tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post4228041140686128823..comments2024-03-28T22:42:45.199-05:00Comments on Jackson Jambalaya: Priester speaks on JPSKingfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06184990110961727404noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post-75317528187852559642017-09-11T04:52:42.631-05:002017-09-11T04:52:42.631-05:00"Mr. Priester is obviously someone focused on..."Mr. Priester is obviously someone focused on problem solving instead of being forever stuck in problem identification and casting blame.<br /><br />It's past time for everyone to try to be as objective and well informed as Mr. Priester is trying to be. September 9, 2017 at 8:47 AM"<br /><br />Thanks, Melvin. Hang tough, man. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post-82482562142831202802017-09-09T10:00:24.166-05:002017-09-09T10:00:24.166-05:00State take over.
Make smaller districts and divid...State take over.<br /><br />Make smaller districts and divide Jackson schools into surrounding counties.<br /><br />Make their racial % commensurate with state %.<br /><br />Build new schools in 4 county area over next 10 years. <br /><br />If we work together and push one another we can bridge most of what divides us.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post-3050532340710031202017-09-09T09:41:35.151-05:002017-09-09T09:41:35.151-05:00Where was Priester in the past? If he was focused...Where was Priester in the past? If he was focused on problem solving why did it get so bad and what has he done to correct the problems?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post-17199948739341574162017-09-09T08:47:52.627-05:002017-09-09T08:47:52.627-05:00Councilman Priester's comments were very thoug...Councilman Priester's comments were very thoughtful in my opinion. I especially liked that he said " I don't know" but makes it clear he is weighing information he has and trying to be sure he has all the available facts.<br /><br />KF, I do not take issue with the failure to outline the problems you stated. I think he assumed the reasons for the audit were known. I appreciate that his mindset is " how do we get the best solution given the realities".<br /><br />Unfortunately, those realities include recognition of individual political agendas and biases...including yours and those who have already commented.<br /><br />I appreciate that Mr. Priester recognizes the reality that no one can fire every employee of JPS to solve these problems and that you will need their cooperation going forward. Continuing to beat them up over the system failures is not conducive to getting change. <br /><br />You well know that the manpower to replace everyone in JPS doesn't exist . You , also, know there are those in the JPS system who want it to succeed and are even more frustrated than the public. <br /><br />Mr. Priester is obviously someone focused on problem solving instead of being forever stuck in problem identification and casting blame.<br /><br />It's past time for everyone to try to be as objective and well informed as Mr. Priester is trying to be.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post-60169181931292404322017-09-09T01:27:22.556-05:002017-09-09T01:27:22.556-05:00At least Melvin can write with correct spelling. ...At least Melvin can write with correct spelling. This is a distinct improvement over some of the city council members.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post-31932924718262363682017-09-08T23:37:39.985-05:002017-09-08T23:37:39.985-05:00Memphis needed 257 teachers the week school starte...Memphis needed 257 teachers the week school started. How many is JPS short?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post-31299350460867302232017-09-08T21:47:24.549-05:002017-09-08T21:47:24.549-05:00Priester attended St. Andrews school as well as St...Priester attended St. Andrews school as well as Stanford and Harvard... he's hardly an expert on failing schools. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post-61900673046370948682017-09-08T15:26:50.318-05:002017-09-08T15:26:50.318-05:00I'll hand it to Priester, although I don't...I'll hand it to Priester, although I don't agree with him hardly ever. However, he doesn't wait for the dust to settle to speak his mind like the other council members. <br /><br />No one else on the city council seems to be near as articulate or engaged. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post-69669355692850265612017-09-08T15:04:06.038-05:002017-09-08T15:04:06.038-05:00Would love to hear Mr. Priester's thoughts on ...Would love to hear Mr. Priester's thoughts on this summary, word for word from the audit. These are the children of this city we are talking about. My word, what have we let this come to?<br /><br />On numerous occasions, MDE staff entered District buildings from unlocked alternate doors. MDE staff entered the buildings without any visible<br />nametag or identification on many occasions to determine whether they would be confronted. MDE staff walked around the campus for extended<br />periods of time, including through the halls, around buildings, and into bathrooms, without question from any school personnel. Staff from MDE<br />observed students roaming the hallways during instructional time and observed students watching videos on their cell phones or engaging in “horseplay” during instructional time. MDE staff also observed classrooms without teachers and both students and teachers entering the school building over an hour after the first bell. This created an unsafe environment due to the lack of supervision. Additionally, MDE staff observed numerous dress code violations in several buildings. MDE staff frequently observed gang signs, foul language, and behaviors that were in violation of the District’s Code of Conduct in the classrooms and hallways. In the student parking lots, MDE staff observed students in or around the vehicles smoking and playing loud music from the vehicles’ radios and driving dangerously in the student parking lots.<br /><br />The metal detectors and procedures in place are ineffective in their ability to identify weapons coming into the buildings. For example, an MDE staff<br />member observed the metal detector failing to sound when an off-duty SRO with a weapon walked through the detector. Conversely, this same metal<br />detector kept sounding as students entered the building for the entire time the MDE staff member stood at the front door. The District failed to stop the students and/or search the students before they entered the building. Over the past several months, the MDE observed and repeatedly reported this type of incident, to the District. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post-33680291381799953262017-09-08T13:32:57.360-05:002017-09-08T13:32:57.360-05:00Blaming a "teacher shortage" for JPS'...Blaming a "teacher shortage" for JPS's problems is like asking for volunteers to storm a fortified enemy machine gun nest barehanded, getting none, and blaming it on a "troop shortage."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post-40750083673456154322017-09-08T13:10:56.985-05:002017-09-08T13:10:56.985-05:00Having taken over other districts for far less I&#...Having taken over other districts for far less I've long contended and commented here that MDE doesn't really want to take over JPS primarily because of its size. The situation may now be so dire that they can't responsibility avoid the enormous task any longer.<br /><br />Priester's alluding that JPS lacks teachers because of "a major, statewide shortage of licensed teachers" is intellectually dishonest at its core. Yes, there is a shortage but the JPS working environment for teachers exacerbates the shortfall exponentially beyond any contributory effect of the shortage itself.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post-58860458612159567992017-09-08T13:07:40.869-05:002017-09-08T13:07:40.869-05:00Here's a suggestion..........the JPS stakehold...Here's a suggestion..........the JPS stakeholders, including MDE, need to watch the 1989 movie "Lean on Me" starring Morgan Freeman, and then they need to find a leader of the same mold as Freeman's character in the movie. That approach is the only thing that will ultimately fix JPS' problems. As others have stated, it starts at the top, and only until they find the right leader, will things improve. That's a pretty good movie for those of you who have never seen it. It's hard to believe that it's almost 30 years old.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post-88487784296282539642017-09-08T12:27:54.722-05:002017-09-08T12:27:54.722-05:00Year ago when initial audit came out Ladd was comm...Year ago when initial audit came out Ladd was commenting online that she hasn't seen any of the issues noted in the JPS schools she'd visited.<br /><br />Her white conspiracy addled self is probably still in denial.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post-83393045742862502312017-09-08T12:25:26.199-05:002017-09-08T12:25:26.199-05:00JPS is going to remain the same as long as the adm...JPS is going to remain the same as long as the administration stays the same. JPS providing jobs to people who have no business being connected to a school unless it is as a student. Too much money being thrown at the problem and landing in the pocket of the people who caused the problem in the beginning.<br /><br />The only chance is a state takeover. Even that will be a gamble as the people who will be taking it over are the same as the people running it already.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post-689146930341323602017-09-08T12:24:40.891-05:002017-09-08T12:24:40.891-05:00The interim superintendent is one of the dumbest l...The interim superintendent is one of the dumbest looking I have ever seen. It starts with the tone at the top, and optics matter. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post-83895998578015026272017-09-08T12:18:48.379-05:002017-09-08T12:18:48.379-05:00As predicted JPS took the proceeds of the $150 MIL...As predicted JPS took the proceeds of the $150 MILLION bond issue the voters granted them, pissed through the money without a real plan (but the bond pimps cleaned up!) and now, less than a decade later, JPS stands in nearly the same spot claiming they can't maintain their broken down facilities.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post-47094551571431610322017-09-08T12:01:34.419-05:002017-09-08T12:01:34.419-05:00"Close the schools for 1 year, reorganize and..."Close the schools for 1 year, reorganize and start from scratch. Let the cream rise to the top."<br /><br />Surely that was a typo, 11:33 am. Otherwise, where are these students supposed to go for a year? Madison? Hinds County? Clinton? Pearl? There is no room at any of these schools, and none of them want JPS students anyway, so you might want to rethink that approach.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post-29146529978571101332017-09-08T11:53:55.672-05:002017-09-08T11:53:55.672-05:00Rotten administrators + rotten students = rotten s...Rotten administrators + rotten students = rotten school system.<br /><br />No conservator on earth is going to change that grim reality. I'm with Priester - no takeover. Let's just cut funding to the mandatory minimum and let them keep the whole crappy system. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post-42435820119973566142017-09-08T11:33:05.763-05:002017-09-08T11:33:05.763-05:00An absolute "firewall" must be construct...An absolute "firewall" must be constructed between JPS and the City of Jackson. No contact, or meddling by either side.<br /><br />JPS must be completely reorganized under a "safety first" mandate. All problem students and teachers removed. Complete control by the state, indefinitely.<br /><br />This can be done and could become a model for all other public schools to follow. BUT, ALL CURRENT PERSONNEL MUST GO! Only exceptions are facilities maintenance.<br /><br />Close the schools for 1 year, reorganize and start from scratch. Let the cream rise to the top. <br /><br /><br />1962guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17039038275985245786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post-53290062822213479312017-09-08T11:08:02.266-05:002017-09-08T11:08:02.266-05:00 The lack of leadership at JPS has been and cont... The lack of leadership at JPS has been and continues to be absolutely astounding. The last Superintendent, Dr Gray was more of a preacher and cheerleader but he did very little to correct problems. You need a hard-ass reformer who is going to kick ass and take names and who is going to get in there and shake things and people up and make the hard decisions and necessary changes. The interim JPS Superintendent Dr Murray is hesitant and flummoxed and is prone to excuses more than answers. The school board has been wholely ineffective, seeming unconcerned, tentative, and lackadaisical. The JPS ship is sinking fast and we need all hands on deck and the command staff to take firm control. If not, this ship will be boarded and a new commander will take the helm. While that may be bad, everyone must remember that the ultimate goal is the educate the kids and have a great school system. In other words, the goal save the ship, regardless of who is conning it. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post-80745689010357638312017-09-08T10:50:27.951-05:002017-09-08T10:50:27.951-05:00It would be nice if other City Councilmen and the ...<i> It would be nice if other City Councilmen and the Councilwoman would regularly give us updates.</i><br /><br />Actually......there are some Council members we really don't want to hear from...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post-21479133268518013652017-09-08T10:34:34.772-05:002017-09-08T10:34:34.772-05:00I taught in JPE - for one year, and that was enoug...I taught in JPE - for one year, and that was enough for me. Taught a technology class. Yes, I had a sufficient number of computers in my lab, but only half of them were operational. Of those, only half had correct or working software. I had a TOTAL of 11 textbooks - not enough to cover even my smallest class. The person responsible for tech education came into my classroom sometime after Christmas break, and told me she did not even know there was a new tech teacher at the school. No working email until 3-4 months into the academic year. The principal came out of her office only to wadle to the lunchroom.<br /><br />I worked with some dedicated, hard-working teachers, but when you don't have the resources or leadership...<br /><br />Take it over? Should have happened long ago.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447438783001404385.post-5926849858175122192017-09-08T10:18:46.972-05:002017-09-08T10:18:46.972-05:00BabyChok should have appointed the retired Lt Col ...BabyChok should have appointed the retired Lt Col to be the Superintendent of JPS. I promise the absenteeism and behavioral issues would be addressed. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com