Grand Rapids Public Schools Superintendent Bernard Taylor has finally released the enrollment figure for the new school year. Almost all of the other public school districts in the state released their figures last month. Taylor embargoed the figure for the GRPS without much explanation, although there really wasn't much doubt why. After Taylor's media blitz to support spending on new consultants, new programs, and new schools to bring back students to the declining school district, not only were this year's losses in enrollment not stemmed, they were greater than last year's.
Nothing but whistling past the graveyard, making a show of what's new and glitzy while ignoring the fundamental problems destroying the school district. Now the official enrollment figure proves it. The number of students attending Grand Rapids public schools this year is just above 20,000. That's a loss of 880 students and about $1.27 million in state taxpayer subsidies for the district. This compares to a loss of 745 students in 2006 and 902 in 2005, which are merely part of a decade-long 25% decline in enrollment. Keep in mind that the losses in those years were not mitigated by Taylor's newly implemented Iron Curtain forcing students exiting charter schools to attend city high schools. Otherwise this year's enrollment loss would have probably exceeded one thousand students.
The school district's official line is that the bad economy is driving families out of Michigan and so students from the Grand Rapids public schools. But I don't think there has been a four percent decline in the city's population over the past summer to match the decline in enrollment. Plus, most of the enrollment losses show up in the elementary schools, not spread out across all grades as would be expected from a general loss of population in the region. Nor are the enrollment figures for other school districts and charter schools consistent with this explanation.
It's true that many breadwinners have left the local area to earn a living elsewhere. Their families have not necessarily followed. And school districts even in the worst hit regions of the state have increased enrollment. So the "bad economy" excuse does not wash. If it did, then the Grand Rapids public schools should have stemmed the enrollment decline by picking up students from families whose stretched budgets can no longer cover parochial or private school tuition. That didn't happen. What did happen is that parents continued to be disgusted with city school officials who won't maintain discipline (here and here), won't enforce basic standards of decency (here and here), think the school district exists for the benefit of those drawing a paycheck from it (here, here, and here), and have nothing but contempt for those who don't want to put their in kids in a rotting system (here).
That last point is important. We can all agree that school board members who call dissenting parents racists or tell them to get the hell of the city if they don't want their kids in the Grand Rapids public schools are a part of the fundamental problem with the district. But consider Superintendent Bernard Taylor's performance in the recent textbook controversy. There was strong objection from the community to a high school textbook laced with obscenities. Taylor thought the book was fine and should be used unaltered. Then he pressed the school board to make a quick decision on it and sweep the matter under the rug. Just who does Taylor think is fleeing his school district? Students with parents who are against obscenity in the classroom or those with parents who don't?
Of course, it is mostly the former. Taylor is either contemptuous of the families he wants to bring back into the school district or he is completely clueless as to what is ticking them off. Either way he is not the man for the job, and keeping the lid of bad news like the big decline in enrollment only delays the day of reckoning.
Hey School Board!
I still live in Grand Rapids and my kids go to another district. We did not leave because of the economy, we left because of poor decisions that go right to the top. YES THIS MEANS YOU!
Posted by: Mr.Smith | October 22, 2007 at 07:32 AM
Speaking of the School Board, Mr. Smith - What a disappointing group of people turned out to become a member of this horrible, dysfunctional board! A PhD professor from Ferris (who actually moved TO GR and avoided the burbs to have his children go to school in Grand Rapids), a couple of professional women who actually have children enrolled in GRPS (GASP!!), a community organizer...yes, it's obvious that no one of Mr. LAW's caliber was interested in this horrendous job. I mean, after all, he DOES run Local Area Watch, and by doing so, contributes SO much back to the community.
Here is some positive news about Grand Rapids Schools that Mr. LAW would never report on his oh-so negative blog....
Field now 5 for Grand Rapids school board seat
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
By Dave Murray
The Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- Two educators, two health professionals and a community
organizer are finalists for a vacant spot on the Grand Rapids Board of
Education.
Members on Monday said they were looking for someone who could serve as
a teammate and understands the board's role as they narrowed a field of
16 candidates to fill the seat vacated by Jim Rinck.
The board plans to interview applicants and select the new member
Monday.
"I'm excited because I think we have some excellent people to choose
from," said the Rev. Kenneth Hoskins, the board's president. "We have
people here from all walks of life. I think they see some of the things
we have going on here in the schools, and they want to be a part of it."
Hoskins asked each member -- Arnie Smithalexander was absent -- to list
the five applicants they wanted to interview.
All members wanted Senita Thompson Lenear, an executive with Blue Cross
Blue Shield/Blue Care Network, and five wanted Anthony Baker, a Ferris
State University sociology professor.
Spectrum Health administrator Jane Gietzen and community organizer
Corinne Thomasma each had four votes.
The last spot went to Stephan Seward, a Cedar Springs school
administrator, who initially was tied with Tracey Brame, a law
professor.
Baker, 44, is founder and director of Ferris' Community Studies
Institute.
In a letter to board members, Baker said he chose to stay in Grand
Rapids even after receiving a tenure-track job at Ferris, and enrolled
his children in the Montessori schools.
"I did this despite numerous pleas from friends and colleagues to move
to the suburbs or nearby small towns," he wrote. "I knew and still know
that quality education is available in the city and that the same
opportunities for learning in the GRPS are not available in the
suburbs."
Gietzen, 46, is Spectrum's director of internal services, overseeing
technology and information systems. The mother of two elementary
students sees serving on the board as an extension of her previous work
with the district.
Gietzen has served on teams that planned the successful 2004 tax
request to replace and renovate schools.
Lenear, 35, is senior partner for human resources for the insurance
company. She has a daughter attending the Montessori program and is on
the board for the Grand Rapids Student Advancement Foundation, which
raises money to support the city schools.
"I've always had a passion for education and, in the past, I had some
time-commitment issues," she said. "My schedule has changed and, now, I
can use that passion to help the schools."
Seward, 33, is a literacy and teacher consultant for the Cedar Springs
schools. He taught in East Grand Rapids and Thornapple Kellogg before
this year accepting the post in Cedar Springs, where he works with other
faculty members to study how children learn and to improve teaching
methods.
Seward said he has viewed education from the classroom and
administrative perspectives and believes his experience will serve the
school board well.
Thomasma, 26, is the crime prevention officer with the South West Area
Neighbors and recently received her master's degree in public
administration.
She served three years as a youth specialist with the Ottawa County
Juvenile Detention Department and has studied social work.
"I think neighborhoods and schools play off each other," she said.
"If you don't have good schools, people won't come and live in the
neighborhood," she said. "We need to have both strong neighborhoods and
schools for the city to thrive."
Posted by: another LAW fan club member | October 23, 2007 at 07:42 PM
Mr Tingley,
Please allow this to post as a balance to the other points of view-Thanks:
GRPress - 10/19/07
GRAND RAPIDS: Four Brookside Elementary School students were named Great Lakes Scholars, the only Grand Rapids Public Schools students selected. Alejandro Hurtado, Lysa Nguyn, Muslima Mohamed Sheikh and Jesus Tenorio were tapped because they excel academically and are well-rounded. They joined 6,300 others in third through eighth grades selected from Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Minnesota. More than 2,400 teachers nominated students who have at least a B average, are involved with extracurricular activities or church groups and do community service projects.
Posted by: Frank | October 23, 2007 at 07:46 PM
Mr Tingley, please humor me. This is a positive I would like to share:
What's Up Doc - Rapid Growth Media - 10/18/07
http://www.rapidgrowthmedia.com/features/grps7507.aspx
By: Keasha Palmer
October 18, 2007
To look at 17-year old Tarrick Mussa, you’d expect him to be up on
the latest hip hop lyrics. So it’s quite a shock to hear him throw out
terms such as “immunofluorescence” and “osteosarcoma.”
But that’s the lingo this Creston High School senior used last August
when he got up in front of a room full of doctors and educators to
present his findings on a research project he’d been working on all
summer at the Van Andel Institute called, “Using Tissue Microarrays to
Study Melanoma.”
Tarrick was one of four students who interned at the VAI research labs
this year working alongside seasoned physicians and other medical
professionals. Others in the program included Jennifer Vogel, whose
presentation was titled “The Search for the Elusive, Universal Met
Antibody,” and Aleesa Schlientz and Bryan Mendez, who co-presented
their findings on “Tissue Microarrays in Cancer Research.”
It’s all part of a unique – and very cool – program that gives
Grand Rapids Public School students real world working experience to
help prepare them for careers in specific fields – in this case,
biomedicine.
A Measurably Successful Program
Started by Davenport University 10 years ago, Grand Rapids Area
Pre-College Engineering Program (GRAPCEP) has grown to serve about 2,500
middle and high school students in the school district, most of whom are
low-income and ethnic minorities. Career pathway programs, called
“small schools,” are offered at high schools throughout the city
and range from performing arts to business to engineering and science,
which is the one offered at Creston.
“I decided I wanted to go into the medical field and thought this
would be a really good opportunity to meet people who work at Van Andel
and learn from them," Jennifer Vogel says. "So I applied and got the
internship.”
It’s a big commitment for these high schoolers, requiring special
training (seven weeks, on Saturday mornings) in addition to the
accelerated classes they take at the GRAPCEP School at Creston. They
began their eight-week internships after the school year ended. They not
only gleaned experience, they were each paid $2,500 for their work
courtesy of a special grant from the Schering Plough company.
The GRAPCEP engineering and sciences program has been incredibly
successful, with only one dropout in its nine year history. Of the 413
students GRAPCEP that staff and mentors have followed through college
and early careers, 204 have graduated and 157 are still in contact with
the program’s staff. Of those still in touch, 99 percent are enrolled
in college or have graduated; 56 majoring in a science technology,
engineering or mathematics specialty.
“Much of the success is due to government, business and philanthropic
leaders working together to say, ‘How can we improve our quality of
life, our economy, our work force?’” says John Helmholdt,
communications director for Grand Rapids Public Schools “These
business leaders who are partnering with Davenport and GRPS are giving
these students real world experiences that can ultimately lead to that
student’s career success.”
Inspiring Young Talent
Emmanuel Armstrong, the dean of students at the GRAPCEP School of
Creston, is a prime example of that success. He himself participated in
a similar program when he was growing up in Detroit.
“It gives students the study skills, the discipline and character
development they’ll need later in life,” he says of their
experiences both in school and in the workplace. “Another great thing
about it is that we have a very high level of parent involvement;
they’re very interested in what their kids are doing. It’s just a
wonderful program all the way around.”
“It’s pretty amazing when you think we’ve got kids from the
public schools who are studying with some of the foremost cancer
research specialists in the world,” Helmholdt adds. “And it’s
happening right here in Grand Rapids. That’s really exciting and
that’s part of what makes this community so great.”
GRPS Superintendent Bernard Taylor says the GRAPCEP program is a great
example of what can happen when private and public enterprises join
hands. ”It shows what we can accomplish when we take the time and
invest in young people consistently and over the long haul,” Dr.
Taylor says. “We have this successful model right in front of us, and
it’s working within the traditional public schools; you don’t have
to create a whole new milieu of services. The key lesson is the desire
to partner.”
In addition to Davenport, the VAI partnership also includes Grand
Valley State University professors who consulted with the institute to
help develop study curriculums, which also includes training for the
teachers who will be preparing students for internships.
All that preparation pays off, says VAI Distinguished Investigator and
Deputy Director James H. Resau, adding that the interns they get are top
notch. “They could compete successfully with any students in the
country.”
As for Tarrick Mussa, he says his experience provided the head start he
needed. “When I first came (to VAI) I couldn’t even understand what
the doctors were talking about,” he says. “But they were very kind
and patient and answered all our questions. Having the opportunity to be
in a real medical environment has opened new doors for me. I always
wanted to be a doctor. I know now that I can do it.”
Posted by: Frank | October 23, 2007 at 07:48 PM
Hello, Frank.
First of all, let's congratulate the four youngsters at Brookside Elementary for the honors they have received. Let's also give Tarrick and his fellow students the thumb's up for their pursuit of excellence.
Second, let's give these kids and their parents the credit for these accomplishments. They took advantage of the resources available through the public school system and ran with it.
Third, let's keep in mind that it would be odd if an urban school district the size of G.R.'s didn't have programs like GRAPCEP. So, let's not diminish the credit these kids deserve when Superintendent Taylor uses their achievements in his P.R. campaign to gloss over the GRPS's serious problems.
Fourth, let's ask a necessary question: Just how hard is it for teachers and administers to help kids excel who already have the talent, smarts, and ambition to do so? Should we be impressed with the fact that the GRPS has sent 413 students through GRAPCEP over the past NINE years? That works out to about 1% of the student population in that program at any given time.
So what about the other 99%? How many more of them should the school district be enrolling in GRAPCEP or preparing them for it when they are old enough? And what about those kids who excel in ways that don't require a college track? Where is the vocational equivalent of GRAPCEP?
I'm impressed with the kids, not with the school district trying to shine in their reflected glory.
Regards, Bill
Posted by: The Executive Director | October 24, 2007 at 11:24 AM
Hey Frank, I don't know if I accept Mr. LAW's assertion that anything bad in the Grand Rapids Schools is the fault of a tyrant superintendent, incompetent administrators, and a bunch of losers serving on the board of ed, but anything good is completely out of the control of this same school district run by this same incompetent bunch of people. I mean, he never has one single positive thing to say about the city schools...ever. When positive news comes out (but NOT on his website, of course), he explains it away with his twisted form of logic (and let's not forget those big words he loves so much.) Mr. LAW simply has a strong bias against Grand Rapids Schools, along with lots of other stuff, plain and simple.
Here is yet another positive GRPS story that you would never otherwise find on Local Area Watch. And I'm sure this one has something to do with all the starts aligning properly, or maybe a full moon, but of course has absolutely nothing to do with a deserving, well-run district.
Grants designed to help freshmen
Friday, October 19, 2007
By Dave Murray
The Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- Two Grand Rapids high schools are getting $1.2 million grants from the federal government to help improve the way freshmen are taught.
Creston and Union high schools are two of 38 schools nationwide to be awarded a smaller learning communities grant from the U.S. Education Department.
James Harris, Grand Rapids' executive director for high schools, said each school will get about $200,000 a year for five years, with money spent on training for teachers and staff as well as specialists to evaluate the programs and seek ways to improve them.
"The idea is that if we can get the ninth-graders off to a good start, we can improve the graduation rate," Harris said. "I think, nationwide, we're starting to see a high degree of attention to those early high school grades."
Each of the city's high schools divide freshmen into "ninth-grade academies," which are intended to build relationships between teachers and groups of students.
The academies then feed into small schools-within-schools that are based around careers, such as Creston's School of Engineering & Biomedical Research and Union's School of Arts, Communications and Entertainment.
Harris said the idea is to apply what is learned through the grant at the city's Central and Ottawa Hills high schools, as well as in the upper grades in all four buildings.
The city schools applied for the money as part of a consortium that includes two schools in Traverse City, one in Muskegon and one in Marquette.
The grant was available nationwide to any high school with at least 1,000 students.
The six schools will work together, assisted by the Michigan Coalition of Essential Schools -- part of a national reform network -- and Michigan State University.
Posted by: LAW fan club member | October 24, 2007 at 03:57 PM
Hello Mr. LAW Fan Club Member,
We never said we were in the blog business to spread good cheer. In our 6-7+ year history, we have had plenty of positive articles that have been posted. Clearly, you are new to our site. Feel free to scroll back into previous weeks, months and years for a complete feel for our site. We call out good news when we see it and it's worth commenting upon. We call out bad as well. We aren't the 11 o'clock news ready to spread perky stories about Miranda's Park Parties - that's for them to cover. We try to angle on that which the main stream press or news have chosen to address little or not at all.
In the school district Press piece above it says, "Two Grand Rapids high schools are getting $1.2 million grants from the federal government to help improve the way freshmen are taught...The money spent on training for teachers and staff as well as specialists to evaluate the programs and seek ways to improve them...The idea is that if we can get the ninth-graders off to a good start, we can improve the graduation rate."
This is positive news?
This is earth shattering?
Call me crazy, but isn't our tax dollars already going toward improving the way students are taught K-12? Let me see if I get this piece straight, pump another 1.2 mill into the system and voila' we are now teaching better, kids are graduating at higher numbers, we have solved the problem? Hmmm...more money, more money, more money and still not addressing the real issues like;
gangs
drugs
lack of student discipline
unsafe environments
uninvolved parents (broken homes as well)
and so on
Some things money can't fix. Good leadership and good parenting can. Too bad this 1.2 million dollar grant doesn't address those things I just listed above that really make a difference in the school and the classroom. If they had, the feel good aspect of this Press piece wouldn't wear off in only a few seconds like it did when one actually read it and understood its implications.
Regards,
Posted by: Bridget Dupont-Tingley, Editor, L.A.W. | October 24, 2007 at 04:52 PM
LAW Fan Club Member:
As Bridget rightfully points out,
gangs
drugs
lack of student discipline
unsafe environments
uninvolved parents (broken homes as well)
and so on
Here are some to add to the so on:
* people promoted to positions that shouldn't be in those positions.
* inability to retain talent, say someone like Jim Nicollette, or Connie Collins.
* that whole fighting at the bus terminal issue, oh did I read that in the GR PRESS?
* And by the way why do our students have to ride the city bus, oh thats right, it's about the bottom line!
* have you ever driven down Plainfield when school is letting out/in. Now that is an impressive and polite group, NOT!
But, I had hardly finished when I signed off the other day to make an appointment, accept my apology as here is something else for you to have a tizzy over.
There are too many people in the world today that are politically correct, always telling me it is just raining on my head, and look at the pretty rainbow. Hardly anyone has time to pay attention or tell it like it is. I applaud Bill and Bridget for their efforts.
And by the way I have met Dave Murray, and he is a good story writer, and to his credit he does report well....
Posted by: Mr.Smith | October 24, 2007 at 05:56 PM
Hello Mr. Smith,
Thank you for adding to our list of concerns regarding the serious drawbacks not being addressed within the GRPS. Clearly, the five extra points you made are important ones and excellent to note. I'm sure each of our readers could add one or two additional comments as well and the list would keep going on and on. The sad reality is the pros are far outweighed by the cons.
As for Dave Murray of the Press, he is not someone I have met or done business with at this time. My critique of his article is not about him personally. His article was fine and I don't have any beef with his professional abilities. My opinion was driven by the quotes from the school district officials and for the content of the grant itself. If one reads between the heady 1.2 million dollar grant tag line...you will see continued money being pumped into a school district that continues business same as usual. The stripes on the zerbra have not changed if you will. The district is not revamping itself from top to bottom and start to finish. It's simply another example of same in, same out. Until they address the serious issues we brought up and you added to, nothing is going to change because a few more bucks hit the ledgers.
Chances are LAW Fan Club Member is a city school insider placing the positive spin on the district to keep from getting negative press. We post all comments unless automated span, advertisements for products/websites and if the language is clean and appropriate for readers of all ages. So, if someone wants to spin their end, we let then. It's up to us and our regular readers to shine the light of the truth on what is "really going on" not what the schools want peope to "think is going on".
You are spot on about being surrounded by those in a politically correct world. We are not politically correct, never claimed to be. We choose to tackle topics, groups, and people that aren't always easy to spotlight. We often venture into areas that the main stream media are afraid to tackle, refuse to tackle or intentionally spin the other way because of loyalties or friendship with certain groups or people. We have always made clear we are here to expose those engaging in fraud, unethical/immoral behavior or actions and violators of the public trust - be them attorneys, judges, city officials, businesses or investors, the GRPS and more. This of course exposes us in turn to negative accusations, rude insinuations and nasty finger pointing. But, we do what we must because we feel strongly that our motto is something we should all live by: MOTTO: Qui male agit odit lucem - "He who does evil despises the light."
One reader recently felt that if we speak out that means we must sit on the school board, run and occupy political office or hold similar public office in order to have a voice. Au contraire. We feel strongly we can each have a thought, idea and voice without being an office holder. Most of us indeed will fill that last category and still be important in our own way. The key is action - in whatever way each of us can do it. We note in our LAW site the following:
Every so often we like to give our readers suggestions as to how they can help us in our mission to keep accountable to us those people and organizations who claim a public trust.
First of all, your feedback is important. If you know more about a story we have posted or a way we can get the government to work better or need to tell how we got things right or wrong, give us your feedback by clicking on the "comments" button at the end of the relevant article.
Second, let us know about problems you have encountered with the government, schools, media, hospitals, etc. Make a comment to the appropriate article or e-mail us at info@localareawatch.org.
Third, contact the official responsible for a problem we have written about. A relatively small number of concerned citizens can make a difference in Grand Rapids, if our elected officials hear from us. To facilitate this, we periodically post the e-mail addresses of public officials and others, like this. So keep an eye out for this information. Otherwise, send us an e-mail about the person you want to contact, and we'll send you the contact info.
Fourth, get the word out about us. We are unique in the Grand Rapids area. No one else is casting the critical eye we do and then reporting what we learn to the public. Tell your family, friends, and co-workers to check out our website. Also, if you have your own website or blog, we always appreciate a link to us.
Finally, if you can spare the time, let us know if you can volunteer to help out with our projects.
As always, thank you for visiting our website and taking the time to learn about how business really gets done in River City.
Thanks for your input Mr. Smith - it's part of the action program!
Regards,
Posted by: Bridget Dupont-Tingley, Editor @ L.A.W. | October 25, 2007 at 09:25 AM
Dave Murray has an interesting article in yesterday's paper (10-28-07). The issues sound familiar, of course someone levels that the Union President is just trying to make a name for himself. I don't think that is the case.
Posted by: Mr.Smith | October 29, 2007 at 07:43 AM
So, what percentage of GRPS students read at grade level? Last time I checked, something like 30%. What percentage graduate? Last time I checked, something like 53%. Awesome!
Posted by: Joe | October 29, 2007 at 11:02 AM
This all makes the Johns Hopkins study that just dropped a little anti-climactic, doesn't it? I mean, what did they expect?
--Nick
www.RightMichigan.com
Posted by: Nick | October 30, 2007 at 02:23 PM
Hello Nick,
The spin masters were at work first thing this morning. GRPS and Super Taylor were hard at work advising the public that the John Hopkins study was "flawed". That the stats didn't factor in properly students who left for Charter Schools, Christian Schools and the like. They spent more time explaining why the data didn't jive for them versus what is actually wrong with the district as a whole. They did however admit at the end of the statement that they do need to do a better job over-all (hurray for reality even if late).
Sadly, only City High didn't fall into the dropout school stats like all the rest of GRPS High Schools did. So, a tiny victory in a sea of problems.
The study was important only in that it supports what many of us have been saying for a long time without being heard.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Regards,
Posted by: Bridget Dupont-Tingley, Editor, L.A.W. | October 30, 2007 at 05:59 PM
So let me understand this, our highschoolers are dropping out and not graduating at an alarming rate. No one gave the correct variables to factor for the study. We pay Super Taylor to be accountable for what?. In Fact didn't the School Board entice him here, even though he was looking for work while unemployed, with more than what we were paying Bleke. So here are some thoughts:
Just exactly who should be held harmed for this mistake?
Spin Doctor Says: John Hopkins
Mr. Smith says: Mr. Taylor, and other responsible persons.
Perhaps Principals, Asst. Supers, and Mr. Taylor should be on a pay for performance standard. For instance, your school has a drop out rate of 40%, then proportionately your pay is adjusted...... less 40%
Posted by: Mr.Smith | October 31, 2007 at 08:25 AM
Hello Mr. Smith,
Wouldn't that be a wake up call. Performance based pay. Kind of like the rest of the workforce deals with yearly when reviews are done and pay adjusted up, down or stays the same. The teachers union would never go for such a thing. The teachers and administrators themselves would never go for such a thing. Most of these groups refuse to even do continuing education and testing to verify their on-going knowledge and abilities on a regular basis.
Clearly they believe it's best everyone continues to shift the blame that way nothing really gets accomplished. Excuses rule the day and that way more money can be requested to "fix" the problem.
More money hasn't worked.
More excuses hasn't worked.
Challenging supposedly flawed studies hasn't worked.
It's time the district addressed the real problems we have discussed earlier at this site but, don't hold your breath for a quick fix at least not under this Super or this School Board. Just look at the status quo they preserved by the group they considered on the board for the open slot. Same backgrounds. Same political stance. Same educational tunnel vision. Same ole', same ole'. A cheerleader for the team, not a much needed revolutionary.
Thanks for caring about the issues and reading our site.
Regards,
Posted by: Bridget Dupont-Tingley, Editor, L.A.W. | October 31, 2007 at 12:04 PM
On the topic of classics, recall Roosevelt's classic speech; especially this part:
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
-Ryan
Posted by: Ryan | October 31, 2007 at 03:26 PM
Just saw on the news web site that Susan Ford is visiting the newly built GR Ford school. Isn't that the place that a teacher was battered by a student?
Posted by: Mr.Smith | October 31, 2007 at 03:30 PM
Hi, Ryan.
Yes, of course. The "doer of deeds" being the taxpayer who works hard to put food on the table for his family, while still paying his critics, like the school superintendent and the board members, who berate him for not giving them more money to fund further failure. Of course, for the educrats their failures are merely successes postponed. Talk about those who "neither know victory nor defeat".
Regards,
Bill Tingley
Executive Director, L.A.W.
Posted by: The Executive Director | October 31, 2007 at 05:17 PM
Bill,
In case you missed it, my criticism was aimed directly at you.
Good job trying to change the subject though.
-Ryan
Posted by: Ryan | October 31, 2007 at 06:48 PM
Hello Ryan,
Each of us are both creators of things on earth and critics of that which we do. Sometimes we wear the hat of a creator. Other times a critic. Sometimes at others, sometimes at ourselves. It's all a part of the human condition. For those of us who believe in a higher power, we wear both hats with humility, dignity and respect as we know our roles here on earth are small and limited.
Only one holds the title of Creator of Heaven and Earth and all that is seen and unseen.
Regards,
Posted by: Bridget Dupont-Tingley, Editor, L.A.W. | November 01, 2007 at 08:40 AM
Hey Ryan,
Just to let you know, I was in the Ring, as a PTA president. Trying to make a difference, with the support of many teachers and parents, went no where. We got PC speeches, and hollow promises. So you are informed, I can rightfully be a critic, not only as a former President, but as a dis-enchanted citizen of Grand Rapids, as a parent who has had to make the concession of living in a losing school district, and as a taxpayer fed up with the BS. Believe me, sitting around and bemoaning those who shed light on this subject, is either a very young PC person or, a person who thinks he has a friend in GRPS. Of Which are you?
Posted by: Mr.Smith | November 01, 2007 at 10:52 AM
"Good job trying to change the subject though."
Thanks for the compliment, Ryan.
I think everyone had a pretty clear idea at whom your jab was aimed. What I find puzzling is why some people think that only those who are participating in government are the "doers" when it comes to public affairs, while ordinary citizens who raise their voices to effect improvement in the operation of government are not.
It is an assinine belief, of course, which is deeply contrary to the idea of democratic governance. It turns upside-down the ideal of government official as public servant. It venerates those whose positions exist only through the consent and support of the ordinary citizen while in turn sneering at that same citizen who dares to object to the poor performance of his public servants.
Mr. Smith and the rest of us get this bit of commonsense about the respect that should be paid to the ordinary citizen atop his soapbox. Why don't you get with the program? After all, licking the boots of educrats can't be all that pleasant.
Regards, Bill
Posted by: The Executive Director | November 01, 2007 at 01:52 PM
Mr. Smith, I can up you on your involvement in the schools - in addition I have been booster president and, yes, even did a stint on the School Board. I, along with others, thought we could make a difference working on the inside. BOY, WERE WE WRONG! The whole purpose of the school board is to provide a checks and balance on the goings on in the district, but when you have a majority of "yes" men (or women) sitting making the decisions for the district, those decisions aren't really theirs - they are the ideas being put before them by the people that have been running this district, into the ground, for decades. If you do question or challenge the administrators you are accused of micro-managing (one of their favorite phrases) and excluded from a lot of communication with fellow board members because you don't agree with them. This isn't just new under the current superintendent, but was quite prevalent under Mr. Bleke and his predecessors as well.
The administration and board, the ones who are making the decisions for this district, are out of touch with what is actually going on within our schools. IMO, one of the reasons are that a majority of the board members do not send their kids to a regular school within the system, especially at the high school level. City High and the Montessori program account for much of the educational venues these families choose, I know, my two older kids went or are now attending City. My youngest one is being homeschooled, not because of the staff at our neighborhood school, but how the school system is run as a whole. There is no accountability. While I was on the board, they changed how they were "teaching math" three times and it ended up the same as when I started. They never give anything a chance to see if it works or follow up on something that is questionable as to whether it works (sixth grade laptops, the ones that weren't stolen, ring a bell?). They are always re-inventing the wheel (or high school as the latest headlines show).
Another is the fact that many of our administrators don't even live in this district and send their kids elsewhere. If they do live in this district, their kids are either grown or in one of these "special" schools. The facilities meetings were filled with these people, voting and making decisions for a district that they have no other interest in other than a paycheck and a cushy job. It is a constant battle for parents every day to get the quality education that their kids are entitled to because many within the district don't follow policies and procedures, follow up on what has happened or just do their job completely without passing the buck or putting the blame elsewhere. A lot of them talk the talk, but don't walk the walk (a phrase Mr. Bleke used to be fond of). I am currently involved in a situation right now where the ones left in the dark are the students and parents because someone didn't do their job completely.
People criticize the media (including LAW) for only reporting the negative things that happen within the schools - what they don't realize is that there is a lot of things covered up or not communicated to the general public. Now with the new PR person in place, they can put even a further spin on the truth, if it does even surface. I can understand that the school district wants to provide damage control to a lot of the situations that go on within our schools(our suburban neighbors are excellent at it, too), but it is at that time that the school board needs to hold the superintendent and administrators accountable to correct those situations. Many times, however, board members are in the dark about what happened. I doubt many, if any, of them know about the theft at one of the high school's concession stands, the teacher who had to take her students out of a classroom for their safety because some other students had started fighting and furniture was being thrown, the race between schools to see how many times the fire alarm can be set off in a day, just to name a few. In the prior mentioned instances, there was lack of accountability on the administrations part - the keys to the stand were stolen but no one informed the people running it and hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise was stolen. The locks were suppose to have been changed, but to this day they haven't been and the keys are still unaccounted for. In the fighting situation, it is my understanding that the teacher called security, but they didn't show. I was in a school and the alarm went off 6 times in the short time I was there.
While I don't agree with everything the LAW staff puts out here they do have a point. While I agree with another poster that the district has much bigger things to worry about than a story in a book (I HAVE read it and found it disturbing to say the least), LAW has got it right in regards to why this book was chosen in the first place. I know that when I was on the board I also served on the ed committee and we reviewed, quickly, (not extensively, because as I said above, the decision was already made by administration before it was brought to the board) textbooks that the district wanted to purchase. This particular purchase may have not made the dollar requirement to be brought before the ed committee but if it did, they probably didn't review it carefully in the time allotted (one meeting) and just passed it on as "letting the pros handle it" as stated by a current board member in regards to how they like to handle their duties.
If the kids, parents and community are suppose to be held accountable by the supporters of the school system (which could also include a school board member or their spouse as they have been known to make comment on here occasionally, Mr Smith) to support such system, then it is only right that they are allowed to hold the system accountable. That is the job of the school board but unfortunately the board doesn't see it that way. People can criticize the teachers for not doing a good job, but when you have to be nurse, counselor, referee, and more to the few who disrupt the many, it's hard to get any actual teaching done, especially when you don't have the support of the administration. The inmates are running the prison and are being enabled by a system that doesn't want to admit they have problems(other than financial).
As far as the drop out rates are concerned, neither number is accurate. Now days, people are more transient due to jobs, divorces, and a variety of other reasons and a lot of kids live in multiple homes before they graduate. To use the Hopkins data doesn't show this and to assume that what goes in must come out in justifying their figures does not work well, especially in larger urban districts in a state that has an unemployment rate as high as Michigan. The district's are not much more accurate as only show numbers for the senior year, not the complete four years of high school and they don't do exit surveys to see where students actually go, it costs to much money when we asked for them in the past. When students or families leave the district, they don't think it's important to inform them of why or where they are going, they just leave, a lot of times out of frustration.
Money doesn't solve everything, as Dr. Taylor should be able to attest to - his school district was given a blank check in order to bring student achievement up - it didn't work. There needs to be more "dust and sweat and blood" by the district and board and if that fails, then at least they failed "while daring greatly". If they continue status quo, they will only know "defeat".
I believe, Ryan, I have provided enough qualifications to be able to speak as I see and have experienced.
Posted by: beentheredonethat | November 01, 2007 at 03:07 PM
Hi, Nancy.
Thanks once again for giving us the insider's perspective of the GRPS and speaking plainly about the obstacles to fixing our schools.
Your point is well-taken about how the school board is supposed to function as an independent check on the district's professional managers and how it tends to be co-opted by the managers instead. Consequently those board members who use their office as intended are isolated as troublemakers. (The Grand Rapids City Commission suffers a similar problem.)
I do not hesitate to excoriate school board members for their failures to set policies for the school district that serve the interests of the students, their families, and taxpayers (instead of the interests of those who reap material benefits from the district). However, the real problem is that voters express too little interest in school board races and so a small minority keep the wrong people on the board.
Our mission is to remind voters that the public school district is THEIR school district. They have control over it, IF they choose to exercise it. And we highlight the problems that show the need for them to exercise that control. Whether or not everyone agrees with us as to what the problems are in our schools or their gravity, I think we can agree that things won't change for the better until voters do their job.
Regards, Bill
Posted by: The Executive Director | November 01, 2007 at 04:33 PM
Nancy Capriglione, is that you? if so I do hope you understand you had my support for the school board, as you did exactly what you said you would, still support you in what needs to be done. Sorry if you found my words offensive.... And we did leave out of frustration, we tried to stick it out, we were getting nowhere....Riverside Elementary and Middle, so sad , it didn't have to be that way.
Posted by: Mr.Smith | November 01, 2007 at 05:44 PM