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Send tips, rumors, rants to Fred Ortega fred.ortega@sgvn.com.

So I'm sitting here at my desk trying to write about last night's meeting, but entirely distracted by reporter Cortney Fielding, who has been on the phone having a protracted conversation with someone angry at her for Muir's Mustang spirit 'lost.'

PASADENA -- John Muir High School is mired in a "collective culture of low expectations and apathy," according to a consultant's report detailing test scores and extensive interviews with students, parents and teachers.
Consultant Richard Owen, a former associate superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District, spent two months interviewing students, parents, teachers and administrators at Muir. He ticked off a litany of dysfunction - from low test scores to poor student attendance to a general distrust of district administrators.

There's nothing new to being blamed for the reality we report. If the city was burning to the ground and we posted a web update, some would ask why we lit the match.

Instead of debating the role of journalism here and the need to report what's going on fearlessly in the face of those who would prefer not to know, but I'll post an excerpt from the report released Tuesday night by Consultant Richard Owen, a former associate superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District:

Page 3:

School Culture: The Non-Discussables

Non-discussables are subjects that are rarely talked about openly.

It is the elephant in the room.

The health of a school or a District is proportional to the number of non-discussables

Intentionally not talking openly about issues creates a culture of neglect

To change we must name, acknowledge, and address the non-discussables - especially those that impede learning.

This could mean race, it could mean underperformint teachers, it could mean apathetic parents, students and teachers, and it could mean a dysfunctional district or failed leadership.

We must have courageous conversations.

Strip out the specifics and what else could this be applied to?

Comments

Brick masonry? :-)

Posted by: Aaron Proctor | September 20, 2007 6:36 PM

Ostrich Farms?

Posted by: Miss Havisham | September 20, 2007 7:16 PM

Sex?

Posted by: Isaac Garcia | September 20, 2007 8:15 PM

Seriously, pick any topic of public discussion and you'll find so many elephants in the room there's little space left for rational debate and consensus building. Development: Economics, race, traditional vs. contemporary Pasadena, power struggles, economic self-interest, influence peddling, etc. Education: race, tradition, economics, history, class distinctions, teacher quality, administrative competence, ignorance, conflicts of interest, influence peddling, etc. Historic preservation: race, economics, power struggles, gentrification, snobbery, class, etc. That "follow the money" thing is always in play, too, no matter what the topic. Look at who profits from any particular outcome and a lot of those elephants come to light. But I've become cynical and skeptical. Paul - the real one, not the pretender(s)

Posted by: Paul (that talker guy) | September 20, 2007 8:43 PM

I do find it interesting that Cortney was being lambasted for reporting the content of the PUSD's own report. What isn't always understood is the background. After so many years of failure to make progress, severe changes have to be made at Muir. If PUSD won't make them, the state will assume control of the school and do it. That story will generate a slew of "kill the messenger calls" to Ms. Fielding. Paul - the real one, not the pretender(s)

Posted by: Paul (that talker guy) | September 20, 2007 8:48 PM

"To change we must name, acknowledge, and address the non-discussables - especially those that impede learning. This could mean race, it could mean underperforming teachers, it could mean apathetic parents, students and teachers, and it could mean a dysfunctional district or failed leadership" During my comments, I mentioned the names of two recent Muir principals in the context of making the point that we didn't need to repeat their tactics nor those of a former PHS principal I served under in 1989-90 who changed the whole school, drove almost all the teachers away and we have nothing to show for it today. Afterwards, one community member chastised me for my lack of professionalism in using their names. It's like she didn't even hear these parts of his presentation re naming, non-discussables, etc. Cortney wrote a fine article.

Posted by: Scott | September 20, 2007 11:17 PM

Scott Phelps was almost fired for daring to discuss how detrimental the behavior of Black youth at Muir was to the learning process. When Phelps was brave enough to speak out about it that weasel Ed Honowitz said he found it "disturbing" and supported suspending Phelps. When the consultant was discussing people who have created a "sick culture" inside the PUSD by trying to enforce a culture of non-discussables he was talking about the poster boy for PUSD incompetence, the smarmy lying ("Linda Vista will reopen in 2006")cowardly dishonest Ed Honowitz.

Posted by: Anonymous | September 20, 2007 11:26 PM

You are next Ed Honowitz you sleazy piece of bearded crap. Do you think anyone takes you seriously anymore and doesn't see you for the weasel you are? Why don't you wave your hands some more and drone on in the annoying monotone you use when you are lying which is basically everytime you open your mouth? And here is a news flash for you Ed...when you show up at the city council to pimp the programs of your friends you aren't any more convincing than you are when you claim you support any children other than your own. Haven't you noticed Ed that people listen to you and roll their eyes? Lastly Ed, we heard a certain BOE member has subverted the open enrollment process in order to put his friends and supporters children at the front of the line for the schools they want. You wouldn't know anything about that would you Ed?

Posted by: Anonymous | September 20, 2007 11:48 PM

I wrote a piece about Muir and got 42 letters from students and parents talking about school pride and how the media and the district picks on the school. It's a shame because fast forward three years later and here we are. If they had spent the same energy improving the school.

Posted by: Dre' | September 21, 2007 9:20 AM

Thankfully, someone has the courage to talk about the facts, and examine the data, of shows what is going on at our public high schools. The picture, as usual is not all dark and dismal -- there will always be some outstanding teachers, students, parents, administrators. But when we are failing the majority of students in reaching grade level status, something is seriously wrong. Can we stop the blaming and just have courage to examine the issues, take a stand that we must have a new look at everything, and create a school system that works? Hard to do, but what choice do we have? We cannot continue to turn a blind eye.

Posted by: Judy Smith Asbury | September 21, 2007 10:00 AM

Phelps is an idiot who got elected to give contracts to his boss.

Posted by: anonymous | September 21, 2007 8:34 PM

Scott Phelps got elected to shake things up, then immediately bent over for Ed Honowitz and the rest of the board and district admins. We had enough apologists already, we got an ankle grabber, too. New ones are just as bad. Are all school board candidates liars, or do they become liars after they get elected? D.

Posted by: Dormitas | September 24, 2007 5:51 PM

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