Showing posts with label Department of Education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Department of Education. Show all posts

03 April 2010

Strategic Plan for the Delaware DOE: Lesson #2

Lesson #2: Turning an even bigger liability into an asset

Now that the Delaware DOE has successfully sold its collective soul for $100 million, we’re going to need to make some obvious changes to our educational system so we can salvage some small semblance of dignity and respect. Once the seed money is squandered on additional administration and consultants, this may possibly be the only lasting legacy from this whole debacle (besides the massive debt, increased taxes, and teacher-less public schools).

Educators state-wide have been making headlines lately, but not for excellence in English, math, science, or even sports. No, in Delaware, our news-worthy teachers seem to excel at teaching sex education…to minors…with one-on-one classroom, car, or apartment ratios. For years, students have been wasting their time selling donuts and carnations in the halls and classrooms when it turns out they could have made a lot more money “fun-raising”, selling condoms in the school’s colors to their faculty “boosters”.

I know what we really need is more consultants and standardized testing strategies, but we must take advantage of the Race To The Top money and use at least a little of it to better our schools and improve the safety of our students.
Therefore:
  • since we’re going to waste the bulk of the $100 million on overpriced consultants anyway;

  • since hundreds, if not thousands, of experienced teachers will be laid off (in the sense that they will be “reformed” out of a job; no gratification with minors implied);

  • since all new teaching positions will be filled with relocated recent college graduates from Teach America making just $18-$20k a year (not nearly enough to go out after work, date, rent an R or X rated movie, or even to live indoors really);

  • since none of the $100 million will improve classrooms, student ratios, the quality of teachers, etc.
and

  • since S&M in our schools should once again refer to science and math (thanks a lot, perverts!);

I propose that a portion of the RTTT funds be used to create a dating service for all DE DOE employees and independent contractors. I’m quite confident that hiring an over-paid match-making firm to “consult” with individual districts and to implement social networking opportunities for educators, administrators, formerly unemployable and now newly educated 21 yr old “instructors”, and over-priced consultants will be well received. Taxpayers with school-aged children would definitely support this. In fact, this advice should have made it into the Cambridge report. If it didn’t, then I think we should freeze all payments because they didn’t do a very thorough job in evaluating the needs of our schools!

While this might be accomplished for free using an existing social networking site or even Craig’s list, think of the positive media opportunities and recruiting power that a professional dating service run by the DE DOE could provide. No more messy investigative reports and paid administrative leave for district employees facing probable indictment. We just need to point the “more experienced educators” in the direction of the 21 year old Teach America kids instead of allowing them to mingle and exchange phone numbers or text with the easily corrupted minors in our classrooms, that’s all.

We get it. You’re underpaid and frustrated in every possible way. You want a ream of something and, since paper is apparently out of the question... We get it! All we ask is that you keep your hands off the children, okay! Relief is on the way.

What better way to harness this untapped, unbridled carnal energy into actually improving our schools for 8 hours a day and then unleash it in a flood of release after the end of the day announcements and the last bell. Happy hour starts at 4, but only after carding everyone to ensure that they are actually consenting adults. A win-win, my friends!

Let’s be honest - Delaware is a long distance from the “comforts” of home in MA and wherever the TA kids will hail from, and what happens in DE tends to stay in DE - except for baby-daddies. We need to be pro-active, professional, protective, prohibitive, and pro-prophalactic. If we do not stop these promiscuous proclivities we can expect procreation, probes by proctors, profanation, probation, protests, and proliferation of pro-life proponents via progeny at or around the night of the prom. Lest you think this is propaganda meant to proselytize, progress will only begin when a protagonist (like your friend, MI) prognosticates then professes and proclaims proficiency in problem solving and promptly proposes provocatively profound, yet promotable, processes without promise of proceeds or profit.

Lesson #2: Educators - Keep it in your pants, out of our schools, and out of the media. Comprende?

29 March 2010

Stock tip of the day:

Since the Delaware Department of Education has not yet had their IPO, MassInciter recommends:
Downgrade/SELL: Technology for the classroom, classroom & office supplies, Sallie-Mae, all Colleges and Universities offering teaching degrees, and all textbook suppliers. School-age student futures.

Upgrade/BUY: Mass Insight, Cambridge Education, the Broad Institute, Vision 2015, Northwest, Renaissance Schools, Innovative Schools, JP Morgan Chase, RODEL, AIRS, DSTP, and DCAS.

Word on the street is that there has been a $600 M infusion of guaranteed business for educational consultants, with $3.5 B+ in future business to follow. Sell your soul for whatever you can get and buy now…you can bet your 403(B) on it!

Think I’m yanking your chain? I’m not alone in my investment advice. (Although, I’m not quite sure why they’re downgrading brewers –- we’re all going to need to get a few drinks under our belts in order to stomach the changes in store for us).

Market Report: Stock Ticker
March 29, 2010 -- 4:15 PM ET

Moving the Market

Dollar dips against competing currencies

Personal income and spending figures for February provide little surprise

Overall news flow is light, leading to little participation

Sector Watch

Strong
real estate services; education services; oil and gas drillers, equipment, and explorers; coal and consumable fuel; diversified metals; agricultural products; distillers and vintners

Weak
auto makers; brewers; computer storage and peripherals; homebuilding; industrial REITs


It’s a damn shame that they did away with cursive writing. It makes We are so totally fucked! look so much classier.

03 March 2010

You, too, Can Own a Piece of Delaware History!

You Too Can Own A Piece of Delaware History!
Purchase a genuine Red Clay brick and sponsor a Child.

For a limited time only, purchase a genuine red clay brick, direct from the walls of the Maurice J. Moyer Academy, and authenticated by a local unemployed Mason. Your modest donation of $500* will subsidize the education of a public school student in the Red Clay School District.

Child sponsorship allows you to personally connect with a child in need while making a lasting investment in his/her short-term educational future (lets face it, $500 just doesn’t go as far as it used to). Your donation also strengthens your child’s local community, ensuring an extended network of consultative educational support and a relatively safe environment in which your child can thrive while his/her single parent is at one of his/her many jobs.

You will receive a photo and personal profile of the child you are sponsoring, updates on his/her wellbeing, and notes, drawings or correspondence from your child, at least twice a year* (*during standardized testing breaks).

Your one-time sponsorship provides a local child with things like educational-ish photo-copies from a textbook, nourishing Federally subsidized cafeteria food, and essential classroom supplies (may include, but not limited to: chalk, hand sanitizer, reams of copy paper, and new goldfish to replace the floaters).

For only $500, YOU can change the life of a child. But, don’t take my word for it. If you’re not totally satisfied with your child’s educational progress and testing prowess, the commemorative brick can also be used as a communication device, sending a powerful message to local decision-makers that you’ve lost any remaining faith you may have had in our public school system.

*Your $500 donation will be used to offset Delaware's $50 Million education spending deficit.

20 February 2010

Master Insider: Amasses Delaware Turnaround Specs

Always remember: that which is leaked today can be changed tomorrow to discredit the leak.
However, the Master Insider has it from a solid Delaware Department of Education Source:

Tier 1 Partnership Zone Schools
Stubbs Elementary
Pulaski Elementary
Bancroft Elementary
Warner Elementary
Positive Outcomes Charter School (Dover)
Tier 1 Schools have 14 months move into turnaround although a minimum of 3 must be in turnaround position by Sept 2010

Tier 2
William Penn HS
McKean HS
Mt. Pleasant HS
Dickenson HS
Seaford Elementary
Tier 2 schools have until Sept 2011 to move into Turnaround Position

Tier 3
All other Title 1 Schools

The Negotiation Team will be in place within the next two weeks and will be comprised of
  • The Governor and a select staff member from his office
  • The Secretary of Education
  • 2 Superintendents
In weeks 3 and 4 an Oversight Team will put together
and in week 5, Liasons to each county will be named.

Next week DOE is scheduled to post an RFP for 10 data coaches.

By May 3rd all pieces should be in place
By June 28th All Should Be FINALIZED

Oh, Snap!