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Written by Benjamin Bonython on August 26, 2011.
We got a chance to catch up with some of the top football players from around Miami-Dade and Broward County this past week to preview the upcoming season. Here are a few of the interviews Andre Fernandez did.
For more video interviews, stay tuned for updates on Miami Herald.com
Written by Isla Reeve on August 26, 2011.
School chief finalist Cheryl Atkinson met the DeKalb public for the first time today, wrapping up the session just a few minutes ago.
In her first meet-and-greet Saturday morning with the community, DeKalb school chief finalist Cheryl Atkinson came across as open, tough, seasoned and ready for the challenges of the fractured district.
Twice, to applause both times, Atkinson said she had no problem letting people go who are not performing. She also won applause when she said that education takes place in the classroom, not in the central office.
My focus will be on our students and student success first with adults and political issues taking a distant second. Children must come first. Our decisions, my decisions, must first and foremost focus on what is good for all children. My intention is to create an internal structure that will allow effective educators to focus on the core mission improving academic performance. We do not have the luxury of allowing non-academic related issues to consume the attention and focus of all our educators, she said
She also earned applause when she said that she didnt believe in teaching to tests, but she did believe in preparing for them, including raising the performance of high school students on the college admission tests, the SAT and the ACT. In Kansas City, she pushed and obtained ACT testing for every student during the school day.
Atkinson called for lacrosse and fencing so more students can participate in sports. She called for updated vo-tech offerings, such as alternative energies. She called for Smart Boards in every classroom. She called for a laptop or iPad for every student.
Her strong performance probably allayed the concerns of some folks, although great rhetoric doesnt always produce great results. Atkinsons selection has met with resistance from many parents, who do not believe that she has the depth to manage the 100,000-student urban district and all its problems, including flagging student performance and a stubborn achievement gap.
But Atkinson emphasized that she has done this work for three decades and understands whats required to boost student achievement and change cultures.
It is hard work. It is heavy lifting and it will take time. When student achievement is not improving, particularly as it relates to the very foundation for what we do, reading and reading, skills, you can pretty much guarantee your foundation has crumbled and is certainly broken.
In response to a question on bloat in the central office, Atkinson said the greater question is competency of that staff. She predicted that she would likely downsize, but said her first task would be figuring out whos doing what and how well theyre doing it. I have no problem saying to someone you have to go, she said.
Asked about her husbands bankruptcy and her failure to list it on her DeKalb application, Atkinson addressed only her own financial abilities, saying that her husbands small business finances have never affected her abilities to be an effective manager of her schools. She said she has handled complex financial challenges, including in Lorain, and done it well.
Atkinson promised one-on-one meetings with principals, admitting that it would take a lot of her time. I have some time, she said. She pledged to meet with teachers and teacher groups, saying that they were critical to her plans to turn around DeKalb schools.
I never met one kindergarten child who said I am going to drop out in several years. Something else happens, and so we have to fix that and we have to stop it, she said.
In her final comment, Atkinson told the crowd, It is not all bad. There are some very good things happening in this district. We will built upon those things.
Written by Archer Dacomb on August 25, 2011.
When I looked at The Princeton Review’s newly released lists of America’s most popular dream colleges, I immediately saw a problem.
Before I explain why, take a look at the dream colleges that teenagers and parents cited most often.
I find these lists troubling and here’s why: I’d argue that the responses show a serious lack of imagination and downright laziness.
It’s easy to mention Ivy League schools when a pollster asks about dream colleges because everybody knows they are prestigious. It’s also easy to include NYU as a dream school because how cool would it be to attend college in New York City? And lots of teenagers would love to attend college on the West Coast where it offers beaches, sunshine and lots of winning sports teams.
However, if I gave teens and parents a quiz that simply asked them to name just five things about their dream schools that makes these institutions smart academic choices, I bet the vast majority of people would flunk.
Unfortunately, many families select schools without much thought. I find this strange since parents and their children have essentially spent 18 years getting ready for college and yet when they have to finally make important decisions they punt.
Children add dream schools to their list because they’d look good on a sweatshirt, but in reality they know very little about these schools, which the vast majority of them aren’t going to get into anyway. Instead these teens take the path of least resistance. Most end up going to schools 50 to 100 miles away without exploring other options.
It’s a shame that parents and teens don’t put more effort into developing a college list since there are so many wonderful colleges scattered across the country with excellent programs that people don’t even know exist.
Written by Benjamin Bonython on August 25, 2011.
With just one week until Kickoff Classics take center stage and the Maroone High School Gridiron Report puts it into high gear on Thursday night with an impressive guest list on WQAM (560 AM).
Larry Blustein welcomes in Miami Northwestern defensive tackle Imarjaye Albury, Killian head coach Cory Johnson and Deerfield head coach Allen Jackson from 9-10.
WEST VIRGINIA BOUND Throughout the years, Northwestern has sent players to a number of schools, and with the Class of 2012 already starting to take shape, the 6-1, 280-pound Albury has already committed to attend West Virginia University.
One of the most dominating defensive linemen in South Florida, Albury was recruited by former University of Florida running back Robert Gillespie who received the commitment to Morgantown back in March.
COUGARS COMING BACK There is no program that has worked harder to get back in the elite mix than Killian. With Coach Johnson surrounding himself with a tremendous coaching staff, the objective the past two years was to keep the talent home, and judging by the young talent on this year’s squad, mission accomplished.
Known for producing top-fight talent such as Lamar Miller and Bobby Washington, 2011 should see the return of the young, elite players this season in a very competitive district.
LOSING IS NOT ACCEPTED If you’ve been around Deerfield Beach High’s football program in the past, you know that the Bucks have some of the best talent available to them each year.
With Jackson coming aboard this spring, his years of teaching and developing has brought a smile to the faces of the fans and players who are not used to losing.
Jackson has a number of quality football prospects on a team that is looking to get back in the playoff mix this season.
Written by Isla Reeve on August 25, 2011.
MOBILE COUNTY, Alabama — Officials in Satsuma and Chickasaw said theyre not letting the threat of a lawsuit from the Mobile County school board stop them from planning to open their own school systems next August.
We believe that we have the absolute means to support our own system, said Satsuma school board president Linda Robbins. We can meet the needs of our students, and I think the law is on our side.
Alabama law allows cities with at least 5,000 residents to split from the county school district, just as Saraland did from Mobile County in 2008.
But Mobile County school leaders have said that because the Mobile County Public School System formed before the state education department did, the law allowing cities to split does not apply here. They said that any school board formed besides the county school board is operating illegally.
The Mobile County school board voted unanimously Tuesday to pursue legal action against Satsuma and Chickasaw, with county school officials saying they believe the two city systems would be too small and would not have enough revenue.
Satsuma and Chickasaw officials had presented letters to Mobile County schools Superintendent Roy Nichols asking to begin negotiations to split.
Typically, through the negotiations, the city is able to take possession of any school facilities within its boundaries. That would be three buildings apiece: Lee Elementary, Lee Intermediate and Satsuma High in Satsuma; and Hamilton Elementary, the Chickasaw School of Math and Science and the former Chickasaw School of Math and Science in Chickasaw.
Nichols sent Satsuma and Chickasaw school board members letters this week saying that the Mobile County school board has serious reservations about their ability to provide a quality education. He said the board has decided to file a lawsuit in an effort to thwart your attempt to split.
In light of this action, I believe it would be premature to enter into negotiations, Nichols wrote.
Robbins said she is disappointed that Mobile County has taken this route, and she is concerned that during this time of financial strain, money will be going to lawyers instead of to students.
Its not something we want to spend our money on, but were prepared, Robbins said. The citizens have already spoken, and we represent them.
Chickasaw school board President Robert McFall said he does not believe Mobile Countys suit would have any merit. He said he wrote Nichols a follow-up letter saying he would still like to start negotiating the split in September.
It hasnt clouded our vision to open by August 2012, McFall said. Were going to move forward and thats all there is to it. Were not going to be delayed.
Asked what the response to the possible lawsuit has been among Chickasaw residents, McFall replied: I dont think theyd want those things repeated in the newspaper. … But after you take a deep breath and think about it, you realize that were on the right course. Were going to make that deadline.
Nichols has said that both city school systems would only have about 1,100 students apiece, which would limit the districts abilities to offer elective courses, extra-curricular activities, career-technical classes and other programs. Also, athletic teams would compete in small high school divisions.
They would be among the smallest school districts in Alabama.
Nichols has said the county puts more money into these cities than it gets in return.
Officials in Chickasaw and Satsuma, though, have said residents there want more control over how money is spent in their schools.
Chickasaw residents have said Mobile County hurt the city when it converted two of its schools into magnet schools two decades ago. And Satsuma residents have most recently expressed disappointment with the school systems decision to send its children to a middle school several miles away in Axis.
Satsuma residents voted this past spring to raise property taxes and separate. The Chickasaw City Council raised sales taxes there to do so, with no citywide vote.
Written by Benjamin Bonython on August 24, 2011.
We are a week away from the start of the high-school football season with local teams playing in games next Thursday.
The first week of the season is capped by the 2011 Emerald City Kickoff Classic, Sept. 3 at CenturyLink Field.
Here is the schedule:
9:30 a.m. — Hazen vs. Blaine
Noon — Oroville vs. Darrington
3 p.m. — W.F. West vs. North Mason
5:30 p.m. — Coeur d’Alene (Idaho) vs. Moses Lake
8 p.m. — Seattle Prep vs. Mercer Island