School under scrutiny
Test scores plummet after dramatic gains
Updated 10:41 a.m., September 10, 2008
2008 PACT scores
The Post and Courier
What is PACT?
The Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test is made up of exams in math, English/language arts, science and social studies that third- through eighth-grade public school students take annually. Scores are key components in state report cards released in November, and they often are the basis for state and federal awards for achievement as well as for funding to help low-achieving students.
The scores
The following are a sample of Sanders-Clyde Elementary School's third-graders' scores on the 2007 and 2008 Palmetto Achievement Challenge Tests. The percentages indicate the percentage of students who met the state standard by scoring at or above their grade level.
Subject -- 2007 Score -- 2008 Score
English/language arts -- 96.2% -- 66.7%
Math -- 96.2% -- 47.2%
Science -- 84.6% -- 44.4%
Social studies -- 84.6% -- 55.6%
Additional stories
Accomplished principal to leave Charleston schools; published 06/12/08
The Miracle Worker: Leadership fuels change at Sanders-Clyde, Fraser, published 05/11/08
Sanders-Clyde receives award for achievement, published 11/20/07
Sanders-Clyde Elementary, a school lauded for its success in educating low-income students, saw a precipitous drop in its test scores this year, raising questions about a former principal who led the school's transformation and casting doubts on the school's true progress during the past five years.
Charleston County school officials were so concerned with the decline of the school's Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test scores that on Tuesday they asked the State Law Enforcement Division to investigate.
Sanders-Clyde is a school in downtown Charleston that serves some of the poorest students in the county. Most of its children come from the nearby homeless shelter or public housing apartments. Its test scores once were the worst in the county, and its future was so bleak that the county board planned to close it.
Then MiShawna Moore became the school's principal in 2003. She tailored lessons for students, helped their parents pay bills, washed students' clothes and opened the school building on weekends. The school's test scores began to rise.
By 2007, the school outscored state and district averages, far exceeding the progress of schools with students from similar backgrounds. Educators hailed Moore as a model for other principals, the community showered her school with praise, and federal and state awards went to the school in recognition of its achievement. Moore was so successful that she was asked to lead a second downtown school, Fraser Elementary, to duplicate her accomplishments.
This year, the school's PACT results fell sharply in every subject and at every grade level.
This was the first time that the school district monitored the school's testing. District officials took tests away from the school each night and put monitors in classrooms daily. Janet Rose, the district's executive director of assessment and accountability, told The Post and Courier in May that the extra scrutiny would validate the school's scores.
A few weeks after the tests this spring, in a move that surprised parents and officials, Moore announced that she was leaving Charleston County. Moore refused to do any media interviews at that time, and she now works as an assistant superintendent in Halifax County, N.C., schools. Phone messages and an e-mail to Moore were not returned Tuesday.
The results
Sanders-Clyde's scores this year are far lower than its scores from the past few years. Last year, in most subjects, 80 to 90-plus percent of its students were at least minimally prepared for the next grade, according to PACT results. This year, about half of students were unprepared for the next grade in most subjects.
Last year, 96 percent of its third-grade students scored at or above their grade level in math. This year, 47 percent scored at or above their grade level.
A typical one-year fluctuation in a small school might be 10 percentage points, the average at Sanders-Clyde was 31. The biggest drop was 49.
The school's scores this year are better than the results that preceded Moore's arrival, but they are in line with those of other low-performing schools.
More questions
Other educators have been suspicious of Sanders-Clyde's achievement. Orange Grove Elementary Charter School Principal Larry DiCenzo has had a few former Sanders-Clyde students transfer to his school. He said their report cards and test scores didn't match what his teachers saw in the classroom.
One student entered his school last year. While at Sanders-Clyde, her records show that she scored in the top percentage of students statewide in English/language arts and math. But when she took a different test that measured students' performance at Orange Grove, she scored in the 44th percentile for reading and in the 40th percentile for math. The school checked with the child's family to see whether she was experiencing a traumatic situation at home that could cause such a change, but DiCenzo said that wasn't the case.
DiCenzo reported his concerns to the district after an article in May in The Post and Courier that highlighted Moore's work to improve Fraser and Sanders-Clyde. He didn't understand how such large gains could happen so quickly, he said.
"Washing clothes for a family is not going to improve test scores," he said. "I have to laugh at that. That was part of what she said. There's a heck of a lot more to it than that. I doubted those results form day one."
Pressure to achieve
Test results have become increasingly important in this era of accountability, and South Carolina's test security procedures are among the strictest nationwide, said Liz Jones, director of the state Education Department's Office of Assessment.
The state has records of the number of answer switches, gauged by eraser marks, made by students. The state average is less than one eraser mark per student. A red flag is raised when students have more than four eraser marks per test.
The state did an unannounced visit to Sanders-Clyde in the spring of 2006 after officials saw a high number of eraser marks from 2005, the same year the school's test scores shot up, said schools Superintendent Nancy McGinley. The state monitor stayed for one day during testing and concluded there was no cause for alarm, she said.
When test results came out in 2007, Rose discovered that an unusually large number of Sanders-Clyde students jumped two performance levels in one year, McGinley said. The district consulted with the state and found the school had a high number of eraser marks, she said.
District officials agreed to monitor the school during testing in the spring. Eraser marks for the school's 2008 results have returned to the statewide average.
"At this point, we are taking this very seriously," McGinley said. "We don't know what happened. We're drawing no conclusions. We're certainly not happy that we had to report this, but at this point, we're not going to speculate."
Anyone found guilty of violating test security procedures could be fined up to $1,000 and/or jailed for up to 90 days. The state Board of Education also may suspend or revoke administrative or teaching credentials.
Reach Diette Courrégé at dcourrege@postandcourier.com or 937-5546.
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Comments
This article has 57 comment(s)
Posted by 10216340 on September 10, 2008 at 5:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well, it looks like there is more to the story than the original information we got about this principal and school. I'm glad the school district took it upon themselves to request a state investigation. Understandable now why Ms. Moore left so suddenly after the tests where monitored.
Poor kids......they where led to believe that their hard work was resulting in these miraculous improvements.
Posted by belovedbliff on September 10, 2008 at 6:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Please, do not laud CCSD for their wanting to investigate. They knew about Ms.Moore and her shortcuts. They are covering themselves. How is it that for years people have been publicly saying that something was amiss and now, they want to do something? I wonder when they will put my downtown school on the list.
Posted by willx45x on September 10, 2008 at 7:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
My wife taught at this school for half a year and had her suspicions. She was very thankful to get out of this school, as contrary to its reputation, she got almost no support from the administration and saw a lot of "games" on a daily basis. This story does not surprise us - I think it's clear Ms. Moore was cooking the books.
Posted by DoaMM on September 10, 2008 at 7:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
More folks trying to get something for nothing. Creating false hope for the kids by showing "how well they've done" and then revealing the truth to the kids that they sucked the whole time is devastating to what little self esteem they had.
Now the kids and family know that cheating, or "doctoring" documents, will make them feel good and get them ahead in life. Oh joy...
Posted by capnphil on September 10, 2008 at 7:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Crackcorn, you are TOTALLY WRONG. The system makes it impossible for a teacher to do a sound job. Most teachers bust their butt to help students succeed, but if there is miminmal parental support, you get minimal results, plain and simple. Come on into the classroom, volunteer on a regular basis Crackcorn, then speak to me. Administrators are threatened by this archaic district superintendent system, and they in turn, threaten teachers to raise scores or else! What kind of a work environment is that? Punitive to say the least. Let the teachers teach, you know which teachers need help, help them. Let the others teach. DiCenzo was right.
Posted by DoaMM on September 10, 2008 at 7:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
About a month ago I watched an interview with a teacher from some state (don't know, doesn't matter) and she stated that she spend $15,000 of her OWN money for school supplies for the kids.
While I find that hard to believe (at least that amount, anyway), there is something seriously wrong when a teacher has to spend more than $100 for school/classroom supplies.
The education system in America needs to be torn down and built back up again. That's all there is to it.
Posted by mlm on September 10, 2008 at 7:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The rumors have been flying since 2005. The superintendent, both of them, were aware of the concerns but did nothing. Denial is easy when the ultimate goal is to sustain the status quo. This is just another example of how CCSD cooks the books on a regular basis.
I'm sorry for the kids who were robbed and are now being singled out for the failure of CCSD and its fat administrative payroll. Like someone said before, the kids didn't fail, but the system failed them. The superintendent has said many times that these kids are destine to fail. No wonder this particular principal attempted to cheat rather than to do what could work for these kids when they were still 4 and 5 years old. This reveals just how cynical the people who run our public schools really are. They say they believe in educating all the children and then they are found to be doing something like this.
How many other examples of cooked books is the superintendent sitting on? School closures? Earthquake dangers? Population changes? School budgets? And they want us to trust them! Ask the parents and kids at Sanders-Clyde and Fraser what they think.
It's interesting that the reporter appeared to only be able to get substantial quotes about this story from the Orange Grove principal who as head of a charter school is beyond the reach of CCSD. I don't think anyone whose paycheck is signed by CCSD would go on the record for this. One more reason to have a system of public schools with checks and balances and not just one mega district.
Posted by justjerry on September 10, 2008 at 8:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I remember that when I went to public schools in NJ that we were never asked to purchase any school supplies other than the ones that we would use ourselves such as pens, pencils, paper, etc. We had excellent teachers, they were paid well and the students did well. The big difference between there and here are significantly higher property taxes to support the schools. Parental involvement was excellent, much like you get in middle to upper middle areas here. The big difference is that with the financial investment that parents were making in the schools, they were not going to allow them to be failures.
Posted by eyfigueroa on September 10, 2008 at 9:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
James_corn: early is right on target. Back in the late 90s I worked at Ashley Hall. Teachers there do NOT make a lot of money. I got to know some of the teachers there and many of them started their careers in the govt. school system and were essentially pushed out by the lack of administration support and the brick wall of parental apathy. In all honesty Porter Gaud, BE and Ashley Hall pay pretty well when compared to the rest of the private schools in the areas, the majority of which are church schools. Which isn’t saying much. Plus you have many idealistic young teachers who have a TRUE desire to serve the underserved and they CHOOSE to teach in what we call the ‘bad schools’.
Where I differ from early is his constant anger & insults lobbed towards the children. He calls them names and feels they are animals. Perhaps hearing his teacher-wife complaints makes him feel that way. If you listen to him his wife must hate teaching those animals yet for reasons unknown to me continues to teach.
I prefer to think of children as the unfortunate consequence of apathetic parents (and I use the term parents loosely). Also with a politicized school board, mini constituents boards and NAACP crying ‘racism’ every time sometime wants to make a much needed change with the school system, there is no wonder why CCSD is suffering the way that it is.
*Close schools that aren’t working.
*Bus those students to other schools.
*From middle school on up immediately expel discipline problems. One strike you’re out! *Elementary school students give them a chance with additional education/counseling. (I feel elementary aged children can be assisted)
*ENFORCE truancy laws by arresting/fining parents
*Institute MERIT PAY for principals, teachers and Calhoun Street administrators
*VOUCHER SYSTEM for the parents in those failing schools who DO CARE
I could go on but y’all get the picture
Posted by lmh1991 on September 10, 2008 at 9:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
eyfigueroa --good post. I also opt out of teaching in govt. school and went to private. The pay was less but so was the stress.
Posted by commonsence on September 10, 2008 at 9:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The problem with expelling all the troublemakers is that we would literraly be putting thousands of kids on the streets with no good options. They don't belong in school but what else do you do? Can you imagine how our quality of life and public safety would deteriorate if thousands of these kids were left unsupervised, running the streets? Maybe we need court-ordered, DJJ-run boot camps to keep these "kids" off the street.
Posted by justus1017 on September 10, 2008 at 9:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The number of kids at the school have increased since they saw that the school was improving. Thats a difference in the peercentages. These children are being taught the fast way to learn everything. What happen to long division? gone!! They are teaching Lattice. What is this?! When is the last time your children came home talking about subjects and verbs. They have changed so much stuff in school most parents can't even help their children. They are being taught something today and move on to something else tomorrow. These kids are going through hell trying to keep up with what the state wants. Ask your children how they feel when they are in class and can't get the understanding of something but the teacher moves on anyway.
Posted by Test2007 on September 10, 2008 at 10:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Early, if you didn't want people to comment then don't mention your wife and her gripes.
I have commented before on your comments about the kids that your wife teaches and how I feel that she needs to stop teaching if she feels that way. You say she has compassion but yet in the other hand she has all these negative things to say about her student. My family is chock full of teachers and I have never heard them say those kinds of things about their kids.
Oh and please don't think that private schools are somehow going to shield your kids from cheating either. A friend of mine teaches at a very good elementary school in SC (not Chas county thank God) and has told me personally that she knows teachers that doctor actual grades and no it is NOT a low income school. This goes on in high school as well. Don't get me started on college. A friend of mine went to a school that was investigated for cheating on a standardized test. They had to be retested. This what they should. Test the kids again and monitor the testing.
*Close schools that aren’t working - sounds like a plan but let me tell you as someone who has seen schools close. Closed schools have performance problems. Once you bus them to other schools they create performance problems in the new school. Fixing the school before it goes bad should be the solution.
*From middle school on up immediately expel discipline problems. One strike you’re out. - That will NEVER happen. First, you would have to define what is bad behavior and its limits. Seems easy enough but it isn't. There would be lawsuits abound.
*ENFORCE truancy laws by arresting/fining parents - Nope. Kids skip without their parents knowledge.
*Institute MERIT PAY for principals, teachers and Calhoun Street administrators - I don't know about principals but definitely teachers.
*VOUCHER SYSTEM for the parents in those failing schools who DO CARE - never was a big fan of this. I think it just puts a bandaid over a problem.
I think the problem with schools is that it is all cookie cutter. Everyone is taught basically the same way. This is not good. We need more emphasis on vocational studies and other areas as well. Teaching all kids the same way is idiotic, yet we keep doing it.
Posted by Test2007 on September 10, 2008 at 10:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I forgot to mention that I had friends growing up who went to public school but had siblings in private school. Think their parents were crazy? Nope. The one in public school would excel regardless of what school she went to. She didn't need to be pushed. The one in private school had lackluster grades so he/she HAD to be pushed to perform well. I thought that was a good idea. I am definitely not against private schools. I especially like the smaller classes BUT they aren't without their problems too.
The last I heard you didn't have to be certified to teach at a private school either. Is this still true?
Posted by capnphil on September 10, 2008 at 10:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Crack Corn.
No, there are not more BAD teachers than good. Period. If that were the case, society would be as it were in the Dark Ages. The majority of teachers are doing their jobs, administration makes it difficult for them to do it better, and parents, especially of poorer performing schools, make it even harder. Teachers are not perfect, but we DO MORE to make SOCIETY CIVIL than ANY OTHER PROFESSION on earth! AGain, you want to help, VOLUNTEER on a regular REGULAR basis. You'll see what we have to put up with to succeed.
Posted by STREETLAW on September 10, 2008 at 10:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Is there really any need for all these comments. The people who might do something about these suggestions aren't reading them. You have to get involved in the PTA or get on some school board and even then your cries will fall on deaf ears. Education is a freaking industry in South Carolina, a job opportunity for those who cheated their way through public school and college and could not possibly survive in the private sector which demands results.
Fines for cheating should be $5000 and 5 years. That and revocation of the teaching certificate.
Posted by justmyview on September 10, 2008 at 11:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
With the evidence presented in this article it sadly seems that there was some widespread cheating going on at this school. I don't know how or why the parties involved did not think that someone would not be able to uncover this charade. I really feel sad for the students at this school who thought they were progressing academically and the community who were duped into believing that Sanders Clyde was a school on the rise.
Posted by Lovely_One on September 10, 2008 at 12:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wait, did Early call Eyfig a bitch? "I'm just gonna sit in the corner and see what color [she] paints the wall with next."
Posted by CCSDISTHEPLACEFORME on September 10, 2008 at 12:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Dr. McGinley has known for years that MiShawna Moore was a cheat. She was a cheat as a teacher (Ask her former principal Vermell) and she had a charming way about her. She along with the other powers that be at 75 Calhoun allowed her to do so. They ALL reaped the benefits of her misdoings. If the Moore and the teachers go down then SLED needs to pick Nancy and Maria (Goodloe-Johnson) on thier way to jail too.
MiShawna is a bully and she had the support of 75 Calhoun to coerce her faculty and staff to do whatever she wanted them to do. She was the good sheppard and they were the dumb little sheep. The folks down at 75 Calhoun thought Mishawna was such a good bully that Goodloe decided to have her do the same thing at Fraser.
However, Goodloe knew that sh*& was going to hit the fan soon, so she packed her bags and moved to Colorado. Meanwhile, Nancy was still busy interviewing to get out of Charleston, but then she "earned" the superintendents position in Charleston. MiShawna did her job at both schools and then the State Dept. came to visit durning the PACT test. Mishawna knew the end was year and her buddy Maria was gone and she knew Nancy would turn her back. So she called her partner in crime Geraldine ( a former assoc. superintendent from Charleston), packed her bags, and moved to NC.
And now here we have Nancy acting all concerned and pretending not to know what was going on. PLEASE.....
SLED better hurry up b/c Nancy never unpacked her bags from her interview in Horry County and she is just waiting on an opportunity where she can go and be superintendent.
Charleston County is CORRUPT and they have been for years. There are too many people in charge. You cannot have 25, 000 chefs cooking in the same kitchen with 4 pots and only one burner working. It's not going to happen. It cannot happen.
Teachers are there b/c they love the job. People do not enter the classroom b/c they are waiting on something better. It's time for folks to stop blaming the teachers. They are powerless in all this mess.
CCSD and SLED need to let it go. They better believe that Mishawna will NOT go down for this by herself and she has a list of EVERYONE who helped her and allowed her to do the things she did. She was powerful, but only b/c other people closed their eyes and turned their backs.
Posted by Tammie on September 10, 2008 at 12:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Damn, I take a break from posting to get some real work done and I come back to Early slinging insults at Eyfig? Early, just like Test said, if you don't want anyone to comment about your wife (and she was stating FACTS, she didn't insult your wife), then don't mention her or what she gripes about. Period. No need for name calling.
But on the other hand, I'm with Lovely, I wanna see what precious colors the walls get painted...
Posted by STREETLAW on September 10, 2008 at 12:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Whoa CCSDISTHEPLACEFORME. They may be spineless jellyfish but they are not powerless. They can call the press or SLED or even CrimeStoppers when they see such fraud. And someone needs to let people know where the perps are going to about what happens in Charleston. These people need to be driven out of the education system. If a teacher or admisistrator is aware of such fraud and has any sense of ethics or civic responsibility, blow the freaking whistle.
Unless, of course, they cheated their way through college too?
Posted by acharlestongirl on September 10, 2008 at 12:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Charleston County Schools are in trouble because they focus the money on the top positions at Calhoun street. As long as the District is so top heavy, it will be in the same shape it's in now. There are too many folks getting paycheck who are not teaching our children. Is anyone surprised this woman lied about the children's scores or her own abilities? It has been an atmosphere that was fostered by Goodloe-Johnson, who herself couldn't stand up to an investigation by SLED. These are the people who hold the future of our children's education. IDIOTS.
Posted by Straighttalk on September 10, 2008 at 12:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is a conspiracy to say the least. Let's see this principal receives palmetto gold status, had Sanders Clyde seriously considered for blue ribbon recogniton, met Oprah and had the talk show host come to her school and contribute alot of $$$$........All of a sudden a power hungry superintendent takes over and now everthing Moore did is destroyed including possibly her career. How many educators must go down before the public realize that McGinley is the problem. Damn.
Posted by Straighttalk on September 10, 2008 at 1 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Another point.
Why was Goodloe name carried in the mud for getting pregant before marriage but McGinley has a questionable lifestyle....her sexual preference and is a known heavy drinker. The news media was so hard on Goodloe now Mooore. The principal for North Charlesotn elementary a couple of years ago was known to sleep with married staff members and had a confrontation at a pta program with a husband of one of the staff members. He left town without any coverage of the story or his name slung through the mud. I am not a racist but I am amazed at how much coverage is devoted to minority people that are alledely in trouble versus the status quo.
Posted by Straighttalk on September 10, 2008 at 1:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Take a look at all of the quality and talented people who left Dodge when McGinley took over the helms. If any other fortune 500 company lost 20 plus directors and administrators there would be some serious questions about leadership at the top.
1 Mr. Caldwell North Charleston HS principal
2 Mr. Davie James Island MS principal
3 Mr. Wilson St. John HS principal
4 Mr. Anderson Bridgeview officer
5 Ms. Mathis special ed coordinator
6 Ms. Legrand profess develop
7 Mr. Choice assistant superintendant
8 Mr. Bynum chief academic office
9 Ms. Williams parenting coordinator
10 Mr. Wright Warehouse director
11 Mr. Dixon James Simons principal
12 Ms. Gadson Burke assistant principal
13 Ms. Mims Pepperhill principal
14 Ms. Dixon Angel Oak principal
15 Mr. Price McCleanville principal
16 Ms. Moore Sanders Clyde and Fraser principal
17 Ms. Lotwig Curriculum Director
18 Mr. Kennedy Finance Officer
19 Mr. Tolley Academic Magnet principal
20 Ms. Brown Oakland principal
Posted by Test2007 on September 10, 2008 at 1:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
straighttalk - umm, I have heard a few of those rumors. I say rumors because I have no evidence. The drunken rumor bothers me. I hope that is not the case. That N. Chas principal story is crazy if it is true. I hope it is not.
A lot of these teachers I know teach at those "bad" schools because they know not everyone who attends that school is bad. Some of them have also been students at said "bad" schools themselves and feel some kind of kinship. I went to a "bad" school myself. I wasn't acting up or acting out. I was the kid in the back reading a book waiting for classes to end. I did that from k-8. The bad kids make it bad for the ones who want to learn but there are good kids in there.
Posted by sharyd on September 10, 2008 at 1:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
A SLED investigation will hopefully discover who was involved in the cheating, fraud, and cover up. The inspectors who were sent in during testing did not find anything amiss during the day. Maybe they should have stayed later or come on the weekend when the principal was putting in her long hours. I feel bad for the school adminstrators who lost their principalships because they couldn't produce the same improvements seen at Sanders Clyde. I guess they were too honest.
Posted by flamingliberal on September 10, 2008 at 1:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Grade doctoring goes on more than most realize. And not just in the "bad" schools. Hello. Academic Magnet. They are not so highly accomplished without a some nudging from administration. But that's ok. Highly motivated and super smart kids and all. Gotta get into a good college.
Posted by flamingliberal on September 10, 2008 at 1:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ever wonder why N Chas High has gone through so many principles? The last one because he went through so many teachers (or so I heard through my fairly reliable grapevine). Seems that they could pick a quality principle and let him / her stay a while and get something done.
Other than this Moore lady and a few (but conspicuous) others, the problem ain't the teachers and principles; it's district level bafoons.
Posted by Straighttalk on September 10, 2008 at 1:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Humiliation
Look at the dedicated educators who were humiliated by McGinley and blamed for everything at challenging and failing schools despite unlimited resources and support.
1. Ms. Dicenzio Mitchell principal to Mt Pleasant asstprin.
2. Ms. Gaffney Clarke principal to guidance counselor
3. Ms. Whaley Fraser principal to Mt Pleasant asstprin.
4. Mr. Tichi Charleston Academy principal to asst princ
5. Ms. Thompson Jane Edwards principal to C.Progres asst.
6. Ms. Ficklin Haut Gap principal to St. Andrews asst prin.
7. Ms. Ross Memminger principal to interim prin at Goodwin
8. Ms. McMahon ELA coordinator to teacher
9. Ms. Mercer Math coordinator to teacher
10. Mr. Grant Brentwood asst principal to Murray Hill
11. Ms. White St. John asst principal to Brentwood asstprin
12. Ms. Olsen Burns principal to asst princ or teacher???
13. 60+ teacher coaches were told they did not have jobs and had to apply for teaching positions because the McGinley wanted to use the $$$$ to support her charter school push
14. Several guidance counselors were moved from full time positions to part time positions even in some of the most difficult schools that needed all the help they could get.
Still think Moore is a problem. Pleazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Posted by Straighttalk on September 10, 2008 at 1:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
McGinley day is coming. Believe that!!!!
Posted by flamingliberal on September 10, 2008 at 1:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
don't have a problem with the teacher coah thing -- what a waste of money. talk about beaucracy in action.
Posted by halfsheli on September 10, 2008 at 1:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This just shows that school report cards are BS. If the data they conatin are not made up or tweeked, then they certainly provide reason to be blantantly dishonest. I hate this for the parents and kids at that school.
Posted by CCSDISTHEPLACEFORME on September 10, 2008 at 1:50 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by SCdeacinNYC on September 10, 2008 at 2:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
On "The Wire" (one of my favorite shows, which actually has an excellent season about the state of inner city public schools), there was a huge scandal about a police commissioner "cooking" the stats. In other words, he padded the stats to attempt to perpetrate a drop in crime. While it was despicable, it was clearly a product of the system and pressures he was faced with. The political administration used statistics to measure a drop in crime, they wanted to own a drop in crime but they didn't want to add any significant additional resources to warrant an actual drop. I got to thinking about what would drive someone to do something like that.
The same can be said about our public school educational system and test scores. Testing has become way too important in our school. Teachers teach to the test, not the the basics of education. Because all success is based upon this one standardized test at the end of the year. Funding is often tied to these tests, and if student's can't perform well on these tests, there may be a state takeover of the school or worst. I am in now way excusing anything that may have went on at Sanders Clyde, it is despiscable at best, however we have to consider the numbers-driven education environment the American public school system has created. Everything begins and ends with a standardized test that kids take for a few days out of the school year. It doesn't seem like a fair enough assessment of how schools or children are performing. I also agree with TEST who said that we need to reform the way we teach kids...everyone is taught the same way. Everyone doesn't learn the same way, so why teach the same way. I'm not sure how you can assess a school's progress without using a "test" but in many instance all it creates is top-down pressure to come up with the "best" numbers when that may not necessarily be indicative of actual improvement.
Posted by yellgirl on September 10, 2008 at 2:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow!
Posted by bkeelin on September 10, 2008 at 2:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Almost everyday I read the paper, watch a news story or listen to someone talk about public schools or private schools I thank God we are able to home school. For those that will sacrifice to accomplish the task of educating their children they will reap the benefits for generations to come.
Posted by Test2007 on September 10, 2008 at 3:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't think EY is a liar. I have disagreed with her on quite a few issues but unlike a lot of posters I never felt she was lying. Anyways, back to the issue at hand.
bkeelin - home schooling has its issues as well so lets not paint it as an answer to everything.
Posted by STREETLAW on September 10, 2008 at 3:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
McGinleys sexual preference? What would that be? Body surfing? Which gender?
Posted by Tammie on September 10, 2008 at 3:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Early, I respectfully disagree. Eyfig has strong opinions but a liar, she is not. And you HAVE talked about how your wife has complained on numerous occasions about her students, whether it be their lack of motivation in her class or anything else. I doubt if she would have brought that up if you hadn't said it.
But back to the topic at hand...This will be interesting to see once everything plays out.
Posted by Lovely_One on September 10, 2008 at 3:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow, Eyfig is a lying bitch who can "F-off"! Man, Early is on today.
Test, I agree that home schooling does have its downfalls and should not be advertised as the be all to end all.
Posted by Test2007 on September 10, 2008 at 4:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Lovely - I don't like homeschooling with an agenda.
Real life examples:
Coworker of mine who had his wife homeschool their kids because he didn't want his kids going to school with "sodomites" (his words) and learning about fictional things such as dinosaurs. Needless to say he freaked me out.
Saw this one on tv:
Lady homeschooling 3 daughters in a an ultra-feminist environment. They couldn't wear makeup. They couldn't do anything girly. She didn't want her kids exposed to what she thought was chauvinistic ideals in school. Don't know her personally but am sure she would get on my nerves. Oh and the oldest daughter didn't shave under her arms. She gave some crazy explanation of why.
Posted by Lovely_One on September 10, 2008 at 4:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Test,
I know what you mean. I know a lady that started home schooling her older kids (ages 10, 7, and 5) because she couldn't find a babysitter for her 3 and 1 year olds and as soon as the 1 year old could go to school she sent them all. The 14 year old, who was 10 when she started home schooling, was behind in all of her work. She had to get extensive tutoring in order to catch up with the rest of her class. The same with the 11 (then 7) year old. It is a sad thing.
Posted by Tammie on September 10, 2008 at 4:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Test sed: "Saw this one on tv:
Lady homeschooling 3 daughters in a an ultra-feminist environment. They couldn't wear makeup. They couldn't do anything girly. She didn't want her kids exposed to what she thought was chauvinistic ideals in school. Don't know her personally but am sure she would get on my nerves. Oh and the oldest daughter didn't shave under her arms. She gave some crazy explanation of why."
Um...I would have a problem being next to someone whose underarms resembled the likes of Cousin It.
Posted by Test2007 on September 10, 2008 at 4:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
LOL Tammie. I have seen women with legs furrier than some mens. The funniest thing EVER is watching them slick lotion on it in an attempt to smooth the hair down so it all goes in one direction. (no offense to my nature loving hairy girls)
Posted by Teach7775 on September 10, 2008 at 4:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow!! We have strayed off the topic just a bit!!!!
Until we as a society place our childrens' education near the top of our list of prioroties we are going to encounter these kinds of situations in our American educational system....
And the kicker is........ Their is no direct relationship between the success of a school and standardized test scores........
Posted by follyb on September 10, 2008 at 4:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Why did the staff remove the comment by
CCSDISTHEPLACEFORME ?
Posted by Test2007 on September 10, 2008 at 4:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Coldbeer - I agree. I have been to a few different European countries and realized that what was normal to them wasn't for me and vice versa. Of course there are some places that are worse than we are about hair. We aren't as bad as Brazil.
Teach7775 - yes I agree with you about the standardized test scores. A friend of mine had a 4.0 gpa in high school and college and only cracked 1000 (or lower) or so on the SATs. This is back when it used to 1600 total.
Posted by eyfigueroa on September 10, 2008 at 5:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
TADA!!!!!!
I'm SOOOOOOOO sorry I missed Early's tirades.
And I thank you all for your support in defending me.
.............."Ms. America wave going"
Let me see Early called me a liar and told me fo 'F' off.
..............hmmmm
You know, it is just too easy to mess with his head. It ceased being a challenge weeks ago.
I actually feel a great deal of pity for him. He is still reeling from that utterly humiliating SMACK DOWN I put on him a week or so ago.
I say we just let him go back into his little corner to lick his paw. He will be alright.
..............BTW - FAIR WARNING TO ALL
If you post it be ready to defend it. Don't put your personal business on this site and then get angry when someone calls you out on it. That goes for me as well.
Ciao!!!!
Posted by Lovely_One on September 10, 2008 at 6:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Oristo, I only referred to the "f" word when another poster used it. And the "Eyfig" in my posts is me abbreviating EYfigeuroa's name. So, I don't know what you are talking about.
Posted by Teach7775 on September 10, 2008 at 8:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
As citizens of Charleston County how do we not demand a COMPLETE overhaul of the Charleston County School system??
Posted by GoPublicParent on September 10, 2008 at 9:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think that it is ridiculous that people are discussing the sexual preferences of someone that is running our school district or anyone for that matter. It is really not your business.
McGinley came into a position where she had to deal with a MESS that was left by the previous superintendent. She is dealing with it.
This is a forum to comment on the article. This article was written about Sander's Clyde and the decrease in test scores. STAY ON TOPIC.
This is an investigation - no one knows if the tests were tampered with except the people that actually participated in the tampering. The sad part about this whole situation is the students. There is so much focus on who is to blame for this mess. Who cares whose fault it is - it needs to be resolved for the kids at Sander's Clyde. EVERYONE deserves an education, no matter where you come from. The students at Sanders Clyde deserve the opportunity to learn.
Can you imagine their self esteem after hearing about this article? What are we doing to make sure they are not discouraged? That is what the focus should be. It is all about the KIDS - they are our future and it is our responsibility to make sure they succeed.
Posted by bunting on September 10, 2008 at 9:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The principals in some of the toughest schools (Ms. Mims, Ms. Olsen, Dr. Basille, Mr. Coldwell) realized that the bureaucracy that is CCSD was consuming them. All four of these professionals dedicated their hearts and their souls to their students. All four of them stabilized their buildings, retained staff, and made steady,modest gains on their test scores. However, they were told that those modest gains just weren't enough. Every year they had to fight for teacher allocations, student concern specialists, etc. One year Mr. Caldwell even had the courage to take his fight to the media...and was warned by his superiors not to do it again. The increasing demands for meaningless paperwork from their staffs became too much for them to demand from their teachers. It's sad. Modest gains eventually become bigger gains - without cheating. It would be interesting to see how they are doing in their new schools. All four of them most likely would have remained had they been allowed to run their schools without continuous interference from the bureaucracy. How sad for the students, teachers, and parents of those schools. On another note about this scandal, and it IS a scandal, SLED should investigate thoroughly every aspect of this story, CCSD should be forthcoming in its accessibility to the media, and the guilty should be punished and held accountable.
Posted by Malady on September 10, 2008 at 10:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Whoa ... I think CCSD owes J. Whaley an apology. She was a good person and a very good principal. Wilmot J. Fraser recieved a Silver Medal in 2005, but that was not good enough for CCSD and booted her out and replaced her with the part time "Miracle Worker". We all know now how she worked her miracles.
She promised Fraser teachers 90% of her time, and did not spend 90 days. She was very critical of Fraser teachers and staff and did not hesitate to compare them to her "Sanders-Clyde Jewels".
Wilmot J Fraser school lost in 2007-08 with that dumb administrative decision. I hope that those teachers will get a "bounce" this year. It would certainly help if they can retrive some of their equipment and supplies that were taken over to Sanders Clyde. (You know the the things WJF teachers did not know how to use ... Professionally ...,like those computers, Smart boards, science tables, Digital Cameras, DVD players, Keyboards, books and more ...By the way, her sidekicks are still around. Let them go over to S-C and pack that stuff up and return them to Fraser ASAP!
Posted by parkdoug on September 10, 2008 at 11:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
GoPublicParent is obviously the CCSD flack, Eric Smelly, who else would tow the company line with such precision?
In dammage control mode, Smelly wrote, "There is so much focus on who is to blame for this mess. Who cares whose fault it is - it needs to be resolved for the kids at Sander's Clyde. EVERYONE deserves an education, no matter where you come from. The students at Sanders Clyde deserve the opportunity to learn."
Bravo, Mr. Smelly. Parents agree that "it needs to be resolved" but we must place the blame upon those who bear responsibility. That would be your boss, Dr. Nancy McGinely, and her tools on the school board who rubberstamp her policies: Toya Green, Gregg Meyers, Ruth Jordan and Hillery Douglas. THE ONLY HOPE FOR THE CHARLESTON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS TO ELECT PEOPLE WHO WILL NOT RUBBERSTAMP DR. MCGINLEY'S NEXT MISBEGOTTEN POLICIES. THEY ARE:
David Engelman, Marvin Stewart, Nancy Kandrak and John Graham Altman.
Say what you want about JGA, his opponents, Opplinger and Fraser will prove to be nothing but tools of the superintendent.
GO MARVIN!
Posted by GoPublicParent on September 12, 2008 at 6:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wrong parkdoug. I am not Elliott Smalley. I am a teacher who works in CCSD that believes in Public Education and believes that we are here for the children.
Why should we care who is to blame for this mess? Everyone spends so much time on blaming others and less time on trying to make public education better.
We are suppose to be here for our children - the future of Charleston.
Posted by stillcare on September 13, 2008 at 12:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
As I read this article, I had to think back on my years of teaching in the CCSD. I couldn't help but notice the names of Earl Choice and Christy Thompson listed as two administrators lost or humiliated by Nancy M. Mr. Earl Coice "retired" after being questioned about using bad judgement in his personal life and Christy Thompson was arrested for allegedly assaulting a teacher in the principal's office. They along with their cohort, Martin Williams, a former district 23 after school coordinator, now under investigation by SLED for forging parent signatures, should have been FIRED by CCSD. For more than a year the teachers, volunteers and parents of Jane Edwards School tried to advise the CCSD of wrong-doings in District 23. Instead of listening, the CCSD turned their heads and supported these people. In doing so they lost 11 out of 15 highly qualified teachers, most of the 75 volunteers, and numerous families. The 11 teachers all now work in other counties where they are highly respected by children, parents, administrators, and county officials. I don't know any of the teachers at the schools that are being discussed, but my heart goes out to them. Most teachers do care more than the public knows. They give not only their money, of which their is little, they give their hearts and their free time to their kids. The problem is not with most of the CCSD teachers. It is with the administrators. Charleston County needs to be fully investigated by the State Dept. of Education. 75 Calhoun is just a cover-up for an ill-managed and corrupt business that determines the future of the wonderful children in the Low Country.
Let's look to the future and demand an investigation. Things must change in the CCSD or the education and well-being of many Charleston County children will continue to be at risk.