With a graduation rate of less than 50 percent and abysmal standardized testing scores, Gallo implemented the “turnaround” model of reform or, the removal of all staff.

The firings come after the teachers’ union rejected six conditions Gallo presented to improve the school.  Those conditions were: extending the school day by 25 minutes, requiring teachers to tutor students weekly for one hour before or after school, eating lunch with students once a week, undergoing more rigorous evaluations, meeting once a week for 90 minutes to discuss education and planning, and attending two weeks of paid professional development in the summer.

Other than the professional development, extra compensation did not accompany the proposed conditions.

“I am saddened and shaken at the core by the enormous ramifications of my responsibilities,” Gallo said. “The only solace I have is that I know I provided every opportunity possible, in fully public and transparent ways, the means to avoid this.”

Has she?  Is there no other way to remedy the situation? The superintendent was asking for about five more hours of the teachers’ week without offering any additional pay.  An agreement could have been reached had she been willing to compromise on reasonable compensation.

Teacher Shelia Lawless-Burke said it is not necessarily about the pay but about the rigid stance of the superintendent on cooperation.  “It’s all about the politics,” she said, “about making Fran Gallo look good. The issue is having the right to negotiate. Once we allow the superintendent to get her foot in the door, where will it stop?”

Of the approximated 1000 students, only 55 percent are skilled at reading and seven percent are proficient at math.  When student performance is this awful, something should be done. But is it solely the fault of teachers, as Gallo believes?

“Where are the parents?” Beatriz Rosa, parent of a 14-year-old Central Falls freshman said. “I think the parents are half responsible for what’s going on.”

Rosa said parents are just as accountable for student performance as teachers.  She also said that she frequently sees high school students wandering around downtown during the day.

It is a common misconception that teachers are solely responsible for the accomplishments, or lack thereof, of students.  A closer look at parents and the students themselves is required.  “It’s not fair,” said mother, Angela Perez. “They shouldn’t be punished because the students are lazy.” Sometimes kids just don’t want to learn.

Blame is incredibly easy to place on someone else.  Gallo demonstrates this to the highest extreme.  She has been superintendent of the district for only three years and is already making ridiculous changes.  She needs to take a good look at the consequences of her actions.  While improvement of the struggling school is important, it is likely the students will suffer.

“It’s sad,” said Jessica Lemur, a senior. “They stay when we need help. They love us. I was shocked when I heard the rumors.”

This photograph was taken of the tennis courts on the back side of the turf fields. Looks like someone is really sticking it to the man by defacing public property–property that everyone’s money will go to help clean up.

Great job, activists. You’ve sincerely shown just how little you understand.

Oregon Commentator/Kiefer VerSteegh

This image was taken from one of the outer walls of Bean West, near the Hamilton complex. Apparently somebody thought that the dorms (or the university) was much like that of a repressive regime. Does that mean that Dick Lariviere is comparable to Stalin? According to the meaningful social commentary spray-painted on a college dormitory in Oregon, yes. Yes he is.

No word yet on finding the perpetrators. Must solve other spray paint-related crimes first.

Was sent this e-mail from a group called College Grievance Consulting. In part, here’s what it said.

College Grievance Consulting is a newly formed organization of former ASUO members that would like to help the elections process this Spring. These individuals are willing to anonymously use their time to produce both grievances and responses to submit to the Constitution Court. By anonymously working for any and every campaign, we will be able to communicate fairly with the individual parties involved.

Former students meddling in college politics? This is obviously going to go well.

7PM Update:
This group sent out an e-mail saying they don’t exist anymore.

We regret to inform you that our organization will no longer be operating in the UofO. Upon recieving our first request, internal power struggles, social inadequacies, and infighting at our group has led to our demise. While we all wish that we could work on henalf of the morally just, or group can no longer function as is. We appreciate all of the support we have recieved, and look forward to a possible comeback maybe.

Maybe they’re secretly going to exist while lurking in the shadows.

Man, I could not care less.

Signage is posted around the ASUO office and the entrances which tell candidates that there is to be no campaigning inside.

The source said that no grievance was scheduled to be filed, “She got reprimanded for it and paid for it.”

When asked who reprimanded Rousseau the source replied, “She is on [the ASUO executive] staff still. That makes her subject to who she works under.” Rousseau is the ASUO Executive’s events coordinator.

The source declined to comment on what happened to the aforementioned printed material saying only that it had been destroyed or thrown away.

Embry and Masoli/KVAL

“So when my little brother comes to visit in April, does this mean I can take him to the Eugene prison to get his football signed?”

That was what my friend’s Facebook status read today. That particular person is from the state of New York, only further proving that the rest of the country thinks our football team is a bunch of losers.

Jeremiah Masoli plead guilty today, as I am sure you are all aware of. What does this mean now, as far as our football team goes? To be honest, I don’t particularly care (blasphemy!) What I am worried about, however, is the strain this puts on our school and our surrounding community. The comparisons have been ample, so I won’t go into depth here, but I assume the coming wave of displeasure will feel much like it did around the summer of 2003.

Is it too cliche to wonder about the sense of “entitlement” our athletes have, what with the lavish surroundings Uncle Phil surrounds them with?  Masoli ran into legal trouble in high school, and the fact that he was willing to again commit a crime–this time with so much more to lose as an adult and as the face of a team that is sponsored by the world’s largest shoe company–is absolutely inexplicable.

There are so many consequences to Masoli’s actions, much farther reaching than I’m sure he’s imagined up until now. The state of Oregon, Eugene, even Phil Knight’s contributions to the University could be affected Masoli’s lust for musical instrumentation.

I’m also curious about how the rest of the student-athletes feel, especially from the football team. I highly doubt any of them would talk (for “brotherhood” or from simply being muzzled by the AD) but I’m sure that many of them, upstanding individuals, feel like they are now unfairly painted with the same colors as Masoli, James, Beard and Embry.

Good thing Spring Break is coming up. We all need some rest from this insanity.

The University Senate denounces in the strongest possible terms the hateful speech that is frequently expressed at the Pacifica Forum and deplores the pseudo-debates that Pacifica Forum portrays as serious intellectual inquiry, and the University Senate will publicize this stand widely throughout the University community.

Now that that’s out of the way, does anyone want to talk about how water bottles are bad? Or maybe about Duck athletes getting into trouble? I’m bored.