Thursday, July 07, 2011
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Where’s the courageous Dr. Clay we saw last summer?
For the last two weeks, I had been attempting to communicate with EMSD#63 Superintendent Scott Clay to determine the current direction and extent of EMSD#63’s plans for replacing the four departing Spanish teachers imported from Spain last summer.
I received this email response from Dr. Clay to my multiple inquiries this morning.
Background
Last summer, I wrote a couple posts discussing Dr. Clay and Ms. Glickman’s taxpayer-funded trips to Granada Spain: June 07, 2010, Spain is a great place for a vacation. Hope our lucky administrators had good ones; and July 06, 2010, Spain is a great place for a vacation. Hope our lucky administrators had good ones – Update.
| As an aside: for several months the Spain postings were the most read postings on this site, and by quite a margin at that. The reason for this I think was Dr. Clay’s conscious choice to break new ground by articulating his ideas on this subject directly, in an open and public forum. |
While Dr. Clay was conversing with me, he was also developing his own blog-site. There, he offered for our comment, a more detailed explanation: English as a Second Language, Bilingual Education, and Immersion and Visiting Teachers Program.
Recent developments.
At the April 2011 General Board Meeting we learned that 4 of the 6 newly hired Spaniards were resigning.
When 4 out of 6 hires resign, that raises the Muleta so to speak. Sorry, we watched bull fights every Saturday night in my house when I grew up. But I digress.
So far, Dr. Clay has refused to publicly discuss this important issue. As a matter of fact, nothing has been posted on his blog-site since April 17, 2010 when he told us he had, in my opinion, prematurely given up on renegotiating union contracts.
Picture of EMSD#63 Blog - 06-07-2011
I even attempted to draw out a response from the good Doctor by writing Hasta la vista! and Hasta la vista – Continued…, where additional timely documents were presented. Poof! Nothing happened!
After a couple weeks I grew concerned, so I wrote him a couple emails.
Dr. Clay usually responds to my emails in a timely manner; a day or two, a week at the most. His continued silence on this subject seemed very odd indeed!
Today I received that terse emailed response!
Dr. Clay is long aware to my publically stated and principled aversion to behind closed door meetings with public administrators. He is well aware of my prior publically stated refusals to meet with him in that way.
Transparency is the name of the game here!
So, I consider his offer to meet cynical, disingenuous and hollow at best!
Further, Dr. Clay clearly understands the nature of Freedom of Information requests. He is well aware that the questions being asked in my emails, can not be answered under FOIA.
Scott Clay went to great effort last summer to justify his taxpayer-paid trip to Spain. He went to great lengths to justify bringing in foreign teachers to replace their “American Made” and highly qualified counterparts. Dr. Clay has already proven his willingness to answer questions on this subject in public.
His current unwillingness to do so at this stage of the game, only peaks ones curiosity.
That said, this was my response to his email.
Speaking of efforts.
Dr. Clay also went to great efforts here, last summer, to show us how different his administration could be from that of his predecessor, Dr. Kathleen Williams. I spoke highly of those efforts then. Now, I’m sad to say, the days of willing transparency are gone.
EMSD#63, where opaque communication is in vogue - today!
Of course, that only my opinion!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Hasta la vista – Continued….
Back in early May, I wrote a post titled: Hasta la vista! There, I lamented the imminent departure of four non-returning Spanish teachers for Spain.
One would have thought the subject important enough to stir a response from Dr. Clay, either on this site or on his own. But alas, silence!
So I wondered, maybe he’s just keeping a low profile but still doing something; like looking for replacement teachers for the four he lost.
EMSD#63 Employment Openings 05-24-2011
K12 JobSpot - EMSD#63 Openings - 05-24-2011
Reviewing these two lists, I could see no job postings to fill those positions.
So today, I sent the following email to Dr. Clay.
Email to Dr. Clay - Spanish Teachers - 05-24-2011
Maybe he’ll tell us what’s going on.
What do you think?
Saturday, May 21, 2011
High School Graduates Must Speak English!
The New London Connecticut School System will, in 2015, require all students who graduate from their system to read and speak English!
Can you imagine that?
Here’s the New York Daily News article: Students at Connecticut's New London High School must know English if they want diploma.
I hope these guys are feeling better now!
EMSD#63 administrators regularly remind us that dozens of foreign languages are spoken throughout the District. By their own account the District has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in an attempt to accommodate this segment of the Districts population; without, in my opinion, that much success.
Maybe it’s time for EMSD#63 leadership to rethink its ESL goals and strategies. What do you think?
Of course, it’s just my opinion!
Friday, May 20, 2011
School cheating still on the rise!
Nobody likes a cheat; or at least that’s the way things were for most of my 65 years. But something has changed. Some kids and some of their teachers see things a little differently!
From the DC’s Washington Examiner May 18, 2011.
Is cheating on tests happening elsewhere?
From NY-Times February 12, 2010: Experts Say Schools Need to Screen for Cheating. Or from Education Issues September 16, 2007: Cheating Is On The Rise. Or from this December 9, 2010 article: Spotlight on cheating in the school system. Or from Education Portal.com August 4, 2007: 75 to 98 Percent of College Students Have Cheated. And from Science Daily May 12, 2010: Most High Schoolers Cheat -- But Don't Always See It as Cheating, Study Finds.
So what do you think?
Do you think school cheating’s a problem? If so, what do you think should be done about it?
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Not All Future Jobs Require a College Degree - Revisited
I wrote a post back on March 3rd titled: Not All Future Jobs Require a College Degree….... I believed then as I do now, that a college degree is not always required to have a successful and happy life.
It appears I’m not the only one who thinks this way!
I’m not sure I agree with the video’s producers on purchasing silver or gold at this time but I sure agree with their findings on the outrageous cost of a college “education”.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Trust but Verify! - Part: 1
By this time, some of you’ve already noticed 11 new posts; each an individual EMSD#63 Final Budget Report for a given year, starting in school-year 2000-2001.
The reason for these entries is this. I will be using facts derived from those documents in an upcoming blog series featuring EMSD#63’s Budget History. I will also be using these same documents on my new blog: Butterly on School Budgets…. scheduled to officially appear later this month.
Trust but verify!
When it comes to reviewing budgets, I follow former President Ronald Reagan’s sage advice: “Trust but verify!” And I hope you do too!
Now, there’s a lot of information packed within those budget documents. Too too much for the casual observer. So, to help make processing this much information less daunting and more understandable, I will be presenting EMSD#63’s Budget History data in differing report formats. Each report is designed to answer one or more questions. The questions we will ask are the same questions any competent School Board would ask, and the reports designed to answer those questions are the same type of reports a competent administration would provide.
Today’s post then, is to serve notice of the new series, provide easy access to the source documents and to ask the first question:
Question #1: So where’s the money?
Between School-Years 2000-2001 and 2010-2011, EMSD#63 is expected to have spent close to $16 million more than it has taken in. We’re not even talking “budgeting” yet. That number reflect the actual dollars received for disbursement and the actual dollars disbursed based upon EMSD#63’s official documents.
BUDGACT-1000 - Budget Report - Act. Rev. and Exp.
The two primary components of the budget are REVENUE (dollars-in) and EXPENSES (dollars-out). The District Officials can only guess the number of dollars-in. District Administrators and Board however, have full control of the amount dollars-out!
Let me remind the reader of EMSD#63 Budget-making goal.
| Budget Overview Page (9) – 2010-2011 Budget |
| The District’s budget goals and objectives are to provide an optimum educational program for all of the children of the school district in line with the district’s educational philosophy, consistent with efforts to achieve a balanced budget and the taxpayers ability to support such a program. |
EMSD#63’s budget goals and objectives are obviously not being met by a wide margin which reflects at best, in my opinion, willful non-adherence or incompetence!
In the mean time, if you are curious and wish to start reviewing the FOIA’d Budget Reports used for the upcoming posts, click the year.
| Budget Files by Year |
And as always, it’s just my opinion!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
EMSD#63 Budget – School Year – 2010-2011
This budget document was retrieved under the Freedom of Information Act.
EMSD#63 Budget – School Year – 2009-2010
This budget document was retrieved under the Freedom of Information Act.
EMSD#63 Budget – School Year – 2008-2009
This budget document was retrieved under the Freedom of Information Act.
EMSD#63 Budget – School Year – 2007-2008
This budget document was retrieved under the Freedom of Information Act.
EMSD#63 Budget – School Year - 2006-2007
This budget document was retrieved under the Freedom of Information Act.
EMSD#63 Budget – School Year – 2005-2006
This budget document was retrieved under the Freedom of Information Act.
EMSD#63 Budget – School Year – 2004-2005
This budget document was retrieved under the Freedom of Information Act.
EMSD#63 Budget – School Year – 2003-2004
This budget document was retrieved under the Freedom of Information Act.
EMSD#63 Budget – School Year – 2002-2003
This budget document was retrieved under the Freedom of Information Act.
EMSD#63 Budget – School Year – 2001-2002
This budget document was retrieved under the Freedom of Information Act.
EMSD#63 Budget – School Year – 2000-2001
This budget document was retrieved under the Freedom of Information Act.
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
It’s Official - Teachers Union Leader Liese to go….
Background
On March 28th this year, I wrote an Open letter to EMEA President, Hilary Liese. There, I urged Ms. Liese and her union membership to demand a reciprocal gesture of some magnitude from EMSD#63 management and to be cognizant of their role in co-creating and resolving the District’s financial dilemma.
Comments to that post included:
| Anon: April 02, 2011 10:42 AM “Hilary put in for retirement so she is on the 6% plan until she is gone. She does not care anymore.” |
On April 5th, when I published New EMSD#63 retirees should consider themselves lucky…. At that time, I believed Ms. Liese to be leaving at the end of the year or one year out at the most.
I was wrong!
A reading of the April 6, 2011 Board meeting minutes revealed this:
Hilary Liese April 6th Retirement Notice
From the looks of it, she appears to be in it for the money; not the District and certainly not the CHILDREN!
Hilary Liese Fifteen-Year Pay Analysis
What kind of blood-sucking leadership is that?
EMEA: Hilary Liese needs to go - NOW!
Of course, it’s just my opinion.
Monday, May 02, 2011
Hasta la vista!
Dr. Clay’s experiment in international relations dressed up as a self-created ESL Bilingual Teacher crises, will end In 40+ days. I’m sorry it didn’t work; not for Dr. Clay or Ms. Glickman or Ms. Centanni, who’s actions received “Kudos” from Dr. Clay for “successfully addressing a staffing challenge through this no cost recruitment option”, but for the brave Spaniard's who came from Southern Spain to our cold clime to aid us in our time of pedagogical need, the kids and finally, the taxpayers, who are once again, the big losers here.
If you’re new to this subject, I urge you to read:
- Spain is a great place for a vacation. Hope our lucky administrators had good ones
- followed by Spain is a great place for a vacation. Hope our lucky administrators had good ones – Update.
- Dr. Clay’s explanation: Visiting Teachers Program at his own site.
A one year experiment for what?
Dr. Clay, in “Visiting Teachers” stated that these new recruits would “commit to 1 – 3 years of teaching in EMSD63”. Why? Why only one-year? As education professionals, Dr. Clay and his staff by now clearly understand what all other teachers seem to know; it takes at least two full seasons to settle-in and become cost effective. Surely these Administrators haven’t been out of the class room that long!
And what are they actively doing to eliminate this new problem?
EMSD#63 Employment Applications as of 05-02-2011
That’s modern and effective school management for ya!
So, this leads me to a few of questions.
- To what effort did Dr. Clay or his staff go to to retain these valuable teachers?
- What support services did the District provide these teachers this past year to help them effectively integrate into US and EMSD#63 society?
- There are two additional original recruits.
- Are they staying?
- As to replacements, are we returning to Granada for a second round or are we searching for candidates closer to home?
- If Granada, who got the free trip this time?
As Dr. Clay no longer speaks for himself here, I guess we’ll just have to monitor his site for a response.
Of course, as always, it’s just my opinion!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
EMSD#63’s blog-site is a very lonely place!
Me thinks the good doctor has been far too lonely over there!
I was in the midst of writing another blog post when; while reviewing Dr. Clay’s 10 month-old blog-site for a quote, I noticed a curious thing. There are almost no reader comments on this locally important site. So I thought, I’ve got a few readers now, maybe I could help!
All of Dr. Clays blog posts to date.
Personally, I think it very important for local taxpayers to read what their local school district superintendent’s choose to share and how they say it. Further, in our case, Dr. Clay and his Board need to read what EMSD#63 taxpayers think!
Done well, Superintendent/Taxpayer give-and-take could be very enlightening for both parties, don’t you think?
Note: Blue indicates no reader comments.
So, get on over there, Dr. Clay is waiting!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Effective Utilization of Resources?
“‘I considered it my mission to do this,’ said Charlene Cobb, executive director of instruction and learning, of creating a new logo for the district.” Pioneer Press Herald-Advocate 04/14/2011.
I think East Maine School District #63 taxpayers would have been better served had Ms. Cobb and Superintendent Clay not seen her mission “doing this”, and had instead focused her (expensive) professional efforts, on helping Gemini Jr. High School students pass No Child Left Behind! As one person put it: “It [the logo] depicts District Students with arms raised in academic surrender."
There was nothing wrong with the old logo!
That logo depicted EMSD#63 students reading under the tree of knowledge. I guess they thought the concept too old fashioned. No pizzazz!
Quite frankly, had the District really needed a new image, I think Ms. Cobb would have saved the taxpayer a few bucks and been more on the mark with this!
Creating the logo is another example of fixing things at school districts that aren't broken because you don’t know how to fix things that are! It’s usually a way of justifying a job.
EMSD#63 is looking to save money. I think I know a good place where we might save at least $125K!
Of course, it’s just my opinion!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Advice Taken - Still Waiting for Leadership
I recently read in Pioneer Press’s Herald-Advocate, of East Maine School District #63’s recent staff reductions. The article recreated below, follows just one month after Dr. Clay’s own blog post of March 14, 2011 on the same subject.
Pioneer Press Herald-Advocate April 14, 2011
District 63“School board votes to cut 47 teachers from district payrollReductions also include a dozen noncertified staff positionsBy Natasha Wasinski ContributorForty-seven teachers will not be re-employed next year by East Maine School District 63, the Board of Education unanimously voted on April 6. The board also approved the “honorable dismissal” of 12 noncertified teaching assistants and the resignation of four Spanish resource staff and a special education teaching assistant. The downsizing of staff follows the board’s decision last month to reduce its 2011–12 school year budget by $1.6 million to avert a financial crisis. Still, some jobs are in limbo and may not get cut, after all. At least a dozen positions may remain intact if the district and it’s for bargaining units reach an agreement in negotiating salaries. The board favors saving an additional $1.1 million by freezing or reducing salaries to increasing class sizes and eliminating staff positions. In order to engage in negotiations the bargaining units must first vote to reopen their contracts. According to Superintendent Scott Clay the district expects to get the results of their votes by today (April 14). Among other actions at its monthly meeting the District 63 Board of Education:
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Note: I attempted to find the article on the Pioneer-Press’s website, without success.
The article, I am sure, accurately represents the discussion and decisions made at the meeting. Of course, we taxpaying mortals will not be able to see these facts for ourselves until after May 4, 2011; following the Board’s approval of the April 6th meeting minutes.
However, in the mean time, the information contained in this article offer a plethora of blogging subjects.
Bargaining Unit Contracts to Remain Closed!
Should we act surprised? I think not!
The Unions (Bargaining Units) appear to have taken my advice and want to see a bit of leadership on the part of the Administration.
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
New EMSD#63 retirees should consider themselves lucky….
I recently learned of current EMEA President, Hilary Liese’s pending retirement.
I got to wondering. Does Ms. Liese really know how good she’s got it? Do any of EMSD#63’s future retiree’s from the classes of 2011 or 2012 know? For that matter, do you know?
To illustrate my point, I direct you to The Champion News.net’s April 5, 2011 article: 82,981 of 132,502 Illinois Teachers Pay Nothing or Little into Their Pensions.
Looking at it another way.
Lilary Liese’s Nine-Year Pay Analysis - 04-05-2011
What does the other side look like?
Based upon Social Security Online’s Monthly Statistical Snapshot, February 2011 (Table #2), the latest available data; the Average Monthly Benefit for Old-Age Insurance, “Retired Workers” was $1,178.10 per month, or $14,137.20 per year.
The next time you hear EMSD#63 teachers crying “poor” while receiving their contracted 3% plus “stealth-step” pay increases, remember; there are a lot of “Retired Workers” out there footing that bill!
And that goes for EMSD#63 Administrator’s too!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
EMSD#63 15% pay reduction can save BIG BUCKS!
The base data being used is the 2009-2010 teacher/administrator payment distributed by the Illinois Board of Education (ILBoE). Current “official” pay data is not available for public review at this time. We know that this years payment figures will be large than that now presented based on current contracts, making the reduction payment amounts even larger.
Payroll Reduction Table – 15% Reduction
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EMSD#63’s Board needs to stop being a rubber-stamp and to start doing its job!
Only real budget reduction measures will solve EMSD#63’s self-created financial problem!
