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Tallahassee Public Schools


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Tallahassee Public Schools  

18 members have voted

  1. 1. Are Tallahassee's Public Schools Among Florida's Best?

    • Yes. I'm proud of them.
      13
    • No. Schools are waste of Tax Dollars.
      3
    • I don't know.
      2
    • I don't care.
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^Yet Florida's public schools are still ranked among the nation's lowest.

It takes time TJ. You have to look at the numbers and see constant improvement. You have to crawl before you can walk. It would be like FSU having all freshmen football team this year, and then consistently improving over their 4 year span.

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Have you ever "mentored" at Gilchrist? If so maybe you can answer these questions:

Why are kindergardeners allowed to wonder around the school unsupervised?

Why are adults allowed to do the same without having to check in?

Why are children left unsupervised in the lunchroom (kindergardeners no less)?

How can my daughter be called to the front office by mistake, and then be forced to "wait" in the office for over an hour because no one is willing to return her to her classroom (inturn missing snack time and activities)?

Why does my daughter only spend 2 hours per day in a classroom?

Why do I have teach my daughter how to read or write because, per the teacher, they do not have time for it?

I have more but I'm not going to list them.

I gotta say that most of this sounds over-dramatized, HOWEVER, I would never presume to tell you what is best for you and your kid - kinda the "stepping between a mother bear and her cub" thing; I believe that you, the parent, knows what's best.

No students are allowed to wander around school unsupervised. They may be sent to the office, library, etc., but there is no policy on letting kids just "hang" during school hours. Part of the process of growing up and going to school is learing self-sufficiency; maybe they got lost on the way to the office, but they will learn from that.

Zero adults are allowed on campus without checking in at the office. If you see one, escort them to the office for your kid's sake and mine. I'll do the same.

I have eaten lunch with my kid 10+ times and it was never unsupervised. The teachers do not eat with the kids, but there are workers in the cafeteria to help open juice boxes, etc. and keep the peace. Lunch alway appears to be a high point in the day for the kids.

The kids are in school for 6 hours, 20 minutes every day, they get 25 minutes for luch, 15 minute recess & 45 minute special area. Including walking/commute time, kindergartners are in their classrooms about 4.5 hours per day.

If your kid already reads, congratulate yourself, and keep working on it at home. Intensive reading and writing are not skills that 5 year olds are ready for, at least according to the state and federal governments. I'm sure the teacher has introduced them. Have you seen any papers that your child wrote his/her name on? Soon you will be up to your neck in pre-decodable books and other reading materials.

Sounds like your expectations have not been met, and my guess is you will not be happy wherever you go, but the well is clearly poisoned and it is too late to salvage any relationship with Gilchrist. I am sorry for that. Kindergarten, especially the first 3 weeks of school, is about learning to go to school and the routines and socializing. Academic careers are not made or broken when kids are 5 and 6 years old.

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Have you ever "mentored" at Gilchrist? If so maybe you can answer these questions:

Why are kindergardeners allowed to wonder around the school unsupervised?

Why are adults allowed to do the same without having to check in?

Why are children left unsupervised in the lunchroom (kindergardeners no less)?

How can my daughter be called to the front office by mistake, and then be forced to "wait" in the office for over an hour because no one is willing to return her to her classroom (inturn missing snack time and activities)?

Why does my daughter only spend 2 hours per day in a classroom?

Why do I have teach my daughter how to read or write because, per the teacher, they do not have time for it?

I have more but I'm not going to list them.

As for living here, I'm in grad school so I'm not just going to up and leave. I spent many years here prior, hence going to FSU for the familiarity. Trust me, I'll be the first to admit it was a mistake, since I was accepted to far more prestigous schools than FSU. I love Tally but I hate the way things are run in this town. Once you move away and see how the rest of the country works it becomes hard to take the ineptness of your hometown. I wish nothing but the best for Tally, but the majority of it's citizens want it to remain in the 19th century.

I too am sorry to hear of your troubles. I've never mentored at Gilchrist, just Wesson. When I arrived at Wesson, it was an F School and Gilchrist was the model that we aspired to become and almost did before merging w/Bond.

I would have never seen what you've talked about had I just been a mentor b/c they are kept in one room only w/their kids usually just one hour a week. Those adults are not allowed to wander around the school. However being a volunteer that worked two days a week in the computer labs, I can say that even at Wesson I never saw any of what you've talked about. I was often the adult that walked the kids back to their homerooms or to the lunchrooms. If I took them to the lunchrooms and the teacher was not there yet, I'd stay w/the kids into lunch so they would not be alone and these weren't kindergartens these were 1st to 5th graders.

I'm have no basis to talk about portables vs. classrooms b/c Wesson was not over-crowded. You think maybe some of this happened just b/c it was the beginning of school and now that the year is started things will get "more in the groove?" I know that's not an excuse, but sometimes that can happen. Does your kid enjoy Gilchrist? Would she be heartbroken to move? I'm just surprised to hear all what you've said. I'm not doubting it, it's just that many of those things that happened are the key things that teachers and staff are trained to avoid and not let happen.

As for college, I can't relate there either. I loved my undergrad. years at FSU and then went to a top-notch university for my field to get my Masters. Of course my set of circumstances where different than yours since I was a wild single and you have a family.

I do understand what you are saying about Austin and Tuscon. Both are creme of the crop up and coming cities in America. I hope Tally's future is at least half as bright as theirs. Tally could learn not only the town-gown experience from them, but also how to market your city's differences from it's larger in state rival cities. Meaning Austin is smaller than Houston, DFW and San Antonio however it markets itself as an alternative to those places by being a more liberal funky place. I believe Tuscon markets itself as "not PHX" meaning they are trying to be more environmentally friendly by means fo xeriscape and adobe housing that fits the climate of the area better. The few folks I know that live in Tuscon use to live in PHX and just left for a more simple green type of life. That type of niche could be Tally's too.

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I wasnt implying that at all.

People say "all that's being taught anymore is the FCAT." Well, I say, what were we teaching our kids before that was not up to the national standards that students in other states were accomplishing? Since the FCAT, that gap has been closing consistently. Which is worse?

I use to feel this way and thought the FCAT was a great idea until I saw the system in action a few times a week. Kids in FL aren't learning more than they did before, they are just learning to take the FCAT better and teachers are learning how to teach TO the FCAT better.

The mistake w/the FCAT IMHO is that while it's ONE of the solutions to our public school problems, it's not THE sole solution as is being practiced today.

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Yea, heaven forbid we expect our kids to be able to pass grade level tests.

Exactly. Heaven forbid. "Judge not lest you yourself be judged..." (have to get one of the Christians here to correct the quotation)

I don't mind evaluation in education. It's important. What I object to is the funky lit tests taking over the curriculum. We all know, and lots of studies colloborate, that the important stuff from elementary education has to do with learning how to get along, how to be a good citizen, how to think critically, how to make good decisions, etc.

Reading, writin' and 'rithmetic are all important and we ought to test for them. We did test for them prior to funky lit tests. But now, with this new testing mentality in education, that's pretty much all that the teachers have time for, and those tests don't correlate with anything important in life except taking other tests.

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I gotta say that most of this sounds over-dramatized, HOWEVER, I would never presume to tell you what is best for you and your kid - kinda the "stepping between a mother bear and her cub" thing; I believe that you, the parent, knows what's best.

No students are allowed to wander around school unsupervised. They may be sent to the office, library, etc., but there is no policy on letting kids just "hang" during school hours. Part of the process of growing up and going to school is learing self-sufficiency; maybe they got lost on the way to the office, but they will learn from that.

Zero adults are allowed on campus without checking in at the office. If you see one, escort them to the office for your kid's sake and mine. I'll do the same.

I have eaten lunch with my kid 10+ times and it was never unsupervised. The teachers do not eat with the kids, but there are workers in the cafeteria to help open juice boxes, etc. and keep the peace. Lunch alway appears to be a high point in the day for the kids.

The kids are in school for 6 hours, 20 minutes every day, they get 25 minutes for luch, 15 minute recess & 45 minute special area. Including walking/commute time, kindergartners are in their classrooms about 4.5 hours per day.

If your kid already reads, congratulate yourself, and keep working on it at home. Intensive reading and writing are not skills that 5 year olds are ready for, at least according to the state and federal governments. I'm sure the teacher has introduced them. Have you seen any papers that your child wrote his/her name on? Soon you will be up to your neck in pre-decodable books and other reading materials.

Sounds like your expectations have not been met, and my guess is you will not be happy wherever you go, but the well is clearly poisoned and it is too late to salvage any relationship with Gilchrist. I am sorry for that. Kindergarten, especially the first 3 weeks of school, is about learning to go to school and the routines and socializing. Academic careers are not made or broken when kids are 5 and 6 years old.

Well to start with students are walking through the school unsupervised. How can you justify a kindergardner walking by herself to the office during only the second week of school?

Second, parents are allowed come and go as they please. The school isn't fenced in and adults come and go through the west side of the school throughout the day. Unless of course they are teachers but then the question is raised as to why teachers are leaving school between 12 and 1:30.

My wife had lunch with my daughter last week and she says not one other adult was in the eating area. SHE was the one who had to open the kids lunchs, milks, etc. Trust me I had to listen to the gripping for an hour.

"The kids are in school for 6 hours, 20 minutes every day, they get 25 minutes for luch, 15 minute recess & 45 minute special area. Including walking/commute time, kindergartners are in their classrooms about 4.5 hours per day."

-Then her teacher lied to us and about 5 other parents.

I don't have gripes about the acedemics outside of us having to teach her at home. It's mainly the other areas I have mentioned plus others I chose not to.

I could care less if you believe any of these examples or not. They happened. But, of course, I just love making up stories so I can move my daughter ot others schools and start arguements on an internet message board......

I disagree. I think its fairly clear, just based on the mandate handed to John Marks tonight, that Tallahasseeans want positive growth and change.

TJ, how long have you lived here? Mayor Maddox said the same thing, as did the one before him (I can't remember his name).

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Well to start with students are walking through the school unsupervised. How can you justify a kindergardner walking by herself to the office during only the second week of school?

Second, parents are allowed come and go as they please. The school isn't fenced in and adults come and go through the west side of the school throughout the day. Unless of course they are teachers but then the question is raised as to why teachers are leaving school between 12 and 1:30.

My wife had lunch with my daughter last week and she says not one other adult was in the eating area. SHE was the one who had to open the kids lunchs, milks, etc. Trust me I had to listen to the gripping for an hour.

"The kids are in school for 6 hours, 20 minutes every day, they get 25 minutes for luch, 15 minute recess & 45 minute special area. Including walking/commute time, kindergartners are in their classrooms about 4.5 hours per day."

-Then her teacher lied to us and about 5 other parents.

I don't have gripes about the acedemics outside of us having to teach her at home. It's mainly the other areas I have mentioned plus others I chose not to.

I could care less if you believe any of these examples or not. They happened. But, of course, I just love making up stories so I can move my daughter ot others schools and start arguements on an internet message board......

TJ, how long have you lived here? Mayor Maddox said the same thing, as did the one before him (I can't remember his name).

Not that it really matters, but I've lived in Tallahassee almost 19 years now.

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I'm not saying I even remember hearing Marks saying that. I said that myself based on the community's approval of his work. He's been a strong pro-growth voice in this community. And yes I do remember Maddox saying it also. Honestly he's the only mayor prior to Marks that could even have the time to be an effective leader seeing how they rotated amongst the commissioners every year before Maddox was elected in 97. Maddox to a great extent got the ball rolling on alot of the projects we see today. Under his leadership Tallahassee began to turn the corner.

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Ok BCH, while I'm not sure what's going on inside Gilchrist Elem. I will have to say after reading THIS STORY some of the bus drivers from that school are IDIOTS.

First I can't believe she missed not one but two exits that could have taken her to Lively...the Cap. Circle NW exit and US 90/Midway exit. I mean if you are competent enough to drive a bus full of kids, you should know how to get to a Tech School in your own city.

Then she attempts to turn a bus FULL of children around on an interstate via the median. Even alone in a car that is stupid, but a slow moving bus full of kids....wow! I'm actually glad she got stuck, this way we all found out about it and the kid's lives weren't in as much danger. Did she not know this type of turn around is not only dangerous, but ILLEGAL?

I think this fool should be fired on the spot and hopefully this will happen. What do you guys think?

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Ok BCH, while I'm not sure what's going on inside Gilchrist Elem. I will have to say after reading THIS STORY some of the bus drivers from that school are IDIOTS.

First I can't believe she missed not one but two exits that could have taken her to Lively...the Cap. Circle NW exit and US 90/Midway exit. I mean if you are competent enough to drive a bus full of kids, you should know how to get to a Tech School in your own city.

Then she attempts to turn a bus FULL of children around on an interstate via the median. Even alone in a car that is stupid, but a slow moving bus full of kids....wow! I'm actually glad she got stuck, this way we all found out about it and the kid's lives weren't in as much danger. Did she not know this type of turn around is not only dangerous, but ILLEGAL?

I think this fool should be fired on the spot and hopefully this will happen. What do you guys think?

Unfortunately, the school bus industry is a workplace that attracts many people on the lower rung of society, and this is a prime example. It's a minumum wage job, what do you expect? I worked in the school transportation industry for some time, so I know this all too well.

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Ok BCH, while I'm not sure what's going on inside Gilchrist Elem. I will have to say after reading THIS STORY some of the bus drivers from that school are IDIOTS.

First I can't believe she missed not one but two exits that could have taken her to Lively...the Cap. Circle NW exit and US 90/Midway exit. I mean if you are competent enough to drive a bus full of kids, you should know how to get to a Tech School in your own city.

Then she attempts to turn a bus FULL of children around on an interstate via the median. Even alone in a car that is stupid, but a slow moving bus full of kids....wow! I'm actually glad she got stuck, this way we all found out about it and the kid's lives weren't in as much danger. Did she not know this type of turn around is not only dangerous, but ILLEGAL?

I think this fool should be fired on the spot and hopefully this will happen. What do you guys think?

Oh my God! I'm not sure how to react to this. My kid is in the gifted program there, but in first grade; he does not leave campus yet, fortunately. Bussing the 3-5 grade kids to ARC on Thursdays has been an issue every week so far this year and the parents are very disturbed. I cannot begin to imagine my feelings if my child was stuck in the median of I-10 on a bus. Livid and out for blood come to mind. This is totally unacceptable.

In a meeting this week, parents were told that there would continue to be problems with the ARC bus this week (today!) but everything would be worked starting next week. Little did they know...... It will be interesting to see if this is/was a new driver. County-wide there is a ~10 driver shortage, so many kids are getting to regular school late, let alone special trips for ARC. This bus is supposed to leave Gilchrist at 8am, but has been leaving at 9am or later due to the lack of drivers. Parents are up in arms, as the time the kids get at ARC is not extended if the bus is late in arriving; and this is clearly the highlight of the entire school week for these kids.

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Have you ever "mentored" at Gilchrist? If so maybe you can answer these questions:

Why are kindergardeners allowed to wonder around the school unsupervised?

Why are adults allowed to do the same without having to check in?

Why are children left unsupervised in the lunchroom (kindergardeners no less)?

How can my daughter be called to the front office by mistake, and then be forced to "wait" in the office for over an hour because no one is willing to return her to her classroom (inturn missing snack time and activities)?

Why does my daughter only spend 2 hours per day in a classroom?

Why do I have teach my daughter how to read or write because, per the teacher, they do not have time for it?

I have more but I'm not going to list them.

As for living here, I'm in grad school so I'm not just going to up and leave. I spent many years here prior, hence going to FSU for the familiarity. Trust me, I'll be the first to admit it was a mistake, since I was accepted to far more prestigous schools than FSU. I love Tally but I hate the way things are run in this town. Once you move away and see how the rest of the country works it becomes hard to take the ineptness of your hometown. I wish nothing but the best for Tally, but the majority of it's citizens want it to remain in the 19th century.

I've found that a combination of being a squeeky wheel and a frequent volunteer is a pretty good way to insure that your kids school is treating them, and the rest of the students with respect and care. In my parenting career, I've had several "come to Jesus" meetings with principals and School Board staff and have almost always walked out pretty much getting what asked for.

I realize that if you're doing shift work, or trying to get an education yourself, it's difficult to find time to be in the schools, but there are lots of creative ways to volunteer in the schools. Ask your empolyer to "partner" with your kids school and get work credit for your volunteer time. If you're in college, arrange a DIS doing something at the school. Be an afterschool volunteer. Help with activities. Go along on field trips.

As what's his name says, "Just volunteer Florida".

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  • 1 year later...

I traveled to the Northeast of Town today to check on the new Middle School near Roberts! Man, that thing looks big!!! It and Roberts almost appear to be one and the same, but there is a gate separating the two. Anyhow, this school looks like it is nearly complete and that it will in fact be ready in time for the Fall 2008 school year.

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Yes, it will be. I think I said originally it would indeed be ready for the coming school year.

As a side note, I have heard the school will be named after Bill Montford, like the Montford Mustangs, or something similar. Do not take it to the bank, but that is what I have heard (from several fifth graders I know at Roberts-- I believe they allowed the kids at Roberts to be involved in choosing the mascot).

Also, during its first year, there will be no eigth grade class.

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  • 2 weeks later...

School Enrollment Down Across The State - Again

SCHOOL_1.jpg

TALLAHASSEE, FL (CBS4) ― For a second year in a row, the number of children in Florida's public schools has dropped.

Last fall, 2.6 million students enrolled in the state's public schools from kindergarten through high school. That was nearly 8,000 fewer students enrolled compared with a year ago, another indicator of the state's slumping economy. State economists say they expect it to fall again next year before rebounding in the fall of 2009.

The reason is simple: fewer out-of-state students are coming to

Florida and more students are leaving. What has school officials most worried, though, is that state funding is based on enrollment. Fewer students will mean fewer dollars.

Source: cbs4.com

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Report ranks Fla. schools 14th in nation

TALLAHASSEE - Florida's schools ranked 14th nationally with a grade of C-plus on a report card issued today by Education Week magazine, although the state placed 38th in public education spending.

Much of the credit for Florida's overall finish among the 50 states and District of Columbia goes to high marks for its teaching profession and system of standards, assessment and accountability. Those are two of six categories measured in the annual Quality Counts report.

Also noteworthy is Florida's seventh-place ranking in kindergarten through 12th grade achievement

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Florida schools 14th in nation, says Education Week report

BY BILL KACZOR THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida's schools ranked 14th nationally with a grade of C-plus on a report card issued Wednesday by Education Week magazine, although the state placed only 38th in public education spending.

Much of the credit for Florida's overall finish -- up from 31st last year -- among the 50 states and District of Columbia goes to high marks for its teaching profession and system of standards, assessment and accountability. Those are two of six categories measured in the annual Quality Counts report.

"Given the financial resources of the state and the complexities of the state of Florida we are certainly on the right track," said Florida Education Commissioner Eric Smith.

Smith, though, said Florida has much more to do. "A grade of C-plus is not what I would want my kids to bring home from school," he said. "While the highest grade is only a B, we'd like to be the first A."

Source: HeraldTribune.com

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  • 1 month later...

CHILES HIGH TO UNVEIL AND DEDICATE TIMBERWOLF

Superintendent Jackie Pons, Senior students, Faculty, School Board members and community dignitaries will join Chiles High Alumni (classes of 2002-2007) on Thursday, February 14th, at 10:00 a.m. to celebrate their Timberwolf sculpture dedication ceremony.

Built on the legacy of the Honorable Lawton Chiles, former United States Senator and Florida Governor, Chiles High School works to educate the leaders of tomorrow by teaching the values, skills, and academic foundations necessary for the future. To honor this legacy, students are dedicating a stainless steel sculpture of our mascot, the Timberwolf, to commemorate the spirit of our students and our school mission embodied in our motto:

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