In Ron Littlepage’s column about the state potentially withholding funds if some of our schools don’t improve, I can tell you right where he lost me. It’s when he wrote, “But we now have a strong School Board and a strong superintendent in place who are putting extra effort into improving these schools.” Mr. Littlepage exactly what school board and superintendent are you talking about?
This school board and superintendent, instead of following the law which I agree is draconian and instead of addressing the real problem, kids getting to high school unable to read and do math at grade level, without the skills they need to succeed, came up with some half baked plan to cut the schools in half creating two theme schools that would share the same campuses. And you are surprised the state said no thanks?
That proposal was not extra effort, instead it was crazy and a common definition of crazy is to do the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome. Well friends we have been waiting for over a decade for 1701 Prudential Drive to fix those schools. The superintendent by the way was there every day and several members of the school board have been there for years and not one of there quick fixes have worked. They reason is they stubbornly refuse to address the real issues those schools have and because of that nothing has changed.
Mr. Littlepage, I don’t want the schools closed or taken over, but we have real problems which need real solutions and if you, the school board and the superintendent aren’t going to part of that it’s time you got out of the way and let somebody else try. That in case you are still lost is all the state is saying.
Chris Guerrieri
School Teacher
OK. As usual you have identified something to be a problem that everyone already knows is a problem. Now let's hear what your solution is? And when you give us your solution, make sure it meets all the statutory and SBE requirements. Oh, and make sure it will meet the needs and requirements of the community in which the schools are located.
ReplyDeleteI think Mr. Guerrieri has been shouting from the mountain tops for years now what the solutions are. Rigorous classes that kids are required to legitimately pass, disciplined classrooms and schools and more curriculums that service the needs of more children, not just the one size fits all everybody is going to college track we have now. He writes about other things but I think it is fair to say that’s the gist.
ReplyDeleteWhy thank you for the response Mr. Guerrieri. He couldn't have said it better himself.
ReplyDeleteThat is the gist. I reprintd an early blog, the bare minimum to help out with where I stand too. Thanks all for checking out the blog...
ReplyDeleteMr. Guerreiri speaks the plain unvarnished truth. As a 30 + year teaching veteran of inner city schools he is right on target with his observations and recommendations. Discipline in Duval County Schools is a three shell monte game with no pea. They just keep moving the shells around. Columnists like Ron Littlepage keep picking up the same shells, continually duped year after year after year. It's sad. Hey Ron,you're a great columnist but you're lost on this one. Listen to the people in the trenches.
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