And People Like This Guy?!?

Our local school superintendent recently told a group of grant monitors from the state and federal levels that they should call before they show up to monitor progress from programs funded by the state and feds. Now the school district has lost a $680,000 grant for reading improvement. People think this guy is going to save the district by trying to stomp on the teachers' union and throwing away grant money?!? Sorry folks, this guy is going to leave the district in far worse shape than he found it in (which wasn't very good). If you're not willing to fire him now, it'll be too late when you do.

Of course, he wanted to lose the grant because it doesn't line up with his curriculum plans. As a former teacher I would just like to go on the record as saying that forcing all teachers to use the same curriculum is STUPID!! Teachers are at their best when they teach in a style that they are comfortable with. I worked with some outstanding teachers who used teaching methods I wouldn't touch. Those methods worked for them because they fit the teacher's style. They didn't work for me because they didn't fit my style. Of course, Rockford wasn't the only district to lose this grant. "In Illinois, the only other district to lose the money is Pembroke — but that’s because reading scores have improved so much that the district isn’t eligible." Oh wait, we wouldn't want to have that "problem!"