Comments

1. New to the area says:

   June 30, 2010 at 1:54 pm

   When we were moving into the area, we asked about schools, housing, shopping etc. Having come from the midwest, our biggest concerns were the quality of schools in South Carolina, the challenge of academic programs, the clubs and sports offered, and the overall safety and calm within the school. So many people referred us to Bluffton High School, noting it had become one of the best schools in the area. We made an appointment and went in to meet with guidance, take a tour of the school, and meet with the principal. Mr Anderson was wonderful – warm, inviting. He took us on a tour. The building was quiet, students were working, everyone we saw or spoke with was friendly and inviting.
   Needless to say, we were thrilled!

   Now we have moved in to the area and our children are making friends and enjoying getting to know life in South Carolina. Much to our dismay and horror, we have learned that Mr Anderson is no longer at the high school. We are now so upset. When we ask around, the main comment we hear is that the superintendent got mad because her hair got wet at graduation! What? Is this area that silly and superficial?

   Now we seriously wonder if we really want to be in a district that would ridiculously destroy a successful school. From reading the forums, it seems other schools and teachers are seriously worried about the decisions made by school leaders.

   All I can say is – get out and vote for your school board and county council members. Speak up and voice your concerns. These council and board members need to act on behalf of their constituents, not cover for poor central leadership!

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2. And Another says:

   June 30, 2010 at 1:43 pm

   I am also scared and upset. We have good teachers in the district who are not acknowledged or appreciated by our central office leadership. It is true – if we speak up or disagree with Truesdale, there are vindictive consequences.

   County Council and School Board members please wake up and see the light. Morale is low across the district as your school leader is breaking up schools, breaking up leadership, and breaking up school families!

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3. Another scared teacher says:

   June 29, 2010 at 10:47 pm

   Wow Mr. Sanz! You just keep having more and more courage that the rest of us teachers should have. I hope you can help us change our classrooms so that we can teach. As a new teacher I can’t speak out, so many veteran teachers tell me not to if I want to keep my job. I would love to teach at a school like Riverview where the kids want to be there. I really do feel like my principal is a Truesdale puppet. He is always saying that he doesn’t want to get in trouble with Truesdale and he wants to keep his job too. Every year we have to do more and more as teachers when what we really need is smaller classes with more discipline. I would like to see Truesdale go and handle a class at Battery Creek High School.

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4. Alan says:

   June 29, 2010 at 3:48 am

   The board of education is sitting on a surplus. The reason for the surplus is a bond rating that is favorable. Bonds are there to support building projects. With the fiasco building Whale Branch High School I doubt there will be more buildings. Battery Creek has how many kids left and Whale Branch is empty?
   Shift the Okatie kids to BCHS; build no more and use the surplus to balance the budget.
   Why the charade at the superintendent and CFO level?
   Is county council going to stand by and watch this debacle? School board it is up to you- why is this happening? Too much unrest and that unrest seems to be getting more pronounced. Is change the answer?

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5. Sanzalicious says:

   June 28, 2010 at 6:54 pm

   Notice Mr Sanz says “allow principals autonomy” – and support them. That is what Truesdale does NOT do, along with the two who tag a long with her. Let the administrators do their jobs – they are in the trenches dealing with the daily battle with students, parents, and teachers. Really, would any of you have the guts to want that job? Truesdale was not a teacher or principal very long herself – she’s not down in the down and dirty with those who really matter! Nor do her teachers respect her as a leader. Last week’s reactions from teachers about her “opening sessions” were a testament to her superficiality and to the lack of respect the north of Broad as well as others have for her. She justs puts on for the headlines…until something better comes along!

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6. Kudos to Sanz for speaking out says:

   June 28, 2010 at 6:44 pm

   Mr. Sanz – you are on the money. Unfortunately, I am not sure you will find many teachers standing with you because they are scared…how many now, including APS, are waiting to hear if they will have jobs and where they will be? How many at Bluffton High are scared, scared as to who their leader will now be, scared to speak up and speak out for Mr Anderson because they fear they will lose their jobs.

   While you are encouraging us all to work to improve education in Beaufort, let us all remind the school board members that they are making very poor choices by allowing Truesdale carte blanche over all decisions. Come on board members, get your heads out of the sand!

   School will start in less than 40 working days, you have administrations in limbo in a lot of buildings, 3 new buildings opening and Bluffton High and Mccracken with new configurations. There is no one better than Mr Anderson to continue to build up Bluffton High while helping the Mccracken and Bluffton Middle principals and staff. He has phenomenal experience and you are wasting him at the district. With Mr Snider leaving and other teachers making similar changes to return to home & family, you are setting Bluffton High kids and faculty up for failure! You say you want your superintendent to be successful – Mr Anderson has done that and more for her! Come on folks, her decision to take him out of the high school smells,no, stinks..What in the world are you thinking. A lot of us are with Sanz – no confidence in Truesdale! Or board members right now!

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7. Mike Sanz says:

   June 26, 2010 at 12:53 am

   Congratulations to all that Riverview teachers and parents are doing to bring quality education to Beaufort County. Mr/Mrs. Bensch hit it right on the nose…the key value is Discipline. Along with Respect and the Courage to enforce these values, unlimited accomplishments can occur in any school.

   These successes should be happening in the public schools of Beaufort County. We have the energized quality teachers, bright kids and many supportive parents to make this a reality. We need district leadership with the guts to enforce board policies and the courage to allow spirited principals autonomy in their schools. The good ones will reestablish discipline and respect as the spark that drives academic success.

   We will be having our first meeting on July 14th to introduce a Coalition for Academic Reform in Beaufort County. The mediua sources will be providing details in the next two weeks. One of the points of discussion will be the serious consideration of introducing a charter middle school and eventually a charter high school in Beaufort County.

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8. John Werner says:

   June 23, 2010 at 8:01 pm

   To the best of my knowledge, no charter schools have won a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The criteria upon which this Award is based is well known throughout the developed world as a best practice for organizational excellence. I have served as a Baldrige Award Examiner and would strongly encourage these charter schools to complete self assessment studies against the Baldrige Education Criteria. This assessment will help identify the “right” projects to work on in order to become a high performance organization. In the absence of a “model” improvement efforts may and often are directed to the “wrong” projects. The Iredell-Statesville Schools (a public school district) in North Carolina won the award in 2008 as an example – see http://www.baldrige.nist.gov/PDF_files/Iredell_Statesville_Schools_Profile.pdf
   In addition it would be useful to compare the results cited in this article with data from the best performing public schools.

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9. Bensch says:

   June 23, 2010 at 10:22 am

   The reason for the academic achievments is teachers control the classroom. Discipline!
   The students know it. Adult authority changes the dynamics completely, children want and need structure.

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