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Monday, September 19, 2016

The Times Union's biased pro-Vitti coverage.

A few days before the board gave Superintendent Vitti his evaluation the Times Union wrote an editorial saying he was much better than sliced bread. It read more as a love letter than an editorial.

Well fast forward to today when there is talk of him being forced out and the Times Union gave paragraph length quotes to Scott Shine, Trey Csar, Cheryl Gyrmes, Warren Jones and Audrey Moran all who said losing the superintendent would be the opposite of sliced bread. They made it sound apocalyptic and unprecedented.

I kid you not.

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2016-09-19/story/duval-school-board-member-accuses-board-chair-trying-oust-superintendent 

Then at the very end they wrote something a North side education activist said. 

Bettye Miller, an advocate and frequent Vitti critic, who regularly speaks at board meetings, said some community members on Jacksonville’s Northside feel he didn’t listen to them when he proposed boundary and program changes at schools. She added his lack of patience and at times disrespect showed with some board members, indicating he doesn’t always have an open mind.
“A good leader listens, even if you think that person is totally out of their minds, because you may learning something out of that person,” she said.
If you are scoring it was five to one for keeping him, heck FOX news is more fair and balanced than that.
I mentioned this to Denise Amos Smith who I generally like and she asked what I would say, and I told her, Vitti has shown he doesn't listen to those above him, the board, or those below him, teachers, and if he can't listen then he can't lead. Also if he left Friday instantly teacher morale would improve dramatically and that would be more than worth any pains the district experiences as they search for the next super. 
It however did not make the final version.
I know lots of educators and parents who are disappointed in the superintendents performance, they wouldn't have been hard to find, sadly it doesn't seem like the TU made any effort to do so.

4 comments:

  1. They would not be hard to find. I have wondered what he is holding over Ms. Amos or what he has over the TU leaders. They are certainly biased in favor of him. Maybe he just bullies them, or has the board attorney do it, like he does everyone else. I agree morale would immediately improve and those who think they are untouchable in the ivory tower will have a wake up call as well. Listening with the intent to understand is important. When an organization loses sight of its reason for existing it will cease to exist. It is as true for people who lose sight of who hired them in the first place and for what job. He was hired to serve the children here not himself and his friends and followers.

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  2. And a special school for his children

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    1. The owners and articles of The Times Union are liberal, progressive, and border on socialists. They only pretend to care about the community or it's children. Their only care is pushing an agenda and pushing the city to where leftists want it.

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  3. Another example of T-U bias: in the "Cheers" section of Monday's editorial page, they congratulate a Bolles graduate, by way of UF, for being selected to join Teach for America Jacksonville. "...the collaboration has been a great thing for the system", "She should be applauded for showing the desire and ambition to return home and make a difference." What about all of the dedicated teachers who go through a four year education program because they decided early on that they wanted to be teachers to "make a difference"? Nothing against this young woman, but does the TFA summer stint really prepare you to be a reading teacher? In contrast, read John Romano's column in the Tampa Bay Times "Florida is Losing Teachers, One Test at a Time" which starts with, "Being a teacher in Florida stinks." Times-Union rankings: 1) Charter and private schools, 2) Vitti, 3) Teach for America, 4) sliced bread.

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