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Monday, April 6, 2015

Dear Clay County, have you lost your F-ing mind?

Sorry for the colorful language but have they/you?

Fact, Clay County consistently has one of the top school districts in the county.

Fact, they just announced they will be cutting up to 80 positions. due to declining enrollment (don't worry Clay, if the state passes the crazy you can go to school anywhere law, your numbers will be booming as families flee Jacksonville.) 

http://www.news4jax.com/news/clay-county-schools-cutting-positions/32124746

Great schools, declining enrollment and now they are adding a for profit charter school too.

From the Times Union: Renaissance also is building a similar school in Middleburg, called the Clay Charter Academy, near Pine Ridge Parkway and Buggy Whip Trail. That will be Clay County’s first charter school.

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2015-04-05/story/charter-school-expansion-prompts-talk-goals-needs

The school will be run by Charter Schools USA and make no mistake they are doing it for one reason and that's to make a profit. How does this make sense, they can't currently support what they have now.

I think Van Zant has been a disaster and I guess this just seals the deal.

13 comments:

  1. Will you print this Chris (as our local reporters haven’t)?
    Correction ‘Times Union’, the first Clay County FL charter school is the Orange Park Performing Arts Academy.
    Its founder and director is Dr. Alesia S. Ford-Burse, who ran for Clay School Board during superintendent Wortham’s time.
    Dr. Alesia Ford-Burse’s campaign finance manager was Dr. Michael Henry, currently Clay Schools’ Director of Human Services and was appointed during Wortham’s time as head of Clay Schools.
    So, it’s all connected: charter and public by the educator players themselves with the blessings of politics and corporate titans.
    We teachers need to stop being so naïve. If we are going to save the public school system, we need a new organization (translation: lobbying voice). That is, if anyone really gives a damn anymore.

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  2. The union here doesn't give a damn. Does yours?

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  3. If I'm not mistaken duvall co/Jacksonville already has several charter schools themselves. Why is it such a "f-ing" big deal for clay co to do the same. I agree that in order to save a failing public school system we need to think outside the box. We live oppaa and are excited to check out the new charter academy.

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    1. Um you realize that clay county has one of the best school systems in the state right, I mean your crazy super non-withstanding. Why would you want to injure that?

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  4. Anyone have any personal interaction with the Clay County Charter School in Middleburg.

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    1. Yes, and while it's better than POE (almost anything would be) it still is a clay school so don't expect a whole lot

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  5. I worked there and my child attended the school until I realized what we had gotten ourselves into.

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    1. We're moving to the area and I was considering this school for my two kids. Could you please elaborate on what you didn't like about it?

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    2. The principle is very inexperienced. She pretends to make time for you as a concerened parent but then brushes you out of her office as fast as possible. She is all about numbers and money vs the kids. She refused to hire an assistant principle after her original quit bc she gets a bonus for anything she saves at the end of the year. Many teachers have quit And had it out with her This year. My son is extremely gifted and i went to this school bc she made promises to me before enrollment that he would be tested and placed in a gifted program. It took until March and me threatening to take him out of the school for her to finally test him. I begged all year. To make matters worse, she doesn't have a gifted teacher bc they keep quitting. The uniform shop parents are forced to use is on the other side of jacksonville and when we found a shop that would stitch their logo into clothes that was on our side of town she shut it down fast. Apparently the school gets a kick back with the uniform shop on Philip's highway and that is why we are forced to go there. They are a corporation that is all about numbers and not Many parents see this. They are jaded by the pretty new school and sweet teachers that are so stressed they are quitting. The "PTA" is a joke. The school is supposed to be ran by the parents involvement but the principle refuses to let the parents do anything. The parents are constantly being hit up for money but what the parents don't know is the school has an account set up for what the PTA has earned over the year and it has more than 2k sitting in it. The teachers are coming out of pocket for printer paper and school supplies. Don't get me started on the lack of a library and the teachers having to pay for books for their classroom. Some teachers have a scarce amount. I wasn't only a very involved parent but I also substituted there so I was able to see the school from all angles. The teachers are very amazing. That is the only redememing part of the school. The problem is the administration and mainly the principle. At one point the parents that were involved so much at the school were coined the Country Club mom's bc they were always there helping. The staff gave this title and it was meant in a derogatory way. There is also a bullying issue that hasn't been addressed. I personal know of one case where a boy was being bullied and one day the bully attacked him. Instead of being beaten up He defended himself and because the bully was hurt the one being bullied was suspended.

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  6. The assistant principal issue is moot as she never had one. There was never funding for one before but they did hire one in January, Ms Self

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  7. I pulled my kid from charter school is was a joke. I moved him to a private school awful. They hire anyone and its more like a daycare than a school. Anyone have a good school they know about?

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  8. As I allowed 2 of my daughter's to attend OPPAA. I quickly regretted my decision. This is a terrible school filled with bad kids who've been kicked out of the other schools. My girls were taught disrespect, language, sexual content and fighting.... Thanks charter school. NOT! We are back in oakleaf schools and thankful we have this as our option!

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