Daniels Parents Press Brass On Budget Cut

Unrepaired computers — some with pink Post-its quietly pleading ​“Windows has no sound” — were piled chest-high in the corner. Lights, microphones, and other recording equipment normally in regular use to produce the school news broadcast sat idle. Un-reshelved books filled up two carts.

Parents and teachers didn’t deliberately set up the room that way to make the case that they need their library and media specialist back full-time. But it didn’t hurt.

That was the scene Wednesday night at the semi-desolate library and media center at the John C. Daniels Interdistrict Magnet School. 

There 25 parents and teachers continued to make their case to restore the hours of Patricia McGovern, the school’s longtime and much loved library media specialist, whose position was reduced in the most recent round of school staff cuts to just two and a half days a week at Daniels and two and a half at another school.

Having caught the attention of Superintendent of Schools Carol Birks last week with a public display of the parents’ sense of urgency, parents were given an immediate meeting with Deputy Superintendent Evelise Velazquez and Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Iline Tracey.

Officials agreed to the meeting while noting that all schools have seen staff cuts as the system struggles with a remaining $8.5 million to close what had been a $19.3 million deficit, and that the city and state fiscal constraints are dire with more cuts to come.

Velazquez and Tracey took careful notes, eliciting just how, for example, third=graders are falling behind in learning keyboarding skills — - like clicking and dragging with the cursor — just as computer-based district assessment tests are coming.

The officials heard over and over again how it is not just the position, but the person of McGovern that by parents’ lights is the only true solution.

Parent and library volunteer Cassandra Diaz spoke of how McGovern ​“is a constant in a school with so many changes. She smiles all the time and treats everyone equally. Her expertise, her creativity, there is none like her. Her knowledge. In a pinch she always comes through and has the answer. The kids are asking, Where is she? She is the school.”

Principal Daniel Bonet said that since the district-mandated cuts to the library media specialist positions that have halved McGovern’s time at Daniels, he has not even scheduled appointments with waiting interviewees for a 10-month clerk’s position at the school. It is his hope that he might trade that position to have McGovern back full time.

“I need to see how that will impact King/Robinson, where McGovern spends her other 2.5 days a week, Velazquez responded. ​“That might be why she’s not available” for such a trade.

The viability of such a swap might also be impeded by union rules or other bureaucratic guidelines like mixing non-certified positions such as the school clerk with a certified library media specialist, she said.

While she promised to re-examine that prospect, Velazquez said she has more flexibility to address the kids’ pressing computer-learning needs as well as sustaining the school’s book fair and other school-culture promoting activities through other means.

One idea: augmenting the after-school program with both reading and technology interns or volunteers — from the teaching colleges and universities as well as area businesses whose community-minded employees might be attracted to volunteer at a school like Daniels with its dual-language and international focus.

“Think about technology interns,” she said.

Several parents asked what would be the fate of kids who can’t stay for the after-school program.

“How many student teachers do you have?” Velazquez asked.

Bonet replied that there are five, from Quinnipiac University and from Southern. ​“And our aim is to have ten this year,” he said.

“I’d send out a letter — a dual language school is a draw for many student teachers — to those teaching schools.” She also suggested letters to international companies in the area, like the BIC Corporation in Stratford.

Tracey urged the teachers and school staff perhaps to be in touch with New Haven Reads.

“But the teachers are busy. If they had the tech support, maybe they could find time to make these connections,” said parent Diane Nuland.

“I understand. I’ll help. I can write a good letter,” said Velazquez.

And so the discussion went for a full hour and a half. Velazquez suggested turning the ​“J.C. Daniels News,” the regular school video broadcast, into part of the after-school program, for which more flexible grant funding would likely be available.

She also promised to explore how the book fair, which McGovern was central to carrying off, could be done in coordination with King Robinson’s book fair. If the two fairs were staggered, McGovern might be able to continue involvement in that regard at Daniels.

As to the computer equipment, with disrepair imperiling the kids’ learning, Tracey asked if the school puts in requests to the central office’s I.T. department.

“That’ll take a month,” said Principal Bonet.

“I’m going to expect that the tickets be put innto IT, and I’ll take care of it from there,” Tracey said.

Focusing on making keyboarding for third graders a priority, Velazquez also suggested, ​“I’d like to work with you to see how you can make technology in the classroom, a regular part of the instruction,” as opposed to relying on what had been McGovern’s contribution.

Seventh and eighth-grade social studies teacher Jeanette Rubio said she has regularly relied on McGovern to work with her kids on research skills like learning to do a bibliography. She said the students reported to her this very evening that the library was closed and there was no one to help. (So Rubio herself stayed for an extra hour to work with the kids, she said.)

Velazquez suggested a more vigorous partnership with the New Haven Free Public Library might address that challenge with city librarians picking up the slack.

By meeting’s end, and after Velazquez enumerated the various options discussed that she would look at and then get back to the parents, parent Maria Flores said what was on everyone’s mind: ​“I’m hearing we’re not going to have her back.”

“I will look into it. I hear how much you love her. I will revisit it. All I’m saying is it might not be viable,” Velazquez said.

“It’s scary,” said Flores.

TPTO President Sylvester Salcedo said he is hopeful about raising money from Yale-New Haven Hospital that might pay for more after-school program staff.

“How much money do we have to put into a bag to give to Dr. Birks” to get McGovern back? he said jokingly.

“No, not cash,” said Bonet. ​“We need a process!”

“I don’t want this meeting to end without your knowing that I hear what this person means to the school,” said Velazquez.

Then the meeting did end. Despite some hugs and kisses. the palpable anxieties of the parents were not assuaged as officials concluded by repeating how the school system faces dire fiscal straits. ​“The budget constraints are not going away,” Velazquez said. ​“The $20 million deficit means the budget was broken. It’s not just this school.”

Velazquez promised to get back to Salcedo within a day or two on her findings.