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New Student Voice For Reform Unleashed

by Allan Appel | May 2, 2011 8:27 am

(16) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author

Posted to: Schools, School Reform

Allan Appel Photo Junior Gysel Montufar, head of Hillhouse High’s math club, posed this numbers question to Mayor John DeStefano based on his proposed new school budget: Cut $166,255 from the textbook fund. That leaves a remainder of $617,777. Divide by 20,000 students. Resulting quotient: Only $31 per student for textbooks for the whole year, when the average text costs more than twice that amount. Do you care?

If I didn’t, the mayor responded, I wouldn’t be at this meeting.

The exchange took place at the parish house Saturday afternoon as Gysel (pictured above with the mayor) and her grassroots student group called Youth Unleashed, which is allied with Teach Our Children, held an open forum calling for “common sense investment in our school system.” The meeting drew 30 supporters to the Center Church on the Green.

They called on the city to spend more on textbooks, more nurses, workers, and librarians, and less on administrators.

The mayor showed up at the group’s invitation. Because of conflicts and misunderstanding on both sides related to scheduling, he couldn’t stay long. Gysel said she was angry and hurt by the mayor’s hasty departure.

DeStefano had received the students briefly earlier in the week when Youth Unleashed paid an impromptu visit to his office. “I think it’s great kids are involved. Let’s have a forum to talk. All I ask is a little respect when we talk,” he told them.

Then he gave them his card and raced off to a Virgen de Cisne soccer league inauguration, to which he said he had made a prior commitment.

The encounter recalled similar confrontations in years past when Teach Our Children (TOC), an advocacy group for low and moderate income parents, got its start with lobbying for better textbooks, more protections against bullying and suspensions, and more Spanish translation of school materials.

The difference this time around, said TOC coordinator Camelle Scott, is that the city is in the midst of a potentially draconian budget crunch. Amid a fiscal crisis, the schools already cut 42 jobs and up to 150 more may be cut next year to fill a $14.6 million budget gap.

For TOC the other important difference is that “I am suddenly blessed with all these student leaders,” said Scott.

Youth Unleashed, which is headquartered at Hillhouse High School, began about a year ago with a group brought together at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Newhallville by Yale School of Divinity organizers. The group recently joined forces with TOC. The kids and the parents meet separately, then come together with one voice for such events as Saturday’s forum, said Scott.

At Saturday’s meeting, Hillhouse student Terrell Roman testified his textbooks are water damaged, badly scratched and missing pages.

That was the case as well with the history text of Daishawn Crudup, a student leader and football tight end at Hillhouse who was designated Youth Unleashed’s press liaison.

He said Hillhouse Principal Kermit Carolina saw to it that his books and others were replaced. The popular former Hillhouse basketball coach is in his first year as principal.

Other speakers called for more monitors on school buses particularly carrying the littler kids, and a rethinking the firing of nurses and librarians.

Scott said that the group has about 40 members, including students from Career High, Wilbur Cross, Metropolitan Business Academy, Eli Whitney, and the Amistad Academy charter high school.

Scott said Youth Unleashed is not connected with the activities of Isaiah Lee and other Wilbur Cross students who have also mounted protests at the mayor’s doorstep regarding the school budget priorities, clashing with Cross’s principal.

The new group’s core is at Hilllhouse, whose principal, by contrast, has met with the students and encouraged them to speak up. “Mr. Carolina has an open-door policy. We love him for it. He has meetings with us every week,” said Daishawn.

“I want to be here to support my kids,” said Carolina, who attended Saturday’s event.

A former student activist himself, he raised his fingers in the air to note that just four Chinese students triggered the Tiananmen Square protests in China in 1989.

“History tells you students bring about change,” he said.

He recounted how as a college student he had helped lead hundreds of his fellow Southern Connecticut State University students in demonstrations to support the election of John Daniels as the city’s first African-American mayor in 1989. And when Daniels didn’t deliver, the students continued to hold him accountable, said Carolina.

Now Carolina is an official, on the “inside.”

“There is a gap between the mayor and this group. The mayor feels deeply about the city. This group is passionate [too]. The mayor said he was looking for the process [and the time] to make it happen. It’s a clash of schedules, not values,” he said of the brevity of DeStefano’s appearance.

The meeting ended inconclusively. “I hope this is not going to be the end,” said Gysel. The group’s next open meeting of the group is scheduled for May 19 at 6:00 p.m. at the TOC office at 129 Church St.

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Comments

posted by: Paul Wessel on May 2, 2011  9:04am

I missed the Mayor’s appearance, but I was greatly impressed by the youth and by Principal Carolina.  Kudos to them all for pushing each other - they make New Haven a better place.

posted by: A Tale of Two Schools on May 2, 2011  11:29am

Cross students were forced to disband their political action group when they demonstrated against the education budget.  Speaking on the same issue, Hillhouse students are encouraged to speak their minds by their principal, who even attended this event in support of them.  Which school is moving in the right direction?

I’d like to see the NHI write a piece comparing the two schools’ school reform efforts.

posted by: Principals on May 2, 2011  11:59am

Mr. Carolina was there to support his kids. Ms. Moore, principal of Cross, told students who talked to her to stop trying, stop bothering the administrators, and leave things as they are. ...

posted by: Jonathan Hopkins on May 2, 2011  12:02pm

A Tale of Two Schools,
The group was disbanded because they no longer had a teacher adviser. The students could have continued to meet on their own, but the school cannot acknowledge the group’s legitimacy if they don’t have a faculty member facilitating meetings.

posted by: JayDee on May 2, 2011  12:12pm

This is just another incident that shows the arrogance of John DeStefano and his administration. The administrative expense’s of New Haven’s BOA is ridiculously high and not in the best interest of the students. Do he think dismissing or leaving that meeting shows returning respect to our youth. We the voters need to show him how displeased we are with him.

posted by: Teachergal on May 2, 2011  12:23pm

All those administrators at Cross and no one could serve as “advisor” to the student political action group. And no teachers would come forward? I think there is more to this story. Maybe it has something to do with being bullied from the top and teachers and VPs being told not to support them. I’m just saying…....

posted by: NewHavenerToo on May 2, 2011  12:45pm

Dear John:

Since when does asking for some concrete answers to tough questions constitute disrespect?

Get real.  These “kids” are the future of this country and are not involved in the political trappings of government that would normally “disable” many other people who WANT to ask these questions but are afraid to do so.

Whether you feel disrespected or not, that’s just your take on it.

posted by: streever on May 2, 2011  2:10pm

Great job kids! I am really excited to live in a city which has so many engaged citizens.

I am glad to see TOC back in the news as well. A group with worthy goals.

posted by: One Cross Teacher on May 2, 2011  6:32pm

Isaiah’s group has more autonomy as an off-campus group, and it’s clear that our supervisor does not approve of this group.  We as teachers are in a difficult position, but the group is probably more active and is taking bolder steps without school sponsorship.  Any teacher who truly supports the group and their actions actually supports their off-campus status.

posted by: to Jon Hopkins on May 2, 2011  7:52pm

Given Peggy Moore’s pathetic non-support of her students and vow not to contradict the message of Dr. Mayo and his cronies, I am not surprised that Cross’ students lost their faculty advisor.

No Cross teacher in his/her right mind is going to go against their principal after that principal goes on record voicing her non-support. Teachers, incredibly and sadly already are low on the totem pole in New Haven, and the retribution from administration just wouldn’t be worth the bother.

Mr. Carolina, however, has the unconditional support of Mayo and therefore can afford to be more liberal in terms of voicing his opinions and concerns, as well as support for his students (as in this case).

See, this is how things work in NHPS.  There is favoritism and retribution.  For if Peggy Moore felt comfortable in her position, she would’ve supported her students.  She, in fact, can’t.  At least not if she wants to keep her job.  Then, NHPS officials spin things simply as, “Well, those students had to disband because they didn’t have a faculty advisor.”  No, really??!!

posted by: Lincoln Robertson on May 2, 2011  10:25pm

Bad day when kids ask why they are not getting text books, and the mayor just accuses them of being disrespectful. Come on Mr Mayor, give us all an answer. Why don’t the kids get the text books they need? They all supposed to go to the new Apple store to lay out 2 grand for an I-educator then pay 50 bucks a pop for the books on-line. No sir, we are paying one SH*T load of taxes to you to educate our kids, and you are NOT doing it. It’s you that’s being disrespectful.

posted by: Teacher in New Haven on May 3, 2011  9:01am

It is great that we have students in New Haven who are this engaged.  It is great that the mayor can make some time to hear from them, and that there are some principals that support those students. 

What is unfortunate about this whole situation, is that these kids are going to need to get bigger and louder overnight if they are to have any hope of influencing next year’s budget.  While there are a handful of people out there screaming for a deeper more meaningful discussion of the budget (and especially the BOE’s budget) this movement is not nearly large enough, organized enough, or loud enough to get past lip service from the Mayor, let alone get the attention of the aldermen.

The fact is, that Mr. Destefano seems to have little interest in budget solutions that differ from his prescriptions.  And the retributive environment within the NHPS makes it nearly impossible to publicly discuss the waste we see everyday.

Perhaps see click fix should include a section for government waste…

posted by: brutus2011 on May 3, 2011  12:32pm

Mayor DeStefano: Please pay attention to our kids. They are trying to tell you and Dr. Mayo something. It is not about water damaged books but about a system culture that devalues those at the bottom (students and teachers) and elevates those at the top (principals and administrators). Yes, there are a few at the top who get it…there are too many who do not. Political patronage and cronyism destroys any hope for meaningful school reform. What about your friend’s son that you made principal of Barnard School? He might be a decent person but he is a terrible inner-city principal. The lack of Barnard’s AYP is ample evidence, yet you will not replace this person. You have damaged the education of scores of New Haven children, our children, with your callous administrative shenanigans. Please stop, listen, and repent. Thank you.

posted by: teachourchildren on May 3, 2011  2:32pm

We’d like to thank everybody that came to the meeting and supported the efforts of our parents and students to fight for a better and more fair education for all of New Haven’s students.

Check our fact sheet about NHPS Funding at http://bit.ly/m0oqYA. Make sure to come to our Coalition Meeting on May 19th at 6pm at TOC’s office.

Thank you again for your support!

TOC

posted by: brutus2011 on May 5, 2011  5:35pm

Why have all the posts stopped? It is hard to believe that no one has submitted an opinion for two-three days. What is going on?

posted by: Shame on You Johm DeStefano! on May 5, 2011  8:51pm

Shame, shame, shame!!  You disrespect fine examples of what New Haven’s Youth have the potential to be.  These sharp young minds are the future of New Haven.  How dare you!!

I will apologize to the Youth Unleashed Organization for the Mayor’s bad behavior.  Please don’t think all adults are as immoral as he.

Keep up the great work students and thank you Camelle Scott for the guidance you provide these wonderful young adults.

I am proud of you all!

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