Hiring principals

It is admirable that public comment was sought in the recent principal-hiring processes around the district. However, many will not participate until and unless Robinson and his crew have moved on and a fresh, trustworthy superintendent is in charge. This is because there are parents who have worked for positive change for this district who believe they could harm the chances of a perfectly capable candidate by participating in the process and noting positive attributes of this or that candidate. In other words, those seen as in the "enemy camp" by Robinson's crew, might well give a candidate the mark of Cain by appearing to support them. Rather than risk doing that, there are parents abstaining from the process.

Some may see this as paranoid, but it is a real fear to some parents, and I can see their point. It is nice that Steve Kelley works to involve parents and the community now. The problem is, it won't work because there is too much water under the bridge, too much distrust, too many attempts to intimidate and silence teachers with opposing viewpoints, and too much condescension to parents with concerns.

Kelley is probably trying to save his own future in Lebanon by taking steps to involve community in ways that might have been successful years ago, before so much negative history was made. (Is it sad or what that LCSD needs a legal ruling to tell Robinson he can't order staff to talk only to their bosses about concerns or questions and not to exercise their constitutional right to free speech by talking with elected school board members?). Good grief, Charlie Brown.

On substitute teachers

Every once in awhile I hear of a substitute who actually does a better job in the classroom than the regular teacher. Here's an example: A high-level math teacher at Lebanon High School recently didn't want/know how/care to explain a concept that many students in the class weren't grasping, yet the teacher elected to just "move on" to stay on a teaching timeline rather than back up and explore different options for explaining said concept. Fortunately the teacher was absent soon thereafter, and the substitute happened to know math and how to teach it. The sub backs up and takes time to explain this apparent hole in our students' prior math learning, until these bright students grasped the concept! Success!

Then there was another recent sub who lacked knowledge of a speciality subject area where the sub was assigned. This sub just let the class hang out and talk the entire period, wasting valuable educational time. If a subject is too specialized for regular subs to follow a lesson plan (do teachers at the high school level do lesson plans?), say maybe band, choir, French, Spanish.... couldn't there be a quality DVD on hand that would enrich the students? A play in French? A concert by a famous choir or symphony orchestra? I'd say a substitute teacher should be able to teach (or at least play a teaching DVD), or we are not only wasting our students' limited educational hours but paying way too much for a sitter.

Out of touch

Apologies to those who have missed this blog. I have over-committed in all domains of my life, so haven't blogged or read the other educational blogs in some time. I would like to be back on track soon, but am not sure this will happen in the near future.

Of course I was very pleased to see the board vote not to renew Jim Robinson's contract, yet it doesn't seem he'll be gone anytime soon. I fear he will hang around and work to support school board candidates at the next election who would initiate another vote to renew his contract if they are elected.

And to the person who asked if I wasn't blogging because of comments by Dennis...Heck no! I disagree with Dennis about most things local yet there is something about him I like: He's passionate about his views and will state them in no uncertain terms, and seems to really want a better educational system for Lebanon's youth even though he's wrong about the best ways to get there!

And as for LT, who last I heard was anonymous and I respect his/her right to remain that way, I just have been too busy to read her/his rants of late, and I suspect they haven't changed much.