The school board met this past Monday night and voted 7-0 to approve four new charter schools, to extend the superintendants contract another 2 years and to approve new changes to the strategic plan. It’s not unusual for the school board to approve measures 7-0. They have been more of a rubber stamp for the district rather than an independent board concerned with the cities children, parents, teachers and stake holders. What was different however was its lame duck status. You see three members; Nancy Bronner, Brenda Priestly-Jackson and Vicki Drake will not be on the school board any longer come Wednesday. This however did not stop them from abstaining or passing on voting on measures that will affect the district for years to come.
These three ladies have been on the school board for the last eight years. Arguably the worse eight years for Jacksonville’s public education since generations of blatant racism ended in the sixties. Now there have been problems in the intervening forty years but nothing compared to the about face the district took from a school system filled with promise heading in a positive direction to one filled with have and have not schools, crushed teacher morale, and a student body pushed along without discipline and the skills they need to be successful. This and the lame duck decisions they made Monday night will be their legacy.
The citizens of Jacksonville must now sit back and hope the three newest members of the school board will discard the rubber stamps that had been standard issue to new school board members and decide to represent the whole city not just the superintendent and administrators at 1701 Prudential Drive.
Showing posts with label brenda priestly-jackson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brenda priestly-jackson. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
School board member speaks out
A school board member responded to my current piece in the Times Union, this is her note and my responce unedited. I'll let you be the judge.
Dear Mr. Guerrieri:
I am writing to you in response to your letter to the editor regarding the members of the Duval County School Board's visit to Jean Ribault High School. I found your letter to be not only factually inaccurate but also potentially detrimental to the Jean Ribault High School family. Your letter feed into many stereotypes regarding the Ribault High community and the public perception that there are not diverse high performing students in the school. I must admit that I was surprised when I saw your letter because you had not struck me as someone who would form superficial, snap judgments about any school or its students.
Your letter starts off by saying that we did not meet with a truly representative sample of students at Ribault High. I found that assessment to be particularly odd in light of the fact that we meet with a group of students remarkably similar to the group of students we meet at your school, Ed White, in the spring of last school year. Just as was done at Ed White and Terry Parker High School, we allowed the school based administrator and his faculty to select the students that represented a true cross section of the school and that was the group of students we met with. Your letter would suggest that Ribault High does not have a cross section of diverse high achieving students but rather a monolith of students who all need remediation.
The next point you raise is this view that the visit to Ribault High School is the only visit by board members to schools. As a member of the board for almost eight years, the mother of four children who have all matriculated in the Duval County Public Schools during my tenure on the board, the wife of a teacher at Ribault High School, and the daughter of a former long time Duval County Public School teacher, I have always been engaged and active in our district's schools and have spent time working in and with them every week of my tenure on the board and prior to. My experience with the schools is remarkably similar to the level of involvement by each member of the Duval County School Board.
Whether I have tutored students one-on-one or in small groups for ACT/SAT test to prepare them to obtain concordant scores or achieve satisfactory admission scores for college, or cooked meals for entire members of the football team, or meet with groups of teachers, parents, and administrators in schools to address concerns, advised parents/guardians of curricular implications for their children, or talked with various faith based and civic organizations, I worked to ensure that my decisions as a board member were truly representative of the community that elected me.
My vision when initially running for office was to help instill the pride and high quality instruction back in my alma mater, Jean Ribault High School, and to prepare young people all over this district to match their infinite potential with steller academic performance. As I leave the board, some of my dreams as a member have been actualized and others have much work yet to be done. Nevertheless, I know that through grace my time was well spent.
As I return back to my private life as a wife, mother, attorney, educator, and servant oriented civic citizen, I will continue to work to ensure that the Duval County Public School District addresses the needs of all of its students. I am hopeful that teachers like you will continue to call attention to the areas where we need to improve; however, I would hope that your message comes from a positive place and is based on factually accurate information.
Peace,
Brenda Priestly Jackson, Chairman
Member District IV
Duval County School Board
Thanks for your note, though I can't help but think the long list of ccs was meant to intimidate me some and I'll let you know it worked, I am duly intimidated and not looking forward to Monday at all. Though I hope you understand that agree with my individual points or not my mission is to make things better for children and teachers.
You are absolutely right though. I was saying you didn’t meet a cross representation of the children at Ribault high school, but if you are as involved as you say, then you know that. I would also say you didn’t meet an accurate representation of students at my school last year and I would bet Terry Parker as well. Furthermore I don’t think visiting three schools in the last year is something to be proud of.
The average students at these schools is marginally interested in their education and many feel over whelmed or are having their joy for learning robbed from them. Unrealistic curriculum requirements (algebra II really) that have seen the skills, trades and arts all but eliminated are a chief cause of this. My school recently lost an award winning art teacher who dedicated 15 years to Ed White all to be replaced by a more than likely out-of-field first year reading teacher. Kids today have been pushed through many without consequences for behavior or mastering the material it takes to be successful. We have destroyed rigor and eroded discipline. We have put them all in a one-size fits all curriculum that every year sees more and more fall through the cracks ill prepared for life.
If you add destroying teacher morale and giving teachers all the responsibility and blame but none of the authority to educate children then this is the legacy that you and many members of the current school board have left behind. In the last ten years we have seen our school system transform from one growing and filled with potential to one that is contracting and serves only some of the districts children; leavening the rest unprepared for either a post secondary education or a job in the workforce.
Also I think it’s unfortunate that you think I was talking negatively about Ribault high school because I wasn’t. I have friends that work there and they think that after years of mismanagement it is finally heading in the right direction, I wish them and the students there nothing but success. I thought that was clear in the piece. Though I readily admit I think one of the biggest problems we have as a district, is we have been mismanaged by politicians, who have looked at the school board as a stepping-stone up or down and casual observers filled with hubris who think to themselves, hey I can fix that. Mrs. Priestly-Jackson I also remind you that you don’t just represent the administration at 1701 Prudential Drive but you represent the cities, teachers, parents, children and stakeholders as well.
Finally I don’t question your heart or that of any members of the school board. I question the school boards depth and think many of them are out of it and I feel it would be better that if school board members weren’t serious about education and three school visits in a year, not meeting with teachers and walking lock step with the superintendent would seem to indicate they weren’t; then they stepped aside. The cities children and teachers can’t handle much more.
Chris Guerrieri
Here is a link to my blog with the original unedited piece.
Dear Mr. Guerrieri:
I am writing to you in response to your letter to the editor regarding the members of the Duval County School Board's visit to Jean Ribault High School. I found your letter to be not only factually inaccurate but also potentially detrimental to the Jean Ribault High School family. Your letter feed into many stereotypes regarding the Ribault High community and the public perception that there are not diverse high performing students in the school. I must admit that I was surprised when I saw your letter because you had not struck me as someone who would form superficial, snap judgments about any school or its students.
Your letter starts off by saying that we did not meet with a truly representative sample of students at Ribault High. I found that assessment to be particularly odd in light of the fact that we meet with a group of students remarkably similar to the group of students we meet at your school, Ed White, in the spring of last school year. Just as was done at Ed White and Terry Parker High School, we allowed the school based administrator and his faculty to select the students that represented a true cross section of the school and that was the group of students we met with. Your letter would suggest that Ribault High does not have a cross section of diverse high achieving students but rather a monolith of students who all need remediation.
The next point you raise is this view that the visit to Ribault High School is the only visit by board members to schools. As a member of the board for almost eight years, the mother of four children who have all matriculated in the Duval County Public Schools during my tenure on the board, the wife of a teacher at Ribault High School, and the daughter of a former long time Duval County Public School teacher, I have always been engaged and active in our district's schools and have spent time working in and with them every week of my tenure on the board and prior to. My experience with the schools is remarkably similar to the level of involvement by each member of the Duval County School Board.
Whether I have tutored students one-on-one or in small groups for ACT/SAT test to prepare them to obtain concordant scores or achieve satisfactory admission scores for college, or cooked meals for entire members of the football team, or meet with groups of teachers, parents, and administrators in schools to address concerns, advised parents/guardians of curricular implications for their children, or talked with various faith based and civic organizations, I worked to ensure that my decisions as a board member were truly representative of the community that elected me.
My vision when initially running for office was to help instill the pride and high quality instruction back in my alma mater, Jean Ribault High School, and to prepare young people all over this district to match their infinite potential with steller academic performance. As I leave the board, some of my dreams as a member have been actualized and others have much work yet to be done. Nevertheless, I know that through grace my time was well spent.
As I return back to my private life as a wife, mother, attorney, educator, and servant oriented civic citizen, I will continue to work to ensure that the Duval County Public School District addresses the needs of all of its students. I am hopeful that teachers like you will continue to call attention to the areas where we need to improve; however, I would hope that your message comes from a positive place and is based on factually accurate information.
Peace,
Brenda Priestly Jackson, Chairman
Member District IV
Duval County School Board
Thanks for your note, though I can't help but think the long list of ccs was meant to intimidate me some and I'll let you know it worked, I am duly intimidated and not looking forward to Monday at all. Though I hope you understand that agree with my individual points or not my mission is to make things better for children and teachers.
You are absolutely right though. I was saying you didn’t meet a cross representation of the children at Ribault high school, but if you are as involved as you say, then you know that. I would also say you didn’t meet an accurate representation of students at my school last year and I would bet Terry Parker as well. Furthermore I don’t think visiting three schools in the last year is something to be proud of.
The average students at these schools is marginally interested in their education and many feel over whelmed or are having their joy for learning robbed from them. Unrealistic curriculum requirements (algebra II really) that have seen the skills, trades and arts all but eliminated are a chief cause of this. My school recently lost an award winning art teacher who dedicated 15 years to Ed White all to be replaced by a more than likely out-of-field first year reading teacher. Kids today have been pushed through many without consequences for behavior or mastering the material it takes to be successful. We have destroyed rigor and eroded discipline. We have put them all in a one-size fits all curriculum that every year sees more and more fall through the cracks ill prepared for life.
If you add destroying teacher morale and giving teachers all the responsibility and blame but none of the authority to educate children then this is the legacy that you and many members of the current school board have left behind. In the last ten years we have seen our school system transform from one growing and filled with potential to one that is contracting and serves only some of the districts children; leavening the rest unprepared for either a post secondary education or a job in the workforce.
Also I think it’s unfortunate that you think I was talking negatively about Ribault high school because I wasn’t. I have friends that work there and they think that after years of mismanagement it is finally heading in the right direction, I wish them and the students there nothing but success. I thought that was clear in the piece. Though I readily admit I think one of the biggest problems we have as a district, is we have been mismanaged by politicians, who have looked at the school board as a stepping-stone up or down and casual observers filled with hubris who think to themselves, hey I can fix that. Mrs. Priestly-Jackson I also remind you that you don’t just represent the administration at 1701 Prudential Drive but you represent the cities, teachers, parents, children and stakeholders as well.
Finally I don’t question your heart or that of any members of the school board. I question the school boards depth and think many of them are out of it and I feel it would be better that if school board members weren’t serious about education and three school visits in a year, not meeting with teachers and walking lock step with the superintendent would seem to indicate they weren’t; then they stepped aside. The cities children and teachers can’t handle much more.
Chris Guerrieri
Here is a link to my blog with the original unedited piece.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Same in Same out: Why we can’t make up the black student achievement gap
The Schott foundation rolled into town to let us know how poorly the school district is doing educating black males. If this sounds familiar, it because the heritage this or the coalition that or some other group rolls into town every six months and says the exact same thing. Listen education groups I think the city and district get it.
I get a little frustrated with these various groups or organizations because the truth is we aren’t just failing black males, we’re failing white males and quite a few other students as well. Our statistics are abysmal, shocking and you would think would want to lead people to action, which leads to a few of my other frustrations.
All these community leaders and activists and whoever they get to pass for educators only have the same tired old ideas. We need early literacy programs, mentors and to get our best teachers into our worse schools. Friends we have been doing those things for about a decade now and despite our school board chairperson, Brenda Priestly Jackson’s assertion this will eventually bear fruit they haven’t thus far and there seems to be no indication that if we continue to do the same things we won’t continue to get the same disheartening results. It’s almost enough to make you question their motives and if they really do care.
We need to change how we do things and I think that change has to see us get back to the basics, that we somehow lost. We need discipline in schools; if a kid acts up he gets a consequence for his behavior and remember for a consequence to work it must be meaningful. We need to put in safety nets like social workers to provide wrap around services and counselors to get to the root of some of our children’s problems. So often when kids act up or fail at school it has nothing to do with school, instead having to do with what is happening elsewhere. We need to have more than a one size fit’s all curriculum. We need to bring back trades and skills and to make the arts a priority, preparing every child for college isn’t working; we need to prepare them for life instead. Let’s make summer school mandatory for some students but please let them have a PE or art class or both too so they don’t hate it. We can’t continue to overwhelm kids and just fill their schedules with classes they don’t enjoy; many kids have eight classes, with not one elective, also why are kids taking eight classes at a time a full time college load is four classes. Is it any stretch to think if a kid is overwhelmed or thinks school is nothing but drudgery they won’t do well? We need to stop blaming teachers for the ills of society and allow them to teach, to encourage them to use their best practices and to be honest I wouldn’t care if a teacher used the Vulcan Mind meld to get the information across as long as they were successful and neither should any body else.
Mentors are great, busses for after school learning activities and discipline are better. Early reading initiatives are fine until they lose those gains because they tune school out because they are overwhelmed or don’t enjoy it and finally we already have many of our best teachers in our most struggling schools. They are the teachers who have chosen to be there because they love the kids not because they have been bribed to do so.
If we keep doing things the same way, keep coming up with the same solutions that obviously aren’t working, then we’re going to keep getting the same results.
The, heritage this, the coalition that and the Schott foundation don’t get it but that doesn’t stop them from calling press conference after press conference does it?
Chris Guerrieri
I get a little frustrated with these various groups or organizations because the truth is we aren’t just failing black males, we’re failing white males and quite a few other students as well. Our statistics are abysmal, shocking and you would think would want to lead people to action, which leads to a few of my other frustrations.
All these community leaders and activists and whoever they get to pass for educators only have the same tired old ideas. We need early literacy programs, mentors and to get our best teachers into our worse schools. Friends we have been doing those things for about a decade now and despite our school board chairperson, Brenda Priestly Jackson’s assertion this will eventually bear fruit they haven’t thus far and there seems to be no indication that if we continue to do the same things we won’t continue to get the same disheartening results. It’s almost enough to make you question their motives and if they really do care.
We need to change how we do things and I think that change has to see us get back to the basics, that we somehow lost. We need discipline in schools; if a kid acts up he gets a consequence for his behavior and remember for a consequence to work it must be meaningful. We need to put in safety nets like social workers to provide wrap around services and counselors to get to the root of some of our children’s problems. So often when kids act up or fail at school it has nothing to do with school, instead having to do with what is happening elsewhere. We need to have more than a one size fit’s all curriculum. We need to bring back trades and skills and to make the arts a priority, preparing every child for college isn’t working; we need to prepare them for life instead. Let’s make summer school mandatory for some students but please let them have a PE or art class or both too so they don’t hate it. We can’t continue to overwhelm kids and just fill their schedules with classes they don’t enjoy; many kids have eight classes, with not one elective, also why are kids taking eight classes at a time a full time college load is four classes. Is it any stretch to think if a kid is overwhelmed or thinks school is nothing but drudgery they won’t do well? We need to stop blaming teachers for the ills of society and allow them to teach, to encourage them to use their best practices and to be honest I wouldn’t care if a teacher used the Vulcan Mind meld to get the information across as long as they were successful and neither should any body else.
Mentors are great, busses for after school learning activities and discipline are better. Early reading initiatives are fine until they lose those gains because they tune school out because they are overwhelmed or don’t enjoy it and finally we already have many of our best teachers in our most struggling schools. They are the teachers who have chosen to be there because they love the kids not because they have been bribed to do so.
If we keep doing things the same way, keep coming up with the same solutions that obviously aren’t working, then we’re going to keep getting the same results.
The, heritage this, the coalition that and the Schott foundation don’t get it but that doesn’t stop them from calling press conference after press conference does it?
Chris Guerrieri
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
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