Get Schooled

By jim d

October 30, 2007 2:44 PM | Link to this

Not likely Bridget,

You know as well as anyone that “mo money” is not the fix. Hell it ain’t even a patch. GE just got 100 million dollars worth of free press though.

By JustMe

October 30, 2007 2:58 PM | Link to this

Money helps, but is not the answer.

First, one must make sure that the money is spent properly. This does not mean to hire an over-priced consultant that happens to be the sister-in-law of the Principal (which is likely to happen). The money must make it INTO the classroom in order to benefit the students.

Second, the assets (computers, etc.) must be purchased wisely and must also make it into the classroom. This does not mean that the Superintendents brother-in-law that works for Circuit City gets the contract to sell out-dated computers that eventually sit in a closet because they are old and useless.

Money provides for an OPPOTUNITY but does not in and of itself make it better.

By 5th yr in HELL

October 30, 2007 3:01 PM | Link to this

As a teacher in APS, I firmly believe that I will never ever see a dime of that money. 22 million for a district where the majority of te students don’t go to college? The money would have been better spent within these lower economic communities surrounding the district. Oh wait, sorry….all “those” people will be gone when those last projects get torn down. Perfect, because all the higher educated people who move in’s KIDS will reap tat 22 mil of math and science benefits. Where’d that 10 mil go that Billy and Mel handed over last year? Well, we all know 2 tenths of a tenth of that went towards employees who were suspended with pay….

By Lee

October 30, 2007 3:33 PM | Link to this

Forgive me for being skeptical, but this IS the same school system that spent how many millions on technology only to have it sit in a warehouse somewhere? No bid contracts as well??

Tell ya what Bridgett, follow-up in about a year and ask them what they spent the $22 million on. (ask for receipts, though)

By Atlanta Pearl Girl

October 30, 2007 5:48 PM | Link to this

APS need all the freaking help they can get!!!!!! I experienced ‘first hand’ the lack of leadership and lack of help towards kids who have the ability, but are given no direction in APS.

More power to them!!!!!

BUT….make sure they know where the $$ is going!
I still don’t know where in the world their money goes….because it doesn’t seem to get to the kids (not lumping all APS together..there are some APS schools that ROCK’..)

Atlanta Pearl Girl

By mmm

October 30, 2007 6:18 PM | Link to this

APS at least has it on the money at talking these folks out of Money.

DeKalb is so out-of-it that, even though we have far more needy kids—we can’t even put up a pom-pom show to get a dime from the business community.

By Ernest

October 30, 2007 7:04 PM | Link to this

mmm, you raise a good point! We all know how WWBD feels about APS and Dr. Hall but you’ve got to give the lady her props when it comes to building relationships with the Chamber and getting dollars for their school system. It sure would be nice for DeKalb to get contributions like that.

Lee’s point is right on target though, it is up to the community to ensure the money is spent on what it is intended for. Otherwise, GE would have gotten a lot of good press and the children would not have anything to show for that investment. Let’s hope those citizens will have a long memory with this.

By Mom (and engineer)

October 30, 2007 8:23 PM | Link to this

The first items on the agenda will be to hire more administrators and perhaps spruce up the board offices. I just looked up Jeff. Co, KY, where GE has another math/science partnership. They use “reform math” (Connected Math 2) for middle school. CMP2 and reform math in general will only send math test scores downward. Obviously, none of the GE engineers have kids who are in schools where “reform math” is taught, or GE would know better. “Reform math” is a disaster. But wow, can the “reform math” salespeople convince school educrats that it is the best thing since sliced bread.

By Taxpayer Parent

October 31, 2007 7:28 AM | Link to this

mmm, The Lakeside High School cheerleaders (in DeKalb) got a $20,000 donation from the Sembler Corporation because Commissioner Elaine Boyer’s daughters are cheerleaders at the school. What did the money go for? Cheerleading uniforms for Boyer’s two daughters and — oh, yeah — the other girls who just happen to be around them as their backup performers. Boyer will, of course, be voting on rezoning issues concerning Sembler’s developments in DeKalb. Further, Boyer has 15 of the cheerleaders out making direct solicitations of businesses to raise $16,000 for an ego trip to the Gator Bowl for her two daughters and their smaller group of backup performers among the LHS cheerleaders. And what has the DeKalb Schools administration done about this “fundraising”? Absolutely nothing!

So you see, DeKalb CAN get money from corporations under questionable circumstances, and just like APS, DeKalb won’t spend it on anything useful.

By GA Native

October 31, 2007 8:51 AM | Link to this

Bridget -

A good follow up to this blog is this…. who is accountable for how APS spends this money? Does GE have people allocated to over see the spending? Is there any break down of the money that GE provided as to how the money must be spent (for example 5% administration fees, 20% building impovements, etc.)?

IMHO, this type of news story is important because the ajc would be informing the APS tax payers. For some reason, the ajc always stops at the PR stage and never follows up….

By whatup

October 31, 2007 10:58 AM | Link to this

Bridget-I find it curious that you call the APS celebration a spectacle, yet you were completely smitten with the Ron Clark Academy circus. What’s the difference?

By Bridget Gutierrez

October 31, 2007 12:17 PM | Link to this

GA Native: Did you read the story?

If so, perhaps you missed this paragraph:

“Atlanta’s schools will not only benefit from the financial backing, but also the expertise of the company’s more than 3,000 local employees, who may act as mentors for teachers and students. Other GE staffers, who will oversee the program, will keep close tabs on the system’s progress to ensure academic goals are being met.”

The GE folks told me the money, which will be doled out incrementally over the five years, will be contingent on meeting those goals.

By Bridget Gutierrez

October 31, 2007 12:24 PM | Link to this

whatup: There’s a huge difference.

One was a press event created for the purposes of promoting the news of the grant. The other was a celebration for the opening of a school — the events of which were geared totally toward the students.

Incidentally, I was the only reporter invited to the opening of the Ron Clark Academy because it was considered a private affair.

By She looooves APS

October 31, 2007 4:21 PM | Link to this

Wow, you may love the system, but I have much experience in it, so I don’t!

This money will go straight down the toilet.

And please, Bridget, don’t be so rude to GA Native. I think he/she was asking who will REALLY oversee the spending. Yes, GE “staffers” (what does that mean?) might technically be in charge, but they can only see what APS allows them to see. And we all knows what that means………except maybe you.

By Bridget Gutierrez

November 1, 2007 10:15 AM | Link to this

SLA: To answer your question:

GE staffers include program managers for the foundation (based both in Connecticut and here) as well as Mr. Rice, who I understand will be getting quarterly reports on the school system’s progress.

As I stated before, GE plans to release the monies as academic targets are met. That’s partly the foundation’s attempt to ensure that the money is being well spent.

Whether it is or not, time will tell.

By jim d

November 1, 2007 11:50 AM | Link to this

Bridget?

Ans the measure of progress? The CRCT?

By WhatWillBridgetDo?

November 1, 2007 7:33 PM | Link to this

With all due respect Ernest, I can’t give “props to Dr. Hall” when the price of those “props” is PHYSCIAL ASSAULTS on teachers.

When you falsify federal documents by saying there were ZERO incidents in FORTY schools, that is not a “paperwork error.” That is a lie. Especially when you tell the AJC that “…our reforms are working so well, there are no discipline problems to report.”

Not only is it a lie, it’s lie that tells Atlanta teachers “I will condone the PHYSCIAL ASSAULT upon your body, because I think the importance of good PR outweighes any consideration of your physical safety”.

I’m sure good PR (with the help of the AJC who has steadfastly refused to follow up on the falsified discipline data) helped lead to the GE Foundation grant.

Still, I’m not willing to condone the physcial assault upon Atlanta teachers in exchange for “good press” REGARDLESS of the grants and rewards it may bring the school system (and make no mistake; when you falsify the data, and then tell the media “our reforms are working so well” it never happened, you ARE condoning it.)

My question to you Ernest is, are you willing to condone it in order to give “props” How many physical assaults is it “ok” to pretend never happened (and to give no consequences for) for the greater good of “building relationships”?

Dr. Hall obviously is willing to condone of LOT of them, or else she would have never “signed off” on the documents for FORTY schools. I guess if you want to give her “props” for something, give her props for being more shrewed than Judas, considering she held out for $300k per annum, instead of 30 pieces of silver.

By She looooves APS

November 1, 2007 7:49 PM | Link to this

Well, see - the measure of “progress” will be fake CRCT scores - so I guess they’ll get the money! See what we’re all trying to tell you - GE can only work w/ what they’re given - if they’re given good lies, they have to hand over the money!