Bordering on insanity...shuffling 20 principals in FL county to make kids test better.

[madfloridian]

I wonder if President Obama and Arne Duncan have realized that moving principals and and firing teachers because the students don't do well on questionable standardized tests.....is non-productive at the very least. I guess they have not.

I think the billionaires funding this "reform" in public education have so much money that politicians must pander to them.

This shifting around and firing and rehiring of school personnel is part of the strategy of Arne Duncan. And since this is an election year we are supposed not to notice.

Twenty Polk Principals Get New Assignments in Wake of School Grades


Polk County School Superintendent Sherrie Nickell left talks Monday with Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson at City Hall in Lakeland.
RICK RUNION | THE LEDGER

Principals from four A schools, three B schools, four C schools, seven D schools and the two F schools were moved to other positions Thursday afternoon.

State law requires that principals at F schools be replaced.

"These moves must begin immediately in order to allow a smooth transition to take place while ensuring that our administrative teams are secured well in advance of the start of school," an email stated. "We appreciate these administrators and their willingness to serve in a new capacity during these trying times of ever increasing state mandates.'' The email was signed by Denny Dunn, assistant superintendent of human resources.

School begins August 20, so this is NOT "well in advance."

Guess how much this is going to cost?

Overall, it will cost the district $883,000 to make changes.

"Most of that is coming out of teacher costs that is in reserve so there isn't a huge impact to the budget overall," Nickell said. "We are moving forward with what we are required to do with our F schools and our D schools."

Just imagine what that $883,000 could do elsewhere?

All this reminds of the confusion that went on in Boston a couple of years ago. It was so bad that the district had to remind people that they were not "firing" all the teachers, they were just forcing them to reapply for their jobs. Absurd.

Boston schools officials: We are not "firing" all teachers, just making them reapply.

Boston school officials announced yesterday that staff at six schools will have to reapply for their jobs and five principals will be replaced after the schools were listed among nearly three dozen statewide that will probably be declared “underperforming’’ and subject to drastic change.

Overall, 12 Boston schools face being listed as underperforming, slightly more than a third of the 35 schools statewide. The list includes the Jeremiah E. Burke High School in Dorchester, long considered a barometer of Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s effectiveness in improving the city’s schools over the past 16 years. The state’s action was the first under a two-month-old law requiring dramatic changes to overhaul the state’s lowest-performing schools. Superintendents will have three years to turn around these schools or face a state takeover.

In announcing the shake-up, Superintendent Carol R. Johnson said the schools must have top-notch staffs to successfully turn them around. She emphasized that staff members are not being fired and that employees not rehired could find work at other district schools.

Moving teachers and principals around does not change underlying problems. It puts all the burden on the school leaders and lets the students and parents off the hook.

That solves nothing at all, but it does add to the contempt for teachers that has become so prevalent.

[No Elephants]

1. Education of our kids, a basic American value, is in the hands of snake oil salespeople.

What has happened to our country is so incredibly sad.

[madfloridian]

2. Yes, sad. Happened quickly once both parties had same agenda.

[CC]

3. Wondering why Obama

and Duncan are moving around Florida's principles. They don't and can't take that direct of an action in Maryland though we did take race to the top money. Having not one but 3 family member that teach or taught* in Florida can't remember them complaining much beyond county and state levels for some the the stupid stuff done there. Not that I am happy with the Fed ideas these days but the states, counties & local school districts still hold the most power on how they do things.





* Two retired soon after Scott became governor.

[madfloridian]

4. FL empowered by Arne's POLICIES. It's part of the RTTT plan.

The article states that Florida requires that F school principals be moved. SO the reaction is to move 20 around. Though Rick Scott doesn't want federal money, he has been empowered by such policies.

These are the 4 basic policies of Race to the Top under Arne's reign:

"1. Closing the school;

2. Turning the school into a charter school;

3. Replacing school's administration;

4. Implementation of a turnaround for staff."

Follow this link to the original post to see how these are also the policies of ALEC.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/8175

Under Arne's new testing regime (more testing on the way BTW) states and districts are losing much of their power.

It's only lately sinking in to many teachers that they are in danger of losing their careers under such corporate policies. Most have been unaware on purpose.

None of the shifting and moving and turnarounds will solve the problems of parents and students. Unfortunately they are held blameless now....it's easier to get cheaper teachers in that way.

It does not have to be "direct" action as there is unspoken empowerment of anti-public school policies by the federal govt now.

I am quite aware most Democrats want nothing to do with honest criticism of the policies of this administration. It's easier to turn a blind eye. Obama and Arne support more and more charter schools, esp. in the form of turnaround of failing schools. Policies take funding from schools that need it the most and give it to management companies to run such schools with money from taxpayers.

These were Bush's plans, and they are now being implemented.

[CC]

5. I don't have a problem with

criticism of the admin. though I am an Obama supporter. It is just that there is such a vast difference between how things are being done in FL than MD and both using race to the top. Then again there was a vast difference between the two under Bush and NCLB. That leads me to conclude a lot of it has to do with state and local politics. I was against NCLB and very against charter schools. I also know the last family member teaching in FL is looking to leave. Leave FL for sure and most likely teaching. At this point she puts her students first and decided to ignore stupid instructions from above. Her feeling is if they want to get rid of her fine by her but it won't be for not teaching her students to the best of her and their ability. BTW I am also against vouchers that would take public money and put it toward private school. Thank you for answering as I really wondered beyond the families griping. (to pit it nicely.)

[madfloridian]

6. Yes, it's bad here in FL.

I think it is so sad that good teachers are paying such a dear price so the schools can be privatized.