The following letter was sent to several Harford County Board of Education Members and Interim Superintendent Patricia L. Skebeck from Prospect Mill Elementary School parent Janet Noone. A copy was provided to The Dagger for publication.
Dear Board Members,
It was with much disappointment and dismay that I heard the BOE vote last night to keep monies allocated to the Campus Hills school site rather than transfer it to the Red Pump site to allow construction to re-commence immediately.
This action was a complete reversal for Mr. Hess who is on record, verbally and in print, that he would not stand in the way of the construction of “A” new school, even if his preference was the Campus Hills site.
Ms. Rich, as we spoke after the meeting, I believe you have the most history on the Board with this overcrowding issue even though, as absurd as this is, the parents at the school have the most history with this situation, as it has taken Harford County Board of Ed (past and present) over 10 years to address the problem. And, yes, in 1999, there was a redistricting proposal approved that would have provided some relief to PMES. If the BOE then, was carrying out its mandate, that or an alternate proposal should have been adopted at that time. The BOE failed PMES students and staff at that time and it has continued to fail the same population until today. They reversed the redistricting decision 10 years ago and despite the absolute acknowledgement that PMES was seriously overcrowded and in need of immediate relief then – they pulled the redistricting plan and OFFERED NO OTHER SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM…….
It’s been 10 years and with the vote last night – you have sentenced the children at PMES as well as the other overcrowded schools in this County to even more “time” in this senseless situation AND APPEAR TO BE OFFERING NO OTHER SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM AGAIN….HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF.
Ms. Rich, you mentioned your frustration last night with the Council’s actions and interference in what you state is the Board’s responsibilities. You also stated that this frustration has led you and others to research to see if you could find another County Council that has interfered in this way in other Counties/jurisdictions.
I am wondering if you and other Board members have put the same outrage to researching any other BOE that has allowed the state of overcrowding to persist in their schools for as long as it has been allowed to persist in our schools. I have, and there I haven’t been able to find one – anywhere in the Country.
The BOE is failing our students. If loss of instructional time is HCPS and the BOE’s top concern – then I suggest that Board members spend some time watching what our students go through on a daily basis. I am willing to wager that our loss of instructional time far exceeds any school – anywhere – with the 10 portables at our school. This loss of instructional time has lasted for 10 years despite our wonderful Principal and an excellent staff.
If you are willing to stand on principle on the site selection and think that it is rational and defendable to effectively block the construction of a new school —
then I look forward to the hearing the proposal that you will put forth at the very next Board of Ed meeting that explains what you all are willing to vote for that is going to provide immediate relief for these children.
This is one of the Board’s primary mandates – allowing this gross overcrowding to persist one day longer without resolution is not only a gross injustice to the children – it is an abdication of the Board’s primary mandate.
Yes, I am angry. I am very angry and frustrated that this infighting is going to be allowed to snuff out the beacon of light we had for responsible relief. As outraged as you all are that your job is being dictated to you by another body – that’s how mad x10 that I and other parents who have watched and waited for responsible resolution are at this last turn of events.
You are right – it is your prerogative to chose where a new school goes — it is also your primary responsibility to balance enrollment in order to provide quality and safe instructional space for our children.
I look forward to hearing your new proposal to do this in the same timeframe PROMISED to the PMES community in 2007 when we were asked to move our children to the middle school – FALL 2010.
If that is Countywide redistricting with no new school capacity as has been suggested, then let’s get it started.
All I can say is DO SOMETHING. Inaction and finger pointing is not an option.
The children, families and staff deserve your support. We deserve better.
Sincerely,
Janet Noone
Way to go!!!!!!! Janet Noone. It is about time that the BOE has to answer to the parents of the children who actually attend the schools. However, dont count on getting a response. The BOE works for their own goods, not for the goods of your (and my) children.
Good Job Janet; with the reversal for Mr. Hess and Ms. Rich knowledge with the county, BOE did bow down and failed the kids of the county. I hope your example will be the lead of how the community communicates with BOE. Maybe they will actually listen this time while our frustrations are on record. Thanks Dagger for this post!
Young students are taught to “stay on task”. Janet has clearly enumerated the task at hand.
How do we get the elected and appointed adults to learn the basics that our children are taught in elementary school?
Awesome question Larry!! Maybe reward them with pizza and candy; the only thing they “seem” to understand is food…
Outsider — I’ll buy the pizza if that’s all it takes!
Wasn’t it the PMES parents who were quoted years ago (and all of those kids have no doubt moved on) saying that they would rather have overcrowding than re-districting? Someone refresh my memory.
We must be careful what we wish for.
Judy — The last elementary redistricting was in 2002, and at that time PMES enrollment was at 99% of capacity, and projected to stay below 100% in the projections.
In 2002, PMES state rated capacity was 758 students, but the capacity figure has been recalculated several times, and now is 680, which has a negative impact on the % overcapacity calculation. All elementary schools have also transitioned into full day K since then, which added about 8% to the overcrowding calculation as well.
In 2004-2005 some HCPS money was spent towards minor school improvements at PMES, FMS, and BAHS, presumably to help with overcrowding conditions rather than redistricting.
I would respectfully ask that all “stay on task”. PMES is 251 students over capacity. The 5th grade attends classes at Southampton MS. Ten relocatables are on school grounds. YBES is 182 students over capacity, and Emmorton and Forest Lakes each in excess of 100 students over capacity.
The current elementary overcrowding is no one group’s fault. No one wished for it. But the situation does deserve prompt action. The students deserve prompt action.
Amen Larry!
17 classes at PMEs take place not within our building – those relocated students could be another school right there.
I am PMES parent as of 2007-2008 Schools ebb and flow; let’s not hold current PMES STUDENTS accountable for poor decisions made by parents over 5 years ago most of whom have children most likely not even in the school anymore. Also, this affects 6 other schools.
Let’s keep in mind that more then one group of hot heads are to blame for this such as the County Council!
My how time flies. Thanks for the update.
My suggestion is to get as many parents as possible to attend every single BOE meeting. As I have said before, I reluctantly voted with my checkbook and got my kids out of public school. Academically, it was a good move. I definitely don’t fret over appointed BOE decisions any more.
It really is a shame for people who have no alternative and have always believed the that BOE was acting in the interest of their children. Or who moved to Harford County thinking that the schools were so good (they were better when we moved here 14 years ago–before block and career clusters).
Anyone who moved to Harford County and thought the county valued education did not look at the fact that this county is 22 out of 24 in per pupil spending per year just narowly edging out Caroline County! This county has a wierd waying of “valuing” education but being unwilling to pay for it. One day the teachers and others who work for pitence and provide lots out of their pockets will stop doing it because of the criticisim they get and one will see how much they get for so little. You want top quality schools that are not crowded? Pay for it. until this copunty does don’t expect for that to change. A big part of the overcrowding is also the overdevelopment and people who found loopholes to build houses when the space was not there!
Cdev,
You are right , the community should just keep there mouths close and let BOE do their thing with our kids. you are right. this is not worth debating anymore. If I want change Hartford is not the place.
I am not saying keep your mouth closed, you said that, but the same people want to hang one group and do not hold accountable the county coucil who funds the schools at the substandard level that they are funded at! The County Council controls the purse strings.
Per pupil spending cannot be the only indicator for student success. My guess is that most other states spend less per pupil than Maryland and still have higher test scores. Of course, our cost of doing business is going to be higher than some other states as well.
Baltimore City schools have one of the highest per pupil spending rate in a state of high spending. I don’t think there is any correlation between spending and performance. I used to live in a district that spent over $10k per student (15 years ago), they were in the botton 25% of schools for that state (not MD). County Council does hold the purse string, but the BOE divides up the pie. Maybe teachers are not supplied because the money never goes beyond Hickory Ave. What’s the point of paying for supervisor of math curriculum when the math books are so old that pages are falling out.
I need to go for a walk because this is to much to handle…
Right it is because of the PARENTS in the school system that they can keep the per pupil expenditure at the lower to middle end of the spectrum. Since they do supplement the school system so much, you think they might listen to them once in awhile along with the teachers. How many people in the school system make over $100,000/year? Prior superientendent was one of the highest paid in the State.
I have a chart that outlines all of the counties and how much they spend and Harford is very close to other counties in the middle. Worchester County is near the top of per pupil spending (Ocean City area).
Judy – Yes, I was at the Forest Hill redistricting meetings held at Forest Lakes and was one of the folks encouraging the creation of a plan to head off the severe overcrowding that was coming for Prospect Mill. The comically impassioned plea from the Hickory Elementary principal and the unanimous protests from the PMES representatives slammed the door on that idea.
The statement that you mentioned – that they would rather have overcrowding than redistricting – was the common theme of their objections. I clearly remember them saying those words, and the reaction from others at how shortsighted their attitude was, with which I agreed.
Per pupil spending is not a indicator of success but when you spend near the bottom in MD per pupil you can not be demanding top level performance and facilities. Worchester county is near the top and has the lowest per capita income in the state! Granted all the beach house taxes make a killing.
Parents and teachers supplement so much that it is rediculous. School books are a school level decision as far as buying new ones. We have some schools in the county where the entire PTA board is teachers and secretaries! The BOE is supposed to decide on where schools are built according to the law. The County Council is attempting to usurp their authority in order to get away with building one school when we really need two.
cdev — For the record — the County Council, County Exec., and BOE were all on the same page and timeline to build Red Pump and Campus Hills for occupancy in 2010 and 2011 respectively, until the County Exec. and BOE held a joint press conference on December 8, 2008 to change the 2 new school plan, pulling Red Pump and moving forward with Campus Hills. The County Council had forward funded Red Pump through bonds (which could only be used for Red Pump construction) and were not in the loop for the switch in plans.
That is when the “fun” began.
Janet,
Way to go! Your thoughtful, impassioned letter is a step in the right direction. Parents must hold BOE and school officials responsible. For too long, too many people have kept quiet and waited for those in positions of responsibility to act responsibly. When they don’t, they need to be held accountable. Remember, they work for us.
I dont think it will matter how much is spent on students till the Schools change the enviroment that has been created inside the schools. Between the drugs and gangs and other rediculous behaviours that are alloud to go on and be out right ignored by school officials no amount of money will help. Also the increasing decline in the home life of the students is reinforcing the effects.
Aberdeen has had out right fear generated by select students go unchecked. Drugs are swept under the carpet and viewed as a nuiscens and not a serious problem. How can any student function.
Why do you not hear about anything going on in the schools. There has to be numerous incidents of kids being caught with drugs, weapons, fights, ganag activity. I went to a foot ball game and could smell the weed in the air, the gang memebers were openly making signs, and even a brief fight broke out. Last year was rediculous with the lack of control in and around the school. Where are the parents of the kids that are smoking the weed and fighting and flashing gang signs. Where are the school officials and School resource personel? That is the biggest difference between inner city schools and county schools. There is still a level of control but it is spiraling down and until in is adressed in a dramatic matter it will not be long till most responcible parents will have to go to private. There again is another issue where parents have a monetary investment are they more willing to take an active part inthier childrens life? Mabey they should raise the school tax and make parents care what goes on. I dont know but i think money is the least of the problems. If parents can home school thier kids and those kids can get full academic scholorships on a near invisible amount of money why arent hte kids in public schools with all the opportunities they have over home school kids fail so baddly?
Lets look at this for a second and think LONG TERM. I know that is hard in this county but let’s try.
Ideally we need 2 new elementary schools to solve the problem and keep it from being a problem again 10 years from now. Either school will require a septic system be built with it at first. Campus Hills needs it permenantly, Red Pump is only temporary. This is because one group lacked the forsight to build the infrastructure to keep pace with growth. If we build Campus Hills first we put in the permenant septic system which we had to pay for either way. Then we redistrict to accomplish two goals. a) alleviate overcrowding at the worst schools but do so in a way that b) lifts the moratorium on the developments around Red Pump thus getting the developers to chip in for the sewer. Then we do not approve any more developments in the area and build Red Pump with the sewer in place and do not have to pay for the temporary septic system thus saving money and alliviating the overcrowding problem for the long run.
Most of those new developments contain town houses which we all know means lots of ES children.
If we build Red Pump first we throw money away on a temporary septic system and although we fix overcrowding for the short term everywhere 5-10 years later we are back in the same place we started needing a new school and we spend more money doing what we could have done cheaper the first time.
If we honestly thought one school would solve our problem in the long term then I agree go ahead and build Red pump. But it will not so let’s fix this problem correctly and as cheaply as possible. Also we need to consider the state yanked funding for Red Pump so we may not be forward funding it we may be paying for it. There is no gauruntee we will get that money back. If we build it and do not get the state funds back that will hamper our capital improvement budget.
This is my honest opinion. right now I think hot heads in both groups are interferring with progress to the detrement of our children. Our county does a very good job at allocating resources so that most of the money gets in the classroom what we fall short in is that we could do alot more if we gave it more. I am not saying money is the magic solution. One needs to look at Baltimore City to see it can be mismanaged; we do not do that we pinch pennies but we could do alot more with some more money we have the talented personel and programs in place to do something with it. We fall short in reaching those kids who need just a little bit more help to be successful. Summer School for middle school kids, Interactive technolgy, more computers in classrooms, probe ware for science classes, etc.
@ Lyle
Wow, way to dump on what is becoming a great school within the county. What you are perpetuating is a long standing MYTH about Aberdeen High School. This outright fear that is generated is something that is not seen at Aberdeen. 98% of students at Aberdeen have stated that they feel safe at school. While Aberdeen does have issues, they are the same issues that every school in the county and in the country. (Saracasm Alert) I am sure that Aberdeen is the only school in the county that has students who smoke weed, and the gangs run rampant here making students and teachers clothing choices here interesting as to not offend in the hallway. (Saracasm Over.) How a conversation about the BOE derailed into an outright attack on a school with a amazing history and an incredible future with students on track to attend Stanford, Harvard, William and Mary and other fine institutions confuses me. Come to the school, see what it is like, then talk about how we FAIL our students.
What does “on track to attend” mean? They got in? They might get in? If I were on the committee they’d get in? I bet W&M would be thrilled to be mentioned along with the other two. It’s a good state school, but not quite on par with the other two mentioned.
Of topic–sorry.
Meaning once they graduate they will be attending those schools.
Thanks. Often Harford County kids get in to those schools, but $$$ prevents them from actually attending.
Lyle I agree with teacherman. schools west of route 40 and private schools are not immune to these problems. They just do more expensive drugs. I was at a certian schools homecoming being held at another school. I was embarrassed that those kids from close to the county seat are from harford county they came to another school who was graciously hosting their homecoming game and many (not all) acted classless and disrespectful. they commented how “ghetto ******* be lookin'” basiclly emulating the very behavior you attribute to a route 40 school. I hope they never leave opur county and act like that and if they do they need to forget where they came from!
Point is classless people, gangs and drugs are at every school.
Ok, First teacherman, so the kids that were getting robbed every day there was a myth? The kids that get caught not just having a lil weed on them but get caught selling is a myth? And the guys walking up to the school with their flags hanging out is a myth? And that is just was is the obvious, I cant imagine what goes on un reported. And what is reported is down played by the admin. So no myth Teacherman that is fact, I know one of the cops that arrested the kids doing the robberies and what was said by the victims and how it was being treated. Also I live intown and i see gang members sneaking up between the schools trying to get in with the other kids. So again no myth. The gang members fighting in the parking lot after sproting events is no myth, I sure columbine had a great history too. And there is no sarcasim here. The gains of the kids that do well is far over shadowed by the school ignoring those that are trying to bring it down and that was my whole point and people that try to down play it are the schools biggest enemies. It is a problem that should be adressed and agressively approached.
CDEV I was not speacking strictly of Aberdeen i was using it as an example of how schools down play what really goes on. Just like baltimore schools were down playing the actual scores of its students, County schools down play the problems that linger, and if they ignore the problems that are obvious then what is going to come of the ones that arnt. What happens when the lil scuffels between gangmembers afer a school event turns into a shooting. And again not speaking strictly of Aberdeen just using it as an example.
And the main point of what i wrote was on the issue being discussed of the spending on students and how I though that wasnt the issue that causes how the students turn out. And how the school administrations were ignoring growing problems that usually turn to some incident on national news. And my other point was the decline of home values. But thanx to teacherman for proving my point on how the problems at the schools are down played so they grow unadressed and turn into a tradgedy one warm spring day when “johhny had enough of the gang memebers trying to initiate him” Teacherman missed everything in that and only adressed that i made a negative comment about a school and down played the problems there, and made aberdeen sound like the all american school.
The first two line of what i wrote were this since they missed it” I dont think it will matter how much is spent on students till the Schools change the enviroment that has been created inside the schools. Between the drugs and gangs and other rediculous behaviours that are alloud to go on and be out right ignored by school officials no amount of money will help. Also the increasing decline in the home life of the students is reinforcing the effects”
Lyle it has been a policy of the adminstration for years Don’t ask don’t tell. it is not a school board policy, to ignore drug dealing etc on the premises of any harford county school. just ignore it.
To apease the mass’s, once in a while a drug sniffing dog is brought in to discover the ”Weed” to every one’s delight nothing is found. How charming. see it hear forget it. But for God’s don’t report it.
Lyle,
You just dont get it. You can find negatives in any situation and yet as a true front line participant I know the true culture of the school. You are telling everyone what you see from the outside, step inside the building. See the true culture of the school. See the fact that like any family we do have internal issues but when pressed we close ranks and bind together. Yes, there was a gang fight outside of a football game and yes there are gang members outside of our school but do you know what, THAT IS OUTSIDE. We cannot control the community and a larger societal issue, we can control what goes on in our building and for the better part of a decade that i have been associated with AHS what goes on in our builiding is an ever improving student achievement and success. AHS has its problems and there is tons of room for improvement, but this culture of fear where gangs are running the school is the MYTH. Type away at your computer somemore, or come into the building and become a solution to all these problems you see. It takes a man to talk about someones problems, it takes a great man to help someone overcome them.
P.S.
What is more All American than a multi-cultural school that fights through its issues and people biases to succeed even in the face of people who only see the negatives. Sounds alot the the American dream. Even kind of sounds like a successful guy you may have heard of. The President.
Folks; Lyle is the guy who can find the blsck lining on a silver cloud. The nonsense that he is spouting is just that. If talking on alevel playing field, not easily done here, Aberdeen and Havre de Grace will come out in the top five schools in every category. i would include the exclusive JCHS in that list. Aberdeen is a rough and tumble sort of Town. We have the most diverse population of any other community in the County and probably the State. That diversity brings both problems and great joy. A kid graduating form AHS will be a better rounded citizen thanone who comes out of some lilly white environment. Those drugs, fights, intimidation, etc that Lyle mentions are all extremely remote and single incidents, and by the way are happening if all the schools! The local rag will nt put a problem at CMW or BAHS or JCHS above the fold on page one, but anything at the three schools down here in the real people corridor will get three inch headlines like “ABERDEEN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT CAUGHT FLATULATING!”
Tom Szerenstis is undoubtedly the best and most up-to-date principle and he has a superb staff to help him to accomplish the mission of assisting as many kids as possible to be ready for the day after graduation. AHS is ac school, not a jail and the balancing act between discipline and accomplishment is one I would never want to have to achieve.
Lyle take your outdated and elitist, racistist crap and go peddle it somewhere else. Your credibility is below zero here.
Drugs are everywhere to be sure, but test scores still tell a story.
correct, test scores do tell stories, and the improvement that has been made across the county on the Horrible HSA’s shows that something is working right whether it is truly better instruction or better teaching to the test is yet to be seen.
yep, test scores relate to socio-economic conditions of the area the school is based. You take the highest test-scorers from fallston or CMW and put them at aberdeen or edgewood and they would get the same scores. Like-wise for the lowest scorers.I knew many 1600 SAT students at Aberdeen. I’m sure there were 700 SAT students up north. Because of socio-economic factors, the percentage of high scores occur in the more affluent areas of the county. It has nothing to do with the capabilities of the teachers or administration.
Steve,
Thank you!
Mr. Yensan, the purpose of school is to teach basic skills, reading, math, science, history… which brings to mind the Constitution which allows each individual the right to freely express his/her opinion. Your diatribe against other speakers that have different views than yours diminishes the value of your opinions. Mr. Lyle states that he’s observed first hand the incidents he’s speaking about here. Mr. Teacherman states that he’s seen different sides of the schools here. As a parent of two students at AHS and at two at HTHS,as a former teacher, and as a formerly active PTA member, both gentlemen are stating the facts known to them and observed by them and me. Both are accurate. Both are stating the facts that there are both problems and successes in all of the schools. Both are factual. Your ranting does little but lower your blood pressure and raise mine. Please do not forget that most teachers in our schools do more than many parents do to enable our future citizens to exist. The facts that are taught are no longer just reading and writing and math, but the “global warming” , saving our earth, feel good, we all are winners philosophy that is promoted does little to prepare students for the real world that is ahead. Critical thinking and logic are lacking in many of our high school students. Many do not know how many states are in the US and who is our President or Governor of Md. Many do not know what town is the capital of MD, or why the term limits exist. However, ask many teen agers what SSI is or what music is playing or other “life” skills and you will see the results of 12 years of school. I get so angry with young teenaged girls that I meet with two or more infants and no marriage in sight. The results of Sex Education? I don’t think so. The premise that the military is the answer for our youth to learn self control is valid. The discipline they encounter is much more difficult than any that is provided either by their parents or the schools. The values that I as a child learned God, Family, Country are not something I want schools to teach…just to re-enforce. It is not the school staff usually, that is the issue. It is the lack of involvement by parents that is the issue. The lack of support by parents for the teachers is a problem. The lack of involvement of the parents within the community is the problem. I have heard folks call this the Y-Generation. Why ME? Why Not? Why can’t I? Why do I have to? This rant got a little long and I apologize, but I am sure that I am not alone in my frustration. Perhaps if each of us were a bit more involved with our families and our neighbors, and our community, there would be less need to vent. God bless, Pat
Don’t over-estimate HSA scores rising. Remember, the class of 2009 is the first class that needs them to graduate. Fear of not graduating is a fairly big motivator for kids who have figured out by middle school that MSAs and other standardized tests do nothing for them personally and the interest in doing well diminishes.
This thread was doing okay until you brought up test scores. The magic words TEST SCORES. I’ll go off on a tangent, maybe teacherman can chime in. An educator can educate a classroom of 20 students just as well as a classroom of 30 students however, I would agree with just about every parent and teacher out there that says smaller is better (class size that is…..oh yeah and Soloflex gym size too).
Before you all string Lyle up for picking on AHS (everyone knows the best drugs come from a private school and a school centralized further to the west), Lyle makes a point that applies to EVERY school………learning starts at home, parents have to teach self control, and educators need to have a safe environment to educate…….students should be able to learn in a safe and comfortable environment. The perception is often the opposite of reality (Teacherman can say Ding Ding) and it only takes a small percentage of incidents in OR around a school that will tag that school and AHS has fallen into the perceived catagory (Lyle can say Ding Ding now).
I feel for the children when it comes to overcrowding. I feel for the parents that donate more and more to stripped budgets, and I feel for the educators. This is where I go off on a tangent (something you all can go after the BOE, HCPS, and state on)……….I feel for the educators that no longer educate and are forced to teach……..that’s right teach, they teach what is on the achievement test and that’s it. They are not permitted to educate students. It’s more important to teach “A”, “A”, “D”, “True”, “True” than it is to apply simple lessons to the real world and real world situations. My children graduated several years back and you could see the downslide then. It wasn’t class size, it wasn’t an after-school nose punch, it wasn’t spiked hair……….it was the castration of educators and the stripping of their ability to educate and forcing them to teach the achievement tests.
Just like everything else, it’s all about the money these days. More money for this school because they passed achievement tests, more money for this administration because the students passed the achievement test, and more money for this county system or this state because every student learned the same exact test answer for a stupid achievement test…….but these kids can’t understand APR on a loan, can’t balance a check book, have no idea how to “look up” and “research” from a book, and think that stretch spelling on a job application is okay……….we won’t even get into basic human survival skills and common sense………we, as a society of tax payers, will will keep throwing money into the never ending bin that is the welfare system and the out of wedlock baby system………the fruits of the trees that were not educated but taught what was on the achievement test.
Now Dave, the whole racist comment, really now, not one mention of race in there, and I believe there are several pronounced white gang members that prance through here, and if you missed how i spelled out the original post as using Aberdeen as an example, and how that what goes on there isn’t a myth and is as recent as this past December, and if it doesn’t happen that often why does the School feel it necessary to have the militant Rapid Response Team in BDU’s at the games ? You are far over exaggerating what I wrote and again under stating what really goes on in schools, all schools.
As a matter of fact I’m glad you brought up Havre De Grace cause it was at the Aberdeen Havre De Grace that the girls broke out into a fight and they had police cars from havre de grace Harford County and Aberdeen cause of the unruly crowd that was there ,and the gang members were actively doing there gang signs, and at least three people got arrested that I could see. Oh and they all looked like kids, such great kids, and then there are all those kids standing around waiting for their parents ,which get pushed out by the cops and then are walking down through town with cops following them. Where are the parents, why is no one asking where the parents are, why is everything the systems fault. Except for Aberdeen which is so great they have to have a dozen cops that isn’t even enough to keep their sporting events incident free. Come But again my original post was miss read even after I spelled it out. Must be these are all Aberdeen graduates. But its not your fault, the system should have spent more money and fixed you. And I bet you will take that as a personal attack and not an attack on the system. Which is what my original post was about. Again. For like the third time.
Teacherman, really, again not acknowleging the problems, but at least you are a glass half full type, but ignoring the problems wont fix things. Mabey I should try and get the police reports from thso kids getting robbe, mabey i shoudl get the parents of the kids that got robbed and explain what kind of impact that had on thier kids. I willing to bet there is no all american feeling for Aberdeen or the School Officials. Why is it so hard for people to say there are problems,. and again you are trying to make it out like i was only bashing Aberdeen and not using it as an example, for the fourth time, Denial, I wonder what people were ignoring before columbine or any of the other school shootings, and with the ever increaing rate of incidents at schools, this is not a time for ignorance
RW, thanks for some reason they wont face the issues that the issues isn’t money but the underlying factors which ultimately fall on the parents and the school officials that govern the environments the kids are in, not cost per student. And the environment keeps going down cause certain people only choose to acknowledge the sunny side of everything. And Again Aberdeen is just an example.
and yes there are a milion gramical errors, but i dont want to spend all day on here i would like to get ot there and pay attention whats really going on in my community, not just the sunshine.
Hey I just figured out what is wrong with Tearcher he is on the wrong post, We will start a post for how great life is . That is almost a personal attack, Teacherman you must of missed the Heading, about what is wrong in the School system and not what is right. Dave that goes for you tooo, this post is to talk about what is wrong not what is right, unless you guys are saying there are no problems…. and the one comment about the president, Go MCain !!!!!
Back to the origin of the post, there are problems with the BOE, everyone seems to agree on that, My issue was with the example used. As for a way to better serve our students: give students and parents a voice in educational decisions made, allow teachers to teach and not become educational robots whose only objective is pass the test, remove the rules that make it difficult to remove the problem individuals and finally if you want to see change, get into a school and make a difference. Posting here will not make you an agent of change. On that note, I am going to go follow my advice, stop posting here and go make a difference in the lives of at least one student in the HCPS.
I have been following intently and I think the crux of the issue is that in this county those of us east of 95 are made to feel like a dumping ground for our problems when the same problems go on west of 95 and get ignored by the parents of the very individuals causing the problems! No community is perfect or immune to any problem. No one hides the problems but every fight or incident in a school does not warrant a alert now call or memo. It does not mean the problems are not being addressed. I would think if any school did call or write for everything they would not have time to address the problems. Being negative does not solve the problem.
Teacherman, that is much better, good post. CDEV my only argument to your post is the Schools need to take a more agressive aproach to the problems they do adress and it would cut down on the some of the other, bar known gang members and active prosecute them if they come back, have the SRO’s stop gang members from coming into school. More importantly start hounding the parents. And if it becomes clear that there isnt suppervision in a paticular student’s home life generate a progrmam to identify these kids and get them mre invoved in sports or other programs that reinforce decipline and not causing random acts of terror onthe comunity and disrupting the class room. Alternative ED only has so much room. NO they cant go after every problem, but if they have repeat problems or have an ongoing drug problem that they under play it will only show the students that its not really a problem and alow it to progress.
There is no real agressive anti drug policy, and i dont mean having educational meetings, I mean having the SRo’s knee deep in any student that drives onto school and any locker that gets a hit on by in the locker scans to keep an active contact so the kids are too scared to bring illegal drugs to school let alone sell them. And if the schools work with the parents develope an agressive program to go after definant kids that continue to doit when they get home. And then follow up by trying to get those kids involved in an activity that interset them to get their time away from the other influences. I shouldnt have to pull into a high school parking lot smelling marijuana and watching gangmembers flash signs
I shouldnt see girls ripping out their hair or hear about how you can get drugs in any school. Why is it so hard to stop drugs from coming into schools. There are only so many places on that property to hide drugs. And dont suspend the kids make them have to do so much after scholl work for the community they wont have time to go become repeat offenders. Again i just think they need more agressive programs, there are people far smarter than me running the schools and you cnat tell me with the resources of SRO’s, county police k-9 and the fact that the school is only so big that htey cant deter drugs from comming in, and if they had a program they carried those resources to parents then they couldnt put a damper in lil johnny’s want to sell drugs.
Being negative and discussing a problem are two differant things.