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I'd like to know where the "grow-your-own-Principal" monies come from?

Probably "Nova U".

Are those "grow-you-own-principal" things kinda like a Chia Pet??

Grier should start a "grow-our-own-students" program too. Then he can get more of the right color. That would make it MUCH easier to implement all of his "plans".

How about a "grow your own School Board"?

I WANT SOME SEEDS!!!

In all seriousness, what are the children supposed to do while the rookie Principals learn on the job?

This isn't a football team where an 0-16 record gets you the first draft choice next year.

Bruce/Jennifer,

Do you have any idea if any of the board members or Grier will admit to reading this blog?

Very good article. I think the constant shuffling of principals is having a negative effect on students and teachers, and of course, on the principals. I'm about 99% certain that my daughter's principal is retiring this year (at age 50-she's using sick days to get the magic 30 years) because Dr G wanted to ship her somewhere else. It is a real shame because she is an outstanding principal. We've had 2 principal interns over the last 2 years (might have been part of the "grow-a-principal" project) and I am sure that working under an experienced principal has been invaluable for them. Too bad there aren't going to be many left to serve as mentors.
Not only is the shuffling bad, but the choices made just don't make sense (but what does?). I just heard that an female elementary principal is being moved into Ferndale. I know there's a strong male asst principal at HP Central being moved to an unnamed principal's positions - don't see whey he couldn't be put at Ferndale.
And I'm not getting started again on the lack of experience of the principal just named for Andrews.
I wonder also how these new principals are going to learn to play the $ game to get the most for their schools?

Jennifer or Bruce - do either of you have the SAT scores for GC when Dr G took over? Would love to see how they compare before the new SAT muddies the waters on a meaningful comparison. Would really, really like to take a look at a school-by-school comparison.
Thanks!

r.i.g.o.r.

Great post.

Yes Jen and Bruce do you have the lastest SAT scores you could post for us or write about in the N & R.

Thank you.

Rigor and Barbara Ann, what would be even more interesting to see if what SAT scores did at Dr. Grier's former districts after he left. Did those scores go up or down?

Is there a breakdown on principal tenure by school group e.g. elementary vs. middle vs. high or by magnet vs. non magnet?

Is there a table of raw data so one can draw ones own conclusions?

Thanks!

JENNIFER, HERE IS A CUT & PASTE FROM ANOTHER STRAND THAT WE ARE STILL WAITING TO HEAR ABOUT. ANY LUCK?

Jennifer,

Here's another plea for investigation. I would like you to contact Nina Shokraii Rees, Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement, Department of Education.

She will have interesting information to give you about Grier's plan.

You may wish to search the N&R archives during the summer of 2004. There was an op-ed written by the N&R after the GCS School Board voted on the opt out schools for those Title 1 schools last year that had not met AYP for 2 consecutive years. In that op-ed, your staff stated that "the wrong students" were opting out of the school.

Ms. Reese followed up the next day or 2 with a letter to the editor criticizing the op-ed and providing you with a real education about NCLB.

I would be quite interested to read an interview that you and/or Bruce conducted with her about this matter.

Posted by: Gamblin Man at March 4, 2005 05:47 PM

Mark,

It looks like seven more years of school down the drain while we "teach the principals".

Mark,

Coaches that have football teams that finish with 0-16 records don't get the benefit of a high draft choice the following year. My experience has been that the coach is hung in effigy while the school dances around the bonfire. Perhaps, we should consider that for the old ball coach. He sure hasn't been able to coach 'em up! Coach Grier needs to be sent back to the very deep minor leagues where he will never be heard from again, and he can do no harm. They have a saying in the medical profession, "Do no harm". I think that should apply to educators as well.

Teddy:

All I have to say to you is this coming Wednesday, 8PM, the AMC channel.

Okay Mark, you're killin' me. What's on Wednesday and 8?? I'll take a guess that its Animal House?

Publicoutrage, I have a one word answer for you and that word would be T - O - G - A.

You know there are more similarities between this movie and the actions of the School Board than Teddy and I first thought.

For example when you appear before the School Board on a topic you are told "to assume the position". Then when they are done with you, you need to say "thank you sir, may I have another."

Ok, I'll try to keep is clean on the Animal House theme, but I just have to ask - which board member is Mrs. Wormer (the one with the vegetable fetish)?

Allow me to take a stab at this:

Dr. G would be Niedermeyer. Remember the film credits and what his own troops do to him.

Alan D would be Greg Marmalard since he oversaw the court room scene.

Since she slurs her words at times, Susan M would be Mrs. Wormer. Do you like how I avoided the vegetable aisle?

Kris would be Mandy, nothing of value ever said just lots of faces made in front of the camera.

Marti would be Katie because I am certain I have seen both of them flip people the bird.

That school attorney would have to be Babs since they both flip their hair from side to side.

There is a certain school board member I have not mentioned. This person plays the toes up horse in Dean Wormer's office.

All the citizens of Guilford County play citizens of the town of Faber at the end of the movie.

The students of Guilford County schools play the Faber band since both are being lead down a dead-end.

Your's truly is willing to be D-day in the Delta Tau mobile, who would like to be the co-pilot? That way according to the credits my whereabouts is still unknown.

Jennifer posted this on another thread about the U.S. Department of Education's response to the Title I shuffle:

"Re: feds coming in because of shifting Title I money midstream...

That seems unlikely. I spoke to a spokesman with the US Department of Ed the other day. (They got back with me after the articles on Title I were published.) Anyway, he said that as long as the money is being moved legally, the department has nothing to say about it. They won't go into whether its morally correct or not. It's legal, so the schools can do it.

He noted that for critics who say No Child Left Behind is not flexible, here is an example of the law's flexibility."

Also, I'd like to add that I tried to call Nina Rees last week to get her response, but she is out on maternity leave until May.

Bruce,

Thanks for following up on Nina. Please keep pursuing and keep us posted.

As noted on the shift of funds, of course it must be "legal" or they wouldn't have done it. Ethical now that's another story. Thanks again Darlene G for voting NO.

Also you never know when, what, where and who the Feds will investigate. That is their job to make sure the NCLB is enforced to the letter of the law. Depends on who you talk to on the phone, Bruce.

It was a hypothetical question, let me ask another one: If the 9th grade academies don't work out, now will they blame the principals?
(Personally I think they could be very effective in the upper grades don't suffer. This is just a hypothetical question.

You said at Grimsley the principal is doing the decision making along with a committee. We have yet to hear who make the decision for the HP high schools - maybe you have this on another post I haven't read yet. I don't know of any parents who were on a committee to decide.