Survey Results in Rank Order
Criteria Total % (Important and Very Important)
Building Condition 93%
Program Standards 91%
Time and miles to nearest school 87%
Available space in nearest school 87%
Improvement Rating 86%
Population & Enrollment Trends 86%
Enrollment vs. Building Capacity 85%
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) 85%
Campus Size 83%
Enrollment Decline 81%
Absolute Rating 81%
Building Use 77%
Fidelity of Mission (Magnets) 75%
Per Pupil Cost 75%
Minimal School Size 75%
Transfers Out 69%
Shaded criteria represent the staff’s recommendation.[in bold here]
So why did "staff" consider "Fidelity of Mission (Magnets)" and "Per Pupil Cost" more important than "Building Use"?
Guess.
Without public discussion the new School Board approved the twelve criteria selected by "staff." Transparency rules?
Without public discussion the new School Board approved the twelve criteria selected by "staff." Transparency rules?
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6 comments:
I'll be the first to admit you're over my head in many of your postings.
But many of the Charleston Progressive parents felt that part of the survey was just a way to "do away" with our school. Our school was originally intended to be a "Micro-Society" model school. That didn't happen. Does that mean we're first on the list to go?
They never gave us the chance to succeed.
Well, Charleston Progressive does seem to occupy some prime real estate, unfortunately.
You bet 'cha! Joe Riley is behind any closings on the peninsula so he can help his cronies obtain prime property for development. But, he is really the person running the district anyway!
Minimum admissions standards and foreign language were supposed to be part of CPA. Three superintendents and the same majority on the county board have blocked every attempt made by CPA parents and teachers to raise the standards. Instead it has become another CCSD dumping ground. Already it is rumored that Ms. Sheets is going to be removed next month as principal in a deal that was struck by McGinley to accommodate another former principal of another school who had sued CCSD for firing her. Once again CCSD uses downtown schools to park its garbage instead of making a difference.
For those of us here in Charleston we are facing an unknown with McGinley's school closure plan. It might be wise of us to take a look at what Seattle is doing right now. From the Saveseattleschools blog it appears there is a very well coordinated plan to have the public do the school district's dirty work for them. It only requires that most school groups see other school groups as the opposition. MGJ and her team learned a lot about what not to do when they were in Charleston. Don't ever let opposing groups see each other as allies. When you get school groups working against each other over school closures, the district administrators will get what they want much more quickly. By pitting them against each other, one school group will attempt to undercut the others as they all grab the remaining buildings and limited resources. The bureaucrats can just wait on the sidelines and clean up after the carnage. In the end the administration will get what it wants. The public will wake up later with a bad headache and be left only to ask what happened long after its too late to do anything about it.
The words and timing in Seattle are strikingly similar to what is about to take place here. If I didn't know better, I'd think these stealth attempts to liquidate schools 3,000 miles apart were being coordinated by the same people. They both have the mark of coming from the same same think tank.
In both cities there is a remarkable lack of data being used to support the administration's recommendations. There is also a high degree of emotional appeal designed to blind anyone to the details or the use of logic.
Since the largest number of NCLB transfers are being received by James Island, West Ashley and Mt. Pleasant schools, it seems more than strange that these three areas are not being included in this. Too bad. It would seem these "stakeholders" would want to be "engaged" in this "conversation". Maybe CCSD has doesn't want to wear out its political base with one more boring monologue about how we're all achieving "Victory in the Classroom" with CCSD now that "Excellence is our standard".
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