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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Money for Nothing and the Checks for Free! We do like the fresh fruit and veggies!

Love or hate the Sherman plan to extend the school day and year, you have to see the details of the waiver application to appreciate them.  Case in point, among the questions that applicants are required to answer is the following:



Impact on Resources:  The impact on resources is not expected to be significant. 

That's all folks.  Where other applicants provide a detailed, in-depth explanation of the monies needed to put an 'innovative' program into place, a one sentence answer ten (10) words in length (three of which are taken from the application itself) is the best that ACPS could do.  


Okay, Voltaire, but all that proves is that the best Sherman and crew could do was throw down a skeletal answer to a very important request.  Sure, the taxpayers will want to know more than "not expected to be significant" when it comes to their money and school system, but what exactly are you implying?  Hey, wait a minute you aren't going down the consultant path again are you, Voltaire?  DON'T EVEN TELL US...that would be pure insanity.  There's no way that this is just another way to pay a fortune to the Educational Industrial Complex, again?  Besides, Voltaire, if you are going to make such allegations, you'll need to back them up.  Maybe Paige Cunningham's three part series http://virginia.watchdog.org/1562/alexandria-superintendent-pays-thousands-to-long-time-friend/exposed Sherman's earlier enriching of his pals, but he'd never venture into that jungle again...or would he?  Lifted directly from the waiver application,  heeeeeeerrrreeeeee they are...
       Changing Education Through the Arts (CETA), a cooperative program with the Kennedy Center, which incorporates the fine arts into academic instruction Habits of Mind, which help to develop a student's thinking skills, with emphasis on metacognitive processes. 
MindUp which emphasizes the Optimistic Classroom and the development of confidence and calm (curriculum to be published by Scholastic this fall) 
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program
International Baccalaureate Programme
Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID)
Core Knowledge Curriculum (in cooperation with the University of Virginia)
  


Well, Voltaire, it could be worse.  At least we're not continuing with Lucy Caulkins, Lucy "The Millionairess" West, and a high paid stable of academics, right?


Sorry, here's the next part, lifted directly from the application...
      Establishing partnerships with several organizations and experts in their fields, including: 

  • Writer's Project of Columbia Teachers College
  • Dr. Lucy West (coaching)
  • Conspiracy to Succeed and the Tripod Model:  led by Dr. Ron Ferguson, Harvard University
  • The National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools, and Teaching (NCREST - Staff from Stanford and Columbia Universities
  • Dr. Jon Saphier, Research for Better Teaching



The insanity continues, with the spending on consultants driving it.  Please DOE, show due diligence and smite this application!  End the nightmare that our system has become.




We, here, at the Underground will be taking a continuing look at the First Review of a Request for Approval of an Innovative Program Opening Prior to Labor Day from Alexandria City Public Schools throughout the week.  We'll look at it from the standpoint of its quality as a stand alone document as well as what it says about the macrostrategy of this administration.  Hold on to your pants Undergrounders, this promises to be a bumpy ride.

"No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible."
— 
Voltaire

8 comments:

  1. Only in education would "fresh fruits and vegetables" be "innovative." What a crock!

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  2. oh dear god...I simply canNOT take anymore..stop this insanity...the student data we send for title 1 is incorrect, peppered with inaccuracies, the money we spend drives NO DATA at all! oh dear when will Richmond perform an audit???? When does this craziness cease? SOS someone anyone.....how in the world did the teachers' union loose our right for collective bargining? now we are hopeless...corruption runs amuck....these kids CAN learn and our teachers CAN teach if the district would back off and let it HAPPEN

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  3. Where are the consultants for "research on better LEADERSHIP"????????????????? or fiscal responsibility? quick someone hire a consultant and lets LEAVE CLASSROOMS AGAIN MANNED WITH PARAPROFESSIONALS to attend yet ANOTHER TRAINING OR MEETING....our priority should be to keep our teachers in the classroom with limited distractors....THIS ADMINISTRATION IS THE REASON WHY OUR CHILDREN FAIL...

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  4. Hey Mort, on your way to Richmond...go to Hell!

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  5. Another abusive language post, personal threat, that Voltaire said would be deleted.

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  6. Oh, yoohoo Voltaire, someone used a bad word, about my husband! Make them stop!

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  7. What's wrong with "fruits and vegetables"? Ronald Reagan got a twofer, ketchup was a vegetable and a condiment, what's the problem?

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  8. I get it, "Money for nothing and you chicks for free!"

    ReplyDelete