The promises made last week, were reiterated last night and the BOE finally approved the plan. Hrmm, could it be because the deadline made them do it? Nah, the butler did it with the revolver in the conservatory. If this BOE would get a clue, they would stop focusing on minority quotas and start focusing on measuring performance of educational goals irrespective of who is on what team. The problem facing Norwalk schools, is not a racial one, it is one of poverty. That is the story coming out of the CMT scores.
If the BOE were truly interested in improving educational performance they would host a panel composed of actual teachers from the system to discuss educational needs and concerns.
From the Advocate:
The Board of Education unanimously approved the district improvement plan Monday night after guaranteeing that the team overseeing it includes teachers, parents and minorities.
The board delayed a vote on the plan last week because parents and teachers were not included on the leadership team that created it. Board members were concerned that initially there were no minorities among the 19 central office administrators and school principals on the team.
In the past few days, the district has been looking for parent representatives and invited West Rocks Middle School Principal Lynne Moore and Ivette Ellis, the new principal of Silvermine Elementary School, to sit on the committee.
The school board initially was to vote on a resolution that the leadership team would include parents and teachers, but some members urged that the wording of the resolution be changed to guarantee the racial and ethnic diversity of the committee, and to make sure it is maintained.
The plan, required because the district has not made progress under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, focuses on analyzing student performance data, including standardized test scores and training teachers on differentiating instruction. The district also intends to improve communication with parents.
The plan includes monthly benchmarks for the district to meet, and the board should be updated monthly, member Bruce Kimmel said.
“In my mind, the success or failure of the plan rests on our shoulders,” Kimmel said.
Superintendent Salvatore Corda said the plan was submitted to the state Department of Education Monday afternoon as required, and he will inform the state today that the school board approved it.
Corda is scheduled to present the plan to the state Oct. 2.
source: Advocate, School board approves improvement plan, By Lisa Chamoff, September 23, 2008
