What follows is from Rich Meyer. He’s a friend and regular contributer here. Schools are a hot topic so without further ado:
An Open Letter to Mayor Parrish, the Manassas City Council, the School Board and Superintendant Pope Regarding Our Schools
I have had the pleasure of attending Manassas Education Forward Committee meetings and related citizen discussions concerning alternatives offered to the Committee by the Superintendent relating to the future direction of Manassas City public schools. I write with the admitted naivety of a Manassas citizen who cares deeply about our schools but who is not a professional educator.
It does not surprise me that some alternatives are seen as unaffordable while others are seen as disconnected to the challenges facing us. I have nevertheless sought to identify a thread of interrelated recommendations that could be effective but would not break the bank.
First, uniformly and firmly enforce tardiness and attendance requirements. No matter how good a school may be, students cannot learn up to their potential if they are not there. Medical situations aside, if parents cannot ensure that their child gets to school daily and on time, then perhaps they should be required to formally explain themselves in person to school officials or even to a local judge. If they believe this is too much of a hassle then maybe they should live elsewhere. If there are better ways of enforcing tardiness and attendance requirements, it is fine with me if another method is chosen.
Second, uniformly and firmly enforce behavior requirements. Unruly and disruptive students interfere with the learning of others and are themselves unable to learn while being disruptive. As with the first recommendation above, formal pressure needs to be applied for increased parental involvement — parents need to know that this is what is expected of them if they have a child enrolled in a Manassas City school. In addition, our teachers need to know they will be backed up by the administration when dealing with disruptive students.
Third, implement much smaller classes — eighteen students max — for English and math. English and math are the building blocks for all other subjects for all students. This will likely cost money to implement but will be worth it when SOL scores increase and maybe even soar.
I hope that you will each move forward with these core issues in mind, or at least a variation of their themes, as you seek to navigate the waters ahead of you during the coming months.
Respectfully,
Rich Meyer
Old Town Manassas
December 27, 2011 at 8:42 am
If you haven’t done so already, Andy, I hope you will extend this post to your blog at Manassas.Patch.com. Great letter, Rich.
December 27, 2011 at 2:20 pm
I doubt if Manassas City council will vote any funding needed to decrease class sizes. There seems to be money for other things but not this. They have been informed that smaller class sizes would help but it went in one ear and out the other.
December 29, 2011 at 9:19 am
An interesting article from the Virginia-Pilot regarding the Norfolk Public School Board’s ongoing issues which include transparency:
http://hamptonroads.com/2011/12/norfolk-schools-real-pr-problem
December 29, 2011 at 9:56 am
With regards to school discipline, the article at WTOP titled “School Discipline in Virginia Doesn’t Improve Behavior” and backs up several points made by Rich:
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=41&sid=2636748
December 31, 2011 at 4:45 pm
The focus should remain on the groups that are marginalized. Those are the kids that most potential for improvement. I agree that small class size will help the entire student body but I disagree that it will give us the most bang for our buck.
Dr. Pope and others have referred to the poor, ESOL and those receiving Free and Reduced Lunch as impacting the performance of our schools. These kids and those that have learning disabilities are the ones that are being marginalized and they have the most potential to change. The focus and resources should be on them not on the A/B students.
I recently read an article in the Atlantic written by David Shenk (author of The Genius in All of Us). The article is about IQ score but it pertains to any group that is viewed as disadvantaged.
A small excerpt:
Being branded with a low IQ at a young age, in other words, is like being born poor. Due to family circumstances and the mechanisms of society, most people born poor will remain poor throughout their lives. But that doesn’t mean anyone is *innately* poor or destined to be poor; there is always potential for any poor person to become rich.
The happy reality is that IQ scores:
A) measure developed skills, not native intelligence.
B) can change dramatically.
C) don’t say anything about a person’s intellectual limits.
Can your IQ score change over time?
Absolutely. “IQ scores,” explains Cornell University’s Stephen Ceci, “can change quite dramatically as a result of changes in family environment (Clarke, 1976; Svendsen, 1982), work environment (Kohn and Schooler, 1978), historical environment (Flynn, 1987), styles of parenting (Baumrind, 1967; Dornbusch, 1987), and, most especially, shifts in level of schooling.”[v]
If IQ scores can change over time, why do most people’s IQ scores stay reasonable stable?
What any individual canachieve with the right combination of assets and gumption is entirely different from what most people actually do achieve. Most people settle into a particular academic standing early in life and do not substantially deviate from that standing. That’s the inertia of life and human circumstance.
So IQ scores don’t imply any sort of fixed or innate intelligence?
Quite the contrary. We know that the abilities IQ measures are skills, and we know that people can earn these skills. “Intelligence,” Robert Sternberg has declared, “represents a set of competencies in development.” There is plenty of evidence, for example, that schooling raises overall academic intelligence.[vii]There is also evidence that most human beings are not reaching their cognitive or academic potential.[viii]Better schools and higher standards can raise the level of learning for nearly all students.
December 31, 2011 at 4:59 pm
Excellent point. Thanks for sharing!
December 31, 2011 at 11:37 pm
FourKidsnaDog,
Good post and interesting observations. Tying those to Education Forward, what do you recommend as a next step?
January 2, 2012 at 3:52 pm
@Rich,
That is the million dollar question but given that MCPS now has “accreditation” through AdvancED does it matter?
January 2, 2012 at 5:22 pm
It does matter because the accreditation from AdvanceEd was purchased as a preemptive move to the state taking away the only accreditation that should matter to us as parents.
January 2, 2012 at 7:11 pm
Another Michele,
Who purchased the accreditation and for how much?
January 2, 2012 at 10:47 pm
I await the full report to see just what the benchmarks etc where. That said, when loocking at AdvancED website, there are only 25 School Districts in the Commonwealth who have sought their stamp of approval. PWCS and MP Schools were in the list. I do ponder the value of it and some rainy day may wander AdvancED website again to see just what success of having the stamp is.
The cost is a question though considering the stamp is good for five years, but in looking at the slide show, it says AdvancED also monitors and assists. So after initial cost, what is the monitoring cost over the five year period?
January 2, 2012 at 10:58 pm
ForKids, great posting!
And to answer Rich’s question on how to apply IQ development to Education Forward, if we are moving from large group instruction to Small Group Instruction (SGI) with max of 18 students focusing on English and Math, then applying standard course development within each of those subjects would enable development.
Standard design has three major elements: Task – Condition – Standard. Within each Task, there are Enabling Learning Objectives which describe specific skills to accomplish the task or tasks. We know what the Standard is for each grade level, especially since the Commonwealth publishes them for English and Math. Just have to develop backwards from there. Conditions are the environment – and that can be anything from time to material or tools (such as calculators) a student would need to complete the task.
That heady stuff I just wrote is a quick overview of how a Course Developer would approach Rich’s question using standard, quantifiable and qualitative processes and methods.
January 3, 2012 at 7:28 am
JimmyV…Pope and School Board purchased it.
January 3, 2012 at 9:20 am
I agree with Ray’s recommendation. I would also suggest a total overhaul of JLC. There seems to be a disconnect between what the MCPS web-site description of JLC and what I have been told. Perhaps the city should take a look at how some private schools handle LD kids. Despite what many think private schools (ie parochial schools) accept and education Special Ed and LD kids. Below is a description of De Sales Learning Center at Paul IV.
The De Sales Learning Center is a program that provides specialized tutorial support to average and above average students who have a diagnosed learning disability. In this program, teachers who have experience working with learning-disabled students provide individual and/or small-group instruction and closely monitor student work.
The De Sales Learning Center is a tutorial support/student advocacy program that has been designed to help students meet the demands of their academic course requirements. Students enrolled in this program take all core subjects in regularly scheduled classes and attend this specialized program during their study hall period. Ninth grade students in the De Sales Learning Center will normally take six classes, spend two class periods in the De Sales Learning Center, and delay taking a foreign language until their sophomore year. Students in the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades will normally attend the De Sales Learning Center during one class period per day. A student’s academic needs, as identified by the results of an individualized educational assessment, will determine the specific type of assistance provided by this program.
The De Sales Learning Center emphasizes individualized assistance, time management, and the development of effective study techniques. Instruction occurs within the context of the academic course load each student has undertaken. Working with both the student and the regular classroom teacher, the De Sales Center staff designs appropriate adaptations and accommodations to help the student develop the skills necessary to be successful in an academic setting.
January 3, 2012 at 5:47 pm
Our Governor in his comments to the Virginia Senate Finance Committee on December 19, 2011, had this to say about the upcoming Budget with regards to K-12 Education:
“We must be equally committed to ensuring that our K-12 system is innovative, accountable, and well-funded. We must have a K-12 system that is producing students who are either career or college ready. Thankfully, in this effort, Virginia is blessed with so many great teachers who are dedicated to their profession and their students.
Over the past few years K-12 has faced some reductions in the midst of a decade-long increase in spending. That is why my budget provides $438 million in total new state funding for public education for the next biennium. This funding recognizes the rising costs of certain requirements in the Standards of Quality, and demonstrates our strong commitment to improve the retirement system for teachers.
Beginning with this budget, we are going to further measure the effectiveness of our investment of education dollars. All school divisions will report the percentage of spending on instruction versus overhead in furtherance of our goal of getting 65% of all K-12 dollars into the classroom, where our students learn. Following on our approval last session of a merit pay program for teachers, we also are initiating funding to begin implementing new performance-based evaluation models for our public schools. Through this, we hope to ensure the most effective teachers are educating our children, and being rewarded for their service.”
January 4, 2012 at 10:02 am
More food for thought on “Education Forward” – new HS graduation requirement for the kids to have classes in economics & personal finance. Governor kicking it off with a State-wide challenge for teams to come from the high schools and compete. See his press release at:
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/News/viewRelease.cfm?id=1068
January 6, 2012 at 2:32 am
Hey Folks,
Thanks for all the great posts… RAY! thank you for the Norfolk article, is it awful for me to say that our Superintendent and her immediate underling should be “involuntarily or voluntarily” relieved of their powers and privilege? What I have been seeing, reading and hearing is; in a nutshell, this – since taking over, Pope-Meyer have seemingly NOT done much of anything proactive to address the obvious changing needs of the MCPS.
I’m a little uneasy that they were nominated for awards by the same organization that they both sat on the board of and refer to each other as “best friends” – how about faking a little professionalism for the sake of the press?
I guess I think their sole focus should be fixing these problems, which I feel are pretty dire, it appears there is a great amount of community concern as well and it feels like the schools are “circling the drain” so to speak, our children are drowning in a sub-par education. Why are we discussing uniforms? We’re not there yet.
Pope blames the ESOL kids… I call BS, I have friends in Fairfax County who have their children in language immersion programs since Kindergarten in the 1990’s. I would have been thrilled to have the same opportunity, if my children were bi-lingual, and say, learned Spanish, as a second language, their post college employment opportunities would be limitless.
By the same token, watching my kids at Round, Mr. Durko and the teachers made a point of having the non-ESOL students interact with the new ESOL kids to help facilitate assimilation. It was pretty ingenues and fostered good will.
MCPS has no actual accountability from the top down… there is bad behavior run rampant, unchecked and much of it is staff… I know it costs money to replace a Superintendent and her Deputy, but really, is it really OK to let less than $350K make things even worse????
I’d rather vote to raise the my real estate taxes (because I have 2 students) than keep throwing good money after bad. We all know what the solutions are and we all know Pope has no realistic plan or method to implement them – it is beyond her.
We do not need to throw millions of dollars at our schools to make changes – we need to change the environment our teachers work in, where they are respected as educators by their Superiors and if they fall short, they should be held accountable… it’s what happens in the real world. An oral warning, a couple of written warnings and then “thank you for your services”
ALSO, people’s what’s the issue with JLC? I think Dr. BG has the potential to do great and amazing things, google her doctorate work or ask to meet with her, if given the proper support, I believe she could be a HUGE part of turning things around with our at risk kids. Because it is her life mission, and she genuinely cares. I encourage you to make an appointment and speak with her. She may come off a tad aloof – maybe because everyone wants to take a hatchet to her program and her goal is to help kids who are most at risk…. She and I did not have an immediate love-match, but she went to bat for my daughter, who has health issues and then went to bat for me with a 504 issue. I think she needs to have her voice heard. I’m shuttin’ up now… thank you all for listening to my 37 cents worth. Please keep me in the loop re any upcoming meetings… recovering from surgery. So belated happy new year, I wish peace and prosperity to you all and pray that there will be serious positive movement in 2012.
jess
January 6, 2012 at 11:06 am
@Jessica,
Perhaps MCPS should tap into the potential of Dr. BG. My personal opinion of JLC is based on comments from parents not personal experience. Maybe JLC should be expanded and tweeked to offer more help and services to a larger number of “at risk” students?
January 7, 2012 at 8:22 pm
JLC is on my radar of the list of things to look at under the greater umbrella of Special Education. First step was the SEAC being introduced to Independent Empowerment Center which has been accomplished. Going to have to see if 4Kids suggestion of expanding to “at risk” is possible given the JLC primary mission….as, like all phrases, “at risk” is one of those with many meanings to sort out 🙂
January 8, 2012 at 8:20 am
It is my understanding that JLC has been used primarily as an Alternative school for students when there are issues such as behavior that keep them attending the regular classes in place of the city paying for students to go to Pace. Please look at the city’s compliance with SpecEd law. I can’t name one person connected to SpecEd who hasn’t had problems with this dept.
January 8, 2012 at 10:43 am
JLC – At the Nov. 13 Ed Forward meeting it was stated that JLC has:
Metz students
Kids who learn “differently”
Kids who need half day
Discipline
Split schedule (part JLC, part OHS)
Sounds like no one really know what’s going on or the purpose of JLC. I would love to hear from Dr. BG on this since it is her building now, but who know if she would feel comfortable telling the whole story? Admin experiences the same backlash as parents and teachers.
January 8, 2012 at 7:41 pm
@Ray,
“At risk” is a subjective phrase but it could be narrowed down to grades…..any child with a below average grade for two consecutive marking period should be given help in any subject that is giving them trouble. A study skills/note taking /time management class wouldn’t hurt either.
Kids that are in JLC for discipline issues should be helped separately.
January 9, 2012 at 5:53 pm
From the JLC website with MCPS ( It is an alternative school):
MIDDLE SCHOOL REDIRECTION
The Johnson Learning Center Middle School Redirection program’s focus is improved academic performance and improved behavioral changes that will enable students to return to their traditional base schools. Our school serves students in grades 7-8 who demonstrate difficulty succeeding in a traditional middle school setting. The staff places emphasis on behavior management, individualized instruction, ongoing communication with the family, counseling, and coordination of efforts with community agencies.
The following are some additional features of the Johnson Learning Center:
– A low student/teacher ratio (10:1)
– An involved and caring staff
– A low student/counselor ratio
– A highly structured learning climate
– Multi-modal instructional strategies
– Parent counseling groups
– Ongoing liaison with the courts, mental health agencies, social services, and other community agencies
– On site psychologist
– Transportation provided
____________________________________________________________
HIGH SCHOOL
The High School Program is a cooperation with Osbourn High School and is designed to offer options of different learning possibilities to students who have not been successful in the traditional 9-12 classroom setting. The program include students whose educational needs are best met in an alternative environment. ____________________________________________________________
CREDIT RECOVERY THROUGH ONLINE COURSES
Online classes are designed for credit recovery for students enrolled on a regular basis in Osbourn High School and/or the Johnson Learning Center. These particular courses allow the student to interact with materials at an individualized pace. The interactive instruction is provided through two programs: Osbourn Online and EdOptions. To be successful in an online class, a student must be self-motivated with a strong sense of direction and the ability to set goals and follow through. A successful online student can work independently, stay on task and maintain a regular schedule of progress. This will mean keeping up with readings, course assignments, homework and other expectations. Online programs are monitored to follow students’ progress. Links to these programs are found on our Online Classes page.
____________________________________________________________
ISAEP (INDIVIDUAL STUDENT ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PLAN)
The Individual Student Alternative Education Plan (ISAEP) program is designed for only Osbourn High School students ages 16 to 18 and enrolled in high school programs who are having difficulty finding success in a regular classroom environment. ISAEP programs are located in school divisions and funded through a combination of state grants and local funds. Johnson Learning Center does not offer any GED programs for the general public.
REQUIREMENTS FOR ENROLLMENT:
– To be considered for the ISAEP Program, an individual must:
– Be one or more years behind age mates in high school credits and/or
– Have a history of discipline problems resulting in numerous suspensions
– Have circumstances, other than academic, that make it difficult to attain a high school diploma.
A student can get into the ISAEP by referral from the principal, teacher, parent or student. Upon referral, a student who desires to learn the requirements of the program should schedule a meeting with the high school principal, parent, and guidance department.
BASIC ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS ARE:
– Reading test score of 7.5 grade equivalent
– A vocational assessment
– An official GED Practice Test with a recommended score of 450/minimum score of 410 on each of the five sub-tests.
If a student meets eligibility requirements and gains admission into the program, attendance is mandatory since the targeted students to be served are still subject to compulsory attendance laws. An individualized plan will be developed for each student once a determination has been made that the student has the potential to be successful in the program.
Options for exiting the ISAEP are successful completion of all components of the ISAEP including passing the GED test or re-entry to high school to pursue a diploma.
January 10, 2012 at 10:03 pm
PTO meeting on January 19 at Round Elementary at 7pm is an alternate or additional date for those who would like to hear Dr. Pope and School Board members speak…