Brandywine Threatens $8 Million In Cuts If Referendum Doesn’t Pass, 40 Teachers At Risk Of Losing Jobs

Yossi Goldstein with WDEL broke the news this morning concerning the Brandywine School District’s cuts they will have to make if their second referendum attempt this year does not pass on May 17th.  The district did not include the new turf costs in this referendum attempt.  Dr. Mark Holodick, the Brandywine Superintendent, laid down the potential areas where costs would occur at their board meeting last night.  While the below doomsday scenario doesn’t give exact amounts for each area or how definitive the cuts would be, he did estimate 40 teacher positions would be cut resulting in larger classroom sizes.

Brandywine is part of the BRInC Consortium which is a collection of several Delaware school districts who share a blended learning program, combining digital learning and actual instruction.  The report did mention the district’s “Instructional Technology Plan initiative”.  There was no mention of pending legal costs for the lawsuit filed by Patrick Wahl against the district which has received a great deal of media attention the past couple months.

Last month, both the Christina and Cape Henlopen School Districts passed their referendums, but Brandywine did not.

Brandywine Superintendent Mark Holodick Is Markell’s Mini-Me

“You complete me.”

Dr. Mark Holodick, the Superintendent of the Brandywine School District, told reporter Yossi Goldstein with WDEL the Smarter Balanced Assessment is absolutely necessary.  Why?  It’s all about the data.

“We’ve got to stay committed to the particular assessment that we select,” continued Holodick. “So that, over time, the data is relevant and valuable.”

I’m sorry Mark, did you say “that we select”?  Parents and teachers didn’t select this god awful test.  The Delaware Department of Education did, and only after they purchased it did they seek legitimacy from legislators and stakeholders.

“The student already has to take, at some point, a high stakes test, so to speak–to determine whether or not they’re going to have to take a remedial course in college. It might as well be while they’re in high school. So I don’t see that being a negative. I see it being a positive.”

Dr. Brandywine, are you actually admitting the Smarter Balanced Assessment is a high-stakes test?  Thank you!  Yes, I agree with you that high school juniors should have to take some type of test while in high school.  I don’t have an issue with that.  But every year from 3rd to 8th grade?  I don’t think so.  As Kavips recently wrote:

“You have to stop these people from throwing your child into those shrieking whirling blades. Once they ouch your child, whether good or bad, there is no going back. Nothing good ever comes out of a wood chipper. Be the adult. Opt them out.”

Why, I do swear Dr. Brandywine, you sound exactly like Governor Markell.  Do you just listen to his sound bites and practice in front of the mirror when you aren’t shaving (you really should based on your picture, even Mark Murphy does that)?  What’s next?  Should we expect to see a bald Dr. Brandywine in the future?