Newest Rumor From TPS!!!!!!!

The Voice from Left Field has heard the same rumor for three weeks:

THE NEW POWERSCHOOL "MAINFRAME PROGRAM" IS NOT

I REPEAT

NOT

DESIGNED FOR A SCHOOL SYSTEM

AS LARGE AS TPS!!!

Now I would ordinarily ignore this and not pass it along, but come on folks, this IS Tulsa Public. And when was the last time we undertook a new program that wasn't flawed from before the start? Gradespeed, STARS, Gradebook, TAC/Boot Camp, need we go on? In my first training class I asked if this thing would really work or if it was another "Titanic" (much ballyhooed and doomed to failure). The evasive answer I received was my first red flag.

Next red flag came when I went to three additional training sessions and the system would still not let us schedule students.

Next red flag: Teachers are asked to log in early because they don't want to "overload the system' on the first day. Excuse me, what happens when we go to school the second day?.

Next red flag: I have received almost a dozen emails from ISS saying Powerschool isn't working/Powerschool is working again/Powerschool isn't working/Powerschool is working again/Powerschool isn't working/ Powerschool is working again.........

Goodness knows we hope this rumor is false and The Voice from Left Field is 100% wrong, but it wouldn't be the first time.

Also, hope everyone is getting ready to brown-nose, kiss-keester and suck-up to their principals with the new Gates merit-pay plan. When was the last time an incompetent principal was required to change a completely bogus evaluation for you or a co-teacher? Ever get an evaluation dated on a day when the principal wasn't even in the building or school was not insession? Ever have a principal who manufactured a low evaluation out of thin air? And these are the ones who will be evaluating us for our merit raises!!!!!! For myself, I have an incredible principal who evaluates honestly and fairly - unfortunatly we all know principals who are not so professional, the kind who give you commendables when they like you, but when they don't............

But, what the Hell do I know? I'm just the voice from Left Field.