Panama's Show 1/12/11
Here is the video from the Reno High School Vice Principal that Superintendent Heath Morrison and the Washoe County School District (WCSD) Board of Trustees have censored. The video was posted on Reno High’s website from 2/11 through 10/11.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBP3Yx-kDAI
The vice principal states: "Very very clearly AP offers more college credit than IB. Universities by in large will give far more credit for passed AP courses than they will for IB courses. We did a little research and we can tell you that over 200 universities actively prefer the AP program over IB vs. only four universities that prefer IB over AP."
After eight months the video was removed from Reno High’s website, Mr. Morrison told me it was because of pressure from Wooster IB graduates. On 10/20/11 the district asked me to remove it from,
www.MyInclineVillage.com.
* On 11/22/11 starting at the 26 minute mark I asked Superintendent Morrison and the school board, “Why are you allowing Wooster IB graduates to hide critical information from all other families in WCSD?”
http://207.197.113.230/11-22-2011-RB_DSL
I also submitted a Public Information Request asking for a cost breakdown of how Wooster spends $1,000,000 (page 7 of 11) per year on IB.
http://www.truthaboutib.com/images/Wooster.pdf
Through 1/10/12 it has not been provided.
On several occasions I have asked the superintendent and school board to provide all information about IB in this 14 point article to families before they enroll in the programme.
Point 8 - IB is a UNESCO (UN) sponsored programme -has been getting a lot of negative publicity in many areas of the United States.
In my opinion, to justify the cost of the IB WCSD must continue funneling top performing students into the programme and the less than flattering aspects of IB contained in the video and article may deter families from enrolling in IB.
WCSD spends over $500,000 on a communications department. http://www.truthaboutib.com/images/2011-12-22_Response_to_FOIA_Request-Communications_2_.pdf
They make sure the critical information contained in the article does not reach all WCSD parents.
Instead of communicating with parents, the communications department is doing an excellent job at making our superintendent look good.
http://www.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012201090327
I have provided all the information below to the Reno media.
1) Superintendent Morrison and the school board have censored information critical to all WCSD families. (* above)
2) Superintendent Morrison divided the Incline community like nothing ever has with his attempt to force IB on all Incline students.
http://www.tahoebonanza.com/article/20110103/NEWS/101239987/1061&ParentProfile=1050
3) Superintendent Morrison and WCSD made a “bad loan” to a group of Incline residents then attempted to change the facts about the loan,
http://myinclinevillage.com/2011/03/21/incline-residents-owe-wcsd-65000---70000.aspx
4) Our former Deputy Superintendent, Pedro Martinez was brought to WCSD in 2009 by Superintendent Morrison.
http://www.tahoebonanza.com/article/20091026/NEWS/910269998&parentprofile=search
In 2008 (Pedro) was Chief Financial Office in Chicago Public Schools as they faced a $340,000,000 deficit.
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=78343
5) Since Pedro could not sign his own evaluations, “Superintendent Heath Morrison was signing evaluations for Martinez.” I’m surprised this is legal.
http://www.tahoebonanza.com/article/20110425/NEWS/110429956&parentprofile=search
6) When Pedro abruptly left our district in the middle of the school year for Las Vegas they questioned his qualifications to be deputy superintendent but they hired him anyway.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/school-board-oks-hire-despite-questions-over-experience-120933179.html#comments
I acknowledge Mr. Morrison may have made some improvements to Reno schools, but does that outweigh everything above? Would Morrison have been nominated Nevada’s superintendent of the year and been in the running for national superintendent of the year if the Reno media was doing their job?
Now in January 2012 WCSD has converted some Reno high schools into signature academies which, “will focus on specific programs.”
http://www.washoe.k12.nv.us/
Signature academies are probably a good idea in Reno because all WCSD students can apply to any signature academy.
Discussions have started for converting Incline High School into an Environmental Studies or Hospitality Signature Academy. Because of our location any subject-specific academy for IHS is problematic. To date I have not found one Incline parent who supports the academy idea. My concern is that with Morrison’s new fame, and the fact that the Reno media will not present “the other side,” Morrison will be successful forcing a subject specific program academy on Incline even though the idea has is a bad idea for our high school and does not have much support.
I am a former K-12 educator; I have four school aged children, and have been intimately involved with Incline schools for nine years. Most Incline residents agree, our high school is our best school. Incline schools need improvement K-8.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Incline-Schools-moving-from-Good-to-Great/250263725032758
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1/12/12
The show went pretty well up until the very end. Panama wanted me to focus on one aspect of IB, the same aspect that always becomes the focus once it comes up - the IB/UN connection.
My biggest problem with IB is NOT the UN connection, but I recognize that is the main issue for many people.
One of the issues I have with IB is they are not honest and forthright about IB. In other words they don't say, "we are an NGO of UNESCO, we work out of the same building in Switzerland, and we the main way UNESCO's pushes their agenda in United States schools. IB is not nearly as accepted by college and universities as AP. In well established IB areas where students have a choice gifted students usually take AP classes. For students who want to obtain college credit while still in high school AP is a better choice."
Most school districts including WCSD spend a lot of taxpayer money on IB and do not inform taxpayers and parents all aspects of the programme,
http://myinclinevillage.com/2011/07/31/what-all-parents--students-should-know-before-enrolling-in-ib.aspx
Note - John was on Panama's show 1/11/12, John didn't want this post at the top of this page so he had to use a post date of 7/20/11
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