Outraged Dewey Community Ready To Fight Back

Superintendent Amy Horowitz came to Dewey Tuesday to give the Tweed party line with the usual "I'm only the messenger." Teachers often take the bait and say "Don't shoot the messenger." Well I say SHOOT THE MESSENGER. They took this sleazy role and are willing to play no role in trying to save a school. So go get 'em. In this case the teachers and parents at Dewey did. [Don't you just love the teacher who used the evil Eva as a boogeywoman?]


Here is the report:

At an informational meeting at John Dewey High School, relating to the proposed implementation of the “turnaround” model, Superintendent Aimee Horowitz faced an outraged community that questioned the strategy of closing an improving school and replacing up to half of its faculty.

Teachers used graphs with data to illustrate Dewey’s improvement in graduation rates and overall academic progress. The Dewey faculty vigorously defended their school’s accomplishments, but the discussion soon turned to skepticism concerning the real motives behind the proposed “turnaround” model.

Ms. Horowitz, unable or unwilling to state the true reason for her visit to Dewey, struggled to answer increasingly difficult questions from the faculty and staff concerning Mayor Bloomberg’s desire to hold the Dewey community hostage in his fight with the UFT over negotiations related to teacher evaluations.

Very few of those in attendance accepted Ms. Horowitz’s claim that she was only the messenger, choosing instead, to accuse her and her bosses of union busting and intentionally trying to undermine the school community.

One teacher said “I expect Eva Moscowitz to walk into the auditorium at any moment, tape measure in hand.” Another teacher complained of “being held hostage” by Mayor Bloomberg adding, that it was a “brutal and demeaning process.”

At a later meeting at the school, with parents and students also present, students shared their Dewey success stories with all those in attendance, receiving rounds of applause from their teachers and a proud crowd.

The Parents’Association president charged Ms. Horowitz and the Department of Education with playing “Russian Roulette” with the students’ education and “setting our kids up to fail.” Another parent threatened a class action law suit against the Department of Education, while a parent with a phone in hand said she had a lawyer on the line who was prepared to work “pro-bono” to defend the integrity of the school. Other parents wanted to know if this was a “setup” to usher in charter schools on the Dewey campus.

The superintendent’s visit ended with a unified commitment from students, parents, teachers, and alumni that a robust fight back would commence. Parents and teachers shared e-mails as a passionate declaration of “you want a fight, bring it on” was announced by a member of the Parents’ Association.