Where is this coming from?
The team that worked on the draft plan included general ed teachers, special ed teachers, social workers, support staff and parents of kids with special needs. All were very cognizant of student rights and due process. And, while the plan is not complete, it is a starting point for acknowledging that our district does not have enough available slots to fill the need we have for supportive alternative schooling for those kids who are struggling AND for creating a safe, chaos-free environment for those kids who are not. This plan does not intend to take away from the long-range programs that are in place, nor does it seek to deprive any child of their right to an education.
Indeed, we all know that the only way our children will be successful
is to ensure that they all have access to a sound basic education.
is to ensure that they all have access to a sound basic education.
Right now, none of our kids do.
Why? Because a very small percentage of the kids, through violent and intentionally disruptive behaviors, have created a chaos-filled environment within the SCSD - at all grade levels.
The Plan of Action does not advocate for removal from all education, nor can it legally. Instead it recommends movement to a more supportive environment where students can get the social-emotional and academic supports that they NEED to be successful when they return to a traditional classroom setting, which is the ultimate goal.
Twilight classes - evenings from 3:00 to 5:00 or 5:00 to 7:00 - already exist in a more basic form in the high schools, so the Plan is not suggesting anything new to the district. Rather it expands upon the program, advocating for partnerships with community-based organizations to adds daytime supports and the addition of social-emotional supports during the twilight school hours, something the program does not currently include.
All of this is with the goal of helping kids to be MORE supported so that they can be successful.
I am not at all surprised. The FOS (friends of Sharon) are out in full force trying to distract from the real issues and painting everyone trying to create a supportive educational environment into a bunch of bigots. They did it before, and will continue to do it, because screaming race, even when race isn't part of the issue at all, gets everyone cowering. It is clearly not the intent of the plan that the disruptive children be removed from education, but only from the school. As I read the plan, I believe it asks for education AND supports which will try to improve the behavior and attitude of the students involved. These people trying to distort the action plan either cannot read, do not read, or don't care what they read. They only want to change the conversation from something that Contreras doesn't want to do, to making the parents and teachers involved in the process look bad. This has been standard operating procedure for these groups for a while, so I would not have expected anything else. They really don't care about the children in the district, otherwise they would be involved in fixing the problems preventing the vast majority of kids from having a safe learning environment, instead of name calling and ignoring the dangerous behaviors. Stay the course, and keep posting the truth.
ReplyDeleteThe teachers were right when they said they write referrals but NOTHING happens. Some had even said that the referrals make it to the office but then disappear. On Wednesday, March 19 th a box of SHREDDED REFERRALS was found at HW K-8. It was documented and given to the district office. Wonder what Contreras will do about that???
ReplyDeletePLEASE CALL PAUL RIEDE! This is the school that covered up the Sexual ASSAULT case!!!!!!!!!!!
DeleteThank you to all who attended the meeting, and have worked on the Plan of Action! This is so important and so necessary!
ReplyDeleteTo anyone who doesn't like this plan --- what is YOUR plan? Do you really want the district to just continue doing what is clearly not working? Do you really think that the way things are now is acceptable? Sure, nice kids who want to get an education can't learn because of constant disruptions in the classroom. Teachers get cursed at, kicked, spit on, hit, stabbed with pens. Kids bring BB guns, knives, mace, and pepper spray to school. A girl can get dragged into a bathroom and molested, and it is covered up. Are parents, teachers, and the community just supposed to accept this? You would be fine with your children attending schools like this?
Those in charge have more or less said by their inaction, "Yes -- this is acceptable. And even if it weren't -- nobody is going to care enough to do anything about it." They've said that. That Syracuse does not care. That there is no will to change anything. That people are too intimidated, too apathetic, too lazy to even try.
UNACCEPTABLE!!!! We CAN, WILL and MUST change this awful status quo. Children's futures depend upon it.
Well at this point from what I heard from a teacher friend kids are now so neglected and without supervision that serious issues have occurred. Apparently today an extremely disruptive child that has already been through the (doesn't work) step program got so violent that he caused a piano to fall on him. This piano was hundreds of pounds and the principal got hurt trying to lift it. He(the child) was taken away in an ambulance and the principal left to seek medical help. Imagine if the piano fell on someone but himself, we're talking millions in law suits. Before any plan can be put in place we need to re hire the hundreds of teachers and teaching assistants that have been let go in the last 3 years. One person cannot supervise 1 or 2 violent students in their class and also teach. We write referrals they come back and the pattern goes on and on. The issues with the child is never addressed. So tonight we have a violent student in the hospital because we needed to save some money and now the sarcasm comes : to pay another central office assistant to the super over 100k we are doing what is best for our kids. I guess in someones world that sounds right.
ReplyDeleteThis should also be brought to the media 's attention! Why aren't witnesses making anonymous calls! Only a handful of SCSD employees know about these situations so there is no way the parents know about this. Parents need to know about their child's environment!
DeletePaul Riede is aware. District personnel and STA are denying any knowledge of the incident.
ReplyDeleteIf Paul is aware of this incident, why isn't he covering it????????
DeleteAre there pictures???? Why would Kevin deny this incident and put his job on the line.
ReplyDeleteBirnkrant can retire so she does not care!
Reportedly there were pictures that WERE sent to the teacher union.
ReplyDeleteWhy can't the staff send pictures anonymously! We are enduring way too much. Birnkrant cannot get anyone back because she is done at HW Smith! Who cares if she goes out on a bad not because she'll still get her pension.
ReplyDelete