More thoughts on the RUSD board postponing redistricting

I have had 24 hours or so to assimilate the recent RUSD board decision to postpone a decision on redistricting, and I have a few more thoughts on the matter. Dr. Warner, the board member that proposed creating consensus by reaching out to the community for answers, does make a couple of excellent points.

1. This board, and past boards, have not effectively reached out to the community. All of the past efforts were kind of last-minute hodge-podge attempts, and the forums that were held were often not well attended by many sectors of the community.

2. Past community efforts have not built consensus in the community. I believe it is because most of these community efforts were broad-based and open-ended, meaning there were ambiguous questions and people were free to discuss just about anything they wanted.

While these kind of forums are great, what ended up happening (I believe) is that the faciliators asked, "What would make a great school district"? to 400 people and got back 400 different answers.

I'm not an expert on data collection, but maybe any future efforts should drill down to the answers that board and administration are actually seeking.

I do know this, however, any hardline action either way will most likely tick off at least 50% of the population. It is clear, in my mind anyway, that some sort of compromise is needed.

We need good schools for EVERY child in Racine, and the parents are the best judge of what school is best for their child. It could be a magnet school, a school down the street, or a school close to the parent's place of employment.

We already have school choice within the district, and it is extremely popular, why not just expand it and create a 100% choice district?

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. - Alvin Toffler

Unified puts off redistricting again

I have to admit I was not surprised by the headline Unified puts off redistricting in today’s paper, however, I am extremely saddened and disappointed. Too many other things, like addressing special education needs and grade configuration, will now be delayed even further until the board makes a decision. Redistricting is the first step that needs to be taken, and the decision has been postponed for years:

It was delayed in March of 2004; the board then decided in August of that year to hold community forums to find out what the community wanted. These forums were held and the board received a full analysis a few months later.

A 2005 facility study showed that many schools were operating over the maximum capacity – citing the need for a massive redistricting.

In the beginning of the 2005 – 2006 school year, the board put redistricting as one of the big items that would be handled that year. However by February those plans to redistrict was put on hold once again.

In the beginning of the 2006 -2007 school year, the board again planned on addressing redistricting, along with grade configuration. I believe administration told the board that they would need a decision by February in order to implement the plan successfully. That date was changed to March 19th, but the board decided to postpone the decision once again, citing the need for more information.

I truly do understand that this is a difficult decision to make – but it is a decision that NEEDS to be made. Any decision made will probably infuriate 50% of the population – no decision will be a good one, politically-speaking, but the decision needs to be made quickly.

Does the board really want to postpone this for another year?

Leaving Las Vegas

I returned this morning from a weekend trip to Vegas, we took the red-eye and got home about 7:00 am. I feel like doing nothing but sleeping because I think I got a total of 6-8 hours of sleep for the entire weekend, but it appears I should probably make an appearance at tonight's RUSD board meeting.

The board MAY finally make a decision on how the elementary schools will be redistricted, recommendations for the superintendent search firm will be made, and finally, the budget will be approved. Obviously, this is not a meeting that should be missed - there is bound to be ENDLESS and painful discussion on all topics.

But having just returned from Vegas I have an idea that will make the redistricting decision easier - use a Roulette Wheel!







Bet half on Black - Redistrict by socioeconomic status.

Bet half on Red - Redistrict using neighborhood schools.

The board cannot possibly make a decision that will make the entire community happy- face it letting the Roulette Wheel make the decision for them will at least make for a shorter meeting...

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

Only people who die very young learn all they really need to know in kindergarten. - Wendy Kaminer

Now I know where all those useless gold stars came from...

Bush Earmarks 1.5 Billion Gold Stars For Education

WASHINGTON, DC-Vowing to give the nation's public schools "a much-needed boost," President Bush announced Monday that his 2003 budget proposal would allocate 1.5 billion gold-star stickers for education.

Missing post?

I apologize - I inadvertently deleted the post from yesterday that discussed how the RUSD Board might "bring back" some of its former practices that would provide more financial oversight over the district finances.

I will try to repost later (with some additional information if necessary) today!

A new teen club in Racine?

Two young entrepreneurs will soon be opening a new club for teens in downtown Racine. These young men have recognized that there is little to do in this town, especially for 18-20 year-olds. I applaud their capitalistic ideals and their vision in trying to doing something positive for their community. I wish them both luck in their new endeavor.

With that said, I hope they will take advice from a "somewhat" older audience - please be vigilant in maintaining a safe environment for your patrons. We speak from experience. Waaaaay back in the 80's, you see, we had 2 such clubs in the area. Checkers, on the north side of Kenosha, and Non-Stop, here in Racine. These dance clubs were EXTREMELY popular, however both clubs soon had problems with fights, gangs, etc. Both dance clubs ending up closing.

Please, please, please try to learn from the mistakes made by previous generations and maintain a safe environment for the young people of our community.

Demoncrats and RepublicRATS

Demoncrat
RepublicRAT
Dumbocrat

When did it become acceptable to resort using name-calling? Can anyone make a point without using derogatory words? These are only a few of the words I come across daily, but the ones I find most often.

I spend a lot of time (too much really!) in the blogosphere, and frankly, I am getting just a little tired of the overuse of these kinds of words. I am interested in what many of you have to say, but hey grow up a little, you all sound like a bunch of 10 year old boys!

Disclaimer: I have used the term "educrat" in the past - mostly as a description of professional educators acting like politicians, instead of the teachers they are - but on further review, I believe I should remove this word from my lexicon.

I have hope, too.

None of the problems faced by the oft-criticized Racine Unified School District are new; the problems may have escalated in the last few years, but the challenges it faces have been there for decades. Everyone agrees that something needs to be done – what that “something” is what is dividing this community. Is it more money, different programs, more qualified teachers?

Dr. Jackson Parker, the RUSD interim superintendent, has “hope” for the district – that’s good, so do I and many others. We see the bigger picture, what’s good for RUSD is good for the entire community. What I find most refreshing is that there is universal approval of Dr. Parker. The teachers, business community and the RUSD board all have high expectations for this year – I include myself in this list. Dr. Parker has a proven track record in this district and I assume he only left in the late 80s after the research and curriculum department he oversaw was cut from the budget.

My only fear is that when the time comes for Dr. Parker to return to his lazy days of retirement, we won’t want him to leave. Wouldn’t that be ironic after the last decade of so of superintendents?

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

“Apathy is the glove into which evil slips its hand.” - Bodie Thoene

Redistricting by the numbers

Tonight, the RUSD Board had a work session on redistricting; they had an update from administration on the proposed scenarios which was followed by discussion. Schools should reflect the community they serve, and the board rightfully directed administration to redistrict the schools to reflect the Socio-Economic Status (SES) make-up of the community as best it could, as based on recommendations of the Equity and Access Committee.

OK – here’s the numbers, because I’m a numbers kind of person. The current SES for schools included in the study is 53% - which translates to 53% of the children qualify for free or reduced lunch. The RUSD board would like all of the schools in the study to use a SES guideline of 30-70% - basically plus or minus 20% the district average.

Redistricting Scenario #1:

District SES average for schools included in the study - 56.58%
Number of schools out of compliance with SES guidelines – 4

Redistricting Scenario #2:

District SES average for schools included in the study – 52.54%
Number of schools out of compliance with SES guidelines – 10

Redistricting Scenario #3:

District SES average for schools included in the study – 54.51%
Number of schools out of compliance with SES guidelines – 2


Simply looking at the percentages of SES, the 3 scenarios are not that far off from one another, that’s not the problem.

Numbers are easy to understand, it’s the “emotional quotient” of what these numbers represent that may be the problem.

Scenario #1 is our current configuration, which based on the recent Supreme Court decision, is illegal - so go ahead and scratch that one off the list.

Scenario #2 is where ALL children will have the opportunity to attend a school close to their home, and Scenario #3 is where children will be bussed to balance SES.

Of course, it’s not really about the numbers, is it? It should be about providing EVERY child with a great school filled with qualified teachers and educational opportunities that will engage EVERY child. There are advantages and disadvantages for each scenario which I’m sure will be discussed at length, but sometimes it’s easier to make an “emotional” decision when you have the facts before you. Let's try to keep these facts in the back of our minds as we go forward in our discussions.

After further review...

... Da Bears still suck.

Does anyone care about the violence in our community?

Some say I am prone to bouts of overreaction - surely I am hypersensitive to the many incidents of random violence occurring these days; all of these accusations are somewhat valid – but I AM outraged by the recent events of the weekend.

A 17-year old girl, who by all accounts was one of the “good” ones gets mowed down by a car and the community, as a whole, says “Oh, that’s tragic” and moves on with their busy little lives. The police, even after all the first-hand witnesses claiming it was not simply a traffic accident, are probably going to only charge the driver with reckless driving, instead of a more serious charge.

There are credible witnesses who indicated that driver of the car was aiming for rival gang members and lost control of the car and hit Sarah, who was waiting with her younger sister for their grandmother to pick them up after school. Today there are some reports that both the driver and the victim were fleeing the same fight in the Marriot parking lot when the terrible accident occurred.

Obviously, there will be many different accounts of this incident of Friday, but there is two constants in all renditions. There was a fight in the Marriott parking lot. A young woman was seriously hurt when hit by a car.

Whether this fight was school related or not is not germane to the discussion, what is important is that there is an obvious lack of respect in many of our young people today. Does the young driver show any remorse to possibly ruining the life of a very promising young woman? Do the young people engaged in this fights have any respect for each other?

When will ALL the grown-ups in this community finally stand up and start doing something about the seemingly random violence in our community. Our community has more than one police department and numerous high schools which blurs the lines of responsibilities. These organizations need to work TOGETHER and SHARE information; jurisdictional lines and different organizational policies are only some of the barriers our community faces, but these are the barriers that can be removed.

My thoughts and prayers are with Sarah and her family at this time, but I feel like this isn’t enough. I feel powerless. How many more innocent young people like Sarah have to be hurt before this community reacts?

RUSD work session on redistricting planned

From the RUSD website: The Board of Education has scheduled a work session on Monday, October 8, 2007, at 7:00 p.m. at the Administrative Service Center in the Board room.
The topic of the work session will be update and discussion on redistricting by administration.

This may be one of the first times the public will see and hear the new interim superintendent, Dr. Jackson Parker speak. While I am confident that this meeting will not break any new ground in the sometimes contentious neighborhood/busing debate, I think it will be interesting to hear what the "newcomers" to the district have to say.

I'll try to post something immediately following the meeting tomorrow if time permits.

A new alternative for Racine news-junkies

Did you ever wish you had an alternative to the Racine Journal Times - a place where you can get QUICKLY get all the information you need and a place to exchange ideas? The Journal Times will always be my first choice, but sometimes, when I am in a hurry, there is just too much "extra" information for me to sort through.

For those that do want a quick alternative, there is now one available - the website Racine Post. Racine Post is a new venture for Dustin Block, formerly an editor of the Journal Times.

From what I read, I am certain that I will be returning to the site in the future.

Good luck, Dustin, as you begin your venture in the New Media!

WKCE testing sets low standards

There is a story in today's Journal-Sentinel that may be shocking to some - our state proficiency testing, the WKCE, sets low standards for the children in Wisconsin public schools. This, however, is not "news" for some.

The report was based on research by the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), an organization that works with about 2,700 school districts across the United States, including some in Wisconsin, on improving educational programs. The organization has its own testing program, the Measures of Academic Progress(MAP).

RUSD is one of those Wisconsin districts that uses NWEA-MAP testing three times a year to monitor student achievement, not simply relying on the annual WKCE results. I'm not suggesting that the district has thrown out the WKCE, that is impossible, but the district does rely on the almost immediate feedback of the NWEA-MAP to adjust and realign teaching in Racine - area classrooms.

RUSD is bucking the trend in Wisconsin by not using the WKCE as their sole monitoring tool as other districts across the state do. I am certainly NOT suggesting everything is rosy in the district, but it is somewhat good news that RUSD has recognized that the Wisconsin state standards are low and are trying to do something about it.

Coming soon to a theater near you...

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

"People want JUST taxes more than they want LOWER taxes." - Will Rogers

Did you Know?

In order to frame any upcoming discussions on what RUSD needs to do to transform its schools for future generations, I thought I would pass this presentation along.

(Dr. V included this in a recent presentation to the RUSD board.)

I realize its a little "new-agey", but please listen to it in its entirety. The message is a good one.

RUSD school goes green

The Johnson Foundation, as everyone who reads the JT knows, is going green by installing a solar energy system at their offices located at Wingspread. What Racine residents may not know is that Walden III, a RUSD school, has plans to go green as well.

From a recent Walden III newsletter: Over the summer two companies submitted estimates for the installation of a 14kW solar electric system on the roof of Walden’s main building. A week or so ago, representatives from central office came to Walden to give not only their approval for the project, but also permission to use the energy and the money it will generate to increase the energy efficiency of other parts of the school.

Like the Johnson Foundation’s project, 60% of the costs will be covered by grants and the students of Walden, through fundraising, will cover much of the remaining costs. Whatever your opinion on the whole “greenhouse” and “carbon footprint” debate is – you have to admit that investing in alternative energy sources makes sense.

With all due respect to the other schools, having young people focus their time and resources on making a school green is far more meaningful than some of the community service projects being done across our state.

The saga continues: PBCG and Unified

Fred has some interesting questions over there at RDW regarding the PBCG investigation, and I have a couple of my own, too.

1. If, and when, the RUSD board "closes" the investigation with Reinhart-Boerner, will all those 20,000 documents used in the investigation THEN be returned to the district?

2. If not, how is the board ever going to know what went wrong, when it went wrong and why it went wrong? How is the board going to learn from their mistakes, if in fact mistakes were made?

I think everyone agrees that this ugly incident needs to be resolved, but I guess there are different viewpoints on "how" it should be resolved.

Perhaps hiding the facts is not in the district's best interest, but hey, what do I know?

Because I'm the Mom

You don't have to be a mom to appreciate this, but it does help...