School Board musical chair turmoil, the quest for accreditation and political slapfighting have ruined this district . . . Here's a bit of testimony from an instructor stuck in the middle of the drama. Checkit:
At Year's End, Hickman Mills Teachers Lament Missed Students And Missed Opportunities
The tipping point may have come in late January, when yet another quick-tempered boy moved into Aubrey Paine's second grade classroom at Ingels Elementary School. Or maybe it was the departure in early February of the bright, motivated little girl who had been the leader of a reading circle.
Instead of trying to teach negroes it is time that we just "board" them like we do our pets. Think of them as you would a Pit Bull. It's probably going to do terrible things, but why waste any more money on it?
ReplyDeleteNew administrative offices (including private bathroom for superintendent) will fix it. Or maybe spending millions on magnet schools will fix it vs. trying to figure out and address the real issues. Or, maybe fake accreditation will fix it. Oh, let's hire more administrators, we can always make the class sizes bigger to cover their salaries. Neighborhoods already have as many as 8 school busses running down the streets on a daily basis due to the way schools have been broken up, maybe more bus routes will address the issue. It's very sad, and a very big problem but NOTHING done in the last few years has been done to address the churn issue or has there been a comprehensive plan to help the teachers deal with this. What has been accomplished is the taxpayers in HMSD are in deeper debt in order to fund Carpenter's pet projects and he's filled out his resume so he can move on.
ReplyDeleteI don't see how you can blame poverty issue on any one person. We can take out Hickman Mills and insert KCMO school district, Branson School District, Eureka School District, Riverview Gardens, or any impoverished area, rural, urban or otherwise. Racist will be racist but what about in Branson and Eureka Missouri where the faces are white. Finances (or lack thereof) is the biggest predictor of educational success. Carpenter tried and put forth a valent effort. Plus, just because the children aren't up to state standards in accrediation doesn't mean the students should have to learn in sub standard or even hazardous buildings (Smith-Hale). Teresa Edens, you are truly a piece of shit and I have never seen a person so bitter and utterly obsessed with John Sharp and Carpenter.
ReplyDeleteThe schools and the teachers can't "fix" this problem. I feel sorry for the teachers who try over and over to create a stable environment. The problems are much more serious than just providing a hot meal or encouragement. Social scientists should try to get to the root of the problem.
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