Thursday, October 18, 2012
Facts, Rumors and Shared Thoughts...
First up, Chairman of the Board of Education. Sure looks like he is siding with the not so popular Haynie. Doesn't he realize that he is losing tons of votes by siding with her? Makes no sense to most people I have spoken to since Tuesday's BOE meeting. Jack, think twice before backing a loose cannon...
Next up, a pat on the back to Heidi Keyes for being an independent thinker and voting for what is right. Folks are really happy to see that she is using her intelligence in these matters.
Kudos to Superintendent Daddona for having the continued support of the major sources for funding. Grossmans, Nellie Mae, GE Capital and the Briggs' folks have faith in his leadership. This is killing Haynie, who is trying her best to undermine the Superintendent. It is rumored that she wants Bob McCain in that office. Would you care to comment, Ms. Haynie?
Is it true that the NEF is almost bankrupt? That's what I heard.
Parents are beginning to stand up in support of this Superintendent despite the Red Apples campaign to 'get him.' Guess Apples don't like the fact that they have fallen to the earth and are not treated as favorites anymore.
So those are the rumors, facts and some rambling thoughts as heard around town........
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Kudos to any member of BOE who is an independent thinker. Voting for what is right - that's totally left up to interpretation, most parents I'm talking to want to see a Superintendent Search proceed in a timely fashion. Pushing it back will only prolong the process. Case in point, Tarrytown, NY is currently doing a Superintendent search, and they hope to have a replacement in office by July 1st. Same timing as Norwalk (so says BOE members), however their hired search firm had a public forum this week! Now that's having an organized search process!!
ReplyDeleteBob McCain was happy to get out of Dodge (AKA Norwalk, CT). There's no way he's coming back. We lost quite a few good administrators and teachers. If the environment doesn't change, they'll be more. If given the opportunity, good people will leave.
I guess you would have to ask a NEF Board Member regarding NEF's finances. But once again, this blog is here bashing anyone who is trying to help the schools. This blog is filled with negative energy and comments that are contradictory to the district moving forward. Let NEF conduct it's business and begin to rebuild. Why not give Ms. Tenofsky some credit for working with the NEF Board and trying to rebuild the image and focus of NEF? Oh right, this blog has to beat down anyone trying to do positive work in the district.
I'm not hearing a lot of parent support for the current Interim Superintendent. Parents want a future plan, a vision for the district. Things are "fine", but "fine" is not acceptable for many parents. He's doing a "fine" job as Interim Superintendent. I'm not sure if Educated Yesterday realizes just how many people have either left NPS, moved out of Norwalk because of the uncertainty with schools, or have plans to leave in the short term. Maybe someone who is in touch with "Today", as opposed to "Yesterday" can add some insight?
The biggest liar in the world is They Say. ~Douglas Malloch
The Apples are back and posting! What garbage you spew forth. The district is moving forward, but with lots of healing. This Superintendent treats everyone fairly and works with all groups. You don't seem to understand or want to understand, that the unions need to be a part of a successful process if the district is to move forward. Marks couldn't do that. Superintendent Dadonna IS doing it.
DeleteYou don't seem to understand that parents are happy with what Superintendent Daddona is doing. You don't give parents credit for understanding that he does have a vision and that healing the district and the Board is part of that. You don't understand that this blog is not beating down anyone who is trying to help the district. On the contrary. This blog supports those who are trying to support what is right and what will help the district. So....a s it turns out, those self proclaimed saviors are doing more harm than good. In fact they are doing lots of harm! They need psychological help, in my opinion. They are doing their best to harass the Superintendent. How is that 'doing good?'
I'm sure I have now asked for flaming from every Apple who exists....How many do exist? Five self proclaimed saints? I know we will have the pleasure of their nasty company on this blog really soon!
Give "Gloria Tenosky" some credit? Huh? For doing what? She'll get credit when she looks into why NEF is failing at its fundraising.
DeleteSTOP THE LIE. Apples say over 1/2 of our kids don't read at "grade level". CMT results say at least 60% of kids score at GOAL or ADVANCED in Reading. Here's the real NewsFlash: RedApples score low on state test on Math and fail test on Honesty.
DeleteAnyone else find it odd that the same crew that needs to push Daddona out were the cheerleaders for the Rookie?
ReplyDeleteWhat's up with that? Do they really think that Susan Marks and her $80,000 buyout is a mistake that we need to repeat?
The Marks cheerleaders are back with poison on their tongues. What a group of disturbed people!
ReplyDeleteI am in touch with today and I support Daddona!
ReplyDeleteMe too! This district needs to heal. The Board needs to become a cooperative working group again, and then, and only then can they deal with picking a Superintendant. The interim is keeping things moving along with that goal in mind.Let's not be foolish again, and rush into a mistake!
ReplyDeleteYupper.......me three!
ReplyDeleteThe people with integrity on the Board of Education support Daddona. They had real differences but they agree that he is doing a good job. That says it all.
ReplyDeleteI say Daddona for Superintendent. Stop the search and appoint him.
ReplyDeleteLots of moving pieces for us parents to really figure out. I know there's just way too much politics in the Board of Education. Why else would Jack Chiaramonte be chairperson for two years in a row and Sue Haynie be chairperson of an important committee?
ReplyDeleteFor whatever reason, Haynie hates Daddona. She can't see all he's accomplished. Problem for me is why Chiaramonte is as blind as she is about how good Daddona is for Norwalk.
A question for all you Daddona proponents out there - what specifically has he accomplished?
ReplyDeleteHe is attempting to bring together all those different factions who have been fighting tooth and nail during the Marks' regime. He works beautifully with them and listens to what they have to say.
DeleteHe has the backing of the State Dept. of Education. They fully trust he will calm the district so that we can move forward instead of backward.
He is moving forward with the various initiatives the district has promised to undertake with the SDE.
He has made the process for the 2013-2014 budget transparent and all inclusive at an early date
He is not trying to overwhelm the district with new initiatives when everyone is struggling with the lack of staff to put new initiatives into place. There is a time and place for everything and this is not the time to add to what is already on everyone's plate, ie new evaluations from SDE.
Everyone knows he is treating everyone equally, without a cheerleader group, which everyone respects and likes about his style.
He is doing an all around great job!
Add to that, the principals are fed up with one new initiative after another. It doesn't do any good for the school system and it doesn't do any good for the students. A school system can't just jump on board with every new idea and expect it to work. Vision? You want someone new to come in and recreate what their old district had here in Norwalk? We have had that happen several times in the past. It did NOT work! Maryland's model was the latest. We have to have faith in some of the good initiatives we started in Norwalk in cooperation with the State Department of Education. Daddona has been in charge of those. Let him have a chance to move forward with them. no more retired Superintendents imposing their old ideas on Norwalk, PLEASE!
ReplyDeleteYes, give what has promise a chance to work. Talk about 'vision' gives Sue Haynie a chance to throw in some edu-speak, but she doesn't see that Norwalk has had so many 'visions' that have pushed us in all sorts of wrong directions that we need a GPS to point us in the best direction.
ReplyDeleteWhat you have with Daddona is a guy who's proven that he can make changes happen. Look at how much praise he gets from the state for leading the district data teams.
ReplyDeleteHe held things together through Marks' incompetence.
2 things will fix this faltering school system. #1- Put in a chairperson that the people trust-- that would be the Preacher.
ReplyDelete#2- Give Daddona a 1-year deal. If he fails, start the search next year.
Daddona's got my vote.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how this blog never mentions the kids! How depressing.
ReplyDeleteSo much for parents not politicians.
Every school system revolves around politics. Don't believe stupid slogans like 'parents, not politicians'. Most people who write in here are looking out for the students, though. Talk about too many visions and so forth are about curriculums and the future of the schools. Who do you think this kind of talk affects and is all about? The students, of course.
DeletePeople respond to the topics that are posted here. Many of them are political. You have to admit that there has been some nasty politics played out on the Board of Education
DeleteThere have been many open topic threads. Please feel free to submit topic ideas.
DeleteThe Haynie-Angry Jack Connection: Jack was getting help from the Apples for his Senate campaign. So Jack is helping Haynie not look like a fool. Let's of other inside baseball stuff that should bore most people but really really worry most parents.
ReplyDeleteIf Jack can be bought by the Apples, we are all in trouble. He lost my vote just for that!
DeleteFor what it is worth ...the apples are about reform and advocating for OUR tax dollars to come back to our kids instead of spreading it around the rest of the state.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if parents are happy with only 50% of our kids reading on grade level and families pulling out of the district then lets just keep everything the same.
We effectively hand our money over to every other town in CT. ALso, the under performance of the district is what this blog should dealing with. Not having money to help those kids hurts. At least Jack is putting the injustice on the map and fighting.
Unfortunately, this blog boils down to NPS staff and politicians bashing anyone attempting to challenge the status quo.
Go ahead bash me.
Everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion. I happen to know that the Apples are into power and politics. They feel they know more about the profession of teaching than the professionals do. I don't see that they have published their findings in a professional journal anywhere. I would like to see them try to convince professional educators that 'they' know what is best for education. Educators everywhere are struggling with the issues of scholastic gaps in the socioeconomic groups. Research shows that the lower socioeconomic groups come to us with impoverished language skills. Literacy skills are dependent on language. There is no quick fix. It isn't that our staff isn't trying. If there is a fault, in our system, it is the know it all, naive parents who think they know best. A huge problem is that , the Apples are preventing any movement forward. I have heard that the Interim is besieged with requests from Haynie alone. They don't want him to succeed. Does that sound to you like parents who care? No! They are after power. They are after another Marks who will listen to their every suggestion. They are trying to run the school system and every staff member knows they are running it into the ground. That is why staff is leaving. That is what I hear every day!
DeleteI'd be happy if the "Apples" offered any suggestions during the budget crunch. For my kids (in 2nd and 4th grades) cutting teachers and crowding their classrooms wasn't a solution.
DeleteIf you look at why Susan Marks was a failure it was because she never offered a sinlge solution. Her idea of initiatives was to a form a workgroup but never do anything with their suggestions.
ReplyDeleteThe "status quo" is failure. The "status quo" was to ignore the needs of the community, ignore the suggestions of teachers and ignore the best interests of the students.
I'm no "Educated Yesterday" but I have some scoop that is off the hook, so here goes.
ReplyDeleteWho is protecting Haynie from having to go to a retreat? From what I hear, she is not cooperating to set up a time.
Why is the Interim Superintendent not going public with the Redapples intimidation of him? Hey I'm happy that he's a gentleman and a strong leader. But come on- drop a dime on their idle threats.
She lies about the state mandating a retreat for the BOE. Now she says she can't make it? Really? How does she get away with this nonsense! I don't want her anywhere near my child's education.
ReplyDeleteIt is true. The Interim can't get the Board to agree to a date for the retreat because certain Board members don't want to go. They are doing all kinds of blocking so that nothing gets done. It is within the commissioner's power to get Haynie off the Board. Can't we get a petition to him so that he removes her? It's either that or appoint Daddona immediately with a two year contract. Either one is fine with me, but some step has to be taken to stop her.
ReplyDeleteWithout getting into the character assassination that sometimes occurs here (and which is unfair to all), let me offer one Board member's opinion about the importance of a retreat. There are differing judgments among Board of Ed members as to any number of procedural issues-- these issues do not necessarily impact student learning, but definitely impact how we conduct our business and, therefore, can either impede or enhance our ability to work as a body which achieves our fundamental mission.
ReplyDeleteSome of the issues which divide us are:
1. whether using Freedom of Information requests are appropriate for members to demand data from department heads;
2. whether the minutes of meetings are to include verbatim transcripts of speeches or only include votes and summaries of discussions; and
3. whether and to what extent members should respond to public comments or answer questions posed to us by the public at meetings.
As for the inconsequential topic of who suggested a retreat, it was, in fact, Interim Supt. Daddona who suggested it when he was appointed in August as he expressed his belief that Board members needed to discuss their differences. There was an indication from a noted schools attorney that the retreat could be held in private as it was for training purposes and not to discuss (or decide upon) matters related to the governance of our schools. The Superintendent then discussed it with the Commissioner's office to obtain references for someone who could lead a retreat.
I tend to be somewhat of an open book, so I have no qualms if the public wants to attend the retreat. I have agreed to forego time with my family to attend the retreat (which is tough when you're a divorced dad to two daughters who you miss when they're not with you) and have only (when asked) requested changes in times when it conflicts with work.
Readers Digest version: Board of Ed are all frustrated with each other. They want to vent, but don't want to do it on Dr. Phil.
DeleteThanks. Good summary.
DeleteEverywhere one turns the problem IS the Apples. It's Halloween....Get the Apples out of the turbulent water so that calm may return.
ReplyDeleteI just got my regular high school parent email. I was shocked that there was a note from the Norwalk Education Foundation in it. It was insulting to the Interim Superintendent and told me that I better email the Board of Education to replace him.
ReplyDeleteSince when does the high school allow political emails to get sent to parents?