Sgt. Enchilada wrote on Sep 6, 2012 8:10 PM:

" We can hoo and haw all we want but the fact is, as proven in today's Arizona Daily Star, that the educational mess is all across the state and goes all the way to the top!!

All these changes by the state are being mandated but the state won't fund them despite the availability of money.
The state superintendent himself was quoted as saying that he went without as child and now schools can do the same.

Sure we can! We have been for many years as Arizona ranks among the lowest states in funding for education.In the meantime expect 30+ students in classrooms and for the quality of education to suffer! "




Its the parents wrote on Sep 6, 2012 10:30 AM:

" Back to school night/meet the teacher night, 30 kids in the class. Guess how many parents showed up 6. If parents Don't Care, Students don't care. I believe these teachers are doing all they can, parents need to step up - education starts at home! "




dont be selfish wrote on Sep 5, 2012 9:39 PM:

" Citizens of Douglas that care about your children, this shows how bad things are in the schools there. If things don't change DRASTICLY you all should consider moving out of Douglas. These are the schools that you entrust your chilldren to. If the only reason you are staying in Douglas is because of your job, house, or other material things, get out of there and give your kids a chance! You all think a move is too expensive, too tiresome, too hard.... it's not, it will be worth it in the long run. Do yourself and your kids a favor, look them in the eyes tonight, and honestly ask your self "Am I doing the absolute best that i can for them"? If you have even a slight doubt, move and give them the chance you might have not had, dont be selfish. "




agree wrote on Sep 5, 2012 1:43 PM:

" You said it all educator! "




Educator wrote on Aug 31, 2012 7:15 PM:

" I am a former (thank god) Douglas educator that finds the quote “We may show gains but the score is still what it is,” from your pompous school board and current county manager Mike Ortega really offensive. Even though I no longer work in this micromanaged, mismanaged district I still take offense when uninformed people make such comments about education. Here are some facts for you Mr. Ortega. I am a teacher and my employees are the thirty children that walk into my room on a daily basis. I do not filter my employees,no interviews, anyone that walks into my room has a job. This means people with disabilities, language deficiencies, behavioral, emotional and attendance problems. All people that would not make it past the interview process in your profession. I do not have the option of weeding out the nonproductive as you do with the firing process. My job consists of teaching the abstract to children who are still in the concrete phase of brain development. My job performance is based on the development of children's minds. I work nights, weekends, and holidays for free. I am told what to teach and how to do, and yet will be evaluated as an individual. I work in a profession based on anything but reality. All this for under 30, 000 a year. You on the other hand choose your employees. Usually adults with a secondary education. You fire the ones that do not cut the muster. You get paid for every minute of work. Your evaluation is based on how well you perform your job, not how well your employees think. You make well over 100,000 a year. So until you walk the shoes of an educator you should learn how to celebrate the successes of an educator rather than belittle them. I would think someone of your intellect would think better before you speak. Here is my bottom line for you. Since you became county manager your counties employment rate has doubled from 4.1 to 8.5. Your county ranks 8th in per capita, 9th in health, and 9th in property taxes. Maybe this is the reason no one wants to live in your town. Count your blessings that you are not in the educational field with those stats, because if you were the state would have replaced you long ago. That is the bottom line! "




P.O.I. wrote on Aug 30, 2012 6:22 PM:

" The sad thing is we'll never be able to change anything until we change the school board and no one has any information about how to get on the school board. A 'C' letter grade or lower is not acceptable for any child. "




Glad to be Out of Douglas wrote on Aug 30, 2012 6:17 PM:

" One would not know where to begin to solve the myriad of problems in USD #27. It's racist to say that the Mexican-Americans are the problem. Poverty, drug abuse, and incarcerated parents exist in many communities across America; this isn't unique to Douglas. I was told by many Mexican-American teachers in USD #27 that they were talked down to and treated like "dumb Mexicans" when they interacted with administrators. Leadership is one serious problem that faces USD #27. Why was Mr. Pettit the victim of the board's wrath? How many times does the district office intend to play musical chairs with the elementary principals? Mary Good lasted two years at RBMS while Andrea Overman has not been the savior of PHMS. As if running Mr. Pettit off wasn't enough; Mr. Schneider was also run off by the powers that be. I fear that it will never end! "




chimichanga wrote on Aug 29, 2012 9:12 PM:

" In the end it's all up to the students and a little falls on their parents. Teachers can teach til they are exhausted but if the students don't want to learn then you can't make them. The same with the parents, if they know their kids are stuggling or need help then it falls on them. But again, if their kid refuses to learn then they can't make them. The kids have to decide whether they want to learn and have a future or not learn and become bums and drug dealers. It's very simple actually comes down to choices. "




d wrote on Aug 28, 2012 10:36 PM:

" I am sorry. If the teachers can not teach....get rid of the teachers...every other district does... "




Playing the Blame Game wrote on Aug 28, 2012 8:53 PM:

" Everyone can point their finger at something, but nothing will ever improve until all those concerned make necessary changes. Whether it is language, better attendance, teaching strategies, decent salaries, books, etc... Change is a MUST! Parents-Teachers-Administration-School Board-Citizens It has to be a community commitment. Stop whining and saying it's because our children are poor. You demean our children everytime you say or write that! The culture is rich, our kids are smart, but be willing to teach them to succeed. Stop being a winner in the BLAME GAME! "




Ramon wrote on Aug 28, 2012 5:33 PM:

" Part of the problem is that teachers are not allowed to teach. Also the schools now have to administer all sorts of social indoctrination programs. Let the teachers teach the academic programs only and maybe the scores will improve. Most schools are staffed at the top with social liberals who are more concerned with social indoctrination than true learning. They preach socialism, do you wonder why "Douglas citizen" is the way he is? "




real blame got it right wrote on Aug 27, 2012 8:32 PM:

" Comment to the real blame. You hit the nail right on the head. Everyone knows what is going on,yet it continues to go.......Whatever as you stated is scary and a total rein of terror. Keep questioning the system! "




Hey Real Blame wrote on Aug 26, 2012 1:51 PM:

" By your language it is VERY clear who you are. You ask who oversees the teachers, administration ? Guess what, it is the Department of Education! Who is going to want to come to this god forsaken town anyway? Not a decent restaurant, night scene, or store. Stop blaming Mrs. Rogers and Mrs. Lopez thank goodness they at least have stayed on track to cleanup this district. If they leave THEN WHAT? Will you be happy? No way, because you will really need to pay out for anyone to come here. Getting a "C" given all the social issues is pretty good. When you have parents transporting drugs, single moms working two jobs, parents who want to sit home and watch "novelas" rather than go to open house and meet teachers, Border patrol families thinking they are above rules and demanding favortism well it's not exactly the best place to teach in! So really a "C" is amazing given the odds! "




the real blame wrote on Aug 24, 2012 10:23 PM:

" the real blame belongs with the administration. They get the huge raises and all they do is put the blame on the teachers and the staff instead of really helping the students acheive and the parents become involved. its long been known that lip-service has been given to parents to be empowered but than many roadblocks are put up like fingerprinting of grandparents etc.

And the principals have long been told mto fall in line since Greer and Zamar. It is worse now that Rogers just lets Bonnie do whatever! Our good students will acheive no matter what but we need to worry about all our students.

The principals cannot or will not provide a helpful school environment and the students will suffer. The teachers have to jump through hundreds of hoops instead of teach and it is the system that is to blame. And who oversees the system? The Administration and the school board!

That is why we must elect school board members who understand what is needed and will give this community the schools that we need and deserve. And tell those administrators to hit the road as needed. "




douglas citizen wrote on Aug 24, 2012 3:44 PM:

" Stop blaming the poor mexican people of douglas. It is not our fault that we have bad schools. just another excuse for the rich people to blame the pobres. Raise the taxes on rich people and on businesses so we can have good schools the mexican people deserve it. Viva Los Pobres "




more money wrote on Aug 24, 2012 12:11 PM:

" Did Douglas School District expect better than "C"s when hours of attendance are cut and lack qualified teachers? WAIT the board rewarded the administration more than $50,000 for the excellent job they are doing. GREAT JOB !!! "




Run wrote on Aug 24, 2012 12:02 PM:

" With no qualified teachers in physics, chemistry, and who knows what else the parents who have children at the high school better run. The schools are failing to educate our kids.!!!!! "




Good points... wrote on Aug 24, 2012 9:18 AM:

" Good points are being raised in the comments....these school grades are average at best and could be much better. School Board members should maintain a close watch on teaching methods/practices and although parental involvement is also key in a child's success there is also the critical need for the Board to open their eyes to the low employee morale due to unnecessary pettiness, unfair practices and all that staff endure which ultimately affects students. "




Camille LaForge wrote on Aug 23, 2012 8:00 PM:

" Ana G. Monge hit the nail on the head when she said "we will always have a language challenge "here in Douglas, a border community." I recently had occasion to visit one of our elementary schools where I overheard only Spanish, not English, spoken among staff and faculty in front of students. Our First Ammendment correctly forbids the exclusion of any language in conversation, but maybe a simple directive to faculty and staff: Please use the language you want our students to master in your discourse that students will overhear. "




me wrote on Aug 23, 2012 11:55 AM:

" PPEP TEC got an A this year! AIMS scores outperformed the state! "




Ana G. Monge wrote on Aug 22, 2012 10:55 PM:

" My children are receiving a good education. The teachers work very hard to help all students to do well. The problem is the parents who allow kids to miss school for any reason, or are late every day. I know teachers will continue to work hard and bring up grades but they cannot do it alone. We live on the Border and will always have a language challenge especially when everyone refuses to speak English. Just look at Wal Mart everyone working there only speaks Spanish. My kids will do well because I make sure they are in school and they do their work. I communicate with the teachers and principals to see if I am missing anything I am responsible for. You can get a very good education in Douglas because my nieces and nephews DHS graduates, all go to universities some with scholarships but then again their parents were involved and made the kids responsible. The School District does all they can but it's up to parents to follow through at home! "




Future educator wrote on Aug 22, 2012 6:42 PM:

" According to the Arizona School Report Card for last year, 2011-2012, these letter grades are exactly the same for all the schools named. So where and what are the improvements? The school district simply needs to stop making changes in administration. The former superintendent was investigated due to false rumors nothing was ever found, same thing with Mr. Bates and look what happened, yet all kept a secret, now a new principal at the high school? Come on,sounds a bit fishy to me.They need to focus on the kids and helping teachers, not on getting a better paying position. Douglas will keep remaining an average to below average town as long as this keeps happening. Truly saddening.
www10.ade.az.gov/ReportCard/DistrictDetails "




miguel wrote on Aug 22, 2012 7:37 AM:

" Nice spin. Douglas schools get C and D grades and their happy? "




of course wrote on Aug 21, 2012 1:16 PM:

" Mr. Nava never intended to follow through with election. Not with his (40 page)record of reprimands, insolence and insubordinate behavior. Many wonder what he is thinking if he does at all! "

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