thanks for going and updating.

would seem important that we not lose ground by losing schools.  

the district's performance has been compromised for years.  due to that history, Sanders does have an uphill battle in gaining any support/belief that things will change.

also this is against a backdrop of tax abatement of all new construction, the foreclosure crisis and now "seemingly" a moratorium on aggressive collection of property taxes.  (while it could be imagined this last phrase may bring some personal anecdotes) . . . a review of the county auditor's site reveals that there are individuals and businesses that seem to be thriving, are delinquent in their taxes payments and are NOT being pursued.

any plan involving the school district and improving will not be free.

not sure  how those "improvements" will occur when the district's budget is continuing to shrink.

Why does the PD have this sudden urgency to have the school board approve the Boston Consulting Group/Sanders pitched "Tranformation Plan???

Could it be a forthcoming indictment from Toledo?  Get the horse out of the barn before the fire starts? 

The Plain Dealer administration/Greater Cleveland Partnership et al. real estate and contract collusion--to ultimately take properties, devalue land, demolish local history and prime land for redevelopment, all the while, collecting out-sourced contract revenue--at the expense of the few of us left in Cleveland that actually do pay taxes to support children and their families--is shameless. And, considering the demographic most impacted--it is an egregious civil rights offense. 

And, destroying the public education system to do it--is despicable--and, dare I say it--evil. 

BTW...has anyone at CMSD really read Whatever it takes?  Geoffrey Canada lives in the suburbs and drives his SUV to work in Harlem.  That's a great message.

Maybe, the CMSD board should actually read it, before falling for one more of Sanders' puppeted corporate slogans and happy buzz words...dynamic, bold, transformational...

Throw away our economic future...whatever.

a review of the county auditor's site reveals that there are individuals and businesses that seem to be thriving, are delinquent in their taxes payments and are NOT being pursued.

That's right my friend...but you can bet "they" collected every last dime from the folks who own their houses outright in the east side communities where they will now find themselves without a school...without a church...which leaves them with a house worth nothing....

Bleed us to death...take our money and give us nothing in return.  When you kill the host, it's called parasitism.

Really, people--read the book.  It was written by a reporter for the New York Times, Paul Tough.  He tries to be objective just as I imagine Thomas Ott tries to be objective.

But, READ it.  In many ways, Geoffrey Canada is Eugene Sanders--a front man brought in to sell a product and to improve the bottomline, using whatever it takes.

The chapters should tell you the corporate strategy at work here--The Lottery, Unequal Childhoods, Baby College, Contamination, Battle Mode, Bad Apples, Last Chance, The Conveyor Belt, Escape Velocity, Graduation, What Would it Take? 

When the learning environment, physical development/nuturing Baby College paradigm promoted by female principal Terri Grey does not generate a "quick profit," Geoffrey Canada in true corporate form, as CEO, does not accept any responsibility for the "failure," and instead dumps Grey for the KIPP trained male principal Glen Pinder.   

The Boston Consulting Group's "Transformation Plan," is a perverted application of the last chance corporate model applied to kids and communities--it's called cutting your losses. 

But, kids are not a product and closing the schools and killing the communities that generate tax dollars for the "corporation," is NOT a solution.

The corporate-framed BCG plan is a disaster--we can lift every child up--we need to start back where Terri Grey left off.  Building community.

lmchane,

What do YOU think should be DONE! 

It is easy to critcise.  But, difficult to come up with an alternate plan.  How can the schools be fixed?  What needs to be done in the schools and in the community and in the home to help the children acheive?

My brother is currently in the process of helping his daughter choose a college.  He does not live in Cleveland.  He lives in Shaker Heights and his child attended Shaker Schools from the beginning.  Here is his list of how to get into a college and have someone else pay for it.

There are things about getting into college that I know now but I wish I knew
then. Luckily her high school counselors filled in some of our gaps, but we
still could have done better. Here's my short list for getting other people to
pay for your kid's college, even public college:
>
> -Take the most challenging classes your school has to offer. A 'B' in an
advanced class is a lot better than an 'A' in a basic one. To be honest, mostly
'A's' in advanced class is expected.
>
> -If your school doesn't have many AP classes, you have to go find some. Every
school has to offer the 'post-secondary option' but they don't want to tell you
about it, you have to pressure them. This is where you can take college classes
for free at top local colleges and they count for high school and college
credit.
>
> -Take summer enrichment programs or find internships/apprenticeships.
>
> -Show your strong committment to some extra-curriculars and public service.
Sports, clubs, community service all count big.
>
> -Prepare for your standardized tests and take them at least 3 times if you
don't get a high score the first time. Take at least 4 SAT II tests.
>
> -Be in the top 3% of your class.
>
> -Take 4 years of a spoken foreign language. If you have 2 languages take at
least 3 years of each. Dabbling doesn't do it.
>
> -Take 4 years of hard science. Take physics. Not kidding.
>
> -Take 4 years of the most advanced math you can stand.
>
> -Take 4 years of English.

I thought his list was worth passing on to anyone who is currently in high school and considering college. 

I can't speak for mcshane, just myself, W14R. I do not see this as criticism. This is pointing out that there are a lot of agendas at play here in Sanders plan. Corporate interest want the ability to control the school system. What shape that this takes in the future is likely to be radically different than a plan to help Cleveland kids get a good education.

Don't forget the Mayor Jackson brought Sanders here and that Sanders reports to Jackson. The same Jackson that had a study done of Cleveland economics, and AFTER the election, disclosed the study with its' 175 possible solutions to our city's dire situation and choose a garbage tax.

The Cleveland Clinic refused to participate in the Payment in lieu of taxes (worked in other cities), but Jackson accepts the no from this very wealthy tax exempt, institution. 

I do not respect Mayor Frank Jackson, not with my City or with the schools.

See above comment--Mayor Jackson, you lived through busing--how can you allow corporate interests to eviscerate Cleveland neighborhoods?