Barrow School Board Member To Gov: ‘Go To Hell And Cut Our Revenue’
From Barrow County comes a school board member who speaks truth to power, albeit rudely. In fact, Lynn Stevens has shot her mouth off so profoundly she might look into using gunpowder as toothpaste.
From the Barrow NewsJournal:
“The Barrow County BOE plans to take a stand against a proposed state constitution [sic] amendment creating “Opportunity School Districts.” The BOE will likely sign a resolution opposing the amendment at its Sept. 6 meeting. But BOE member Lynn Stevens said teachers and administrators also need to get involved.
“If our teachers are happy being teachers in the cultures in the schools that we have created, then they need to fight this with their heart and souls,” said Stevens. “…And they have the power, along with the administrators to send a message to the governor to go to hell and take his money with him.” (emphasis added).
Ahem. Barrow Schools aren’t failing, and most (79%) of the students who attend BCSS graduate. The system has a “College and Career Readiness Placement Index” (CCRPI, an acronym you’ll hear a lot about this fall) of 74 -which is higher than most, but well out of contention for being near the top. The system is also the 4th largest charter system in the state, as well as a “PK-12 Research Charter System Designate.” And whatever that means, it doesn’t SOUND like it means “we’re satisfied with the status quo of public education in Barrow.” It sounds like they’re trying to get more and better education for the 13,400 or so Barrow County students and the $103,000,000~ they spend on them. Were it not for Board member Stevens’ comment, you’d think a school system with stats like that would WANT to make sure that no student got stuck in a failing school, and that the chance to get ahead was available to EVERY student.
Governor Deal certainly does. He believes it’s a ‘moral duty’ to make sure that Georgia students have the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty: “When we talk about helping failing schools, we’re talking about rescuing children. I stand firm on the principle that every child can learn, and I stand equally firm in the belief that the status quo isn’t working.” Whether or not the “status quo” is working depends on where you’re looking, of course. Georgia’s public schools in the city of Atlanta are struggling to turn themselves around. Again. Georgia’s public schools in DeKalb County have several schools that would be eligible for state takeover -although most of them would be off the potential takeover list if they keep improving. In fact, most of the schools identified as “perpetually failing” have started to improve, once it became clear that this governor was not content to accept a fresh round of excuses from educrats whose sinful inertia creates a perpetual cohort of Georgia students mired in failure and poverty.
Opposing the Opportunity School District because there’s a failing school in YOUR district is understandable. Opposing it because it would be used in other districts is a head-scratcher. And telling your Governor to “go to hell and take his money with him” is especially puzzling, given that 67% of Barrow County Schools’ revenue comes from the state. (On behalf of Georgia taxpayers in metro Atlanta: You’re welcome, Barrow County!)
Board member Stevens probably didn’t mean to tell Governor Deal to cut Barrow County Schools’ revenue by two-thirds, and Governor Deal doesn’t seem like the kind of reckless and petty person to even consider such a thing. But when elected “Republicans” from whiteflightville want to trash-talk a sitting Governor and bite the hand that feeds their budgets because he’s proposed an education reform in an attempt to help Georgia students who need the most help, ie, mostly poor, mostly black, mostly urban kids?
The devil on my shoulder says “Do it!”
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Mike Hassinger
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There are several school boards that oppose Deal’s plan. There are also several unanswered questions. For example, what happens to the current school personnel when the new group takes control of a school? Are they fired, transferred or what?
This type plan worked in post Katrina New Orleams but the population in failing Ga. schools is different. And what are the secret teaching methods used by the take-over group and where does the state school superintendent stand on this plan?
These are a few basic questions that need to be answered. Deal has done a poor job of selling this plan to the voters. As it stands now, I will vote no on this issue in November.
The “it worked in post-K NOLA” argument is not a good argument – the population is definitely different. Only 50% of the K-12 kids in New Orleans attend a public school – the other half are in the archdiocesan system.
Probably not as specific as you’d like, but here it is: “The OSD interventions would be determined on a school by school basis and would include options for MOUs or contracts with local Boards of Education to require specific actions, direct management of schools, chartering, and, as a last resort, closure. Once a school is identified for inclusion in the OSD, the OSD superintendent will immediately begin assessing the capacity of each school in order to determine which reform model is most appropriate given each school’s unique circumstances.”
Details at this link: https://gov.georgia.gov/sites/gov.georgia.gov/files/related_files/site_page/GA%20OSD%20Overview%20051816.pdf
I think many problems ppl have with the idea is that – besides the raw breadth of power it seems to grant- is the seeming absence of collaborative language. Ppl are then afraid they won’t have any power, although collaboration seems inevitably nccsry.
The ballot as presented on the ballot begins that its all about community involvement, so no worries.
“Provides greater flexibility and state accountability to fix failing schools through increasing community involvement.”
I like her!
Some of us think that improving schools, especially lousy ones, is the job of the state education department. If Deal was engaged in lighting a fire under them I’d support him fully but I’m not crazy about running schools out of the governor’s office. I’ll be voting ‘No’ and will expect the amendment to pass easily.
People like Lynn Stevens are suffering from Common Core disease.
What specific tools does the State Education Department currently have to fix failing schools that don’t require the full consent of local boards, many of whom have ignored the failing of the exact schools in question for years, even decades?
I couldn’t say. I mentioned lighting a fire under the state education department. Instead we’ll get separate funding for a separate bureaucracy and a separate superintendent reporting directly to one of the governor’s men. Why do you think that approach is superior to letting the SED handle the problem?
it is hard to imagine that the Gov’s office will be able to administer the OSD program- if created- without significant work alongside and with the Ed Dept.
The educracy can exist at the county, state or federal level. The tell of a controlling educrat:
“If our teachers are happy being teachers in the cultures in the schools that we have created….”
It is about the education of the children not retirement parties for 52 year olds.
Local control is best but control at any level must be relinquished when failing.
“If, however, an opportunity school performs, for three consecutive years, above an F on the state accountability system, it will be removed from the OSD.”
What if this never happens? Does this school stay the ward of the state that would then be failing the students under its care? Since the state can only have 100 schools under its care, one of two things will happens when it hits the limit and realizes not enough progress is being made: 1. It will have to transition out the ‘best of the worst’ to make room for newly failing schools or 2. It will ask us to expand its quota.
Also, put Gov. Deal out of your head when deciding here. Who will be governor down the road that would very likely make a complete mess of this? Could these OSD Schools become election year pawns for governors? For you school districts in more conservative areas, what values might future OSD superintendents bring to you failing school? For you in poor urban districts, what short sighted solutions might a well meaning, but clueless OSD that has no real knowledge of your plight bring to your school that end up hurting in the long run?
I don’t think the amendment requires the state take over failing schools—it’s pick and choose by an unelected unaccountable appointee.