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

Don't let the door hit you on the way out - Superintendent Thane

Don't let the door hit you on the way out - Superintendent Thane.

Superintendent Mark Thane, and others, described himself as the "hometown superintendent". In trying to make this post short let's ask one simple question. Just exactly what did Mark Thane do that was so good for his hometown of Missoula? 

Did he work to re-establish a neighborhood school system that had been so badly desecrated by past superintendents and Missoula County Public Schools Trustees?

Did he work to lower administrative costs throughout the school district?

Did he work to eliminate the UN sponsored International Baccalaureate Program that has taken such a foothold in Missoula County Public Schools so much so that some schools are entirely IB. /Did he do what the nearby CoeurdA'lene, Id. school district and eliminate the IB program?

Did he work on transparency in all school related business, such a on the MCPS website and in conversations on radio programs and at civic events?

Did he seek to include the public in all open houses throughout the district when each school had finished it's renovation using the expensive bond funds? Etc. Etc.

No, no. and no....  Mark Thane,
Missoula hometown boy and now man, did not do a thing for his hometown in a positive manner.

Again, don't let the door hit you, Mr. Thane, on the way out!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK6PQsSqkaY



Above is a YouTube video on the origins of the saying:
"Don't let the door hit you on the way out".  Interesting. Maybe we need to use it more when a government official leaves, especially when they leave Missoula County Public Schools (for the most part MCPS officials are really not on board with the Missoula people).

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"!

Did Missoula County Public Schools close Cold Springs illegally? It is questionable in the mind of missoula school watchdog!

This post begins with some wording from the MCPS Policy 4333 dealing with school closures.

"Prior to the Board adopting a resolution closing an operating school, the Board shall consider the impact of such school closure on the education community.  In evaluating the impact, the Board shall consider at a minimum the following factors:  "Then then text lists about 7 considerations.'

The issue of a school closure for any Missoula County Public Schools school is addressed in Policy 4333, as mentioned,  under Public Relations. As many readers know, my family (a school closure affects the entire family, neighborhood, and the city as a whole) experienced a 3-school closure in 2004 and so I was part of the discussions of the policy. There are many aspects of the policy that are flawed, however, the emphasis of this post is - was the closure of Cold Springs School legal? 

My reasoning - the closure did not follow the school closure policy. As superintendent Mark Thane stated during his visit on KGVO's Talk Back program on Wednesday, May 23, 2018, the decision to close Cold Springs School was decided by a group of people during the school bond discussions. Each "active" school, as opposed to "non-active" school(in other words a closed school which was unfair to that school) formed a group to discuss the future of that school. 

I am thinking that a group formed to discuss the future of a school is not the proper protocol for closing a school according to the MCPS school board policy dealing with school closures, Policy 4333.

This issue needs more discussion. Time is of the essence. According to Thane, Cold Springs School will remain open until only next October or November and then the students will move to the new school (remember the Cold Springs bond group decided to build a new school - which was a flawed protocol in my opinion - and was later re-named Jeanette Rankin School.

The emphasis of this blog is the preservation of our neighborhood schools - for every neighborhood. As a person growing up in Missoula, this was considered normal. Missoula children didn't have to deal with constant closures and massive busing. We need to return to this tradition.

More to come on this issue - only on missoulaschoolwatchdog.blogspot.com!

Comments regarding a former MCPS Board Trustee Drake Lemm - Was he unethical while serving on the Board?

Many mornings I listen to the radio - turning the dial to KGVO's Talk Back show. A frequent guest is Missoula County Public Schools superintendent Mark Thane. I appreciate the local topics.

On the morning of May 23, 2018, I called in and made a comment regarding the closing of Cold Springs School, a nice school I attended when a young child growing up in Missoula in the '60's. I strongly believe that Cold Springs School needs to remain open. The school district will say it needs a lot of maintenance. Yes, it does, why? The district mismanaged funds to fix schools.

I happened to mention that I believed (and witnessed) the part played by former MCPS Trustee in the building of a new school up Miller Creek in the Maloney Ranch subdivision area. The idea of building a new school was coupled with the closing of Cold Springs School. (In fact, and I believe it was a nefarious move, the new school was at the time of the bond named Cold Springs School and then after the bond was renamed the Jeanette Rankin School. I mentioned that his role was in looking after his property, DJ Lane, near where the new school, renamed the Jeanette Rankin School.

Here is my FB on the TB (Talk Back) FB page comment following my on-air comment.

  " OK - I just called into KGVO’s Talk Back program when MCPS superintendent Mark Thane was a guest. My comment centered on the Cold Springs and Jeanette Rankin School fiasco. Now, as usual, I must give my 2 cents about what Thane said as I hung up after my remarks. Re: Is Drake Lemm really an honest man and could he be involved in shenanigans on the MCPS School Board. Yes. People that followed the school board when he served know that he was not an upstanding citizen - sorry, he just wasn't, at least not when he was on the school board. If one attended meetings when he was on the Board you would have heard his comments - many in favor of closing elementary area schools even though he was a HS Trustee. Then in many meetings, like I said on air, Lemm advocated for a school up Miller Creek. If one finds his property, DJ Lane, and then follows where the new school is built how could one not think that it would be a possibility that Lemm would be behind this closure/new school fiasco? It is common knowledge that a public school in a neighborhood increases property values Jon, a nice guy and one of the hosts of Talk Back wondered on air where I was going with this comment and did not finish reading it - I was going with the truth. This school district is in the straights it is in because too many people won't really say what is going on. Am I supposed to forget everything I saw when I suffered going to those God-awful MCPS meetings and then just go along with people that say Lemm is an ethical person when I witnessed otherwise? Wouldn't I feel like a traitor to myself?'

         

MIssoula County Public Schools Trustee needs to keep in mind the benefit of small schools in context of suicide

In the May 18th, 2018 issue of the Missoulian newspaper there is an article titled,

"Reasons to take suicide seriously".

If Trustee Kendall would read and implement the research found in the great study by a group of companies dealing with education issues she and the other MCPS Trustees would begin to take steps in reopening our closed schools rather than placing priorities of MCPS funds for enlarging our already too large schools at all levels.

The link to information on the benefit and superiority of small schools is:

http://www.ruraledu.org/user_uploads/file/Dollars_and_Sense.pdf

'Here is some important info copied from the study - 

While 38 percent of small schools reported any incidents, 60 percent of medium-sized schools and 89 percent of large schools reported criminal incidents. Serious violent crime was more likely to be reported by the largest schools. One-third of schools with enrollments of 1,000 or more reported at least one serious violent crime, compared with four to nine percent in schools with fewer than 1,000 students (1999, para. 5)."

In my opinion, and that of others as well, Missoula County Public Schools is making property and school building decisions that go against the safety of our students.

Please voice your concerns with the Missoula County Public Schools administration and school board.







                               

The original Cold Springs School needs to stay open - not busing kids from the area to MIller Creek School

This is a Missoula girl talking. In fact, this is a Cold Springs School girl talking. Having grown up in Missoula and having attended Cold Springs I know that to close Cold Springs would be so egregious as to border on criminal.

For Missoula County Public Schools to close the original Cold Springs School would be so unfair to the families, property owners, and children in the surrounding area of the school.

For me to have to say the "original Cold Springs School" is ridiculous in the first place.  The MCPS school district in the bond plans of 2015 stated that a new Cold Springs School would be built in the Miller Creek area - thinking that the Miller Creek area was even remotely close to the present location of Cold Springs School. This, in my opinion, was to give a reason to build a new school and get rid of a school at the same time thinking voters would not want to vote on a new school while at the same time keeping another school open. This makes no sense unless one is aware of the politics of the whole idea of building a new school.

In 2004, our family experienced a tragedy brought on by nefarious officials of the Missoula school district with superintendent James Clark and Board Chair Rosemary Harrison at the helm.

Three schools in the northeast area of our city were closed - Rattlesnake Middle, Prescott, and Mount Jumbo schools.

Due to this action, I followed the school district quite closely in subsequent months/years.

Right after another action by Missoula school officials, the sale of the closed Roosevelt School, school officials spoke openly (closed discussions behind the scenes prior to this) about building a school in the Miller Creek area. In some discussions, a school board Trustee, Drake Lemm, voiced is strong desire to build this school.

Something very important to keep in mind and what I think is key to the proposed building of a Miller Creek School is that Lemm has property in the area. In fact, Drake Lemm is a contractor and has built (is building) a subdivision on a street named DJ Lane. Could the proposed new school and the closure of Cold Springs really be due to a school board member having a strong desire to have a school near his subdivision? My answer is yes, and most definitely yes.

Drake Lemm was not a conscientious school board member. One of the main reasons he likely ran for the MCPS seat was for his selfish needs. Lemm always voted or voiced his opinions on elementary property decisions (not having voting powers for elementary decisions as he was a high school Trustee) to close or sell an elementary building.

Again, the Missoula school officials need to keep Cold Springs School open. Already, I have heard that the new Miller Creek School is full and another school is being discussed to be built in this area. To keep Cold Springs open the new school would not be so crowded to begin it's debue.

By the way, the new school, when the bond was proposed, was to be named Cold Springs as discussed above. After the bond was passed, voila, a proposal to rename the proposed new Cold Springs School, was brought forward to the public and was renamed the Jeanette Rankin School.

In closing, just to remind people about the nefarious Trustee Drake Lemm - he built an addition to superintendent Clark's garage while on the Board. This action did not sit well with some Trustees and therefore he was turned into the County Attorney, who also nefariously let him off the hook. Google Drake Lemm and Superintendent Clark or the words - "school board shenanigans" along with the two names to read about this slippery action.

Does Missoula County Public Schools Superintendent Thane deserve his award of the best superintendent in Western Montana?

Since following the school district in 2003 and 2004 and in subsequent years due to the MCPS school district closing my families neighborhood schools I have observed the leadership up close and personal. 

What I and others have found is that Missoula County Public Schools is massively mismanaged! I believe if anyone observed what I have they would have the same opinion.

So -- to my question in the title - "Does Mark Thane deserve his award of being a great school system superintendent?

My intent is to be objective as possible- so I'm asking the most obvious questions to see if the award is deserved. 

Here they are - questions that I believe would be address parent's biggest concerns -

* How many miles a day are Missoula's children traveling on a bus to go to school?"

* How large is the school that our children will be attending? Is it less than 200 for a grade school?

* How many grades are in each school? Is there a narrow grade span or a wider grade span? In other words - are there K-8 schools with all 8 grades plus kindergarten or are there elementary and middle schools with 1st through 8th grade with kindergarten?

* What is the percentage of administrators to non-administrators in the district?

* What is the pay roll of the administrators?

* Is the salary and benefits part of the budget at 80% or less?

* Are the children's scores on reading & arithmetic good or at least above average?

* Is the school district funding programs that are linked to United Nations education programs such as the International Baccalaureate program?

* Is the district funding too many programs so that basic education classes are not funded adequately?

* Is the district supplying children with a textbook for each class subject instead of over use of handouts?

* Is the district supplying the children with adequate school supplies that are traditionally supplied to students or are teachers picking up the bill for some or all of the school supplies?

* I'm sure there are other questions one could ask of a school district to make sure that children are getting a good education. Please write a comment if you can think of more ideas.

"Move over Emma, here I come. You've had your turn, now it's my turn when naming MCPS schools!" Jeanette Rankin

As I've mentioned, Emma Dickinson School has been closed for many years now. Immediately after the closure and most likely the reason it was closed, it became the building for adult learning classes. Over the years this building being used for adults - not for the area's children as was the purpose for building the school in the first place - the school district has expanded it's classes (and its administration BTW). Do people know that the adult learning center now  has TWO administrators making approximately $80,000/year plus benefits - probably more now!!

So - now the name of Emma Dickinson has been taken off the school building.  No more Emma Dickinson School. I saw a flyer calling it the Dickinson Building. This is so corrupt.

So where does Jeanette Rankin come in. The school district is now building a NEW school up Miller Creek which was called Cold Springs school, which is a school which has been closed.

The district decided to open up bids for a new name for the school in the past few months. Some children decided that a good name for the new school up Miller Creek would be the Jeanette Rankin School. (After the first woman in the Congress and who voted against getting into the Second World War.

So, again, move over Emma. MCPS does not value you or your school. Now they are on to someone new for awhile

NOTE: If you would like to know exactly how a school was approved to be built up Miller Creek soon after the district sold Roosevelt School in 2005 just ask former MCPS Board members, Rosemary Harrison and Drake Lemm and other Trustees. And you could also ask former MCPS superintendent James Clark. All of these people could fill you in on the corruption they were causing during all their property meetings (and behind the scenes, of course).

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

Fellow long-time Missoulian - "We used to have more neighborhood schools"

Today I was talking with a long-time Missoula citizen – a fellow baby boomer. As I have mentioned in some of my posts I attended  Missoula schools since 1^st grade (Missoula
did not have kindergarten back then).

 For some reason topic of schools came up. This fellow
Missoulian attended Missoula Catholic Schools. He did, however, notice the local neighborhood schools and had friends in these schools. Fast forward to today. This man also has noticed that now there aren’t many open schools. He remembers that when we were growing up Missoula had many neighborhood schools and with fewer students back then to boot. (Missoula County Public Schools enrollment has dramatically increased in recent years (which, unfortunately and corruptly (is that a word?!) was predicted by a Missoula economist and which was subsequently ignored by school board members and a few superintendents).

Too much administration - I was talking about this topic with another friend and he said that they (school officials) think they have to have so many administrators in each school. His take - Just have the classes there and let the teachers teach. Granted, there are parameters set by the government, however, there can be ways to work around these in my opinion.

Missoula school watchdog - I agree with my fellow long-time Missoulian. And agree with my friend. I think that most people in Missoula also agree with us. We need to re-open our closed schools.We don’t need so many administrators per school. In the “good old days” we basically had one (!) administrator – the principal - per school and his secretary!
We could increase the number of administrative positions slightly - we just don't need so many!

Do you remember that old folk song  we baby boomers listened to sung by Joan Baez - "Where Have All The Flowers Gone?"  Couldn't we substitute flowers for neighborhood schools? Try it! It might be the next hit! (Just kidding but it was worth the thought, right?!)



 

"Future Shock" is here in Missoula courtesy of Missoula County Public Schools

I thought that I'd post a few thoughts about a subject that was shared with me by a Missoula friend (a fellow long-time Missoulian) who attended Franklin for all 8 grades (!) in addition to graduating Hellgate High.

When my friend was in high school - as I just mentioned - at Hellgate - a school from which her grandfather graduated in 1929 when it was named Missoula County High School!! - her elective English class read the book "Future Shock" by Alvin Toffler.
We, in Missoula, as are people worldwide, experiencing "Future Shock" just as Toffler had predicted in his 1970 book. Future Shock is here and it is effecting how our schools are operating and have been operating for some time.

I would like to apply the ideas in the book Future Shock to the demolishing of Franklin School in addition to making huge renovations to the A.J. Gibson school building - Lowell School - on the north side. Such radical changes to our traditional school buildings has been extremely stressful to many people -  most likely for long-time Missoulians. My friend, the Franklin School alum, is saddened by this as are many others who have talked to me, some Franklin alumni.

Here's some quotes from 'Future Shock" that may explain our dismay of these changes to our beloved schools -

The introduction of Future Shock in a compact classic book states:

"Many people have trouble coping with change - particularly when it comes too fast. Since changes in our rapidly advancing society are both common and sudden, many of us are experiencing great stress."

"Alvin Toffler's phrase "future shock" has become a classic byword to describe this inner turmoil." 

And when one applies the concept of future shock to our buildings which would include school buildings Toffler writes -

     "We live in a throw-away, one-time-use society, which, in turn, spawns a throw-away mentality.

 EVEN OUR BUILDINGS ARE CONSTANTLY BEING TORN DOWN AND REBUILT"

The demolition and rebuilding of Franklin School, which according to this writer, appears to be in good shape (Note: as in many Missoula schools Franklin had additions throughout the years), is just another symptom of future shock in our wonderful(and getting less so with ill-advised changes) city of Missoula.

Additionally, with the school bond passed in November 2105 there will be the closure of Cold Springs school in the 39th St. area to add to our already 4-5 closed schools.

Written by Missoula school watchdog on June 9 and 10th, 2016, Friday and Saturday.

edited - September 2, 2016

Why didn't the Franklin principal want pictures taken of the school before demolition?

Yesterday, June 9th, Thursday, 2016  Missoula schools watchdog attempted to take pictures of the inside of Franklin School. It ended with a police visit and then a breakfast at Ruby's Café with a friend.

The day before, on the 8th, Wednesday, a friend of mine talked to the secretary at Franklin and explained that I would like to take pictures of her in her childhood classrooms at Franklin. The secretary said that it would be no problem and that the best time to take pictures would be Friday morning after 8:30 a.m. as things were going to be removed at a fast pace.

My friend and I agreed to meet at Franklin School at 8:30 on Friday as per the secretary.

I arrived with camera in tow at the correct time, just a little early. As I wanted to get started taking pictures I decided to go ahead into the school even though my Franklin friend had not arrived. I went to the desk and explained to a secretary, perhaps not the woman that my friend had talked to yesterday as she was perhaps the woman that was on the phone, however, the woman I talked to said to go ahead and that she was sure that it would be OK to go ahead and begin taking pictures.  I gave her my business card with Joscelyn Photography and my phone number on it. There, I had my bases all covered. Or did I?

Only a minute or so after my camera was clicking off pictures of this priceless and historic school soon to be demolished I heard a woman say, "I am asking you to leave, You have to leave." Oh, Oh, The woman, the principal to which I talked shortly before the bond was passed when I took up Superintendent Thane's suggestion to go into the schools and see what is planned for each one. The suggestion by Thane to visit our schools was aired on the radio on KGVO's Talk Back morning show.  One day I was driving on Johnson Street near Franklin School and decided to take Thane up and stop in to Franklin.

As I knew that each school had a 21st Century School plan for the bond I went to the desk to see if there was a flyer on the plans for Franklin. As I did not see one asked the secretary where I could get the flyer for Franklin's plans. She came out and gave me a flyer and we stood and discussed the changes which were also posted on a wall. The most important aspect of the new plans were that FRANKLIN SCHOOL WAS SLATED TO BE DEMOLISHED!! As I cursorily walked down one hall with many old class pictures and saw the absolutely beautiful wood work and the beautiful and historic architecture I was so saddened by the thought that this school could be demolished.

I conveyed this opinion, that of the school being so wonderful,  to the principal. She did not agree and said that MCPS needed to implement the 21st Century type of schools and that this demolition was "For the Kids".  My thoughts were at the time that how could demolishing a perfectly good school really be good for the kids.  Thinking of this beautiful building, serving our Missoula children since 1916,  was going to be the victim of a wrecking ball. was almost too much to bare.  I wondered if other Franklin employees thought as the principal did asking the nearby janitor and the secretary what they thought of MCPS plans. Not remembering the exact words to these employees it appeared that they were for the demolition.

While discussing the plans with the principal she was continually looking and typing something into the cell phone. I thought it was rather rude for her to be using her cell phone during our conversation. Additionally, she did not seem to  take my reservations for the demolition seriously, stating again that it was, "for the kids". 

As I left the building I was upset at what I heard about the plans for the  school as it they broke my heart, as I've stated,  going to the extreme action of demolition. As I sometimes do, unfortunately, I expressed my anguish in a louder than normal voice and unfortunately, as I also sometimes do inserted an inappropriate word - as of this writing I have forgotten the exact wording of my comments but take full responsibility for them and realize that I need to work on controlling my emotions when upset. However, oftentimes escalating tensions occur  when plans such as demolishing a cherished asset that is such an integral part of a neighborhood and it's heritage are ill-advised and the consequences not thoroughly thought out.

In the attempt to finish this post but also thinking that I may add/edit/delete some parts at a later date I must quickly end this post. OK - so I've added a little historical perspective to my one visit to Franklin prior to going to take some inside pictures (Oh - and Superintendent Thane did call and ask me to call him back which I did not do as I couldn't really think of anything that I could say that would make a difference one way or another (I'm assuming he called about my Franklin visit) but mostly because I didn't get around to it. I also was thinking that I would schedule a meeting with Thane but again did not have time for that. So it was mostly a time issue for my not getting back to the superintendent.

So, anyway I was basically kicked out of Franklin School by the principal. I did not leave immediately as my thought process was that I had a right to be in the public building as I  was a taxpayer thus having helped to pay for it and it's upkeep. I thought of calling an attorney. By this time my friend had come to join me in my ill-fated picture taking  project. She came at the right time and guided me outside so we could talk about the situation. Soon after the policeman came as requested by the principal, and told me that the principal had a right to kick me out. So I left with my friend and met her over at Ruby's diner, a long time Missoula restaurant, to help me get grounded which it did over with a cup of coffee, some eggs, hash browns, and toast. Thanks go to my Missoula friend, who truth be told rescued me from a bad situation, and good old Ruby's diner to help me get back to my normal self after my latest rendezvous with MCPS insanity.

P.S. My friend goes to Ruby's when she needs to feel connected to the "old" Missoula. She said we were sure to see someone we knew there. Sure enough, there was my husband's Uncle Herb, going to his car. My friend also knew who Herb was as they used to go the same old church. There really are pockets of the old Missoula out there for which I'm so thankful.

Posted on June 10, Friday, 2016 and I see lots of mistakes which I'll get to later -  Bye - for now! Thanks for reading!  Missoula school watchdog written by a baby boomer Missoula girl! (You can't take Missoula out of this Missoula girl - ha!)

GOING - GOING - GONE RIP FRANKLIN SCHOOL

Missoula school watchdog is sick about the loss of the Franklin School building which has been at this location for decades. The school building was first opened in 1916 and just celebrated its 100th birthday.
Was it really much of a celebration? Wouldn't it be like a person celebrating their 100th birthday and saying, "Oh, you just turned 100 years old. You are too old and we need to build a new you - good bye."

Missoula will forever lament the soon to be demolished Franklin School building.

RIP - the first Franklin School in Missoula.

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"

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