Pinellas school employees like return to neighborhood schools

Asked to grade “student assignment,” 82 percent of them gave A, B or C grades, according to the district’s new climate survey.

Last year’s survey asked them to grade the choice plan, and 58 percent gave A’s, B’s or C’s. In 2007, 47 percent did. The School Board approved the close-to-home assignment plan in December 2007.

Could it be that concentrating struggling students in fewer schools makes life easier for more employees (and life tougher for the rest)?

Ron Matus, state education reporter

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Comments

[St Pete]

Not surprised at these numbers. Because South St. Pete has the most "neighborhood" schools that will be truly impacted with this decision, the other schools and their employees should vote, Hella yah! Adios choice and segregation! Within 2 years, the lawsuits coming from these schools and teacher flight will be unimaginable. Are you ready to rumble......

[Boardwatcher]

Pinellasteach is correct. There is a wealth of information available and data to look at if anyone actually cared to. The State has so much data that it's crazy. Anyone who likes numbers and analysis could spend a happy lifetime just digging to see what's there.
The survey question was very poorly worded and the conclusion may not be the one given. Student assignment people as a group are very responsive and I really like most of them, but that may not mean that I like the new plan.

[pinellasteach]

Could it be, Ron, that you jump to conclusions, most of the time to put down teachers and employees in this county? Why don't you get off your butt and do some real research and investigation, and talk to teachers instead of reading the crap and surveys the Pinellas administration provides to you. Keep your ridiculous interpretations to yourself if you don't care about the reality for those of us in the trenches. Have some integrity and quit stirring up crap about the teachers. How about stirring some stuff up with the ones in charge! At least that would be a more balanced approach to reporting.

[Dirty Laundry]

Who makes up the Research and Accountability group and did they develop this questionaire?

Was a sociologist involved?

Did question 3 "An atmosphere of respect, trust and pride toward adults exist in the school" mean between the staff, from students to staff or students in general to adults in general?

The lowest marks are where the word "leadership" is used.

[Pinellas teacher]

I think we have to keep in mind that many teachers are parents too. I know I didn't vote the way I did thinking about the concentrations, of course it wouldn't impact me as much, as I will have those students metioned.

[ron matus]

Hi LJ, you're right about the header for the student assignment question. Thanks for pointing that out. In my haste, I overlooked it. Now I'm left to wonder how other respondents interpreted the question and whether they looked at it the same way I did. The district communications office tells me the question was supposed to be about the student assignment plan, not the district folks working in student assignment. But if there was some confusion, then perhaps I and everybody else shouldn't put much stock in the results.

[Dirty Laundry]

It looks like the administration was graded a full 10% less than teachers.

Heads will roll when they find out who responded to this report, dispite the assurances of confidentiality.

Afterall, there is only a 60% rate of trust, respect and pride amongst the adults.

[LJ]

It could also be that the employees like the people who work in Student Assignment.

Go back and read the survey. The percentages you cite come from a section of the survey that is titled "How would you grade the following groups?" and then goes on to list various departments, the School Board, teachers, etc. When I filled out the survey I took that to mean I was rating the job the people in Student Assignment did and not the choice/close-to-home plan itself.

For the record, I gave the people in Student Assignment high marks. In my opinion those guys have a very difficult job administering a cumbersome and frustrating system, and perform their jobs as well as anyone could expect.

The plan itself? I'm not a good one to ask as my children attended fundamental schools (and I work in one too). So I can't accurately gauge what effect the new zoning patterns have had on schools in just one year. Plus, how many of these schools still have students who are grandfathered there until they get to the highest grade level offered? It would have been worthwhile for the District to have added that as a specific question on the survey, and continue to track responses over a period of years.