Public schools still among best choices for many East Valley families

7 comments:

• downtownresident posted at 10:32 am on Wed, Jan 30, 2013.

  Posts: 769

  I have three kids in MPS system. I think it is a good school system.
  My concern is that for profit, and even "non-profit", charter schools are diverting money that does not go toward the child's education and that many people and even some STATE LEGISLATORS are using as cash cows at the expanse of the children.
  I like MPS!

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• LiveInGilbert posted at 11:07 am on Wed, Jan 30, 2013.

  Posts: 137

  Watch out Gilbert - your excelling "A" district is about to come crashing down thanks to the newly elected members of the GPS board. Despite being a top district in the state and having a promising future, the new board seems intent on settling for mediocrity at best...rescinding a vote to close the district's only "C" junior high and thus limiting growth for the highly successful Gilbert Classical Academy. Now looking at their first action being firing of the Superintendant. So now we'll see - this group campaigned on GPS being wasteful and having enough funding and voting down the override - and transparency. Now they are "restudying" the closure, diverting funds for the Board to have their own legal counsel, and passing resolutions that limit distribution of Board emails to those in the Administration. The divide is big and growing - and a lack of professionalism by certain members of the Board (go see their postings on the "Gilbert Rabid Fringe" Facebook page), their inability to function in their first several meetings and what looks to be a total removal from reality on what the Gilbert Public Schools need is leading to a disaster - and it's a true shame. Get smart and get involved Gilbert - it's your community and your children.

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• GilbertMom01 posted at 12:11 pm on Wed, Jan 30, 2013.

  Posts: 4

  I would hardly call Gilbert Classical Academy's retention rate of under 50% "highly successful". It also costs more to educate a child at GCA than children at other district schools. You cannot argue that GCA's test scores are higher than other schools, but their special education population is around .02%. By comparison, Gilbert Junior High School has over 20% of it's population enrolled in some sort of special education program. Please stick with the facts and instead of criticizing our new board members, by all means, get involved with the process. But, please, only do so if you have the best intentions of ALL students who attend Gilbert Public Schools at heart. Because, isn't the purpose of public education to serve everyone?

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• chuckles3 posted at 12:40 pm on Wed, Jan 30, 2013.

  Posts: 276

  Ha ha. More hate for Charter schools from EVT and lib parents. If you like public schools, use them. Please give be 'pro-choice' and let me choose charter schools for my kids. If my charter school of choice is a "cash cow" for someone, I am certainly getting my money's worth based on the RESULTS. Not the INTENTIONS.

  Learn the difference. Repeat after me, INTENTIONS are no substitute for RESULTS.

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• Leon Ceniceros posted at 1:23 pm on Wed, Jan 30, 2013.

  Posts: 2544

  If the Letter Writer wants her kids to speak Spanish, then she should teach them Spanish at home. Our schools barely have the time for students to learn their required subjects in ....ENGLISH. This is the United States of America...not Mexico, not Guatamala, not Honduras and not El Salvador. Our Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights and US Code of Laws are in English not Spanish.

  Just look at the students and faculty of a Charter School to see the difference in the Educational Environment. Charter School teachers dressed in a business-like fashion. Charter School students in uniforms with...."normal"...haircuts and hairstyles. No teachers or students in Charter Schools with neon green, neon orange, neon red or neon purple dyed hair, corn-rows, Afro's, spikes or mohawks.
  No smoking, gang-signs, bullying or cursing after school which, sadly, is the norm at our Local Public Schools.
  Catholic schools used to be the alternative to Public Schools when I was going to grammer school but now most families just don't have the time or money needed meet all the requirements of these schools.

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• Mike McClellan posted at 4:21 pm on Wed, Jan 30, 2013.

  Posts: 784

  Leon, Leon, Leon.

  Your fantasy of charter school kids as uniformed, well-behaved little munchkins is a bit -- as per usual with you -- out of touch.

  Yep, there are charter schools like that.

  But why don't you cruise along Lindsay Road, just north of Southern, and watch the kids from the Sun Valley High Charter School pour out of class. And note the Mesa Police Department's cars around the school on a regular basis.

  In fact, why don't you check out any of the Leona Group's "alternative" charter schools, and then get back to us.

  By the way, if you DID go to Catholic schools, then the Sisters should've nailed you for spelling "grammer" instead of "grammar."

  Not too late, though, Leon. Maybe you can take a refresher course at Sun Valley.

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• LiveInGilbert posted at 12:06 pm on Fri, Feb 1, 2013.

  Posts: 137

  Hey Gilbert mom - you and the fringe seem to only utilize the facts you want to use to support your arguments and the school, such as HJHS, that you want to support your school or causes- not ALL of the Gilbert students. Looking at only one factor like retention rate - which in the case of GCA could be misleading since it goes through HS unlike the other junior highs - I don't really know but probably a fact you might want to look into and compare it to other similar programs around the state or country - apples to apples comparison. My guess is GJHS is has a higher special education population since the school has what is needed when the district looks to house programs - space, since it is the most underutilized GJH in terms of population - my guess is many/most brought in from outside of the school boundaries. I understand this is how the district looks to optimize these programs and spaces at schools across the district. And isn't GJHS the only "C" rated JH in the district - how many families with junior high age children have boundary exemptions to LEAVE and go elsewhere - that is another fact that should be part of the discussion - versus how many boundary exemptions coming in to GJHS? Unlike what you and the fringe group commentators may think, I am not a GCA parent (never have been, never will be) nor a HJHS parent (again- never have been, never will be) nor a former board member nor a teacher or principal in the district - just a concerned parent and taxpayer in Gilbert that wants NO special interest group get in the way of what is best for ALL of our children. As far as criticizing board members/performance and Administration - it certainly seems fair game for you and the fringe group to do when it's in your interest - so don't preach to others what you don't practice. I will certainly continue to be involved and ensure all of our elected officials uphold their responsibilities to the ENTIRE community, not just special interest groups.

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