Epiphany

After the Thursday, April 3 Board of Education meeting,  I had an epiphany. She's not just intellectually disabled she's a bigot.You know who I mean.

The Charter School Performance Promise

In 1999, Jeffco voters approved the “Performance Promise,” which gave Jeffco schools more tax funding if student achievement improved. It did improve and the school district’s budget received additional funding.

I propose its time for a Charter School Performance Promise. At the Thursday, April 3, Board of Education meeting, Charter School supporters are planning a mass appearance before the Board of Education to demand more money. They have written some really bad Talking Points, which are filled with misinformation, and they are going to plead their case for more cash IN EXCHANGE FOR NOTHING!

Charter Schools don’t have to meet the same requirements as neighborhood schools, they apparently don’t have to be as accountable for student achievement, financial management, teacher licensing, classroom hours and attendance, teacher training. They can have their own board of education. Charters have a poor record of even trying to meet the needs of special education students and they don’t generally serve minorities and ESL students well. They are uniting against having to teach the Common Core curriculum.

I say it is time for Charter Schools to make a Performance Promise. I am generally for Charter Schools because I know students deserve educational choices, but I think charter schools get by too easily. Another issue is school financing, the school district doesn’t have a strong budget (thank you Witt, Newkirk and Williams for working against increased funding for our schools! Remember Amend. 66?), so this is not the time for Charters to be asking that money be taken from other schools, or from teacher salaries, to support them. Neighborhood school parents don’t want their children to lose their music class or have their child’s teacher be poorly paid so that Charter Schools can get more money to operate with little fiscal responsibility or accountability.

Charters, if you want more money, go to the voters and make a promise that in exchange for improved academic performance and improved fiscal responsibility and teaching an approved curriculum you will get increased funding… The Charter School Performance Promise.

By the way, where were charter school parents when we were working hard to get 3A and 3B passed?

Newkirk! Throw Him Off the Committee

 

Recently, Jeffco school board conservative John Newkirk attempted to have two parent volunteers removed from school district committees for a conversation they had on a social media site regarding a gun. Newkirk is expected to bring the topic up again at an April meeting, as the board searches for any excuse to clear their opponents from school district committees.

Newkirk’s complaint is laughable on so many levels. It is particularly laughable in light of the fact that his fellow board conservative, Julie Williams, has mentioned guns and arming teachers on several social media and web sites.

The online conversation between the two parent volunteers did not harm students or the school district. However, one of Newkirk’s friends and supporters has had a huge online conversation (there is also a print version) that has harmed the district and students. Tom Coyne should be removed from his seat on all district committees for his frequent online diatribes against our students’ performance and against our schools.

Coyne’s lengthy misguided essays about how badly Jeffco kids perform and how bad Jeffco schools are, hurt our property values and they hurt our students who are trying to get admitted to the best schools in the country. His comments hurt our teachers.  Anyone considering moving to Jefferson County who sees Coyne’s writings on his website and in print will find another place to buy a house. Jeffco real estate agents should be mad as hell. When college admissions counselors see what he has written about student achievement, do you think a Jeffco student will get top consideration? And, yes I know admissions counselors who do comb the Internet for information about schools and student performance.

Shame on Coyne for this thoughtless, self-centered writings.  He has hurt the district and students.  Newkirk! here is a reason to throw someone off a committee.