Bill Harner voted new TPS Superintendent

Unfortunately I haven't done much in the area of "research" other than that that has already been posted here, but my only reservation at this point about Mr. Harner is the fact that he, as most of the others that applied, does not have much consistency in his previous jobs where Mr. Foley has served 30 years with TPS which to me shows loyalty to the school district. I would hope that Mr Harner would take this chance and show some consistency for himself and for our childrens sakes. I would like to be the first to wish him the bes of luck if he is indeed appointed as the new Superintendent.

First full gradecards

Since I've updated you on some of the things with the kids since switching their schools, I figured this was a good time to give you another update.

Today we received the first full quarter grade cards for both kids from their new schools.

For my youngest child, who had been an A/B student in the years prior to last year and the first quarter of this year at TPS, I am THRILLED to say that they are once again an A/B student and their grade card has the following comments from the teachers:
Band: Consistent worker (although I must note that band grades were good at TPS)
Reading: Good study and work habits
Math: Pleasant and hard working
Social Studies: Actively participates in class
English: Excellent effort
Science: Works cooperatively with others, Actively participates in class

This was the child whose teachers consistently told us that the problems and bad grades laid with our child all of last year and the part of this year that they attended TPS. I never once told the teachers that I didn't believe this, but in my heart I doubted them simply because of previous years teachers and grades. I still do not believe that my child was 100% innocent, because I know what a little turd they can be at times, but if the problem laid within my child I thoroughly believe that they and I would still be experiencing the same problems at the new school, which we obviously are not. Their GPA from the 1st quarter with the TPS grades figured in was 2.667, their GPA this quarter with only grades from the new school is currently sitting at 3.643. I am 100% positive changing this childs school was the best thing for them!

My second child, however, isn't doing anywhere near as well. Now, I did not pull this child out of TPS because I felt they were being graded unfairly by their teachers, I pulled this child out of TPS because of the outright discrimination that I seen and experienced with my own eyes, and because of the fact that the principal was unwilling to deal with a child who assaulted my child on the school bus. This being said, I did not expect this child to receive outstanding grades, mostly because they have never had outstanding grades. So opening their report card and seeing poor grades didn't come as a total shock to me. The one thing that I will say is that this child is under EXTREME limits and is seriously grounded because of their poor grades and sadly, if the grades do not change immediately, this child is currently at risk of having to repeat this grade next year. I am not ok with this and we are having a meeting at their school with their teachers this week. Even though the grades haven't really changed since changing schools, the severe amount of detentions and suspensions have stopped. I don't excuse this childs grades, nor do I approve of them, but any type of changes with this child, since day one, have always been done slowly with baby steps, and I do truly feel that we have, in some ways, conquered one problem and are now moving on to the next. I would have liked to have seen some improvement in the grade area though.

So, that's the latest update. Some good news, some not so good news. I'm semi happy, once the grades of child #2 come up I'll be more happy, and if I find out that this grade isn't going to have to be repeated for said child I'll be even happier!