Ranking the Middle Schools

Ok, while this may generate a lot of controversy, because any number of issues may be used to rank schools, we realize that and accept that premise. However, we are going to rank the Wilson County Middle Schools based on how well the students did on the 2009 TCAP Scores in 8th Grade by subject average. We are using this metric as a basis of how well prepared they are for High School.

School Name; 8th Grade NCE Average of Individual Test Scores added up and divided by 4 (Math, Reading/Language, Science, Social Studies).

Tuckers Crossroads: 55.8
Southside K-8: 52.6,
West Wilson Middle: 52.5,
Mt Juliet Middle: 51.5,
Carroll-Oakland K-8: 50.1
Watertown K-8: 47.7

Congrats to Tuckers Crossroads students and teachers. They were hand’s down winners of this ranking. Since the average for Tuckers was 3.2 points higher than second place Southside, I know where I would want to send my child if I had a choice and say in the matter.

High Scores by Subject
Math: Carroll-Oakland 55.7
Reading/Language: Tuckers Crossroads 57.4
Science: West Wilson 55.5
Social Studies: Tuckers Crossroads 61.3

Low Scores by Subject
Math: Watertown 45.7
Reading/Language: Watertown 48.6
Science: Carroll-Oakland 44.6
Social Studies: Watertown 44.4

Observations: Watertown needs help, in either teacher training, new administration, or better elementary grade preparations. Carroll-Oakland did well in Math, their other subjects are inadequate; the C-O score on Science was 6.1 points behind the next lowest score, and that is pathetic. Math and Science go hand in hand in high school and college. Pray for those kids in High School. Considering that Mt Juliet Middle and West Wilson Middle have the highest level of demographics as measured by family income, you would think their scores would be among the best. Instead they are in the middle of the pack. Kudos to Southside, they are doing a fine job. The biggest congratulations goes to Tuckers Crossroads. For a school with a primarily rural demographic, they are spanking the other schools and are doing so quietly and without the public recognition they deserve.

Conclusion: The far east of the county may be the best place to relocate to.

Start a Mandatory AP Class of All Wilson County Students

In the last post I said we would talk about AP Classes and Grade Inflation next week. I’m going to split the two topics in half, and just address AP Classes in this posting.

Data has shown that students who take AP Classes in High School are better prepared for college, regardless if they achieve a score of 3 or higher on the AP Exam. AP Course takers also tend to do better in the Standardized Tests (ACT/SAT).

So, let’s have all students at Wilson County High Schools take an AP Class as part of their core curriculum in order to graduate. That’s the proposal, simple isn’t it?

Which AP Class? Well, one of the most basic AP Classes is World History. Here is a link of it’s description:

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/sub_worldhist.html?worldhist

Since our High Schools use a 4-Block system, it would be difficult for half the students to take AP World in the Fall, and then have to wait until the Spring to take the College Board administered test. So, I propose that a World History course be developed that would span the entire two semesters, with appropriate credit given. Fall Semester they would have to take Introduction to World History, followed by AP World History in the Spring Semester. That course would account for two Social Science credits in their core curriculum requirements. Sophomores would have the option to take it, and Juniors (who did not take it as Sophomores) would be required to take it.

It may take a waiver by the State, however an argument could be made that this would be a test study to see the impact on improving Standardized Test Scores.

Whoa, what about our students that cannot afford to take the AP Exam? That costs big bucks you know!

Well, the BOE policy of making the AP test optional could still stand. Yes, that is right, AP students in Wilson County Schools do not have to take the AP Test.

We at the Wilson County School Watch cabal would like to see all Students take the test though. It would portray a far more accurate picture of how the teachers are doing in their jobs. No longer would the teachers be able to cherry-pick those they feel will score 4′s and 5′s and discourage the rest from taking the test.

Yes, we do understand that not all can take the test due to financial reasons.

This can be approached in several ways. First, according to the AP webpages, the College Board is willing to reduce the fee by $22 for students with demonstrated financial need, plus they require that the school forgo their $8 rebate fee for each test taken. That would reduce the cost to $56 for those who cannot afford it, down from the standard $86 fee. http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/cal_fees.html

Ok, so that leaves $56 per student who is in need. Well, the State of Tennessee has an assistance program for AP Test takers who are in further need. The AP site points us to Nicole Cobb at the State Dept of Education for further information. Nicole.Cobb@state.tn.us

So, after the AP Fee reduction, both from the College Board, the Wilson County BOE waiving their administration fee portion, and what ever assistance the State DOE can offer, we will still probably come up short. What to do, what to do?

That is why we propose setting up a non-profit foundation to solicit funds from local Wilson County businesses to underwrite the costs of AP World History tests. We have some pretty big corporate names in this county: Cracker Barrel, Genesco, Bridgestone, Nissan, LifeWay, University Medical Center. to name a few. Corporations always talk about partnering with schools, let’s see them put their money where their mouth is.

A mandatory AP course for all Wilson County High School Students is achievable. It will take the BOE to step up and think outside the box, rather than do business as usual, which is all bluster and no action.

Next week: Grade Inflation and the mockery of high GPA’s in today’s quest for college admission.

High School Problems

So, the question of the day is what can we do to improve the education that our High School students are receiving in Wilson County high schools?

Apparently the Board of Education, led by the pathetic Mike Davis, believe that all we have to do is build new high schools to replace old structures, and to give teachers more money to keep them from leaving for Davidson County.

That’s the gist of his continual whining to the Board and the the lap dog press here in Wilson County.

Give more money to teachers? Only if we can hold them accountable for their performance. You want more money? Fine, give up your tenure. Produce and get paid. Don’t produce and get fired. Giving bad/lazy/incompetent teachers more money will not make a bad teacher better. It will only make a bad teacher more lazy. All too often the worse teachers get put into SEEK and/or administration, where their lazyness has a wider negative impact.

One SEEK teacher a few years ago held up as a great achievement a young man who had written a song that was played at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Until the HOF told her the song was plagarized. What does the BOE do with that incompetent teacher? Promote her into management, and now she is a Principal.

Reward the teachers that produce outstanding results, be it on AP tests, ACT/SAT scores, developing young leaders through mentoring, etc. If we leave pay raises up to Principals, then the Principals are most likely to reward those in their clique, despite how well a teacher performs.

Building new schools? Well, we are getting a new Lebanon High School for the 2012-2013 school year. Will that make a big difference in the performance of the students? I think not. Bad leadership, bad teachers, unmotivated students, gangs, etc will just get a new building to play in.

What to do with the old LHS? I say we do what Sumner County did with the old GHS. Move the School Board into the building. If that happens, I GUARANTEE that Mike Davis will do a better job of maintaining the building since he has to work in it, than he did (did not) do when he was trying to let it rot to get his new Taj Mahal.

Next week: Grade Inflation, AP Courses, and how the Wilson County BOE is missing the point. The week after I think we will discuss how Mike Davis always threaten to cut teachers during budget impasses, but never BOE Home Office workers….

Why are we replacing High Schools rather than building new ones?

Ok, now Davis and the MJHS Principal are crying for the need to expand MJHS because of all the portables they have brought in.

Davis wants $50 Million to build a new LHS to replace the old, falling-down old LHS.

After a new LHS is built, Watertown High will have to be replaced. It will be old and falling down.

Here is a solution.

Instead of replacing LHS with a building larger than MJHS, just build a smaller LHS. And then…., build some smaller NEW high schools across the county and shift boundary lines.

Sumner County (our neighbor up north) has 155,000 residents. Wilson County has 105,000 residents.

Sumner County has 8 traditional high schools (plus 1 night high school and 1 alternative high school).

Wilson County has 4 traditional high schools.

Here is my proposal:
Close LHS, and put a smaller version on Hartmann Dr where they have the land purchased.

Close Watertown HS and put a new HS off of Hwy 70 south of I-40 that would serve Watertown and some of the old LHS area.

Put a new HS up on 109 north of Hwy that would draw students from WCHS.

Put a new small HS south of I-40 off MJ Road that would take students from MJHS and WCHS.

Summary: Close the two oldest High Schools and build 4 new smaller schools that would reshuffle all boundary lines.

Finally: Take the old LHS and make it the new BOE Headquarters. Which is what Sumner County did when they built a new GHS, they occupied the old GHS as their headquarters.

Make the old LHS the new BOE headquarters and I promise Mike Davis will find the money to maintain it (something he refuses to do now for the current LHS).

Fire Davis.

Mike Davis is Manipulating the Press, Public and County Commission

The Lebanon Democrat published a series of articles on the poor condition of Lebanon High School.

The series showed mold on windows, roaches all over the place, and other pitfalls in the school.  Threats were made by the State to shut down parts of the school.  Davis is bemoaning the condition of the school in his desire to get a new LHS.

Did the reporter from the Democrat gain access to the school illegally to do the report?  No, of course not.  Members of the school system were all too happy to escort the reporter around and point out the problems.  Institutionalized Manipulation by a Mike Davis led Board of Education.

Did the State Marshall randomly choose LHS to inspect?  Probably not, more likely they were called in by a Mike Davis led Board of Education to arrive at a verdict that would only help Davis’ manipulation of the public.

Here is one fundamental question that our esteemed Lebanon Democrat did not ask:  WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MAINTENANCE BUDGET FOR LHS?

There are many many many many many (made my point yet?) colleges across this land that have buildings much older than LHS that are in far far far better condition.  Why?  They were upkept properly.

Why hasn’t the Mike Davis led Board of Education kept LHS up in terms of maintenance?

This is negligence.  Davis is supposed to have military experience.  Well, most military people worth their salt know that preventive maintenance is the key to keeping things running.

Davis should be court-martialed by us, the public of Wilson County, for negligence of duty.

His desire to get a new LHS has led him to throw the existing LHS down the toilet, literally.

Fire Mike Davis.  Dump Mickey Hall.