At a lightly attended “school summit” Thursday evening, the superintendent of the Juneau School District, school principals and other district staff discussed data for Juneau schools.
The data delved into was, in large part, drawn from Standards Based Assessment testing for the 2011-12 school year, which is used to measure schools against statewide standards in order to assess Adequate Yearly Progress, a requirement of the federal No Child Left Behind program.
In the 2011-12 school year, only three out of 14 Juneau schools met AYP in all categories.
Superintendent Glenn Gelbrich has made no secret of his dislike of the AYP metric, which requires schools to meet statewide standards in all 40 categories in order to meet overall, and his presentation to the staff and parents assembled in Thunder Mountain High School’s auditorium Thursday reflected it.
“We are required to tell you about AYP,” Gelbrich said. “We are required to tell you. What we really care about is how many of our students are performing at a very high level nationally.”
Gelbrich pointed to data showing Juneau students outperforming the state average in SBA testing last year and generally performing well on Measures of Academic Progress testing.
But the superintendent also acknowledged that while, he said, schools are making progress in improving student performance and readiness for their post-high school lives, the JSD has not met its credo of “Helping students succeed – each one, every one!”
“Our number one challenge in trying to meet ‘each one, every one’ is fiscal,” Gelbrich said. “We simply are constricted by what it is we can offer to children by the resources that are available to us.”
Gelbrich also discussed a recent survey of parent attitudes toward their children’s schools conducted by the McDowell Group.
“Almost 80 percent of our families have confidence in the school system,” said Gelbrich. “That means one in five don’t. If ‘each one, every one’ applies to students being successful, our interim goal is 90 percent. … Our next target for this is 90 percent on the way to ‘each and every’ family having confidence in … the work that’s happening in our school district.”
But not many of those families were present to hear Gelbrich’s presentation, or to participate in the breakout sessions for individual schools at which principals discussed their schools’ achievement reports.
“The sun was not our friend tonight,” observed JSD communications manager Kristin Bartlett. She acknowledged that when the weather is nice, attendance for events like the annual summit tends to be underwhelming.
Dave Stoltenburg, principal of Harborview Elementary School, said that the one parent attending his breakout session was about par for the course, in his experience, for attendance.
“Same as last year, same as the year before that,” Stoltenburg laughed ruefully. “It’s low.”
Comments (16)
Add commentBut they’ll complain the loudest
when Johnny Joe Billy Bob Mary Sue Betty Jean fails. Weather had nothing to do with low attendance, it was low & will continue to be, because parents take no responsibility in their child’s up bringing let alone their education.
freakin sad
"Dave Stoltenburg, principal of Harborview Elementary School, said that the one parent attending his breakout session was about par for the course, in his experience, for attendance.
“Same as last year, same as the year before that,” Stoltenburg laughed ruefully. “It’s low.”
Parents
At least that Harborview man has accepted his fate. Lots of parents these days spend NO energy making sure their children are polite, caring, educated, respectful people.
They get them to the bus stop, leave them there and probably don't ever ask to see their homework or anything. And they seem so shocked when their kids turn out to be punks.
Huh? The world didn't produce a great kid for me? What happened?
NewL
that wouldn't be the first nor the last broken nobama promise.
The weather sucked!
“We are required to tell you about AYP,” Gelbrich said. “We are required to tell you." What kind of climate is that for getting parents to show up? Humdrum attitude on educators' part at discovering data for the first time with no lead time to digest it in order to respond with reflective contemplation. JSD administration going through the motions to uphold their minimum requirements. "Walkin' the Mile, walkin' the Mile...Readin' the data, readin' the data...Haven't a clue, haven't a clue..."
Why don't the parents show up for an education about their school district's failures? "Superintendent Glenn Gelbrich has made no secret of his dislike of the AYP metric". Maybe that's why!
"We simply are constricted by what it is we can offer to children by the resources that are available to us.” What a cloudy outlook. At least at a baseball game you can pray for a rainout!
Comments
Judging by the quality of the posts above with regard to spelling and grammar, those complaining are in the same boat as the current students. Pathetic.
“Our number one challenge in
“Our number one challenge in trying to meet ‘each one, every one’ is fiscal,” Gelbrich said. “We simply are constricted by what it is we can offer to children by the resources that are available to us.” Then cut half of the district staff that are non-student positions. Too top heavy. Cut the top, and put the money where it can help the kids.
NewLife -
What are you smoking?!? Whatever it is, you should stop immediately, as you are clearly losing grip on reality.
what a crock
as parents my wife and I worked closely with the schools, doing everything we could so our son could succeed in his education. we went to parent meetings, met with teachers volunteered in the classrooms we were always available when needed. when my son was in the 10th grade he was falling behind and he went to the counselor at TMHS. he said he needed help to get back on track and asked for help to put together a plan of action so he would have all the credits needed and be ready to graduate when he got there. she took him into the principal’s office and they proceeded to tell him that since he was 17 he had other options available. they told him that getting back on track would be a lot of work, but he could just quit, get his GED and move on. when I heard this I went straight to the school and called them out on it, much to my surprise they admitted it (however with a lot of excuses). so he quit with stars in his eyes because they had convinced him that he could go get a job and make money and be an adult and everything would be great. Now you tell me how this is helping student succeed. I think the superintendent owes him an apology and the everyone that was involved at that school should be reprimanded.
Funding
kpawsuh - I doubt you were involved in budget cuts or decisions or you would be a little more informed. Administration/district offices took the biggest cut. One in five lost their job. The group remaining is pretty skeletal. Also, if you think this is only an issue for Juneau, you're wrong. Cuts were made across the state and had the same impact - higher class sizes and less offerings. The problem rests with the state and the fact that they refuse to put much money into educating our children.
kpaw writes - "Then cut half
kpaw writes - "Then cut half of the district staff that are non-student positions. Too top heavy. Cut the top, and put the money where it can help the kids."
No can do! How do you expect the "administration" to hold onto power if their numbers dwindle?! And since when did they really have the students best interest at heart? They may come in second but only after the union contract is shored up and the pensions and benefits and working conditions are set for the year.
Could it be parents don't show up because there's really nothing they can do to change the situation?
Then we've got this tired statement by alaskagrown that gets trotted out everytime the administrators start wringing their hands and making up lame excuses as to why the students are failing -
"The problem rests with the state and the fact that they refuse to put much money into educating our children."
The unfortuante part is that lots of people buy into this garbage.
By the way, alaskagrown, do some research and report back to us how much taxpayer money is spent on each student in Alaska and where that dollar amount stands nationally. Even you might be surprised...until then get yourself more informed because you look silly making such inane statements.
AYP is skewed
The annual yearly progress is a stupid byproduct of no child left behind, a stupid law by a stupid president (that would be Bush). The students pass all the important things. If the school fails one part, they do not make AYP. So now a disproportionate amount of time and energy goes toward the students on the cusp so we can get them over the fence and pass AYP because that is the focus of the administration. The losers are the high end students that need challenge. We don't have time or money for them.
I would like to say that most parents work hard on manners and proper etiquette. They are involved in their students live and supportive of the school environment. If they are not, there is usually some big issues behind it like poverty, divorce, family illness that overshadows the family atmosphere.
I think it is unfair of people to make these blanket bashing statements. I am amazed that some people think every negative thing has to be blamed on Obama and liberals.
School Summit...
Wouldn't it be nice if everyone would be objective and civil with each other, unlike the politicians who prefer to paint the "other side" as venomous and worthless? It would be nice if people could be respectful in their responses to those who don't share the same views, but apparently that's too much to ask...Sigh! I normally don't read this stuff, 'cause it's usually laughably negative and spiteful...the back and forth of it...Restore civility! I dare you.
School Summit...
Wouldn't it be nice if everyone would be objective and civil with each other, unlike the politicians who prefer to paint the "other side" as venomous and worthless? It would be nice if people could be respectful in their responses to those who don't share the same views, but apparently that's too much to ask...Sigh! I normally don't read this stuff, 'cause it's usually laughably negative and spiteful...the back and forth of it...Restore civility! I dare you.
Civility
I could not agree more. I think the anominity of the Internet has brought out the worst in people. I put my name on my post. I encourage others to do so.