Susie Shields comment-69368 2012-06-12T20:42:31Z 2012-06-12T20:42:31Z My kids are thrilled that IHOP is here. We drive out to Arden or Florin for their pancake fix. I think they'll do fine. Susie Shields 2012-06-12T20:42:31Z Susie Shields comment-69038 2012-06-06T05:19:51Z 2012-06-06T05:19:51Z Love ya, Rhonda! You ALWAYS get a thumbs-up from me. Your passion and community awareness are inspirational. Keep on keepin' on :) Susie Shields 2012-06-06T05:19:51Z Susie Shields comment-69021 2012-06-05T23:13:31Z 2012-06-05T23:13:31Z Evak- I don't know who you are, but I like you! Susie Shields 2012-06-05T23:13:31Z Susie Shields comment-68923 2012-06-04T16:44:06Z 2012-06-04T16:44:06Z What a great location! You can definitely market to the after-school crowd. Sutter Middle school has 1400 students who all probably LOVE ice cream. Good luck - we'll visit after school sometime :) Susie Shields 2012-06-04T16:44:06Z Susie Shields comment-62810 2012-01-27T18:38:40Z 2012-01-27T18:38:40Z Rhys is just stating facts. Of the 800 kids who attend St. HOPE, only 124 live in the 95817 zip code. It's a fact that the majority of Oak Park students go to either McClatchy or Johnson. Susie Shields 2012-01-27T18:38:40Z Susie Shields comment-61228 2011-12-11T02:51:54Z 2011-12-11T02:51:54Z I think you may have the newly elected president of the board, Diana Rodriguez mixed up with Ellyne Bell. If I recall correctly, Ms. Rodriguez spoke and Ms. Bell did not weigh in on the issue. Not sure though... Susie Shields 2011-12-11T02:51:54Z Susie Shields comment-61149 2011-12-09T17:55:09Z 2011-12-09T17:55:09Z "Most people drive by and say to themselves, "My kid is NOT going there" because they see so many minorities." Gonzo, it is very unfortunate that you have such a narrow way of thinking. For your information, for the first 5 years of its operation, St. HOPE had on its website, "our focus is on low-income, minority students". After I mentioned that statement at a board meeting and in the paper, people called me racist. All I was saying was that it was an exclusive statement and people were getting a particular message. Message received loud and clear - St. HOPE got what it wanted - a minority-focused school. They were the ones focusing on race, and it was wrong. In a December board meeting, the district directed St. HOPE to market their school in a more inclusive and legal way. That divisive statement was then removed from the website. The former Sac High had 146 years of history of eduacating all students. It was the most racially and socioeconomically balanced school in the district when it was closed. Why would 146 years of diversity disappear overnight? The lack of diversity is directly related to St. HOPE's previous marketing strategy and their continued assertions that their lack of diversity is because others are bigots (that doesn't encourage people to feel welcome there, by the way) - when in reality, St. HOPE got what they wanted all along. Susie Shields 2011-12-09T17:55:09Z Susie Shields comment-61069 2011-12-08T04:37:09Z 2011-12-08T04:37:09Z MBD, I do have children. They are not high school-aged yet. I'm looking toward the future and what is best for the district in the long-run. I believe in community schools and I support educating every single child irregardless if they are going to college or not. I believe it is our civic duty to make sure every child gets a decent education. That's just what I believe and I fight for what I believe in. There's no hidden agenda. In my opinion, it's just the right thing to do. As you can see from many of these comments, many people aren't concerned with everyone and that frightens me to death. It's sad. See Disciple's comment to see what I mean. Susie Shields 2011-12-08T04:37:09Z Susie Shields comment-61058 2011-12-08T00:59:06Z 2011-12-08T00:59:06Z Truthbtold: I Know that they are co-locating because of the renovation. It is no secret that Sac charter cannot afford their site without another entity there. The situation is temporary and is not a long-term solution. It helps defray the cost for St. HOPE. That's the truth. Susie Shields 2011-12-08T00:59:06Z Susie Shields comment-61005 2011-12-07T05:39:06Z 2011-12-07T05:39:06Z Tom, I've explained it countless times. If you don't understand the facts and figures, well, there's nothing I can do to enlighten you. I would be happy if the district did the right thing for a change. That would make me extremely happy :) Susie Shields 2011-12-07T05:39:06Z Susie Shields comment-60998 2011-12-07T03:48:08Z 2011-12-07T03:48:08Z Sactomom: I didn't waste my time trying to hand out flyers because there aren't enough programs or decent schools to keep people in the district - that is what the problem is. I don't have a scatter map of Sac High attendence but I do have the racial breakdown for the school year of 2000-01. It'll give you a general idea of who went to the school. I got the information from the CDE data quest. Asian 19.5%, Hispanic 26.2%, African American 19%, Caucasian 30.9% Susie Shields 2011-12-07T03:48:08Z Susie Shields comment-60996 2011-12-07T02:48:43Z 2011-12-07T02:48:43Z It doesn't even come close to enough to make up for the loss of students out of the district. St. HOPE also has a very difficult time coming up with the rent - I'm sure you remember how they were in arrears to the district for over $1 Million. According to the inspector General, the feds think St. HOPE is nearly insolvent. The district has bailed St. HOPE out again and again by first allowing PS7 students to take up space on the campus, then they let adult ed share the space, and now the Met is sharing space - temporarily(sharing the space allows St. HOPE to not have to pay the full rent). St. HOPE absolutely cannot afford the campus without another entity co-locating with it. Even their middle schoolers will not be enough. If they were to move to the WC facility, they would then be able to afford it because it suits their size. Susie Shields 2011-12-07T02:48:43Z Susie Shields comment-60995 2011-12-07T02:33:10Z 2011-12-07T02:33:10Z I gather you dislike people who live in East Sac. I know many people who lived in East Sac who sent their children to Sac High. There is a long history of people from all over sending their children there. Please don't group everyone into what you think East Sac families are. That's not fair. As I stated earlier, the vast majority of students who attend the two schools commute there. The same argument you make regarding the kids of the neighborhood could be made for the kids of Oak Park whose high school was closed down. I am just asking you to look at the bigger picture here. More kids have been affected by the closure of the public high school than the populations of WC and Sac Charter combined. Why is it everyone is forgetting those kids? Susie Shields 2011-12-07T02:33:10Z Susie Shields comment-60986 2011-12-07T01:12:40Z 2011-12-07T01:12:40Z The district has explored all of those options. The district considers all the comprehensives to be at capacity (not actual physical capacity, but a number set to keep the comprhensives from growing too large) I was told this by the district when I submitted several questions for them to answer. The Fremont school does not meet earthquake standards for public school students. George Washington Carver serves many students who live near Rosemont High area - that is where most of their population resides. The MET is growing and has a small campus by Southside Park. They are currently co-locating with Sac Charter to help defray the cost of the facility for the charter school which clearly cannot afford the site. Susie Shields 2011-12-07T01:12:40Z Susie Shields comment-60984 2011-12-07T01:08:13Z 2011-12-07T01:08:13Z The boundaries for the school, per consent decree, would be the former Sac High attendance area and would accept all students from KC and Sutter (within those attendance areas)as feeders. Susie Shields 2011-12-07T01:08:13Z Susie Shields comment-60980 2011-12-07T00:50:19Z 2011-12-07T00:50:19Z As of April of this year, there are 124 students from 95817 who attend Sacramento charter high school. I asked this question of the board in March and this was the number they gave me. I do not have the numbers for PS7, but I do know that nearly half of their population resides out of the district- you can access this information on the SCUSD website under Nov 3rd board meeting enrollment numbers. Susie Shields 2011-12-07T00:50:19Z Susie Shields comment-60939 2011-12-07T00:36:22Z 2011-12-07T00:36:22Z There are 300 out of district students who attend Sac Charter. Unfortunately, because it's an independent charter and not governed by the district, the ADA money gets paid directly to St. HOPE, not the district. As far as the out of district students who attend WC, the district does get paid for their attendance. I would seriously doubt that there would be high levels of out of district students in our SCUSD high schools because as stated earlier, they're not participating in general education open-enrollment. I gather there are some out of district students in the elite programs, but certainly not enough to counter the 624 lost. Susie Shields 2011-12-07T00:36:22Z Susie Shields comment-60927 2011-12-06T22:16:22Z 2011-12-06T22:16:22Z Mr. Wilkinson, The Sac High campus was renovated to the tune of $24M for high school students. This money was allocated for the school when it was a community-focused high school. Both PS7 and Sac Charter have very high out of district populations. Per proposition 39, the district need only provide facilities for their in-district students - this is to ensure that facilities funded with district tax-payer dollars are adequately serving in-district children. It's the law. Susie Shields 2011-12-06T22:16:22Z Susie Shields comment-60926 2011-12-06T22:10:36Z 2011-12-06T22:10:36Z Tom, I know you like to use this arguement, but if it were you, would you send your kids to such a struggling school that isn't near your home? This school has done significantly worse than the school that was closed (Sac High). How is that really helping the community that lost its school? How would switching campuses destroy two successful programs? The schools and their programs would remain intact. They're both commuter schools and are roughly two miles apart. Susie Shields 2011-12-06T22:10:36Z Susie Shields comment-60925 2011-12-06T22:04:25Z 2011-12-06T22:04:25Z Instead of languishing on the waitlist like in years past, the students are now just leaving the district because the district has to let them go per the federal open-enrollment law. I know countless students who just decided to leave instead of waiting. They tried, they didn't get in, they left. It would be highly malfeasant of the board not to recognize this trend. Susie Shields 2011-12-06T22:04:25Z Susie Shields comment-60924 2011-12-06T21:59:49Z 2011-12-06T21:59:49Z In response to your question, truthbtold: Last year, 624 students left the school district at the high school level to go to other school districts because they felt there wasn't a workable option for them. That's roughly $3 Million in lost revenue for the district. The district was court-ordered to open a replacement comprehensive high school for the old Sac High attendance area. $8 million was set aside to do so. If the district provides a feeder school for Sutter and KC, many of the students would most likely stay in the district and return money to the district. The students who want a successful comprehensive neighborhood high school that has all the bells and whistles many students want, do not have any options because all of the large comprehensive high schools are considered by the district to be at capacity. They are not accepting general education open-enrollment students. Something must be done to stop the hemmorhaging of students out of the district. Niche schools like WC and Sac Charter do well by the students who go there; however, the segregation of the few, from the many, does not serve to educate all. This isn't about closing either school, it's about relocating them and opening opportunities for more students. It's absolutely the district's job to consider all comers, motivated or not, English Language Learner or not, college-bound or not, special education or not. Susie Shields 2011-12-06T21:59:49Z Susie Shields comment-60817 2011-12-02T22:49:09Z 2011-12-02T22:49:09Z Yes, the real Sac High has pumped out a lot of smarties :) Susie Shields 2011-12-02T22:49:09Z Susie Shields comment-60804 2011-12-02T06:31:38Z 2011-12-02T06:31:38Z Yay! Congrats Marion :) Susie Shields 2011-12-02T06:31:38Z Susie Shields comment-60469 2011-11-21T23:49:39Z 2011-11-21T23:49:39Z Tom, I'm not trying to destroy two successful programs. Swapping the sites would keep the schools intact. Sac charter cannot afford the site they're on and if they're unable to sustain themselves financially, then they are in danger of losing their charter. "you should work to make Hiram Johnson--the comprehensive high school that serves East Sac---a better school." How do you propose I do this? Many families from both West and Sac Charter didn't try to improve HJ. They opted out. They just got lucky because they were able to get into the elite programs. It's very easy to Monday-morning-quarterback on this issue because those who propose I make HJ better usually aren't faced with this very personal decision themselves. It's hard to make your kids the guiney pigs for this change. When none of your friends or neighbors go to the school, and you don't live near it, it's hard to feel connected to it. HJ has had so many problems...not enough staff to adequately serve students, a huge upheaval in the administration and staff, gang problems, and poor program performance. HJ has historically done worse the the old Sac High did. The district reassigned people to a school that was doing worse than the one they closed. It made no sense. As far as inter-district transfers, the district's hands are tied. NCLB requires the district to allow students to leave the district if they cannot provide a non-PI comprehensive hs. All of the hs with the exception of West and Kennedy are or have been in PI. The district has small hs, but many of them are in PI as well and are not considered an appropriate replacement per the law. I hate seeing the loss of ADA money as well, that's why I am supportive of the swap. WC stays intact, St. HOPE stays intact, and the option for the court-ordered traditional public high school can be made a reality- to keep kids from leaving the district. The site is two completely seperate wings so so co-locating a traditional hs in one wing would really have no effect on West other than increase their financial strength, and fully utilize the site for in-district high school students. The smaller WC facility would increase St. HOPE's financial strength. It just makes sense. I don't see any other option. Susie Shields 2011-11-21T23:49:39Z Susie Shields comment-60432 2011-11-20T18:26:05Z 2011-11-20T18:26:05Z Tom- the district did not mention the consent decree $8M they could use to move the schools. They don't also mention the increased ADA the new high school would bring if it were co-located with WC at the Sac High Site which would greatly help WC maintain any sports and electives. As it stands now, with the trigger coming, they will be lucky to have anything because they don't have the ADA (Average Daily Attendance) numbers to sustain their programs. There's probably close to $4M in lost ADA money at the high school level because kids can't get into their school of choice - many just want general education comprehensive programs - just your average kids, who want a decent high school experience. So, they leave for other districts that do offer a great opportunity for them. It's actually easier to get into an out of district school than it is to get into a district one. If a traditional comprehensive high school were provided where kids felt safe and they'd be provided great program, those who would probably leave would come. Just ask them... Susie Shields 2011-11-20T18:26:05Z Susie Shields comment-60379 2011-11-18T22:36:34Z 2011-11-18T22:36:34Z Jessica- although you and I don't agree, I truly respect what you have to say and I do understand where you're coming from. You showed a lot of courage and poise and submitted a well-written piece. Kudos to you. Susie Shields 2011-11-18T22:36:34Z Susie Shields comment-60378 2011-11-18T22:34:48Z 2011-11-18T22:34:48Z Maryellen, you know as well as I do that KC cannot be changed to a K-12 per CEQA requirements. You hired an attorney to make sure that doesn't happen. Remember? Susie Shields 2011-11-18T22:34:48Z Susie Shields comment-60377 2011-11-18T22:30:41Z 2011-11-18T22:30:41Z Jessica-. I was referring to the Strawberry Lane site that houses the entirety of the PS7 program. I realize the 7-8th graders are located at the Sac Charter site - it is probable that the 7-8 graders for PS7 would be included in the swap with the high schoolers because of propositon 39 which requires charter school sites to be contiguous. Susie Shields 2011-11-18T22:30:41Z Susie Shields comment-60371 2011-11-18T20:15:22Z 2011-11-18T20:15:22Z Tom- PS7 would go with Sac Charter to the WC facility. WC is actually closer to PS7 than Sac Charter High is. Truthbe told- If the schools swapped, there would be the option to co-locate the consent decree high school (this district has been court-ordered to open a comprehensive high school to replace the former Sac High) with WC. The schools would be seperate and have their own wing. The students could have the option to share in electives and sports under the umbrella of one school- this would greatly help during severe budget cuts. Small schools like WC don't have the ADA to sustain their sports and electives. The distict is looking at utilizing the site for the majority of district high school students. St. HOPE and WC are college prep only programs. The community needs a school for the average kid that doesn't require admission. St. HOPE has made it very clear throughout the years that they do not wish to share the campus with anyone on a permanent basis. If that's still the case, then they can move and they won't have to share. Susie Shields 2011-11-18T20:15:22Z Susie Shields comment-60369 2011-11-18T17:14:17Z 2011-11-18T17:14:17Z Mariellen- I appreciate your comment. It is the way many people feel about this situation. I have researched this fully, and have formed my opinion based on what I have learned. The point I was making about the feeder schools is true - they no longer feed to just one place where all the kids who become friends and classmates get to go together. The middle schools have each been split- both chop their populations up based on the neighborhood you live in, some go to McClatchy, some go to Johnson, and some go to Rosemont. You're right, the whole thing is a systemic mess which started with the closure of Sac High. The reason the large comprehensives aren't accepting general ed open-enrollment anymore is because they've all had to absorb many of the students who normally would have gone to Sac High. Whether you like it or not, this has been brewing for years and something needs to be done about it. The reason it's gotten so bad is that many people like you just throw your hands up and say, "oh, well..." That's your perogative, but I choose to search for a solution that is cost-effective, fair, and that actually works. We just think differently, Mariellen. "that ship has sailed", "you get what you get", "looks like a stalemate" , "issues are unsolveable" may be the way you think, but I want to roll-up my sleeves and find a solution. You know there is $8 Million set aside for the creation of the consent decree high school. That money could be used for the moves of each school so your cost analysis isn't accurate- what human capital would the district lose by increasing opportunities for more students? They'd gain some of it back because there would be an actual choice within the district- especially for those kids who are average and don't qualify for elite programs. What makes you think I want to take away sports from St. HOPE? WC has sports, if it works for them, it'll work for St. HOPE. One last thing, the closest school in my neighborhood was closed and was reopened as a specialized charter. The next closest school near my home is full and my kids probably can't get in. The high school in which our community was reassigned isn't near my home, performs worse than the school the district closed, and has a huge upheaval with their administration and staff - not a great choice. Susie Shields 2011-11-18T17:14:17Z Susie Shields comment-60367 2011-11-18T08:22:25Z 2011-11-18T08:22:25Z Jessica, I appreciate your point of view; however, you're thinking from a very insular place - this decision is about what's best for everyone in the district for the long-run. I am not a teacher, or a union member. I am a Sac High alum and the parent of 3 kids in the former Sac High attendance area. There is a reason the district is looking at the swap - they need to stop students from leaving SCUSD at the high school level. Last year, 624 high school students requested interdistrict transfers - those are requests to leave SCUSD for another public school district. That's roughly $3M in lost revenue becasue the district gets paid per student enrolled (execpt Sac Charter - they get paid directly from the state). That number doesn't even count the students who left for private schools so you might want to add another 1-2 Million onto the $3M. The district cannot continue to hemorrhage students at this rate or they'll die. ( I got these numbers from the school district . I had submitted several questions to the school board and they sent me the answers. This is how I have come up with the information I provide in my comments) The mass-exodus of students to other districts and private schools is unprecidented - the majority of transfers are for the former Sac High attendance area. Why are they leaving? Well, for starters, not one of the other large comprehensive traditonal high schools are accepting general education open enrollment. Not one. You can't get in unless you apply to an elite program. People used to go onto waiting lists for these programs, but now, they just leave the district because by law, the district must let them go if they can't provide a school that isn't in program improvement (FYI,Sac Charter is in program improvement just like most of the hs). Also, the community high school was closed, so the middle schools no longer feed together into one school. That's kind of sad because best friends and neighbors don't get to go to school together anymore once they get to high school. Charter schools were created to be an alternative to public schools- they are not supposed to replace them entirely. A charter has a very specific mission or focus that may not fit with a large population of people. For instance, Sac Charter is not comprehensive, it's college prep focused. West Campus is not comprehensive - it's college prep focused. Comprehensive means it offers many things, many paths. Not all kids want to go to college, so they need an alternative. Not all kids need or want to go to school from 8-4, or want to wear uniforms, or they may want more electives than your school offers. There are many reasons why people don't choose St. HOPE. It is a person's right not to choose as much as it is your right to choose. The issue is very complicated, but it is a financial problem. I know people don't want to look at the finances, but the district is facing major, major, major cuts and lost revenue. They cannot afford to keep all of these campuses running and they certainly can't afford to lose so many high schoolers to other districts. The Sac High campus is definitely underused. Adding middle school students to bring up enrollment is inappropriate. The community paid $24 million to renovate the school for high school students- this was voted for when it was a traditional community school that served a very wide-range of students. Also, state law requires that the district provide charter schools facilities for the in-district students only. PS7 is 50% out of district and Sac Charter is 35% out of district so counting all students is unrealistic according to the law - this law was put into place specifically to ensure the district was adequately serving in-district students first. If WC co-locates with a traditional public school, all children will be served. ELL, special ed, average kids, and those who don't plan on attending college. All kids deserve an option. I get that you love your school. I get that it's painful. But we need to think about every single child in this district. We need to think of those whose schools are on the chopping block to be closed entirely. School closures affect communities for years to come - just like the closure of Sac High did. Student achievement isn't considered. The district closed Thomas Jefferson elementary school - a traditonal public school that had an API over 800 because they had declining enrollment. All students need to be treated the same way. The district just wants to explore moving your school, not close it. If your school is as great as you say it is, then it will survive and thrive. School buildings don't make good schools, communities do. Susie Shields 2011-11-18T08:22:25Z Susie Shields comment-60116 2011-11-14T22:03:26Z 2011-11-14T22:03:26Z Actually, what created this problem was the previous school board candidates who were bought and paid for by Kevin Johnson. Susie Shields 2011-11-14T22:03:26Z Susie Shields comment-60068 2011-11-14T03:20:24Z 2011-11-14T03:20:24Z What the district needs to do is quit focusing on Sutter as a solution to the lack of a comprhensive central city high school. The reason they are focusing on Sutter is they don't want to deal with the elephant in the room...St. HOPE and its occupation and glaring underutilization of the Sac High campus. The district spent $24M to completely renovate the Sac High campus - using bond measures voted for when the school was a community traditional public high school. Now, only 174 out of 1,283 students in the former Sac High attendance area go to the charter. The rest have left the district or have been accepted to specialty programs, gone to private schools, or some of the small high schools. Last year, 624 students at the high school level applied for intra-district transfers (leaving SCUSD for another district) and that is a huge loss of ADA dollars- over $3M. The district is realizing that Sac Charter has not lived up to its many promises and that it is actually costing them a lot of money to keep them on that campus while denying the community a replacement high school that they were court-ordered to open. The district needs to do the right and fair thing and return Sac High to the public and quit trying to appease St. HOPE by destroying a district gem. Nut-up SCUSD! Susie Shields 2011-11-14T03:20:24Z Susie Shields comment-57482 2011-09-19T00:06:37Z 2011-09-19T00:06:37Z Oh, no. Not again! Susie Shields 2011-09-19T00:06:37Z Susie Shields comment-57350 2011-09-16T16:18:15Z 2011-09-16T16:18:15Z Thanks, Rhonda. I can tell you wrote from your heart. I heard you. Susie Shields 2011-09-16T16:18:15Z Susie Shields comment-55465 2011-08-19T17:37:00Z 2011-08-19T17:37:00Z What a nice tribute to a good person. Thanks for sharing. I'm sure he'll be missed. Susie Shields 2011-08-19T17:37:00Z Susie Shields comment-54564 2011-08-05T15:59:18Z 2011-08-05T15:59:18Z “It’s not my agenda, it’s our agenda,” he said. That's the most important difference between Shirey and the mayor. Susie Shields 2011-08-05T15:59:18Z Susie Shields comment-52927 2011-07-07T01:01:34Z 2011-07-07T01:01:34Z I've always wanted to see the inside of that building. It's beautiful! Susie Shields 2011-07-07T01:01:34Z Susie Shields comment-51597 2011-06-03T16:21:54Z 2011-06-03T16:21:54Z I see where you're coming from, I do. With kids in the inner city public schools, I know what a problem the district is facing when it comes to the quality of students in our schools. My point is that just shuffling them off somewhere isn't going to fix the problem, it just skirts it. I see public education as an investment in our society - when we write-off a huge chunk of the students, we're not addressing anything. We all have to still live within this society and I'd rather try to fix this festering problem rather than ignore it. I think the best way to address this is to hold parents and students accountable. I'm not sure how to do this other than changing the way people view school. It's not a replacement for parenting, it's not daycare, it's education which should be supplemented by parents. Schools are finally telling parents that they have a major role in the education of their own children. For too long, schools have inserted themselves between parent and child and it's fostered a hands-off approach for the parents and I think that's why society feels comfortable blaming teachers and schools for the failure of many students- it's much easier than looking in the mirror. Susie Shields 2011-06-03T16:21:54Z Susie Shields comment-51529 2011-06-02T20:56:58Z 2011-06-02T20:56:58Z This is a disturbing article...you say, "do we want leaders with intestinal fortitude that are willing to do what it takes to get the job done?" Just what does it take, Ms. Cisneros? I think it's pretty obvious what it takes, it takes getting rid of the riff-raff and that's exactly what Mr. Cedros seems to be doing. He's not fixing the school, he's just eliminating the problem students. It's fake, it's phony, and it's shameful. The above commenter is right, hundreds of low-achieving kids have been moved out of the school. HJ has struggled for years, especially since the closure of Sac High because HJ must educate St. HOPE's rejects. St. HOPE kicks hundreds of low-acheiving kids out every year and most of them wind up at Johnson. St. HOPE gets praised for their high test scores despite the way in which they have achieved them. It looks like Cedros and the district for that matter, are taking a page from the St. HOPE playbook. If you can't beat them, join them. Kick the underperformers out and test scores go up - that's one sure way to get the feds off your back. This is disgusting and the neediest students lose. It's all smoke and mirrors to create the illusion of success. Susie Shields 2011-06-02T20:56:58Z Susie Shields comment-51113 2011-05-25T05:13:31Z 2011-05-25T05:13:31Z OMG, kool-aid drinker, get real. Eliminate the tough to educate population like special ed, deaf and hard of hearing, English language learners, and those whose parents don't advocate for them and, voila! success! Jeesh, you're a magical thinker. All KJ is successful at is gaming the system and fooling people who fail to investigate. Go collect your St. HOPE paychack and giggle all the way to the bank. Susie Shields 2011-05-25T05:13:31Z Susie Shields comment-51112 2011-05-25T05:10:12Z 2011-05-25T05:10:12Z Oh, the race card again...along with the "status quo" you must be one of KJ's followers. That's your only weapon and it's not working.... Susie Shields 2011-05-25T05:10:12Z Susie Shields comment-51111 2011-05-25T05:08:10Z 2011-05-25T05:08:10Z Who actually paid for it, truth squad? Could be one of the many SHRA loans given to KJ that was forgiven? I know KJ and his ilk like to pretend it was his own money. Yeah, right. Susie Shields 2011-05-25T05:08:10Z Susie Shields comment-51028 2011-05-23T20:16:32Z 2011-05-23T20:16:32Z Hi Fifthgen- yes, it seems that NCLB has set unattainable goals for most of the schools in the nation...why is this, I wonder? It's my belief, based on what I have learned, that NCLB's goal was to actually make schools fail on purpose by setting these unattainable goals so that they could call the public school system a failure and lay the framework for the privitization of our schools. It seems to me that this is happening now at an alarming rate throughout the country. There's lots of money to be made by privitizing education and unfortunately, it will come down to the bottom-line, not what's actually working for the kids. Susie Shields 2011-05-23T20:16:32Z Susie Shields comment-50952 2011-05-22T04:48:51Z 2011-05-22T04:48:51Z http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2011-03-28-1Aschooltesting28_CV_N.htm The above article just shows the idocy of standardized tests being the be all and end all. Ridiculous when it's sooo easy to game the system. Ms. Rhee knows how to game the system and she taught KJ how to do it. It's so easy to cheat on these tests when it's done on the honor system and your entire job and charter school depend on the outcome. It's naive to believe these scores. Just. Plain. Naive. Susie Shields 2011-05-22T04:48:51Z Susie Shields comment-50950 2011-05-22T04:31:38Z 2011-05-22T04:31:38Z Excellent comment, Ms. Jablonski. You are very informed. I wish the general population was as informed as you are. Thank you :) Susie Shields 2011-05-22T04:31:38Z Susie Shields comment-48279 2011-03-29T20:32:12Z 2011-03-29T20:32:12Z I agree with MyQuest. The Maloofs are hurting and they're up to something...it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Susie Shields 2011-03-29T20:32:12Z Susie Shields comment-47966 2011-03-25T21:40:25Z 2011-03-25T21:40:25Z Hi Mr. Blymyer- thanks for the article. Having met with you in the past, I can appreciate your work in looking out for the tax payer.I agree, too Susie Shields 2011-03-25T21:40:25Z Susie Shields comment-46711 2011-03-02T05:48:09Z 2011-03-02T05:48:09Z Marion- what a great article and you are absolutely right on all counts. Susie Shields 2011-03-02T05:48:09Z Susie Shields comment-46690 2011-03-01T23:49:57Z 2011-03-01T23:49:57Z He didn't go for the job of Mayor to actually solve the city's problems or work for the city. He became mayor to get a platform to try and weasle his way into the city's schools . He does not care about anything else and that's why he's ignoring his actual duties. Susie Shields 2011-03-01T23:49:57Z Susie Shields comment-46619 2011-03-01T04:14:28Z 2011-03-01T04:14:28Z Rich- we'll just have to agree to disagree. I know A LOT about both Kevin and Michelle and I can tell you with the utmost sincerity and honesty, they are not who you think they are. They are all about fake success and getting their hands on public money -period. Susie Shields 2011-03-01T04:14:28Z Susie Shields comment-46610 2011-03-01T00:39:10Z 2011-03-01T00:39:10Z Rich- I'm certainly not against parental choice. I think education is a highly personal choice that should be available to parents. I think charter schools can be a good option. The problem is, many charter schools are run independently from school districts. There is minimal oversight for these entities and there is virtually zero regulation. Charter school fraud is an increasing problem and districts have a really hard time cracking down on them because state law is very favorable to charters. I think charter schools should be dependent on the school district in that they are overseen by the district's trustees and are held accountable because of it. Charter schools should be an option, not a replacement. Michelle Rhee and Kevin Johnson want to privitize all schools and that is a dangerous thought considering the overwhelming fraud in charter schools today - KJ's own school is guilty of it to the tune of $800,000.. I have seen many of your comments about the SCUSD district budget and you're right, they spend a lot of money on benefits. I think the tide is changing here but I urge you to look into the overwhelming fraud that goes on in charter schools- especially independent ones that don't have records available for the public to view. They do whatever they want - the taxpayer be damned. Here's some links for you to peruse: http://charterschoolscandals.blogspot.com/ http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-crescendo-20110228,0,4037826.story Even the faux documentary "Waiting For Superman" admits that only 1 in 5 charter schools is effective. There absolutely needs to be more regulation on these out of control schools if we are to actually take them seriously as an alternative. Susie Shields 2011-03-01T00:39:10Z Susie Shields comment-46593 2011-02-28T19:59:07Z 2011-02-28T19:59:07Z I agree with the first part of your statement. It's the last few sentences that I don't agree with. The problem is, I have looked, I have researched, I have attended board meetings, I have volunteered for years in inner-city classrooms. Kevin Johnson and Michelle Rhee are not about "the kids" - they are about privatizing education so their billionaire pals can get their hands on public education money without much regulation. Follow the money, you might see it as well. Susie Shields 2011-02-28T19:59:07Z Susie Shields comment-46519 2011-02-27T00:52:25Z 2011-02-27T00:52:25Z "To truly make a change, he remembers thinking at the time, the reformers should do two things: One should become superintendent of schools, and another should become mayor." I've been saying this for years: Kevin Johnson became mayor to increase his national profile in the education reform world. He never cared about making Sacramento a better place to live as mayor. He never was involved in city business before so I thought, why is he doing this? Then it hit me...it's about HIM and HIS agenda. He's been climbing the ladder of national education reform notoriety and he's been using Sacramentans and St. HOPE students as his rungs. I also think he may be using Michelle as a rung as well...that's how he operates. Susie Shields 2011-02-27T00:52:25Z Susie Shields comment-45362 2011-02-09T06:29:42Z 2011-02-09T06:29:42Z Mr. Powell, not all people who speak the truth about the sham that is St. HOPE are teachers and union members. We are taxpayers who are angry about losing our community school to a scam artist. Your wife lost because she aligned herself with Kevin Johnson. Not smart. Susie Shields 2011-02-09T06:29:42Z Susie Shields comment-45180 2011-02-05T23:30:48Z 2011-02-05T23:30:48Z You are absolutely right, Stevie Gee. St. HOPE wanted to be independent from the district so they could do whatever they wanted. They didn't want to adhere to the district's trustees. This was their choice and the district has no obligation to advertise for them. KJ also got $600,000 from the Gates Foundation for advertising and increasing enrollment. All the money and advertising doesn't make a lick of difference. People are finally onto the scam. It's just an excuse anyhow. No one is going to his school and he wants to blame it on no one knowing about it? Ummm, how could we not know about it when it's force-fed to us via KJ's mouthpiece the Bee and when he brings it up again and again when promoting himself - which is often. The communities know his school is there, they're just not choosing it. Perhaps it's because of all the financial shenanigans, the mishandling of sexual abuse allegations, misuse of federal funds, obvious gaming of the system along with kicking hundreds of kids to the curb prior to STAR testing time. Could it be that the parents of these kids, many of whom live in Oak Park and have other children, might not feel that the school serves them well so they don't enroll the younger siblings? Enough with the poor St. HOPE blues Kevin. You've been coddled by the district for so long you don't even realize your school should have been closed years ago. The hammer is starting to fall, finally, and he's running scared and trying to blame others for the failing of St. HOPE. Susie Shields 2011-02-05T23:30:48Z Susie Shields comment-44632 2011-01-31T03:28:01Z 2011-01-31T03:28:01Z I agree with Bubba, the writing's on the wall. Watch out Sac Town we're all going to pay for this, unfortunately. Susie Shields 2011-01-31T03:28:01Z Susie Shields comment-44243 2011-01-22T20:32:15Z 2011-01-22T20:32:15Z Rich- Thanks so much for the feedback. I truly appreciate your comments and I absolutely see where you are coming from. You are absolutely right about the legislative issue. The Ca DOE is extremely complex and outdated. The local public schools are bound by countless mandates that literally tie their hands behind their backs- this very issue is why charters have taken off. They get to avoid many of the madates that public schools must abide by and that's the real issue here. I believe, instead of creating more charters to avoid the Ca DOE's stranglehold on education, perhaps the DOE needs to be reivsed and updated- that's the only way to really address this problem head-on and create a more even playing field for the public schools as a whole. I agree that you can't force parents to be accountable; however, the attitude about parental involvement must change and it starts with the schools raising the bar for parents. They aboslutely must understand their role in the education of their children and we do this by expecting them to step up and stop taking a hands-off approach. The DOE must stop inserting itself between the parent and child and must make it known that parents are the single most important factor in the education of children instead of insisting that it's the teachers who are. The teachers are the most important in-school factor but you really can't have one without the other. It looks like Sacramento will be the new Washington D.C. in that it will now be the petrie dish for charterization, testing, and teacher merit pay. When Fenty and Rhee were ousted from D.C., the reformers had to find a new place to start trying to take over again. Kevin has always hoped and wished it would be Sacramento but he's got his hands full here because we have a pretty active public school community that is well-versed on education issues in this country and we're not about to succumb to their manipulation. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds.I look forward to hearing more from you. Again, thank you for sharing :) Susie Shields 2011-01-22T20:32:15Z Susie Shields comment-44215 2011-01-21T23:48:29Z 2011-01-21T23:48:29Z Ran out of space...Here's some of my thoughts on how to fix the problem: Each district should have only 1-2 charters per K-6, middle, and high schools. The charters should be dependent on the district in that they are governed by the district's board of trustees and are accountable to the district directly. The charters should NOT be based on race as their "innovation" rather they should be based on alternative learning methods. Next, as proposed in Florida, teachers should be able to grade parents on the studen't report card. If the parent meets their responsibility, they get 'satisfactory'. If they don't attend conferences, don't ensure their child's homework is completed, don't ensure their child is well-rested, don't ensure their child isn't abundantly absent, then they would get 'unsatisfactory'. For those in the middle, there would be 'needs improvement.' I mean really, if this whole blame the teachers mantra is going to be implemented, then parents should be placed at the card table and show their cards too. If parents feet are held to the fire, I bet many, many parents will start stepping up because it is expected of them. Now as far as Michelle Rhee goes, it's all about destroying public education for the sole purpose of turning it into a money-making machine. Her backers are very wealthy and there is so much unregulated money to be made. FOLLOW THE MONEY! Speaking of lyics, this little portion from AC/Dc's Money Talks fits the bill for Michelle Rhee nicely" Hey little girl, you broke the laws You hustle, you deal, you steal from us all Come on, come on, love me for the money Come on, come on. listen to the money talk Come on, come on, love me for the money Come, come on, listen to the money talk Money talks, yeah, yeah Susie Shields 2011-01-21T23:48:29Z Susie Shields comment-44212 2011-01-21T23:42:00Z 2011-01-21T23:42:00Z Rich- I appreciate your comment. I will address portions of your comments below: "teachers aren't bad, public schools aren't bad. yes there are multiple variables that contribute to poor education (poverty, lack of parental involvement, drugs, etc.). we can continue to peel the onion and i am afraid we may never reach "the core". Because there are so many variables that contribute to poor education, I feel it's imperative to peel the onion because if we don't we won't know if it's actually rotten in its core. As we explore the layers, there are signs of decay. If we don't address this and find out why, it's just ignoring the problem and all you have is a rotton onion. There are parts that are salvageable and useable. "but the educational system needs to deal with the cards they are given. and those cards involve all of which you and i have described. " Yes, the educational system needs to deal with the cards they are given; however, they can shuffle them, and exchange a few. I think the ace in the hole for the educational system is parental accountability. The problem in schools today is that the educational system has inserted itself between parent and child and this causes many parents to feel they don't have a role in the education of their own children. This needs to change. This is the area where the reformers fail. They don't even address parents and their responsibilities for helping children achieve. Until we, as a society, raise the bar for the parents they will never have a seat at the table and the same old problems will continue, now matter how much money you throw at schools. The reformers are undermining this imperative issue in education today by blaming the teachers and their unions and for that, I think they're con artists. "ill ask you, are you in favor of having only one form of a public educational system and given all of the variables we know, what would you do to improve the public educational system?" I am not against the idea of choice per se, but I am against how easy it is to open a charter school in this state. I am also against independent charters because they burden school districts with providing facilities, special ed resources, ESL resources, speech resources, school board time dealing with charter issues, and having their funding tied to charter schools when they have no say in how they're run and they don't have the resources to police them. It has been proven, time and again, that independent charter schools lack accountability to the public. They have their own boards and rules. The system is so very easy to game and it's done again and again. I think districts should allow a certain number of alternative educational choices such as Waldorf, Montessori, or some other niche-type innovation. That's what charters are supposed to be- an alternative to what is offered by traditional public schools. When charters start replacing public schools, start selctively deciding who will stay and who will go, and compare themselves as being superior to schools who cannot have the same freedoms they do, I think it's despicable and perpetuates the myth that charter schools are better. Also, choice is important, but it's a two-edged sword. Choice could be good if the majority of parents utilized their choice. The problem is, only those with the resources and know-how choose. When I say resources and know-how, I mean transportation and parents who are actively involved with the education of their children. Years ago SCUSD offered its own choices for students through open enrollment. The open enrollment backfired and only those with the wherewithal to choose did so and those who didn't were stuck where they started- with a school that was destined to fail because the motivated students left. This two-edged sword is now a two-tiered educational system. Those who are motived and those who are not. How does that fix the fundamental problems for those children unfortunate enough to have parents who are unmotivated? They're stuck and their resources both human and monetary are being syphoned off to the charter schools. That isn't fair. That isn't the answer. Susie Shields 2011-01-21T23:42:00Z Susie Shields comment-44110 2011-01-21T18:05:32Z 2011-01-21T18:05:32Z Rich- I think education is a top priority; however, the new reform movement in this nation, the kind of "Rheeform" that KJ, Rhee, and Democrats for Education Reform espouse, is not addressing the fundamental issue in education today which is poverty. These reformers are using a strategy to manipulate people who don't have intimate knowledge off what goes on in a classroom to embrace their ideology that teachers and their union are to blame for all of the problems with education in this country. I think the below explanation from Sam Chaltain, a D.C. based educator sums up their strategy well: "I just watched Christopher Nolan’s remarkable new movie "Inception," a futuristic film about a group of people who, through a variety of means, plant a thought so deeply in the mind of one man that it grows naturally and becomes seen as his own. In the opening scene of the movie, protagonist Peter Cobb rhetorically asks the audience: “What’s the most resilient parasite? A bacteria? A virus? An intestinal worm? No. An idea. Resilient, highly contagious. Once an idea’s taken hold in the brain it’s almost impossible to eradicate. A person can cover it up, or ignore it – but it stays there.” Planting the idea of teachers and their unions as the enemy in education is clever because it causes society and parents to have someone other than themselves to blame. Yes, seniority rules in education need to be addressed, but thinking tenure is the reason that schools are failing is too narrow an explanation. These "rheeformers" completely ignore the elephant in the room which is poverty and lack of parental involvement. If you have children who are constantly absent, who don't do their homework, who fall asleep at their desks, who are hungry, who can't or won't respect authority, who have parents in jail or whose parents abuse them, it logically seems that they may not be able to focus on what's being taught. You can have the most incredible teacher in the world, but ignoring the student's environment when addressing a student's success doesn't realistically acknowledge that teachers are not miracle workers- they can't do it alone. The above situations are a symptom of poverty and poverty is a symptom of what ails schools. So, no, I don't want us to be the reform capital of the nation when it's these clowns who are trying to get their hands on the state's education dollars. People go into this field to make money, lots of it because there really is no regulation. Any boob can start a charter school and get $ from the local district. This sucks the money away from the schools and burdens the district with trying to find facilities and some sort of oversight for the charters. Districts don't have the man-power or financial resources to police charters and as a result, schools like Sac Charter can do whatever they wish, like steal $800,000 of federal money, kick out kids who don't cut the mustard (while keeping their ADA $), resegregate, and be a general headache for the over-burdened district. I know people have asked you again and again to expand your horizons on this issue. Reading Diane Ravitch's book, "The Death and Life of the Great American School System", or Valerie Strauss and Bill Turque in the Washington Post would be a good start to try and learn more. It's up to you whether or not you choose to go beyond the rheeformer's inception that it's the teachers/union and find out for yourself. Susie Shields 2011-01-21T18:05:32Z Susie Shields comment-44065 2011-01-21T03:01:44Z 2011-01-21T03:01:44Z His dreams are becoming reality. His goal was ALWAYS to take over education and to become a national figure on education reform. First step, was start a charter, second step start dating a national education reform figure, third become mayor, fourth become a strong mayor ....well at least his hands are tied there... For anyone who has ever cared about education or who actually researches about it should be very, very afraid. KJ is hoping to make Sacramento the education reform capital of the nation and we're all going to be his guinea pigs. YIKES! Susie Shields 2011-01-21T03:01:44Z Susie Shields comment-43406 2011-01-10T22:40:01Z 2011-01-10T22:40:01Z Rich- this comment is a reply to your above statement: "apparently you don't understand the democratic process. appointed does not mean voted in by the public. at least the mayor would be voted in (democratically) by the public". I would feel much better knowing the person in charge of the nuts and bolts of running this city has the know-how, job experience, and education to do it. As evidenced by the election of this celebrity mayor, sometimes people who are not qualified for a position are voted into it based solely on things like fame. That is dangerous and I think a position such as the city manager should be appointed so that the individual responsible for the complicated task of actually running this city is actually qualified to do so. Susie Shields 2011-01-10T22:40:01Z Susie Shields comment-42455 2010-12-21T00:56:35Z 2010-12-21T00:56:35Z I'll answer your questions Tom since I feel as naga does. I'll answer for myself, though. I'd like the school to be located at Sac High. As a taxpayer, I voted for bond measures to renovate my area schools. Had I known that the school I was voting to raise my taxes for was going to be placed in private hands, I would NOT have voted to pay for the renovation. It cost the taxpayers of the district $24 million dollars and what do we get for our money? An empty campus and no area regular public school. The district already has money set aside to pay for the school due to the consent decree. The conversion of Sac High to a charter was done illegally and the district was sued and they lost and by consent decree, they were to provide a non-charter relacement school - it's a court order. Actually, SCUSD is not in declining enrollment for high schools. All major comprehensives are at or above capacity with the exception of Sac Charter. In fact, no school is taking open enrollment students because there just isn't room. So put that in your pipe and smoke it. Susie Shields 2010-12-21T00:56:35Z Susie Shields comment-42449 2010-12-20T19:06:36Z 2010-12-20T19:06:36Z In answer to your question, Mr. Jackson, Sacramento High School was closed in 2002 becauseof claims they were "failing". Actually, the school was in the middle of the pack as far as test scores but they had taken a grant that stipulated they spend the funds to improve their test scores. When the scores didn't improve, there were several steps that were to occur to try and find out why. The first was an audit. The district and the school could not adequately state how the funds were spent. The next few steps were replacing staff and administrators, change-up programs, and the last was conversion to a charter. IF these steps didn't work, the state would take the school. Sac High alumnus, Kevin Johnson had a little non-profit occupying space on the campus for after school programs. He had just gotten a $3 million grant from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - the same amount of money as the missing grant- and offered that money to the district if he could take over the school and turn it into a charter school. The district jumped at the chance to rid themselves of the headache of trying to explain the missing money and skipped all the steps before coverting to a charter and just gave the school away. to an unproven entity. The community was outraged because the district closed the school in June and reopened it as a charter in Sept. Esentially handing 1800 students to KJ who had no other place to go. Schenirer was instrumental in doing KJ's bidding and ignored the community because he was elected at-large and didn't care about the community this was affecting - he didn't live there. He supported everything KJ wanted. Which is why I think he'll do the same again so watch out. Sac Charter High is a public charter school. Because it's a charter, it gets to pick and choose who to keep. Sure, at the beginning of the year, they have many butts in their seats. They get the ADA money for those students, keep it, kick out the underperforming students to regular public schools (who, by law, must educate them but don't get the $) mid-year before the STAR test and voila! Their scores go up. They have the audacity to claim they are superior when in fact, they are gaming the system. They are also whining that the district isn't letting them recruit students in their middle schools and that's why their enrollment is so low. Hogwash. They are on the district website and the Bee, forever KJ's mouthpiece, continues to keep them in the news. People have heard of them. Last year, 419 students LEFT the school. 419!!! This is a prime example of gaming the systemwhy their enrollment drops significantly every spring (STAR test time). Here' the link to verify these numbers: http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/DropoutReporting/ExitsByCode.aspx?cDistrictName=SACRAMENTO%20CHARTER%20H&cCountyCode=34&cDistrictCode=3467439&cSchoolCode=0102038&Level=School&cYear=2008-09&cAggSum=Random Susie Shields 2010-12-20T19:06:36Z Susie Shields comment-39965 2010-11-02T20:28:15Z 2010-11-02T20:28:15Z You got it right, thanks Mike. I sure hope people don't put KJ's lapdogs in office. The schools do not need KJ and his ilk meddling in education matters. Susie Shields 2010-11-02T20:28:15Z Susie Shields comment-38658 2010-10-12T05:14:30Z 2010-10-12T05:14:30Z Jim, isn't the above comment about bbbbbbmer using a different IP a little like the pot calling the kettle black? Susie Shields 2010-10-12T05:14:30Z Susie Shields comment-38655 2010-10-12T03:01:52Z 2010-10-12T03:01:52Z Mr. Raymond is new to the area and to the district. He used to live in North Carolina. He came into a situation that was dire. I have met the man, spoken with him in a couple of meetings and I like what he has to say. He makes me nervous, however, because he went to the Broad Foundation's School for Superintendents. They churn-out superintendents who want to create charter schools and close public schools. The above letter is surprising to me because he's pro-charter and just created a non-profit with 6 other districts to try and blame the teachers for all of the public schools ills. I personally think it's a strategy to deflect the blame from themselves. He's come in and cleaned house- got rid of some seriously bad administrators- but he's hiring many more (now that teachers agreed to furloughs) so I don't know what he's up to. We'll have to wait and see. Susie Shields 2010-10-12T03:01:52Z Susie Shields comment-38463 2010-10-06T23:00:47Z 2010-10-06T23:00:47Z This new 'trend' of reform, i.e. blame the teachers and their union is hogwash. The privateers want to get their hands of tons and tons of guaranteed money. This money will flow to the test makers, charter school operators, etc. The only way to get their hands on the money is to destroy public education as we know it. Instead of looking at the obvious causes for the decrease in student achievement, this group of 'reformers' completely ignores the fact that poverty and/orparental education level play a huge role in whether or not children come to school ready to learn. I have spent enough time in an inner-city school (I am not a teacher or a union member) to see that a huge amount of kids simply have the cards stacked against them. I see kids who were up until all hours of the night playing video games, kids who weren't encouraged to do their homework, kids who weren't fed, kids who are abused, kids who are homeless, kids who are in foster care because their parents are in jail, and kids who never were taught how to respect others. Somehow, in the minds of these 'reformers' those aren't issues that affect learning- in their minds, teachers and their union are responsible for all of society's ills. That mindset is dangerous and misleading. In order to change public education to suit their needs, these 'reformers' need to demonize the union so they can get them out of the way. Look,. I understand the union may need to change with the times, but I certainly do not think they are the sole cause for the mess education is in. If anything, it's the legislature and all of the crazy mandates placed upon schools. The schools have to jump through hoop after hoop and their hands are literally tied behind their backs. Charter schools don't have to follow many of these mandates so they are free to pick and choose their students, curriculum, etc. If charters are the answer, why don't we just eliminate some of the crippling mandates placed upon schools? That seems logical to me. If charters are created to avoid mandates and the ed code, perhaps we should reevaluate the ed code and update it. After all, why compare charters and traditional schools if there isn't a level playing field? It's like comparing apples and oranges. According to many of these 'reformers', charters are the answer. I don't believe so. I liken charters to a gated community. You "choose" to live in this gated bubble. You are surrounded by your gates and everything is great. The gates keep out the riff-raff so you can live your life in peace and harmony. How nice for the community members lucky enough to live there. What these gated communities don't address is life on the outside. Yes, the gates are keeping the undesireables out, but the gates can't hold them back forever. There's still a world out there and if we don't bother to address it, society still festers. There's no real solution for some people other than running away and fencing themselves in. If charters continue to proliferate, only those who care enough to choose will be there and those whose parents take the path of least resistance (traditional public schools who, by law, must educate everyone - successful or not, motivated or not) will be left floundering in the public schools - where resources and successful students will have been syphoned-off by charters- public schools will become much like educational penetentiaries. We're headed for a two-tiered system that is not equal or fair. This is a dangerous path we're on, and I hope people will stop fencing themselves in and start looking at the problems in society, particularly student's home lives, that truly do affect learning. Only then, will we be able to start true, effective reform. Susie Shields 2010-10-06T23:00:47Z Susie Shields comment-36900 2010-09-14T04:49:10Z 2010-09-14T04:49:10Z Celestin's is yum, yum, yummy! Susie Shields 2010-09-14T04:49:10Z Susie Shields comment-36729 2010-09-11T21:49:02Z 2010-09-11T21:49:02Z I ate lunch at Plates recently and it was fantastic. Everyone should give it a try. Susie Shields 2010-09-11T21:49:02Z Susie Shields comment-36371 2010-09-09T16:32:21Z 2010-09-09T16:32:21Z Rhonda- the above comment gave me chills...Excellent points and thank you for sharing. Susie Shields 2010-09-09T16:32:21Z Susie Shields comment-36167 2010-09-04T01:21:06Z 2010-09-04T01:21:06Z Rich, thank you for your explanation. Here's my response to the following statement you made: "now if you two want to discuss the issue and tell me why local superintendents and representatives from the city manager's office shouldn't get together to discuss after school programs and how to educate the children of sacramento, i am happy to discuss this and listen with an open mind to your opinions and ideas." I actually agree that the city should partner with the school board on issues like school closures, after school programs, and facilities maintenance. I wrote an article about this very issue for Inside East Sac a few years ago. My view is there should be a relationship between the city and schools in the above situations because it affects the liveability of our neighborhoods. The relationship should be between the city council members and their respective district counterparts on the school board. I do not believe the mayor should personally have any part of the discussion other than input. I don't care who the mayor is or will be. One person should not insert themselves into issues that specifically affect individual neighborhoods- this way, special interests cannot insert themselves into the mix. The council members and board members look out for their constituents and should be held accountable to them. If they work together for a common goal, that's great. As far as the part about how to educate the children of Sacramento, I don't think the city should have any say about that. It is not their job to worry about curriculum and how the schools are run. That's the school board's job. That is why we have a school board - I don't expect the school board to worry about how trash is collected, or how to divvy up funds for road maintenance - that's the city council's job. They have their prospecive roles but there is some overlap and the overlap is the liveablility of the neighborhood. If there was additional support from council members, the horrendous mistake that was the giveaway of Sac High to Kevin Johnson maybe would have been stopped. At the time, the school board was elected at-large and there was no neighborhood representation. The pro- St. HOPE school board members were elected in large part by Kevin Johnson's support and they did his bidding - neighborhood liveability be damed. It's not a personal thing, it's a pattern thing. Kevin has shown that he cannot manage a school without corruption and fraud and misappropriation of taxpayer funds. I feel that according to his trends and patterns, he will try to get his foot in the door by trying to build this relationship with the school district. I wouldn't have as much of a problem if it were council members and board members that had the relationship. Kevin runs charter schools, Kevin believes in the expansion of charter schools, Kevin can line his pockets and increase his national profile as an "education reformer" if he can get himself inserted in school issues. If we give him an inch, he'll take a mile. He just isn't trustworthy and seems to only focus on furthering his own agenda. It's just a bad idea in my opinion. Susie Shields 2010-09-04T01:21:06Z Susie Shields comment-34369 2010-08-05T20:21:13Z 2010-08-05T20:21:13Z The new "Chief" administration is growing by leaps and bounds...all with the hope for the privitization of our schools. Raymond is headed for the corporate model and there isn't much we can do about it. After fighting SCUSD for years over the tragic loss of Sacramento High School to the corrupt St. HOPE, I will join many of my friends and neighbors and place my kids in a SJUSD 'regular' public high school. SCUSD and their unpopular small, specialized high schools are rimming the drain. Buh Bye.... Susie Shields 2010-08-05T20:21:13Z Susie Shields comment-32861 2010-07-14T19:59:05Z 2010-07-14T19:59:05Z Hi Fifth- thanks for the info and the link. I watched and I especially enjoyed how she said she was "pissed off" about what the mayor's intern did. She is a gem. Alright, so I guess it's just Cohn then. It seems he's not too thrilled with the mayor after his little diatribe against Cohn and the rest of the council so Andy, it looks like you may be right. Susie Shields 2010-07-14T19:59:05Z Susie Shields comment-32839 2010-07-14T19:48:36Z 2010-07-14T19:48:36Z You're right, Mark. I don't know her. I also remember your adamant support of Mr. Johnson for mayor in the not so distant past and now you're singing a different tune. As I said, we shall see... Susie Shields 2010-07-14T19:48:36Z Susie Shields comment-32757 2010-07-14T06:07:32Z 2010-07-14T06:07:32Z True, but there's always Cohn and Hammond who have supported the mayor 's wants in the past. He may be able to convince them yet again to do his bidding. I get the feeling they're both irritated with the mayor and may not support anything he proposes; however, they both have a history of supporting the mayor's grand schemes for whatever reason. We shall see... Susie Shields 2010-07-14T06:07:32Z Susie Shields comment-32752 2010-07-14T03:19:49Z 2010-07-14T03:19:49Z Johnson is just waiting for Ashby and possibly Shenirer to give him their votes once they're on the council. Quid pro quo - that's why he said, "I do believe that at some point, before I’m out of office, we will have reform for the people.” Yep, Shenirer and Ashby, it will be payback time and KJ's gonna come a knockin'. Susie Shields 2010-07-14T03:19:49Z Susie Shields comment-31972 2010-07-01T17:50:17Z 2010-07-01T17:50:17Z Jim- Thanks for posting this. I wish I could have attended, but I didn't know anything about it. I am surprised that you didn't mention anything about how Riverpark lost its historic high school to St. HOPE and now must travel all the way to Bradshaw and Kiefer for their new "program improvement " high school. It's a travesty that many, many of your neighbors are concerned about. I support public education 100%. Right now, there is a BIG push by the BEE, Supt. Raymond, and the mayor to privitize our education system. This is dangerous territory and I will fight to prevent it from ever happening. There is a lot of unregulated tax money charterization firms (st. HOPE) and corporations want to get their hands on. It has nothing to do with the children. Susie Shields 2010-07-01T17:50:17Z Susie Shields comment-31022 2010-06-23T16:17:18Z 2010-06-23T16:17:18Z I was not surprised by KJ's diatribe at the end. The pettiness and immaturity he showed last night is pretty typical if he doesn't get his way. I felt he was extremely passive-aggressive with his constant statement: "I respect your decision, but" and then personally attacks each council member' in order as he referred to his list of negative comments. Oh, yes, he threw in a few minor praises because he knew the cameras were on but he couldn't control his need to have the final and last word. A bossy Mcboss who threw a tantrum. What an emabarrassment. I was seriously hoping he'd resign and go to DC with his fiancee. Those in DC are enamored with him as he hasn't shot himself in the foot in front of them yet. He will... Susie Shields 2010-06-23T16:17:18Z Susie Shields comment-30293 2010-06-15T02:54:51Z 2010-06-15T02:54:51Z Hi Mark! I enjoyed your article and you make some great points, as always. Strychnine- Your comment was good, too. Susie Shields 2010-06-15T02:54:51Z Susie Shields comment-30273 2010-06-14T22:47:51Z 2010-06-14T22:47:51Z Rhonda- glad you had a good experience and that you shared it with us. It's good to give kudos every now and then when something is done right. It seems like every time I go to Home Depot I get the novices. Maybe I need to go the Meadowview store :) Susie Shields 2010-06-14T22:47:51Z Susie Shields comment-30217 2010-06-14T06:17:23Z 2010-06-14T06:17:23Z I was there as well. I enjoyed the dancing but I was on the far right side of the theater and the curtain blocked the view of the screen (they didn't open it all the way for some reason) which had the English translation to Rassi's words. Because of that, I felt that I had missed the true essence of the show but I still enjoyed the dancing by people who surely are passionate about tango. It truely is a sensual and deliberate dance to say the least :) Susie Shields 2010-06-14T06:17:23Z Susie Shields comment-30100 2010-06-11T21:33:19Z 2010-06-11T21:33:19Z I see your point. However, perhaps these nurses are there on their day off. They are calling attention to something that matters to them. Whether you agree or not, that is what this country is all about. As far as your comment: "just in the process of walking out the front door each day, we all rely on the efforts of thousands of people to act professionally and keep us alive. Whether its the electrician not electrocuting you through faulty wiring, the engineer designing a coffee maker that doesn't explode, or the air traffic controller that keeps a 737 from augering into your house." I agree. The difference I'm speaking of is that these people who have been properly trained to do their specific jobs probably don't have the janitor in there messing with things. They probably can't personally be sued as nurses can. There is a huge responsibility placed on nurses shoulders with many gray areas that are not in their direct control so yeah, I think they should speak up. Susie Shields 2010-06-11T21:33:19Z Susie Shields comment-30090 2010-06-11T20:44:12Z 2010-06-11T20:44:12Z Not everyone is a fan of unions, myself included. I was not a member of a union. I have no problem with working hard, cogmeyer. It's different when you're dealing with people, not paper. You are dealing with people in crisis and sometimes they die. You believe what you believe and I certainly understand that. I've just been there, done that and it is not an easy job. I respect anyone who does it. Susie Shields 2010-06-11T20:44:12Z Susie Shields comment-30080 2010-06-11T19:58:15Z 2010-06-11T19:58:15Z You're right, Jim. He sure is pretty :) Susie Shields 2010-06-11T19:58:15Z Susie Shields comment-30079 2010-06-11T19:54:24Z 2010-06-11T19:54:24Z As a former practicing RN, I can attest to how the nurses feel. When I was working on a step-down cardiac surgery unit, there were many, many times I could barely find the time to go to the bathroom let alone eat. A scary way the hospital tried to cut costs was having housekeeping and nursing assistants take on some duties I did and then give me more patients to care for. The problem with that was, sometimes setting up eating trays and bathing patients was included in my assessment. I was trained to see the big picture and sometimes the food trays were wrong for people on special diets or who had to avoid certain foods because of allergies or medications. Also, when I would assist patients with their activities of daily living and ambulation, I was able to assess many things that the untrained eye may not detect. The unfortunate thing was that I was ultimately responsible for the safe and adequate care of my patients but my hands we tied wtih too much paperwork , too many patients,and less one-on-one time with my patients. As a result, I didn't take breaks, I took that time to go the distance because it was ultimately my butt on the line and there just wasn't enough time in my shift to get everything done and done right. The administrators at the hospital counted on this. Nurses are caregivers and givers. Most will go above and beyond...it's in our nature. Kudos to the nurses. It is a noble profession and a very difficult one. The days of Florence Nightengale are long-gone, my friend. Nurses are doing things only doctors did a few years ago and the patients are much sicker because with technology, many of the patients are alive who would have been dead in years past. Susie Shields 2010-06-11T19:54:24Z Susie Shields comment-29803 2010-06-09T20:10:36Z 2010-06-09T20:10:36Z Sooooo disappointed :( I wish Cohn would go away. Susie Shields 2010-06-09T20:10:36Z Susie Shields comment-28526 2010-05-28T19:00:24Z 2010-05-28T19:00:24Z LOOOVE that song! Great article Marion. Our urban forest is impressive- especially when you travel to other cities that look bleak and barron by comparison. We are definitely a 'world class tree city' and that's just great with me. Susie Shields 2010-05-28T19:00:24Z Susie Shields comment-28060 2010-05-26T00:24:20Z 2010-05-26T00:24:20Z Geeeeze Ronnie. I don't think I've ever heard of you stepping up and becoming an activist to benefit the community. You only want to be a 'pretend' activist - one who pretends to help the community but actually helps one's self and one's brother and your livelihoods. I have met all of you (with the exception of Rhonda and fifthgen), and I can say unequivocally that the activists stated above are remarkable people and have left an imprint on those whose lives they have touched. Can you really, honestly say that about yourself? If so, good. If not, quit belittling the efforts of those who give of themselves for others. It doesn't become you. Susie Shields 2010-05-26T00:24:20Z Susie Shields comment-28052 2010-05-26T00:14:09Z 2010-05-26T00:14:09Z Rhonda- Great job! Thanks for sharing with us. I can't wait to meet you. I'm ready for another breakfast - Marion, bbbbmer, Lori, fifthgen, you in? Rhonda, Lori, and bbbbmer, I think you're great. Keep on being the movers and shakers by educating yourself on the issues. Education is the sole difference between the movers and shakers in life and those that get moved and shaken. Too many residents don't realize how they are manipulated by politicians and the press. I just started getting involved a few years ago and have become absolutely shocked at how many people have no idea what's going on around them. They believe whatever the media tells them to believe. It does bring you down, it does frustrate the heck out of you, it does dishearten you - but we need to fight. If people didn't hold these corrupt power hungry individuals' feet to the fire, we'd be in a much worse place. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it. Keep on keepin' on!! Susie Shields 2010-05-26T00:14:09Z Susie Shields comment-27858 2010-05-24T18:50:23Z 2010-05-24T18:50:23Z I swear, the idocy of our local leaders is mind-numbing. Fix the city's problems and stop wasting time on issues from another state. When all of your work is done, then you can grandstand all you want. This is getting ridiculous. Susie Shields 2010-05-24T18:50:23Z Susie Shields comment-27787 2010-05-23T06:12:34Z 2010-05-23T06:12:34Z They're not moderates, Bubba, they're narcissistic boobs who will say whatever anyone wants as long as their egos are stroked. It's not at all about being moderate or reasonable. Susie Shields 2010-05-23T06:12:34Z Susie Shields comment-27773 2010-05-23T03:03:52Z 2010-05-23T03:03:52Z Bubba- So are you one of those people who refuse to look at both sides of the story? Listen, most people in the country play both sides of the fence. Those people are called moderates. I am one of them. I don't follow blindly behind anyone. I go with my gut and sometimes, it goes to a different side. I don't care which party Chris Little belongs to. I don't care if he's a smooth talker. What I care about is whether I think he's a decent person and if he cares deeply about his district. Gee whiz, he's a regular guy, not someone who will blow smoke up your ass for a vote. How original! The problem with voters today is they fall for the charmer, the great speaker, the charismatic one. Look how well that philosophy has gotten us. An actor, a basketball player and a whole lot of mess. Susie Shields 2010-05-23T03:03:52Z Susie Shields comment-27772 2010-05-23T02:43:38Z 2010-05-23T02:43:38Z Very good point, William and so true. Once people start to figure out that it's all talk, they retreat. It's oh so predictable. Strychnine- is that you regular joe and 2112? If so, hello. Susie Shields 2010-05-23T02:43:38Z Susie Shields comment-27734 2010-05-22T17:37:17Z 2010-05-22T17:37:17Z Mr. Burg, Thanks so much for posting this information! I am so intrigued by Sacramento's underground and I can't wait to go on one of the tours. Susie Shields 2010-05-22T17:37:17Z Susie Shields comment-27450 2010-05-20T21:04:12Z 2010-05-20T21:04:12Z Cogmeyer- This story reminds me of what happend to the Inspector General Gerald Walpin. KJ's supporters are pulling a page from the white house's playbook. Instead of calling the whistle blower senile, they're saying he lost his mind and is acting bizarrely.Sound familiar? Susie Shields 2010-05-20T21:04:12Z Susie Shields comment-27381 2010-05-20T05:46:14Z 2010-05-20T05:46:14Z More of the same spinning of his wheels. He's not going anywhere, but appears to be pedaling really hard! Susie Shields 2010-05-20T05:46:14Z Susie Shields comment-27380 2010-05-20T05:44:18Z 2010-05-20T05:44:18Z KJ is just following his usual pattern. He did this with the school board. He got his people elected Schenirer was one of his cronys) and they gave him everything under the sun and ignored his school's multiple problems, debts, and sketchy results. If he gets his people on the inside, even if the SMI does not pass, he'll have the votes to further his PERSONAL agenda such as upping his national reputation for education reform by taking over the schools. This is NOT about the people of Sacramento, it's about KJ and his supporters and their PERSONAL agendas. I believe Tretheway. Besides, if no record was made of the transaction , it's he said vs they said. Susie Shields 2010-05-20T05:44:18Z Susie Shields comment-27244 2010-05-18T18:27:34Z 2010-05-18T18:27:34Z I think it's cute :) It fits perfectly and we should all embrace the humor invloved. Susie Shields 2010-05-18T18:27:34Z