Thursday, September 26, 2013
DESE: We're not changing Kansas City's accreditation status
(From the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education)
Citing concern for many students still struggling in Kansas City, today the Commissioner of Education, Chris L. Nicastro, notified the Superintendent of Kansas City Schools, Dr. Steve Green, that the Department would not recommend changing the district’s accreditation.
At the September State Board of Education meeting, Dr. Green requested that the Department recommend changing the district’s accreditation and that the State Board classify the district as provisionally accredited. This issue will be on the State Board of Education’s October agenda. Any response from the Board would come after the October meeting.
The district’s first performance report under the Missouri School Improvement Program 5 (MSIP 5) showed progress in science and math, but less than 30 percent of students are proficient in those subjects. In English language arts and math, almost 70 percent of Kansas City students are not reading or performing math at grade level. The data suggest that the district has hard work ahead to improve student performance.
“We were pleased to see the progress students made in Kansas City schools this year in science and math,” said Nicastro. “But we must do what we believe is in the best interests of the children.”
In a letter, the Commissioner explained that one year of district performance was not sufficient to determine a sustainable positive trend in the district. MSIP 5 recognizes progress in school districts, but the program needs at least two to three years of information before determining school district performance trends. It is the first year of the MSIP 5 accountability system.
The State Board of Education classified the Kansas City Public School District as unaccredited in 2012. This is the first year since then that the district’s annual report rated its performance in the provisionally accredited range.
The Department will continue to work closely with the Kansas City School District to help sustain its improvement efforts.
To find the letter from Commissioner Nicastro to Supt. Green, go to this link.
Two thousand dollar consultant was voted off Reeds Spring Board for backing Besendorfer
Shortly after that, seeing the handwriting on the wall, Besendorfer, who had just received a raise to $110,000, resigned her job to take a lower-paying position, $96,000 per year, as an assistant superintendent in the Joplin R-8 School District. (One year later, she was making the same amount she had left at Reeds Spring.)
Now six years later, one of the three board members who lost their jobs for backing Besendorfer is getting paid as a consultant for the school district.
As noted in the Sept. 25 Turner Report, Terri Tucker served as a facilitator at a June Board of Education retreat in which board members learned that they should not mix in the day-to-day operation of the school district, that they should not deal with parent complaints, and that they should put their faith in their administrators, an approach that she had apparently followed in Reeds Spring.
For that advice, Ms. Tucker, the head of Tucker Resources in Kimberling City, received $2,117 and this is not the first time she has provided her services to the R-8 School District. Ms. Tucker also helped district officials this spring as they conducted a series of public meetings to explain the controversial redistricting proposal.
Ms. Tucker has also served as a consultant/facilitator for Bright Futures USA (the one that is private, but which is operated out of the Joplin R-8 Administration Building at 32nd and Duquesne.
Ms. Tucker's connection with Angie Besendorfer was a key reason for her failure to get elected to the Reeds Spring Board (she had initially been appointed to fill out the remainder of someone else's term). Online messages posted during the weeks before the election tagged Ms. Tucker as one of Mrs. Besendorfer's shopping buddies.
Just as in Joplin, Mrs. Besendorfer's tenure coincided with a mass departure of teachers, some by choice, some forced out. One of those teachers was a former Teacher of the Year, Mike Collins, who was allegedly fired for using profane language when he stopped two bullies from picking on a developmentally disabled high school student. Collins had not seen eye-to-eye with Mrs. Besendorfer on the way she was running the district, which many felt led to trumped-up charges against him. The public rallied around Collins and elected three board members who campaigned on a pledge to get rid of Besendorfer.
When new board members were elected and Mrs. Besendorfer had left for the greener pastures of Joplin, one of the first introductions to the new R-8 assistant superintendent came in the form of a letter to the Joplin Globe:
Only once in a while does a person meet someone who has so perfectly chosen their profession.
There are very few “called” to heal people, to comfort people, to protect people, and to teach people. The new assistant superintendent of the Joplin R-8 School District is one of those people who was meant to serve children, make clear their paths and shine the light of possibilities on their horizons. Angie Bessendorfer is leaving the superintendent role at Reeds Spring School District and is heading to the Joplin district with anticipation of positively affecting nearly four times the number of students and their families. We thank Angie for her contributions in our community and applaud the people of Joplin for their wise choice. If you open your arms and welcome this wonderful lady, you will find a truly eager servant. Angie taught us to keep focused on what is truly best for children and how our actions attach lessons to them. We will not forget.
Two people signed the letter. One was a woman named Cindy Morris.
The other is now the go-to consultant/facilitator for the Joplin R-8 School District- Terri Tucker.
Reiboldt: We are concerned about Common Core
In the accompanying video, Rep. Bill Reiboldt, R-Joplin, addresses the audience at the Missouri House Interim Education Committee hearing held Wednesday night at Missouri Southern State University.
Joplin Schools add Wi-Fi to buses, expect tons of homework to be done
As KSNF reports in this video, the Joplin R-8 School District has added Wi-Fi to one of its buses and plans to add it to five more. The plan is for students to use their laptops on activity trips.
Technology Director Klista Rader explains how this will "enrich" the students trip, help them to do tons of homework, and they will be protected from bad sites.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Rotten to the Common Core
No bars.
I am not talking about nightlife in Newtonia, the town of 200 where I spent my formative years, though that town not only doesn't have any bars, but no longer has a grocery store, a barber shop, or a gas station either.
The bars to which I refer are the kind you desperately wait for as you stare helplessly at your cell phone.
That hypnotized look was in the eyes of most of the 75 who attended a House Interim Education Committee meeting in the Corley Auditorium in Webster Hall at Missouri Southern State University tonight.
Just like the rest of them, I stared at my IPhone, waiting for the bars, just one at least - so I could call someone who had a clue because no one on stage appeared to have one, at least not as far as Common Core Standards were concerned.
I listened to Jill Carter, the young lady whose long hours of work paid off last week when the East Newton R-6 Board of Education became the first in the state of Missouri to pass a resolution questioning Common Core. She made sense. I heard parents who had a hard time understanding why we need to lower our standards and neglect the classics and the proud history of our country. They made sense, though you can make a good argument that those things are not necessarily left out of Common Core.
That was really not what some of the legislators did. From some, it was more like "Why don't you hicks bother to actually read Common Core Standards and you will see they are the greatest thing to ever hit education?"
As if Jill Carter has not actually pored over the standards. As if any of the people who took time out of their busy schedules to speak have not read the standards.
It must be tough for some of those legislators pulling on their pants two legs at a time.
About half of the legislators were on the other side of the fence and were totally opposed to Common Core Standards, but even some of them said not to be concerned, "No one is going to tell teachers what to teach or tell schools what their curriculum is going to be."
Earth calling Missouri House of Representatives.
Some legislators came out better than others, including our Joplin-area legislators, Charlie Davis, R-Webb City, who presided over the session, and Bill Reiboldt, R-Joplin.
As for the legislators who spoke with such assurance that Common Core Standards were good and could do everything from educating all children to curing warts, or those who think Common Core Standards are bad, but no one is trying to tell you how to teach or how to write your curriculum, I have just one suggestion.
Do a little more research before January- please!
I am not talking about nightlife in Newtonia, the town of 200 where I spent my formative years, though that town not only doesn't have any bars, but no longer has a grocery store, a barber shop, or a gas station either.
The bars to which I refer are the kind you desperately wait for as you stare helplessly at your cell phone.
That hypnotized look was in the eyes of most of the 75 who attended a House Interim Education Committee meeting in the Corley Auditorium in Webster Hall at Missouri Southern State University tonight.
Just like the rest of them, I stared at my IPhone, waiting for the bars, just one at least - so I could call someone who had a clue because no one on stage appeared to have one, at least not as far as Common Core Standards were concerned.
I listened to Jill Carter, the young lady whose long hours of work paid off last week when the East Newton R-6 Board of Education became the first in the state of Missouri to pass a resolution questioning Common Core. She made sense. I heard parents who had a hard time understanding why we need to lower our standards and neglect the classics and the proud history of our country. They made sense, though you can make a good argument that those things are not necessarily left out of Common Core.
That was really not what some of the legislators did. From some, it was more like "Why don't you hicks bother to actually read Common Core Standards and you will see they are the greatest thing to ever hit education?"
It must be tough for some of those legislators pulling on their pants two legs at a time.
About half of the legislators were on the other side of the fence and were totally opposed to Common Core Standards, but even some of them said not to be concerned, "No one is going to tell teachers what to teach or tell schools what their curriculum is going to be."
Earth calling Missouri House of Representatives.
Some legislators came out better than others, including our Joplin-area legislators, Charlie Davis, R-Webb City, who presided over the session, and Bill Reiboldt, R-Joplin.
As for the legislators who spoke with such assurance that Common Core Standards were good and could do everything from educating all children to curing warts, or those who think Common Core Standards are bad, but no one is trying to tell you how to teach or how to write your curriculum, I have just one suggestion.
Do a little more research before January- please!
Joplin R-8 taxpayers pay $2,000+ for speaker who says to ignore them
The bills paid by the board at its Tuesday night meeting, included one for that amount to motivational speaker Terri Tucker of Kimberling City, who was brought in to inspire the board at its retreat in June.
What the board got from that retreat was described in the Joplin Globe:
Among things that they said the district could have improved upon were the approach of school officials to the redistricting proposal, policy awareness among staff members, and that the district has relatively few counselors and nurses.Other items listed included not dealing with individual parent concerns and not intervening between parents and children, and not becoming involved in the district’s day-to-day operations.
Ms. Tucker's client list includes Dr. C. J. Huff, Bright Futures, and Joplin Chamber of Commerce.
Claire McCaskill brings the message of St. Louis Cardinals to heathens at MSNBC
Sen. Claire McCaskill, a little tired of MSNBC's Morning Joe's interminable conversations about the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, spent a couple of minutes praising the St. Louis Cardinals.
Friday arraignment scheduled for Kansas City legislator on drug charges
After his arrest by Missouri Highway Patrol Aug. 25, LaFaver resigned from his position on the Democratic Victory Committe, but indicated he intends to remain in the House of Representatives.
LaFaver pleaded guilty Tuesday in Moniteau County Circuit Court to a charge of failure to register a motor vehicle and was fined $125.
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