Thank you to all of the
brave SCSD personnel who came forward tonight!
brave SCSD personnel who came forward tonight!
Your efforts are truly appreciated!!!
At the SCSD Be Heard Meeting tonight at St. Daniel's Church, organized by Bill Scott and Heidi Teska, guest speaker William H. Scott spoke to more than 100 non-supervisory SCSD personnel and led them through a data survey with some upsetting results...
- More than half of those in attendance had been assaulted by a student at some point in their career
- All had been cursed at and/or verbally abused
- Only two could state that they see members of downtown administration in their building with any regularity
- Referrals that go nowhere
- Kids sent to the office only to be sent back to class within minutes
- And it went on and on...
A listening panel consisting of Common Councilors Nader Maroun and Bob Dougherty, newly-elected School Board Commissioner Dave Cecile, and School Board President Pat Body, was present to hear first-hand the stories of assaults, disrespect, alternative programs that do not work, feelings of being unsupported by the district administration, the need for programs that reach children even as young as pre-K age, and what it's like to try to teach amid chaos.
And they appeared to be surprised by some, if not all,
of what they heard.
of what they heard.
Then the discussion moved to need... The immediate need for alternative settings, the need for a baseline expectation of conduct, the need to have support services in place, the need for support from downtown, the need for security support from the police department...
There is much that needs to be done, including putting together a formal plan for immediate action to be brought forth to the appropriate personnel. More meetings will take place, but what a fabulous start!
Stay tuned here to learn more about how you can get involved in the
Take Back Our Schools Movement.
Take Back Our Schools Movement.
I thought the meeting was great. Special thanks to Bill Scott Sr. and Jr. for organizing. It was interesting to see staff from all departments tell their stories. Unfortunately, the statements clearly show that discipline is lacking and staff take a risk everyday they come to work.
ReplyDeleteI do find it hard to believe that the special guests were surprised by what they heard! Just read Syracuse.com and visit the schools, it will takes minutes to get a good feel for the atmosphere. I heard many people make the comment that their jobs aren't fun anymore. That is so sad. It isn't just a job for staff at SCSD, if they didn't love children, why would they come to work?! Think about it!