Latest News and Comment from Education

Sunday, November 7, 2010

What's Up ask the Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education





Dear Board Members and Superintendent Raymond,


What has been changed at Hiram Johnson since the chaos of the beginning of the school year? I've received information that the materials, bought with taxpayer money and related to curriculum, have not been replaced. Furthermore, the PSAT which was paid for with district funds, was administered in a manner that should have resulted in the test being invalidated. It is not acceptable to give the PSAT in a gym with 16 students to a table. 


This is clearly an example of inept, incompetent administration. Another example was set over the summer by the trashing of curriculum materials based purely on an arbitrary rule of only one file cabinet per teacher. I'm sure that you are aware that parents, teachers and students have met with at least two school board members. Parents were disappointed with the community engagement meeting on Back to School Night which lacked any parent engagement.

Has there been any follow up with parents teachers and students?

The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education raised the question of materials at a board meeting. The response did not address the time line for the replacement of the curriculum which had been thrown out.

The concern voiced about "Academic Achievement" at last night's board meeting demands that you take action to remedy the situation at Hiram Johnson and that you publicly address the concerns that have been raised by parents, students, teachers, and community members in multiple ways.

It is very perplexing that last year the principals at CKM and Health Professions were quickly removed when student success and safety became an issue. Yet, at Hiram Johnson, which is the Superintendent's only priority high school, there has been no action or even a public response.

Sincerely,

Heidi McLean, Chairperson
Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education


Dear Board Members and Superintendent Raymond,

The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education suggests that before the School Board votes on the criteria proposed at last night's meeting each Board Member should do the following:

1. Take the draft criteria out to a meeting in each district and get feedback from your constituents on the process. Invite the Mr. Cuneo and Mr. Woo to the meetings in their districts. 

2. Publicize the criteria under consideration and give the public links to the portions of the board meetings where the criteria was discussed.

3.  Reflect on the purpose for the criteria i.e. is the goal to fully utilize facilities or is it something else.

4.  Delay the vote until after the new board members are seated. They should be the ones to vote on this, since they will have to deal with the consequences.

The process that you adopt will either map out a fair, clear way to close schools, or it will create more distrust and frustration. 

Sincerely,

Heidi McLean, Chairperson
Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education


Dear Superintendent Raymond,



When I attempted to watch the October 19th meeting on my computer I discovered that:

a) there was no way to fast forward or rewind

b) there was no way to pause the playback

With no pause and no fast forward/rewind the only way to watch the meeting is from beginning to end. Is there any way that this can be changed? Last night's meeting video does not suffer from the same limitations.

Sincerely,

Heidi McLean, Chairperson
Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education