Staff Claims They Got Them Done
So I'm at the Work Session (got here late, terrible traffic even on 99). One thing that Charlie will appreciate is that SPS staffer Jessica de Barros was asked by Director Carr about the school reports that are to be approved tonight. Jessica said they were all done and on-line today at 11 o'clock. (Which is still too late if every Director wanted to check the schools in their district as Director Carr seemed to be trying to do last night.) I do not understand how staff can expect the Board to take a vote with information coming in so late.
Charlie said he did a random check and they still aren't all there.
The vote should be no.
Charlie said he did a random check and they still aren't all there.
The vote should be no.
Comments
What I couldn't check is whether the text in the files had actually be updated (anyone have a copy of a CISP from, say, a few days ago?). A search of the PDF for Franklin High School still makes no mention of the STEM program, as Charlie pointed out earlier. I don't dare to think this might be possible, but have they actually updated these files? Someone more familiar with them with me will have to take a look.
It is very strange though that even Lowell and Washington don't mention APP. Scores and goals don't appear to be broken out by APP vs. ALO or gen ed. Just all lumped together. And I'll tell you, Lowell's CSIP looks really lame to me. Here's their entire math goal:
2010 - 2011 SMART Goals for Mathematics
1. For intermediate students we will increase the percentage of students making gains on state test from 88% to 92%. The person responsible for this goal is (unspecified).
Washington's CSIP looks very detailed. Lots of work done there.
Here's the link: CSIPs.
And Jan is right, Cleveland's CSIP does include STEM.
I'm Not Telling You
Really, though. If we weren't setting things on fire right and left, and then calling for fire suppression and running in circles, this could be part of a much more thoughtful, orderly process. The Board has allowed the Administration to take on, and fail at, much too much.
The troubling element here is not whether the CSIPs were current, complete, correct and uploaded.
The troubling element is that the Board utterly failed in their duty to oversee. The Board didn't even look at the reports until I made an issue of them. Director Carr was right to vote against attesting to something she could not verify. Most of the others were marginally wrong in that they were satisfied by seeing the web page when it was shown to them at the Board meeting.
Director Martin-Morris, however, needs to be recognized for his particularly willfull refusal to oversee. He was indignant. He seems to think that confirming statements made by staff somehow indicated distrust of them.
First of all, he SHOULD distrust them. The statement that he so indignant said he didn't have to confirm was, in fact, false. At least it was false when it was made and it remained false until three hours before the Board meeting.
Second, it is his job to confirm these things.
Third, confirmation doesn't imply distrust.
Director Martin-Morris essentially told us all that he resolutely refuses to do his job.