Governor Bob McDonnell Announces Virginia On-Time Graduation Rate Tops 89 Percent

 Governor of Virginia  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Drop-Out Rate Falls as More Minority Students Earn Diplomas

Commonwealth Sees 7.8 Percent Increase in On-Time Graduation Rate Since 2008

RICHMOND – Governor Bob McDonnell announced today nearly nine out of ten students who entered the ninth grade in the fall of 2009 earned a diploma within four years, and 55.8 percent of the commonwealth’s 2013 high school graduates earned an Advanced Studies Diploma. The statewide dropout rate fell to 5.9 percent for the class of 2013, compared with 6.5 percent for the class of 2012.

“Behind these positive statistics are students, parents, teachers, counselors, and other educators who worked together to accomplish great things,” Governor Bob McDonnell said. “I congratulate all of these dedicated students, parents, and educators for their commitment to success, no matter the obstacles. The old saying remains true: ‘to get a great job you need a great education.’ More and more Virginia students are putting in the hard work, and getting that education. I applaud our students, parents, and teachers for making this progress possible.” 

“Every one-point improvement in the state graduation rate represents another 1,000 young men and women who have earned diplomas and are able to pursue postsecondary and career opportunities that otherwise would be off limits,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright said.

In the 2013 cohort of 96,167 students, 89.1 percent earned a Board of Education-approved diploma. Of these students who entered high school as freshmen in 2009:

·         47,811 graduates, or 49.7 percent, earned an Advanced Studies Diploma (including International Baccalaureate), compared with 48.6 percent of the previous cohort

·         34,356, or 35.7 percent, earned a Standard Diploma.

·         1,510, or 1.6 percent, earned a Modified Standard Diploma.

·         2,019, or 2.1 percent, earned a Special Diploma.

Modified Standard Diplomas and Special Diplomas are available only to students with disabilities. The Modified Standard Diploma is in the process of being phased out as students with disabilities who are learning at grade-level work toward meeting the requirements for the Standard Diploma with accommodations allowed by the state Board of Education.

State and local efforts to increase graduation rates and reduce dropout rates among minority students continued to show results:

·         The graduation rate for black students increased 1.4 points to 84.1 percent, while the dropout rate fell from 9.3 percent, to 8.7 percent.

·         The graduation rate for Hispanic students increased 2.4 points to 83.3 percent, while the dropout rate declined from 13.6 percent to 11.7 percent.

·         The graduation rate for students with disabilities increased by 0.7 of a point to 85.6 percent and the dropout rate fell from 10.9 percent to 10.5 percent.

·         The graduation rate for limited-English proficient students increased by 2.3 points to 81 percent and the dropout rate declined from 17.1 percent to 15.5 percent.

“The state board’s vision of college and work force readiness embraces all students, regardless of their backgrounds and circumstances,” Board President David M. Foster said.

On-time graduation has increased by 7.8 points since 2008, the first year the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) reported graduation rates for the state, school divisions, and high schools based on student-level data that fully account for student mobility, promotion, and retention. During the same period, the on-time graduation for black students has risen 10.1 points and the rate for Hispanic students has risen by 12.1 points.

2013 Cohort Report: State Summary

Subgroup	Adjusted Cohort	Graduated	GED	Certificate	Still Enrolled	Dropout	Long-term Absence
All Students	96,167	89.1%	2.5%	0.2%	1.9%	5.9%	0.4%
Female	46,738	91.6%	1.9%	0.2%	1.4%	4.6%	0.3%
Male	49,429	86.8%	3.0%	0.2%	2.3%	7.2%	0.5%
Black	23,420	84.1%	2.7%	0.4%	3.6%	8.7%	0.6%
Hispanic	9,822	83.3%	2.0%	0.4%	2.2%	11.7%	0.5%
White	53,392	91.7%	2.7%	0.1%	1.2%	4.0%	0.3%
Asian	5,449	95.0%	0.5%	0.4%	0.9%	3.2%	0.0%
American Indian	334	83.2%	6.0%	0.0%	1.2%	9.0%	0.6%
Two or more races	3,617	92.1%	1.7%	0.1%	1.9%	3.9%	0.4%
Students with Disabilities	11,267	85.6%	2.6%	0.2%	n/a	10.5%	0.9%
Economically Disadvantaged	30,164	83.1%	3.5%	0.5%	3.2%	9.1%	0.6%
Limited English	7,215	81.0%	1.3%	0.9%	0.8%	15.5%	0.5%
Homeless	1,079	73.9%	2.8%	0.4%	5.0%	16.4%	1.6%

Of Virginia’s 326 high schools and schools with graduating classes, 180 achieved graduation rates higher than the state rate of 89.1 percent and 146 were lower. Of the 131 school divisions with high schools, 62 had graduation rates higher than the state’s, and 69 had rates that were lower.

The dropout rates of 189 schools were lower than the statewide rate, and the dropout rates of 137 schools were higher. Sixty-six school divisions had dropout rates lower than the state as a whole, and 66 divisions had dropout rates that were higher than the statewide rate.

Since 2011, high schools have had to meet an annual benchmark for graduation and completion to earn full accreditation under Virginia's Standards of Learning accountability program. Schools receive full credit for students who earn diplomas and partial credit for students who remain enrolled, earn GEDs or otherwise complete high school.

Five-Year Class of 2012 Graduates

VDOE also released new data for the class of 2012 showing that 983 students earned diplomas after returning for a fifth year of high school. Their achievement resulted in a Class of 2012 five-year graduation rate of 89 percent compared with a four-year rate of 88 percent.

High school cohort reports for schools, school divisions and the commonwealth are available for viewing and downloading in the Virginia School Report Card section of the VDOE website.

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Liberty's Kids 28, Not Yet Begun To Fight, Battle of the Hook Pre Show

Battle of the Hook pre show, Liberty's kids episode number 28, Not Yet Begun To Fight.  We are now less than 2 weeks away from what will be the biggest and best American Revolutionary War reenactment of the year, to be held in Gloucester, Virginia.  If you have not made plans to attend yet and want to attend,  and you will be planning an overnight stay, your options of where to stay are now very limited as the area is surely booked solid for miles.  Do not let that stop you.  This event will be well worth it no matter where you have to stay.

  See below for more information.

Benjamin Franklin Announces The Battle of the Hook from Chuck Thompson

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Federalist Papers No. 22. The Same Subject Continued (Other Defects of the Present Confederation)

From the New York Packet. Friday, December 14, 1787.

HAMILTON

To the People of the State of New York:

IN ADDITION to the defects already enumerated in the existing federal system, there are others of not less importance, which concur in rendering it altogether unfit for the administration of the affairs of the Union.

The want of a power to regulate commerce is by all parties allowed to be of the number. The utility of such a power has been anticipated under the first head of our inquiries; and for this reason, as well as from the universal conviction entertained upon the subject, little need be added in this place. It is indeed evident, on the most superficial view, that there is no object, either as it respects the interests of trade or finance, that more strongly demands a federal superintendence. The want of it has already operated as a bar to the formation of beneficial treaties with foreign powers, and has given occasions of dissatisfaction between the States. No nation acquainted with the nature of our political association would be unwise enough to enter into stipulations with the United States, by which they conceded privileges of any importance to them, while they were apprised that the engagements on the part of the Union might at any moment be violated by its members, and while they found from experience that they might enjoy every advantage they desired in our markets, without granting us any return but such as their momentary convenience might suggest. It is not, therefore, to be wondered at that Mr. Jenkinson, in ushering into the House of Commons a bill for regulating the temporary intercourse between the two countries, should preface its introduction by a declaration that similar provisions in former bills had been found to answer every purpose to the commerce of Great Britain, and that it would be prudent to persist in the plan until it should appear whether the American government was likely or not to acquire greater consistency.(1)

Several States have endeavored, by separate prohibitions, restrictions, and exclusions, to influence the conduct of that kingdom in this particular, but the want of concert, arising from the want of a general authority and from clashing and dissimilar views in the State, has hitherto frustrated every experiment of the kind, and will continue to do so as long as the same obstacles to a uniformity of measures continue to exist.

Read the rest below.

Federalist Papers No 22, Defects of The Present Confederation 2 from Chuck Thompson

You can read the rest on the above slideshare container or at this link below.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8PKB4B3Z5-kbFF2cjkxVll0Ukk/edit?usp=sharing  You can also download a copy from either location.

http://www.putlocker.com/file/059041F0330A73C7  This is another download link to this document.  

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PARADISE SOUP

• 4 tablespoons sifted bread crumbs
• 4 tablespoons grated cheese
• 1 quart white soup stock or clear broth
• 3 eggs
• Nutmeg
• Salt, pepper

Beat the whites of the eggs, then beat in the yolks. Add the breadcrumbs gradually, then the grated cheese, a pinch of salt and a grating of nutmeg. These ingredients should form a thin batter.

Have the broth boiling and drop the batter into it by spoonfuls. Let it boil three or four minutes and serve immediately. The batter will poach in soft, curdled lumps in the clear soup.

This soup is much used as a delicacy for invalids. In this case the cheese may be scanted or omitted entirely. By way of variety a tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley may be added to the batter, or a half a cup of spinach drained and rubbed through a sieve may be substituted for half of the breadcrumbs.

When stock or broth is not available, it may be made from bouillon cubes and a lump of butter dissolved in boiling water and seasoned with celery salt, onion salt and pepper.

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Gloucester, VA Page Middle School Dis Service Announcement 1

We have recently been given access to a series of communications regarding a number of areas of concern about the upcoming Page Middle school and all the issues surrounding the project.

  It is our own opinion that the location of the new planned middle school is not at all in the best interest of the community as a whole.  It is further our opinion that there are ulterior motives for why the new Page Middle School is being built in this new location.

  We are now going to start presenting these communications as it is very in depth and well thought out.  We see a lot of wholes in the arguments coming from various Gloucester officials and will interject our own opinions throughout the series.  Eventually, we will be putting up a website covering the subject in a proper timeline covering all the issues and let everyone determine your own final opinion on the matter, deciding if your best interests have been taken into consideration or not.  It's the tax dollars of each Gloucester resident, present and future, at stake.  Construction has not yet started and now is the time to get involved before it becomes to late.

So let's begin:

Board Members,

It is understood that statistics prove natural lighting enhances learning. It is understood that the proper utilization of glass in school buildings provides that lighting and can lower energy costs. It is also understood that the improper or over use of glass in school buildings can result in negative impacts such as higher design and construction costs, higher energy costs, higher up keep and maintenance costs, redesign and build over or modification costs, distraction of students from learning, students and staff becoming the target of a shooter and more.

To adequately protect the occupants of a school building from a potential outside shooter the use of glass must be done so in a manner as to prevent the shooter from obtaining a line of sight. The utilization of fences or other such barriers to obscure the line of sight will also provide cover, concealment and a perch for a potential shooter. When determining the transition point between a solid wall and glass, the height of a person plus three or so feet should be considered to prevent line of sight target acquisition. If there are trees, towers, buildings or other means for a potential shooter to gain a height advantage to establish line of sight those conditions should be considered as well.

The use of interior glass should also be considered thoroughly to minimize the ability of an inside potential shooter. In today’s reaction drills students are taught to systematically do what is possible to evasively minimize line of sight opportunity for a potential shooter. Glass areas between classroom and hallway or open area should not provide this line of acquisition or line of sight opportunity for a potential shooter. If glass is used in any of the areas not suggested it should be bullet proof in composition as should its framework.

Bullet resistant glass is expensive----up to $60 a square foot according to Tom Briggs, president of U.S. Armor. This in addition to the cost of framing and installation. Mr. Briggs’ company supplies glass across the country and makes types of it to withstand 9mm to .50 caliber.

Response:

Been quiet on this front but have been following your messages. Prior to the joint meeting I spent a large amount of time looking at every angle possible to try to get the SB to reconsider a number of things – but to no avail. I talked to a number of individuals in various walks of life. I poured over those bore reports, looked at past contracts, etc. Nothing seemed to make a difference in the way the train was going. We had an e-mail from a gentleman that looked at the exact square footage of glass in the new school and compared relative costs of strengthened glass and regular solid walls and it was considerable (as you already know). I brought it up at the joint meeting but no one at our meeting said anything except sheetrock walls get dirty and require repairs and painting regularly. Another individual e-mailed us with numerous suggestions on how to save money and nothing happened either. It seems the train is out of the station and moving faster by the day that nothing will stop it except when the contract bids do come in.

In any case, all that extra work took a toll on me and my work at VIMS. I got so far behind that I am now paying the price of making up lost times on my weekends. I don’t mind as I know in my heart I did my best.

By the way, it is ironic that the SB is concerned about school security and want SRO’s at all the primary schools but yet want all this glass in the new school that will compromise kids safety.

Cheers

JJ

Board of Supervisors, Abingdon District

Gloucester County

Next communication:

JJ,
Your efforts, though ignored by some, are appreciated by many others. I do believe there will be a tremendous impact on the next couple of County elections due to what is occurring during the process of rebuilding Page Middle School. The citizens have spoken time and time again only to be ignored. There are members on the School Board and the Board of Supervisors who are in their positions for reasons other than doing what is in the best interest of the Gloucester Community.

Next Communication:

I respectfully disagree with your general description of board members and will only speak for myself. My only reason for being on the school board is to do the best job I possibly can for the children of this county. I have had a very positive experience with the school system and want to give something back to this county and be part of the solution. As part of this effort we do need to look forward and plan beyond our terms to assure the school progresses and we stay in constant improvement. The federal and state governments have been failing us for many years and especially over the past 5+. Their unfunded mandates and the cutting of existing funding streams have burdened this community as well as many others to points that have been unseen in the past. We still have 5500 students and 850 staff members showing up each day at our schools and they deserve the best we(our community) can provide them since they are our future .

Thanks you

Very Respectfully

Randy Burak   

Next Communication:

Mr. Burak,

   With all due respect, your response contains all the more reasons for you and board members from both boards to utilize available funds that are coming from the Gloucester Community in such a way as to get the most out of each and every dollar. In the area of school construction that is not the case and because of that fact there will be less dollars to utilize in other areas of equal or more importance like the school system operating budget.

   There would definitely be more support for what is being done if you or anyone else could logically tell the Gloucester Community what justifies ignoring the Community and spending such a substantial amount of money to develop a new site in order to rebuild an incomplete, non-storm safe, glass filled, shooter friendly, high maintenance Page Middle School.

Response:

I guess we can go on and on with our emails but I assure you that the only goal is to complete a new school to replace the one destroyed by the tornado within budget that is safe, academically welcoming and one that flexible to  withstand the many changes in the educational environment over the next 50+ years.

This issue you raise regarding glass in the building was modified from its initial plan and the glass was reduced. The area with the most glass can be closed off and access to the entire “house” can be restricted completely. We continue to work with the sheriff’s office to assure that we consider all things but Newtown introduced new threats that were never seen before and Newtown had some advanced security measures in place.

Our first and foremost objective is to have a safe place for our children to learn and I respectively disagree wholeheartedly that you would even think that anyone would do anything differently for reasons such as self-promotion. We have children, neighbors, friends, family in these schools each and every day  and their safety is the only goal followed by the best academics we can provide.

Respectfully

Randy Burak

*****  Please see our notes at the bottom of this post.  *****  

Next communication:

Instead of answering the question that has been asked over and over again Mr. Burak, Chairman of the School Board, seems to have become defensive and evasive. The glass areas at the back of each school house that he says will be secure will be enclosed by a fence. Here again is an extra cost
added to the project that will do very little to safegard the students and staff within the new multi-million dollar school.

End of the thread.

*****  Our Notes but not our production.

Email from Gloucester County, Virginia Sheriff, Darrell Warren:

Good morning to you! Unfortunately, my office has had zero input in the design of the new school. Supervisor James and I spoke last week about his feelings on the design and he is in favor of placing deputies in all schools but says he won’t allocate a nickel until they take some glass out of the Page plans. Supervisor Orth told me six weeks ago that he was going to call me for my input about the new design but I have yet to hear from him. I can tell you that I did read your letter in the Gazette last week and what you write is correct about target visuals. Unfortunately, I nor anyone in my office, really has a position to tell them how to design their building. In the past, the schools have welcomed the idea of the Sheriff’s Office conducting threat assessments of their campuses so it would make sense, to me at least, for them to ask for some safety guidance on new construction design. Having said all of this, I am sure that there are experts out there that are much more qualified than me, who study topics such as these and make recommendations. I would hope that they have consulted with someone like this but it doesn’t appear this way. Please let me know if you have any further questions. Take care!

Darrell

Anyone see any issues here?  This is the first in a series that most Gloucester residents will find very disturbing.

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Gloucester, VA Speaking for…..

Open Letter to the Citizens of Gloucester County Virginia

“For the Common Good. “

The Virginia Constitution was written for us to limit the government intrusion into our lives.  Have you ever read the Constitution of the United States?  How about the Constitution of Virginia?

Speaking for the taxpayers in Gloucester County; we want the Board of Supervisors to answer these questions.  Why are we paying full time salaries for part time staff?

Why are we paying for a County Attorney that you have made into a Court Jester? Granted he is entertaining and quite a site but that is a lot of money to spend for 2 hours of entertainment a month and you did not let him perform during the last Board of Supervisors meeting.  I was disappointed.  Although Brenda was not a bad stand in as County Jester in the last meeting and if you keep getting her to answer for the County Attorney in the meetings in a month or two we will vote for her as our favorite Jester, she still needs a little more practice.  Can she juggle or get a better script about a subject she knows something about?

Also, we are paying for a full time County Administrator and you are not allowing her to do this? Or does she want to be the County Attorney or County Jester we are not sure which based on her performance at the last meeting?  Is she qualified to be our County Attorney?  She still needs work to take over as County Jester, in my opinion.  Maybe we should let her run the County and get the employees back on the job and out of the fast food establishments unless they are picking up food for her and The "Kiser".

Speaking of The "Kiser", you pay for him even if the School Board made this selection.  His final solution for our youth in the design and placement of the new swamp school does not appear to have the education, safety, and interest of our youth as the primary goal in this new school?  We have several members of the Board that claim to have interest in our schools and youth, it does not appear this is the case to some tax payers.  It appears that you have developed a final solution that is more fitting as the end of our youth rather than the education of our youth.  You have forgotten the most important part of the new swamp school; you need to have a huge bronze plaque with The "Kiser’s" likeness, his name, along with the name of all the school board, and board of supervisors that are responsible for this facility.  Do not place it too close to the school we do not want it to sink into the swamp with the school.  We want to remember all of the people responsible for bring us this swamp school.

Based on the continued actions or inaction's of this Board it appears you have a total contempt for the tax payers, Virginia Constitution, Virginia Code, the US Constitution and oath of office.

Bring back the rule of legal laws and make this "The Land of the Life Worth Living" for everyone in the county.

I am not a lawyer and cannot give legal advice.  Our founding fathers used common sense and Christian scripture when establishing our founding documents. 

“For the Common Good. “

Sincerely,

Alexander James Jay

P.S.  "The same prudence which in private life would forbid our paying our own money for unexplained projects, forbids it in the dispensation of the public moneys."

–Thomas Jefferson, letter to Shelton Gilliam, 1808

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Gloucester, VA Government Employees Monday Report

Our report for Monday morning of Gloucester, VA employees abuses and breaking local and state laws is running late this week as meetings and other media issues were forced on us to take a front seat in our attention.

  So here is Monday's report.  Gloucester, VA animal control vehicle ,pictured here to the left, was seen driving through the parking lot around the Big Lot's area of the shopping center looking for someone with a camera.  He kept going through the middle of the parking lot looking at all the various vehicles.  He obviously did not see me over at the 7-Eleven.  What was really funny about the entire matter?  Animal Control officers overlooked a woman in a gold Sebring Chrysler convertible with a German Sheppard, unsecured, in the vehicle, with the top down on the vehicle.  So what?  Well in any other case we would agree, except Gloucester has an ordinance that makes this a very clear violation and one we have already argued is not a valid ordinance and have asked to have it removed from the books.  The county has refused to remove it from the books and state that the ordinance is in accordance to state law.  Then why didn't they enforce it here?  Did they violate their oath to uphold county and state laws?  Or did they violate upholding an ordinance they know is a violation?

  Now what really concerns me is that his looking for me was personal and not business use of a government vehicle.  Animal Control personnel are obviously concerned with being caught violating the laws and want the reporting to stop.  How is this county business?

Our boy here, Mr Happy meals on wheels made his Monday morning appearance in the same shopping center for the same reason.  He did not stop for his morning happy meal.  He just drove through the lot looking for someone with a camera.  What is interesting to note, he was caught on both Monday morning last week and again on Friday morning last week and here this past Monday, he is still driving around using a county vehicle for his own personal use.  Officials have done nothing to stop employees from using county vehicles for personal use and even when it is reported to county officials, you still see these same people out continuing to do the same thing over and over and over again.

Only now county employees are looking for someone with a camera.  This is a very simple matter.  When county employees stop violating laws, we will stop taking pictures of them violating the laws.  If they start again, we will start again.  So the question remains.  Why can't county officials manage their employees?
 

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