We Did It!!!

Tonight it is impossible for the
Syracuse City School District to ignore the movement.

With the full backing of the Syracuse Teachers Association, the action plan drafted by our grassroots Be the Change group was formally submitted to Superintendent Contreras and the Board of Education for consideration. A copy of the plan is linked below.

A Proposal to Assure a Safe & Healthy School Environment in the SCSD

Below is the President of STA, Kevin Ahern's, introduction of our plan:

"The STA leadership has been chronicling the deteriorating culture in our schools at virtually every Board of Education meeting for over two years. Our members have provided compelling personal accounts of their own experiences as they struggle to do their jobs in the midst of violence, incivility and disruption. Parents have asked this board to provide safe schools for every child and protect them from physical harm, disrespect and bullying. Elected officials, business leaders and community members throughout this city have expressed their grave concerns about the culture of our schools and its affects on our students, our quality of life and our future.

We recognize and applaud the districts implementation of programs and services that focus on restorative justice and social/emotional supports for students. These are positive and necessary steps that must be part of a long-term solution. What seems to be lacking, however, is a plan to ensure safe schools for students, staff and parents now. There is an immediate need for meaningful interventions that will restore an orderly culture of respect and security to our schools. Parents, students, teachers and all the stakeholders in the City of Syracuse are asking for this and, so far, there has been no response.

In the face of this inaction, the grassroots community organization known as Be the Change has asked the STA to present the Board of Education and the Superintendent with their Plan of Action. You have all received electronic copies of the plan for your review. This group is comprised of concerned educators, parents and community members who are advocating for a safe and respectful learning environment for every child in all our schools. The STA is proud to support their work and urges this board and this district to engage with them immediately to discuss the implementation of this plan. We will also be happy to facilitate these discussions and help in any way possible to move this plan forward.

The STA understands that we are part of the larger Syracuse community beyond the school district. We recognize that it will take a community effort to improve outcomes for our kids and are anxious to work with groups that share that goal. This is why we are proud members of the Syracuse Coalition for Respect and Responsibility and the United Syracuse Coalition for Equitable State Funding, community-based groups coming together to support our schools and our students. We know the SCSD has been willing to work with these groups and hope they are equally as willing to work with Be the Change. The voices of the community must be heard and the time for change is now. Let’s all work together for better schools and a better Syracuse."

The moderators at SCSD Take Back Our Schools are proud to have been a part of this process. After months of blogging to call attention to the war zone that our schools are quickly becoming - for students and staff alike - we have hope that perhaps we can effect quick, thoughtful changes that improve the environment at school for everyone who is there to do there job, whether it is teaching or learning or providing support services.

None of this would have been possible without the team of SCSD staff who bravely came forward to share their concerns, the eloquent and inspiring Post Standard commentary written by former SCSD teacher and administrator William Scott, and a group of SCSD staff members who volunteered their time and energy to develop and edit the Action Plan, and most especially two team members who VERY passionately encouraged (and continue to encourage) new members to the join movement. You all ROCK!!!

This is just the beginning of the marathon. We will continue to see this process through. Please join us in the fight!