A PS to the Federal Secretary of Education on the Hillsborough County SACS Assessment

Secretary Arne Duncan

U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202

4/14/2010

Dear Secretary Arne Duncan:

The SACS review of the Hillsborough County schools occurs soon.

I believe you should have your staff responsible for the Department of Education's connection with SACS to take an interest in its findings on the Hillsborough County schools.

If SACS awards the schools a pro forma accreditation status without proper review and report of the school board and administration's covert policies of handing out jobs to buddies or incompetent administrators, of punishing teachers with job loss via the internal Professional Standards office for speaking out; of making teachers inflate grades to augment the reputation of superintend Elia; of refusing teachers and students a designated place on the board agenda to speak their comments to authority, then the Department of Education should cut its ties with SACS.

The Department of Education should not act as umbrella for SACS if it endorses such school leadership.

These practices by the Hillsborough County school leadership--board and administration-- are un-American. They should not receive the imprimatur of SACS, backed by the United States Department of Education.

Respectfully,

lee drury de cesare

15316 Gulf Blvd. 802

Madeira Beach, FL 33708

tdecesar@tampabay.rr.com

leedrurydecesarescasting-roomcouch.blogspot.com

c:

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