Tuesday, October 16, 2007

McGinley's Smoke & Mirrors with Constituent Boards

"All political power is primarily an illusion. . . . Mirrors and blue smoke, beautiful blue smoke rolling over the surface of highly polished mirrors. . . . If somebody tells you how to look, there can be seen in the smoke great, magnificent shapes, castles and kingdoms, and maybe they can be yours." So said Jimmy Breslin in 1975.




Hold up the mirror to Superintendent McGinley's announced reorganization of the associate superintendents' jurisdictions.

Clear away the smoke.



What do you see? Not "magnificent shapes, castles and kingdoms" but naked consolidation of power.

Here's the list published in Tuesday's P & C of "learning communities" that will streamline organization in CCSD:
  • The Ashley River Learning Community including elementary schools in Districts 9 (Johns Island), 10 (West Ashley), 20 (downtown) and 23 (Hollywood);
  • The Cooper River Learning Community including elementary schools in Districts 3 (James Island), 4 (North Charleston) and 20 (downtown);
  • The Middle School Learning Community including most [why not all?] of the district's middle schools as well as Academic Magnet High and Garrett Academy [two high schools in the middle-school community--makes sense to her, I guess];
  • The Superintendent's Learning Community including most [why not all?] of the district's high schools;
  • The East Cooper and Cooper River Learning Community including the schools Lynda Davis currently oversees — in Districts 1 (McClellanville) and 2 (Mount Pleasant) and [now] District 4 (North Charleston).

Notice anything, District 20 supporters? I'm sure you have. District 20's schools will now be split into four separate "communities" (We're using the word "community" loosely here!). That should help parents know where to go with concerns!

How else to disperse the power of constituent boards but to render them superfluous and their meetings unnecessary for associate superintendents to attend. Great way to encourage dialogue with the community!

But then this "rearranging of the deck chairs on the Titanic" (as one reader puts it) is not about helping students or their parents. It's about bureaucracy. Larry Kobrovsky is too kind in his remarks quoted today. He said, "District leaders may become less responsive to local community members' concerns because officials aren't as connected in their areas." That's the whole idea, Larry! In fact, obviously aiming at helping the poor, "the new configuration means that downtown parents of elementary schoolchildren who have a concern and need to talk with their school principal's supervisor will have to go either to an office in James Island or one in North Charleston to talk about their concerns." Won't that be helpful? Especially if you don't own a car.

In fact, looking another way, you can spot another paradigm shift: if the District 20 schools are split between various "communities," these communities can be counted as "integrated"; in fact, District 20's de facto segregation will be solved with the stroke of a pen. Masterful!

I take it back. It's not smoke and mirrors; it's Through the Looking Glass.

Is it legal?

12 comments:

Underdog said...

Larry was too nice in his response to Diette. And thank you for recognizing something our Superintendent doesn't seem to get.
Yes, many parents on the peninsula do NOT own cars!

Anonymous said...

Off with her head!

I'm serious. As far as I'm concerned McGinley's 12 month grace period just accelerated and now it's fully expired.

She's no friend of public education downtown. She's the enemy. Off with her head!

Anonymous said...

I am appalled!!It will be MOST interesting to see how this all works out. McGinley needs to move on.

Anonymous said...

McGinley is just another Maria. The first thing she does is change the logo ( Maria did that)on the stationary then move around top people( and Maria did that). It has nothing to do with education. Just shuffling chairs on the titanic. I just don't get it, really. When will anyone get serious. BTW where have the Brisbin's and Brandenberg been?

Anonymous said...

3 cheers for the Dist.20 Constituent Board for filing their case in state court challenging the county's power grab. They will either go down fighting or they will be seen as having fired the first shot for deconsolidation. How much is CCSD spending on another unnecessary legal battle against the people they are supposed to be serving? McGinley owes the public an explanation.

Anonymous said...

Kobrovsky always seems to win. I did not agree with taking away the minority list at Buist (it is now almost all white in the lower grades) but he does always seem to beat CCSD.

Anonymous said...

The lack of minorities at Buist has much to do with CCSD & Buist leaders failing to effectively recruit minorities. It's hard to make people believe they have a fair chance when the people doing the recruiting are so insincere and have such a well established record for treating minorities with contempt. It's a sick joke to think these same people want to "help" the new math & science charter school recruit minorities. They are succeeding quite well on their own, thank you. CCSD's "help" would only hinder the effort. There is no better example than CCSD's public relations failure at Buist.

Anonymous said...

Yes, and there is no extra support for high poverty children at Buist regardlesss of race. Some of these children are very bright and a ticket into Buist could be the only chance they have of ending the cycle of poverty in their families. District 20 should continue to fight for all children downtown to have this one shot at quality public education in the city.

Anonymous said...

Why were 15 seats at Buist left vacant after the start of this school year? Most of these were in the 6th-8th grades. Are they saving these for friends of the principal or business associates of certain county school board members? With academically qualified kids in Burke's middle school grades, why aren't they being recruited? Why isn't Dot Scott and the downtown branch of the NAACP on this?

Anonymous said...

The only way CCSD can pretend their schools aren't segregated is to deconsolidate. Be done with CCSD and end this facade.
Hmmm...maybe I should try and go enroll my child at Moultrie. We'd have the Moultrie parents running to the legislature!

Anonymous said...

Moultrie (I forgot, the East Cooper Learning Community) will be the driving force for finally breaking CCSD apart. I think downtown would agree to let go the Mt. Pleasant school assets it paid for if city taxpayers could just regain responsibility for city schools. From Mt. Zion to Cario, Egypt's bondage is nearly o're. Hear ye, o Pharaoh! Let thy people go!

Anonymous said...

There's a pattern here. McGinley is meeting with the constituent board chairmen today...to explain the new reorganization plan. Thanks for the advance notice.