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Comments

OT, I agree with you but look at all the extra free work being done to the State property where the girls play softball. The motoring public might loose but the girls are gaining. Free work and no need to apply for permits! And we know it's only a matter of time before this property will be donated to the girls league. I myself would LOVE a northbound I-95 ramp!

Comments

All of us who work for BSD risk some reprisals here when we seemingly contradict our districts goals.

I hope the public will carefully watch the new feeder patterns as they develop and ask the right questions about WHY things are being done the way they are. The district does have the opportunity to create a system that is relatively balanced (a loose term at best because of housing patterns), yet at the same time, mounting fuel costs makes busing longer distances cost prohibitive.

It would have been nice if (with the use of a crystal ball I suppose,) the district had projected out fuel costs as diesel goes through the roof and see how that stacks up against the decision to close two schools.....one which was about to be modernized (Hanby). We tried to get the district to look at this from EVERY possible angle before pulling the plug on Hanby and Darley.....now, even in the last 6 months, look how many changes have taken place:

1. Diesel is heading for over $5/gal soon. Those busses eat up a lot of fuel, especially when there are less schools for options.

2. Catholic schools within our district boudaries have closed. One in Claymont, one in the city.

3. Brookview, once an eyesore, is now gone and target dates for construction are on the books.....(to some this is a "I'll believe it when I see it.") WHERE WILL THOSE KIDS GO TO SCHOOL?

In an ideal world/district, we would all simply go to the nearest school and parents and the community would contribute more....but that is not going to happen in Brandywine. Negative press continues to flow as cuts are about to be made (in fairness, these were prompted by the state, not the district.) Still, we have done NOTHING to court our Charter exiles (because we have no reasonable alternative and parents would rather have "discipline.") SOMEONE NEEDS TO ASK WHY WE HAVE NOT TRIED TO ATTRACT/KEEP THESE STUDENTS.

IMO, Concord is the model for all to follow. Forget Brandywine High school. Those days of the "BHS" image are gone. Concord is the new flagship of ths district. Others should adopt their discipline tactics and have the courage to make the tough decisions NOT to put up with nonsense in the halls or elsewhere. Hats off to a fine administration that supports a dedicated staff. SOMEONE SHOULD ASK "WHAT IS CONCORD DOING THAT OTHERS ARE NOT?"

There are other buildings that have good things going for them too, but too many that don't and when they begin the "shuffling" process, the school climate will be reflected by those that run the school. If you are "choicing" to a school, ask WHO YOUR ADMINISTRATORS WILL BE. That will make a big difference in what tone is set there.

Comments

This is, without a doubt, the most unorganized job of repaving I have ever seen. The people doing the work are soooooo slow....the people doing the flagging are not very good at their job. Frankly, it would have been far better to have closed Harvey Road completly, and detour the traffic. The taxpayers are being ripped of again, getting a poor job for a load of bucks!

Comments

Those bus routes are for special programs run by the state through those districts. Look close and you will notice those buses are usually special needs(handicap) equiped.

Name: Dissatisfied
Topic: Brandywine Board Election
Date: May 06, 2008

Comments

For all those who are dissatisfied with BSD, I urge you to vote 5/13 in the Board election. This board is not being responsible with either your tax dollars nor your trust. They are closing a modernized school while building new buildings elsewhere. Now that they figured out the 'new' configuration will result in some higher ratios of free lunch children they are rigging the feeder patterns again after saying 'its up to the superindentent, not the board'. Time for the rubber to hit the road, you wanted this new configuration, now live with it! Kids should have a right to go to the closest schools regardless of income! Vote for change, Cheryl Siskin is a voice for change of how this board thinks. Send the board a message on 5/13! Thanks for all your truth BSD teacher!

Comments

If you use the choice program, do you have to provide your own transportation? I thought that you did, however I see buses every morning on Darley Road from the Christina and the Colonial School district so it made me wonder.

Comments

FYI (As if it makes any difference), I have decided to not seek the office of 8th District NCC Council. Considering the financial mess our county is in, coupled with the lack of care the citizens have in making REAL improvement, I simply don't think any efforts to improve the situation by anyone would be supported. Have a great day....

Comments

By doing so we will lose the little Federal money(grants) tides to following this Federal mandate. Some school districts around the country have already done so.

Someone should do a study and see exactly how much the testing "craze" is actually costing the average taxpayer. The DSTP isn't cheap.

The Federal government promosed to fund this mandate and they have yet to do so properely, leaving the state and local governments in a pinch to spend more of their resources on this program. Check the figures and see how much each district is expected to pull out of its own pocket to hire additional staff (specialists) or adminitrators to comply.....we have several teachers pulled out of the classroom now to act in a administratove capacity only to monitor our compliance with "testing."

NCLB has been a disaster. It has forced schools to spend millions in training, paperwork, and manpower and has shown little results because the law is very poorly designed. As was mentioned in an earlier post, when 9 or 10 special edcuation students do not pass the DSTP, the entire school gets penalized. Restructuring (and the research and planning to do so) costs losts of money.....money which the Federal government has yet to provide. In addition, is it fair to measure a school by the action of a very small population (less than 2%)? If the public knew that their money was being squandered because a handful of kids put their heads down during the test or didn't show up (assigning the school a "zero") or simply didn't care....the public would and should be outraged. Their tax dollars are being held hostage by NCLB.

By the way, there are MANY being left behind by this law. We are noticing that the number of kids scoring at the HIGH are dropping. Are kids getting dumber? Absolutely not. What is happening is they are being IGNORED. School districts know how to play the game and so kids at that level are not "targeted" for improvement. Money, resources, and manpower are being poured into the kids the are underachieving. There is no incentive for kids to do "great," just "pass."

On a daily basis, teachers struggle to try and "manage" this law. Departments meet to implement new initiatives for helping those that are under the passing mark, yet much of the work is futile....we have kids who read on a first or second grade level taking a test(DSTP)in 5th, 8th, and 10th grade. How did those kids get promoted.....that is a different argument.

So let's go ahead and make some cuts while the testing game continues to be played. Scores will drop. The upper level kids will become disenfranchised......many will bolt to non-public schools (further affecting the schools average), then schools will restructure and eat up more state and local dollars.

It has always been the perrogative of the state and local authorities to set the schools' agendas. Some will say, but yes....and look what happened: segregation. Seeing things the way they are now (neighborhood schools, skewed feeder patterns, inner city charter schools for African American boys/girls), it would appear that segregation is not a major issue, but money is (and always will be.)

Losing NCLB will save the state and local government much more than the tiny funds the Federal government now holds over our heads. We can still test if the public feels the need for accountability, but we don't need the DSTP and what it has become....a money pit.

Name: Tired of all of this.......
Topic: Something to think about....
Date: April 26, 2008

Comments

It is so ironic that the general state of mind in Delaware is that teachers aren't very deserving people. The general view of education in Delaware is that it is not much more than tax supported daycare. It is a miracle that students graduate from our PUBLIC schools and go on to do great things like receive full rides to Harvard, become doctors or lawyers, or become teachers. Those stduents must have been born educated and only went to school as a legal formality. The very sad part is that the only people we ever seem to hear from are the disgruntled who have an ax to grind. Those people who jump on the bandwagon becasue ti is the only thing they feel they have any control over.

There are a lot more terrible things going on in ht estate and the world than 9 or 10 special education students who can't acheive on the DSTP as well as other student in the same grade. Of course, despite the other 650+/- students in that building who did do well, the entire school is being punished and being force to restructure. That scenerio should make sense to any educated person, right? I think not! But of course this is all the fault of the schools and no one else. Where are all of those parents and graduates that had good experiences? My guess is they got tired of the bemoaning and NCLB &&%$#&$#^%$ and ran for the hills……………

Comments

Ask not what you can do for your state. Ask not what we can do because we don't want to do a damn thing! The students in Brandywine sure have gotten a great civic lesson from Super Jim! The state has a budget problem and the Governor has asked all the state departments to tighten up a bit for the time being. She said they should all share equally in the pain. But Super Jim said the public schools and especially HIS public schools are differnt. Theyre untouchable. Let the folks how depend on medicare for their health get cut more. Let the Police who risk their lives to protect ours take a hit. Let the families who are served by the Kids Department get along the best they can on their own.

Do all those things but don't don't don't dare touch our six-figure paychecks. Don't cut our benefits or make us pay a fair share for them. Instead of putting up a big PR campaign to threaten our lawmakers lets support them in their efforts to bring in a balanced budget. In case you hadn't noticed this recession as bad. People are losing their jobs, theyre losing their homes, theyre have to decide whether to buy groceries or pay the light bill. So what! Itll all be over someday. Meanwhile dont touch us.

How about it if our administrators form the top down take 8percent pay cuts till things get better. How about if teachers give up their EPER and volunteer to help the kids they say come first. How about if each school have its descretionary allowence cut by 8percent. How about NOT spending all that money to build two new schools when we are closing two perfectly fine schools. How about stop crying and start doing our share!

Comments

Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented immigrant" is like calling a drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist".

Name: 19703'r for now
Topic: Schools, more empty buildings
Date: April 16, 2008

Comments

It's hard to imagine having your own school district, when you are running out of schools. Where is the growth with this renaissance? All I see are more empty buildings. Even made of brick, empty buildings are not fashionable.

Name: BSD Teacher
Topic: Brandywine School District and HRS
Date: April 16, 2008

Comments

I mentioned earlier that I strongly believed it was short-sighted of our district to close two public schools when there was an obvious sign that Holy Rosary was about to close. I still maintain we were quick to close Darley and Hanby, but with gas prices and home heating oil near $3.50 a gallon, the public saw the lure of saving money in the short term versus the long-term outlook on our community. I cannot blame the public for looking into their wallet and making up their minds. That is what many do when we have a referendum.

Going forward, wouldn't it be prudent for our district to make overtures to those at Holy Rosary that are now without a home school? 99% of the kids we get from these schools make positive contributions to our student body (we get the occasional student who was asked to leave that school and ends up with us, usually as a discipline problem.)

Let's face some facts here. The government is reluctant to use the "R" word, but the signs of recession are everywhere (except at the gas pumps and grocery lines.) As families in our community continue to weight the benefits of parochial education (and the rising financial commitment), why can't our public schools court these students? That would certainly mean improving our product (starting with school discipline,) but that can be done with courage and conviction from the top down and having the public disregard the one-sided nature of our beloved news rag the WNJ (who publishes 3-4X the negative articles on our schools versus the positive article and often completely ignores the great things going on in our district because....simply put: negativity sells papers.

We (our district)have an opportunity to reverse (however slightly) the trend of "losing" kids to our parochial counterparts. These schools (IHM, SMM, St Helena's, etc) are all fine schools and provide a niche for families seeking the religious alternative, but what can WE as a district do to get those parents to re-think their decision to enroll in our district?

I believe it will take more than just the lure of "new" buildings with shiny new, high tech classrooms....it will take a public (meaning PR) campaign by our district to TIGHTEN discipline in our buildings as well as EXTREME sensitivity in drawing the lines for the new feeder patterns. If we don't do both, we will have missed an opportunity to get some of the kids in our community back into our schools.

Best of luck to those at Holy Rosary who may now be headed to St Helena's (or what will be called JPII), but before you make that jump, please tell us what we can do, if anything, to get you to think about public education as a choice for your child.

Comments

I am a retired City of Newark employee. Do you attend any of the Newark City Council meetings? Have you requested an appointment to discuss your concerns with Mr. Lopata? Did you read last weeks NJ concerning the law suit concerning the reservoir? These are just some questions I have for you, which I think you should answer before trying to get the public to believe they are not being informed by the city, or that they are hiding something from them. Certainly, some legal matters cannot be discussed while legal proceedings are ongoing. There is nothing wrong with the city being fiscally conservative while they are faced with uncertain legal matters.

Even with the suit aside, the ecomomy of today certainly justifies guarding each and every dollar collected from the taxpayer. The City owes that to its citizens, and I commend them for it. They have always been careful with the public's money, and while I realize that not everyone agrees in the manner each dollar is spent, for the most part, I think the City of Newark administration provides the highest quality city governmnent possible, and each and every city employee deserves the highest praise for their dedication to the tax paying public. I think, compared to most municipalities, Newark is far superior in virtually every area of public service.

Comments

Now that Carl Luft is no longer the city manager for the City Of Newark. The new acting city manager Roy H Lopota has inacted the following. A Selective hiring freeze and heightened scrutiny for all major city purchases. Because the City faces potential adverse legal judgments. Does anyone have more information on the currant situation concerning the City of Newark law suit? This topic has been well silenced with little information available! This is another fine example of local government keeping the public at large uninformed!!!

Comments

Go to www.afa.net and look at the article on McDonald's and the NGLCC and their support for its agenda. I won't be going to Mickey D's anymore, cause I'd rather have it the normal way. By the way, the website is for American Family Association.

Comments

Where did you get your info? It is not anywhere to be found on the offical Mcdonalds web site. Is you FYI a hot air fluke.

Name: OT
Topic: MacDonald's comes out of the closet
Date: April 03, 2008

Comments

FYI....MacDonald's Corp. has announced it has become a supporting contributor to the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, and has a member on its board.

Name: brandywinevictim
Topic: BSD alternative - cheaper
Date: April 03, 2008

Comments

Holy Saviour in Linwood PA is a good catholic school. k-8 and half the rates of the DE schools. If they start a Claymont School District, which I hope they do and would gladly volunteer anything I could, I hope they keep the salaries of the administrators down and have a no-bsd employee policy. Scanlon should be fired for promoting segregation.

Comments

Please tell me where John McCain did a flip flop. Are you speaking of his remarks about AlQuida in and out of Iran? If so, he was reminded of his mistake right after he said it, and corrected his remarks. He simply made a mistake, and did not lie as Hillary ("named after Sir Edmond Hillary"), stated. Hey, he's not necessarily my choice, but right now, in this time in history, he's the best choice.

Comments

Since when does one that fails to tell the truth is telling a lie, but when it is Hillary, it is "misspeaking"? She's a phony telling everyone she came under fire, when she never did, and this, a week after a real hero female soldier received the Silver Star for heroism. Clinton should hang her stinking head in shame. She's just like her old friend Flip-Flop Kerry. Both have no values and are a disgrace to this nation.

Comments

One of the 400O KIAs in Iraq was a former student of mine. I cried the day I heard about this and shared it with my classes. I tried my best not to lose it in front of my classes as I thought that they could someday be in a similar situation. I don't think many of my kids knew just how much information teachers "store" about them. I was talking about this kid if it were yesterday that he was sitting at a desk in my class.....in reality, it was almost 20 years ago.

I have had other students that have come back to visit me (some actually in uniform) and tell me this is what they want to do in their life. I look at what these brave young men and women are doing for our country overseas and my heart goes out to their families who live each day in uncertainty for their loved ones.

This former student touched the lives of many during his time with us. He leaves a wife and two children. I am sure the other 3,999 have also had a profound impact on those whom they have left behind.

Comments

Your man says all that he's going to do, but never has he said how he's going to do it. I know how he will...by taxing us to death. He has no experience, no real knowledge of this world, and he sir or madam, is the racist in this matter. Why would he remain in "Pastor" Wright's church if he isn't a racist? Look at, and listen to, the remarks of Obama's "Pastor" of over twenty years. Look how the entire congregation acts and reacts to the words of this mad man. Obama is no better than the people he hangs around. He, his "Pastor", his fellow "church" members and you too, if you support them, are certainly NOT Christians, and you know that. He will NEVER be elected. Count on it!

Comments

A half centruy ago John F. Kennedy told a group of ministers in West Virginia that he was a Roman Caholic but that he intended to governing all Americans and swore to uphold and defend the constitution. This week Brack Obama said he is an African American who intends to govern all Americans. J.F.K. was the first Catholic elected president. Hopefully Obama will be the first black man elected president. (Actually he is half black and half white. His father was black and his mother was white.) It is much too early to tell whether Obama will be another Kennedy.

Of the three possible candidaes, he is hdad and shoulders above the others. What he is saying in this campaign makes sense. He has shown a grasp of what is needed to get back on course after eight tragic years. End the war, restore the economy, provide health care and job security, keep America competitive and most important respected in the world.. In return its time for us to put aside all the bigotry and prejudice and sterreotypes and to recognize that the color of a man's skin has nothing to do with his ability to lead this great county just like the church where he (or she when we get a she we can trust)attends has no bearing. Color blindness is not a handicap when it comes to voting. Racism is. PX: I am a white Christian.

Comments

I.H.M is full!! So is St Mary Mad. Better hurry b/c Tatnall is filling up quickly.

Name: BSD Teacher
Topic: Now, the fun starts........
Date: March 19, 2008

Comments

Beth Stark, urged the district administration to take a closer look at proposed attendance zones after the closures to eliminate wide disparity among the remaining schools in the proportion of students from low-income households. "Many parents will opt to choice out of schools with higher proportions of [students eligible for] free and reduced[-price] lunches," Carper said. Scanlon said the board will review community response at a workshop session before approving the final plan at a regular meeting in either May or June.

The decision to close these schools and re-do feeder patterns will pit neighbor against neighbor.

It has already begun. Many who wanted Darley Road to remain open were vocal because "they didn't want those kids shipped to their schools."

Watch what happens as parent scramble to get their kids into certain schools via choice or whatever "strings" are available to pull including some shifty "gerrymandering" when drawing the new feeder patterns.

Comments

How many people have been killed or wounded in Philadelphia during the same time period?

Comments

What was the date, time and place of the open doors discusstion on potential legal controversies where County Attorney Gregg Wilson told Council's Executive Committee that code provision jibes with constitutional protection of property rights? Who was present at the meeting? And are you aware of the County code Mr. Wilson referred to?

Comments

I heard a man doing the "little side-step" today, just like the movie "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" shows. He is doing all he can, saying all he can, to make up for the hate filled words of a "pastor" that he admits was his mentor for over twenty years. He continues to act like this "pastor" is a good man, one that "brought me to the Christian faith", one that "married he and his wife", one that "baptized his two children", and yet, he stated earlier than today, that he never heard this "pastor" speak the hate filled dispicable words we have all seen on television. He refuses to quit this church filled with anger and hate (you can see that it is by the actions of the congragation during the "pastor's" sermon). Clearly, virtually all of the church members agree with the "pastor", some even patting him on the back as he spews forth his venom.

Obama had to have been aware of the actions of this horrible, so-called "minister", and he certainly knew of his affiliation with others that have displayed their own hate for the United States and have done all they can to tare this country apart. He again, brings up the race card. He reminds the black community that their race was once held as slaves by the white man. Yet, today, there are no whites alive that ever owned another human being. He failed again today, to admit, that not only did whites own the black man, but also, other blacks owned their black brothers and sisters.

This man of words, can certainly speak well, but it is too bad that those words are not truthful nor do they explain to me, why this individual refuses to really show his desire for unity of the American people, by simply quitting his hateful church and joining a church that is really a church that promotes love of all mankind. I will never believe this guy. I think he is a phony, and I hope others will see him for what he truly is, a carbon copy of his "pastor", but presently in hiding. Vote for him, and you will forever be sorry.

Name: Roy V. Jackson
Topic: NCC Council eecutive committee re Paladin Club
Date: March 18, 2008
Time: 10:11 AM

Apparently no one raised the point that there were property rights to be protected besides those of developers when Concil votes on a proposal from thr Land Use Department. In the Paladin Club controversy, two Council members actually voted “no” because the residents credibly alleged that the development plan approved by the department's planning professionals violated the state condominium law and the property rights of residents who opposed construction of the developer’s townhouses on condominium land and tennis courts.. The County may have believed it was safer to vote ”yes” for an illegal plan that should never have been approved, counting on the smaller chance of being sued effectively by a community of limited resources, which is now faced with the prospect of serious financial costs and property loss.

Comments

Is it my immagination or do we actually see an increase in the number of drivers (especially but not entirely of the female persuasion)driving the crowded highways with cellphones glued to their ears? Even Jersey has banned them from use while drivig. Joe Miro has been trying for years to get Delaware to do that. When are our esteemed legislatures going to wake up to this menace?

Comments

Hey. I'd love to put this to rest. Keep in mind where this started ("SOD IS BACK") with a post that called out me and my colleages and followed with a series of half-truths.

What is scary is that our district take serious PR hits from sour people like SOD who do not understand compromise. When the first referendum failed, a modified second was offered...we need to face the sad/sod reality that some simply don't want to pony up for public expenses. They see gas prices climbing, housing values dropping and seek out the nearest available targets.........people in the public sector, like teachers.

I am sorry for cluttering this board with angry posts. My assunption has been that there are people in our community who buy this guy's argument and that is just not acceptable. If after hearing the entire truth they decide to be a SOD-follower, that is fine, but despite what I see as some mistakes made by my own district, I am still very proud of what we accomplish despite the constant badgering from SODophiles. People in my building do react to these posts and there is chatter about "did you see what that SOD guy wrote." Obvoiusly, he is accomplishing something as he is affecting morale at a time when our district in entering a period of uneasy change. Bravo.

I really wish now I had heeded that advice about never getting into an argument with an idiot. It has made me appear silly. I need to give the public more credit that they won't blindly follow those sob....err sod stories.

Comments

When one hears the remarks (all racist), of Obama's "pastor" of twenty years, "Rev" Jeremiah Wright, one can only assume what kind of "changes" this country is in for should Obama be elected. When 9 of 10 black voters vote for the only black candidate, it is so apparent that race is a key factor in how blacks are choosing the person they wish to lead this nation. They are putting qualifications and experience aside, and voting for the individual soley because he is black. It is a shame that our country in such a sorry state of affairs, and I warn all voters....be careful...you might get the changes, but you might not like them.

Name: BSD Teacher
Topic: Dealing with sour attitudes towards public education
Date: March 13, 2008

Comments

SOD QUOTE: "Back to one of the reasons we chose catholic schools was the attitude of the teachers towards the parents and the students. The tone on here reinforces that the decision we made years ago was probably the right one."

One of the biggest problems faced by teachers in this district and others is the lack of support by the parents and the community. In your own words: "the tone here reinforces that."

How dare you take credit for the achievement of your children in Catholic school by saying "Looks like we did something right." A few sentences earlier, you credit the dedication of the teachers in that system/institution.....the same groupd that would have readily dismissed your child had he/she been a discipline problem.

Your arguments are goofy, and you just don't get it. PUBLIC means everyone. We all pay taxes for local tennis courts whether we play on them or not. According to your rationale, we should set up toll booths everywhere to make sure ONLY the people using the roads should pay for them.

Kudos to your children for their success in school. I am sure they had a well-nurtured learning environment free from disruptions. Given those same parameters our public schools could have been a much more diverse and profitable experience, but I cannot blame parents for wanting their kids in an environment where they can thrive and where rteligious instruction is permitted

Don't even start with the Parochial/private vs Public debate. I have spent decades in both and I know what I see know I am surrounded now in public education by some very dedicate collegues with whom I am proud to work. Academically, kids who come to us from Catholic schools, struggle because the Catholic school math programs are inferior to what our public schools can offer. But there is no denying the fact that we have one hand tied behind our backs with discipline and politics, not to mentions having our funding being held hostage by the public.

Archmere, Tower Hill, St Edmunds, to mention a few, are undergoing/have undergone major refurbishment and rennovations.....and they didn't have to ask for a referendum to do so.....they simply put out the need and the parents/donors/trusts responded. It would be nice is we could do the same, but JOHN Q PUBLIC doesn't have the deep pockets and with people in our community carrying your attitude about public education, we are "running the outside lane" constantly in the race against non-public schools.

Nevertheless, should you wish to compare "apples to apples." Match the high honors at Concord, Mount's IB, or Charter, to name a few with any of those in private/parochial schools including the one where you sent your children. You will see there is little difference in the calibre student.

I have heard a great many parents use thatame phrase "we must have done something right" by sending their kids to those schools.

Name: Give us a break
Topic: SOD and BSD TEACHER
Date: March 13, 2008

Comments

Why don't you two exchabge phone numbers and take this argument somewhere else. This type of banter is more appropriate for the news jounal. Or you could agree to dissagree and leave it alone.

Comments

BSD --> Again, more SOD half-truths. BSD -->The varsity was to play all their games on the road. JV and Freshman sports were cancelled to reduce bus costs. SOD --> - Half-truth? I asked a question - not a statement. You can tell the difference by the question mark at the end of the sentence.

BSD -->Athletics provides a vital outlest for kids. Students show that kids that are more involved in after-school programs are less likely to get involved in trouble....not to mention a possible scholarship for educationm beyond high school. SOD--> I assume you mean outlet above - (see below for my response.)

I am happy you chose Catholic education for your child. There is nothing better than giving kids values while they learn....unfortunately, we don't have that in public schools. We count on parents to teach kids right from wrong, amd enforce it at home. Too many parents have abdicated that responsibility and we are stuck with the results. we have some fantastic kids, but we also have a large number that are amoral, not immoral.

Sod--> I am glad you approve, although I raised my children appropriately and I choose catholic education for a number of reasons, one of which is the dedication of the staff (check their salaries - that reflects people that are interested in teaching for the sake of better students - not to say that not true of public teachers as well.) And for the record both children have now gained academic scholarships so we did something correctly.

BSD-->A fee to play? Does that mean drama, yearbook, oddessy of thge mind, math teams, technology student association andnother academic clubs too? Hey why not just collect a fee at the schoolhouse door so you won't be bitter about your precious property taxes. Sod--> Yes, a fee to play - why is that so foreign of an idea? I would think any clubs that have associated costs with them should charge a fee (buses,ect.) Seems like simple economics to me - including why drivers ed is paid for by the schools. Again its a privilege not a given right. I workout at the YMCA and have to pay a fee to participate for the right to do so. But then again I don't see the need for the district to pay to have parents shuttled out to the schools for conferences.

BSD-->Spring is coming. Go sod your lawn. Sod --> Great idea - think the taxpayers will chip in? Maybe we could hold a vote. If I cannot afford it however I will need wait until its in my budget or we will have to be creative and find a way to financially pull it off.

Back to one of the reasons we chose catholic schools was the attitude of the teachers towards the parents and the students. The tone on here reinforces that the decision we made years ago was probably the right one.

Comments

Read with interest the article in the NJ today, that Tom Gordon has decided to seek his old job as County Executive. Voters should look at the state of affairs of our county today, and realize that many of our woes are not the result of only the present organization, but started with the mismanagement by the Gordon administration. This man has shown that while he was not found guilty of any felonies, he was found guilty of other crimes and in my opinion, is not the person to be returned to county government in any capacity.

While Tom Gordon takes credit for all the new parks and purchasing and protecting open space by buying farms in the county, it has resulted in a situation that cannot be maintained without substantial increases to the taxpayers. We suffer today due to the actions of Mr. Gordon's administration. Voters would do well to not vote for Mr. Gordon.

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The varsity was to play all their games on the road. JV and Freshman sports were cancelled to reduce bus costs.

Athletics provides a vital outlest for kids. Students show that kids that are more involved in after-school programs are less likely to get involved in trouble....not to mention a possible scholarship for educationm beyond high school.

A fee to play? Does that mean drama, yearbook, oddessy of thge mind, math teams, technology student association andnother academic clubs too? Hey why not just collect a fee at the schoolhouse door so you won't be bitter about your precious property taxes.

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The fields were condemned? Then why were the jv sports slated to be cancelled and not the varsity? Do they not use the same field?

My children attend catholic school, which does not have any athletic fields because there is not enough money to fund them. They do however have sports programs which are funded with a registration fee, and not being sarcastic, but why are public school students not charged a fee to play? I do believe that everyone is entitled to a free education while extracurricular activities are a privilege.

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Remember, the wording is stated such that the Steel Company has the right to of first purchase of the property. They DO have the ability to say "No, we don't want it." That would allow the district then to sell it to whomever they wanted to! Or....Keep it for a bus yard. First a Claymont School District then incorporation! I'm starting to believe I might see it in my lifetime!

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One of the referenda you claim was "defeated" was actually for athletics field refurbishing. BTW, it was not defeated.

I suppose if school children played football and field hockey on your front lawn, you WOULD need to re-sod it.

Some of the district fields were in such disrepair from a lack of money to keep them maintained, that they were declared "unplayable." (The actual word was "comdemned.") But I suppose your solution would be to simply cancel sports....kids get nothing from them anyway right?

You fail to take into account the district's responsibility to maintain programs, provide for the safety of our athletes, and prevent potential lawsuits that would follow should these fields not be brought up to speed....but then again, since your kids attend private school, your school's athletic budget is probably a higher priority.....seen Tower Hills' fields? Archmere's new complex?

BSD was not asking for a state of the art facility, rather fields amd courts that kids could play on safely and could be easily maintained. Some of these facilities had not been touched in decades due to budget cuts.

BTW, our COMMUNITY also uses our tracks and tennis courts and there were complaints there too. It's not just about the kids, it's also about the community.

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Well apparently, someone at district office reads these posts or my warning touched such a nerve in the community that a response from the district was necessary. Simply put, we DON'T want a bus depot at Darley Road. The district (Dr Scanlon) has issued a denial, calling it a rumor. I don't doubt for a minute that those plans will be back on the table if they serve the district's purpose. Homeowners in the area need to be vigilant and monitor the process.

We have already lost a staple of our community in a school that several generations of Claymont kids attended. Let's make sure what happens to that property is in the BEST interest of Claymont, not a defunct steel company or a district that seems to often ignore the needs of those East of I-95.

Let's suppose someone proposed an idea that created a charter-type school at Darley. We have a gifted program for young kids, why not house it there? Could we get kids from other districts. We certainly have some talented teachers in that gifted program....might they not be a magnet for several score of children? Aren't there plans to put it in the city? Why?

My suggestion would be that before you plow down one brick of that school, that every conceiveable attempt be made to keep it open in some function as a place of education....a place which will DRAW children from the community and beyond. I read earlier that Holy Rosary was struggling and considering closing....maybe we could pick up some of these kids. We'd only need some decent PR to "sell" the school to the people of NC County as a place for gifted students.

Name: BSD Teacher
Topic: Merit-pay (JMG's post)
Date: March 07, 2008

Comments

None of the dedicated teachers would fear an incentive-based salary structure. The problem is that education is not like industry where you can get bonuses for performance. If I work in a factory and achieve my quota, I deserve to be rewarded. Hopefully the bar would be set high. The problem is that "kids" are not like aluminum or copper with predicatable chemical and physical properties (like melting points and densities). Kids are unpredictable and come in all shapes and sizes.

Making a fair system is the issue. A kid who comes into our school with no family structure is at a huge disadvantage. We can work miracles with that kid, but that child may NEVER pass the state test and therefore the school will be branded a failure. Still, the improvement that child showed from the day he/she entered the building until the day he/she left should count for something....right now, under the current testing system, it doesn't.

On the other hand, kiods with supportive family resouces can sure make me look good. What kind of hand are you going to deal me and what are your expectations once the cards are dealt? This is why "private-school" models are not possible to implement in a public school system. We cannot "fire" students who don't comply, nor can we simply "ask them to leave" if they make the school look bad. The laws are such that public schools often end up with those private school castaways, dismissed because of behavior and/or other "issues."

none of us fears a system that rewards the better teachers. If you ask teachers in the building, they know who the good ones are and where there is dead weight. It is frustrating as I get kids ion my classes from grades below where I can tell in second WHO was their former teacher without asking.......but the ideas being proposed will NOT reward the good teachers, nor punish the bad

The NEA magazine devoted an entire recent issue to the different programs country-wide that provide a system to reward/punish. Some of the models show promise, but others, are not founded in solid educational practices because they were written by bureaucrats that believe you can pigeon-hole a student and assume that students are "predictable" like metals used in a factory.

I am not sure I have the confidence that the bureaucratic machine here in Delaware can devise a system that accomplishes these goals.

NCLB actually leaves MORE kids behind as schools play the numbers game and some "triage" students as 1. once that can be helped, and 2. ones on which resources like time should not be wasted. No administrator would ever admit that publicly, but there is a 'dirty little secret' in education that is kept country-wide so that schools can put up numbers that make them comply with NCLB. (We could go on all day with this....this makes me sick because many of the public actually believes NCLB is a true measure of what goes on in school...instead it is defeating the very purpose of helping every child learn.)

Comments

The point is not whether teachers are overpaid or underpaid. There are some in both categories. What matters is whether they are appropriately paid. Although there has been very little information so far, the district is going to look into tieing teachers salaries to their performance. Thats supposed to happen in the last year of the new contract. You can bet tehere will be plenty of resistence, not from the good dedicated teachers but from those who are comfortably secure right now.

Ill bet the union will side with the latter and try to stall or water this down to where it is ineffective. Thats been the tactic everywhere theyve looked for teacher accountaility. Instead of complaining about overpaid teachers the public and especially parents should raise a hue and cry to get this done in a meaningful way. That can happen. It does in some charter schools and most independent and parochial schools. It can also happen in Brandywine if we really want it to.

Name: Chuck Riley
Topic: Candidacy announcement
Date: March 05, 2008

Comments

I am announcing that I intend to seek the office for the 8th District Council seat for New Castle County Council in the next election. I will run as an unaffiliated candidate. My "Petition For Candidate To Secure Ballot Status" will be placed at various locations. I will not accept any funds from any individuals or organizations to finance my campaign. My platform will include, but not limited to, fighting to lower property taxes, seeking the installation of a proper "trash to steam" facility, attempting to contract out certain NCC government fuctions.

Additionally, I will, if elected, seek to have the expansion districts reduced to their formal numbers, which, if realized, would include the district seat I seek. It is my belief, that the expansion did nothing more than to cost you, the taxpayer more money, with no advantage as a result. There are many other items we face today, and we must work together to solve them. I look forward to discussing any items of concern which 8th district citizens may have. Lastly, if elected, one half of my pay will be donated to the Delaware Veterans Home. You may contact me at 798-4016. Thank you very much

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These elected officals must be punished just like the rest of us. She knew she was doing things illegal and the County should not have to pay for her fee's. And as far as i am concerned she got off to easy. If it was you or me we would not have. She is a crook at should be in jail.

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Just to clarify a few things. I have children of school age and do live in the BSD. After visiting the schools and consulting with a relative that teaches at Forwood, we decided to make the sacrifices needed and put our children in private schools. Honestly the main factor was discipline (or lack thereof) in the school environment.

Now onto teachers salaries,I originally got involved back during the referendum days when teachers on here were claiming they were underpaid. I never said I thought they were overpaid, my point simply has been that they are more than fairly paid, considering the number of hours and days worked. I know this will cause a landslide of "we take papers home", ect. My point being I do not see how there can be an argument that they are UNDERPAID, I gave people the access to the info and they can decide.

As far as being concerned about the almighty dollar - no doubt about it! I am one of the people who fund the operation so yes I will voice an opinion when the money is not spent wisely - and I would not consider myself in the minority - the first referendum (the last two times), the majority agreed with me. Then the district holds a second one, threatens student activities and such and we get the result that they want. The previous referendums were needed to allow things to stay the way they were, money was so tight and yet after they passed, Brandywine and Concord got new athletic fields and now Mount Pleasant is getting theirs. That does not sound like necessities and that is where sod came from, I used the example that it would be nice to re-sod my yard every year, but if I do not have the money in the budget it does not happen. I have no problem agreeing to give money if it is truly needed, and once some of the wasted money is cut out. Get efficient, get results, and you get the funding.

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I feel for you Roadrunner. There is no doubt in my mind that those that made this decision cannot fully comprehend the damage it has done to student and teacher morale. Being in the middle schoool, we have the siblings of many previous children and at parent night constantly here that "I cannot wait for my your child to come here." Many of us have been at Hanby for decades and now have the kids of the kids we taught. Sadly, that is no longer possible.

Both of these schools have 40+ years of rapport with the community and what is sad is how quickly they were left to die. We still have parents saying (or asking): "are they really closing you guys?" Sure, students will be moved elsewhere, but the core of teachers who created programs in these buildings will be sent packing.

Now, both of our school have a year and a half on life support. Try getting any resources from district office. We are already hearing. "you are closing you so don't ask for...." We got hosed earlier when district office closed choice last summer to Hanby early to lower our numbers, then after Springer filled up, they opened us again....still we had people choose us.

I wish the Darley staff all the best in the next year or so. They will have to be the ones to look the kids in the eye each day and deal with the emotional carnage created by this. We are already feeling it with parents who share our grief.

I cannot help but think the community will regret not being more vocally opposed to this. There may be some accounting at the next Board election. As for those with no children in the system (like SOD and some of the others here that care only about the almighty dollar,) we ignore them at Hanby. The sad part is that our Board didn't. People like SOD are definately in the minority, but they make just enough noise to allow something like this to happen.....and they will be the first to complain when it backfires.

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I am not sure what all the discussion about teachers’ salaries has to do with the issue of the Brandywine School District closing schools. I have read the comments repeatedly and while many people have complained about teachers getting paid too much, the comments from the people whom I assume are teachers are expressing the disappointment felt because we will not longer be teaching in the communities we have planted roots in. We are disappointed because standards and traditions we have worked for so many years to establish in our classrooms and schools are going to be erased in a year, and we will have to start again.

Many of us are at a point in our career where we have established the things that work for our students in our school setting, and we are disappointed that it is essentially being dismantled. When the dust settles many of us will have to start again at the beginning, establishing routines, procedures, approaches and traditions, and that has nothing to do with our salary. I think that I am paid an average salary. I am just below the middle area of the pay scale. I definitely do not get paid anything near the 80,000 a year someone tried to say most teachers get paid. I got a very good laugh from that.

If I had any complaints, I would change professions. This is another instance where people with an ax to grind are again taking advantage of any opportunity to do so. I don’t believe that any posts I have put on this forum have addressed anything about not being paid enough. I know that I have said several times that it is difficult to get up and go into work every morning when there are constant headlines about how the schools are failing. You cannot deny the fact that public schools receive more negative press in the local papers than any other profession. For that reason I refuse to patronize those publications. I appreciate the fact that Delaforum publishes straight forward facts.

Add to the constant headlines, the daily reminders that my school is closing and has been deemed by the district as “no longer needed”, and yes, I am very upset. It is very frustrating that many of the people voicing negative opinions about the schools feel as though they know better simply because they themselves attended school and/or work in business. First, saying that one knows how a school should be run because he or she attended school is an insult to all of my years of preparation to become a teacher and all of my years of experience in the classroom teaching. Second, what goes on in the classroom is not a business and never will be. Children are not merchandise rolling off a production line.

All along my mantra has been that people with concerns should go into the schools, spend a day there and see first hand what is happening. Don’t just listen to the complaints of your children. I have a child who also comes home and complains about school. He would have me believe that the kids run the place. I am smarter than that and have to assume that most other adults are too. Any sane adult would know this is just the active imagination of a child who would rather sleep in the morning and play outside all day. There is a generation of parents who believe everything their children say, regardless. It is very frightening.

I still remember the day that Dr. Scanlon invited parents to spend the day with their kids at school. At Hanby only a handful of parents showed up. I obviously work, but I have done what I needed to get into my child’s school when needed. It is our responsibility as parents. I mean no offence to SOD, but when was the last time you spent some meaningful time in a school? All you have to do is call the school and explain that you would like to visit, even for a short while and observe some classes.

I am not, nor have I ever complained about not being paid enough. I am expressing my disappointment that the relationships I have developed with the staff in my building, the administration in my building, the parents of my students, my students and their siblings and the community that I help educate are coming to an end. I know that when I am moved to another school I will have the same commitment to do the best I can for whomever I am teaching and will not let my standards and expectations waver. I always tell people that if they have a problem with something come to me with a reasonable solution. Don’t just complain.

I will conclude by saying that I agree with those of you that are against referendums. I vote yes because right now it is the only way to insure my child gets the quality education he deserves; however, I think it is a terrible way to fund schools, and it must change. The state government needs to research the way that states like Pennsylvania and New Jersey fund their schools and create a system that works for our state. It is time for a change. Having said that, please stop laying blame and anger at the feet teachers. We are here for your children because we believe in what we are doing. I can’t think of any teacher that has chosen this profession for the pay. For me, it was never even a consideration. Most of us had a calling. Whether I get paid enough or not is just part of the territory that I must accept. If a teacher is complaining about their pay, they have choices just like anyone else.

Comments

I am hearing they are planning to turn your school into a lovely bus depot. The district has the funds for this and wants to move it frommit current location. But I am sure it will be "nice" though.....very asthetic. Several dozen diesel busses firing up every morning at 5-ish. High Security fences with razor wire, lights, and cameras to prevent vandalism....Yep, that will blend well and make our property values soar.....yet at the same time, the Claymont Renaissance Committee is busting their tails to bring a better image to Claymont. Brookview is almost completely gone....they are dead serious about restoring Claymont....but you gotta love the support from our district on that one.

Busses will "choke" Darley road every morning. The same woods where I built my first tree house will be gone in a year or two. The Little League and Babe Ruth fields will follow. Boy, but those yellow busses will shine nicely.

The leader of the Ashbourne Hill Civic Association (AHCA) praised the work (as a matter of public record) of the committee which chose to close HIS/OUR school....this is the same organization that published in their newsletter that Darley would/could be a nice senior center, a YMCA, a park, or other great contribution to the community and that the neighborhood was welcome to provide "suggestions" for the future use of the site. The "bus depot" plans were made clear to the AHCA, but they chose to ignore reality.....or maybe they simply didn't want the neighborhood to know what was being considered for Darley Road Elementary.

Disclaimer: I have no doubts that committee put in great time, but NO-ONE got a real answer to the question "what will happen to Darley?>" BEFORE the vote.....just a bunch of "maybe this, maybe that."

There are at least ONE committee member who wanted the plans for these closed schools to be put for in writing BEFORE THE VOTE, but his voice was drowned out by others who were looking for a quick trigger. The 'bus depot' rumor had already been brought up. Though I have no direct knowledge, just the fact that I heard the rumor from a committee member weeks before the vote, it may be that the committee or district had the re-location of bus depot to Darley as a forgone conclusion....further hastening the death of darley as a school.

To those that think the deed language which says the area must be used for education purposes or sold back to a defunt steel corporation will save us from this....well, busses are needed for schools, ergo, VROOM VROOM.

The only thing that will stop this from happening now is what was missing ealier this year, public outcry. Ralph Ackerman was willing to offer a solution though his plans weren't perfect, but his premise was and still is right, Claymont is getting the shaft again.

As a taxpayer in this comunity, I want my Darley Road School back, but since that cannot happen, I surely don't want to see my former school and playground plowed down for a school bus parking lot. What a waste....and the AHCA, Greentree, and other surrounding neighborhoods better wake up NOW, you you will be awakened every morning by the sound of diesel engines.

Comments

To those of you who might be duped by SODBRAIN's argument, Here are some FACTS............Below is a FOUR year old article about entry level salaries for college grads. You can assume that in last 4 years, these salaries have risen.

According to the salary scale for BSD teachers (which is public knowledge...no-one is hiding anything here), college grads start at $38,275.00. Those are 2008 figures.

Have fun recruiting quality teachers at that salary when there are many more opportunities out there for young, talented college grads.....not to mention that states in the region that pay more. Oh yes, the standard of living in CT is higher so you would expect higher salaries there, but in the tri-state area, DE ranks #3

BTW......those that were making the $80K+ that were mentioned in an earlier post have (according to the salary schedule) at least 16 years experience and an advanced degree (which usually takes 3 years of work to complete).

To those of you who are boo-hooing about our salaries, if they are so glamorous, why is there a teacher shortage? Even with layoffs at Christina and Red Clay, we cannot get enough to staff our schools. We continue to lose good young teachers nationwide every year to burnout a (50% rate by 5 years), because of the challenges of the job. Contrary to the arguments put forth on this board, this is no county club.

If I were just coming out of college now with a math degree, why would I put up with such a salary? Why would I tolerate the bashing from a community who bad-mouths my efforts and finds arguments not to support(fund) my schools? Actually, I advise my former students who are in college NOT to go into teaching. As motivated as they may be about the occupation, they need to know what "venom" is spewed out there about the profession.

There are plenty of grateful parents and we (teachers) have thousands of "thank you notes" from those parents for the impact we have made on their children, nevertheless; you have the constant "erosion" of the respect of our profession....most of which comes from some who know little if anything about what education is like in THIS century. That is sad.

Teachers who have chosen this profession do believe much of the poem I pasted here earlier. It is the mindset of that poem that gives comfort to teachers who have to hear these rants from people who complain were are over paid and underworked.

Again, I say, to those who are so bitter about your salary vis-a-vis what we (teachers) make, by all means, put in an application at district office.....that is IF you have a college degree and background check.

Name: Roadrunner
Topic: Closing of Darley Road & Hanby
Date: March 01, 2008

Comments

I would like to thank Disappointed for the response on February 25 regarding the closing of Darley & Hanby. I can only speak for Darley but everything that "disappointed" said was right on the money. It is not about a job, it is about children, parents and community. I can't tell you how much time & energy went into creating a successful educational experience for our students, despite all odds. We were still in the "Commendable" range for No Child Left Behind Act as of last Spring. Those who are rejoicing (didn't know they were out there) have no idea what it is like to be on the loosing end, knowing 100% that your're not a looser.

I commend the staff at both buildings for rising above this situation and moving forward once again to defeat the odds. SOD - if you really want to know what teachers really do - spend not a few minutes, but a week in one of these building. You have a year and a half to see what true professionals they are under these circumstances. After that, visit any building and stay for a while. You just don't get it.