Tuesday, May 13, 2008

What is our School District's Mission?

My preferred modus operandi is to present an issue and then propose a possible resolution. The objective is not to promote my viewpoint but to encourage others to share theirs. Let the best ideas rise to the top and hope the “powers that be” take action. However, there is one issue regarding our school district which I consider to be the most important, the most urgent, and the least mentioned. Unfortunately, all my ideas are little better than the status quo. My only hope is to spark a public debate that will provide the answer. What is our school district’s mission?

Before continuing, I urge everyone to consider the words of Peter Drucker (1909-2005), the Father of Modern Management. The following is an excerpt from Chapter One in his book, Managing the Non-Profit Organization: Practices and Principles (1990):

The non-profit organization exists to bring about a change in individuals and in society. The first thing to talk about is what missions work and what missions don't work, and how to define the mission. For the ultimate test is not the beauty of the mission statement. The ultimate test is right action. . .

Here is a simple and mundane example - the mission statement of a hospital emergency room: "It's our mission to give assurance to the afflicted." That's simple and clear and direct. Or take the mission of the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.: to help girls grow into proud, self-confident, and self-respecting young women. There is an Episcopal church on the East Coast which defines its mission as making Jesus the head of this church and its chief executive officer. Or the mission of the Salvation Army, which is to make citizens out of the rejected. Arnold of Rugby, the greatest English educator of the nineteenth century, who created the English public school, defined its mission as making gentlemen out of savages.

My favorite mission definition, however, is not that of a non-profit institution, but of a business. It's a definition that changed Sears from a nearbankrupt, struggling mail-order house at the beginning of the century into the world's leading retailer within less than ten years: It's our mission to be the informed and responsible buyer-first for the American farmer, and later for the American family altogether.

Almost every hospital I know says, "Our mission is health care." And that's the wrong definition. The hospital does not take care of health; the hospital takes care of illness. You and I take care of health by not smoking, not drinking too much, going to bed early, watching our weight, and so on. The hospital comes in when health care breaks down. An even more serious failing of this mission is that nobody can tell you what action or behavior follows from saying: "Our mission is health care."

A mission statement has to be operational, otherwise it's just good intentions. A mission statement has to focus on what the institution really tries to do and then do it so that everybody in the organization can say: This is my contribution to the goal. . .

One of our most common mistakes is to make the mission statement into a kind of hero sandwich of good intentions. It has to be simple and clear. As you add new tasks, you de-emphasize and get rid of old ones. You can only do so many things. Look at what we are trying to do in our colleges. The mission statement is confused - we are trying to do fifty different things. It won't work, and that's why the fundamentalist colleges attract so many young people. Their mission is very narrow. You and I may quarrel with it and say it's too narrow, but it's clear.
Now, consider the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District Mission Statement:
To provide every child with the highest quality of instruction, curricula, and services; to treat every child with respect and dignity; to give every child the opportunity to learn and mature, to acquire a thirst for knowledge, to experience the satisfaction of accomplishment, and to anticipate becoming a productive member of a democratic society.
A hero sandwich? This is more like a buffet. These same words could be stamped upon any educational facility from nursery to space camp. Worse, the statement doesn’t even reflect our schools’ objectives. Read the statement again. Our mission is only to “provide” services and give children the “opportunity” to learn. That’s like a library fulfilling its mission even if nobody bothers to read a book.

Allow that mission statement to bounce around your head some more. Our students could be illiterate and we would still have fulfilled our mission of “providing” the best services. After all, if a student chooses not to learn, that’s his or the parents’ fault. Our only responsibility is to give him the “opportunity” to learn. Our entire school district, with over 3,800 students, has only one physics teacher but that’s okay because he gives a good class and students have the opportunity to learn. The fact that few students actually learn physics is not our problem. Nor is there any conflict in having twice as many substance abuse coordinators (4) as we do chemistry teachers (2). Nor does the mission statement differentiate between calculus and bowling.

Any mission statement that does not convey any responsibility to the school staff that children actually learn is not a mission statement. It’s a slogan.

Most of my business involves developing web-based applications. The process is always the same. First determine your goals and then the simplest means to achieve them. Build everything to accommodate the user and the client so that everyone gets what he wants and needs.

So, working backwards and following Peter Drucker’s advice, let’s see if we can craft a mission statement. One caveat – we are not trying to avoid controversy. The people who devised the current mission statement weren’t stupid, they were political. They fashioned a statement that seemed to say everything but actually said nothing and offended nobody.

Step One – What’s the Final Product?

Simple question. We toss our kids into the school system with the barest social skills, a simple vocabulary, and the most basic understanding of their surroundings. Thirteen years later, what do we get back?

Here’s a corollary to the question – Whom do we ask? The students are children, not adults. What role do they play in making decisions that will impact their future? Perhaps we leave that question to the parents to decide?

For me, as a parent, I know what I want for my children – To be happy and healthy and possess the desire and skills to make this world a better place.

By the time my children complete high school, I want them to have mastered three skills – the ability to create, communicate, and analyze. To create – to dream and make it so. To communicate – to share a vision with others. To analyze – to understand a situation in all its complexities, ask the right questions, and develop a method towards solving the problem.

What’s the final product? First, I want my children to be happy and healthy. Though I’m a poor athlete, I love playing sports. (In my circles, we define a bar mitzvah as the age when a Jew realizes he’s more likely to own the team than play on it.) I think it’s a travesty that sports are not considered central to a student’s academic career. Multiple studies have demonstrated that athletics are a significant contributor towards physical, social, and intellectual development. For happy and healthy children, I would ensure they are engaged in athletics.

Next, I want them to be inquisitive, be confident, and have a strong work ethic. For this, I would want them involved in projects where they create something from nothing; to work hard and then relish their achievements.

Next, I want them to master at least two languages, to describe an idea, debate a concept, write a story, or inspire others. They should be reading and writing great works of literature. Learn public speaking and debating.

Lastly, I want them to have the needed analytical skills to recognize problems, understand their intricacies, and solve them. The next generation will face great challenges and make great achievements – political, economic, environmental, and scientific. We should have current event classes where the students are required to investigate, research, and debate the issues. That means we also need to ensure they have the mathematical and scientific underpinnings to understand and evaluate conflicting arguments. I would also require that each student, prior to graduation, produce a “masterpiece” similar to what an apprentice needed to accomplish before being admitted to a guild.

So, having described what I want for my children, what’s the school’s role? What’s the mission?

Step Two – Establish the Limitations of a Mission Statement

The mission statement needs to be simple, clear, memorable, and operational. Every district member should be able to recognize how his role fits into and contributes towards the school district’s mission.

Step Three – Make Suggestions
My ideas are poor but hopefully instructive nevertheless.

To develop productive members of society – Rejected because we could simply teach everyone how to drive a truck.

To teach each student according to his abilities – Rejected because I don’t want the school thinking our students are average and then teach to that level.

To provide our students sufficient skills and knowledge to become whatever they choose – Rejected because people don’t miss what they can’t appreciate – i.e. white truffles, Shakespeare, or calculus.

To produce scholars – Rejected because most people don’t want to become scholars.

To create an environment where students can excel – Rejected for the same reasons we’ve rejected the present mission statement.

To equip each student with the skills and knowledge to succeed at living – Rejected because it’s not simple and clear but I think it’s close and by far the best of my suggestions.

So, let the debate begin for the $63 million challenge – What is our school district’s mission? >>> Read more!

36 comments:

KrisMrsBBradley said...

Hmmmm....


"To encourage each student to work up to and beyond his/her potential."

Not the best suggestion, but includes those who might not have the actual ability to learn two languages, make the team, or take chemistry.

Aberdeener said...

I also had to struggle with a statement that would include students of lower capabilities. Problem is I want teachers to push the students to excel, not "teach to their level."

The other issue is I want teachers to be responsible for the performance of their students. Does "encourage" convey responsibility?

KrisMrsBBradley said...

I see your point about "encourage". I'm not sure that what word would work without looking like they might beat the information into you, though.

Quite frankly, the district has flat out failed many of their special needs children so badly, having a mission statement that makes people think that the district is working to get all children working even to their potential, much less "excel" is ludicrous.

I know of kids in the middle school who can not read and kids who cannot even read their own handwriting.

I guess my point would be that the mission statement could be "MARSD! We shoot gold out of our butts!", but until they actually step up and teach all students, the words don't mean a thing.

Aberdeener said...

Right now, the district's focus is on services, not results, because that's our mission.

How strange that we're having such a hard time defining what a school district should be doing.

KrisMrsBBradley said...

Sadly, the district seems to be failing at both services and results.

Anonymous said...

The unfortunate truth about our school district is that it is APPEARANCE OVER SUBSTANCE that rules the day.

Our leadership has been so concerned with how things look, that the reality and importance of learning, is second to how they are perceived by the public. It is all smoke and mirrors. Let them see that which impresses them, but do not let them ever see behind the closed doors.

The failed test scores and vast amounts of money that have been pumped into this district without any substantive and proven results, is the norm rather than the exception.

The few gains made under the prior administration were ignored by a majority of the voting public. This due to the money provided, by shall we say questionable supportive sources, improper political party support and involvement, as well as an illegal donation scheme that should have had people investigated for serious impropriety and illegal acts of malfeasance. How can a candidate or candidates ask for money from those they are responsible to oversee and manage.
I forget this is the Matawan and Aberdeen school district where accountability and responsibility are merely words in the libraries dictionary.

Now we get to watch our town councils supposedly review and analyze budget cuts, cuts to a defeated budget question as voted on by the taxpayers. One should ask how last year during a municipal election season the cuts to the school budget was over $1,000.000.00, which of course made it into all of the campaign literature in both towns. Why if they could mandate that Bruce Quinn find a $1,000,000.00 in cuts last year, can we not see similar cuts from this years defeated budget proposal. In 2008 we will probably only see a mere $400,000.00 cut or so hammered out by our town leadership.

Too bad it is not an election year ever year. After enough of those election year type cuts maybe we could get a real budget to vote on, without all of the hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars hidden in every nook and cranny, which only get brought back into the school system from the already overly inflated budget.

Remember how much the school budget went up just under Bruce Quinn"s leadership for those few years. I think the number was $15,000,000.00 and that was not only due to salary increases you can be certain.

I once asked a former town manager how much he could cut from a $20,000,000.00 school budget? His answer given without hesitation was $2,000,000.00.

How much is this years budget?

Do not blame the teachers! Blame the administration. We can be sure their seem to be enough of them in our district to blame.

Think about it!

KrisMrsBBradley said...

I absolutely agree -- it's not the teachers failing the children. It's the administration.

I would really be interested in knowing how much the district has paid out to lawyers and court costs over the last few years in suits brought by frustrated parents. I'd also love to know how many of those cases were lost.

Anonymous said...

OPRA Open Public Records Act

All you have to do is fill out the form. Make sure you first ask for the total legal bills for the district for lawsuits from parents suing the school system first.

In this day and age if they tell you it takes a lot to find such information you can be sure that is merely on a computer disc somewhere within the district. Do not let them BS you either. Let them try to tell you it will take weeks. Look up the OPRA act as adopted by NJ and it should give you the time frames they have to work under. They hate it when you know what they have to provide. Employee records as to personnel are somewhat restricted, but most everything else is fair game.

Start with Joel Glastein's office or Dr. O'Malley. Joel seems to hold all of the cards and knows where the truth lies. You can be damn sure Joel does not want to tell you though. The tougher they make it on you the more questions you ask.

Then start with vendors lists and see who gets the most then donates the most. It will get very interesting. And you can be sure of one thing, they will not make it easy. By the way you can also make an appointment to look at all of the lists and lawsuits in their files. It depends on how much time you have.

Anonymous said...

This is to "mrsb"` who wonders how many parents sued the district and what happened. Nothing. We sued the district so that our special need's child could get a "free and appropriate education" and by the time our legal bill reached $20,000we withdrew because we realized the district had all the money they needed at their disposal to fight not help. Another words, the district would rather spend $100,000 in legal fees than give my child an education.

I'm still too emotional to even describe all the awful things this district did to us. We didn't have $20,000 to burn. We could've used that for a private tutor. We had no idea the amount of corruption and ignorance. What we learned is that even if my daughter had been classified as a result of the suit, MARSD is not qualified to educate her anyway. And this was a very expensive lesson at my child's expense.

Currently the district is noncompliant under IDEA and Section 504. They know it and they don't care. It's business as usual for them. They laugh at parents who engage in due process.

Out of curiosity, I did request a copy of the district's legal bill in our lawsuit and it was a pittance ($1800) of what it cost us. There may have been other hidden fees that I didn't understand. Perhaps the school's lawyers get an annual stipend to represent them so it's really hard to know exactly how much they spent. Remember that's your tax dollar at work.



And by the way, our teachers are falling our children as well.

KrisMrsBBradley said...

I've heard many stories like this over the past few years. It's a shame.

I do believe that some teachers feel that their hands are tied, especially those without tenure. I know of one young teacher who dared stand up for her students and was not asked back the next school year.

I've asked teachers direct questions that they would flat out not answer for fear of giving me the "wrong" answer without consulting the CST first.

It all basically goes back to the same person here. Nothing will change for this population of the district until "She Who Must Not Be Named" steps down or retires.

Anonymous said...

Nsectionjoe the answer to your question is $64,000,000.00. That is the Matawan-Aberdeen School Budget for 2008-2009. Unbeleivable as it may seem to be for a price paid for what our students are provided.

Our students could almost go to Rutgers for that amount of money.

Then again Rutgers is no different than the Matawan-Aberdeen School District, when they too spend millions on a football construction project, rather than on the education of students. PRIORITIES!

Like nsectionjoe said it truly is appearance over substance that matters to these administrators.

Anonymous said...

Who is "She who must not be named?" Please let us know. At least with correct information as to what is going on, we might begin to fight and make changes.

Anonymous said...

Taking chemistry is not an option; when I went to school it was a requirement. So in my opinion standards must be rock bottom if it's not a core subject. This school district is highly reminiscent of Heller's "Catch 22". There are nonsensical excuses to why we can't have perfectly reasonable things peppered with "No child left behind" & "zero tolerance".

In other countries children are taught 2 languages - and it is a natural ability that is nurtured at a young age. Unlike here where our district's idea of teaching a foreign laguage is sticking a kid in front of a television. Don't even get me started on music. My kid watched the same Beethoven documentary THREE times in one year. Don't see how that is going to help the kids learn music theory - but hey, it keeps them quiet right?

Aberdeener said...

Putting finances aside, for the moment, what do we want after thirteen years of education?

I would like to require graduating students to have passed at least one advanced class in each of the following: English, Math, Science, Foreign Language, and Music/Art. Additionally, I would like a "masterpiece" project, which could be virtually anything that displays academic achievement.

Regarding Special Education, I'm not well-versed in the subject but I wonder if we could use technology and parental training as the foundation and then supplement that with home visits by the teachers. Wouldn't work for everybody but I believe it would work for many.

Lastly, we still need to define the school's role before we lambaste the staff for not doing their jobs.

KrisMrsBBradley said...

Believe me when I say that parent training is not, generally a problem. I'm as well versed in programs, assistive technology, differentiated learning as most mainstream teachers. I believe the majority of the special ed community is. More likely to be assigned to home visits are the Child Study Team members. Believe me again when I say that few parents are going to be willing to let these people in their homes.

Newer, more appropriate technology would be an incredible addition to the special ed area. Unfortunately, this 10% of the school population is not high on the list for "extras" spending. Now if one of the kids played football....

Anonymous said...

While I do not have any kids categorized as special ed, and I can not comment on that section of the population; believe me when I say it is not only the 10% of special ed kids that are not getting a proper education.

My child takes both honors, merit and regular classes. There is a major difference in the way teachers approach a class depending on the level. Kids in honors are taught the way ALL kids should be taught. TEACH WELL AND EXPECT A HIGH LEVEL OF WORK FROM THE KIDS. But once a teacher goes to teach a regular class, or merit class for that matter, the standards are dropped tremendously.
My child has friends in all levels of education, and sometimes the same teacher. They themselves see such a difference in the level of work and LEVEL OF EXPECTATION.

This school district expects the children in the regular classes to be "dumb", and that is so wrong. It is my experience and opinion, that when a child is capable to take some honors classes it is usually because they enjoy the subject, and they certainly proved they have the capabilities. So why are we lowering the standards so much for the same child in their merit or regular classes? We know the same child's capabilities can't vary that much from subject to subject, it's probably more a preference of subject matter.

Why aren't we pushing the kids harder in all classes to raise them to the next level? Why are we only pushing the kids in the honors classes to achieve?

Aberdeener said...

MrsB,

I think you've just given me a Eureka! moment.

We've been completely focused on a school's responsibility to the students but its primary responsibility is to the parents.

Under law, schools are required to act "in loco parentis", in the place of the parent. Historically and culturally, schools acted as surrogates for the parents who were too busy or unable to teach their own children. Even today, everyone acknowledges that the primary obligation for educating children rests upon the parents.

Therefore, I would argue that a school's mission is to empower the parents to properly educate their children.

How about this for a mission statement: To empower parents to determine the best education for their children.

I like it. I really, really, like it.

KrisMrsBBradley said...

That would be a great mission statement! I think every parent should know what their child is learning, supplement that at home in ways that make it fun to learn. Too many people expect the school to be the only source of learning (or pack on too many structured learning experiences that suck the fun right out-kids learn when they are enjoying a subject!). I've actually heard parents complain that they shouldn't have to help with homework, because teaching is the teachers job, not theirs.

Parents have to be involved. Empowering them to be a part of their child's education would be an amazing step for the district.

Anonymous said...

This school district has taken away all the rights of the parents to have any say in our kids education. Yes, the mission statement should be for the "parents to be able to determine the best education for their individual child". I would also like to see a statement that includes (as mrsb suggested), "encourage students to work up to and beyond his/her potential".

I've wanted my child to be challenged much more than the current curriculum for many years, and I've been ignored by teachers, administrators, and BOE members that I've spoken to as well. Unfortunately, I don't see the current board leadership having any desire to change anything about the mission statement. It is going to take a very strong action on the part of the parents if anything is to change. After all, for how many years now has the current BOE leadership and administrators told us how great our shools are. Only in the past few years since standard test scores needed to be released and made public are people finally starting to see the true facts about this district.

Maybe there is a lesson to be learned from European countries, that far SURPASS us in PUBLIC EDUCATION. In these countries, the money (for education) followes the child. The schools know if they don't perform (to the parents expectations), they will lose the child to another school and lose the money as well. Again, these are PUBLIC schools in Europe.
The same goes on here in the US for any private school, the administrators know if they don't do their jobs, the parents will pull the students from the schools.

We as parents have to insist we have a stronger voice and role in our childerns education.

Anonymous said...

I just dont understand some people who write on here. I do agree that there are a lot of things that could be better handled by our district and i think the money question should be investigated - an itemized bill so to speak as to what is paid by our district.
But here is where I dont get some people on here - STOP WRITING AS MUCH AND GET INVOLVED !!!
1. Parents all the time argue about how their child is handled. You would be surprised how many parents say "not my child". No medication for them or NO SPEC. ED. classes= when their kids probably need it.

2. The state has a bigger say than you think as to what our Spec. Ed. Dept says and does - if their instruction plans of action are not held up - the parents can sue.

2A. Our district must pay for any child who must be removed from the general population and placed in another alternative school. These are only extreme cases - mostly in the middle school or HS. This happens in ALL school districts in our area. The district must pay for them and transportation - it is law. These include many types of students - not throw aways.

3. I do not think the football comment is fair - our district is pretty fair to all our students - athletes, scholars, musicians, actors, etc. - maybe if you went to the HS MAMS and looked around at the accolades you might know that. We have kids going to some of the best schools in the nation - EVERY YEAR - check the records on that. Some one wrote a blog or two back about how the grades are basically made up and sugar coated - well if that was true - our district is fooling some of those major college institutions as well - so they are wrong too? WE ARE NOT BEING FAIR to our schools here......

4. How do you know how teachers instruct or to what level? Have any of us gone to college for education? or taken multi level education courses? differentiated learning styles ? How do we know what is best for out kids IN THE CLASSROOM? if we have SO little faith in our teachers and administration that EVERY move is questioned than we have much bigger problems than a MISSION STATEMENT.

5. Let us be fair again - this area is not SHANGLILAH.... many schools have THE SAME EXACT PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE AND MORE!! check it out.... I mean having ALL STUDENTS take an advanced placement class is just unrealistic so is learning 2 languages for every child. Yes some children cannot read or write clearly and that COMES FROM A LOT OF SOURCES - mind, intellect, maturity, parenting, comprehension, and educators..... IT IS CALLED A DISABILITY and kids all over the U.S. have it and it has een around for centuries.... be fair.

I DO LIKE THAT MANY OF YOU ARE WRITING BUT LIKE THE ABERDEENER HAS SAID ... WHERE ARE YOU AT BOE MEETINGS OR ELECTIONS?? WHERE ARE YOU ARE TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGS? WHERE ARE YOU AT PTO MEETINGS? HOW MUCH CONTACT DO YOU REALLY HAVE WITH YOUR CLILD'S TEACHER? DO YOU GO TO ALL SCHOOL EVENTS MEANT FOR PARENTS? i do not think we could say yes to all of those questions = so in reality we ALL have a way to go to make this district better - ALL PARENTS ARE NOT THE SAME as evident by our children in our schools.

Anonymous said...

OH PLEASE, SO NOW WE'RE TO BELIEVE THAT IF THE SCHOOL IS NOT EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN PROPERLY, IT IS CALL A "DISABILITY". NO, I CALL THAT AN EXCUSE!

Less than 10% of the kids in this school district, are categorized with disabilities. That includes ALL disabilities, NOT ONLY learning disabilities. If what you say were the truth, than why are 30% of our high school students BELOW proficient in math!

By the way, my child just received the results from this year's NJPASS. My child IS in the range called "ADVANCED PROFICIENT", MY child only received 56% of the possible points correct, and THAT is considered advanced proficient by the state of NJ. HOW PATHETIC!

And our school district can't even teach kids to achieve the level of "PROFICIENT"?

STOP THE EXCUSES!

KrisMrsBBradley said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Read what i was talkig about. A comment talked about kids in the middle school who could not read or write correctly.... I wrote that some kids have disabilities which include reading and writing. THAT IS NOT AN EXCUSE !! It is an educational diagnosis with some kids..... thank God your kid does not have that problem -- would you call it an excuse then?

And my other point was that the state is to blame for a lot of problems........

Maybe you have a reading disability?

Anonymous said...

No, I don't have a reading disability, just MUCH HIGHER STANDARDS!

Anonymous said...

One more thing, from what I did read above, it doesn't sound like the parents of the Special Ed children are happy with the education their children are receiving either.

My statements are concerning the 90% of the children in this district that are not in the category of special education.

I have too much respect for children, and their capabilities, not to hold them to higher standards.

KrisMrsBBradley said...

A child with a disability should not be forgotten when it comes to reading or writing. If the district respects their abilities enough to include them in the mainstream school population, they should work harder to assure that they are working to the best of their abilities. The kids I am talking about, who I have experience with, are children who, with the right tools, would be able to read and write -- but are not receiving services that are appropriate for their particular disability. This usually happens because there are not enough teachers/service providers of that particular service to go around. One Occupation Therapist for a school district of almost 4000 children? How can she possibly, no matter how good she is, be affective for any of those children?

I am extremely involved with all my children's schools, their activities, and the community. I vote at every election. And, quite frankly, you don't have to show up at every BOE meeting to know what is going on, you can watch it on the Huskie Channel. And I watch the BOE meetings on the Huskie channel. I stopped going to the BOE meetings during the last superintendents reign, when I figured out that most of the BOE members were stuck in his pocket (a nicer phrase than I had originally planned). I was almost excited when it looked like we might have a new super and enough new members to actually get something done, but after the last vote, it seems to be back to the same-old-same-old. We'll see.

As for my education, I am 5 credits away from a early education degree. Can you say the same, anonymous? Yes, I know all about differentiated teaching styles (which really doesn't apply to our district, does it? With it's separate enrichment program, LLD classes, and traveling resource room at MAMS).

And no, I don't blame the teachers, for the most part. I don't completely blame the CST. There are some of them that have shown, over and over, a dedication to the education of the children. I blame the administration who ties their hands. Who seemingly instructs them to work to the budget, not to the kid's needs. Who often seems to want these kids just to go away.

I blame the old guard of the district who stood up in front of the executive PTO members and gave enough information about a classified student for everyone to know who the child was and gave personal information about the fact that the child was on medication -- and the board member who stood up and said "isn't there a way that we can monitor those children's medications?"

If you don't personally have a child in this district with a disability, don't even dare speak for them or for their parents. You have no idea the dedication, time, effort and money we go through to guarantee our kids get even half a chance at a decent education. I don't care if you area board member coming in and stirring the pot anonymously.

Anonymous said...

To the last blogger- you better take a few more education classes. Even instruction in Enrichment classes needs to be differentiated.You think all kids in homogeneous classes have the same abilities? I think you still have a lot to learn.

KrisMrsBBradley said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
KrisMrsBBradley said...

"Between a fellow who is stupid and honest and one who is smart and crooked, I will take the first. I won’t get much out of him, but with that other guy I can’t keep what I’ve got."
-Gen Lewis B Hershey

Anonymous said...

to mrsb

Does that make you honestly stupid?

KrisMrsBBradley said...

It makes me want better for my child and all the children in the district. I take part in this blog for the same reason I do my part in the community. To try and do something to make the Matawan/Aberdeen area just a little bit better for my having lived here.

I don't know how this became a pissing contest, but you can win. I'm done addressing anything else here. I want to take part in discussions about the towns, not become embroiled in name calling or personal attacks.

Anonymous said...

Mrsb than stick to the topics and stop commenting on other blogger comments and/or mis-spellings.

billbradley73 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
KrisMrsBBradley said...

I made one comment, to one person. I have not repeatedly personally attacked anyone. I have apologized to the person I made the comment to.

From here on out, I will not be dragged into arguments of a personal nature.

Anonymous said...

Gee Mrsb,

I thought you were going to stop pissing.

KrisMrsBBradley said...

That post wasn't meant to be "pissy". I was just trying to enforce the fact that I do not wish to get involved in personal arguments.

I've apologized for my previous comment, it seemed to be accepted by the person I made it to, and I'm hoping that everyone can let the "grammar police" issue die and keep on with the blog's real intentions without poking me continually about it.