Stefanie Nelkens has left a new comment on your post "Fed Up in Plainview":
If you believe something is wrong with an IEP and you're not getting any help from the school district, you can call VESID, a division of State Ed at (681) 884-8530 They are very helpful.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Ignore the Excuse
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Administrators Could Care Less":
The excuse is that everyone knows that rich people are smarter. They deny that it has anything to do with Parkway spending far more money than any other elementary school in our district, like buying $13 Barron's books for science review for 4th graders.
The excuse is that everyone knows that rich people are smarter. They deny that it has anything to do with Parkway spending far more money than any other elementary school in our district, like buying $13 Barron's books for science review for 4th graders.
At Stratford, the Principal Could Care Less
Stratford Parent has left a new comment on your post "Why Are Scores So Much Lower?":
Administration blames it on the special ed kids but the truth is that many of the teachers at Stratford do their own thing and most don't do enough. Some don't do any science, some still do Investigations math. Most classes don't have reading groups and they don't do much ELA work. The principal couldn't care less. She's tenured. No one is checking up on what she does and she hides in her office all day. She doesn't return phone calls. She doesn't check on the teachers even when parents complain year after year about the same things. The teachers know they can do whatever they want and most of them do the least amount possible.
Administration blames it on the special ed kids but the truth is that many of the teachers at Stratford do their own thing and most don't do enough. Some don't do any science, some still do Investigations math. Most classes don't have reading groups and they don't do much ELA work. The principal couldn't care less. She's tenured. No one is checking up on what she does and she hides in her office all day. She doesn't return phone calls. She doesn't check on the teachers even when parents complain year after year about the same things. The teachers know they can do whatever they want and most of them do the least amount possible.
Just Doesn't Make Sense
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Principals Run the Show":
Our district does NOT put the kids first but its amazing that the board is so out of touch that they don't see it. Elementary help takes kids out of their classes instead of doing this before or after school like they do in other districts. A kid who is getting help in reading misses social studies or math. That doesn't make much sense. In middle school we take kids out of art and music or computers or foreign language to provide help. PPS tells parents that middle school is a great time to consider declassification. Makes you wonder if the system is purposely designed to discourage parents from getting their kids help from school. Middle school kids come back to school for ELA review classes that are part of the curriculum in other school districts. Get rid of MAP and there'd be time to do this during the day. But instead let's talk about becoming the food police since a new wellness policy is the answer to all our problems.
Our district does NOT put the kids first but its amazing that the board is so out of touch that they don't see it. Elementary help takes kids out of their classes instead of doing this before or after school like they do in other districts. A kid who is getting help in reading misses social studies or math. That doesn't make much sense. In middle school we take kids out of art and music or computers or foreign language to provide help. PPS tells parents that middle school is a great time to consider declassification. Makes you wonder if the system is purposely designed to discourage parents from getting their kids help from school. Middle school kids come back to school for ELA review classes that are part of the curriculum in other school districts. Get rid of MAP and there'd be time to do this during the day. But instead let's talk about becoming the food police since a new wellness policy is the answer to all our problems.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Where is the BOE on This?
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "There's an Arrogance here....":
The word "the administration" keeps coming up. Yes it is the fault of the administration but it is also true that the BOE is in charge of the Superintendent who is in Charge of the whole administration. If the administration is not doing what they are supposed to do then it is either someone gets replaced in the administration or the Super goes. The BOE is ultimately at the wheel of our vehicle. The level of arrogance among teachers is horrible
The word "the administration" keeps coming up. Yes it is the fault of the administration but it is also true that the BOE is in charge of the Superintendent who is in Charge of the whole administration. If the administration is not doing what they are supposed to do then it is either someone gets replaced in the administration or the Super goes. The BOE is ultimately at the wheel of our vehicle. The level of arrogance among teachers is horrible
Principals Run the Show
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Fed Up in Plainview":
The administrators don't get too involved in what teachers do so there's no uniformity among classes or between buildings. The upper level administrators (Gierasch, Dempsey) entrust the principals to oversee everything. They take whatever the principals tell them as truth regardless of whether or not it is or not.
As far as IEP's are concerned, the district is only concerned with protecting itself from liability. The children's best interest is not their priority. NYC schools are similarly run.
What we need is a new superintendent, someone who is not retired and back in the job like ours is. We need a more experienced curriculum supt who can put the children first, effectively address parent concerns, who has integrity (something that rumor has it is an obvious shortcoming of ours). We need better trained teachers and principals.
The administrators don't get too involved in what teachers do so there's no uniformity among classes or between buildings. The upper level administrators (Gierasch, Dempsey) entrust the principals to oversee everything. They take whatever the principals tell them as truth regardless of whether or not it is or not.
As far as IEP's are concerned, the district is only concerned with protecting itself from liability. The children's best interest is not their priority. NYC schools are similarly run.
What we need is a new superintendent, someone who is not retired and back in the job like ours is. We need a more experienced curriculum supt who can put the children first, effectively address parent concerns, who has integrity (something that rumor has it is an obvious shortcoming of ours). We need better trained teachers and principals.
Administrators Could Care Less
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Why Are Scores So Much Lower?":
The simple fact is economics. Where are the most expensive homes in the town are within the Parkway school region. They take care of the rich people. As long as I have been living in Plainview(20 years) there has always, alwys been a disparity in the scores and the treatment of passadena and Stratford in relation to Parkway. Parkway is always on top and the Administrators could care less.That is a fact. Look up in the archives of Newsday of past years and you will see the public records. This has been brought up multple times and the BOE just dances around the issue.
The simple fact is economics. Where are the most expensive homes in the town are within the Parkway school region. They take care of the rich people. As long as I have been living in Plainview(20 years) there has always, alwys been a disparity in the scores and the treatment of passadena and Stratford in relation to Parkway. Parkway is always on top and the Administrators could care less.That is a fact. Look up in the archives of Newsday of past years and you will see the public records. This has been brought up multple times and the BOE just dances around the issue.
Why Are Scores So Much Lower?
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "What About the Principals?":
Stratford has the lowest test scores. That's probably why it gets such a bad rap in this town. Don't know why the scores there are so much lower than Parkway or Old Bethpage.
Stratford has the lowest test scores. That's probably why it gets such a bad rap in this town. Don't know why the scores there are so much lower than Parkway or Old Bethpage.
Fed Up in Plainview
I am fed up with lies has left a new comment on your post "Teacher Speaks in Defense":
My children are NOT being prepared for the standards set forth by NYS for elementary ELA, math or science. I spend hours teaching them what they SHOULD be learning in school.
Many IEPs are NOT followed. In fact, our district writes IEPs with lanugage like "teachers MAY" instead of "teachers WILL."
My children are NOT being prepared for the standards set forth by NYS for elementary ELA, math or science. I spend hours teaching them what they SHOULD be learning in school.
Many IEPs are NOT followed. In fact, our district writes IEPs with lanugage like "teachers MAY" instead of "teachers WILL."
There's an Arrogance here....
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Teacher Speaks in Defense":
Whatever anyone wants to say in defense of teachers,here or elsewhere, the truth remains the same. For what we pay in taxes, the schools in Plainview could be better, much better. The teachers institute unofficial and illegal job actions that most teachers' unions on Long Island shy away from. Many have attitudes about the population they serve. Don't kid yourself cultural prejudices do exist within the school system. There's an arrogance here that does nothing to improve the education our children receive.
The teachers and the community shouldn't be at such odds with each other. The administrators could do a better job of fostering PR within the community. Their job is not about the children. It's about them. There are some dedicated educators who put the children first bu not as many as there should be. I'm not sure they care if individuals or the community as a whole is happy or not with the job they do.
Whatever anyone wants to say in defense of teachers,here or elsewhere, the truth remains the same. For what we pay in taxes, the schools in Plainview could be better, much better. The teachers institute unofficial and illegal job actions that most teachers' unions on Long Island shy away from. Many have attitudes about the population they serve. Don't kid yourself cultural prejudices do exist within the school system. There's an arrogance here that does nothing to improve the education our children receive.
The teachers and the community shouldn't be at such odds with each other. The administrators could do a better job of fostering PR within the community. Their job is not about the children. It's about them. There are some dedicated educators who put the children first bu not as many as there should be. I'm not sure they care if individuals or the community as a whole is happy or not with the job they do.
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