Special to the Mirror by Northampton County School Board Member Randall Parks
Recently an article was published in the Mirror concerning teacher retention which generated many responses from the citizens of Northampton County. It was indeed refreshing to see the interest and passion demonstrated by our citizens. Unfortunately, many of the responses demonstrated a lack of information and knowledge which bedevils those of us who are intimately involved in establishing and carrying out the policies and programs in our system.
As stated in the article salaries are indeed a large reason for teachers leaving our system to move to a more lucrative position. I know this fact first hand as my daughter taught at Northampton for several years and left for a $10,000 raise in Norfolk. Our HR representative attends job fairs in which the school districts on either side of her offer salaries from seven to ten thousand more as a beginning salary and even more for administrators. Many times our notifications for openings as teachers or administrators are either unanswered or answered by only one or two applicants. Many of our hires are those applicants who were unable to secure jobs in better paying areas and as a last resort took a job in our system until they were able to get a position anywhere else. With such a differential in salaries we are “behind the proverbial eight ball” with nothing we can do to change this fact. After the change to an elected school board, we the newly elected school board, desperately wanted to give a raise to the teachers who had not had a step raise for several years. Each of the three years we have been on the board through some creative budgeting by our finance department and our superintendent, we have been able to give a step raise to our teachers. Unfortunately, we are still well behind the other school divisions in our region as we are the lowest paying one. You must be asking yourself why this fact is true. Since 2009 the state of Virginia has lowered its commitment to public education from 36% of the state budget to 29%. This decrease has cost our system almost a million dollars a year which in the case of smaller systems such as ours has proved well, nothing short of catastrophic. In addition, and perhaps even more important is the method used by the state to determine those monies distributed to each school division. The formula used is called the composite index and according to this formula Northampton County is richer than Accomac County, Virginia Beach, Newport News, Gloucester, Harrisonburg (home of James Madison University), Lexington (home of VMI and Washington and Lee University) as well as many other localities in Virginia, thereby resulting in less money per student than those “poorer” systems. This “fact” is surreal to those of us entrusted in providing the best education we can for our children. Anyone with half a brain can see how ludicrous this situation is and wonder how can the composite index be so wrong and worse yet continues to be used in its present form to literally cheat our children out of the education they deserve.
Many of our new teachers come from Pennsylvania and other states to our north and in their own words are here for just a short time until they get the experience necessary to get a teaching position back home. Our beautiful Eastern Shore with our low salaries simply cannot counteract this situation no matter what else is true. Much has been made about the demands of lesson plans as well as the incessant pressures caused by that test known as the SOL. Unfortunately, our system has been under the thumb of the state department of education for the past several years. The demands they have placed upon us are real and continuous. We, the present school board and administration have little choice except to follow their dictates. We have tried to minimize these demands as we have purchased the lesson plans from a consortium in southwest Virginia and with some tweaking of the specific plans according to that teacher’s situation (the kids they have that year and their needs) hopefully have been able to reduce this particular onerous demand somewhat. Lesson plans are a reality and are part of the job and is something which cannot be eliminated. Frankly I as a former teacher understand the teachers point, as I believe anyone can be fooled on paper as to what is happening in their classroom but by continually observing a classroom the truth will be obvious.
Teacher support was another important topic raised by teachers. We have only one employee (again money) whose specific job is to monitor and help new teachers in their quest to become an effective teacher. She does an excellent job as can be attested to by those teachers she tries to help. Also each new teacher is assigned an experienced teacher in their school to provide support and help when needed. There are times when someone hired to teach is simply not suited for this profession. We all know this to be a fact as each of us had at least one of those during our school career. No matter how much advice and other help is provided to this person, they, simply because of personality, lack of passion for the job or a myriad of other reasons are not a teacher and never will be. When those individuals leave it is called addition by subtraction. The statement was also made that there was fear of intimidation among the teachers if one spoke his or her mind. Nothing could be further from the truth as the school board and the superintendent have and will always be open to legitimate complaints from all our employees without fear of any consequences. We defeated that type of behavior when we chose an elected school board.
The statement was made that teachers are not respected nor consulted about policy and other demands made without their approval. When first elected to the school board, one of the first things I proposed was to re-examine the dress code as I felt the existing one was absurd. Some colors were allowed (pink) and others (purple, red, etc.) were not as well as other ridiculous dress code policies. The group which changed the code was comprised of myself, one representative from the central office and the rest of the group was made up of teachers and administrators from each school. We made common sense recommendations to the school board which were accepted. Last year a proposal was brought to the school board to change our grading system to a ten-point scale which is used almost universally by the other school divisions in Virginia. This proposal came from teachers and administrators. The board agreed with the proposal and the change was made. Each year the budget proposals begin with the superintendent meeting with teachers and administrators at the building level to hear their concerns and suggestions. Unfortunately, because of our financial position, their creative ideas as well as those suggested by members of the school board are beyond our ability to fund them, even the less expensive ones. Obviously suggestions from new teachers are not given the same consideration as those from teachers with experience but to say that teachers are not listened to and consulted is simply not true. Also the fact that the state department of education has had so much control of our division during the last several years makes the possibility of actually consulting teachers or even school board members not practical.
Student discipline is a very important concern as well it should be to teachers, administrators, as well as school board members. This topic has been a concern to teachers since forever as it was during all the years I taught. There are legal restrictions which the administration must observe if the student is in Special Ed for example in which the same punishments cannot be meted out. We the members of the school board receive a monthly discipline report which we carefully examine to note any inconsistencies as well to determine if a particular child’s behavior is so unusual or bizarre as to indicate that the child definitely is in need of help. Unfortunately, the school system has had only one school psychologist (again financial limitations) to serve the needs of all our kids so we are hamstrung in these regards also. Consistent student discipline is an ongoing situation and probably always will be as long as humans are making these decisions.
Other complaints were made, some legitimate and some not. Teacher transfers are certainly not automatic as the desires of teachers is not necessarily possible. If the change is a positive for both schools or does not affect either school negatively consideration is given by the superintendent and in many cases the change is made. If the transfer negatively affects one of the two schools making it weaker, the change is not made, but a “pink slip” is not involved. Our superintendent is certainly very aware of the weaknesses as well as strengths of each of our building administrators and works with each of them in order to make them a better principal. This effort is an ongoing process and hopefully will bear fruit and the individual will become a better administrator. Also by the way, Virginia Beach had six schools not accredited last year as my son-in-law teaches at one of them, Larkspur Middle School.
The statement was made that the members of the school board must have their heads in the sand to not both know nor solve the problems we face. Does anyone out there really believe that we are both unfamiliar with the concerns raised and choose to do nothing to solve them. We went to the trouble to run for this position in order to make things better, does anyone really think we are happy with and prefer not having a real middle school, or not having the electives we used to have, or having teachers work under the daily pressures with such a pitiful salary, or like having 35 new teachers to try and find each year. If you truly believe this, then please get involved and run for the school board. Unfortunately, you will find that the financial situation we are in because of the dereliction of our state representatives will render our ability to make the changes we all want not possible.
About the Author
The conclusion could be drawn that yes, the board buries its head in the sand because when difficult topics present themselves, it so often seems as though the board tables them to be discussed later and then they disappear.
And yet, reviewing the minutes on board docs, a public site I might add, this particular board member thinks that a brochure will help us keep teachers here??!! A brochure, I might add, upon inquiring among staff, a document that already exists.
As someone connected to the district by paying tax dollars and reading the clearly damage control article in this past weeks ESP and the past two articles here, it certainly appears that this board member is out of touch with reality and life in the classroom. I even believe he was overheard as stating that one of the main reasons he left the classroom was because of lesson plans and not being willing to write them. Everything he needed, he had in his head and didn’t need to write them.
I wish someone would run against him this fall. It’s unfortunate what name recognition gets you in small counties like this one. I guess when you taught everyone and decide to run for an elected office on an at large bid, it’s not all that difficult to win, whether someone runs against you or not….
Maybe if the board focused on the issues outside of pay why teachers leave, like respect from building administrators, we could keep more of them…. Oh wait, isn’t that what the Retention committee did?! Oh that’s right, it’s been continually pushed aside on the agendas, just like the suggestions from the AdvancedEd recommendations that were made two years ago. According to meeting minutes, they will most likely not be invited back. What a great way to waste more of my tax dollars! Tell us what we can do for what Mr. Lawrence calls “continuous improvement” but if we don’t like it, go away! In the words, or tweets that is of POTUS, “SAD!!”
Also, please get your facts correct Mr. Parks. While yes, schools in Va Beach were not accredited last year, I believe the comment was made that this upcoming year, they will all be fully accredited. It seems like paying attention to detail is even difficult for our elected board members as it is for our teachers writing lesson plans it seems…. then again it seems Mr Parks wouldn’t know because that’s one of the big reasons why he left it…..
Its really staring to seem like some members of this elected school board are no better than the appointed one, a clear, good ole boys club, if you will. Mr. Parks included, a change he so earnestly fought for years ago. Disappointing, Mr. Parks, disappointing.
Even Court Jesters have the ability to read between the lines. My father, Randy Parks, retired at 65 years of age, after 40 years of service in the Northampton County School system. I suspect that the monotonous nature of writing lesson plans for mathematics, while an annoyance, had very little to do with my Dad’s decision for retirement. As far as being a member of the “good ole boys club,” anyone in the county who knows my father would contest that he is an outlier to any group affiliation and is very seldom politically correct. What is uncontested however is that he stands up for what he believes in, evident by his efforts which transformed the manner in which our school board members are given position. For someone who wants to sling mud behind a wall, I can’t imagine that integrity is a character trait you are very familiar with.
Several comments were made about Mr. Parks that I find both surreal as well as ridiculous. The statement was made that Mr. Parks quit (retired) due to the demands of lesson plans. I have another possibility that may make more sense. Perhaps the fact that he was sixty five, had taught for forty (yes 40) years, and wanted to do something else with his life may have had something to do with his decision rather than the demands of lesson plans. The issue of the brochure was also mentioned as though it was a ridiculous suggestion. The idea of a brochure for new teachers was mentioned as an information piece for teachers new to our area. It was to be information about our community to include such things as where their cars could be serviced, where to get medical help, where to get a hair cut, what restaurants were available, what different churches are here, and many other tidbits which people new to our community would not know. It was an idea floated to ease their entry into our world. Mr. Parks answered many of the questions raised as to why there is such a high turnover of teachers in our school system. This problem is a nationwide problem and the essential reason is the salaries. Negative comments which unreasonably attack a member of our school board from someone unwilling to even sign his/her name to such comments does nothing to help to solve this situation. Mr. Parks was the driving force in the effort to change from an appointed to an elected board. For that effort our community owes him our thanks.
From the looks and actions of kids over the last 20 years, you all have really done a fine job. I cannot think of any generation that is as worthless as these modern millennial snowflakes.
Teachers in our local public schools have worked hard with low pay. We have turned out many fine citizens of which we are proud. This is not a ” political” problem which unfortunately many try to use to create controversy. Even though we do our best, parents need to do their part as well.
By the way, I was fortunate to have Mr. Parks and Mr. Coburn as a teacher when I was a student at Northampton High School. Both were outstanding!
I was not going to mention politics, but since you mentioned it…Here You Go:
1) The left leaning liberals have an agenda that has nothing to do with teaching children how to think and everything to do with teaching them what to think, or to think in politically correct terms by the official standards set forth by the Democratic party definitions. The possibility of reversing this trend is minuscule , but someway, somehow the education system has to be miraculously transformed if we are to survive and prosper once again. Lincoln once stated that America could never be destroyed from outside. … If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. Abraham Lincoln
2) Millions of children are enslaved in public schools that more closely resemble correctional facilities, they are isolated from competition, stifled by union rules, and force fed a steady diatribe of racist and leftist propaganda. Yet Liberals resist change, insisting instead on throwing more of everybody else’s hard earned money at the problem. More funding, more , more, more. That solution has not worked, not when Liberals and corrupt politicians control the Machine.
Newark, NJ spends $18,000 per student , One of the highest of any major public school system , yet only 30 percent of 8th graders can pass the annual proficiency test in math.
D.C. public-schools, which also has among the highest per-pupil expenditures in the USA is continuously among the lowest test scores.
Detroit Public Schools – In 2011, Detroit tied Washington, D.C. for last place in eighth-grade reading scores.
3) White Privilege is a concept dredged from the dung heap of Liberalism. It basically teaches that only people of European descent are racist, that non-whites are incapable of racism and that what is perceived as racism in non-Europeans is ethnic pride or racial hatred derived from persecution by whites.
One prime example is an American Diversity class taught at Delavan-Darien High School in Wisconsin, as well as other schools nationwide. The students are basically taught if you are white, you are oppressing. If you are non white, you have been a victim. Professors and teachers are increasingly telling white students that they are part of the problem of racism, and are telling black students that they are second-class citizens. This race-baiting technique is an attack on American values and can only breed bitterness and envy.
Here is what fourth graders will learn in this book about the life of President Barrack Obama….though he is referred to in this book as simply Barrack.
1. Barrack learned how to be black, which meant cursing, fighting, and smoking, drinking, and doing drugs from watching television.
2. Whites are racist and therefore did not want to vote for Barrack.
3. Barracks pastor said that God would damn America for mistreating black people. The pastor called our country a failure.
4. Blacks and whites are angry at each other and only Barrack could make the country more perfect.
4) The complete lack of accuracy in history, and the social sciences in the classroom is not readily detectable. Instead of History, middle school students have World Cultures. Come 8th and 9th grades they get warped lessons in American History. Basically a politically correct crazed interpretation of the past , where the European settlers of the New World are responsible for all the Worlds ills, from Negro Slavery {Which originated among the Moslems} to genocide . All the evils real and imagined of our forebears are laid bare and multiplied till one would believe Europeans were the devil incarnate.
5) Common Core puts control over Kindergarten through High School Education curriculum in both Math and English in the hands of the fully indoctrinated puppet masters, when implemented by a State, it will apply to both Public and Private Schools. A leaked Dept. of Education document discusses implementing through Common Core mandatory student monitoring techniques such as scanning and mapping a childs brain function utilizing a type of MRI , using cameras to monitor facial expressions- no matter how subtle, a pressure-sensitive computer mouse, and a biometric wrist wrap to help ascertain what a child is thinking and to ensure they are learning and thinking correctly {Politically correct}. This is only the tip of the iceberg as to what the future holds when our children are handed over to these warped indoctrinated and devious bastards we call “educators” .
This just barley scratches the surface.
Sadly, Stuart Bell is correct. The public school system is top-heavy with administration , who are overpaid and less than competent. This is not surprising, considering the fact that most are products of university level Education degrees. The teachers are always given the short end of the stick, with very low pay and ridiculous demands outside of actual teaching- endless policy meetings, reports of every description, minutely detailed lesson plans, etc etc etc. The proof of the quality of all this Government control is how poor our students are performing , not of the standardized government generated tests, but in the REAL world. There is a shocking lack of critical thinking, zero reasoning skills, and basic ignorance. The whole “curriculum” is now focused on memorizing enough pablum to be able to regurgitate it on the SOL tests. Sad for our students, and sad for the teachers- especially the good ones who honestly want our kids to be educated. Instead they are getting indoctrinated.
From the looks of their cars and homes……I beg to differ.
Last time I checked you were living in a very expensive house(poor location) and driving a BMW.
They absolutely do People naturally assume that the public school system is trying to do what’s best of the children. The fact of the matter is that these institutions have nothing to do with education. They are set up by people who, like all other people, have their own personal agendas. The public school’s true purpose is to put certain messages into the children’s heads so they’ll be more obedient of the government when they get older.
Consider the ‘grade’ system. You start off in first grade, where you’re placed not by academic ability, nor by willingness to learn, but by age. The reason for this is very simple. Most children already think of adults as if they’re their superiors, and now they’ll associate their position in the grade system with superiority. Obviously, that’s nonsense. A kid in the 5th grade may very well have less overall academic ability then a kid in the 2nd grade. Moreover, education isn’t something that can be ranked. The kind of education that tends to be more valuable later on in life is your specialization, not the sheer quantity of raw general knowledge.
Next, consider the way a classroom is structured. The teacher is in charge. The students are to listen to the teacher. This is most peculiar as well. After all, the teacher is a hired employee, who is in fact working for the students. If anything, the teacher should be listening to the concerns of the students, not the other way around. The reason the classroom setting is set up in this way is clear. The students learn at an early age to respect authority figures, so later on, they obey the government.
In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson introduced his “Great Society, ” big-government programs aimed at eradicating poverty in the United States. The centerpiece of the bureaucracy was a massive influx of government spending on public education Johnson said would prepare America for the future.
Fifty years later, we are reaping the effects of the expansion of government control in public education. Evolution has replaced biblical creationism; Islam has become the darling “religion” in our public schools, truth about socialism has been whitewashed, and homosexuality has been completely normalized.
Money sure isn’t the answer. In recent years, despite the increased federal funding in “education,” America has plummeted to the bottom of the world rankings in how effectively and efficiently our youth are prepared for the realities of adult life.
The Common Core Standards came about when Bill and Melinda Gates first began funding their vision for national educational standards with a grant to the James B. Hunt Institute. To date, the contribution of the Gateses to this project is estimated at 27 million dollars and counting. This seed money led to the development of the Common Core Standards State Initiative by the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (NCSSO), two Washington, D.C. based trade organizations, working in conjunction with Achieve, Incorporated, a D.C. based contractor, and the James B. Hunt Institute, a private lobbying group. Despite the participation of the NGA and NCSSO, the Common Core standards are NOT state-led initiatives, as proponents of Common Core would have you believe.
It would take many pages to lay out all of the dangers to our liberty and educational freedoms contained in the Common Core State Standards Initiative. In brief, each of the fifty states has been bribed by the Federal Government to accept the copyrighted and thus unalterable Common Core standards—even though most Americans have no idea what they entail—by offering those states millions in so-called “Race to the Top” money or exemptions from the failed No Child Left Behind program. To date, forty-six states have accepted Common Core money, ceding curricular control to the Federal government and taking it away from parents, teachers, and local school boards. Beyond the educational mediocrity that Common Core standards will further enshrine in public schools, there are elaborate plans to use the required national assessments within the Common Core Standards as a tool to institute massive data collection about American school children that has nothing to do with education, and everything to do about Government intrusion and control.
‘This is not a ” political” problem which unfortunately many try to use to create controversy.’ You could not be more wrong, Suzie. How do you teach all these years and not see what you are doing? Oh Yeah….your are interested in Kay-Anne West and Kimmy Kardashian or Bruce Jenner and Molly Sirus or Hillary Clinton and Oporah.
Please check out your sentence structure. I’m not so sure they did you any favors.
No reply from her? She sounded so sure of herself in her comment.
I humbly apologize for my short curt answer to some of these comments here. However, I do not have the time today to devote a succinct, clear, concise argument to the causation of the decline of our nation’s education system. But, it certainly didn’t begin on Obama’s watch. It has been on-going for nearly fifty-sixty years and has its roots in the Federalization of the education system. In fact, the only protections teachers have, are the teacher unions. Ask any teacher. The salaries we pay these stewards of the children are shameful. The hours they put in, for one. And it is a fact that some even donate their own monies to enable all their children to begin the school year without supply disparity.
But, the teachers are hamstrung from the beginning. They must adhere to federally mandated guidelines. They must each to the test and the SAT’s. There is a level of mediocrity introduced to enable the slowest to side along with the brightest, hurting both and hamstringing the teacher. Administrators have taking on the roles as wardens of the system and perpetuate the mundane, at the expense of the education of the children. The teacher’s hands are tied.
So, S. Bell, J. Homemaker, T. Holden you could not be more off-base as to what the real problem is. Political, you bet your sweet seat warmer it is. But, not at the level you may think. Education is a cash cow, just not for teachers. Just like our fine soldiers on the front lines, our teachers bear the brunt of ill-mannered, poorly raised hooligans while trying to teach those that want to learn, taking fire from administrators, combined with collecting a pay check that would cause most to weep while walking the aisles of Food Lion. By the way, S. Bell, J. Homemaker, T. Holden…politics in your locality is something you can get control over. Not just bitch about. I suggest starting there.
I am quite sure that S. Bell, J. Homemaker, or T. Holden did not ask you for any suggestions.
‘I humbly apologize for my short curt answer to some of these comments here’….Really? You wrote that as though, someone asked you for an answer. They did not.
Mr. Cornweller, it may surprise you that I agree with you absolutely. I do.
BUT I must say if you mistrust these Federal officials with our school policies, why would you give them control over our entire economy vis-a-vs global warming?
(Although, in NJ I don’t agree with the salaries being a pittance; if the Eastern Shore paid what we did retention would NOT be the problem………the sky high stack of applications would be………)
I concur Mike. Given a decent living wage (meaning salary corresponding with being able to afford decent housing, transportation and food), the locality and beauty of the Shore would be enough to draw some young, qualified teachers. And yes, the moment the Federal Government began instituting policy and withdrew local input to those said policies, our education system went down the toilet. As far as global warming…vis-a-vs sea level rise and severe weather anomalies and our Federal Government is concerned; they are the only ones with enough resources to build against it. But, that happening anytime soon, well; as long as D.C. remains the poster child for greed, corruption and stupidity, I am not holding my breath.
As for my curt answer, Jorge, last I checked…this is still a free country and the 1st Amendment guarantees me the right to answer/comment…whether anyone asks or not. If you don’t like my “curt answer” then you and the rest of the Stuart Bell Fan Club can go back to stuffing envelopes for Rush Limbaugh, so he can “purchase” a new golden microphone.
Don’t flatter yourself…