The State of Maryland and Wicomico County is broke! Hey, I have an idea! Let's just cut the good programs to enflame the tax payer. That way, they will get upset and they don't have to share the rest of our budget. Who would like to see the entire WCBOE budget? Could this be a plan to rid us of the revenue cap.... anyone? It sucks when they use children as pawns. Of all the things to cut, they cut the programs for excellerated learning?
Yet, it is perfectly fine to spend our precious resources on playing political campaign videos in the public classroom, yes that is "Art" and valuable.
This system is so incredibly broken....
Yet, it is perfectly fine to spend our precious resources on playing political campaign videos in the public classroom, yes that is "Art" and valuable.
This system is so incredibly broken....
Sent to me today:
Thank you for your interest in the children of Wicomico County!
By now, you may have heard of Superintendent John Fredericksen’s plans to eliminate the Magnet schools and return these accelerated learners to their home schools. This plan is already in motion and we hope you will act now to have your voice heard.
The Central Office has publicly stated that the Magnet program that has served the unique learning needs of gifted students for the last two decades will be on the chopping block at the January 12th Board of Education meeting. A public input session will then be held on January 14th. The Superintendent’s office has stated that he will meet with no more parents to discuss the issue.
It appears that the Central office is attempting to rationalize this proposal by using budget issues and “access” issues to get rid of a successful program not supported by the Superintendent. The Central Office has not addressed parent concerns about the negative effects of this proposal on the accelerated learners currently in the program and future gifted students or the many logistical issues. In fact, NO plans are in place on how to achieve this.
The budget savings stated by the Superintendent have ranged between $42,000 and “hundreds of thousands of dollars”. This amount of savings cannot come from dissolution of magnet as it exists (per data from the BOE budget) so it begs the question, is it possible that there is a plan to consolidate schools and experience resulting class size increases?
This proposal, without effective study of the impact and input from the people most directly affected and knowledgeable about the program, would not be considered good decision making. Dr. Fredericksen may not be familiar with how the Magnet program has benefited our students. It is our job to educate him and the entire School Board by sharing our stories. Time is of the essence. Do the students of Wicomico County deserve more?
If you too are concerned about this action, please take three steps this week. Make at least one phone call, send at least one email and invite at least one person to an informational meeting on January 4th (see attached flyer).
Make a phone call to the office of Susan Jones, Director of Elementary Education at 410-677-4496 or Dr. John Fredericksen, Superintendent at 410-677-4495. Consider:
Expressing your concern at this proposal
Requesting in writing the specifics of the stated plan to put “AP level” classes in each home school or the planned class size for 2010 in your home school.
As parents and concerned taxpayers you may also request a meeting with either individual.
Send an email to at least one Board of Education member (or better yet, to more than one). They have received only cursory information from the Central Office at this point. Many are relatively new to the board with little history or experience with the accelerated learning programs. Consider:
Telling them your story and respectfully ask them to consider the proposal carefully.
Asking for information on how accelerated learners are evaluated beyond standardized testing.
Asking how it could be beneficial from a cost or instructional standpoint for these learners who are “receiving math and language arts instruction one grade level above” to be dropped back into what will be virtually repeating a year?
Advocate No Child KEPT Behind
Mark Thompson, President mthompso@wcboe.org
Michelle Wright, Vice President lmwright@wcboe.org
Donald Fitzgerald dfitzger@wcboe.org
Larry Dodd ldodd@wcboe.org
Ronald Willey rowilley@wcboe.org
Tyrone Chase tachase@wcboe.org
Robin H. Holloway
rhollowa@wcboe.org
Hand out the attached flyer to anyone you think would like more info at our meeting on January 4th. This decision has the potential to impact not only accelerated learners but all students in the county if large numbers of students at Pemberton and North Salisbury move back to their home schools.
Please feel free to forward this information. If you would like to participate in additional ways with parents and other concerned parties as advocates of accelerated learners please contact Anne Anderson at ann21801@yahoo.com or Jami Day at rnjday@comcast.net.
97 comments:
I see - so reductions in spending - such as busing students from all over the county to 'magnet schools' even though it is overly populated by parent overrides - is the problem? We can reduce spending for 'other people' but not when it impacts certain people? Thought so.
cutting the school budget needs to happen in other ways...not by impacting the kids. My son went to magnet...and the learning he rec'd there was incredible. He's a gifted student and would have been bored stiff in the regular classrom. The teachers are a caliber above and pushed him because he could do it. My daughter is now in her home school...because she is an average student but blessed with many other great attributes. So much time is spent trying to pull along those that lag behind...don't condemn those that excel to be ordinary students in an ordinary classroom. Just because they are smart or "gifted" doesn't mean they don't deserve the best education possible.
When I was in school the "smart kids" has separate classes but in the same school as the rest of us "commoners". The magnet program essentially created a government funded private school paid for by public dollars. Perhaps is should be gone anyway...
Part of the reason the magnet program will be cut is budgetary, but the other part of that is test scores. Don't you think it will raise the test scores of some struggling schools if the brightest students are returned to their original schools?
9:16...9:39 you are on to something. Typical "conservative" mentality, cut from others but not from me..me..me..me.
Bright kids is what keeps America rolling. They are the engineers, doctors, researchers.
How can you eliminate this and Dumb down the kids. As everyone knows.. there are a lot of kids that are really pretty dumb in this region. The few that are smart deserve a better education.
Keep America Smart!... Don't dumb them down
if you want a magnet school then pay for it yourself!
why should resources be taken from those most in need?
is this just one more way of making them feel the pain.
sure would like to see a line item budget for the WBOE.
there has to be one somewhere.
on another note Dave Mcleod voting to raise the executive and council pay is a slap in the face of voters!
Dave you are an idiot and out of touch, with everyday hard working people! time for you to go!
Anonymous said...
Part of the reason the magnet program will be cut is budgetary, but the other part of that is test scores. Don't you think it will raise the test scores of some struggling schools if the brightest students are returned to their original schools?
9:45 AM
So you think it's a better idea for the brightest students to carry the lower achievers in "their original schools?" What a joke. Keep the Magnet Program the way it is.
945
It's obvious YOU were not in any program, how was that short bus ride? Let me say it again, the way to HELP the underachieving kids is NOT by gaming the system to raise test scores, and how much you want to bet that t949's comment is a PUBLIC school teacher, IDIOT!
Here is the cookie cutter response that I got from the WCBOE Superintendent. I understand this cut and paste response is being sent to everyone. He needs to go.
-----------
Thank you for your email.
We are dealing with severe financial concerns. We are holding back #3.1M for this year and are proposing to cut $5.5 - 6.5M from current levels for next year. Subsequent years don't look any better. Our goal is to protect the teaching-learning interaction. Thankfully, we have a large number of retirements coming through that will allow us to not refill some positions (spreading the load across the remaining staff) and reduce the unit cost by hiring new employees at lower salaries. We have not cut AP classes except where there was inadequate enrollment to provide a class. When that is done, the unit of teacher time is generally directed towards another class in the same subject area with higher enrollments.
The magnet program is proposed to be expanded to allow more students who qualify to participate, but at a reduced overhead cost. Some are mis-characterizing it as an elimination. That is inaccurate. We are proposing to cut the bussing and four additional teachers that the magnet program currently has that other similar programs do not have.
The goal is to combine what we have learned in our current schools that successfully provide high performance education with the best practices that we have developed with the magnet program. We currently have professional development funds and staff available for this type of training. I agree that all students must be challenged to do their very best - our high performers, our students with handicaps, and everyone else. We have evidence that flexible offerings and tight grouping can do that effectively and be highly satisfactory for parents and guardians. We have a great team with the skills and resources to provide us with a detailed proposal later in January for everyone to consider. It will go through the same public hearing process as every other budgetary action for the 2010-211 school year.
Thank you.
Respectfully,
John E. Fredericksen, Ph.D.
WCBOE Supt.
9:56 AM you have no idea what you are talking about. First of all it is not magnet school it is the Magnet Program and we are paying for it. We are also paying for your special education programs and the Choices Program for your little gang bangers and juvenile delinquents. We are also paying for your free and reduced lunches so if you want those programs as well pay for them yourself.
When you have a program that all it takes is parents demanding that their child get in the program and it is granted AND most reasons are parents don't want their child going to their home school. If the parents want private school then pay for your kids to go to private school. Children who excel will excel in all learning environments. Don't blame the system, accept it and figure out what you are going to do about it. Magnet only goes to 8th grade anyway. Come on parents they have to get melded in with the real society of kids come 9th grade anyway.
My son went to Magnet at North Salisbury but I felt it was pointless as he went straight to the mainstream middle school upon entering 6th grade.
9:56 if you want a magnet school then pay for it yourself! why should resources be taken from those most in need?
If that is the rationale we are using than why should my taxes go to pay for those that are in need? All students deserve the best education they can get...regardless if they are "magnet" or "in need". Perhaps you never rec'd that civics lesson when you were in school.
I talked to Ron Willey who is an appointed member of the BOE and he has told me numerous times that he hates the magnet program and he has been trying for years to do away with it.
9:56 AM you have no idea what you are talking about. First of all it is not magnet school it is the Magnet Program and we are paying for it. We are also paying for your special education programs and the Choices Program for your little gang bangers and juvenile delinquents. We are also paying for your free and reduced lunches so if you want those programs as well pay for them yourself.
10:22 AM
Anonymous Anonymous said...
When you have a program that all it takes is parents demanding that their child get in the program and it is granted AND most reasons are parents don't want their child going to their home school. If the parents want private school then pay for your kids to go to private school. Children who excel will excel in all learning environments. Don't blame the system, accept it and figure out what you are going to do about it. Magnet only goes to 8th grade anyway. Come on parents they have to get melded in with the real society of kids come 9th grade anyway.
10:26 AM
Another person who has no clue what they are talking about. The Magnet Program is 3rd through 5th and then it is Gate. I guess your children weren't qualified to attend so you want to penalize the brighter students.
It's a proven fact when you put smart kids with not as smart kids the smart kids test scores go down . I don't think saying smart kids is actually correct I think it's more of achievers and non-achievers .
Don't let Fredericksen full you into thinking they are "expanding" the program. How in the world can they expand the program to all the home schools while cutting 4 teachers and approximately $350,000 from the budget.
9:50 This one of the smartest area's in the country it's a shame the public schools are failing the children ! Maybe it's time to talk about vouchers again !
I would lay this at the feet of the County leaders, not the BOE. The county is cutting funding to the BOE and as a result no State maintenance of effort funding. So the BOE needs to cut about 29 million over the next three years. The BOE is just reacting to the funding being cut by the county and state. They would love to keep things as they are, but many are on here demanding cuts from the BOE, and now your getting them. Year-round at Delmar will be gone, Professional Development coaches will virtually be gone as well. This is just the beginning of some major cuts at the BOE.
10:26 "Come on parents they have to get melded in real society" What so they can be taught sub- standard no child left behind junk! The Magnet Program works period and if it stays in the system there will be no problem but if they try to end it there will be a fight I promise you! I think all kids should be made to learn at magnet level!
Boy am I glad my kids go to private school. The society is getting ridiculous. Everytime they are punishing someone, it is the achievers. They are taxed higher,have to work harder, and now their educational programs are being cut. This is all so we can allow teacher's unions to protect non-productive, bad teachers and we are stuck with the young dumbasses that grow up to be old dumbasses and vote for presidents like Obama. We should be doubling the budget to magnet and trying to bring more kids up instead of bringing these kids down. Shame on us.. yet so typical
Anon. 10:26
Dead on, When I went to public School in Wicomico county I was able to go to Magnet, but my parents as well as many of my peers' parents kept us at the local School and it created a wonderfull learning enviroment. Magnet school was in my eyes a Private school within the Public school system.
Those appointed board members are nothing but puppets for John Fredericksen. He is nothing but a come here from Minnesota. Lets send him back. Does anyone even like him?
I think it is time for an elected school board.
In the buisness world "real world" you would start cutting the lowest hanging friut. A life long friend that works at the board explains to me that there is so much waste in the form of salery at the the corner of Lond and Mt. Hermon that actually no one has a "full time " job... start your cutting there with the assistants assistant to the 3rd vice director and unness. travel! our kids weather mag. or resource should be the LAST ones to suffer! Ohh by the way that just might free up some $ for positive after school programs to help keep kids from getting involved with gangs and drugs!
You dumb people have no idea what is coming......this county is sooooo broke.
I don't see why a program that advances learning should cost anymore than any other. This makes no sense to me. It cost less to teach to the lowest common denominator? Are you kidding me? While I agree private schools produce a better quality education than the public school system, we all pay taxes to fund the system and we expect that money to be used to produce a quality education. It seems to me there is probably lots of other fat to trim other than the quality of education our children receive. This sort of mentality is why public school fail so badly. God forbid we cut any administrative costs, no let's just dumb down the children and take away the police force. Things like this are pure political maneuvering and should be called as such, unless the WCBOE would like to admit they are substandard, which is in essence what they are saying with this tactic.
I don't see Fredricksen taking a salary reduction.
Vouchers and an elected school board would go a long way to solve these kinds of issue except ooops the teachers union would buy that election.
9:16 So, you have a problem with busing children outside of their district?
I was offered a spot in magnet school along with one of my best friends when we were in elementary school. I didn't go, she did. We talked almost weekly by phone and at the most they were one or two weeks ahead of us cirriculum wise. By the time we were both in high school (no GATE program at our school) we were in the same classes again. I ended up graduating higher in the class ranking than her. I didn't see the value in the magnet program then and I still don't really see it now.
Fredericksen says "We are holding back $3.1M for this year and are proposing to cut $5.5 - 6.5M from current levels for next year," but they still find the money to increase health benefits for retiring teachers.
They just take it from programs for the bright kids instead.
That board is a joke.
Why would the BoE decide to cut programs for children that are doing the right thing...EXCELLING at getting their education? Why not cut THE TONS OF PROGRAMS (more $ than most ppl realize) for the kids the BoE are continually trying to rehabilitate? Some of these kids are just trouble - you cant save them, quit throwing money away by trying to help kids who dont want to be helped. Reward the kids doing the right thing!!!
My two children could have went in the Magnet program, but we decided to keep them in their home school. They both are in high school and taking the same classes that the kids that went through Magnet are taking and are both at the top of their class. So in the end my children are on the same level as the so called higher learning children and my wife and I didn't have to toot our horn about our children being in the Magnet program.
If you want to talk about spending money on programs for kids, look at the hundreds of thousands spent on those who won't or can't learn and those who won't or can't behave. Find out how many kids have an adult with them all day. Yes, the county pays many assistants to be with one and only one child all day, every school day. Add the federal money for resource, Title 1, Choices, etc., and the taxpayer should never feel that bright kids get more than they deserve. The Board needs to be honest and say they want to put the brightest kids in classrooms with the slowest kids. They do not want magnet grouping in every elementary school. Total lie. Just ask Margo Handy if bright kids should be grouped together.
So why arent they cutting funding for "choices" or alternative schools or any of the half dozen special programs designed to accomodate juvenile delinquents and chronic underachievers?These are the same school systems that raise the price of lunches yet serve free meals twice daily all summer to kids who arent even in school.WTH?
Anon 11:12 you hit the nail on the head,in our "new" utopian society,we gotta keep people dumbed down.If Junior gets good grades well lets just cut out his Magnet program because its not fair to the other kids that a select few are more successful academically.We have to dumb it all down so EVERYONE can get A's.Bullsh$t!
If the Board is worried about $42,000, they can cut the expert on school climate, the liaison who just plans PAC 14 filming once a month as her fulltime job, the math coordinator, the reading coordinator, the professional development coordinator, and on and on. No, getting rid of magnet has been on the agenda for years, and now finance issues have given the Board a great excuse for eliminating it. They need to explain to parents of achieving children why those children should learn less so non-learners won't be grouped together. No one thinks high achieving children learn more if they sit around in classes waiting for the discipline problems to let the teacher teach. Total crock.
If the Board had the ethics to enforce the standards for admission to magnet, home schools would not have lost so many of their students. Magnet was never designed for the huge number of average and below average learners whose parents have intimidated Board personnel into admitting their kids. How the Board can cave in to huge numbers of parents and then claim there are too many kids in magnet astounds me. For them, it is easier to get rid of a program than to stand up to parents. By the way, lots of the kids who don't actually qualify are minority kids who are put in the program without even having to appeal so "access" seems more equitable.
I have a wonderful idea to reduce the budget. Why don't we eliminate some of the useless staff members in the Board of Education office and give furloughs like the state and the county is doing? Why do our kids have to suffer in their education while the Superintendents and the assistant superintendents are banking their paychecks every 2 weeks. If cuts are needed then the Board needs to cut their pay through furloughs. As a matter of fact the Board of Ed will be shut down for the next 2 weeks so it won't affect staffing with overtime at all.
If the board wants to make cuts,, cut out some of the vehicles and insurance for the board people. Take out the perks! Have u noticed that when a principal has served so many years they are promoted to the board office so when they retire they retire with a higher salary. If they would cut the perks instead programs for the students we would all better off.
Also why would the council vote for a raise when people were put on furlow days without pay. The crossing guards were done away with. Oh we dont have any money. They are crying wolf. There is money for a library we dont need there is money for the new tri county council building.
Get real and stop crying wolf. We dont believe any of you.
My child was selected for magnet in 3rd grade and we decided to keep her in her own school and it has not dumbed her down at all. She is still one of the brightest kids you'll ever meet and she has normal friends-not just other smart kids. I think the magnet program is great for kids who may not fit in with the other kids so they develop better self-esteem, but when your child is smart and has a healthy self-esteem it doesn't make that much of a difference and she's got a much healthier attitude than some of the "I'm the smartest" syndrome some of these kids get.
to 11:12am
There is no teacher's union on the shore.
I think we should keep the program. I also think that those parents who want their children in the program should foot the bill. If children are truly gifted they should be able to excel in any situation. The real world does not seperate the 'smart' ones from the 'dumb' ones.
This from a former magnet student by the way. Looking back I could have gotten the same type of education in a regular school but also had the experience of learning with a more diversified group of students.
So if the Wicomico County Board of Education would implement the Furloughs like Wicomico County and the State of Maryland then that would solve the issue with funding for the Magnet Program. Why does Fredericken and the BOE think they are to good to take a furlough?
See Below-
Reported by Elizabeth Harrington
Furloughs Approved for Wicomico County Employees
Posted: Oct 6, 2009 01:35 PM
(SALISBURY, Md.- More than 600 Wicomico County employees will be forced to take unpaid days off work.
On Tuesday the Wicomico County Council voted in favor of a furlough plan that will impact all county employees.
The number of furlough days employees will have to take will be based on salary and will range from three to 10 days.
The furloughs are projected to save the county $775,000.
get over it folks. your kids will get the same education in thier home schools. It is all about consoladation of teachers. Are we afraid to save money.
Magnet school has created a group of snobby people who only want their children to be with white rich kids. Get over it. You are probably the same people against obama's socialistic ideal. What do you think magnet school is.
11:10
The sad news is I think they are only going to get rid of 4 PD coaches. They should elimnate all of them. If you want to save money in any budget. You need to eliminate positions.
Wow, how nice now I will have to send my daighter to the trash hole. East Salisbury School. We have tried to excel our child to get her into magnet just to keep her out of ESS. She is ahead of her grade but will be placed with other students that are behind their grade level. I know someone will say put your child in private school. That is not the point. It seems that the worse your child does in school the more they get. So if you have a smart child then you get screwed. Thank you again WCBOE
I have news for those of you throwing insults around and making rude comments about those who don't qualify for the magnet program--just because you live in a nice neighborhood does not mean your child should be in the magnet program. Money does not buy intelligence. The gate program is already watered down by people like you who put their kids in it trying to keep up with the Jones' or trying to keep their kids away from the kids in "other" neigborhoods.
What a joke!!
http://www.wcboe.org/news/400
Wicomico County Public School System Conserves Dollars in Current Difficult Budget Times
Dr. Fredericksen said: "We are not using furlough days, lay-offs, or reduced hours and/or pay at this time," he said. "If this changes, we will discuss it with the Board of Education, employee groups, and other appropriate people."
Statistically speaking it would be impossible for the numbers of children attending the magnet programs in both Pemberton and North Salisbury to actually be 'gifted'. Never mind that the criteria has been lowered several times, and don't leave out all the parent overrides! The magnet program in Wicomico County is nothing more than a way to segregate our schools. I do teach in Wicomico County - at the middle school level and I can definitely attest to the fact that MANY (if not most) of the students in the 'magnet' and GATE program are well below 'gifted'. I have had many parents come right out and tell me they just wanted to keep their little darlings away from 'those other students' - you know, the ones with a year round tan. There are other ways to reach and teach the truly gifted students besides creating segregated schools.
Fredericksen is a typical education bureaucrat. The use of children to justify inefficient management, over admin staffing, and to cover up incompetence is merely routine.
Admin salary freezes and furlough days make to much sense and would have public support, but not provide the controversy that Fredericksen seeks..... "his woes are created by the revenue cap".
Rumor has it, that he is so far to the left that he can't walk straight, and that he came here to retire.
Once again, many are convinced that an elected Board of Education would go a long way in increasing accoutability.
As a high school teacher for 18 years. I can only tell the difference beteween magnet and non magnet kids. The magnet kids are spoiled little brats who think they are better then the peers around them who did not go to magnet. Show me the data that the magnet kid does better then a non magnet kid in high school.
Right on 3:54!
9:37. Magnet teachers are a "caliber" above? What an insult to the rest of us teachers who work with kids who may not be magnet material. Any moron can teach a magnet kid- they are self motivated anyway. But to say those teachers are a caliber above- give me freakin break!!! I find it interesting that a couple of schools have higher test scores than the two magnet schools, how does that happen when they are the brightest in the county???
Magnet teachers are not any better than any other teacher. Who can't teach the smart kids????? Tell me that one would you. Magnet teachers were hand pecked not on skill and merit alone. They are not the best of the best. The best are early childhood and special education teachers who teach children who don't know anything. Instead of worrying about who the best teachers are maybe we should be worried about how all our students fair through this transition. This is just another example of how parents need to learn to parent. Mean hurtful words help who? Children are a product of their environment. Maybe we all need to take a good look in the mirror before we open our mouths.
4:49
Magnet is not a school, it is a program. Test scores of magnet students at North and Pemberton are combined with the scores of the other students in those grades. There are no separate scores reported just for magnet students in any grade.
4:49
Thank you for being honest. You don't want the magnet material in your classroom because you would be teaching beyond your own skill level!
The best way to save money in the public school system would be to disolve the teachers union, get the government out of the education (indoctrination) of our kids, hold the teachers accountable, cut he administrative staff and salaries by 80%, and make teachers recertify EVERY YEAR!
The biggest crime in government is how much these school administrators are being paid by tax payer dollars!
4:23--Wow, you teach in the district? No wonder the kids love high school so much. Any chance you might consider early retirement?
Parents...meet and organize all you want. This decision is DONE...You all B!tch and moan about the good ole boys of year's past and now you criticize Dr. Fredericksen for being a come here. You can't have it both ways to serve your personal interests.
I support him 100%!
To the comment about East Salisbury School they have some great teachers and a wonderful principal. I was very worried when my daughter was to go there and very surprised and happy to find out i was wrong.
3:08...One word for you...MOVE! Remember, you bought your house knowing that you lived in a TRASH HOLE!
Glad to see you are teaching your daughter some good qualities...You should have been neutered!
Think of someone you know who can program computers being put in a class with someone who can't turn on a computer. Tell the teacher to make sure they both learn at their own pace. Who will get most of the teacher's time and attention? Who will learn nothing and probably be told to help the other one instead of being taught anything new? Welcome to mixed ability classrooms.
The revenue cap has left the county without funds. Period. The WCBOE has been warning us about these budget cuts for YEARS. Now we have hit the wall and people are surprised and angered that the Board of Ed. has their hands tied and MUST cut programs. If you are so upset about this, figure out how to increase the income to our county government. Don't go after the WCBOE for having to make cuts. The program is going to be spread through each intermediate school in the county. More children will have access to this higher level of teaching and students won't transported out of their neighborhood schools and the children in their communities. Sounds like an improvement to me, not a cut.
3:06
I'm sure in the next round of cuts they will do away with all the PD coaches. The sad part is, no positions at the Central Office will be done away with. The mnain cost of the Magnet Program is the transportation of students from all over the county to the Magnet Schools.
Anonymous said...
I would lay this at the feet of the County leaders, not the BOE. The county is cutting funding to the BOE and as a result no State maintenance of effort funding. So the BOE needs to cut about 29 million over the next three years. The BOE is just reacting to the funding being cut by the county and state. They would love to keep things as they are, but many are on here demanding cuts from the BOE, and now your getting them. Year-round at Delmar will be gone, Professional Development coaches will virtually be gone as well. This is just the beginning of some major cuts at the BOE.
11:10 AM
Sounds like damage control from the WCBOE. They have been using this tactic for years. Every year during the budget hearing for the County Council these BOE morons use students and their parents to beg and plead for more money the the school board. It is sickening. Get rid of all the Board Members and overpaid staff.
The Magnet students will be in their own classroom at the home schools. They won't intermingle with the other students except at recess and lunch.
6:02 PM
Anonymous IBATCHR said...
Parents...meet and organize all you want. This decision is DONE...You all B!tch and moan about the good ole boys of year's past and now you criticize Dr. Fredericksen for being a come here. You can't have it both ways to serve your personal interests.
I support him 100%!
6:06 PM
Thanks John, for someone with a PhD I am surprised this is all you can come up with. LMAO
And how about cutting some of the programs for the alternative schools. Kids who don't want to learn in regular school, so we the taxpayers, pay for their so-called education where many of the students continue to be unruly and waste the funds of the taxpayer. If only one student succeeds then the mentality of this program is the system is working?? How about the money wasted in this program where many fail and still drop out of school, or skip school and then we have truancy, truancy hearings and still drop out??? We have the funds spent in school, we have funds in the Board monitoring these students, we have Juvenile Services involved, we have the Court system involved.
But we will continue to dump money in these programs, but not programs aimed at excellerated students? What a political system we have. If you are a dead beat, you are worth spending money on, if you are intelligent and want to learn, you are not worth it.
Anonymous said...
To the comment about East Salisbury School they have some great teachers and a wonderful principal. I was very worried when my daughter was to go there and very surprised and happy to find out i was wrong.
6:11 PM
I don't think anyone said anything negative about the great teachers and wonderful principal. It is the criminals that live in the church street area that they have to worry about. How soon we forget that just 3 short weeks ago a man was shot, robbed and left for dead just across the street from your precious East Salisbury School. There are way to many schools in the bad areas of Salisbury and we deserve better.
Just in case anyone hasn't noticed the majority of the comments against the Magnet Program are obviously from Board of Ed people.
No teacher union on the eastern shore? Surely you jest. Almost all teachers pay into the union here.
Please, this is not about the BOE or Dr. Fredericksen. This is about the future of the children of this county. These kids in the Magnet program are excelling. Some had to take a test to qualify for the program, some were referred by their 2nd grade teachers. The children are being challenged every day. I think if you would observe a Magnet class, you would see that these students are there to learn and the teachers are there to teach. The interruptions are minimal, as it should be to achieve the highest level of education. I think that many of the people commenting are completely unaware of the quality of the Magnet program.
What the Research Says: Gifted Education Works
http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=566
Grouping Works
The practice of grouping, placing students with similar abilities and/or performance together for instruction, has been shown to positively impact student learning gains. Grouping gifted chidlren together allows for more appropriate, rapid, and advanced instruction, which matches the rapidly developing skills and capabilities of gifted students
The magnet program was a joke...a private school within the system for those parents who thought their kids were gifted. Einstein would have been in a special ed class. It is very difficult to spot a really gifted child. Those who end up in the magnet program are those who are merely sponges absorbing data.
7:13
The Board of Ed. DOES NOT BELIEVE in putting bright kids together in the home schools. They want heterogeneous grouping where the least capable learners and the most capable are in the same room. I don't know where you got the idea there would be magnet classes in each home school, but you need to wake up. The Board's motto is that all efforts must be directed toward the ones with the least potential. Poor behavior, poor attitude, little ability get the attention; those who behave and want to learn can sit around and wait for the others to decide to do a little work.
8:51~exactly.....
Anonymous said...
The Magnet students will be in their own classroom at the home schools. They won't intermingle with the other students except at recess and lunch.
7:13 PM
This is total BS. They are doing away with the Magnet Program. Quote from John Fredericksen. "expand the Magnet school educational experiences for Highly Able students in all their home schools." This is like the old Bait and Switch and if you people fall for this you are nothing but a bunch of fools. Highly Able students, LMAO. He is patronizing you people so that you will fall for this social program and take away one that is working.
Give me a tax voucher so I can send my kids to a school of my choice.
10:02 and 8:51 PM I doubt very seriously that you were qualified for the Magnet Program. As a matter of fact I think I remember seeing you guys outside the Vo-tech building smoking cigarettes. What was that movie that had your favorite song in it where they sang "Beauty School Drop Out?"
Anonymous said...
Please, this is not about the BOE or Dr. Fredericksen. This is about the future of the children of this county. These kids in the Magnet program are excelling. Some had to take a test to qualify for the program, some were referred by their 2nd grade teachers. The children are being challenged every day. I think if you would observe a Magnet class, you would see that these students are there to learn and the teachers are there to teach. The interruptions are minimal, as it should be to achieve the highest level of education. I think that many of the people commenting are completely unaware of the quality of the Magnet program.
8:21 PM
I beg to differ my friend it is all about Dr. Fredericksen and the BOE. He is proposing doing away with the program and the puppets and the BOE are falling right in line with it. Good bye Magnet Program it is a done deal.
Please contact the Wicomico County Council Members. They have to approve the budget for the Board. Here are their contact numbers.
Wicomico County Council Members
Gail M. Bartkovich (Republican)
Council President
3960 Featherstone Drive
Salisbury, MD 21804
Biography
Office: 410-548-4696
Home: 410-742-5399
Fax: 410-742-8187
Email: gbartkovich@wicomicocounty.org
Sheree Sample-Hughes (Democrat)
Council Vice President
28926 Jacqueline Drive
Salisbury, MD 21801
Biography
Office: 410-548-4696
Home: 410-677-3388
Fax: 420-860-1258
Email: ssamplehughes@wicomicocounty.org
John T. Cannon (Republican)
30303 Dixon Road
Salisbury, MD 21804
Biography
Office: 410-548-4696
Home: 443-523-4553
Fax: 410-749-7250
Email: jtcannon@wicomicocounty.org
William R. McCain (Democrat)
30111 Providence Drive
Salisbury, MD 21804
Biography
Office: 410-548-4696
Home: 410-860-1461
Fax: 410-860-5313
Email: wmccain@wicomicocounty.org
Stevie Prettyman (Republican)
5393 Royal Mile Boulevard
Salisbury, MD 21801
Biography
Office: 410-548-4696
Home: 410-742-6026
Fax: 410-546-9901
Email: sprettyman@wicomicocounty.org
David MacLeod (Democrat)
603 Hunting Park Drive
Salisbury, MD 21801
Biography
Office: 410-548-4696
Home: 410-749-6945
Fax: 410-860-1257
Email: mac603@comcast.net
Joe Holloway (Republican)
32928 Shavox Road
Parsonsburg, MD 21849
Biography
Office: 410-548-4696
Home: 410-749-4010
Fax: 410-860-1256
Email: jholloway@wicomicocounty.org
Anonymous said...
The revenue cap has left the county without funds. Period. The WCBOE has been warning us about these budget cuts for YEARS. Now we have hit the wall and people are surprised and angered that the Board of Ed. has their hands tied and MUST cut programs. If you are so upset about this, figure out how to increase the income to our county government. Don't go after the WCBOE for having to make cuts. The program is going to be spread through each intermediate school in the county. More children will have access to this higher level of teaching and students won't transported out of their neighborhood schools and the children in their communities. Sounds like an improvement to me, not a cut.
6:57 PM
LMAO, What board member or employee is this? I was wondering when someone would bring up this lie about the revenue cap. Sir/Madame it is not about increasing revenue it is about cutting wasteful spending such as the numerous board positions. Now they are going to use the emotions of the Magnet parents to go after the Wicomico County Council and beg them to lift the revenue cap. Working hand in hand with the BOE, the Lawless teachers union and the Democrats to raise taxes. I say lets get an elected school board.
Anonymous said...
The program is going to be spread through each intermediate school in the county. More children will have access to this higher level of teaching and students won't transported out of their neighborhood schools and the children in their communities. Sounds like an improvement to me, not a cut.
6:57 PM
So you are saying that the program will be spread to all the intermediate schools in the county so that "more children will have access to this higher level of teach..." But then on the other hand you say that there are to many people in the Magnet Program and half of them don't qualify? So there are approximately 500 students in the Magnet Program and 250 of them aren't qualified then how will the other kids in the intermediate schools going to "qualify?" Yep, sounds like you are dumbing down the program to me. Typical Democrat selling a bill of goods to the Kool Aide Drinkers.
I am a teacher in the county.
I personally do not think the magnet program is the best choice for serving the largest number of gifted students, and in all honesty, it HAS been used by parents to just get their children into a school they imagine is populated with a higher class of kids than their home school, which defeats the purpose of the program. It is too small to be offering AP to all students who want to try to excel, but too big to be serving just exceptionally gifted students.
I hope that they DO close the program, and I hope that the parents who want different educational options will come together and create charter schools within the county that can best serve their children.
As for the schools in bad neighborhoods - sure. But so what. The private schools have issues to - St. Francis just had a robbery in the bank right across the street and an assault on site inside one of the school buildings. The fact that ALL of Salisbury has gone to heck in a hand-basket is a completely different discussion.
Here is another 'truth' to the magnet program that many don't know. There are actually three groups of students in this program. The first are the students that are truly 'gifted' - an EXTREMELY small percentage in this population, or any other in the county. When the program was first envisioned, these were the students who were to be addressed. Technically, this is a special education program and the reason why it was formed. The second group are 'bright' students who, with tutoring and additional assistance have been maintaing decent grades in the magnet program. The last group are the students who really have no business being there at all. Simply, they made enough noise and as the saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. These two populations are the ones heading home to their home schools people. Several comments noted that this program, in it's current state is nothing more than a publically funded, private school education. I can tell you for a fact that the current Principals in both of these buildings, as well as those that headed up the programs prior to them, have been over ruled so many times by thier superiors that they simply have reverted to just putting the students in who do not qualify. Now, with that being said, there are many who want a showdown with the Super. This isn't going to happen. You may not like the man or his stance on this, but he is done with this and moving on. He is not the slightest bit rattled or phased by these types of comments, and be it as it may that he is a 'come here', he IS here and IS going to do this. An interesting quesiton to ponder is just what is the job of the school system? Of course, it is to educate our students. Just as a point of thought might be the lifespan of High School sports? Growing up in Texas, sports ruled and viably consumed much of the budget....wonder how much it might cost to eliminate this, and all of the things that go with it? Now THAT IS a HUGE chunk of money. I'm sure that many who read this post will say "...it keeps kids off the streets." or "teaches social skills, blah, blah, blah....the truth is parents are supposed to be doing this - not the educators. I'm sure sports will not fall on the chopping block entirely, because any rational person would see the value in these programs, but we should all be considering what is necessary, and what is not. The magnet program is, in it's current setup, NOT achieving it's goal, and I support the cut. Now that I have painted a big, fat, bullseye on me, here is one more thing about the magnet program. MOST of the parents there could care less about the education their kid is getting - they just want their kid away from the 'getto' kids - short and sweet.
The Board wants to cut zero dollars from programs for those who learn very little and behave very little. Magnet in every school is a joke. Some schools have about two kids per grade level who would qualify so don't tell me there will be a class of two in the home school. They just need to tell parents of high achieving students that we need for your kids to learn less so the ones with behavior problems can get all the teacher's attention and help from fellow students, as well.
An elected school board? So people like Shanie, Smith, and Comegys are elected and those are the types that will be elected to the school board. Nice, real good idea there. Dorchester has an elected school board, go see how bad their schools are over there. Their board president sent his own kids to private school. An elected school board won't do anything to solve the budget problems of Wicomico.
Just ask at the budget hearing if the Board believes in grouping bright students together. It's homogeneous grouping, and they don't believe in it. Magnet in every school is a lie to make parents shut up about the end of magnet.
There are children in the magnet program who were not accelerated learners at all. They were not even average learners. They were called working towards level learners, which means below average. How did they get in there? Central office staff with no guts couldn't say no to the parents. Then the issue becomes if he's below average and is in magnet, then my kid should be. When the Board knows it can't stick to high standards, they would rather get rid of the program than show some leadership.
I can tell u right now. John wont care what any of u have to say. Neither will anyone who works there. Ur emails will go unread. phone calls my be returned but by the time u get off the phone u will be so angry.
The BOE does what ever at whatever cost to the children.
ESPN did a story about a month ago on the elimination of high school sports in some districts in the Midwest. The economy is so bad there, that all high school sports were gone. Don't think that it can't hapen here as well. This was in Ohio where footbal is supreme and yet it is all gone now. The Magnet program is just the tip of the iceberg in future budgets.
Just wait until they re-district the white, upper-crust neighborhoods into different schools and deny special permission requests. Then you will really hear some noise from parents. That is how they will get more magnet kids into the other schools. There is also a primary school in this county that may be closed as well. Don't be surprised!
Some Vice-Principal positions may be eliminated as well. Schools will have to share Vice-Principals.
we should all set our expectations on the best the govt can do.dumbing down kids to perform with parental neglected children is wrong.maybe those children should be introduced to child with parent school,and fix the broken previous generation too.haha
You know who needs to be eliminated??? Not only these special board appointed positions and much of the wasteful administration, but these NASTY "teachers" that we entrust our children to who have so little respect for them and their parents. The one's coming here with such chips on their shouders and an entitlement attitude. You should use you name, so we can know who you are.
Vouchers now!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anonymous said...
ESPN did a story about a month ago on the elimination of high school sports in some districts in the Midwest. The economy is so bad there, that all high school sports were gone. Don't think that it can't hapen here as well. This was in Ohio where footbal is supreme and yet it is all gone now. The Magnet program is just the tip of the iceberg in future budgets.
9:13 AM
I would rather see the sports programs cut then cutting the magnet program. What is more important to a kids future and education or the fact that they played a sport in school. Am I against sports no. I was an athlete in school and now I am a coach of several sports and my son is a top athlete who possibly has a future in sports, but I value the importance of an education. It is called Priority!
Why has this become a "discussion" about "rich white kids" (many minorities are in Magnet BTW) or keeping up with the Jones? This is about those children who have a higher level of cognitive function, PERIOD! America is so far behind the rest of the world educationally, you would think we would like to encourage our accelerated learners. The bickering about have and have nots, rich versus underpriviledged is moot. Money needs to go to help the gifted just as it does to help the underachievers. if your child was in either of these categories, you'd agree. In my day, we had "advanced", "regular" and "functional" class divisions. Lord knows we are FAR TOO PC these days to ever do something like that! Hence the need for Magnet as well as Resource level class instruction.
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