San Diego Unified Parent- Life At School

Our family’s neighborhood school is Grant, and our principal Bruce McGirr, is leaving.  He’s retiring after many long years of service and I shall miss him.  

When I first laid eyes on him as a fresh-faced Kindergarten parent, I swore he was the human embodiment of Principal Skinner.  In the ensuing years, we’ve not only sat on many boards together, but have become friends and motorcycling buddies as well.  Bruce has helped my attempt to navigate the waters of San Diego Unified, and I’ve learned a great deal.

Retire well, Bruce, you’ve earned it!

Now begins the process of choosing a new principal for Grant, and it’s an amazing process.  Wise people differ on the best methods.  At Grant, we are fortunate to have a very active parent community and naturally, many folks want to be part of the process- I’m certainly among that crowd.  But I’m pretty certain I shouldn’t be.

In previous years, the district has allowed panels of parents, specifically School Site Councils, to interview a small assortment of candidates that have been pre-screened as possibly fitting the position.  The SSC is a body of parents, teachers, and staff that is elected by the same to lead and represent the interests of the school to the district.  For the sake of full disclosure, I chair the SSC at our school, and we have an excellent group- well chosen by our peers.  We may not always agree, but that why we’re a team.

However, the current and increasing attitude around school is to “expand” the process, that is, to allow more (and more!) people into decision making.  And that sounds attractive, right?  I mean, the more the merrier?

Nope.  

I’ve yet to find a mob that makes rational decisions, and yet to find one qualified to interview candidates for a job.  I’m not sure having a panel of elected representatives is the right way, either.  I’m self-employed, and believe sometimes management needs to make management decisions.  A principal that may fly through SSC may be the worst for the over-arching direction of the school district.  

So here’s the process as outlined by Shirley Wilson, our School Improvement Officer, and her boss Sid Salazar, Chief Middle School Improvement Officer.  The district has a group of principal candidates defined by screening tests, including the Haberman. The position is then advertised and candidates are drawn from that pool and interviewed for the position at Grant, using input from parents as site-specific criteria. Parents are polled and asked to convey the criteria important to them in a principal.  The decision is made at the district level, without parent review, panels, or mobs. And they claim it’s a two-week process.

I’m impressed with both Wilson and Salazar- I think they’re damn good folks who’ve earned their positions.  They have a lot at stake here.  If the principal they install at Grant does not work out, it will reflect poorly on both of them, not to mention the damage done to students and the parent relationships.  I think that’s a pretty good motivator to choose well and decide on standards that are set far higher than a mob of parents waving torches, demanding their pound of interview flesh.

Does Grant have special needs that should be addressed?  Sure.  Our school is a K8 pioneer, and we have the problems associated with that- discipline, unclear curriculum goals are only two.  Even more, Grant is a high performing school with a API score in the top ten district-wide, but based on very old-school (hah!) educational paradigms from the middle of the 19th century.  Grant is desperate for a change agent capable of taking the hard-won gains of Bruce McGirr and moving forward to the 21 century.  

Heck, I’d settle for the 20th for now.

But what about “being heard”? Shouldn’t Grant parents be able to convey their wants and needs directly to the candidates?  Well, it’s our plan to post those directly to our website.  Any candidate worth his/her continuing education credits will be checking out our community and hopefully read our news item entitled “Want to be our Principal?” at Grantk8.com

So, overall I’m happy with the way the district has chosen to handle the process, and I look forward to meeting our new principal.

Thanks to a fellow Twitter-er, I got a link to a site that explains 21st century learning is plain English. It’s both fascinating and exciting.

Many parents are still confusing the use of technology in our schools with teaching technology as a goal, just like we did as teens and young adults- a Career in Computing!  And, here’s your flowcharts and Fortran manuals.  Let’s start with the punch cards, OK?

Here’s the link 

And here’s the video:

I volunteer a lot- it’s an illness. 

If I had to choose a single volunteer event from last year as my favorite, it would be serving on a panel at the Patrick Henry High School Senior Exhibitions.

Many parents and educators hate the exhibitions because they have been a requirement for graduation.  Awful! Torture! Unfair!  And maybe they’re correct. I’m not an educator, and am not qualified to make that decision.  But I do believe the process is extremely valuable, both for students and volunteer panelists. Perhaps it shouldn’t be a requirement- I’ll allow that. But it still deserves our support and the students deserve our encouragement.  So- Sally Smith, don’t fire up the computer ;  ) 

I received the email from Yvonne Walden, Employer Outreach Specialist at Patrick Henry yesterday and have already scheduled the day.  Here’s what Walden says:

Dear Friend of San Diego City Schools,

We value your commitment to education, our community, and our students.  We desperately need your help! We are asking for a few hours of your time to assist on a Patrick Henry High School Patriot Exhibition Panel. 

The Senior Exhibition became a graduation requirement for all seniors in San Diego City Schools in 1998. The Patriot Exhibition is a presentation by the student of his/her educational accomplishments, community experiences, college or work plans, and examples of choice works.  The exhibition gives each senior an opportunity to present before a panel of community/business persons, parents and teachers.  Panelists listen to 4-6 student presentations; ask questions if necessary for clarification, and then evaluate the student’s presentation using a score sheet.

On Thursday, April 23, 2009 from 12:00 noon to approximately 3:30 p.m. more than 400 PHHS seniors will be presenting their exhibitions.  We need your participation to make this a successful experience for our seniors. Please encourage co-workers and friends to volunteer as panel members as well.  We can place you on the same panel.

If you elect to participate, please plan to wear business attire during the Exhibition.  The students will be dressed professionally as well.  We will provide light snacks and water for our panelists.

You may have questions about being a panel member.  The information enclosed with this letter may be of help. If you have additional questions please call me at 619-286-7700 x 2233.  There is also additional information on the Henry website at www.henry.sandi.net . Click on “Students” on the top of the page and then look for a section marked “Senior Exhibitions”.  We look forward to your participation and thank you for supporting the students of Patrick Henry High School.  

Please return the enclosed confirmation form by mail, or fax or e-mail.

Sincerely,

Yvonne Walden, GCDF
Employer Outreach Specialist
PATRICK HENRY HIGH SCHOOL
6702 Wandermere Drive, Room #11, Main Office
San Diego, CA 92120
(619) 286-7700 x 2233
(619) 229-0370 (Fax number)
ywalden@sandi.net <mailto:ywalden@sandi.net> 

and here are the attachments: Fact Sheet   Panelist Form

I cannot recommend the experience enough. Maybe those of you who have high-school age children are tired of it, but for us newbie primary-school parents, it’s a glimpse of what’s in our futures.  And in our pasts.

I’ve already set the day aside, and I hope you will as well.  

Full disclosure: we are an advertising family- I’m a commercial/advertising photographer, and my wife is the COO of an agency here in San Diego.  We make our living in photography, video, advertising, public relations, social media and all that goes with it.

That typed, I stumbled across an interesting website that I believe should be on all parent’s radar screens:

Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

There are LOTS of ways advertising messages are infiltrating our schools, some more visible than others.  I’m a big free-speech guy, so I’m reticent to create legislation to limit that right.  But I do believe schools deserve special consideration- they should be as advertising-free as possible.  

I also recognize and respect the argument that trying to protect our kids from advertising messages is a bit like trying to stop rain, and it may be wiser to teach our children about the pervasive nature of advertising. If only the district would provide as much media awarness as advertising possibilities, I might be satisfied.

Regardless of which position you take for your family, the above site is an excellent resource to support you.  It monitors many of the ways advertisers are out to reach your children.  One which I found amazing, is “BusRadio” where school busses are equipped with sound systems to provide ad messages to that captive (really!) audience.

Have a look, the site is amazing and valuable. 

Here’s another great resource for kids from PBS:

Don’t Buy It

This site has the single best insightful look at advertising photography- they do a “cover shoot” where before, after and during images are shown to demonstrate how the process really works.  They do a similar treatment for food photography.  Both of these venues are well within my professional purview, and they are accurate.  This site is created for kids- very valuable.

Sally Smith is a very active and erudite parent with much experience in San Diego Unified School Dictrict.  Her point of view is a bit different from mine- our son is only 8- I’m SUCH a n00b.  Here’s a blogpost from Sally:

Which science courses should your  kindergartener take in high school?  It’s not too early to effect a change that will benefit your child in the future.  The  2006 Science Program approved by the San Diego Unified School  trustees in May 2006 focuses on the interests and strengths of students by providing choices. It’s been 3 years. The 2006 Science Program has not been implemented in all high schools.

Here it is(to earn a high school diploma) in a nutshell: all students must take biology, students may choose between physics or chemistry (math-based) or can choose to take both, and students must take a third year of science – their choice – in any order.  

High schools that implemented  the 2006 Science Program  increased achievement in the sciences. It’s proven to be effective. And it did not cost the district one penny to develop. Three dedicated SDUSD science teachers developed the program on their own time supported by parents.

So back to the kindergarten parents and all of the parents whose children will attend SDUSD high schools. Join the parents’  letter-writing campaign and ask the trustees to have the superintendent implement the program.  It works!  How does this affect your child? When he or she is a teenager, there will be choices. For example, if your child is concerned about global warming then the science choices may be environmental science or earth science plus biology and a choice of physics or chemistry. If your child wants to be a doctor, then the choice may be chemistry, physiology plus biology. If your child loves the ocean, there is marine biology , etc.

 SDUSD requires 3 years of science. Most school districts require 2 years. If your child chooses what interests him or her the chances of success are higher.  Got five minutes to help make this happen?  Email the Board of Education and state that you support the 2006 Science Program and want to see it implemented in all high schools.  

The trustees are:

John Lee Evans johnleeevans@sandi.net

Katherine Nakamura knakamura@sandi.net

Shelia Jackson sjackson@sandi.net

Richard Barrera rbarrera1@sandi.net

John DeBeck  jdebeck1@san.rr.com

 

The Union-Tribune article can be viewed at this link: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/education/20060524-9999-7m24science.html

Submitted by parent Sally Smith

Thanks, Sally!

Blogs are a new twist on learning.  A blog should never be confused with journalism- as a blogger, I have no journalistic standards (if there is one anymore), no style books (so I don’t hafta use gud gramma or speling) and no effort whatsoever to reporting in a neutral manner.  I can also blog about people I know and even people I like.  Thus, todays blog entry.

I like David Rolland, editor of San Diego CITYBEAT.  He’s been to our home, and made effusive comments about my cooking. Usually that’s enough to gain my favor, but David has well-reasoned arguments for political and social positions fiercely divergent to my own.  That, faithful blog reader(s), really earns my respect and admiration.

David’s editorial regarding the project labor agreement (PLA or “sweet inside deal” or “the fix is in”) being escorted through the San Diego Unified School District is one of those divergent positions.  Here, read about it from the directly from the publication’s website:

Link to hopelessly misguided editorial in CITYBEAT

Oh, David Rolland, where do I begin? 

How about the presumption that by voting for union-backed candidates, voters are encouraging the Board of Education to be a tool (yes tool!) of the union, and make decisions in the interest of the union.  Huh?  Officials are elected to make decisions and lead with integrity in their position of public service.  In the case of the BOE, the board members are supposed to act in the best interest of the schools and the children that need an education.

Schools exist for students. 

If, as Rolland suggests, elected officials are “ideologically aligned” (that’s euphemojournalist for “stooge”) with unions, they have taken their position under false pretenses.  I believe elected officials should be “ideologically aligned” with their job and the position to which they were elected and entrusted: to act in the best interest of students.

Rolland believes that it should not be a surprise Richard Barrera (who’s unearned seat was handed to him due to a fumble by Luis Acle –fumble the limit of my sports metaphors) proposed the PLA between the school district and small number of contractors who are union-bound to the teacher’s union who paid for the campaigns of the Union Three: Jackson, Barrera and Evans.

Proposition S was a wobbler.  There’s no doubt the schools need the repairs and improvement, and I supported the proposition.  But it was terribly flawed- the payback was postponed until the backs of our children were strong enough to yoke them with the burden.  The financial position of the district and the state needs repair, and borrowing more money only postpones the pending disaster. As a taxpayer, Prop S was yet another fiasco in borrowing.

The surprise?  A PLA should have been part of the proposition from the start.  It is material to the merit of the bond, and, frankly, I believe had Prop S included an intent to discriminate in the hiring practices of contractors, it wouldn’t and shouldn’t have passed.  The surprise is that the board can fundamentally change the nature of the bond after the voters have spoken.

I like Quentin Tarantino films, and will twist one of my favorite lines:

David- when you drove up to the Board of Education, did you notice a sign on the building that said Works Project Administration? Do you know why you didn’t see the sign? Because it isn’t there, because Work Projects Administration is not their &%^#$ business!

The school board should not be a “role model of sorts” for anything except excellence in education.  And us “fiscal hawks” have a long-term view.  We’ll pass on the short-term gratification of giving a union handout.  We value the long-term health and welfare of our community by providing the maximum value for the taxes we pay: providing an education to a child.  A child with an education will not only have a better chance of having a job of their own, but a better chance at being an employer as well.

Honestly, David Rolland, I don’t care that PLA’s are “used all over the place”.  Being “used all over the place” is not my standard of value.  I value a high return on our borrowed money, the highest quality in workmanship, and the best education we can create from our limited resources.

The UT is no pillar of journalism, and appears to have at least two bird strikes against it’s chances of continuing to fly successfully, much less any sort of graceful landing. That typed, Chris Reed continues to swing for the fences. And clearing them. And that’s the limit of my sports analogies.

As a San Diego Unified Parent, I strongly endorse his blog today in the UT. Here is the thoughtfully-provided link. I really couldn’t type it better myself.

Thanks, Chris!

Fascinating article in the UT Sunday by Chris Moran- take a moment and check it out here, I’ll wait.

Back?

Yes, I go on and on about the union, and I promise you I’m just as tired as you are.  But “Boss” Zombro is doing her usual excellent job representing the priorities and values of the union.

Now, Boss Zombro wants a significant portion of the money with which we indebted our children (they will be paying the bill in 30 or so years) with Prop S to go to the construction unions.  She wants the Board of Education to give preferential treatment to union companies, even a contractual obligation. Boss wants “help[s] to resolve poverty” with school district money.  Money that is desperately needed for our schools.  And that includes improving the working conditions for teachers.

Why would Boss intentionally reduce the amount of money available for workplace improvement?  Because the unions stick together.  There are great benefits to sticking together, to solidarity.  

But in this case, none of those benefits are for children.

Does anyone believe the Boss is willing to forgo salary enhancement for teachers to help the fund-a-union program?  How about teacher benefits- will she be willing to cut those out of the pending negotiations to “help resolve poverty” for construction workers?  Doubt it.

Please, Board of Education- show us, parents of children in the San Diego Unified School District, that you are not bound to the unions who helped elect you.  Please choose the best companies for the Prop S work- union or not.  Please do not allow San Diego Unified to act as our own Works Project Administration.

As parental blog-boy for my faithful readers, I try to attend as many BOE meetings as possible.  Frequently, I have to bring our son along.  It’s good he sees the process and we bring homework and reading materials to keep him amused, and I always have my iToy for my own gratification.

That’s important, because I certainly not gratified with the current and new-ish Bored of Education.

As mentioned a few bog posts back, control of the BOE was under threat from the teacher’s union.  The union funneled mega-bucks into the campaigns of Evans and Jackson, and Barrera was handed a seat because of Acle’s bungling. The threat has become a reality.

Union big-shot Camile Zombro took her victory lap at the podium, and her theme was (guess- it’s not terribly original) yes, Change! And “moving forward”.  While hardly original, it’s my belief that with her team- in which the union has heavily invested- will be expecting a return.  And first among those many returns will be the head of Superintendent Terry Grier on a spike.

Grier is focused on helping students and the district as a whole reach certain goals.  Some of his compensation is based on reaching certain goals, because he has the guts to do so.  Like most of us in the real world, performance is a requirement for advancement, job security and increased income. The teacher’s union hates that.  Sorry, ranting.

Looking at previous posts here makes it clear I don’t pull punches with Grier, either.  But while he has clearly made mistakes, I don’t doubt his dedication to the students of the district and the parents who pay the bills with the reasonable expectation that our schools use the money we provide to educate and help prepare our students for life as adults.

Camile Zombro, however, has other plans for that money. 

It’s not the union’s job the improve our schools.

It’s not the union’s job to educate children.

It’s not the unions job to promote solid management practices.

It’s not the union’s job to prepare our children for life as adults.

The union’s job is to promote teachers. Teacher’s salary, teacher’s benefits and teacher’s job security without regard to the quality (only quantity) of their job performance.  That’s why it’s called a Teacher’s union. 

History has (and continues) demonstrates, that the union will promote teachers at whatever cost to our children.  Grier’s dedication to the education and welfare of children in the district puts him at cross purposes with the union, and in the words of the union Borg, he must be assimilated.

Once the union newbies on the BOE assimilate or fire Grier, the union will then control both the BOE and the Superintendent’s office.  Our children’s goals will pale by comparison to those of the union- after all, education is not their job- promoting teachers is.  Our entire district management will exist for the primary goal of serving teachers- not students.

I believe teachers are the most valuable employees of the district, and should be treated with utmost respect and compensated fairly and to the best of our ability.  I am as pro-teacher as parents can be- as chairman of the Grant Community Foundation, it’s my task to support teachers and staff at our school.  But I also believe in management.  

I believe the union is “moving forward” with complete control of district management.  The San Diego Unified School District’s goals and those of the union will then be successfully aligned:

To promote teachers.

Ronald McDonald arrived at our school yesterday.  

Staff, teachers and parents lemminged up the children to hear the benevolent Clown (doubtless an authority in child education and psychology) talk about friendship and bullying. The branding exercise began with the giant truck in the office staff’s parking spot with giant corporate logos.  The McDooBots were there, in snappy black pants and matching red logoed shirts to set up and help present the program.  There were happy magic tricks and the Clown and children sang happy jingles. And linked that positive friendship message directly with the McDoo brand.  All during time that would have otherwise been wasted on classroom instruction.  It’s brilliant.

But I’m astonished and ashamed.

McDoo does a share of corporate giving- they are certainly to be lauded for their Ronald McDonald House program. San Diego’s Joan Kroc was a philanthropist beyond reproach.

But, according to Advertising Age, the Clown is the number two of the top ten advertising icons of the twentieth century.  Behind only the Marlboro Man.  Our school marched the children to the auditorium, sat them down in formation, focused their attention and encouraged the Clown to perform uninterrupted for the better part of an hour.  Our principal was thoughtfully provided and delivered an introduction script as well.

But the organizers claim:

“We made perfectly sure there was no direct advertisement, and there was not.”

These organizers are good people.  They are volunteers, and they want what they believe is good for our children.  But, really, on what planet is this not direct advertising?  I don’t care what the message was, advertiser salivate over opportunities like this- getting their brand delivered to a captive audience of their target market for an extended and intense period of time.  It simply does not get more direct than that. This type of advertising is stronger than any radio or TV spot.

Here’s what’s happening:  McDoo knows consumers, especially in upper-middle class areas, are trying to teach their children about healthy alternatives for nutrition. They know we’re teaching our kids the facts about fast foods- it’s tasty, but it’s contribution to the epidemic of childhood obesity and diabetes is documented fact.  

So, McDoo hired Porter Novelli, a powerful and very talented publicity firm, to run their Ronald McDonald School Show Program.  This program circumvents caring parents, bringing the McDoo message straight to children in schools. Most of the parents with whom I spoke knew nothing about the assembly- had I not walked to school with our son, I’d have remained completely ignorant of the agenda that day.

And our school, with the blessing of the San Diego Unified School District, believes this is a positive use of instructional time.