YouTube video of Catholic Schools in MIssoula promoting enrollment K-12 using Roosevelt School clips

Remember former Missoula County Public Schools high school Trustee Jim Sadler saying over and over that "Roosevelt School had seen the end of it's useful life" and that MCPS needed to dispose of this school - thus sacrificing one of Missoula's popular elementary schools?

Well, Jim Sadler and other irresponsible and corrupt MCPS Trustees - what is your response to the YouTube video promoting St. Joseph's and Loyola Catholic Schools showing video of our Roosevelt School in perfectly good shape? 

Jim Sadler, Missoula school watchdog wants an explanation.

Missoula Catholic Schools - St. Joseph Preschool, Now Enrolling

Missoulians and other Americans - Please watch this video on the International Baccalaureate Program!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MMglKMoF7w

"Why the International Baccalaureate Program is Un-American"

Please watch this You Tube video on the topic of the International Baccalaureate Program which now has many programs in the Missoula school system expanding to all grades. The International Baccalaureate program is an United Nations off shoot and does not teach our children in a traditional American curriculum. Watch Out!! This IB curriculum is dangerous for our country's children!
Again, please watch this You Tube video.

MCPS MAKES YET ANOTHER TRAGIC AND MALEVOLENT MISTAKE IN CLOSING COLD SPRINGS SCHOOL AND ALLOWING A DAY CARE ON THE PREMISES

Dear Missoulians and other citizens around these great United States, 

Why does Missoula school watchdog address the entire country in this post? It is due to NOBODY listening or paying attention, at least as far as Missoula school watchdog is aware of,  to what is going on in Missoula, Montana, including most if not ALL Missoulians and even the Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees - thus the reason for addressing the country. Maybe someone out there will read how the Missoula County Public Schools system is so malevolent and so mismanaging it's assets and how it is providing a risky and low level education to Missoula's students.

As a "Missoula Girl" and as the writer of this blog, I can say that the closing of Cold Springs School in the southern part of our city was another sad and heartbreaking action taken by MCPS. 

The closure was unnecessary and wreckless. A school closure in Missoula  is always taken up with little thought to the short and long term consequences for the students, families, neighborhooods, and the city itself, including the entire county. Again, why the entire country? Because what happens in one part of the country effects the entire country. There is a boomerang effect when bad things happen in an area.

Some information that needs to be included, however brief, is that the closure of Cold Springs can be mostly blamed on one or two dishonest MCPS Board members. Did you know that former MCPS high school Trustee, Drake Lemm was the FIRST Trustee to mention the closure of Cold Springs way back in 2006 at a Board Meeting discussing MCPS properties? In other subsequent MCPS meetings including MCPS Ad Hoc Property Meetings, always with Drake Lemm present, the closure of Cold Springs School was mentioned and a "substitute" school was proposed - that is the building of a school in the Miller Creek area, more specifically the Maloney Ranch area. 

In meeting after meeting the closure of Cold Springs was mentioned. Then, in the fraudulent MCPS facilities bond plans, the closure of Cold Springs was again proposed and a plan to build a new school was brought forward in an even more aggressive manner.

Missoula School Watchdog would like to mention a fact that all Missoulians need to know - and, as mentioned above, the entire country. That is that the MCPS high school Trustee, Drake Lemm has property, an entire subsivision in the Miller Creek area. It is named the DJ subdivision. (msw does not know if that is the actual name of the subdivision, however, that is the name of the street on which he, as a contractor, builds his homes).

On a radio talk show today the issue of Cold Springs being used for a day care was mentioned. This topic was extremely painful for me, again as a "Missoula Girl", as I attended Cold Springs in elementary school back in the '60's. It was a nice school back then and contrary to MCPS officials was not in horribly bad condition when closed. The montra heard from these officials was always Cold Springs was just basically a bunch of units from Colstrip brought in many years ago. Yes, there may have been some of those units, however, there was a lot of the older portions of the building that were not units from Colstrip which one would not have known if you just listened to MCPS officials with an agenda not conducive to the public's good, that of keeping the neighborhood schools.

Missoulian article on expanding the International Baccalaruate program to Washington (msw Rattlesnake-Washington) Middle School!!

https://missoulian.com/news/local/washington-middle-school-works-toward-international-baccalaureate-status/article_3ab42330-8f63-587f-9d7a-10f76e872bf6.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1

See the link above for the Missoulians article on the International Baccalaureate program slated to be implemented at Washington Middle School (which remember really needs to be renamed Rattlesnake-Washington Middle School due to the closure of Rattlesnake Middle School in 2004 and then sending those students to WMS).

Superintendent Alex Apostle had the plan to implement the IB program at all levels of education in Missoula. (told to me personally as part of his plans for MCPS).

There are some sources that give a less than stellar view of the IB program.

One is  - IB Unraveled by Debra Niwa
Another is the YouTube video by Debra Niwa
Also see the YouTube video about IB titled, "The International Baccalaureate Program Unraveled".


Here is the link for the YouTube video -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrCNrk-ZTjE

Brand new Missoula elementary school ready for students

MCPS - Problem with enough text books!!

eagnews.org/montana-school-district-no-elementary-math-books-but-superintendent-gets-45k-raise/

It appears, that unlike in the past a website needs to be copied and pasted into the search bar of google or other browser. It used to be that all one had to do is click on the link - does anyone know what is going on here?

The above link is for information  regarding the lack of math textbooks while at the same time former Superintendent Alex Apostle was in the process of getting a $45,000 raise!!

Hope the link works! I've been having trouble sharing information from other forums. Unfortunately!

Missoulian letter to the editior - "Demolition of Willard School" in the June 4, 2018 issue

http://missoulian.com/opinion/letters/demolition-of-willard-school/article_72e55acd-e3ec-57e0-898c-fc3c80970f93.html

Click on the link above to read a letter to the editor regarding the demolition of a Missoula icon, Willard School.

As a long-time Missoulian and a Missoula school watchdog (basically following MCPS school business since 2004 when the disastrous 3-school closures on the north side of Missoula dramatically affected my family) I am very sad that the school district even contemplated the demolition of this wonderful school.

 A quote from the letter written by Missoula resident Lani Gallegos follows -

"Residents and neighbors in the area are sickened and disheartened to see the iconic building go. Voices were raised during a community meeting, but fell on deaf ears, with little adjustments made to the plan based on residents concerns."

Oops - I just lost entire paragraphs of very profound info/opinion - Ha!

So - since I have limited time for this blog, unfortunately. I will have to condense the profound sentences that were deleted 😏. What I brought up was that this school district has a history of not listening to its constituents going back (and probably further) to the middle school fiasco - that of reconfiguring our school district from a 1-8th or K-8th grade set up to an elementary/middle school set up. There was considerable opposition to the middle school model, yet, the school board in the early 80's went through with the change.

In one paragraph that mysteriously disappeared while writing this post is the issue of tyranny. The definition of tyranny taken from the Websters dictionary is, "unjust use of absolute government power". Isn't this what is going on here? Isn't this what has been going on in much of Missoula County Public Schools business? My observations as a person who has followed the district off and on for the last two decades and as a MCPS grad is "yes', and definitely "yes"!

Another shock today when visiting MCPS school buildings - a school used for adults is far better maintained than schools for Missoula's children!!

I'm just livid.  I visited Willard School today just to see what the school was like on the inside. I attended Paxson school in the 60's which was demolished and was replaced with a new building (which is quite sad in my opinion).

Willard is the same design as the old Paxson and Whittier School on the north side.  The school is wonderful in that it had a lot of charm, however, needed some TLC. The school is not a lost cause and does not need to be demolished. Additionally, it is sad to see the school used for the alternative high school. This school was once attended by my husband in 4th grade and  by his siblings as well when Missoula had a 1-8th configuration. This is the optimal use in my opinion.

So - what was shocking? Read on. I then went over to Emma Dickinson School which was closed in the late 1990's.  Now it is the Lifelong Learning Center - what is known as the adult learning center. This school was so much better taken care of than the Willard. The school district is placing the building needs of adults far above those of the children of Missoula. The entrance had a fancy rug with the title, "Life Long Learning Center". It was airy and was nicely painted. I didn't go down the halls but did enter the gym. The floor of the gym had been nicely polished and shined. The walls had been painted just last year according to some adults using the gym. AND - shockingly, the basketball hoops had been removed and I was told the lines were just removed from the floor. So - there will be no basketball playing in this MCPS gym and a beautiful gym it is! Unbelievable! There is some exercise bikes and other work out equipment in the front of the gym where some adults were beginning to work out. One wall was fitted with mirrors. In other words, this school gym was actually an adult athletic club!! This is inexcusable when buildings that house our children are in such bad shape and need TLC - not demolition just some TLC, that which has taken place in this school, which, by the way is the Emma Dickinson School, a name you will not see anywhere except on some plaques on the wall.

Not to mention that our schools, according to the superintendent who was just on a radio program last week, are crowded and classrooms are exceeding size standards set by the state! This school needs to be reopened for children for whom it was built.

What an inexcusable shame!

Current MCPS Superintendent Mark Thane tells KGVO listeners Lowell School was not designed by architect A.J. Gibson - which it was!

On, Thursday, Missoula County Public Schools Superintendent Mark Thane, a "hometown boy", appeared on KGVO's radio talk show, Talk Back, for a half hour with host Peter Christian.

Superintendent Thane was discussing the many MCPS bond construction projects (which in msw's view were not needed - not all of them anyway).

One of the schools Thane mentioned was Lowell School, one of Missoula's most historic schools located on the northwest side of Missoula built in 1909. This school, is now in the process of being gutted and remodeled.

 Mark Thane told listeners that Lowell School was not an A.J. Gibson building. This statement was not prompted by any discussion of the historical value of the school.

An addition to Lowell being gutted and the addition being removed there is more work going on to this property. The modular on the playground, built in about 2012, was moved and a huge addition is being built in that location.




The idea that it was old and in poor condition was discussed. The host, Peter Christian, did, of course, agree with Thane that the school was indeed so old (even stating that white snowflake-like stuff was falling from the ceiling when on an earlier tour with Thane) that it had to be gutted. I had previously toured Lowell School and did not see falling "snow" from the ceiling, but was impressed with this beautiful and historic school in need of basic maintenance (and maybe a little more TLC than it had been given in past years. Another citizen mentioned in a previous Talk Back show voiced the concern that the school was in need of a good old-fashioned paint job.

I have always understood that Lowell School was designed by A.J. Gibson. A university professor wrote a book entirely on the famous local architect, and I remembered that Lowell School was featured as one of Gibson's designs in the book.

 Additionally, I had previously gone to the Lowell School website where the librarian posts historical facts about the school. The information on this site states that indeed Lowell School is a Gibson design. The addition, next to Lowell School, was built in the 1960's and was designed by "Kirk" Kirkemo's (Gibson's colleague)son. So this addition is not a Gibson design. It was obvious in this comment that Thane was talking about the main building when referencing the architect.

To say that Lowell School is not a A.J. Gibson design, as Mark Thane told KGVO radio listeners, is patently false!


However, is was surprising to me that superintendent Mark Thane would go on a radio show and say something that was not true is troubling, to say the least.

Because the superintendent was not honest on this topic one has to ask where else has he not been honest and how many times has he misled the public?

I know of other circumstances, actually, where Thane stated misleading to false information. I'm (msw) is really wondering just at what lengths he will go to subterfuge.

Editing note: A Missoulian article featuring Lowell School and noting that it was an A.J. Gibson building appeared when I used Google for this article, I will attempt to link that article to this post at a later date. The article was about Lowell being one of a hundred Missoula icons.

written by Missoulaschoolwatchdog for the missoulaschoolwatchdog.blogspot.com website

Nick Salmon - Coordinator of Missoula County Public Schools "Smart Schools 2020 Facilty Report - featured in the following profile -"Share This Profile"

Nick Salmon was hired by Missoula County Public Schools to coordinate a large project dealing
with the district's school buildings and properties. This study was spread out over a two year period.

When I attended some of the MCPS meetings lead by Nick Salmon, who is employed by CTA Architects in Missoula, I was troubled by some of his suggestions. Glass classrooms. Multiple lunch areas. Group learning areas and other unfamiliar school environments.

It did seem that there was an agenda behind his work as it smacked of something so much "out of the ordinary".

If one reads the profile on Nick Salmon it explains a lot. Salmon has done work for and is connected to Smart Growth. Smart Growth is a concept of city planning which has garnered a lot of controversy when it is  introduced into a community.

This revelation, that of Nick Salmon being connected to the Smart Growth idea of planning should make citizens pause when voting for the huge bond being brought before the voters this November.

A clue to Nick Salmon's ties to Smart Growth also resides in the name of the study for which he was responsible -

"Smart Schools 2010"

Share This Profile

Rosemary Harrison's Bombshell to Missoula - the 158 million dollar bond passed on November 4, 2015

I've mentioned in many of my blog posts both on the Prescott School Missoula blog and the  Missoula schools watchdog and Missoula school watchdog  blogs (all using the Blogger blogging program)problems caused to the school district by former MCPS Trustee Rosemary Harrison.

I feel that I need to add more about this woman who has done such harm to our school district and to our city.

Former Trustee and Former MCPS Board Chair Rosemary Harrison:

Voted to close Emma Dickinson School in the late 1990's in a rushed process (2 weeks) -

Voted to close Roosevelt School in the late 1990's in a rushed process -

Voted to lease Roosevelt School immediately after the closure to a private school for what many think was a sweetheart deal in a rushed process -

Voted to sell Roosevelt School in 2005 for what many say was again, was a sweetheart deal (sale price was based on the sweetheart lease rate) in a rushed process -

Voted to close Prescott two or three times (2001 and 2003) (these closures were reversed after the spring elections) -

Voted to close three schools in the northeast part of our city in 2004. There was a second vote on these closures due to a forced repeat meeting due to violations by her and other trustees in the closure process -

Voted to lease yet another one of our public schools which she voted to close to a private school. Harrison voted to privatize two of our public schools, Roosevelt to a religious school which violates the state constitution and Prescott School to Missoula International School. Both of these private school remain to this day in two schools which we owned for years, one school for more than a century(Prescott).

And now - because we Missoulians, some oblivious to this woman's disloyal and irresponsible actions, voted to close another school, Cold Springs.

Former MCPS Trustee, Rosemary Harrison, has another feather in her cap, on the number of schools she has closed. In this latest school closure, that of Cold Springs, she, and I am suspecting it was her, wisely on her part, avoided the "C" word (closure) by sneakily (her and Clark's modus operani during her stint on the Board with her good friend and partner in crime - former Superintendent Jim Clark) actions, voted to close another school, Cold Springs.

Missoula school watchdog, because of my experiences both as a victim of the 2004 school closures and as a watchdog of MCPS is, on this blog post with the above substantiation, am accusing Rosemary Harrison responsible for a large part if not the instigating person of this 158 million dollar bond.

For this reason, Missoula school watchdog is calling this 158 million dollar bond a scandal and is also calling for an investigation of the bond procedure with looking into the actions of Rosemary Harrison during this process and her role in the process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPDATED: MCPS considers 4 sites for new Cold Springs school - MIssoulian article from August 31, 2015

Click on the link below to read an article on new locations for Cold Springs School.

UPDATED: MCPS considers 4 sites for new Cold Springs school

  missoula school watchdog blog is calling foul on this ill-thought out idea by illogical school officials.

The idea that this school district will close Cold Springs and build a new school with the same name is absolutely criminal!

 

As a long-time observer of MCPS business and a victim of the 2004 school closures, it is my opinion that this corrupt idea of closing Cold Springs and building a new school in the Miller Creek area is the brainstorm of a long-time unpopular MCPS Trustee, Drake Lemm and other cronies such as Rosemary Harrison. At a September 2005(!) Finance and Operations Facility Meeting - with the ink barely dry on the Roosevelt School sale to St. Josephs School papers - Lemm brought up the closing of Cold Springs and the building of a new school close to his properties. (Note: Lemm built a subdivision in the Miller Creek area.)