the public records request law" may be a fabricated charge perpetuated by the system and unwittingly carried out by some emotionally charged employees simply to change the focus of attention on the fact that Mr. Chandler's actions are perfectly legal, and that any entity can do it. And perhaps these entities have actually done the same thing that Joel has done, but the system does not want it outed.

In the below link, you can find this:

"Ned Julian" 11/3/2008 7:59 AM >>>


.....Interestingly, Mr. Julian is the staff attorney for Seminole and the President of the Florida Association of School Board Attorneys. Why did so many districts take a position that even their Association President described as “clearly contrary to law”? Mr. Julian’s comments validate my contention that I did not waste taxpayer funds, but the districts that decided to take an unlawful position did. It’s too bad that so many districts decided to ignore his sound legal advice."Message in a bottle....

One of the accusations against Mr. Chandler has been that after he gets all of the names and addresses of all of the people covered by the public school health insurance policies, he is going to market this data for profit. Are we to believe that Mr. Chandler is the first entity to recognize this strategy?

What Mr. Chandler did was not only strongly supported by the courts previously and subsequently to his law suit, but the e-mails that he has posted from various school systems demonstrate that they also knew his request was legal but they ignored it anyway.

How are we to trust an entity that flagrantly ignores the law? Are they in bed with some one's ole' lady while Joel is getting in their bed?

Keep following Joel's blog as there is obviously more making of trouble that will be exposed.

What Is Your Child's Liability Number?

In today's Tribune we find:

District Seeks Aid For Student Walkers

I am collecting a few dots on the issue of accountability/liability to the point that another picture is starting to form in my mind. From the above article, we are to understand that the HCPS every year makes a list of hazardous conditions and then sends it to the DOT and local governments. These entities review the lists and in some manner decide whether or not they can or will make improvements based on some unknown decision making process, money being part of the equation.

One has to realize that right here at this point is where it can become obvious to people a lot smarter than me that what I just said leads to a logical deduction that there is no sound accountability to that decision making process.

We will set that concept off to the side while we look at another ingredient in this pot. We add the intriguing part that "if the District can get local governments to acknowledge that the areas are hazardous, the Florida Department of Education will provide additional funds for busing student."

"Both entities must agree that the locations meet the state criteria for hazardous walking conditions to qualify for more funding," said education department spokeswoman Deborah Higgins.

Sounds reasonable, right?

But here is where the State acts just like our local school board when it is presented with information that might raise the level of liability, therefore, it is better to disregard the information completely. Acknowledgement of a problem means there is a problem, and that is not good for legal defense purposes.

Therefore the state does this: ""We get the lists from the district every year and return them on the advice of our legal staff," said Kris Carson, a DOT spokeswoman. "We're not willing to accept liability."

Because the State realizes how local systems work together to take advantage of the state:"But we're not going to sign off on a list that we didn't create," she said.

"Cause the bottom line for the State is the issue of liability. "If the DOT acknowledges that roads under their jurisdiction are hazards, they might be held liable if a student is killed or injured on their way to school."

It sounds callous when I speak the truth, but the cost for a killed student is limited to $200,000. Do a search on my blogs for Eric Martin for more information if you want to see the stark truth.

So, your child has a liability number on it. But only if some one recognizes it. That is why paper trails to more than one place about problems provide the heat necessary to raise the issue of liability. Heat seeking missiles don't have to see the target, they just follow the trail of heat right to it.

Is Teacher Tenure Really Based On Level Of Conformable Disposition?

There has been an ongoing discussion on my blog link here:PRO on HCPS: Another Kick In The Bucket And DROP Of The Ball


I will leave it to others to follow a couple of obvious tangents one could take from the discourse and try to focus on the thread of the intricacies between DROP and "forced retirement" vs. "selective retention" based on an individual teacher's field.


The discussion over on The Gradebook at this link:
Bills to make it easier to fire Florida teachers follows a similar discussion with similar concerns expressed.

For instance, compare Thomas's statement:

"I feel that is is those experienced and savvy teachers that they want to get rid of"

with

"...I think that's the point, drive out those teachers who aren't compliant brown nosers willing to put up with endless "drill and kill" teach to the test methodologies never questioning anything...". [terminator 8:08 pm]

Another relevant section to read would be Pat Connolly at 5:29 pm and where you can find this:

"...Is it possible that effective teachers whose experience makes them "too expensive" to renew will be cast aside? Is it possible that school boards will choose to not renew the contracts of effective teachers who have spoken out against waste and unethical behavior, who have had the audacity to ask for a bit more than the district was willing to offer, who had the temerity to ask tough questions or politically oppose the status quo? I think the answer is obvious...."

Further collaboration to this point can be found here:

"The problem with this proposal is that some principals will actually prefer to get rid of the good teachers. Mediocre teachers go along with whatever. The best teachers advocate for what is best for their students. Unfortunately, this is not appreciated by some principals. Good teachers sometimes are in conflict with the administration. Think of it like a doctor advocating for their patient when the insurance company doesn't like it. This bill will result in super powerful administrators and go-along get-along teachers will be the ones who are retained. Posted by: J | February 13, 2009 at 08:59 PM

We can also read in the early comments about the continuing war between system supporters vs. parents. I know that I would never trust "the department of education" to make my decisions for me as a parent:

"...Unfortunately too many parents are quick to place judgement on teachers when their child does not get a good grade or misbehaves in school. They believe their child rather than find out from the teacher, who is an adult and a professional, what has happened. The bad teachers are not the ones that parents will determine, the bad teachers are ones that the department of education will decide on. Posted by: meowfl | February 13, 2009 at 08:27 PM"

There has to be better way. And somehow the concept of trust has to be in it.

Crisis Situation on Hand = Sorry, Communication Is Closed Off

It sucks to be in conflict with the school system.

Far too many times we hear about how things could have been handled a lot earlier in a much more pro-active way. Far too many times we hear that the Board or the top administrators didn't know about an ongoing problem, even those that rise to the level of legal action.

Maybe we can all see why after last Tuesday's Board meeting.

It stands to reason that if there is big problem in HCPS land, this problem may come before the Board. But problems are like fine wine. No problem can come to the Board before it's time.

Obiviously the Board can't address the problem because the Board can't know about the problem because the problem might be brought before the Board in the future.

Makes sense to me.