I've been thinking

The Q. rarely relies on pure speculation, but something about the story below about Denise getting her grade school teacher certification didn't quite add up. The assumption of some is she would use it as an escape route, but she is the kind of person who rarely admits they are wrong, so it is unlikely to me that she would retreat to a teaching position, especially as she has been a principal for a number of years.

I have absolutely nothing to go on but deductive reasoning, but I thought I'd float my own theory. Sentences in blue are "facts", so to speak, but the rest is me filling in the blanks.

First, in many organizations, one way that you get rid of a loose wheel, especially a well connected one, is to kick them upstairs to some staff job, or a "manager in charge of special projects" kind of slot. That isn't an option, usually, because there simply isn't that many positions in the diocese. However, one has come open...

http://www.cdow.org/060409.pdf

That may well fit the bill.

See, Denise is BFF with this person, and is pretty tight with the superintendent, as well. I've heard that there was some pressure to get her down here, which makes sense even if you simply take into fact that her school lost population until it merged with a nother school and she didn't have a job.

One could also assume that one or the other principals at the school would be retiring soon (which the diocese would know, based on age and other information), and let's say the assistant superintendent indicated she wanted to get back to a line position, opening up a staff position at the diocese at some point in the future. Wouldn't BFFs have an inside track to when it was opening up, and what they will be looking for?

Given as we know that Denise views herself as a fixer, and that she loves evaluting people and giving opinions, wouldn't the job be perfect for her? She's got the education, she has the certifications, and she could even argue that she has been through the merger of two schools (Leaving out how she drove people away, of course). I suspect that she didn't really want to come down here, as many upstaters feel, and she thought we'd be a bunch of rubes with flannel shirts and straw sticking out of the corner of our mouths that she could handle. Does anyone really think she is happy at her job here?

And why would she feel the need to publish a list of "accomplishments" and add to her certification unless she was padding her resume? ?

Sure, I've got little to go on, but doesn't a promotion make sense? She leaves on her own terms, she can forever claim that she was successful and got promoted out of this job, her posse down here can have a tearful going away party and she winds up in less harmful and stressful position. She's happy, we're happy, her posse is happy, Father Dan is happy. Everyone wins, no one has to admit a mistake - problem solved.

Maybe not quite Dan Brown, but I think it has at least a chance of happening. Anybody want some action as to whether she puts in for the job?

Olde Dover Days.....

I've been busy, so the posting has fallen off, but I think we'll pick it up a bit before we shut it down for the summer. There have been many things to write about, but I just haven't had the time.

Before I get into other things, I want to put down that I thought Holy Cross did a great job during the parade. The band looked great, the float was great, and our kids looked great, as well. The second graders did a fantastic job on the Green, and, wonder of wonders, DENISE actually made a guest appearance. It was brief, but I have to give her credit for showing up.

Food Festival didn't go all that bad, either. Not as big or as well attended as they used to be, but it took a couple of years to get to that perhaps unmanagable stage. Good job, all.

Mission and Beliefs

First, here is the text of the report that I've been getting the comments from....

http://www.hcs.pvt.k12.de.us/hcs/News/_zumu_sidebar/Middle%20States%20Report/Middle%20States%20Report.pdf/_top

And I probably should include the mission statement of the school, which is to "provide Christ-Centered Catholic education and educate and nurture their students emotionally, intelectually, and spirtually." The report furtuer assures us that this was compiled after "extensive" polling...which is odd, as I haven't found people who have been polled. I guess it could have been done more than 10 years ago, but it seems...weak, at best. How does it differe from any other Catholic school?

Comments are a bit different, this time, in that I have just one. After reading the academic gobblygook, is it unfair to say that what they are saying is that, yes, you have a mission statement, but it isn't really used?

The visiting team commends:

• The spirit and process of collaboration that took place while designing the mission and belief statements

• The school leadership for including the mission and belief statements in the community handbooks

The visiting team recommends:

• The faculty design a means of incorporating and modeling the school’s mission statement both in the classroom environment and in classroom instruction

• The school mission statement and belief statements be posted and easily accessible on the school’s website
• The mission statement of the school be visible to all visitors in the greeting and entry
areas of each building

Things to talk about...

Since it is somewhat buried at Holy Cross School's website, and it had very little notice (the short one line notice in the newsletter), I thought I would help the school by bringing some notice.

http://www.hcs.pvt.k12.de.us/hcs/News/_zumu_sidebar/Middle%20States%20Report/Middle%20States%20Report.pdf/_top

There are plenty of things to talk about in the report, but why don't y'all take some time, review what is there, and we'll be back. One thing you may want to consider as you look at it is the timeframe and the status of some of the groups indicated.

To make myself clear...

No matter how many weeks I see it, people leaving early from Mass always gets my dander up. I'm busy, you are busy, the Priest is busy...and I fail to see how the 10 minutes makes that much of a difference. Not that there are not good reasons...people leaving to staff the tables in the hall, or when we had CCD on Sundays are certainly reasons to leave, but to beat the traffic does not seem to qualify, to me.

I bring that up because I have a similiar reaction when people question the "why" of bringing these issues up. Maybe it is the genes of my red-haired Irish grandmother, but I do get my hackles up on a few issues.

However, as one poster put it, I do think we should be cautiously optomistic about the changes that were made this year. Maybe, as another poster said, it did take a pound of flesh, but can anyone say that the changes are not good ones? We've got more parental involvement, more openness in the classroom, a group to plan strategically for the future which goes a long way to where we need to be.

So let's pray for a good year and pray that the relationships heal, on both sides. I call on everybody to reach out....wave, greet, call, volunteer, e-mail, or do whatever you feel comfortable in trying to reestablish the rift between those you "know" are for and those you know are against the actions of the post year. I've heard many say that it is too late, but if BOTH sides reach out we can take those steps to make the school as best as it can be.

Changes

More than a few changes from last year...and for something different, welcome ones.

First and most importantly, the volunteer program has been revamped and expanded. There certainly is a lot more encouragement and publicity about the programs, and it looks like parents will be once again welcomed back into the classrooms and barely tolerated. Excellent change and one that has been asked for since she got here.

Second, the school advisory panel is seeing the light of day. A bit late, of course, in that it was supposed to have been formed in July and working already, but the fact that this was another area asked for is a good sign. It is composed of a good cross section of the parish, and their being tasked to review and update the strategic plan is a good thing.

Third, there are a lot of curriculum changes. While treatment of people IS something I know about, curriculum development is not. I've heard some grumbles from some teachers ,but the changes sound interesting, and in some cases I think are great....the changes in the specials, for one. Concentration of the time spent IS a good change, and allowing the older kids some choice in the future is promising as well.

If these changes represent a change of heart and what the future holds, it truly is a new year, and a new start. It also shows that change IS good, and that one can appreciate the attempt.

Open Mike

Ah, the first day of school...and the rumors of change are flying. Some are interesting, some are good, and some are...kind of hard to figure out. In any case, I invite you to post the good, the bad, and the ugly....let's see how the second year starts out.

Young faces

I was able to slip out of work to stop by the school today. One expects to see lots of new, fresh faces at the beginning of the school year, but not usually so many from the teachers. I truly wish them the best of luck this year, and hope that perhaps they will provide the genesis of a rebirth. It is one of those management quirks that when you hire someone, you often feel tied to their success.

However, the over/under of how many will be here next year from this year's class is 4.

What Other Schools are doing

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080826/NEWS03/808260368&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL


"In a high-performing school, you're going to find highly committed parents. It's a critical piece of the puzzle," he said. "We can't leave responsibility only on the doorstep of the school."

Now, it is to the credit of HC that many of these innovations listed in the article are ones we've gotten used to. We've had the grades on-line for a few years, we've got web pages that are sometimes up to date, and we had highly committed and involved parents. I would argue that these involved parents are needed even MORE in charter and private schools because the resources are not as available...so why shut the door on these people?

Credit where due

Let's give Denise some credit for getting us a big thick packet of information to interupt our summer and to remind us of the harsh realities that await us in less then 60 days.
I'm going to emphasize a few positive things I've noticed...

1. Volunteer List! Woo-Hoo!
Okay, she only wants people in two limited areas, and how she can figure that one can volunteer for specific days for the entire year is questionable, BUT this was one of the things she was hammered about last year. I think the school would be better off with an expanded list, but this is proof that the pressure we've put on has had some effect. All of you who talked to her or Father Dan about this, give yourself a hand! A small victory, but a victory, nonetheless!

2. School Board: Probably also something done under duress, but it is going to happen. We'll have to see how independent they are, and if she actually listens to them.

3. Teachers: She has made significant progress in replacing some of the teachers who have left. Granted, only one is certifed (not sure the Pre-Ks or specials have to be), and one is coming down from Holy Rosary, but it is not all bad.

4. Schedule: The schedule looks better this year, with honor roll assemblies actually scheduled. Wonder if they'll have pizza or ice cream this year?

5. School Code: Minor changes are coming, hopefully on those areas that were not really clear. I would watch this one real close....

No letter about Internet safety agreement and proper use this year....I wonder why?