Mayo Pledges ​“Relief” For Cross Overcrowding

Hers an insane idea. Ignoring for a moment the issue of class crowding, if circulation is a real problem, why not stagger period breaks 30 minutes for fresh-soph / jr-sr.

I have a (apparently naive) question: Why does the school have "social workers?" I've never seen or heard of a social worker in a school ... but then, I've never had kids in NH Public Schools for more than the 4 days it took to realize how awful they were.

Is this the equivalent of "advisor" or "counselor"? And Mayo says we could probably use 50 MORE? No WONDER our taxes are so high. [FYI---private school teachers do double-duty as advisors.]

I HAVE had experience (2 yrs.) with the NH special-ed dept. ... my experience was that they have a lot of highly-educated, articulate individuals there who like to hear themselves talk and were almost totally useless with regard to my situation. (But paid handsomely nonetheless, I'm sure.)

If I may cross-pollinate between NHI comment sections ...
How is it that this paper has an article about a new school czar (Garth Harries) chosen to be "the man New Haven can count on to turn around public education" (!) AND an article about dissatisfaction with massive overcrowding at its premiere high school, while at the SAME TIME publishing an article in which an aldermanic candidate (Greg Dildine) asserts that NH schools are "good" (!?!) without being laughed at? If I'm still naive after decades in this town, then I can only assume that Mr. Dildine is a nice, innocent, babe-in-the-woods-type guy who's going to be eaten alive by the veteran NH Dems after they lick their chops while escorting him into office.

At the end of the School year? Mayo it's coming at you from all sides and so it should, long overdue!

Schools have had social workers since the settlement house movement. It's extremely important to have social workers in schools because the school is often the most consistent place in a child's life. Also, school is often where the needs of children are identified. We currently have two fantastic social workers who are stretched thin with a population of kids who really need them.

WestvilleMom:

In response to your last paragraph, let me see if I can take a crack at it:

The Cross overcrowding is a problem in one school. Its a big system, problems come up. Dr. Mayo lays out the solution for next year which involves expansion of other high schools. You may wish that Cross overcrowding didnt happen in the first place, but let's give credit where it is due when there is a clear plan to make the change going into next year.

Mr. Dildine is a parent and a tutor in the schools and therefore knows a lot about Edgewood school. He did not claim to be an expert on the entire city school system but will work to be one. Give the man some time. There is a lot of good in our schools that needs to be not lost when we go through reform. Active parents like Greg are a good example of those positive qualities that must be retained.

Finally, Garth Harries is being brought in to address fundamental changes that have to be brought in from the outside. There are a lot of changes to be made, systemic ones that go beyond overcrowding in a given year. This will be a sustained effort that can have results if people become active and are willing to engage in clear and honest discussion about what our schools need, not post diatribes.

Westville Mom: I invite all neighbors in Ward 25 to contact me by phone, email or in person (perhaps at Deja Brew) this summer. I definitely look forward to chatting with as many neighbors as possible to hear the issues, concerns, and ideas that are important to each of you. www.dildine25.org

Guidance Counselors and Social Workers are two different positions. Every student is assigned a Guidance Counselor, yet only certain students have a Social Worker.

I truly wish the new school czar well and hope he's able to accomplish his goals. However, that will require speaking "truth to power" which almost never happens in New Haven. All of the wonderful, platitudinous sentiments (above) notwithstanding, the "good intentions" of such well-wishers have not produced much over the years. Could it be that the Cross parents are just fed up?

Speaking truth to power means confronting the forced lottery system of school "choice." One can only wonder how many people have NOT moved into New Haven because they have no idea where their children will end up. Even the "magnet" schools with "neighborhood preference" are deceptive because if your child is older than Kindergarten age, he/she will only be admitted IF there is an opening. So much for "neighborhood preference." Which also begs the question: since Cross is not a magnet school, why are all the Westville kids going there? Westville's high school has historically been Hillhouse.

Douglas Rae is quoted in "New Haven" magazine thusly: "The New Haven schools were a battleground of race and class. Every big-time true lefty [among Yale faculty], the ones on the last five degrees on the [leftward] compass, live in Madison, Guilford and Branford."

Boy, did he say a mouthful. I'll leave aside the implications of hypocrisy to address the "race" and "class" (as Eric Holder has urged us to do.) The "magnet" system was, in effect, an attempt to diversify the schools. My position is that, paradoxically, it has had the OPPOSITE effect. It has prevented many middle-class whites from buying into NH because of uncertainty. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't have bought here either, even though I prefer urban settings, having grown up in a large city (far into the wrong side of the tracks, by the way.) The NH schools' own website statistics cite an 11% white population overall. Geez. That's real "diversity." How many NH kids are in private/parochial schools? I have NEVER seen that statistic.

If Greg Dildine (nice man that he may be) becomes my new alderman, I just hope he will do some serious research on what builds good neighborhoods (good "neighborhood" schools) and what kills neighborhoods (fear.) And we need yet one more Democrat politician in this city like we need a hole in the head. Any mavericks out there willing to take a shot at it?

WESTVILLE MOM

"I've never seen or heard of a social worker in a school"

I wish that was the worst of it. Seeing high schools with daycare centers and playgrounds for single teenaged mom's children is the saddest thing. What have we done to our children?

How impressive that Laura, Allan, and the other students moved this issue & captured the attention of the School Administration and the press.

Keep up the good work. I think we have some future candidates for boards & positions around the city here!

FUWL:

Easy question. We have systematically failed to give them useful information about contraception (how's that 'abstinence education' working out, Governor Palin?), and then not expected them to decorously disappear from public view when they got pregnant as is frequently done in more affluent suburbs.

Westville Mom: It may have been a naive question, but a sincere one. Also, another easy one. A school social worker performs the same kind of therapeutic counseling duties as any other clinical social worker. On top of their regular Licensed Clinical Social Worker status, they are, I believe, specially certified to work in schools with children and adolescents. As 'Cross Teacher' already pointed out, the school is often the most consistent and stable environment a child sees and it's easiest for his or her needs to be identified there.

I have a tremendous respect for the intense responsibilities private (especially residential) school teachers bear, and the low salaries they're paid to bear them, but don't kid yourself that they're providing professional therapeutic interventions in their roles as 'advisors.' Frequently, the students most in need of professional intervention are eased (or kicked) out of private schools and back into the public ones, which have an obligation to serve all.

westville mom,
I attended NHPS from 1994-2007, and I have friends who live in every neighborhood of the city, from Westville Manor to City Point to Lighthouse. West Hills Magnet School brought me to West Rock across the street from McConaughy Terrace. Then I was in Hill South for a year at West Hills Middle School, then finally in the new k-8 building in Wooster Square. For high school I was in East Rock at Cross (attended there because my friends seemed to be going to either Career or Cross, so I chose the one that was in the neighborhood I had never been to). I was also Downtown at ECA for four years. I probably experiences more in those 13 years than your kids will experience in the entirety of their sheltered lives. Fear isn't a problem for the NHPS or New Haven its a problem for however has the fear. This is still one of the greatest cities in the country and you'll never understand that until you allow yourself to become a part of it. So please, do your children a favor and allow them to experience and live without your restrictive hand. And that won't happen in a private school.
P.S. Westville is a suburb that just happens to be within the city boundaries.

Jonathan:
I know you mean well, but you're talking to a lady who grew up in a housing project (and a tough one at that.) I know a lot more than you think I know.
I gave NHPS numerous chances -- they, on the other hand, chose (twice) to exclude my children from your West Hills school via the lottery.
This whole "school" subject is and will continue to be a hot button issue in this city as long as there are so many, many other places in the country where schools are achieving high rates of success and NH continues to show abysmally low data on test scores and graduation rates...and as long as so many "cheerleader" parents and teachers accept these low standards. If things are so great, why is the city bringing in a school czar?
I applaud the Cross parents who are speaking up and encourage others to do the same. Did you all never even VISIT any other schools? Any suburban or private schools? I fear many of you have not the slightest idea how far short of the ideal NH is...(but they sure have nice buildings, I'll say that for them.)
As for fear,---trying putting yourself in the place of a family (with 10 or 12 yr. old kids) contemplating purchasing a home in New Haven. Rather than the real estate agent pointing to a school and saying "This will be your child's school," he/she has to say "Your child's name will be in a lottery for a list of schools throughout the city you will choose and you may get your first choice---but then again maybe not."
Would YOU plunk down $300,000 or $400,000 for THAT?
THIS is why there is no substantial middle-class in New Haven, Jonathan, this is why so many have moved OUT, and the lack of a powerful, vocal, tax-paying middle-class is why there is no real pressure on the city to do better. (And don't think the Mayor doesn't know it.) The so-called "lower" class has been pandered to with a paternalistic, superior, and manipulative governmental attitude for many years. TRUE "choice", dare I say, would be to say, "you can have your neighborhood school OR a lottery for a magnet school." Now THAT is "choice." (But to do this, the city would need to relinquish a certain measure of "control", no? ----- ahh, you're too young to remember anything about the Soviet Union.)
This is common sense and someone needs to say it. Not that it will make any difference, but I hope the new czar is reading this.
Perhaps when you, Jonathan, are a parent or homeowner/taxpayer you will understand.

What I fail to understand is why non-homeowner = non-tax-payer. I surely do pay taxes, every week in my paycheck, every year on my car and every time I purchase something at a store. To say that because I don't own a home, my opinion is not worth as much as a homeowner is ludicrous, which seems to be the implication of Westville Mom's comment: "Perhaps when you, Jonathan, are a parent or homeowner/taxpayer you will understand." I don't disagree with all her statements, but that patronizing attitude stuck me as a little rude. And this whole hoo-haw about not having a middle-class in New Haven is also a little off--New Haven doesn't belong to anyone but it's citizens. If you want a middle-class only New Haven that is a dream of classism. This city needs to be attractive and livable to all segments of socio-economic class for it to be diverse and vibrant. Sure, it's be nice if no one was poor, but that's not a realistic view of what the world is.

Whatsername--Thanks for not dismissing ALL my comments. That's very big of you, seeing as how this is an insanely biased website. I never said non-homeowners' opinions should not count (!) However, it's understandable that you misinterpreted my "tax" comment. After I posted it, I realized I should have been more precise. The "tax" I was referring to is (house) property tax, which is around or above $10,000/year for most homeowners in my area. I ALSO pay car taxes and all the other ones you do. AND I have had my children rejected from the public schools that I fund. [BTW, no NHPS parents EVER seem to protest this injustice on behalf of those of us thus burned by the "system" -- so much for "liberal" activism.] If you still find my point about taxes offensive, then you're entitled to your opinion. It's still a free country, last time I checked -- unless you work for GM, Bank of America, etc.

As for the middle-class, this is just plain and simple, commonly accepted and proven fact. You may not like it, but that's the way it is. It's the bell curve. Economics. Math. Reality. Until we get enough "super-rich" folks in NH to pay for all the services [aid to poor, SOCIAL WORKERS, etc.], we will always need a solid middle-class. And, let's face it, we will NEVER have enough of the "super-rich" because most of them know better than to live here (see "New Haven" mag article on Douglas Rae.) New Haven has devolved into the land of the (few) rich and the (many) poor, for the most part--and my previous posts partially explain why. My call to remedy that situation with more "middle class" would (should) be seen by an objective reader as a call for a MORE "egalitarian", "democratic", and "diverse" city ... but I have long since given up hope for objectivity around these parts. I share your wish for no one being poor. However, having observed decades of abject failure by NH in this regard, a return to the motto of "a rising tide lifts all boats" is clearly in order.

Student leadership requires a whole lot more than involving parents and the media.

WVM,
What is more important to a child's success isn't which school they attend, but who is at home. There is plenty of good teachers in the NHPS, it is up to the child to take advantage of the teaching staff and get into the high level classes. This can be accomplished by having involved and encouraging people at home that make sure homework is being done and to check in how much the child participates in class.
Let's say one child gets an A on an assignment and another child in a different class gets an F, does that mean that this school can only educate kids to acheive, at best, a C? Of course not, there are some children who do well and others that don't, no matter what school it is. In most cases, the deciding factor is who is at home and how they approach their child's education. There are also bad teachers, as well and bad police officers, and people who are bad at whatever job they have. But the bad teachers aren't teaching AP or honors level courses. So it is up to the child, along with guidance from guardians, to do well enough to make it to those classes where those good teachers are, which are in virtually every school in this city.
The most ignorant, shallow, sheltered, immature, selfish and greedy people I have ever met in my life have been at college and they are all from a private school and/or a suburb. It is very possible, however, that you are a good enough parent that can communicate your experiences well enough to ensure that you children do not end up falling into a large group of young people who grow up without experiencing anything but a facade lifestyle created by protective environments like suburbs, gated communities and private schools. Based on my observations, you have put an enormous amount of obstacles in front of your children on their way to becoming productive and well-rounded people by placing them in private schools.
For the record, I pay taxes through my rent, purchases pay checks. My 5 member family did fine with 2 bedrooms, so why you feel the need to buy a $300,000-400,000 house in Westville is beyond me. There are plenty of incredible homes across the city that are within walking distance of great parks, shopping, jobs, public transport and people from all different backgrounds and are much more affordable.
I can speak from my experiences, you can speak for yours, I suggest you make sure you're children will be able to speak from theirs. A way to allow that to happen is let them experience New Haven; one of the oldest cities in the country, full of history centered around historic neighborhoods, civic places, world-class design and residents who have great pride for the place that they live.

Seth, what is your idea of student leadership? I hope it's not in the same vein as the smile and nod view of Mayo et al.

The real issue that people seem to be missing is that Cross simply doesn't have the basic resources-- meaning supplies, space, funds-- that are required to make the day run safely and smoothly. Cross students see these shiny new buildings going up and wonder why we don't have the necessities like soap.

However, the teachers are not a problem at Cross. For the most part, they are exceptional. Their job is impeded by the loud hallways (stemming from the fact that there are too many kids for the administration to keep watch over all the time) and the fact that pretty much ALL of them have to share classrooms.

Lauraa,
I appreciate your points, but I have to say that sharing classrooms, and supplies is reality. In school in the rest of the world, children don't even have their own desks, yet they perform better than us. Sharing is a necessary skill that was lost in a time of abundant wealth that occurred over the last 60 years. People got used to be separated, private, alone, and greedy. But there seems to be a shift in that type of culture to where we now are seeing a more modest lifestyle emerging that leaves behind the extravagance of the past few generations. The real world is limited resources, finite energy, and sharing, not unlimited resources, endless capital and inifinite cheap oil.

Westville mom, I was using a different computer when I typed my second response as Norton Street, sorry if there was confusion.

Westville Mom:
Why do you still live here?

WESTVILLE MOM is right in much of what she says about school quality. But to respond to her observation about class divisions, in CT., there doesn't have to be a middle class in the cities because we have a state that taxes the rich and then redistributes it to the poor. Thats why New Haven only pays for 30-40% of its education spending and the state pays for most of the rest through the Educational Cost Sharing system. There are some federal Title I monies also. All the beautiful new school buildings you see around you? 90% paid for by the State of CT.

Why is CT. like this? Because forever, we have tolerated the rights of suburban towns to erect and maintain discriminatory housing and zoning policies which discourage affordable housing; we don't have an efficient mass transportation system that would allow options for people to come from the suburbs into New Haven to work. We don't like sidewalks in the suburbs so we discourage people who don't own cars from living there.

So, it turns out that because of the redistribution of taxes through ECS and PILOT which is really like a pay-off by the suburbs in order to keep poor people (disproportionately minority) out of their little towns, cities like Hartford and New Haven can actually spend a LOT MORE on schools than most towns on a per pupil basis in the state.

And yet we all know (except for the AFT and CEA)that pouring more money in a broken system does not mean better practices or outcomes. In fact, it only EMPOWERS the purveyors of mis-education. So because of the mismanagement of the school system, we have seen very little in the way of quality education as a result. This is especially true and tragic for the average black and latino child.

But there is GOOD NEWS. The new "czar" is a very good first step on the way towards a reformed school system. From one critic to another, the mayor is putting forth a VERY PROMISING plan to close the achievement gap in a relatively short period of time. Hang in there because if he has the fortitude to fight off the attacks of the teachers union (and he IS being attacked right now), New Haven, its children, their families, and taxpayers will be the big winners.

And Norton Street, I disagree with your often-stated belief that school is not important relative to home life. Of course structure at home is important. But it need no longer be the end of the story. You see, only in rare circumstances can a strong household compensate for a crappy school. Whereas in the last ten years, we have seen plenty of examples of public charter schools which through the use of more time on task, talented driven teachers, strong school culture, and reliance on data, have been able to compensate for, and overcome the effects of a tough home environment.

As for those of you who wonder why the mayor is doing an about-face on schools, I've heard a lot of theories as to his motivations. But my theory is that behind it all, he wants to be the first mayor of a mid-sized city to actually close the achievement gap. And if he can do it, he will bestow a great gift to his city and his country. His legacy will no longer be that he was the longest serving mayor, spent the city into the ditch, and lost the Governor's race by 30% to a republican. No, not at all.

If he can pull this off, he will rightly be celebrated far and wide.

Fix the schools,
Much of what you said were things I think but am unable to articulate as well as you have. I also became aware of a few things I hadn't thought about and realized before.
The issue with what this city is attempting to do is that there are too many schools and they are too small. They take up so much space. In the Hill, something like 300+ housing units were demolished, and a street disconnected (this happened in 2003, not 1960) to make room for a hideously ugly school. Also in the Hill is a new Hill Central Building that will share fields with the abutting Roberto Clemente School (pretty sure its that school, might be wrong though). These new schools simply take up too much room in an underpopulated city (pretty much all old industrial cities are today underpopulated). The answer, on paper (or in the suburbs it could be possible, but those schools apparently don't need as much reform), might be more smaller schools but in the physical realm it is not good for an urban environment. Since the 1950s, New Haven has become massively suburbanized in the way blocks are designed, destroyed and developed. More smaller schools only adds to these problems. If it were possible to put multiple small schools in one area: like a 'campus' or in the same building, that could be one solution. There needs to be a way to figure out how to make a successful school environment that does not negatively effect the physical, historical, and inhabitable qualities of the city.

Fix the Schools makes sense. A good home environment does NOT compensate for a crappy school--I've seen the results in people from my home city (and my own relatives.) It's just a shame that it's taken this long for the mayor to realize he is providing "black hole of Calcutta" education in "Taj Mahal" schools. Better late than never.
As for MY children....well, it seems there is a tendency for "progressives" to attack the children of Republican women (!) these days. To those who have criticized them---you don't even know them. I wish you did! They're probably much like you--caring, intelligent, generous souls. They have tutored in the NHPS. They work hard. They are leaders. They have friends from all backgrounds. And shame on you for your class-envious prejudice!
One parting note: in my 28 years in this city I have seen the evolution of what I can only describe as the "veneration" of the poor. One's views gain magical credence if one's screen name has "hood" in it. One's social stature is elevated by working in a soup kitchen. However, there are still as many poor people as there were 28 yrs. ago. There are still as many "tough" neighborhoods as there were 28 yrs. ago. The same houses have been renovated/deteriorated and renovated/deteriorated. All the "charity" work has made little long-term improvement. The same people (the chattering classes) who constantly throw charity dinners and "volunteer" and pat one another on the back are the same people who constantly re-elect the politicians who keep the "poverty" industry going in New Haven. Where would all these non-profit jobs be if there were no poor people?
I challenge you all to do (vote) better. The goal is not BETTER soup kitchens, but to eradicate the NEED for soup kitchens, food stamps, etc. etc. It's time to stop all the REVERENCE for the underprivileged. I was poor and it stinks. There's no nobility in it. How can the poor advance into the middle class when there IS no middle class? I'll tell you where they go --- to places like Hamden and West Haven. The goal should be to move UP, not OUT. And not to be a magnet for even more poor. Incentivizing middle-class growth means thinking creatively and slaying a few sacred cows around here--such as the FORCED, Bolshevikistic school lottery. It MIGHT be time to think really, really, really far outside the orthodox liberal, "progressive" box, for a change. (Here's an interesting article from today:)
Data-Driven Schools See Rising Scores
<a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124475338699707579.html?ru=yahoo&amp;mod=yahoo_itp&quot; rel="nofollow">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124475338699707579.html?ru=yahoo&amp;mod=yahoo_itp&lt;/a&gt;

Jonathan,

Yes, learning to share is an important skill, however, in Cross's case the sharing is an impediment to learning. I get upset when I see magnet schools that aren't filled to capacity because those spaces are reserved for out of district students, yet Cross still gets 1 to 6 new students a day.

Obviously we have many more educational opportunities that those in third world countries. However, some of the kids that go to Cross may be dealing with similar obstacles such as having a safe place to go home to every night.

Right now Cross is essentially two schools, divided between the honors track kids and the rest of the population. There is interaction between the two groups on sports teams and such, but in the class room the group changes very little over four years. I have taken a college track class (below honors) at Cross and the kids are just as bright. They do lack the motivation (the ability to afford college) and supportive home environment that the honors track kids have.

Of course these issues are bigger then the simple size of the population, but that is one component that could easily be tackled by the administration.