New Haven Independent

Posted by: Gary Doyens | May 22, 2007 12:00 PM

Questions: Did the Aramark contract go out for bid or are we just renewing and expanding? So Prokop and Padilla were there...Where was Abbatiello? Absent again? It also appears that despite discussions about spending nearly $3 million dollars -- that our Super Reggie Mayo was not there.

And finally, we need this information system, like we need another hole in my overtaxed pocket. The very idea that the BOE could make "$200,000" is just silly. First, I seriously doubt such a projection -- that sounds like a sales talking point from SchoolNet and the BOE so they can pick our pockets easier.

Secondly, since taxpayers are already forking over $200 million or more each year to the BOE, one would think they'd have enough people to compile research. Third, did this product go out to bid..or is SchoolNet the sole provider? Did we check and see how much the other school systems paid for the same program? Did we talk to other schools?

I just love Robin Golden's qoute about her new tool..it will be used "to enhance excellence." Yeah, right...and I must be the Fairy God Mother.

We are not excellent now in the NH public schools by a long shot. Despite spending record amounts of money -- more than just about anybody in the state and nation, we still have a huge achievement gap; we still have schools failing the No Child requirements and Mayo is projecting there will be more such failures in the future. The feds say our H.S. graduation rate is pitiful with only 50% of the kids going in, coming out four years later with a diploma. While we have pockets of good, maybe even excellence in the NH school system, we hardly have enough excellence upon which to justify a $1.5 million convenience tool.

I suggest you take that $1.5 million and leverage it in the poor performing schools so these kids get up to speed and damn quick because I know your "tool" can't fix that.

Posted by: Ben Berkowitz | May 22, 2007 1:10 PM

There is a local company right here in New Haven that provides a similar software for a much more affordable price: www.ptconnect.net
I wonder if the Board of Ed. has considered this option.

Posted by: MARYROSARIO | May 22, 2007 1:39 PM

Gary
I do believe we have a huge achievement gap and we are spending alot of money to fill that gap and so we should.Over the years I have seen many programs that work in the school system and some that have not.I do believe in filling that gap
more Teacher assistants need to be in the classrooms to help with the 25 to 27 kids in the classrooms most who do not read or write on grade levels.I do think that this research program is sooo very important.I have seen these data team meetings at Fair Haven k-8 and they do work.They give the teachers important info on helping their students reach higher levels of reading and writing.Its also vital for parents to be able to see this info on a daily basis to help them get additional help for their child if needed.It may be a lot of money but I do believe it will help close the gap in a huge way.

Posted by: HeavyD | May 22, 2007 2:21 PM

I'm no fan of "tax watchdogs," but I have to agree that this money sounds misplaced. I'm sure this evaluation system is great at ferreting out deficiencies in long division, and maybe that's a big plus for some school systems. But I'm sure I'm not the only one whose experiences in New Haven public schools indicate the problems are *much* more fundamental in this town. Deficiencies in attendance, motivation, and study skills need to be resolved before we're worrying about incremental differences in how students calculate fractions.

I'm all for spending the money on our students; I can't stand the constant demands to cut funding from a school system that clearly needs support. But this sounds like an optimistic pitch from some business that doesn't address New Haven's needs.

Posted by: Gary Doyens | May 22, 2007 2:54 PM

I just spoke to Super Mayo's office -- He did not attend last night's meeting at which $3 million of taxpayer's money was spent by the Finance Committee, subject to the full board's approval. He must of thought $3 million is not that big a deal -- and I guess it's not when you're spending $60 million in West Haven, and $1.5 billion on other new schools -- makes $3 million look like chump change.

The board, if they attend the next meeting should turn down the computerized Super Tool, and the Aramark contract too if it was not competitively bid.

The $1.5 million Super Tool is so parents at some point in the future will be able to see how Johnny did on his math test today and to conduct research. This is a waste of money with or without a competitive bid.

As a parent, I know whether my children are doing their homework, preparing for an exam and when that exam is. We also ask how well they did on it that evening over dinner. I don't need a Super Tool computer program to tell me that. We also talk to the kids' teachers, the principal and attend lots of school functions. The Super Tool will not be used by this taxpayer, and will not enhance the learning of my kids. This needs to be reversed.

If it's not, that chump change will show up in my tax bill. Who'll be the chump with change then?

Posted by: Catherine Sullivan-DeCarlo | May 23, 2007 1:26 PM

There are a few clarifications that must be made to this story. First of all, Dick Abbatiello was not only present at the Administration and Finance committee meeting, he is in the photo! Dick spends a great deal of energy and time serving the school district in so many ways. He is a fixture in schools, celebrating the good work of staff and students. He and his wife are perennial volunteers for many great causes in the community. He attends school dedications, many, many school functions, serves on the Board of Education, chairs the personnel committee, is a cheerleader at athletic events and gives generously of his time as a member of our community engagement team. A lot of that work, hours and hours of personal time, happens without fanfare, but the public should know that it is greatly appreciated by the Superintendent and the school community.

The School Net selection was the result of a lengthy RFP process and more than two years of deliberation. The local company mentioned here had the same opportunity as everyone else to bid on the work, but did not respond to the RFP. We asked all the questions that the individual suggests. Also, the ARAMARK contract went through a competitive bidding process.

Data is power. We in the New Haven schools are striving to harness the power of data to improve what we do. Robin Golden is correct in that a lot of groundwork has been laid for our school system to become truly data-driven. Our schools have worked very hard on this issue and the focus is on student achievement now more than ever before. There is no doubt that a data-friendly environment is empowering, not just for parents (who are anxious for data on how their children are performing and who want to support their kids) but all of us.

Posted by: Jeff Klaus | May 23, 2007 4:58 PM

Catherine,

I am one person who agrees that the power of data is fundamental in creating a district that works for kids. Obviously there are lots of other factors that go into whether a district is successful, but the effective use of data is VITAL for a district of New Haven's size.

Ideally, an effective data management system not only empowers parents to help manage their kids' educational experience, but it also should allow educators the ability to drill down and analyze the performance of individual schools, students, and instructors. In a business environment, effective data systems provide real-time analysis which allows managers the opportunity to correct course immediately in order to achieve the desired outcome. Is this also what NHPS has in mind? If so, then the direction is positive.

I commend you for your response above, and you may choose not to get into a public discussion on this topic, but how will this data system and other initiatives at NHPS actually work to improve outcomes for students? For instance, why will the proposed new science and math high school produce better student outcomes than any other high school in New Haven?

Given the amount of education posting on the Independent, there is a clearly a thirst among readers for better communication from the district about where it's headed.

Maybe Paul Bass would allow you to write a weekly column and allow readers to ask questions, express their opinions and otherwise have two-way communication with you. (Readers would have to use responsible and civil dialogue only!)

Posted by: Gary Doyens | May 23, 2007 5:42 PM

Thank you for the clarification that Dick Abbatiello was at the meeting and in the photo because despite those many good things you listed, he has been more absent than present, together with his fellow board members. With such a high degree of absenteeism, it is hard to understand how that provides leadership and stewardship.

And, it is good news that the Aramark contract was competitively bid. Not all contracts at the BOE are, so I thought it worth asking.

As for the $1.5 million Super Tool -- it may have taken two years of deliberation before you launched it on taxpayers, but it will take us a lot longer to pay for it. The on-going maintenance and training alone will be with us as a line item in your budget for as long as the system is with us.

As for data being power -- and how this is for parents who are anxious to know how their child is doing and to support that child -- that's utter nonense. Parents who don't know how well their kid is doing in school, are not the parents who will be accessing Super Tool. And for parents who do know their child's performance, there is no reason to access Super Tool.

Here is the data you need to run the schools and it's not a lot more complicated than this:

1. You have several hundred million dollars a year to educate 23,000 kids.
2. Every year you have more money than the year before.
3. You have a bunch of new schools.
4. You have a bunch of teachers aides in those schools.
5. Our teachers are paid well.
6. Our school administrators are paid well.
7. We spend more educating our children than just about anybody in the country.
8. Yet, Super Mayo says we have failing schools and are likely to have even more as the performance bar gets raised every year under No Child.
9. And, still, you maintain you need Super Tool to turn that around -- and after you have Super Tool -- what's the next big thing then?
10. Suggestion: I would spend less time and energy on expensive silver bullets like Super Tool and drill down to find out why Johnny can't read, write or do math in the 7th grade, or the third grade...or why they aren't reading in Kindergarten. You might find it starts at home...and somebody at school just passes him on through. That may be simplistic, but I'll bet it's not far off the mark.

Posted by: amy | June 19, 2007 11:48 AM

Spending $1.5 million on data! Why are you wasting your technology money on adults? Shouldn't you be spending money on your students? We are such a paper society right now, we want to get away from paper and you are creating more paper and more things for us to read. To me your school district seems to be data driven, not student driven. How are you going to pay for all of the people to anaylze all of this data? Giving tests frequently, monthly, and every 6 weeks? Are you producing a product or a person? And this data will tell you where teachers are performing? What happens if some of the students understand fractions and some don't? As a teacher you should be changing your lesson plans as you go. One year you may have bright math students and the next year they may have a harder time, everyone is different!!