{"id":9193,"date":"2015-07-30T12:36:37","date_gmt":"2015-07-30T19:36:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.behindthepinecurtain.com\/wordpress\/?p=9193"},"modified":"2015-08-05T16:03:18","modified_gmt":"2015-08-05T23:03:18","slug":"questionable-data-used-as-basis-for-prep-school-press-release","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.behindthepinecurtain.com\/wordpress\/questionable-data-used-as-basis-for-prep-school-press-release\/","title":{"rendered":"Questionable Data Used as Basis for Prep School Press Release"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Headmaster Father Jonathan Licari, OSB and Saint John&#8217;s Preparatory School reportedly use five anonymous online reviews as basis for a glowing press release.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><strong>Questionable Data Used as Basis for\u00a0Prep School Press Release<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>According to a July 29, 2015 press release from Saint John&#8217;s Preparatory School:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Saint John\u2019s Prep faculty ranked as #2 on the list of best private high school teachers in Minnesota<\/li>\n<li>The ranking comes from Niche.com and is a comprehensive assessment of the quality of the teachers at private high schools in Minnesota. The ranking was supported by surveys of students and parents.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Comprehensive?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The &#8220;comprehensive assessment&#8221; of Saint John&#8217;s Prep School teachers was actually five anonymous reviews.<\/p>\n<p>Four of the reviews were submitted between November 6, 2013 and March 25, 2015. \u00a0A fifth review is not available on the Niche.com web site.\u00a0[ <a href=\"https:\/\/k12.niche.com\/st-johns-preparatory-school-collegeville-township-mn\/teachers\/\">Link<\/a> ]\n<p><strong>The Teachers<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Certainly, the teachers (below) who have chosen to remain at the Prep School\u00a0(despite a compromised leadership\u00a0and the school&#8217;s\u00a0long history of sexual abuse)\u00a0are <del>undoubtedly<\/del>\u00a0likely committed, engaged and interested in the well being of their students. Half of the reviewers, however, said there was room for improvement.<\/p>\n<p>Included in the four\u00a0available\u00a0reviews at Niche.com regarding the teachers at Saint John&#8217;s Prep were these comments:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Teachers are friendly and knowledgeable but have very little variety in lessons.<\/li>\n<li>the EXPERIENCED teachers are very good, but the newbies make me want to cry.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Number 2?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The five reviews (of 5, 5, 5, 4 and 3 stars) were enough to give the Prep School a 4.4 ranking, higher than all but one other private school in Minnesota.\u00a0Convent of the Visitation School [ <a href=\"https:\/\/k12.niche.com\/convent-of-the-visitation-school-mendota-heights-mn\/teachers\/\">Link<\/a> ] in Mendota Heights received a 4.7 rating from 9 reviewers.<\/p>\n<p>However, there were at least two\u00a0schools that ranked the same or higher than the Prep School:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The International School of Minnesota in\u00a0Eden Prairie\u00a0[ <a href=\"https:\/\/k12.niche.com\/the-international-school-of-minnesota-eden-prairie-mn\/teachers\/\">Link<\/a> ] received a 5.0 rating but was not listed.<\/li>\n<li>St. Paul Academy &amp; Summit School in Saint Paul\u00a0[ <a href=\"https:\/\/k12.niche.com\/the-international-school-of-minnesota-eden-prairie-mn\/teachers\/\">Link<\/a> ] received the same 4.4 rating, by\u00a0more reviewers,\u00a0but was not listed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These two schools didn&#8217;t show up in the final teacher rankings, though St. Paul Academy &amp; Summit School ranked as the #1 overall private school [ <a href=\"https:\/\/k12.niche.com\/rankings\/private-high-schools\/best-overall\/s\/minnesota\/\">Link<\/a>\u00a0] \u00a0in Minnesota, The International School of Minnesota in\u00a0Eden Prairie was #6. Saint John&#8217;s Prep was ranked #8.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Copy and Paste (and Delete)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Pulled right from the Niche.com web site and added to the Prep School&#8217;s press release was this:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8220;A high ranking indicates that teachers are intelligent and engaging, the school is invested in its teachers and provides a good learning environment, and students and parents rate their teachers favorably.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">and this:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8220;A high ranking in Teachers generally indicates that:\u00a0Students are very happy with the instruction they receive, and educational outcomes reflect the quality of instruction;\u00a0The school is invested in its teachers and provides a good environment for teaching and learning;\u00a0Teachers are invested in the school and the students and work to ensure the best outcomes for students.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Though the Prep School excluded the word &#8220;generally&#8221; from the second paragraph.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Getting the News Out<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Prep School press release was mentioned in articles posted by WJON and the Saint Cloud Times.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Release: <a href=\"http:\/\/sjprep.net\/blog\/2015\/07\/29\/saint-johns-prep-faculty-ranked-as-2-on-the-list-of-best-private-high-school-teachers-in-minnesota\/\">http:\/\/sjprep.net\/blog\/2015\/07\/29\/saint-johns-prep-faculty-ranked-as-2-on-the-list-of-best-private-high-school-teachers-in-minnesota\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Saint Cloud Times: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sctimes.com\/story\/news\/local\/2015\/07\/29\/st-johns-prep-staff-ranked-nd-state\/30845863\/\">http:\/\/www.sctimes.com\/story\/news\/local\/2015\/07\/29\/st-johns-prep-staff-ranked-nd-state\/30845863\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">WJON: <a href=\"http:\/\/wjon.com\/faculty-of-st-johns-prep-praised\/\">http:\/\/wjon.com\/faculty-of-st-johns-prep-praised\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Current Faculty and Staff at the\u00a0Prep School<\/strong> (July 30, 2015 Data) [ <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sjprep.net\/about\/staff-bios\/\">Link<\/a> ]\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Anderson, Mary &#8211; 6th Grade Teacher<br \/>\nBackes, Bryan &#8211; Activities and Athletics Director<br \/>\nBattig, Sally &#8211; Executive Administrative Assistant to the Headmaster<br \/>\nBeck, Matthew &#8211; German Teacher and Camp Director<br \/>\nBergstrom, Michael &#8211; Math Teacher<br \/>\nCrawford, OSB, Richard &#8211; Theatre Technical Director and Instructor<br \/>\nDaiker, Jen &#8211; Social Studies Teacher<br \/>\nDwyer, Patrick &#8211; Art Teacher<br \/>\nEllenbecker-Johnson, Mary &#8211; Science Teacher<br \/>\nEllenbecker, Robert &#8211; Middle School Teacher<br \/>\nEngholm, Jeff &#8211; Music Teacher<br \/>\nErickson, Robert &#8211; English Teacher<br \/>\nErnst, Sandy &#8211; Student Accounts and Records<br \/>\nFitch, Kelly &#8211; English Teacher<br \/>\nFremo, David &#8211; Interim Assistant Principal &amp; Theology Teacher<br \/>\nFremo, Kris &#8211; Art Teacher<br \/>\nGrandy, Thomas &#8211; Math Teacher<br \/>\nHeim, Sue &#8211; Administrative Assistant and School Secretary<br \/>\nHendrickson, Brett &#8211; Director of Residential Life<br \/>\nJohnson, Stephanie &#8211; Library\/Computer Lab Specialist<br \/>\nKoffi, Kim &#8211; International &amp; Multicultural Student Advisor<br \/>\nKolb, Susan &#8211; English Teacher<br \/>\nKrebsbach, Sherry &#8211; Executive Director of Finance and Facilities<br \/>\nLarson, Steve &#8211; Math Teacher<br \/>\nLawrence, Sondra &#8211; Guidance\/Counseling<br \/>\nLeighton, Mary Jo &#8211; Associate Director of Admissions\/United States<br \/>\nLicari, OSB, Fr. Jonathan &#8211; Headmaster<br \/>\nLopez, OSB, Br. Lucian &#8211; Theology and Spanish teacher<br \/>\nMeyer, Jeremy &#8211; Associate Director of Admissions\/International<br \/>\nMiller, Charles &#8211; Science Teacher and Knowledge Bowl Coach<br \/>\nNiebauer, OSB, Br. Paul-Vincent &#8211; Theatre Director<br \/>\nNydeen, Lance &#8211; Social Studies Teacher<br \/>\nPaulson, David &#8211; Music\/Band\/Choir Teacher<br \/>\nPauly, Jill &#8211; Director of Communications and Events<br \/>\nReichert, Matt &#8211; Principal<br \/>\nRueter, Mary &#8211; Math Teacher<br \/>\nSack, Emmerich &#8211; Retired German Teacher\/Austrian Student Director<br \/>\nSchrup, Myra &#8211; School Nurse<br \/>\nStark, Dan &#8211; Middle School Teacher<br \/>\nTalic, Martina &#8211; Spanish Teacher<br \/>\nThorman, Dave &#8211; Director of Major Gifts<br \/>\nWaldorf, SSND, Sister Bridget &#8211; Campus Ministry<br \/>\nWhitehead, Jennifer &#8211; Guidance\/Counseling<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Headmaster Father Jonathan Licari, OSB and Saint John&#8217;s Preparatory School reportedly use five anonymous online reviews as basis for a glowing press release.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[97,152],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9193","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-jonathan-licari","category-pr-machine","wp-image-borders"],"views":1384,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.behindthepinecurtain.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9193","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.behindthepinecurtain.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.behindthepinecurtain.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.behindthepinecurtain.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.behindthepinecurtain.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9193"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.behindthepinecurtain.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9193\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9216,"href":"https:\/\/www.behindthepinecurtain.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9193\/revisions\/9216"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.behindthepinecurtain.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.behindthepinecurtain.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.behindthepinecurtain.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}