Comments on: Carson: We should have been more open

By: HERB KREBS

HERB KREBS — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:58:24 +0000

Sandi,
I live in Bedford as well, so you are preaching to the choir.
I dont agree with all the school board has done.
Even when they hired a school super with NO experience.
The problem with people that are appointed is they
are not responsible to anyone.
When are people going to wake up and figure out that appointed
boards are no Good.
They do dumb stuff then say I'm sorry.
Well this just doesnt get it in my book.
If this effected you I am sure you would be angry as well.
People in Roanoke are barley getting by and they have a
board giving out raises behind closed doors.
That leaves me to think what else is going on?

By: Sandi Saunders

Sandi Saunders — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:28:32 +0000

Oh yeah, let's do bring politics into the School Board. THAT will surely improve things! I think your City Council is enough to prove the success of elections. Bedford has had so much success with elected school boards, yeah right, go for it. People with an agenda always trump people with a cause.

By: HERB KREBS

HERB KREBS — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:59:51 +0000

Kristen,
I think the only way to determine that
is to have an elected board.
I think roanoke is one of a few in the whole state
that does not have this.
Lets make them accountable no matter what decision
they make.
If they are good decision's then keep them in if not then
boot them out.
I cant stand this appointment method of anything.
Makes people not accountable for anything.

By: Kristen

Kristen — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:35:06 +0000

http://www.reaonline.info/uploads/RiF_Policy.pdf

After a lot of googling, I found this document online.

If you read 3d in the first document, then 3d in the second, it clearly says that someone taking the spot of someone who gets fired will get the pay of the person who got RIFed.

So what was it the school board was doing that's so "secret"?

By: Kristen

Kristen — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:07:43 +0000

tclemmons..if you're not unionized, fine. But you'll have to come up with something a whole lot better than phone calls and copying before you can talk about "atrocities within the teaching profession".

By: Kristen

Kristen — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:03:37 +0000

Herb, I don't think there's a ton of competition for spots on the board for obvious reasons. It's a ton of work, uncompensated, with nothing in return but complaining.

By: Susan St. Clair

Susan St. Clair — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 01:17:19 +0000

And I would also add that after I moved to Roanoke County and enrolled my son there, it was like night and day difference. Never ONCE did I hear that tired line of "we have 1600 students and we don't have time for you." (A line I heard more times than I can count from his high school.) They actually cared (or at least acted like it) about my son's success and took the time to work with me and help him. He graduated high school only because I moved him. The County sure seems to be able to operate their schools in a whole different way that is certainly more conducive to parent involvement.

By: Susan St. Clair

Susan St. Clair — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 01:12:01 +0000

People are constantly saying it starts with the parents. As a parent who had a student in the schools in the City, I can tell you that you can try but you won't get far. When I tried to contact my son's teachers to discuss problems he was having, they were way too busy. You know what they told me? They told me how many students they had and that there was no way they could help me or my son because they simply could NOT devote the time to one student. I pulled my weight and tried and all I got from the schools in the City was a brick wall. All I ever heard was how many students they had and how they didn't have time. If the teachers don't have time to work with the parents to help the students then that seems a good place to start fixing the issues. The school system is so messed up in the City, and it didn't get that way over night, and it is not going to get fixed over night so they better start waking up and start fixing the problems now.

By: City Teach

City Teach — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:51:14 +0000

As a teacher who works for Roanoke City, I have every confidence in David Carson and the rest of the school board. I also understand the business decision that has been made regarding eliminating administrative positions and avoiding paying overtime to hourly employees by making them salaried and paying them more. However, I don't believe that this was the proper time to approve the raises. Contrary to what Kristen states, teacher contracts in Virginia are in no way related to the union. The union has no power to negotiate on behalf of teachers. So when the city decided to lengthen the school day, it essentially added the equivalent of over two weeks of work for teachers without additional compensation. Where is the fairness in not rewarding teachers for everything we do that is "above and beyond" the normal school day, but rewarding others who don't even impact the education of students in the classroom?

By: Herb Krebs

Herb Krebs — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:47:44 +0000

Kristen,
There are admin. that does more.
My wife for one.
She lost all her TA's the school nurse has been cut
back dramatically and alot more has been put on her.
This move is pathetic.
Just what does a asst. to the asst super do.
Duh push papers.
That person is nothing more then a glorified secratary and
the board says they deserve a 15,000 pay raise.
Bull.
This was done in secrecy on purpose due to the public outcry.
I say that if the current council does not reverse this or
get rid of people on the board then the ones that run next time will
bring this up and surely most of the council that is ok
with this will LOSE.