Ha Ha Ha Now Your Kids Will Go To Public School *updated*

   So Windsor Prep and East Windsor Middle will now be public schools. (If they survive at all)
    It was wonderful to see some of you, through your self pitying tears, trying to reassure yourselves that you won, since it will be a (you hope) magnet school. (If the property owner agrees)

This Is What Sen. Jeff Brandes Needs To Fight

Instead of grabbing for publicity, and bullying school board members, Florida state Senator Jeff Brandes should be fighting for the state's tax paying citizens.

Sen. Jeff Brandes Always Loves For Profit Charter Schools, Tax Payers Only When It's Convenient

Florida state Senator Jeff Brandes is riding in like a Carpet Bagger white knight to resurrect some "Hope for Windsor"

After weeks of  insulting the Pinellas County public school system, ignoring the fact that they were perfectly happy to have enrolled, and kept their kids in an F school, and of claiming victimization when it was their own lack of involvement and research that facilitated the Newpoint disaster, the frantic pleas of the Windsor Prep and East Windsor parents have been heard.

Pot, Meet Kettle

Is this true Windsor Prep? I mean really, one would have hoped that with your well documented experiences, would come wisdom...

It's Called Capitalism...Brilliant

Excellent column written by Daniel Ruth today.

News Stories ** Updated as new reports are published **

Here are links to some of the many news reports on today's events.

Letter

It's been a long, and very active day. Before I sign off for the night though, I thought I would share the letter that I wrote to the Pinellas County School Board, as well as many others.

Too Much..Too Little..Too Late?

The Pinellas County School Board will vote tomorrow on whether or not to close the beleaguered Windsor Prep and East Windsor Middle School.
   And again...where were all of you over the last couple of years as I was putting this all out there for you? Oh, that's right...doing nothing to help the schools, your kids, or yourselves, yet busily harassing me and my "invalid Blog".

Monday Morning Blues

There is an excellent article this morning...one that I was waiting for.

Geography

Someone needs to study up on geography...

Smile...While the World Laughs At You

  What's that expression? We're not laughing at you, we're laughing with you.

   Make sure to keep that false smile plastered across your face just like the back of the "we have to state publicly that we love our teachers and everything is fine ( as it crumbles around us)" sign/marquee at the front of the "Last earned grade was an F, but now awarded an unearned C" school Windsor Prep / East Windsor Middle School property tells you to.

Halfway through National Charter School Week

In a poll conducted this past January, the majority of participants supported better oversight and accountability of the Flim Flam Scam that many charter schools, such as the Formerly Earned an F, but now Falsely awarded a C Windsor Prep Academy, and it's sister school East Windsor Middle Academy have become.

This article cites the results of this poll conducted by GBA Strategies on behalf of In the Public Interest and the Center for Popular Democracy.

Yet Another Board Meeting

Golly, these past two weeks have flown by so fast, it looks like it's already time for another Board Meeting to plot the future of "formerly and F school,now a fake, unearned C school" Windsor Prep and it's sister school in shame East Windsor Middle Academy.

I bet these meetings are a real hoot too. So much work to be done...plans to be made...hope to be had.

Wonder if they bring shovels to help themselves dig out from under the mess?

Ha Ha Ha Ha

 These are the minutes of the April 13th  Windsor Prep Board Meeting. As usual, it's a fun read. I especially love the part at the bottom where they mention "improving neighbor relations".

Fully Engaged

  Meetings every two weeks, Management company still technically in place, but completely absent, locks being changed, parents trying to take control, deteriorating finances, heavy debt, audits, and more.
 

Ongoing.....

"Charter schools are just the latest in a long line of get-rich-quick-schemes in the Sunshine State.

 FEE’s Floridian roots do have one undeniable pedagogic function: they make the blatant hucksterism at the heart of the education reform movement much harder to deny. Florida, after all, has played host to more grand swindles than any other state. Charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately run, are just the latest in a long line of get-rich-quick-schemes in the Sunshine State. Beneath today’s noble-sounding buzzwords—achievement, excellence, twenty-first-century skills—are the same murky land development deals, Republican politics, and taxpayer money that have become as emblematic of the Florida landscape as alligators and swimming pools."

The above taken from a great 2014 article: JebFest: The Education Miracle That Isn’t

Pretty much sums the whole Charter Schools game up, and it isn't getting any better.

Or how about this article from SeattleEducation2010 that was posted in 2012: Florida charter schools and the lack of oversight . It reinforces the problems that have been ongoing for a VERY LONG TIME here is Florida.

It's all out there for us to find folks. Not just articles, but FACTS. Research the names, the companies, and the schools. You will be appalled at where your tax dollars are going.

This isn't just about assholes or parking. That's just what started it. And the people who defend the stuff I am discovering should be ashamed.

https://bobsidlethoughtsandmusings.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/florida-gets-acquainted-with-ohios-master-of-charter-school-disaster/

It finally happened.....

Well, the inconsiderate, all about me and my kid parents who clog our street daily in order to drop their kids off at "F" school Windsor Prep Academy finally did exactly what all the neighbors have been concerned they would...they hindered the ability of a Sunstar ambulance to respond into the neighborhood to attend to the Cancer Patient on the last culdesac.

 CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL INVOLVED IN BLOCKING THE ROADS AND INTERSECTIONS, AND MOST ESPECIALLY TO THE PRIZEWINNER IN THE SMALL WHITE CAR THAT WAS PARKED ACROSS BOTH LANES WAITING TO GET THROUGH THE GATE, BLOCKING THE AMBULANCE. CLEARLY YOUR NEED TO DROP YOUR KID OFF IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN STAYING IN YOUR LANE WHICH WOULD HAVE ALLOWED THE AMBULANCE TO GO AROUND YOU. DARN INCONVENIENT OF THE CANCER PATIENT,RIGHT? I MEAN REALLY...HAVING A MEDICAL EMERGENCY DURING MORNING DROP OFF.

What adds to the special is the INCONSIDERATE IDIOTS like this, who parked across the curve to drop their kid off because they don't want to wait in the drop off line. Now what if the ambulance was leaving at that point ( I mean they had their patient loaded by then It was just luck that they weren't trying to get out right then) ? Oh that's right...they would have to have waited while the idiot in the SUV did his or her three point turn up onto the neighbors grass 

Oooh..I'll skip the line and cut in here

Apparently they own the road

Who needs a driveway when I can use the grass?

Windsor Prep Academy Ruined our Neighborhood...and is an "F" School.

  Windsor Prep Academy is a charter school, in Lealman ( near St. Petersburg) Florida, and is located smack dab in the middle of a small neighborhood. My neighborhood. They purchased the property, which had previously been a very small private school, of less than 200 students, three years ago.

  When the "F" school- Windsor Prep- started, they had a small enrollment of 175 elementary students. Traffic didn't impact our neighborhood all that badly. It got a little bogged down, but only for a few minutes each morning and afternoon.  

  Now, over 400 vehicles, not counting staff, neighbors, or construction vehicles come through every morning and afternoon, blocking our driveways, parking in our yards, causing property damage, and of course the traffic back up for just over an hour in the mornings,  and for around an hour and a half in the afternoons.

   This neighborhood is made of up of three small dead end, and two small side roads. There is one way in essentially, and one way out. 

   They knew that when they bought the property, and when they began their plans to expand their charter and expand enrollment to include the  Middle School: East Windsor Academy.

  So ultimately it is two schools that now operate on the property.

  Knowing, and despite this neighborhood's limitations, and without any consultation, or impact study having been done by Pinellas County to see how the neighborhood residents felt, the school has forged ahead with the expansion, constructed a 41,000 square foot, 2 story monstrosity of a building, and have an anticipated enrollment of 1000 students within a year or two.

   The current enrollment as of September 2014 is approx. 580 plus the 65 kids they are housing off campus awaiting completion of the new building. And who knows if they have more than that waiting in the wings, but more are definitely coming. 

   This blog is to document what this mess of an "F" School has put our neighborhood through. I will be linking the news articles, issues my neighbors have dealt with, my experiences, pictures, and links to videos. I will also try and dig into exactly who in involved in/with this school. I may even expand into the whole issue of shady charter school dealings, as our experiences with this school has been rather like being shaken down by a gang or the mafia taking over communities. You accept, do it their way, or pay the price.

******And remember, charter schools are funded by our tax dollars, yet local school boards have nearly no authority over them, and the property and equipment they acquire is theirs to keep, even if they fail, which an alarming number do. More on that to come as well.