Search begins for new school superintendent

The Douglas County School system is in a mess. I doubt the retiring superintendent is responsible for the decline of the system over the past 10 years but I hope whoever comes in can make improvements.

How would you define the term "mess" when it comes to the DC school system? There are some problems with certain schools, but to cast the entire system like that is using a rather wide net. What are some of the issues you feel need improving?

TGVR wrote:

How would you define the term "mess" when it comes to the DC school system? There are some problems with certain schools, but to cast the entire system like that is using a rather wide net. What are some of the issues you feel need improving?

for one the illegal problem and the fact that they be getting free lunches and breakfasts and if they did not ,all that tax money could be saved.too many illegals in douglas county

TGVR wrote:

How would you define the term "mess" when it comes to the DC school system? There are some problems with certain schools, but to cast the entire system like that is using a rather wide net. What are some of the issues you feel need improving?

Ummmm, most of the schools failed to pass the minimum requirement for AYP. We had a stabbing at a high school football game and growing gang problem. Our School System's leadership has demonstrated they are more concerned about paying their attorney than funding school programs, in fact cutting programs. An assembly at a middle school just handed out CDs to kids with bad language and implied sexuality.

I'd say its pretty endemic to the whole system. The teachers are trying to do their best. They aren't getting the support they should have. The problems are at the Central Office...i.e. there is a problem with the whole system.

Watch to see who is recommended for superintendent. I predict it will be Suvesse Ricks. NOT because she has any business as Superintendent, but because she is the most easily controlled by Bernard, Bartlett and co.

In fact, I find it interesting that some school system employees were emailing Bartlett to suggest that Whitfield would be a terrific Superintendent AND WERE PERSONALLY TOLD BY THE BOARD CHAIRMAN, BARTLETT, TO STOP SENDING EMAILS THAT SAY THAT!

People are afraid to speak up. It has to stop NOW!

Inexcusable. We had better all wake up! The time is now to do something about these goons.

Friend: www.facebook.com/douglasville
Follow: Twitter @ douglasvillenow
Receive Updates: douglasvillenow@hotmail.com

We'll give you the straight talk on what is happening so you can have the greatest impact while spending the least amount of your time.

tRonron wrote:

<quoted text>
for one the illegal problem and the fact that they be getting free lunches and breakfasts and if they did not ,all that tax money could be saved.too many illegals in douglas county

That's a law enforcement problem, nothing the schools can do about that.

Scott wrote:

<quoted text>
Ummmm, most of the schools failed to pass the minimum requirement for AYP. We had a stabbing at a high school football game and growing gang problem. Our School System's leadership has demonstrated they are more concerned about paying their attorney than funding school programs, in fact cutting programs. An assembly at a middle school just handed out CDs to kids with bad language and implied sexuality.
I'd say its pretty endemic to the whole system. The teachers are trying to do their best. They aren't getting the support they should have. The problems are at the Central Office...i.e. there is a problem with the whole system.

Is there a list of the schools that didn't pass somewhere? I'm not questioning what you said, but I would like to see which ones did not pass. The only one I know of for certain is Stewart. The CD thing appears to be bad planning and not enough prior research on the school administration's part. I don't think the current board is very supportive either based on some things I've been told in confidence, but I'm still wary of calling the whole system bad when there are some very good schools with very good leadership.

http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/ayp2008/overview....

TGVR wrote:

<quoted text>
Is there a list of the schools that didn't pass somewhere? I'm not questioning what you said, but I would like to see which ones did not pass. The only one I know of for certain is Stewart. The CD thing appears to be bad planning and not enough prior research on the school administration's part. I don't think the current board is very supportive either based on some things I've been told in confidence, but I'm still wary of calling the whole system bad when there are some very good schools with very good leadership.

I agree there are some in leadership who are stellar. Our job is to make sure they are able to rise above the selfish self-serving agendas of others in leadership. We also have some spectacular teachers. They need to be heard from. Teachers are on the front lines and I dare say if you establish an environment where they are encouraged and welcomed to contribute to the process, they will play an instrumental roll in creating solutions to our greatest problems.

Thank for asking questions! Please get involved. Listen to all sides and make up your own mind.

Scott wrote:

<quoted text>
I agree there are some in leadership who are stellar. Our job is to make sure they are able to rise above the selfish self-serving agendas of others in leadership. We also have some spectacular teachers. They need to be heard from. Teachers are on the front lines and I dare say if you establish an environment where they are encouraged and welcomed to contribute to the process, they will play an instrumental roll in creating solutions to our greatest problems.
Thank for asking questions! Please get involved. Listen to all sides and make up your own mind.

I've worked in the school system the last 2+ years, been at some good schools and some bad ones. Mombo, thanks for the link. 7 out of 31 seems like a pretty good percentage of passing to me, and of the places that did not meet, Alexander surprised me the most. A lot of the problem lies in the attitude of the students toward school, they don't like it and they don't care whether they learn or not. Good teachers can't reach every one of those types of students, and bad teachers don't bother trying. I don't know what the answer to the apathy problem is, but until it is addressed many of these schools will continue to fail. Either that or they will resort to cheating like some of the metro systems.

Student apathy. I would propose that is a symptom of a problem rather than a problem in and of itself. That leads us to parents who aren't instilling a desire to learn in their kids. We need to figure out where people in leadership roles are touching these kids and work with them to reignite a passion for learning. Maybe sports coaches. Maybe after school programs. Maybe the program of study has become so regimented and inflexible in order to meet testing standards that the tangents teachers once took related to the program of study and which helped captivate students' attention, have disappeared.

Somewhere there is a series of problems that lead to student apathy. Our job...the school system's job is to identify what them and then work with the community and school system to overcome them. Its not enough to say, students have apathy and that's the problem. That's maybe contributing to our failure, but there is something underlying student apathy and we need to get a handle on it before its too late.

That's sort of strategic problem solving 101. I want to hear from a Superintendent candidate who understands strategic planning, problem solving, facilitating open communication so that educators such as yourself can bring issues like this to their attention and isn't afraid to seek outside help--maybe even out of state help--to rebuild the system as one of the best in GA.

Forgive me, but I hear everyone making excuses and that doesn't cut it. There are systems with far worse challenges than ours in the U.S. that are performing far better than ours. Why? How? Let's figure it out rather than writing it off.

The 7 out of 31 who did not meet caused the ENTIRE system not to meet AYP if I understand the data correctly and that to me is a big problem. AYP is a low bar to meet. No one thinking of moving to this area will look at our schools and say "yes, I want my child to go there" with the exception of a few schools. I agree there are some great teachers but students and parents are not held accountable like they used to be. They are even moving to a 1,2,3 grading system instead of A,B,C which I totally disagree with. If the most a student can get is a 3 or "meets the standard" why should they try to exceed it?

Scott wrote:

That leads us to parents who aren't instilling a desire to learn in their kids.

That's the key to Brighten's success. Your kid just doesn't get in because you happen to live in a certain area. Parents have to fill out paperwork, sign contracts and WORK to get their kids in. Which means they are engaged in their kid's education. And that makes all the difference in the world.

The problems in our schools are caused by the PARENTS!!!! They don't give a sh*t about their children or their education.

Does it really matter who is in charge? Most have no back bone and worry over law suits more than education.

Student apathy should be no surprise when they see elective programs cut to the bone. What passes for vocational education is very limited as well. It must be damned depressing to be offered such a limited list of mostly service type positions. So if all you aspire to is factory, restaurant, healthcare or HVAC repair, Douglas county schools are there for you. Once students are bored, the discipline problems escalate. Science education in this county is beyond pitiful. Till grade 8 it's all basically "Earth Sciences". So the 7th graders in Douglas county are experts in rocks and are thrown for a loop when they first encounter physical sciences in 8th grade. Math is the only salvation for some, the rest struggle. Such an educational shelf shouldn't exist. Where's the balance? Where's the range? Or are the schools just a money machine using the student census as fuel? I wonder if Dr Askew is up for the job? A problem solver who isn't afraid to cut heads sounds like what we need. CF

I hope Bernard gets the position. He needs more money from the county coffers.

Scott, I definitely agree that the rigid standards teachers are forced to focus on is a detriment to engaging students in learning. As far as student apathy goes, the parents have to shoulder most of the blame for it IMO. If students aren't getting the message that education is important at home then no amount of cajoling from teachers is going to change their attitude. Students involved in extracurricular activities can have their eligibility held over their heads as motivation, but even then its not always good enough.

Mombo, I agree, the 1,2,3 system is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever seen. I wonder what colleges are going to say when these grades start popping up on entrance applications.

I wonder the same thing TGVR, how will GPA's be computed for the HOPE scholarships?

Charles Farley wrote:

Student apathy should be no surprise when they see elective programs cut to the bone. What passes for vocational education is very limited as well. It must be damned depressing to be offered such a limited list of mostly service type positions. So if all you aspire to is factory, restaurant, healthcare or HVAC repair, Douglas county schools are there for you. Once students are bored, the discipline problems escalate. Science education in this county is beyond pitiful. Till grade 8 it's all basically "Earth Sciences". So the 7th graders in Douglas county are experts in rocks and are thrown for a loop when they first encounter physical sciences in 8th grade. Math is the only salvation for some, the rest struggle. Such an educational shelf shouldn't exist. Where's the balance? Where's the range? Or are the schools just a money machine using the student census as fuel? I wonder if Dr Askew is up for the job? A problem solver who isn't afraid to cut heads sounds like what we need. CF

I certainly hope that Dr. Askew is up for the position of superintendent. I think that he is the person who is well-suited for the county school system. This school system has to get better.

Perhaps if the Douglas County Sheriff would get into the 21st century, we might get a handle on the bad guys. In my humble opinion, most of our school-related problems are caused by lousy parenting. I find it interesting how our Welfare/Section-8 kids seem to be the ones always dealing drugs and knocking down mailboxes in my subdivision. If mom and dad don't know the meaning of responsibility, how can they teach it to the kids? It creates millions of kids who ask "If there are no consequences for bad behavior, why be good?". The bad guys do a lot of yelling about individual "Rights", maybe they should do some thinking about individual "Responsibility...