The Observation Deck

Average Schools?

We've given them all the money they've ever asked for--right?
They've been in power for decades with a free hand to do whatever they want behind the curtain with Bid Daddy Summers' complicity--right?
They built brand new "bricks and mortar" costing us millions and millions in taxes--right? Where is Jenn Pae when we need her "wisdom" on this subject?

So, what's their excuse now?

Too many of "those people" that somehow can't be educated? Really, you're going to blame "those people" again? Are you going to blame the teachers? Is that your excuse Linda Beebe? Hurry Linda, file another police report against me because you "feel threatened"?

"Those Board Members" should resign---NOW! Or they should be "impeached" by the the people like the entire West Virginia Supreme Court was:https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/14/politics/west-virginia-supreme-court-impeach-trnd/index.html

Our School Board is a profile in failed leadership and cowardice.

We can't have change without accountability and we need good leadership to have accountability. We don't have it.

If you hear a load "hissing" sound, that's the real estate bubble deflating.

Here are the facts of their failure:

The Ohio Department of Education released report cards for school districts as well as individual school buildings on Thursday September 13, 2018 and Beebe, Shaugnessy and Einhouse can't drink the results pretty as "Good News" a la Big Daddy Spin Doctor.


DISTRICT NAME Lakewood City


OVERALL GRADE C
ACHIEVEMENT COMPONENT GRADE C
PERFORMANCE INDEX SCORE GRADE C
INDICATORS MET GRADE F
PROGRESS COMPONENT GRADE B
OVERALL VALUE-ADDED GRADE A
GIFTED VALUE-ADDED GRADE C
LOWEST 20% VALUE-ADDED GRADE A
SWD VALUE-ADDED GRADE C
GAP CLOSING COMPONENT B
GRADUATION COMPONENT C
4-YEAR GRADUATION RATE GRADE C
5-YEAR GRADUATION RATE GRADE C
IMPROVING AT-RISK K-3 READERS COMPONENT C
PREPARED FOR SUCCESS COMPONENT D

This is an effen joke . . .all we hear about from the Superintendent and the School Board is how wonderful our schools are. Just because you rebuilt everything at the taxpayer's expense doesn't make a great school district. We need to get rid of EVERYONE in order to see change. Remember, doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity.

I implore everyone to reject the next school levy. This is an embarrassment.

STOP DRINKING THE KOOL-AID

Nothing will get you into more trouble than telling the truth about Lakewood Schools.

The first retort from the school bureaucracy is that "we don't have enough money". Within certain limits the amount of money spent has nothing to do with outcomes.

https://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.s ... _here.html

Today's lesson:

Some of the worst performing schools spend the most money. Cleveland Heights/University Heights spends almost $20,000 per student and get dismal results. If I gave you 20 students and $400,000 how would you spend the money?

Explain why that is not enough money.

Explain why districts that spend less accomplish more.

If an excellently prepared hard working teacher gives all his attention and devotion to the students and the students aren't interested:

Is it the fault of the teacher?

is it the fault of the administration?

Is it the fault of the student?

Is it the fault of the parents?

The average IQ in this country is between 85 and 114, what affect does general intelligence have on the ability to learn? If one district has an average IQ of 120 and another an average IQ of 90 is if fair to compare? Is it fair to criticize?

What changes in teaching methods can equalize district 120 and district 90?

Should schools and bureaucracies ignore cognitive abilities and just assume that everyone is a potential genius?

Is it fair to expect that everyone have a high school diploma?

If standards are reduced so that the average high school teaches what use to be taught in the average junior high what have we gained? What have we lost?

If the cost of college for everyone is college educated waiters and waitresses with $100,000 in student loan debt what have we accomplished?

Pet peeve: All reporting on school levies includes the line: To improve and maintain services. That reporting is inaccurate.

Am I in trouble yet?

Note that the “Prepared for Success Component” is a D.

This is a potential explanation as why Sam O’Leary is such a failure. He can blame Beebe for his shortcomings

Bill Call wrote:Nothing will get you into more trouble than telling the truth about Lakewood Schools.

Am I in trouble yet?

Mr. Call,

I’ve been in meetings this morning and I have several voicemails I have yet to check.

I’ll let you know if I have one from the Police.

When I moved here in 2000, there were more schools and now there are less.

What was the rationale for reducing the number of schools in Lakewood?

Vince Frantz wrote:When I moved here in 2000, there were more schools and now there are less.

What was the rationale for reducing the number of schools in Lakewood?

Declining enrollment.

Meg Ostrowski wrote:

Vince Frantz wrote:When I moved here in 2000, there were more schools and now there are less.

What was the rationale for reducing the number of schools in Lakewood?

Declining enrollment.

Did this actually serve to increase the size of the school buildings overall? I assumed that when there were more schools, they had smaller populations at each school. The new Garfield, Lincoln and Harding look physically larger now.

I took a look at the all school district ratings in Cuyahoga County. The average percentage of disadvantaged children by grade are as follows: A - 8.6%, B - 16.3%, C - 37.7% (Lakewood has 41.5%), D - 72.2%, F - 98.3%. Poverty is not the only factor, but is a huge driver of how well children do in school. The other C districts in Cuyahoga are Brooklyn, North Olmsted, Berea, Shaker, and Fairview, with only Brooklyn having a higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students.

I don't think there is a direct relationship between number of students (which can vary) and square footage of a school building. A building and a system of buildings has to be designed for current and projected uses. Over a 15 year rebuilding program these needs can change midstream. My old homeroom at LHS was room 40-the machine shop. That need no longer exists. Maybe it was replaced by a larger square footage need for the Ranger Cafe.
All in all, I have been impressed and satisfied with the new buildings.

Also, remember the "old" circa 1970 Grant Elementary was state of the art at the time. It was a good effort but physically and functionality of that time no longer served students' needs only a short 40 years later.

Is there a relationship between the size of the school (a single school building student population) and the quality of the education?

Is there a relationship between the size of the school and the degree of parent involvement?

How about safety?

I figure the new buildings are an improvement in terms of efficiency and consolidation of resources. But these school grades that people are commenting on are not for "building quality".

Vince-- your questions sound like those that the ancient Greek scholars dealt with. Always seeking the answers, maybe having to be satisfied with pressed concrete panels. Stan

And, Vince, if we need no more evidence of kids just voraciously gobbling up "school" just post your FB post of your daughter doing a 440 dash on the first day of school!