The resignation of both college advisors because of poor working conditions, most having to do with the current administration, will leave a huge void in the preparation of students for college. We must bring attention to it. A flier drop at the school seems appropriate.
If you care to help with this cause, put this simple statement on a flier, print it out, run some copies off, and put them on cars in the parking lot at City or mailboxes of teachers. Or, distribute to students in front of the building. We are hoping this is something that student members of this community blog will take part in.
The flier - and you can add variations to this, if you choose - should say:
Why are both college advisors at a college-preparatory high school resigning at the end of the year?
http://concern4city.blogspot.com
The rhetorical question and the address at the bottom should get people to visit the site. Let us know if you have thoughts or ideas about this. A movement to organize this flier drop before the end of school is needed.
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9 comments:
I've been conceared about this for a long time now. It seems that our college advisors are resigning because they quite simply cannot handle the huge amounts of seniors at our school. This seems bleak to me, since we are a "college prepatory school". It's hard for two people to handle all the paperwork and nitty gritty of sending 350+ kids to college.
Now I've talked to Mrs. Aberle about it, and she assures me they are doing a national search. And I happen to know the man that is heading the search, and he is one of the best, most well-informed person I have met on the subject of college admissions. It seems that people from the past have been college advisors from small private schools around the area that are not used to handling the sheer number of seniors we have, and also do not have good connections with the types of schools that our seniors wish to apply to.
That being said, I've been assured that there will be someone next year, and I needn't worry. I'm not sure if that's really worth anything... I guess only time will tell.
Zack Wiener,
We definitely appreciate that information, thanks a lot. We hope everything works out for the best with the office.
Shame. It is a shame that two college advisors as qualified as our current advisors are, are being allowed to leave City. It is a shame that present conditions make leaving City more favorable than remaining there.
The college advisors this year are responsible for getting to the college that I am heading to this fall, no exaggeration. I came to City this year, a senior with nothing but vague ideas. I left City this year, accepted to a distinguished top tier college that I had not even initially considered. It's possible to make it through the college process alone, but the assistance of the current college advising team makes it sinfully smooth.
And that assistance will no longer be available to City students. And the problem is apallingly simple, they need help. Solution: get help. I am not sure what difficulty this objective would entail. However, what I do know is that education beyond high school is a top priority for this school, according to its mission statement. If so, it would be in the interest of the administration to place the maintenance of efficiency in the college advising office as a top priority.
Of course, if the administration's priorities do not match up with those that the mission statement maintains, then college advising at City could be facing a very grim future.
I'll say this and close. After absorbing what this site has to offer, I feel a little like Saul. Something like scales have fallen from my eyes. I can see a lot more clearly now.
Nick, Class of 2006 here as well...
I was in the guidance office today dropping something off and came across Ms. Duke. She illuminated more about this subject -
She and Ms. White are resigning because they've repeatedly asked for basic supplies (postage, office supplies, paper), basic equipment (1-2 computers so students with access to the internet can apply to colleges), and a long-promised administrative assistant (to help with all the transcripts for all the college applications of all 350+ students). They've not only never been given them, but Dawson has continually refused to even meet with them.
He hasn't even acknowledged their resignation letters.
She's heard they're doing a national search for a replacement, but doubts they'll find anyone good with the lousy working conditions.
Shame, indeed.
@ Zack from 08:
Remember the last time they did a "national search" for anything at City in terms of replacements?
That's how we got Dawson.
But, it really is a shame that our prestegious school can just let two prestegious advisors just waltz out of the door, just one year after Ms. White was hired to replace Mr. Gibson.
When Ms. Duke was asked by a student in the class of 07 as to why they were leaving, she responded that she wasn't at liberty to discuss that with students. That was the first sign as to what the real reason was, because whenever someone stated that "they're not at liberty" to discuss something, usually [excuse my generalization here], it involves the higher-ups.
Also, as Nick pointed out, the solution is easy as pie: get help! Take one of the numerous office assistants that are floating around and train them to assist the college advisors. End of problem, to some degree, correct?
Well, there's not much that can be done now that the two resigned. Let me reiterate what I said the trust I put in the man who may (or may not) be helping City find college advisors. I know this man well, and he works in the business of college admissions. I trust him to make good decisions both for me as a future college applicant, and for the school as a whole. Also, I put all my trust in Mrs. Harcum, who I have often found to be the most helpful person to students, and the most clear-thinking administrator in the system.
Honestly, I'm very skeptical of this site and it's real intentions. I can't understand why people would rather spend their energy complaining about the past rather than trying to improve the future. I think it's counterproductive, and there's more energy being spent complaining about the past here than there is focus on trying to make things better at City. Whatever happened to the spirit of cooperation?
Until I see some real action here, and I mean some real action to make things better at Baltimore City College, I'm going to remain skeptical. I hope to see some real progress here--lord knows City really needs the effort.
I'd definitely have to agree about the comment about Mrs. Harcum. Also, while I do not know this gentleman of which you speak personally, based on your solid trust in him, he seems to be good people and a good person in order to get new advisors.
*************
However, you do understand that some of the people in question that run this site that you call "skeptical" are in really no position to do what they really desire for the best interests of City, lest they risk termination, among other things. Therefore, in my opinion, through "complaining" about the "past", students such as yourself can see mistakes, cracks in the facade, etc., and assist in the formation of changes. While the staff and alumni have power, it is the students that hold the most. I mean, without students, you have no school, correct?
At least that's the way that I see it. Unfortunately, too many students just sit back and don't take charge, even if they are in SGA. They just accept the status quo and move on. (Thank God for teachers such as Mr. John Morrow, who try their hardest to demolish the concept of the "status quo"). And, instead of waiting around for some "real action", you should stand up and make some noise yourself, which is what I hope you're going to do in the next two years.
***************
I see that your fellow classmates are already learning from the mistakes of the classes before you. I recently visited the Myspace page set up that is devoted to the running of the Class of 08.
http://www.myspace.com/citys_class_of_2008
It's a genius idea, in terms of theory. Most students are, in some way, connected to Myspace, so what better way to get word out about events [if meetings, newsletters, etc. are out of the question] than to post a bulletin of Myspace. Also, it allows for a lot more accessibility to the officers. No longer, if this works out, will students have to hunt down an officer. They can just log on, type a message, and boom, everything is hunky-dory.
Thank you for your time and whatnot.
-Johnthan E. Speed, Class of 2006
Zach, I fully trust your judgement of the man who may be heading the search for new college advisors.
My issue is that the cause of their dismissal is not being addressed. The cause is not so much the sheer numbers of seniors that City has, as it is that Ms. White and Ms. Duke needed help to deal with those numbers. Help never came, which is why they are resigning.
Help is a very useful thing to have. Even Mr. Dawson has a vice-principal, who for example stepped in during the school fires in May. The school would have been in an even greater state of chaos had Mr. Dawson not had help to handle the school in his absence.
Granted, the position of prinicipal may be higher than that of college advisor. However, I do not believe that that disqualifies college advisors from assistance and supplies that they deem neccessary. Suppose the new college advising team has the same complaints as the currently risigned advising team?
See, I'm more concerned with the root of the issue. The character of the administration. The character will continue to bear fruit for all to see. Maybe next time will be even more painful.
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