WOW! My comment to Sarah wasn’t even up for 2 hours and my phone rang. I gotta give the guy credit. Mr. Widowfield made his case pretty well. AND he apologized for not responding to the boards’ request to attend candidate’s night. He also says that Sarah never contacted him. I find the comments from Sarah strange anyway considering only one candidate actually knows me. So if Ms. Hanna wanted to invite me to a mental health forum, I’m sure it was to help me understand some of the people I serve with.
Mr. Widowfield pointed out to me that it is not easy to legislate. While I only have to deal with 4 other points of view, he must deal with 99. He has a point. But then again that’s why we hired him. He told me he has done much to increase state funding and protect local dollars since taking office. But he did defend charter schools. He claims that there a many charter schools outperforming public schools, I pointed out that are a few that are outperforming local "Big 8" districts but generally publics outperform. He also claims that David Brennan’s money has no effect on his decision making in congress. I must be suspicious of that comment until he stops taking his money. How could you take someone’s hard earned cash (she said with a snicker) and not feel some sense of partiality? When I posed the solution of closing all failing charters now and allowing new start ups that must succeed within a 3 year period he said that's how it is now. Except for the closing the already failing ones. And except for preventing them from reopening down the street. Read this article for more on this issue.
As for the judgeship comments I made, he says I’m off base on this one. To sum up what he told me in a nutshell, The juvenile court had said for years they needed a judge. Summit Co. Common Pleas was also yelling for more judges. Mr. W asked the most independent person he knew, Justice Moyer, to look into each request and decide what was needed where. Later the power shifted at juvey and the demoncrats said another judge was not needed. It is my understanding that cases move fairly quickly through the system at juvey. Not the case at Summit Co. Common Pleas. So I have a feeling politics play into this a smidge. But I’ve gotta give him credit too. His kids are enrolled in public school and they do and will continue to feel the effects of funding deficiencies. He does understand DeRolph and asks people this question: What is your formula or answer to fund schools? It’s a good question. There is no easy answer. But then again that’s why we hired them (legislators). If he is re-elected I expect him to find the answer to this question. I’m not paid enough to find that answer.
The Plan for Excellence comment stems from the fact that there is one parent from CF on the building reconfiguration committee and the rest are SL parents, teacher/SL residents, and administrators. The committee chairs both hail from SL as well. This is not fair and balanced. Madam Kellie is going to make another prediction. Madam Kellie predicts that nothing will change. Instead of going to grade level based buildings, a proven winner, we will keep our "neighborhood" schools. Well some of us will. Some of us will continue to trek across town to our neighborhood school. Unfortunately not many people were aware that our district was reconfiguring. I place blame on many people for this, including myself. But I gave up on the Plan for Excellence after my first meeting. You see the committees were set up and one was labeled "facilities and resources". Common sense would dictate that building reconfiguration would happen on this committee. Imagine my surprise when I learned that the "teaching and learning" committee would be handed this task. That’s when I began to realize that the whole process was flawed. Is this committee looking at the financially beneficial configuration? Hmmmm… It’s obvious our district needs all day kindergarten. Look at the percentage of two career households and single mothers in our district. Did this topic really require a committee? Along the same lines, I hope they look into letting middle school aged children out 15 minutes before the elementary aged kids. After all they are the baby sitters of these kids.
People are throwing their hands in the air. I remain hopeful that the community survey will provide some guidance for these committees as to where the taxpayers want to see our money spent and what we expect in return. Please O please return your surveys!
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13 comments:
To: The Kinky People who want to solve problems on this blog,
Please allow me to start a list of all of the variables that we may want to consider in our problem solving process.
Cost per day per student to:
- Transport a student by bus.
- Transport by family car
- Transport by car pool
- Maintain building
- Heat/Cool/Clean building
- Staff with teacher(s)
- Staff with administrators
- Staff with support people
- Staff sport, music, etc. programs
- Staff lunch & parking attendants
- Measure performance
...
What are some more?
Does anyone know how to do a capacity vs. requirements analysis?
Lou
To: Kellie,
I have not set up a blog recently. I do know that Google continues to add functions to their tools.
I would not be surprised if you could change a setting to find out Sarah's full name. For that matter, you could probably find out the real name of 'Get-ReaK-Ok' and other bloppers.
At the minimum, you could change a setting and see if the quality of the problem solving improves.
Let me know if I can help.
Lou
To: The Kinky People who think we can use new tools to help solve old problems,
Yes, if we ask people to stand up and state their name and address then we do level the playing field. And, we do set a limit on the random negative feedback that may or may not facilitate the problem solving process.
And, we do not provide many incentives to get sustained positive feedback that may be useful.
So, if my coach (Get-Reak-Ok) only tells me to not pitch a ball to the 'low & outside' position and then my coach does not tell me where to pitch the ball then I am still without positive direction (feedback).
Here is another option. Kellie can set up two blogs. She can leave this one like it is. The other one can be set to only let real people post their thoughts. Thus, we can compare the progress in each blog.
What do you think of those choices?
Lou Schott (also known as no one else).
To: CF_Loses...,
Please do not diminish yourself by suggesting that I am not interested in your statements. The problem solving processes that I was taught and use captures everyone's problem statements -- and then some. When we capture problem statements from everyone then we can count the number of times the statement occurs. This positions us to prioritize the high volume statements (many people voicing the same complaint). When we prioritize the problem statements then we can develop solution statement for the priority problems -- ASAP.
The internet did not get off of the ground with bloggers until the past 3 to 5 years. Back in the 1980s, I coordinated the implementation of an information system and the use of something called PROFs by IBM. We used these tools to coordinate the action of 600 engineers around the world. About half of these engineers were outside consultants.
Please rest assured that these people worked many 16 hour days building manufacturing facilities. On Monday morning they may have started out using a kind and courteous demeanor. But, when the cost to complete exceeded the budget, and the job was supposed to have been done 3 months before and the helecopter dropped the air conditioner into the manufacturing plant from a distance of 100 feet in the air then I can assure you that you have not nor will you ever see similar language on this blog.
Now lets gets serious here.
Either we use this tool to solve problems or we listen to people vent and maybe feel better.
Maybe we need three blogs. One blog could be set up to allow the people willing and able to apply the problem solving process. Another blog could be set to allow the willing but unable to apply the problem solving process. And, a third blog could be set to allow the unwilling and unable to trash each other and try to convince each other that someone else should solve their problems for them.
So, everyone can post in the third blog. If you can prove (based on your performance) that you are willing to try to solve problems then you qualify for entry into the second blog. If you prove yourself able and willing to solve problems then you qualify for the first blog.
Meanwhile everyone can read all three of the blogs. But, only qualified people can work on solving real problems. Just because the settings of Kellie's blog are set to 'include everyone' does not mean that someone else is prevented from running a parallel operation feeding off of the same content.
I trust that you will understand how important the work of solving problems is so our community can compete with the global competition.
This is not about having fun or enjoying an emotional release. This is about survival.
To: CF_Loses... ,
Wow. Please allow me to applaud your useful description of our current situation in our community.
For the rest of my comments, please see Mollie's blog. Note: I am doing this to help make a point around how we can use the tools to do a better job of setting limits and creating opportunities for the problem solvers in our community.
To: Barry and others who want to be part of the solution process.
Your question is:
What litmus test could we give to ensure enough stability on the Board to actually move our school system foward?
Please allow me to suggest a couple of word substitutions so I can develop a shorter response to your question. Thus, our question is:
What process can we use to ensure enough healthy thoughts and action on the BOE to actuallly move our school system forward?
For my response, please see Molly's blog. And, since you (Barry) are a real person, I will assume that Molly will approve of you posting on her blog. In the meantime, 'Get-ReaPed-Ok' can continue to repeat that I am intellectually handicapped on this blog. Who gets hurt if we try it?
To: Barry & others who pose useful questions,
Thank you.
Please allow me to slightly modify your questions -- so I can give a simplier response. The questions are:
What can WE (voters) do to get people to do a useful job?
Can WE form a team to ask questions and go beyond the standard "meet the candidates" forum? Can we pick a team rather than pick a person?
The answer to the last the above last question is 'yes'. Let me clarify.
We have already picked a team (the current BOE). And, we need to continue to develop this team. When I compare what we do versus what Hudson does, I think that we lead the competition. More money (Hudson) does not solve more problems. Better definition of the problem/solution statements does.
We need to continue to develop our bench strength. We had 13 people run for the BOE. We have 5 people currently serving. Of the 13, we had one die, several lose interest, and a few that continue to read blogs and maintain their interest. We need to add more people. And, we must recognize that they will come to us with varying levels of ability. Meaning, they may be willing and not know that they are unable.
Can WE ask questions to go beyond the standard "meet the candidates" forum?
The answer is yes. And, the questions can be developed using blogs and a low power radio station. And, the answers can be open book. When we get more people contributing to the question/answer statements then we get a higher quality set of answers.
What can WE (voters) do to get people to do a useful job?
We can create more opportunities for people to think useful thoughts and share them with others using the 'creative problem solving process'. The 'Plan for Excellence' is doing it. But, it is moving too slow with respect to involving community, family, and business. And, the 'PfE' has a big job to do inside the school system. That must be the priority of our school administrators.
So, what can WE (voters) do to help?
We can do a better job of defining our problem/solution statements.
For example, one of the problem categories relates to the SLV + CFO equation. Or, is it the SLV - CFO = zero equation. One of the ways to handle our problems is to deny the existence of the problems. Another, way is to form a sub-team and try to silence the other sub-team.
A third strategy is to work for a better understanding of how we can strengthen the weaknesses of all of our current residents. This must be our strategy. It is a huge project. It is do-able -- if we know how.
And, it must include people like 'Get-ReaPed-Ok' who wants to tell me that I am intellectually handicapped. And, it must include people like me who prefer to analyize and think about our problem / solution statements before WE let our BOE decide how they feel about the solution.
And, it must include the two amiables, one expressive, one director, and one person who flexes through the four different 'personality preferences'.
While they have names that we know -- those names will change. But, their personality preferences for solving problems will continue -- even when the names change.
Thus, we develop our team when we facilitate the ability our team members to discuss their personal preferences for solving problems. For the people who FEEL first -- this is a process of style. For the people who THINK first -- this is a process of strategy.
Ok. Now we are ready to get comments from 'Get-ReaPed-Ok'. Let me say it for him/her/it. I am a 'psuedo intellectual'. How do you think that we can help you?
Lou Schott, 144 Grant Ave., CFO. 44221 -- at the corner of Grant and Second. The grey house with all of the weeds.
To: CF_Loses and others who want to see a presentation on education and creative problem solving,
The following URL goes to your same destination.
http://tinyurl.com/hfef8
Anyone can convert a long URL to a short URL by going to
http://tinyurl.com/create.php . The benefit is that a short URL has a better chance of getting copied correctly.
I watched the person speaking on the topic of creativity and education in the above URL. My reasons for watching it were to establish if the content was useful.
Meaning, could we apply it to our situation? And, the answer is -- of course.
Let's review and apply at least three of the main points in the presentation. And, let's do it by asking three questions -- as follows:
1. How do we teach people (of all ages and stages) to solve problems in a creative manner?
2. How do we teach teachers to teach creative problem solving?
3. Where do we start?
During the late 1980s, we were developing and prototyping the packages to help 600 engineers (scattered around the world) solve problems in a more creative manner.
The results of their work is to create a service. And, their service is not to repeat a pattern that has only a positive immediate result. They must provide a service to satisfy a long-term positive result.
The challenge of teaching teachers to teach students (little problem solvers) how to solve problems in a creative manner is very similar to the challenge of teaching engineers how to solve problem in a creative manner.
Since I have done this before -- are you interested?
Look, Lou, I know you want people to not have to hide behind blog names and secret identities, but putting your entire address out on the internet is just idiotic. ANYONE can read this blog. The very fact that Kellie's blogging about school-related issues is sure to get some rather creepy people interested. You're only hurting yourself by putting that sort of information out there. Internet anonymity exists for a reason: your own protection.
To: 'Be' or 'Not to Be' that is the question,
About two years ago, when I decided to try and make a difference, I struggled with the question of how brave might I need to be. My first inclination was to write using an 'anonymous' name. I thought about the potential results of writing using an anonymous. And, I concluded that I value 'honest, open and responsible' actions more than I value my property or my life.
I think that if we are to show others how we can solve problems in a creative manner then we cannot hide our actions or our person.
At the same time, I would rather have others write using an 'anonymous' than not write at all. Meaning, we need people to be open and responsible in their writing -- even though they are unwilling to be honest about their identity. My hope is that these same people will ultimately 'out themselves' after they feel more comfortable expressing their thoughts.
Thus, our tools are capable of enabling our community members to be more creative. But, many of our community members remain unwilling to take ownership of their creativity. So, we must ask ourselves, "Why are people afraid to be all that they can be?" And, the answer is -- because they are afraid of being criticized and punished for being a real person.
Meanwhile, creative organizations encourage their team members to try new things and increase the number of failures. And, in the meantime, failing organizations punish their team members when a failure occurs.
Which type of organization (community) do you want to live in?
Lou Schott
I have no fear of expressing my opinions. Even if I did say who I was, I doubt any of you would recognize the name.
What I DO fear is some random psychotic internet person who I don't know or have any desire to know finding my information, tracking me down, and killing me or worse. Am I a bit paranoid? YES. Is it worth it? Also yes.
To: Be Private or Not to Be Private,
We are all tempered by our experiences in a different manner. Some of us have real reasons to be paranoid. And, others have imagined reasons to be paranoid.
I am reminded of my father-in-law. He was taken prisoner on Wake Island by the Japs in 1940. He spent 4 years in a Jap POW camp.
We can only hope that none of us will need to experience the hostile environment of POW camp. My father-in-law told me once how he survived -- while all around him his buddies were killed.
He tells of his buddies losing hope that they would ever get out and return home. Each of them had about 3 options. One option was to go up to the electric fence and grab it to commit suicide. Another option was to attack a Jap guard (without a gun) and then get shot to death by the other guards. A third option was to try and escape.
POWs tried to escape alone and were always caught and shot. Then, POWs started to collaborate and dig long tunnels to get out under the electric fence. They had about two groups escape. When a POW escaped and was caught they were brought back and shot before the entire prison compound. And, then the Jap guards had everone line up and count off by tens. Each tenth POW was shot dead in front of the entire compound.
After the Japs thinned the ranks several times, any escape plan always seemed to be exposed before the plan could mature. So here we have a situation where the need to be paranoid is real and not imagined. And, the question remains, "How can I survive?"
My father-in-law chose to learn how to speak Japanese fluently. And, while he hated his captors and all that they did to him and his buddies, he became something other than the enemy to the Japs. He became a real person.
When my father-in-law returned home, he became the Sheriff of Cedar County, Iowa. As a Sheriff, he carried a gun to arrest people twice his physical size. He frequently received death threats.
He always kept his gun by the door of his home -- so he could grab it on the way out to a midnight call. And, he never locked the door at night when he went to bed.
I questioned him about this seemingly risky action one time. He responded by saying, "If someone wants to kill me then a locked door and my empty gun is not going to stop them. Besides, they will not know if I do or do not have another loaded gun near my bed." He made sure that everyone in the county knew that he left the door to his home unlocked.
Please think about this. And, we can discuss more survival stories -- like how Gorbachev and Reagan survived attempts on their life.
Could it be? Have we met the enemy and they are us?
Lou
While I appreciate the supportive comments I have received here and on my blog and the emails of support, no one should be speculating on the identity of slparent2 or disparaging our BOE members. I do not know who slparent2 is or that anyone else was involved. I am very disappointed that information about my daughter's school records was divulged, but please don't use this as an excuse to take pot-shots at others who may not even be involved.
As I heard quite a bit growing up, two wrongs do not make a right.
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