Wednesday, September 16, 2009

That Baldrige "Continuous Improvement" Stuff Is Working Wonders I Tell Ya!

Back in May I posted a little something about the Long Beach (California) Unified School District receiving a grant in 2004 to...well, I'll just repost the same story snippet I used back then:

The Broad Foundation recently awarded $1.14 million to the Long Beach Unified School District to expand the district’s award-winning use of Baldrige strategies for continuous improvement at schools and central offices.

The three-year grant will help to increase use of the techniques throughout the district, including elementary, middle, K-8 and high school classrooms.

I recalled that grant as I ran across a story today on how Long Beach Unified did on their 2009 AYPs:
In the Long Beach Unified School District, 44 percent of schools met federal standards this year, down from about 50 percent last year.

Statewide, about half of California schools this year met federal targets set as part of the No Child Left Behind Act.
Now that's Continuous Improvement folks! California schools not using sophisticated, state-of-the-art, fantabulous Baldrige strategies... "about half" pass. Long Beach, with its double-secret Baldrige ninja throwing stars of Continuous Improvement...."44 percent".

Yowza! With eye-popping results like that I can hardly wait to experience 300,000 hours of externally mandated Baldrige-filled staff meetings at my school! Continuously Improve me baby!

Baldrige Fever: Catch It!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You rock Scot!!!!

Anonymous said...

I just found this site and wondered if it would be a good place for me to vent. I just retired or was put on the must hire list and then retired. I was pushed out to provide room for department cut backs and room for favored crony pals of administrators. I knew it was coming. I asked too many questions and wondered where money was going. I am relieved not to be a part of so much hypocrisy and nonsense but I grieve at children being the opportunity for administrators to advance their careers at children's expense. It happens...and too many teachers go along to get along. Hey, people have families to support and all that but there is way too little real courage and conviction amongst teachers just trying to hang on to a job. I can't blame them all but teachers don't become teachers for the money so...what's to lose? Baldridge is a good example. Dear God, do people really believe that teachers should run schools the way a business is run? Also, who made the money selling this to schools? Who makes the money on all the assessments now required? What about all the other training required by districts? Lots of money coming in to districts but it doesn't seem to get down to classrooms and no one wants to talk about it. If you talk about it you become a target for those who have to power to shut you up. right? I can testify to that.