Exposing FRAUD-CMSD Transformation Plan

Submitted by lmcshane on Tue, 01/26/2010 - 21:56.

Whitney Young Academy School Board Meeting 1/26/2010

A number of folks spoke with passion tonight to save the schools in their community at Whitney Young Academy in the Harvard-Lee neighborhood.  Pleas were heard for the following schools: Ginn Academy at Spellacy, Tremont Montessori, John Landis, East High,  Empire, Gracemont, John Raper and Mound Schools.

Let's hope the Plain Dealer listened and will convey the suspicions and distrust hundreds of residents, parents, and the community evidenced tonight for this so-called "Transformation Plan."

A special mention to all the folks who endured the apathy factor tonight to speak at this board meeting--including Council representatives: Polensek, Cimperman, Miller, Pruitt, and, especially, Councilman Jeff Johnson--I can see now why Roldo has your back.

And to the man whose name I could not catch, but who spelled out the fraud loud and clear--You are a SAINT.

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Dunbar

The meeting Wednesday (1/27/10) at Garrett Morgan, will be an opportunity to address some concerns about Dunbar, slated for the wrecking ball without regard to money put into it or concern for the students.  I hope that the saint that lmcshane heard tonight will come on over and give us a hand.

Has any of these outcries made a difference at all? 

DWebb--Dunbar meeting?

  How was the meeting at Dunbar? 

Plain Dealer should come clean with their own involvement and complicity in the runaway train CMSD facilities plan--the Bond Accountability Commission is run by a former PD man--James Darr.

April, 2007

Bond Accountability Commission hires administrator
In March, the Bond Accountability Commission hired a new administrator to staff its oversight of the Cleveland Municipal School District’s school construction project. James Darr, former copy editor for The Plain Dealer, started with the BAC in March at an annual salary of $65,000. The district's $150,000 to hire an administrator and cover expenses had been delayed by a disagreement between the district and BAC members over the signing of a memorandum of understanding that outlined BAC authority and the release of documents. Darr is working out of an office provided free of charge by Cuyahoga Community College. Darr can be reached at 216-987-3309, or by fax at 987-4304. His office is in room 221 in the business administration building of Tri-C’s downtown campus.

On Dunbar the real date is

 copied and pasted below from the OCNW announcement below. I can't make it that night but I am getting the word out as much as possible. 

 Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) Community Meeting on the Proposed Academic Transformation Plan: 

  • Wednesday, February 3, 2010 from 6:00 to 8:00pm

  • Garrett Morgan School, 4016 Woodbine Avenue

The Board of Education wants your input. Please take advantage of this opportunity to share your comments and concerns about the School District's proposed Academic Transformation Plan with the Board of Education. For more information call the Board Office at 216-574-8585.

PD, GCP, CMSD and the corporate takedown

April, 2007

Bond Accountability Commission hires administrator
In March, the Bond Accountability Commission hired a new administrator to staff its oversight of the Cleveland Municipal School District’s school construction project. James Darr, former copy editor for The Plain Dealer, started with the BAC in March at an annual salary of $65,000. The district's $150,000 to hire an administrator and cover expenses had been delayed by a disagreement between the district and BAC members over the signing of a memorandum of understanding that outlined BAC authority and the release of documents. Darr is working out of an office provided free of charge by Cuyahoga Community College. Darr can be reached at 216-987-3309, or by fax at 987-4304. His office is in room 221 in the business administration building of Tri-C’s downtown campus.

Mr. Henley, please resubmit your case--and this time, the teachers and parents need to sign on, too--

http://dockets.justia.com/docket/court-ohndce/case_no-1:2010cv00431/case_id-164025/

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/04/hundreds_of_cleveland_teachers.html

The worse thing about the PD failing...

The worse thing about the PD failing... the people who destroyed the PD are now spread all over town, like a viral infestation, and the city is covered in puss.

Disrupt IT

And every corrupt deal starts at the PD "Office Building"

Have you also noticed that, now that the PD is failing, PD coverage of every big corporate charity real estate deal, like the $tonnage being given to Ari Moran and Brulant now to shuffle jobs, starts with disclosure one of the properties in consideration was the Plain Dealer office Building. They are such ugly old whores.

Just go bankrupt quietly, and the Sheriff will take care of Superior.

Like Ari once told me, this place it too corrupt for good developers to develop here, so we get what the corrupt leaders here want us to get... and Ari has moved to the head of the trough, that is for certain.

Helps to be friends of the PD to help support corporate charity benefiting the PD office building.

Disrupt IT

Demolition proposed for John Marshall HS

Tearing Down Our Future--
Every great landmark and building in Cleveland is not just rubble once it's demolished. It's the destruction of a touchstone that provides the connection from one generation to the next generation. It means that every alumni from John Marshall will lose touch with the next generation of graduates. If there are any graduates? How do we know that taxpayers won't invest in a new school and repairs as at East High, only to have it mothballed and slated for demolition?

There is also the question of accountability in the construction contracts awarded through the highly suspect CMSD building plan. Bowen Architecture is one of the firms named for questionable practice by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's independent report:
http://www.cuyahogacounty.us/pdf/BLAKEFinalReportREDACT.pdf

This proposed demolition is nothing more than an opportunity to throw away tax dollars in the reconstruction of school that should be restored and not destroyed. I condemn everyone who refuses to say anything about this facilities plan. It has been a betrayal of the public trust from day one.

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/10/cleveland_school_district_plan_1.html#comments

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update:

5/2011 Demolition of John Marshall has been postponed--hopefully indefinitely--as blatant corruption surrounding schools and funding in Ohio can not continue to be ignored--even Brent Larkin refuses to cheerlead for the criminals here:

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/05/budget_contains_gift_to_charte.html

CMSD update

Garrett Morgan Meeting 2.3.2010

The CMSD School Board admitted at the Garrett Morgan meeting that they will be voting on a modified plan and the public will have little or no time to respond.  Residents at all meetings have endured this mockery. 

Updated 2/11--33 page Working Draft revision was released on February 9th--District has removed Tremont and Spellacy from the school closing list, but no press release at the CMSD site or at www.cleveland.com to date announces this revision--the revision is still intentionally vague on addressing the deficit and leaves administrator salaries as a "to be determined" item. 

Next CMSD Board Meeting is to be held at Tremont Montessori on Wednesday, February 17th--there are 7 working days before this plan gets voted on by the CMSD School Board.

The plan MUST be rejected outright--on the grounds that it did not engage the community at the get go and SIGNIFICANTLY it does not address the deficit.  The human fall-out from this incredibly deceitful plan is staggering.  Can any one reading this help to file an injunction or restraining order against the vote?  Please email me at lmcshane23 [at] yahoo [dot] com

I also have to question how City Council can affect parts and pieces of the plan?  Is their show of opposition to the move of Ginn Academy just that--all for show?

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/02/cleveland_city_council_opposes.html

Teachers/Staff under the current CMSD administration have been bullied into silence and parent teacher organization and community engagement have been stymied. The public event at  Garrett Morgan marked the first time I have really seen teachers speak out at these meetings--teachers from Brooklawn and A.G. Bell--both slated to close--spoke out.  I commend them for their courage.

This plan affects every school and every neighborhood in the City of Cleveland.  No one should think that their child or their community is spared the insanity of this PLAN

We must reject the entire process and engage in a community restructuring that engages the community.  The school board needs to start by rejecting the PLAN and  asking for the resignation of Eugene Sanders.

Special Thanks to Councilman Jeff Johnson

Jeff Johnson sounded the clarion call to action at Whitney M. Young Academy last night.  Parents made heartfelt pleas and one gentleman, in particular, stirred emotions with his presentation decrying the money squandered and broken promises of the Eugene Sanders administration--which has seen most schools go from continuous improvement to academic watch.

The Plain Dealer failed to record any of the substantive proceedings--only noting that most of the 200 person crowd were in attendance to protest the closing of schools.

I called Councilman Jeff Johnson and Councilman Joe Cimperman's offices today to thank them for their efforts.  I will be calling and emailing all of the council representatives, asking them to pressure this school board to reject the entire "Transformation Plan."  It can not be one council person, fighting to save one, two or three schools in their ward.   It must be all for one, and one for ALL--Save our Schools.

(I am sorry I can't seem to upload my video of the event--not the greatest camera work, but does show the tenor of the presentation by Councilman Jeff Johnson).

Jeff Johnson

 It is good to see Jeff Johnson reenter public life doing what he was so good at in the past: shaking up the status quo in a way that makes people listen because what he says makes a lot of sense. 

I hope, lmcshane, that you will be able to upload your video in the near future.

Whistleblowers on FRAUD

Too little, too late for CMSD??

Thanks to Scene Magazine and Afi Scruggs for this coverage--

http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/schools-out-forever/Content?oid=1826198

How would I grade CEO Eugene Sanders and his crew?--F

I think one of the problems

I think one of the problems is that the majority of people that still live in Cleveland that have school aged children have taken their children out of the CMSD and enrolled them in other schools.  Maybe if all people that live in Cleveland, whether or not they have children enrolled  in the Cleveland Public Schools would write and complain about the system it would have a bigger impact?  I know it is difficult for me to get involved in this since I would like to see the entirie CMSD shut down and go for private schools for all Cleveland students. 

What would one even say if they were to write a letter?  My letter would say shut down the system and give the children of Cleveland vouchers so they can chose a school that is already successfully educating the children.  Children are NOT experiments...send them to a school that is already successful, not to schools that are trying to be successful.  The children deserve better. 

Why??

Really truly ask yourself why you think the CMSD system should be obliterated...and look in the mirror when you answer that question...

Why?  Just take a look at

Why?  Just take a look at the graduation rates in the city schools.  Also, my children attended Cleveland Public schools, 3 of my 5 children graduated from Cleveland Public school.  One I pulled out in her senior year and enrolled her Hope Academy because she was cutting school almost everyday and the school never notified us.  We found out by going to the school to check her records.  Also, my grandson enrolled in Luis Munoz in kindergarden 4 years ago and the class was chaos, thankfully my son pulled him out and enrolled him in a private school. 

The Cleveland Public Schools are just not doing a good job.  Why throw good money after bad money trying to fix a broken system?  Just send the children to a school that is already doing a good job.  The sake of our entire community is at stake because when the schools are inferior the students will not be able to compete for jobs and the cycle continues, poor education, lack of skill, lack of income, depressed neighborhood, etc.

Why do you think it is good? 

 

Sorry Ward 14

But you don't know the children in Cleveland Public Schools and you are not being fair to the kids in our schools...there is nothing "experimental" about schools, unless you are refering to kids of different cultural backgrounds in school together...as an "experiment."  You also have to know that there are many ways to measure "success."

I have no problem with kids

I have no problem with kids of different cultural backgrounds attending school together.  It is not the children that have failed...it is the system that has failed the children. 

CMSD - who has failed whom

over the last couple of decades i have worked with many kids in the CMSD system.  been inside many of the schools, have also interviewed a wide range of teachers, principals, counselors and parents.

yes there are some horror stories, maybe even many horror stories BUT there really are more stories of success.

unfortunately only the negative gets published and that level of misinformation is now assumed as the only truth that exists.

having a truthful picture would be of use, IF the CMSD were to ever to be truly successful again.

until then spewing negative only stories will continue to beat down any future chance of success. (imho)

peace out

 

 

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having a truthful picture would be of use

 having a truthful picture would be of use

so you KNOW I'm lying?

so you KNOW I'm lying?

and I suppose you KNOW my child is lying?

thats a cheap out, Jean -

seriously, what are you saying with your statement? The classroom WASn't chaos? because I have three other mothers who volunteered in the classroom and could tell you otherwise. All of us have dealt with it in different ways - all with the same result - nothing done, no improvement.

Two of us took our children elsewhere, its been two months and both children are doing remarkably well.

this has nothing to do with

 the screen name known as d'bra

>>having a truthful picture would be of use<<

is referring to the CMSD

 

well then that leaves my question unanswered -

 <<<what do you tell the parents who child is in a class that is pure chaos and insanity and none of their efforts to correct the situation have worked?

Try again next year?>>>

the post the screen name bj made

was about the CMSD

the screen name known as d'bra has attempted to make this personal.  well the question was only known to be an attempt at personalizing the bj's CMSD post when a second post by d'bra then stated that this was d'bra's personal situation.

keep looking for the negative and that is all one will see.

the post was not rosey, was simply noting that:

>>having a truthful picture would be useful<<

based on advice by another screen name from realneo, which i think was very well intended, i shall cease and desist posting on this thread.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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No child left behind

  ...and the testing that goes along with it... is a joke.

Unions

  The thorny element here is between CMSD and charter schools and parochial schools is how teachers are remunerated...ask my sister, the teacher, about her charter school experience.  At some point...there is only so much a person can give of themselves...

Millions $$$ squandered

 Giving unnecessary contracts to Bowen Architecture and the other vultures who lined up for construction work through the buildings facilities plan that was designed to bleed the school district and NOT provide warm, dry, safe schools for our kids...

Attendees at the CMSD Board Meeting on 1/26/2010 could SEE and FEEL a building that has received NO maintenance, whatsoever, at Whitney M. Young Academy...

Accountability

Yes--Ward14 maybe the school district failed you, and it is not my place to discuss parenting--

Please detach yourself from the monumental--for a minute and consider how your tax dollars are spent and accounted and what you have already paid for with this administration and previous administrations.  Do you throw all of that out and lay it to waste?  Really--it does amount to throwing the baby out with the bathwater.  There is a place for common sense.  We have been robbed blind, again...

What!!!!! I wasn't talking

What!!!!! I wasn't talking about myself here.  I gave personal examples as to why I am not in favor of keeping the CMSD in operation here in Cleveland because you asked.  It has nothing to do with parenting except perhaps in regard to parents that have been intelligent enough to realize that the CMSD is not providing a good, quality education for their children and have disenrolled them from the system.  I cannot in good conscience recommend a system to others that I would not want my own to attend.

You know what is said about doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.  It is time, in my opinion, to dismantle the CMSD and try something different.  The children of Cleveland deserve a quality education.  The CMSD has failed too many times over the past 40 years....it is time to give up on trying to fix it and go with a different system of education here in Cleveland. 

Maybe, just maybe, if all parents would refuse to send their children to inferior schools the administrators would respond to the will of the parents?  But, allowing them to continue with more of the same is just insanity.  The system is broken and needs to be demolished.  The children deserve better.

 

 

 

Black and white

  Ward14, you have the perception that the schools are NOT working, when they ARE working--I can't change that.  Teachers give of themselves every day. 

You CLOSE a school and you traumatize children, their parents, their family, and a neighborhood.  Face the reality of rebooting your own child.  There is no easy-erase-reboot solution to starting and running a school.

As much as folks want to malign teachers--they are NOT the problem--and you should know that there are award-winning teachers in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and that there are exceptional students. 

CMSD schools DO need more MANDATORY standards, parental involvement and oversight--AND this administration has intentionally shut parents out by design.  This administration has also stymied good teachers and good principals. 

I watched many people grovel before Sanders at the CMSD board meetings as if he were an emperor--well, he is a grossly overpaid and soon to be indicted "emperor"--the proverbial emperor with no clothes--it's time we recognize it.  Depose him and make the schools whole.

lmcshane, I didn't close the

lmcshane, I didn't close the schools.  I would like nothing better than for the CMSD to have quality schools for the children that live in Cleveland. 

What I am saying is that I cannot support something I don't believe in...and I don't believe in the CMSD.  I can't fight to keep schools open when I would like to see the whole system demolished.  It sounds like you are not happy with the system either.  Why keep it? 

I agree that some of the teachers are doing a great job.  I agree that some of the students can find a way to excell in the system.  But it leaves too many out in the cold without a good education.  Just look at the graduation rate for an example. 

My concern is for the children.  And too many children are not thriving under the current system.  My suggestion is to use the voucher system to allow ALL students to chose a school that will meet their needs.  I don't see the point in continuing to support a system that has failed to meet the needs of the students.  If you don't see it my way, that is fine.  I respect your opinion.  But, that does not mean that I agree with it. 

Whatever decisions are made I hope and pray that the decisions will allow the children to receive a quality education. 

CMSD

There are places in the world where a school is part of the community.  Neighbors, friends, family and even local businesses claim ownership of their neighborhood school by supporting and participating at every level.  The problem here in Cleveland  that has developed due to  many years of mis-handling..... is that no one wants to claim ownership.  We have forgotten as a society how to work together.  If we do not participate in the system then we become part of the problem.  Let's ask ourselves.  Who is the School Board accountable to... a transient community that moves from one rental property to the next....that doesn't have a vested interest in being part of the system?  That is what they are counting on and quite frankly that is what they assume.  We have allowed that to happen.  We have to own this problem as a City in-order to resolve it.  Yes -Ward14 resident...parenting plays a huge role in the success of a child's individual education but also in public education.  Reality Check...even in private schools- children cut and/or do drugs.  As a parents we must look beyond the blame and make accountability the rule rather than the exception.  Moving a child to a private or charter school does not guarantee safety or educational success.   

A successful public school system will benefit an entire city.  Neighborhood schools belong to the community.  It is very basic economics.  Thriving communities sell houses and stimulate re-investment which in turn creates growth and stability.  Isn't that what we all want?  Even if we don't have school age children we need to step up to the plate ourselves.  Our neighborhoods have suffered severely due to the mishandling of our public education system.  Hello...it is called property value.  It is all connected.  The answer isn't for me to send my child to a private school because I can afford it or the government to give me a voucher.  The answer is for me to demand that my neighborhood school meet the same educational standards a private school offers especially since the cost per student stipend isn't any different.  

So -now the School Board is holding public meetings to assure us that we have a voice and that we, of course, are part of the process.  Let's get serious...the decisions were made long before we were invited to the process.  The reality is.... they don't see us as a community that cares or that matters.  They have decided that they know what is best for our children and our tax dollars.  In turn they continue to deplete this city of potential residents and stakeholders.  We can blame them again for this situation and run, ignore, change schools, move away.  Isn't it our fault as well then?  Don't they work for us?  Maybe its time we become better managers of our city.

 

 

abanco, All you said would

abanco,

All you said would be good....but it isn't working.  I have supported the CMSD for 43 years as a resident of Cleveland.  And nothing has changed...the schools are still subpar.  The children suffer from this, and the neighborhoods suffer from this.  Why, why, why, try to fix something that is so broken that it would take years to repair?  Meanwhile the children get an inferior educatiion.  Where I stand right now is with private schools and charter schools, not a Cleveland public school.  I cannot in good faith support something that has failed for 43 years.  I think I am not alone in thinking this way.  Most people who think the Cleveland schools are beyond repair have left the area and no longer care what happens in the Cleveland schools.  I still live in Cleveland...I still care about the schools in Cleveland because I live here.  And I say it is time to change the entire system to a privately run system that will be accountable.  Let's try it for about 10 years and see what happens.  If the children continue to fail then I was wrong.  But, we know that many children are failing with the current system so why not try something different?

the kids

 The kids & the community have suffered under many superintendents. Some buildings are going to have to close. We have too many buildings that were constructed way back when it was acceptable to openly support segregation. The Cleveland way of doing things is bad corporate behaviors and that is not acceptable and the response to this plan is a result of years of being lied too, the waste of public dollars and the decades of corrupt school boards. 

Ward14resident: we owe kids in Cleveland a good, public education. Tossing the towel in and saying it doesn't work therefore kill it is not a solution that I support. Saying that you are so frustrated that you can not deal with it anymore is certainly understandable. However, closing the system down is not an option and advocating for that as a solution just victimizes the kids and the community as little bit more and supports what Sanders and the corporations really want: the end of public schools in Cleveland (but not the end of public dollars for charter schools). I try not to fight with parents on the voucher and charter school issue, but my bottom line is that I have supported all the levies, and pay property taxes for public education, but it is not my duty to pay to send kids to charter schools. 

Dwebb, I would rather pay to

Dwebb, I would rather pay to let parents have a choice in what school their children attend.  This way poor children would have an equal educational opportunity.  Forcing the poor to attend a public school that is not meeting their needs does not help them.  I am sure if parents had a choice, and the public school offered the best education, many would chose the public school.  A voucher program would encourage the public schools to offer excellent programs so they would get the funding.  The way it is now, where is the incentive to do good work?  No matter what they do, they keep getting money.  I strongly support the voucher system because it gives parents a choice and allows the poor to have the same educational opportunities as those with higher incomes. 

Why is our duty to pay to send children to failing public schools?   That doesn't help the children at all.  It is just a waste of money.

 

vouchers

 We have had vouchers for a while now, and it has not helped the public school system improve; rather, it has depleted the system. Is it fair that public tax dollars are being used to educate kids in charter schools? The courts have ruled that it is, but rulings of courts do not always benefit society. 

I strongly oppose the voucher system. I just don't fight with parents that use them; I'd rather fight for better public education because the leaders of the public schools are the ones that are failing us all. 

 

the deconstruct of society

 W14R, you ask "Why is our duty to pay to send children to failing public schools?   That doesn't help the children at all.  It is just a waste of money."

The children of the City of Cleveland deserve to have a quality education in a public school system. One of the things that promoted the immigrants into the mainstream a century ago was access to public education. Why deny the children of Cleveland the same opportunities available to children in near by suburbs? Are we too tired and apathetic to fight for them anymore?

There are a few good charter schools, and there are many that offer the same mediocre education of CMSD, and the are some charter schools that are worse. Charter schools are not a solution. They are a band aid when parents are able to find the few charter schools that are decent, and they are few. The success that you have cited in charter schools for your grandchildren is not the rule, and parents in Cleveland have had many disappointments in the placement of their kids into these schools.

The founders of the public education system in the U.S. fought for years to make education accessible to all children. The founders were told that education was a privilege, that the public should not have to pay to educate the masses, that this was a family responsibility. Are we headed back that way here in Cleveland? Money for public education, including vouchers, are way down.

Tying in the public education with other public concerns, such as social security, Medicare, Medicaid, disability pay, and public parks and recreations, and the arts, brings to mind that we as a society have a duty to ensure all of this for the sake of the future, especially here in Cleveland.

What I advocate is allowing

What I advocate is allowing parents to choose the best school.  Offering students vouchers allows choice to all, not just for the wealthy.  Cleveland schools have been given plenty of money to make the system work, but it is not working for about 50% of the students.  I am not against public schools, I am for quality education for all children.  Without vouchers many parents will have no choice, they will have to accept whatever the current public school system offers, even if it is substandard.  That is unjust. 

Vouchers don't work

You will find Ward14 that "good" schools do get overbooked and students do get locked out.  Ask any parent who has tried to get their kids into the talented tenth programs--MCStem and Cleveland School of the Arts--or even charter schools. 

Local Horizon Denison Science Academy is booked solid with a waiting list of children waiting to get in.  The heartbreak comes when one sibling "gets in" and the other does not.

why would it be ok to leave any child in a bad school?

 why would it be ok to leave any child in a bad school?

and that is the reality many parents face every day. While vouchers may not "fix" the bad school, they do "fix" the immediate problem for that child, in that school.

and there ARE bad teachers - very bad teachers.

but nothing is done about those teachers. 

why?

why would 5 sets of parents pulling their child from one classroom, after unanswered complaints, not set off a series of action on the part of school administration? hello?

also - I would consider every teacher who sits in a playground and watches his/her students cuss, act aggressive and act destructive while he/she does nothing to be a very bad teacher.

but nothing is done about those teachers.

why?

bad teachers, etc

Sure there are lots of complaints, but that is not what these specific postings are about, is it? It is about the position that public education is dead. 

 

Not public education

Not public education lmcshane.  It is the CMSD that has failed.  I find it difficult to believe that half of all students that attend Cleveland Public Schools are not capable of graduating.  But yet, this is what happens to many students that attend the public schools here in Cleveland.  And still some insist that the system is working. 

Dbra, I agree that NO child deserves a crummy education in a crummy environment such as the one you described with the fighting and cussing in the school yard and the lack of adult supervision.  That is just wrong.  Without vouchers too many children will have no choice but to stay in such a setting.  I am surprised and amazed that parents actually leave their children in such schools.  I think it will take a mass exudus from the schools by many parents before the administrators get the hint.  Do there children attend the Cleveland schools?  Do their grandchildren attend the Cleveland schools?  How many of the people making the decisions live near the schools?  Listen to what the students and the parents have to say about the schools.  Don't listen to what the administrators want you to believe.  I know that if I would not want to sent my child to a school I would not encourage anyone else to send their child there. 

I think the current system needs to be shut down and a new system needs to be started anew.  I have no problem with keeping the buildings....it is the people running the system that have dropped the ball, time and time again.  It makes me sick to know that so many children have to attend schools that don't meet their needs.   The children deserve better. 

thats not my point

 my point is -

if the administrators did respond to bad teacher situations (I'm not going to say if its administration or unions "at fault"):

bad teachers would not be in the system;

parents would leave their kids in public schools;

student enrollment and performance would improve;

buildings would not be under capacity - at least not as much as they are now.

 

No one responded to our bad teacher situation - the teacher is still there - kids are still in her classroom - what my husband refers to as a "Little Lord of the Flies"

vouchers worked for us, but only because I saw nothing was going to change and acted quickly.

Its a sad situation. Its a situation Cleveland HAS to fix. I see neither Saunders nor Action Jackson capable of doing so.

the solution is not to close schools

I waited for the 19 bus with a young lady "failed" as you describe by bad teachers at South High.  It doesn't solve this young lady's dilemma to close the school.  She has been failed--by South, by the charter school she attended (which was closed) and now she is enrolled at Life Skills.  Instead of having to go through three schools--she could have returned to South and resumed her studies in a better environment (she had a baby and did not want to be sent back a grade)--closing South is not the answer. Closing these schools and putting $$ into charter schools is NOT the answer.  Responding to student needs is the ANSWER.

It broke my heart to hear a young man who is a junior this year at South High--can you imagine what it might be like for this young man to start all over again at a NEW school as a SENIOR??? This is what the "Transformation Plan" would do with our students.

Bad teachers=Bad buildings?

  I agree Dbra, that there are bad teachers, too--and as a union employee--I wish the union would find a more efficient way to allow administrators to get rid of the bad apples.  But, your own story illustrates that parents can respond and correct the situation. 

You have the option to engage and disengage. 

Can we please agree that the buildings are NOT the problem?  Why tear down schools and blame a BUILDING on student failure?? 

Do you not find it HIGHLY suspect that all of the "BAD" buildings are on the east side of Cleveland??

Public Education is DEAD?

God save us if this is the case--let's just go back to putting the unfortunate kids to work in factories, if this is all we have to show for Democracy in America.

Here is the link to the master article in this series:

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/01/transformation_plan_boxes_pict.html

Councilman Jeffrey Johnson board meeting transcript 1.26.2010

 

Recorded at Whitney M. Young Academy 1.26.2010 Cleveland Metropolitan School Board meeting.

Today at South High

Auditorium South High

After, the demonstration of free speech at Whitney Young (see above video with Councilman Jeffrey Johnson) the District imposed their tried and true, divide and conquer approach by scattering participants into small "break-out" group sessions.  And, then subjected participants to the timed presentation period.

Nonetheless, the CMSD school board heard LOUD and CLEAR that students and parents with students at South High do not want their school closed.

Council representatives--Phyllis Cleveland, Zack Reed and Anthony Brancatelli were in attendance.  Thank you, especially, to all of the young high school students in attendance who gave of themselves today to voice their opposition to the closing of their school.  And, a personal thank you to Councilwoman Phyllis Cleveland for echoing the sentiments of our parents and students present today.

Media Center at South High

 Students today also eloquently expressed their concern for the successful cosmetology and sports management program offered at South High. Where do these programs go if the school is closed?  You can see from the photos above that the school is not in "terrible" condition.  In fact, the school boasts a shared rec center/pool, media center/CPL library across the street, plentiful parking/major public transportation/RTA routes, football field and auditorium.

about the controlled community outreach...

Community outreach cannot be defined as the CEO’s initial introduction to his staff of teachers and administrators where he points to his body guard and emphasizes the man’s weapon and says, “Nobody messes with me.” This sends a clear message to one of the most knowledgeable groups, experts on the district, the schools, and the students that they cannot approach this man. Do I think Eugene Sanders should leave the district?! H***No! I think he should stay and be held accountable to work with the community (parents, teachers, students, universities, churches, businesses—community all inclusive) to clean up the mess that has become of education in Cleveland.

Community outreach cannot be defined as calling “community board meetings” where the community is divided up and fed questions and concerns to address and then is given 5 minutes to report back on an hour’s worth of back and forth discussion that did not include interaction with Board members.

Community outreach cannot be defined as placing advertisements and information online and claiming that the district has made an effort to communicate with parents and the community. While you claim transparency, this information, the language, context, and volume is inaccessible to the average person. To be fair, I need you to understand who I am. I am a former teacher and parent in the district. I am a single mom, an artist, an activist, and a student working on a PhD who is having a colourful time with the "data."

I don’t wanna just vent, I want my voice to mark the record and urge you and plead with Board and the community to join together and make a change that is going to result in more unified community partnerships that work to sustain vitality in Cleveland--the youth are our lifeline. Because we are not aware does not mean that we don’t care!

 

don't take it personal, take personal responsibility

Look into these eyes

Thank you, Jeff Buster--for tirelessly canvassing the city for representation
of our community.

This mural depicts our children as they live together.  Not the divide and conquer attitude the school district would have you believe.  We can make
the public education system work for all of us.  Please believe in our children.

 

fyi--some data, since these decisions are data based

In terms of money: (reference to BCG's “human capital”)

According to Ohio School Finance Blue Book 2008-2009 edition by Robert G. Stabile, PhD, the formula amount, established by House Bill 119 as the minimum amount a district is guaranteed per student, for the 2008-2009 school year was $5,732. Because increases to this amount “are intended to match the rate of inflation, about 3% per year” the estimated amount for the current school year is $5,904 and $6,081 for the 2010-2011 school year (p. 37). This amount is determined by the number of students enrolled in a district and is calculated as ADM or Average Daily Membership during two weeks of each school year, the first in October and the second during the week of February 1st through February 5th, which is the week coming up.

“The counts are as follows: Each regular education student is counted as 1 student; Each kindergarten student is counted as ½ of a student; Joint Vocational School students are counted as .2 students at the home school” (p. 37).

The district also capitalizes on its poor performance and rating on the academic distress index as well as the lower economic status of its students and is afforded Poverty Based Assistance (PBA) as defined by Ohio Revised Code 3317.029 to aid in closing the achievement gap, which also stipulates that funds be spent on community outreach. (Stabile,  2007)

According to Dr. Dennis J. Kowalski, in Cleveland State’s College of Education and the director of it’s Greater Cleveland Educational Development Center:

As taxpayers of Cleveland we pay $1 in tax for every $1,000 of property value—we pay 35% of our property’s market value. This information can be found on the website for the Cuyahoga County Treasurer’s Office. What that means is that as a homeowner the total value of my home is $83,300 and I pay $1, 700 a year—46% which is $918 goes to schools (the other is split between the county, city, and libraries). Now due to the present state of the economy, market values have completely plummeted, but your tax rate is not automatically adjusted—you have to request to have this done.

My recommendation to students, parents, the board, and the community is to weigh the costs of education. Workers are united and represented by unions who look out for and demand that the needs of the workers are met. When teachers’ needs aren’t met—they’re not happy with their pay, the work day, the amount of children in their classrooms, the amount of planning time they’re allotted—when they don’t get what they want, when they aren’t brought to the table to negotiate, they strike.

Well, what union, what organization, what group is looking out for the needs and wants of students and parents? Our district is failing and it will continue to fail. It does need to make some drastic changes, but who will represent you as the community to make sure your needs and wants are met or even considered during this much needed transformation? How will you ensure you are at the decision making table, that you are heard? Money talks; demand to be heard! I don’t want to take money away from the schools, I want them to be accountable for what they have and what they do.

Make your dollars work!!!

 

 

don't take it personal, take personal responsibility

Heart Cleveland

Please see above fiscal analysis and also consider that President Obama has allotted more than seventy billion dollars in federal economic stimulus funds to hand out to the states--this district will have more money to account for and the administration under CEO Saunders, if he remains in this position, will need more accountability and citizen participation than ever.

-

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corporate education

 the 3 charter schools that CMSD had in mind per our PeeDee are listed below with the Board of Directors of each school. It is a lengthy list, but it is important that people see it as this is the future of the CMSD partners.

 

Entrepreneurship Preparatory School

Alan Kopit, Secretary Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP


James Marra, President  Blue Point Capital

 

Kristen SanMarco Carleton Advisors, LLC

 

Carol Staiger Vantage Point Marketing Consultants

Claire Walker COSE

 

Intergenerational

Lee Trotter, Chairman

Former Deputy County Administrator

Cuyahoga County Commissioners

 

Kenneth A. Hirsch, Treasurer

Chair, Finance Cmte

Managing Director

Western Reserve Partners, LLC

Robert C. Huxtable

Chair, Governance Cmte

Co-Founder and Managing Partner

Socius Search, LLC

Bonita E. (Bonnie) Lindberg

Chair, Program Cmte

Retired French and Spanish Teacher

Michelle G. Mahle, CPA

Director SS&G Financial Services, Inc.

Jane Q. Outcalt

Chair, Development Cmte Director Intergen. Resource Ctr

Fairhill Center

 

Stephen P. Owendoff

Chair, Outreach Cmte

Partner, Hahn Loeser + Parks LLP

 James A. Saporito (Jim)

Associate Chairman, Institutional Relations and Development

Cleveland Clinic

Diana C. Starks

Assistant Vice President, Executive Office
Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

Michael K. Swearengen

Partner

Benesch

Barbara Wolfort (on leave)

Community Activist

Substitute Teacher, Hawken School

Independent Sales Representative 

Gareth D. Vaughan

Chair, Facilities Cmte

Executive Vice President

The Albert M. Higley Co.

 

Citizens Academy

Michael Goldberg, Chair 
Managing Partner, Bridge Investment Fund, LP

Stephen Murray, Vice-Chair
Headmaster, University School

Jen Grossman, Treasurer 
Finance Consultant, Landmark Management

David Stein, Secretary
Commercial Real Estate Agent, Arnold J. Eisenberg, Inc.

Jim Crane
Attorney, Sherwin Williams

John Dunn
Partner, Jones Day

Andres Gonzalez
Director of the Office of Diversity, Cleveland Clinic

Sue Hollingsworth
Trustee, The Roy A. Hunt Foundation

Melanice Hicks
Senior Associate, SS&G Financial Services

 

Vickie Johnson, Citizens' Academy Parent

Executive Director, Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation

 

Kai Jones, Citizens’ Academy Parent 
Human Resources Assistant, Litigation Management, Inc.

Whitney Jones
Community Volunteer

Me’lani Joseph
Associate Director for Education and Diversity, Center for Layered Polymeric Systems at Case Western Reserve

Alfred Miller
Consultant

Enid Rosenberg
Chair, Menorah Park Center for Senior Living

Linda Schneider
Community Volunteer

Dan Sheets
Vice President of Sales, The Lubrizol Corporation

David Wasserstrom
President, Vantage Communications

Kareemah Williams, Citizens’ Academy Parent 
Program Director, Cleveland Neighborhood Development Coalition

 

Corporate Education

See above post--DWebb--was the Plain Dealer the source of this list?  If so, this is very scary. 

The CMSD is already throwing money to corporate group called KnowledgeCollege.com.  It seems that these outside interests (folks that do not pay taxes in the City of Cleveland) are lining up to bleed the money entitled to each child in the City of Cleveland. 

It is obvious that the dollar allotted to each child in the Cleveland School Metropolitan School District does not go to each child.  It gets squeezed by outside interests, until the system is left with pennies for some children (east side--traditionally underserved) and thousands for others (academies). 

corporate list

No, the Plain Dealer named the three schools in a past article. They don't bother naming the Board of Directors. The list is from the current sites of the three charter schools named by the PD. 

REpurposing schools???

At Saturday's 1/30/2010 meeting at South High, the respondants, who were corralled into classrooms, still managed to get out their frustration with this "data-driven" process and their distrust of the plan. Students spoke out against the closure of their school, which has recently seen marked improvements under a new principal. You noted that students taking the Boston Consulting Group survey did not know what they were filling out and in some places were better coached to answer the survey.  So much for the purity of data.

Thank you for HeartCleveland for speaking out yesterday--I will see you, again with the other students and parents who will not tolerate this disrespect for the communities that do exist in Cleveland. 

I asked about "repurposing" in yesterday's meeting, because Lincoln-West High School has been intentionally given a shake-up this year:

http://www.plainpress.org/html/stories/2009-04/lincolnweststudentsscience.htm

This shake-up has disrupted one of the strongest academic programs in chemistry:

http://www.plainpress.org/html/stories/2010-01/lincolnwestprincipal.htm

Administrators yesterday indicated that "repurposing" = charter school.  What does this classification bode for the students, staff and families?  Councilman Brancatelli described the fate of South High yesterday as a done deal for a charter school at the South High location (mechanically--one and the same building with adjacent Stella Walsh Recreation Center), despite the fact that the District does not define it as a "repurposed" school.  So which is it?  Does South become another vacant eyesore to DEMO, or does it get "repurposed" as a charter school?? 

Let's keep talking here--asking questions of a CEO and the real driving motivation of this "Transformation" Plan.  As Councilwoman Phyllis Cleveland noted we have been on this merry-go-round before and its not changing anything for the better.  She implored the board to do their job.  This is on their conscience.  We can do better for our students.

*correction to previously mentioned link-District is dumping cash into this program http://www.knowledgecollegeinc.om

the enemy list

hell yes, but don't stop being concerned about the issues!

don't take it personal, take personal responsibility

lmcshane

proceed with caution.

Good job with all of your school reportings....

Councilman Brancatelli wants more DEMO

He would like the district to demolish AB Hart School immediately--this according to the most recent Old Brooklyn News. The question is--WHY?

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldohioschools/

And, WHO is getting these contracts?

SEE: http://realneo.us/content/misfortune-mother-opportunityforeclosure-crisis#comment-19967

well I guess paper news is not dead

 You must be looking at paper, Laura. The link you provide has no articles except the PDFs of the "print copy of their newspaper" which open in computer choking massive files. The PDF link for the January 2010 paper directs to the January 2009 paper.

Oh, my NEO needs some tech help. Open and transparent falls to obfuscating here day after day. 

"Growth" Schools

  Here is the article scanned from OBDC (February 2010--not January--corrected)

To quote Councilman Brancatelli--"Further, we must be sure that the closed schools do not become 'low-value' charter schools.  That is why I am advocating that A. B. Hart be demolished immediately..."

...BTW, one of the "Transformation" Plan "Growth" schools mentioned in the article-- William Cullen Bryant--was slated for closure/demolition under Barbara Byrd-Bennett's administration and successfully petitioned BY THE COMMUNITY to stay open. 

Ironic, isn't it?

 

We're sending Claes to The Intergenerational School

We live in East Cleveland. Our community already tore down some old schools and built new ones. Most of our neighborhoods still have buildings intact, where students may live, so I think EC is set to grow as a community and provide residents with good schools capable of offering quality educations... my friend Patricia Blochowiak is on the School Board and our new Mayor Gary Norton is at work to make that happen.

We also have an historic school that is surplus and the school board wants to tear down... and I am fighting that - I propose to repurpose Rozelle Elementary as a different type of community asset... without a plan, it will be torn down. I can't argue with that - they don't need the school and have government money to get rid of it. The void would expand lower Forest Hills Park, adding green space to the neighborhood. We would lose a beautiful building.

I've had good and bad experiences with Shaker Public Schools, and learned a concerned parent may get a teacher removed from teaching if she is incompetent - I did it. That is considered an excellent school system, yet still they failed my daughter until I challenged them to succeed.

So, it was up to me to take action for my child, and that seems to be the secret to getting your children a good education.

I would definitely send my kids to East Cleveland public schools, and I would make certain they got a good education there, but I have one of the best schools in the world available to my children, as an alternative choice, free to me - The Intergenerational School.

TIS is not just one of the best schools in NEO, or Ohio, or America, but one of the best in the world.

TIS is the brainchild of two remarkable people - Peter and Cathy Whitehouse - and they built it from scratch, and I feel it employs a better model for education than any other school in the world... and has better leadership, as well, being led by the creator of the model and the school, Cathy Whitehouse.

So, I am very excited to be educating my children at an exceptional public school in Cleveland, even as I pay taxes and have attractive schools in East Cleveland.

That TIS is available for free to anyone living in Cuyahoga County is astounding... as a private school, TIS would be unaffordable to me.

As of last week, they still had openings in their Kindergarden. All children start in Kindergarden, and should stay in the program to completion at the 9th grade level... although they do not use traditional grade levels. Older children are generally not added to the class after the Kindergarden level, so they have a very unique program.

I've been excited about TIS since I first learned about it, at a NEO Excellence Roundtable and through many discussions with the founders and staff, and I've been very supportive of them expanding their impact further through collaboration with the Cleveland and East Cleveland public schools - the Charter Schools are "public schools" too. It appears that type of collaboration is happening.

I know real estate developers, bankers, lawyers and all other prosperous people of NEO would like to help make the schools here better - I think we all want that - and so I am not suprised to see industrial leaders at the board tables of the Charter Schools - if they were not at the tables, I would be suprised. In fact, the Charters depend on such industrial leaders to help raise money and support for their schools, as it costs more to educate children than is provided through the public funding of these quality charter schools... so these people help them raise money.

And smart developera and the Clinic want these quality charter schools in their backyards... I want them in my backyard.

A TIS in Tremont, or Fairfax, would transform those neighborhoods for better more than anything I can imagine.

The people on the boards of these charter schools are certainly friends with the Cleveland school board members, who chose the school leadership, all funded by the foundations, so they are all working together... no sense in pretending it is us against them.

Each existing Cleveland Public school needs a neighborhood to support it, and needs to be good enough to retain a strong neighborhood student population, or needs to be exceptional enough and allowed to attract residents from outside the neighborhood... or needs to be closed and repurposed as something other than a school, or they will be torn down.

We have at least one world-class, free school in real NEO, and I'm thankful for that.. and, I'm proud to be the parent of future TIS scholars, and look forward to sharing the learning experience there with them.

Disrupt IT

TIS

 TIS is a public charter school. It is not free. It does not cost (yet) the families as they receive a voucher for each child enrolled.  TIS site.

It is proposed by CMSD to have a charter system that includes a board made up of various charter schools advisors, or board members, including TIS. 

That seems to have been in the works for years

That seems to have been in the works for years... and was certainly part of the plan when hiring Sanders.

I can only speak for the fact that TIS has a unique program and focus that seems very powerful and effective.

I think TIS would be worth paying for, if vouchers were eliminated - I don't think their survival depends on public support, but that is their current model and I'm glad that makes them available by voucher to me, for now.

I like that my sons' parents and grandparents are encouraged to be mentors - that parents are required to participate in their children's educations.

I like the Intergenerational focus in general - that is helps kids and seniors - and I love the strong focus on reading.

This will be an interesting learing expereince for the whole family.

I'll let real NEO know how it goes...

For now I can say Claes is my second child to attend Cleveland Music School Settlement and it is outstanding, but not free. Thanks to my parents for funding a good start in life for my kids, as I couldn't afford that.

Disrupt IT

Corporate education is not FREE

Corporate education is not FREE.  Please folks show up at the Tremont Montessori Board Meeting and speak out against this plan.

Wednesday, February 17th 6-8 p.m.

In a perfect world we could all have perfect children attending the perfect school.  It's never going to be a perfect day or world, but some days are better than others.  

It will be an especially good day for me, if the School Board members reject this god-awful, sloppy, devastating plan. 

It will be even better day, when they fire this CEO.

Rot in hell

heartbreak

It is heartbreaking to see the scuttle of the Cleveland public school system. This is the most dire situation that I can remember since I have been in Cleveland.