During last night's Merchantville School Board Meeting, CSA Chris Swanson announced his retirement effective June 30th. The school board in conjunction with the county and the NJSBA will conduct a search for a new CSA
In other school related news, the Merchantville Moving Forward Committee issued its findings on optimizing the education program at Merchantville in the context of the constraints of the current budget. The suggestions are as follows:
- Combining classes
- Seek alternative funding
- Increased parental involvement.
Additional detail on the communication will be posted in the comments section. Do you agree with these findings and do you see any of these suggestions seeing the light of day?
What are the pros and cons of this transition at CSA? Are any other scenarios - Cherry Hill merger, Haddon Heights send / receive, etc. effected by this transition? Most importantly, what does this hold for the quality of education at MES?
38 comments:
I'd like to hear the input from the teachers. Many of them may also retire and they deal with the kids directly. Some, if not most of them are irreplaceable. This sounds like what is going on down the street at St. Peter's and look where it's getting the Catholic schools. Nowhere. We need to consolidate just like they have.
"Some, if not most of them are irreplaceable."
Everybody thinks that at one time or another about those he knows well and/or has worked with successfully. Ask any old timer if he believes all the best people have passed on. But there are always new bright stars showing up in our telescopes and, with intensive enticement, into our lives.
Changing the leadership offers a great opportunity for creating an excellent educatinal program -- a category that has eluded the school far too long.
For finding a new leader the Board has contracted with the New Jersey School Boards Association. Good decision.
you have a well rounded experienced school board, place a little trust in their ability to make a good search and decision on our next educational leader. I am sure this will be used as an opportunity to correct the issues both perceived and real that have afflicted our school. I wish Mr. Swanson well he was an extremely dedicated employee and always had the best interest of the children in mind. I for one am looking forward to the ship being pointed in a new direction.
People on this school board were responsible for ousting Ransom. And saw the comment on the other post that school has declined since then and agree wholeheartedly that it has. So trust this school board who has a hand in the decline of one bad decision after another and the school is in the state it is it today. Don't think so...no wonder why there was so little interest in people stepping up to be on that school board for the last election. They are not very well liked as a whole.
I half agree with JAMR. The part that this is an opportunity to correct afflicting issues -- YES. The part of trusting the school board -- sadly, NO.
For five years that I know of the Board bought one add-on program after another that the school administer had suggested to solve the poor basic skills performance of a great portion of students. None of the purchases worked. Board members should have known they could not improve basic skills performance.
Second example. The Moving Forward Committee (which was originally named "Reinventing Merchantville School Committee" by its Chairman Bohn) did not finish its work. It was DISBANDED by Chairman Bohn after a half year of hiatus created by the chairman.
The project started as a vehicle for addressing improvement in the school. Mr. Bohn wrote "I'm writing about the committee that the Merchantville Board of Education is forming to look at how education is being delivered at the school, and if there are ways that we can deliver "more" education using our current resources. Interested teachers, Board members, residents volunteered to work on the committee. The committee brainstormed 27 improvement possibilities and grouped them into eight categories for further study.
A. Bring all students up to a minimum level
9. Become proficient using Learnia
11. More programs to help at risk students
19. Fine tune differentiated instruction – focus on the 190 kids
B. Positive Behavior/ School climate
6. Positive behavior program throughout the school
7. Big brother/big sister program ... after school tutoring
18. Social groups with teacher guidance ... student mentoring
C. Combined Classes
1. Mixed or combined classes.
17. Look at The Philadelphia School ... combined classes with a guidance person to follow the children
21. Larger classes for some subjects, extra help for reading and math to make groups smaller…flexible grouping
25. Specials done in cycle
3. Some kind of advanced classes
D. Integrated visual and performing art
4. Combined arts education…cross curriculum
22. Artist in residence
E. Parent Involvement
5. Improve parent involvement, classes for parents
14. County Social worker through a grant to help with children, parents
F. Computer Education
20. Use student interest in technology for learning and motivation
G. Funding
10. More funding such as grants and sponsors, out of the box fund raising or targeted for a project
23. Town formed education foundation
H. Longer educational day
24. Add a period to the day…flexible scheduling
26. Expanded school day
27. Half hour
Somewhere in private, over time, the committee chairman rewrote the purpose down to funding alone. Mr. Bohn's letter disbanding the committee summarized:
"Since that subcommittee was formed, Merchantville has been selected to participate in the state’s school choice program, in which students from outside our district can attend Merchantville School, with Merchantville receiving funding for each student that attends Merchantville from outside the district. It is my feeling that any money we receive from the school choice program would significantly exceed any additional moneys we could receive from other funding sources.
...In conclusion I would like to officially say that the work of Merchantville Moving Forward Committee has completed."
JAMR, I'm sorry to say that the distortion of the purpose and work of the reinventing committee shakes my confidence in the Board's "ability to make a good search and decision."
"...irreplaceable?" Oh, please.
There's an old saying - stick your hand in a bucket of water, then take it out. The hole your hand leaves in the water is how irreplacable you are. That applies to anyone.
Burlco is sharing superintendent services. Sounds like a good alternative to us rather than paying someone full-time. What would save us the most money though is consolidation. Enough of this small town bs. We still need to pursue this vigorously!
so many people know it all and can do it better, I am blessed to live in a town with such geniuses!
State law requires a full time principal in every building. After restoring that, the Board could decide if shared services of a Chief School Administrator would be advantageous.
In my experience when per diem personnel were brought aboard it created a "status quo" situation.
I believe that anyone who writes a nasty personal comment such the one posted at 12:46 AM should at least sign his name, so we can identify the scumbags among us.
It’s laughable that you would include God’s name in your vitriolic remark.
He's retiring. There's no need to take shots as he rides off into the sunset. Thank him if you think he deserves the thanks. If the future is going to be better with a new direction, let's focus on what that future should look like.
Merchantville school students often post to this blog. That was probably some child posting from his smartphone while in detention.
I thought every school was required to have a CSA in the buildilng, not a principal.
"...a CSA in the buildilng, not a principal."
Every school district must have a certificated chief school administrator (not necessarily full time). Every building exceeding a minimum size must have a certificated principal. In our case the CSA is also the principal.
At one time each building had to have a school nurse. That is when we began assigning nurses to teach health, safety and sex-ed classes in order to make full use of the nurse's time in the building. I don't know whether F.T. nurses are still required.
Back to our CSA position. If our Board were to find a principal with excellent leadership capabilities, then sharing a CSA might be to our benefit. My understanding is that we have a CSA and an "unannounced" supervisor [consultant]. The arrangement does not seem to work as well mainly because a supervisor has difficulty serving both roles, line authority(principal) and staff authority(helping teacher), at the same time.
"Moving Forward Committee issued its findings..."
The blogmaster got it wrong. The Moving Forward Committee did not issue its findings. The volunteer committee of half professionals and half citizens was disbanded ... without any of its ideas accepted.
My opinion is that the chairman lost his direction or changed his mind about wanting "to reinvent the school" which were his words at the beginning.
Chairman Bohn charged the committee with this goal: "to look at how education is being delivered at the school, and if there are ways that we can deliver 'more' education using our current resources."
The committee brainstormed 27 improvement possibilities and grouped them into eight categories for detailed study. Subcommittees were formed and work was started when the chairman stopped holding meetings. For several months there was a hiatus of communication. Early this month the chairman ended the committee for a reason that was totally different from the committee's purpose.
He wrote: "...Merchantville has been selected to participate in the state’s school choice program, in which students from outside our district can attend Merchantville School, with Merchantville receiving funding for each student that attends Merchantville from outside the district. It is my feeling that any money we receive from the school choice program would significantly exceed any additional moneys we could receive from other funding sources.
...In conclusion I would like to officially say that the work of Merchantville Moving Forward Committee has completed."
In cherry hill we contracted with njsba to assist with our new superintendent search. They did a great job.
MES is not far from pennsauken middle school. Can any shared resources be utilized with the leadership. Great opportunity to consolidate.
KTBFW,
Sorry you have a bad taste in your mouth about the reinventing MES committee, I can only assume you were a member of that committee and as a result extemely dissatisfied with its demise. While you may be unhappy with this result should you distrust the school board as a whole, it appears they have taken a step in the right direction by seeking the assistance of the NJSBA. Trying to be positive (New Years resolution) maybe witht eh hiring of a new Education leader the issues that were discussed at your committee will be addressed?
JAMR:"...maybe with the hiring of a new education leader the issues ... will be addressed?"
Interesting question!
Hiring skills vary as widely as marriage choices. Some pick very well and others not. We have all heard the faux analysis that those who marry again pick the same type they failed with the first time.
Some school boards search for candidates who propose changes to the school program. Other boards want new chiefs who will continue things as they are. On this blog we have read comments favoring both of those goals.
With respect to our Board in recent years I have speculated on a few possibilities -- (a) our Board sees no weaknesses, (b) our Board sees weaknesses and thinks they are being addressed, (c) our Board believes weaknesses are inherent and cannot be rectified, (d) our Board believes it is the administrator's job to make decisions to correct weaknesses, not the Board's.
So, I have no idea of what the Board can and will do. Reading the Board President's recent message that he thinks outside tuitions will generate sufficient revenue to keep the school programs going, well, that message makes me have to take a deep breath.
What parent would pay $13,000 a year to enroll his child in a school program where 35-40 percent of the students fail basic skills and the Board rejects all "improvement" programs that cannot generate funds? None that I know or can imagine.
Cruiser may be right in suggesting we should fold the tent and go join another circus.
MES is not far from Pennsauken middle school. How irrelevant. We have an elementary school to find a replacement for - not a middle school. Options are being looked at with Haddon Heights and Cherry Hill now for our students to attend. Are you not paying attention. Really? Besides all of the issues of the overhead in MES, it is also an aging facility that we do not have the money to upgrade. Our kids are in the sweltering heat in that school today. It is time to go to another district. Cherry Hill, Haddon Heights - let's go already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, fold the tent and go to another circus.
KTBFW,
I guess we will just have to wait and see....
JAMR: "wait and see...."
Mistake!
A couple of years ago successful hands-on suggestions were offered to the school board president for improving student proficiency in basic skills. She responded, "There is a new computer program being introduced next year. Let's wait and see how it works." A year later no significant gains were seen on the State basic skills tests.
I suggest the opposite. Unlike research in medicine, in education one should not maintain control groups receiving placebos in order to measure progress in experimental groups elsewhere. It is important for everyone to work towards maximizing progress with all students in all areas, all the time.
Merchantville school should not wait for any new improvements -- not for experimental programs, not for budget concerns, not for replacement personnel to be selected.
Right now the Board should appoint a temporary leader to work with Mr. Swanson and the faculty these last few weeks so that come September, everybody can start the year running full speed with the baton in hand to pass off to the new appointment when the new leader is ready and up to speed. Otherwise the students, faculty and parents will have yet another "wait and see" period in the fall ... following years of wait and see.
I believe the poor basic skills performance of students could have been corrected YEARS AGO if the Board had only taken a direct, active role in checking that the basic skills at all levels were being taught.
Town Centre East redevelopment is stalled by local politics. To me that is another bullet for Cruiser's town-merger gun. And I guess there is no need to say that the councilman leading the stalling is an announced proponent for consolidation.
It seems that the redeveloper, Fieldstone, found environmental contaminants below the parking lot between the bank building and the news/cigar shop ... including chemicals from a former tannery.
Fieldstone does not want to build on that lot which would require extensive/expensive soil removal. The two obvious choices would be to leave the lot undisturbed as a parking lot for the redevelopment or to give the lot back to the Borough for its parking needs. Mr. Corsini (Fieldstone) is agreeable to either.
It so happens that a restaurateur expressed interest in buying the old PNC Bank but has hesitated because of a lack of parking.
To me the situation has an easy solution but a group on our town council argues otherwise. It is a matter of aesthetics they say. Leaving that lot along Centre Street would be a "missing tooth" among the facades ... that a building is needed to fill in that space.
I say, for chrisake, get real. Every town has its missing teeth. Haddonfield put a statue of a hadasaurus in one of its spaces and ran a sidewalk back to interior shops. Mt. Holly planted trees, shrubbery and flowers along its walk to a rear parking lot. Two generations ago First Lady Linda Bird Johnson dedicated a "vest pocket park" in one of Philadelphia's missing teeth a block or so from Independence Hall.
Here in Merchantville we have looked at the chain and brick fence backed by shrubbery and trees that have screened that parking lot for decades. Suddenly the sight is cause for allowing Fieldstone to walk away from developing TCE?
Some of you folks need to talk to the "new" councilmen who are blocking the TCE redevelopment and the sale of the bank -- or is politics over dirty dirt their way to consolidation?
Oops! My apologies to Mrs. Johnson, rest her soul.
okay, so who's the new council member? Agnus or Steve? And what are you talking about?
To my knowledge none of our council members support consolidation.
"who's the new council member?"
For a minute suppose we pretend that the WHAT is more important than the WHO.
I pose this WHAT question: Do blog readers prefer allowing the TCE redeveloper to donate the bank parking lot to our Boro so he can start building his remaining apartments and we could offer that parking lot to the potential bank restaurateur? Or do readers prefer Council to hold out for a building on that lot while both entrepreneurs walk away?
Now, for the WHO question. Wouldn't you like to ask any councilman, new or old, progressive or stalwart, to tell you WHO's on first and WHAT's on second? If you pick well, chances are he will tell you the WHAT you prefer to hear.
So Agnus and Steve are holding this thing up? Good for them. A new restaraunt with the current parking lot sounds good to me.
Wrong on both conclusions, Woodbine.
Some of you know that the revitalization planning for the West End includes a piece of Pennsauken on the north side of Maple Ave down to the pedestrian overpass at Route 130 and one block of Camden which is the south side of that corner.
Everybody, including 43 West End residents responding to a survey, wants that Maple/130 intersection made safer and more attractive.
Well, two Pennsauken officials and one Camden representative are on the planning task force. The Pennsauken men want to take down the white cinder block Kawasaki building on their side of Maple and on Thursday, June 16, the task force will hold its public planning meeting at 10 am at Camden City Hall, 520 Market Street, Council Chambers, 2nd Floor, to better commit Camden authorities to redeveloping their side of Maple.
Let me suggest that one way good changes happen is by numbers. Whoever you are, if you could take an hour to walk into the Camden Council Chambers to comment or just to sit with the task force audience, you would add to the chance of getting Camden to say "YES" to redeveloping that whole block along Rte 130 from the Dental Office at the far corner down to the Maple Ave pedestrian overpass.
Is beautifying the entrance to Merchantville worth an hour of your sitting time?
Woodbine: "A new restaurant with the current parking lot sounds good to me."
Sounds good to me too. So, if that is what most people want, then folks will have to start talking to Councilmen Perno, Brickley and Brennan because their comments are about requiring the TCE developer to dig up that bank parking lot contaminated with tannery waste to build a store with apartments on top there.
I need a parking lot says the restaurateur. I cannot dig up and dispose of the contamination says the TCE developer.
Call the councilmen, Woodbine, so we can have dinner in the bank building some day.
Speaking of mixing education with fun in tight times, this summer has excellent outdoor events for adults and teens at low prices.
Yesterday in the Cumberland County Fair Grounds (Millville) for forty bucks Leon Russell, Deer Tick and Jaimoe's Jasssz Band appeared live in an uncrowded, picnic-blanket and lounge-chair setting to an audience of 300 polite music fans. Russell was his usual and Jaimoe was fantastic -- two music hall of famers.
If you want to see Bob Dylan with Leon Russell appearing live outdoors in August, check out the Mann Music Center. Tickets are cheap; you can open your favorite wine and cheese if you sit on the grass; and half way through your teenage kids will be dancing to their music on the top of the knoll.
But watch out. Someone might learn something.
Twice a Pulitzer Prize winner for biographies of John Adams and Harry Truman and also the narrator of the TV series on Abraham Lincoln and American Experience, David McCullough spoke at the Philadelphia Free Library last Thursday night.
He told of Americans in the 1800s being poorly educated and needing to go to France for preparation for every walk of life, from artist to surgeon. One example was Lincoln who had less than one year of schooling.
Well it seems our American citizenry, including Merchantvillans, today are in a backslide of learning compared to millions of young people in China and India.
How has it happened so fast?
Thirty years ago I remember a curator in the Smithsonian explained that American experts had to teach Chinese artisans how to produce accurate reproductions of Chinese antiquities that the Smithsonian could sell in its gift shops.
On CNBC today an American CEO complained that even with 9.6 percent of American workers unemployed, he cannot find Americans skilled enough to run his computer-controlled manufacturing equipment in his American factories. He said he might have to move his operations out of the country not for cheaper labor but for skilled labor.
That is a sad commentary on American life -- on attitudes in Merchantville as well.
Best wishes to Chris for a long, happy and healthy retirement. He earned it. All things considered he has been a huge plus for MES. The community is grateful for his service.
Those Merchantville residents who use the Maple Ave exit off of Route 130 should consider taking another exit.
The crash rate at Maple/130 is about 25 percent higher than the statewide average for similar highway exits. The 15 crashes per year -- each year 4 more accidents than at similar highway intersections-- exceed any four intersections in Merchantville combined. And the types of accidents at the Maple/130 intersection (within a quarter-mile) are tell tale of not enough cartway room for fast-moving vehicles during rush hours to move around the turning vehicles-- 45% collisions with fixed objects, 21% sideswipes, 16% rear-end and 14% angular.
The West End Task Force will address that intersection at its next public meeting in Boro Hall on Thursday, July 21st at 1 PM. The problem that might kill the task of making that intersection safer is simple. Camden City cannot afford to give up any of its property tax ratables. The yellow brick building at that corner is Camden territory.
Such a dilemma reminds me of third-world problems. The World Health Organization (WHO) in the mid-1970s was attempting to eradicate small pox from the world with its new vaccine. India was the last niche for the disease. But impoverished families in isolated hamlets of India hid their infected family members from WHO volunteers because if a family were inoculated they fell sick for a couple of days, missing work and thereby losing their jobs which resulted in starvation.
Camden receives, what?, a few thousand dollars a year in taxes from that corner property? Fifteen auto accidents a year cost how much? I figure insurance deductibles of motorists involved in the accidents must exceed the tax revenue. Of course the injured motorists probably go to a Camden hospital.
I wish Mr. Swanson well...but I'm glad he is going. I believe some teachers should follow suit. There are excellent teachers at the school, and ones that are either not so excellent or tired of their profession. Move on I say, make way for some new (not necessarily young) blood!
Post a Comment