April 7th Board Meeting Highlight: The PIE Award

The recipient of this week’s Patron Influencing Education (PIE) Award was Ronda Drakeford. It is really not quite clear what Ronda Drakeford has accomplished to earn this honor. She is listed as  the person to call when contacting the Junior Raiders of  Englewood. I assume that she is a volunteer, because she is not employed by the district. As of March 10, 2011 Ms. Drakeford’s name was listed as having filed to run as a candidate for a seat on the Englewood Board of Education. Ronda Marshall Drakeford is listed as an employee at the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, New Jersey. Her title is College and Career Assistant. The League of Women Voter's only hosted 4 candidates at Monday's Meet the Candidates program. Ronda was not in attendance.

The Englewood Schools Tour: 1st Stop Donald A. Quarles Early Childhood Center

We rode on what the kids call the “yellow cheese” bus. I was encouraged by the fact that the seats have belts. Our first visit was Quarles School. It houses pre K and Kindergarten.

Magalye Matos, PTO leader at Quarles believes in Putting Kids & Family & Community First. She was the first to welcome my neighbor and I when the board meeting was hosted at Quarles in March. She is shown at left listening intently as a parent explains her concerns. The Englewood Teacher's Association (ETA) gave parents and teachers a rare opportunity to break bread and communicate with Dr. Carlisle and other members of the community.  2 of the Current candidates for the board of education were also in attendance. Thank you Galilee Methodist Church for sharing your facilities on Tuesday, April 5. It is significant to note that when you click on Quarles PTO under the category of staff it comes up empty indicating only staff. Do we need a PIE award over here guys?

I have never understood the concept behind the planning of an Elementary School with outside access from each classroom. The PTO has optimistic plans for creating a garden with the children. Perhaps the desire to grow something may be turned into an infectious  positive that will contaminate other schools within the district.  The very act of gardening provides students the opportunity to work and learn about nature together. Participation in outside exercise  while creating a product in nature is priceless. Have fun bonding and gardening with the children at Quarles.

We visited a few classrooms at Quarles. One lesson followed a visit from the Englewood Volunteer Fire Department. It was impressive. The students were genuinely involved. It was apparent that the children had experienced a memorable visit with our Firemen. Marsha Howard is the Site Manager or Principal. She seems to be  knowledgeable and capable of accomplishing the mission and objectives of her school. She always wears a smile and responds with a greeting that I think is genuine.  The Quarles visit was a pleasant experience. I am disappointed when I visit the website for Quarles, because I expect to see her smiling face after the page loads. Her name should be required  somewhere on the schools homepage. Put the Superintendent's face in a small widget to the right with the others that update events on the page. Allow the website to reflect the people who work there. We should learn something about them when we visit. The goals, objectives and events on this page should be specific to Quarles school.

We expect to see repetition of the District Mission Statement on all sites, but we go to this individiual site, becase we  want to know about Quarles. We want to see faces that work with the  children at Quarles. A phone call alleviated some safety concerns and confirmed that there are indeed 2 security guards patrolling the campus of Quarles Early Childhood Center.
The following mission and vision statements appear on the schools's homepage.
Mission Statement
Every child will reach his/her full academic, social and emotional potential in an atmosphere of collaboration, mutual respect and trust.Vision StatementTo accomplish our mission we will:Provide a challenging curriculum

Deliver effective instruction based on high expectations

Use assessments to plan instruction and evaluate student performance and growth

Actively engage families and community

Establish and maintain a safe and orderly environment

Reflect on our practices and work collaboratively to improve student learning and achievement

Priorities

I started writing a blog entry about a chandelier. The word chandelier spelled just this way.  Microsoft Word underlined the word in red. I puzzled over the red line a little, but kept on writing.

A suggestion was made at a school board meeting on March 3, 2011 that an elaborate lighting fixture was needed in the impressive lobby (atrium) of Grieco Elementary School. How many computers do you think you can buy with the cost of a fancy lightning fixture of the magnitude that would grace the area? I’ve just finished remodeling my home. 10 would be my guess, if not more. The golden tassel that hangs there now should grace the ceiling above to stand as a symbol and reminder that we understand where priorities lie.

I was thinking about the big fancy light, but I really couldn’t write because I was preoccupied with that red line under the word chandelier. Microsoft Word kept telling me that I was spelling the word incorrectly. The new Superintendent of the Englewood School District was talking about buying a fancy light that Microsoft Word told me I couldn’t spell.

Well sir, The Oxford Illustrated Dictionary and Miriam Webster agrees with me. Chandelier –  an  ornamental branched hanging support for several candles or electric light bulbs. I took both situations as prime examples of when to question authority.  There are times when one accepts without question and times when one makes noise with objections.

So again, how many computers do you think we can buy with the cost of the big electric light that the editors of Microsoft Word cannot spell? Should we even consider the purchase of such a luxury item at this time? In the neighborhood we would call that type of frivolous purchase showboating or fronting.

The answer is an easy one.  Purchase the chandelier when libraries have computers and up to date books and reference materials in print. Purchase a fancy chandelier after classes have up to date Math, Science, History and English textbooks. And the list goes on and on. When we think of all the things we need that gaudy little tassel hanging there looks better and better.

One Small Step Together

On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated in Memphis as he labored to bring economic justice and respect for 1,300 city sanitation workers.

 On Monday -- the anniversary of Dr. King's death – the National Education Association and other labor unions, civil rights organizations, and religious leaders will stand together across this country for the same human rights and human dignity for working men and women.

On Monday, April 4 let us in Englewood at least come together with the League of Women Voters to meet and question the candidates for the Englewood Board of Education. Let us make this one small step together.

Time: 7:30 pm
Place: Public Safety Complex - 73 S. Van Brunt Street
Sponsored by the League of Women Voters

Does the Englewood School District have a Chief School Administrator or not?

Tuesday March 29, 2011 at a Board of Education Budget meeting we noticed that there was an item in the upper right hand column of the handout that even Superman would need a magnifying glass to read. We could not read it. Once I returned home. I dug out my magnifying glass and read it. This is what it said:

Dear Mr. Garrison and Mr. Olibardi:

The review of your district’s revised proposed budget for FY12 has been completed. The district is required to submit a budget with supporting documentation. This documentation prescribed by the Commissioner at N.J.A.C 6A23A-8.1(b) includes a School District Budget Statement with a signature line for the Chief School Administer (CSA). By signing, the CSA verifies that the proposed budget includes sufficient funds to meet the Core Curriculum Content Standards (CCCS).

As you are aware, the Chief School Administrator did not sign the School District Budget Statement. However, as a result of the budget review by this office and notwithstanding the improper CSA signature, a determination has been made that proposed budget for FY12 complies with N.J.A.C 6A23A-9.2(b).  Therefore, I am approving the proposed budget as compliant for advertising and public hearing purposes. 

Further, I am requesting that the School District Budget Statements be properly signed and resubmitted to this office. If you have any questions regarding the above notification please contact us.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Gilmartin

Executive County Superintendent

The question is why. Why was the proposed budget not signed? It was not signed because we do NOT have a Chief School Administrator. Dr. Carlisle does not have a contract. Mr. Richard Seagall has been demoted to Assistant Superintendent. That means that neither man may legally sign the budget proposal.  What does this mean for the taxpaying voting public? Will we be able to vote on a budget that has not been legitimized by the County Superintendent? Note that the County Superintendent has given a provisional approval for “advertising and public hearing purposes” only. Perhaps this board will find a solution to this  problem before we (the taxpaying public) is required to vote on the Budget April 27, 2011.

It is time for taxpayers to speak up. The “Bottom Line” also part of this same handout from the Board of Education states that there will be “0 layoffs – 0% Tax Levy Increase”. Well, if you are a homeowner you know that there is a little slipping and sliding going on with the tax situation. This is probably coming down from the state where the Governor is also claiming no tax increase. For instance, homestead rebates were not mailed to home owners this year.  Homestead Rebates were applied to 2^nd quarter or May property taxes. Rebates were also decreased over 75%. Homeowners who formerly got rebates of close to 1 thousand dollars only got about $250 applied to their property taxes. Regardless of what the label is, adjustments have been made. (so we are not calling it a levy) Everyone knows that we must pay taxes in order for the country to function. We must however, begin to hold our political leaders accountable to how the money is used. Too little of it finds its way back into our schools.

Our board is quite frankly a disappointment. When I decided to become involved I did not expect to find such blatant disregard for the public and our students. After a long search, they decided on Dr. Carlisle, who seems to have been a good choice. Now it seems that they are not impressed because he is not their wind up toy. We don’t want a wind up toy. We want a real living breathing person knowledgeable in the art of educating our youth.  The board obviously made the man promises in order to get him here.

Now it is time for everyone to compromise. We need a Chief School Administer right now.