In case you have not had the opportunity to review the cabinet notes I distributed yesterday, I want to ensure that you are aware of the upcoming meeting of the Concerned Citizens Group. I have been invited to speak to this group on Thursday, September 3, at 7:00 p.m. in the media center at Statesville High School.
It has come to my attention that some staff members report that they would like to attend, but are afraid that the district would look unfavorably on this. I have been told that some staff feel as though the administration is against them.
While I do not want to give the impression that I am recruiting members for this, or any other community group, I likewise do not want anyone to get the impression that I am against them or that I would retaliate against citizens for expressing their viewpoints.
Please let your staff know that in our school system, all staff members are free to exercise their right of affiliation and openly express their freedom of speech without fear of reprisal.
Thanks,
Brady Johnson
Interim Superintendent
Iredell-Statesville Schools
I hope that the principals at other I-SS schools are also forwarding the e-mail to their staff as well.
No notice given at Cloverleaf!
ReplyDeleteNCAE member let our school know about today's meeting.
ReplyDeleteHarmony School
Thank you.
What's the point? We're going to hear they are "trimming the sails". All that has been trimmed are TAs and supplies. There has been MORE baldridge than ever in our school as we now have to do two PDSAs instead of one, bigger class sizes, more financial waste at CO...why go and listen to more of the propoganda they want to sell us? We know what's really going on. Actions speak louder then words....start trimming something other than needed resources, then I'll listen.
ReplyDeleteAmazing how some people will buy anything that is sold to them isn't it? If Brady Johnson wanted the staff to know about this meeting and his feelings about it, he could have very easily sent it to everyone. He choose not to do so, but put the principal as middleman. Perhaps it speaks louder that not all principals forwarded this email. District is never in the school, and if your principal, your evaluator, is going to use it against you, know that district or the BOE will never support a teacher over a principal.
ReplyDeleteAnother disingenuous way to appease Mr. Klaene.
How true 5:51!
ReplyDeletePolitics as usual! Teachers need to understand the politics of their careers all the way from D.C. to Raleigh to little Iredell County. Organizing and voting can change things sometimes. It takes money! Needless to say, teachers do not usually have big pockets.
ReplyDeleteHave to agree with September 3, 2009 5:51 PM
ReplyDeleteIf Brady Johnson had TRULY wanted to let the faculties and staffs of schools know about the meeting tonight, he would have emailed them directly. Superintendents do it all the time. He didn't, and that speaks volumes
As a previous poster said, I see no real sign of change...
Baldrige is still dominating students' and teachers' lives.
How much lower can morale go?
Totally agree with 5:51pm. The word could have been put out with one click on the keyboard. Hope that Brady will read this and respond to the posts. Apparantly, only some "stakeholders" are encouraged to speak out...or are they afraid of what they might hear?
ReplyDeleteThey already know what they will hear? But, it needs to get louder and louder.
ReplyDeleteThe stakeholders need a voice and a true teacher's survey. The BOE needs to do it and not Brady since he knows he is only temporary.
ReplyDeleteGet with it. There is still entirely too much paperwork in the classroom. It will eventually erode everything that has been done. You cannot expect to pile more work on and continue to get the same high performing schools. It is time for the teachers to quit being afaid and go to more board meetings and really voice our opinions. Politics do run the world or do they ruin the world?
"afraid "spelled incorrectly. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteI was so happy to see a number of teachers at the meeting last night. They showed courage by coming and speaking out. Brady spoke about a on-line survey that would go out to staff and parents about what they want in a new superintendent. He shared with us the results of the principal survey of all things Baldrige. He was asked by several in attendance to send it to the staff or better still come and speak to the staff with out principals present. He seemed to agree to one or the other. I think that change is coming but it is going to be up to the teachers and other staff to let him know when things are getting out of hand.
ReplyDeleteIt is getting out of hand when we have two PDSAs to do, keep up with an L to J graphing (3 to do) and learn a new math book that is entirely to easy right now for my students, but the teacher has to learn about it too, and what to do. We have two Scots Foresman books(math and reading) but are limited on what to copy. Had to grade two baseline tests(reading and math) and bubble sheets for 22 students. None of this takes any time out of instructional time, because most of us stay after school and do it. We are at the school early and leave late. We met at PLC and had to get our math and reading essentials ready. Our strategic goal was done but it may change after data comes back. Our mission statements are done. Our PDSA board is ready.Noone understands what K-2 is really all about. Still have state assessments to do. Now when can I teach? We just keep doing it.
ReplyDeletePerhaps your IF could stay at school instead of attending an all day meeting to help bubble, oops that isn't part of the contract they signed. As a teacher, we should have a contract that states what the admin can require of us. Why do IFs have a contract which states ONLY what they can be asked to do???
ReplyDeleteSeptember 6, 2009 7:21 PM :
ReplyDeleteI am in total agreement...while what is expected of teachers seems to be never-endingly open-ended, the IF's are getting more for doing less.
Perhaps that is why IFs left the classroom. Entirely too much work if one stays in the classroom and it keeps on growing. Our paper shortage comes from doing a PDSA form every week, just multiply 4 to 8 pages (depends on if you are doing 1 PDSA or 2 PDSAs) by every classroom teacher in ISS schools, and just see how much our green environment is being screwed. PDSAs should not be done during testing weeks(CFAs, PAs, or EOGs,EOCs, exaMS, ETC.) or K-2 DRAS, ETC. Overkill is overkill.
ReplyDelete