Author: jcpswatch

Budget, District Boundaries, Vision: 2020

Keep Busing For the Better of the People

jcpswatch

Dear JCPS,

My name is S. P. and I am currently in Mrs. Weaver’s Exploring Civics class at Doss high school. Right now in class we are going over integration, segregation, and busing. We have been doing research by reading articles and watching videos to see if we think busing is a good thing or a bad thing for the people. I think busing is a good thing and I would like you to keep busing for as long as possible.

My first reason why busing is good is if we didn’t have busing people would [have to] move to the nicer neighborhoods so their child can get the better education. A child would get a better education from a higher [income] school because what I have noticed is that kids that have parents with lots of money are more likely to behave, get good grades, and allow the teachers to teach more than a poor kid would. So my point is if you are in a higher [income] school area most of the kids are more engaged and behave than the lower [income] schools so it would be easier to learn in the nicer neighborhood schools.

My second point is Detroit and Louisville. Detroit does not do busing and Louisville does. Now the cities are almost identical racially and socially. Now Detroit who does not do busing, has a higher crime rate and there vacancy is higher than Louisville’s. So is it a coincidence, because I don’t think it is.

Another reason people think busing is bad is it keeps students from playing sports. Well I disagree with this point because my friend rides a bus for an hour and still wrestles. Every day the school gives him a TARC ticket to get home. So if they want to play sports they can.

So these are some of my reasons why I think busing is good. I hope you agree with my letter. So I ask you to keep busing for the better of the people.

S.P.

Budget, District Boundaries, Privatization of Public Education, Vision: 2020

Busing is the Right Decision

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Dear JCPS,

My name is J.M., a student at Doss High School, and I am for busing. Busing started in the 1970’s to ensure that schools were not segregated. Segregation in public schools ended in 1954 due to the Supreme Court decision, Brown v. Board of Education. Busing gives students the opportunities to go to schools in areas with more money.

The more money a school has, the better education for the children. There would be better textbooks and technology. Not all schools have lots of money, but with busing it gives students a way to get to a school outside of their neighborhood. Studies show that the more textbooks and technology a school has, there is a better education for students.

If busing were to end, some children’s test scores may drop. Most neighborhood schools are not as good as schools that requires busing, educational wise. Some may argue that students are on the bus for too long. But getting a better education is more important than how long a child is on the bus.

I believe that if a student is on a bus for too long they should spend their time wisely. What I mean by that is, if they have homework, they can complete that on the bus. If they are tired, they can take their afternoon nap on the bus. If this is done on the bus, children would not have much to do when they return home from school.

If busing ends, that would basically be segregation all over again. There are certain neighborhoods that are separated by races. If everyone had to go to their Neighborhood schools, the school would consist of all one race. Busing helps prevent racism, because most schools are now mixed with different races. I hope you make the right decision and keep busing.

J.M.

Budget, District Boundaries, Vision: 2020

Busing Has Many Up Sides

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Dear JCPS,

My name is A.B. and I am a freshman at Doss High school. I am writing this letter to tell you my view on busing. I think that we should keep busing, because it has many up-sides. Also there are ways we can fix the situation to improve academics.

One of the biggest problems with busing is the long rides. Many students are on the bus for about 1-2 hour a day. I know this because I am one of those students. Do I think it is a long ride? Yes but, it doesn’t mess with any of my after school activities or academics. Busing also mess with the amount of each race there is at a school, but some areas are going to be majority one race no matter what because of the neighborhoods. Stopping busing won’t fix this problem.

If we keep busing, it eliminates racism and students get a better education. The fact that students are coming from completely different areas means that they are more likely to come from completely different backgrounds. It also gives students opportunities to go to school in an area with more money than the neighborhood they live in. The purpose of busing is to desegregate schools. Desegregate means to eliminate segregation which would bring race closer. Bringing different races together is especially important in this day and age with the new president.

We need to keep busing for many reasons. One being it helps desegregate. Another is the opportunities it gives students. Also it helps improve academics. There are many cons but the pros outweigh them.

Doss High Student,
A.B.

District Boundaries, Privatization of Public Education, Vision: 2020

Busing in JCPS

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Dear JCPS,

I’m a student at Doss High and I think that busing is a good idea for JCPS students. This is because it gives some students a chance to see what they haven’t seen or experienced before. I think that there are some things about it that kind of makes people rethink because of the long bus ride from home to school, but other than that, there are great advantages.

For schools, it would do a lot. It would raise the schools test scores like ACT and SAT tests to let parents think about sending their child to the school. Either resides or school of choice, it will be a good reflection. Busing would also balance out the race in the school because there are people coming from all parts of Louisville to go to a school. This will make it a nicer environment for all students to see other races they probably haven’t seen or been around that much before. This also makes parents think about how open that school is so there isn’t any racism going on or kids being mean to each other about their race.

Another advantage is that it gives students more of an opportunity to be in other programs that other schools might not have. Like our school has the Class Act Credit Union, there aren’t that many schools with that, so kids can learn about how to take care of money and prepare for the future. The programs are either to have something to do, or prepare for the future. Nursing programs aren’t in some schools, but if kids are being bused to other schools, they have a chance at it. The other schools that kids are being bused too might have more money and more updated things like computers, etc. This can make students want to learn a lot more if they have something that they’re used to, or new to. This might also want kids to think about college because if you’re in a nursing program, this can make kids want to go to medical school, or make up their mind about what they want to do and experience things earlier.

So, if you left the busing where it is, then the students would have a better opportunity to see the things that they have never experienced before and can benefit them for the future. This will also let them go to a school with more money and more programs that could help with their future. It would help the school by raising test scores and racism would not be around in the school, this would make it nicer and help people get along better. The students would also have more experience in computers and other things. That’s why I think busing would be successful for JCPS.

Sincerely,
M.E.

Budget, District Boundaries, Privatization of Public Education, Vision: 2020

Both Sides to Busing

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Dear JCPS,

Hey! My name is K.M. and I am a 14 year old Doss High School student. I want to talk to you about JCPS busing. I’m not for busing because nobody wants their kids on an hour bus ride. Like for example racial integration is worthy goal, and busing is an easy mean to achieving that goal. Children in higher socioeconomic areas naturally have more opportunities than children who do not. Putting children in schools that’s in their neighborhood is not a good idea, some neighborhoods is mostly blacks and others is mostly white and putting them all in one school is going to cause segregation.

Far away schools is not working for the parents is either, parents cannot be involved in school if it is too far from their home. Parents are forced to send their kids far away from home for a good education.

Busing was started in the 1970’s to ensure that schools were not all black or all white. African American’s lived in the west end, while whites lived in areas like St. Matthews or the country. The whites would have a long ride to and from school every day like an hour or 2 ride. The west end kids would go to school far from where they live to, like some might go to school far like Seneca.

Busing causes white flight where families move their children from public city schools to private and suburban institutions. They put all whites inside the same school that causes more and more fights same with African American’s it’s going to cause more and more fights.

It also gives students the opportunities to go to schools in areas with more money. On the other hand busing too costly for school districts that must purchase the buses to establish the program. Example staying after school and buses have to take you home and you live far away that is going to cost a lot of money.

Sincerely, KM

Budget, District Boundaries, Privatization of Public Education, Vision: 2020

Busing In Louisville

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Dear JCPS,

I’m L’R B and I attend Doss High School. My opinion on busing is that it should continue. I bring this up because my Civics class gave me a task to write a letter to JCPS arguing for or against busing using the evidence I found from my research. I think busing should continue because it helps racial integration, it gives students opportunities to go to schools in areas with a better environment, and it eliminates racism. I will come up with a better student plan to help busing continue.

Busing brings great experience to lots of students. You meet people of all kinds teaching you that a difference in race doesn’t matter. Also busing shows a student in a poor environment a look at how it is to live well. Students from different races get to learn from each other. It brings everyone together.
If I could solve the problems people have with busing I would change a lot. First thing I would do would be change the school time to later hour so students have more time to be picked up. I would also add community schools for parents who want their children close. Students who have trouble getting along, I would have a counseling for them to get better. If the student likes the counseling I would continue, if not ill switch their school.

Overall there’s a lot of good things busing allows us to do. I’ll say the bad opinions against busing aren’t good enough to stop it. Busing is wonderful for everyone and lots of people enjoy it, let’s not repeat history by basically segregating schools. I hope this letter gives you a view on how some students feel.

Thank you,
L’R B

Accountability, Privatization of Public Education, Vision: 2020

Unanswered Questions Regarding Maupin Elementary

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Click to play.

At last night’s board meeting, Maupin parent Shanna Miller spoke to @JCPSKY Board Members about her daughter’s experiences at Maupin and her reasons for choosing to send her daughter to a Catalpa-modeled school. She had a list of questions regarding the failed implementation of the School of Innovation contest winner and subsequent state intervention that resulted in the loss of SBDM, as well as uncertainty for the future of the school. Unfortunately, due to time constraints she did not get a chance to ask her questions last night, so we are posting them here in the hopes that her questions can be answered and the district can be held accountable for the numerous missteps along the way.

Dear JCPS Board Members:

  1. We had waivers for the deviated teaching timeline so that things would be taught at the age appropriate time as well in an age appropriate way. We also had waivers for testing due to the deviated teaching timeline. Why, did we not use them. When parents ask, we are told it was an Administrative decision. Who in the Administration made those decisions? Where is the documentation?
  2. According to the Catalpa Model School of Innovation contract with the Kentucky Department of Education they had 5 years before an audit was to be performed. Why did the District allow them to be audited prior to the 5 years that is in the School of Innovation contract, and I believe law?
  3. If you change the teaching model at Maupin from what was in the Catalpa Model School of Innovation, aren’t you in breach of the contract that was given to the School of Innovation design which is a 5 year contract with the Kentucky State of Education?
  4. According to the Administration they want to change the model since Maupin has so many students that are transient. The School Board chose this school to place the program in. This should have been a non-issue since they knew that when they placed the program here.
  5. When is the Administration going to release the add on funds that pay for our Magnet Coordinator, retired teachers as well as some special area teacher positions? These are part of the Catalpa Model School of Innovation proposal and was agreed to for the 5 year, minimum? How do you expect a Magnet school to succeed without a Magnet Coordinator? Wouldn’t you be setting that school up for future failure? Again, aren’t these positions part of the KDE School of Innovation contract with the District for Maupin, a Catalpa model school of innovation?
  6. The School Board chose this program and chose the school it was to be placed in. What positive support, other than paying for the building, keeping the lights on and paying teacher/staff salaries, have you provided to Maupin, a Catalpa model school of Innovation to help ensure its success? How are you supporting my child and what is in her best interest?
  7. Who is reviewing the questions and concerns that were submitted to Maria Holmes (Principal) and/or Joe Leffert (Asst. Superintendent)? When will the Parents get answers to their many questions and not just be briefed on what we already know via the many news outlets who have already provided that information? Parents need to know what direction this school is making, so they can plan for their children’s future. We need a definitive answer now.
  8. The Board does remember that this is a Magnet School, so it’s not just an issue of concern for families in the 1st District but for many others. The parents, voters in the many different Districts, are also the stakeholders of this Magnet School. It’s a JCPS Magnet School so it is a JCPS concern.

Thanks,
Shanna Miller
Maupin Parent

Accountability, Admin, Privatization of Public Education, Teacher Shortage, Vision: 2020

I Want an Apology from Dr. Hargens

jcpswatch

Dear JCPS,

I don’t want an apology from MAG. I want an apology from Dr. Hargens.

To make a public spectacle about cutting teachers’ pay (and being forced by the union to grant years-of-service Steps) based on erroneous data is unacceptable. ( Why weren’t the figures given to department heads to compare to actual payroll data? It would seem SOMEONE would cross reference the salary figures, in at least a few departments, prior to recommending something so drastic as cutting pay.) This action alone is enough to diminish trust in the district’s ability to make sound decisions. Honestly, I lost trust long ago.

Click to play.

But, Dr. Hargens’ statement that this $40 million mistake is the cause of teachers feeling undervalued and unappreciated is what I find absolutely unforgivable. It’s not just a feeling. It’s a fact that teachers are undervalued and unappreciated, specifically and precisely, due to this district’s policies that create over-worked, exhausted, paper-pushing teachers; a fear-based, top-down administrative approach, and policies that strip teachers and students of time, creativity, and a voice.

Clearly the atmosphere in our communities and in our schools has changed dramatically – violence, drug use, poverty. high-stakes testing, budget cuts. Teachers’ roles have changed and responsibilities have spiked. JCPS’ policies have failed to acknowledge, much less support these changing roles and THIS is the cause of teachers’ reality of being undervalued and unappreciated.

Signed,
Frustrated

Admin

Do Something!

jcpswatch

Dear JCPS,

In life, when you fail to take action in a timely fashion, your decisions will be made for you. Fail to pay your mortgage or your car note? Fail to turn in paperwork? Forget to make an important decision? You know how it goes.

That’s what is happening right now in our school district. We are facing a litany of legislation and overreach from Frankfort, in many ways directly attacking JCPS. On top of that, we are being subjected to a management audit from KDE. I believe all of this is a result of inaction and indecision by our district leadership.

For example, we saw the writing on the wall with regards to inequitable and outdated student assignment plan for some time now. In September, there was even a work session around this difficult and delicate topic. But as far as I know, no action has been taken.

And then suddenly, as if out of the blue, we find ourselves potentially faced with the possibility of having to blow up our student assignment plan, leaving our most vulnerable students the ones to take the greatest hit. This led to scrambling to make maps and respond to attacks instead of bringing forth recommendations and action plans while they were still our ideas. It’s hard work, which is why we need strong leadership. Instead we tend to be reactive, not proactive.

In addition to having HB151 thrust upon us, we are about to have to potentially surrender some of our badly needed tax dollars to support so called “public” charter schools. How are we supposed to juxtapose that exposure with our billion dollar problem with our growing facilities needs?

Not only is our inaction causing us to have decisions made for us, we are not even putting up a fight. Instead of creating an effective defense against unscrupulous education reformers. We seem to be rolling out the red carpet. This must stop!

Awhile back, you supported the district’s legislative position with regards to superintendent hiring the school principal because she is the one who is held accountable. Look at the situation Shawnee is in. This is not a new problem that just came to our attention today for the first time. Where is the accountability? Who is coming to their aid?

Over the course of the past two years, we’ve watched a poorly planned implementation of School of Innovation. And as a result, on Friday, Maupin lost its SBDM. They were made promises that were left unfulfilled and students are paying the price. Who is being held accountable?

We focus on adult problems instead of kids. We deny problems exist instead of addressing them. There seems to more interest in kicking the can down the road or playing shell games than in doing the heavy lifting of doing it right the first time. We are afraid to take risks, to be bold and decisive.

For the last several months, and longer, board members have expressed frustration with how long they’ve been waiting on reports, proposals, solutions, etc. We knew we had problems that needed to be addressed, but yet more months go by where nothing seems to happen.

I share your frustration. And yet, we continue repeating same mistakes.

I hear repeated requests from board members to “do something.” Again, last board meeting, regarding the facilities plan. However, those pleas seem to be directed at the JCPS staff, instead of the person who has the authority to make action happen. The person who is supposed to be accountable to you.

Really, there is only one employee you supervise. That is who you should be looking at. That is who you should be demanding to take action. She is the one who needs to do something. And if she doesn’t.

You must.

Inaction has led us to this predicament. We cannot afford to be indecisive. We must take control. Before more is done to us.

Something must be done before the contract renewal season. While there is still time for someone to guide us through the audit and staffing for a turnaround. May 15, I believe.

We repeatedly hear and personally experience the culture of fear, intimidation and retribution in JCPS, instead of openness to constructive criticism. Under toxic and ineffective leadership, staff become paralyzed. Don’t look at the staff. Many of them are just doing what they must do to survive. To keep their jobs. They are not to blame.

This starts at the top.

Hold your direct report accountable.

I ask you please. Do something.

Privatization of Public Education

Learn from Tennessee’s Mistakes

jcpswatch

Dear Senators on the Education Committee,

I write today to ask you to vote no on charter schools in Kentucky.  I am a parent in Tennessee, but I can tell you from experience that charter schools are NOT the magic cure that you may think they are.  Learn from Tennessee’s mistakes…

Let me tell you about the charter school that was just a few miles from my house.  On the outside, it looked nice.  With taxpayer money, this charter operator rented prime real estate in a strip mall on the busiest street in our town, bought fancy looking office chairs for students, and hung flat screen TVs so big you could see from the street.  You can google it, it was called the “New Consortium of Law & Business Charter School.” For a school that pledged to teach students about law and business, it sure didn’t practice what it said it preached.  The charter operator (who drove a shiny new BMW convertible, and probably still does) squandered taxpayer money, failed to pay the teachers and staff on time, and didn’t pay their insurance premiums as agreed to in their contracts which caused health insurance to lapse for employee’s families.  Yes, it broke the law by not honoring its contracts, and it also had awful business management by not managing its cash flow to meet its expenses year-round, but there was nothing we as taxpayers could do about it.  There was no elected board to talk to or hold accountable.

Even worse than hurting the adults employed there, the students were robbed of years of their education.  That charter was supposed to be high-tech, with every student getting a personal laptop instead of textbooks.  However, after the money ran out, students didn’t get their promised laptop, and teachers had no resources to teach with.  It was a disaster.  You can read parent complaints on Facebook about how their children were treated, how impossible it was to get their children’s report cards, and how difficult this charter was being when they tried to transfer their children back into public school.  The school’s test scores ranked among the lowest in the state.  It took several years before the local public school board was finally able to revoke that charter school’s charter and close it down last year.  It was a disastrous experiment, and it was allowed to happen because the politicians in our state (who accepted huge campaign contributions from out-of-state charter organizations) voted to approve charters.  Unfortunately, the children are now paying the price.

If you visit Memphis, you’ll likely see the huge expensive billboards on the interstate advertising charter schools.  Realize the money spent on the billboards was money that should have been spent on students, on more guidance counselors, on lowering class sizes, on extra-curricular opportunities for children to excite them about education, on field trips, etc…  Instead, a marketing firm and billboard company got that money.  In the summer, you might see advertisements for parents to attend charter school events where they will be treated to massages and given free food to enroll their children in those charter schools.  The money for that comes from the existing public schools which are already on shoe-string starvation budgets.  It is shameful and wasteful.  The poorest students suffer the most by having their public schools deprived of funding and resources to pay for the charter schools that serve a cherry-picked student body.

Charter schools are experts at making themselves look good.  Here’s one way:  My friends who teach in public schools in the inner city have told me how their public schools get a wave of new students in the spring just before the big state standardized TCAP test.  Where do these new students come from?  They were kicked out of the charter schools because their predicted test scores would lower the charter school’s average.  Since this is after the “count” day for attendance, the money for these students stays at the charter school instead of going to the public school that is now educating them.  It is shameful how these poor students are treated like pawns and money-makers.

Charter schools are excellent at marketing themselves, especially to legislators.  Charter High Schools will brag that their school has 100% college acceptance rate and 100% graduation rate, but they won’t tell you the alarming number of students who were kicked out or held back.  Ask how many students were in the freshman class, and how many made it to their senior year?  You’ll be shocked to learn how low their retention rates are.  Ask where the students went that they “counseled” out?  These charter schools also won’t tell you that a requirement to graduate from their charter high school is to be accepted into a college (which is a lofty and worthwhile goal, of course), but they won’t tell you that they count ANY post-secondary institution (even the shady ones that accept anyone) as a “college.”  The truth isn’t as pretty as it seems.

Disrupting and possibly destroying your strong public school system to create a parallel system that will be prone to mismanagement, manipulation, and greed to serve only a fraction of students whose parents can pass the gauntlet of the application process… it isn’t worth it.  Take it from Tennessee.  Charter vultures are eager to get into your state.  The endless flow of tax dollars is too tempting.  So, please, northern neighbor, learn from Tennessee’s mistakes.  Vote against charters in Kentucky.  Support strong public schools for every child who needs it.

Sincerely,

Jennifer P.
A Mom in TN

 

This information is from the Network for Public Education about Kentucky’s charter school bill:

HB 520 flew through the House on Friday, and will soon come before the Senate. The bill contains numerous provisions that have been damaging to public schools in other states.

The bill allows charters to contract with for-profit Educational Management Organizations (EMOs). EMOs will be able to design and implement the curriculum and manage charters– all for profit.  This has proven to be disastrous in other states. In Michigan, home to Education Secretary and school choice advocate Betsy DeVos, 80% of charters operate for-profit, and charters are overwhelmingly represented in the lowest performing 5% of schools in the state.

The bill doesn’t place a cap on the number of charters that can open in Kentucky. With unlimited potential for growth, for-profit charters will be able to quickly grow and expand, with limited accountability and oversight.

As currently drafted, HB 520 fails to ensure that teachers in charter schools must be certified. It also fails to stipulate how charters will be funded, who will fund them, and how much funding they will receive.