When does it get better?

Wasteful

Pretty pathetic numbers.

 

But rest assured,it will get better when the next school levy is passed. It always gets better with a levy.Levies fix everything.

That's right Hermes....more money = better results.......new schools = better results......changing supers = better results......passing levies = better results. We've been doing these things for many years. Have we seen better results? You be the judge. The school folks, each year, say that they are improving. Then, when the test scores are published, we all see the truth and know that we have been fooled again. Yet, we keep rewarding this by continually passing their levies. Historic performance and logic says not to keep funding this any longer. This school system is flat out not worth another dime until they make some major changes. The current programs have never been successful, yet, they never have made any significant changes. The last time this school system performed was in the 60's/70's. The 80's started the downward spiral to what it is today.

Ms. Andrew, you have been a participant on this forum. You have defended the school system against our comments in the past. How do you view this situation? Please explain to us why this performance continues to occur and what sweeping changes are being established to eliminate this consistent poor performance? Do you still think we taxpayers should be obligated to pass any future levies based on these results? Is this performance a bargain for the money we are giving to the schools? Thank you for any response in the future.

Vet, I did not see your post the first time around. At last night's school board meeting, we had a long discussion on the state report card results and what the district is doing to improve, including professional development to support the teachers' efforts to improve the quality of instruction. I suggest you try to catch a re-play on TV Middletown as there is much more detail discussed than I could repeat here.  The programs of the past few years have "clicked" at several buildings that moved up to Effective on the state report card; we need to keep that progress going and spread it to every building in the district.

Vet, physical discipline at public schools is against the law. Has been for years. I do agree, however, that we need to have very clear, consistent expectations as to behavior and very clear, consistent consequences for any failure to comply with those behavior expectations.

Im afraid the education in the city will never improve until some of the parents actualy start to care until then spending all the money in the world wont make a difference.

Well, we have some more results from the schools in the Journal today....


“We should see progress as we go along,” Carter said. “This helps us make adjustments along the way.”
- Betsy Carter- SENIOR DIErector of Learning


“We know where our kids need help,” said Debbie Alberico, district spokeswoman, who added that the district hopes a new math program in place at the elementary level begins to raise the district’s commonly low math scores.

The program, called Investigations in Time and Space, encourages student participation by playing an assortment of games, often in small groups. How about that, another program to try and with games included!

Twenty-thirty years now, working on improving the learning process from when the problems first started back in the 70's-80's?

And on and on it goes........

I put 80% of the responsibility on parents and students.

Alrighty then! Nice shot Bill on the "according to some on this board, that is a bunch of hooey" comment. Question on accountability.....exactly what is the criteria for holding the teachers, administrators and the parents accountable and how long should we wait for the accountability thing to kick in for producing improved results? Ten more years? Twenty more maybe? What will it take for people to see that the system in place and the effort put forward ain't cuttin' it in the Midd. school system? If the difference in receiving a decent education is indeed the students and their parents and home life, how long do we wait to see the schools, the courts, teh parents, the parent's employers and the lawmakers all get together to act on this acknowledged denier of a kid getting an education? Or do we just keep it business as usual with the continued poor results, continued non-accountability of both the school personnel, the parents and the lack of involvement from the courts? What's the answer in your opinion?

OK Vet---accountability is there now and has always been there. It would be so simple if accountability meant better results. Our schools mirror our community, state and nation. We have a low-income, blue collar to no-collar community now. The good ole days that we all loved so much are gone forever. We are in a different world now, like it or not.

Bill says, "don't have all the answers but I think criticizing a district for not generating the same performance numbers as affluent districts is a flawed game". What???? Where did I say that I wouldn't accept any other performance than the ones in the affluent districts, Bill. Re-read my post. You are interjecting crap into my post that isn't there! I have in the past and am currently asking for the Middletown school district to make some progress in a reasonable amount of time.---THAT'S ALL. Look at the indicators----5 out of 30 for how many years Bill. Mercy!!! I am not asking for a Mason, West Chester, or Springboro school system and the achievements that they have had. I am asking for the school system to NOT TAKE 10 years to move from 5 of 30 indicators to 6 of 30. They have been spinning their wheels far too long despite new elementary schools being built which they said would improve results, and endless number of "new and improved" programs that are suppose to stimulate upward results, changing new superintendents BEFORE RASMUSSEN (so as to give the new guy a chance as you wish) and a multitude of other attempts to raise the performance. Yet, we keep giving them good money to follow bad invested for what- more of the same-year after year? Sorry, I don't agree with the constant excuses used by you and other school supporters, year after year. Hell, you're all like the Bengal fans. You pray and hope that next year will be successful and making excuses when they find out it was another bust on the football season.

Spider- if the problem is low income, poor, and the stereotyped phrases that are associated with these people, (no involvement in the educational process happens), why is the city doing everything in it's power to create that same atmosphere right here in this town? And why hasn't the school district marched into city hall and put up some meaningful resistance to the town that is acquiring so many poor, low income residents? I haven't heard much outcry from the school people about all the Section 8. Some token complaints at Highview Elementary when council and the school board "faced off" for dual meetings that evening.

Are you willing to dismiss the "stuck on 5 of 30 indicators" thing? Are you willing to dismiss the ever present basement status on every proficiency test category when compared to surrounding districts- RICH AND POOR? How do you feel about that?

It's a "different world", as you all say it is, is not entirely true. There are the same discipline problems in school today as in the past. Just no corporal punishment program anymore to deal with it. The SCHOOLS decided to remove that segment of the discipline ladder. Now, it's a cake and ice cream world and the troublemakers laugh at the authority figures in the schools now. They didn't dare laugh in the past. Sometimes life is made too easy for the young people. Not doing them any favors later on in life when it chews them up and spits them out.

Glad that you enjoyed your time at one of the elementary schools. Nice report regarding all the wonderful things that are being accomplished. As a taxpayer, with limited interaction with the schools, all I see is the bottom line....the test scores when they are reported. They never improve- they never approach an "average" level of expectations. They always disappoint, especially when considering the amount of money that is being pumped into this bottomless pit.

Yeah, I know the facilities are excellent. State of the art. The 45 million dollar bond from the taxpayers made that happen. And what have we gotten for our money to date? Tell me again? Price's golden elixir selling the fools that new schools translated into improved performance because "kids can learn better in newer surroundings" -Yeah right!

If the truant officer is overwhelmed, perhaps we could get rid of the school spokeswoman and get us another truant officer and put the salary money to better use.



You, Bill, Smartman and other school supporters are willing to keep rowing the oars in the leaking ship as it's sinking. I'm not willing to be as supportive and am tired of waiting and tired of hearing all the excuses/buzzwords in the world as to why it didn't happen again this year. I'm out of patience. It's been thirty years of mediocrity at best.

Spider- you are an employer (taxpayer). What happens to the employee (school personnel) who has been given chances time and time again to improve because the employer has listened to the hard luck stories the employee has told each time and for many years? Do you keep giving them a chance by assigning a drop dead date to change or else, do you terminate them for repeated poor performance after hearing the same old crap time and time again, or do you keep 'em on hoping against hope that they will change and living with the same results when performance appraisal time come around? To date, that is exactly what we are doing with this school system. JMO