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?
I thought the altercation began the day before in the hallways; therefore, it would become a school situation. Nevertheless, even if it began in the community, the worst part of the problem happened on school property! HOW IS THE DISTRICT SUPPORTING THE INNOCENT BYSTANDERS THAT SAW THIS HORRIFIC EVENT? Did the superintendent call in people to help the witnesses get through this awful event?
ReplyDeleteHer contention is that because our community is violent, of course the kids will be violent, too. And that there is little that can be done about preventing those violent kids from acting out at school.
DeleteOur contention is that this district has an OBLIGATION to:
a) Keep the students safe while they are in the care and custody of the district. Just as parents are expected to do for their children...
b) Ensure that they do everything that they can to protect their their staff in the workplace, just as other employers are obligated to do.
And school-based social work and psychology staff were dedicated to helping staff and student witnesses to this attack.
DeleteThe superintendent is always advocating for the examination of data to assess teachers' job performance. Let's look at some data with regards to her job performance:
ReplyDelete95% of staff feels she is incapable of fulfilling the responsibilities demanded by her job.
Data distributed at a board meeting shows referrals are significantly up at almost every grade level while in and out of school suspensions have signficantly decreased.
Referrals are no longer allowed to be written for nonviolent offenses, so the increased referrals actually indicates a much larger problem than is apparent at first glance.
Student involved workers' comp claims are at an all time high, which has already cost the district well over a million dollars since school began this year.
No one in the media, local government or the school board has anything to say about this, AND the superintendent is STILL allowed to get up in public and absolve herself of any responsibility for the situation she has created!
Our students are being denied their constitutional right to a free and appropriate public education. This is unacceptable, and needs to stop.
What ever happened to the No Confidence Vote? Who dropped the ball? Is STA planning another No Confidence Vote?
DeleteA "No Confidence" vote is often symbolic. At this time, with at least four board members strongly supporting the superintendent, the likelihood of a dramatic change is slim UNLESS the staff, parents and concerned community members band together to DEMAND change.
DeleteThis blog is dedicated to raising awareness of the issues - particularly the violence - that pervade our schools and create an unsafe environment for everyone and hinder both student learning and teacher effectiveness.
OK. Enough. What will it take to REMOVE this one-woman nightmare from top command of what was previously a struggling, but proud urban school district, staffed by committed professionals, who, while ever-challenged by the immense and unending needs of thousands of kids coming to school hungry, sleep-deprived, ill-prepared for their grade-level educational challenges, socially-inept, and often with little-to-no parental support and guidance, provided both safe haven and educational support appropriate to age and ability levels?
ReplyDeleteWhile exhausting, and often overwhelming, the SCSD professionals on the frontline with the kids shared a common vision and mission -- to empower these kids to meet the greater challenges facing them once out of school. There was a palpable comraderie among staff in every building, a sense of being in it together, FOR THE KIDS.
For decades, this dedication retained teachers and support staff who could well have taken the far-easier route of leaving the SCSD for positions in suburban districts (more often than not, at higher pay), but instead, stayed, believing that they could, collectively, and individually, MAKE A DIFFERENCE in these kids' lives, both in and out of the classroom -- and they DID. They spent their own money on school supplies, mittens, hats, clothing and snacks for hungry kids. They stayed incalculable UNPAID extra hours before and after school, providing tutoring, mentoring, guidance and support to kids who would otherwise have been lost in the system. These dedicated individual professionals unselfishly wore multiple caps, as teachers, social workers, and, in innumerable cases, as stand-in parents, provided nurturing, support,
guidance, motivation, direction and a moral and civic compass to those kids needing it most. In doing so, these professionals not only met, but typically EXCEEDED the requirements of their jobs, as they knew that were it not for the relationships they built with these kids, many students would have been lost to the streets. They cared -- then -- and still do, now.
The difference between then and now? The caliber of leadership at the top. An EFFECTIVE leader OWNS EVERYTHING tanspiring on
his/her watch.
An EFFECTIVE leader acknowledges that his/her track record is determined by the morale, efforts, commitment and cohesiveness of those in his/her charge.
An EFFECTIVE leader continually examines and re-examines his/her OWN role in each success as well as in each failure, taking ultimate responsibility, as a TEAM PLAYER when the going gets rough, as any TRUE and EFFECTIVE leader realizes that it never is, or has been all about him/herself, but about the strength of the TEAMS he/she is fortunate enough to lead.
A TRUE and EFFECTIVE leader realizes that SUPPORTING, INSPIRING and EMPOWERING, NOT DIMINISHING those he/she is charged with leading is the cornerstone of success.
A REAL leader never forgets that "I, without my team, am NOTHING."
The SCSD is in CRISIS, and desperately needs a TRUE and EFFECTIVE leader who is willing to OWN the issues and challenges of a large, urban district (and how the needs and limitations of the community feeding into it impact the students).
The superintendency is NOT a dictatorship.
When nearly 100% of staff votes a superintendent INCOMPETENT, there is a REASON, and PARENTS, the COMMUNITY at large, and civic and elected LEADERS need to not only listen, but ACT -- NOW, before the inevitable catastrophe happens. We are facing the unthinkable.
The KIDS of this city DESERVE BETTER.
The ADULTS of this city must take responsible action.
NOW.
WHY are we waiting for the Board of Education to act? It's no state secret the majority are in her back pocket. Need PARENTS to demand change from the Board! Need the MEDIA to investigate. Everyone has excellent HINDsight. Why can't we/they read the writing on the wall . . . and ACT on it?
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