At this point, while the public waits for the release of the Annual Performance Report, everyone is busy behind the scenes. Friday will be a busy day for any PR person.
Reporters have the data. They are getting quotes and talking points from district administrators. They are creating their graphs and charts. They are figuring out how MSIP 5 is different from MSIP 4. On Friday morning, there will be an article in the KC Star and probably the Examiner which compares the area APR results. Most of the focus will be on Kansas City and whether or not it will be granted provisional accreditation.
The Examiner has an opportunity to do more than parrot talking points. After Friday, they could really dig into the numbers and figure out what is going on - to some extent - in the district. Fortunately, Missouri has a rich and public data portal. Most of the information is there. Anything else could be obtained by a Freedom of Information request.
A question that will go unasked - at least in the Examiner - is: how big of a sack of "poo" did Dr. Hinson leave on the doorstep of the new administration? For any who knows how that game works, you throw the flaming sack away - you don't stomp on it. So far this year - there has been a lot of stomping on teachers, students and parents. Hopefully, someone (on the Board perhaps?) will figure out that it is time to intervene before permanent damage is done.
Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock.
Wow! Evidently, the fire works began early Friday morning at Truman HS's Faculty meeting. Supposedly CO Admin McLaughlin ripped Truman's faculty a new one for "allowing" their MSIP score to fall below their sister schools. A few things are shocking about this: 1) the one CO admin. who previously had seemed approachable, intelligent, and articulate turned into an angry, raving, #*8# 2) no valuable incite or info was presented to support the tirade [at least give the teachers a plan or a target to turn the score around] 3) after years of trying to quell the rivalry among the District's high
ReplyDeleteschools, CO fans the flames of competition instead of cooperation and teamwork [isn't that why cross district collaboration was established. Yes, Truman should be told the truth and held accountable for low scores if that was the case ( were their scores truly low, or did Chrisman raise their scores? - the District according to the KC Star still met accreditation, so were Truman's scores truly the disaster they were presented to be. I hope not.
Oh God, why have you forsaken me? Many at Truman must be feeling such a sentiment after another beat down. First, it was sloppy attire, then poor listening skills, lack of discipline, inability to hold students accountable, etc. and now poor scores. According to my spouse, many are feeling despondent and unsupported. This is the problem when criticizing the entire staff for a few individuals' failings. When is that principal going to recognize the good things that staff has going? He needs to getting out in the classrooms and see the good teaching that is occurring, and let those teachers hear some positive comments. There is some hope, according to my spouse. At the end of Friday's faculty meeting the principal seemed to recognize he had come on too strong at the beginning of the year. So please DG, let those doing good things know it because even the good teachers will begin to doubt themselves or look for another district if all they hear are criticisms.
ReplyDeleteWe are just in shock. All leaders are imperfect, and I don't have KB on a pedestal, but wow, the difference in style is just so drastic. DG is old school - or is doing a damn good impression of old school - and we haven't had old school in a long time.
ReplyDeleteFor those who are unclear on how MSIP 5 works, it was not that Truman's test scores were lower. They were higher than Chrisman's and Van Horn's by a long shot. But that's not how MSIP 5 is measured. Its evaluation is based on GROWTH. Meaning, and these are completely arbitrary numbers, that if Truman started at 75% and ends at 80%, they've only made 5% growth. If Van Horn starts at 30% and goes up to 50%, they've made 20% growth. Which means they beat Truman substantially. Truman's scores have consistently been up with Liberty, Lee's Summit and Blue Springs schools, and have even been at the top of those in many categories in recent years. This "growth" horse crap is backlash from No Child Left Behind; so if you start at 99% and don't make 100% the next year, you suck.
ReplyDeleteJust remember, it is no longer No Child left behind. MO applied for and got the waiver to no longer be evaluated on the old No Child—hence the new Common Core State Standards. Hope that ISD high schools get a chance to pilot the CCSS math test next spring so we can really see what Smarter Balanced has planned for us. Sigh
DeleteThat is not how it all works. The MSIP 5 gives bonus points for growth, but schools with a high test percentage to begin with are not penalized by not making growth. There are many factors that go into the score.
DeleteLike crickets over here the last couple weeks. Nobody has anything to say about how Truman did worse in 2013 in every subject except Science? No congratulations to William Chrisman teachers for raising scores in Science AND Social Studies? Nothing on KCSD improving test scores and begging to have provisional accreditation reinstated? Nothing on the rumors that certain Powerful People in the city want a residency requirement for teachers in the district? Has Mr. Gordon ruffled so many feathers that you're afraid to post to an anonymous blog?
ReplyDeleteTruman will bounce back (good job, science)!
ReplyDeleteGreat job, WCHS!
Um - how is KCSD relevant to this blog (but - nice job KCSD!!!)?
Teacher residency is just a rumor - the district can't even pull off residency for their admin - so many waivers...or looking the other way...or lies...what a joke.
As for Gordon - I don't think he has had an impact on anything anyone does or does not do (authentically) - nor will he ever. Hey, Gordon - the 1950s called and want their principal back.
This place seems to be dormant, but here goes anyway: Dr. Beth Savage listened to the concerns of teachers drowning in data-entry, and removed some requirements for this grading period. In addition, she thanked teachers for their work and dedication. It felt good.
ReplyDelete@7:18 - Get your corporate propaganda off this board!
ReplyDeleteBut, we just may be the only two to see it, so carry on. Keep having a great year! You're doing a great job!
Since it's just the two of us and you think I am a propagandist, let me also say that the technological glitches of the Affordable Care Act Marketplace don't hold a candle to the glitches of ISD technological systems. Just yesterday, I tried to open the district curriculum. After becoming semi-hypnotized by the little blue circle, I decided to go to the bathroom, get a cup of coffee, chat with colleagues, and take a short trip to Costa Rica. When I returned to my desk with my new sun tan, the blue circle was still spinning.
ReplyDeleteYou could try calling our tech support help line...? Oh wait, the only person who seemed to understand anything isn't here anymore...here's to more spinning.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eA9JxAAPkc
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lvs3PO16Lw8
ReplyDeleteAnd one for the dude that runs the blog. You ought to understand this, it's not a secret......
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqQQ9_p02o0
http://nyc.barstoolsports.com/m/super-page/investment-banker-moons-his-bosses-gets-fired-right-before-his-2-million-bonus/
ReplyDeleteThis blog was a Greg Finke project designed to smoke out the teachers who weren't Independence (Wo)Men.
ReplyDeleteWhat's up? No new posts for 3 months. But the page view count is disabled now. Who is withholding information now?
ReplyDeleteThese new principals coming from KS do not know sped laws and kids are falling through the cracks...
ReplyDelete