Does anyone else get irritated with the District's supply lists?
Does the PTAs have input in this?
Maybe I'm just dreading the trip to Wal-Mart during the tax free weekend. Ugh.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Between a Rockwood and a Hard Place
Kudos for people trying to hold their elected officials accountable on the proposed sale of the Rockwood golf course. But we need to connect the dots a little more.
1. Why did the District buy the Mallinson property instead of Rockwood for the new western Independence elementary school?
Rockwood was on sale for $575,000 but the District didn't want it at that price. It was on the short list of possible properties that the District was looking at for the new elementary school. I'm sure that they wanted it donated and to get it for free. But they were willing to spend $1,000,000 for the Mallinson property in Sugar Creek.
2. Wouldn't the Rockwood site have been a better place for an elementary school than the Mallinson property?
The costs just to prepare the Mallinson property are huge. Does anyone have pictures of the site preparation? The costs to prepare a Rockwood site would have been minimal - already pretty level and cleared. If the District was going to split an elementary school into primary (grades K-1-2) and intermediate (grades 3-4-5) schools, it would have made more sense to do that across from Korte - which the District admits is overcrowded with over 700 students.
3. Why is western Independence treated differently than eastern Independence?
The new elementary school in western Independence will be at capacity on day one - which will necessitate those schools to remain overcrowded and the need to another (costly) school. The Little Blue Elementary will be built BEYOND capacity and will have empty rooms - we hear? Oh, maybe someone needs to ask which elementary school will the superintendents' elementary children go to?
4. Why was there a task force to name the eastern Independence elementary school but there hasn't been one named for the western Independence elementary school?
5. How about the idea of the District having its own golf course? That is not what we need to spend our money on right now. How much is maintenance going to cost just to water the grass?
There are a lot of questions - and probably a lot of the answers are hidden behind closed doors.
1. Why did the District buy the Mallinson property instead of Rockwood for the new western Independence elementary school?
Rockwood was on sale for $575,000 but the District didn't want it at that price. It was on the short list of possible properties that the District was looking at for the new elementary school. I'm sure that they wanted it donated and to get it for free. But they were willing to spend $1,000,000 for the Mallinson property in Sugar Creek.
2. Wouldn't the Rockwood site have been a better place for an elementary school than the Mallinson property?
The costs just to prepare the Mallinson property are huge. Does anyone have pictures of the site preparation? The costs to prepare a Rockwood site would have been minimal - already pretty level and cleared. If the District was going to split an elementary school into primary (grades K-1-2) and intermediate (grades 3-4-5) schools, it would have made more sense to do that across from Korte - which the District admits is overcrowded with over 700 students.
3. Why is western Independence treated differently than eastern Independence?
The new elementary school in western Independence will be at capacity on day one - which will necessitate those schools to remain overcrowded and the need to another (costly) school. The Little Blue Elementary will be built BEYOND capacity and will have empty rooms - we hear? Oh, maybe someone needs to ask which elementary school will the superintendents' elementary children go to?
4. Why was there a task force to name the eastern Independence elementary school but there hasn't been one named for the western Independence elementary school?
5. How about the idea of the District having its own golf course? That is not what we need to spend our money on right now. How much is maintenance going to cost just to water the grass?
There are a lot of questions - and probably a lot of the answers are hidden behind closed doors.
Monday, July 23, 2012
I'm just a small town boy/girl
What is with all the "small town boys" in the Independence School District?
Jeanne Carton - from Otterville (does anyone even know where that is?) - was hired to transition Nowlin from the Kansas City School District. So we take a rural high school principal and make her the principal at an urban, high poverty, middle school. How did that work out? Not well.
Dale Herl - from Burrton, Kansas. Just doesn't make sense.
Ron Albertus - from Jasper County, Illinois - is the new principal (beginning last year) at Korte Elementary. He comes with impressive credentials ala Herl - superintendent of an entire rural school district. In Albertus' case - the largest geographic district in the state of Illinois. (Seriously - was there no one qualified in Missouri?) His ENTIRE school district had about 2,000 students - 99% of which were white.
Now in his case - we'll bet that he will retire at the end of 2016 - after he gets his 5 years in the Missouri retirement system. That way he'll be able to double-dip and get his retirement from both Missouri and Illinois.
Linda Gray Smith - the former superintendent from Chillocothe. (What is with all these former supeintendents? We probably have to pay them more.) Here's a copy of her contract with Chillocothe. The scuttlebutt from the Internet is that she was asked to resign. See the Chillocothe Constitution-Tribune story. (WOW - they have a newspaper that actually reports on the District?) Who knows. But again - this was the best qualified person?
Jeanne Carton - from Otterville (does anyone even know where that is?) - was hired to transition Nowlin from the Kansas City School District. So we take a rural high school principal and make her the principal at an urban, high poverty, middle school. How did that work out? Not well.
Dale Herl - from Burrton, Kansas. Just doesn't make sense.
Ron Albertus - from Jasper County, Illinois - is the new principal (beginning last year) at Korte Elementary. He comes with impressive credentials ala Herl - superintendent of an entire rural school district. In Albertus' case - the largest geographic district in the state of Illinois. (Seriously - was there no one qualified in Missouri?) His ENTIRE school district had about 2,000 students - 99% of which were white.
Now in his case - we'll bet that he will retire at the end of 2016 - after he gets his 5 years in the Missouri retirement system. That way he'll be able to double-dip and get his retirement from both Missouri and Illinois.
Linda Gray Smith - the former superintendent from Chillocothe. (What is with all these former supeintendents? We probably have to pay them more.) Here's a copy of her contract with Chillocothe. The scuttlebutt from the Internet is that she was asked to resign. See the Chillocothe Constitution-Tribune story. (WOW - they have a newspaper that actually reports on the District?) Who knows. But again - this was the best qualified person?
Meet our next superintendent
Most district watchers agree that Dale Herl is likely "in line" to be the next superintendent when Dr. Hinson retires in a few years.
Who is Dale Herl?
Deputy Superintendent, Independence School District (Missouri)
Superintendent, Burrton School District (Kansas)
Principal, Greeley County School District (Kansas)
Teacher, Little River School District (Kansas)
So why did the District bring someone from a small rural district in Kansas to be the next superintendent for the Independence School District - one of the largest urban/suburban districts in the state?
Good question. Does anyone have an answer? Post in the comments.
According to the District's press release, the assessments scores in the Burrton School District rose from 50% of students in the district meeting state standards to 95% in reading and just under 90% in math.
Sounds great doesn't it? Uhm, yeah, maybe.
Here's the link to the Burrton School District: http://www.burrton.schoolfusion.us/
Here's a link to the Wikipedia article on Burrton: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrton,_Kansas
When your ENTIRE school district is less than 300 students, improving test scores is a small job when compared to improving test scores in a diverse school district like Independence.
Basically, you'll find that the School Board hired someone to be the Deputy Superintendent and make well over $100,000 in salary but that person came from a district with fewer total students than almost ALL of the ISD's elementary schools. Talk about on-the-job training.
There was no one else in Missouri with the experience to be the Deputy Superintendent and the likely successor to Dr. Hinson? Seriously.
Who is Dale Herl?
Deputy Superintendent, Independence School District (Missouri)
Superintendent, Burrton School District (Kansas)
Principal, Greeley County School District (Kansas)
Teacher, Little River School District (Kansas)
So why did the District bring someone from a small rural district in Kansas to be the next superintendent for the Independence School District - one of the largest urban/suburban districts in the state?
Good question. Does anyone have an answer? Post in the comments.
According to the District's press release, the assessments scores in the Burrton School District rose from 50% of students in the district meeting state standards to 95% in reading and just under 90% in math.
Sounds great doesn't it? Uhm, yeah, maybe.
Here's the link to the Burrton School District: http://www.burrton.schoolfusion.us/
Here's a link to the Wikipedia article on Burrton: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrton,_Kansas
When your ENTIRE school district is less than 300 students, improving test scores is a small job when compared to improving test scores in a diverse school district like Independence.
Basically, you'll find that the School Board hired someone to be the Deputy Superintendent and make well over $100,000 in salary but that person came from a district with fewer total students than almost ALL of the ISD's elementary schools. Talk about on-the-job training.
There was no one else in Missouri with the experience to be the Deputy Superintendent and the likely successor to Dr. Hinson? Seriously.
Nice Job If You Can Get It
It has been said that the cars we drive say a lot about us as people.
I suppose that what kind of cars your public servants drive say a lot about us as taxpayers.
Has anyone else heard that the top District administrators are provided with some pretty nice rides? Post in the comments if you know.
Most of the top District administrators will have as part of their contract a "car allowance".
In October 2011, the Missouri State Auditor in its report on the financial condition of the Kansas City School District recommended that the District review its $800 car allowance for the KCPSD Superintendent. 2011 Report
I wonder how much ISD spends on its cars and trucks.
I suppose that what kind of cars your public servants drive say a lot about us as taxpayers.
Has anyone else heard that the top District administrators are provided with some pretty nice rides? Post in the comments if you know.
Most of the top District administrators will have as part of their contract a "car allowance".
In October 2011, the Missouri State Auditor in its report on the financial condition of the Kansas City School District recommended that the District review its $800 car allowance for the KCPSD Superintendent. 2011 Report
I wonder how much ISD spends on its cars and trucks.
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