Are Our Schools In Crisis?: Adversity Lives In Silent Hearts

October 11, 2011 the Englewood City Council and the Board of Education met jointly. It was an interesting meeting where both groups basically did not impress this writer or each other. The highlight of the evening was when the 4th ward councilman spoke up about the missing conversation on the specifics of educating the City's children. He wanted to know where the reading specialists were. He wanted to know why more attention is not being paid to raising the scores of Dwight Morrow High School students. He was concerned that expectations are much lower than they were when he was president of the Board of Education. He was not blowing the horn for Englewood City and he was not blowing it for the Board of Education. He was experienced, concerned, candid and passionate about the education of Englewood children. He suggested that Dr. Carlisle still has his bags packed.

Janis Dismus newly stocked Library

The old man spoke as if he had been present at the very long board meetings that we attend regularly. Since February, I have witnessed the 4 hour closed sessions.  I have participated in the 30 minute 'privilege of the floor'sessions. Our questions and our comments are clearly only tolerated. Upon examination of the recorded minutes, one finds only questions that they don't mind answering. My questions concerning mentoring, certifications and participation in the New Jersey School Board training programs are no where to be found. You will also not find question posed by Curtis Caviness about Workshops with the School Board Association in which the Englewood Board of Education and Dr. Carlisle is supposed to develop objectives for the district that reflect the CAPA Review and the QSAC. Both are assessments of the District done by the state. Whenever questions are answered, we must wait nearly a month to get unsatisfactory answers. It is a charade. I don't know why I expected these proceeding to be different. We were still only allowed 30 minutes, 3 minutes per taxpayer and only allowed to speak once.

Martin Luther King Jr. Hall Commons
Area

First, we were surprised to find a regular agenda for the board of Edcation section of the meeting. Earlier that day we noticed that the BOE meeting originally planned for October 20, had been cancelled. We sat down to learn for the first time that this was our meeting. The City Council was simply a guest at our board meeting. Even though it was a joint meeting, we were still allowed only 30 minutes of 'Privilege of the Floor'. The Sunshine Law is forced into darkness whenever the EPSD has a board meeting. Privilege of the floor last 30 minutes and closed session lasts nearly 4 hours in total. 

Thomas J. Morgan Gymasium

The unopposed candidate for 3rd ward councilperson spoke. It was difficult to determine what he was talking about. He rambled. A representative from Bergen Performing Arts Center gave the Board of Edcation praise. What else would he do? David Matthews, a former board member blasted the board of education saying they were ingratiating themselves and patting themselves on the back. He said they were making sure that they supported Carlisle, because they had to justify firing a superintendent in order to hire him. He was concerned that not one board member mentioned the fact that Mr. James Olobardi has given his 60 day notice. Mr Olobardi is resigning. Mr. Matthews said that the Board members were all lining up to kiss Don Carlisle's pinky ring. Dr. Carlisle's abrasive, bullying style is reminiscent of the old Don. The board was stoic to a member, but there was visible irritation on their faces while listening to Mr. Matthews. I would hate to work for a man who threatens to outsource everyone's job on a regular basis. He rules through fear, intimidation and the concept of divide and conquer.

Dizzy Gillespie Auditorium
How much $ for  Letters? How much did the
Thomas  J. Morgan  Letters cost?

A parent brought up the 5 year plan and alluded to the fact that 9th graders had told her that they signed a contract promising to finish high school in 5 years. The Student Handbook for the high school does describe this five year program. It does not however, include the fact that students will sign a contract without the presence of their parents. It does not mention that the parents will not be given a copy of this paper. It was said that this 5year plan was planned to begin in the 8th grade. This is highly unlikely since the Handbook specifically states that "upon entrance into the high school" freshmen would begin to participate.

Former blue ribbon principal
who reorganized the
middle school.
A positive.

There was a good deal of support from the community for Lamar Thomas. Mr. Thomas is in charge of the middle school. He, Carmen Macchia and Rosemary Seitel are at the helm of the newly reorganized middle school. Mr. Macchia introduced the new model for the middle school in the spring. It has been divided into 4 teams. Each team is named for an American Ivy League University. Harvard University, Yale, Princeton, Columbia. The newly hired principal form New York has declined the position leaving the position of Principal open.

This was no doubt the most positive aspect of the evening. A community came forth to speak up for the appointing of Lamar Thomas to the job as principal of Janis Dismus. A large number in attendance had come in support of Lamar Thomas and to hear his report on the Middle School. It is important to the community to promote from within. A show of confidence in Mr. Thomas was evident. There are some of us who think that the Ivy League University names for the teams were highly unnecessary and merely mask a more intricate tracking system than was in place before reorganization. We shall see.

Janis Dismus Honor wall 

Two students spoke in defense of their school as if they had been told that someone bad mouthed it. It was good to hear them defend the school. It was not good that they felt that it was necessary to defend the schools against the public. They were defending it from the wrong group of people.

The BOE adjourned into private session promising Mr. Thomas that they would hear his presentation after closed session. 2 hours later, and hours after most of you were snoring in your beds, they returned. Carlisle made a smart remark about the fact that we were all still there. Mind you. He instructed a subordinate and the subordinate did as he was told and waited with his family and the remnants of his cheering squad. Mr. Thomas was told that he would present at the next board meeting. Dr. Carlisle blamed Mr. Olobardi for the lateness of the hour.

Quote displayed in DMHS
main office last year.

This morning, I read an article in Northjersey.com that made me wonder if this newspaper has rattled loose in the years following the advent of the Internet and the blog. Some Journalists are finding it difficult to adjust to the technological world of the news. After reading the article, I watched the video footage of the actual board meeting. Were we even at the same board meeting? Giving her the benefit of the doubt, I will suggest a tape recorder next time. That is if there is a desire to get it right, to get at the truth. What ever happened to the journalist that presented both sides of the coin. She left out every single important question that was posed at the meeting. If a question or a concern did not have a happy face and a smile in it was not included. Go on Ms. Hayes, earn that check. I hope you sleep well at night.

Our Administration must remember that facts beneath the good press  must stand up to examination. If Small Learning Communities never got off the ground in DMHS, admit it and move on. If the district made a boo boo in establishing a 5 year plan that discriminates against half of the campus, move on. Get past creating a fake persona that the district cannot possibly live up to under close examination. Glad ragging in the newspaper at this time is unseemly.

Cons - criticism: unhappy people
-boy hit by bus, please change route...........Unhappy taxpayer
-the five year plan - contracts signed by minors without parents.....2 unhappy taxpayers
-Credit Recovery Program - (is the illegitimate child of the 5 year plan)...many unhappy people
-The unresponsive board....Mr. Popkin is correct and unhappy again
-ingratiating of board to Carlisle....Mr. Matthews is an unhappy taxpayer
-resignation of Business Administrator..an unhappy situation...He is a good honest man...can't have that...
-Reading of a statement to board about libelous remarks from Dr. Carlisle,
 -scandalous remarks made by and to PTO leaders about another taxpayer (PTO is monopolized by board
   of education wives)
-bringing students of all groups and schools together in some type of activity...was a feel good suggestion that
  did not get any response at all. The population of the schools are segregated. Adults don't want to mix
  children up.
-complaint regarding the fact that pre k and kindergarten children are learning 3 languages at once
-Grieco failed AYP...perhaps this has something to do with the fact that Quarles children are being short
 changed. Their reading and writing has been watered down drastically. Is inclusion working in Quarles working?
-complaint of mistreatment of football son, verbal abuse by coach, complaint about no locker rooms
-Board needs training
-Board wasted money on Carlisle's friend who conducted the retreat in September. The NJSBA Field Service Representative normally does this. It is part of the $26,000 that we pay them yearly. They wasted money when they hired him to attend a closed session in September. He does not belong in closed sessions.

Pros- the desire to retain Lamar Thomas as principal of the middle school
-support of community
-Carlisle said it would be unlikely that any candidate for principal would want to come into Englewood. He said Englewood was shooting itself in the foot with all of the negativity. (He is new. He does not understand that Englewood shot itself in the foot in 1985 when they sued the state frivolously wasting taxpayers money. He is merely witnessing the spread of the infection and the rot.) Oh, I forgot, that is a negative statement.

The two high school students spoke up for their school. This was positive even under the circumstances. The Bergen PAC man spoke favorably of the Board. He will have his pay off down the line. Most of the comments were not warm and fuzzy. Click on the link below and read  NorthJersey.com's Utopian article. This article was sanitized.  It is a load of crap that was probably retouched by the Public Relations person who follows Dr. Carlisle around to his various assignments. We have the videotape. The public deserves the truth. One day the situation presented in this article may be a reality. Now it is only a dream created by the people being interviewed and a reporter who merely parrots. In an older time it would have been called Propaganda or yellow journalism. Where is the Bergen Evening Record? It has disappeared into the Internet and lost its very soul.

  

http://www.northjersey.com/news/132220353_City_leaders_discuss_options_for_sharing_more.html

How are the children?

SABE USTED LO QUE ES EL PLAN DE LOS CINCO ANOS?

SABIA USTED QUE EL INDICE DE LOS GRADUANDOS SERIA MAS BAJO,SI ESTE PLAN ES IMPLEMENTADO?


Me encuentro de nuevo en la misma disyuntiva,y solo puedo preguntarme,que si en realidad las personas encargadas de dirigir la educacion de nuestros hijos en nuestras escuelas en Englewood,están trabajando para nuestro bien o nuestra mejoría?. o solo están allí para hacernos creer que las cosas van bien,implementando cosas nuevas para nosotros como este plan,que por no entender la definición o el propósito del mismo.nos quieren mantener en silencio.y apantallar,diciendo.Traemos cosas nuevas al distrito y todavía se quejan! Queremos innovar y se siguen quejando?.Pero usted se ha puesto a pensar a costillas de quien y con interés de que. es que lo hacen?

Pero que tan bueno es?El permitirle a un joven estudiante de secundaria que coja su tiempo. Para graduarse en el tiempo que desee, o mejor dicho.extenderle de 4 anos,que es el tiempo en el que debería de graduarse.A 5? No es justo darle a los jóvenes formularios que ellos deben de firmar por su propia cuenta en la escuela,cuando no tienen siquiera el conocimiento,ni el consentimiento de sus padres,Como es este caso.Por supuesto que el joven va a dar la respuesta quizás esperada por quienes lo promueven.pero ellos se olvidaron de una de las partes mas importantes." SON MENORES DE EDAD y NOSOTROS,LOS PADRES",Nosotros entendemos y aceptamos?.

quiero invitarles a que se sigan empapandose de sus derechos y el de sus hijos.siguiendo los enlaces,que les ofrezco.y recuerden que por nada del mundo piensen que,todo lo que nos envía o proponen las escuelas es cierto,correcto o lo mejor para nuestros hijos.Investiguen,indaguen,Informense.que para eso existen personas como nosotros.Para enseñarles el poder de estar informados.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/131748238_Graduation_rates_will_drop_with_new_plan.html

Are Our Schools In Crisis?: What is a Pep Rally?

How do you justify a charge of $5.00 for attendance at a Pep Rally? Is the purpose of  this to generate school and team spirit or to make money? How do you use a Pep Rally as a fundraiser? What kind of message does this practice send to the students? What did our students get for their 5 bucks? Did they get a banner to wave, a little football, a whoopie cushion? The purpose of a pep rally is to engage the entire  school in support of the team in hopes that everyone will attend the game to support the players and the school. We want more people from the home team in attendance than from the visiting one. Don't we?

Go Raider Nation!

Most schools have the pep rally the last period of the school day. It is generally held the last day of school before the game. Attendance is mandatory for students, teachers and some staff. Classes file into the gym or stadium by grade and they sit together with their banners and cheer on their teams. The band plays, cheerleaders and color guards perform. There is loud music, an MC and even little competitions to see which grade is able to make the most noise in support of the team. The rally before the homecoming game is usually the most impressive. The team members are presented to the entire school population amid a great deal of noise and fanfare. The football players enter fully dressed in playing gear and are escorted onto the floor or field by cheerleaders holding each arm. The guys are in their glory and get a chance to bask in the love of their school and classmates. This is a psyche up technique that has proven effective since the very advent of athletic games. It is thought to boost player performance on the field, because it makes the players feel special and supported by their school. The excitement generated at the pep rally encourages students and everyone else to purchase tickets to the game.

Okay, the Homecoming Game. That word, Homecoming. What is the purpose of "Homecoming Games?" Doesn't that mean that alumni are coming home for the signature game of the season?

"Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back former residents of an area or alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America. It usually includes activities for students and alumni, such as sports and culture events and a parade through the streets of the city or town." Wikipedia


Does the student body know the origin of homecoming? Perhaps they should learn. Maybe the knowledge of its origin would let them understand why it is such a strange thing to have 2 sets of homecoming kings and queens for 1 high school. Need we even mention that there will still be two sets of homecoming Kings and Queens. One set for the South building and one set for the North building. In effect the $5 admission charge further enforces the separate and apartness of the school. What about the fact that the newly renovated locker rooms are too small to hold the football team? The lockers have not even been installed yet. What was the real purpose for renovating beneath the stands? 

Why was this pivotal game the 4th one of the season? Aren't these games traditionally closer to the end of the football season?  This game also follows Rosh Hashanah.  What is up with the scheduling of sports events? The Pep Rally cost more than the culminating event, which is the homecoming game. Word on the street (and according to the line item on the board agenda) is that the gigantic tent and sound equipment used for graduation this year was rented through the athletic budget. Now is there really such a shortage of money?

My granddaughter wanted to be involved so I agreed that she could help decorate the halls for spirit week. On Wednesday, I asked how the pep rally went and she said I don't know. There was a flyer that said it would be on Friday and would cost $5. I was sure that she was mistaken. She was busy doing her homework all day today. She is afraid of the stigma that is being placed on DMHS students. You know the one. The one that claims that DMHS students do not do homework and do not care about school.

"It is amazing what a winning football team can do for a school district." 

Dr. Donald Carlisle

Are Our Schools In Crisis?: Why is it Important to Know How Your Child Scored on the NJAsk?

1. Is your 9th grade child taking 2 Math/Algebra classes? 
2. Does your child have a reading class in addition to an English/Language Arts/Literature class?
3. Have you seen a copy of your child's scores on  the NJAsk standardized test taken this spring? 
4. Did you receive notice at home that your child was required to take a remedial course in order to raise his/her scores? 
5. Did anyone offer you any information regarding tutoring at Sylvan Learning Center, Kumon or anywhere else? 
6. Were you provided with the scores so you could arrange for private tutoring yourself?  
7. Did your child lose the option to take an elective because of  these test scores?
8. Is your child extremely interested in or gifted in Dance, Drama, Music or Art?
9. Does your child excel in a sport, but does not do well academically? 
10. Is your child extremely good with his or her hands? A crafts person in the making.
11. Has your child accepted that they will never be able to take band, dance, art, drama? Do you accept that?

Many children who have poor Math scores have a significant increase in Math scores when participating in music. Face it, children need something to excite them about going to school. I was not good in Math, or at taking standardized tests, but my undergraduate success was powerful enough to get me into graduate school without the graduate records examination. They accepted me based on the excellence of my undergraduate record.

Now lets get to the real problem here. Where are the scores? Why are they being kept so close to the chest of the EPSD? Who is concealing them? Parents need to know in what areas the children are weak. Parents are being accused of not being involved.  How can a parent arrange for tutoring if they do not know where the child is weak? Let us get even more specific. Last year, some students who did poorly on this test qualified to get remedial help at Sylvan Learning Center. The students who did poorly have clearly already been identified, because they have been placed in remedial classes that stop them from being able to take electives. Sometimes the electives are what motivates a child to get out of bed and go to school.

When I taught Dance at Teaneck High School, a large number of my students were NOT great academically, but they were great dancers. AP honors and Special Education students enjoyed the same Elective classes together. Several of  the special education students won Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts. The remedial classes were 2.5 credits and students were allowed to test out mid year. Some of the retired Englewood school teachers remember the same option from years ago. Students had the option of testing out of the remedial course that was given in support. This testing out is an incentive and gives the student a goal for which to strive. 

I was told after the board meeting on the 15th that we who have 30 years of baggage in this town must stop dwelling on the negative. Great. Tell me how, when children are being faced with the negative everyday they attend school. They are faced with what they are not allowed to do. They attend a school Choice and have very little choice. They are told what they will never achieve. And that is not negative? Give me a break. I will become positive when ALL of the children are encouraged and treated the same.

The scores should have gone home with a letter explaining why a child may not be able to take an elective. The letter should have explained that the student has a choice of taking the extra Math/Algebra class in school or to get tutoring to raise the scores. Will the students be tested again later this year or will they be banned from taking electives for the remainder of their high school lives?

It really is time to send the scores out to the parents. A very important piece of information has been withheld. At the same time, this information has been used to exclude the students involvement in certain activities. Below is the link to everything you need to know about the New Jersey Ask assessment tool. Parents must begin to prepare students to succeed on this test now. One bad day on one standardized test may very well change a child's life forever.

NJAsk
New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge: Parent, Teacher and Student Information Guide
http://www.state.nj.us/education/assessment/es/njask_info_guide.pdf


                          How are the children?

Would the State and Federal Government Approve of How Tax Dollars Are Spent in Englewood?

Small Learning Communities: Does Dwight Morrow High School have any?

http://www2.ed.gov/programs/slcp/awards.html

United States Department of Education grants since 2002

Click the following link for a List of School Systems that have received grants for small learning communities from the federal government since 2002. 2007, 8, 9 must be clicked at the link page.

Grant lists:

2010 http://www2.ed.gov/programs/slcp/fy10awards.pdf

2006 http://www2.ed.gov/programs/slcp/fy06awards.pdf

2005 http://www2.ed.gov/programs/slcp/fy05awards.pdf 

2004 http://www2.ed.gov/programs/slcp/fy04awards.pdf 

2003 http://www2.ed.gov/programs/slcp/fy03awards.pdf

2002 http://www2.ed.gov/programs/slcp/fy02awards.pdf

Are you wondering why the Englewood School District is not listed in those receiving grant money for small learning communities from the Federal Government? You are not alone. Perhaps it is as Mr. Garrison says, "the Academy is the only program in the Englewood school district that we market to students outside of Englewood."  Does this also mean that they do not support the other programs as vigorously with grant monies? They are recruiting students from outside of Englewood at the same time that they put our own students in a substandard school building with a leaky roof, asbestos, lead, and possible black mole developing. Alternative Schools may not be placed in temporary facilities without permission from the state. The word temporary suggests that other facilities are being prepared for said students. The Eagle Academy has been in Liberty School for 7 years. They were moved there in order to make space for the out of town children that were supposed to integrate our high school. School Choice is based on space according to 6A:12-2.1 Our board of education made space available when they exiled the students that they deemed unteachable to a falling down substandard building. The ironic thing is that the students are teachable and would probably succeed in a healthy and safe environment.

The students from outside of Englewood are NOT integrating the Dwight Morrow High School Campus. It is obvious that the wants of the few far out weigh the needs of the many here in Englewood. A program that took 20 million dollars from the state to create a tool for integration did just the opposite. They took the money and created a tool that discriminates against persons on the basis of ability, address, behavior, test scores, fashion statements, learning differences, entrance examinations and various other exclusionary elements. Students with learning and other disabilities are systematically excluded. In the video excerpt of the August 18, 2011 board meeting, Mr. Glenn Garrison is very adamant about the fact that they do not "Market" any other program in the district. Well, Mr. Garrison, we as taxpayers have noticed that. This program has been used to all but erase what used to be Dwight Morrow High School. It has taken on a life of its own. In the Back to School issue of Connections, Dr. Carlisle calls it a school. "Having two high schools is like having two children," he says. I hope that families with 2 children treat them both equally as well. That is not the case with the Academy. ( which is NOT a school, by the way) I challenge any of you to find it listed as a school anywhere other than on Academy created materials, Carlisle's newsletter and transcripts of students who do not know any better. Do you think the state will take the money back once they have seen that they were duped into giving money that physically segregated the high school population thereby creating an apartheid educational system. Listen to Mr. Garrison's self righteous attitude as he  fights to build a $26,000.00 sign to market this building while 2 groups of students are attending school in a building that is literally falling in on them. 

Below are some examples and a sampling of school programs that utilize this "school within a school" model. None of the schools that I researched had a program that was so insidious that it took over the parent school and changed the words of the Alma Mater, the colors, took down plaques, banners, or decreased the size of locker rooms so the football teams no longer fit. None of them fired winning hall of fame coaches and polarized generations of children.

 "We send our children to school looking at your faces and they come home looking at the ground." I quote from a parent who spoke up for her son and he was kicked out of AV?ID. She moved away because she was afraid for his education, because she knew that he would never be one of the chosen. She believed that he would be punished for her actions.

The Career Academy Support Network (CASN): Scheduling Guide for Small Learning Communities/Career Academies. This is by far my favorite study in my search for information about Small Learning Communities

Purpose

Staffing

Curriculum

Choice

http://casn.berkeley.edu/resources.php?r=221

A How To Book on Creating Small Learning Communities

http://www.leadered.com/pdf/Small%20Learning%20Comms%20excerpts.pdf

Small Learning Communities that Actually Learn: Lessons for School Leaders

http://www.acteonline.org/uploadedFiles/About_CTE/files/SLCthatactuallylearn.pdf

Organizing Schools into Small Learning Communities

http://www.nassp.org/portals/0/content/48670.pdf

Resources provide overviews on the types of smaller learning communities that districts and schools have created, as well as tools that can help state agencies guide districts in the engagement and planning efforts necessary for the successful implementation of smaller learning communities.

http://highschool.ccsso.org/web/guest/SmallerLearningCommunities

Empowering Data Driven Instruction

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may08/vol65/num08/Small-Learning-Communities.aspx

Small Learning Communities that Work

http://www.edteck.com/slc/

The Small Learning Communities (SLC) Grant

http://www.aacps.org/aacps/boe/commu/slc/slchome.htm

Small Learning Communities (SLCs) create small learning environments that support teacher-student connectedness, resulting in teachers being aware of the academic as well as the social and emotional needs of 9th-12th-grade students. SLCs offer teachers the flexibility to personalize and tailor their curriculum to address individual student needs, interests and aspirations. As a result, students build stronger relationships with teachers and classmates and maximize their learning potential.

http://www.cps.edu/Programs/DistrictInitiatives/Pages/SmallLearningCommunities.aspx

Small Learning Community (SLC) in smaller schools

http://www.e3smallschools.org/download/slc.pdf

Association for middle school level Education:  Why Small Learning Communities and Small Schools?

http://www.amle.org/AboutNMSA/PositionStatements/SmallSchools/tabid/293/Default.aspx

Examples of Small Learning Communities:

Humble, Texas Independent School District: A Humble, Small Learning Community

District Administration:  Solutions for School District Management

http://www.districtadministration.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=2836

 
Kennedy High School, Paterson, New Jersey

Los Angeles Unified School District: Smaller School Models:

http://www.lausd.net/SLC_Schools/

Los Angeles Unified School District: Small Learning Communities (SLC’s)

http://notebook.lausd.net/portal/page?_pageid=33,153266&_dad=ptl&_schema=PTL_EP

Palo Alto, California, Henry M. Gunn High School’s Small Learning Community https://sites.google.com/a/alumni.ucdavis.edu/slc/

San Lorenzo, California: Bay Area Digital Arts Academy: emphasizes experiential, personalized learning for all students with professional training in multi-media production including: film making, television production, and web-design.

http://www.slzusd.org/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1241915344706

Sturgis Brown High School, South Dakota, Meade School  District  46-1

http://meade.k12.sd.us/sbhs/Academics/Small_Learning_Communities/SLC_home.htm

Vineland High School’s Small Learning Communities

As part of this high school reform, students of all SLC’s have expanded opportunities to take part in honors-level and Advanced Placement level courses. There has been an increased emphasis on academic rigor, which includes the abolishment of all general level courses. In addition, many courses have been either created or redesigned as elective offerings in small learning communities. In partnership with Cumberland County College, students may take dual credit courses giving high school and college credit

http://www.vineland.org/SLC/index.html

How are the children? Not well, their building is falling down on top of them.