CALL FOR INVESTIGATION OF CEDAR RAPIDS SCHOOL DISTRICT

From: iowalive [mailto:iowalive@q.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2011 5:17 PM
To: 'beth.myers@iowa.gov'; 'jim.mcnellis@iowa.gov'; 'kim.cunningham@iowa.gov'
Cc: JAN MICKELSON (JanMickelson@whoradio.com); JASON GLASS--DE (jason.glass@iowa.gov); DICK FREDERICKS (rafia@fmtcs.com); '(becky.lutgen.gardner@gazcomm.com)'; 'Elizabeth Hladky'; 'Jeff Tecklenburg'; 'JENNIFER HEMMINGSEN (jennifer.hemmingsen@gazcomm.com)'; 'Joe Hladky (joe.hladky@gazettecommunications.com)'; 'lyle.muller@gazettecommunications.com'; Tim McDougall; 'TODD DORMAN--GAZETTE'; DR. SUE ATKINSON (atkinson@partnercom.net); (ombudsman@legis.state.ia.us); 'BOARD MEMBER'; 'BOARD MEMBER'; 'BOARD MEMBER'; DIRECTOR KEVIN FANGMAN; 'MEMBER'; 'MEMBER'; 'MEMBER'; 'MEMBER'; 'PRESIDENT'; 'STUDENT MEMBER'; 'VICE PRESIDENT'
Subject: NEWS RELEASE: MORE FRAUD IN CEDAR RAPIDS SCHOOLS??!!

 Greetings, Iowa Board of Educational Examiners—

 This is a call for an immediate investigation of the Cedar Rapids school district, a district that routinely claims students proficient at grade level when having academic skills at least a grade or more below enrolled grade level.  The district has no effective policy against cheating.   But it gets worse—hence this call for an investigation.

 The C. R. Tea Party and some school officials get credit for their strong assistance with this news release!!  Thanks, folks!!

 This is about what appears to us to be fraudulent—giving failing 7^th grade and up students a grade of D- and then passing them on to the next grade, to get the state money and fraudulently lower the district’s dropout rate. 

But first some background.

 Any of you who believe bogus educrat and constructivist claims that students are defective and can’t be taught, please go visit Judy Hintz, at Educational Resources in west Des Moines.   She will destroy your beliefs and show you how the so-called  “defective”  students are routinely taught.  She makes progress rather than excuses. 

 Officials at the C. R. school district collect data on free and reduced lunch, minorities, mobility, poverty and on and on.  Ask officials how they use the data to improve instruction and student achievement and you get dumb looks—as we have.   They use the data to make excuses and to dupe you into believing the garbage they are spewing.  The students they fail to teach are not learning disabled!!  They can, and do learn--when taught effectively. 

 NOW FOR THE FRAUD, MISREPRESENTATION, OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT!

 We understand the Cedar Rapids school district superintendent hates F grades.  So presto-- he will no longer gives students an F, starting in the 7^th grade and continuing through grade 12.  If the pathetic district he mismanages can’t or won’t teach students, he will give them a bogus grade and promote them.  The district is now ranked 228^th in the state in 11^th grade math,  of  327 schools, as posted on website: http://www.iowalive.net/math%20ranking%202010%202011.htm   .  The entire district and most of its schools are on the NCLB In Need of Assistance and Iowa Watch Lists, for chronic academic failures, as shown in the tables below. 

 Rather than fix the disastrous academic problem, the superintendent hides, makes excuses and runs from it.  He believes that if he fraudulently passes all the failing students with a D-, they won’t drop out, and he can keep $10,000 per student and artificially improve the district’s pathetic dropout rate to boot.    He gives district patrons and students a double dose of evil, and gets pay raises for doing it. He is absolutely shameless.   But it gets worse. 

 To avoid any hint of his responsibility for this academic fraud, he forces the teachers to buck his desires and hold students back if the teacher dares to think it is appropriate to do so.  What an evil hoot!!  What an evil superintendent cop out—and he is preparing to move into a $40 million ADMINISTRATOR  PALACE, with bogus accolades and a pay raise from the inept school board—but hopefully some loud BOO HISSES from the Gazette Editorial Board. 

 Here are the lists of Cedar Rapids schools suffering chronic academic failures, with no hope for honest improvement.  There could be more school on the lists by now.

CEDAR RAPIDS SCHOOLS ON IOWA WATCH LIST FOR ACADEMIC FAILURES

EACH X = ACADEMIC FAILURE IN A SUBJECT

Please respond and advise us when the investigation will be performed!!  If you need a name to contact, it will be provided. 

Sincerely,

 Iowalive     A  growing network of volunteer citizens and professionals for improving Iowa