Anonymous wrote:The truth is that Arlington got the kind of superintendent that a lot of APS parents wanted. Someone more concerned with virtue signaling than academics or the complexity of running a school system. So here we are.

+ 1000

Anonymous wrote:The truth is that Arlington got the kind of superintendent that a lot of APS parents wanted. Someone more concerned with virtue signaling than academics or the complexity of running a school system. So here we are.

This.

This

The truth is that Arlington got the kind of superintendent that a lot of APS parents wanted. Someone more concerned with virtue signaling than academics or the complexity of running a school system. So here we are.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a tax payer I must ask. What is the ROR of all these positions as measured by the success of our students?

As a non-hip older person who hasn't been instantaneously imbued with familiarity with every acronym under the sun, I must ask what is "ROR"

Not the PP, but I believe it’s rate of return.

Anonymous wrote:As a tax payer I must ask. What is the ROR of all these positions as measured by the success of our students?

As a non-hip older person who hasn't been instantaneously imbued with familiarity with every acronym under the sun, I must ask what is "ROR"

As a tax payer I must ask. What is the ROR of all these positions as measured by the success of our students?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the org chart. What would you propose cutting? https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2023/10/Web-Organizational-Chart-101623.pdf

There's no reason the various department directors can't report directly to the superintendent like they did in the past.
DEI office is way bloated and nobody seems able to explain what it is any of them are doing.
What does the director of labor relations do? They have nobody reporting to them.

not yet...

good point.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the org chart. What would you propose cutting? https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2023/10/Web-Organizational-Chart-101623.pdf

There's no reason the various department directors can't report directly to the superintendent like they did in the past.
DEI office is way bloated and nobody seems able to explain what it is any of them are doing.
What does the director of labor relations do? They have nobody reporting to them.

not yet...

Anonymous wrote:Here's the org chart. What would you propose cutting? https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2023/10/Web-Organizational-Chart-101623.pdf

There's no reason the various department directors can't report directly to the superintendent like they did in the past.
DEI office is way bloated and nobody seems able to explain what it is any of them are doing.
What does the director of labor relations do? They have nobody reporting to them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the org chart. What would you propose cutting? https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2023/10/Web-Organizational-Chart-101623.pdf

I'd move all D&I folks except for one D&I lead into the schools as resources for schools, students and families. There's no reason they should be in the central office.

I also think there is huge bloat on the academic curriculum side. We don't need a dozen people working full time on curriculums and, from what I've seen, they do a crappy job because they are too disconnected with what's happening in the classroom. Instead they should give honoraria for experienced teachers to participate on curriculum selection committees. We need 1-2 coordinators for these committees and that's it.

If these people were actually doing things to increase diversity and inclusion within individual schools across the district, that would be worthwhile. But they aren't. And even though nobody really knows what they are doing or are supposed to do, de-segregating our schools is not their focus. So, sure, send them to the individual schools -- but still come up with an actual purpose and specific job duties first.

Agreed I'd like to see purpose/job duties and some kind of tangible deliverable or outcome. At the very least, if they were school based employees that's an extra body in the school that could do push in lessons or help cover classes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the org chart. What would you propose cutting? https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2023/10/Web-Organizational-Chart-101623.pdf

I'd move all D&I folks except for one D&I lead into the schools as resources for schools, students and families. There's no reason they should be in the central office.

I also think there is huge bloat on the academic curriculum side. We don't need a dozen people working full time on curriculums and, from what I've seen, they do a crappy job because they are too disconnected with what's happening in the classroom. Instead they should give honoraria for experienced teachers to participate on curriculum selection committees. We need 1-2 coordinators for these committees and that's it.

If these people were actually doing things to increase diversity and inclusion within individual schools across the district, that would be worthwhile. But they aren't. And even though nobody really knows what they are doing or are supposed to do, de-segregating our schools is not their focus. So, sure, send them to the individual schools -- but still come up with an actual purpose and specific job duties first.

Anonymous wrote:Here's the org chart. What would you propose cutting? https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2023/10/Web-Organizational-Chart-101623.pdf

Keep your eye on the growth. How many roles have been added since Duran took over? How many have been cut? He’s added a couple dozen syphax jobs. A couple of unfilled job titles were eliminated.

Anonymous wrote:Here's the org chart. What would you propose cutting? https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2023/10/Web-Organizational-Chart-101623.pdf

I'd move all D&I folks except for one D&I lead into the schools as resources for schools, students and families. There's no reason they should be in the central office.

I also think there is huge bloat on the academic curriculum side. We don't need a dozen people working full time on curriculums and, from what I've seen, they do a crappy job because they are too disconnected with what's happening in the classroom. Instead they should give honoraria for experienced teachers to participate on curriculum selection committees. We need 1-2 coordinators for these committees and that's it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the org chart. What would you propose cutting? https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2023/10/Web-Organizational-Chart-101623.pdf

There's the open question of what 13 non-school based employees in the Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office actually DO to support students. I see a lot of people with Dr. in front of their name and a generic title that doesn't actually tell me anything. Also, why are the Chief of School Support Office and the Chief Academic Office two separate units? Why does the Chief of Staff have a Director of Strategic Outreach with two employees under him when there is a separate School and Community Relations group with 14(ish?) employees?

Good points. You can't see it on this org chart is why do instructional technology coordinators report up the chain through the COO's office and not through school support or academic office? They're supposed to be supporting instruction. But also doesn't make sense why those two offices are separate unless the mandate is too big for one person.