The hammer, or more
likely axe, has come down on the Buffalo School System. New York
Education Commissioner Elia has given her (this side of handpicked)
crony the power and authority to ignore the Buffalo Teacher
Federation's Union Contract and do as he pleases with positioning
staff in the district.
Five schools are in
receivership – basically doing so poorly on mandated tests that
show nothing of what a student knows or is capable of. And there is
no proof that students derive any personal value from these tests
either. Under GW Bush's No Child Left Behind and Obama's Race
to the Top laws, that is inconsequential.
Now Superintendent
Kriner Cash is going to drag teachers around and put them in
environments where their abilities most likely will not bring about
the desired change. (Much like the aforementioned laws.)
What do I mean?
What are the
conditions of these schools? Are they old and decrepit or sleek and
modern? Do they have up to date textbooks? Is the Library modern
and up to date with quality materials and computers? Are the halls
long tomb like structures or are they bright, warm, and welcoming?
Are the rooms warm in winter and cool in summer? Or can you guess the
temperature of the room by the weather outside? What does the gym
look like? Is it a school you would want to go to? Or does it look
like something out of the Walking Dead?
Those factors are
controllable – The district can do something about that.
What about the
random variables? Things that the school can not control and do very
little about because the system is so overwhelmed that children are
almost pouring through the cracks at times.
What of the
students? Are they well rested or exhausted. I had a student come
in yesterday that went to bed at 5 am after playing video games all
night. School starts at 7:55 am. He was there. Was he really going
to learn anything? And why did his parents allow that?
Or the student that
was up all night because their parents were arguing, having a party,
blasting the TV, or creating other environmental disturbances that
deny a person the rest they need?
If they oversleep
can they get to school in a reasonable amount of time? Or after they
go through all the buses and transfers have they missed too much of
the school day for it to be of any value? I remember when Buffalo
had neighbourhood schools (Grades K - 8) that could be walked to. Now kids are
bussed all over the place. Long bus rides are tiresome and can
diminish learning.
Did they have
breakfast? Not some greasy garbage from the local fast food joint
but a good healthy breakfast that you or I would eat? (Or want to,
depending upon your income.) Fresh fruit, some cereal or maybe
pancakes or a waffle, (Blueberry please.) Some juice (not the sugar
water bomb stuff – fresh squeezed or something reasonably close.)
Will they have the
opportunity to eat lunch? Do they have the money to pay for it? Or
will they get that PB& J sandwich & some milk (or whatever
state law says a student has to be given if they have no money?) No
free or reduced lunch because their parents forgot to file the paperwork. Again.
Or did they eat
dinner last night? Or is what they eat in school going to be their
food for the day. Weekends means pizza. No veggies.
Do they get to
bathe? Regularly? Have clean clothes? Access to medical care when
they need it? A student in my district was out with whooping cough.
He was coughing so hard he broke ribs, dislocated “a few,” and
has pulled muscles in his chest. Early treatment would have
prevented those injuries. His parents thought he had “a cold”
and didn't get him to the hospital until it was (obviously) too late.
Are they more
fascinated with social media than with school work? The previous
student was out over a week and is that much (and more) behind in his
work because he could not be tutored. He does not seem to have time
to do homework, but his Pinterest(TM) wall is plenty stocked. And
he's up on all the Facebook drama.
And do they know
where home will be tonight? In my student teaching days we visited a
school (I can't remember the name) where the principal told us about
how he had students (elementary) that had placement files a half inch
thick because that is how much the student moved around. One student
was in a different school each week almost. Home is where ...?
And I hear all the
time about Stand and Deliver
and how that one teacher did amazing things with
the students. And other
amazing and heart touching made for TV movies. Those
are fictionalized accounts of what happened. Emphasis on the fictionalized. Step into reality. Please.
Now.
What of the teachers
that are moved around and did so well in their old school but are not
making the miracles happen in their new placement? What will become
of them? Will they be unfairly punished because of the variables
that they can not control?
I
will make an exception (pointed at that) for the English Language
Learners in Lafayette HS. They are being unfairly judged because of
their limited English skills. The only thing that should (but won't)
be done for Lafayette is more teachers that can speak the immigrants'
native tongues. I am told there are approximately 40 different
languages being spoken by the students. They need translators and
educators that can meet them where they are and help
them develop their skills.
The
Buffalo Teacher's Federation is correct to fight the Commissioner's
decision and work to get it overturned. This is a blatant power grab
by those that want to transform Buffalo into a two-tier education
system. A series of private and privatized schools that cater to the
needs of corporate America, local industry and
the upper classes, not
to the dreams of all
our children.
And
that is something that the parents of Buffalo school children and the
union should not let Elia Cash in on.
Update (Nov 11, 2015)
A
few more pieces of information that we need to know about Elia's
actions.
1.
Receivership allows the person put in control to ignore the union
contract and the school board. Please note – The BTF has been
without a contract since 2004 .
2.
Receivership is a step towards privatization. The receiver has a
limited amount of time to get the school in shape before turning it
over to a private organization. This removes the school board and
the public from any voice in what happens to the school or the
students.
3.
This law was created by Governor Status Cuomo – Wall Street's best
friend. Anything he can do to help them secure a profit, he will.
At our cost.
As
socialists we demand -
1.
No to receivership. This plan does not address the underlying
problems that exist outside of the school. Without looking at all
the possible causes of the problem, no solution is possible.
2.
Respect the Union contract and negotiate a new contract in good
faith. By failing to have a contract in place, how many highly
qualified teachers are leaving the district or are not even applying
to be hired? Fix the contract now and respect it.
3.
Funding for schools to be increased so that they are places that
students want to go.
4.
Social workers and programs to work with the families that are
struggling to get their students to school.
If
the Buffalo leadership cannot meet these demands – then we need
Elia to cash Kriner out.
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