1) Televise ALL meetings that the board has.
2) Return to COMPLETE information for the public on board meetings. EX: list of resignations, retirements, etc.
3) Get rid of: Huff, Johnson, Cravens, Orem, Smith, Doshier, Stevens, Barlass and the PR, Bright Futures folks.
4) Replace the board.
5) Replace ALL elementary principals and assistant principals, and the principals at East.
6) Replace all learning coaches with REAL coaches. Those inexperienced teachers are going to need some help.
7) Go through ALL the books and look at how the money is being spent. Pretty sure the Title 1 and sped monies are being misappropriated.
8) Cut the tests and expensive programs that are not useful to learning.
9) Train and reimplement reading teachers.
10) Quit sending out surveys and notes and start REALLY listening to the people.
Readers, what do you think?
Amen brother Bob!
ReplyDeleteOnly need three steps:
ReplyDelete1. Elect a real board with sense of responsibility for truly evaluating the superintendent.
2. Fire Huff; hire a real leader of integrity.
3. Give each school's principal the front line responsibility and authority to evaluate, hire, fire faculty and hold the principals accountable for their school's performance.
Do these three things and it will turn the ship in the right direction. In other words, put good people in charge, give them the authority to do the job and get it done, and hold them accountable.
While I agree with the 10 step plan, I do believe the Principals need more power over their own schools.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, there was one school left out...Irving Elementary. It needs to be cleaned out. Starting with Nila Vance going all the way down to some of the teachers and non teaching staff.
This entire school district has been comprised to its very core. Therefore, patching the broken spots will only mask the issue and blur the task we have ahead of us. A complete "head to toe" overhaul will be in order for this school district!
The fish rots from the head down.
ReplyDelete7:01,
ReplyDeleteNumber 5 says to replace ALL the elementary principals and assistants.
The Irving principal is one of the few, if not the only elementary principals from before the new regime. She's learned how to just do what the upper admin tells her and they have a former TLC there as an assistant to watch and help her.
9:19 my mistake, I misread the "ALL" part.
ReplyDeleteWell, if Nila Vance is learning from Mertens its little wonder that school has gone to hell in a hand basket. Mertens does not have the personality nor character to deal with parents. Mertens bullies, berates, lies, then when caught runs for the hills because she doesn't know how to handle the situation. Yes, Mertens reminds me very much of Tina Smith. They both talk a big talk, but neither one can fill the shoes to match the mouth. As for Vance, she is already under investigation for attendance fraud.
The problem is that Huff believes we all have IQ's under 100. He expects the "flock" to just follow him quietly because we are stupid. He didn't anticipate that we are ALL smarter than he is and SOME are willing to call him out. Now the auditors are beating on the doors of 32nd and Duquesne Rd and all the crooks are looking for a place to run and hide!