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?

An Open Letter to Mayor Stephanie Miner

Dear Mayor Miner,

It has been nearly a week since you appointed Mark Muhammad to fill Bill Bullen's seat on the Syracuse City School Board, following his sudden resignation. Mr. Muhammad's credentials - both academic and as a long-standing community activist - were glowingly recounted in your office's press release. Also acknowledged is the fact that Mr. Muhammad is a minister with the Nation of Islam.

In the days since the appointment was announced, many in the city have struggled to understand how it can be that a representative of the Nation of Islam - not just a representative, but a MINISTER charged with preaching its word and doctrine - could be appointed to the school board.

So we ask you... Why?

Are you unaware that the Nation of Islam is - at the end of the day - a group that preaches a radical separatist agenda? One that advocates for SEPARATE SCHOOLS for blacks and whites, boys and girls. One that advocates for black children to be taught by their own teachers - teachers who are left free to teach as they wish.

How is this appointment in the best interest of
ALL children in Syracuse?

 

Regardless of Mr. Muhammad's countless achievements as an academic, a mentor and a community activist, this is an inappropriate appointment in light of Mr. Muhammad's high rank within the Nation of Islam.

 

It is wrong in the same way that appointing a white supremacist or a Neo-Nazi or member of Westboro Baptist Church or an anti-Islamist would be wrong.

 

It is wrong because it is exclusive, not inclusive.

 

It is wrong because it is a tacit endorsement of the philosophies that Mr. Muhammad represents as a minister of the Nation of Islam.

 

It is just wrong.

 

We urge you reconsider your appointment. Mr. Muhammad has made - and will certainly continue to make - many, many, many valuable contributions to the city of Syracuse. But neither he, nor any person holding separatist beliefs, belong on the school board in a city with the rich diversity that Syracuse is blessed to have.

 

Sincerely,
The Writers and Editors of the "SCSD Take Back Our Schools" blog



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!

What Can a Small Group of Determined People Accomplish???

Anything!

A small group of parents and family members managed to get the attention of SCSD district administrators in a big way this morning. They staged a protest at Lincoln, making bullying the center of their pulpit. Frustrated by a lack of response from building administrators, specifically when confronted with bullying issues, they took to the streets showing up today with signs shouting "Stop the Bullying" and "Stop the Violence.

Great job!

These parents have vowed to show up every morning and afternoon to show their support for the kids who have been forgotten in the Code of Conduct debate - the victims. So, every morning at 7:00 they will be there with their signs supporting the students as they arrive at school. And again, every afternoon at 2:10 they will be there.

And now they need our help!

Come to Lincoln to show YOUR support for safe schools. We can never forget - there is power in numbers! The more who show up, the more attention will be shone on the issue of violence in the Syracuse City School District - and the community as a whole.

And stay tuned for future protests at a
school (or board meeting) near you!

The Creation of a Fairy Tale

Anyone who attended last week's Board of Education meeting was witness to a wonderful fairy tale.

As evidence that discipline is still being meted out at virtually the same rate as prior years, the Superintendent informed the Board and the public that the numbers of both referrals and suspensions are virtually unchanged for September/October of 2014 when compared year-over-year to the same timeframe in 2013.

This would imply that behavioral challenges remain about the same, 

in spite of teachers' outcry to the contrary.

If this is the case, then why do so many teachers, parents and students continue to feel that they are not safe at school? That behavior continues to spiral downward, at an increasingly fast pace? That students are no longer concerned that misbehavior will warrant a disciplinary referral?

Why?

If you believe in fairy tales, you might also believe that statistics don't lie? Or that the district is being 100% transparent in their reporting of disciplinary numbers. They certainly wouldn't intentionally try to mislead us, right?

Wrong!

When the Superintendent compares referrals year-over-year, she does not mention that Level One behaviors no longer get referrals. Level One behaviors include, but are not limited to...

• refusing to respond to staff directions or requests;
• non-compliance with classroom rules and procedures;
• goofing off in class;
• teasing, taunting and name-calling;
• throwing objects without injuring others;
• making excessive, distracting, or disruptive movements or noises;
• engaging in confrontational arguing or backtalk;
• cutting class; and
• minor hall or public space misconduct.

When faced with these behaviors - and other Level Ones that are not listed - staff now redirect students and write up "observation notes" to document the behavior. Additionally, unless the violation is egregious, children in grades K through 2nd no longer receive referrals - again only "observation notes."

So... In order to compare statistical apples-to-apples, one would have to take all of this year's referrals and add in all of the "observation notes" documenting Level One behaviors and the behavior of our younger kids. Only then would you have a truly accurate year-over-year comparison. 

Do you think that the picture would look as rosy? 

We don't... It is time to demand the truth from our district leaders! And to also demand that our city and county leaders stop continuing to blindly accept that which they are being told by those in charge at 725 Harrison.

Only when the truth is fully told can we

- as a district, city and county -

begin to work together to address the problem and
help our children succeed.