The Lesson of Sacramento High School
The responses to previous posts have been overwhelming and not dissimilar in their admonishment of VAPAC's administration. Many people have also placed blame firmly on the district for letting the situation get so completely out of hand. Others have identified the Sacramento High School debacle as the genesis of the current situation and the larger disarray in the district. Of course the lessons of Sacramento High represent a primer in how a school becomes dysfunctional:
An incompetent administration + district ambivalence = TROUBLE
A simple equation and one that sadly seem to be playing out at VAPAC and perhaps other schools. At Sacramento High School, teachers and parents complained about ineffective administrative leadership and communication -- a school site council was never convened, parents and teachers were kept in the dark regarding the school's budget, and administration operated under a cloak of secrecy if not outright invisibility. The lack of transparency in the formation and implementation of school policy was even further complicated when the school came under state sanctions through its participation in the II/USP program. Under this program (Immediate Intervention/Underperforming Schools Program), schools not meeting their benchmarks on standardized tests in consecutive years fall host to a number of sanctions from the least severe -- transferring the principal and administration -- to the most severe -- closing the school. Unfortunately, the district opted for the latter choice before an audit of the school's academic program was carried out by the state.
Not surprisingly, once the audit was made public, 5 of the 6 key recommendations found clear fault with the administration and the district, confirming teacher and parent suspicions all along. But remember, the district closed the school before the findings were made public and transferred the principal before the audit was conducted.
VAPAC seems to be following a similar path: the district is doing little or nothing while the situation at VAPAC gets worse. The administration is clearly culpable for egregious acts that have jeopardized the education of 400 students. The administration's abuses of power are legion; their incompetence and ineffectiveness boundless; however, what remains to be seen is what move the district will make. The lesson of Sacramento High illustrates that the district likes to wash their hands of their problems before ever having to deal with them, lest, of course, the district takes any of the blame. And the further into summer this situation drags on, the less likely that any change will be made, or if a change is made, that the school can engage in the hiring of teachers, recruiting of students, and other necessary chores before the start of the fall semester. The swiftness and definitiveness of the district’s actions will determine the fate of the school.
So what to do?
The director and CFO (who is also the director’s son) are district employees. The district may remove them, transfer them, or in the case of the director, place her back in the classroom. (A previous placement at Leonardo Da Vinci was less than stellar for her and fraught with many of the same complaints swarming around her tenure at VAPAC.) As was the case at Sacramento High, the district has shown a general reluctance to reprimand or fire administrators who have demonstrated a dangerous degree of ineptitude -- Sacramento High's old principal is currently the principal of the districts community day school. But to continue to allow VAPAC to continue in its current direction is criminal.
But what can we learn from the lesson of Sacramento High School?
An incompetent administration + district ambivalence = TROUBLE
A simple equation and one that sadly seem to be playing out at VAPAC and perhaps other schools. At Sacramento High School, teachers and parents complained about ineffective administrative leadership and communication -- a school site council was never convened, parents and teachers were kept in the dark regarding the school's budget, and administration operated under a cloak of secrecy if not outright invisibility. The lack of transparency in the formation and implementation of school policy was even further complicated when the school came under state sanctions through its participation in the II/USP program. Under this program (Immediate Intervention/Underperforming Schools Program), schools not meeting their benchmarks on standardized tests in consecutive years fall host to a number of sanctions from the least severe -- transferring the principal and administration -- to the most severe -- closing the school. Unfortunately, the district opted for the latter choice before an audit of the school's academic program was carried out by the state.
Not surprisingly, once the audit was made public, 5 of the 6 key recommendations found clear fault with the administration and the district, confirming teacher and parent suspicions all along. But remember, the district closed the school before the findings were made public and transferred the principal before the audit was conducted.
VAPAC seems to be following a similar path: the district is doing little or nothing while the situation at VAPAC gets worse. The administration is clearly culpable for egregious acts that have jeopardized the education of 400 students. The administration's abuses of power are legion; their incompetence and ineffectiveness boundless; however, what remains to be seen is what move the district will make. The lesson of Sacramento High illustrates that the district likes to wash their hands of their problems before ever having to deal with them, lest, of course, the district takes any of the blame. And the further into summer this situation drags on, the less likely that any change will be made, or if a change is made, that the school can engage in the hiring of teachers, recruiting of students, and other necessary chores before the start of the fall semester. The swiftness and definitiveness of the district’s actions will determine the fate of the school.
So what to do?
The director and CFO (who is also the director’s son) are district employees. The district may remove them, transfer them, or in the case of the director, place her back in the classroom. (A previous placement at Leonardo Da Vinci was less than stellar for her and fraught with many of the same complaints swarming around her tenure at VAPAC.) As was the case at Sacramento High, the district has shown a general reluctance to reprimand or fire administrators who have demonstrated a dangerous degree of ineptitude -- Sacramento High's old principal is currently the principal of the districts community day school. But to continue to allow VAPAC to continue in its current direction is criminal.
But what can we learn from the lesson of Sacramento High School?
posted by All of Us at
5:11 PM
4 Comments:
I realize you are telling the truth with much of what you say, however, I have yet to see a single article attacking St. Hope's version of Sac High, I find it to be a bit offensive that you are focusing on VAPAC, and only once (in your first article in passing) mentioning St. Hope's Sac High. I'm sure they have had their fair share of problems.
As being a Graduate from St. Hope at Sacramento High school, I would first off like to note.. I seem to notice your direct attacks at VAPAC, I have no particular problem with that school. But In all fair.. Please state the locatiosn you gather your facts from. I published a Sort of Underground paper at Sac High letting information about the school that was kept tight, and I still put a reference to what was said. Half your information could be false. Also, the lack of facts towards the Sacramento High School Carter it self makes it seem that your more in favor of St hope. Just a thought I had. Also....
For those that have no idea what isses ST hope is doing cause they don't talk about it is this:
ST hope has dress code as well for next year.
Students will have to wear collered or polo shirts that are specific colors.
Also Students lunchs are only 30 mins long and are seperated by Small schools. We also had a merger of two school this year as well.
Also noted, we have nothing but hired security. ITs cheaper and the Guards at sac dont have to report all the fights that go down. The incindent report goes down and the school looks better.-That was also in a Sacramento Bee... so I'm quoting a soruce..
Also from a teahcer that was fired at the school... ST hope is able to Fire teachers int he middle of school terms. If they so want to. Teachers have no long term contracts but are required to stay a full year.
So ST hope has its issues as well.
Test scores have gone up, but not by much and ST hope is also still in its trails State. For those of you that wanted some info on ST hop there ya go.
-Sean "The informer" Chapman
VAPAC graduate Grant and Sean "The Informer"s sensibilities are misguided and a bit misplaced -- pointing out the problems at VAPAC do not constitute a pro-St.HOPE message anymore than disagreement with the govt's current policy in Iraq constitutes an acceptance of insurgents. And if there are problems at ST. HOPE, as we all know there must be, please come forward with them so that we can discuss them. It seems that this last post firmly blames the district for giving the school away to St. Hope and ,furthermore, points the finger at the district for allowing Sac High to be mismanaged so poorly. It seems to me that this is the same thing occuring at VAPAC -- a very good program, which needs to survive -- is being allowed to crumble by the district. Additionally, Sean, much of the information in this post is common knowledge having been stated at board meetings and reported in the Sacramento Bee as well. Several teachers also wrote articles for the Bee and the News and Review on this situation. As for facts, the dress code was handed around by students after a parent was given a copy; the start-up costs for VAPAC were reported by both the News and Review and the Bee as well as having been on the record in district minutes from past board meetings. As for the other allegations in this forum, it seems that the amount of feedback in the comment sections from parents and students at the school validate those claims. However, if you want further proof, attend the open comments portion of any board meeting and listen to the parents state their problems.
But for Sean and Grant, this is an open forum, we can only discuss what has been brought up, and Sean, we would all love elaboration on the problems at St.HOPE High. Which two schools merged and why? How does a shorter lunch impact your education? How are lunches divided by small schools and how does this affect the educational and social environment of the school? How was the dress code decided upon? Was their adequate parent and student input? Facts, Sean, w/o context are meaningless.
I'm a friend of Sean and unfortunatly I must disagree with part of his statement. A dress code should be a concern of a "problem" it is merely a solution. The shootings and violence occuring at Sacramento Charter High School are indeed a problem and for the facts can be referance in a article of the bee. and I can provided the answers to the question asked of sean.
It is a fact that 2 of the small schools merged or for more correct by st. hope be merged for the fall 2005 year. The small school of Buisness and the Small School of Media and Communtication will indeed combine and leave the Small school of Buissness and Communcation as memo provided to the students of Sachi told us.
Divided lunches do divide the social awareness of the school and opportunities between school. Such as a small school of MES hosting a Chess Club with 6 students during lunch wouldn't be able to accomedate one student from the Small school of Arts because that student would be in class during their lunch period. And also with divided lunches as you can see would prevent fraternization with fellow classmates and friends in a another small school.
The Dress code was decided on a by the St. Hope Public School District board. Without the approval or support of the students or community they implemented uniforms on the students attending in Fall 2005. There were approving and likewise disapproving student but as the decision wasn't based on the public's opionion the St. Hope School's district forced it upon the school. In fact they used it to their benefit bribing the students both able and unable to afford the uniforms to encourage other incoming 9th grade students to attend Sacramento Charter High School.
Again I say that the Uniforms were not a problem but a solution not that I with one ounce believe this will help the school or agree with the decision. The fact that they are indeed influencing students with this policy should in morallity be illegal(though no law has been shown to prevent it) is indeed a problem and horrible use of the school politics and administration.
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