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Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Why the Times Union has no credibility, Vitti edition

Superintendent Vitti is leaving and the editorial board did a farewell piece.

From the Times Union:

who is leaving as superintendent of the Duval County public schools, is handing off an urban school system on the way up.

In the last five years:
- Graduation rates are up by 19 percent. And this is not smoke and mirrors. This represents high school diplomas being earned with some of the most demanding requirements in the state.
- The number of African-American students who are taking rigorous college-type courses has increased by 77 percent. This is a special point of pride.
- The number of students passing tough, college-level exams like Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate increased by 64 percent. You can’t fake a passing grade on these courses.
- The proportion of students passing dual enrollment courses increased by a startling 87 percent. This is the best education deal in Jacksonville, getting credit for a college course in high school — when the courses are practically free.

- The proportion of Duval County students graduating with a college-ready curriculum has increased by 26 percent while the proportion for the state as a whole is basically flat.
Things sound great, why would the board let him leave? Here is the thing above was from the Times Union's good bye to former superintendent Ed Pratt Dannals.  
Today they wrote a farewell editorial about Vitti which made it sound like he arrived to a district teetering on collapse and stopped just short of saying he walked on water.
It was embarrassing but what is more so is they wrote the same thing about Pratt-Dannals his predecessor. I guess they have just one editorial and only change the names as needed.
We have issues in Jacksonville, I don't want to sugar coat it, but undoubtedly one of the biggest is a media who doesn't do it's job. 
The super did some nice things but more often than not he appeared in over his head. His communication skills with the board and the district's teachers at the end of the day was woeful and that is what he will be remembered for. This is what the Times Union's editorial board should have written.

1 comment:

  1. I agree. The Times Union lost my subscription long ago. They are the most biased paper I have ever read. Report some real news for once. Really the JPEF person tells what is going on in our schools? Ask some teachers and not the ones who are known to be his best friend. Ask randomly and really listen. You'll have 25% who say oh yes he is great, and the others who have truely been around great superintendents and district staff will be able to tell you the truth. Any changes he made came from someone fighting him and then getting let go. He has changed so many times chances are we will not see the effect his recent curriculum disaster and his free spending will have until 3 years from now.

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