Citizens For A Better Norwood

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Former invisible Allison principal trashes Norwood

Since when are we one of Ohio’s poorest school districts?

Thanks to a tip, here’s a gem of a story from the Dayton newspaper in which Kim Kappler, the former principal of Allison Elementary, states that Norwood is ranked 505th out of 610 schools districts in Ohio for median income. A quick look at the photo in the article shows Norwood isn't on either the top 20 or the bottom 20 list. Of course, this is not the first time we have seen reporting that doesn't jive with the stats. Fact is, the Ohio Department of Education website states Norwood spends $299 more per pupil on education than Oakwood.

Before the BOE finally kicked Kappler upstairs to an administrative position (wasn‘t it curriculum?), Allison Elementary parents were granted a meeting with Superintendent Collier and school board members Gay and Atwood. They voiced concerns about her condescending attitude, her inability to problem solve, her lack of elementary education experience before being named Allison principal, and her unusual behavior of telling students that when she was wearing her cloak, she was invisible. And who can forget her astonishing presentation to the BOE about “intelligences?”

Perhaps Ms. Kappler should stay invisible, or at the very least, silent. Her comments regarding Norwood residents/parents are inaccurate and, in the words of some Allison parents, condescending. Shame on her!

P.S. We had a little start up trouble with the headline link to the article. Please leave a comment if the link takes you to a registration page for the Dayton newspaper instead of to the actual article.