Don’t Blame the White Guy
I hope you are sitting down for this blog post, but I am about to defend Indianapolis Public School Superintendent Eugene White.
I know it surprised me too, especially since Dr. White has made some rather unflattering public remarks in the past regarding yours truly, but someone has to be the adult in the room.
There’s been some consternation regarding a recent $17,000 bonus White received. $7,000 was for half the IPS elementary students making ISTEP, the remaining $10,000 was because the board thought IPS was moving in the right direction.
Now personally I think IPS is on the same course as the Titanic and if the future Mrs. Shabazz and I have children the last place they’re going to school is in IPS. However, like I said, I can’t get mad at Dr. White, I can get mad at the IPS school board members because they are the ones who are writing the checks and negotiated the contract.
Of course this is the same school district that was over at the legislature complaining about losing millions of dollars and having to layoff teachers, but it found money to White a $17,000 raise and to hire his son, so I should not be surprised.
This is why I don’t hate the player, but the game.
July 8th, 2009 at 5:59 am
You couldn't be more right. In too many local school boards, there is this insane desire to be “chummy” with the superintendent.
There shouldn't be a hostile climate between board and superintendent. But this incestuous situation leads to the following:
1. Boards who give Superintendents too much unchecked power
2. Stupid decisions, as in hiring relatives
3. Sooner or later, the board starts thinking their Superintendent
“cannot be replaced”
4. Bad decisions too often don't get the review of an impartial board
(see: Emperor is wearing no clothes)
When White went to IPS, he sought and got almost carte-blanche approval for anything he wanted to do. Admittedly, his job was going to be almost impossible. That is no reason for a school board to become lapdogs.
And now we come to this: five years later, the school system has huge improvements yet to make, their population continues to dwindle, and a disproportionate ratio of harder-to-educate students are left.
It's a perfect train reck recipe. The casualties? Taxpayers and students.
July 8th, 2009 at 7:05 am
The model of instruction of IPS cannot work. So, given that the actual task is impossible (not almost impossible) what are the representatives of the community to the instructors to do? It is possible, given the very low general IQ of a school system, that a more than 50% passing rate of ISTEP is a commendable achievement-only the innumerate would disagree. But, it is also true that human minds given poor models of instruction will perform less ably the longer they are exposed to it. What will be required in an IPS reform would be plain talk and open discussion neither of which is likely given the low level of talent in the system and those served by it. I agree with most of the previous post having spent many years on a school board.
July 8th, 2009 at 9:37 am
I believe that the public and IPS parents are fed up with this mindless, spineless, do nothing school board that allows Eugene White to abuse his employees, hire his family and reward himself in many kinds of ways…..Mary Busch is the worst and will go in the next election.
July 8th, 2009 at 9:38 am
Well, Pascal, I had no idea about the school board service. If you have half a conscience, and half a mind for serving your public, that's combat duty.
IPS is a product of decades of neglect, or, at the very least, not paying attention. It began with Dick Lugar on the IPS board, and inner-city schools being ignored while township schools grew smartly. It doesn't help that the negligence mirrored a national trend in that direction. God forbid we should buck a trend.
You're right. IPS is broken and cannot be fixed with ten times the money. But all of us need to pay attention, even those of us who live outside IPS, because the remaining IPS students will be in the workforce at the rate of 6,000 or more a year (graduates and dropouts). Frightening, huh?
And in case folks are not paying attention, the workforce is the same group from which we get, in varying ratios, the following:
Scientists, bums, teachers, criminals, flaming a–holes, police officers, public safety workers, maintenance folks, and lousy neighbors. And, to be fair, special needs adults who got a lousy education via IPS. The list goes on.
Because, you see, the workforce, or general population, lives everywhere–it is a homogenous grouping that fails to respect something as sophomoric as school district boundaries.
IPS's problems, like Carmel's and HSE's successes, are the issues of all of us soon enough. And we've got asleep-at-the-wheel school board members, some of whom have had their board seats welded to their asses over decades, making decisions like hiring the Super's son and giving out bonuses for performance which was defined by the evaluated person (Superintendent).
It is depressing. In any other segment of society, this model would crash and burn.
July 8th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
Ednecks / educrats never frame the terms of debate in meritorious terms of their purpose to educate children; but the self serving terms of entitlement. Government, by any name or agency, including IPS, is entitled to nothing; but obligated to the Constitution. The architecture of the “public education” system is not about children, it's about adult day care. While interest in the subject may be public, education, is individual.
July 8th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
I don't think you can separate Dr. White from the Board in this manner. Yes the board should have blame, and maybe most of the blame. But Dr. White is part of asking for more money while allowing this bonus waste of money. He is not clean in the manner, but I agree the board should be the target.
July 8th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Couldn't Dr. White give back the money?
July 8th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Melyssa, I know you didn't mean to be funny, but you don't know Dr. White, do you? Greed is his middle name.
July 8th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
As it happened, when last I looked at Carmel and HSE their performance wasn't so hot. IDOE has a multiple regression model that allows one to see predicted performance vs actual performance. The predicted performance is based on IQ (csi) and SES. My recollection is that both named schools were one to several standard deviations BELOW predicted performance in more than one catagory. At that time Carmel had the highest average IQ in the state BUT they were obviously shortchanged by the innumerate. The method used is valid and useful. A class average IQ of 120 one might expect tons of academic performance but if it doesn't happen then those instructors may be at fault. An IPS classroom with average IQ of 95 performing above prediction would have to mean competent instruction. As things are, the dopes of the world would give performance pay to Carmel and short change the performing instructors.
July 8th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
I have no problem blaming the 'White Guy'. Same with the school board.
ABDUL, you are essentially on record as being opposed to We the People having the power of the referendum, or the recall (a la California).
I'm wondering how We the People ever LOST the power to have say in our government when our elected and appointed reprobates are not operating in OUR best interests.
What mechanism is in place to fire the IPS school board? The ballot box? Whooptie-fraking-doo! How much damage could a rogue board do before the next election cycle?
What can We the Taxpayers do TO those frak-sticks on the IPS board if we are unhappy with this latest act of Frak the People?
We the People need to RECLAIM the power to fire these people without having to wait for an election cycle, which could be up to 6 YEARS!!
July 8th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
YES THE BALLOTT BOX! That is the best way. You can vote them out. Would you prefer a weekly vote? What a nightmare. An election for a six year appointment makes the election all the more important. People should wake up and be careful in these elections. But the power to vote against them if unhappy is a wonderful tool, a powerful tool, and an effective tool.
What you call “damage” others can call good work. Its how our system works. Do not mock it so.
July 8th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Mr. Opinionated, school board terms are four years, not six. If that's what you meant…that's the way I took it.
I don't favor a referenda government. I spent one election in California–their ballot initiatives were huge. A booklet 17 pages long was distributed at the polls, at state expense, for the 18 referenda items in San Francisco County that year. Nobody read it all, and few read any of it.
We need to make sure we educate ourselves and vote–in that order. Ignorant voters don't help, even though, I suppose, they have the right to vote and we shouldn't gripe. (But I will)
But we can't even get our voters to learn about basics–like school board terms. (Sigh)
July 8th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Think Again, I was replying to one post. That post mentioned (last line) six years. Since I do not live in IPS land I do not know their term.
Other than that I agree with you. We need to better prepare ourselves to vote if we are to have a say in our government. Anyone who wishes to change government has a chance to with elections. If the school board of IPS is not the way you like, change it. Vote for the candidate you wish to see in that position, and be proud of your vote.
This is one of the reasons I think “Rock the Vote” and similar drives do more damage than good. People need to be seeking out a way to register to vote, not be dragged into it. If someone is not willing to take the painfully easy steps to register, what kind of voter will they be? We need informed, educated, and proud voters!
July 8th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
OK, Opinionated, but all elected school boards in Indiana have had four-year terms for over 80 years. If you live anywhere in Indiana it's the same.
As far as I know, only some judges have six-year terms in Indiana.
July 8th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
I feel no cheerier in blaming the IPS board & absolving Dr. White, than blaming the idiots that negotiated the Colts deal & perceiving Jim Irsay as pure as driven snow. That's baloney. All these parties are greedy and would rather screw taxpayers, kids, regulations, whatever, for their own personal gain.
July 9th, 2009 at 1:05 am
This is what I said…”which could be up to 6 YEARS!!”
UP TO. I was embracing the maximum term of an elected official, and not limiting myself to simply the term of those reprobates on the school board.
July 9th, 2009 at 2:28 am
“Nobody read it all, and few read any of it.” Sounds a lot like our State and national government.
Sorry TA, but I cannot agree with you on this one. The current system we have in place deprives us of any rectification of wrongdoing, misfeasance, malfeasance, etc.
What is wrong with the taxpayers of the IPS district having a say in how their money is spent? If a majority of those taxpayers are unhappy with a decision of their elected representatives, then shouldn't they have the right to instruct those representatives?
And if those same representatives ignore the will of the taxpayers, then shouldn't those taxpayers have a mechanism to remove (impeach, recall, etc) those very 'representatives'?
“…nor from instructing their representatives…” — Article 1 Section 31
Sadly, there are times when the ballot box just doesn't cut it anymore. Politicians lie. They will trick and deceive the voters.
July 9th, 2009 at 5:02 am
*** ALERT *** TOPIC DRIFT
Abdul, I'd like you to begin a thread concerning your topic yesterday; tying drivers licenses with high school graduation.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:09 am
If IPS were as totally inept, as is the mission of this website, then why are there good IPS schools? What's the difference? The teachers or what goes into the schools? Doesn't the Lt. Gov. send her son to IPS School 2? Not Park Tudor or the Nascar Academy of College Prep Charter School.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:16 am
Actually the Supt. in Wayne Township makes MORE money than Dr. White and has fewer schools and teachers to deal with. Are their results that great? Plus they gave their teachers a 4% raise in these economic times. We never hear his name mentioned. Oh I get it, the charter schools aren't trying to start in HIS district and it's easier to build your corporate schools on the ruins of another.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:38 am
I'm not against paying a school supt. excellent money, IF (s)he is doing a good job. Being the CEO of a $100-million corporation (or bigger) is a huge job.
But I'm familiar with the Wayne superintendent. Nice enough guy, but their graduation rates are just a tick above IPS's. A miserable school system…seriously.
But they've got a good sports program. :-)
July 9th, 2009 at 9:07 am
Think Again,,,,,the salary for the Wayne Supt. may be higher…but I wonder how much travel allowance he receives and if he receives a $20,000 annual clothing allowance like Supt. White….also does the Wayne superintendent get to hire family members ..can he earn thousands in bonuses annually for goals that he set himself…these are all factors that go into the compensation package for some superintendents
July 9th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
I hate to defend the Center Township superintendent, but…he does not get a $20,000 clothing allowance.
His sartorial style needs some work, tho. I have a horrid remembrance of some tight red leather pants he wore a couple of years ago. Burned into my eyelids.
July 9th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
Remember when the Star posted all of the Marion County superintendents contract? When you review those contracts the base salary is just the opener. Add these items to their contract; car allowances, purchasing years experience with TERF, large annuity contracts, 250k term life insurance, cell phones, lap tops, health, dental, vision, long term disability, 6 week vacation. The bottom line his total contract is over 250K without a clothing allowance.
July 10th, 2009 at 1:36 am
I hate to defend the Center Township superintendent, but…he does not get a $20,000 clothing allowance.
His sartorial style needs some work, tho. I have a horrid remembrance of some tight red leather pants he wore a couple of years ago. Burned into my eyelids.
July 10th, 2009 at 1:54 am
Remember when the Star posted all of the Marion County superintendents contract? When you review those contracts the base salary is just the opener. Add these items to their contract; car allowances, purchasing years experience with TERF, large annuity contracts, 250k term life insurance, cell phones, lap tops, health, dental, vision, long term disability, 6 week vacation. The bottom line his total contract is over 250K without a clothing allowance.