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Grissom was in school improvement prior to the school year they received an A. The reason they received an A is because they were not penalized for not making enough growth as Hosford and Longfellow. The state gives a penality if the growth is not as high as a predetermined amount based on the student's prior year ISTEP score. Both Hosford and Longfellow have continued to make growth and have passing scores in the 80% range. Hosford park had made adequate yearly progress for 12 years prior to the new state evaluation system.

March 16, 2013 2:03 pm on Lake Ridge parents resolve to cope with school closing
Such a bold statement to state that people who went had nothing to do with the school system or community. Anyone who showed up had ties through employees or were community members. The people who attended signed in and accounted for.

March 15, 2013 7:00 pm on Lake Ridge parents resolve to cope with school closing
I did not say that there are not any successful charter schools. I know that some successful charter schools exist. You did not read my comment as I wrote, "Not many charter schools in this area are as successful as public schools." All of your sugesstions of successful charter schools are across the State of Indiana when I was referring to this area and not the entire state.

Did you happen to get your education from a successful school?? "Their just not here." Don't you mean... They are not just here.

March 15, 2013 3:51 pm on PUC faces $4 million deficit, will close learning center
Also, at no time did the school board suggest or state that if Grissom closed that the students would go to Gary schools. The district is NOT cutting ties with that area! Grissom students would go to Longfellow if Grissom closed. The students at Hosford would go to Longfellow if Hosford closed. The one thing the district does not need is to loose or give up the students at Grissom or at Hosford. All three elementary schools do a great job and it is sad that Grissom or Hosford will have to close.

March 15, 2013 9:35 am on Lake Ridge parents resolve to cope with school closing
Actually, Hosford Park is less to operate overall. I believe the NIPSCO bill is higher at Hosford but when all categories are added, Hosford is less to operate overall.

March 15, 2013 9:30 am on Lake Ridge parents resolve to cope with school closing
I was a PUC student when the Academic Learning Center(ALC) opened. I am not surprised that the campus is not utliitzed as much as PUC thought it would be. I enrolled in PUC knowing their campus was in Hammond and that was partial to my decision because I live in Munster. At the time I was full time student, full time employee raising two small children alone. My school schedule was two or three weekdays during the day and the two or three remaining days plus weekends were my work schedule. I was furious when I was forced to take classes at the ALC because of lack of availability at the Hammond campus. At that time it seemed that they catered to the professors convienence not what the students desired. There is no reason a degree based class should only be offered at the ALC and that is what occurred.

And for the charter school suggestion...we do not need any more charter schools taking money away from public schools. Not many charter schools in this area are as successful as public schools. Just look at the recent announcement from Ball State when they pulled from sponsoring two of the Gary charter schools and I believe 7 total in the State of Indiana. And...WHY?? Because of lack of growth. The State of Indiana politicians want to put an end to public education and privatize it for profit. We need to keep our public schools and not privatize education for profit.

March 15, 2013 9:21 am on PUC faces $4 million deficit, will close learning center
Yes, the State of Indiana has increased spending to public schools in the budget BUT the budget would be adjusted according to any federal spending cuts. The federal goverment has not worked out the budget...anyone remember the fiscal cliff they have been talking about?
Also, the amount of increased funding to the schools cannot be determined or is guaranteed. The STM is determining it's shortage based on what is for certain and that guaranteed amount is incredibly lower that the days of schools being funded by property taxes. STM receives the lowest amount per student from the state and is struggling to fund their schools which are recognized and known as quality schools.

February 19, 2013 3:12 pm on Munster residents to vote May 7 on school referendum
pen·sion/ˈpɛnʃən; French pɑ̃ˈsyɔ̃ for 3/ Show Spelled [pen-shuhn; French pahn-syawn for 3] Show IPA noun, plural pen·sions /-ʃənz; French -ˈsyɔ̃ for 3 / Show Spelled [-shuhnz; French -syawn for 3 ] Show IPA , verb
noun
1. a fixed amount, other than wages, paid at regular intervals to a person or to the person's surviving dependents in consideration of past services, age, merit, poverty, injury or loss sustained, etc.: a retirement pension.
2. an allowance, annuity, or subsidy.
3. a. a boardinghouse or small hotel.
b. room and board.
#1 applies here...fixed amount paid in consideration to past services or merit. There are many things wrong in the world but being pissy because he took a pension he can legally receive, while still working, because others are looking for work is ridiculous. My husband is an electrician, who is currently laid off. It would be great for someone who is in their 70's to retire and take a pension they earned so my husband can go back to work but it is what it is. How can anyone have the right to tell someone when they must retire or leave a profession if they are qualified and competent? (I say compentent since he was hired over others...regardless if some people feel he's actually qualified.) That's like me and my husband being pissy at every person who collects social security because all that collecting will deplete the funds and when we retire, there won't be enough to pay us.

February 13, 2013 4:12 pm on Munster School Board approves referendum
Simply put...if you don't want your children to be disciplined for their behavior at school, then keep them at home and teach them yourself. Teachers are there to teach and drama like this detract from the real reason children are in school in the first place...to LEARN. If it happens at school, the school is going to react. If it was a bullying issue, no one would complain about the school becoming involved. Parents cannot pick and choose when the school should be involved. Not only did this occur at school, it is a possible situation that may involve illegal activity since they are minors sexting. The school cannot overlook any situation that breaks state laws...kind of like having drugs at school. I think the students obviously made a very bad choice but they have to deal with the consequences of their actions.

February 13, 2013 2:59 pm on Educators explain why schools so tough on students who engage in questionable behavior
A pension is an account "earned" and it has rules to abide by in order to collect the funds. If these people want to collect their retirement monies and continue to work, who has the right to disallow it? It's not an "entitlement" issue because they earned the funds. Comparing schools in Chicago to STM cannot be done...Illinois and Indiana do not share the same policies regarding funding, administrator and teacher pay. You state, "That fact has a direct impact on the success of the their schools as does a great teacher." This is partially why Chicago has schools failing. The extra funding thrown at at risk schools is to compensate the schools for the increased instruction and resources they must use in order to get the at risk students on grade level. I am a hardworking teacher in Gary but my children are great students in STM so I see both sides of the funding issue. Yes, the STM needs more funds but that is because it's receiving the smallest amount per student to educate which is a huge contrast to the days of Munster having lots of funds from property taxes. In order for STM to continue to be one of the best in the state, it has to obtain the funds the state continues to cut away.

February 13, 2013 2:44 pm on Munster School Board approves referendum