my family is very upset about this change. my 19 year old daughter had mr. austin as a 3rd grade taecher as she went k-5. Three years ago i when to kindergarten orientation with my 2nd daughter and saw the mr austin was now principle i stood up and cheered !!!!  i am soooooooooooooooo sad for the kids that will miss him and not understand…i walk the halls and he makes these kids smile…as he would goochland….but why do this ???? i have heard no good reasons so far….and yes we parents want him to stay…and the only reasons u dont hear more complaints is because alot of people are not yet aware !!!  shame on whenever did this !!!

I’ve been try to not respond anymore, as the negativity displayed is upsetting.  However, I feel the need to respond to Charlotte.  What makes you think that the superintendent does not support the people that pay her salary?  Is it because the gifted program has been cut?  Is it because she is not doing what GEPA and others feel like she should?  Being in her position is not easy and her job is to take care of ALL students.  Just because she is not doing what certain people think she should does not mean she is not looking out for all of the students.  And just because the gifted program no longer has it’s own facility doesn’t mean that it no longer exists.  The change has not even taken place and from your comment it looks as if it isn’t going to be given a fair chance.  I’m not sure how you feel our school system can be graded on SAT scores,as not all students take them.  Especially, since most students take them or parts of them several times.

In response to a comment that a reader was not a fan of the gifted center. OUr country needs to educate the gifted. They are the neglected segment of education and to thwart advancement of a group of students who work hard and succeed is to shoot our country in the foot. I have children ranging from 24 to 16 and have seen the spectrum of gifted education from the archaic pullout program to which Goochland reverts to the center based program.  My children who were in the center have done far better at the Governor’s School and had to stress much less with rigorous classes than the ones who started in the pullout (ie. no program) at Goochland in the 1990’s. The center did not waste funds as each class was still full and paid for the minimum one teacher as every other class in GES.  What a lie that is costs more!

It is clear that the superintendent has lost support in this county. It is clear that she also does not support the people who pay her salary. I have been in Goochland for 16 years and this is the second most disturbing time in our school system. Parents are ignored. The gifted program has gone back to the stone age, SAT scores are low (if they are not, I challenge the schools to finally release statistics on how many students take the test and what the average, mean, high and low scores are).

Changing the principals-a move to break up resistance from parents. It will not work.

My children too did nothing the last week of school - it would have been a perfect time for parents/PTA to throw a nice going away party for each of the principals.

I don’t think RES Supporter is saying that the community at large should get to vote, interview, etc. the hiring of principals, teachers, etc. - but this isn’t a situation of someone new being brought in to fill an open position - it’s a case of taking two perfectly working situations and stirring them up for no reason - at least not one that has been made public.

GoochGRL - I would throw more of my money into taxes, if I knew that every cent was going into the education of my children.  My point is that each school was doing fine the way they were, so why change things? Has nothing to do with money - or at least since no real reason has come forward, we can only assume that.

Rusure -

Yes, I am sure.

GoochGRL,
Are you sure you are not the Teacher Induction and Professional Development Specialist with 2 years of classroom experience? Who Goochland paid to get your masters and doctorate?

GG - First of all, small correction, I didn’t say the drug video was this year, I believe I stated that I found out about it this year.  That being said, I couldn’t disagree with you more on just about every point you’ve made regarding the video.

First, yes money was used, we used school resources to produce it and to display it. So yes, taxpayer money was used. 

Secondly, no I don’t want to see kids busted for drugs, but when they are bringing them to school, (1) they either have a serious personal problem, (2) they are dealing, or (3) they are so clueless regarding the severity of their act that they deserve to be busted.  If they have a serious problem, it is an opportunity to recognize that problem and intervene, if they are dealing we catch them, and if they are clueless, ultimately it may be the wake up call that they need. 

Third, not all parents are fully aware of what their kids are doing, and we are not asking the schools to do the job here, the job was being performed by the branch of government that was supposed to be doing this…the police.  So nobody is expecting the schools to perform this task.  As a matter of fact it is the school’s decision to insert themselves into this issue that I find problematic.

Fourth, The video sends a terrible message to kids that it is “us” (the educators and you kids <wink><wink><nudge><nudge>, against “them” (the police).  It sure would be nice for kids to grow up knowing the police are a valuable part of the community…not someone to hide from…or to make light of.

Fifth, so by chasing the drugs out of the school, does it really help the community as a whole (NOPE) or just help the school’s save face?  When you are not tough on drugs, you create a “market”.  When a market is created, someone will fill that “market” need.  When the market is selling illegal narcotics, usually those filling that need are not going to be saints(that is where the gangs come in).  Now my understanding is that this video has not been played again, and the schools and police are working together better now,  but the decision making and judgment behind it is not something I’d expect from someone who is supposed to be a community leader.

It is not in the best interest of the community as a whole to hide a drug problem by warning people to hide their stash and make light of the issue.

You and I are clearly at opposite ends of the spectrum on this particular issue.

GoochGRL,

You are of course entitled to your opinion, however:

#1 Strange that this video was made a) after the sheriff announced his intention to search the school, b) was shown every morning up until the search was made and c) was never shown again. The video was a warning that the school was to be searched, plain and simple. The sheriff found nothing as a result, which was clearly the purpose of the video (unless you are claiming the drug problem was instantly solved…).
#3 Why do you say this is a personnel matter? Given the otherwise inexplicable nature of the principal switch, it is convenient to be able to hide behind the ‘personnel’ label which of course requires no explanation at all. It is odd that the Superintendent has not actually stated this though (even when apparently interviewed for the above Gazette article). I do wonder why a school board member was initially telling the public that the switch was made due to a ‘significant’ decline in SOL scores at one of the schools, that parents easily refuted by referring to the actual results. Odd that someone who voted on the switch and works so closely with the superintendent should be so terribly confused about this ‘personnel’ matter…
#4 Teacher or no, your opinion is just that. Since the superintendent has not been shy about instructing employees to do her dirty work in the past (a la ‘Battle is on’) I will assume that you (GoochGRL) are acting under instruction, since you write as if you are the superintendent. Alternatively you can reveal who you are…nothing to hide, right?

First, thank you, John for respecting my opinion.  However, I am more than aware of all the things you stated and would like to correct a few. 
#1 “The Dogs Are Coming” video was not this year, but December 2008.  The purpose of the video was not to keep the drug users from getting caugfht, but rather to keep the drugs out of the school.  We do not want to see students arrested; we just want them to stop using drugs.  No money was used to “subvert” ay mission.  Maybe more parents need to start a mission to stop their own children from using drugs rather than relying on the schools to do that for them.
#2 Teacher input was invited in respect to budget cuts.  Several meetings were held in which teachers were invited to provide input, make recommendations, and have a voice.  Any teacher who did not respond made the choice to not be involved.
#3 Again, the principal switch was a personnel matter.  Personnel matters are not for public discernment.
#4 I know these things to be factual because I am a teacher in Goochland County and have been for many years.  In my 20 plus years as an educator in various parts of Virginia, I have never worked with a superintendent who cares more about children than Linda Underwood.

Truth Teller - I can only shake my head and laugh at your obviously delusional mindset….