Hillsborough County School Board Member April Griffin maintains a blog where we notice some interesting items from time to time, not the least of which is this one about the Merit Award Program for teachers.
Griffin linked to this analysis by the Orlando Sentinel, which indicates that teachers at predominantly white and affluent schools are twice as likely to receive a bonus as teachers at schools that are predominantly black and poor. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
The Sentinel piece is worth a look. Even though their study is confined to Orange County, it raises some obvious questions for Tampa Bay school districts. Looks like Griffin hit a hot button. Judging by the comments under her MAP post, racial inequity is just one of several perceived problems with that program.
Here’s hoping one of the local fish wrappers will pick up where The Sentinel left off.
Speaking of fish wrappers, we couldn’t resist the headline Website attacks deed restrictions. Anytime you mix homeowner association nastiness with Web 2.0, we’re interested. Turns out someone in Northdale put up an anonymous web page attacking the Northdale Civic Association for promulgating rules that would allow it to sue homeowners for violating deed restrictions. As it stands, apparently, only a fellow property owner can sue a neighboring property owner for blowing off the rules.
After reading this profile in courage it occurred to us that the very existence of this anonymous website reinforces the logic for changing the rules. Let’s face it, most of us prefer to maintain cordial relations with our neighbors. We’re inclined to overlook that damned yappy dog, the unkempt yard or the cars parked in the street in the interest of maintaining peace and goodwill.
Even when it comes to major stuff, like that neon paint job or the boat in the yard, the last thing most of us want to do is take the point in a battle against a neighbor to enforce a deed restriction. We might complain - ANONYMOUSLY - but most of us aren’t inclined to go to war with a neighbor. So, we’re guessing a fair number of deed-restriction violations go uncorrected around Northdale. Just a hunch, mind you.
Which brings us back to the anonymous website. Whoever this person is, he or she has inadvertently made the case for changing the rules. He or she wants the collective to reject the rule change but he or she doesn’t want to be identified. How is that different from a situation where Homeowner A wants Homeowner B to obey the rules and clean up his property, but Homeowner A doesn’t want to play the heavy against his neighbor?
Answer: not at all different. Homeowner A goes to the homeowner’s association and files an anonymous complaint so the collective can play the heavy. That way the rules get enforced without igniting a neighborhood feud.