Oh, the Hypocrisy!

On Thursday, December 18th, Superintendent Sharon Contreras spoke at the Thursday Morning Roundtable, a program sponsored by University College of Syracuse University. She spoke about the challenges the district is facing, as well as programs that are in place and recent successes. Following her talk, time was allowed for a Q&A session. One gentleman in the audience questioned Superintendent Contreras about the stabbing that occurred at H.W. Smith K-8 the prior day. The superintendent essentially chalked that incident up to a violence in the community spilling over into the schools and is even quoted in the syracuse.com article highlighting her talk, as having said she "will not own all the violence in the community."

By attributing this specific incident to community violence, she continues to absolve herself and the district from the violence in our schools.

A teacher pointed out recently...

When there is tragic behavior in school,

the Superintendent can absolve herself by saying

"That's what the community sends me."

But...

When dedicated teachers who work long hours

are less than successful working with

underprepared/poorly behaved/emotionally compromised/asocial children,

it is all because the teachers are bad.

Does anyone else see the hypocrisy in this?

It Ain't Pretty...

Here is a transcription of the 911 calls to schools in the month of December.

Remember - this is in a district that reportedly
ACTIVELY discourages building personnel from calling 911
and we still had THIS many calls in just 12-1/2 school days...

As you review them, notice how many schools are NOT represented. Do you think it's because those schools have no issues? Or is it because administrators in those buildings are afraid to rock the boat? 

12/1
9:06 - Disturbance @ Danforth
9:28 - Fire @ Fowler (police and fire department dispatched)
13:14 - Call @ Fowler (reason unknown)

12/2
10:39 - Lost/found property @ Roberts
12:45 - Larceny @ Nottingham
13:33 - Call @ Danforth (reason unknown)
14:52 - Call @ McKinley Brighton (reason unknown)
17:58 - Juvenile complaint @ Henninger

12/3
Lost/found @ LeMoyne

12/4
12:50 - Fight @ ITC

12/5
8:03 - Stabbing @ Fowler
11:06 - Disturbance @ Grant
14:04 - Call @ Corcoran
14:09 - Disturbance @ Delaware
14:36 - Disturbance @ Blodgett
14:57 - Alarm (fire) @ HW Smith
16:56 - Intoxicted person @ Frazer

12/8
8:19 - Suspicious @ Salem Hyde
8:24 - Harassment @ Nottingham
9:21 - Harassment @ Nottingham
12:05 - Disturbance @ Danforth
12:28 - Call @ Huntington (reason unknown)
13:48 - Alarm fire @ Delaware
15:07 - Assault @ Frazer

12/9
9:35 - Criminal mischief @ Salem Hyde
10:59 - Assault @ Nottingham
14:14 - Domestic @ Blodgett
14:49 - Call @ McKinley Brighton (reason unknown)
16:10 - Alarm (fire) @ King

12/10
13:00 - Call @ Weeks

12/11
No calls - Oh, wait... This was a snow day!

12/12 - (half day)
10:48 - Alarm (fire) @ Henninger
11:06 - Fight @ Delaware
11:16 - Domestic @ King

12/16
9:16 - Civil dispute @ Bellevue
12:54 - Alarm (fire) @ Ed Smith
13:16 - Domestic @ Corcoran

12/17
7:40 - Suspicious @ Meachem
7:40 - Stabbing @ H.W.Smith
13:56 - Trespassing @ Henninger
18:40 - Criminal mischief @ Blodgett

12/18
8:29 - Disturbance @ McKinley Brighton
15:20 - Criminal mischief @ Frazer

Enough Already!

A stabbing in the H.W. Smith middle school wing today... As various people on syracuse.com debate how serious the wound was, how the altercation started, whose fault it was, whether or not the district is minimizing the incident, and on and on and on,

we lose sight of the reality that
a 12 year-old child stabbed another 12 year-old child -
IN SCHOOL!

And we are all becoming used to it because, sadly, it is an all-to-frequent occurrence. This cannot continue happening!!!

No one...

Not students...

Not staff...

Not parents...

Not administrators...

No one should be AFRAID to go to school!