What's The Best And Worst Thing They've Done?

Looking back on the past five years of Duncan-Scott-BEW, what would you say is the best and worst thing that they've done (or that's happened)?   

Just to get things started, some of my "bests" include keeping grade retention, getting rid of the ISAT, narrowing down the curriculum options, closing low performing schools every year, formative assessments, MC Mike Scott at the public hearings.

Some of my "worsts" include reorganizing into areas, not pushing harder (at all) on gaps in teacher qualifications in the contract, fetishizing NBPTS certification, the latest BCG reorg, doing the high school transformation just to get Gates dollars, not making the school closing process more transparent, failing to revamp LSCs, putting so much CO time and talent into boutique reforms like charters, small schools, etc.

It could be anything -- an appointment, a policy, a program, a concrete achievement.  However, since I'm getting a little tired with all the complaining, your nomination has to include at least one big good thing to have your comment stay published. 

What do you think?

Comments

OK! My one good thing building new schools.
The bad things BEW appointing Torres in area 14, appointing Gartzman for math and science, Arne allowing cps departments to pay for college classes in his friends American university, principal program, Nancy laho's appointment, dividing high schools and elem. and both have people that have not clue, union contract, testing, experimenting with black children, Scott's go along to get along attitude, blaming teachers for lack of leadership. Ok I will stop for now.

Good thing: Maintaining the buildings that Vallas/Chico built.

btw, no one got rid of the ISAT tests. do you mean ITBS?

[Annie Sullivan]

I think that requiring principal candidates to pass through some requirements other than the attainment of a Type 75 like the now -retiring group of principals is a step in the right direction. It is very hard for a teacher to watch a principal who does not understand child development, curriculum, union issues,school law, special education tenets or one who has a dictatorial type of management because he wants to hide his ineptness. The harder the requirements are the better it is for the school. Teachers should be able to learn from their principal. The higher salaries should attract bright administrators.
The negative aspect is the perception in the schools that the aides and classroom teachers are the least important employees. Area employees and central office employees rarely have contact with aides or teachers. It is almost a plantation system.

Good:
1. Their success in getting grant and foundation dollars
2. Cutting back on the central office
3. Getting rid of ITBS.
4. Their success in working with the feds on NCLB issues.
Bad
1. The lack of any educators in any policy making decisions in the central office.
2. The constant change in leadership in the Reading Initiative. Talk about lost opportunities.
3. The lack of a focused and long term educational vision
4. So much time over the past five years has been spent tearing down the Vallas initiatives instead of building upon them to move the system forward.
5. Their ignorance about educational issues and their general arrogance.
6. Their lack of independence from the mayor and his silly ideas.
7. At best, mixed test scores over the five years. But now the mayor says slow progress is good!

Good: This web site

Bad: All retired should have this website in there packets (they know where the bone are buried)

Area 16 AIO Bristow who does she think she is?

Her replacement Saffo not enough time on the job and she is just like Bristow (bad attitude)

Putting new schools in black areas for votes.

The reorg is among the worst things that CPS has done in 5 years? You have lost your mind. It may not have been popular, but it saved the system $25M and did so in a way that was based on something other than indiscriminate firing. What's your beef with BCG?

Best things: trying new ideas to help get the system out of the toilet.

To 6-27 8:47

It’s people like you that I would like to meet in an alley, me and you. If you are male, it’s on. If you are female, I will bring my little sister, and again, it’s on!

To insinuate that “blacks” do not desire the right as other communities to have a new school for their children down right wrong.

eliminating tyhe CASE!

[SmashedFace]

Good:
Turnaround Schools
Construction
More choices in schools/programs.
Keeping the blame for funding on the State.

Bad:
Making the road to the principalship more about hoops than leadership.
Arne surrounding himself with people who have not been in schools. Being too insulated from the work of schools.

Good: The facts about all of the behind the door deals are coming to light,the people that are getting contracts for afterschool.

Bad:To 2:55 You have me wrong I believe that blacks should have new schools I was giving the reason the Mayor has given us these new schools. If he was not in trouble we would not be getting new schools the hispanics and whites would.

Worst:

1) The complete disregard for "institutional" knowledge and the people who hold it.

2) Bob Runcie and his team.

3) The conspiratorial atmosphere that has been fostered.