This Month
| May 2008 |
| Sun |
Mon |
Tue |
Wed |
Thu |
Fri |
Sat |
|
|
|
|
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
|
11
|
12
|
13
|
14
|
15
|
16
|
17
|
|
18
|
19
|
20
|
21
|
22
|
23
|
24
|
|
25
|
26
|
27
|
28
|
29
|
30
|
31
|
|
Thursday, May 29
FLA Statute of 'rules'
by
Mary Jo
on Thu 29 May 2008 03:54 PM EDT
15) "Rule" means each agency statement of general applicability that implements, interprets, or prescribes law or policy or describes the procedure or practice requirements of an agency and includes any form which imposes any requirement or solicits any information not specifically required by statute or by an existing rule. The term also includes the amendment or repeal of a rule. The term does not include:
(a) Internal management memoranda which do not affect either the private interests of any person or any plan or procedure important to the public and which have no application outside the agency issuing the memorandum.
(b) Legal memoranda ... more »
School Board Summary by Patty Stewart
by
Mary Jo
on Thu 29 May 2008 06:08 AM EDT
I attended last night's School Board meeting and wanted to update everyone. I apologize that I did not email last night, but to be honest, I am having trouble summarizing what happened at the meeting. But, I will try. Again, just my observations and opinions...
Prior to the meeting there was a large "protest" outside the ELC. I would estimate about 150 students and adults (mostly students) calmly picketed with signs and spoke to media. I was very proud of the way the students conducted themselves as they showed their opposition to the flip. Most of the ... more »
Tuesday, May 27
Sleep Deprevation Study by Dr. Fiore
by
Mary Jo
on Tue 27 May 2008 10:31 AM EDT
Sleep Deprivation in Early Adolescents:
The Hidden Costs of the OCPS Board Decision to Flip Middle and High School Start Times
Executive Summary
A half-truth about the OCPS Board decision to flip high school and middle school start times is being perpetuated in recent discussions on this topic – a half-truth that will be very costly to the health and well-being of our middle school students. Although the OCPS Board has noted that this recommendation is being made for budget reasons only, it is a severely detrimental recommendation given the consequences it will have on middle school students. The ... more »
FLOOD THE LINES
by
Mary Jo
on Tue 27 May 2008 10:22 AM EDT
We are using this program starting NOW and would like all to join and share the word...FLOOD THE SCHOOL BOARDS phone lines with calls along with emails!
Please go to www.floodthelines.com and search for SaveCommunityschools OR OCPS School Schedule
Follow the prompts and FLOOD THE LINES!
See you this afternoon at the protest from 4:30-?
Expalnation of Flood the Lines-- the ACCOUNT IS READY TO GO
FloodTheLines.com is the perfect tool to assist in your efforts to have
the OCPS School Board revisit the 2008-2009 High School/Middle School
Start Time Swap.
FloodTheLines.com is a free online tool which maximizes the ... more »
Saturday, May 24
Specific Reasons to keep Times as They Are
by
Mary Jo
on Sat 24 May 2008 07:52 AM EDT
There are many compelling reasons to keep the times the way they are now:
Current times: 7:20-2:20 High School
1) There are more high school students consolidated on high school campuses than middle school students. There are approximately between 3,000-3,500 students located on each high school campus in Orange County. There are approximately 18 high schools 14 alternative high schools/9th grade centers. High School Students participate after-school in sports, magnets programs, clubs, volunteer opportunities and after-school part-time jobs. In addition, various businesses throughout the county offer programs for juniors and senior students (some at ... more »
Friday, May 23
School Board Breeches Their Own Policy
by
Mary Jo
on Fri 23 May 2008 06:06 PM EDT
In reviewing the policies of the OCPS School Board, it appears that THEY have breeched their own policies...please respond to EACH board member as soon as possible with the form stated below----a lawyer is reviewing this information as I type.....it APPEARS that thye have made a HUGE mistake.
MAY 21, 2008
Pursuant to SCHOOL BOARD POLICY BG (1) (a) “The Superintendent shall give immediate and proper written notice to the public pursuant to the provisions of Section 120.54, Florida Statutes, when the school board has determined that it will give due consideration to the proposal for adoption, amendment ... more »
Thursday, May 22
Voice Against the Choice Update
by
Mary Jo
on Thu 22 May 2008 05:01 PM EDT
This is the newest being sent around
Voice AGAINST the Choice
PROTEST - OCPS Bldg. 4:30 Tuesday May 27th
The change of school start times affects everyone. Even those who don’t have children in the system. The High School Drivers will be added to our already over-congested rush hours every morning and afternoon. The Middle School children will be unsupervised, roaming neighborhoods and getting into trouble (thefts, property destruction, drugs, and worse). And the smallest of the children will be left on their own to latchkey alone, facing child predators, traffic, and even middle school bullies. Our High School ... more »
Wednesday, May 21
Sample letter for emails to FDOT people and Chamber of Commerce
by
Mary Jo
on Wed 21 May 2008 09:24 PM EDT
For letter to transportation community (FDOT)
Please change the subject line and sign YOUR NAME....they need to hear from a miriad of people!!!!
Please forward to your distribution lists and ask others to write...these people are influential
Dear Community Leader,
I am sure you are aware of the 'flip' proposal in which OCPS has stated that high school students will not ... more »
Email to Gordon and her Patronizing Responce-Many Great Facts!
by
Mary Jo
on Wed 21 May 2008 06:29 AM EDT
----Original Message----- From: Kurt Gies [mailto:kgies@amecs.com] Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 9:38 AM To: 'Gordon, Kathleen B.'; 'School Board'; 'School Board'; 'Blocker, Ronald D.'; 'Kruppenbacher, Frank'; 'Gledich, Nicholas M.'; 'Executive Cabinet'; 'Cardona, Kathy H.'; 'Miller-Smith, Melvine L.'; 'McGill, Deborah'; roachr@ocps.net Subject: RE: ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER RICK ROACH IS HOSTING A COMMUNITY MEETING TO DISCUSS FLIP FLOP SCHEDULE VOTE Kat, Yes I have privately spoken to several Board members, principals, administrators, teachers, coaches and parents. Most seem to think that this is a bad idea, but that the "reduced funding" has forced this decision on them. First off, according ... more »
Tuesday, May 20
From the Student Organizer's Words
by
Mary Jo
on Tue 20 May 2008 09:02 PM EDT
Boone junior Taylor Cambre won't be able to work to pay her car insurance, and she loathes the idea of her friends' little brothers and sisters waiting for the bus at 5:44 a.m.
Boone freshman Ryan S, as he likes to be called, saw how the lives of many of his friends would crumble -- so many have mothers working 3 jobs, he said, ... more »
HOW TO ORGANIZE OPPOSITION from a online blog
by
Mary Jo
on Tue 20 May 2008 04:30 PM EDT
How to fight the Orange County School Board after members pass a unpopular decision? 1. Organize, meet, elect your own leaders of the opposition group, raise money. Speak as a group, let your elected leaders summ up the main points and express them to elected officials. Let you elected leaders call for meetings with School Officials. 2. Keep the issue in the news by writing the sentinel, releaseing press releases to all news outlets. Write to the news deck. Keep an open mind, speak nicely to elected officials, and above all, take the high road and do not make threats. ... more »
Middle School Parents....
by
Mary Jo
on Tue 20 May 2008 03:31 PM EDT
Please note that the school board is not scheduled to revisit this vote unless 1 of the 4 who voted for the change requests a revote on this issue. Danella Schuler
Forwarded Email:
Middle School Parents:
FYI... if you are unhappy with the time change for you middle school child ( start time 7:20am - 1:50pm - 12:50 on Wednesdays) please e-mail Daryl Flynn at flynnd@ocps.net. The more e-mail's she gets of the concern for the Middle School student being home alone, too early of a start time and no older siblings ... more »
The students point of view and actions
by
Mary Jo
on Tue 20 May 2008 09:42 AM EDT
From a student, with very interesting points and ideas..............Danella Schuler Orange County has decided to make many of us unhappy next year by changing our school start time to 9:30 am. Do the math, that means we get out at 4 in the afternoon. No more afternoons on the lakes, no more pay checks, no more sports. Getting as many people as we can that are against it, to show them that its a dumb idea. I am not having my senior year ruined by a bunch of lazy politicians who think changing bus routes is really going to make ... more »
Letter Writing List for City and County Commissioners
by
Mary Jo
on Tue 20 May 2008 08:31 AM EDT
The County Commissioners are listed on the www.ocfl.net web site- email for them are as follows:
Commissioner Jacobs district1@ocfl.net
Commissioner Brummer district2@ocfl.net
Commissioner Fernandez district3@ocfl.net
Commissioner Stewart district4@ocfl.net
Commissioner Segal district5@ocfl.net
Commissioner Moore district6@ocfl.net
All may be written formally
201 S. Rosalind Ave. Fifth floor
Orlando, FL 32801
City Commissioners are listed on the www.cityoforlando.net
Commissioner Diamond phil.diamond@cityoforlando.net
Commissioner Wyman bwyman@cityoforlando.net
Commissioner Stuart Robert.Stuart@cityoforlando.net
Commissioner Sheehan Patty.Sheehan@cityoforlando.net
Commissioner Lynum Daisy.Lynum@cityoforlando.net
Commissioner Ings Samuel.Ings@cityoforlando.net
Mailing addres for all of the City Commissioners:
PO Box 4990
Orlando, FL 32802-4990 more »
School Board Contact Information
by
Mary Jo
on Tue 20 May 2008 08:28 AM EDT
Here are the names, e-mails, and phone numbers of every member on the school board, e-mail these people!!! The ones with stars by their names are the ones who voted AGAINST THIS, send them an e-mail of thanks for their understanding. -District One: Joie Cadel email: cadlej@ocps.net main/cell number: 407-317-3236/407-376-0191 -District Two: Daryl Flynn email: flynnd@ocps.net main/cell number: 407-317-3236/407-832-5017 -District Three: Rick Roach**** email: roachr@ocps.net main/cell number: 407-317-3236/407-376-3939 District Four: Karen Ardamen**** email: ardamak@ocps.net main/cell number: 407-317-3236/407-716-6862 District Five: Kathleen 'Kat' Gordon email: gordonk@ocps.net main/cell number: 407-317-3236/407-716-6861 District Six: Anne Geiger email: geigera@ocps.net main/cell number: 407-317-3236/407-399-1768 District Seven: Jim Martin****... more »
TAKE ACTION! Post from a Community Leader
by
Mary Jo
on Tue 20 May 2008 08:27 AM EDT
As a community member, leader and parent, we have the choice to TAKE ACTION in our democratic system of the right to free speech and the right to assist in the decision making process in our community.
The OCPS School Board HAS NOT LISTENED to the PEOPLE....those who are being affected by this poor choice to save a few bucks!
There are many things YOU can do as a person in the Orange County Community!
WRITE---Letter writing/ email campaigns are LOUD! They have to be documented as per the law...
Use this opportunity to write, not only the ... more »
The Latest as Teens, school officials fight Orange's class-time switch
by
Mary Jo
on Tue 20 May 2008 08:07 AM EDT
OrlandoSentinel.com
The latest as teens, schools official fight Orange's class-time switch
Erika Hobbs
Sentinel Staff Writer
May 16, 2008
Discontent mounted Thursday over Orange County's decision to swap middle-school and high-school schedules this fall.
One School Board member vowed he would try to reverse the School Board's Tuesday night decision, while students started organizing protests, including a Web site devoted to overturning the new schedule that will have middle schools starting first and high schools later.
Wekiva High junior Darrah Phillips said she created a MySpace page called "Voice Against the Choice" so students across the county could have ... more »
Blog From Sentinel --Post Meeting May
by
Mary Jo
on Tue 20 May 2008 08:05 AM EDT
Rick Roach and I shut down the place. I walked out to the parking lot with him and I'm now blogging from my car, listening to a drumline I can't see practice cadences somewhere on campus, because Freedom High is (at least for me) locked up for the night.
I asked Roach why this was so important to him. He is, after all, facing a true ... more »
Kat Gordon's Poor Responce to the previous Student's Letter
by
Mary Jo
on Tue 20 May 2008 08:03 AM EDT
I have received a copy of an email sent to Kat Gordon by a junior at Jones HS, regarding the change in school hours the school board voted to institute next school year. This student raises some extremely valid concerns. I am completely appalled at the response from Mrs. Gordon. Not only does she not address any of the concerns directly, she turns it back onto the students! She, of all people, should be very sensitive to the situation in her community. I will not express my opinion in regard to the decision made by the Orange County School Board, ... more »
A Letter to Kat Gordon from A High School Student
by
Mary Jo
on Tue 20 May 2008 08:02 AM EDT
To: Gordon, Kathleen B.Sent: Thu May 15 17:57:46 2008Subject: Change in School time
Dear Mrs. Gordon, My name is Stevenson Chery and I am a junior at Jones High School. My reason for writing you is to let you know how a lot of students, parents and I feel about the new time that have been set for the 2008-2009 school year. Personally I think we this change will cause a lot of consequences.
Before going any further, I would like to let you know that I am all for the saving the 6 million ... more »
Letter to the School Board from a teacher and parent inthe community
by
Mary Jo
on Tue 20 May 2008 08:00 AM EDT
Please reconsider this option! It is not in the best interests of our children - be they six years old or 16 years old!
- Middle School is a critical time for our children to be supervised, or have supervised activities, after school. A change in start times would put 11-14 years olds back in our neighborhoods by 2:30 in the afternoon - well before working parents are home. Given that not all parents put their children in EDC, are we ready for the results of all that downtime? All that unsupervised "play" time? This is not our parents ... more »
Community Letter from PTA President of Local High School
by
Mary Jo
on Tue 20 May 2008 07:59 AM EDT
To All:
It is way past the time when the OCPS School Board needs to be more accountable to the community. So many of you have asked what to do regarding the school start time change or for more information. Since I have emails from all 4 corners of the county I will set up a separate distribution email list. I will send all info out by blind copy in order to protect your email address. If you do not wish to receive these emails please let me know and I will remove your name from the email list….thank you.... more »
Community Letter From Rick Roach
by
Mary Jo
on Tue 20 May 2008 07:58 AM EDT
Dear Community,
As you are well aware of , the Orange County School Board voted 4-3 to support the Superintendent’s proposal to flip the high school and middle school times for the 2008-09 school year. That meeting was held on May 13.
I was on the losing end of that vote and it is my understanding that I cannot bring the vote back for re-consideration. Only a member of the prevailing side (the 4 votes) can do that. HOWEVER, I can make an attempt at the next scheduled board meeting to persuade one of the members of the ... more »
School-Schedule changes in Orange County spur questions from parents, students
by
Mary Jo
on Tue 20 May 2008 07:57 AM EDT
School-schedule changes in Orange County spur questions from parents, students
Leslie Postal
Sentinel Staff Writer
May 15, 2008
Orange County's School Board voted this week to swap middle- and high-school schedules next year, but now comes the hard part. Administrators have to figure out how to provide more after-school care for middle-school students, how to ensure sports programs don't fall apart and how to reassure anxious parents. In the aftermath of that vote, here are some questions Orange County parents and students are asking:
I'm worried about my middle-schooler waiting for the bus in the early-morning darkness. What's being done ... more »
Irate Orange County parents fight school-scheduel shift to save cash
by
Mary Jo
on Tue 20 May 2008 07:53 AM EDT
OrlandoSentinel.com
Irate Orange County parents fight school-schedule shift to save cash
Irate parents want no part of a bell-schedule swap, urging cutbacks in other areas instead.
Erika Hobbs
Sentinel Staff Writer
May 20, 2008
An angry mob of Orange County parents continued to marshal plans to reverse a controversial bell-schedule swap Monday night while officials in Lake County began to consider similar cost-savings plans.
From dipping into reserve funds to charging students to take Avanced-Placement tests, more than 200 Orange County parents and students offered a litany of budget alternatives.
They demanded that the school district look harder at ... more »
Monday, August 6
END THE GAMES!
by
Mary Jo
on Mon 06 Aug 2007 04:17 PM EDT
End the games
Our position: Orange School Board needs to stop stalling on elected-chairman vote.
It's been a year since the Orange County School Board voted to put the idea of an elected chairman before voters and it has yet to write the ballot language. Think about that for a second. Since the School Board voted Aug. 23, the mayors of Orlando and Orange County championed $1.1 billion in world-class entertainment venues, negotiated the complicated financing plan and won the support of city and county commissioners. That's leadership. The School Board can't even muster the energy to come up with ... more »
Monday, March 26
Letter from Parent in the OCSB district
by
Mary Jo
on Mon 26 Mar 2007 09:42 AM EDT
The March 15, 2007 Orlando Sentinel commentary by Tammy L. Carter article on Hungerford Prep (in the Good Living section) struck a nerve. Here is another situation where the school board is not listening to what the parents and students want. I realize this is a C rated school, but I personally measure schools by more that just FCAT scores.....there are many reputable private and Christian schools that would probably not score an A rating on FCAT, it does not mean the education received is any less desirable. What does rank important to me is how the parents and students feel ... more »
Thursday, March 8
Closing Schools? Never Mind
by
Mary Jo
on Thu 08 Mar 2007 03:57 PM EST
The Orange school district's controversial plan to consider closing or merging nearly two dozen of its smaller elementary schools has been put to rest, at least for now.
Superintendent Ron Blocker announced Monday that closing or combining any of the schools wouldn't help the district shed its old federal desegregation court order. And that had been the point. So he won't recommend the board do anything with the 21 schools, ... more »
Response from School Board Chairperson
by
Mary Jo
on Thu 08 Mar 2007 08:23 AM EST
Thank you for copying me on your update. Just one thing that may need a little clarification, our school board frequently encounters “controversial issues” and I don’t want everyone to think that every time we encounter a controversial issue we will have a community meeting. There simply are not enough hours in the day- depending on what you consider “controversial”.
I think this is very important. If, in the future, the superintendent recommends that we close or merge a school, that recommendation will be made to the board in a public meeting (work session) with supporting data. If at ... more »
Community Schools OPen for Time Being
by
Mary Jo
on Thu 08 Mar 2007 08:06 AM EST
Dear Communities, Thank you for reading all of our email alerts over the last 5 months. We realize that it may have seemed like too much information at times, but our goal was to both info and generate widespread interest and concern about this issue of crucial concern to the well-being of our children and our neighborhoods. Several important decisions were made in the last two days: OCPS Superintendent Ronald Blocker announced at a press conference (a transcript of the entire press conference is available on the savecommunityschools.com website) on Monday, ... more »
Tuesday, March 6
Transcript: OCPS Briefing March 5, 2007
by
Mary Jo
on Tue 06 Mar 2007 03:31 PM EST
OCPS Press Briefing Superintendent Ron Blocker re: small schools merging 03/05/07 It’s very clear that the idea of achieving unitary status has generated quite a bit of interest in the community; in various communities, over the last couple of months, so I thought it would be good if I gave you a sneak preview of what I’m going to be recommending to the Board tomorrow afternoon. The district is seeking relief from a Federal court order for allowing discrimination and inequitable conditions to exist in our schools prior to 1971. To prove to the court that Orange County Public Schools ... more »
Sentinel Reports: School District to Seek Other Options
by
Tom
on Tue 06 Mar 2007 09:41 AM EST
School district to seek other options in desegregation Erika Hobbs
Sentinel Staff WriterMarch 5, 2007, 2:50 PM EST Orange County school officials will not merge several small, inner-city Orlando elementary schools, under a highly controversial plan the district thought last year would propel them toward a release from a federal court order to desegregate its schools. Superintendent Ron Blocker, however, did not rule out the possibility that some of the schools could be closed or consolidated later if other research showed the district could save money by doing so. At a 1 p.m. news conference today, Blocker said that ... more »
OCPS Press Release
by
Tom
on Tue 06 Mar 2007 07:49 AM EST
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE or more information, contact: Dylan Thomas/407.317.3368 March 5, 2007 Schools will not be merged or closed in unitary status solution Orange
County Public Schools Superintendent Ronald Blocker revealed today that
he will not recommend the school board merge or close any schools in
order to satisfy a federal court-imposed desegregation order. Blocker
said, “This was an exercise staff took up with its expert legal counsel
and presented to the school board – in the sunshine - back in October.
We wanted to see if merging small schools could facilitate our filing
for unitary ... more »
Orlando Sentinel Reports on Desegregation:
by
Tom
on Tue 06 Mar 2007 07:46 AM EST
Desegregation oversight may end for schools
Orange nears a deal with the NAACP and could be out from under federal scrutiny within 6 months.Erika Hobbs | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted March 6, 2007
Officials
with Orange County Public Schools said Monday that they are nearing a
deal to end 45 years of federal court supervision over the district's
efforts to overcome its segregated past.
The district is
negotiating with the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People to settle the lawsuit, first filed in the 1960s, that
forced the district to admit blacks and whites to the same ... more »
WFTV reports on School Closures
by
Tom
on Tue 06 Mar 2007 07:25 AM EST
Monday, March 5
March 6 - OSCB School Closure Recommendations Meeting!
by
Tom
on Mon 05 Mar 2007 08:47 AM EST
TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 20077 marks the date for a board workshop on the controversial merging schools topic. Time: 4:30 p.m. Location: It is at the Educational Learning Center (ELC) at 445 W. Amelia in downtown Orlando. The evaluation has been completed and the
superintendent will be bringing a recommendation to the board so it is
CRUCIAL that you come prepared to show your position to SAVE OUR
COMMUNITY SCHOOLS! There is POWER in numbers! We are asking that you come and show your support for your school. Please wear your school's "pride" shirt and come prepared to take notes. The ... more »
Sunday, March 4
Electing Leader Might Get Schools On Track
by
Mary Jo
on Sun 04 Mar 2007 06:33 AM EST
Electing leader might get schools on track
by Scott Maxwell- Orlando Sentinel
Published March 4, 2007
Ask a dozen people to name the top leaders in Central Florida, and few will mention anyone who has anything to do with educating our children. That's not hypothetical. It's real. Each recent year, this column has asked more than a dozen of the most plugged-in and involved observers to rank the region's most effective leaders -- and never has anyone leading Orange County's schools made the cut, even though public education is considered one of the most important issues facing our community. There's ... more »
Friday, February 23
City Council Posts Their Thoughts on OCSB Proposed Ideas
by
Mary Jo
on Fri 23 Feb 2007 05:12 AM EST
Commissioner Patty Sheehan Orlando City Council, District 4February 6, 2007 To Concerned Parents of District 4 Children and The Orange County School Board: I have received many calls and e-mails regarding concerns over the possibility of closing community schools. In light of Superintendent Ron Blocker’s appearance at the Orlando City Council on February 5th, I feel it is imperative that I reiterate my concerns and pledge my support for keeping Orange County elementary schools located within our neighborhoods. Last fall, the School Board heard a staff proposal to close/merger some of the smaller elementary schools. Of the 21 schools ... more »
Wednesday, February 14
Orlando Sentinel Reports on OCPS and Concerns of Parents
by
Tom
on Wed 14 Feb 2007 10:11 AM EST
Orange schools ignore concerns, parents say. When a district and parents clash, the district usually wins -- up to a point, experts say.Erika Hobbs | Orlando Sentinel Staff Writer Posted February 13, 2007 Redrawing school zones can be confusing -- proposed boundaries for the Windermere area create an elementary school filled mostly with white students, send a neighborhood one block down from a new school to an older one miles away, and leave yet another campus half-empty. Parents say that though the Orange County School Board is set to vote on the Windermere plan tonight, district officials could have ... more »
|
|