Dr. Duran must go

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Duran has engendered zero teacher trust that he's taking appropriate safety or HR measures. Every transition has left teachers panicked and frustrated.

As a few examples, the teacher vaccine roll out was a mess. APS review of teacher exemptions from in person teaching for health reasons was a huge mess. The roll out out virtual learning was a huge technical disaster. APS bought crappy filters for the classrooms and didn't tell teachers how to use them. APS has left every school set their own covid policies so whether a school is "safe" depends on the reasonability of that principal and advocacy by teachers and parents. Duran doesn't get credible scientific input and set evidence based standards. They're all over the place. Oh, and don't forget the summer school debacle. That was a mess. Plus VLP.

He's also done absolutely nothing to try to catch kids up after failing test scores. Lexia and Dreambox don't cut it.

All you need to do with the filters is plug them in and turn them on. You don't need an engineering degree to figure that out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Duran has my support. Love everything that's happened? No, I don't. But he's an improvement on last three sups, and if you anything about that recruitment process you know why far worse school districts cling to far worse leaders (hint: it ain't easy finding good help these days). Go ahead and criticize him, but get off your high horse about his so many supposed failures. Some of the, are because he has parents like you ( and no, I'm not an employee or friend of his).

I agree with this.

I've seen a lot of stuff I'm happy with. The man can't work miracles with some of these post-pandemic issues, which are going to take time to dig out from under. The labor market issues are horrendous and parents in the cheap seats have ZERO clue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're uninformed if you think that's what Duran is about. He's attuned to all sorts of needs. He is putting intensified classes in MS for the first time. Murphy shot that down for years.

That simply is not true. Geometry intensified has been offered in MS for as long as I remember.

The ONLY MS intensified classes have been math. They're going to add intensified for English and Social Studies. I don't think science was mentioned? However, big caveat, was that in the discussion about it they said if there's a disparity in the race of the kids signing up for intensified classes they'll get rid of them again.

Science is also offered. At least for 8th grade it will be.

I think once they are offered it will be pretty challenging to walk it back.

[Anonymous]

From my view since he got here:

Move to DIEBELS and math inventory. Relying on PALS was a joke. We used to get no objective info on math progress.
Move away from crap-tastic Lucy Calkins curriculum and back to teaching reading properly.
Middle school intensified classes (this is huge and if you're not there yet you don't know how huge it is)
Much clearer and more consistent communication about things I actually care about
The recent announcement about the ability to lock down the school ipads and laptops at home is a big improvement
I am impressed with his budget proposal this year and how much it is focused on the reality of the drug and mental health situations in the middle high schools. Some things that should make a real difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From my view since he got here:

Move to DIEBELS and math inventory. Relying on PALS was a joke. We used to get no objective info on math progress.
Move away from crap-tastic Lucy Calkins curriculum and back to teaching reading properly.
Middle school intensified classes (this is huge and if you're not there yet you don't know how huge it is)
Much clearer and more consistent communication about things I actually care about
The recent announcement about the ability to lock down the school ipads and laptops at home is a big improvement
I am impressed with his budget proposal this year and how much it is focused on the reality of the drug and mental health situations in the middle high schools. Some things that should make a real difference.

Agree with all of this.

Biggest error was VLP.

Overall, a net positive and lightyears better than the previous superintendent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Duran is fine but I wish he was able to build consensus across departments. It is very hard right now because each office is giving staff different and often contradicting messages. They need to get it together and present staff with cohesive messages rather than one edict from one office contradicting another. He has expanded departments in silos rather than encouraging cross communication.

+10000
He has also buffered himself with an extra layer of "cabinet" level positions AND has filled most of those positions with INCOMPETENT people.

How can it be fine that a leader lets this happen? What you say makes no sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From my view since he got here:

Move to DIEBELS and math inventory. Relying on PALS was a joke. We used to get no objective info on math progress.
Move away from crap-tastic Lucy Calkins curriculum and back to teaching reading properly.
Middle school intensified classes (this is huge and if you're not there yet you don't know how huge it is)
Much clearer and more consistent communication about things I actually care about
The recent announcement about the ability to lock down the school ipads and laptops at home is a big improvement
I am impressed with his budget proposal this year and how much it is focused on the reality of the drug and mental health situations in the middle high schools. Some things that should make a real difference.

Eh the move to phonics based instruction was state mandated, not anything to do with Duran although I agree that phonics instruction IS reading instruction, I wouldn't give that to Duran as a win. I also am not anti-Duran, but cautiously optimistic that after growing central office, he will start to control and tame the beast. I'm willing to give him more time especially in the current hiring environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Duran is fine but I wish he was able to build consensus across departments. It is very hard right now because each office is giving staff different and often contradicting messages. They need to get it together and present staff with cohesive messages rather than one edict from one office contradicting another. He has expanded departments in silos rather than encouraging cross communication.

+10000
He has also buffered himself with an extra layer of "cabinet" level positions AND has filled most of those positions with INCOMPETENT people.

How can it be fine that a leader lets this happen? What you say makes no sense.

I didn't say he's a fine leader.
He is not a fine leader, at least not a good manager. His central office is a disaster and he's too removed from the worker bees to see it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Duran is fine but I wish he was able to build consensus across departments. It is very hard right now because each office is giving staff different and often contradicting messages. They need to get it together and present staff with cohesive messages rather than one edict from one office contradicting another. He has expanded departments in silos rather than encouraging cross communication.

+10000
He has also buffered himself with an extra layer of "cabinet" level positions AND has filled most of those positions with INCOMPETENT people.

How can it be fine that a leader lets this happen? What you say makes no sense.

I didn't say he's a fine leader.
He is not a fine leader, at least not a good manager. His central office is a disaster and he's too removed from the worker bees to see it.

Sorry, I misread your comment. It's NOT fine that a leader lets this happen. But it isn't that he just "let" it happen - he DID it himself. He picked the cabinet members. He created all the new positions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Duran is fine but I wish he was able to build consensus across departments. It is very hard right now because each office is giving staff different and often contradicting messages. They need to get it together and present staff with cohesive messages rather than one edict from one office contradicting another. He has expanded departments in silos rather than encouraging cross communication.

+10000
He has also buffered himself with an extra layer of "cabinet" level positions AND has filled most of those positions with INCOMPETENT people.

How can it be fine that a leader lets this happen? What you say makes no sense.

I didn't say he's a fine leader.
He is not a fine leader, at least not a good manager. His central office is a disaster and he's too removed from the worker bees to see it.

Sorry, I misread your comment. It's NOT fine that a leader lets this happen. But it isn't that he just "let" it happen - he DID it himself. He picked the cabinet members. He created all the new positions.

And that’s where the SB needs to step up. They vote on adding and paying for all those jobs. They allowed VLP to happen and let duran fire the one guy brave enough to say it was a complete failure. Duran is better than Murphy but we need a school board willing to not just give a pass to every idea and, worse, never accept blame when things go awry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Duran is fine but I wish he was able to build consensus across departments. It is very hard right now because each office is giving staff different and often contradicting messages. They need to get it together and present staff with cohesive messages rather than one edict from one office contradicting another. He has expanded departments in silos rather than encouraging cross communication.

+10000
He has also buffered himself with an extra layer of "cabinet" level positions AND has filled most of those positions with INCOMPETENT people.

How can it be fine that a leader lets this happen? What you say makes no sense.

I didn't say he's a fine leader.
He is not a fine leader, at least not a good manager. His central office is a disaster and he's too removed from the worker bees to see it.

Sorry, I misread your comment. It's NOT fine that a leader lets this happen. But it isn't that he just "let" it happen - he DID it himself. He picked the cabinet members. He created all the new positions.

Well said

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Duran is fine but I wish he was able to build consensus across departments. It is very hard right now because each office is giving staff different and often contradicting messages. They need to get it together and present staff with cohesive messages rather than one edict from one office contradicting another. He has expanded departments in silos rather than encouraging cross communication.

+10000
He has also buffered himself with an extra layer of "cabinet" level positions AND has filled most of those positions with INCOMPETENT people.

How can it be fine that a leader lets this happen? What you say makes no sense.

I didn't say he's a fine leader.
He is not a fine leader, at least not a good manager. His central office is a disaster and he's too removed from the worker bees to see it.

Sorry, I misread your comment. It's NOT fine that a leader lets this happen. But it isn't that he just "let" it happen - he DID it himself. He picked the cabinet members. He created all the new positions.

And that’s where the SB needs to step up. They vote on adding and paying for all those jobs. They allowed VLP to happen and let duran fire the one guy brave enough to say it was a complete failure. Duran is better than Murphy but we need a school board willing to not just give a pass to every idea and, worse, never accept blame when things go awry.

PP. I agree completely!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Duran is fine but I wish he was able to build consensus across departments. It is very hard right now because each office is giving staff different and often contradicting messages. They need to get it together and present staff with cohesive messages rather than one edict from one office contradicting another. He has expanded departments in silos rather than encouraging cross communication.

+10000
He has also buffered himself with an extra layer of "cabinet" level positions AND has filled most of those positions with INCOMPETENT people.

How can it be fine that a leader lets this happen? What you say makes no sense.

I didn't say he's a fine leader.
He is not a fine leader, at least not a good manager. His central office is a disaster and he's too removed from the worker bees to see it.

Sorry, I misread your comment. It's NOT fine that a leader lets this happen. But it isn't that he just "let" it happen - he DID it himself. He picked the cabinet members. He created all the new positions.

And that’s where the SB needs to step up. They vote on adding and paying for all those jobs. They allowed VLP to happen and let duran fire the one guy brave enough to say it was a complete failure. Duran is better than Murphy but we need a school board willing to not just give a pass to every idea and, worse, never accept blame when things go awry.

PP. I agree completely!

And they need to hold a superintendent accountable and hire one who is capable of meeting that accountability if this one won't/can't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From my view since he got here:

Move to DIEBELS and math inventory. Relying on PALS was a joke. We used to get no objective info on math progress.
Move away from crap-tastic Lucy Calkins curriculum and back to teaching reading properly.
Middle school intensified classes (this is huge and if you're not there yet you don't know how huge it is)
Much clearer and more consistent communication about things I actually care about
The recent announcement about the ability to lock down the school ipads and laptops at home is a big improvement
I am impressed with his budget proposal this year and how much it is focused on the reality of the drug and mental health situations in the middle high schools. Some things that should make a real difference.

Eh the move to phonics based instruction was state mandated, not anything to do with Duran although I agree that phonics instruction IS reading instruction, I wouldn't give that to Duran as a win. I also am not anti-Duran, but cautiously optimistic that after growing central office, he will start to control and tame the beast. I'm willing to give him more time especially in the current hiring environment.

Nope APS did this, it was not state driven.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From my view since he got here:

Move to DIEBELS and math inventory. Relying on PALS was a joke. We used to get no objective info on math progress.
Move away from crap-tastic Lucy Calkins curriculum and back to teaching reading properly.
Middle school intensified classes (this is huge and if you're not there yet you don't know how huge it is)
Much clearer and more consistent communication about things I actually care about
The recent announcement about the ability to lock down the school ipads and laptops at home is a big improvement
I am impressed with his budget proposal this year and how much it is focused on the reality of the drug and mental health situations in the middle high schools. Some things that should make a real difference.

Eh the move to phonics based instruction was state mandated, not anything to do with Duran although I agree that phonics instruction IS reading instruction, I wouldn't give that to Duran as a win. I also am not anti-Duran, but cautiously optimistic that after growing central office, he will start to control and tame the beast. I'm willing to give him more time especially in the current hiring environment.

Nope APS did this, it was not state driven.

There is a law. Did you not know?
https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/k-12-standards-instruction/english-reading-literacy/literacy/virginia-literacy-act

I’ll give you that both Aps and FCPS started early but it was pushed by many factors. It isn’t Duran acting by himself. The NAACP
Had a big role.