| P E Y T O N W O L C O T T |
| h o w w e t a k e b a c k o u r c h i l d r e n ' s e d u c a t i o n -- o n e p e r s o n , o n e q u e s t i o n , o n e s c h o o l a t a t i m e . Copyright 1999-2006 Peyton Wolcott |
How we take back our children's education: one person, one question, one school at a time. |
Friends, because there's now so much on this site--reports, commentaries, book excerpts, all designed to help you bring improvements to your local schools--I'm in the process of preparing a site map. Underlining indicates active links. Please check back. SITE MAP NEW COMMENTARIES: RANDOM ROUND-UPS ACCOUNTABILITY & OPEN RECORDS ISSUES: School District Checks/Check Registers Online Connecting the Dots Pass the Trash Reader Q & A's SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) Transparency Report ____ GOVERNANCE ISSUES: The American Superintendency Team of Eight ____ Arizona Nogales USD Pima County Ofc. of Ed. Santa Cruz County OE California Glenn County Ofc. of Ed. San Francisco USD Florida Citrus County PS Miami-Dade County PS Michigan Ann Arbor New York New York PS Roslyn Ohio Strongsville PS Texas Bremond ISD Cleburne ISD Dallas ISD Eanes ISD Edgewood ISD Everman ISD Houston ISD Katy ISD La Joya ISD Lake Travis ISD Llano ISD State Board of Education ____ Edu-Conferences ____ BOOK EXCERPTS: Education, Inc. How To File a Public Records Request How To Organize Lax Oversight ____ WHAT OTHER FOLKS ARE DOING: MODERN MINUTEMEN SUCCESS STORIES, KINDRED SPIRITS ____ COMMENTARY ARCHIVES ___ SPECIAL REPORTS: TEXAS LEGE: TEA POWER GRAB PAYING FOR TEXAS PUBLIC EDUCATION: A PRIMER ____ About/In the News 2006 - Year in Review |
AASA - American Association of School Administrators ASA - Association of School Administrators CSD - Consolidated School District DOE - Department of Education ES - Elementary School HS - High School ISD - Independent School District JHS - Junior High School MS - Middle School MSM - Mainstream media NSBA - National School Boards Association NSPRA - National School Public Relations Association PS - Public School(s) SBEC - State Board for Educator Certification SD - School District Sup't - Superintendent TAKS - Texas Assessment of Knowledge & Skills TASA - Texas Association of School Administrators TASB - Texas Association of School Boards TASBO - Texas Association of School Business Officials TEA - Texas Education Agency TEKS - Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills USD - UnifiedUnited School District |
| GUIDE |
| FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of education issues vital to a republic. We believe this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C., Chapter 1, Section 107 which states: the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright," the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond "fair use" you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. |
| QUOTES |
Separatists in India's north-eastern state of Manipur have shot six male teachers in the leg for allegedly helping students cheat in exams. Two women teachers were beaten with sticks for the same offence, the rebels of the Kanglei Yana Kan Lup group said. The teachers were abducted from their homes after an exam on Thursday. The rebels said the teachers took up to 5,000 rupees ($110) for helping students cheat and warned of further punishment if the cheating continued. The Kanglei Yana Kan Lup (KYKL) is one of many separatist groups fighting Indian administration in Manipur. It said it abducted the eight teachers from their homes in and around the state capital, Imphal, because of reports they had taken bribes. --By Subir Bhaumik - BBC |
| ATTENTION EDUCATORS AND ADMINISTRATORS: Every attempt possible has been made to verify all sources and information. In the event you feel an error has been made, please contact us immediately. Thank you. |
| Copyright 1999-2007 Peyton Wolcott |
| Britain's King George III once ruled our country; despotism by those with power does not last. Public school superintendents would do well to remember this lesson from history. |
My New Book PEYTON WOLCOTT |
| QUERY THE SUPE & THE PR GUY |
TO:
KATHY COX-GEORGIA
SUP'T OF SCHOOLS &
CEO-GEORGIA DOE
CC:
DANA TOFIG-
GEORGIA DOE
PUBLIC INFO. OFCR.
DATE: JAN. 22, 2006
Can you please send me
the annual dollar
amount for each school
year (the five annual fiscal
cycles 2000-2005) that the
Georgia Public Schools
DOE has spent with
vendor Computer
Consulting Services
Corp., described as a
consultant to Georgia's
DOE.
KATHY COX-GEORGIA
SUP'T OF SCHOOLS &
CEO-GEORGIA DOE
CC:
DANA TOFIG-
GEORGIA DOE
PUBLIC INFO. OFCR.
DATE: JAN. 22, 2006
Can you please send me
the annual dollar
amount for each school
year (the five annual fiscal
cycles 2000-2005) that the
Georgia Public Schools
DOE has spent with
vendor Computer
Consulting Services
Corp., described as a
consultant to Georgia's
DOE.
DATE FIRST SENT:
FEB. 14, 2006
RE-SENT 03/26/06
Dear Strongsville
Superintendent
James Gray:
I'm hoping you can
clear something up for
me for my book and
website regarding your
standards for
administrative
practices in
Strongsville as there
have been not one but
two situations this past
year warranting
scrutiny....
Regarding special ed
teacher Christine
Scarlett's offering a
date with herself as a
grades incentive
1. What rules/
guidelines do you now
have in place to
assure that nothing
like this happens
again? Would these
be administrative
changes or has your
board set specific
policies in place for
you to follow in future?
2. Rumors of an affair
between Scarlett and
Bradigan persisted for
several months. You
have stated that you
have no idea such an
affair was going on.
Do you feel the fact
that you are
commuting from your
home in Akron (if this
has changed, please
let me know) has
adversely impacted
your ability to monitor
what's going on with
your employees in the
Strongsville
community in an
important and
sensitive area such as
this? Has your board
since made a
condition of your
employment that you
move to Strongsville
and become an
integral part of their
community?
Regarding the sex
education booklet
placed last fall in
young children's
lockers
4. What guidelines
did you follow from
your established
board's policies for
such?
5. There appears to
be a growing number
of parents who want to
be consulted before
such materials are
given to their students.
As one mom put it,
"What's wrong with so
many people in the
educational fields that
they don't even think
twice about providing
children with
inappropriate
materials and not even
consider the parents
wishes....Their tactics
mirror those used in
Communist China and
Cuba where children
are considered not
children of parents, but
wards of the State."
While this is clearly the
statement of an upset
parent, it does raise an
interesting issue
regarding public
school administrators
in the U.S. Do you
consider the students
in your schools yours
to educate as you
deem best or the
offspring of parents to
be consulted before
disseminating such
materials?
Regarding trainings
and conferences
6. Of which
education-related
associations are you
and Strongsville City
Schools a member?
What are these
organizations'
guidelines for
disseminating such
materials?
7. In which
education-related
conferences have
your and your staff
participated this past
year? Where were
they and what were
the costs for each?
Have you attended any
other seminars,
workshops or the like
offering guidance in
this area, and what
were those costs?
It may well be that
there are perfectly
reasonable
explanations for your
approving the placing
sex-education
pamphlets in young
students' lockers
without notifying
parents first, and it may
also well be that there
is a perfectly
reasonable
explanation for your
allowing a teacher to
offer a date at the Dairy
Queen with herself to a
young student; if so, I
am eager to learn such
reason or reasons.
==================
She said the booklet,
which also provides
information on the need for
parental consent for
abortion and a Web
address for the
Lesbian/Gay Community
Service Center of Greater
Cleveland, is
inappropriate for
11-year-olds. I believe
some sex education needs
to be given, but when
subjects are discussed or
material is given to kids of
this nature, a notice
should be sent home to
the parent and they should
be allowed to opt out of
the program if they wish,
Fleming said. School
Superintendent James
Gray said he gave an OK
for the pocket-sized
directories, which were
provided to the district by
United Way Services in
conjunction with the
county health department
and county commissioners,
to be given to students at
the high school, middle
schools and to sixth
graders. Gray said he
received two calls from
parents who took
exception to the booklet's
content. I understand that
and probably, in
retrospect, I should have
considered sending a
letter along with it as far
as an explanation, he
said, adding, this is a
developing situation. I
don't know what we are
going to do at this point.
Colleen Grady, a city
resident and a member of
the state school board,
said she got calls from four
parents concerned about
their children getting the
directory. Grady, who is
also a former city school
board member, said she
has not personally seen
the publication, but they
(parents) read me sections
over the telephone. She
said the state board of
education may wish to
make a legislative
recommendation to the
Ohio general assembly,
and the board could also
consider discussion about
adoption of a model policy
for the distribution of such
materials. Gray said there
will be continued
discussion, in the district's
curriculum and pupil
services departments on
whether to curtail
distribution of materials
which are considered to
be sensitive, particularly
for the younger kids.
FEB. 14, 2006
RE-SENT 03/26/06
Dear Strongsville
Superintendent
James Gray:
I'm hoping you can
clear something up for
me for my book and
website regarding your
standards for
administrative
practices in
Strongsville as there
have been not one but
two situations this past
year warranting
scrutiny....
Regarding special ed
teacher Christine
Scarlett's offering a
date with herself as a
grades incentive
1. What rules/
guidelines do you now
have in place to
assure that nothing
like this happens
again? Would these
be administrative
changes or has your
board set specific
policies in place for
you to follow in future?
2. Rumors of an affair
between Scarlett and
Bradigan persisted for
several months. You
have stated that you
have no idea such an
affair was going on.
Do you feel the fact
that you are
commuting from your
home in Akron (if this
has changed, please
let me know) has
adversely impacted
your ability to monitor
what's going on with
your employees in the
Strongsville
community in an
important and
sensitive area such as
this? Has your board
since made a
condition of your
employment that you
move to Strongsville
and become an
integral part of their
community?
Regarding the sex
education booklet
placed last fall in
young children's
lockers
4. What guidelines
did you follow from
your established
board's policies for
such?
5. There appears to
be a growing number
of parents who want to
be consulted before
such materials are
given to their students.
As one mom put it,
"What's wrong with so
many people in the
educational fields that
they don't even think
twice about providing
children with
inappropriate
materials and not even
consider the parents
wishes....Their tactics
mirror those used in
Communist China and
Cuba where children
are considered not
children of parents, but
wards of the State."
While this is clearly the
statement of an upset
parent, it does raise an
interesting issue
regarding public
school administrators
in the U.S. Do you
consider the students
in your schools yours
to educate as you
deem best or the
offspring of parents to
be consulted before
disseminating such
materials?
Regarding trainings
and conferences
6. Of which
education-related
associations are you
and Strongsville City
Schools a member?
What are these
organizations'
guidelines for
disseminating such
materials?
7. In which
education-related
conferences have
your and your staff
participated this past
year? Where were
they and what were
the costs for each?
Have you attended any
other seminars,
workshops or the like
offering guidance in
this area, and what
were those costs?
It may well be that
there are perfectly
reasonable
explanations for your
approving the placing
sex-education
pamphlets in young
students' lockers
without notifying
parents first, and it may
also well be that there
is a perfectly
reasonable
explanation for your
allowing a teacher to
offer a date at the Dairy
Queen with herself to a
young student; if so, I
am eager to learn such
reason or reasons.
==================
She said the booklet,
which also provides
information on the need for
parental consent for
abortion and a Web
address for the
Lesbian/Gay Community
Service Center of Greater
Cleveland, is
inappropriate for
11-year-olds. I believe
some sex education needs
to be given, but when
subjects are discussed or
material is given to kids of
this nature, a notice
should be sent home to
the parent and they should
be allowed to opt out of
the program if they wish,
Fleming said. School
Superintendent James
Gray said he gave an OK
for the pocket-sized
directories, which were
provided to the district by
United Way Services in
conjunction with the
county health department
and county commissioners,
to be given to students at
the high school, middle
schools and to sixth
graders. Gray said he
received two calls from
parents who took
exception to the booklet's
content. I understand that
and probably, in
retrospect, I should have
considered sending a
letter along with it as far
as an explanation, he
said, adding, this is a
developing situation. I
don't know what we are
going to do at this point.
Colleen Grady, a city
resident and a member of
the state school board,
said she got calls from four
parents concerned about
their children getting the
directory. Grady, who is
also a former city school
board member, said she
has not personally seen
the publication, but they
(parents) read me sections
over the telephone. She
said the state board of
education may wish to
make a legislative
recommendation to the
Ohio general assembly,
and the board could also
consider discussion about
adoption of a model policy
for the distribution of such
materials. Gray said there
will be continued
discussion, in the district's
curriculum and pupil
services departments on
whether to curtail
distribution of materials
which are considered to
be sensitive, particularly
for the younger kids.
| STATUS: No response rec'd from Sup't Gray as of Jan. 10, 2007 |
| QUERY THE SUPE (& CC THE BOARD) |
| CONTACT: Peyton Wolcott P.O. Box 9068 Horseshoe Bay, TX 78657 peyton@peytonwolcott.com Want to subscribe to my newsletter? Send me an email marked "Subscribe." |
| F o c u s i n g o n accountability f i r s t |
| 2006 - Year in Review HERE Nov.-Dec. 2006 commentaries here Pass the Trash here SLAPP reports here and here Reader Q&As Check registers here and here |
| Conservative Commentary |
| Friends, can you help me identify the man and two women in this picture from TASB/TASA 2006? Enlarged, with more information, here |
| CONTACT |
| Time for another "Random Round-Up" By Peyton Wolcott First published Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2006; revised Wednesday, Jan. 17 - 10 pm |
| WE'RE WAY PAST "OOPS." Saddle up and listen tight, pardners. We've lassoed a new cross-section of educators caught in various acts of misbehaving with either our money or our kids or our values. Although in most cases law enforce- ment officials have already played their role, the sad truth is that In many cases a simple tightening of internal controls over the flow of money and criminal background checks would have prevented a large number of these alleged crimes. What you can do right now about protecting the kids in your own local school district: Pick up the phone and call your supe, ask him to confirm in writing by close of business this Friday that he has personally verified that (1) all portions of all employees' applications were filled out completely and (2) criminal background checks including fingerprints have been done on every worker who sets foot in your school district. Why I mention "all portions" of employment applications: Believe it or not, supes have admitted that the "criminal background" portions of employees' applications were not completed. |
| Random Round-Ups are presented as a public service & a wake up call to strengthen matters moral and monetary in our local schools- as too often our schools aren't themselves. |
| Heard the one about the rural Kentucky supe who ran over a woman's foot in the parking lot of a beauty shop/tanning salon/coin-operated laundry? And is now working as an elementary principal in Louisville? Anonymous letter Fredericks Hargis, then-Crittenden County School District supe, "ran over the foot of another woman in the parking lot of a Marion [Kentucky] beauty shop following a verbal altercation. Hargis later entered an Alford plea in criminal court to second degree wanton endangerment for the incident. |
| Curious about Fredericka Hargis' certification status in Kentucky? Here are the "Summary Minutes of the Business Meeting Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB)" dated August 21, 2006 EPSB Offices, 100 Airport Road, 3rd Floor Frankfort, Kentucky 04-0332 (Fredericka Hargis) Accept Agreed Order revoking Respondent’s Professional Certificate for Instructional Leadership – School Superintendent Respondent shall neither apply for, nor be issued a Superintendent certificate in the Commonwealth of Kentucky for a period of five (5) years, retroactive to July 8, 2004. In addition, Respondent’s Professional Certificate for Instructional Leadership – Early Elementary School Principal, Grades K-4; Level II, Professional Certificate for Instructional Leadership - Supervisor of Instruction, Grades K- 12; Level II, and her Teaching Certificate, including any and all current or future endorsements or areas of certification, shall be subject to the following probationary conditions for a period of three (3) years from the date of acceptance of this Order by the Board. Respondent shall not have any more criminal convictions. She shall submit an official report of her state and federal criminal history to the Board prior to January 1, 2007 and January 1, 2009. Any expense for the criminal history shall be paid by Respondent. Respondent shall submit written evidence of her completion of twelve (12) hours of professional development/training in the area of ethics as approved by the Board by January 1, 2008. Any expense for said training shall be paid by Respondent. Respondent shall submit written evidence of her completion of a minimum six (6) hour professional development/training course in professionalism as approved by the Board by September 1, 2007. Any expense for said training shall by paid by Respondent. Respondent shall submit proof by June 30 of each year of the three (3) year probationary period that she has completed in addition to the twenty-one (21) participant hours of instructional leadership training required by KRS 156.101(4)(b)2, six (6) hours of instructional leadership training approved by the Kentucky Board of Education in the areas of interpersonal relationships, Site- Based Decision Making Council laws, responding to supervision, and/or community relations for a total of twenty- seven (27) hours of instructional leadership training per year of the probationary period. In addition to the educational and legal requirements at the time of application, re- issuance of Respondent’s School Superintendent certificate at the conclusion of the five (5) year revocation period is expressly conditioned upon Respondent complying with all of the probationary conditions required at the time of re- application. By entering into this Agreed Order, Respondent agrees that should she fail to satisfy any of these conditions, her certificate, including all areas of certification and endorsements shall be automatically revoked for a period of three (3) years. If Respondent violates these conditions prior to the reinstatement of her Professional Certificate for Instructional Leadership – School Superintendent, that certificate shall remain revoked for the original five (5) year revocation period, in addition her Professional Certificate for Instructional Leadership shall remain revoked until the conclusion of the additional three (3) year period of revocation if that period is longer than the original five (5) year period of revocation. If Respondent violates the above numerated conditions after reinstatement of her Professional Certificate for Instructional Leadership – School Superintendent, that certification shall be revoked for an additional three (3) years. At the conclusion of the three (3) year revocation period, her certificate shall not be reinstated until she submits a current state and federal criminal history and provides proof that she has completed the required training in conditions 2, 3, and 4. Respondent is aware that should she violate KRS 161.120, either during or following this three (3) year probationary period, the Board shall initiate a new disciplinary action and seek additional sanctions. Upon acceptance of this agreement by the Board, Respondent shall immediately surrender the original and all copies of her certificate to the EPSB, by delivering or mailing to 100 Airport Road, 3rd Floor, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601. Failure to do so shall result in further disciplinary action by the Board. |
| Fredericka Hargis, now principal at Rutherford Elementary School in Louisville |
| "During testimony in that case, it was revealed that the altercation somehow stemmed from Hargis' attempt to discover the authors of an anonymous letter critical of her and others in the school system." (SOURCE--The Crittenden Press) According to various local sources, the February 2004 incident occurred after Hargis was noticed writing down license plate numbers in the parking lot of the one-stop beauty shop, tanning salon and coin-operated laundry. Marion resident "Tracy Rozwalka ...confronted Hargis about her actions" and later "witnesses told police Hargis 'peeled out' of the parking lot, running over Rozwalka's left foot. Rozwalka was treated at a hospital." (SOURCE--Louisville Courier-Journal) |
| Hargis files two lawsuits, one for $900,000 The first suit was against "thirteen local individuals and businesses for defamation and asking for a $900,000 award plus punitive damages....resulting from lost wages, personal humiliation |
| Crittenden County School District |
| and loss of reputation because of an anonymous letter that circulated around town." (Ibid.) Hargis' second suit, filed January 2005, is against the Crittenden County Board of Education for wrongful termination of her contract. Discovery continues in both cases, and last August Hargis' Kentucky superintendent's certificate was revoked for five years (see grey sidebar at right, "Curious about Fredericka Hargis' certifica- tion status in Kentucky?" with complete minutes from hearing). |
| Why another district would hire a supe awaiting trial on a felony charge According to Jefferson County schools spokesman Lauren Roberts, "We are aware of the issues in [Crittenden] county, but we did a complete background check and reference check, and |
| Jefferson County (Louisville) supe Stephen Daeschner at Council of Great City Schools edu-conference |
| we're convinced that we have a good hire." According to Roberts, there was no evidence that Hargis poses a danger to children. (SOURCE--Louisville Courier-Journal) Hargis' first year base pay as Rutherford Elementary principal was $88,913. |
| Rutherford ES, Louisville (Jefferson County Public Schools) |
| Louisville supe knew Hargis According to Roberts, Jefferson County Superintendent Stephen Daeschner's experience "serving with Hargis on a statewide committee supported" their decision to hire Hargis. (Ibid.) The committee was the Local |
| Supe of the Year Daeschner was named 2005 Superintendent of the Year by the Kentucky Association of School Administrators (KASA). |
| But what do Kentuckians have to say about Fredericka's new boss? According to The Bluegrass Institute, after Daeschner was named supe of the year, "The district overseen by this superlative superintendent contains 10 high schools in which more than 75 percent of the students failed to achieve reading proficiency in |
| Jim Waters |
| 2004....Yet these same schools graduate an average of 65 percent of those students. Daeschner presides over this inexcusable disparity of children failing to achieve proficiency in critical areas and the number of diplomas being granted. If Daeschner represents the best of Kentucky’s public school superintendents, then the KASA’s award is as meaningless as some of the diplomas he has handed out through the years." Adds Jim Waters, Bluegrass Institute director of policy and communications, “Perhaps the association should do some homework before handing out next year’s award. Only administrators who exemplify the kind of leadership that all superintendents should emulate deserve such an accolade.” |
| THE QUESTION YOU MIGHT BE ASKING Q: Why did the Jefferson County school board approve the hiring of Fredericka Hargis at a time when she was awaiting trial on a felony charge? A: SBDM, chiefly, thanks to KRS 160.345 from the Kentucky Legislature as part of its 1990 Kentucky Education Reform Act. School-based decision-making councils (called site-based decision- making councils in Jefferson County schools) decide who to hire; the district's board of trustees has no say. |
| Superintendents Advisory Council (LSAC), a legislatively appointed body composed of seven Kentucky superintendents, one for each of seven supreme court districts, and four who are appointed at large. Hargis was appointed in 2001 from Supreme Court District 1 and served through 2004; Daeschner's current term for the 4th Supreme Court District, due to end in 2010, will prematurely come to an end this year when his Louisville contract runs out, as only those who are employed as superintendents can serve on the LSAC. The Jefferson County board of trustees voted unanimously not to renew his contract. |
| Hargis' problems before Crittenden County schools Before Crittendon County, Fredericka Hargis was employed in far western Kentucky in the Fulton County Schools; it was her first superintendency. Superintendent Handbook 101: Don't fire a popular football coach Somebody must have forgotten to insert this page in Fredericka's New Supe's Manual, because one of her first important decisions in Fulton County was to fire David Gallagher, their popular and well-respected football coach. While she may have had valid and compelling reasons, the community immediately rallied behind Gallagher and Hargis was forced to reinstate him; Gallagher eventually retired from the local school district and ran successfully for county judge. |
| The "boom" threat What happened next could be said to have been both predictable and extraordinary. According to The Paducah Sun, "Authorities charged [former student Shannon] Gooding with making terroristic threats Oct. 27 after someone left notes threatening 'to make the (high) school go boom' in the mailboxes of a high school teacher and Fulton County school superintendent Fredericka Hargis. Gooding was arrested a day after the notes were found and charged with criminal mischief for destroying the teacher's mailbox." Here are some questions faxed today to Hargis; as soon as a response if any is received it will be posted: |
| REQUEST FOR COMMENTS FAXED TO FREDERICKA HARGIS JAN. 17, 2007 It is my understanding from speaking with local citizens of various standings in the community that the day of the original incident when you were asked about a "bomb" threat at the high school you said "It was nothing," and that when you were again questioned as to whether there was a "bomb" threat at the high school you said there was none. As it turned out later, from various persons whom I've interviewed, it appears that at the time you were apparently making a distinction between the incident's being a "bomb" threat and a "boom" threat. Further, it has been reported to me that you told at least one person it was not a "bomb" threat because the word "bomb" was not used in the threats themselves. |
| SPECIAL NOTE: Many thanks to The Paducah Sun and the citizens of Crittenden and Fulton Counties for their valuable assistance in compiling this report. Many thanks also to Rutherford Elementary employees for alerting me to this story. |
| Any response received from Hargis will be posted. |