Author: jcpswatch

Anonymous Letter Campaign

Bullying is a Serious Problem in JCPS

jcpswatch

Dear JCPS,TypewriterDJHeader

My name is R and my son attended XXXXXX Middle for his 6th and 7th grade years in the XXXX program.   6th grade was fine but 7th grade was absolutely the worst.  When I discovered that my son was being bullied, I immediately contacted the school in which the assistant 7th grade principal attempted to resolve the issue. The bullying continued for my son and a friend of his. After a few reports, the asst principal had attitude with me and tried to say that all other incidents were irrelevant and I should let them go.   At that point I went to the principal, Mrs XXXXX, who at first made me feel like she was going to resolve the issues.   Needless to say, issues continued daily with these bullies and Mrs XXXXX would do was remove the child from the gym class for a day.  I escalated above Mrs XXXXX and began including Mrs XXXXX on all emails and Donna Hargens in hopes that someone would see what was going on and jump in.    At that time, Mrs XXXXX requested that the JCPS bullying specialist team meet with my son and others at the school and get to the bottom of it

The team met with my son and in the end, they offered to transfer my son, the victim of 5 bullies, to a “special” school. As the lady said, for kids like him.   As a parent, this ticked me off even more as my child was the victim and JCPS was quick to try to shove him to a new school and shove me and my voice under the rug.   I refused to accept a transfer to the “special” school.   

My son continued to be scared to go to school, go to Mrs XXXXX personally to report issues and still, nothing was being done.  It got to the point to where I was emailing everyone above on a daily basis and demanded security in the gym class.   Both Mrs XXXXX and Mrs XXXXXX continued to tell me lies on what they were doing to try to shut me up when it would quickly come out that they didn’t do what they said they would do.   

I requested they allow my son to complete school from home with me picking up his work and Mrs XXXXX approved. The next week, Mrs XXXXX said they couldn’t approve that and that Mrs XXXXX was in the wrong for saying she would.  Funny because I had the email that XXXXX approved it herself.   I had my son do kprep testing in Mrs XXXXX office and I would pick him up when completed, for his safety.   When I met with Mrs XXXXX and Mrs XXXXX about my son missing the rest of the year if they couldn’t allow him to work from an office, they both immediately threatened me with a truancy.  So not only was my child bullied by the students but him and I were bullied by the principal and asst superintendent.  I ended up taking my son to his counselor and she wrote a letter advising that for his safety, he was to finish the school year, last week, from home .   They both knew that if my child was in school that last week, he would have gotten seriously hurt by these punks.

I escalated above Mrs XXXXXX and her email to her boss indicated that she can’t seem to do anything to please me and asked her boss to contact me.  This was around the beginning of June.  Today is December 2nd and I have yet to hear from her boss.  

I applied for a transfer immediately for this year to only be denied.  So I was left with homeschooling my child for this year.   Amazing how a child can be bullied by 5 students and JCPS refuses to allow the kid to move to another school.   It’s like they all wanted my child to get hurt.   

Because XXXXXX and JCPS refused to do anything, I met with the school officer who then met with my child to review what happened.  The officer contacted me and said he was filing a police report on the 5 students and filing charges for harassment, menacing and terroristic threatening to the 2nd degree.   

My son and I have been through hell and I cried every day because of what my son was going through and knowing that the principal told him over and over that she was there to protect him when all she did was put him out there to get hurt more.   My son lives in fear every where he goes, thanks to you.  He deals with anxiety now, thanks to you.  

I shouldn’t of had to file charges against the students and put my son through this nightmare all over again because Mrs XXXXX, Mrs XXXXX, the bullying specialist team, Donna Hargens and JCPS sat back and shoved us under the rug.  You should know that even the judge in our court cases asked why the hell JCPS didn’t handle this situation.  

Shame on all of you. Let’s put you or your children in a room and bully you daily for 8 months over and over again.  See how you feel about it.  Thank you for showing me that JCPS SUPPORTS BULLYING.   You have opened my eyes to how you fail to handle everything.  

Following the story about Noe’s lawsuit, we received this additional letter:

I am so glad I didn’t accept the transfer to Noe and kept him home schooled for the year.  If my son had gotten bullied again, I see it wouldn’t have been any different there than at XXXXXXX.  And it shows that JCPS policies in handling a bullying situation aren’t there.   This has to be stopped.  JCPS is showing that they care more about the bullies than the victims.  I’m glad that mother had a lawsuit and I’m glad I filed charges last year on the 5 bullies.  With my cases, the judges have seen that those boys have issues and they are getting the help they need.  Sad thing is, none of their parents cared enough to see they were troubled.   It took me filing the charges.  

It sickens me every day when I see a facebook feed of another issue in another JCPS school.

How do we get the board to see they aren’t allowing their schools to handle these issues properly?   Their bullying specialist team is a joke.  Not sure why they even have one as you saw in my email that they didn’t want to do anything at XXXXX but to remove my son.

I’m still extremely bothered by how we were treated by admin staff and lack of response from Hargens and her folks.  I’m still waiting for Mrs XXXXX boss to contact me from her email in June escalating to him.   What does that show you?

I have another story about when my son received a death threat in 5th grade.  That principal, Dr XXXX was going to allow the child back in school after writing he would kill my son and a girl friend of his.   I had to escalate up to XXXXX who was director of student relations at the time and he expelled the child that day.

Let me know if you need any more information.  I want to help put a stop to this.  I shouldn’t have to pay to homeschool my child because of them.  I thought about filing a suit months ago against JCPS and make them pay to put my son in a private school but never did.  My daughter is in 5th grade and I’ve already said, if we can’t get into the XXXXX for both of my kids, then I’m moving to NOT be in JCPS school district.  

Thank you,

 

R.

(The identifying information has been removed from this post. However, Dear JCPS has this information and board members are welcome and encouraged to contact their Dear JCPS Liaison to investigate these matters further in order to pursue resolution.)

Anonymous Letter Campaign

Referrals Vs. Data

jcpswatch

Dear Board of JCPS,

Listening to the Board meeting on Mon. Dec. 14, I have only 1 topic I wish to discuss. The ‘data’ mentioned is not an example of what goes on in the schools. I have worked at 3 schools over the past 20+ yrs. and have written many referrals. They all concern behaviors that were included in the Student Code of Behavior. But, only half were actually completed by the Assistant Principal. Sometimes, the student said I and the students that observed the behavior were ‘lying’ on him and since he did not admit to the offense, the referral was torn up. Another frequently used reason to not complete the referral process was that I was told “next time the student repeats this behavior, write a referral and we’ll do something”. It may have been a fight, smoking a cigarette in the classroom, stealing another student’s belongings, using vulgar or threatening vocabulary, or many other behaviors.I and many of my fellow teachers starting not even writing referrals. The students knew that most of the time, their parents weren’t even called. “No big deal” They would say.

So, when the issue of “DATA” was discussed, I rolled my eyes and said to myself:

“Data can be used to show whatever you want it to show.”

Yours truly,

A teacher who has a great team that backs her up. and tries to stay away from The JCPS offices and my school’s Principal, Assistant-Prin., Counselors etc.

Uncategorized

Bus Safety from a Bus Driver’s Perspective

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Dear JCPS,

I have students that range from K-5th Grades I transport daily to and from school. At best, these students are on the bus approximately 45 minutes in the morning and approximately 1 hour in the evening, depending on traffic. It is my responsibility to safely transport all my students to and from school. I have students that refuse to sit down safely in their assigned seats, inappropriately touches other students, use foul language, eat and drink, breaks pencils and crayons and throws them at other students, throws food (most recently threw bags of carrots at other students), fight, speaks ill of other students family members to include making fun of other students less fortunate and cursing out the bus driver and being extremely disrespectful. One more thing on this note, they will fabricate lies against the bus driver and for that I am glad we have cameras. I have written approximately 150 disciplinary referrals so far this year. I have had a couple of suspensions for 1-3 days, however, I also have repeat offenders. I had one student this past week get suspended for 5 days, but, after 2 days, their suspension was lifted and allowed to return to my bus. Unfortunately, most of my students that get suspended from riding the bus, does not go to school. With all this said, my concern is for all students safety. The few that cause these problems are jeopardizing the safety of everyone on the school bus. It is just a matter of time when one of my students get hurt, then who will the blame fall on? Usually, it’s the bus driver. I have to keep one eye on my student mirror and the other eye on the road, which can become unsafe. We can only stop the bus for 5 minutes to address any discipline issues. In the winter months, it starts getting dark by 530PM. Needless to say, I have been extremely late dropping off my students because of discipline issues ( 630PM the latest time so far this year). I am making it very inconvenient for the majority of my students and their parents because of the actions of a few, which is not fair either. If the repeat offenders were held accountable, and go through the suspension process, and continue to be disruptive, then the parents or guardians need to be responsible for getting their child to and from school, no matter their personal difficulties doing so. If the student misses school in excess of the attendance policies, the parents are ultimately responsible and should be dealt with in accordance with the applicable laws concerning truancy. If expulsion from the school bus is not an option, then move that student to a closer school nearest to their home,as a hardship transfer. By far, my bus has less problems than most, but, the safety issue remains the same. How many referrals are too many? I had a member of my management team tell me, as we were speaking on the discipline problems of one of my students, ” That student only has had 3 referrals.” I honestly think more than one referral, you have an obvious problem. Let’s force the parents and guardians to get involved more. Children will only do what they are allowed to do and a piece of paper is not going to stop their disruptive behavior if they realize they are not being held accountable. There has been problems in the past in which the school can’t reach the parents, whether a disconnected phone number or the parent refusing to respond. 9 out of 10 times, I find copies of referrals that were sent home for a parents signature and to be returned to school, ripped up into pieces and thrown on the bus floor. Bottom line, the students are required by law to attend school. Having transportation should be considered a privilege, not a right. We need to get a hold of our students at the elementary level and not just pass the problem on to middle and then high school. As students get older, their behavior becomes more violent. Let us not continue to allow unsafe behavior to go unpunished. I don’t want to see any of my students get hurt or worse. We are JCPS and We have an established standard on school bus safety. Let’s start enforcing it and stop pointing fingers at everyone else. It’s our problem, let’s fix it!! Thank You for your time.

Anonymous Letter Campaign

Letter from Student

jcpswatch

Dear JCPS,

My name’s XXXXX and I am a senior at XXXXXXXX high school. Recently, I was assaulted by another student over a bus seat. And I know jcps doesn’t necessarily control the busing, but the student is getting by with it. The assault happened on the bus and there’s a video that XXXXXX’s busing lady has seen. The girl was suspended, but this morning I was told that I have to move out of my seat when she comes back and give it to her. The only reason I sit in this seat is because of the heater that’s right next to it. I have a physical brain disorder called chiari malformation. And other medical problems and I get cold more easily than others. We don’t have assigned seats, it’s not like i was in HER seat. I’ve been sitting there all year, and she tried to take it from me one day and I refused to move. I just feel that it isn’t fair that she gets to assault me, take the seat that I’ve sat in EVERY morning since the first day of school, and get by with all this. No one is taking me seriously. I have other issues with JCPS too. But this one is putting me in danger and no one is taking me seriously.

 

Thank you,

Anonymous Letter Campaign

Letter from Teacher

jcpswatch

Dear JCPS,

This is my 7th year teaching, and it might be my last.

I have taught at both an alternative school and at one of the top-performing schools in the state.  I always work with the most challenging kids, and I love them.  I love their spirited energy, their directness, their good days and their bad days.  I feel called to them, and I care about them.

In spite of my best efforts, there are always a handful of students I cannot reach.  After trying every technique in my tool box, they remain unmotivated and disruptive.  Some of them are outright hostile.

With the district’s new approach to student misbehavior, I find myself teaching in an increasingly unproductive environment where a small number of students routinely disobey rules, are openly disrespectful to staff, and continue to disrupt class on a daily basis.  There are virtually no consequences for their behavior.   

Recently, I had a student tell me to get the fuck out of his face.  According to the district’s new behavior policy (Positive Behavioral Intervention & Support), I should have had a positive conversation with this student about WHY he wants me to get the fuck out of his face.  This way I can understand the motivation behind his behavior and better address his needs.  Because I had a class to teach and couldn’t take time out to host a therapy session, I called security.  He was removed for the remainder of the class period, but there was no other consequence.

On a daily basis, I am verbally assaulted for one reason or another.  Asking a student to put a cell phone away, move seats, or stop talking often results in backlash.  I do my best to handle the situation in a non-emotional, business-like manner.  I try to keep the atmosphere focused on learning but most days it feels impossible.

Every single day in my building, there are egregious acts of student misconduct going unchecked.  Teachers are losing hope that things will ever get better, and we are tired.  We are expected to be therapists, social workers, substitute parents, punching bags, and outlets for student rage and verbal abuse.  Teaching is only a small percentage of what we do anymore.

In an effort to reach the bottom 5% of students, we are sacrificing the education of an entire generation of students.  There needs to be a place for students to go who can’t (or won’t) exist in a traditional classroom without ruining the learning environment.  Not only are we allowing them to continue a path of self-destruction, but we are robbing other students of their right to a proper education.

Parents need to talk to their children, spend time in school buildings, and realize what is really going on.  Those in positions of power need to stop imposing social experiments on schools, teachers and students.  Teachers need to speak publicly about what is happening.  If something doesn’t change soon, there won’t be anybody left who wants to teach our youth.  Nobody can endure what we are being asked to endure indefinitely.  

Thank you

 

Other

We’re Here to Help

jcpswatch
Chair Jones has stated that he wants “active, critical support” from the public. For the past few years, several of us in Dear JCPS have been trying to provide just that. On numerous topics, we have attended stakeholder meetings, had one-on-one conversations, sent emails to board members and administration, but have been unsuccessful in seeing our concerns and feedback make it into the final presentation. Similar to the “telephone game,” by the time this feedback makes it up the chain of the administration and it culminates with a presentation and subsequent board decision, it’s hardly recognizable. Outcomes surrounding assignment of students from Myers Middle School and defunding Challenger Learning Center could have been improved significantly if there had been a better method for us to provide critical input than the current system.
At various board meetings and public gatherings, several of us started to compare notes, and we realized that we were not alone in these experiences. We were especially disturbed when we heard from teachers who were afraid of (or had already experienced) retribution for providing constructive feedback to the administration. That is why we decided to start Dear JCPS.
By conducting this anonymous letter writing campaign, our intent is to collect stakeholder input on numerous topics that we feel that the board is not fully aware of, and provide it directly to the board – with no middle man. We also plan continue to seek accountability on those items of greatest concern going forward. Until a better public input mechanism can be created, we intend to create a public log of these concerns, so that they can no longer be lost in the bureaucracy.
We are all on the same team. We want to improve public education. Chair Jones says he wants our input, but we are not sure if he is aware that the current feedback system is broken. We are just trying to rebuild that bridge so that critical information can be factored into the decision-making process. Despite how some administrators have tried to position Dear JCPS as adversarial, including blocking access to our website internally (strange action for an organization that says it wants stakeholder input), our organization’s goal is simply to be the “critical friend” the district so badly needs. We hope they will accept our letters and other feedback as a way to answer Chair Jones’ call. We’re here to help.
Other

NOW ACCEPTING ANONYMOUS LETTERS TO JCPS!

jcpswatch

Teachers, staff, parents, students and community members! Submit a letter about your greatest concerns, suggestions, constructive feedback to moderator@dearjcps.com and we will compile them anonymously and present them to the board during their meeting on Dec. 14. Letters are due this Thursday, Dec. 10.

TypewriterDJ

“They never listen. Why should I submit a letter to Dear JCPS?”

1) This time it’s different. The district has never seen a movement like this before.
2) It’s now or never. With the election of our new governor, charter schools are breathing down our necks.
3) David Jones has asked for our “active, critical support“. We’re helping facilitate this since there is currently no good mechanism for the upstream flow of communication.
4) These letters are going directly to the board members, so they will not be managed, diluted, disputed, translated, or lost in the maze of bureaucracy.
5) We are documenting and categorizing your concerns and suggestions and will be holding them accountable at future meetings. Make sure your voices are heard.
6) These are our schools. We need to take them back.
7) We have to try. Our kids deserve for us to try.
8) It’s up to us to bring constructive feedback and suggestions and make sure we are heard. It’s time to put up or shut up!

SolutionDJ

 

Challenger Learning Center

Status of Challenger?

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When the board voted to accept KSC’s Proposal (and related KSC Cost Schedule Form) to run the Challenger Learning Center this summer, Dr. Hargens assured us the proposal would “greatly expand the number of (JCPS) students who benefit and learn from the Center, there will be no interruption in service.” She has said on numerous occasions that she is dedicated to adding more STEM enrichment to the JCPS curriculum.

KSC’s proposal that the board approved on July 26, stated that they would fly 150 missions this school year (which was actually the same number as CLC last year – not 30 as the proposal suggested). Cordelia Hardin told the paper that the Kentucky Science Center has “big plans” for the Challenger Learning Center, which includes adding more missions, having birthday parties and it will be open on the weekends.

As we approach the halfway mark in the 2015-2016 school year. On behalf of our stakeholders, and in keeping with the Dear JCPS mission of advocacy and accountability, we would like to ask for an update on the Challenger Learning Center under the new operator.

  • How many missions have they flown so far this year? Should be around 75 by end of year?
  • How many of the wildly successful, newly developed Micronaut missions have been flown?
  • How many JCPS students have been able to experience this STEM learning opportunity?
  • No interruption in service to us implies the ancillary benefits to the host school: The Academy @ Shawnee. How have they been doing in that regard?

As stakeholders who expressed concerns about the abrupt decision to make this change, compounded by advisory board members, Challenger Center staff and franchise owners, and other valued stakeholders not having a seat at the table when these conversations were taking place, we would like to ask for a follow up to put our minds at ease that Dr. Hargens promises are being kept.

We look forward to your follow up on these questions, and hope that Challenger is indeed being afforded every opportunity for success.

Teacher Shortage

Teacher Shortage: Rethink JCPS Hiring Policy To Allow Ex-Felons Who Have Paid Their Debt to Society and Proven Themselves Professionally

jcpswatch

The following Open Letter was recently submitted to the Dear JCPS website. 
Topic: Teacher Shortage
Addressed to: JCPS Board Members, Superintendent Donna Hargens
School(s) Affected: All, Especially Academy @ Shawnee

 

Greetings JCPS Board Members,

As a parent and regular volunteer at the Academy @ Shawnee, I cannot tell you how SHOCKED I was to see the article in the paper about JCPS hiring and subsequently “reassigning” an ex-felon. But not for the reasons you would expect.

I was:

SHOCKED that JCPS would remove a quality, hard to find, special needs English teacher from a priority school — one that is already riddled with the district’s highest number of substitute teachers, teacher vacancies and district turnover — so they could replace her with — wait for it — ANOTHER SUB!

SHOCKED that a valued employee, who was honest on her application, who had not violated any policies under her employment with JCPS, and had done her work diligently and professionally, would be so suddenly dismissed when JCPS discovered their own error.

SHOCKED that JCPS board policy is more stringent than that of the state, and that it contains no room for error or second chances, ESPECIALLY in light of the fact that the conviction was non-violent, had nothing to do with children, was 23 years ago, and that she completed all of the necessary requirements of the state standards board to have her license issued in the first place.

SHOCKED that in this current teacher shortage we are not revisiting EVERY POSSIBLE OPTION for finding and keeping quality teachers, including this one.

SHOCKED that a person who is well liked and respected by her peers and students, who paid her debt to society, could experience such cruel treatment from her employer.

SHOCKED that the impact the loss of this valued teacher would have on these special needs students would not take priority over correcting a clerical error.

SHOCKED that a teacher who proved that she had mended her ways, by having successfully taught without issue elsewhere, would be summarily dismissed for no wrongdoing or fault of her own.

This letter from Wendy Hames reiterates many of the concerns I have heard from the community, as well.

I am concerned that decisions continue to be made at the district level with little or no regard for the true bottom-line impact to the stakeholders, especially the STUDENTS, and THIS MUST STOP! Instead of “retraining staff to ensure the same issue does not recur,” please consider revising your board policy IMMEDIATELY to conform to the state guidelines and reinstate this teacher’s employment ASAP. Our students need her — and others like her.

Thank you,
Gay Adelmann

Vision: 2020

Action Alert! – Act Now to Support and Protect Progress to Narrow JCPS Learning Gaps

jcpswatch

From the #DitchTheGap Coalition:

Recent national NAEP test scores for JCPS students in 4th and 8th grade reading and math showed—with only one exception—that none of the learning gaps among racial/ethnic/socioeconomic gap groups and corresponding, more privileged groups has changed significantly since 2009 (http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/districts/). Monday night, November 23, the JCPS will discuss, possibly modify, and then vote on draft 33 of the JCPS five-year plan, VISION 2020. This version isn’t everything we asked for, but it has important first steps toward raising the focus on reducing learning gaps. We need to support all the work done to make these changes in language and protect them from being watered down or removed before the vote!

Contact your Board members today and urge them to support the key “draft 33” sections that clarify, and focus on the priority of, learning gap reduction between groups in JCPS. Then, join us on Monday, Nov 23 at the JCPS Van Hoose Center to push for approval of the VISON 2020 with the gap reduction language. Come to any or all of these three actions, (and bring friends/carpool!):

  • 5 – 6 pm – A presence with signs at the Board’s Vision 2020 Work Session. The public cannot speak at work sessions, but this action is especially important to show we want to stop any last minute changes!!!
  • 6:30 – 7 pm – Support our speakers, goals, and impending success at a Rally in front of Van Hoose.
  • 7 –8:15 pm – Signs/support at Board Meeting (Speakers must sign in before 7pm). Contact Chris Harmer (502) 468-0487 if you are available to speak.

Contact your JCPS Board member, Board Chair David Jones, Board Strategy Group Chair Lisa Willner, Superintendent Hargens, and Director of Strategy Jonathan Lowe. The general JCPS number is (502) 485-3022. For Board members it is (502) 485-3566.

Here are the individual e-mails:

District 1, Diane Porter porterschoolboard@gmail.com

District 2 and Board Chair, David Jones, Jr david.jonesjr@jefferson.kyschools.us

District 3, Stephanie Horne steph.horne@jefferson.kyschools.us

District 4, Chuck Haddaway chuck.haddaway@jefferson.kyschools.us

District 5, Linda Duncan lindadduncan@live.com

District 6, Lisa Willner lgwillner@gmail.com

District 7, Chris Brady jcps.boe7@jefferson.kyschools.us

Superintendent Donna Hargens donna.hargens@jefferson.kyschools.us

Director of Strategy Jonathan Lowe jonathan.lowe@jefferson.kyschools.us

#DitchThe Gap Coalition asks you—and family, friends, and organizations–to thank JCPS Board members and staff for hearing us, and tell them you strongly support the sections with highlighted changes below in the current draft (33) of the JCPS five-year plan, Vision 2020.

 

1) Core Values definition of Equity – All students receive an education that gives them what they need to thrive through differentiated supports focused on removing social factors as a predictor of success.

2) Strategy 1.1.7 Eliminate achievement, learning, and opportunity gaps: Establish the elimination of gaps in educational outcomes for students as a fundamental objective of the district

3) While the Board will not vote on the separate indicators/targets document Monday, we also support specific language there as well as an important starting point in measuring gap reduction:

Learning, Growth, and Development–Indicator 3. Closing the Gap – Meet the KDE annual delivery targets for increasing the percentage of GAP students scoring proficient or distinguished, while significantly closing the distance in performance between non-gap and gap students.