Got this update from tonight's board meeting...
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Nancy Shaver to LMES
Ellie Gaines to BMES (from Grayhawk)
Donna Lewis to CSHS (Acting principal)
Ann Furnish to Accountablity and Testing (from PVUSD)
Ashby is out 7/31. Ashby asked to leave for personal reasons but stated she will be looking for other opportunity. She was not at the meeting. Some board members tried to 'save' her. More on this to come.
Debbie Burdick is interim superintendent 8/1.
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Well that is just stunning.
Ms. Gaines from Grayhawk is a great win. In addition to working at Grawhawk, she was the Core Knowledge coordinator at Pinnacle Peak Elementary and advocated for CK district wide. Grayhawk is an offical Core Knowledge school. This is great news for BMES and the district.
Ms. Gaines is a tremendous asset to this district. (See, the administration does get it right sometimes - hope you like the sarcasm). I have friends at Grayhawk who rave about the Core Knowledge cirriculum and I'm thrilled it's coming to CCUSD. I hope it does go district wide at all elem. schools except DWES. They already have their signature program.
ReplyDeleteSo who are you CW going to blame now? You got Dr. Ashby to leave although thought it was strange that she would not be there to give her resignation, but still she is leaving. Maybe if you are lucky you can get cabinet and some of the board members to resign. Someone needs to stop all of the games and garbage and get focused on the kids for once. I'm moving both of my kids to Foothills...sick of all of this..does anyone care about these kids and actually do something or just armchair quarterback.
ReplyDeleteHave heard that Foothills is full for the new school year. I hope you were lucky enough to get your children in. I hope that you actually observed classes there though. I observed 2 classes there last year and found the school to be incredibly chaotic.
ReplyDeletehoneymom
If anyone thinks this district will fare better with Debbi Burdick as superintendent, then you are a fool.
ReplyDeleteThe devil you know is better than the devil you don't. Tacy may have been Satan, but Burdick is no better.
You forgot to mention the (Tidy Bowl) flush of the night.
ReplyDeleteDue to the fact this district farted around with a HS design committee for 8 Months.
and a Bond Survey.
(Instead of moving forward with an addition to the current High School).
The SFB has frozen all of its assets and the 12.5mil that could have been used to make additions to the High School are GONE.
From AZ SFB
Building Renewal/Special Projects Funds
While the budget did not provide any funding for the formula distribution of building renewal, it does provide $20 million to correct deficiencies. To access these funds, districts will have to make application to the SFB. This program does not become legally effective until the end of September. SFB staff will develop a program outline and application procedures for Board review by that time.
Despite the lack of formula building renewal monies, SFB staff strongly encourages districts to submit three-year building renewal plans. By detailing building renewal needs for FY 10 and FY 11, school districts will provide the necessary narrative to help explain why these dollars are critical to the K-12 system.
I hope we have a three-year plan ready at the end of September. And hopefully where the first ones in line with our hands out.
July 8, 2008 9:39 pm thank you for your positive feedback. It took you only 3 hours to start trashing. If you're going to post here you have to be quicker than that. I don't think your even going to give her a chance. Who do you want in Ashby's place? Are you running for the Board? Are you doing ANYTHING to better this district? Why do you cast the first stone? Personal knowledge? Do you realize what's at stake here?
ReplyDeleteAsk yourself why they "farted around" so long?
ReplyDeleteThey can't just make a decision up here. Maybe if they were trusted to make the decisions that impact the education of our children, the SFB money would be ours.
But instead they are being second guessed at every turn by:
- a hostile local press
- a critical/questioning blog
- parents who believe they know more about education than the admin/principals/teachers
- a fractured school board that rejects the recommendations of principals
- an electorate unwilling to even show up to vote
In an attempt to hear all, they form committees. People who are interested in helping craft real solutions in partnership with the district serve on those committees. But committees take time and ultimately leave many who serve unhappy as well.
The loss of SFB money is just the latest outcome to prove correct the many quotes about the ineffectiveness of such work. "..minutes taken but hours wasted.." It also serves as a reminder about the inadequate system funding of public education that exists in Arizona.
My-O-My, a little angry, eh? What good does bad mouthing everyone and everything. The district is in shambles...partly due to the fact that this community chooses to criticize rather than get involved and make the system better. It is no one's fault about the SFB monies, the papers have reported for months that this was going away...so it would not have made a difference...SFB would have sat on it until the legislature approved a budget and then denied the request due to inadequate funding from the state...so to pin this on CCUSD, their board or superintendent is not realistic. Let's see some positive contribution here!
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of people, including Icanopen, are just rightfully very frustrated right now.
ReplyDeletePlease continue to be a part of the process Icanopen. Hopefully, we can squeeze some money out of the legislature.
I do think it is time for people in the State of Arizona to demand more funding for education from the legislature. The majority of funds that the legislature handles is earmarked for education. Think about it the next time that you read of a state budget shortfall, spending cuts, etc. 99% of the time, that money is coming from education.
honeymom
July 9, 2008 8:30 AM
ReplyDeleteOh Please, I was on the HSPC and the very first words out of our mouths on 11/7/07. Was to change the committee over for use of the existing money. We were told by the board that we were not commissioned for that and to move forward with design of the new high school and not to worry about the money. Is it Possible we could have broken ground by July 1 (YES).
It would have only been one building of basic classrooms and an expansion of the Cafeteria
Not sure who you spoke to at SFB But as of June 25 2008 that money was ours for the taking all we had to do was Sign a Contract and Break Ground.
Come Volunteer for anything in the District, I will see ya there. :)
Oh and FYI I’m not Angry (I was using Toilet Humor ie: Tidy bowl, farted) sorry you didn’t get it. I’m very easy going.
Also we can go after the money again and possibly get it by 2010….(Positive Outlook)
So Icanopen, who do you think prevented this from seeing the light of day? Ashby or the Board President? The Board can't do too much when it is not on the agenda as it should be. From what I have heard from several board members, they have requested it over the past several months, and nothing.....so the control was the BP and Dr. Ashby...that is who was really making the calls. Yes, Ashby is sending a message to the whole district by resigning the way she did (read between the lines)!
ReplyDeleteTo Anonymous of 7/8 8:55pm... I get the impression you have an issue with DWES. I am a parent of students in the "signature" program (your words not mine)--which is indeed an awesome program!
ReplyDeleteWhile I am not too familiar with Core Knowledge, I'll take everyone's word at this point that it is something our district should consider bringing to our schools. Why you would wish this program to be at all schools EXCEPT DWES is beyond me. I am of the understanding that all of the schools have a special focus (ex. BMES with with combined level classes). If you were a CCUSD "team" player, you would wish all good things for ALL of our schools. In fact --note to all - I have seen a lot of comments by bloggers here that give the impression that many have issues with the Spanish Immersion program. Not sure why. Your children had the opportunity to attend via open enrollment if you didn't live in DWES zoning.
Dear 10:58,
ReplyDeleteI think that you should reread 8:55's post. I think you have read something into it that is not there.
I read it as saying that DWES does not need it because it already has SI. I take it as an endorsement of SI, not as a criticism. They did not say dump SI for CK.
Also, while there is open enrollment for SI, from what I understand there are more people that apply for it than the program can accomodate.
However, I do understand your point about their being room to do both CK and SI. I don't know that the previous poster had realized that.
hm
Core knowledge is a curriculum whereas Spanish Immersion is a delivery system. For example, Spanish Immersion students use the same Everyday Math curriculum; it is just in Spanish instead of English. Curriculum should be aligned vertically and horizontally. It is critical that the elementary schools align under the same curriculum--sooner than later.
ReplyDeleteBloggers may want to look at the HEB Independent School District (Texas) web site. Here is a district using Core Knowledge curriculum along with a Spanish Immersion program, International Baccalaureate (IB) program and even promote music through an established Suzuki Strings program. The district is giving teachers raises from district reserve funds and will have to go to the taxpayer base to approve a tax rate increase this year. Yes, HEB is a bigger district than ours is, but you may see striking similarities to what is underway here.
http://www.hebisd.edu/
http://www.hebisd.edu/edge/
Can anyone confirm something I heard through the grapevine? .. that Dr. Miller, Principal at DWES also turned in her resignation --eff at the end of the 2008-09 school year..
ReplyDeleteThis blog has moved to
ReplyDeletehttp://ccusdwatch.com
and is now part of
Tatum Central
Please continue the discussion there.