and what do they care about your child receiving equality in education?
In my opinion, before change can begin to happen within District 150, the Lathan Administration and Board of Education must take a realistic look at the individual culture of each school and find out who is actually running our schools.
As we know from the Lindbergh Middle School fiasco, PTO's and parent groups can be very influential on a Principal. At Lindbergh, it appears that as long as the Principal's core group of supporters were happy, the Principal felt empowered to proceed down a certain path that was not in the best interest of all students or the District. The Davis/McCardle situation is now costing the District tens of thousands (maybe even hundreds of thousands) of dollars.
The voices that are heard in the administration of our individual schools have a say in the programs the school seek out, equipment, placement of children, dress code, etc... Unfortunately, all parents don't have the wherewithal to have input in these decisions that go to the day to day education of their children. It's not necessarily because they don't want to, it's because many don't know that they can have a say. Parents simply are not being empowered to take part in the decisions that directly impact their children's futures.
Oftentimes, important information may be given out in booster or PTO meetings that are attended by a small core group of parents and/or teachers - they could be running the school. Or, there may be a group of volunteers in the school, a church group, for example, that provides the school with a large range of services and funding - they could be running the school. It could be the parent in the school with the powerful spouse, who is from a prominent family - that person could be running the school. It is alleged that at Glen Oak, a volunteer school secretary was running the school. Or, if you look at the "kickin it video" of the Trewyn students - some may say the students are running the school.
The District has had enough clues from both North and South of War Memorial that the District's Principals may be professionally and/or ethically challenged. It is time for the District to take a close look at the Principals and Administrators who are charged to work in the best interest of ALL students. Don't let church groups, PTO's, boosters, school secretaries, powerful parents, neighborhood groups, or even students run our schools.
As we know from the Lindbergh Middle School fiasco, PTO's and parent groups can be very influential on a Principal. At Lindbergh, it appears that as long as the Principal's core group of supporters were happy, the Principal felt empowered to proceed down a certain path that was not in the best interest of all students or the District. The Davis/McCardle situation is now costing the District tens of thousands (maybe even hundreds of thousands) of dollars.
The voices that are heard in the administration of our individual schools have a say in the programs the school seek out, equipment, placement of children, dress code, etc... Unfortunately, all parents don't have the wherewithal to have input in these decisions that go to the day to day education of their children. It's not necessarily because they don't want to, it's because many don't know that they can have a say. Parents simply are not being empowered to take part in the decisions that directly impact their children's futures.
Oftentimes, important information may be given out in booster or PTO meetings that are attended by a small core group of parents and/or teachers - they could be running the school. Or, there may be a group of volunteers in the school, a church group, for example, that provides the school with a large range of services and funding - they could be running the school. It could be the parent in the school with the powerful spouse, who is from a prominent family - that person could be running the school. It is alleged that at Glen Oak, a volunteer school secretary was running the school. Or, if you look at the "kickin it video" of the Trewyn students - some may say the students are running the school.
The District has had enough clues from both North and South of War Memorial that the District's Principals may be professionally and/or ethically challenged. It is time for the District to take a close look at the Principals and Administrators who are charged to work in the best interest of ALL students. Don't let church groups, PTO's, boosters, school secretaries, powerful parents, neighborhood groups, or even students run our schools.
Principals must take back the power that they have been entrusted with and recommit to do their best to insure that all children have access to equality in education, not just the children whose parents or supporters have your ear.
