Monthly Archives: March 2018
Parents not pleased with Region 1 Reply
Group takes aim at high school’s new grading system
Parents not pleased with Region 1
BY RUTH EPSTEIN
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
FALLS VILLAGE — Upset with the grading system initiated this school year at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, and feeling their concerns are not being heard by the Region 1 school board and administration, a group of parents has scheduled a meeting for April 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Center on Main, 103 Main St. Denise Cohn of Falls Village said she and four other parents are organizing the meeting to allow those discontented with the grading system to air their thoughts. It is open to parents, students and anyone else interested in attending.
Full story at
Denise Cohn of Falls Village, a parent of a Housatonic Valley Regional High School student, speaks during a recent Region 1 Board of Education meeting in Falls Village. She and four others are organizing an April 4 meeting to discuss the controversial new grading system.
REGION ONE COMMUNITY MEETING APRIL 4 AT 6:30 PM AT THE CENTER ON MAIN IN FALLS VILLAGE 1
New Fairfield one year later…. Reply
HOUSY COMMUNITY – parents, students, teachers and community members. PLEASE TAKE TWO MINUTES AND COMPLETE THIS SURVEY (this is NOT being presented by the administration, but by concerned parents and taxpayers) Reply
HOUSY COMMUNITY – parents, students, teachers and community members. PLEASE TAKE TWO MINUTES AND COMPLETE THIS SURVEY. It is completely anonymous unless you choose to enter your email address. The results will be gathered and shared with all, including the school and Board. It asks the questions no one else will ask – Real data,honest answers. And please share on your page, we hope to get at least 100 participants.PLEASE BE HEARD – ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS TODAY. (you can only complete it once).
Please click on the link below to participate!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3JNV7TK
Here we go again! Evidently the number of kids with 2 or more NYPs is “large” in Housy’s vicious cycle of chaos. 4
Here we go again! Evidently the number of kids with 2 or more NYPs is “large” in this vicious cycle of chaos. See the note below from the High School!
From: Ian Strever <istrever@hvrhs.org>
Date: Tue, Mar 20, 2018 at 4:16 PM
Subject: Step Two Notice as of 3/20/18
Dear Students and Parents,
As we explained recently, every fifteen school days, we are monitoring the progress of our students toward being proficient in courses, and today was the end of the second reporting term of the third marking period.
As of today, you have more than two NYPs for the third quarter, and are being placed on Step Two. This means that you must demonstrate your efforts to become proficient in order to maintain your eligibility for sports and extracurricular activities.
You can do this by keeping a Progress Report (see below) with you that must be signed by teachers to vouch for the fact that you spent at least four hours of time with them in Flex, Open Table, or some other time to work on learning the material.
Again, the purpose of this is to make sure that you are learning material and putting in the necessary effort to stay on top of your learning. We want everyone to be successful, and we need you to complete this responsibility in order to help us help you.
Please see your PLP teacher or come to the APO if you need a paper copy of the report, and you will submit it to themon or before April 11, when we review grades again. If you have resolved your NYPs at that time, you will no longer be on Step Two, but if you do not demonstrate effort on your Progress Report, you may move to Step Three, which would make you ineligible to compete in athletics and extracurricular programs, and could involve changes to your schedule to address the problem.
Please contact me directly with any questions you have about the procedures or with any questions or suggestions.
Sincerely,
~ Mr. Strever
GRADING POLICY UNDER FIRE Kent parents express frustration at end of board meeting 3
GRADING POLICY UNDER FIRE
Kent parents express frustration at end of board meeting
BY LYNN MELLIS WORTHINGTON
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
KENT — A group of Kent Center School parents waited two-and-a-half hours to express their anger and frustration to the Kent Board of Education on Monday evening about the Region 1 school district’s new grading policy.
The group of 10 parents and community members had to wait until the end of Monday night’s board meeting for the public comment portion. A group of teachers also attended.
Parent Melissa Woodin said she has watched her daughter struggle this year because of the policy, which, among other things, replaced Ds and Fs with NYPs (not yet proficient).
http://republicanamerican.ct.newsmemory.com/publink.php?shareid=4162ed386
We Miss Him More Than Ever Reply
Jack Mahoney would have been 80 today…we miss him more than ever…. 🙁
A note from Patrick Bower 2
From Patrick Bower
Some advice and watch outs on Dr. Roy — the dirty dozen …
1. Look for budgetary deceptions – the board of finance uncovered mini “slush” funds in payroll accounts used to fund her pet projects. Nothing illegal – just mucho deceptive.
2. Follow submissions to the State from special education parents – most of original complainants of Roy’s were NF SPED parents.
3. Look for misguided and unproven focus on technology at the expense of core learning values and systems
4. Observe and capture examples of glaring lack of empathy to parents and students
5. Keep an eye out for vastly inappropriate, social immature comments (such as the Olive branch with ears)
6. Look for fake CABE awards – there are a number of self-nominated awards that CABE offers each year. These are fake awards – meant to burnish her resume but do not lead to student achievement.
7. Track all measurement of student performance. All of the “awards” in NF only meant declining scores.
8. Observe staff pandering. She will reward her loyal toadies with dept chairs, team leadership roles, etc.
9. Watch her focus on the physical infrastructure before student achievement – scores have declined in NF – but the building are looking pretty good.
10. Look for vague mission statements – instead of saying “we want to be a school of distinction” you will get blah blah blahtity blah.
11. Watch for political machinations – either dividing the BOE, or aligning herself to political leaders in town (or both)
12. Hold her accountable to teacher surveys – most businesses do 360 degree appraisals – listen to your teachers – they will let you know fairly quick when she turns into a stinker.
A note to North Canaan from New Fairfield Reply
As one of the advocates for a better school system in NF – I suggest strongly that you read news accounts and ask anyone you know in NF about Dr. Roy. Her narrative about the vote of no confidence from the teachers – rings deceptive – and I note a group of parents were asking for her removal before the teachers voted no confidence. NF scores have trended down during her tenure. SPED parents were treated poorly, there was budgetary deception, and handfuls of fake self nominated awards. (from CABE and others). I think people learn and improve over time, and deserve a chance to reinvent themselves elsewhere – but you cannot grow if you are not honest about the circumstances that got you where you are …. do your homework folks and ask her tough questions.