The Jackson Public School Board voted 4-3 today to accept an agreement with the Mississippi Department of Education so it could keep its accreditation after voting 4-3 yesterday to reject the same agreement. However, the decision was met with strong protests by several board members who argued the agreement took away the district's right to appeal. The department said it would revoke the district's accreditation by November 1 if the district did not ratify the agreement. Earlier post
The Southern
Poverty Law Center filed a complaint against JPS with the Department of
Education for discrimination against students with disabilities several years ago. The
complaint alleged a "systemic" problem in the special education program.
Copy of complaint.
The state conducted on "on site" investigation in October and
determined JPS violated state and federal regulations for special needs
students. The state placed the district on probation and ordered it to
submit an improvement plan. The state gave the district twelve months
to become compliant. The term expired last November with the district
still not in compliance.
MDE held a hearing in April to determine what action should be taken against the district after finding it still need not meet the guidelines for special ed programs. No one from the district appeared at the meeting. District representatives appeared at a hearing in May. The state determined the district was still not compliant and stated it would withdraw accreditation if the district did not accept the state's findings and agree to terms spelled out in an agreement (memorandum of understanding posted below.).
Board President Monica Gilmore-Love said a board member approached her after the vote yesterday and said she wanted to change her vote. Board member Dr. Beneta Burt complained the agreement "placed a person inside JPS" from the state. She said it was "almost un-American" for the board to "sign away its rights to due process." Board attorney Dorian Turner told Dr. George Schimmel the only thing the district "got out of the agreement" was an extension until June 30, 2013 to achieve compliance and keep its accreditation.
Dr. Timothy Collins (12:00 in the video) led the charge against signing the agreement as he stated over and over the district would lose its appeal rights. He said the district was giving up its due process rights and the agreement was "bad". He protested "no one can question my passion for children" but the process was not "collaborative" and "one-sided". Dr. Collins also said there was no time limit on the agreement and the district could be under the agreement for "ten or fifteen years". Superintendent Dr. Cedric Gray recommended approval. Dr. Schimmel said the state was forcing the board to give up its right to appeal by threatening to remove accreditation.Board member Dr. George Schimmel vigorously protested against signing the agreement. He said the board would give up its due process rights and lose any right to an appeal. However, the state provided testimony at the April hearing claiming JPS kicked out the specialists the state sent to help the district and ignored the state until Dr. Jayne Sargent become interim Superintendent. However, the state argues JPS forfeited its right to an appeal. The agreement states
"recognizes the concern of the JPS Board of Trustees that it is waiving its rights to a hearing with regard to the accreditation issue. However, to clarify, JPS has already had the hearing it was entitled to..(code). (The state) merely allowed JPS additional time to reach compliance with IDEA regulations (federal law); however, it was clear that failure to reach compliance by November 1, 2012 would result in the withdrawal of JPS' accreditation. JPS did not appeal the Order of the Commission and it is now final."
The agreement also decrees the state will place a consultant in the school system at no cost to the district, require regular written reports, and provide special ed funds to JPS after it is compliant.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
JPS School Board changes its mind & makes deal with state.
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11 comments:
The district troubles are indicative of the our political failure. Pedagogy is failing because our society is in decline. The administrative and legal troubles are a symptom. Merchants and the political class have milked the district for generations with the administrators following the example of the city fathers. The center of campus at one of our early teacher's colleges is the grandest building on campus with the word "Administration" carved in the stonework. That says it all.
Merchants and the political class have milked the district for generations...
What does that mean?
I have an autistic son who attended JPS for about 3 weeks (or should I say he was warehoused by JPS for about 3 weeks). My wife had to take a job in a nearby school district to get him out of JPS. During the aforementioned 3 weeks my son would come home with coloring book pages he had colored at school. At the school he attends now he gets speech therapy, behavioral therapy, he is in some regular ed. classes and he gets to take Spanish. He is able to go camping with me, build campfires, whitewater raft, etc... but to JPS he was like a piece of furniture. He is in the 7th grade now. I wonder where he would be if we had left him at JPS? Let me take that back, I really don't wonder, I know. He would be a 7 more years along to being institutionalized for life. He may not ever be completely "normal" but he will live a much fuller and more rewarding life due to our decision to take him out of JPS. The people at JPS in charge of special ed are going to burn in the hottest part of Hell for their neglect of these helpless children and their parents.
8:41; That's a moving testimony and no doubt true many times over. Thank God your child escaped, with your help. That reality cannot be blamed on a declining city, government officials or decline in morals in general. The blame goes to the level of incompetence in the district, top to bottom. They're ill prepared and they don't care and they hire people who most resemble that ethic.
After rereading 9:01 pm's post three times, I've yet to make sense of any of it. It's nonsense. If pedagogy were failing due to societal decline how is it that pedagogy is succeeding in every direction five miles outside the radius of the JPS circle?
'Administrative and legal troubles' are NOT symptoms. They are the causal factors OF symptoms.
Every institution has an administrative function and some have the designation signage out front. That's not telling at all. It only helps the traveler find the place.
Patronage is the mothers milk of education. The political class are the administrators, grant writers, attorneys, consultants,vendors, architects, & c. One example of milking the district is the focus on the buildings vs. teaching. The attorneys past and present in regards to the recent bond issue fees. The Fondren Development via the Duling School is very secretive. In short the district is considered to be a way to make money not create young scholars and citizens.
They're ill prepared and they don't care and they hire people who most resemble that ethic.
That sums it up.
Well said, 9:05 AM.
I believe I'm still stumped over the cry---we want more time. Time to do what? You've pissed away all the time. Why hasn't anything been done during the time you had.
I feel like that dog who has his head cocked to one side, looking at you as if he's saying, do what?!
The district and the state department are feeling the heat from the Southern Poverty Law Center which filed suit against the state for letting the problems drag on. WLBT reported that JPS spends 58% on instruction compared to 70% in Desoto. Jackson is spending too much on administration, plant, & supplies. For example if you take their light bulb supplier or any other merchant...JPS is probably their largest account.
I bet Jackson Paper Co has a hefty account with the State of Mississippi over and above that of the local school district. The same can be said about the utilities or any other supplier.
They need more time to recover from the period of time during which Jayne Sargent, already a failed administrator, stood in as interim and did nothing but take the district another step backward.
And they need more time to recover from the period of time during which Harvey either could not get a board member appointed or let positions sit open.
And they need more time for the board members to head over to a casino resort for a week to be taught what their duties are.
And they need more time for the dimunitive, shaved-head dude in the bowtie to get his peeples in place and jack their salaries up to the level that strains or exceeds the budget.
It's all about milking the system alright. Teachers and administrators milking the system's jobs, ensuring their (yes) PERS cushion and the new guy ensuring a Mississippi retirement for himself and his out-of-state buds. Then they're all gone and another Mighty Mouse arrives to save the day.
Take the top members of the Greater Jackson Chamber and that elite group will be the principal vendors of JPS. The Jackson establishment looks the other way on salaries and management as long as they are well situated at the public trough.
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