Creation of a Fairy Tale, Part Two

One can only hope that our nation's leaders are not nearly as blind to the truth as our district appears to be. Today, Superintendent Sharon Contreras was one of several panelists at a briefing for members of Congress and their staff. Also on the panel were:

• Dan Losen, Director of the Center for Civil Rights Remedies
• Marcia Weissman, Director of the Center for Community Alternatives
• Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers
• Representative Bobby Scott from Virginia, top ranking Democrat on the House Education and Workforce Committee

At this briefing, the Superintendent was quoted as saying "This has been difficult work, but we certainly have seen a dramatic reduction in the number of suspensions in the Syracuse City School District."

As if this is the measure of success???

When asked for hard numbers to back up the assessment, they were not "readily available." Did no one anticipate that this question would be asked and ensure that Superintendent Contreras was armed with the necessary data? Or could they not arm her with data because the statement is NOT TRUE?

Just because the district is not suspending students out of school DOES NOT mean that things are better. It may just mean that, as hundreds of teachers allege, our district is...

Sweeping behavioral issues under the carpet!!!

 

Our friends at Be the Change recently polled their members to get their perception - as people who are in the schools on a regular basis - on how the disciplinary crisis is playing out. 78% of the nearly 500 respondents are current district employees and another 10% are parents. All people who have a pretty good idea of what is going in our schools RIGHT NOW, because they are there every day. 

 

Their assessment is devastating, to say the least, and in direct contrast to the fairy tale our district leadership attempts to paint. Take a look...

 

Be the Change Safe Schools Report

 

What do YOU think?