Thursday, September 11, 2008
County Committe Denies Walnut Creek Transfer
The County Committee has denied the transfer of the Walnut Creek Schools from the Mt. Diablo School District into the Walnut Creek School District and Acalanes High School District. All three school districts had denied the proposal and claimed the process would be difficult and costly. The County Committee suggested a new 25% petition would be a more appealing alternative. Mr. McHenry and Ms. Treece represented MDUSD at the hearing. They claimed that Mt. Diablo was providing an excellent education to the students of Walnut Creek. Mr. McHenry was quick to point out the he does not measure the success of a district on test scores but on graduation rates. How low has that bar been set? No news on what Walnut Creek Schools Together Now will do next.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Until November... Until November!
Our teachers need a contract, our district needs a strategic plan, our community (whether we all agree or not) needs a parcel tax, and most of all our children need a good education. We have heard this rhetoric non-stop for the past year...even longer.
However...
MDEA won't settle the contract until after November, the very board members who asked for a strategic plan want to delay that strategic plan until after November, and the parcel tax won't move forward until after November. All the while, our children and teachers will continue to be used as pawns in a political process.
I support replacing the Superintendent and, at this point, I support Sherry Whitmarsh. I don't support maneuvers that are designed to accomplish these goals in the future at the expense of our students today.
A letter from teacher Randy Monroe has been making the email circuit due to it's heartfelt relevance. The Misterwriter blog has posted the letter, read it here.
However...
MDEA won't settle the contract until after November, the very board members who asked for a strategic plan want to delay that strategic plan until after November, and the parcel tax won't move forward until after November. All the while, our children and teachers will continue to be used as pawns in a political process.
I support replacing the Superintendent and, at this point, I support Sherry Whitmarsh. I don't support maneuvers that are designed to accomplish these goals in the future at the expense of our students today.
A letter from teacher Randy Monroe has been making the email circuit due to it's heartfelt relevance. The Misterwriter blog has posted the letter, read it here.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Meet and Greet with McMorris Tonight
New Principal, John McMorris will be the guest of honor at a Meet and Greet hosted by PFC President Monica Fitzgerald tonight. I hope that all of you who attend will take the time to comment on your impression of Mr. McMorris. After years of failed leadership we can only hope that this new Principal will address many of the issues still facing Northgate. Issues like low teacher moral, high teacher turnover, a decline in student standings as compared to students from similar schools, and a lack of high academic and behavioral standards, just to name a few.
In a Contra Costa Times article, Mr. McMorris was quoted as saying, "I believe the challenges that we have at Northgate are not with the district; they are with Northgate."
I hope Mr. McMorris will elaborate on that comment since many of us believe that many of the problems at Northgate are directly related to problems at the District. Mr. McMorris we will ask much of you over the next year, please remember to be our advocate at the District, not their mouthpiece --- please.
In a Contra Costa Times article, Mr. McMorris was quoted as saying, "I believe the challenges that we have at Northgate are not with the district; they are with Northgate."
I hope Mr. McMorris will elaborate on that comment since many of us believe that many of the problems at Northgate are directly related to problems at the District. Mr. McMorris we will ask much of you over the next year, please remember to be our advocate at the District, not their mouthpiece --- please.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Summer Update - Whitmarsh, WCSTNow, McMorris
Summer is here, and with summer we have vacations, camps, BBQ's and fireworks. While we relish in summertime fun, the issues that plague MDUSD and Northgate continue. Here is a quick update:
1. MDUSD has had a very publicly split board for most of the past year. The lines have been drawn with Eberhart and Strange on one side and Treece, Allen and Mayo on the other. This divide is seen, and heard, on blogs, at community meetings, and most importantly in voting records. After the November election the board majority may be very different and may represent a real chance for change in this district.
Sherry Whitmarsh has thrown her hat in the ring and is running for MDUSD School Board. She is backed by board members Paul Strange and Gary Eberhart. Strange and Eberhart have been calling for the Superintendent's resignation and replacement of board member April Treece. Both April Treece and Gary Eberhart are up for reelection in November.
To read more about Sherry Whitmarsh: HERE
2. Many Walnut Creek residents who live within the boundaries of the Mt. Diablo School District believe their concerns are not being heard by the MDUSD school board. In fact, that point was never more clear than last January when the school board dismissed the petition for the Northgate feeder pattern schools to leave the district, as nothing more than the interest of twenty parents. In response, over 100 supporters stood in the cold and rain this past winter to collect signatures from approximately 4,000 Walnut Creek supporters.
Walnut Creek Schools Together Now continues to move forward with the transfer of the Northgate feeder pattern schools out of MDUSD. In addition, their proposal would unite the vast majority of Walnut Creek children, and all of the city's schools, into the same school system. The County Committee has called for a hearing on September 10. Get involved.
To read more about Walnut Creek Schools Together Now: HERE
3. After years of ineffective leadership, Northgate is getting a new principal. During the few short months that interim principal Carl Toliver was at the helm, Northgate students and parents saw improvement in staff friendliness, the reassessment of ridiculous rules, a can-do attitude, and finally more AP classes. Things are far from perfect, we are still faced with low teacher morale, high teacher turnover and a subsequent drop in teaching experience. Test scores are continuing to fall behind when compared to other similar schools and there is still no AP English. Incoming principal, John McMorris will now be charged with addressing these issues, and others. We hope he addresses them aggressively and with the interest of the students in mind.
To read more about John McMorris: HERE
4. Mr. Eric Kapral will not be returning to Northgate, he has taken a job elsewhere. The MDUSD strategic plan process is stalled. The MDUSD parcel tax is still being bantered about.
1. MDUSD has had a very publicly split board for most of the past year. The lines have been drawn with Eberhart and Strange on one side and Treece, Allen and Mayo on the other. This divide is seen, and heard, on blogs, at community meetings, and most importantly in voting records. After the November election the board majority may be very different and may represent a real chance for change in this district.
Sherry Whitmarsh has thrown her hat in the ring and is running for MDUSD School Board. She is backed by board members Paul Strange and Gary Eberhart. Strange and Eberhart have been calling for the Superintendent's resignation and replacement of board member April Treece. Both April Treece and Gary Eberhart are up for reelection in November.
To read more about Sherry Whitmarsh: HERE
2. Many Walnut Creek residents who live within the boundaries of the Mt. Diablo School District believe their concerns are not being heard by the MDUSD school board. In fact, that point was never more clear than last January when the school board dismissed the petition for the Northgate feeder pattern schools to leave the district, as nothing more than the interest of twenty parents. In response, over 100 supporters stood in the cold and rain this past winter to collect signatures from approximately 4,000 Walnut Creek supporters.
Walnut Creek Schools Together Now continues to move forward with the transfer of the Northgate feeder pattern schools out of MDUSD. In addition, their proposal would unite the vast majority of Walnut Creek children, and all of the city's schools, into the same school system. The County Committee has called for a hearing on September 10. Get involved.
To read more about Walnut Creek Schools Together Now: HERE
3. After years of ineffective leadership, Northgate is getting a new principal. During the few short months that interim principal Carl Toliver was at the helm, Northgate students and parents saw improvement in staff friendliness, the reassessment of ridiculous rules, a can-do attitude, and finally more AP classes. Things are far from perfect, we are still faced with low teacher morale, high teacher turnover and a subsequent drop in teaching experience. Test scores are continuing to fall behind when compared to other similar schools and there is still no AP English. Incoming principal, John McMorris will now be charged with addressing these issues, and others. We hope he addresses them aggressively and with the interest of the students in mind.
To read more about John McMorris: HERE
4. Mr. Eric Kapral will not be returning to Northgate, he has taken a job elsewhere. The MDUSD strategic plan process is stalled. The MDUSD parcel tax is still being bantered about.
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