More questions about the Gates grant funding continue to nag teachers and district officials.
Here's what the Web Site did NOT provide but the paper did. My text emphasis and inserts.
"The Hillsborough school district's $100 million dollar grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation requires a local contribution of about $102 million over seven years. (Not exactly matching.) Here's where some of the local money may come from.
* $8 million dollars a year now spent on staff development
* $16 million a year now used for computer labs
* $10 million a year from the state-mandated Merit Award Program which pays teachers based on student performance
* $30 million a year in new grants through the districts grant development
* $5 million to $6 million a year from the non-profit Hillsborough Education Foundation
* $24 million dollars through the Race To The Top program, from federal stimulus funds
Source: Hillsborough County school district officials"
********************************************************************************************
This program is based on "vapor-bucks". Money that can not be counted because it does not yet exist.
* If Staff Development can withstand an $8 million dollar hit, how bloated are they and has the district flushed all the FPMS investment down the toilet? At least the Florida Performance Measurement System was data and research supported. Hell, everyone was adapting to it.
* If Mary Ellen's "I Can Learn" computer lab initiative and technology plan can withstand a $16 million dollar hit, how big is it? Will it be decimated? Will computer-based testing programs (FAIR, FCAT, etc.) and software curriculum programs (Grade Recovery: Plato, Compass), I Can Learn, FCATexplorer, iStation, RenaissanceLearning, Read180, Reading Counts!, etc) be abandoned because the software demands outpace the hardware?
We are in dire need of more bandwidth as we try integrating more technology into our curriculum and all THAT takes is money.
* "which pays teachers based on student performance" - Are we really surprised that we are paying for our own pay cuts! Where the heck is HCTA on this !@#$!
oh and of note: "state-mandated" must now mean "optional" to our officials - raincoats and handcuffs may be in the future forecast if the state has anything to say about it - if not: let the floodGATES be opened!
* $30 million - 30% from new grants that haven't been written or awarded yet. This rivals "The Psychic Hotline" !
* I am no longer doing anything that contributes to the Hillsborough Education Foundation since they are supporting this convoluted scheme to limit your salaries. I find this unconscionable.
* $24 million from RTT - once again: one time "Obama bucks", I don't even know where to begin on this one.
Maybe you do -
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
I'VE GOT A FEELING (A Feeling Deep Inside, oh yeah)
It's been a tedious year to date.
Listening, reading, ruminating - trying to get a bead on things.
Here's all I have - so far. Just my opinion, mind you.
Our district's ability to finance their part of the Gates grant really is on shaky ground:
We finance our district on real estate based taxes.
The current assumption being that those home owners continue to be employed, make the mortgage payments including taxes - thus staving off foreclosure.
Believe it or not we are living among neighbors who are behind on their payments and in foreclosure or near it. Financial institutions are dragging their feet on the process hoping the job market improves. At some point in time they will have no choice but to pull the proverbial trigger since no one in the financial industry sees employment picking up within 3 years and some feel longer.
In reality while the generally accepted point of view is that our existing home sales are increasing no one is saying anything about this (for want of a better word) "shadow inventory" - those houses that should be on the market in foreclosure. Doing this jeopardizes the sales price of those homes currently for sale - we are still artificially propping up home values!
Without employed buyers having the 20% down payment, confident enough to make the 15-30 year mortgage commitment, these homes will have to be sold at fire sale prices - driving down prices.
Lower sale price = lower taxes (tax base) = less money in the district coffer.
Less money from the state since residents are already cutting back on purchases thus affecting sales tax revenue distributed to school districts.
**************************************************************************************
The easiest and quickest way to reduce overhead is to reduce labor costs.
Our district has frozen hiring as much as possible, dictated and enforced the teach-300-minutes-a-day clause in our contract, combined job responsibilities at supervisor and clerical levels. It seems we have reached critical mass. Look around, listen carefully at the degree of complaining about ROSSAC mix-ups your administration tries to correct.
They forced the "6 of 7" on the high school teachers and have the middle school teachers in the cross hairs. Elementary has lost aides. We all struggle to perform at the level we remember from 3 years ago. It takes it's toll. I feel it every single day (and night).
The district's attempt to create a second tier pay scale will take some real salesmanship and creative exploitation. No thinking experienced teacher with 5 years under their belt will agree to get off the current scale to enter the "chutes and ladders" formula that new hires will be fooled into accepting. There are far too many variables and negatives (at this point) to include here.
This will alienate any remaining CTA member but the district will continue the charade currently called "salary negotiation".
It will be 25 years before attrition clears those on the current pay scale. 25 years is an eternity to maintain something as flawed as the developing pay formula currently under construction.
Old timers (I think from the Raymond O. Sheldon era) told me about R.A.I.S.E. (Raise Achievement In Secondary Education) Bill, Compensatory Education, and H.C.A.T. Ever have a Sunshine State Standards discussion?
The difference is WE HAVE COMMITTED FUTURE DOLLARS to this grant much like the Feds have been doing for ages with deficit funding. Another difference is TEACHERS and SUPPORT STAFF will be bearing the burden for this one.
********************************************************
Can anyone point me to some supporting research/data that the evaluation instrument the district will purchase from some company, actually improves student performance consistently across all ages, cultures, and backgrounds?
Your salary could very well depend on it.
********************************************************
Can the School Board please immediately add a clause to the standard superintendent contract that prohibits any superintendent and assistant superintendent under HCPS employment from being employed in any capacity by any corporation, subsidiary, company, or vendor doing business with the district for 5 years?
It is time.
Listening, reading, ruminating - trying to get a bead on things.
Here's all I have - so far. Just my opinion, mind you.
Our district's ability to finance their part of the Gates grant really is on shaky ground:
We finance our district on real estate based taxes.
The current assumption being that those home owners continue to be employed, make the mortgage payments including taxes - thus staving off foreclosure.
Believe it or not we are living among neighbors who are behind on their payments and in foreclosure or near it. Financial institutions are dragging their feet on the process hoping the job market improves. At some point in time they will have no choice but to pull the proverbial trigger since no one in the financial industry sees employment picking up within 3 years and some feel longer.
In reality while the generally accepted point of view is that our existing home sales are increasing no one is saying anything about this (for want of a better word) "shadow inventory" - those houses that should be on the market in foreclosure. Doing this jeopardizes the sales price of those homes currently for sale - we are still artificially propping up home values!
Without employed buyers having the 20% down payment, confident enough to make the 15-30 year mortgage commitment, these homes will have to be sold at fire sale prices - driving down prices.
Lower sale price = lower taxes (tax base) = less money in the district coffer.
Less money from the state since residents are already cutting back on purchases thus affecting sales tax revenue distributed to school districts.
**************************************************************************************
The easiest and quickest way to reduce overhead is to reduce labor costs.
Our district has frozen hiring as much as possible, dictated and enforced the teach-300-minutes-a-day clause in our contract, combined job responsibilities at supervisor and clerical levels. It seems we have reached critical mass. Look around, listen carefully at the degree of complaining about ROSSAC mix-ups your administration tries to correct.
They forced the "6 of 7" on the high school teachers and have the middle school teachers in the cross hairs. Elementary has lost aides. We all struggle to perform at the level we remember from 3 years ago. It takes it's toll. I feel it every single day (and night).
The district's attempt to create a second tier pay scale will take some real salesmanship and creative exploitation. No thinking experienced teacher with 5 years under their belt will agree to get off the current scale to enter the "chutes and ladders" formula that new hires will be fooled into accepting. There are far too many variables and negatives (at this point) to include here.
This will alienate any remaining CTA member but the district will continue the charade currently called "salary negotiation".
It will be 25 years before attrition clears those on the current pay scale. 25 years is an eternity to maintain something as flawed as the developing pay formula currently under construction.
Old timers (I think from the Raymond O. Sheldon era) told me about R.A.I.S.E. (Raise Achievement In Secondary Education) Bill, Compensatory Education, and H.C.A.T. Ever have a Sunshine State Standards discussion?
The difference is WE HAVE COMMITTED FUTURE DOLLARS to this grant much like the Feds have been doing for ages with deficit funding. Another difference is TEACHERS and SUPPORT STAFF will be bearing the burden for this one.
********************************************************
Can anyone point me to some supporting research/data that the evaluation instrument the district will purchase from some company, actually improves student performance consistently across all ages, cultures, and backgrounds?
Your salary could very well depend on it.
********************************************************
Can the School Board please immediately add a clause to the standard superintendent contract that prohibits any superintendent and assistant superintendent under HCPS employment from being employed in any capacity by any corporation, subsidiary, company, or vendor doing business with the district for 5 years?
It is time.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
GATES OF HEAVEN or GATES OF HELL?
Everyone seems to have questions about whether or not the $100,000,000 grant from Billy and Mel is a good thing.
I'd like to know where the district is getting their $100,000,000 match from.
That's $200,000,000 total!
That's $14,285,714.29 per year for the 7 year period.
Hey Jean Clements: Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't that the "ballpark" amount it costs to give us all a 1% raise?
Parents with kids in 4th grade will see the money run out as they enter their senior year.
Was any teacher interviewed and not published? If you were interviewed, how were you chosen, how were you notified?
I'd like to know where the district is getting their $100,000,000 match from.
That's $200,000,000 total!
That's $14,285,714.29 per year for the 7 year period.
Hey Jean Clements: Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't that the "ballpark" amount it costs to give us all a 1% raise?
Parents with kids in 4th grade will see the money run out as they enter their senior year.
Was any teacher interviewed and not published? If you were interviewed, how were you chosen, how were you notified?
Monday, November 9, 2009
FAIR 'n' MIDDLIN'
Grapevine says we start FAIR testing the first week of December.
Not sure about everyone else but I lost 8 days in September to FAIR testing. I figure that this will measure my influence of 12 weeks - at best. About the only accurate measurement for that time span would be hair growth and schedule changes!
Its not even enough time to add the necessary computer internet bandwidth.
Am I the only one that thinks this bus is careening down the mountain barely under control?
-Bill Gates should promote
"learning" the way Microsoft
is promoting Windows 7.
Let's see what he can do to
counter what the kids are
being bombarded with.
Not sure about everyone else but I lost 8 days in September to FAIR testing. I figure that this will measure my influence of 12 weeks - at best. About the only accurate measurement for that time span would be hair growth and schedule changes!
Its not even enough time to add the necessary computer internet bandwidth.
Am I the only one that thinks this bus is careening down the mountain barely under control?
-Bill Gates should promote
"learning" the way Microsoft
is promoting Windows 7.
Let's see what he can do to
counter what the kids are
being bombarded with.
Monday, October 12, 2009
WORTHY OF YOUR SIGNATURE
Saturday, September 19, 2009
GERBIL-GATE
This whole incident screams for understanding.
The district sounds like they are in full damage control.
It will be interesting if more such instances come to light.
So many factors contributed to this but the increased workload and decreased prep time brought about by the superintendent's 6 of 7 dictate were a major factor.
So many tired and stressed employees at all levels are making mistakes. Mostly minor oversights but, like this, major ones occur.
Some of us will respond "that's no excuse" and you are right. All decisions have unforeseen and cumulative consequences, this is one.
Superintendent Elia is too far removed from this to care. So is the HCTA.
The principal is not. The student body is not. The community is not.
The teachers are not - thank God one or more of them spoke out.
Are there others? Are there more?
The district sounds like they are in full damage control.
It will be interesting if more such instances come to light.
So many factors contributed to this but the increased workload and decreased prep time brought about by the superintendent's 6 of 7 dictate were a major factor.
So many tired and stressed employees at all levels are making mistakes. Mostly minor oversights but, like this, major ones occur.
Some of us will respond "that's no excuse" and you are right. All decisions have unforeseen and cumulative consequences, this is one.
Superintendent Elia is too far removed from this to care. So is the HCTA.
The principal is not. The student body is not. The community is not.
The teachers are not - thank God one or more of them spoke out.
Are there others? Are there more?
Friday, September 18, 2009
FAIRly RIDICULOUS
I am NOT the only one shaking their heads over FAIR testing.
The moment school started we were focused on getting our computers "ready", classes scheduled.
Curriculum be damned! Full speed ahead.
What we got was another broken state program.
Not enough bandwidth. Spinning and crashing. Rebooting, restarting.
What we got was another slapped together district response.
Not enough space and too little cooling.
What we will get is invalid data. Why?
Nobody tests well when they are hot, uncomfortable and frustrated. Teachers can't fight the students' realization that the program sucks, is a waste of their time and yet affects their future in very real terms. We spend countless hours hearing and promoting test prep and then permit such a torturous environment to evolve.
This is where we need Bill Gates NOT in the teacher evaluation arena!
The moment school started we were focused on getting our computers "ready", classes scheduled.
Curriculum be damned! Full speed ahead.
What we got was another broken state program.
Not enough bandwidth. Spinning and crashing. Rebooting, restarting.
What we got was another slapped together district response.
Not enough space and too little cooling.
What we will get is invalid data. Why?
Nobody tests well when they are hot, uncomfortable and frustrated. Teachers can't fight the students' realization that the program sucks, is a waste of their time and yet affects their future in very real terms. We spend countless hours hearing and promoting test prep and then permit such a torturous environment to evolve.
This is where we need Bill Gates NOT in the teacher evaluation arena!
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