HaLevi Drinks the CCSD Kool-Aid

Anyone perusing the Letters to the Editor in Wednesday's newspaper probably is trying to decide if Superintendent McGinley ghosted Andrew HaLevi's glowing report of progress in the Charleston County School District over the last 10 years. His statistics should send all readers back for a refresher course on How To Lie With Statistics, definitely a neglected treasure!

One irritating statement particularly sticks out in his defense against outside agitators such as StudentsFirst: HaLevi points out that only 8 of the original 15 failing schools in CCSD are still in that category.

Yes, Andrew. How many of the original 15 still exist? And what happened to the promised progress reports on the students who were moved out?

So typical of the P&C to publish press releases from the district.

CCSD's Interesting Summer

Taking shape in the "lazy, hazy days of summer" are developments in the Charleston County School District.

1. After a stint of 10 years, respected and effective Burke High School teacher Andrew HaLevi joins the district office as a disciplinary hearings officer. No comment in today's P & C from HaLevi, founder of the Charleston Teacher Alliance and Charleston Futures, who just returned from a year's sabbatical in Israel. Soul-searching led him away from the classroom? The district chose to keep last year's replacement in place? He thinks he can make more of a difference in the new position? Or was this move involuntary?
2. Clearly voluntary is Michael Tolley's joining Maria Goodloe-Johnson in the position of director of instruction in Seattle. Tolley was principal at Burke prior to becoming principal of Academic Magnet three years ago. G-J appointed Tolley as interim associate superintendent for more than one constituent district prior to appointing him principal of AMHS. According to the P & C, the school will have an interim for only "two or three months."
3. Three school board members--Hillery Douglas, Gregg Meyers, and Toya Hampton-Green--show where their true interests lie by skipping the CCSD meeting of July 23rd in order to see and be seen at the Democratic debate. In a roundabout way their absence leads to postponement of a decision on the size of the new Stall High School building project, which hardly seems likely to be finished in time for its proposed opening at this rate. And they say politics has nothing to do with education!
4. Unhappy neighbors of St. Andrews Magnet for Math & Science are placated somewhat by McGinley's semi-promise to remove two mobile classrooms of the three that suddenly appeared next to the school last year. The land, owned by the district, had been used as a park for 50 years, and the surrounding neighbors woke up one morning to trailers. Inexplicable is how the school's carefully controlled population could burgeon about 75 students over the limit while no one noticed. Hmm. No one seems to know why or even how many out-of-the-neighborhood students attend, but parents' cars are a serious traffic problem. Will the promised address-check of all magnets resolve this mystery?

Who's in Charge? Maria

Andrew HaLevi's op-ed piece in today's Newsless Courier makes interesting reading.
http://www.charleston.net/assets/webPages/departmental/news/Stories.aspx?section=commentary&tableId=104373&pubDate=8/25/2006
He believes one of the most important issues facing the Charleston County School District is the performance of its principals. No teacher would ever disagree with that. The principal sets the tone in a school and can make or break its progress towards improvement. And too many of them retire in place and/or are too timid to venture forth from their offices.

HaLevi's heart is in the right place, and he obviously has the best interests of students in mind. He brings up the topic in the context of school board races and their potential focus. However, he makes it sound as though school board members have control over principals. THEY DON'T. Oh, maybe they have a voice in hiring, but not in supervision, especially once a principal gains tenure.

THAT would be the superintendent's job. No wonder the performance of the superintendent is under scrutiny. What progress HAS been made in the performance of PRINCIPALS under her tenure? I'd sure like to hear the results.

Why do I think the Newsless Courier isn't going to take up this topic?