Town Manager Musante, SB Chair Stephanie O'Keeffe, Pat Kamins at yesterday's meeting
"Permit," "license," or "business certificate" -- call it what you will, but the success of the much needed rental housing bylaw coming out of the endless meetings of the 'Safe & Healthy Neighborhoods' working group comes down to that simple concept.
Rental registration and licensing go together like auto registration and licensing. Can you imagine the problems if anyone, regardless of license, could drive a car simply because the vehicle was properly registered?
Member Pat Kamins (a mid-sized local landlord) sarcastically asks his fellow members to think about businesses in Amherst "that require licenses or permits that can be revoked if their customers act inappropriately."
Well first of all, think about all the businesses that are not in Amherst because their customers could act inappropriately: Strip bars, porn shops, head shops, etc.
In fact, the Board of Health crushed the 'Smoking Ban in Bars Revolt' (by the more rowdy bars) a dozen years ago by threatening to revoke food handling permits for not enforcing the smoking ban. Since alcohol licenses are tied to food handling permits, the bars quickly caved.
The rest, as they say, is history. And the town is immeasurably better for it.
Crowd of 20 showed up for last night's meeting Safe & Health Neighborhoods working group
I have no love for Pat Kamins, but he's right, and those who push for these sorts of restrictive 'licenses' are wrong.
ReplyDeleteSo are people who forbid smoking.
The smoking ban, now commonly accepted, applies to any indoor "workplace."
ReplyDeleteAlthough I would be just as happy if they applied town wide including land, sea and air.
Guns were freely available via mail order in the early 1960s. Of course that awful day in Dallas changed that.
(no) " head shops" (in Amherst)...
ReplyDeleteWildside Smoke Shop located in Amherst sells marijuana and other illicit tabacco paraphernalia, or is all of that stuff made for good old tabacco?
"Guns were freely available via mail order in the early 1960s. Of course that awful day in Dallas changed that."
ReplyDeleteAnd it did nothing to stop any gun related violence. But it's always easy to blame guns and find another restriction on them that puts plaster in a crack.
Putting all the blame and pressure on the landlords is wrong. Amherst needs to create laws that offer basic safety for residents of multifamily dwellings (smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, limitations on occupancy, etc). Once Amherst makes the appropriate standards it needs to hire an appropriate enforcement team.
ReplyDeleteRather than hiring a new school administrator each week for $100k, while cutting the language, art, and music programs at the schools because Amherst has far too many administrators, far too few educators that are paid and appreciated, all of which it is currently going on while the administration is nearly $500k over budget, is classic Amherst.
They ought to fire half the useless school administration, restore the programs our children need, and start balancing the housing needs and issues in this town. What is my child getting now for the over $17k Amherst likes to tout per student?
And once Amherst has created proper rules and regulations for housing and then properly enforces them, it's time for landlords to live up to expectations. Until all this can happen Amherst is simply a like a restaurant where they have one cook, one waiter and forty maître d's, and they wonder why all the patrons are destroying the place.
Amherst is a perfect example of what "overly educated" towns can do wrong when given a wallet full of money and a text book to tell them how money should be spent.
I am very concerned about all this. As a local small landlord I say create higher fines for the tenants that are causing the problems. The landlords can't just evict people at a moment's notice. It is very difficult, due to Massachusetts' tenant friendly laws, to evict someone even when they fail to pay their rent. It takes months and months. The rental market is a vital part of our local economy and shouldn't be demonized because of a small number of problem students.
ReplyDelete" I say create higher fines for the tenants that are causing the problems. The landlords can't just evict people at a moment's notice."
ReplyDeleteI say you are right. I also say create higher fines across the board, tenant and landlord. As for evictions, there is nowhere where you can just evict a tenant for the most part, it takes time anywhere. Usually it's a court process and that takes months. No excuse.
It is always the minority that cause problems. Landlords can only screen so much. The ills of our society are greater than the ability to screen quality tenants. And anyone under 24 is suspect.
Here is what this town needs overall.
First the government system here sucks. It needs balls. It needs a mayoral/town council system so this "uppity" secretive city council, one-horse-way of doing things is abolished.
That day will come but in the mean time, the city council needs to get some of their own Cojones. Stop wasting time and money on endless debates over nothing. Raise your hand, vote and get it over with.And start listening rather than polishing off your "self-made metals". Your a lousy government, so get off your high horse. Enforce the rules. Make additional rules that put some order in this town where it lacks.
Police in this town need to adopt (need to be allowed) a zero crime policy. Yes hard to imagine for a socialist "country" like Amherst. Funny those same socialists become real rebels when they want something done for them, but everything else is just imprisonment and unfair. Let police proactively address the issues of a college town.
I posted a link to a US government report a while back that shows clearly that much of the ills of Amherst can be obliterated with a few simple changes. The same proven changes that are happening in college towns across this country.
Of course for the government here to do anything minus a secret meeting, drawn out debate, or hiring some group for a million bucks to do a study is impossible.
Colleges here need to stop catering to a narcissistic sense of image and start taking responsibility for what is going on instead of hiding it, denying it, and sweeping issues under a rug.
The student/college relationship mimics a parent/child relationship. Start being parents and stop cowling in fear of something "bad" being attributed to a school. Everyone knows what is going on.
Housing laws need to be changed to reflect issues at hand. Codes need to be updated and enforced. More importantly housing laws in general need to be enforced. Not just blaming landlords, but also tenants. The problem is a town/landlord/tenant issue, not any one of those alone. All are guilty.
A fish stinks from the head down. Very simply you want to know where the issues of housing, etc. start, look at the top and stop blaming all the fish at the bottom.
Been a while since I've heard Michael Dukakis quoted.
ReplyDeleteQuite the rants from Walter Graff.
ReplyDeleteSeriously though....
Larry, I do hope that you'll do some reporting re: the schools and the superintendent's proposed budget cuts for next year. Despite hearing from many concerned parents (including in two letters in this week's Amherst Bulletin), most of the School Committee seems ready to just accept whatever the superintendent wants. There are some bad cuts in there, cuts with ramifications for our children for a long time, including cutting PE time and staff at the MS (what about the district's commitment to helping kids be healthy), cutting art and music staff time and positions at the elementary schools, and more. At the same time, the superintendent proposes growing the central administration staff and adding new positions. Hasn't she added enough $100K positions and given out enough big central administration promotions in the past few years? She justifies the teacher and staff cuts by saying that enrollments are declining, and then goes on to argue that given reporting requirements and reform initiatives, the central administration needs to continue to expand.
"The student/college relationship mimics a parent/child relationship."
ReplyDeleteNo, colleges are businesses and students are their paying customers. The colleges want money, and the customer is always right.
Similarly, landlords want their money, and their customer/tenants are always right. Why would they hire an attorney to enforce laws or rules? That cuts into their profits - just as repairs and maintenance do.
This is capitalism. Enjoy.
Violations of town ordinances as far as noise and overcrowding are concerned are violations made by the tenants. You can't take it out on the landlord unless they are deliberately flaunting town regulations, as with the Grandonicos. You don't penalize car manufacturers for drunken drivers. Car companies don’t control who drives the car. Landlords don’t have much control on who lives in a house. You rent the house to a nice person, with good references, and the next thing you know they are letting 6 friends live there and holding wild parties. UMass has far more information on their students, which they collect through their intensive application process, and they still let a small percentage of yahoos in. You want to fix this? Just raise the fines from $300 to $1,000+ and these parties will quiet down. Right now they are just a cost of business factored into running an illegal bar.
ReplyDelete"Hasn't she added enough $100K positions and given out enough big central administration promotions in the past few years? She justifies the teacher and staff cuts by saying that enrollments are declining, and then goes on to argue that given reporting requirements and reform initiatives, the central administration needs to continue to expand. "
ReplyDeleteNo they haven't. As long as they can find money they will continue to grow the administration all while taking away from the children. This is always the problem when you let administrators administrate themselves without out proper gate keeping. This towns Superintendent is a joke. She shields herself, leads parents on, all while continuing whatever agenda she wants with no one to say no.
As for my "rants", someone needs to speak up in this town where political correctness trumps anything else, even at the expense of our children and human life. PC is killing this world. It's already killed Amherst.
Funny, didn't know there were so many people in this town who were named "anonymous".
anon @1250: go to SC mtgs and speak up!
ReplyDeleteHow is it possible that the admin has the extra capacity to take on a Region elementary school system (at no extra cost, quote by Ms. Geryk) and yet is at their maximum capacity (and not positions can be cut). How can both these be true? If you think they are, I've got some land for sale in Florida. If Amherst folks think regionalizing is going to save us $$, think again. Huge mistake.
Regionalization will save money because, under regionalization, instead of being Superintendent of 3 separate entities at the elementary level (as she is now), Ms. Geryk will be Superintendent of only one entity at that level. Also, the administrative staffing, will only have to account for one entity instead of three, under regionalization.
ReplyDeleteWalter do you work? You seem to be wasting somebody's money all day with your constant ranting. Time to do what someone, somewhere is paying you for.
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
-On My Lunch Hour
"-On My Lunch Hour"
ReplyDeleteAnd anonymous too. I do work. Many jobs actually, in numerous states. One is for a network news organization. I'm working on including Amherst in some stories. Isn't technology great.
Works for me.
ReplyDeleteI'm totally mystified why people year after year rant that Amherst is a corrupt cesspool that they can't stand. You can move, you know. But perhaps then you wouldn't have such a pretty town, good schools, and wonderful people.
ReplyDelete"-On My Lunch Hour"
ReplyDeleteWalter, just hit em with the nozzle...
(roach spray): "Pssssssssssst."
"Pssssssssssssssssst."
Just like that.
You betcha.
Walter Graff fits right in here on this blog..he's as conservative, crazy and angry as Larry and Ed. Kinda like our very own Larry, Moe and Curly!
ReplyDelete"But perhaps then you wouldn't have such a pretty town, good schools, and wonderful people."
ReplyDeleteWAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!!!
That's rich.
Walter... you are the joke! If you REALLY believe the current administration is trying to "take away from the kids," you are oblivious and have not been paying attention. You haven't met the people doing the job, and you have no idea what they have been working at for the last 25 years of their careers. You can keep saying that their actions are for themselves, not the kids, it doesn't make it true. But of course you will continue to express your uninformed opinions here. After all, you seem to know everything, like Ed.
ReplyDeleteDo you have any facts or statistics to back up all of your negative, angry opinions about the school administration? Or is it all vitriol? Tell us which half of the administrators are "useless". Have you considered offering up a budget for the super and the sc to consider? Explain to us how cutting administrators would restore the language, arts, and music programs (which, as far as i know, are superior even now after cuts have been made, in terms of offerings, to many other local public schools.) How will saying things like "hiring another $100,000 administrator every week" help us to see your point of view? Why don't you tell us specifics. Not "the system here sucks" or "they need to get some cajones" or the government is secretive and "they have no balls" and "a mayor would be better"... (of course, just look at all the places with mayors... no corruption or secretiveness, spending is spot-on, the schools are amazing... no tobacco shops... crime is down...)
Walter for School Committee! Unless you are planning on leaving this ridiculous town? Taking your kids somewhere sane, where they have a mayor and GOOD schools??
Seriously, Walter... you have made yourself a joke here in Amherst! You are obviously an unhappy person, and everything in this town--the schools, the government, its employees, its tobacco shops, its inability to create "proper rules and regulations", its endless hiring of "a group" to do a study "for millions of dollars", the corrupt, ceaseless growing of the school's central administration, the town's unwillingness to let the cops do their jobs (because we are... socialists? what?)--according to you is ruined(by PC-ness, apparently.) And yet you stay. You are coming off as an angry, thinks he knows everything, whack-job.
And hell no I do not choose to post my name, Joker. Larry will do that for me sometime in the future.
Also... you don't "cowl" in fear, you "cower" in fear. Nobody is "cowling", Walter.
Yeah, I'm slowing narrowing in on you. But the schools have a LOT of employees.
ReplyDeleteHey, you gotta do something with this life, Larry. Keep having fun.
ReplyDeleteIn all fairness, we should give Walter a break. he DID post an article which outlined a few simple steps our town could take to eliminate all of our woes...
ReplyDeleteQuestion: What evidence exists that banning the availability of guns via mail order did nothing to stop any gun related violence? (That's what Walter said it did.)
ReplyDeleteAnswer: there is no evidence. Walter just says his opinions and then tells us they are facts. He can't back up a single thing he says.
"Do you have any facts or statistics to back up all of your negative, angry opinions about the school administration?"
ReplyDeleteYou want facts?
I'll give you facts.
http://www.schooldigger.com/go/MA/schoolrank.aspx
Stop them cold Walter.
Enter deeeeeeeep inside
and crush them.
The anger here isn't me. I express what many parents say to me every day. And I see what I see. The real anger is that I might dare upset the cushy jobs that many who read this blog and post anonymously here currently have. Yes this school system sucks. If it didn't it wouldn't be so far in the hole all while acting like it's listening and making changes that best suit the children. It's not. The Superintendent has autonomy and that is never good. Take a look at some of the wasteful jobs in this system is all one has to do. It's time to out this system. It's time to answer questions. Mostly it's time to start being accountable. Unfortunately for the administration between lasts years class size issue and now cutting the programs that parents deem so important all while maintaining administrative privileges is over. Good luck folks. Better start getting your resumes out.
ReplyDelete"And hell no I do not choose to post my name, Joker."
ReplyDeleteThen very simply you are coward. And weak. And your opinion matters little because it has no person behind it who has the guts to simply post your name. When you want to stop hiding then I can address your fears, clearly you are scared that anyone is going to upset this system.
"Question: What evidence exists that banning the availability of guns via mail order did nothing to stop any gun related violence? (That's what Walter said it did.)"
ReplyDeleteWell Mr or Ms. coward who can't post a name, there were plenty of studies in some of Americas worst cities that showed the gun ban did little. But you'd think your school ID would get you access to the computer so you can look it up yourself. Isn't this the education capitol of NE? I find it funny that people with PhDs can't figure out how to turn on a light switch in a room. But they can get a job with the Amherst school administration.
I'd do your work for you but then you wouldn't be doing it yourself. Okay just one, even if you don't have the guts to post your name.
While your ignorant response said little truth is that not only did the confiscation, arrests, and overall gun violence, homicides with both handgun and rifle, continue a steady rise after the 1968 act, what the gun control act tried to stop most was interstate gun migration. Yet as the research shows it had no major depressant impact on interstate gun migration.
You too can be educated instead of showing your ignorance by reading this or any other number of after-the-fact pieces on the 1968 act: http://www.saf.org/lawreviews/zimring68.htm
I'm sure you're too busy to read it so I'll sum it up from the authors conclusion based on extensive recearch...
"Rates of gun violence and the proportion of violent acts that are committed by guns have increased substantially since the Gun Control Act of 1968 went into effect."
Walter didn't offer anything that can be proven or refuted, it's all opinion: He likes to tell us that Amherst should adopt "appropriate standards", and create "proper rules and regulations" (I'm sure Walter will be happy to tell us what "appropriate" and "proper" standards, rules and regulations look like,) he likes to say banning mail-order gun purchases didn't have an effect on gun violence, he tells us "it is always the minority that cause problems"; he tells us we are "narcissistic", "socialists", that we have no "balls" and need to get some "cojones"; he makes ridiculous claims, such as that we hire a new $100,000 employee every week, and that we spend "millions" on "a group" to do studies, he says that we have too few teachers (even though our student to teacher ratio is better than most places in MA,) and that they are "not paid" (despite the fact that Amherst's teachers make a lot more than most teacher's elsewhere,) and they are apparently not appreciated (not sure where he got that data); that all of our government is "secretive"; and so on and so on.
ReplyDeleteBut what is missing from Walter's posts are anything resembling SUBSTANCE. Its all name-calling, "everything sucks", and "everyone else should make it better for me." He offers no data, no statistics, just hate-filled expressions of his negative feelings toward our schools, government, and all the corrupt people working in them, the univerity, the tenants and landlords, all the PC'ers, (dude, that was the nineties,) it's endless with this guy. re the superintendent: "She shield herself and leads parents on." Examples please. (after you tell us what that those things mean.) "The town government sucks and they should do this and the superintendent should do that and someone should make more rules and regulations and I'm not part of the problem, look at the article I posted and all of amherst's problems will go away."
What a putz.
"Walter... you are the joke! If you REALLY believe the current administration is trying to "take away from the kids," you are oblivious and have not been paying attention. You haven't met the people doing the job, and you have no idea what they have been working at for the last 25 years of their careers."
ReplyDeleteHmm, 25 years? And what do we have for it? One of the very highest per pupil expenditure in the state and what is the result of 25 years of work as you say?
Out of 890 schools in Mass:
Wildwood Elementary ranked 353 out of 890 in 2012 - 537 schools did worse
Fort River Elementary ranked 481 out of 890 in 2012 - 400 schools did worse
Crocker Farm Elementary ranks a pitiful 498 out of 890 in 2012 - only 392 schools did worse
Amherst Regional High School ranked 112 out of 343 - 231 schools did worse
The Amherst school district ranked 196 out of 325 - only 129 districts did worse
The Amherst-Pelham school district
ranked 123 of 325 - 229 districts did worse
And compared to all other cities in Mass Amherst ranked 183 out of 327. Only 144 cities had worse schools.
Funny, I was reading off these numbers to someone and their response was:
"I thought people moved here for the schools"
Many did and found out this school system is a disaster.
Other surrounding communities rank far better.
Sunderland was 74th.
Hadley 77th.
Longmeadow 71st
Pelham 26
Shame on this administration. For all the money spent all we get is middle-of-the road grades. Even with the fudging of the grades and all the attempts to show better scores.
YES, I'll say it again, THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM SUCKS. I'm not the only parent who feels this way. And get ready folks, our names will be heard loud and clear. Just you watch.
And no I don't REALLY believe the current administration is trying to "take away from the kids". But that is what ends up happening when the administration puts itself first and the kids second. When you are surrounded by fat, you are never healthy.
And as for all you hating "anonymous" folks... Anonymous is defined as lacking individuality, distinction, or recognizably. Yep sure sounds like the socialist Republic of Amherst.
"What a putz"
ReplyDeleteNo a person not afraid to use his name and challenge a crippled system. What's your excuse pisher.
So Pelham is ranked 26th? Uh, Walter, Pelham has the same school administration as Amherst.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete"Anonymous Anonymous said...
So Pelham is ranked 26th? Uh, Walter, Pelham has the same school administration as Amherst."
Yet another pisher afraid to post his name. Yes Pelham is in the same system.
Fear not, The Amherst-Pelham school district
ranked 123 of 325.
As far as tests go the one small Pelham school did far better than any Amherst school. It should based on it's size. Ask the few remaining old time teachers left in Amherst and they will tell you the administration has forced all the best teachers to leave with few older teachers left. Doesn't change anything. Even with lower teacher to pupil ratios the Amherst school system is still failing. The Amherst administration is a disaster that bloats it's offices, can't keep anywhere near a budget, and then plans on cutting all children's school programs to cover the losses of keeping a bloated administration from having to give up one single job. SAD SAD SYSTEM. But fear not, the days of unlimited rule and no accountability, along with a school committee board that has the power of a teachers assistant are over.
You know folks, if Oswald didn't act alone -- if he was part of a Soviet or Cuban conspiracy -- and JFK had made several attempts on Castro's life -- then it is a moot point how he obtained the rifle -- he could have been given one if need be.
ReplyDeleteAnd notwithstanding this, what is the big deal about his having bought it from Montgomery Ward through the US Mail? There were no gun stores in all of Dallas, Texas? He couldn't have gone downtown and bought a rifle there had he wanted to?
He couldn't have bought a rifle somewhere in Dallas, Texas? Jack Ruby was able to walk in and literally shoot him in what might as well have been the police station lobby and yet you somehow think that he wouldn't have gotten a gun but through the mail?
Walter, could you please provide me with the names of "the few remaining old time teachers left in Amherst" so that I can ask them the question you asked me to ask them? (you know, the question about whether or not the administration secretly planned and executed their evil goal of forcing all the best teachers to leave?)
ReplyDeleteWalter: you ask us to "just take a look at some of the wasteful jobs in this system..." ("it's all one must do...")
ReplyDeleteCould you list those wasteful jobs so that we can take a look at them?
Thanks for the work you're doing.
Yet another pisher afraid to post his name.
ReplyDeleteUh, nope, same pisher. What made you think I'm someone else? Is there a whole army of us, responding to your crazy posts, now? Just how important do you think you are, Walter? It sounds like th administration's days are numbered, according to your posts... please, fill us in on the details of the planned siege...
"Walter, could you please provide me with the names of "the few remaining old time teachers left in Amherst" so that I can ask them the question you asked me to ask them? (you know, the question about whether or not the administration secretly planned and executed their evil goal of forcing all the best teachers to leave?)"
ReplyDeleteWish I could but they speak of-the-record. Want to know what is wrong with the Amherst school system. Simply ask the teachers who have been their 15 years plus. I did. Individually. And all of them told many stories of waste, lies and deceit that starts with the autonomous superintendent.
So let me get this straight now Walter... you went, individually, to each teacher in the Amherst school system who has been there for 15 years +, asked them "what is wrong with the Amherst school system?", and all of them told you stories of lies, waste, and deceitfulness, stemming from Superintendent Geryk.
ReplyDeleteHave I got that straight, Walter?
I think Walter is just making this up as he goes along.
ReplyDeleteWell, I guess we'll never know if Walter is telling the truth or not, because none of us know any veteran Amherst teachers with whom we can check Walter's story.
ReplyDeleteI just don't understand the knee-jerk hatred of Maria Geryk. Do any of you who are spewing such stuff have any idea what is actually happening in the schools? Do any of you actually attend school committee meetings? Attend meetings at the school where staff make presentations about what they are doing? Read any of the reports online? Do ANY of you actually know anything about what is going on? It's truly amazing to me what gets said here based on NOTHING. I have a child in the elementary school and I think she is getting an excellent education. I am happy that the math curriculum was changed..I think the curriculum director is doing a top-notch job. Many strategies have been introduced in the last few years to improve the level of education, to improve the alignment of the curriculum and to address the long standing achievment. Does anyone even know that these things are even happening? Do any of you who are complaining have a specific complaint about the education their child is getting? Does it ever occur to you to call your child's teacher? Call the principal? Call the Superintendent? Until that happens I don't have much use for the things that are spewed out here.
ReplyDeleteanon@1238:
ReplyDeleteafter many years of "working towards" curriculum alignment, I have yet to see real/documentable progress made in that direction. Lots of talk but I haven't seen much substance. So the argument that having a region (Amherst, Pelham, Shutsbury, Leverett) with an aligned curriculum so the transition into MS will be more uniform just doesn't ring true to me...Show me that it can happen within the Amherst elementary schools FIRST.
Anon 1:25 - What evidence do you have that the schools are NOT working toward curricula alignment, other than your belief that it is not happening?
ReplyDeleteI have heard plenty of talk aimed at alignment, I just don't SEE ALIGNMENT (but lots and lots of action plans). How long should it take? It has been on the agenda (talked about by the SI at SC mtgs) for at least 4 years now. Can you tell me what area of the curriculum is now aligned between schools? Between grades? I hope changing the math text in elementary school will help but that depends on the buy-in of the teachers, what material (book vs supplementary) they decide to use (hopefully the decision isn't theirs and is the math coaches/c director, but who knows?), when the material will be taught, depth of material...I'm not sure this is happening. Do you know that it is?
ReplyDeleteThis has been a top priority (for very good reason) for improvement in the district for a long time, it would be nice to have it off the list, so we could move on to focus more attention on closing the wide achievement gap.
"I think Walter is just making this up as he goes along."
ReplyDeleteThink?
Is that what you call that?
Thinking?
Where I come from they call it pilfering.
And you and your self righteous, organic produce -at the expense of tax-payers and the ones who've tried to stop you- loving "hijackers" have been ~bleeding~ this once beautiful and passive farmer's town, for decades.
Do you think you OWN this place!?
And THE greatest gift from heaven above is watching an Über-townie like Larry Kelley kicking your hypocritical and slimy asses to the curb, day after day after day.
And don't forget, most of you insiders are getting old and a little unsteady, a little
sloppy.
And you know what, I'll say it again:
It's over baby.
It's over...
Anon 141, the school system is working on curriculum realignment AND the achievement gap at the SAME time. Your comments show that you make charges that are wholly based on opinion and ill-informed assumptions and not in facts - a frequent occurrence on this blog. The governing philosophy seems to be why let facts get in the way of a good story.
ReplyDeleteanon@1050:
ReplyDeleteplease give me some facts, if there has been a progress report on alignment, sorry I missed it. But you know, so tell me. Have we been told we now have alignment between the grades, if so, which subjects? Which grades, which schools? I don't think it has happened but please tell me specifically what has happened. The onus is on you (vehemently defending that there has been progress) to demonstrate that it has happened. Not just your wish or impressions or (delusions). Just give us some concrete facts, point me to a 'report' posted on ARPS...
It is not my job to educate, Anon 12:46. If you want to coment on the issue then you need to educate yourself on the issue - or let your readers know that all your comments are opinion and not based on any facts.
ReplyDeleteStart going to SC meetings. If you can't go to the meetings you can watch them on tv or online - like I do. I watch them all. Go to the ARPS website - there is a wealth of information there about what is being done to address curriculum alignment and ways the schools are attempting to address the achievement gap. There is alot of information there. You said that the schools are doing nothing to address curriculum alignment - I said they were. I did not say the work was done..I said that steps are being taken to address it. Go read about them. Watch some SC meetings.
What I object to most strenuously is people commenting on things they know little about and implying that their comments are facts. The work is not done, but it is in the works. You cannot undo years of no aligment in just two years. The Gus Sayer and Jere Hochman regimes let the teachers do whatever they damned well pleased and their was NO OUTCRY whatsoever. Now we have a Superintendent who is telling the teachers - "this is what you have to teach and when you have to teach it" and all she gets is angry parents telling her she is not doing anything about it. Why don't you make an appointment with Maria Geryk and find out from her what she is doing.
Anon @ 1:39: I never said "doing nothing to address curriculum alignment" I just asked what progress has been made, what now is aligned? You were the one making claims, mine were questions. I asked you to back-up your claims. I've been to tons of SC mtgs (often the ONLY parent present). I do watch SC mtg online. From your response, I am concluding that indeed you don't have the info to back up your claims...
ReplyDeleteI did not make any claims..I said they were working on curriculum alignment. That I know they are doing. Go talk to Maria Geryk and get the information from the horses mouth, so to speak. Don't complain on a blog.
ReplyDelete