Fairness In School Sports

I found many of your comments at last night’s board meeting quite interesting and I would like to comment on them.

You stated that FCPS’s legal department is doing a fabulous job and is extremely efficient but asked for a breakdown on costs incurred by that department.  I think that is a great idea and I too would like to see where some of the legal budget money goes.  Given that, I am officially making a FOIA request to you, for the amount of legal fees paid by FCPS to defend you regarding the incident last year where you violated the privacy of a child who has disabilities.  Rather than apologize and save the school system money, you and The School Board chose to fight the complaint where, unfortunately for you, The State of Virginia ruled against you and declared that you did in fact violate the child’ privacy.  Perhaps that was not a prudent and pennywise decision and an apology might have been appropriate.

I heard Dan Storck mention that the Board members received a little FERPA workshop training.  I am quite alarmed that you all were not familiar with the privacy rules designed to protect our students.

I also was a little troubled at your comments that “All of FCPS schools provide an excellent education for our students”.  It is this type of thinking that I believe has gotten this school system into a bit of trouble due to neglect.  The truth is, many of our schools are not providing a very good education for our students, and frankly, the sooner you admit this and address these areas of weakness, the better off our students will be. I suggest you get your head out of the sand and start tending to these failing schools.

Let’s review some of the schools in your district, if we can.

Dogwood Elementary

46% of Black and 44% of Latino 3rd graders failed the reading assessments.  These numbers are significantly higher than the VA averages.

Twice as many 3rd grade boys fail the math tests than their female counterparts which is inconsistent with Va and division numbers where they typically perform the same.  Why are boys at this school failing at such a disproportionate rate?

63% of Black and 45% of Latino 6th graders fail the math SOLs compared to 17% of Whites.  That is quite a large minority achievement gap-I would guess one of the worst in Va.

McNair Elementary

40% of Black and (you better sit down) 76% of Latino 3rd graders fail the reading SOLs. The White students failed at a rate of 21% so the Latino students are failing at a rate of 3.5 times their White counterparts.  Again, I would guess one of the largest gaps in Va.

Over 1 in 3 Black and Latino 3rd graders fail the math assessments-double the failure rate of Va school averages.

In 6th grade, 39% of Black students failed the reading tests which nearly double what it was the year before.  This school is going in the wrong direction.

35% of 6th grade Latino students failed the reading tests which is three times as many as the year before.

65% of Latinos and 50% of Blacks failed the 6th grade math assessments. Are these kids ready for middle school with this type of educational foundation?

I think not.  These schools are a disgrace and for you to continue to pontificate about what a great education these kids are getting is positively criminal.

FIX THESE SCHOOLS NOW.  STOP LYING TO FAIRFAX COUNTY RESIDENTS AND PARENTS ABOUT THE GREAT JOB YOU ARE DOING.

Do your job or step aside and let someone else more capable do what is needed.

I look forward to the answer to my FOIA request and why these schools are failing.

Mike Grasso

School Board

Mr. Dale

At the end of last nights meeting you removed student after student using the zero tolerance standard for their unacceptable behavior. I agree with your decisions, because there is no place for this type of behavior in the FCPS system.

As I stated to you last night, it would be unacceptable behavior for people to confront school board members or any FCPS employee at any meeting. I am sure that you would not appreciate being attacked.

This type of behavior by a public official must not be tolerated and zero tolerance standard must be applied to Liz Bradsher actions.

I demand a response and action to be taken against the freshman school board member Liz Bradsher. If she acts in this manor after only two months on the school board, what will she do in the future?

Mike Grasso

Here are some questions that I have about the Gatehouse Administration Center Phase  I Cost Savings Report.

1.  The “Position Savings” table that you sent includes the elimination of 10 positions for a savings of $516,000, yet the Phase I Cost Saving Report refers to the elimination of 18.5 positions, with a savings of $1,000,000. I would like to see the other 8.5 positions that were eliminated, if in fact they have been eliminated as of today.  What was the reason for the delay in eliminating these positions, as promised by 4th Quarter FY 2005?

2.  A couple of the positions eliminated were for building supervisor/custodians for the closed facilities (Burkholder, Westmore, etc.).  I can accept that as a savings related to the move to Gatehouse I, however, does the superintendent also employ building supervisors/custodians at Gatehouse I? If so, how many? Gatehouse I is a much larger facility than the other properties and I would think that one would need a larger staff to handle the larger space.

3.  Please provide a detailed description of what the Property Management Technician position at Gatehouse I is.  I see that that position was created with a salary of $69,000.

4.  What is School Materials Reserve for a listed savings of $295,374? That does not seem to be a position and I am unsure how that relates to the relocation and the alleged savings?

5.  Under the Information Technology section, what is the hourly technical customer products and services section with a cost of $135,897 and how does that savings relate to the relocation to the new building?

6. There were 2.5 positions eliminated in the Superintendent’s office including administrative assistants and Executive Staff assistants.  How were these position eliminations related to the relocation? Could these layoffs have occurred in the old facilities? I would like to see the reasoning behind this.

7. I had asked for an itemization of the travel costs which are $217,500 annually.  One was not provided, because, according to Paul Reigner, there was no change in the figure before and after the relocation.  I thought that part of the justification for combing these employees into one building was to reduce the travel time and expense between the buildings.  I don’t see any savings realized from this consolidation in this travel area and would like to know why.  Please itemize these expenses.

8.  Who made the projections on the anticipated savings on the telecommunications in the amount of $6.1 million? Did the telecom provider/vendor make those projections? Was this person qualified to make this calculation? Why the huge miscalculation?

9.  Given that the planners knew what square footage was available in Gatehouse I, how come fewer employees were consolidated into the building?  What is the financial impact on keeping these employees at their old buildings?

10.  Please provide a detailed cost savings statement of the energy savings of $5.6 million dollars in Gatehouse? It is listed under the operating costs.  Does the operating costs include only energy expenses?

11. Who works out of City Square Phase One?

Please provide me with the answers to the above questions.

Respectfully,

Mike Grasso

FORMAL COMPLAINT AGAINST LIZ BRADSHER

Do you permit school board members to do the following?

1. Leave a public meeting to attack a speaker in the Jackson ES lobby because he had the nerve to challenge the school board’s competency.

2. She Challenge the speaker in a loud tone and she pointed her finger into his face.

3. As the speaker was walking away she yelled out that you may be from Brooklyn, but I am not afraid of you.

What type of statement was the above? Does she discriminate against people from Brooklyn, NY, Does she discriminate against Italians? Who else does she discriminate against? Lorton students that she did not want in the new SCHS?

This behavior is unacceptable for an elected official and you need to take action now.

Waiting for you response,

Mike Grasso

www.fairnessinschoolsports.org

Since Liz Bradsher lost her cool and made disparaging remarks about my NATIONALITY and MY ETHNICITY in an open forum with witnesses, does that mean that I can now do the same to you, other school board members and all FCPS employees including J. Dale?

Does she discriminate against Italians or does she discriminate against people from New York or just Brooklyn? Are there other groups that she discriminates against?

Please indicate ASAP, so I can do the same as Liz Bradsher.

Mike Grasso

I am making the following FOIA requests.

I would like a copy of the email that was sent by Kathy Smith to a group of Centerville residents in which she urged them to go to the public hearing and state how overcrowded Westfield HS is.

I would like a copy of the email that was sent by Kathy Smith to a PTA in which she describe a child’s mother as “vile and toxic .”

Please let me know the cost of this request.

Mike Grasso

The following questions need to be asked;

Why have you trimmed programs that serve minority and disadvantaged students?  As you know these are the students that need the most help from FCPS.

Why not save 100 million dollars from gatehouse 2 and use it in order to make up your revenue shortage?

NO BUDGETS CUTS FOR MINORITY AND DISADVANTAGED

 STUDENTS.

If you more ahead with your proposed cuts to minority and disadvantaged students, YOU NEED TO TELL ME HOW YOU CAN SLEEP AT NIGHT.

Mike Grasso

www.fairnessinschoolsports.org

Mr. Curran

Last night I went before the school board in opposition to any activity fees for VHSL

sponsored athletic activities. I need to know the answers to the following questions;

How many VHSL student athletes do you have in FCPS sports?

How many club teams do you have in FCPS?

How much boosters money is raised for FCPS sports?

If the school board moves ahead with the activity fees, I have the following questions;

How much money will be raised for the FCPS system?

Who will collect the fees?

The check will be made out to who?

What about families who have more then one student player? Will there be a discount or will there be a family cap?

Will this fee be for each sport that the player plays?

If people pay the activity fee, will they have to pay gate fees to games?

If people pay the activity fee, will that insure playing time for their child?

Do you have any middle school sport programs?

Do you have any middle school players who are playing VHSL sports?

Will there be reduced fees for players who received free or reduced meals?

If a player drops out will there be refunds?

If the 09 budget is bad, what are you going to do over the next 5 or 6 years of no growth or reduced real estate tax money?

Waiting for your response,

Mike Grasso

President

Fairness In School Sports, LTD

Mr. Center-

I appreciate your advice on how I should conduct myself and the methods I should use, but the way I conduct myself is entirely my decision. I have seen the lack of results from people who choose diplomacy and complacency with this School Board. I will continue to shout from the mountaintops until someone within FCPS listens.

 Frankly, your schools are a DISASTER and I suggest you stop stating that you are doing such a wonderful job because the truth is you are failing the children in your district. No one wants to move into Crestwood, Lynbrook, Garfield school districts because the schools there are a disgrace. Your solution- move a good principal from Garfield and send her to Crestwood-that strategy makes me wonder how many competent administrators we actually have within FCPS. How many principals has Crestwood had in the last five years by the way?

Let’s review some of the test results in your schools, shall we?

Crestwood Elementary:

NOT IN IMPROVEMENT- DID NOT MAKE AYP

56% Of Latino students passed English compared with 69% within FCPS and 72% within VA. The year before, 74% passed-looks like this school is moving in the wrong direction.

Remember when you supported Jack Dale in defying NCLB and the DOE over testing because these kids were traumatized by the testing? Now I understand why you didn’t want to test these kids-the numbers are pretty ugly, aren’t they?

55% of Latino 3rd graders failed Reading.  This figure is TWENTY PERCENTAGE POINTS ABOVE the VA averages.  We spend twice what some school districts spend, yet over half of these kids are failing reading.  Have you ever asked anyone why all these kids are failing??

Lynbrook Elementary:

NOT IN IMPROVEMENT-DID NOT MAKE AYP

57% of Latino 3rd grade students failed Reading compared with 35% within VA.

This school actually has a GENDER GAP problem where boys are underperforming girls by 22 percentage points!

Let’s see how the 6th graders are faring at this school as they prepare to go off to middle school-and we know how important a good foundation is for these kids.

33% of all students in 6th grade failed reading (ONE IN THREE!) compared to FCPS and VA averages of just 12% and 16%.

62% of all students (that is not a typo-SIXTY TWO PERCENT) failed 6th grade math tests compared with 29% in FCPS.

Yet again, another gender gap issue within this school- 57% of females and 26% of males failed VA Studies. It looks like there might be some gender discrimination at this school.  Perhaps you could look into that.

I will make a deal with you, Mr. Center, when I see you stand up at a school board meeting and say what a disgraceful and inadequate education some of our schools are providing our children, I will stop sending you these emails.

I look forward to your response.

Mike Grasso

Narrowing the Gap
Montgomery school programs are getting the job done.

Saturday, February 2, 2008; A14

WHEN JERRY D. Weast took the helm of Montgomery County public schools, he issued a harsh wake-up call. The top-notch school system was overlooking children of color and those from low-income families; the resulting gap in achievement between underserved students and white, better-off students was intolerable. Mr. Weast’s progress in narrowing the gap is clear-cut and should serve as a template for action among schools struggling to improve student achievement.

The latest validation of the strategy Mr. Weast pursued these past nine years comes in a recent report from the County Council’s office of oversight. Not only did the system make substantial progress in closing the achievement gap, it did so while raising performance overall. Every group of students, including African Americans, English-language learners and special education students, posted gains on statewide reading and math tests given in third, fifth and eighth grades. That meant, for example, an increase in reading proficiency from 48 percent to 73 percent for black third-graders and an increase from 40 percent to 75 percent for Hispanics. Some of the most dramatic gains occurred in the early grades, such as the spurt in black kindergartners who are able to read at grade level to an impressive 90 percent in 2007.

The improvement in the early grades is not a coincidence, given that these are the students who have benefited most from such school reforms as all-day kindergarten and smaller class sizes. The students referred to as “Jerry’s kids,” who were in kindergarten when the programs were launched, are now in the seventh grade, and it will be interesting to see how they fare in the troublesome middle-school years.

To be sure, the achievement gap hasn’t been eliminated, and critical issues still face the 137,000-student system. There are areas where, as the report notes, results have been mixed and a few where the system has lost ground. It’s worrisome, for instance, that more minority students are being suspended, are dropping out, or are being identified as needing special education. School officials say they are aware of these shortcomings and are working on remedies.

The unusual council review irked some school officials, who saw it as redundant, given the system’s own analyses, and even as an intrusion on the authority of the elected school board. Certainly, the council shouldn’t overstep its limits, but it has a right to assess the success of programs it funds. Indeed, that such a positive picture emerges from a tough outside review should only help in securing the resources to complete Mr. Weast’s call to action.