Heartland Institute research onthe benefit of smaller schools published on

Click on the link below to read a report fromt he Heartland Institute on the benefit of smaller schools. It was published in 2002, however, it would be still relevant today if not moreso.


Heartland Intstitute research on the benefit of smaller schools

Editor's Note:  This article was posted on Prescott School Missoula's facebook page, prescott_msla twitter page, and sent via email to publiccomment@mcps.k12.mt.us - to MCPS trustees.

MCPS trustees approve teacher pay raise, administrative restructuring - Missoulian article from the June 12, 2013 edition by Betsy Cohen

Click on the link below to read an article by Betsy Cohen reporting on the Tuesday night MCPS Board Meeting on June 11, 2013. 

MCPS trustees approve teacher pay raise, administrative restructuring

Missoula teachers get 3 percent raise in tentative contract - Missoulian article from May 29th, 2013 edition

This Missoulian article was written for the May 29th, 2013 edition by Betsy Cohen.  I'm not sure if I posted it so I'm including it today.

Click on the link below to read the article -



Missoula teachers get 3 percent raise in tentative contract

Quotes from the article are -

"Missoula's public school teachers will receive a 3 percent increase in their base salaries for the 2013-14 academic year, which starts July 1, under a tentative bargaining agreement reached Tuesday.
The increase is significant and the highest bump teachers have received in recent years."

and -

"In 2009-10, Missoula teachers received no raise, in 2010-11 they got a 0.5 percent raise, and then a 2 percent raise in 2011-12, said Steve McHugh, Missoula County Public Schools director of human resources and labor relations."

A comment from one of the 10 comments after the article is from walter12 and follows:

 

 

   walter12 - May 29, 2013 7:08 am

You people need to know the truth about the MCPS. First thing, no certified teacher with any kind of position in the MCPS ever quits. They retire at 65 or later or die at their desks. Secondly, by Missoula and Montana standards, this is one of the best jobs in the state, by far.
Everyone knows that the best jobs in this state are: 1. Working for the Forest Service, 2. working for the State, 3. Teacher in the four big cities, 4, working for the county or city. These jobs are protected, they have great benefits, the pay is good, and there is no pressure.

 

Another interesting comment from Leadfoot follows -

Leadfoot - May 29, 2013 10:57 am

THIS IS, AS USUAL FOR THE MISSOULIAN, ONLY A PARTIALLY CORRECT ARTICLE. WHAT WAS LEFT OUT WAS THE FACT THAT THIS 3% APPLIES ONLY TO THE BASE SALARY. THERE ARE ADDITIONAL PAY INCREASES FOR SEVERAL OTHER CATAGORIES NOT YET DISCLOSED THAT APPLIES TO THE ABOVE MENTIONED MAJORITY OF TEACHERS WITH MANY YEARS OF SENIORITY. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR THIS GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS TO GIVE TOTAL PATENCY IN ITS PAY INCREASES....AND THEY COMPLAIN ABOUT A RAISE TO APOSTLE THAT WAS BUILT INTO HIS CONTRACT, BASED UPON INCENTIVES, THAT WERE REQUIRED BY LAW TO BE GIVEN TO HIM?!!!!

 missoula schools watchdog would have preferred a lower percentage wage due to MCPS salary and benefits part of the budget is now 90% of the budget when it needs to be in the 80% range.

Additionally, the most sensible thing to do is NOT give administrators such a large salary and to decrease the number of administrators.

PEAS, please: Engen to make formal proposal to purchase farm from MCPS for $1.2M - Missoulain article on June 11, 2013

Click the link below to read a report by Missoulian writer Betsy Cohen.

Another Rattlesnake school piece of property under the knife. Great.


PEAS, please: Engen to make formal proposal to purchase farm from MCPS for $1.2M

Hellgate student makes gun replica in shop, gets disciplined after school - MIssoulian article on June 7th, 2013.

Click the link below to read a Missoulian article on June 7th, 2013 reporting on a Hellgate High School student with a replica of a gun he made in his welding class.


Hellgate student makes gun replica in shop, gets disciplined after school

MISSOULIAN EDITORIAL: East Broadway site best fit for Missoula College

Click on the link below to read a Missoulian editorial regarding the future site for the Missoula College.

MISSOULIAN EDITORIAL: East  Broadway site best fit for Missoula College

Below are comments by missoula schools watchdog on this topic alluding to Missoula's traditions and changes to our city.

Let's start at the last sentence in the Missoulian editorial: "and save the inevitable battle over the future of the South Campus for another day."

 
Why does there have to be more battles over the golf course property?  What more do us Missoulians have to do to let the people who represent us know that we wish the golf course to be left alone, period?!  Do we have to continually fight for our Missoula traditions?  Is this what a representative government is all about?  I think not. 
 
It is difficult living in Missoula at this time for many of us long time Missoulians.  It seems that our very way of life with our many traditions is constantly being threatened from every corner.
 
Gone are many of our neighborhood schools, gone is McCormick Pool, gone is the Fox theater,  Our beautiful historic Carnegie library has been so altered that if you were a Missoulian that used this library as a child or an adult there is nothing left to bring back memories of the once beautiful library.
 
Many of our parks were radically changed at the hands of Donna Gaukler and company. Many of our roads have been so altered it brings on a headache just thinking about them.
 
The future of horse racing, a wonderful past time which we Missoulians have enjoyed for almost a century, is at risk. 
  

 Another Missoula landmark just literally bit the dust, the Trails End bar. This site is slated to become the new Poverello Center. What an injustice to our children that live in this area; Lowell School is just 3 to 4 blocks away.  This site would be better for a commercial enterprise. The site at the old Liberty Lanes bowling alley would have served the community better if it was also commercially used instead of using it for Agenda 21 type housing.
 
Shame on you politicians for not recognizing that these landmarks and traditions are part of the fabric of Missoula, a city which was once far more relaxed and easy to live in.
 
We need new leadership in this city, ASAP, before it goes further down the tubes.
 
In closing, I would like to thank the people who banned together to form Advocates for Missoula's Future.  It is my belief that his group speaks for the majority of Missoulians.  I hope in a future statement that this group will continue to support the Fort location for the Missoula College, the location that was recommended many years ago after a thorough study.

 

Poverello Center launches capital campaign for new homeless shelter

Click on the link below to read a June 6th, 2013 Missoulian article reporting on the tearing down of the Trails End Bar to make way for the building of the Poverello Center.

Poverello Center launches capital campaign for new homeless shelter

missoula schools watchdog is very concerned for the children in the area as this location is so close to Lowell School located just three or four blocks up the road.  msw is disappointed in city leaders on this issue and feels that a different location needed to be considered or to have the Poverello remain at the current site and address the problems in a more proactive manner.

Education: Students deserve, need STEM skills Missoulian letter to the editor on June 5, 2013

Click on link below to read a Missoulian letter to the editor in the June 5th, 2013 edition.


Education: Students deserve, need STEM skills

Missoula County Public Schools' Board of Trustees as of June 2013

Below is a picture of the new Board of Trustees of Missoula County Public Schools found on the MCPS website and Board Meeting schedule.

Regular Monthly Meetings

The Missoula County Public Schools’ Board of Trustees generally meets on the second Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. The meeting is normally held at the Business Building, 915 South Avenue West, but periodically the location varies. Please confirm the location on the Public Meetings Calendar. Upcoming meetings are:

• Tuesday, June 11, 2013
• Tuesday, July 9, 2013
• Tuesday, August 13, 2013
• Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013
• Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013



 

Missoula County Public Schools'Board of Trustees - 5 new members elected in 2013 - now oust the rest!

Note to new Trustees from missoula schools watchdog

 

MCPS must go a different direction for the sake of Missoula's school children and the Missoula taxpayers.

A different direction would include the following -

• no more catering to private schools - let Missoula International School know that the Prescott School/MIS lease will NOT be extended beyond the current lease expiration of 2017

 

• disband the International Baccalaureate Program at Hellgate and end all discussions of expanding to other grades as our neighbors did in Coeur d'Alene just did in October of 2012 (see truthaboutib.com for more info)

 

• Make sure we do not close any more schools and that we do not sell any more of our schools

• Question the validity of the upcoming Facility Plan especially as it relates to the 21st Century Schools idea. To radically change our school infrastructure to comply with an educational philosophy is shortsighted and dangerous

 



From the MCPS website - notice of a Q & A session - Paxson School sponsors Q & A session on dual language

The following paragraphs have been copied and pasted from the MCPS website to this post and is followed up by a comment from missoula schools watchdog.

      

Paxson School sponsors Q & A session on dual language

Local parents and community members are invited to attend a question and answer session regarding the Missoula County Public Schools’ Dual Language Immersion program at 6 p.m., Wednesday, June 5, at Paxson Elementary, 101 Evans St. in Missoula.

MCPS will launch a dual language (English and Spanish) program for Paxson students in kindergarten and first grade this fall. It will be the first dual language program in a public school in Montana. The dual language program will continue each year as students advance into grades 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Prior to implementation of the program, District officials researched and visited successful dual language models that are used in other states. At Paxson, instruction will be divided between two classrooms – one English and one Spanish. The English-speaking teacher will use half of the instructional day to teach English language arts and literacy skills (reading and writing). The Spanish-speaking teacher will use the other half of the instructional day to teach Spanish literacy and mathematics. Social studies and science will be taught in both classrooms by both teachers.

The Paxson program is designed to maximize students’ proficiency in a second language, develop students’ ability to work in multiple cultural settings, and provide a rich academic environment and culturally diverse experience both in the classroom and throughout the school community.

Interested Paxson families should complete the application for placement in the dual language program (the application is available at Paxson School). Paperwork must be submitted to the school by June 30. Student selection will occur by drawing later in the summer.

For additional information, please contact Principal Kelly Chumrau at 542-4055 or 728-2400, ext. 4550; or Executive Regional Director Heather Davis Schmidt at 728-2400, ext. 1074.

 

missoula schools watchdog take on this program -

 

"FOLLOW THE PEOPLE" - USUALLY THE SAYING GOES "FOLLOW THE MONEY" - (This could also apply, however, msw is not aware of the money trail.)

 

TONI REHBEIN - AN OFFICER FOR THREE YEARS - PAST PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT OF MISSOULA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

 

BRAD AND KELLY CHUMRAU - FORMER PARENTS OF A CHILD AT MISSOULA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL - BRAD A FORMER TEACHER AT MISSOULA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL NOW TEACHING AT RATTLESNAKE SCHOOL - KELLY NOW TEACHING AT PAXSON SCHOOL 

 

TONI REHBEIN HAS USED THE MISSOULA SCHOOL DISTRICT TO FULLFILL ALL HER DREAMS OF WHAT AN EDUCATION IS SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE - ALL AT THE TAXPAYERS EXPENSE

 

Missoula County Public Schools does not have money for this program or any of the other programs which the "Rehbeins" (borrowing from Mr. Spurlock's quote) have instituted over their tenure.

 

 

Missoula public school to launch state's first Spanish immersion program

Click on link below to the Billings Gazette article regarding Montana's first public school to launch a Spanish immersion program.
The article is written by Missoulian reporter Betsy Cohen and was also published in the Sunday, June 2, 2013 edition of the Missoulian.

Missoula public school to launch state's first Spanish immersion program

Missoula teachers get 3 percent raise in tentative contract - Missoulian article

Click on the link below to read a Missoulan article reporting on Missoula County Public Schools receiving a 3% raise.

Missoula teachers get 3 percent raise in tentative contract

MCPS board approves new math curriculum - May 16, 2013 Missoulian article

Click on the link below to read a Missoulian article on adopting a new math curriculum for Missoula County Public Schools students.


MCPS board approves new math curriculum

Oh, the harm you have done to Missoula's schools, Toni Rehbein!



Toni Rehbein - the scourge of MCPS from 2004-2013

Good riddance Toni Rehbein.  Please do not go within 10 feet of any of Missoula's public schools again. You and your minions have done more harm than perhaps any past MCPS trustees.

Important news! Trustees Rehbein, Bixler, Toth, Harrison, and Hemphill ended 210 years of Missoula School traditions

An amazing fact (and incredibly sad) that msw just figured out this afternoon is that five trustees, Trustee *Rosemary Harrison, Trustee *Jenda Hemphill, Trustee Toni Rehbein, Trustee Scott Bixler, and Trustee Joe Toth with a little help from Trustees  Naomi Kimbell and David Merrill, ended decades of Missoula school traditions.

How did they do this?

In 2004, Trustees voted to close Rattlesnake Middle School, Prescott School, and Mt. Jumbo School.

Rattlesnake Middle School opened around 1981.  msw is not certain regarding this date, however, Missoula converted from a K-8 school system to an elementary and middle school model for grade school level students around 1981.

Therefore the list goes like this -

Rattlesnake Middle School  - opened in 1981 in the mid Rattlesnake Valley

Prescott School - opened approximately 1892 in the lower Rattlesnake Valley

Mt. Jumbo School opened in 1979 in East Missoula

The 2004 school closures ended each school's in which they served Missoula's students in their respective Missoula neighborhood.

Rattlesnake Middle School - 23 years - (2004-1981)

Prescott School - ~112 years - (2004-1892)

Mt. Jumbo School - 25 years - (2004 - 1979)

In 2004 the five trustees mentioned above, Harrison, Hemphill, Rehbein, Bixler, and Toth, in addition to Kimbell and Merrill, ended 160 years of Missoula school traditions.

In 2005, Trustees Harrison, Hemphill, Rehbein, Bixler, and Toth voted to SELL Roosevelt School which was built in 1955 in a sweetheart sale ending 50 years of Missoula schools tradition. 

Altogether, Trustees Harrison, Hemphill, Rehbein, Bixler, and Toth ended an approximate total of  210 years of Missoula school traditions.

What is sad about this is that the closures did not save money, most likely cost the district millions of dollars over the years in addition to closing a neighborhood school for thousands of Missoula children.

*Trustees Harrison and Hemphill both voted to close Emma Dickinson in the Orchard Homes area also. (msw is almost sure of this, however, not entirely positive.)  Did one or both of these trustees vote to also close Roosevelt School?

How did the closures cost the district millions?

Here is how -

•  the resulting costs of renovations to other schools,
• busing the children out of their neighborhoods,
• the resulting costs of students and families choosing to go to schools outside of the district,
• the resulting cost of losing students to the private schools which subsequently leased our public school buildings after their closures,
• the resulting costs due to selling our public school,
• the astronomical costs of three additions (with a 1.9 million price tag for the Hawthorne addition),
• the high cost of building two modulars,
• the cost of taking care of vandalism in the closed schools, etc.etc.etc..
• the re-opening of the school when and if trustees decide to open the school

The above illustrates that the best way to deal with enrollment declines, which are a part of the normal ebb and flow of school enrollment trends, is to just ride out the ups and downs without taking the drastic action of closing a school.

As the enrollment is now trending upward and our schools are all most likely at capacity, Missoula school trustees need to re-open not only the above schools, but others such as Emma Dickinson, Jefferson, and Whittier.  NOW IS THE TIME FOR REOPENING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS.

Because Roosevelt School was sold the only way to return it to the district is to develop a sinking fund and buy the school back when and if the private school sells the property as the school district as the right of first refusal, however, not at the price at which we sold the school.

Missoula needs to vote in new school board that will listen, send message on levies (letter to the editor by David Dayton to the Missoulian)

Click on the link below to read an online letter to the Missoulian regarding the upcoming school board election and the levies on the ballot.

It is written by David Dayton.  He does a great job in letting us know just how much Superintendent Apostle is earning now and in the remaining years of his contract.  Additionally he reveals the salaries of the three regional directors, Karen Allen, Heather Davis-Schmidt, and . (ALOT!)

Thanks, David, for digging for the information we all need to know.

Missoula needs to vote in new school board that will listen, send message on levies

Here are some additional thoughts from msw on the issues David Dayton brings up in his letter:


As mentioned, the salary information is great - I knew the regional directors were earning quite a bit but I had no idea they were over the $100,000 apiece mark – WOW!  And the superintendent's salary is way out of line, of course.

The following are some quotes from the letter:

"They offered and he signed a contract that will pay him increases through 2015 plus a monthly payment of $1,875 to his TSA for a total of $22,500 a year and assorted other goodies. Let’s look at the totals: 2013 salary of $175,000 plus TSA for a total of $197,500; 2014 salary of $185,000 plus TSA for a total of $207,500; 2015 salary of $200,000 plus TSA for a total of $222,500. If you want the full story on his contract, contact MCPS for a copy."

"Three regional directors were added to Apostle’s administration; each with salary of $107,105 for a total of $323,115. I did a search of the Northwest looking for similar size districts with these positions and did not find any. What I found was: Seattle public with an enrollment of 45,000 had five, Portland with an enrollment of 47,000 had five, and LA public with an enrollment of 640,000 had five. MCPS has an enrollment of 8,466 with three."

When attending school board meetings a few years ago - I heard the business director state that the salary and benefits portion of the budget needs to be in the 80% range. 

Now S & B's are 90% of the budget, no doubt due to the salaries you have laid out for us.  Additionally, over the last couple of years I’ve also noticed that there was another administrator added to the staff at the Dickinson Adult Learning Center at I’m guessing $80,000, the out-of-the-blue raise for the public relations person, Leslie Brassfield, adds an extra $10,000 (which came out of the stimulus money last year), a liaison person for the Missoula Education Foundation (which is made up of unpopular former Board members and a despised superintendent) earns approximatley $30,000 (probably more), and most likely other salaries of which the public may not be aware.

When Superintendent Apostle first arrived he stated he was going to make Missoula the best school district in the nation.  msw was skeptical of his claim as what needed to be done to fix the mess left by his predecessor(s) within the district was not in his list of things to do.

 Instead it appears that his plans were to join other school districts across the nation and completely change our schools with the 21st Century model of education.  This 21st Century model as it turns out is a international curriculum which has many troubling aspects.  From what I understand it is more of a European model of education which has proved to be flawed in many respects. So in order to transform a school district he had to hire the regional directors. 

 And this is where the technology levy comes in - in the 21st Century model there is an extremely heavy emphasis on technology.  That is why the district wishes to increase wireless capability in all of our schools so that there is enough band width for all of our students to use computers, laptops, interactive whiteboards, iPods, etc.  Yet it is my belief and that of others that all this technology is NOT really in the best interests of our children. 

  We hear about the ways that students get into trouble using these gadgets almost on a daily basis - some students have been caught cheating on tests using their cell phones, a large portion of our children are getting on inappropriate websites, children go to ESPN while they are supposed to be researching a project (true story), etc. etc And, NO, msw will not vote for the levies.

msw will not vote for any school district levy until the district quits coddling private schools and returns Prescott School to its rightful owners, public school children.  The district loses approximately $300,000 to $500,000 per YEAR on this lease and most likely more as the enrollment of Missoula International School is now up to 186 students (33 students in 2004!), no doubt due to the leasing of Prescott School.

edited on May 19, 2013, June 5, 2013
Note:  There are some problems with the layout of this post - msw will attempt to remedy these as time and expertise (? :)) permits.

ETC

ETC   - column in the Missoula Independent in April of 2010

Click the link above for more info on the issue below -

Why did Missoula County Public Schools Chair of the BoardToni Rehbein state in the Missoulian that she was unaware of inappropriate behavior by Trustee Nancy Pickhardt 2010.  According to this article in an etc column in the Missoula Independent she was well aware of Pickhardt's outbursts. 

"Pickhardt's outburst surprised many in the community, and Board Chair Toni Rehbein stated publicly that MCPS has "never had this kind of experience." But a little digging into school board records revealed some red flags about Pickhardt's behavior that Rehbein and her fellow trustees must've overlooked."
 

Read the article where one will read that two people at least were well aware of Pickhardt's poor behavior as they were confronted by Pickhardt at MCPS meetings or on the way to a meeting.

One of these people wrote TWICE to the Board and NOTHING WAS DONE TO MITIGATE THE POOR BEHAVIOR BY TRUSTEE NANCY PICKHARDT!

The Way We Were: 1908

When Missoula County High School was being built  it was supposed to open in September of 1908.  The 1908 flood made things a little difficult for the school to be built on time.  Therefore, the school year was delayed until November of that year.  This was information I read in Stan Cohen's and Sandra Fisher's book, "Purple and Gold, 60 years of Missoula County High School".

In a personal note -

My grandmother, Ellen Nellie Tiffany McAlear, was born in Missoula, on June 7, 1908 one of the days in which the Clark Fork was spilling over it's banks.  I understand that the family had to use a boat to retrieve the nurse (or was it a midwife) to assist in the birth of my grandmother.  Ellen was the child of Willard and Nellie Tiffany who lived in the lower Rattlesnake for a number of years. Her brothers then were Fred Tiffany and Edward Tiffany with a younger brother Eugene Tiffany born in later years.  Willard and Nellie are buried in the Missoula cemetary. Ellen is buried in the Polson cemetary.





The Way We Were: 1908

Html : Interactive: Montana prep basketball championship statistics

Click on the link below to view a chart which was published online at Missoulian .com.  The chart is great as it gives a lot of information on past championships in prep basketball including Missoula schools. Thank you to the Missoulian for compiling the information and then creating the chart.

Html : Interactive: Montana prep basketball championship statistics

MCPS: Isn’t Alex Apostle a superstar?

MCPS: Isn’t Alex Apostle a superstar?

Html : Interactive: Montana prep basketball champions map

Html : Interactive: Montana prep basketball champions map

Hellgate boys white-out West- Missoulian article from December 8, 2012 by Bill Speltz

Click on the link below to read the Missoulian article  from about the Hellgate Boys varsity basketball game against Billing West, last years state champs.

Hellgate boys white-out West

A quote from the article follows:

"The game marked the Hellgate varsity debut for sophomore Tres Tinkle, who racked up a game-high 18 points and had a pair of blocks that sent a healthy home crowd into a frenzy. Veteran guards Brendan Jones and Brady Henthorn were equally effective with 21 points combined and leadership on the defensive end."

(yellow highlights indicate transfers)

A comment at the end of the article pertains to the problem of transferring basketball players at Hellgate High School which msw has been looking into.

The comment made on December 8,2012 (msw will not report on the writers blog name as he/she may not wish his/her name on the msw blog) reads as follows:
 

"I see Hellgate's recruiting efforts over the last year appears to be paying off. I Didn't think it was possible, but Jeff Hays appears to be even more slimey than his old man. Hellgate should take no pride in any of their wins.......it is disgusting how this coach and team achieves any level of success."

Note:  Coach Jeff Hays stated in another Missoulian article that he was not involved in recruiting; however, this comment reveals that others are not happy with the transfer issue.

Hellgate hosts rematch with Sentinel - sports article from February 17, 2011 which mentions a basketball transfer

Click below to read a sports article which mentions a transfer from Sentinel to Hellgate High School in the 2011-2012 basketball season.

Hellgate hosts rematch with Sentinel

The transfer of Connor Woodill from Sentinel to Hellgate added spice to the first game, which went down to the wire even with Woodill scoring 21 points

Hellgate is 7-1 in Western AA games and 12-4 overall; Sentinel, despite the loss of Woodill and Ben Roberts (wrist surgery), is 6-3 in league.

State AA boys' basketball preview: Hellgate, Big Sky boys get tough draws for state openers

Click on the link below to read about the preview for the upcoming AA boys basketball tournament in the spring of 2013.

This article is posted on the missoulaschoolswatchdog blog as msw is concerned about the rampant transferring of high school basketball players going on in Missoula and no doubt elsewhere.

The highlighted names are players who msw believes are transfers from other high schools to the Hellgate basketball team.


State AA boys' basketball preview: Hellgate, Big Sky boys get tough draws for state openers



Sophomore Tres Tinkle has led the Knights throughout the season, averaging 19.3 points and 8.2 rebounds. Both numbers rank third in Class AA, but how the other Knights shoot could be a major factor.

Senior Brendan Jones heated up about this time last season, when Hellgate took third at state for the second straight year. Fellow guards Brady Henthorn and Devin Bray need to find the hole, as does 6-7 junior shot-blocker Pat Colberg.


Transfers in this article -
Tres Tinkle - Big Sky High School
Brendan Jones - Stevensville (?)
Devin Bray - Sentinel (?)
Pat Colberg (?)

Non-transfer players in this article
Brady Henthorn

Again, as msw is just looking into who has transferred to Hellgate the above names in the transfer list may not be accurate nor is the list complete.

RFQ for Comprehensive Long ange Facilities Plan - May 7th, 2013

Click on the above link to the Missoula County Public Schools for information on the RFQ for the long range facility plans.


www.mcps.k12.mt.us/portal/LinkClick.aspx?link=3499&tabid=36

No doubt more plans to deciminate our once great neighborhood school system which has taken a big hit in recent years under the leadership of trustees that do not have Missoula's best interests in mind.

Below is a quote from the RFQ -

In the 2011-2012 school year, the District completed a 21st Century Comprehensive Educational Plan that now provides the vision for necessary educational facilities in the next 15 years. The 21st Century Model of Education is focused on six key elements: incease student engagement; transform learning environment; support early innovators; personalize professional growth; enhance communications; and collaborate with all stakeholders to make decisions.

MCPS must position its schools and facilities to support integration of the 21st Century Model of Education. The District seeks to establish a comprehensive facilities plan that identifies 5, 10, and 15 year recommendations for new construction, expansion, renovation and/or other options for buildings and properties in support of the educational vision developed through the 21st Century Model of Education. The Plan must also identify the necessary technology infrastructure and backbone that will be required in all buildings to support the integration of existing and emerging technologies in classrooms.

Html : Interactive: Montana prep basketball championship statistics - a great chart on the history of high school basketball championships in Montana

Below is a great great graph of the history of championships in Montana basketball history.  msw is not sure who created the graph - it was found on the Missoulian website on March 22, 2013.

Good job to whoever compiled the stats and created the graph!! 

Html : Interactive: Montana prep basketball championship statistics

MCPS seeks candidates for seats on Board of Trustees

Click the link below to read a Missoulian article on applying to run for the school board.  If a person is interested in running for the school board he/she needs to take their nominating petitions into the County Courthouse on 200 W. Broadway  by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 28. 

If you are interested in running against Toni Rehbein, Scott Bixler, Joe Toth, or Drake Lemm please keep the above information in mind.

Many Missoulians, including msw, would like to see these malevolent trustees ousted.

MCPS seeks candidates for seats on Board of Trustees


Thank you to any responsible citizens for considering to serve a term on the Missoula County Public Schools school board.

Basketball players' transfers to Hellgate High prompt call for review of policy

Click on the link below to read a Missoulian article reporting on the high number of basketball transfers at Hellgate High School in Missoula.  This article was published in the February 2, 2012 edition.


Basketball players' transfers to Hellgate High prompt call for review of policy


As mentioned this article was published in 2012.  As we now know there were even a greater number of basketball transfers to Hellgate from other high schools in the area, both within the district and from without.  msw is uncertain who all the Hellgate transfers were on the 2012-2013 Hellgate basketball teams, however, this would be interesting to know.  It is the belief of msw that there were approximately 6-7 transfers.

Question:  Has there been a review by any school officials on any level regarding problems with high school student athlete transfers and more specifially the high school basketball transfer?

msw is not aware of any review - if anyone knows if there has been discussions on this topic by state officials please post a comment.

See prior post for more conversation regarding student athlete transfers.

Here are some quotes from the article mentioned above:

"The Missoula Hellgate boys' basketball program is getting lots of attention these days."
&
"Hellgate recently welcomed in two highly regarded transfers from other high schools in the region - with more possibly on the way - leaving coaches, players and fans all scratching their heads over the mid-season exodus."
&
"Last week, Frenchtown sophomore Hunter Mahlum began taking classes at Hellgate. Then on Monday, 6-foot-3 freshman Tres Tinkle transferred from crosstown rival Big Sky. Both are currently playing with the Knights' JV team."
&
"Mahlum played mostly JV at Frenchtown."
&
""I can't comment on the intentions of each individual family," Big Sky coach Ty Solberg said. "But I do know there are people around the state who are concerned about this.""
&
"Tinkle, the son of Montana men's basketball coach Wayne Tinkle, was one of the first players off Big Sky's bench this winter. He made his first varsity start last Saturday against Hellgate, scoring eight points.""

&

"My issue, perhaps, is with the adults involved.""

&
"And by adults, Solberg means the policy makers who write the rules."
&
"As it stands now, players who transfer from one district to another must sit out 90 school days before resuming play at the varsity level. But, as Solberg points out, Missoula schools are part of the same district - Tinkle could play varsity if his residence was within Hellgate's attendance area - and with open enrollment transferring is pretty simple."

&

"Solberg would like to see a stricter rule put in place. Perhaps one similar to the Greater Spokane League, which makes athletes sit out one school year if they transfer.
&
""It's tough when these things happen, especially during the season," Solberg said. "I don't want there to be an option for there to be grass that's greener on the other side. I want it to be let's improve here, with the guys I went to elementary and middle school with. Those are valuable lessons. Call me old school, but I would like the thought process to be let's make it better.""
&
""I would like to give everyone the benefit of the doubt," he added. "I just hope it isn't being initiated by our leaders.""
&
"Hays denied recruiting the players, which is against Montana High School Association by-laws."
&
"They all play AAU basketball together and then they all start talking. They're kids. We have to understand as coaches, yeah, we try to steer them the right way in life ... but it snowballs and everybody calls their buddy and says, ‘Hey, wouldn't you like to play together?' It just wasn't like that 20 years ago.""
&
"The whole thing seems foreign to Solberg.""

&

""I didn't go to a school where you could transfer," said Solberg, who played hoops at Lewistown. "I'm from a one-school town. I feel for the kids who already exist at the school, who might say ‘my spot is being taken away. I've worked hard all year, now somebody better comes and my spot is possibly gone.'""

&

"Hays would only confirm the addition of Mahlum and Tinkle to his squad."

&

""I don't know if there will be others or not," he said, adding this is not the first time transferring at the semester has happened."

&

"Another source said as many as three more area players might transfer to Hellgate, including one more from Frenchtown and two from Missoula Sentinel, although some of them may wait until the end of the season or even the school year."

&

"Matosich has seen the transfer rule work both ways. Last year, one of his former players (Connor Woodill) had a successful senior year after transferring to Hellgate. This year Matosich received a transfer (Jason Neibergs) from Big Sky. It's a trend that he doesn't like to see grow."

&

""There's this thought that, at this moment things aren't going my way. But if I go over ‘here,' things can go a little bit better."

&

""It's the old saying, the grass is greener on the other side. Well, it's really not. ... The thing I tell my guys is, struggling is a good thing. It's not a bad word. It really isn't. That's where you define yourself.""

&

""You can have that legacy of being on the Dream Team or the legacy of being on the team that turned it around.""

 

 

MCPS: School board wrong on pay raise - letter to the editor by Rose Horton on March 17th, 2013

Click on the link below to read Rose Horton's letter to the editor to the Missoulian regarding Superintendent Apostle's pay raise.  The letter was printed on Sunday March 17th, 2013.

MCPS: School board wrong on pay raise

Trustee Jim Sadler commented with information on the funding of the raise is included in the comments section at the end of the article.


msw agrees with Rose's opinion of the school district and thanks her for writing her letter.

Her letter mentions the school closures that happened under the last superintendent. Our family was a victim of these closures. Rattlesnake Middle School, Prescott School, and Mt. Jumbo School were closed, all schools in the northeast corner of Missoula. There were actually three schools that were closed, in 2004, not two as Rose mentioned. I can see how one would only mention two as Rattlesnake Middle School is now Rattlesnake Elementary.

After traveling out to Mt. Jumbo for K-3 and attending Prescott School my child was then able to finally walk to the neighborhood school a couple blocks away as did his siblings before him. After only a 48 day period Rattlesnake Middle School was closed. Words cannot describe the devastation that was felt by not only our family but many others. This betrayal by malevolent school board members will most likely be felt for a lifetime.

Mt. Jumbo was a nice school; however, it was a 2 mile trip to get there. Besides it was built to serve the East Missoula student population, not the Rattlesnake area's children.  And Prescott School in the lower Rattlesnake was a WONDERFUL school (see sister blog prescottschoolmissoula.blogspot.com). A responsible Trustee suggested that the district create a K-8 system in the northeast corner of Missoula as it would have been less radical than the recommended closures.  I would not have minded if a middle school was relocated there for the Rattlesnake children. But to bus all 6-8 grade children on the north side of our city to Washington and C.S. Porter middle schools was a reckless, irresponsible, and cruel decision. The cost of these closures was not figured out ahead of the decision. Just one example of the ramifications of the closure which has to do with funds; The removal of all the state of the art science equipment from the science room at RMS was approximately $10,000!! This information was requested by a citizen and cost about $85.000 to process the request by the district. Not even the playground equipment at Rattlesnake was included in closure costs 

Can one imagine the true costs of the closures when costs such as the above are considered?! I just recently found out that the district filled in the band pit in the band room at Rattlesnake School - how much did this cost? 

Perhaps some citizens are unaware that the district just built a modular at Rattlesnake School due to overcrowding - But did NOT discuss re-opening Prescott - which is located just down the road. In fact, the principal at Rattlesnake told a citizen that opening Mt. Jumbo and/or Prescott School was not an option when discussing the overcrowding issue. Who told him this?

I am thinking that real troubles for MCPS in regard to facilities began when Missoula joined other cities and transformed our neighborhood K-8 school system into an elementary and middle school model back in 1981-82 I believe.
But in more recent years, Superintendent Vagner (sp?) started the leasing of our public schools to a private school; St. Josephs lease of Roosevelt in the late '90's. I have heard that she was once a nun. In my opinion this would have been a conflict of interest for her to be involved in this transaction.

Then Superintendent Clark came onto the scene in 2002. He caused more harm to our school infrastructure by closing the schools mentioned above and also selling Roosevelt. It was no secret that he also attempted to close Hellgate High School. During the 2004 closures a parent asked Clark what his plans were for Hellgate High School. He said, "My plan is to close Hellgate." I'm not sure how Hellgate slipped from the grasp of Clark; however, I'm glad it did.

When I read that Superintendent Clark was retiring I shouted for joy. Perhaps my problems would go away (somewhat). But the joy lasted less than a minute because I knew who was on the Board and that the misery would continue.

There was some hope that a new superintendent could come in and help to clean up the messes of Vagner and Clark. We all know now that this was not meant to be as there has been no cleaning up but more messes.

As Rose pointed out these Trustees are clueless about why we the public are upset over the superintendent raise and the lack of supplies for the district among other concerns.

There is no hope for them - if they cannot understand the problems we have now they need to be voted out of office as soon as possible.

For now we need to vote AGAINST REHBEIN, TOTH, BIXLER, AND LEMM THIS MAY.

Thank you again to Rose (the name of my great-grandmother) for writing her letter. 

edited on March 23, 2013 

I