Borne from the assumption that suspensions
have NOT created better behavior or safer schools in Syracuse.
have NOT created better behavior or safer schools in Syracuse.
Borne from the assumption that children who are out of school, do not learn.
Borne from the assumption that Restorative Justice will give us
the opportunity to help students be accountable for the impact of their
actions and that they WANT to make changes.
the opportunity to help students be accountable for the impact of their
actions and that they WANT to make changes.
Borne from the assumption that if we teach students
HOW to make appropriate choices, we will be providing them
with the tools they need to make better choices in the future.
And that they WILL.
HOW to make appropriate choices, we will be providing them
with the tools they need to make better choices in the future.
And that they WILL.
Powerful ideas... Thus far, poorly implemented. Abysmally implemented, actually. Why? Pressure from the Attorney General's office created an immediate need to do things differently. So, we created a wonderful, philosophically admirable document. But we did it without having the financial or human resources to implement it...
Just saying we are implementing Restorative Justice and a
new Code of Conduct, does not magically make it so.
new Code of Conduct, does not magically make it so.
Without the necessary funds or personnel, we do not have an intervention team within the district that has been fully, professionally trained in Restorative Justice. In many schools, we do not have school-based personnel with even rudimentary knowledge of how to conduct basic techniques of Restorative Justice.
So instead, right now many schools deal (or more accurately, don't deal) with minor infractions by doing nothing. More severe infractions are dealt with by a "time out," reset, or trip to the behavior intervention center (BIC), with (in most schools) very little discussion of the impact of the undesirable behavior or how to make a more appropriate choice later. There IS no student accountability.
And because we are not teaching students the appropriate behavior nor are we applying a consequence - and we are certainly NOT holding them accountable - we have now fallen even deeper into the hole...
- Just ask the parents of the Corcoran student who was so severely beaten WHILE IN CLASS last week that his spleen ruptured...
- Or the principal who has been assaulted at least three times since the start of the school year...
- Or the elementary teacher who spends hours each week dealing with one destructive child, while the rest of the class huddles in the hallway. How much instructional time has been lost for every child in that classroom...
- Or the parents of the 900+ students at H.W. Smith who had six - count 'em, six - fire alarm pulls in three days last week... Or the firefighters who responded and had to take time to break up "girl fights" while they were there...
- Or the six staff members who have reportedly already quit at Dr. Weeks, just two months into the school year...
- Or the teachers at city schools who have requested transfers...
- Or the teachers at more than a dozen schools in the district whose administrators are changing Code of Conduct Level 2 offenses into Level 1s or non-reportable "observation notes"...
- Or the 911 dispatchers who have fielded close to TWO HUNDRED calls to Syracuse City Schools this year. And those are just the calls we know about. Many more may have been reported that never went through 911...
This district is not doing what they promised. We - parents, district staff and community members - need to look closely and critically at how the Code of Conduct, Character and Support is ACTUALLY being implemented and ask ourselves if we really believe that it will nurture and teach students in the SCSD how to behave in society at the level they need to be successful.
And if our answer is no, then we need to hold this district accountable for living up to the promise that was made to the Attorney General when they held the Code of Conduct, Character and Support up as the document that would guide us moving forward.
This needs to be published....
ReplyDeleteSpread the word! We are sending it out, but we need everyone's help in drawing attention to this problem.
ReplyDeleteThe incident at Corcoran was not in the class, but rather, in the bathroom.
ReplyDeleteActually it hpnd in the hallway bc he was also pushed down a flight of stairs it was my nephew this hpnd to
Deletemakes you sick doesn't it. As a secretary in one of the schools, I see both the Teacher's side and the Administrator's side. They both have their hands tied, and this is ABSOLUTELY correct in saying that there is not enough manpower to cover these problems. We call for BIC support, and everyone we call for, is already dealing with a child, or has been called to a meeting to talk about the children, or have their own jobs to do of being a psychologist, or social worker etc... This has been set up in typical SCSD fashion. Poor planning, poor follow through and lack of direction/leadership from the people downtown who tell us what to do but have no idea how to deal with 5 minutes in a school, let alone a full day.
ReplyDeleteI just don't understand the lack of response from the board, the mayor and the taxpayers of the city. How is it possible that one woman has the power to wreak so much havoc and continue to go unchecked.
ReplyDeleteFrom above: "How is it possible that one woman has the power to wreak so much havoc and continue to go unchecked?" THIS is the tantamount essential question! THIS is the above-the-fold headline that SHOULD be on the front page of the Post Standard, and the lead story on each of the local TV news broadcasts . . . if the local media weren't so cow-towed by this one-woman propaganda locomotive. And is she ever GOOD at it! Do we need to blitz the media with hundreds and hundreds of SCSD PARENTS and employees calling "FOUL," and with copies of actual stats and anecdotal accounting such as in this Nov.3 blog? Then WHAT on Earth is STOPPING this from happening? Perhaps THIS blog would well serve as the content of a full-page ad in the Sunday paper, including these (and many MORE) accounts and alarming statistics, exposing what is actually happening inside our schools. The only reason she CAN pull this SCANDAL off is, quite simply, because she has a vastly more aggressive (and well-funded) PR plan than the rest of us, and is shamelessly spewing this propaganda to the public and to city officials. Until the public AND city officials are made aware, she will continue this "Reign of Terror" (borrowing loosely from the title of the esteemed Diane Ravitch's current book). Knowledge IS power . . .and once the REAL story gets out (in MAJOR news stories), it will empower the public to pressure the Board of Education AND City Hall. As long as SCSD news is controlled/censored by the District Offices, the charade will continue . . .and at WHAT cost? If the LOCAL press won't take it on, perhaps it is time to tap more powerful (and less hoodwinked) media than that in Syracuse. If the SCSD could make NATIONAL news re: suspension rates, then this scandal needs to be blown open on the NATIONAL stage. The Washington Post published (Westhill District's) Mr. Conti's (now-famous) retirement letter, which immediately went viral. It might be just the place to start. This is SCANDALOUS, and an oh-so-very toxic, proven dangerous work environment . . . for SCSD employees AND their students. It screams to be exposed.
DeleteBIC is a joke when you get fed snacks in there and get to chat about NFL. Step is refusing students.
ReplyDeleteThis all crazy
ReplyDeleteYou can also add to your list of people to ask the parents of several students from Syracuse Academy of Science (who are often targeted by SCSD students) that were physically attacked by several girls from Fowler High School on Monday morning at the Centro Bus Hub. Most of the students from SAS had never been in a physical confrontation ever in their lives until then. We are told that Fowler will not touch this as far as discipline is concerned and are told by SPD that if the perpetrators of these assaults are under 16, no charges will be filed. Many of the students at SAS left the SCSD due to bullying or not being able to learn in the environments you speak of above. No parent should get a frantic phone call from their child at 7:45 am that they were attacked by some girls and may need stitches under their eye. The troubles within the schools are now spilling out into the community. Too many people are making too much money for doing little to nothing at all.
ReplyDeleteand now they've hired some other lady to "monitor student discipline" for 6 days a month and over a hundred thousand dollars a year. another outsider who knows nothing about our kids, or our community. If only we could use that money for actual staff who are trained to teach and care for children.
ReplyDeleteOur schools are becoming worse and worse, this woman is running the district into the ground. These people she keeps hiring for big bucks is going to bankrupt the district then what do we have?
ReplyDeleteThe only people who are worth keeping end up leaving the district. Word on the street is another one of her picks is leaving. After being moved from one failing school to another, he has had enough. So a new admin is being moved to HW? Is this one unqualified or a sorority sister or from out of town? That's the Contreras bag of tricks. How much does she pay these people to take jobs they don't even stay in? There are a lot of people downtown earning big checks who don't get much done. The ones who actually work to make things better get run out! Disgusting.
DeleteThis is all just getting to be too much. Yes, schools had discipline troubles under previous superintendents, but never have principals and teachers hands been tied in such complex ways. People want what is best for kids, and many are struggling to find that balance, but without the help of SCSD central office, it is terribly difficult to get help. When you have a leader who says she wants principals to run the schools when it is convenient for her to pass responsibility but who takes decision-making away from principals when she thinks a choice they have made might make her look bad in the media, priorities are really screwed up. How are principals to know what to do? Unless you are omniscient, you can't win with Contreras, who is a terrible communicator and an uninspiring leader. We must tell her how great she is when she graces us with her presence a few times a year, giving a presentation someone else made for her and in the audience of her central office lackeys who carry her purse and position her possum for her, but we cannot give genuine feedback to her because she has masterfully taken all aspects of job security and professional support from us. It's a scary time t be a principal in Syracuse. Maybe that's why we can't find people to lead some of these schools, some of the lowest performing in the state of New York. No one wants to work with this woman, including many of us who have no other real choices.
ReplyDeleteShe doesn't communicate anything unless provoked. Even then she tells lies. When will families know who their children's' principals are? How long will schools be left in limbo because no one wants to work for Contreras? I'm surprised more people aren't out on sick leave with the atmosphere so toxic in the district. I know! What about move the Board meeting to HW Smith so families can actually face the board and their direct report Contreras to get the truth about our school! Let's have one of her special meetings at Dr. King to get the truth about administrators there. This district is falling apart, and no one is doing anything about it. Maybe the Commissioner can focus on SCSD instead of the mess in Buffalo. He can't like Contreras any more than he did the woman who left BPS. The cities are all broken.
DeleteI am sure that the Tale-Spinner (superintendent) will come up with some "moving on for better opportunity" but another hand-picked principal has resigned. Geovanti Steward is returning to NYC next week. He is/was principal of HW this year. Seymour last year. I am sure that as the previous comment said he is leaving because the task at hand is monumental and the support from downtown is sparce and harsh.
DeleteAs a parent of an HW student, my child has witnessed Mr. Steward get kicked in the groin, run from behavior issue to behavior issue, seen a fight extremely vicious that necessitated Steward tackling the aggressive student, etc. BTW...this student was handcuffed and placed in back of security vehicle. Then student was returned to classroom in 15 mins. That is the way of the new Code of Conduct. Steward also has to stand by while a first grader tears apart a classroom. New COC says K thru 2 can not be removed from the room. The rest of the class has to leave the room and sit in the hall so as not to be injured by the student.
This is just a snowflake of the incidents Steward has had to handle with no support from district office. I would be willing to venture a guess hat he got a talking to when Fire Dpt had police issue appearancd tickets to at least two middle schoolers for pulling the fire alarm. There were 6 last week...three occurring in one day.
I will be sad to see Mr. Steward go. I will miss driving by the school at 9 pm and not seeing the car of this hard working man. The COC has made school life unbearable for all.
I'm also a HW Smith parent and I'm saddened by his departure. It's going to tough to start all over again with yet a new administrator coming into the building. I remember watching the No Confidence vote at Dr. King and I remembered Mr.Steward standing up to defend her. Look what that got him. Sharon is just really thinking about herself I see!!! I do hope once we get this district together he'll be willing to come back work for the district as a principal or under a different capacity.I never saw a outreach from the previous administration like he did this year. He made the school more open to parents by inviting us to different events he had at the school. I believed he had so much more in store. But we won't see that now. My child is definitely going to miss him. From the short time Mr. Steward was at HW you can tell he had a special bond with those students there. I know they are going to miss him. I wonder had he stayed at Seymour would he be departuring. I don't know how bad it was there. To this point it doesn't matter now. Everybody complains about the people she bring in the district. But I have to say she got this one right with Mr.Steward. Not to talk about the teachers at HW. But some of them didn't make this easy for him either from what I heard. They gave him a hard time as well. So I just think with all these incidents that happened there with no support from the district and the teachers giving him a hard time he just probably had enough. I don't think my child will ever get another principal like him again. He was the cream of the crop!!!!!!!!
DeleteHas anyone asked the Post to look into why people are leaving? I will guess there is a gag order on Mr. Steward but others can certainly let the papers know why he is leaving. I heard that another principal that left at the end of June also left for the same reasons no support from downtown.
ReplyDeleteIn light of the exodus of larger and larger numbers of professionals from the SCSD over the past two years, could this not be an opportune time for Be the Change to directly poll the dozens of (previously successful and highly-evaluated teachers),TA's and administrators whose resignations were accepted and posted on the minutes of the August 2014 Board of Ed meeting? It would be incredibly revealing to see their responses (w/option of submitting anonymously), if they were contacted. Likewise, the resignees on the previous five years August Board of Education minutes would be tallied and compared to the current year . For the current year, simply replying to the questions of why they resigned NOW, and what were the primary, motivating factors (and did they include current administration and policies, and /or the overwhelmingly toxic and increasingly dangerous work environment) would provide a wealth of evidence that some enterprising investigative journalist might pick up on (if there actually still ARE any left in this media market).
DeleteA meaningful gift that Mr. Steward could give to the children, parents and staff of the SCSD, other than staying, is to attend the BOE meeting on Wednesday, November 12 and recant his support for the manner in which the CoC has been implemented. It was disingenuous that principals were summoned to attend the BOE meetings to sing the praises of the CoC within the first two months knowing that the bulk of the schools were and are spiraling out of control.
ReplyDeleteMr. Steward, as are many principals, are trying to implement/enforce the CoC WITHOUT the REQUIRED staffing requirements, without the required supports in place to properly adhere to restorative justice techniques. This information needs to reach the public, the Board, the Common Councilors, the mayor.
I implore you, Mr. Steward, to stand up for the children, parents and staff of the SCSD and speak the truth.
As I lie awake thinking about all this at night, I had a thought. Since. the super and others believe it is all the teachers fault and we don't have "classroom management" skills, why don't they come to school and demonstrate what we should be doing. Although there are less downtown folks who were teachers at one time the super was and many (not all) administrators were why don't they come into classrooms and co-teach or teach for a day or two and demonstrate these management skills that we lack. This constant finger pointing and blaming of the teachers is causing such a demoralizing atmosphere that it is a wonder more people have not left the district and profession. I also would love to see some of the STA executive board come into classrooms. The majority of them were teachers at one time and it has been years since Kevin. Mike and Joan were in a classroom. So they can tell us the sympathize with us but until they are in a classroom not just doing a walk through of the building will they truly understand what happens on a daily basis. I'm sure this is just a pipe dream but it would be nice if they would consider it.
ReplyDeleteI have been saying this forever, we have teachers that had no management in classrooms now as coaches doing no coaching. Coaches used to model exemplary lessons for teachers now we have no idea what they do since they are never in the building. If becoming a coach means I can get out of the violent classroom situation we are in, I'm all for it. No administrators, board, or coaches will ever come in to teach. Probably because the first thing I would do is excuse myself to the restroom, sit back and watch. They have no clue sit on their high thrown and pass judgement. Would love to post the pics of bruises I have incurred. It's only November. I have known these kids for years and never would have thought this of them. To give credit where due this is not all administrators we have been through alot. It seems the old school really help the new school admin in helping us. My admin is great but they can't be everywhere.
DeleteIt's about time for video documentation from within the classrooms to be leaked to the press. MULTIPLE videos, from different schools, and from different grade levels, using "nanny-cam" technology, or even simpler video equipment, sufficiently hidden within classrooms. Since we have been utterly unsuccessful in getting the press, the city leaders, and certainly the Board of Ed members to spend time in our classrooms, we can bring the classrooms to THEM . . . and more importantly, to the public eye, via the press. One can only imagine how many dozens of these could flood the media, (creating a news story in itself!) especially if it were an unpublicized, yet organized campaign, with specific media personalities targeted. Videos could also be uploaded to a YouTube page.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't we video the behavior and actions of the supposed leader of the district rather than make children vulnerable online? Where is the "work" that is being done by so many central office staff? Why didn't the district leader speak to parents directly about the change in building principal? There are so many unanswered questions that might help us all get to the heart of the culture/discipline challenges of the district. It is easy to criticize when you aren't willing to do the work yourself. It is so easy to judge when you send other people to do your dirty work for you. I am not surprised Steward is leaving. I am concerned about other administrators leaving. I know people are seeking better opportunities with more support elsewhere. When are we going to decide enough is enough and demand new leadership? We cannot execute the lovely CoC, and we can't keep qualified, committed educators (central office, principals, and teachers) who want to work with our children to make the city better. When are we going to acknowledge that the problem is HER? We weren't perfect before her, but we are much worse than when she came to town to rent her house 3+ years ago. She isn't putting down roots, cares more about her own nephew and sorority sisters than the rest of the children and city, and causes more harm than good. We are trying to create a better climate here with a CoC we can execute, and this leader is not able to support that agenda. It's time for a leadership change, since she is not the change we need or want.
DeleteThe last line, above, is the most crucial one on the page. It contains the dike which can be used to stop the flow: "IT'S TIME FOR A LEADERSHIP CHANGE, since SHE is NOT the change we need or want." Other big districts have booted out their foul superintendents. WHAT IS STOPPING US??? Would it be prudent and/or productive for key players in Be the Change (and possibly the STA, if onboard) to meet with their peers in these other cities, where Broad-trained superintendents were sent packing?
DeleteHmm have quite a few on my own phone.......
DeleteContact the press, or Be The Change rep with your videos.
DeleteYour videos, if that is what you mean by "hmmmm have quite a few on my own phone" are doing the children and staff of the District no good on your phone. Get them to Jeffrey Tobin at Post Standard.
Deleteso who is going to send this out to the news?? or to the senator or the BOE members? It HAS to come from the parents. otherwise we are all just exaggerating the chaos in our schools. What about the civil rights that are NOW being denied to all the other 20 + students in each classroom that WANT to learn??? And once again, shame on our news reporting about the unfair articles dealing with too many african american students being suspended?? LOOK at the demographics inthis dwellcity please and report the truths... the MAJORITY of our city of Syracuse residents are NOt white folk anymore. .
ReplyDelete