tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post7723113964457774467..comments2023-11-03T04:00:24.785-04:00Comments on Kentucky School News and Commentary: A Model for EasternRichard Dayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14586435007687942849noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post-76645098128743715112013-03-17T00:28:11.842-04:002013-03-17T00:28:11.842-04:00I would encourage the task force to take a look at...I would encourage the task force to take a look at our parent commonwealth of Virginia. Their legislators and govenor passed legislation (and funding!) a couple of years ago to create laboratory schools in their state. At the same time, EKU has done such a poor job of supporting and touting its lab school beyond its own county border, that most of the staff at our own Department of Education (populated primarily by former KY county school educators) continue not to know what Model is or what it does.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post-4041544413963232132013-03-12T19:16:28.399-04:002013-03-12T19:16:28.399-04:00The school has been treated like a step child by t...The school has been treated like a step child by the university for years - one needs only to look at the exterior of the building to see where it rates in terms of campus priorities. (Didn't Dr. Whitlock proclaim that a new Model was going to be constructed during his first presidential convocation speech to the campus? Since then we have seen construction of a college of business building, at least one satelite campus building, life science building, arts center, justice and safety extention, student rec center, intramural fields, a new dorm and a mansion across the street bought. I think that indicates where Model is on the priority list - one notch ahead of where Arlington use to sit {Funny how once EKU divested itself of Arlington and let outsider run it - that it started making money again}).<br /><br />Similarly, the school has historically hired only seasoned teachers with a minimum of a Master degree. Under current college and university leadership, the professional bar was lowered all the way to KTIP level hires with the sole purpose of saving money, not what's best for serving children or demonstrating best practice. No priority placed on getting the best teachers, just the ones which would fit the shrinking budgets presented to the school. Folks, the school has been painted into a financial corner for many years now, this isn't something new going on - just more of the same squeezing the school financially, operationally and professionally to the point it wont' be able to perform the mission assigned to it by the university.<br /><br />Ironically, nobody wants to do much to recongize or support Model until a new faculty member or community big shot is being recruited. THen all the sudden folks are knocking on the door trying to get some sort of special consideration for their chidlren's adminssion to a school which is presented as being superior to the recruitee. <br /><br />Close Model down and College of Ed is going to have to quickly consider where to send all those undergrads, not to mention the ones who are at the end of the program and faltering so badly at other schools that they get the boot and need some last minute placement at the only place willing to accept them. <br /><br />Don't want to sound like a jerk but COE faculty are going to wish they had utilized the school a lot more when all they had to do was make a call, send an email or walk across the street instead of dealing with distant school staffs that are only focused on their own school's K-12 kids (not educating pre-service teachers) who are located more than an hour's drive away. (Of course that sort of environment is more "authentic" so both COE facutly and their students will get the pleasure of an authentic response to their post secondary educational needs.).<br /><br />It is obvious by my post that I am a Model person and I have a bias in my perception, but what bothers me the most about this is having not just parents and teachers concerned about what is to come of the school but seeing the concern and anxiety in our children about their school's fate. I don't think the task force genuinely understands the impact they are making on hundreds of local children's lives as they muddle through this "strategic allocation". <br /><br />IN the end, if you look at how the university treats the school, its staff, community members and their children - well, they don't have any business pretending to oversee the school, they don't deserve what the school brings to the table and I am sure they wont' be getting any support from any of the hundreds of folks who have attended or sent their kids to the school. We have done everything that has been asked of us under the conditions which were dictated by EKU/KDE/parents and we have done so with excellent results on all counts - no appololgies or regrets to those who don't even know or recognize what we have done.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post-53771485191530359162013-03-09T23:21:55.806-05:002013-03-09T23:21:55.806-05:00Wonder how our Commish would weigh in on this comp...Wonder how our Commish would weigh in on this compared to Jefferson County? EKU considering closing Model which is funded by SEEK - if you calculated the elementary, middle and high school KPREP scores this year the same as a stand alone district, it would be the 4th highest performing district in the state. That is what I call strategic<br /><br />Always a lot of strategic talk about the school being the "crown jewel" and pride in having the state's only lab school when the big wigs are in folks are in town, accreditation reports are due or when you need a newstory about high scores or pictures with some cute kids. I guess footing one quarter of its bill is strategically a fiscal burden. <br /><br />Seems like some of the current leaders are either new on the scene, niaeve or have strategic amnesia as EKU has been paying for the school since the university's inception as have parents been paying to support the school also. Portraying it as over budget because EKU has to contribute to its existance is like going into your favorite restraunt of 30 years and suddenly acting supprised because they hand you a bill after your meal.<br /><br />Not sure how one can jive saying you don't want to pay for it and instead have parents pick up the university's tab but expect the school to support thousands of hours of EKU undergraduates as well as fulfill all the other stuff associated with department reporting and faculty contributions? I am pretty sure that SEEK/IDEA funds and parent tuition is strategically intended for K-12 education, not paying for a university's undergraduate field experiences. <br /><br />There are those who entertain making comparisons with private schools and the higher tuition paid by those parents versus Model parents as a justification for significant increases in Model tuition. I am not sure how plausable or marketable that comparison is as those private schools are strategically set up solely to serve the parents and students who pay to attend. (Perhaps EKU should see what sort of response to hundreds of monthly field placements they get from these private schools that are being used for comparision.) <br /><br />Why would Model parents be expected to suffer the bureacracy and non-aligned values/practices of the university when it does not effectively and efficiently serve their children's interests which they would be exclusively funding and the university has divested itself? If Model parents are going to foot over 50% of the budget and EKU is going to push away from the fiscal table, then why would they be expected to follow HR, purchasing, facilities policies of the university, especially after those departments are gutted by the proposed personnel reductions? That wouldn't be strategically sound.<br /><br />I have heard some float the argument that EKU supplies the building, utilities and custodial staff. Anyone who has looked at the deterioating state of the building or sat in one of the rooms with its 50+ year old HVAC/plumbing realizes the strategic absurdity of this position in relationship to value and EKU's responsibility to the lab school's mission, much less upkeep.<br /><br />Bottom line is if the university wants a lab school, they should take some fiscal responsibility for the department based on operational, professional and ethical principles (though I sense that the only principle in play with the task force is financial in nature). Simply jacking up tuition because they think they can squeeze more money out of parents as a source of revenue is nothing short of strategic extorsion - "pay our portion of the bill or we are going to close your kid's school." <br /><br />If the later is the path, the College of Education is going to have to invest significant strategic effort and resources (financial and personnel) in cultivating stronger relationships with Madison County and other service region districts in sustaining the increased hours and school integration tasks associated with new EPSB and national field service expectations. <br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post-51556005596658434372013-03-08T02:03:03.938-05:002013-03-08T02:03:03.938-05:00If they cut Model's budget, then give your don...If they cut Model's budget, then give your donations to the school.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post-14198802769346202202013-03-05T21:39:58.811-05:002013-03-05T21:39:58.811-05:00I attended Model from nursery through high school....I attended Model from nursery through high school. Got my undergrad and graduate degrees from EKU. Basically I attended all my schooling at EKU. I am a loyal alum. No more donations if they close this fine institution.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post-83372611723063097892013-03-04T18:46:34.998-05:002013-03-04T18:46:34.998-05:00I started going to Model in first grade and gradua...I started going to Model in first grade and graduated in 1997. I feel very blessed that I had the opportunity to experience Model as a student. It would be very emotional for me if Model were to close. The school means so much to so many!! <br />(And, Dr. Titus, I was in your Algebra 1 class during my time as a middle schooler. I also worked "Model's Market".) Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post-48926831923112984042013-03-04T08:33:50.934-05:002013-03-04T08:33:50.934-05:00This is a sad time for Model Laboratory School and...This is a sad time for Model Laboratory School and the educational faculty and students of Eastern Kentucky University. I graduated from EKU in education and Model was an incredible influence in my professional life. I taught in the public schools of Kentucky and currently am an Assistant Superintendent in Ohio but my most rewarding experience as an educator was teaching in the Middle School of Model Lab School. The opportunity to work with college students and middle school students at the same time was a perfect balance of practice and theory. I hope the university understands what a gem they have in Model Laboratory School.Dr. Sharon Titus Averwaternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post-84470715592815571722013-03-03T18:11:23.351-05:002013-03-03T18:11:23.351-05:00Funny think about UK, now they are creating a high...Funny think about UK, now they are creating a high school academy in collaboration with FCPS which is suppose to house about 600 students on campus once it reaches capacity. Not sure I would use it as a my guidepost.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post-59558834579596949382013-03-02T22:25:33.500-05:002013-03-02T22:25:33.500-05:00President John Oswald closed UK's training sch...President John Oswald closed UK's training school, took away the deanship of the College of Education from Lyman Ginger, and put the College of Education on the defensive.<br /><br />Sounds like we know what will happen to Model Lab.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com