New Haven Independent

Posted by: FIX THE SCHOOLS | September 23, 2008 11:00 AM

The mayor wants TOC to "start a political campaign"? That's the first sensible thing he has ever said when it comes to education. But he should be careful what he asks for.

Maybe our community is finally beginning to recognize the level of disregard this mayor, supt., and board of education have for the parents and children in the district. In the Register article on this meeting, the mayor was quoted as saying something to the effect of "don't the teachers have a say? Don't the principals have a say?" Mr. Mayor, of course they have a say. But the problem is that for decades the teacher unions and the administration have had TOO MUCH of a say - all at the expense of parents and students.

And after years of placing the blame for poor student performance at the doorstep of the parents, finally a parent group like TOC organizes and brings to light a MAJOR problem in the system - and guess what? These same leaders who called for more parent involvement in the first place now are openly dismissive and disrespectful of the parents who ARE finally taking on that responsibility!

And as is typical, the BOE will now start to attack the messenger. First it was ConnCAN. And when ConnCAN did not back down from the intimidation, the city stepped up its attacks. Now the BOE has set its sights on the latest messenger, CT. Voices for Children, one of the most credible organizations in the state when it comes to children's health and education issues. No doubt that Janice Gruendel, (co-founder of CT. Voices) now the Governor's advisor on early education, has already received a screaming threatening call from Destefano. Janice, just hang up. Don't back down.

Parents, the Supt. has told you to put a sock in it. The members of the BOE continue to abdicate their responsibilities to the students by closing ranks around the entrenched staff. And now the mayor has issued a challenge. He has basically said, You don't like the way I run the schools? Too bad. Now what are you going to do about it?

O.K....here is one suggested "to do" list.

1. Call Black Alliance for Educational Opportunities. They offer great advice.

2. At next month's BOE meeting, every TOC parent and supporter who was at this BOE meeting should bring a friend. Double the attendance to 60 next month, 120 the month after, and so on - until this BOE starts to give parents the respect that they deserve. The mayor wants you to make it political? Show him that you agree.

3. Don't stop at the suspension issue. Insist that all children receive a great education. Suspensions are only the beginning.

TOC, Congratulations on your efforts thus far. The surest sign of your progress is the level of squawking coming from those that who want to protect the status quo.

Posted by: Heightz | September 23, 2008 12:04 PM

Mayo is so out of touch with reality it is unbelievable. The BOE approves salary raises for top administrators over the years as their budget continues to tighten.

Am not no politician but if the budget continues to shrink and we are cutting valuable programs shouldn't we NOT raise the salaries for administrators??? I wish the BOE could work as tirelessly for our kids as they do to ensure the 500 employees who get made over $90,000 that they continue to get their $90,000.

Posted by: j | September 23, 2008 12:29 PM

brand new schools same ... BOE

Posted by: momma | September 23, 2008 12:35 PM

parents were are they....send trouble makers home parents work to bad one will be home with the bully

Posted by: Edward_H | September 23, 2008 2:29 PM

Does anyone on the Board of Ed have school age children? Do they send them to NH public schools? Just wondering.

Posted by: Alphonse Credenza | September 23, 2008 3:20 PM

Results NOW!

Isn't this asking for instant gratification? No wonder the Mayor was upset!

Posted by: Streever | September 23, 2008 3:25 PM

I know it must be frustrating, but when I read this article, it is clear to me that the TOC group is working at odds with their stated goal.

I think it's great that this group is working so hard, & wish you a lot of luck, but I think that for the time being you have to tone down the rhetoric & follow-up with your meetings. Set metrics: time-tables--etc--and then when they aren't met, you can get some publicity. Right now, there is nothing I can see that they've demonstrably failed on: so start setting goals & standards of measure, then hold them accountable.

It does sound like the BOE is willing to work with this group: use that, & do the best job you can for New Haven's (and your) children.

Thank you to all involved for your hard work! It's appreciated by this member of the community.

Posted by: robn | September 23, 2008 3:33 PM

Its hard to sympathizes with the complaining since the root of it seems to be student misbehavior leading to school suspension and I'll stand by my earlier position that teachers can't be parents, nor can they compete with the effects of weak parenting. That being said, it looks like some parents with problem children have stepped up to try to change things and the BOE should listen and act. Repetitively kicking kids out of school is positioning them for more failure. These are our future citizens and we should try harder to give them tools to achieve.

New Haven may have a wealth rank that is almost last in CT...

http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/PDF/dgm/report1/wrank/ecs2008.pdf

...but we're spending comparably as much or more money as the wealthiest towns in CT on education....

http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/LIB/sde/PDF/dgm/report1/cpse2006/table3.pdf

....and our school system is consistantly underperforming...

http://www.courant.com/news/education/hcu-schoolsfail-0910,0,5690349.story

Posted by: Hood Rebel | September 23, 2008 5:36 PM

I would like to hear from parents whose children are suffering from the ill effects of these bad behaving students..

No one can argue that we don't need a plan for them..God knows..some of them are my neighbors..

But when my daughter comes home and complains that she couldn't get through AlgebraII today because of 2 disruptive students throwing paper at each other, I can't help but wonder what options does my child have!

I demand these children are removed from the classroom. And, if they attempt to terrorize my child in the hallway or on school grounds then we parents don't have a choice but to demand their complete removal from our children's place of education.

Posted by: Nestor Makhno | September 23, 2008 7:20 PM

Unless you enjoy being a martyr, I would recommend that teachers in these public schools seek jobs in private schools. The pay and benefits are not always as good, but private-school teaching is a much easier job. I've found that in private schools you're not berated by the public for being a member of a union, you don't have to endure anything as insulting as a "Kids First" campaign, the class sizes are small and the students are infinitely better educated and adjusted, you don't have to cater your curriculum to useless standardized tests and No Child Left Behind nonsense, there is little accountability and if there were you wouldn't have to worry anyway as the students in your classroom are the sort who would succeed anywhere regardless of the quality of teaching, and the students' parents treat you with respect and don't expect you to single-handedly solve the socio-economic ills of at least half a century.

Posted by: frankw | September 23, 2008 9:46 PM

Tired of all the teacher and administrator bashing. Why does every article come back to the salaries? District/school administrators oversee 2000 employees, million dollar budgets, 20,000 customers (students), are required by law to have 2 graduate degrees. What salaries should they make? Who would you get to work as an administrator in New Haven if salaries were lower?
I'm currently a low paid teacher who believes in my students and wishes parents could focus on the LEARNING, not blaming the principal for their kids getting in trouble.
The result of this is that I send less students out of the room when they act out, so we adults don't get SCREAMED at by parents and kids... so that means the other students in the class now have less of a chance to learn.
Thanks TOC!

Posted by: teacher | September 24, 2008 10:51 AM

Tonight is New Haven Public Schools' Meet the Teacher night. I hope that we have excellent TOC attendance. I certainly understand that many parents are unable to attend at their children's schools, but I hope that all parents do their best to attend this great opportunity to connect with the teachers.

This would also be a great opportunity for TOC folks to make allies with the teachers. It is true that we all want the same things.

Posted by: Public School Teacher | September 24, 2008 11:15 AM

A few notes about why I teach in a public school:

1) I don't want a job that's easy. I'm too smart for that and would get bored if it was "easy."

2) I am proud to be a union member. I also believe New Haven's rich history speaks to our city's pride in union workers.

3) Yes, "Kids First" is a bit shallow in its actual enactment. But the idea of knowing your kids and planning your lessons accordingly is a major part of my philosohpy of education.

4) If excellent teachers continue to flee public schools because of racism and stereotypes, then yes, our kids in public schools will miss out on good education. But the more that excellent teachers practice persistence and resilience in tough situations, the more opportunity our kids will have to learn.

5) I also don't want to work with kids who are so perfectly well-adjusted that they can educate themselves. What's the point in that? Let a computer do it. I want to teach kids who might not have had successful experiences yet. I want to show them what loving to learn looks like. And I don't mind if it's messy, or if kids get angry sometimes, or if they push back in an attempt to figure out the world around them. That's adolescence, that's learning, that's the challenge of teaching and that's why I love it.

6) Finally, I have never been disrespected by the parents of my students. I include them in the education of their kids and they have always responded with interest and concern.

I don't think anyone expects me to solve 21st century problems. It's beyond my scope of expertise. I will, however, make the kids smarter. Because, that's my job and I love it.

Posted by: Josiah Brown | September 25, 2008 7:01 AM

The Teach Our Children group has raised some understandable concerns about school suspensions and instruction of students receiving special education.

Parents and grandparents should feel welcome in schools, and assured that their children are being challenged academically and socially to learn and develop in age-appropriate ways.

At the same time, we should recognize that the discipline problems of a fraction of students can disrupt the learning of the majority. Teachers in the New Haven Public Schools have the responsibility of teaching all students. School administrators help to maintain standards of conduct that set the tone for learning. Give these professionals some respect to do their jobs, while reporting on the extent and pace of progress.

The district is attempting to improve academic achievement toward the goal of all students reaching proficiency or above by the federal deadline of 2014, with new intermediate state goals for 2011. Families and educators can work together more extensively with these targets in mind.

Note the school community structures associated with the Comer School Development Program and others like this Family Research Project http://www.hfrp.org/ , whose research areas include both family involvement and broader "complementary learning." Now "CommPACT" is involving two New Haven schools as well as others around the state: http://www.newhavenindependent.org/archives/2008/02/build_your_own.php

Last year the district's Community Engagement Team, of which I am a member, surveyed parents and other constituencies with an interest in the New Haven Public Schools: http://newhavenindependent.org/archives/2008/05/parents_give_sc.php

While the survey was not scientific, the results did suggest that many parents in the district do feel welcome in, and connected to, the schools. Reaching those families who do not will be hard but necessary. Being more responsive is something schools have increasingly emphasized. They know that mutual trust still has to grow further -- along with the focused efforts of students and adults, among other factors -- to close achievement gaps.

There is too widespread a tendency to doubt the good will of others involved in local education. We have a lot more work to do -- as educators, as families and as a community -- to help students reach their potential. Let's do it. And let's applaud those who, like the "public school teacher" commenting above, take pride in committing to this urgent challenge. Many of the teachers I've met show a similar commitment. They deserve our support.

Posted by: FIX THE SCHOOLS | September 25, 2008 11:01 AM

Josiah Brown,

You call the challenge "urgent". You know your way around the district. Do you believe that city leadership is responding to the challenge of under-education with urgency? If instead of education, this was a crisis of healthcare, would you be as supportive of the incremental strategies being applied in New Haven today? Or would you advocate for bolder, more immediate changes because you understood that lives were at stake?

Well, as you know, lives ARE at stake. Remember when in 2003, school leaders said that by 2008, 95% of NHPS students would be at state goal? Well, its 2008 and where are we? And where is the accountability? Why should citizens and parents allow these same leaders to now move the goal posts? The difference between 2014 and 2008 is 6 years (my NHPS education coming in handy). Over 6 years, about 7,000 young adults leave NHPS one way or another. If you believe the CAPT results, the majority (not all) of the "graduates" are unprepared for college or for starting a productive career. This IS a health crisis as it is well documented that people who live their lives at or near the poverty level do not live as long as the affluent.

You strike a positive tone about supporting the efforts of the professionals who really do care about the students. I commend you for not getting in the muck like some of us. But the good work of the good ones is being hindered by those who favor the status quo. Will things improve eventually given the present trajectory? Yes - but it will take 40 years. It is simply not fast enough. In the meantime, we lose 100-200+ teachers per year because they don't feel that they are in an environment which is supportive to their efforts to deliver great education. They are burnt out and they head for the burbs.

So, to disagree with you slightly, it is not about doubting the goodwill of others. It is about assessing the results over time and then making changes which will deliver better outcomes. Why be uncritically supportive of this leadership when it has accomplished almost nothing in 15 years when it comes to improving educational outcomes for poor students?

And expanding on Edward H's question: Can anyone answer how many administrators or NHPS teachers have put their own sons or daughters in any primary or middle school in New Haven besides Hooker or Edgewood?

Posted by: Hood Rebel | September 25, 2008 2:01 PM

Esoteric conversations and political rants have done nothing for our children in the 'hood.

We in the 'hood know that special interest groups and politicians have used our poverty data, our economic disadvantages, and our social disposition over the years to advance their own causes and interests.

And, we have been offered up enough bullshit and told from all sides what we need to do who deserve political office.

We know that most urban public schools around the country and in Connecticut-- including a whole bunch of public charter-schools--are mostly on the list of schools "in need of the improvement"

We know that even in many wealthy suburbs, where there are 40 or more minority children, special needs children, or children who are English language learners, even those suburban schools are now also on the list in need of improvement.

We know that we need great schools for all of our children but we don't need to be played like a political football to accomplish that.

There is a bunch of good models in charters as well as traditional public schools and there is a whole body of research that tells us what works.

This is one of the easier reads;

http://faculty.fullerton.edu/Lorozco/stlec-barriers.html

We in the hood need to learn from these then huddle and focus ourselves on the real and often complex ways we can work together as a community to solve our problems.

To hell with those who sling around our data and social plight for their own grand standing or for the advancement of their own single-stroke solutions.

Posted by: FIX THE SCHOOLS | September 25, 2008 3:43 PM

Hoodie! You still reading my stuff? I'm flattered...but to answer your points:

Political rants have done nothing so far. You're right.

Can you name ANY public charter schools in CT. that are on the list of "Needs Improvement"?

Right again about the sub-segments. Greenwich public schools were for years the envy of the state in terms of performance. Beyond the spectacular results that you would expect from the richest suburb in the country, Greenwich also had a relatively small number of minorities who consistently performed well below the average in town. But no one knew about it because the success of the affluent students overwhelmed the failure of the low income students. But when NCLB was passed, all of a sudden they had a big problem! NCLB requires that districts break down their results by student demographic sub-groups. And if a subset didn't perform well, than the entire district was negatively impacted! This put the pressure on the district and caused Greenwich to finally pay attention to the academic needs of low income minority children. As I recall they have been spending lots of time and effort (and money) trying to fix it. This is a good thing!

Interesting the report you linked. But do you have any research from this century? I guess that all good thoughts are ageless. To be serious, it is still true that the level of expecations drives everything else. So back to the political rant: The mayor here runs the schools. What educational expecations do you think he holds for low income children in the hood?

Posted by: NHPS_Teacher | September 25, 2008 10:24 PM

This is a useful conversation.

Nestor: I'm sorry you've given up on public education. You are free to choose who you work with, but most disadvantaged kids don't have the opportunity to attend private or charter schools. This conversation is about New Haven kids.

Frank: Administrators and other leaders in our district spend our money, make important decisions, and ultimately set the tone for our schools. When they don't perform at the high level their compensation suggests they should, they deserve open criticism. I have experienced many administrators in NHPS that make it MORE difficult for teachers to do their jobs. Many teachers have multiple advanced degrees, but choose to remain in the classroom. When one decides to lead and accept the remuneration for such a position, responsibility for putting in full effort and and long hours is expected. From my observations, many in those positions in NHPS demonstrate neither leadership, dedication, nor vision.

Teacher: The turnout for "meet the teacher" night was dismal at my school. I hope you had the opportunity to meet more parents than I did. I understand many parents work between 5 and 7, but I saw fewer than 10% of my parents. It's very sad that so many parents choose to avoid active engagement in their children's education.

Public School Teacher: Very well said. Yes, we need to practice "persistence and resilience in tough situations" but if I'm forced out of NHPS it will not be due to our student, parents, or "racism and stereotypes". It will be a result of pent-up frustration from years of enduring terrible working conditions. Our "leaders" are too busy serving themselves, friends from their churches, and family members, to recognize that teachers do THE important work in the school district.

Josiah Brown: Thank you. There is a small percentage of students who, for whatever reason, spend much energy to disrupt the learning environment. NHPS can serve the students who wish to learn by identifying the harmful students and directing the millions of dollars in salaries of "special education" and "behavior management" staff to work with them and responsible adults at home to help them become members of a school community. That said, there are some students who need alternative placement and schools should be given the tools they need to educate those students willing to learn.

Fix the Schools: Yes, good teachers leave NHPS in droves every spring and summer, and will continue to until NHPS is reorganized. The system is top-heavy, politicized, and unresponsive to teachers. Contrary to TOC assertions, I have seen much action, from the inside, when a parent concern is raised. Aside from a few high profile awards, it does not recognize or reward quality teaching. Each school needs to set standards for excellence and celebrate it when it happens. Shouldn't administrators be the teacher-leaders who model quality teaching?

Do our administrators exhibit excellence in instruction? Can anyone share examples?

Does Reggie model sample lessons for his staff or the public?

I'm just asking.

Posted by: Edward_H | September 26, 2008 6:20 PM

To any of the teachers out there.

What do teachers who live in New Haven think about sending their own kids to New Haven schools. If they have a choice do they send their kids elsewhere?