My turn to get schooled
To the Get Schooled community from Maureen Downey:
Thanks for the words of welcome, caution and concern as I’m new to blogging, although I’m not new to Get Schooled. I’ve been a daily reader of the blog and all the comments since Patti Ghezzi launched Get Schooled. My editors have freed me to spend a lot more time on the blog than Patti, Bridget or Laura; they all juggled Get Schooled with demanding beats here at the AJC. (And they did a masterful job.)
Another difference is that I have children in school. My four children span elementary school to college. I have also taught at the community college and college level.
While I will still write an education column and assemble the Monday education page – I am always looking for lively op-ed pieces. See the one today sent to me by inspirational teacher Millie Turek — my chief responsibility is the blog.
My goal is to continue Laura’s thoughtful work and post interesting and relevant topics. I love reading research on what works in classrooms and hope that we can talk about some of that.
I have a great and farflung community of parents and teachers connected to me by e-mail, telephone and the backyard fencepost. I hope that some of them will join us now at the blog. Expect more posts from me today. And please follow Rosie’s example and give me an idea of what you think we ought to be talking about here. (Rosie has terrific comments on a regular basis.)
In response to Jim d, whose insights and comments I’ve enjoyed for a long time: Rest assured. After writing about guns, Vernon Jones and the Legislature, I have a thick skin.
Cheers, Maureen
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34 comments Add your comment
Larry
August 3rd, 2009
12:04 pm
New keyboard – $75.00
Monitor cleaning swabs – $2.50
Mouthful of Warsteiner – $.50
Seeing Jimd mentioned in the new blog mistress’ opening remarks – priceless.
Dr. John Trotter
August 3rd, 2009
12:25 pm
Maureen, Welcome aboard! Remember this always: You cannot have good learning conditions until you first have good teaching conditions. The latter has to be first established before the former takes place. They are inextricably linked. I look forward to many hot topics!
Maureen's accountablity metric
August 3rd, 2009
12:34 pm
First day, blog comments being lost. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
mdowney
August 3rd, 2009
12:43 pm
To my personal accountability metric: I will sit down with the tech folks and see why there are lost comments. I have noted that several posters have been complaining about this in the last few weeks since the “upgrade” occurred.
jim d
August 3rd, 2009
12:47 pm
I’m really glad to hear it dear, I wish you the best. so let the games begin.
Ok all you teachers that have been b1tch1n about Ms. Downey’s articles–have at it. NO? oh yeah forgot about the courage thing–MY BAD! You’d be exposing yourself.
This could turn out to really be pretty boring.
Ms. Downey–I’d still love to see some investigative reporting on school systems violating sunshine laws and the enforcement branch’s (ie; A/G’s office and superior courts) that are responsible for seeing these laws are obeyed, shirking their duty.
oh, and by the way, thanks for the early mention
mdowney
August 3rd, 2009
12:55 pm
Jim d, As someone who has written a lot about the flagrant violations of the state open meetings and open records laws, I agree. The problem is that this is a tough subject in which to engage the public. And the judges and the AG are aware that this issue is usually only relevant to the media and to attentive parents who understand the law. I know that your county is one that has thumbed its nose in the past at the laws, and that the AG has not acted beyond the occasional letter.
Government officials breach Georgia’s sunshine laws all the time without penalty. The price is paid by citizens who are denied access to records that their tax dollars fund or who are prevented from obtaining the information because of exorbitant, and in many cases illegal, fees.
But you can’t get a critical mass of citizens outraged enough — even after widespread exposure on the violations.
Dr. John Trotter
August 3rd, 2009
1:10 pm
It was enough to take out several board members in Clayton County. That issue alone took them out. Ericka Davis had been violating the Open Meetings Law as Chairperson for quite some time. In fact, Norreese Haynes publicly chastised her for doing so, and he even filed a complaint to SACS and Mark Elgart concerning this, but not a peep from the hypocritical Mark Elgart. The law is enforced only when the “powers that be” want to enforce it. This is the point…inequitable enforcement of the laws. Alvin Wilbanks in Gwinnett can NOT report thousands (wasn’t it about 4,500?) cases of serious disciplinary offenses as required by law and does so with near impunity. What happens to him? A small, ligth slap on the wrist by the PSC. The AJC would return to its former glory with some hard-hitting investigative reporting about the rampant adminintrative-driven cheating (as jim d and other have pointed out) and the abject failure of maintaining student discipline within the school environment, but I know that this cost money, and the AJC, like most American corporations today, are feeling financially pinched. By the way, Beverly Hall’s administration had many schools with NO serious disciplinary cases to report. Give us a break. Just like the Deerwood Academy scamdal. The teachers are frustrated, and they very much hope that the AJC would be more aggressive against the corruption which seems to plague most school systems today. Just my quick thoughts. Gotta run. Take care.
mdowney
August 3rd, 2009
1:12 pm
Dr. Trotter, I expect a lot of discussions about what are the right teaching conditions. Certainly, we can agree on the basics: Safety, fair wages, reasonable demands and smart leadership.
But there are teachers who want a lot of feedback and attention from administrators, and others who would like to go through the year without anything more than a nodding acquaintance with the higher-ups.(That, by the way, would be me. I try very hard to avoid close contact with management.)
I would love your input on teacher-led schools and whether they will be labs to develop and showcase the best teaching conditions.
There is an interesting blog by David Cohen out of the recent National Board for Professional Teaching Standards meeting here in Atlanta on the new teacher-led school in Denver http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/Live-From-NBPTS/
I asked a teacher pal about her experience in a California charter school that was teacher started and teacher run. (She had happily signed on, but quit a year later.) The problem, she said, was that she didn’t want to worry about whether there was toilet paper in the bathrooms. She didn’t want to deal with maintenance people when the furnace stalled. And she didn’t want all the meetings that went with managing the place. Students drew her to teaching, and she found co-running a school with her colleagues took her away from them and from her classroom.
Maureen's accountablity metric
August 3rd, 2009
1:20 pm
Jim d,
I attempted to ask Ms. Downey, point blank, about her lack of editorial response to the governor’s description of the APS’ denial of the CRCT cheating scandal.
In a nutshell, I think it’s outrageous for the education editorial voice, to have been silent on this issue. Unlike what happened in DeKalb, it’s the denial of the cheating, at the very highest levels, that deserved comment, and condemnation, as the governor and virtually every dept. of ed. official pointed out, as that denial strikes at the integrity of the leadership of the school system.
Ms. Downey, there is truly no nice way to put this, other than in the form of a question so you at least have a chance to address it. How can readers trust that you are speaking to issues that are in their best interests, if you were willing to remain silent on a denial that was so outrageous, your own newspaper made it, and the governor’s response to it, a front page story? And to be clear, the question isn’t about what the system did; the question that is most germane to this blog, now that you moderate it, is what you didn’t do; what you didn’t do to address it.
It’s not the most pleasant question I know, but I think most would agree, jim d included that it is a fair and legitimate question. And jim d, if there is an answer forthcoming, that offers a compelling, legitimate reason that this wasn’t addressed-and no, Jim Wooten’s single sentence comment on it is not a legitimate reason-then I’ll be more than happy to wipe the egg off my face.
In the interests of civility, I’ll leave it at that for now.
jim d
August 3rd, 2009
1:24 pm
Hmmm,
“is usually only relevant to the media and to attentive parents ”
So the AJC, (a press media) can help bring down the folks they want to but relatively ignore powers like the gwinnett system with its heavy political ties why?? Might that just have a little something to do with the $$ generated from advertising placed by a heavy hitting Chamber of Commerce?
NAW, that couldn’t be it——————–or maybe?
(A bit off topic) And since you brought it up,—-we will Never—–Ever —-Agree on the guns issue as long as I’m carrying my NRA membership card.
Maureen's accountablity metric
August 3rd, 2009
1:29 pm
jim d,
In fairness to Ms. Downey, I should clarify my opening comment about asking Ms. Downey point blank about her lack of response to the APS cheating scandal. I should have added that I asked her, and the blog matrix ate my comment, and not left an unspoken implication that she refused to address this on this blog.
Hopefully a response is soon forthcoming, as the 1:20pm post addressing the issue did find favor with the blog gods, the Matrix, or whatever it is.
jim d
August 3rd, 2009
1:32 pm
Maureen’s accountablity metric,
A Fair question I agree. Perhaps Ms. Downey will address it for you.
jim d
August 3rd, 2009
1:48 pm
Dr. John,
“The AJC would return to its former glory with some hard-hitting investigative reporting ”
Truly a shame that they haven’t figured out what sells newspapers is not advertising or articles about Michael Jackson.
BABY SAY...
August 3rd, 2009
1:54 pm
BABY SAY MPERER BE NEKKID……..—ALL WAYS BE BOUT MUNY….LIL KLATUN JUS BE POOOR COUNT=Y SAACS AJC ELLGURT NEEED SUM GRUP TOO BEET UP. KLAYTUN SKOOOLS AD KOWNTY BEE DISTROYED…LEEVE GWINET ALUN ADN LEEEVE COBB & NORTH F. ALUNE. DAY BEE BEEG BOZS. JEST MESS WIT KLAYTUN KOWNTEE.
BABY SAY IT ALL WAYS BEE BOUT MUNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SKOOOLS BE BOUT MUNY…..SALLARYS VINDERS BOOOKS CUNSLUUTENTTS IT ALL WAYSS BE BOUT MUNY DATS WHYY WHAT PEEEPLS CUUNTRL DA SKOOL SISTAMS BE SOO MPURTNT.
BABY SAY ANY FOOL NO DIS.
Reality 2
August 3rd, 2009
1:55 pm
I agree with the teacher of the op ed piece. I think our schools push aside arts/music/phys ed too easily and too often. Our schools shouldn’t be just for academic preparation. We must maintain the balance among mind, body and spirit. I think arts/music education is important for children’s spiritual development.
Kingfish
August 3rd, 2009
1:58 pm
jim d, Keep it going on! You are the Voice of the Blog! Keep’em honest. Off to do the Lord’s work today. Florescent, baby, florescent! Know what I mean, Vern? Crawdaddy must go!
mdowney
August 3rd, 2009
2:02 pm
To Maureen’s Accountability Metric: (Can I just call you MAM for short?) I have a very simple answer to my lack of comment in print on APS. I don’t write editorials any longer so I don’t have a forum. Since April, we publish staff-written editorials only on Sunday. The editorial writer on those Sunday pieces is Andre Jackson.
If I had written an editorial, I would have been clear that the cheating allegations are serious and need a full and immediate airing. The charges hurt the kids of APS. They damage the reputation of the superintendent and the system. I think the responses of both Dr. Hall and Dr. Lewis are troubling.
Seen it all
August 3rd, 2009
2:04 pm
Welcome aboard Maureen,
I read your editorial in today’s AJC and I finally came to the conclusion that you are not necessarily sympathetic to teachers and schools. This was not the only editorial that questioned the things required of by teachers and schools (I remember the editoral about required projects). It seems to me that you think that teachers can be demanding and have their interests at heart when it comes to education.
Don’t worry– I’m not bashing you. I just see where you are coming from- from the standpoint of a middle class parent. That’s a different take on educational debate and discussion. I understand that teachers and schools today ask a lot of parents and students. But look at our schools. When you compare them to schools in other parts of the world, our schools are like palaces. We have EVERY conceivable thing in our classrooms. We have some of the best equipped classrooms on the planet.
My only desire is that student achievement match the resources that the Federal, state, and local governments, schools, teachers, parents, PTAs, and private businesses/organizations put into public education.
mdowney
August 3rd, 2009
2:10 pm
Can someone enlighten me on Baby Say?
In fact, I would love to know what comments pass muster with you and what ought to go. Laura says she wanted an “open” forum and didn’t nix too many comments.
But I prefer my satire in a Jonathan Swift mode — etched with a scalpel and not a machete.
What are the community standards?
Dr. John Trotter
August 3rd, 2009
2:18 pm
Maureen: The urban schools are broken. I think that the previous blogger is correct. Your experiences are somehat limited. You need to spend some time in the urban schools where it is nothing for the students to curse you out in front of God and the world, to shove you at will (and even hit you on occasions), to have their parents to come to the school to curse you out also, and then to have your principal tell you that you just have to take it and then procedd to write you up as if YOU were the problem. This, Maureen, is reality. These things do not happen all over Georgia, and I am sure that they do not happen where your kids attended and still do attend. It also rarely happens in a collegiate setting because some armed guard would remove such a student with all due alacrity, and the administration would kick the students out of the college/university post haste. These things do happen with consistent reularity within urban schools. This is just a fact, Maureen. We can wish it away, bury our heads in the sand, or we can openly admit that it is real and address the relevant issues at hand. Others might be afraid to state these things, but I am not. Perhaps this is one of the many reasons why I am controversial. Now, this time, I really have to take off. Your first day on the job, Maureen, has caused me to run late! This ought to be a harginger of things to come! Tchau! John Trotter.
Dr. John Trotter
August 3rd, 2009
2:23 pm
I first saw BABY SAY in the Clayton News/Daily blog, and it wasn’t me. I love BABY SAY! I was Earl of Ft. Liquordale and the Rev. Jimmy Jack Bourbon, as well as Elvis, Earl’s cousin who also grew up in Cabbagetown before moving to Clayco. My vote: BABY STAYS. Don’t discriminate on the basis of grammar or syntax. Maureen, BABY is no effete liberal but has some real message in his words. Don’t let that Gwinnettian elitism control the blogs! Really late now!
Dr. John Trotter
August 3rd, 2009
2:24 pm
Forgive the typo. Harbinger.
Maureen's accountablity metric
August 3rd, 2009
3:30 pm
Ms. Downey,
Thank you for admitting on this forum that the responses of the superintendents involved were troubling, even if the word troubling is far too kind.
Just a troubling was the AJC’s editorial response, or more appropriately, lack of response. If this was not any of your doing, my apologies on this issue. But as far as the editorial staff in general, it is but one of a history of ongoing “troubling” responses.
There are certain systems that the AJC editorial board seems more than willing to take to task, and there are certain systems the AJC editorial board seems to be more than willing to be silent about, even when there are egregious examples of wrong doing where the readers deserve to have an editorial voice clearly express an outrage.
Those involved in the reporting of the news seem to get this, what with Sonny Perdue’s response receiving front page coverage, but the editorial board, with the exception of Wooten, collectively took a pass on the issue. Doesn’t exactly endorse them as the watchdogs they claim to be now does it?
Andre Jackson did make a brief appearance on the AJC Conversation Starter blog. Seemed more than willing to talk at first, but when the questions started coming hot and heavy about his own editorial practices, he took a powder, saying he had to go feed his kids. Might be the first time in AJC history someone used the phrase, in reference to Jackson’s avoidance behave “If you can’t stand the heat, I guess you go into the kitchen.” as he never returned to the blog.
Maureen, as a former editorial board member, I’m sure you could comment plenty on the dynamics described above, and even offer some insight as to where they are spot on, and where they are off the mark.
I can also imagine you not wanting to jump into that fire given your relationships at the paper, but at the very least, would you agree this paper could use an ombudsman housed outside the paper, who could give a level of accountability to an editorial board that, based on its evasive responses to the Conversation Starter blog, it clearly is unwilling to give to itself?
jim d
August 3rd, 2009
3:45 pm
My vote?
Keep it open–Baby Say = Baby stay.
I can ignore the stupid and admire the sublime.
fulton teacher
August 3rd, 2009
4:53 pm
Maureen,
I’m just curious about your teaching experience at the college level. What did you teach and where did you teach? Was it a good experience?
Ernest
August 3rd, 2009
5:30 pm
Maureen,
Welcome as our new blog mistress! One thing I see in this blog that I hope we can expect from you going forward is for you to be engaged with the bloggers. Seeing AJC writers ‘comment on comments’ really makes this more a dialogue than monologue. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw Mark Bradley doing this with his regular blog. I look forward to the same from you.
Cere
August 3rd, 2009
5:41 pm
Maureen! How wonderful that you have joined us in the blogosphere! I agree with Ernest, the fact that you engage your fellow commenters is what will make the difference in this blog. I am so glad that the issue of education will finally get its just attention at the AJC! You have the power to take the discussion to the state level – with your insight, experience and balanced viewpoint.
ps — I love you, BABY – you have an open invitation to the DeKalbSchoolWatch blog if they ever kick you off of here!
parent and teacher
August 3rd, 2009
6:35 pm
Welcome Maureen – I like that you will be doing more than just posting the topic – feedback is good.
As far as your Learning Curve article today, I think your mother’s nemesis (Mrs. Heyward?) was wrong – and I think that despite being a teacher. I’m of the mindset that “the teacher’s always right” makes as much sense as “the customer’s always right” – I used to work retail, so you know I don’t believe either of those 100%, lol.
I do think teacher’s have a perspective that parents don’t – on the flip side, most parents know and love their children more than most teachers. Both sides need to check their egos at the door, focus on solving the problem, and put the responsibility for learning squarely on the shoulders of the one to whom it belongs – the student. I have seen many students try to play teachers and parents off each other (much like a child might with two divorcing parents). As the adults duke it out, the kid’s happy because s/he’s off the hook (for the time being). It needs to be a partnership, and unfortunately I see it being very adversarial – and it doesn’t need to be.
I’ve always had good relationships with my children’s teachers, and I’ve had primarily good relationships with my students’ parents – I try to think win-win, and I try to be the type of teacher I would want my child to have had.
As far as hovering goes, my rule of thumb with my personal children was that I needed to give them wings, not crutches. My first approach to their problems was to help them brainstorm solutions for them to implement. I rarely got personally involved unless the situation was one that they couldn’t handle (and there were a few – but no more than a handful between the two of them in their respective 13 years of public schooling). As a result I have two young adults who are very good at handling their own “stuff.”
Cere
August 3rd, 2009
9:17 pm
That last line — I meant, “BABY SAY…” – I wasn’t referring to you, Maureen!
BABY SAY...
August 3rd, 2009
9:18 pm
BABY SAY TANK U CERE!!! GOOOD BLOG MCUH PURDY GRAFIX….BABY SAY CRAWFORD LEWIS HADD HOTT TIME AT SKOOOL BORD MEETIN TOONITE. WATCH DA NU’S TUNITE. PO PO EVERWHAR!!!
Dr. John Trotter
August 3rd, 2009
9:49 pm
Congrats, Maureen! You’ve had a good day! Lots of hits and lots conversation. When we got back to the MACE Office today from a fairly eventful picket at the DeKalb School Board Meeting (”All Nine Must Resign,” “Is Crawford Lewis Covering Up Bullying and Cheating?,” “DeKalb Board Worse Than Clayton Board,” and other colorful signs), I tried to get onto this blog but was blocked, and I thought: “Oh no, here it goes again.” I thought that I had been banned again. Crawford Lewis and his administration must be scared to death of MACE. Police were stationed everywhere at Arabian Mountain High School for the school board meeting. We picketed on the back entrance where the traffic was directed. School board members rode by and winced at the signs. A big community protesting contingency had been organized for the meeting. This group included the lawyer for the Huerrera child who committed suicide, as well as his parents and supporters (including parents at Dunaire Elementary), John Evans, and other community leaders. People are saying that Judge Thelma Cummings-Wyatt was paid over $170,000.00 to “investigate” and render a “decision.” LaTasha Walker with the group wanted me to give her some quotes for the press release which appeared in one of the DeKalb newspapers. I gave her some rather juicey quotes. The DeKalb School System had a police van stationed at one entrance, presumably to haul off MACE picketers if we put one foot on Crawford’s sacred property. Well, we are smarter than that. We parked on the street in front of signs that read, “Visitors Parking.” On the main entrance, the long driveway/road was barricaded with police cars even stationed there. Now, you folk don’t think that Crawford Lewis has a bunker mentality? The police officer in the police van was radioing back to tell about us picketing “on the sidewalk” (a Category One Free Speech Forum, by the way). We were filming what was taking place and informed the police officer that we would be happy to have him on You Tube and MACE TV. I qouted the late Justice Thurgood Marshall in a 1972 Supreme Court decision: “What better place to picket than in front of a school?” This quote seems to always get to the police officers. We were armed also with the U. S. Constitution. Ms. Walker called me and told me that the DeKalb School System Police made her and her friends put away their signs — even when they were outside! She did note that the speakers were giving the DeKalb School Board and Crawford Lewis heck, and even complained about them violating their rights to hold up signs outside of the building where the public school board meeting was being held inside. Talking about bullying! Wow! I am told from reliable sources that these protest actions today are only the beginning. One MACE sign read: “Hey School Bd., Crawford Goes Or You Go!” The Community Group finally pulled off their press conference with at least three local television stations covering the event. I am glad to be of service to this Educational Blog Family! Ha! Now, I know one of the purposes of these blogs…the AJC gets free on-the-spot reporting!
Cere
August 3rd, 2009
10:51 pm
BTW, Maureen, on our little blog we only nix comments that offend someone else, or call out people using cheap names or racist rants. We try to insist that people use tact and thought when they post a comment… they’re pretty good about it! A little respect goes a long way.
Maureen's accountability metric
August 4th, 2009
12:10 am
One thing I’d like to see the AJC ratchet up is the use of Open Records requests. Let’s find out exactly how much Thelma Cummings-Wyatt really was paid. I haven’t heard the figure Dr. John Trotter cited, but I have heard that there never an official written report produced of this “investigation” which is shocking in its arrogance if true.
And given the editorial board’s willingness to take on certain school systems in the past, when you have serious allegations of a state senator illegally shutting down a grievance hearing that was about to expose even more evidence of cheating in DeKalb, an action that was apparently approved of by his superiors, I think reasonable people would agree that it’s long past time for the editorial board to address the ongoing shenanigans of Crawford Lewis and company.
Cere
August 4th, 2009
1:32 pm
You can read about Judge Thelma Wyatt Cummings Moore and even download copies of her contract at Atlanta Unfiltered – a news blog created by your former AJC colleague, Jim Walls.
Read the story here –
http://www.atlantaunfiltered.com/2009/06/29/dekalb-spends-170k-on-bullying-probe-written-reports-remain-private/