Jonathan Pelto - Latest Comments

Re: NEWS FLASH: Connecticut Charter Schools outperform public schools…in suspending kindergarten students!

Joan C. Grim — Sat, 18 May 2013 14:48:43 -0000

A critical question is how many suspended children have IEP's? IDEA mandates protections from innappropriate discipline for kiddos with disabilities. Suspensions are explicitly targeted as a violation when schools use it as a disciplinary measure. Parents should look at demanding due process hearings and go to court, if necessary, against corporate charters as there will be little to no response from Duncan's DOEd. Duncan signaled last year that his OSEP was NOT enforcing IEP compliance and several states exempted charters from "burdensome" regulations. Charters should be forced to face families in court to justify thes suspensions. The courts have the potential force corporate charters face to face with equality.

Re: NEWS FLASH: Connecticut Charter Schools outperform public schools…in suspending kindergarten students!

Ken Derstine — Sat, 18 May 2013 13:38:19 -0000

Your concerns are well founded. Pennsylvania just appointed a new head of the Dept. of Ed. who has a military background and is a graduate of the Broad Superintendents Class of 2005.. and a Paul Vallas protegee.

http://wp.me/p3nQdj-13R

Even more disturbing was this press conference the day after the announcement:

http://wp.me/p3nQdj-15e

Re: NEWS FLASH: Connecticut Charter Schools outperform public schools…in suspending kindergarten students!

Paul Thomas — Sat, 18 May 2013 09:44:12 -0000

Education Reform in the New Jim Crow Era

http://truth-out.org/opinion/i...

Re: NEWS FLASH: Connecticut Charter Schools outperform public schools…in suspending kindergarten students!

JMC — Sat, 18 May 2013 09:12:05 -0000

Beautiful work, Jon. Ms. Rabe's article, which I will now go to read, probably mentions what I was told by a school administrator about ten years ago, i.e. that copies of all disciplinary referrals on students written by teachers are sent to Hartford.

Re: NEWS FLASH: Connecticut Charter Schools outperform public schools…in suspending kindergarten students!

JMC — Sat, 18 May 2013 09:01:06 -0000

Very detailed, relevant link, L. And very scary. Thanks.

Re: NEWS FLASH: Connecticut Charter Schools outperform public schools…in suspending kindergarten students!

helen — Fri, 17 May 2013 23:39:26 -0000

Thanks for fleshing out the numbers beyond the few in the article.
Very useful! And your write-up is perfect.

Re: NEWS FLASH: Connecticut Charter Schools outperform public schools…in suspending kindergarten students!

Querculus — Fri, 17 May 2013 22:45:05 -0000

"Incarceration First?"

Evidence of very serious failures endemic to the privatized charter school model being foisted on Connecticut's inner cities.

Sadly, I expect to see more money, support, and stability withheld from democratically controlled public schools and funneled instead to various politically connected individuals and politically connected schools like Jumoke and AF.

Re: NEWS FLASH: Connecticut Charter Schools outperform public schools…in suspending kindergarten students!

Apartheid First — Fri, 17 May 2013 22:21:23 -0000

Violence is so pervasive in our society--not just in these very distressed communities. Poverty is a form of violence--some of these families live in very unstable and dangerous circumstances. It is time to start addressing that issue, rather than blaming "lazy, ineffective" teachers.
We must also reflect on our own ways of relating to each other--the high-stakes testing, the high-pressure school "choice" lotteries--these things turn people against each other and foster hostility rather than community. Charter school operators love the "waiting for superman" desperation of the lottery--such as Windham has recently had, for a magnet school--but Adamowski made sure to drag it out in order to cause as much pain and animosity as possible.
We need more Peace! Here is one group with some great resources--because when school suspensions are high at any grade level, but especially at the youngest ones, we all need to rethink our responses:
http://www.teachsafeschools.or...

Re: NEWS FLASH: Connecticut Charter Schools outperform public schools…in suspending kindergarten students!

Apartheid First — Fri, 17 May 2013 22:12:14 -0000

This really is unbelievable. I do wonder about how larger class sizes, fewer experienced teachers, fewer aids and paraprofessionals, and higher stress levels affect this situation. Still, it is incredible to be treating children in such a manner. We are criminalizing childhood for the poor.
It is all part of school reform which, according to this article, is the New Jim Crow (note how the article addresses the increased police presence in schools and how this turns schools more toward a prison model): http://www.truth-out.org/opini...
I must repeat that something is deeply wrong when children 6 and under are being suspended.

Re: The Malloy/Pryor Education Reform Consultant Full Employment Gravy Train

Linda174 — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:05:46 -0000

They are clueless because this isn't reform. It is a stimulus employment program for friends of Stefan.

The less classroom/teaching experience one has, the more qualified you are to "evaluate" the real educators in this state.

Where is the legislature, are they paying attention?

Re: NEWS FLASH: Connecticut Charter Schools outperform public schools…in suspending kindergarten students!

Randy — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:02:31 -0000

http://www.susanohanian.org/ou...
Something on Paul Vallas

Re: The Malloy/Pryor Education Reform Consultant Full Employment Gravy Train

Good Bye — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:57:17 -0000

Please excuse the typos in my last post. I was sending an email while trying to do something else. Not a good Idea.
I worked with Mark Day prior to leaving the Department. I was not impressed. He is clueless about education reform. In fact I had a brief conversation with him about the BEST Program. He had never heard of the Best Program. Why does this matter you might ask; he is playing an integral part in the development of the teacher evaluation system in addition to other key initiatives within the department. I am glad I no longer work for the Department. However, I am concerned about people like him and the harm they are causing CT Public School Students.

Re: The Malloy/Pryor Education Reform Consultant Full Employment Gravy Train

Good Bye — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:53:10 -0000

I worked with Mark Day prior to leaving the Department and I can say that I was not impressed. He does not have any idea about education reform. In fact I had a brief conversation with him about the BEST program and he had no idea about the program. Why does this matter, he is playing an integral part in the development of the teacher evaluation system in addition to other key initiatives within the department. I am glad I know longer work for the Department but I am Concerned about people like him and the harm they are causing CT Public School Students.

Re: The Malloy/Pryor Education Reform Consultant Full Employment Gravy Train

Education Junkie — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:46:12 -0000

Talent Officer, Shannon Marimon, is collecting $110,000 wow she is making more than some consultants who have been with the department for over 10 years. I've had a few interactions with her in my district and it was clear that she did not have any teaching experience but I did not realize they were paying her that much money. Some of the assistant principals in my district don't make that much and they have a myriad of educational experiences. Jonathan it might be interesting to request information about her applicant pool. I am willing to bet that if the process was fair, she did not qualify for an interview based on her credentials.

Re: The Malloy/Pryor Education Reform Consultant Full Employment Gravy Train

GMan — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:38:35 -0000

All I can say is wow. Where do I begin! The Commissioner clearly has made the State Department of Education a great place to work for people with no education background. Every time you turn around he is hiring someone to fill a management type position while ignoring critical consultant positions. Jonathan having you trying to get a statement about vacancy refills from the Head of Human Resources, Ms. Karen Shaw. I would be curious to know what she has to say about hiring practices.

Re: NEWS FLASH: Connecticut Charter Schools outperform public schools…in suspending kindergarten students!

Jumangi — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:08:37 -0000

Wait....what?

Re: The Malloy/Pryor Education Reform Consultant Full Employment Gravy Train

Bronx — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:56:23 -0000

George Costanza: [about mechanics] " Well of course they're trying to screw you! That's what they do. They can make up anything; nobody knows! Why, well you need a new johnson rod here....Oh, a Johnson rod...Yeah well, better put one of those on...."

We could seamlessly substitute Stefan Pryor for the mechanic, and consultants/ consultancy firms for johnson rods and we have a perfect match...actually, I think we should refer to all these edu-consultants as johnson rods in the future, for all the chicanery and the fact most of em are redundant dicks as well ....

Re: NEWS FLASH: Connecticut Charter Schools outperform public schools…in suspending kindergarten students!

Linda174 — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:32:01 -0000

Who is Eli Broad and why is he trying to destroy public education?

http://www.defendpubliceducati...

Re: NEWS FLASH: Connecticut Charter Schools outperform public schools…in suspending kindergarten students!

Nina Bishop — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:28:35 -0000

My son was told he could not return to the charter our kids attended in District 49 in Colorado Springs, CO. He is special needs and in the best interest of his health we refused the state test. My son, though special needs, has read at a near college level since 3rd it was discovered in 3rd grade. He had never been a disciplinary problem. I guess scores at charter schools are more important than a child's health. I read billionaire and education deformer, Eli Broad, supports the military running our schools. I feel sorry for his kids; if he ever had any and paid any attention to them.

Re: NEWS FLASH: Connecticut Charter Schools outperform public schools…in suspending kindergarten students!

Linda174 — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:17:32 -0000

I wonder if they have to record or note a reason for a suspension. Do they provide a list of offenses?

AF has an extremely high percentage of the population being suspended. It is astronomical!

No EXCUSES Dacia and Stefan....accountability for you, too!

Re: The Malloy/Pryor Education Reform Consultant Full Employment Gravy Train

brutus2011 — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:07:42 -0000

I must disagree.

In my teaching experience, I have come across only a few AP, Prin, and District Admins who did not first and foremost "play the game" to keep their jobs and 6 figure salaries and future pensions. Of course, I am mostly talking about New Haven Public Schools and that may skew my experience considerably given the corruption in New Haven.

NHPS Admins are pictured under the "throw them under the bus" in the dictionary.

And, are you really trying to tell me that the financial incentive is a non-sequitur?

Teachers should be implementing the curriculum int the individual buildings.

The results will be better and at lower cost.

Re: The Malloy/Pryor Education Reform Consultant Full Employment Gravy Train

Querculus — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:43:56 -0000

Brutus--

The holy grail for administrators?

School administrators, especially building administrators, seek to create a well functioning and safe school where students learn and mature in a positive environment that coheres with its surrounding community.

It is not a six figure salary. The best building administrators are far underpaid for what they do. Are all building administrators above average? Nope. Do they deserve to be seen only as simple money grubbing lazy public employees?

Absolutely not, and neither do teachers.

Re: The Malloy/Pryor Education Reform Consultant Full Employment Gravy Train

Apartheid First — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:11:13 -0000

Out of curiosity, doesn't the Broad Foundation pay part of Ramos's and Gay's salaries? They are Broad Residents, after all, although both clearly state that they are employees of the CT State Department of Education. So what is the Broad role here? Pre-selection?
It's pretty disgusting that most of these consultants, making 80K-120K+ salaries, are far outstripping long-time teachers in earning levels. Someone like Ramos has hardly any work experience, but I guess she hit the jackpot (on her Broad Resident bio page, she claims she won life's lottery... yeah, but only by putting a lot of other people out of work and ruining public education). Ramos's career path is very typical of the public-school-hating reformer: TFA, Ivy League management or professional degree, consult or lobby, get Broad Foundation, and viola, someone telling Superintendents, teachers, principals, and parents (many of whom are educated! even in distressed districts!) how to improve student achievement. The only thing improving in Connecticut is the earning power of these reformers/deformers.

Re: The Malloy/Pryor Education Reform Consultant Full Employment Gravy Train

1987tsd — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:06:37 -0000

When I started teaching, 34 years ago, people would ask me what I did for a living. I would proudly tell them, "I'm a school teacher." They would reply with "You put up with those kids all day? You couldn't pay me enough to do that". Now, when people ask what I do for a living I proudly tell them, "I'm a school teacher." They reply, "Overpaid, lazy union bum, sucking at the government teat, always whining about having too many kids in your class, don't even work in the summer, etc. Anyone can do your job."

Ha! Thanks for reminding me of this. 100K ain't what it used to be. Next time I'll say I have a tech job.

I think Jonathan's point was that these jackwagons in Hartford are more interested in lining their own pockets rather than filling the positions that actually help students. I had an Ed. Reformer tell me once that school would be a great place to work if it weren't for the kids! Ha!

BTW...if I had it all to do again...you couldn't pay me enough to be a school teacher!

Re: The Malloy/Pryor Education Reform Consultant Full Employment Gravy Train

Truth — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:33:27 -0000

Let us not forget Emily Byrnes, and Adam Golferb,