Don't underestimate the challenges that administrators face and the difficulty of their jobs as leaders and problem-solvers, especially under the constraints of the public school system. Look at Santa Rosa City Schools if you want to see what happens when you have leadership that makes poor decisions or fails to make hard decisions.
Thank you for covering this thoroughly. Our daughter started at the Consortium from the age of 3, in fact it was the day after her 3rd birthday that she went to preschool, so she could receive the early intervention she needed, as a non speaking, non ambulatory child with CP. The Consortium allowed our daughter to receive an education that met her needs in so many ways. She walked with her teacher across the lawn at Twin Hills for her 8th grade promotion (Thanks Ms. Wesley-Fagundes!)
She is now a senior at Analy, in the ESN class, which is no longer a member of the consortium, but had been for many years prior to withdrawing about 4 years back. The value of having a disabled child going to a local school with the supports they need, with the incredible and amazing, highly trained and dedicated teachers and staff that the Consortium retains, is immeasurable. At a time when so many of the safeguards and rights for people with disabilities are being dismantled at the federal level, and in many states, we have an opportunity to do right by ALL of our students. Thank you to all of the community members that came to that meeting, supported, spoke, and stood up for our kids. Kids like mine. As disabled disability rights activist Judy Huemann said, “True leadership means advocating for those who do not have a voice.”
I see leaders within our community, but so far this year, I don’t see them sitting at that long table in the front of the room.
I have yet to see any logical explanation of why school administrators make so much more than teachers do. No parent ever wakes up and says, "You know what my tax dollars should pay for? More administrators!" For $200K a year, I'd take the superintendent's job, and I'd do it better, too. Where do I apply?
They keep raising taxes and simultaneously cutting programs in the schools. It is a horrendous situation. My son just left Analy because of the air of defeat amongst his peers that has resulted in significantly increased substance abuse and violence. I've spoken to so many of these students. They have given up on the idea of learning anything. They use AI to cheat on their assignments, the teachers use AI to create and grade assignments. Everyone is just pretending. They need to fundamentally change the way they teach, but they resist change and the structure is crumbling. Now even the enrichment, which the kids might actually have enjoyed, is gone. If we let them down, we have nothing. All hope for the future is truly lost. There's no excuse for this. The money comes in, but the county is so corrupt - so many funds are wasted or go missing - and week after week, what are we protesting? Israel. Let's please deal with what's happening in our own town, for God's sake.
Dale and Laura: Thank you for your ongoing contributions to community rationality and democratic action. (Hope you got the earlier part of my comment…) Neil Herring
Don't underestimate the challenges that administrators face and the difficulty of their jobs as leaders and problem-solvers, especially under the constraints of the public school system. Look at Santa Rosa City Schools if you want to see what happens when you have leadership that makes poor decisions or fails to make hard decisions.
Thank you for covering this thoroughly. Our daughter started at the Consortium from the age of 3, in fact it was the day after her 3rd birthday that she went to preschool, so she could receive the early intervention she needed, as a non speaking, non ambulatory child with CP. The Consortium allowed our daughter to receive an education that met her needs in so many ways. She walked with her teacher across the lawn at Twin Hills for her 8th grade promotion (Thanks Ms. Wesley-Fagundes!)
She is now a senior at Analy, in the ESN class, which is no longer a member of the consortium, but had been for many years prior to withdrawing about 4 years back. The value of having a disabled child going to a local school with the supports they need, with the incredible and amazing, highly trained and dedicated teachers and staff that the Consortium retains, is immeasurable. At a time when so many of the safeguards and rights for people with disabilities are being dismantled at the federal level, and in many states, we have an opportunity to do right by ALL of our students. Thank you to all of the community members that came to that meeting, supported, spoke, and stood up for our kids. Kids like mine. As disabled disability rights activist Judy Huemann said, “True leadership means advocating for those who do not have a voice.”
I see leaders within our community, but so far this year, I don’t see them sitting at that long table in the front of the room.
Raises for admins and pay cuts for teaches, why am I not surprized.
Thank you for your thorough coverage of these important issues, Dale.
I have yet to see any logical explanation of why school administrators make so much more than teachers do. No parent ever wakes up and says, "You know what my tax dollars should pay for? More administrators!" For $200K a year, I'd take the superintendent's job, and I'd do it better, too. Where do I apply?
They keep raising taxes and simultaneously cutting programs in the schools. It is a horrendous situation. My son just left Analy because of the air of defeat amongst his peers that has resulted in significantly increased substance abuse and violence. I've spoken to so many of these students. They have given up on the idea of learning anything. They use AI to cheat on their assignments, the teachers use AI to create and grade assignments. Everyone is just pretending. They need to fundamentally change the way they teach, but they resist change and the structure is crumbling. Now even the enrichment, which the kids might actually have enjoyed, is gone. If we let them down, we have nothing. All hope for the future is truly lost. There's no excuse for this. The money comes in, but the county is so corrupt - so many funds are wasted or go missing - and week after week, what are we protesting? Israel. Let's please deal with what's happening in our own town, for God's sake.
Dale and Laura: Thank you for your ongoing contributions to community rationality and democratic action. (Hope you got the earlier part of my comment…) Neil Herring