Not as a teacher. But this is the problem. Many of us are parents of SCSD students, or future SCSD students. With two kids not school-age yet, what am I supposed to do? Continue to watch these outsiders muck up a district I've spent my life promoting? The problems we face are not new. The solutions however, are cowardly and are only exercised to promote our leader to a new position in the state or at the helm of a larger district in the near future. We need a representative who has been here, who has taught or administered in a Syracuse school. Our only hope is that in 2016, our school board has the guts to elect a homegrown, caring administrator who doesn't view the SCSD as a stepping stone. Sharon has lost control and has lost the will to deal with the real issues at hand. I'm all for a Latin School, but not in the midst of a thousand other issues that are more pressing and dangerous.
"Our only hope is to wait until 2016"..... are you serious?? How can you as a parent say such things? Why not utilize yourself and your parent friends, and demand action from your elected officials otherwise known as the school board?!?!? They have the power to remove her and the fools that she has brought into this district to create chaos. Have you not seen historically what has happened by individuals who have sat and waited for something or someone to do something? Read your history about what has happened all over the world by individuals who have said "....what can we do?"
Over half of the school board elected this woman. She ran Derrick Dorsey's campaign out of the central offices. Yes, I said our only hope is to wait. The school board is about as useful as your comment above.
You can set up a seperate email...there is no excuse to demand SAFETY for our children! There is no backlash in the world I would care about over the safety of my children....period!
This is not a school board, these are puppets for Sharon. The previous school boards found hard against Cappa, Jones and Lowengard, but are corgeal with Contreras why?
Because they have been indoctrinated / brainwashed, or more appropriately Broad washed. They are (most of them) in lockstep with the superintendent. They really beleive in what she is doing.
The SCSD has been put on notice that bringing KNIVES and other weapons to school is typical. The SCSD has been put on notice that violence occurs in the schools every single day. Security on the front door of a volatile high school (as are all district schools) is a Security Officer sitting at a desk next to the unlocked door. FORSEEABILITY would dictate a locked door, an alcove where people are screened prior to access and metal detectors at every single access point to the school. Expensive...yes! Cheaper than the lawsuit that is just around the corner...yes!
Doubt Central Office would give a crap about getting a bunch of anonymous emails telling them to do something about a problem they claim does not exist.
However if this was done to the mayors office, things may have to be done to handle citizen complaints. And besides it may not have to be anonymously sent. I believe this is a better way to handle this situation. To save the city and bring new people in, we need to save our schools.
I agree, they have made it clear they are not interested in helping us. We need to take other action rather than waiting until April 30 to be heard. This week is going to be brutal in elementary and middle schools. This would be a perfect time for them (BOE and Super) to come in and see the disruptions and how apathetic kids are about their education. In addition, they can help us supervise the unruly during this "important" test.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 gives employees and their representatives the right to file a complaint and request an OSHA inspection of their workplace if they believe there is a serious hazard or their employer is not following OSHA standards. Further, the Act gives complainants the right to request that their names not be revealed to their employers.
Complaints from employees and their representatives are taken seriously by OSHA. It is against the law for an employer to fire, demote, transfer, or discriminate in any way against a worker for filing a complaint or using other OSHA rights.
OSHA will keep your information confidential. We can help.
Taken from https://www.osha.gov/as/opa/worker/complain.html
I think we need to file a complaint to https://www.osha.gov/. Public schools are not exempt from filing. Our work environents are not safe and we need to do something about it. I'm not sure why our union hasn't taken action since we pay them ALOT of money to represent us. This can be done online and they will come in and investigate. We need someone to come into the schools since the BOE, Superintendent and media refuse to. I think they are all afraid of what they will find.
I have entered Sharon's lair. Remember those 15 minute sessions she offered where you could come down and share your concerns? It was me, her, a school board member and the COE. Wanna know what she did after I spilled the beans on the conditions of the school I was working in? She called my principal. Said my name, repeated verbatim everything I said. She is a master manipulator and loves driving stakes through established relationships.
It is extremely alarming that people who are concerned about the education of young minds refuse to move pass your own implicit biases in regards to race and ethnicity. The condition of our school district has existed for decades and in the midst of progressive action and change to improve things for all our children (review of the code of conduct, the creation of the funding coalition, true advocacy for just and due process for student infractions), some of us are allowing our fear of fair practices to direct our solutions. I urge you all to step back and reflect on your concerns. Too often in the midst of change we allow our internal struggles with justice, our stereotypes and discriminatory practices to lead our agendas, rather than challenge ourselves to be better people. If we fight to keep the "status quo" in place we are only hurting the development of us all in the long run. Why not support a Superintendent who is working for fair and equity practices across the board for all children. Syracuse was rated one of the most racist places in the nation (Upstate New York)....let's stop living up to this!!!
I have yet to understand how it is racist to want every single child in the SCSD to be successful!!!! How can any child be successful when desks and chairs are literally flying around the classroom? When students are running through the classroom pushing things off the desks? When students can go up behind other students, knock them to the ground and stomp on their heads? When students can pull knives out and have a fight? When brawls occur in school? When a pregnant teacher is slugged in the stomach? When students can tell teachers that the only way they'll come into their class is with their d**k in their mouth? When three middle school students shove a plastic bag in a first grader's mouth? When students spit on and push a VP to the ground? When windows are constantly broken by students? When fires alarms are repeatedly pulled? When three students can pull a twelve-year-old girl into a restroom and sexually assault her? When parents show up at school with knives to fight students? When teachers in every school are being put out on workers comp with student-inflicted injuries? And these incidents are just the ones we know - the tip of the iceberg! No one but YOU has insinuated color into this discussion. Why is it somehow OK for 10% of the student population to hold the other 90% down with their behavioral issues? This compromises the education of children of EVERY RACE. Why aren't you upset about that?
Please site your source for the statement, "Syracuse was rated one of the most racist places in the nation."
Additionally, there would be great support for "a Superintendent who is working for fair and equity practices across the board for all children", however the Syracuse City School District does not currently have such a Superintendent. The district has a Superintendent who is working for her own best interests, the interests of her Broad preparatory program, and the companies that have contracted with Broad.
Your true colors are showing!!! I know exactly who you are! THIS IS NOT A RACE ISSUE!!! For you to say "people cannot move pass their own biases in regards to race and ethnicity shows where your bias is and its ridiculous! How do you know what any educator thinks?? What a blanketed statement that was.-Keep making excuses, keep passing the blame. Sorry NOT going to work.The sad part-you are the one who is talking about race? Why would you say this? Where did you get your information on how educators, who are concerned with young minds feel? I don't see any educator even mentioning race. It is people like you that are the problem. It is easier that way huh? Deflect from the real problems and blame it on educators that are fed up with the disrespect and violence.Somehow this too is everyone else's fault. You say these problems have been around for decades??? Not like this and you know it. Programs like these have been around too. The superintendent does not deserve support. She has done more damage to this district than the last three leaders.. Take a look at yourself-are you sure YOU are not the person hung up on race??? It is you who has the perception that educators don't look past their biases-what about yours, what about your bias!!!!
I also totally disagree with your words and I can tell that you have not spent any substantial amount of time in an SCSD school in the last few years - and especially this year. I do not believe there is ANYONE (please find someone if you can) in ANY school building that would say that our schools are safe and successful. Please DO NOT assume that ALL OF US are "biased in regards to race and ethnicity" - This is an unproven accusation intended to take away the responsibility from those who choose and enable the negative behaviors. I would like to point out that the employees of this district are made up of every race and ethnic group and that EVERY ONE from young SU volunteers to Foster Grandparents (of every race) would tell you the same thing that we are. We are not going to be BULLIED by those who want to call us racist. I believe that ANYONE who has lived in this city and worked in this district would tell you that yes, we have always had poverty and we have always had challenging behaviors. BUT, NEVER to the extent that we have them now - growing in the last 3 years. WE now have NO consequences in many schools. If you think that the new, revised Code of Conduct will make a difference if it is (NOT) followed like the current one is, than you "need to step back and reflect on your concerns" You know, when children have no consequences and have TOTAL CONTROL of the situation just imagine how much learning goes on. So be prepared.Oh yeah, that's right only the teachers will be blamed for lack of success. I believe it is you who has "the fear of fair practices." WE WANT FAIR PRACTICES - That's what we are fighting for. The whole race issue is a ploy used by people who do not understand what is going on in the schools - like you....is this Marcia Weissman? It sure sounds like you..
I hope the blog owners can see that the threat of Sharon's reach is not exaggerated. This original post above was obviously written by a dear friend of hers. Much like planted questions in the BOE meetings and photo ops in the district calendar and newsletters...this lady is a smart, smart cookie. She knows what she wants and how to get it. I wouldn't be surprised if this was Jeremy Grant-Skinner!
Racist, I think not. I have graduated from this district and for the past 10 years have taught here. I love Syracuse and love the city schools, but to call me a racist you are out of your mind. My childern have a black babysitter, my closes personal friends are of several races that are not white. I do not see color, I only see a person. Those who scream racist in todays word are racist themself. They do not want to admit fault in themself or the ones they say they are helping. It is much easier to blame "Whitie" or "The Man". How about look at the students who are doing wrong and blame them and their parents. That is the problem with our Country. It is always someone else's fault that "I" am messing up, but when in truth we dont want to place blame where it should be. So the blame is on the police, the teacher, or White men. STOP BLAMING US.
Ugh. Just received the robo-call about the Latin school. While I understand somewhat with what they are trying to achieve, obviously there are more pressing matters so that all of our children in every school can have equal footing towards receiving an education, not just those in the new school.
Not as a teacher. But this is the problem. Many of us are parents of SCSD students, or future SCSD students. With two kids not school-age yet, what am I supposed to do? Continue to watch these outsiders muck up a district I've spent my life promoting? The problems we face are not new. The solutions however, are cowardly and are only exercised to promote our leader to a new position in the state or at the helm of a larger district in the near future. We need a representative who has been here, who has taught or administered in a Syracuse school. Our only hope is that in 2016, our school board has the guts to elect a homegrown, caring administrator who doesn't view the SCSD as a stepping stone. Sharon has lost control and has lost the will to deal with the real issues at hand. I'm all for a Latin School, but not in the midst of a thousand other issues that are more pressing and dangerous.
ReplyDelete"Our only hope is to wait until 2016"..... are you serious?? How can you as a parent say such things? Why not utilize yourself and your parent friends, and demand action from your elected officials otherwise known as the school board?!?!? They have the power to remove her and the fools that she has brought into this district to create chaos. Have you not seen historically what has happened by individuals who have sat and waited for something or someone to do something? Read your history about what has happened all over the world by individuals who have said "....what can we do?"
DeleteOver half of the school board elected this woman. She ran Derrick Dorsey's campaign out of the central offices. Yes, I said our only hope is to wait. The school board is about as useful as your comment above.
DeleteWhy do we have to wait until 2016! The CNS School District did not wait to make the move!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou can set up a seperate email...there is no excuse to demand SAFETY for our children! There is no backlash in the world I would care about over the safety of my children....period!
ReplyDeleteThis is not a school board, these are puppets for Sharon. The previous school boards found hard against Cappa, Jones and Lowengard, but are corgeal with Contreras why?
Why wait till 2016...push her out now!
Because they have been indoctrinated / brainwashed, or more appropriately Broad washed. They are (most of them) in lockstep with the superintendent. They really beleive in what she is doing.
DeleteThe SCSD has been put on notice that bringing KNIVES and other weapons to school is typical. The SCSD has been put on notice that violence occurs in the schools every single day. Security on the front door of a volatile high school (as are all district schools) is a Security Officer sitting at a desk next to the unlocked door. FORSEEABILITY would dictate a locked door, an alcove where people are screened prior to access and metal detectors at every single access point to the school. Expensive...yes! Cheaper than the lawsuit that is just around the corner...yes!
ReplyDeleteDoubt Central Office would give a crap about getting a bunch of anonymous emails telling them to do something about a problem they claim does not exist.
ReplyDeleteHowever if this was done to the mayors office, things may have to be done to handle citizen complaints. And besides it may not have to be anonymously sent. I believe this is a better way to handle this situation. To save the city and bring new people in, we need to save our schools.
I agree, they have made it clear they are not interested in helping us. We need to take other action rather than waiting until April 30 to be heard. This week is going to be brutal in elementary and middle schools. This would be a perfect time for them (BOE and Super) to come in and see the disruptions and how apathetic kids are about their education. In addition, they can help us supervise the unruly during this "important" test.
DeleteThe Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 gives employees and their representatives the right to file a complaint and request an OSHA inspection of their workplace if they believe there is a serious hazard or their employer is not following OSHA standards. Further, the Act gives complainants the right to request that their names not be revealed to their employers.
DeleteComplaints from employees and their representatives are taken seriously by OSHA. It is against the law for an employer to fire, demote, transfer, or discriminate in any way against a worker for filing a complaint or using other OSHA rights.
OSHA will keep your information confidential. We can help.
Taken from https://www.osha.gov/as/opa/worker/complain.html
I think we need to file a complaint to https://www.osha.gov/. Public schools are not exempt from filing. Our work environents are not safe and we need to do something about it. I'm not sure why our union hasn't taken action since we pay them ALOT of money to represent us. This can be done online and they will come in and investigate. We need someone to come into the schools since the BOE, Superintendent and media refuse to. I think they are all afraid of what they will find.
ReplyDeleteI have entered Sharon's lair. Remember those 15 minute sessions she offered where you could come down and share your concerns? It was me, her, a school board member and the COE. Wanna know what she did after I spilled the beans on the conditions of the school I was working in? She called my principal. Said my name, repeated verbatim everything I said. She is a master manipulator and loves driving stakes through established relationships.
ReplyDeleteIt is extremely alarming that people who are concerned about the education of young minds refuse to move pass your own implicit biases in regards to race and ethnicity. The condition of our school district has existed for decades and in the midst of progressive action and change to improve things for all our children (review of the code of conduct, the creation of the funding coalition, true advocacy for just and due process for student infractions), some of us are allowing our fear of fair practices to direct our solutions. I urge you all to step back and reflect on your concerns. Too often in the midst of change we allow our internal struggles with justice, our stereotypes and discriminatory practices to lead our agendas, rather than challenge ourselves to be better people. If we fight to keep the "status quo" in place we are only hurting the development of us all in the long run. Why not support a Superintendent who is working for fair and equity practices across the board for all children. Syracuse was rated one of the most racist places in the nation (Upstate New York)....let's stop living up to this!!!
ReplyDeleteYou have been drinking the Kool-Aid, apparently by the gallon. This is not a race issue! Those that try to make it such show their true colors!
DeleteI have yet to understand how it is racist to want every single child in the SCSD to be successful!!!! How can any child be successful when desks and chairs are literally flying around the classroom? When students are running through the classroom pushing things off the desks? When students can go up behind other students, knock them to the ground and stomp on their heads? When students can pull knives out and have a fight? When brawls occur in school? When a pregnant teacher is slugged in the stomach? When students can tell teachers that the only way they'll come into their class is with their d**k in their mouth? When three middle school students shove a plastic bag in a first grader's mouth? When students spit on and push a VP to the ground? When windows are constantly broken by students? When fires alarms are repeatedly pulled? When three students can pull a twelve-year-old girl into a restroom and sexually assault her? When parents show up at school with knives to fight students? When teachers in every school are being put out on workers comp with student-inflicted injuries? And these incidents are just the ones we know - the tip of the iceberg! No one but YOU has insinuated color into this discussion. Why is it somehow OK for 10% of the student population to hold the other 90% down with their behavioral issues? This compromises the education of children of EVERY RACE. Why aren't you upset about that?
DeletePlease site your source for the statement, "Syracuse was rated one of the most racist places in the nation."
DeleteAdditionally, there would be great support for "a Superintendent who is working for fair and equity practices across the board for all children", however the Syracuse City School District does not currently have such a Superintendent. The district has a Superintendent who is working for her own best interests, the interests of her Broad preparatory program, and the companies that have contracted with Broad.
Your true colors are showing!!! I know exactly who you are! THIS IS NOT A RACE ISSUE!!! For you to say "people cannot move pass their own biases in regards to race and ethnicity shows where your bias is and its ridiculous! How do you know what any educator thinks?? What a blanketed statement that was.-Keep making excuses, keep passing the blame. Sorry NOT going to work.The sad part-you are the one who is talking about race? Why would you say this? Where did you get your information on how educators, who are concerned with young minds feel? I don't see any educator even mentioning race.
DeleteIt is people like you that are the problem. It is easier that way huh? Deflect from the real problems and blame it on educators that are fed up with the disrespect and violence.Somehow this too is everyone else's fault. You say these problems have been around for decades??? Not like this and you know it. Programs like these have been around too. The superintendent does not deserve support. She has done more damage to this district than the last three leaders.. Take a look at yourself-are you sure YOU are not the person hung up on race??? It is you who has the perception that educators don't look past their biases-what about yours, what about your bias!!!!
I also totally disagree with your words and I can tell that you have not spent any substantial amount of time in an SCSD school in the last few years - and especially this year. I do not believe there is ANYONE (please find someone if you can) in ANY school building that would say that our schools are safe and successful. Please DO NOT assume that ALL OF US are "biased in regards to race and ethnicity" - This is an unproven accusation intended to take away the responsibility from those who choose and enable the negative behaviors. I would like to point out that the employees of this district are made up of every race and ethnic group and that EVERY ONE from young SU volunteers to Foster Grandparents (of every race) would tell you the same thing that we are. We are not going to be BULLIED by those who want to call us racist. I believe that ANYONE who has lived in this city and worked in this district would tell you that yes, we have always had poverty and we have always had challenging behaviors. BUT, NEVER to the extent that we have them now - growing in the last 3 years. WE now have NO consequences in many schools. If you think that the new, revised Code of Conduct will make a difference if it is (NOT) followed like the current one is, than you "need to step back and reflect on your concerns"
DeleteYou know, when children have no consequences and have TOTAL CONTROL of the situation just imagine how much learning goes on. So be prepared.Oh yeah, that's right only the teachers will be blamed for lack of success. I believe it is you who has "the fear of fair practices." WE WANT FAIR PRACTICES - That's what we are fighting for. The whole race issue is a ploy used by people who do not understand what is going on in the schools - like you....is this Marcia Weissman? It sure sounds like you..
I hope the blog owners can see that the threat of Sharon's reach is not exaggerated. This original post above was obviously written by a dear friend of hers. Much like planted questions in the BOE meetings and photo ops in the district calendar and newsletters...this lady is a smart, smart cookie. She knows what she wants and how to get it. I wouldn't be surprised if this was Jeremy Grant-Skinner!
DeleteRacist, I think not. I have graduated from this district and for the past 10 years have taught here. I love Syracuse and love the city schools, but to call me a racist you are out of your mind. My childern have a black babysitter, my closes personal friends are of several races that are not white. I do not see color, I only see a person. Those who scream racist in todays word are racist themself. They do not want to admit fault in themself or the ones they say they are helping. It is much easier to blame "Whitie" or "The Man". How about look at the students who are doing wrong and blame them and their parents. That is the problem with our Country. It is always someone else's fault that "I" am messing up, but when in truth we dont want to place blame where it should be. So the blame is on the police, the teacher, or White men. STOP BLAMING US.
DeleteToo bad we can't have this discussion in public where the media can listen. Remember when that could be done at BOE meetings?
ReplyDeleteUgh. Just received the robo-call about the Latin school. While I understand somewhat with what they are trying to achieve, obviously there are more pressing matters so that all of our children in every school can have equal footing towards receiving an education, not just those in the new school.
ReplyDelete