Here it is unedited...
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Re: Solutions
From: Stephanie Reese (sreese@ccusd93.org)
Sent: Fri 6/06/08 7:54 AM
To: Nedda Shafir (NShafir@ccusd93.org); Tacy Ashby (TAshby@ccusd93.org); ccusdwatch@hotmail.com
Cc: azcaseyperkins@aol.com; susancavecreek@aol.com; cervinoaz@cox.net; lisa_doche@cox.net; jbkgsj623@msn.com; jledesma@qwest.net
Response to CCUSD Blogwatch….
June 6, 2008
I am sending this response to you because a request was sent directly to
me at my district email address. As President of the Cave Creek Unified
School District Governing Board, working in collaboration with the
District Administration, we believe we have an obligation to answer
emails and provide information whenever possible. As part of our
Governing Board Operating Principles, we have committed to “Listen
carefully and courteously to all constituents and facilitate resolution
of concerns by recommending appropriate action and informing the
public”. To this end, we would be happy to meet with you or respond
to any individuals who wish to bring information, questions, or concerns
to our attention and explore solutions together. However, as our board
policy states, we do not respond to anonymous correspondence. We invite
you to set up an appointment to meet with members of the CCUSD
Administration and me, or we would be happy to contact you directly if
you provide your name and email address. Additionally, we would like to
encourage you to participate on our district committees and attend and
speak during public participation at our Governing Board meetings
(specific information can be found on our website at www.ccusd93.org ).
Stephanie Reese
CCUSD Governing Board President
>>> CCUSD Watch
20 ways CCUSD 93 can (and needs) to improve academically
http://ccusdwatch.blogspot.com/2008/05/solutions-for-cave-creek-unified-school.html
Feel free to join the discussion.
--
CCUSD Watch
http://ccusdwatch.blogspot.com
ccusdwatch@hotmail.com
that is the biggest cop out I have ever read. I have emailed Tacy Ashby directly on concerns I have about the district and received an email back from her assistant with canned responses to my requests.
ReplyDeleteThey do NOT want to hear from us. I don't care what they write. I have called and asked to talk to them and never ever get a call back in spite of being "promsised" a call back.
I have personally talked with Tacy Ashby and have found her very receptive to talking and listening. In fact, she has encouraged me to tell people with concerns to talk with her.
ReplyDeleteShe also responds to my emails.
Perhaps you should try again. I don't know what tone you took in your initial contacts, or if you tried to do it anonymously, but I would give your name and I would just say that you have concerns about the district that you would like to discuss with her.
Also, re: the letter to CCUSD Watch, I found it to be very professional. Why should a school district respond to an anonymous entity?
Courage is a virtue CCUSD Watch. Come out, come out, whoever you are. As the great Wizard of Oz once said, "Don't pay any attention to the masked man behind the curtain." Are you really that afraid to lose the omnipotence that this blog is providing you?
This blog is certainly the tale of 2 CCUSD's. I am part of the tale that chooses to do my part to work for positive changes instead of just complaining about everything that is wrong with the district. I wish that everybody that just complains would show up at a meeting, whether boe, site council, or PTO and work to find solutions.
honeymom
3 whole years in CCUSD. Welcome.
ReplyDeleteMany of us have been here working with, not just watching, the schools for 15 to 20 years and much longer in many cases.
In that time, we've seen:
- superintendents come and go
-cabinet members come and go
-board members come and go and come again
- teachers come and go
- schools come and relocate
- several master planned communities come
- an influx of kids
- and yes, we've seen increases in student achievement in that same time period.
We've served on those committees that Board President Reese invited this group to take part in; we've won some and lost some. But we are still working.
Who are "we"? Look at the composition of CCUSD Watch, I'd say we have exactly the same composition.
No one doubts that there is work still to be done. Again, what are you willing to "do" to get that work done?
What does "doing" look like? Here are some examples of people who were not afraid to act or have their names linked to such action:
ReplyDelete-Dana Kazemi and Carrie Almond
Community Member, Sonoran Trails Middle School Dana Kazemi And Carrie Almond---We were unable to pick between these two parents. Both of these ladies have done a tremendous job with our PTO this year. They are willing to go the extra mile for any parent, teacher, or student. They both have displayed a kind generosity to make this school a great place to work and be a part of. Both Dana and Carrie continuously exhibit a huge heart and love for Sonoran Trails. They have made a clear difference in the lives of 50 staff and countless students during their tenure with the Stinger PTO!
-Lori Kurtz-Larkin
Parent, Lone Mountain Elementary School Lori Kurtz-Larkin, parent to Logan Larkin, a third grader at Lone Mountain, consistently demonstrates the A.N.C.H.O.R. attribute of Nourishment. She supports and nourishes our students, our teachers and our community in a variety of ways. She is a highly and often requested Guest Teacher. The teachers that have been lucky enough to have her sub for them have benefited greatly from Lori's previous experience as a teacher*she actually grades papers and makes copies during her prep when substituting. Lori serves on Lone Mountain's Site Council and her input on how to make Lone Mountain a better school is valued. She is a reliable classroom volunteer and is known to even donate needed supplies. She is a Mini-Museum volunteer, not only in her son's classroom, but in a fifth grade classroom that didn't have a volunteer. Lori is passionate about education, Lone Mountain students and our district's students. She gets the "big picture." When Lori sees a need, she volunteers to fill that need. With the loss of our Librarian Assistant next year due to budget cuts, she has already committed to volunteering in the library one day a week next year. Lone Mountain's world is just not the same when a day or two goes by and no one has seen Lori. We appreciate how Lori nourishes us!
-Scott Warren
Student, Sonoran Trails Middle School Scott took on the Brain Tumor fundraiser. Scott was solely in charge of organizing a school wide fundraiser that turned out to be a HUGE success. Scott never complained a bit. At the walk, Scott had a permanent smile on his face and not once did you hear him brag about all that he had done, but what I huge success the school had with this fundraiser and how we can make it even a bigger fundraiser in the years to come. It was very humbling to see this 6th grader take so much pride in caring so much about other people's lives!!
-Bill Bristol
Community Member, Cactus Shadows High School Bill fits every A.N.C.H.O.R. Attribute but the one he is honored with is Hope with High Expectations. Bill has been a volunteer on campus faithfully for the past 11 years. He is knowledgeable and a friend to the students, tutors them and helps them succeed. Many kids have expressed that he is their favorite "teacher" on campus. With his cheerful and positive nature and background in math and business, he is able to share his talents and care with students. CSHS is pleased to honor him for his commitment to the students.
-Lindsey Anderson
Student, Cactus Shadows High School Lindsey is a remarkable young woman who was chosen for an A.N.C.H.O.R Award for her Attitude. She has inspired the staff and students and serves as a role model for all. She has been deeply involved in volunteering and making a difference in her school, her community and the world. She most recently organized the Dollars for Darfur concert that raised $5,000 to help refugees. Lindsey epitomes the quote by Helen Keller, "Optimism is faith that leads to achievement." Cactus Shadows High School and the world is a better place because of Lindsey.
-Karine Gormely
Parent and Volunteer, Desert Sun Elementary School Mrs. Karine Gormely, DSES parent and volunteer, created the Mini-Museum for the ART MASTERS fine arts program six years ago. The fabulous Desert Sun PTO provided the funds for the start up of this program, as well as for its ongoing implementation. The ART MASTERS program has grown from a volunteer start-up group of six to over 50 volunteers this year. The program is aligned with the visual arts standards, and is curriculum-based as well. Mrs. Gormely trains parent volunteers with selections from the lives and works of each composer and artist. The tone of her monthly workshops and training inspire the parent volunteer presenters, while also providing them with the knowledge they need to teach our students. Thank you, Karine, for combining your love of children with your artistic passion and talents.
Looks like a 6th grader and high school student know you have to do more than talk, they know what action means and how to get it done!
Thank you June 11, 2008 1:14 PM. Well said.
ReplyDeleteBesides doing, surveys about curriculum, etc. are sent to parents. I find it presumptive of CCUSD Watch in their anonymity, to assume that other parents want exactly what they want. I do not see CCUSD Watch asking what programs parents want. Instead, CCUSD Watch is dictating demand for Latin, Greek, replacing a math program that is working for many of our children in our minds, etc.
CCUSD Watch - Why don't you ask the people beyond your group for our curriculum desires if you are so concerned about the district? Do you presume to know better than we do and feel better dictting to us?
Also, re: your Watch Group. Can't be all that big if it is so secret that nobody else around here can find out how to join it.
Honeymom
Thx for the cut and past from the district web site. You could have saved some electrons and just posted a link.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I have never seen such a large group of self congratulatory boobs in my life. HUGS, ANCHORS, employee of the month, anniversaries, etc... Every award they give to a first grader water downs the award given to an outstanding teacher. Nedda must have carpal tunnel in her elbow with all the patting on the district's back she does.
June 11, 2008 2:51 p.m.
ReplyDeleteI think it's nice that the district recognizes people for their hard work and dedication. You can go to CCUSD's website to read up on what the awards mean if you'd like. Don't you think it's important to recognize, let's say, the CHARACTER of a 1st grader so that the child will continue to have CHARACTER when they get older? How does it water down a teacher's recognition? - part of the reason the child gets the CHARACTER award is due to the teachers excellence - yes???
How many corporations are you aware of that don't acknowledge years of service or accomplishments of employees?
ReplyDeleteI was noticing the time that you post CCUSD Watch - early morning, mid afternoon, early evening - looks like you don't work - well, maybe you do - at a newspaper (or one that thinks it's one), maybe your self-employed and don't have enough excitement at being your own boss - maybe you do work full time and are blogging on your employer's time - maybe CCUSD Watch is a tag team or maybe a relay team and whomever is having a bad day, gets a snippit of bogus information, doesn't feel they get recognized or paid enough at their job, feels like the only way to get their point across is to hammer a district that, due to these harsh economic times, is still trying to offer what is best for the kids and keep the older than dirt air conditioners running gets to post...I guess we'll never know, but we won't stop asking.
ReplyDeleteActually, the posts increased since school is out which bolsters the high school student theory.
ReplyDeletehoneymom
Carrie Almond is a substitute teacher at many schools so she is not just a parent. Just an FYI more than anything else. She is a great lady. I will give her the credit she deserves. She is very dedicated to her students.
ReplyDeleteI have called Tacy Ashby and emailed her when the budget cuts came out. I got a canned response from her assistant and no return call. I called and left several very polite, very professional messages. My emails were also professional with just a few questions on where the money was going. I never got a return call. Honeymoon, you must have just caught her a on a good day.
And we are a 3 year parent here because we moved here 3 years ago. I came from an area that has a lot better schools and test scores however I grew up in Tucson and went to school there until I was 13. We moved to CA and while I was a straight A student here in AZ, I had A LOT of catching up to do in CA. My kids are about 1/2 to 3/4 of a year behind my friend's kids in CO. What my kid learned in 2nd, their kids were learned in 1st. So, there is a lot of work to do in this district with regards to curriculum. I have sat down with the principal at the elem where my kids go and even she admitted that while they are an A+ school here, they are behind other schools out of state.
I've called the district about this, I've had talks with curriculum advisors and couselors, so no, I am not sitting on my laurels and doing nothing. However, I have been told time and again they are doing all they can to improve and that their hands are tied.
And I highly doubt this is written by a high schooler. You guys need to give these people a break. You don't have to agree with them but what they are writing, for the most part, is fact and not fiction. They are quoting their sources.
What my kid learned in 2nd, their kids were learned in 1st.
ReplyDeleteThat should read what my kid learned in 2nd, their kids learned in 1st.
I ARE a college graduate (and yes, I intentionally wrote it that way LOL)
Dear 3 Year Parent,
ReplyDeleteI am also a 3 year parent. I came from a top school district in the country and am having a very different experience from you. Since I do not know the schools that your children are in, it could simply be a school to school difference. I know of at least one elementary school in the district that I am happy my children do not attend because I disagree with their structure and philosophies.
It is not important whether this site is written by a hs student or other community member. I have already told CCUSD Watch that I would continue to press for their composition and that I hope they at least have a sense of humor (I may have told them this on another site, the Newszap forums that I correspond with them on, so you may not have seen it). What you may or may not realize in your time in this district is that there are some truly negative forces that are working to undermine the district, rather than improve it. My concern with CCUSD Watch is that in their anonymity, they can provide no guarantee that they are not a tool of such forces and that they truly want to work for positive change. All I have asked them are for some numbers - i.e. how many people do they represent and what is the general breakdown of the composition of those people. I have not asked them to disclose their specific identities.
It should be noted that CCUSD Watch has told me (perhaps on the other site) that the Sonoran News will not print their correspondence, etc. because of their anonymity. So even while I disagree with the Sonoran News on many things, they are basically providing the same response as our district.
I am sorry about the response that you have received from the district even if it is polar opposite from my experience. Have you tried writing a letter to both Tacy and the BOE.
I think there is potential for CCUSD Watch to do some good. There are definitely issues with our boe that they have pointed out. Unfortunately, our administration seems so bogged down by these issues that it sometimes seem to take its toll and diverts away from the positive direction that they are going in. Plus, the boe situation provides fodder for the news media that can be very negative.
Not every school fits every parent. Coming from a top school district in the country, we saw the stress that it put on the children and how overly competitive the parents and children could be. We are very involved with our childrens schools and have in some ways benefited from one of our children being on an IEP. This has given us a great deal of exposure to the teachers and administrators both here and in our last district. We had some fear coming into this district, but saw how well they placed our child (they actually were thoughtful in the teachers that she was given, while in our last district despite my pleas for well experienced teachers we were given new teachers 2 years in a row), and have been in frequent contact/meetings with teachers. I have to say that we were pleasantly surprised with the high quality of the teaching staff although one of our children had a real dud (happily out of the district now) in the first year we lived here.
Part of my dismay with parent participation deals with some of my own experiences. I have served on a pto in one of the schools. It is like pulling teeth to get parents to come to any of the meetings. Then they complain if you make a decision on how to spend money despite never participating in any way and expressing their desires for the money. They have no idea of the amounts that we discuss any expenditure and that questions are asked and priorities raised. We are all looking for the greatest good for the kids when we spend money, but instead we are berated because their kindergarden classroom does not have a smartboard yet. Often the complaints are just extremely selfish.
I applaud you for the efforts that you seem to be making to fix the situation for your children. Please continue to try and do not give up. While many of the moms on the board are defending the good that the schools are doing for our kids, we do recognize that we can work together to make them better. But, simply complaining to an anonymous entity that is powerless to make any change, may help community members to vent, but it will not provide forward momentum on issues.
To do that, I would suggest that you attend boe meetings, continue to talk with teachers/principals and perhaps join site council. There is often confusion between site council (less familiar) and PTO. PTO is merely a fundraising/community building parent/teacher organization. Site Council gets more to the nitty gritty of what is taught in the classroom.
Good luck to you. You will find that the PTO moms are not a brand of brainwashed Stepford Wives around here and you will not be ridiculed for your opinions.
Honeymom (believe me there are times where I wish I could be on my honeymoon again)
HM - thanks for your comments. I agree that a lot needs to be done and I'd love to get more involved in an area where our voices will be heard.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I do work FT and therefore PTO meetings are impossible. I have spoken directly with the PTO board at our school and was told that they have to hold their meetings during the day because that is the only time the school will let them have the room that they use. My suggestion was to meet somewhere else but that suggestion was met with deaf ears.
I am a very big pro-advocate for my kids for several reasons. One I want their education to be top-notch. The other is that my kids are both adopted and are of a different race than myself and my husband. We have gone to bat for them on a number of occasions at the school for the bullying they have encountered by their classmates. I am well known as a child advocate at their school and with the counseling office of CCUSD. Thanks to my efforts, adoption is now PART of the anti-bullying curriculum. They had never considered it before but it is now included.
So, what is site council and how do I get on it?
And LOL on your comment about still wanting to be on your honeymoon and the Stepford Wives comment. I needed the laugh today ;-)
Dear 3 Year Parent,
ReplyDeleteIt does sound like your kids are probably in a different school than mine. One thing that has made me happy here is how little bullying I have seen and how nice the kids are. We also tended to meet during the day, but did try to hold a couple of meetings at other times to accomodate working parents. In previous years, the meetings were at night, but few working parents attended then either (I'm sure they were exhausted). If anything, participation went up slightly when we moved the meetings to the day.
Your PTO should have a set of bylaws (required as a 501C corporation). In my experience, many PTO members ignore or have no understanding of them. Please ask for a copy of the bylaws. They should set out if there are any requirements for evening meetings (our school requires at least 2 a year). Find out what the requirements are and then ask the PTO to honor those requiremets.
Each school has a site council. There may be a district site council as well. Site Council is made up of parents and teachers at each school and addresses classroom/curriculum issues rather than fundraising. Of course, everything is done in context of the district requirements, but your participation would help give you a much better understanding of how things run and to give you a say. I have not participated in site council myself and am not an expert in it.
You should go to the CCUSD website and look up your school. Try to find the links to site council and see if they have the minutes posted. Perhaps that would give you a feel for one of their meetings.
It sounds like you are trying to do what you can at your school level. Keep trying, don't give up. We will not look down on you and you may lead to positive change.
Honeymom
Wow...Ive been watching this site for about 6 months and how involvement has grown!
ReplyDeleteCCUSD students are delighted that Sid bailey has resigned!!!
TACY ASHBY HOPEFULLY YOUR NEXT!!
Hopefully, Debbie Burdick and Kent Frison are next! They're the ones ruining the curriculum and putting the district in financial ruin!
ReplyDeleteI think CCUSD WATCH is a teacher who was fired for something bad or has some interest in the new charter school. If you aren't willing to give the board president your name and address, you are hiding something.
ReplyDelete