Comments on: MDUSD may release FCMAT report on special education soon

By: Doctor J

Doctor J — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 22:42:41 +0000

Did Steven Lawrence withhold the July 26 FCMAT draft report from the Board before it hired Kerri Mills on Aug 27 ? Since the January report, just released today, says the district is top heavy in Spec Ed management, what did the draft report say about MDUSD being the only comparable district to have an “Asst Supt” ?

By: Theresa Harrington

Theresa Harrington — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 19:40:04 +0000

Brian, Thanks for letting us know!

By: Brian Lawrence

Brian Lawrence — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 04:18:28 +0000

Jim,

My recollection is that Ms. Hansen stated she would also email her report to the person taking minutes. I will follow up on it this week.

By: Anon

Anon — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 21:35:52 +0000

Theresa, MDUSD was starting to head in the right direction with Special Ed. As of the last 2 or 3 months they are going back into the 1940′s. It seems that they just don’t care and don’t have any oversight or accountability, Staff at schools just do what they want and do not listen to Management (not that they are any better) The way Special ED is being run is in my opinion shameful at best. We have middle and highschool students reading at a 2nd grade level that are capable of learning but the way they are being taught is not right for them. We need to get out of the BOX and quit trying to make it bigger. Some will just never fit in the “box” I am so disgusted with this district and staff when it comes to Special Ed.
Mental Health is a HUGE problem and it is not doing anyone any good to ignore it. We have a deep problem here people and it needs to be solved!
As far as MDUSD looking at what works in other districts I doubt that will happen. The so called “experts” that we hire don’t even know how to use Google! The world is changing around us and the disabilities and learing styles are changing faster then the schools can blink.

By: Theresa Harrington

Theresa Harrington — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 20:59:43 +0000

Back onto the subject of special education and mental health, here’s an interesting story that looks at two successful schools in WCCUSD: http://www.contracostatimes.com/twitter/ci_22606719/collaboration-innovation-fuel-gains-at-richmond-elementary-schools

MDUSD is also implementing many of these same successful strategies, including collaboration. But these WCCUSD schools have one secret to success that is lacking in MDUSD: “The dropout-prevention and mental health counselors help students with their social and emotional needs, allowing teachers to concentrate more on instruction.”

As has been previously pointed out, some MDUSD students may not be getting the counseling support they need, which affects their ability to succeed academically. MDUSD can learn from what is working in other districts.

By: Theresa Harrington

Theresa Harrington — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 20:31:39 +0000

Jim, This is similar to what I was suggesting about Hansen giving her comments in writing to the minutes clerk, so they could be incorporated into the minutes. But, you’re right that since this was a report out of the Jan. 18 meeting and the comments may have been written out ahead of time to be read aloud, it would be even more transparent for Board President Cheryl Hansen to give her report out in writing to the board secretary ahead of time so they could be attached to that agenda item. As you point out, there is no reason these reports out must be oral, except that that’s the way it’s always been done. Time for MDUSD to think out of the box!

By: Jim

Jim — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 20:15:06 +0000

@17 Brian — Instead of an expensive technology fix, how about doing this in a slightly more old-fashioned way? Someone could write up the Supe’s goals (which, presumably exist somewhere…or not?), and then write up the Board’s report on the individual’s performance under those goals, with appropriate redactions for private personnel matters? You know, a REAL report? (Not the “reporting out of closed session” that you previously referred to — a process that is apparently memorialized only via audio recording, which clearly does not work in practice.) Then any member of the public could just click on the web page and read the report. Crazy idea, or what?

Is this public school district really so bound by procedural paralysis that it can’t just report, in writing, how the key executive of this taxpayer-funded organization is doing? BEFORE it makes a commitment for a contingent liability that may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to undo?

Or does the current “process” actually serve everyone involved, by avoiding accountability for anyone?

By: Jim

Jim — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 20:01:21 +0000

@19 Dr. J — Good point, but by accepting the “extensions” the MDUSD Board has significantly increased the potential buyout costs (which might have been the Big 5′s sole intent, since they must be beginning to realize that it’s time to move on to a new gullible employer).

BTW, did anyone ever determine whether Lawrence’s “extension of his original contract” included the relocation expenses in the original contract, which, of course, were not necessary in the “simple extension”? Many will recall that, in the meeting where the “original contracts” were extended, only Cheryl Hansen raised the point that if this were a “simple extension”, then the terms of the contract could not have been changed, meaning that Lawrence was getting another relo allowance, which would be preposterous. I recall that some MDUSD adminstrator said that no, of course, that provision would be taken out. But I heard nothing more, except for Eberhart’s dismissive comment that any board member who hadn’t read the existing contracts should have been more prepared. Dumb? Or deceitful? So hard to tell…

By: Doctor J

Doctor J — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 15:58:15 +0000

Brian, I know you are frustrated with the broadcast issues — and I appreciate your efforts. I also appreciate your efforts to improve the evaluation process not just of the Supt, but the others that report directly to the Board, i.e. General Counsel. I think the BIG5 made a serious mistake by jointly hiring a lawyer to challenge the Board on the issue of the contract extensions — an issue of their own making. Be that as it may, lets remember that it may be “cost effective” to elect the “buyout procedure” in the contracts. One of the first lessons I learned in business many years ago — if someone threatened to resign, accept it. But educators don’t think of themselves as a business. A second lesson I learned, was that no one is irreplacable. If the BIG5 all left tomorrow, the District would replace them without any burps.

By: Brian Lawrence

Brian Lawrence — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 15:23:37 +0000

The audio feed is poor and we will improve it because it is important for the public to be able to review the meetings. We received a presentation from Granicus- very impressive but also pricey. I’ve been attempting to webcast the meetings but the sound stops after a few minutes- that appears to be a networking/ firewall issue. I will continue to work on it.

Regarding the Superintendent’s evaluation, I believe the current Board will make changes to the framework it inherited and continue to make the process more transparent. I attended a CSBA workshop on Superintendent evaluations and would welcome suggestions on other Districts that do this well. It is one of the most important tasks of the Board.

We certainly will not solve all the District’s problems overnight, but I believe we are moving in the right direction.