Get Schooled

By JustMe

January 25, 2008 12:12 PM | Link to this

Bridget - Thanks for all of your efforts. I, for one, enjoy blogging on the relavent topics in education.

Laura - Welcome! I look forward to your blog topics. Please keep in mind that we may disagree, but the regulars on here love to discuss ideas and positions.

By Jeff

January 25, 2008 12:17 PM | Link to this

Bridget:

It is truly a sad day for us here!!!! :((((( Good luck with your next projects!

All:

I have two comments:

1) How have we managed to run off TWO blog-ladies???? I thought we were the TAME blog???

2) PLEASE give the new lady a chance before you start attacking her. (This goes primarily for Attn Clayton Parents in addition to one other friend who shall remain un-named at the current time.)

By jim d

January 25, 2008 12:33 PM | Link to this

Bridget,

So-long, we wish you the best and thank you for a job well done. I suspect you may be missed so come back and visit on occassion.

I’m actually looking forward to having Ms. Diamond joining us since I’m pretty familar with many of the goings on in Gwinnett schools. This might actually be pretty entertaining!!

Take care Sweetie!

By jim d

January 25, 2008 12:36 PM | Link to this

OK Jeff,

But I was really looking forward to redefining the phrase “a diamond in the rough”

By Jeff

January 25, 2008 12:45 PM | Link to this

jim:

Oh yeah, overlooked the Gwinnett connection.

I may have to see if Bridget can find some way of banning you for Ms. Diamond’s first week or so…. otherwise we may run off our next blog mistress in under a week!

Just kidding, my friend. (I hope!!)

By Old School

January 25, 2008 1:15 PM | Link to this

All the best to you, Bridget. And many thanks for tolerating my run-on sentences and hasty responses. I promise to make a real effort to carefully read and ponder the articles and other bloggers before interjecting my two cents.

You showed amazing grace in replying to some of the more challenging bloggers and I appreciate that since I can be included in that group from time to time.

Just promise to add your own POV every now and again because…to quote Firesign Theatre…”We’re all bozos on this bus.”

By jim d

January 25, 2008 1:41 PM | Link to this

Me too!

I do suspect I might have an inside view though that could become rather entertaining. Especially with my opinon of the GCPS fearless leaders and their refusal to comply with Ga. Sunshine laws.

By jim d

January 25, 2008 1:50 PM | Link to this

Anyways—-moving right along.

Laura, Welcome to your very own blog!

By jim d

January 25, 2008 2:03 PM | Link to this

Ms. Diamond,

A hot topic for Monday might be the need of school bond issues and if voters should hand more money to a group of folks that don’t feel any accountability to taxpayers for the spending of tax funds already being given them. (if you get my drift)

xoxoxo

By Jeff

January 25, 2008 2:53 PM | Link to this

Ha! Our three day streak ends!

I’m thinking Monday should be a gentle “Hi! I’m Laura…” blog.

Maybe we could all even introduce ourselves to her… THAT could get interesting!

We can get into the more contentious stuff Tuesday.

How about discussing Ron Paul’s idea of completely eliminating the National Department of Education one day? (I won’t go into my rants on the media bias right now that is completely blacking him out, even though he’s beat Rudy Guiliani 5 times already and came in second place twice - Nevada and Louisiana.)

By jim d

January 25, 2008 3:35 PM | Link to this

Jeff,

the streak lives on. We are not in disagreement. I did say it might be a “hot topic”. I didn’t say it was an appropriate one for day one.

By Janine

January 25, 2008 4:07 PM | Link to this

Bye, Bridget. Here’s wishing you all good things in your “life after blog”. L’Chaim!!!

Welcome, Laura D.

Don’t be intimidated by the J’s who hang out here . Even dull topics take on a life of their own!!!!

By Jeff

January 25, 2008 4:25 PM | Link to this

Why yes, Janine, they certainly do!

(Laura: As you will come to see, sometimes hilarity results…. sometimes it is good that we’re not having these discussions face to face. But that is a good thing: at least we all care about the issues/topics in question.)

By Gail

January 25, 2008 4:28 PM | Link to this

Goodbye and Best Wishes, Bridget! Thanks for your help with the blog. Don’t be a stranger.

Welcome, Laura!

By SET

January 25, 2008 4:53 PM | Link to this

Bridget,

I hope we all surprised you occasionally while you ran the blog. Look in on us and say hello!

By Ernest

January 25, 2008 5:25 PM | Link to this

Bridget:

Thanks for coming up with topics for us to discuss. Best wishes going forward. Check in from time to time with your thoughts on the blog topic of the day

By jim d

January 25, 2008 5:36 PM | Link to this

Turn up the volume Bridget and click play. we will miss you

By catlady

January 25, 2008 5:44 PM | Link to this

Best wishes to you, Bridgett. I hate that we keep wearing out the blog mistresses so fast! Is it because we all care about education so much (and are sure our perspective is right?) Seems like they never can get rid of Jim Wooten on Thinking Right!?!

About introducing ourselves to Laura: I think it would be more fun to introduce each other! “And in this corner, we have ….”

By Attn: Clayton Parents

January 25, 2008 6:29 PM | Link to this

Jeff,

It’s called citizen journalism; using the blogsphere to bring to light issues that mainstrem media refuses to address. It was, and is entirely appropriate to hold the collective feet of the education reports to the fire with they refuse to address LEGITIMATE questions.

And I notice that neither you, or anyone else who reads this blog was equal to the challenge of explaining why it isn’t legitimate, given the close to a DOZEN stories on the SACS “investigation” into Clayton schools, to use the blogsphere to address the fact that not a SINGLE story was written about school board member Rod Johnson’s wife illegally double dipping especially given an Open Records request that confirms it.

If you’d like me to not “attack” the AJC’s total lack of coverage on this issue, then give us all a LEGITIMATE reason to give the AJC a free pass on their lack of journalistic integrity.

I’m guessing if the AJC had written close to a DOZEN articles about your teaching tenure, and not ONE on the actions of Bobby Jenkins and how it impacted it, you’d be raising holy unmitigated Hades on this blog.

By the same token, when I see school board members in Clayton trying to expose corruption and restore discipline, yet the AJC will IGNORE FACTS to “go negative” on them all the while PROTECTING political opponents, I’m going to advocate for the ENTIRE story to be told.

Sorry if I’m not being “polite” but I find it morally reprehensible that the reporters at the AJC, including the one responsible for running the education blog would sit on a story of a board member who KNOWINGLY hired an accused CHILD SEXUAL PREDATOR to work in the schools just to protect the political opponent of an organization the editors are at odds with.

Do you think they’d sit on the story if Rod Johnson had hired a accused child sexual predator to work in THEIR child’s school?

Would all of you guys bidding a fond farewell be just as gracious if they sat on the story of Rod Johnson hiring the accused sexual predator to work at YOUR child’s school?

Didn’t think so.

PS I know abosolutely nothing about these reporters in regard to their overall lives, so I will say I’m not passing a summary judgement on them as people. But it regard to their specific actions as reporters in this case, I think I’ve laid out a pretty good case for having a legitimate grievance.

By Janine

January 25, 2008 6:47 PM | Link to this

TO: Attn: Clayton Parents & Bridget & new Laura…. I , too, believe that the AJC reporters do not report on some issues that may be controversial. The Clayton Co. issue is,of course, one…However, there absolutely should be investigative reporting by education reporters….as when an entire faculty is fired due to the school’s not meeting AYP [NCLB] BEFORE the scores for the year are in…and when they do come in……the school MAKES AYP and the teachers are long gone.!!! How crazy is that??Did yoy read about that???I don’t think so!

By catlady

January 25, 2008 7:45 PM | Link to this

Attn: Reporters, like teachers, are limited in what they can report. Their bosses control it. If they don’t like the restrictions, they can always quit…..Hey, is THAT why we have a relatively quick turnover of ed blog mistresses???!!!?? (Just asking…)

By Bridget Gutierrez

January 25, 2008 8:23 PM | Link to this

Hi, everyone! Thanks for the kind words (and the song, jim d!).

Just to be clear: Y’all did not run me off. I really just felt it was time for a change.

As you know, blogging can be extremely time-consuming. But during the past few months I had less and less time to devote to it because of other duties on my beat.

I know how important Get Schooled is to many of you so I felt it was best if someone else took over.

Yes, SET. I was often surprised (delighted, really) at the insight, depth and thoughtfulness of the comments here. That’s of course a credit to all of you and the community you have built.

So keep the fire burning, and, to paraphrase Bono, Blog on!

By Blueja

January 25, 2008 8:29 PM | Link to this

A reporter that actually reported what really goes on in our schools… what a concept. Somebody who doesn’t strive to be Donna Lowrey ought to run with that! Are there any actual reporters out there?

By mmm

January 25, 2008 8:48 PM | Link to this

Bridget. Thanks for the effort and ideas.

Will your other assignments shift any, or are you staying on the same type of story?

I’ve read more than I’ve posted recently, but there are usually some thoughtful ideas as well as a few one note songs. Go in peace..

By Janine

January 25, 2008 9:46 PM | Link to this

LauraD..Here is a really interesting piece on AJC.com tonight. About a girl attacking a teacher at Lithonia Middle. Can you let us know if , in the end, the teacher takes the brunt of the blame instead of the student? THat happens a lot, you know. The student will be back in class in a week and the teacher will be reprimanded severely.

By becky Mattix

January 26, 2008 5:54 AM | Link to this

Goodby and good Bridgett, I think you did a much better job than Patti. However, we need a top notch investigative reporter. That probably won’t happen though. I think that the AJC protects the Georgia Dept of Education. How about the 12 year old student that beat up a 30 year veteran teacher at a Lilburn school? Too bad the teacher did not have a stun gun. Maybe when the parents start getting sued for their children’s actions, they will get a better handle on thei little delinquents.

By Jeff

January 26, 2008 6:22 AM | Link to this

Becky and Janine:

Laura actually has a story on the ajc.com home page (as I write this, it may move before you see this) on just that incident.

Based on the school officials as quoted in her story, it DOES seem to me that they are persuing actions against the teacher as well as the student.

That could just be me remembering how bad Bobby Jenkins was though. If school officials there are like where I live now, the teacher will be given all the support she needs and the student will NEVER be in a mainstream school in that system again.

Just thought I’d give y’all a heads up there…

By catlady

January 27, 2008 3:45 PM | Link to this

Jeff: However, what I read indicated that officials said there had been problems between the student and that teacher before, and they were SURPRISED to learn that other teachers had had problems with the girl! Sounds like they were on the way to dumping the blame on that individual teacher (to me) until someone let the media know it was not just that particular teacher who had been a “problem” to that girl! (Written tongue in cheek)

My son witnessed a school resource officer being struck and stomped to the ground when we were in Athens, AND THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER GOT THE BLAME FROM THE PRINCIPAL! The resource officer “caused” the student to punch and stomp the student by detaining the student for threatening behavior (as the principal explained it). The old “he made me do it” rings very hollow to me.

I suspect this was about to happen to the teacher. Maybe the media will (to the degree allowed by the school system, since student records are “confidential”) keep the light shown on this. I am willing to bet that other teachers who are willing to talk to the media will be sent to Siberia-duty forthwith.

By catlady

January 27, 2008 4:16 PM | Link to this

The resource officer “caused” the student to punch and stomp the officer by detaining the student for threatening behavior (as the principal explained it).

Sorry.

By Janinie

January 27, 2008 6:30 PM | Link to this

Yep, catlady,…I am guessing that this Lithonia teacher will get the brunt of the blame for this. That’s why I hope that LauraDwill do follow up after follow up after follow up on this.

By holdingAJCaccountable

January 27, 2008 6:51 PM | Link to this

Teachers should be outraged at the school system’s completely gutless response of there was “history” between the student and teacher. The only appropriate response is “The physical assault of a teacher by a student is not acceptable under any circumstances.”

Funny how school systems preach “zero tolerance” when it comes to Tweety Bird chains and squirt guns, but go completely limp when a real physical assault takes place.

I hope teachers will keep the pressure on the AJC to follow this story until justice is done on behalf of the teacher.

By jim d

January 28, 2008 7:40 AM | Link to this

Let me be the first to say “Good morning Ms. Diamond”

By JustMe

January 28, 2008 12:01 PM | Link to this

As a teacher, if I am EVER touched by a student, I will go to the law and claim physical assault. After all, that is what the student does and then they get the support from the administration.

Teachers are most often left on their own before, during, and after any type of attack from a student or parent. It is a shame and ridiculous, but that is the state of things in GA (maybe elsewhere too?). The school systems do not support teachers - in most every way.

By V for Vendetta

January 28, 2008 1:22 PM | Link to this

Farewell Bridget!

All my best,

V