There is actually some pretty funny stuff in this if you dig down into the weeds as Walcott talks stats to explain the fall in grad rates. But a must see is the part when a PTA president asks why they have to turn parents away when they register for pre-k because it must be done on computers and why the DOE can't provide a computer in school for parents to register their kids. Walcott and Jesse talk dizzy talk about all the tech stuff they have while ignoring an elemental issue -- let the parents fill out some paperwork and the school enter the data. He really is Slick Denny. Give me Joel Klein or Cathie Black.
At one point CSA Dist 14 head Brian De Vale hugged Walcott while pointing to me and saying, "If he can hug Klein I can hug you."
I know slogging through an hour of video can be a chore -- just FF through Walcott's grad crap etc. If I have time later I'll create a separate video just for the pre-k hilarity.
https://vimeo.com/68765728
2 comments:
Actually I think lower graduation rates can mean higher standards. The fallacy is focusing on schools rather than students. But that would mean not blaming teachers which won't happen in today's climate.
You know Norm, it was kind of funny, but seriously very angering. The man did not get it. Unfortunately the parent that brought this up was not able to follow up as well as the PS 132 parents did because e is also a victim of the lack of DOE/media. His concern about having enough (working) computers in school is right on target though. The pre-K registration is a genuine mess! Parents in communities such as I teach in were not informed well enough about the process. We have many parents who cannot read English or Spanish very well. There were precious few announcements in native languages in the media - print, TV or radio. The process is worse than applying for HS or college. This is Pre-K! Children should not have to be taken all over the district. they should be going to neighborhood schools. Walcott insisted that parents don't come up to schools to register. They do!!!!! And the secretaries can't do a damn thing except send them to a computer or a registration center. They are given the runaround for no reason but to make life miserable and turn people off. We had only 16 parents offered seats out of 36. The secretary and the Family Workers were calling other parents on the list and those who walked in to the school (my secretary is wise enough to take down parent information when they come in) to see if they had been offered another school or if they were still interested in PS 157. Yesterday two more neighborhood parents called to make a visit and register. After 6/19 the schools can register their own kids. Why can't this be done right from the get go? Universal Pre-K is NOT universal. You should have seen the head stands we had to do for two years to get our second Pre-K back. Many parents have become discouraged in the last two years. They ask: Are you really opening another class? Is it going to be there in another year? If their child is in a daycare, they are concerned about actually getting a seat in the public schools and tend to keep their child in the center. Something not mentioned is that once in a school in pre-K does not make you eligible to stay there in kindergarten as was once the case. Parents have to re-register for K! The whole registration process from Pre-K to HS is a sham needs to be looked at and revamped.
Pat
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