School Super Robert Runcie’s Spin Machine At Full Blast As Broward Grades Fall Behind

 

 

BY BUDDY NEVINS

 

 

This is a lesson in spin by Broward Schools.

 

Robert Runcie

Robert Runcie

 

Broward parents were treated to this line from the Sun-Sentinel last week:

“Broward schools struggled compared with Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, receiving the smallest proportion of A’s and the largest proportion of F’s.”

Let me repeat the relevant clause:  Broward schools received “the smallest proportion of A’s and the largest proportion of F’s.”

After more than 4 years at the helm, Superintendent Robert Runcie’s achievement is to do worse than the neighboring Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties.

So what does Runcie and his six-figure staff of spinners say?

“The Broward County School District was celebrating the fact it earned slightly more A’s this year – 69 compared to 63, and that two-thirds of schools maintained their grades. Additionally, four schools jumped to A’s from C’s: Charter School of Excellence at Davie, Excelsior Charter of Broward in Tamarac, charter school Franklin Academy in Cooper City, and district-operated Tropical Elementary in Plantation,” reported the Sun-Sentinel.

Runcie explained the above paragraph in the newspaper this way:

“‘These grades really only tell you about where students are today,” he said. “And I will tell you just from a mission standpoint that we’re not here doing this important work because of where our children are today, we’re here because of where we can take them tomorrow… and in order to track that, we need to look at learning gains.'”

Is Runcie saying we shouldn’t pay attention to the overall grades?

We should concentrate on the five schools that jumped to As? We should applaud that two-thirds of the schools stayed in place and their grades didn’t fall.

Okay, I’m paying attention. I notice that three of those new A schools are charters, which are not managed by the public school system. Runcie’s team had little or nothing to do with their success.

The bottom line:

Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties schools, with roughly the same demographic breakdown of Broward, are doing better.

And no amount of lipstick can dress up that pig.

 

 



14 Responses to “School Super Robert Runcie’s Spin Machine At Full Blast As Broward Grades Fall Behind”

  1. A reader says:

    The last sentence of your article is the strongest and most descriptive sentence within the entire piece.

    Broward County schools will not improve until cronyism based hiring is replaced with hiring of people based on competence. Runcie supports the cronyism style and also promotes people who are experts putting lipstick on pigs.

  2. Count LF Chodkiewicz Chudzikiewicz says:

    My parents grandparents greatgrandparents and greatgrestgrsndparents had children in schools at all levels of education in South Florida where my Mother n Brother graduated college. None would put up with this WHERE IS THE PARENTAL OUTRAGE?????

  3. Laurie says:

    Over the last few years, steps have been taken to ensure that all teachers teach the same. We are not allowed to have our unique teaching styles and teach what we feel would best benefit our students. We have to do the same things on the same days with the same tests, etc. As a veteran teacher, this is very disheartening and will lead to more and more schools – event those in ‘good’ neighborhoods – losing their A status. It was our unique teaching that enabled us to take our children to their highest potential.

  4. carolina says:

    Get real people, nothing is going to change until you send this man back to the worst rated school system in the country – the Chicago School System – from whence he came – & chosen by SOME of the worst school board members in Broward County. They need to travel right along with him, on his way back.

  5. What else is new? says:

    The growth of students’ learning under Runcie’s tenure is continuing to go backwards. Really everything looks like it is going backwards.

  6. Poverty Matters says:

    Not defending Runcie, but poverty level is a good predictor of test outcomes.

    -Franklin Academy A – 33% free and reduced lunch
    -Franklin Academy B – 34% free and reduced lunch
    -Franklin Academy E – 37% free and reduced lunch
    -Franklin Academy F – 46% free and reduced lunch
    -Excelsior Charter – 14% free and reduced lunch
    -Tropical Elementary – 50% free and reduced lunch
    -Charter School of Excellence Davie – 74% free and reduced lunch

    Hopefully, many parents will opt their kids out of testing this year and put an end to this testing madness. Let’s get back to educating life-long learners rather than test takers.

  7. Constanza says:

    Shame on these cronies and the whole BSPS, with the worst liar on the top, Robert Runcie. The ones before we’re not better either, but him? He is just despicable. Everyone just trying to go up the ladder, nobody cares about our children or teachers. All our good and honorable Principals and teachers are gone, mistreated. Parents , exhausted, tired of fighting. I am a fighter for our children’s rights, but honestly, in all these years, this has become an impossible wall. They just don’t even care to lie on your face. And today, I saw an advertising in Atlanta promising lies to teachers to come teach in Broward.

  8. Count LF Chodkiewicz Chudzikiewicz says:

    Atlanta to recruit teachers? Are you kidding? I guess if you hire a second rater from Chicagi it makes sense. By the wsy if De Runcie wss so goid in Chicago why didnt Arbe Duncan take him to DC? Obviously a question no one here in Broward thought to ask

  9. No spin zone says:

    Runcie is the greatest example of great cronyism. He hired most senior and mid level staff with degree from questionable university/college. Following is a partial list:

    Chief Information Officer – Bachelor from Western Governors University

    Director Procurement & Warehousing Services – Carlos Albizu University

    Director Talent Acquisition & Operations (Non Instructional) – Everest University

    There are many more like these was hired by him with very high salary. Very sad and surprising that none of the Board Members asked any question regarding this issue. Remember this is an educational entity and hiring people with these caliber really an insult to our public school students and to the tax payers.

  10. Frustrated Parent says:

    There is no excuses that are valid for the grades to drop in this system. We are paying more than ever. The only difference is that Runcie is in charge and he appointed brain dead principals that are only qualified in one way & I bet anyone can guess which way that is. He practices reverse racism on a massive scale with IQs & achievement not counting as much as “background.”

  11. My Son Is In Charter says:

    Charters rule once again! I have found first hand that charters achieve. They create an atmosphere for education, not one ruled through politically correctness. There is discipline in charters and my son can learn. Freeing themselves from Big Government/Unions has done wonders. Teachers are happy to teach, while students are happy to be educated. Winners all around.

  12. Count LF Chodkiewicz Chudzikiewicz says:

    If NO SPIN ZONE is corect we are getting the bottom of the barrel in these jobs.

  13. @12 says:

    You should make a public record request of all hiring in the last 3/4 years under item G-3 of the School Board Agenda and look for yourself. You will be pleasantly surprised that Runcie only found staff who graduated from these questionable online only universities. In almost all situation salary is very high compared with the questionable degree. These staff have essentially have high school or less education but holding Director, Executive Director, Chief, etc. positions.

    We not only getting bottom of the barrel but also bottom less barrel with a six figure salary.

    It is about the time to change the Board???

  14. Count LF Chodkiewicz Chudzikiewicz says:

    Dear Mr or Mrs or Miss or Dr 13

    I do not understand why in Broward County with its educated and NOT DUMB population we should have such a “down market” county public school system. The students that enter the system arent stupid and have caring parents many sincere Church-going n hard working yet totally apathetic about the clowns on the school board or third raters in the Administration.
    I dont understand Broward County’s parents. I really dont “get it”.
    Maybe someone wiser or with greater sociological knowledge can explain.
    Lots of poor communities poorer than Broward County have excellent schools – look at the educatiinal background of America’s Noble Laurates in science!