P E Y T O N W O L C O T T |
| h o w w e t a k e b a c k o u r c h i l d r e n ' s e d u c a t i o n -- o n e p e r s o n , o n e q u e s t i o n , o n e s c h o o l a t a t i m e . Copyright 1999-2006 Peyton Wolcott |
| Commentary |
| N E W |
| PREVIOUS |
| WHERE ELSE BUT IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT WOULD $800,000 BE ALLOWED TO DISAPPEAR? By Peyton Wolcott - June 23, 2006 |
| BIG BAD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS BULLYING MOMS, BECAUSE THEY CAN By Peyton Wolcott - Aug. 3, 2006/11:53p |
| MODERN MINUTEMEN |
| Looking for the Modern Minutemen listings? They're here The list of the Bremond moms' 24 state, federal and local governmental entities (FBI, Texas Rangers, the DA, attorney general, etc.) who dropped the ball are here |
| Along with most casual bystand- ers, parents and tax- payers make an erroneous assump- tion. They |
| Why, while taking photographs this afternoon in San Antonio' s Edgewood ISD's publicly funded administration building, was I detained by not one, not two, but THREE Edgewood ISD police officers with guns for 45 minutes? |
| think someone in charge is looking out for kids and parents and taxpayers.In a word, hah. Look here for a list of edu-agencies and law enforcement who have all failed to go after Bremond ISD's missing $800,000. More here |
| 13TH HEARING DATE A CHARM FOR FORMER PASADENA USD VOLUN- TEER JOHN WHITAKER- BETANCES AKA JOHN LAURENCE WHITAKER (AMONG 18 ALIASES) By Peyton Wolcott - June 21, 2006 |
| Edgewood ISD PR guy Mario Rios (above left) with EISD police officers M. Gonzales (out of shot) T. Aguillen and master police officer Sam Talamantoz (right). |
| Was it really because I hadn't gotten a permission slip from PR guy Mario Rios--despite my having told Rios' secretary Moses yesterday that I was coming today, with a fax confirmation? Or, and this is a hugely disturbing thought, was I being harassed and intimidated for asking questions via earlier Texas Public Information Act requests that EISD supe Richard Bocanegra doesn't want to answer? Looking for answers; later today will post my questions and findings, plus more of the photos, including one of the large "recognized" rating sign on the Edgewood administration building front door--this in a district just this week rated as "academically unacceptable" by TEA. Maybe Edgewood would be better served by sending its three friendly police officers to lobby on Edgewood's behalf at TEA, see if they can improve that new rating in a district whose five lawsuits have cost Texas taxpayers billions--to no apparent good end save enriching administrators and lawyers and lobbyists, all to the detriment of our kids and parents and taxpayers. Ole. |
| ATTORNEY GENERAL ABBOTT, HERE'S A NOMINEE FOR YOUR NEXT OPEN MEETINGS TRAINING: SBOE CHAIR GERALDINE 'TINCY' MILLER Peyton Wolcott - July 7, 2006/11:30 p.m. |
| Who is Whitaker(right) and why should you care that this Viet Nam vet will stand trial in Orange County, California for not one but two murders? |
| Hard to imagine that Tincy Miller (right), arguably one of the most powerful and influential people in Texas public education, and |
| Well, for one thing he's not a Viet Nam vet. So the tales of his Special Ops heroics in Laos with which he regaled kids and community were just that, tales. For another, there are several questions on the table for Pasadena supe Percy Clark, including why he hand-picked a registered sex offender to run the Pasadena USD DADS program. Also, why didn't PUSD do the background checks on Whitaker-Betances which the DADS literature says are a requirement for volunteers? More here |
| who serves as chair of the State Board of Education as Governor Rick Perry's appointee, is apparently so unfamiliar with the Texas Open Meetings Act that an ordinary citizen taking photos was singled out at half past noon today for--gasp--taking photos of the SBOE. And where, by the way, was Texas edu-missioner Shirley Neeley during the afternoon portion of the meeting? More here, including a photo gallery of the two-day meeting. (Above photo/Susan Bushart) |
| TWO, FOUR, SIX, EIGHT, WHO DO WE NOT APPRECIATE? THE TEAM OF EIGHT! By Peyton Wolcott - June 16, 2006 |
| WHERE DOES THE BUCK STOP? WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY WAS IT TO TELL THE TRUSTEES ABOUT THEIR FINANCIAL ADVISORS' SON'S BEING VP OF THE FIRM THE ADVISOR HAD RECOMMENDED TO THE BOARD? By Peyton Wolcott - Aug. 3, 2006-3 a.m. |
| Raul Villasenor (right), senior vice president of First Southwest Company, says he told San |
| Texas Edu-missioner Shirley Neeley's chair (above center) next to Chairman Miller's remained unoccupied for the entire afternoon portion of today's SBOE meeting. |
| What's wrong with the superintendent sitting up on the dais with the rest of the board members during school board meetings, a friend recently asked. There's lots wrong; let's start with the examples of Spring Branch ISD trustees (above) and their former supe Yvonne Katz, and also Ann Arbor Public Schools and their recent George Fornero. More here |
| Antonio' s Harlandale ISD ass't supe-finance Richard Hernandez to tell the board that Villasenor's son Ricardo was VP of Ramirez & Co., one of the three underwriting firms dad was recommending to the board--which Hernandez denies. Regardless, new trustee (and HISD board VP) Anthony Alcoser says, "As a new school board member, Harlandale's no longer for sale." Text of the written |
| SBOE MEETING ALERT RE TEKS--LOOK FOR REPORT HERE SATURDAY By Peyton Wolcott - July 6, 2006/11:44 p.m. |
| The entrance of former TEA general counsel DavidThomps on (far right) was a show- stopper at today's State |
| disclosure (right) submitted to Hernandez--plus more--tomorrow. |
| HOW CAN THE PROSECUTOR OFFER THIS FORMER TEXAS SUPE A PLEA DEAL? By Peyton Wolcott - June 18, 2006 |
| CAN THIS SUPE HELP US FIND BREMOND ISD'S MISSING $800,000? By Peyton Wolcott-July 30, 2006/1:40 a |
| When Bremond ISD supe Kenny Johnson (above) abruptly resigned in October 2003, many of the district's business records mysteriously disappeared with him, with the result that while school officials know that their fund balance dropped from $2.4 million to $1.6 million, they are hard pressed to say where the missing money is. With $800,000 still outstanding, how can prosecutor Jim James be extending a plea deal to Johnson? More here |
| Board of Education meeting in Austin, here with Kimberley Reeves of the Austin Chronicle. Among the items on the SBOE agenda: a presentation by the General Land Office relating to the management of real estate investments for the Permanent School Fund, a legislative update on the 79th legislative session's third called session, higher ed commissioner Raymund Paredes' presentation on the |
| new college readiness/vertic al alignment of P-16 curriculum--and, oh, rewriting the Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills,Texas' poorly written |
| HOW IMPORTANT ARE SUPE'S PRIVATE LIVES? By Peyton Wolcott - June 14, 2006 |
| Bremond ISD's fund balance dropped by $800,000 after former Bremond ISD supe James Kenneth Johnson (above) resigned and left the district, a big hit for a district whose annual budget is in the $4 mil range. As Johnson's been a hard man to catch up with, first at his pre-trial on June 5, then during his stay at the Robertson County Jail following his June 26, 2006 sentencing, here's hoping we can talk with him since his transfer to the Holliday Unit in the Huntsville Prison System on July 17--but better ask quick; his first parole hearing is this January. More here |
| Then-Northampton, Mass. supe Mike Cosgriff (right) was arrested two years ago after a domestic dispute involving his live-in girlfriend and a gun. And Oklahoma's Boynton-Moton supe Steve Henson has been arrested again for spousal assault, his wife a B-M employee. |
| accountability standards, the origins of which were forced on students, teachers and taxpayers by former edu-missioner Mike Moses, standards so vague and general they've given rise with our tax dollars to a whole new subspecies of education consultants. Also in attendance at today's meeting: edu-missioner Shirley Neeley (above). (PHOTOS/Susan Bushart) # # # |
| A closer look at issues both incidents raise. More here |
| Sunday/3:43 a.m. - Preparing to post a report, having received Rocky's official statement. |
| 'WIN A DATE WITH ME AT DQ' SPECIAL ED TEACHER CHRISTINE SCARLETT INDICTED IN OHIO By Peyton Wolcott - June 10, 2006/11:44 P.M. |
| Oopsie. A WHOLE LOT OF ADMINISTRATIN' GOIN' ON: It's mid-afternoon Wednesday and haven't yet received LTISD supe Rocky Kirk's statement; Sharon Bibeau, LTISD's administrative ass't for administrative services, says Rocky's in an administrators' retreat. Oh. As were both Rocky's sec'ty and the district's PR gal. Double oh. Hopefully he'll get to it by close of business tomorrow and I can post my report. In the meantime, off to San Antonio-- more about why Friday. Until then, y'all take care. - Peyton |
| JULY 4TH SPECIAL! |
| SALUTE TO OUR MODERN MINUTEMEN By Peyton Wolcott - July 4, 2006 Presumably I'm not alone in my wrong assumption that most of our forebearers were busy 230 years ago today running around the East Coast, the women busily sewing "Don't Tread On Me" and Old Glory flags and the men hoisting their muskets to drive out the British. |
| Cuyahoga County's grand jury indicted Scarlett Tuesday on a total of 20 counts; her former student Steve Bradigan's parents received two counts each for their failure to report the molestation . . . . More here |
| LAKE TRAVIS ISD'S TEAM OF EIGHT MET LAST NIGHT RE 'CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION'--LEGALESE FOR 'SHOULD WE SUE THESE PARENTS'--BUT WHERE WERE THEIR RED AND BLACK SHIRTS? By Peyton Wolcott-July 26, 2006/9:10 am |
| Imagine my surprise to learn recently that of resident Colonists in 1776, a full half were in a state of apathy, and of the other half, half of them wanted to stay with the British monarchy and the other half were in favor of revolution--only 25% of the total population. To celebrate the anniversary today of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, here's information on some brave souls who have been willing to do what they can where they stand to better pubic education. I call them our modern Minutemen. They possess the same courage as the 25% of our forbearers willing to assume enormous risks for the betterment of our great nation. More here |
| SCOOPING THE NEW YORK TIMES! Is Gov. Perry's public education non-fix all saddle and no horse? By Peyton Wolcott - June 8, 2006 |
| A $6.1 BILLION SHORTFALL & A $23 BILLION 'HOT CHECK'--At the same time Texas Gov. Rick Perry is circulating ads promoting property tax cuts . . . . More here |
| Frankly, I was disappointed. There they were (above) on the district's website wearing their cheery matchy-matchy (thank you, Sister Parish) custom Team o' Eight red and black shirts, but when I got to Lakeway for last night's board meeting, the Lake Travis ISD trustees and their supe Rocky Kirk were all in casual Tuesday garb (below, filing into executive session just after seven with their team o'attorneys). |
| HOW TO DEFEAT A $261.5 MILLION BOND ELECTION IN 4 SIMPLE STEPS Katy ISD: Lessons Learned By Peyton Wolcott - May 17, 2006 |
| UPDATED REPORT: DO SUPES' PRIVATE LIVES MATTER? By Peyton Wolcott - July 1, 2006 |
| Try this proven recipe: Take (1) a good idea--defeating a fluffy bond issue. Add (2) a handful of committed and passionate people. Stir in (3) a friendly press along with (4) an arrogant and out-of-touch administration--and VOILA! Voters are smart and can make up their own minds, provided they're given enough factual information and not just the pro-bond faction's spin. More here (scroll down to May 17) |
| Seems like a clear cut case of sartorial bait-and-switch. But I'm not a lawyer. However, Bracewell & Giuliani' s David Thompson (below), who is very much a lawyer, was there last night and therefore also an eyewitness to this travesty of justice, so I'll have to ask him. Great idea just occurred to me. If he concurs, maybe David and I could start a class action lawsuit, call it West Lake Travis Orange'n'Red Cove, something like that. I'll add this to my to-do list, right after I figure out why this district is claiming parents David and Melissa Lovelace are harassing them. |
| At what point are do-overs no longer possible for superintendents? Four case studies, including former Georgia superintendent Darryl Dean (above) who was arrested after being accused of using the Internet to entice what he thought was a 15-year-old into an encounter in a Peachtree City online predator sting operation. More here |
| EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS! Supe Kenneth Johnson's pre-trial court appearance in Franklin, Texas By Peyton Wolcott - June 8, 2006 |
| District judge Robert Stem waited without success for former Bremond ISD supe Kenneth Johnson and son Jason Johnson's lawyer to appear at their pre-trial hearing Monday morning at the county courthouse in Franklin, but the Johnsons' attorney was a no-show . . . . More here (scroll down to June 8) |
| FIRST PHOTOS! FORMER BREMOND ISD SUPE KENNETH JOHNSON GETS 5 YEARS By Peyton Wolcott - June 26, 2006 |
| Your typical school district anywhere in the U.S. has all the muscle: It has the public records and more importantly it has all the money in the world--your tax dollars--with which to avoid producing them. |
| This includes hiring such high-powered legal help as Thompson to contemplate suing the Lovelaces. Goliath might well have claimed (a different) David was beating up on him. Instead, here's what LTISD agenda item IV.D. said: |
| BRIEFLY NOTED, IN PASSING: JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU'VE HEARD (AND SEEN) IT ALL . . . . By Peyton Wolcott - June 21, 2006 |
| Consider and approve authorization for the District's legal counsel to take all necessary actions, including initiation of litigation, relating to use of the Public Information Act and District and State complaint procedures to interfere with the District's regular conduct of business and education of children, to create a public nuisance, to abuse governmental processes, and other related issues, as discussed in closed session with the District's legal counsel. |
| Johnson (far left) leaving courtroom in handcuffs this morning behind bailiff, sheriff's department officials. (PHOTO--Nancy Gadbois) More here |
| BREAKING NEWS! Mon., June 26, 2006/11:00 a.m. Former Bremond ISD supe Kenneth Johnson has just been sentenced to five (5) years in prison, no probation, and left the courtroom in the custody of the Robertson County sheriff's dep't. Will be posting more information including photos as available later this afternoon. |
| COMING SOON: Posting a full report later today, including photos. Waiting for Rocky's statement. Told (asked) him not to have David Thompson write it for him because David's so expensive. You'd think Melissa Loe, the district's paid PR gal, could have written up a quick statement on the spot. Apparently not. |
| You can definitely say the sport of lacrosse is having a tough time with its image these days, given the boys at Duke and the strippers they hired. |
| Now comes Coach Doc Dougherty of Garden City High School's championship boys lacrosse team who apparently decided to solve a long- standing problem with a neighbor by allegedly removing the neighbor's automobile license plate. Problem for Dougherty was, the neighbor had installed a surveillance camera (above). Dougherty was "arraigned Monday in District Court in Hempstead on charges of petty larceny for stealing the license plate from a neighbor's car." (SOURCE-- James Fitzpatrick/Newsday) # # # |
| BREMOND ISD SUPE KENNETH JOHNSON UPDATE (JUNE 26, 2006/4:14 A.M.): Have just posted Jan. 2004 auditors' findings re Johnson's employment status, and conflicting statements by USDOE and State Auditor's investigator regarding whether the DOE considers this case "ongoing" or closed. Look for the Bremond parents' request for a Congressional inquiry/hearing, reprinted in its entirety. |
| ANYWHERE NEAR THE DALLAS/FORT WORTH AREA? SPEAKING TONIGHT IN CLEBURNE AT 7:00 P.M. By Peyton Wolcott - July 19, 2006/ 12.02 a.m. |
| WHAT: Cleburne School Citizens' Group WHEN: 7:00 p.m., Thursday July 20, 2006 WHERE: Cleburne Seniors Center 1501 W. Henderson, (behind Civic Center) Cleburne, Texas WHY: These are our kind of people! Anybody who finds and reports on their supe's $908.61 steak dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in San Antonio is a group of folks it's a privilege and a pleasure to visit with. The bill in question was charged by Cleburne ISD supe Robert Damron while |
| ERDI ALERT! AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION'S FOR SALE, SALE, SALE! By Peyton Wolcott - July 15, 2006 |
| GREETINGS FROM THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY By Peyton Wolcott - July 13, 2006/11:21 a.m. |
| While it's deep summer here in Texas, things needing |
| looking into in our nation's public education system still need looking into and I'm busy preparing several separate reports on internal controls and the lack thereof. Plus the three remaining "Salute to our Modern Minutemen" are in process. One interesting note: While most school district employees are working short hours during the summer, why is it that I can email almost any school reformer late night and weekends and get an almost-immediate turnaround? Even in July? |
| Robert Damron (right) playing at charity golf tournament; grand staircase at Ruth's Chris in San Antonio, site of his $908.61 meal. |
| A man and his edu-empire: Paul Dulle, new ERDI owner |
| attending a TASB convention in San Antonio--an interesting choice in light of Damron's serving as president of The Equity Center, which "concentrates all of its energy on improving the financial status of our school districts." What, so Damron and his board members can treat themselves to expensive steak dinners while their taxpayers eat hamburgers to pay their property tax bills? |
| Also coming: two more reports, one especially interesting, re Bremond ISD and their former supe. And, by the way, no response yet from the OAG re my suggestion that SBOE chair Tincy Miller enroll in the next Open Meetings training. Hmmm. More later. |
| Q: Do you know where your supe is this weekend? A: It's hot, hot, hot everywhere else--so let's all go to cool Colorado! By Peyton Wolcott - July 15, 2006/4:06 a.m. Well, knock me over with a feather--or an aspen leaf, given that the Education Research & Development Institute's meeting in Denver tomorrow through Friday in a series of "panels" interspersed with a series of receptions and dinners, hosted by, among others, Headsprout, The NTI Group, The Coca Cola Company, Pearson Education, Headsprout and The NTI Group for a second round, and Harcourt Assessment. That we know any of this is probably the result of ERDI founder Mike Kneale's having sold ERDI last February. ERDI's back to listing their conference schedules and client list--a practice they discontinued shortly after Scott Parks' breakthrough piece in the Dallas Morning News two years ago this month. (More below re follow up queries.) More here including new roster of ERDI clients |
| Damron's choice of such an exclusive and pricey venue for a steak dinner with the board is doubly interesting given his recent attack on John Stossel's "Stupid in America." Says Damron, "More resources need to be committed to improving schools." Resources for what, more $908.61 steak dinners? How do expensive steak dinners for the supe and board improve our kids' classroom experience? Damron's excess was apparently inspired by a frequently misquoted statement from 18th century French royalty. Little known fact Marie Antoinette actually said not "Let them eat cake" but "Let them eat steak." The misinterpretation occurred when first translated from the original French and has persisted to this day. |
| ALSO JUST POSTED, queries to ERDI personnel regarding their involvement with ERDI, more, to, among others: 1. New ERDI owner Paul Dulle. 2. Former Calcasieu Parish supe Jude Theriot (now working the Texas area as a JBHM consultant). 3. Katy ISD supe Leonard Merrell. 4. Former San Francisco USD supe Arlene Ackerman. 5. Baltimore County PS supe Joe Hairston. 6. Baltimore County PS ass't supe (and former Round Rock ISD supe/Texas) Tom Gaul. 7. Atlanta PS supe Beverly Hall More later.... |
| $908.61 receipt; Elaine Wilmore |
| Unclear on the concept Regarding the meal, then- Cleburne trustee Elaine Wilmore defended the expense during the January 9, 2006 CISD board meeting, saying that the school board had "earned it." Wondering about Wilmore's board training hours as it is illegal for school trustees to "earn" anything. (See State of Texas Education Code § 21.037) |
| We'll talk about all of this and much more tonight--hope to see you in Cleburne! |
| Marie Antoinette, who actually said, "Let them eat steak." (PAINTING/Wikipedia) |
How we take back our children's education: one person, one question, one school at a time. |
AASA - American Association of School Administrators ASA - Association of School Administrators CSD - Consolidated School District DOE - Department of Education ES - Elementary School HS - High School ISD - Independent School District JHS - Junior High School MS - Middle School MSM - Mainstream media NSBA - National School Boards Association NSPRA - National School Public Relations Association PS - Public School(s) SBEC - State Board for Educator Certification SD - School District Sup't - Superintendent TAKS - Texas Assessment of Knowledge & Skills TASA - Texas Association of School Administrators TASB - Texas Association of School Boards TASBO - Texas Association of School Business Officials TEA - Texas Education Agency TEKS - Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills USD - UnifiedUnited School District |
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| QUOTES |
Separatists in India's north-eastern state of Manipur have shot six male teachers in the leg for allegedly helping students cheat in exams. Two women teachers were beaten with sticks for the same offence, the rebels of the Kanglei Yana Kan Lup group said. The teachers were abducted from their homes after an exam on Thursday. The rebels said the teachers took up to 5,000 rupees ($110) for helping students cheat and warned of further punishment if the cheating continued. The Kanglei Yana Kan Lup (KYKL) is one of many separatist groups fighting Indian administration in Manipur. It said it abducted the eight teachers from their homes in and around the state capital, Imphal, because of reports they had taken bribes. --By Subir Bhaumik - BBC |
| ATTENTION EDUCATORS AND ADMINISTRATORS: Every attempt possible has been made to verify all sources and information. In the event you feel an error has been made, please contact us immediately. Thank you. |
| Copyright 1999-2006 Peyton Wolcott - All rights reserved |
| POP QUIZ: How do you yourself know for a fact that your state or local supe is actually using the funds entrusted to them for the correct purposes? |
David v. Goliath: How America's Moms & Dads are taking on Education, Inc. PEYTON WOLCOTT |
| QUERY THE SUPE & THE PR GUY |
TO:
KATHY COX-GEORGIA
SUP'T OF SCHOOLS &
CEO-GEORGIA DOE
CC:
DANA TOFIG-
GEORGIA DOE
PUBLIC INFO. OFCR.
DATE: JAN. 22, 2006
Can you please send me
the annual dollar
amount for each school
year (the five annual fiscal
cycles 2000-2005) that the
Georgia Public Schools
DOE has spent with
vendor Computer
Consulting Services
Corp., described as a
consultant to Georgia's
DOE.
KATHY COX-GEORGIA
SUP'T OF SCHOOLS &
CEO-GEORGIA DOE
CC:
DANA TOFIG-
GEORGIA DOE
PUBLIC INFO. OFCR.
DATE: JAN. 22, 2006
Can you please send me
the annual dollar
amount for each school
year (the five annual fiscal
cycles 2000-2005) that the
Georgia Public Schools
DOE has spent with
vendor Computer
Consulting Services
Corp., described as a
consultant to Georgia's
DOE.
| STATUS: No response rec'd from Sup't Gray as of Mar. 27, 2006 |
The question is not how to measure excellence at public schools and education agencies. The question is how to measure competence. -- Dianna Pharr |
| QUERY THE SUPE (& CC THE BOARD) |
DATE FIRST SENT:
FEB. 14, 2006
RE-SENT 03/26/06
Dear Strongsville
Superintendent
James Gray:
I'm hoping you can
clear something up for
me for my book and
website regarding your
standards for
administrative
practices in
Strongsville as there
have been not one but
two situations this past
year warranting
scrutiny....
Regarding special ed
teacher Christine
Scarlett's offering a
date with herself as a
grades incentive
1. What rules/
guidelines do you now
have in place to
assure that nothing
like this happens
again? Would these
be administrative
changes or has your
board set specific
policies in place for
you to follow in future?
2. Rumors of an affair
between Scarlett and
Bradigan persisted for
several months. You
have stated that you
have no idea such an
affair was going on.
Do you feel the fact
that you are
commuting from your
home in Akron (if this
has changed, please
let me know) has
adversely impacted
your ability to monitor
what's going on with
your employees in the
Strongsville
community in an
important and
sensitive area such as
this? Has your board
since made a
condition of your
employment that you
move to Strongsville
and become an
integral part of their
community?
Regarding the sex
education booklet
placed last fall in
young children's
lockers
4. What guidelines
did you follow from
your established
board's policies for
such?
5. There appears to
be a growing number
of parents who want to
be consulted before
such materials are
given to their students.
As one mom put it,
"What's wrong with so
many people in the
educational fields that
they don't even think
twice about providing
children with
inappropriate
materials and not even
consider the parents
wishes....Their tactics
mirror those used in
Communist China and
Cuba where children
are considered not
children of parents, but
wards of the State."
While this is clearly the
statement of an upset
parent, it does raise an
interesting issue
regarding public
school administrators
in the U.S. Do you
consider the students
in your schools yours
to educate as you
deem best or the
offspring of parents to
be consulted before
disseminating such
materials?
Regarding trainings
and conferences
6. Of which
education-related
associations are you
and Strongsville City
Schools a member?
What are these
organizations'
guidelines for
disseminating such
materials?
7. In which
education-related
conferences have
your and your staff
participated this past
year? Where were
they and what were
the costs for each?
Have you attended any
other seminars,
workshops or the like
offering guidance in
this area, and what
were those costs?
It may well be that
there are perfectly
reasonable
explanations for your
approving the placing
sex-education
pamphlets in young
students' lockers
without notifying
parents first, and it may
also well be that there
is a perfectly
reasonable
explanation for your
allowing a teacher to
offer a date at the Dairy
Queen with herself to a
young student; if so, I
am eager to learn such
reason or reasons.
==================
She said the booklet,
which also provides
information on the need for
parental consent for
abortion and a Web
address for the
Lesbian/Gay Community
Service Center of Greater
Cleveland, is
inappropriate for
11-year-olds. I believe
some sex education needs
to be given, but when
subjects are discussed or
material is given to kids of
this nature, a notice
should be sent home to
the parent and they should
be allowed to opt out of
the program if they wish,
Fleming said. School
Superintendent James
Gray said he gave an OK
for the pocket-sized
directories, which were
provided to the district by
United Way Services in
conjunction with the
county health department
and county commissioners,
to be given to students at
the high school, middle
schools and to sixth
graders. Gray said he
received two calls from
parents who took
exception to the booklet's
content. I understand that
and probably, in
retrospect, I should have
considered sending a
letter along with it as far
as an explanation, he
said, adding, this is a
developing situation. I
don't know what we are
going to do at this point.
Colleen Grady, a city
resident and a member of
the state school board,
said she got calls from four
parents concerned about
their children getting the
directory. Grady, who is
also a former city school
board member, said she
has not personally seen
the publication, but they
(parents) read me sections
over the telephone. She
said the state board of
education may wish to
make a legislative
recommendation to the
Ohio general assembly,
and the board could also
consider discussion about
adoption of a model policy
for the distribution of such
materials. Gray said there
will be continued
discussion, in the district's
curriculum and pupil
services departments on
whether to curtail
distribution of materials
which are considered to
be sensitive, particularly
for the younger kids.
FEB. 14, 2006
RE-SENT 03/26/06
Dear Strongsville
Superintendent
James Gray:
I'm hoping you can
clear something up for
me for my book and
website regarding your
standards for
administrative
practices in
Strongsville as there
have been not one but
two situations this past
year warranting
scrutiny....
Regarding special ed
teacher Christine
Scarlett's offering a
date with herself as a
grades incentive
1. What rules/
guidelines do you now
have in place to
assure that nothing
like this happens
again? Would these
be administrative
changes or has your
board set specific
policies in place for
you to follow in future?
2. Rumors of an affair
between Scarlett and
Bradigan persisted for
several months. You
have stated that you
have no idea such an
affair was going on.
Do you feel the fact
that you are
commuting from your
home in Akron (if this
has changed, please
let me know) has
adversely impacted
your ability to monitor
what's going on with
your employees in the
Strongsville
community in an
important and
sensitive area such as
this? Has your board
since made a
condition of your
employment that you
move to Strongsville
and become an
integral part of their
community?
Regarding the sex
education booklet
placed last fall in
young children's
lockers
4. What guidelines
did you follow from
your established
board's policies for
such?
5. There appears to
be a growing number
of parents who want to
be consulted before
such materials are
given to their students.
As one mom put it,
"What's wrong with so
many people in the
educational fields that
they don't even think
twice about providing
children with
inappropriate
materials and not even
consider the parents
wishes....Their tactics
mirror those used in
Communist China and
Cuba where children
are considered not
children of parents, but
wards of the State."
While this is clearly the
statement of an upset
parent, it does raise an
interesting issue
regarding public
school administrators
in the U.S. Do you
consider the students
in your schools yours
to educate as you
deem best or the
offspring of parents to
be consulted before
disseminating such
materials?
Regarding trainings
and conferences
6. Of which
education-related
associations are you
and Strongsville City
Schools a member?
What are these
organizations'
guidelines for
disseminating such
materials?
7. In which
education-related
conferences have
your and your staff
participated this past
year? Where were
they and what were
the costs for each?
Have you attended any
other seminars,
workshops or the like
offering guidance in
this area, and what
were those costs?
It may well be that
there are perfectly
reasonable
explanations for your
approving the placing
sex-education
pamphlets in young
students' lockers
without notifying
parents first, and it may
also well be that there
is a perfectly
reasonable
explanation for your
allowing a teacher to
offer a date at the Dairy
Queen with herself to a
young student; if so, I
am eager to learn such
reason or reasons.
==================
She said the booklet,
which also provides
information on the need for
parental consent for
abortion and a Web
address for the
Lesbian/Gay Community
Service Center of Greater
Cleveland, is
inappropriate for
11-year-olds. I believe
some sex education needs
to be given, but when
subjects are discussed or
material is given to kids of
this nature, a notice
should be sent home to
the parent and they should
be allowed to opt out of
the program if they wish,
Fleming said. School
Superintendent James
Gray said he gave an OK
for the pocket-sized
directories, which were
provided to the district by
United Way Services in
conjunction with the
county health department
and county commissioners,
to be given to students at
the high school, middle
schools and to sixth
graders. Gray said he
received two calls from
parents who took
exception to the booklet's
content. I understand that
and probably, in
retrospect, I should have
considered sending a
letter along with it as far
as an explanation, he
said, adding, this is a
developing situation. I
don't know what we are
going to do at this point.
Colleen Grady, a city
resident and a member of
the state school board,
said she got calls from four
parents concerned about
their children getting the
directory. Grady, who is
also a former city school
board member, said she
has not personally seen
the publication, but they
(parents) read me sections
over the telephone. She
said the state board of
education may wish to
make a legislative
recommendation to the
Ohio general assembly,
and the board could also
consider discussion about
adoption of a model policy
for the distribution of such
materials. Gray said there
will be continued
discussion, in the district's
curriculum and pupil
services departments on
whether to curtail
distribution of materials
which are considered to
be sensitive, particularly
for the younger kids.
| CONTACT: Peyton Wolcott P.O. Box 9068 Horseshoe Bay, TX 78657 peyton@peytonwolcott.com |
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