Duval Partners lost another member the other day, the third since they were founded including their original chairman. What’s really crazy about this is up till now other than having a few secret meeting they haven’t done anything yet. This is not exactly confidence creating.
This shake up is just more evidence that this group originally created to fund raise and get the community involved but was changed into a potential education management organization which would run our four most struggling schools, is in way over it’s head. Though they have company as the district has been that way for over a decade.
I don't know whether to descibe the recent events as a tragedy or a comedy and that's probably because it is a little bit of both. We have Betty Burney and Paula Wright acting like children because the schools are in their districts and their solution was rejected (closing and reopening the schools which would have cost them both hundreds of thousands of dollars in SIG money). I am not sure why Mrs. Burney seriously though anybody would listen to her recommendations. She has been on the board for over six years and the problems these schools are having didn't sneak up over night. On the contrary she and the district have known about the issues they face for quite some time.
Then we have the superintendent appealing the take over because of some modest gains the schools are projected to make. If I was a parent I would be begging him to let the schools go because he and the district after years of throwing ideas like paint against the wall hoping something sticks have proven they don’t know what to do either. The only problems is, if I was a parent I wouldn't want Duval Partners, none of who are educators, running the schools either.
What are the parents of the children who attend the schools to do? Well I have a suggestion, move and do so quickly.
Chris Guerrieri
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