Decision to keep Gilbert Jr. High open pleases school community

9 comments:

• LiveInGilbert posted at 2:38 pm on Fri, Feb 1, 2013.

  Posts: 139

  And the title is very misleading - I would say the community is divided at best on this decision and my opinion is that only a small minority portion of the community is "pleased." Despite kudall's comments that this is an accurate, fact-based article - think that is only true in the fact that it accurately and factually states the comments of her, some children and parents of GJHS and Lilli Tram ... period.

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• LiveInGilbert posted at 2:05 pm on Fri, Feb 1, 2013.

  Posts: 139

  Dont worry - the new Board is cleaning house, albeit inadvertently and in a way that will damage the district, because any employee with an ability to move somewhere else is going to do so and do it quickly to escape what is happening in the GPS district. I am sure Mesa, Chandler, Tempe and other district administrators will be more than happy to skim the cream of the crop out of the District and are glad to see the madness that has enveloped GPS.

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• Happy Gilbertian posted at 3:30 pm on Mon, Jan 28, 2013.

  Posts: 3

  Mathteach you have nailed it on the head! GPS neads to be cleaned out of their Administration! They have ALL lost touch with what is important..THE KIDS! They have all lost touch with how to treat the employees! From an employee stand point, GPS is the bottom of the barrel anymore. Employee use to be proud of GPS. Employees now are looking for new employment. There are so many things the news or public has not heard and it is sad that certain people get away with certain things, not because they are doing the "right" things because they are "yes" men for CERTAIN administrators!
  I hope the new board CLEANS HOUSE! Get people in there that want to go good not pat each other on the back!

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• mathteach posted at 3:42 pm on Sun, Jan 27, 2013.

  Posts: 7

  The next item that needs to be addressed by the board is replacing Dr. Allison. He is CLEARLY out of touch with the community and the needs of ALL Gilbert students and parents. When one campus, with a very small number of students that has a dismal retention rate, is dictating the district monetary focus then it's time to overhaul those in charge. The board was the first step. The superintendency needs to be the second.

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• delluser posted at 8:57 am on Sun, Jan 27, 2013.

  Posts: 10

  This sends a message to Dr. Allison the rubberstamp board is no longer in place

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• kudall posted at 10:53 am on Sat, Jan 26, 2013.

  Posts: 1

  The fact is that the former school board broke the law and the current board corrected that by rescinding the vote from Oct. 2. The current capacity of the schools in Gilbert based on enrollment on January 8, 2013 is 95% in our elementary schools, 93% in our junior high schools and 102% in our high schools. The boundaries in the GPS district are a mess and should be fixed prior to looking at closing any school. Additionally, facts and data must be obtained before looking to expand a school. The program may be amazing for some students but the fact is that the retention is less than 50% over the 5 years they have been opened and it costs more to educate a student there than another campus which means that the community is paying more to educate a select few. The district should have asked for much more evaluation and data prior to this decision, and the current board, by establishing a committee to evaluate the strategic plan action items, made a difficult but right decision for the entire GPS district.

  Thank you, Michelle Reese, for writing an accurate fact based article.
  

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• soricobob posted at 6:03 am on Sat, Jan 26, 2013.

  Posts: 680

  Attention school districts! Attention! Anytime the enrollment is down, the Charter Schools are taking too many, announce you're going to close a school. Get a few shills to rally the parents, have a meeting, and "give in to their wishes". Nicely done.

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• KellyTownsend posted at 4:06 am on Sat, Jan 26, 2013.

  Posts: 4

  I am quite pleased with the decision to rescind the vote to close Gilbert Junior High. The abrupt notification to the parents and schools not only was terribly divisive in the community, it was arguably unlawful as well. As I said in an earlier board meeting, I am 100% certain this new Board will conduct itself within the A.R.S. parameters, as well as involve the community going forward. Regardless if the new Board chooses the exact same outcome, because it will be done lawfully this time, it will restore Gilbert's long-time tradition of family and integrity. Sometimes doing the right thing is difficult, but we do it nonetheless.

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• Ivanna posted at 7:36 pm on Fri, Jan 25, 2013.

  Posts: 7

  The height of stupidity for Dr. Allison to think he can give a school and its community 2 weeks notice before he tries close it and that everything will go smoothly. Anybody can imagine that that would be a disaster. However, it is equally hilarious that the new "tea-party" school board thinks that keeping underutilized schools open is somehow fiscally responsible. You don't need a math degree to figure out that GPS does not have the numbers to support keeping 6 junior highs open. Therefore, one should be closed thereby potentially opening space for an expanded GCA. Mesa has closed several schools because they have seen the writing on the wall, but they did so without all the meltdowns that happen in right-wing Gilbert....strange.

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