1. Little League and Jackie Robinson West. Yep. Because somewhere along the way, adults decided it was better to cheat to success than to teach children the value of earning it and learning it. And these adults shot their team into national stardom, only to rip it back, like pulling a sticky bandage off a yeti. But, the yeti was kids. It's always the kids who are hurt most.
2. Brian Williams. God, yes. Brian Williams. He's been there. He'll be there. But, I won't. I can't. If I were the yeti, he ripped the sticky band-aid from me. I remember one Brian Williams report in particular - The Fleecing of America. And in this episode of Fleecing, Lisa Myers brought to light issues with the Coast Guard's "some-say-failed" millions-of-dollars-spent Deepwater project. Perceived "metal fatigue" had shortened the lives of these cutter revamps from 30 years to 5 and rendered them "unseaworthy" for long distance.
(Wait, don't go, there is a point to this story.)
Metal fatigue? Years later an extremely trustworthy source of mine shared that the problem with Coast Guard ship "Bertholf" was in fact "metal fatigue" due to the improper installation of the heads (bathrooms). The nations best and brightest has determined that installation had been "subcontracted out" to labor that knew even less about the science of making boats float than you and I.
Apparently, boats don't just naturally float. There is an entire science around it. A specialty, but not a major offered a Berkeley. Floating boats requires that all parts work in tandem, and in this case, the heads were doing their own damn thing.
Why this story? I know that the government is fleecing me, every day. I know that my tax dollars are being wasted in a million ways. I can accept it, because I KNOW it because I could count on you to tell me. But, I can't accept your lies, Brian. As a world class anchorman, your job was to instill trust in your viewers. It was what brought us back to you night after night at 6:30 pm. But, you lied to us, and I know I can't trust you. You put you before the news, before the public, before the trust. You did your own damned thing.
3. School Board members who are afraid they will be redistricted out of a "job." Yep. that's you George Evans. I can say it, you are a public figure. You are my public figure. You serve my district. But, you failed to support a resolution to align to the findings of the WEAC committee. Why? You fought tooth and nail to get a judge to appoint you to the CSD board. And the WEAC findings leave ineffective and ultimately "jobless.". You heard me. You are either asleep at the dais or preaching to your fellow board members. Neither of which serves this district's children. And a sad fact of life is that this district will for some unknown reason re-elect you. You are the definition of insanity.
Here's what you missed while you thinking about yourself: If CSD's city schools are moved to Red Clay, a whole world of opportunity opens up for these students. Red Clay has charters and magnet schools that CSD students can only dream of attending. It's about opening the door to the vast array of educational choices. It's a whole universe CSD can't offer. But, any of these choices may be the hook that keeps our kids in school and off the streets.
4. CSD's WEAC Resolution. I work around education. This week was especially interesting for me. CSD and its city schools are the talk of the town. Including the misconception that CSD has agreed to give its city schools to Red Clay. It may be nuanced, resolving to align to interim findings vs resolving to give away the schools, but it is important. Because, right now, lots of tax payers, members of the public, think that CSD is is working toward giving its schools away.
5. Referendums. Specifically CSD's. CSD has proposed elevating my school taxes to complete with those in Pennsylvania raising what I pay from $2500 to $3700 over four years. The honest truth CSD, I can't afford you. I don't live in a McMansion. I live in a 1980s family home that is still cosmetically 1980s, is prone to flooding, and has been partially assumed into wetlands by the state/fed designation. Like many of the "new poor," I have to choose what bills to pay each month and fear that ultimately, I won't be able to pay my mortgage. For now, I'm fortunate to have family that helps us because they understand that our children, especially our special need child, needs the continuity of this home life to be successful now. This referendum, it's driving my endgame fast and hard and we are delving into the reality that relocation may be our only option if we ever plan to pay off our debt and secure our future. And if I relocate, it is very likely that I will choose a school district that offers magnet and choice programs, not the bare bones that CSD offers me today.
6. Being Critical of Christina. Yep, I hate that one more than anything else. I served CSD, I lived and breathed CSD for four years. I bled you, Christina. I still love you, but two years out, I am astounded by you. I have to play the "devil's advocate." I have to ask the hard questions of your board members. They need to know what the public discourse sounds like, not just what's being said in their insulated bubbles. And I need to ask these questions because, today, I am a private citizen paying taxes to you. Some of the questions are damn good ones. So, I ask publicly on various blogs, using my name, sometimes with sarcasm, sometimes with wit, sometimes my demeanor flops. The problem, Christina, is that you are not communicating with me. You are not telling me where you want to go. You are, unfortunately, leaving yourself open to wide speculation. And that worries me. From the outside, it appears your ship has metal fatigue. You have too many heads doing their own damn thing.
Here are the rumors that you need to address if you have a hope and dream of passing our referendum:
- Will you give your schools to Red Clay? If you do, won't that result in the need to for less tax dollars? not more?
- The word is that Red Clay wants all of your city schools. But, they also want 8 years of weighted funding. How much is that price tag?
- Will any of the new replacement operating funds be sent to Red Clay with the schools?
- The City provides approx. 20% of the districts tax collection. What percentage of suburban generated funds will sent to Red Clay or harvested to pay the $24 million priority price tag?
- Have you successfully ensured that your teachers will keep their jobs in the city schools?
- Have you communicated to the families of City students regarding redistricting? Where will this year's city fifth and eighth graders go to school next year? Their families want to know.
- Have you considered engaging Red Clay as the management organization for your priority schools, ensuring that CSD students remain CSD students.
- You are held up across the state as the district with no choices. What are doing about that? Where are our magnet schools? alternative grade level configurations?
- Are you planning to go to capital referendum next? Cause that's your rumor.
- What happens in the suburbs when the city goes to Red Clay? Will you maintain the population needed to operate three high schools in the burbs as you also compete with the newly opened Newark Charter High School. Or will we see school closure in the next 10 or 15 years?
- When are you going to do something with Executive Drive?
7. The last thing I hate today: Leaders who want to fleece little old ladies and who float that threat right before the two biggest districts in the state go to referendum. Gov. Markell are you trying to render your traditional districts helpless? Your education policy has hurt students, teachers, and families deeply over the last six years. I know, you don't care. But, come on, going after little old ladies and their purses? That's just plain wrong.
Well, now that I've gotten that off my chest, there's a good chance that I will once again disappear into oblivion. Reality wise, this blog has run its course and my words are less valued and appreciated than ever before. Writing a blog takes time and thick skin. As I become less politician and more mother, my skin looses its thickness. I'm a wimpy girl in a wimpy world. We can only wonder which direction the wimpy wind will blow.
1 comments:
I definitely agree that for the kids to be annexed to Red Clay would be very much a God-send for them. However, that is far easier said than done. It is scary to think that people, board members included, will jump to redistricting the Priority Schools as a solution. Won't the schools remain Priority Schools? Who would guarantee a uniform and coordinated seamless move? What will be the funding pattern and source? Teachers? Administrators? Curricula? Certainly not DOE, they've proven their ineptitude over and over on far smaller issues. These schools have been battered from pillar to post over the past years first with the mightily unsuccessful RTTT, and now with the drawn out and ill-conceived PS Initiative. So far redistricting is just an idea on paper, albeit a smart one, but I hesitate to commit to support until I see some thoughtful planning around coordination, process, and funding. This is a CSD issue, a Red Clay issue, and most of all a legislative issue. We need a big table with some big minds for this one. Not a 156 page Turnaround Guide or a fistful of MOUs.
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