IU5 Administrative Staff Directory
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Money Money Where's The Money
The Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit is going to have to answer some tough questions now that the school districts have hired forensic accountants to dig deep into where has the money gone. Aides I have worked with through the years have all said there was something rotten at the core of this organization and now perhaps it will all be brought to light about millions of dollars in funds that somehow never reached the schools. I sure don't have any idea where the money went but you might want to ask:
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
September Blues in ChicagoLand
One of the biggest teachers strikes in the history of our country and what was one of the biggest stumbling blocks to negotiations besides more money? Evaluation.
Who out there in the world of work does not have their continued employment hinge upon job performance?
You guessed right if you said : TEACHERS.
In recently reviewing PSSA test scores for schools in our area of Western Pa. I was once again saddened to see the math scores so abysmally low. I have administered these tests at all grade levels.
Bet you parents didn't know that- teachers cant even show up for work to proctor the students they teach for the all important state evaluation tests- the task is put to substitutes.
SUBS, imagine that.
I have read these tests I have taken these tests, I have held practice sessions for these tests.
I have also been reprimanded for trying to teach the skills.
Don't I know I'm "just a sub"
THESE TESTS ARE NOT HARD THEY GIVE PLENTY OF TIME If all eslse fails you have enough time to plug every answer back into the question if you want.
I just don't get it, the students are drilled prior to the test and coached and yet they still do not answer correctly.
Where else can you look except the failure of the teacher to get the material across to the students involved. They can't teach and that is the truth of it and the ones who are incompetent need to find other work. We as taxpayers funding these exorbitantly salaried pampered so called teachers should be furious. I know I am.
Get off your lazy asses and make a change if you want your kids to get good jobs and succeed in life.
Who out there in the world of work does not have their continued employment hinge upon job performance?
You guessed right if you said : TEACHERS.
In recently reviewing PSSA test scores for schools in our area of Western Pa. I was once again saddened to see the math scores so abysmally low. I have administered these tests at all grade levels.
Bet you parents didn't know that- teachers cant even show up for work to proctor the students they teach for the all important state evaluation tests- the task is put to substitutes.
SUBS, imagine that.
I have read these tests I have taken these tests, I have held practice sessions for these tests.
I have also been reprimanded for trying to teach the skills.
Don't I know I'm "just a sub"
THESE TESTS ARE NOT HARD THEY GIVE PLENTY OF TIME If all eslse fails you have enough time to plug every answer back into the question if you want.
I just don't get it, the students are drilled prior to the test and coached and yet they still do not answer correctly.
Where else can you look except the failure of the teacher to get the material across to the students involved. They can't teach and that is the truth of it and the ones who are incompetent need to find other work. We as taxpayers funding these exorbitantly salaried pampered so called teachers should be furious. I know I am.
Get off your lazy asses and make a change if you want your kids to get good jobs and succeed in life.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Hot Time Summer in the City
As I sit here looking across at my neighbor who teaches in the local district and watch him roll out at noon again after a night of having his friends over to party I think back not too many years to when I was just starting out in the world of work.
I never had a job where I only was required to work 180 days out of the year and as my early summers wore on I began to meet many who taught who didn't either. Much like the rest of us who work for a living they found that a teachers salary was just not enough to carry them through the whole year without finding summer work to fill the gap. If you are in your 60's you might also remember a time in America when teachers were not overpaid for their work.
School budgets were in line and districts were able to keep up with maintenance and building without saddling the taxpayer with huge debts in the form of bond issues. I got to know many teachers who worked in the summer, they did lot work at dealerships, seasonal sales, they filled employment gaps all through this country and no one thought the worse of them because they had menial jobs.
Not the guy across the street in 2012, while his school district flounders under a mountain of debt he leads a playboy lifestyle of the rich and famous, getting up at noon staying up late puttering about in the afternoons.
My, My, poor baby, he should take a cruise, at least then I wouldn't have to look at him.
Teachers take note:
Recently cash strapped cities like Scranton have begun to take drastic measures, just think if you were knocked down to Federal Minimum Wage. It's time for concessions, no one is fooled by your Ad Spots about "investing in our teachers", we've been there done that, we are not impressed with the result.
I never had a job where I only was required to work 180 days out of the year and as my early summers wore on I began to meet many who taught who didn't either. Much like the rest of us who work for a living they found that a teachers salary was just not enough to carry them through the whole year without finding summer work to fill the gap. If you are in your 60's you might also remember a time in America when teachers were not overpaid for their work.
School budgets were in line and districts were able to keep up with maintenance and building without saddling the taxpayer with huge debts in the form of bond issues. I got to know many teachers who worked in the summer, they did lot work at dealerships, seasonal sales, they filled employment gaps all through this country and no one thought the worse of them because they had menial jobs.
Not the guy across the street in 2012, while his school district flounders under a mountain of debt he leads a playboy lifestyle of the rich and famous, getting up at noon staying up late puttering about in the afternoons.
My, My, poor baby, he should take a cruise, at least then I wouldn't have to look at him.
Teachers take note:
Recently cash strapped cities like Scranton have begun to take drastic measures, just think if you were knocked down to Federal Minimum Wage. It's time for concessions, no one is fooled by your Ad Spots about "investing in our teachers", we've been there done that, we are not impressed with the result.
Friday, July 13, 2012
RIP NCLB?
So President Obama is using Executive privilege to make another end run around Congressional Law, this time the target is NCLB. The unfortunate thing is while the schools are freed from performance standards most of the costly bullshit programs that are sucking the districts dry will stay in place. They are entitlements and if we have learned nothing from history we should have at least had our noses rubbed in shit when we tried to remove entitlements at any level in any shape or form. This is what makes Mitt such an idiot for even thinking he will be able to cut a single program without providing an opening for every greedy lawyer.
And completely off topic in case you didn't know the president has also violated his own campaign promise to leave Medical Marijuana dispensary regulation to the states. People who have no where else to turn for relief in the end stages of their cancer now will have no recourse to make the end of their lives more bearable. We as Americans have exactly the government we deserve.
And completely off topic in case you didn't know the president has also violated his own campaign promise to leave Medical Marijuana dispensary regulation to the states. People who have no where else to turn for relief in the end stages of their cancer now will have no recourse to make the end of their lives more bearable. We as Americans have exactly the government we deserve.
Monday, June 18, 2012
On The Lighter Side
While being hilariously funny this man hits the mark on just how lacking the high school experience is in real useable knowledge.
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/senior_year
enjoy
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/senior_year
enjoy
Friday, June 15, 2012
How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down On The Farm
Schools out for summer, schools out forever.
Great rock lyrics but think about it when you drive by your local school on your way to work. There's a building standing empty still costing us money every day and there's nothing happening. Let's make a Wal-Mart analogy, how long do you think the supergiant would last if they closed up for 3 months in the summer, how long would ANY business last that did this? How does a long summer vacation prepare our kids for the world of work unless they are planning on becoming teachers that is.
It is known by all that the USA ranks pretty low in math, science and reading in the world amongst other industrialized nations, it is also plain as day that we spend more on education than these same industrialized nations.
We are locked into an antiquated system of education that is in dire need of reform.
We need:
1.Teacher compensation based on performance (like the world of work)
2. Less administration at lower cost (like private schools)
3. Spread the school year out through the summer and increase the number of days to a minimum of 240 (like high achieving countries do) I have heard teachers say this many times in the faculty room, they are tired of so much instructional time being lost to review at the beginning of each school year. Make it happen.
The notion of children needing the summer off is rooted in faulty turn of the 19th century science and here we are locked in to this old thinking in the 21st they are neither frail nor needed on the farm, the schools are well ventilated and rooms without windows are air conditioned. It is time to step forward and stop the hand wringing and piling on of more worthless initiative's eat a little humble pie and look to the other industrialized nations models of success.
Great rock lyrics but think about it when you drive by your local school on your way to work. There's a building standing empty still costing us money every day and there's nothing happening. Let's make a Wal-Mart analogy, how long do you think the supergiant would last if they closed up for 3 months in the summer, how long would ANY business last that did this? How does a long summer vacation prepare our kids for the world of work unless they are planning on becoming teachers that is.
It is known by all that the USA ranks pretty low in math, science and reading in the world amongst other industrialized nations, it is also plain as day that we spend more on education than these same industrialized nations.
We are locked into an antiquated system of education that is in dire need of reform.
We need:
1.Teacher compensation based on performance (like the world of work)
2. Less administration at lower cost (like private schools)
3. Spread the school year out through the summer and increase the number of days to a minimum of 240 (like high achieving countries do) I have heard teachers say this many times in the faculty room, they are tired of so much instructional time being lost to review at the beginning of each school year. Make it happen.
The notion of children needing the summer off is rooted in faulty turn of the 19th century science and here we are locked in to this old thinking in the 21st they are neither frail nor needed on the farm, the schools are well ventilated and rooms without windows are air conditioned. It is time to step forward and stop the hand wringing and piling on of more worthless initiative's eat a little humble pie and look to the other industrialized nations models of success.
Monday, June 11, 2012
A closet Republican?
Why am I suddenly cheered that Walker has succeeded in retaining his position? His handling of collective bargaining was flawed to the Nth. degree but it seems that for the first time someone has stood up to organized labor and said ENOUGH, we're out of money, the party's over, it's time for your reality check
I was overjoyed to hear that in Erie county Pa. the teachers union in the wake of the Walker announcement has suddenly agreed to pay in more to their benefits package even though their contract isn't due for two more years. The writing must be on the wall. We can only hope the trickle becomes a flood.
I was overjoyed to hear that in Erie county Pa. the teachers union in the wake of the Walker announcement has suddenly agreed to pay in more to their benefits package even though their contract isn't due for two more years. The writing must be on the wall. We can only hope the trickle becomes a flood.
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