Last night, Mike Matthews RCEA President, Ashley Sabo Red Clay parent and co-chair of Red Clay’s Inclusion Committee and I addressed the Red Clay School Board in regards to their Inclusion Plan. We are very concerned about the implementation of the plan and the necessary resources that are needed at our schools. Below are our comments.
There is a Funding Student Success Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, November 24th 2:00 at Baltz Elementary School, Board Conference Room.
Click here, to view the minutes.
Below are my comments that I made to the State Board of Education. They send their Executive Director to almost every committee, group etc. outside the State Board meeting room, so they are hearing one sided views.
Yesterday, I attended an AFWG meeting that was called by Secretary Godowsky; the group had finished their work last month and had their recommendations ready to send to the State Board. The Secretary called back the Accountability Framework Working Group; he wanted to discuss with them some changes that he and State Board have decided to make to the AFWG recommendations. The State Board and the Secretary have decided that they are going to alter this group’s recommendations (AFWG) after the group had met 16 times over the last 1 1/2 years. When the group had made their recommendations last month, all members of the group, except for Donna Johnson who was representing the State Board, all agreed with the proposed recommendations which would be submitted to the State Board for approval and then sent to US DOE. The only other person who had an issue with this group’s recommendation was the Governor. It makes me wonder why Ms. Johnson serves on all of these committees and the actual State Board members do not. They are the ones who were appointed to the board. When I served on the Red Clay School Board, I was assigned to committees and when the committees met, I went to the committee meetings. It is important to attend these meetings so board members can get the views of the entire committee and not just one person’s views.
During Secretary Godowsky’s opening remarks, he spoke about how he wanted a workable agreement that included all stakeholders. I was a little confused by his statement because he and the State Board were making changes to the AFWG recommendations and their changes have not been vetted through the DESS advisory committee which is the DOE’s stakeholder group. DESS approved the final recommendations of AFWG but they have not seen or approved these new proposed changes from the Secretary or the State Board.
DOE will be submitting the AFWG recommendations which will include the Secretary and the State Board’s changes to the US DOE. At the meeting, I requested that DE DOE make it clear to US DOE that the changes to the AFWG recommendations were not supported by the AFWG members. The changes were not vetted through DESS, the stakeholder group, and that members of the General Assembly spoke out against these changes.
I just cannot understand why the State Board and the Secretary want to punish schools who have no control over parents opting their children out of the state assessment.
I have to say I was so disappointed that our newly, appointed Secretary did this, he is a long-time educator. The State Board did not think that the recommendations that were put in place by the AFWG with regards to participation in our state assessment was not a strong enough penalty; they wanted something a little harsher.
I am hopeful that the Secretary listened to the group and public yesterday and will have a change of heart tomorrow and will do the right thing at tomorrow’s State Board meeting.
Red Clay voters approved a $117 million Major Capital Referendum in 2012; one of the capital improvements was the Cab Calloway School of the Arts theater. I have been in the theater and it is a state-of-the-art theater.
I am disappointed to learn that Cab Calloway High School is not full with Red Clay students. When I served on the Red Clay School Board I fought for Cab being filled with Red Clay students. Current enrollment numbers show that 46% of Cab Calloway high school students are from outside the Red Clay School District. Red Clay residents are the one’s footing the bill for the improvements to Cab Calloway and their children should be enrolled in this wonderful program.
Special Public Session of the Red Clay Board on Monday, November 2, 2015. The meeting will begin at 5:30 at District Office in the First Floor Conference Room. Main focus of the meeting will be discussion of the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission (WEIC).
I attended the Redistricting Committee Meeting today at Red Clay’s District Office located in Baltz Elementary School. Below are a few comments about the meeting. Minutes of the previous meetings can be found here.
Special Public Session of the Red Clay Board on Monday, November 2, 2015. The meeting will begin at 5:30 at District Office in the First Floor Conference Room. Main focus of the meeting will be discussion of the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission (WEIC).
Red Clay School Board Meeting – October 21 7:00 at Conrad Schools of Science.
Red Clay School Board Meeting – October 21 7:00 at Conrad Schools of Science.
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