Faced with the latest demands from activist parents, Board of Ed member Mayor John DeStefano had this to say: “If you want to have a political campaign, go have one!” It went downhill from there.
Bearing signs calling for “Results Now,” Teach Our Children (TOC), an advocacy group for parents in the New Haven Public Schools, came out en masse at Monday’s BOE meeting.
More than 30 people, including a minister and parents speaking in both Spanish and English, declared their impatience with the board’s evolving policies on four key issues: provision of homework during suspension, a revised code of conduct or discipline; a clearer policy on prevention and punishment of bullying, and improved behavior and academic assessments, especially for kids with individualized educational plans.
TOC representatives and Superintendent Reginald Mayo have been meeting monthly on these sensitive issues since a tumultuous meeting in April. But that’s about all they agreed on.
Click here for a story on that fractious meeting and more on the four issues, and here for more on the history of TOC’s and BOE’s clash of styles. Click here for a story on a previous TOC campaign to increase recess in the schools.
Mayo said Monday night the monthly meetings since April have been productive and cooperative. TOC countered that there has been no real action; they had expected policies to be written and in place by the beginning of the school year. Mayo said he has addressed the four issues, but it would continue to take time as he consults with his staff.
TOC member Cynthia Shannon acknowledged that some of the meetings with principals and staff have been productive. “But we’re still waiting, and the lives of our children are at stake,” she said.
“I told you that, for example, on the homework issue,” Mayo responded, “it would take several more weeks to get something to work. Principals need to be able to get homework to the kids who are suspended, yes. But how can they commit to getting, what, eight assignments on the day of suspension?! What good is something if it won’t work? And then you’ll say, ‘Gotcha.’”
“In the meantime, our kids suffer,” said Natasha Smith, another TOC member, whose child attends the Celentano School. “Bullying, suspensions that set the kids back, these are issues that go to the heart of kids’ self esteem. Without fixing this, they can’t flourish academically.”
Still, like a married couple fighting about who loves the kids more, the two sides continued. Mayo responded: “I repeat. There is no difference between what you want and we want. We love our children every bit as much as you.”
He insisted that at the last planned meeting details were being worked out on two of the issues, on bullying and on a refined approach to working with kids who require especially tailored behavior or academic programs. “But you weren’t there!”
“Look,” chimed in the mayor, “I support what Dr. Mayo is doing 100 percent. You come in here with signs and buttons, but why shouldn’t the principals, as Dr. Mayo says, take the time needed to work out the kinks in this? Are you the only constituency here!”
To Celia Fleming, the most important constituency is her child. She tearfully told the room that the child was suspended from school for a behavior problem without the staff being sufficiently aware that he had unaddressed attention deficit disorder.
Midway in the 30-plus minute series of speakers, Tabby Ali, a policy fellow with Connecticut Voices for Children, a research advocacy group, rose. She endorsed TOC’s contention that suspension, especially if no homework is provided over several days, hurts the most vulnerable students. She said that New Haven’s suspension rate of 17 percent in 2006 – 2007 is one of the highest in the state.
At this point several BOE members appeared to circle the wagons. Mayo questioned the statistic. He said even absent a comprehensive new bullying policy, which needs to comport with a new state law, the number of suspensions in New Haven is declining. Dr. Brian Perkins, the BOE chair questioned the bonafides of Connecticut Voices for Children. He asked who funded them and whether Ali has testified at other towns’ boards of ed. She hasn’t.
Perkins concluded that TOC appears to be walking away from the table, not attending the most recent scheduled meetings and yet still suggesting that the timetable — “we’re tired of talking” — is being set by one side.
In the end Frances Padilla, a BOE member whose term expired at this meeting, sought to intervene in what had the appearance of becoming a kind of “he said/she said” divorce proceeding:
“This meeting appears to be going nowhere,” Padilla said. “People are talking past each other. Everyone needs to regroup.”
Mayo invited the TOC reps to return to the regularly scheduled meetings. Still in all, as he mingled with TOC members afterward, hard feelings and lack of trust were close to the surface.
“I did what I promised I would do,” he said, “and we need more time to do this right. I just feel bushwhacked by this group.”
Nilda Aponte, one of TOC’s leaders said, “I’m sorry. It’s unacceptable for us to take a ‘We need more time’ approach. Our kids’ lives are at stake. We don’t have time.’
She said she would be convening her group, which she said now numbered about 100 parents, to decide on next steps.
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.
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.