SCSD Board Meeting - 12/11/13 at 5:30 pm

Well... The news reports this weekend about the NY Attorney General's investigation into disciplinary issues within the SCSD certainly helps to explain the urgency of approving the interim Code of Conduct that the Syracuse City School Board will be voting on at the Board meeting on December 11th at 5:30 pm. We believe that this vote is a formality as our Current Code is does not include provisions for the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA), as required by law.

That being said, it is still important that let the Board and Central Office administration know that we continue to be concerned about discipline, safety and security in our schools for ALL kids, teachers and staff. We will be closely watching and reading the new Code of Conduct that will be developed by the 50-member Code of Conduct Task Force.

We are not going away!

We ask teachers, parents and community members attend the board meeting on the 11th.

You do not need to speak.

Please come and show your support for our kids and our teachers! And use this as an opportunity to network and meet others who also want to do everything possible to stop sweeping our problems under the rug, to discuss the issues openly and honestly and to be a part of the solution.

I include here a plea that I received from a teacher...

"I am trying desperately to get staff to show up at BOE meeting this Wednesday @ 5:30-  if you can get this out as a priority on the blog maybe we can reach more people. I also feel that if teachers/staff JUST SHOW UP we will make a statement. I'm telling people that if they are uncomfortable speaking out , we could get parents (hopefully) to be our mouthpiece. I am sure that if a teacher has something important to say (that needs to be made public) we can get a parent to read it - on behalf of a teacher, who is present, but fears retribution. At least we get it out there. We will alert all media and the words will be made public - that is what we need. We need the public outcry. As you well know, just hearing that things are bad in SCSD is SO different than hearing the specifics and the severity of what is happening. EVERY PERSON that I speak to has the SAME MESSAGE - we are drowning, going down, imploding…..over the last 3 years especially!!!! Our buildings are NOT safe, our children are being bullied and having their education taken away from them. It's a travesty!!  I have heard today that the STA is asking some people to speak Wednesday….one teacher in particular, who has been physically assaulted and abused many times in the last few years was asked to speak out. She initially said yes, but then her husband and family advised her to rethink it - fearing retribution, she is backing out. It breaks my heart.  I told her maybe we could get someone to read her words….and that she should at least show up.   I am angry that we have so many people who will speak out and complain ….but when it comes time for rubber to hit the road (just showing up) - they can't make it….There is strength in numbers, I tell them. I cannot give up this fight - I care too much about my city and about my school district…….but, sometimes I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle."

If you are a parent who is willing to read a teacher's statement,
please try to identify yourself as such, with a nametag.
If you are a teacher with something to be read,
seek out one of these parents or email us at scsdtakebackourschools@gmail.com.

Over the next two weeks, we will pull together a compendium of all of the reports that we have received and share them on this blog. To stay abreast of this - and all of our postings - you can subscribe by email using the "Subscribe by Email" link near the bottom of the sidebar.

And, on a side note, we have received several requests to re-order the comments, from most recent to oldest. Unfortunately, the structure of the blogsite we are using does not permit - at least that we have figured out. We will continue to work on this and hope to have a resolution in the near future.