So let me get this straight there is some miraculous stat which shows our kids are actually doing well at the intervening schools and the powers-that-be are conspiring together to keep it hidden. If that sounds far-fetched it seems to be what Mrs. Burney would have you believe in a recent op-ed to the Times Union. The problem with the test Mrs. Burney mentioned, the Post Secondary Reading Readiness test is it's irelevant to the problems that the intervening schools are facing. I don’t like the FCAT but passing that test is what they need to do. I bet the majority vast majority can add two didgit numbers too but that doesn't matter either.
Speaking of the FCAT, she complained about the 2010 results and here is the day late part. I believe she and all reasonable people should have been complaining about the FCAT for about a decade now. This test has single handily transformed education and not for the better. No longer as an education system are we concerned with all our children getting a well rounded education that prepares them for life, now all we are concerned about is if they can pass the FCAT or not. I have to say I also find this a little disingenuous because she and the district have readily embraced the FCAT when it told them what they wanted to hear but now she dismisses it when she hears something that she doesn’t like.
She however was right when like Deborah Gianoulis did the day before, she wrote about all the great things going on at those schools because there are many. Every day kids go to them and work with dedicated professionals and it is truly a wonderful thing. Unfortunate though, the vast majority of the good things happening at the schools are just the interactions between students and their teachers. The reason is because teachers have been hamstrung by the school board and the administration at 1701 Prudential drive's policies to the point that so many of the students and teachers start out in a hole so deep that few are able to climb out of it.
At no time does Mrs. Burney mention the real problem the schools are facing which is kids getting pushed to high school without the skills they need to be successful. This includes the ability to read and do math at grade level, discipline and a serious work ethic. Instead she mentions the districts rigorous graduation requirements and points out that kids are passing. Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees. There is absolutely no grasp at what the big picture is.
Well Mrs. Burney I will point out to you that there is a big difference between learning and passing. Just ask Florida State College at Jacksonville which says seventy percent of our recent graduates have to take remedial classes. Teachers in fear for their jobs, evaluations and performance pay, under tremendous pressure from their admins not to fail any children regardless of what they do or don’t do, or teachers sympathetic to the child pushed into their room without the skills they need, it’s not their fault they rationalize, can and do just pass children along. This passing however doesn’t always equate to learning.
Betty Burney has been on the school board for over six years and the problems we have today are the same problems we had six years ago and 3000 children who could be attending the intervening schools have left already. Blaming the FCAT when it doesn’t tell us what we want to hear, pointing to tests that don’t count and equating learning with passing when for many kids nothing could be farther from the truth is no way to get those children back and solve the education problems here in Jacksonville. Our schools, our teachers and most importantly our children deserve real solutions.
Chris Guerrieri
School Teacher
Showing posts with label Florida State college at Jacksonville. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Florida State college at Jacksonville. Show all posts
Monday, February 14, 2011
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Education Commentary
I thought Marvin Edwards’s commentary on local education was dead on. He is right the problems we are facing aren’t knew but sadly neither is our response to them. We keep electing the same type of leaders over and over. Our school board is still dominated by members of the political machine. All to often it is used as a stepping-stone for politicians on the way up or on the way down.
Tommy Hazouri has a long record of mediocrity, Stan Jordan left to run for state senate before his term was up, W.C. Gentry only ran for the school bard after a failed run at the state senate and Brenda Priestly Jackson recently announced she was running for the city council. What do they all have in common? Well like Eric Smith and Fel Lee two long time politicians who are running for the school board, they have either never been in a classroom or they were in one a very long time ago. If these are the types of leaders we repeatedly put on the school board is it any wonder we have such horrendous results.
Mr. Waters had another point about the money that the city has spent that could have gone to education but my question is what about the money that is dedicated to our school district that could have gone to education. Out superintendent, makes a hundred thousand dollars more than the mayor and as much as the superintendents in both St. Johns and Clay counties. The district spent a million dollars on new cars this year for it’s fleet of 520 cars. Thirty-two other employees most of who are on the superintendents inner circle and don’t work directly with children make over a hundred thousand dollars and we go through licensing agreements like water. Every few years there is some new software, computer program or miraculous education cure that the district uses only to replace when it proves ineffective. Then don’t get me started about the 750-person middle management that the district thinks it needs to perform its functions. These aren’t support or maintenance staff either but the amount of administrators the district has and like the superintendents inner circle they to don’t work directly with children.
I could go on and on adding to Mr. Waters’s points but then again I am the choir he was preaching to. I believe what he is saying and have seen the hopelessness on students, teachers and parents faces alike. Though that brings me to one problem he didn’t mention and that is the sad fact he is preaching to a very small choir. Unfortunately most people either don’t care or just don’t get how important education is. Our city and our children are suffering because of this.
Chris Guerrieri
Tommy Hazouri has a long record of mediocrity, Stan Jordan left to run for state senate before his term was up, W.C. Gentry only ran for the school bard after a failed run at the state senate and Brenda Priestly Jackson recently announced she was running for the city council. What do they all have in common? Well like Eric Smith and Fel Lee two long time politicians who are running for the school board, they have either never been in a classroom or they were in one a very long time ago. If these are the types of leaders we repeatedly put on the school board is it any wonder we have such horrendous results.
Mr. Waters had another point about the money that the city has spent that could have gone to education but my question is what about the money that is dedicated to our school district that could have gone to education. Out superintendent, makes a hundred thousand dollars more than the mayor and as much as the superintendents in both St. Johns and Clay counties. The district spent a million dollars on new cars this year for it’s fleet of 520 cars. Thirty-two other employees most of who are on the superintendents inner circle and don’t work directly with children make over a hundred thousand dollars and we go through licensing agreements like water. Every few years there is some new software, computer program or miraculous education cure that the district uses only to replace when it proves ineffective. Then don’t get me started about the 750-person middle management that the district thinks it needs to perform its functions. These aren’t support or maintenance staff either but the amount of administrators the district has and like the superintendents inner circle they to don’t work directly with children.
I could go on and on adding to Mr. Waters’s points but then again I am the choir he was preaching to. I believe what he is saying and have seen the hopelessness on students, teachers and parents faces alike. Though that brings me to one problem he didn’t mention and that is the sad fact he is preaching to a very small choir. Unfortunately most people either don’t care or just don’t get how important education is. Our city and our children are suffering because of this.
Chris Guerrieri
Sunday, July 25, 2010
School Board, district 6
I think in the past for the most part the outcome of school board elections were determined by name recognition and party affiliation. I hope that is changing because Jacksonville can know longer afford to do “business as usual.”
The economy is rough, crime is up, civility is down; apathy, hopelessness and hypocrisy have replaced motivation, hope and sincerity, well look at education because all those things can find their roots in our schools. If we don’t get serious and make changes our problems will only get worse. We cannot continue to do the same thing over and over and hope things will miraculously improve. That makes as much sense as passing a student to the next grade level that doesn’t have the skills to be there. Oh wait that’s something we already do with regularity.
One of the biggest problems we have had here in Jacksonville when it comes to education, which affects the city like nothing else, is a lack of effective leadership. Traditionally the school board has been either a stepping-stone for politicians on the way up or way down or a place where part time, casual observers, with tenuous ties to education, who are filled with hubris, think to themselves, I can fix that.
Jacksonville and its children can no longer afford this. Fortunately this year we have a real opportunity to make a change and we can start with the School Board district six races which has four main contenders.
First there is Eric Smith a career politician who I am sure is banking on his name recognition and supposed clout to get elected. Though I wonder if he has such tremendous clout why hasn’t he already been down at city hall or using his contacts in Tallahassee to change the culture “where it’s never time for the kids.” If he has this amazing clout, why hasn’t he been using it, instead of sitting back as the Duval County School Board forced every child into a one size fits all curriculum, divided the county up into haves (those that attend magnet schools) and have nots (those that don’t), practically gutted discipline, ignored the plight of many of the counties disabled children and started blaming teachers for not succeeding when put in unattainable positions.
Then there’s businessman Steve Berrey whose wife is a teacher. Though I am glad he’s not running on that alone because that would mean if my brother were a surgeon I could start cutting things out of people. His big idea is more professional development for teachers. Unfortunately he must not have talked to his wife because if he had he might know that most teachers consider the Shultz Center and professional development here in the county somewhat of a joke and in fact there is a pretty good one going around. How many district people does it take to hold a training? The answer is five, one to put it on and four others to look bored and work on their nails. Sure professional development has it’s place but what teachers really need is an administration who backs them up when they are having a hard time with a child in their class. Sending them back with a please don’t do that again, seemingly the districts only discipline plan, isn’t working for many.
Next there is resource office Gary Oliveras. At least he has been working in a local pubic school, something neither Berry nor Smith could say. Though comparing the school he works at, Stanton, to most of the schools in the county is like comparing a vacation in the Hamptons to relief work in Haiti. I think both have roads but the similarities end right about there. He is right though when he says the administration affectively knee capped teachers when they focused on reducing the number of out-of-school suspensions without putting options in place. First that takes a tool out of the discipline tool box, second it stops parents from being parental, third it allows some teachers to teach and some kids to learn as the only time that happens is when so and so is absent. Teachers throughout the district pray some kids will be missing so they can do their jobs and if suspensions help that even just a little maybe we should encourage more.
Finally there is Becky Couch. To be honest what she says is no more or no less impressive than what the other candidates have to say. They all seem to have sincere and good faith ideas. What sets her apart is the fact she has been in a classroom working with children. She has also heard what other teachers have had to say about what is working and what isn’t working and I believe the fact that she is a teacher gives her a better perspective than the husband of a teacher, a lifetime politician and a school resource officer could possibly have.
I like her idea about backing up teachers and principals that discipline, but I also like Berry’s proposal that the JEA start paying their fair share. I have no doubt Eric Smith does have clout, but he doesn’t have Couch’s experience working with present day teachers and students and I think that’s far more important. I don’t believe Oliveras sees the school board as a stepping-stone to other political offices but I don’t think Couch does either.
If you actually take the time hear what they say it’s really hard to say one sounds so much better than and that’s why to me it comes down to, who’s been in with the kids and who has shared the trenches with other teachers. I believe those two things above all else will give somebody the best idea of what works and what does not work. As far as I can tell Becky Couch is the only one who has those very important qualities.
Though regardless of whom people decide to vote for, I hope the citizens of Jacksonville realize we can no longer do “business as usual.” Doing things the way we have has seen us dig a deep hole for our city and many of its children. A hole that sadly many of our children will never be able to get out of. Jacksonville has real problems with education and it’s time we took them and who we decide to lead us through them seriously. I also hope people realize we can no longer make our decision based on whose name we recognize and according to what political party we like best. Our children are far too important for that to be the sole deciding factors.
The economy is rough, crime is up, civility is down; apathy, hopelessness and hypocrisy have replaced motivation, hope and sincerity, well look at education because all those things can find their roots in our schools. If we don’t get serious and make changes our problems will only get worse. We cannot continue to do the same thing over and over and hope things will miraculously improve. That makes as much sense as passing a student to the next grade level that doesn’t have the skills to be there. Oh wait that’s something we already do with regularity.
One of the biggest problems we have had here in Jacksonville when it comes to education, which affects the city like nothing else, is a lack of effective leadership. Traditionally the school board has been either a stepping-stone for politicians on the way up or way down or a place where part time, casual observers, with tenuous ties to education, who are filled with hubris, think to themselves, I can fix that.
Jacksonville and its children can no longer afford this. Fortunately this year we have a real opportunity to make a change and we can start with the School Board district six races which has four main contenders.
First there is Eric Smith a career politician who I am sure is banking on his name recognition and supposed clout to get elected. Though I wonder if he has such tremendous clout why hasn’t he already been down at city hall or using his contacts in Tallahassee to change the culture “where it’s never time for the kids.” If he has this amazing clout, why hasn’t he been using it, instead of sitting back as the Duval County School Board forced every child into a one size fits all curriculum, divided the county up into haves (those that attend magnet schools) and have nots (those that don’t), practically gutted discipline, ignored the plight of many of the counties disabled children and started blaming teachers for not succeeding when put in unattainable positions.
Then there’s businessman Steve Berrey whose wife is a teacher. Though I am glad he’s not running on that alone because that would mean if my brother were a surgeon I could start cutting things out of people. His big idea is more professional development for teachers. Unfortunately he must not have talked to his wife because if he had he might know that most teachers consider the Shultz Center and professional development here in the county somewhat of a joke and in fact there is a pretty good one going around. How many district people does it take to hold a training? The answer is five, one to put it on and four others to look bored and work on their nails. Sure professional development has it’s place but what teachers really need is an administration who backs them up when they are having a hard time with a child in their class. Sending them back with a please don’t do that again, seemingly the districts only discipline plan, isn’t working for many.
Next there is resource office Gary Oliveras. At least he has been working in a local pubic school, something neither Berry nor Smith could say. Though comparing the school he works at, Stanton, to most of the schools in the county is like comparing a vacation in the Hamptons to relief work in Haiti. I think both have roads but the similarities end right about there. He is right though when he says the administration affectively knee capped teachers when they focused on reducing the number of out-of-school suspensions without putting options in place. First that takes a tool out of the discipline tool box, second it stops parents from being parental, third it allows some teachers to teach and some kids to learn as the only time that happens is when so and so is absent. Teachers throughout the district pray some kids will be missing so they can do their jobs and if suspensions help that even just a little maybe we should encourage more.
Finally there is Becky Couch. To be honest what she says is no more or no less impressive than what the other candidates have to say. They all seem to have sincere and good faith ideas. What sets her apart is the fact she has been in a classroom working with children. She has also heard what other teachers have had to say about what is working and what isn’t working and I believe the fact that she is a teacher gives her a better perspective than the husband of a teacher, a lifetime politician and a school resource officer could possibly have.
I like her idea about backing up teachers and principals that discipline, but I also like Berry’s proposal that the JEA start paying their fair share. I have no doubt Eric Smith does have clout, but he doesn’t have Couch’s experience working with present day teachers and students and I think that’s far more important. I don’t believe Oliveras sees the school board as a stepping-stone to other political offices but I don’t think Couch does either.
If you actually take the time hear what they say it’s really hard to say one sounds so much better than and that’s why to me it comes down to, who’s been in with the kids and who has shared the trenches with other teachers. I believe those two things above all else will give somebody the best idea of what works and what does not work. As far as I can tell Becky Couch is the only one who has those very important qualities.
Though regardless of whom people decide to vote for, I hope the citizens of Jacksonville realize we can no longer do “business as usual.” Doing things the way we have has seen us dig a deep hole for our city and many of its children. A hole that sadly many of our children will never be able to get out of. Jacksonville has real problems with education and it’s time we took them and who we decide to lead us through them seriously. I also hope people realize we can no longer make our decision based on whose name we recognize and according to what political party we like best. Our children are far too important for that to be the sole deciding factors.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Gianoulis
It’s nice to see a politician or a prospective politician who gets it and that’s what Deborah Gianoulis seems to do. To paraphrase a famous political quote, it’s education stupid.
The economy is rough, crime is up, civility is down; apathy, hopelessness and hypocrisy have replaced motivation, hope and sincerity, well look at education because all those things can find their roots there.
If we want society to improve, we need to better prepare the next generation and that means we can no longer can we just play lip service to education or allow our leaders to be at the beck and call of special interests unless it’s what should be all of our ultimate special interests and that’s our children.
Though I wonder what good this advocate of education will do, just as I sometimes wonder what would happen if we funded education properly as long as we here in Northeast Florida continue to have a school board that has a one size fits all curriculum, ignores discipline, blames teachers when they are put in impossible situation and don’t succeed to the level they hoped for and seems more interested in protecting their positions than doing what’s right for the children and city of Jacksonville.
However If Mrs. Gianoulis a long time children and education advocate does get elected and then practices what she preaches maybe just maybe that could be step one on the long road of turning this thing around.
The economy is rough, crime is up, civility is down; apathy, hopelessness and hypocrisy have replaced motivation, hope and sincerity, well look at education because all those things can find their roots there.
If we want society to improve, we need to better prepare the next generation and that means we can no longer can we just play lip service to education or allow our leaders to be at the beck and call of special interests unless it’s what should be all of our ultimate special interests and that’s our children.
Though I wonder what good this advocate of education will do, just as I sometimes wonder what would happen if we funded education properly as long as we here in Northeast Florida continue to have a school board that has a one size fits all curriculum, ignores discipline, blames teachers when they are put in impossible situation and don’t succeed to the level they hoped for and seems more interested in protecting their positions than doing what’s right for the children and city of Jacksonville.
However If Mrs. Gianoulis a long time children and education advocate does get elected and then practices what she preaches maybe just maybe that could be step one on the long road of turning this thing around.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Whose fault is it?
Superintendent Pratt-Dannals joined with several other superintendents to challenge some of the recent f-cat results. I don’t know how that will work out. I do know that in recent weeks, he blamed the college entrance test that Florida State College at Jacksonville gives for not asking the right questions and that’s what leads to seventy percent of grads having to take remedial classes. I know he said that we are a good community away from having a good school system and he has pointed the finger at parents and teachers alike for many of the woes Jacksonville’s school system is experiencing.
The community, colleges, parents, teachers, the different tests, it seems like everything is to blame for our problems but the districts leadership and it’s policies. I guess it’s good to have one good thing going for us.
Chris Guerrieri
The community, colleges, parents, teachers, the different tests, it seems like everything is to blame for our problems but the districts leadership and it’s policies. I guess it’s good to have one good thing going for us.
Chris Guerrieri
Drop outs, only a small part of the problem
Kids’ dropping out of school is a huge problem and not just for the dropouts themselves and it was rightfully identified as such in a recent Times Union editorial. Dropping out not only handicaps the future of the children that do so but also likewise damages society. However the following isn’t about those kids it’s about the significant amount of students who somehow mange to pass the “minimum standards” and graduate ill prepared for college, the workforce or life.
Florida State College at Jacksonville reports that seventy percent of recent graduates have to take remedial courses. Business owners also report having a hard time finding qualified workers from the pool of recent graduates. If local dropouts are costing Jacksonville millions of dollars how much money are they costing us? In a way school is even more tragic for them. They stayed all the way through and then aren’t ready for anything.
One of the biggest reasons kids drop out is the counties insistence on a one size fits all curriculum that has every child on a “go to college track.” Do you know what the difference in classes between a kid with 130 IQ, who loves school and wants to be a doctor and a kid with an IQ of 90, who hates school who wants to drive trucks, is? The answer is there is none, both children are expected to take and pass the same classes to graduate.
We have serious problems with our education system in Jacksonville, problems that are not going to get better unless the powers-that-be entertain the thought that different children have different desires, needs and abilities. Dropouts sad to say are only a small part of the real problems we have here.
Chris Guerrieri
Florida State College at Jacksonville reports that seventy percent of recent graduates have to take remedial courses. Business owners also report having a hard time finding qualified workers from the pool of recent graduates. If local dropouts are costing Jacksonville millions of dollars how much money are they costing us? In a way school is even more tragic for them. They stayed all the way through and then aren’t ready for anything.
One of the biggest reasons kids drop out is the counties insistence on a one size fits all curriculum that has every child on a “go to college track.” Do you know what the difference in classes between a kid with 130 IQ, who loves school and wants to be a doctor and a kid with an IQ of 90, who hates school who wants to drive trucks, is? The answer is there is none, both children are expected to take and pass the same classes to graduate.
We have serious problems with our education system in Jacksonville, problems that are not going to get better unless the powers-that-be entertain the thought that different children have different desires, needs and abilities. Dropouts sad to say are only a small part of the real problems we have here.
Chris Guerrieri
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