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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Everything You Know Is Wrong!

Unbelievable!  Here is what central administration expects us to believe are the results of the surveys!


Highlights of the survey results:

1,723 surveys were completed regarding the topics listed below.

    • Starting before Labor Day
      • 55.4 percent of the 1,723 participants were in favor
      • 52.3 percent of the 1,019 parents were in favor
      • 65.7 percent of 485 teachers were in favor

    • Adding time for teachers (with a 2-3 percent salary increase) 
      • 56.5 percent of the 1,723 participants were in favor
      • 62.2 percent of the 1,019 parents were in favor
      • 48.8 percent of the 485 teachers were in favor

    • Adding time to the student day
      • 43.3 percent of the 1,723 participants were in favor
      • 43.5 percent of the 1,019 parents were in favor
      • 44.3 percent of the 485 teachers were in favor
A new reality has settled over Alexandria.  Up is down, wrong is right, black is white.  While most of us expected something ludicrous to come of the survey, seeing the results only serves to reinforce the consensus belief that ACPS Administration will resort to any form of fraud and deceit to impose its will.  Little wonder that Alan Hilburg resigned rather than participate in a public relations boondoggle.  Every other survey, teacher based, school based or from the AlexandriaNews.org website, shows overwhelming (as much as three to one) opposition to the early start/thirty minute extension plans.  Even with the doctored stats, the majority of teachers, participants and parents objected to the adding of time to the day.  Any reasonably prudent person would take this as a clear signal to drop this latest moronic measure.  I'll bet you dollars to donuts that both initiatives will be enacted, over the majority's objection.  Whatever else you may think, if you ever believe another word that comes out of Mort Sherman's mouth, or his mouthpieces, you are to be pitied.


"Men use thought only as authority for their injustice, and employ speech only to conceal their thoughts."
— Voltaire






20 comments:

  1. ACPS isn't lying about the results. That said, it's a flawed sample. The results are pulled from people who signed up to receive the ACPS Daily Digest.

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  2. Thanks, for your two cents, Mrs. Sherman.

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  3. I think you guys are terrible! I'm sure the administration would never mislead us. Just because they can't answer the questions that you commenters ask, doesn't mean they don't have a good reason for doing all of the things that they are doing. I think Mr. Dr. Sherman will probably donate a lot of his salary this year to new programs for our children.

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  4. Oh, I'm sure he will. What to do with the flying pigs, though? Zoning won't let me keep them. And thanks for Firesign Theater. A good laugh is a powerful healer. Maybe I should watch it again.

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  5. Flawed or not, the results will still be used to justify any changes he wants to implement,(just like the survey last year for extra time due to snow days). I think we now know what Mr. Sherman does when he stays up all night. Jeez, the alexandrianews.org site must have frustrated the hell out of him because he only got to vote once.

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  6. Ranter: Sally Finnegan

    Extending the school day or academic year just does more of the same thing that already doesn't work. It's a form of bureaucratic insanity. All the socio-economic issues of our society are laid at the doors of schools and we expect schools alone to be the great equalizer of endemic inequality. That's also insane. Schools cannot fix what 30 years of neglect of our social institutions has created.

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  7. I disagree that Sherman will impose either of these plans, now that he sees he lacks support. He isn't an idiot. He wants to keep his position. Surely he will fold his tent now!

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  8. Why don't you send these to my school email address anymore?

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  9. ACPS has blocked this blog from sending any emails from this site to your school emails. You, however, are free to send it to the staffs at our schools, i.e. mvstaff@acps.k12.va.us to give all teachers at Mount Vernon, for example the opportunity to get another viewpoint.

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  10. A single respondent can submit multiple responses to this survey. Due to a compromise of survey sampling, the results are invalid no matter which side they favor.

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  11. I cant get out of this hell hole fast enough..the central office...wannabe administrators...what a sham....oh dear G-d make it stop....can not get out fast enough

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  12. Most parents call Sherman a used car salesman. I think this is an insult to the salesmen.

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  13. Results from a school system which couldn't even conduct a simple "where should we hold graduation" survey. Enough is enough.


    http://www.alexandrianews.org/2011/02/graduation-returns-to-t-c/

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  14. So, is it too late to do anything about this now?

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  15. Wouldn't it be helpful if someone in the tech dept--who has firsthand knowledge of how data (like survey protocol and processing) is handled--could shed some light on how the behind-the-scenes shenanigans are being manipulated? Can Mort really pull all these strings singlehandedly?

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  16. What's the latest about tomorrow's School Board meeting? Are EAA reps going to speak at the meeting with teachers standing beside them? Isn't this the time that teachers should be standing up and discussing this issue?

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  17. I'm speaking tomorrow. Are you Anonymous @10:31pm?

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  18. "Why extra time for teachers… why have these proposals been made? Research, experience, and common sense indicate that investment in collaborative planning time and professional
    learning for teachers are keys to improving student achievement.

    The most important bottom line is that these proposals are good for our students."

    So, just what say the students of these proposals?

    71% of students surveyed are against starting before Labor Day.
    55% of students surveyed are against adding 30 minutes to teachers' work hours.
    77% of students surveyed are against increasing the student school day by 30 minutes in the future.

    The students have spoken. It is time we listened to them and stopped using the false rationale of "it is good for our students" to justify the nonsense awash in ACPS.

    http://acps.k12.va.us/news2011/nr2011022301-student.pdf

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  19. I am so glad to see that you are speaking. I would if I was still teaching. I believe that the voices of the teachers must be heard by the board and the community. In years past teachers being vocal made differences in what decisions were made. Unfortunately, the board we have today is removed from the trenches and believes or, maybe, just stands by the person they hired to lead the system. I wish more parents would speak out in support of the teachers instead of talking amongst themselves as to how unhappy they are with what Dr. Sherman has done to the system. As a retired teacher who spent 31 years teaching the students of this community, I am so disheartened with what has happened to our teahcers and students. Teachers are hard working individuals who are doing their very However, what the Board and administration have done to the school sytem makes it very difficult for them to be as successful as they could be. Continue speaking up and maybe someone will hear.

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  20. Here's a novel idea...let's survey the parents who enroll their children into private schools and inquire as to WHY they choose to do so; lay it out there media.

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