Elia Crashed Kriner In

A blizzard has hit Buffalo. Not the snow that we expect, but a bellowing blizzard in the Buffalo City School District. In both cases, they are snow jobs with no real benefit.

The Buffalo News reports today (12/30/2015) that Education Commissioner Elia has granted Buffalo Superintendent Kriner Cash receivership over 20 more schools, for a total of 25 schools.

What is receivership? It is a state law, that most likely violates the Taylor Law, that places control of a school (or a district) outside of the authority of the democratically elected school board and under the control of a state appointed receiver – in this case Superintendent Kriner Cash. This law allows the receiver to ignore (illegally) union contracts and set rules for seniority in favor of appointments that the receiver thinks might make a positive change in a school or district. The receiver has two (that's 2) years to show improvement or control over the school or district will be handed over to an outside private entity for control.

In simple terms – It is a way for the Education Commissioner to force a school or district to privatize.

The follies with this approach:

1. It takes almost five (that's 5) years for any educational change to show any effect, The Buffalo News and other organizations reported on this years ago when President (sic & sick) George W Bush implemented his “Co Child Left Behind” Act. The tests were rolled out and everyone did poorly for a few years and then things improved. NY demonstrated this recently when it changed the tests that were administered at the 3-8 and in Regents tests. Test scores dropped for a few years and then rose.

The two year window is designed to make the school//district look like a failure and force the privatization of the schools.

2. What changes will the Superintendent make? He hasn't announced anything. He can go for longer school days and a longer school year. The research on both are iffy, at best. Mandated professional development? OK. In what exactly? Each school is unique and there is no way for the Superintendent or his hand picked cronies to know what those schools need. The principals? More likely. The teachers? Absolutely. Power needs to be taken away from the Superintendent and be given to the teachers. They know their students and their needs more than anyone else.

3. What about outside factors? Many of the schools on the list serve poor and minority populations. Places where students may not know where home is going to be tonight. The only food they will have is what they eat in school. Medical care? Don't rely on the Affordable Care Act – the parents cant afford the premiums. They more likely receive medicare or other government health care, if they bother going to the doctor at all when they are sick. Most likely they go to the emergency room.

How will Commissioner Elia and Superintendent Cash deal with these issues that have a greater impact on learning than anything done in a classroom? Nobody wants to talk about this – and yet it is one of the most important things that needs to be discussed in the education of a child. Stability in the home life leads to stability elsewhere.

Buffalo Teachers Federation and NYSUT (New York State United Teachers) are correct in fighting against receivership using the Taylor Law as precedent. A competent court will rule in their favor. Moreover – parents need to get in the fight – these are their schools. Their taxes have paid for them and they deserve a say (big) in what happens. The Buffalo School Board needs to get in on this as well. Their authority and power as representatives of the people of Buffalo is being undermined from above.

And someone needs to bring this up – IF (big) privatized schools are so great, then give them the students that need the most help. No one from the top 20%. Give them the students from the bottom of the barrel. (Scrape it good for that matter.) Give them the students that lack stable and secure housing, food, good clothing, health care, etc. IF (big) their methods are so great, give them those students – the students most likely to fail out and wind up in prison or other problematic places and get them to improve their scores.

And no – they can not be kicked out for not meeting school rules and expectations. The goal is to help get them to following school rules and expectations. So they stay.  These are the students that need  the most help and improvement - so, improve them.

Not going to happen. That's not who they want. Pro-privatization advocates want the best and the brightest so that they can make their method look good.

Wrong – Make it look good by making those at the bottom improve.

That will never happen.

That's what those that fought to have Kriner Cash brought in as Superintendent wanted – someone that was going to help privatize the Buffalo City School District.

And, with Elia''s help, they will cash in on everything..

Socialists say NO to this.

We demand -

1. A return to community schools that students can walk to (K-8 Grade).

2. A maximum of 15 students to a classroom.

3. Public health clinics in all schools with a certified school nurse and an assistant in each

4. A fully staffed School Library and Media Center (Librarian & an Aide) in each school

5. Full funding from the state and federal government of all schools (take the money from the useless weapons systems that don't work. Like the F-35, Patriot Missile System, and other disasters)

6. Appropriate Guidance and Psychologist staffing in each school for the students to access

7. An end to standardized and other tests that are used to punish students and teachers

These are the minimums that a society that values its children and education must demand from those that desire to lead us in this new century.

Will we receive them or will those that bought Kriner in be able to cash out?