New B.E.P. Hearing
I'm 60 years old. I know crap when I see it, I know it when I hear it, and I definitely know it when I smell it. And this hearing for public comment by the State Board of Regents (two were present) was crap.
When school committees, parents' groups, & teachers have no time to review the plan (the download site doesn't work) & you schedule something like this with a week's notice, it begins rather smelly in my book. And I was right.
The audience consisted of appx. 25 with 7 people elected to speak, & the new proposed doc was given out. Good thing because the link on their site doesn't work.
Middletown's School Supt' Kraeger was there (spoke), along with School Committee woman Gaines. Present, but not speaking was Liana Ferreira-Fenton, Linda Savastano (ass't sup't), and Sandra Flowers (Newport Schools). There were a number of school librarians in the audience. Evidently they were the only group able to get info out regarding this meeting.
The BEP ("Basic Education Plan"- see previous article) is every school's Bible. This doc reads well, sounds good, and goes down real easily. But what the heck does it mean? You've got me.
The actual session last an hr. with 7 people electing to speak. It was announced that the Regents are "interested in [the] need for further revisions." Doubt that. Seems to me they are interested in "teaks only."
#1. Dr. Carol Herman- the most impressive speaker with 1 1/2 pages. She is a teacher-librarian & new member on the non-partisan Tiverton School Committee. She stated that we "need explicit" B.E.P. regs to prevent school committees from decimating programs in order to lower taxes. She referred to the Sat. Tiverton Town Budget meeting which cut $627,000 from schools at a poorly attended meeting. She said that these new regs would results in "the only winners [are] those who want lower property taxes. The losers are the kids." She referred to economic development necessitating good public schools and the real problem in education is not casued by the current B.E.P, but by not having a fair funding formula and a basic lack of monies from the State.
Here! Here!
#2. Helen ? spoke for School Counselors. Sorry, she spoke too quickly & with her head down, so I missed much of this. She spoke to a wording problem in the new doc.
#3. Gentleman. Sorry, he did not speak directly into the mic & I just couldn't hear him. His focus seemed to be that the doc calls for a "minimum adequate education" and he wanted it to address excellence. Good point.
$4. Barbara Ashbe of RILINK spoke to the new doc not addressing "reading" in library requirements nor does it address what a "highly effective staff" actually mean. She is also afraid that the loss of professional school librarians could results in the state dropping interlibrary loans to school. She is concerned that their is no method of challenging districts' interpretations of this doc mean.
#5. Middletown School Sup't Krager was delighted that the doc address "inputs." Of course, she has not yet had time to speak with the school committee (no one has). Her critique address very specific items- mostly concerned with definitions. She was also concerned with tech & consumer ed. Heck, just kiss them goodbye.
#6. JoEva Gaines. She is a former music teacher in Midd., was head of the Union here, and was on the Board of Regents who helped draw these old regs up. She is now on the Newport School Committee. She loved the new doc! It is "superb" and expresses "confidence in teachers." It leaves a basic education "up to each district" and speaks to "rigor & accountability."
Hmm. School Committees love this as it leaves everything up to them. Sorry. Doesn't inspire much confidence in me. The bottom line is ALWAYS $, you can't kid a kidder.
You know, it seems the Guv achieved in these appointments & this doc what he hasn't been able to do otherwise- get rid of the Caruolo Law & crush public education (and get rid of those bothersome Unions). But that's me.
#7. Deb?- A school librarian spoke to the need for professional staffing & collection developemtn. Let's face it, without a librarian- a library is just a pile of books. That's all.
#8. Stacy Lyon- Coggeshall School Librarian. This is her second career & she spoke to "research literacy" and the fact that most school librarians work "behind the scenes."
Yup, you don't love us until we're gone.
Dave Fontaine (MHS librarian was also there).
I was the only press. Big sigh here. The Bible of our public school system undergoin major change (thing of replacing the Bible with "Cliff Notes" or "Classic Comics") and few shows. When this thing passes (and it will), you'll see major changes in your schools. And not for the better, I might add.
When school committees, parents' groups, & teachers have no time to review the plan (the download site doesn't work) & you schedule something like this with a week's notice, it begins rather smelly in my book. And I was right.
The audience consisted of appx. 25 with 7 people elected to speak, & the new proposed doc was given out. Good thing because the link on their site doesn't work.
Middletown's School Supt' Kraeger was there (spoke), along with School Committee woman Gaines. Present, but not speaking was Liana Ferreira-Fenton, Linda Savastano (ass't sup't), and Sandra Flowers (Newport Schools). There were a number of school librarians in the audience. Evidently they were the only group able to get info out regarding this meeting.
The BEP ("Basic Education Plan"- see previous article) is every school's Bible. This doc reads well, sounds good, and goes down real easily. But what the heck does it mean? You've got me.
The actual session last an hr. with 7 people electing to speak. It was announced that the Regents are "interested in [the] need for further revisions." Doubt that. Seems to me they are interested in "teaks only."
#1. Dr. Carol Herman- the most impressive speaker with 1 1/2 pages. She is a teacher-librarian & new member on the non-partisan Tiverton School Committee. She stated that we "need explicit" B.E.P. regs to prevent school committees from decimating programs in order to lower taxes. She referred to the Sat. Tiverton Town Budget meeting which cut $627,000 from schools at a poorly attended meeting. She said that these new regs would results in "the only winners [are] those who want lower property taxes. The losers are the kids." She referred to economic development necessitating good public schools and the real problem in education is not casued by the current B.E.P, but by not having a fair funding formula and a basic lack of monies from the State.
Here! Here!
#2. Helen ? spoke for School Counselors. Sorry, she spoke too quickly & with her head down, so I missed much of this. She spoke to a wording problem in the new doc.
#3. Gentleman. Sorry, he did not speak directly into the mic & I just couldn't hear him. His focus seemed to be that the doc calls for a "minimum adequate education" and he wanted it to address excellence. Good point.
$4. Barbara Ashbe of RILINK spoke to the new doc not addressing "reading" in library requirements nor does it address what a "highly effective staff" actually mean. She is also afraid that the loss of professional school librarians could results in the state dropping interlibrary loans to school. She is concerned that their is no method of challenging districts' interpretations of this doc mean.
#5. Middletown School Sup't Krager was delighted that the doc address "inputs." Of course, she has not yet had time to speak with the school committee (no one has). Her critique address very specific items- mostly concerned with definitions. She was also concerned with tech & consumer ed. Heck, just kiss them goodbye.
#6. JoEva Gaines. She is a former music teacher in Midd., was head of the Union here, and was on the Board of Regents who helped draw these old regs up. She is now on the Newport School Committee. She loved the new doc! It is "superb" and expresses "confidence in teachers." It leaves a basic education "up to each district" and speaks to "rigor & accountability."
Hmm. School Committees love this as it leaves everything up to them. Sorry. Doesn't inspire much confidence in me. The bottom line is ALWAYS $, you can't kid a kidder.
You know, it seems the Guv achieved in these appointments & this doc what he hasn't been able to do otherwise- get rid of the Caruolo Law & crush public education (and get rid of those bothersome Unions). But that's me.
#7. Deb?- A school librarian spoke to the need for professional staffing & collection developemtn. Let's face it, without a librarian- a library is just a pile of books. That's all.
#8. Stacy Lyon- Coggeshall School Librarian. This is her second career & she spoke to "research literacy" and the fact that most school librarians work "behind the scenes."
Yup, you don't love us until we're gone.
Dave Fontaine (MHS librarian was also there).
I was the only press. Big sigh here. The Bible of our public school system undergoin major change (thing of replacing the Bible with "Cliff Notes" or "Classic Comics") and few shows. When this thing passes (and it will), you'll see major changes in your schools. And not for the better, I might add.
5 comments:
Eileen,
Did you try the link I sent you? It worked well and I was able to download and print the proposed BEP regs. Call me an optimist, but I firmly believe the time has come to streamline the BEP regulations. The top-down effect is not always in the best interests of the ones most invested in education—the students (it’s called the principle of subsidiarity in the Church). I’ve said for decades that the people in the trenches—the teachers—should be the folks who determine how lessons are taught. Just tell me what you want the kiddies to know, and I’ll work out the strategies that meld my style of teaching and their styles of learning, coupled with those ideas of colleagues and research.
Many years ago, I was on a BEP team visiting the Barrington schools. Of course, we here in Newport were visited, too. As I say, many years ago, this occurred, so now is the time to restructure and simplify. Let’s submit our concerns and ideas, as our School Committee chair encouraged each of us at last night’s SC meeting.
Sandra J. Flowers
Yes, it worked! Thank you. But the one on their site does not.
Simplification I could live with. But this doc also refers to staffing and it says nothing. It's a lot of feel-good psycho babble which left me with no translation of what it actually means. There was no formulized way to complain either, as one commenter explained.
What does this mean for specialized edc. areas that barely receive a mention - even in "No child left behind?" How will school committees justify these expenses to the electorate? What exactly will happen to libraries, music & art programs, home ec, etc.?
This doc is already a done deal. My mommy didn't raise any fools. Exactly what are the specifics of a basic education beyond yak-yak? School committees do what school superintendents tell them. And then the committee tells them to cut costs. So who is now the ultimate decider?
Before, there was a doc to point to with authority behind it. I don't see it now. This doesn't just simplify- it guts. "No Child Left Behind" barely mentioned libraries. And when it did it told you to use your community library which offered a lot more resources. This doc is much the same. It doesn't even mention "reading" regarding libraries.
Like I said- for libraries- back to the closet & volunteers. Other programs- gone.
I could be wrong (and frequently am) and hope that I am in this case. What bothers me now is the lack of input & the close deadlines regarding this doc. Really, how much public input are you asking for in a week? The whole thing leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Hurry up, hurry up. I don't hear anyone asking actual teachers in MANY fields to read the doc & what do they think about it? They MAY have some actual ideas. Were they even asked while this was being drawn up? Like- librarians. I think not.
Thanks for the comments. Please keep us updated.
Eileen:
You report that Dr. Carol Herman said, "the only winners [are] those who want lower property taxes."
Naturally, because those are the ones complaining the loudest. I feel badly for the school system, but unless and until school supporters are as loud and as vexing to the Elected Ones as the tax cutters are, we'll continue to see more and more erosion.
When are the parents going to get angry?
It's about local property taxes & I'm complaining, too. PLEASE,don't ever bring this topic up to my husband if I'm there. I just refer to it as Rant #2.
When are the feds & state going to pick up a larger share? Either that, or forget ALL the regs.
Bottom line- do you want quality public schools or not? If you do, it costs money. So let's figure out a fairer way to do it besides property taxes.
Parents DO get angry, I think. But they are also taxpayers & everybody is working like crazy. And there just aren't as many parents of school-aged kids as there used to be. We also have lost much of our middle class around here, so there are fewer complainers. Where are the PTA's?
So many problems. And poor leadership that says what people like to hear instead of what they need to hear. Ah, the curse of living in interesting times.
Thanks for the comments.
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