Tweed Terminates, Grady/Lehman Etc. HS Resists

I can't resist watching any of the Terminator movies. I even watched one the other night. I was a fan long before the ed deform attack on public schools but every day I have an eery feeling of deja vu.

Last night when the revised public notice from the DOE to close down all 33 PLA schools came out I felt I was watching another Terminator movie. Take a look (http://schools.nyc.gov/AboutUs/leadership/PEP/publicnotice/2011-2012/April2012Proposals.htm) and tell me it doesn't remind you of the machines in the Terminator franchise trying to wipe out humans while a small resistance movement fights back.


After closing my high school they close my junior high
And look at this one -- after closing my HS -- Thomas Jefferson years ago they are now closing my old JHS - Gershwin -- look who is co-located -- our UFT friends.

J.H.S. 166 George Gershwin (19K166) and New School (19K338) with the UFT Charter School (84K359) in Building K166

Closure, Opening and Co-location Public Notice  EIS  Building Utilization Plan

Elaine Gorman Email: D19Proposals@schools.nyc.gov Phone: (212) 374-0208

April 4, 2012 at 6:00PM J.H.S. 166 George Gershwin 800 Van Siclen Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11207

While things look bleak, the puny humans are still fighting back with different schools trying different things. Many have been calling on the UFT to mount a united fightback of all the schools in the city but that has not seemed to be happening, though the UFT has been making noises about holding rallies of some sort on March 15 but for some reason seems to be keeping that top secret.

GEM even postponed our special teacher eval sesssion with Carol Burris, Leonie Haimson and Arthur Goldstein just in case the union actually comes through.

Puny humans fight Tweed machines at Grady
We'll try to keep people updated on any of the protests that are coming in. Tomorrow there is one at Grady HS where Mulgrew taught even though there is a Delegate Assembly tomorrow. I assume Mulgrew has to pop in there.

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See below the fold for Lehman HS Updates:

 

6.

Re: March 7th & April 2nd -- Lehman High School Community Meeting

Posted by: "Angel Gonzalez" gee.lee21@verizon.net   gee.lee21

Tue Mar 6, 2012 4:39 am (PST)

> Please support the struggle of Lehman High School, Bronx against the turnaround/closing which will mean the excessing of
a maximum of 50% teachers and the loss of good program offerings.

We can't accept unilateral top-down decisions from Bloomberg's Dept of Education that ultimately aims to charter-privatize our entire NYC public school system.

Our public schools need to be infused with funds that will reduce class sizes, improve the overall conditions and provide all the needed
staffing.

Don't close our schools; fully fund and fix our schools in a process that is democratic and respects the voices of our parents, teachers, students and communities.

See attached letters.
In solidarity and struggle,
Angel

> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: <Elly_Harrold@nysd.uscourts.gov>
> Date: Mon, Mar 5, 2012 at 7:40 AM
> Subject: March 7th & April 2nd -- Lehman High School Community Meeting
> To:
>
>
> Please read the note below from Lehman HS Teacher/UFT Representative Anne Looser - and forward to all concerned parents and community members.
>
> Sarah attends Lehman HS. She elected to go there, and I fought to get her in, because of all of the programs they had to offer - most of which are listed below as those possibly being eliminated by the Mayor if they bring a small school into Lehman in addition to closing Lehman, firing 50% of staff, and renaming the school.
>
> I personally am fed up with the DOE - and how they tell us they want parent input, and how "family" is important to them. I am tired of being the "family" that supports my kids, my school system, my borough and my city - and then not being listened to. Those in charge of the Department of Education have no idea what our kids need. The teachers in the classroom, the parents who are involved with their children's education, and especially those students themselves who want to be in school to receive a good education remain at the bottom of the list.
>
> If you are available, or can forward this email to others within your school community and your neighborhood, I would appreciate it. You don't have to be a parent of school-age child to have the same concerns that I do. The more parents and students who show up at these meetings, the more who speak up about their feelings and sign petitions, the better the chances are of getting our voices heard. I do believe it helps - not always - but sometimes.
>
> Lehman HS opened as a neighborhood school, and the changes that have been implemented in the past 5-6 years by the DOE are unfair, and do not depict an accurate picture of the education that is taking place there.
>
> Please come out and help if you are able. Hope to see you there.
>
>
> Elly Harrold
> Tel: 212-805-0504
> Cell: 917-559-7594
>
> "It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." - - Harry S. Truman
>
> ----- Forwarded by Elly Harrold/NYSD/02/USCOURTS on 03/05/2012 07:18 AM -----
>
> From: Anne Looser <anne@lehmanuft.org>
> To: Parents <parents@lehmanuft.org>
> Date: 03/05/2012 07:10 AM
> Subject: March 7th & April 2nd -- Lehman High School Community Meeting
>
>
>
> Dear Lehman Parents:
>
> Thank you for your support of the Lehman High School Community. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Anne Looser. I am a proud member of the Lehman High School Faculty. (And for those of you who are wondering, we collected your email at the last community meeting held on January 25th.) I am also the UFT Chapter Leader here at Lehman High School. I would personally like to thank you for all of your support. Some of your children have played a large role in my professional life, and I consider it a real honor to work with them.
>
> On March 7th at 6pm Lehman will be hosting a Joint Public Hearing to discuss the co-location of a small school at Lehman High School -- this is in addition to implementing the turnaround model at Lehman. The Joint Public Hearing to discuss the turnaround model will be on April 2nd at 6pm. If you would like to speak at either event you should arrive by 5:30pm to sign up.
>
> Specifically, the Mayor is proposing for the 2012-13 school year to “close” Lehman, give it a new name, and let go at least 50% of the staff. The current students will continue at the school. In addition the Mayor is proposing to bring a small school into Lehman, which will reduce the current course and program offerings at Lehman – no matter who the staff is.
>
> If these proposals become reality, then students stand to lose the following programs:
> SUNY college-credit courses
> AP courses
> Honors courses
> Peer negotiation and mediation courses
> Student leadership and peer mentoring programs
> Community clean-up projects
> Mock Trial
> Outdoor Education
> Comprehensive arts, music, and athletic programs
> Library services
> C++ Certification programs
> In fact, it will actually cost the Mayor money to implement these measures that take away from student programs.
>
> At the March 7th and the April 2nd meetings we hope that you will come ready to discuss how the Mayor can spend money that will support student programs at Lehman High School.
>
> If you cannot attend the meetings, but wish to voice your concerns, you can call (212) 374-5159 or email D08Proposals@schools.nyc.gov.
>
> If you would like to help, it would be great if you could help us spread the word about this meeting. Please forward this email widely. We also have flyers that we would like to hang up around the neighborhood. We could use help with this.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Anne
>
>
> --
> Anne M. Looser
> Herbert H. Lehman High School
> Special Education Teacher
> UFT Chapter Leader
> http://www.lehmanuft.org
> Phone 718-904-4292
>

---- See Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/. And make sure to check out the side panel on the right for important bits.