Tisch Must Go - Bill Cala to State Board of Regents

Chancellor Tisch has vehemently supported the policies of John King and demonstrated an uncomfortable alliance with the draconian policies of Governor Cuomo. She has been unapologetic, unresponsive and deaf to the public she serves. Her continued leadership of the board will signal defiance of the will of the educational community and an arrogance of unmeasured proportions... Bill Cala

One of my favorite people is Bill Cala, former acting Supt of Rochester schools and long-time, now retired, Supe in nearby Fairport. We met at an anti-high stakes testing conference organized by Susan Ohanian in Birmingham, Al over a decade ago. Bill should be running the State Ed Dept. --- if this were a rational world.

Dear Members of the New York State Board of Regents,

Over the past year, it should be apparent that the direction of education in New York is changing. Parents have raised their voices and are no longer willing to blindly accept the state and national agenda of testing and punishment to their children and their children's teachers. Parents have made it clear that they support their public schools and teachers and will no longer accept a rigid curriculum and testing regime.

Former commissioner King's management of curriculum, data, parents and the implementation of the common core (as well as the common core itself) surely precipitated his departure. Parents, teachers, school board members and the general populace demanded that the process of appointing members to the Board of Regents by the legislature dramatically change and that the process become more transparent. Those demands were so loud and deafening that the legislature had little choice but to listen. As a result, unprecedented turnover resulted. The most ardent supporter of John King was regent Robert Bennett. Throughout Bennett's term he has supported positions that have been at cross purposes with the wishes of parents and teachers. Before John King's departure, Bennett's praise for his policies were unwavering. In fact, when King resigned, Bennett was quoted as saying "...he is the best educator I have ever met." Quite curious that when interviewed for reappointment to the Board of Regents recently, the story changed. It became apparent that Mr. Bennett read the tea leaves and knew that support for John King would not secure reappointment. Fortunately the legislators paid attention and knew very well where he stands on the issues and this led to Mr. Bennett's withdrawal of his application. As you know, this was not the only incumbent who fell.

You all know the history and hopefully you all are aware of the movement for a more responsive government and a board of regents more receptive to the needs and desires of the people of the state of New York. The big question that remains is whether or not the new composition of the board will do "business as usual" or will this board respond to the outcry of parents and teachers. The most effective sign that the Regents are listening and care about the people they serve would be to elect a new chancellor.

Chancellor Tisch has vehemently supported the policies of John King and demonstrated an uncomfortable alliance with the draconian policies of Governor Cuomo. She has been unapologetic, unresponsive and deaf to the public she serves. Her continued leadership of the board will signal defiance of the will of the educational community and an arrogance of unmeasured proportions.

I trust that events of the recent weeks and months will bring a change of heart which subsequently will lead to a change of leadership so desperately needed in New York. Anything less will send a signal that the voices of communities across the state have been ignored.

Sincerely,

William C. Cala Ed.D.
Lifetime New York educator and child advocate

By the way- Bill and his wife Joanne run an amazing charity in Africa where they build schools and do other wonderful stuff. Check it out - http://www.joiningheartsandhands.org/aboutus.php - and DONATE!

Bill Cala Testifies in Rochester

Everybody's wish for a superintendent, Bill Cala, ran the Rochester schools on an interim basis before Brizzard took over.

Jan. 19, 2010

It pains me deeply to have to come before you tonight to speak. It has become apparent that the mayor is bulldozing his way to a takeover of the Rochester City Schools irrespective of the facts and the consequences to the children and the citizens of this city. I have provided you with an extensive analysis of mayoral takeovers throughout the country using validated statistics and citing current and germaine research studies on this issue. On February 10, 2009 I sent Mayor Duffy an e-mail providing the essence of the paper that I have provided to you. Unfortunately, the mayor was not interested in the facts and never responded. Last weeks phone efforts proved fruitless as well.

While my three minutes will not provide ample time to highlight all of the extant data and research I will focus on New York City as the mayor has raised New York as the nexus for his decision for a hostile takeover. No fewer than a dozen times in the past week Mayor Duffy has cited the success of the NYC takeover as a reason to do the same here.

Here are the irrefutable facts:

New York City has been controlled by the mayor since 2002

On the National Assessment of Educational Progress or NAEP the only valid measure of student performance in the nation with a 40 year track record

NYC students have shown no gains in:

Fourth-grade reading

Eighth-grade reading

Eighth-grade math

No gains for African-Americans, Latinos, Asians, Whites or lower income Students

Graduation rates:

SED statistics cite NYC with a 52% graduation rate virtually the same as RCSD

Mayor Bloomberg, however, has invented his own mathematical formulas, utilizing “Discharge Codes.” These are labels that he has attached to students who leave the system in order to disguise dropouts. In an April 30^th study out of Columbia, the discharge scandal was uncovered:

I quote:

“The findings of this report suggest that the high school discharge system continues to provide a loosely regulated loophole that can be used to inflate graduation rates by pushing at-risk students out of school”

The findings:

The discharge rate went from 17.59% in the year 2000 to 21.1% in 2007

The total number of discharges totals 142,262 kids

Special education discharges went from 17% to 28% in that same time period with a startling 39% discharged in 2005.

The African- American graduation rate for boys is 29%

Enough said about whether mayoral control produces positive academic outcomes. It doesn’t. As in the rest of the country Mayoral control in NYC is a dismal failure and a fraud.

Sunday’s Chicago Tribune headlines tell of the failure of mayoral control in Chicago: “Daley School Plan Fails to Make the Grade.”

So what about DEMOCRACY?

City residents are already disenfranchised by laws governing big cities in New York State. While suburban citizens are empowered with the right to vote on their district budgets, city residents are not entitled to do so. Mayoral control effectively removes Rochesterians from any meaningful input into the education of its children.

This issue outweighs any consideration relative to academic outcomes and political perceptions of economic feasibility.

Eliminating yet one more avenue to parent and citizen participation in government is an outright assault on democracy. I have cited ample research in my report that demonstrates how citizens, especially minorities have lost their voices in cities where schools are controlled by mayors. Mayor Bloomberg has led the way in denying citizen input of any kind.

Would any type of a takeover like this be suggested in the suburbs? Hardly. There would be a riot.

Why are these takeovers occurring? Because the poor have no voice and urban poor are treated like second-class citizens. It is done because mayors can get away with it. They do it because THEY CAN!

Using the logic of the mayoral takeover scheme, Governor Patterson should be calling for a constitutional amendment to eliminate the New York State Legislature and take control of the entire state by himself. I know this has a certain appeal given the reputation of our legislature, but the absurdity of eliminating voters’ voices is autocracy not democracy.

While I have made many suggestions in my paper that can improve the lot of urban children in my report without stomping on the rights of Rochester’s citizens, I recommend that the mayor and city council put the issue on the ballot for the voters to decide whether or not the mayor should take control of the schools and include in the ballot resolution ACCOUNTABILITY. The mayor would be RECALLED if there is no progress in five years. That’s exactly the same accountability the president and secretary of education are calling for when they are insisting that principals and teachers be fired if schools don’t perform. This vote should take place after vigorous debate and BEFORE our legislators go to Albany with a mayoral control bill in hand.

Mayor Duffy has cast opponents as QUOTE “a small group of self-interested adults and cheap politics to sway public opinion UNQUOTE. I hardly call this a desire to debate the issues. Metro Justice, Parents Groups and the Anti-Racism Coalition and the mayor. Who’s the politician in the group??

The takeover is not about kids and student performance. It’s about power, control and money.

My plea to you tonight is to do everything within your power to preserve the voices of the poor and reject a mayoral control.

I would rather live in a messy democracy than in a tidy autocracy.

Thank you for your time and patience.

William C. Cala Ed.D

January 19, 2010

Statement to Council

Related:

Rochester school forums delayed until bill is drafted

From Bill and Joanne Cala: Joining Hearts and Hands

Just got this from Bill, who would be a great choice to replace Richard Mills as State Ed Commissioner. This is what he does in his "spare" time.
Still time to give.


A three-room classroom is under construction in Katito, Kenya with a school kitchen, playground and lavatories.

Hannah’s Hope Near Completion

There will be 17 of us traveling to Kenya next week to cut the ribbon that will officially open Hannah’s Hope. If you did not see yesterday’s Democrat and Chronicle or if you are not in the Rochester area,, there was a wonderful article by reporter Jim Goodman covering Hannah’s Hope. The URL is: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20081227/NEWS01/812270331


We just returned from a great meeting at Terry and Marilyn Congdon’s home. Friends and Family of the Congdons along with some of our special friends went over last-minute trip details. The best part of the meeting was dividing all of the donated books, clothing, medical supplies, school supplies and games for our young Kenyan students. Each of us is carrying 50 pounds of materials to Africa. That’s almost 900 pounds of kindness.

As we make the expedition, we ask for your prayers and good wishes. We will be opening Hannah’s Hope at a Mass on January 11th and all of you will be in our prayers of thanksgiving for making the dream of Hannah’s Hope become a reality.

This is also a great time to take advantage of a 2008 tax deduction. There is still a week left in the year to do so! Any and all donations are greatly appreciated. We know how difficult these economic times have been in the USA. Imagine what this world-wide recession is doing to developing countries! The need in Africa is greater than ever!

Donations can be sent to:

Joining Hearts and Hands
9 Fieldston Grove
Fairport, NY 14450


Peace, Love and Happy Holidays,

Bill and Joanne Cala

www.joiningheartsandhands.org

Bill Cala on Class Size...and Bloomberg's Reps Too

Any one who claims that class size doesn’t make a difference has not been in a classroom in the past 20 years.

- Bill Cala, most recently interim Superintendent of the Rochester School District in New York and a long-time Superintendent of three school districts, now retired.

I met Bill Cala and his wife Joanne in March, 2003 at an ACT NOW conference at the WOO (World of Opportunity) in Birmingham, Al., hosted by the late, great Steve Orel. With a cast of Susan Ohanian, Juanita Doyon, John Lawhead, and twenty other education activists from around the nation, that was one hell of a two days of intensive discussion on NCLB, high stakes tests and general education issues. Quite a few bonds were formed, especially at the anti-war vigil in downtown Birmingham, followed by a communal dinner.

I was shocked when I discovered that Bill was a school Superintendent in Fairport in upstate New York, the third district he has run. How could I be on the same page on so many issues with someone who runs a school district? Besides, he was a hell of a lot of fun to hang out with. Nowhere near the Supes I had run across in NYC.

We kept in touch and on a visit to NYC, he invited me to a meeting at the Urban Academy at the Julia Richman Educational Complex. That was the first time I met Ann Cook (co-director of the school and one of the true heroes of education) and the amazing Jane Hirschman (Time Out From Testing).

Bill retired from the Fairport school district a few years ago and he and Joanne started Joining Hearts and Hands, which promotes improved educational, health and economic conditions for African orphans and their communities by building schools, sponsoring health clinics, providing secondary scholarships, and nurturing sustainable development initiatives – all to promote dignity, opportunity and hope.

While I was sure of where Bill stood on class size, it is one thing to be use rhetoric (see one Randi Weingarten) and another to deliver when you have the power in your hands to do so.

Here is Bill's own words on class size:

While superintendent of Fairport, I initiated a long-term plan to reduce all primary classes to no higher than 17. For the most part, we accomplished that goal, reducing class sizes to that level K-3. In fact, in order to put meat on the bone, I had the board adopt a policy to that effect. In the intermediate, middle and high school grades, I brought class size down to the lowest levels in the school district’s history.


Any one who claims that class size doesn’t make a difference has not been in a classroom in the past 20 years.

Why do I bring up Bill's views on class size now?

Because on Nov. 19, I attended a panel on mayoral control at the Wagner School at NYU with

• Leonie Haimson of Class Size Matters
• Richard Kessler, Executive Director, The Center for Arts Education
• Lesley Redwine, Director Of External Relations, Achievement First
• Fatima Shama, Senior Education Policy Advisor, NYC Office of the Mayor

Shama was a last minute replacement for the Tweed rep, Emily Weiss, who pulled out after hearing Leonie would be on the panel. (Tweedies are not good at actually having to face people who have real data.)

Shama was pretty smooth with the usual claptrap coming from the mayor's office on education. You know how closing the achievement gap is an ethical issue and inequality must be blah, blah, blah, blah.

So I asked her how come it wasn' t an ethical and equality issue for NYC students to have 25% higher class sizes than the rest of the state? Why the poorest kids in urban areas, who just happened to be mostly people of color, don't deserve equality with the richer kids? Why isn't this the civil rights issue of our time?

Shama's response was - now hold your breaths kiddies - was that class size doesn't matter.

The ideal class size in Bloomberg land.

There was an audible gaps from the audience of mostly education students about to become teachers (but maybe not in NYC now that they know the official policy.) Redwine, was quick to jump in and agree with Shama.

Now there's a pair for you.

For my money, Leonie kicked their butts all over the place.

Bill Cala: High-Stakes Tests Push Kids to Streets

Susan Ohanian writes:
Longtime educator William Cala points out that in the face of the high stakes pressures, cheating is inevitable.

Bill Cala was a super superintendent who retired a few years ago from Fairport, NY. He ran the Rochester schools as interim superintendent last year but declined to take the job full-time as he and wife Joanne have been doing some great work in Africa (Joining Hearts and Hands - donations welcome.)

We all got to hang out (Susan O and John Lawhead too) at a high stakes conference at the World of Opportunity (The WOO) in Birmingham back in 2003 and I kept thinking that this guy is like no other school superintendent I've ever heard of. We had the most fun talking about the inept NY State ed department under the mis-leadership of Richard Mills, a man who eagerly signed off on Joel Klein's waiver to be chancellor. (Check Mills' work in mis-managing the Roosevelt, LI schools which were taken over by the state.)

When someone like Bill Cala is tapped to run the state education department will be the beginning of true reform in education. Or chancellor of NYC schools. (I can hear his howls of laughter emanating from the halls of Tweed.)

Read the entire article but here are a few excerpts from this gem.

High-Stakes Tests Push Kids to Streets
William Cala
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
2008-07-27
Full article here
http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=8137

What is the purpose of public education? Historically, it has been to make good people, to make good citizens and to nurture the individual's talents and skills. However, over the past 100 years, these noble principles have been kicked aside in lieu of a sterile testing agenda set by politicians that has ignored the needs, wants and dreams of students, families and local communities.

If schools do not reach certain numeric benchmarks set by bureaucrats, they will be closed. Is it any wonder that we find that social studies tests given in rote, repetitive practice drills in the City School District became the final exam without alteration?

How widespread is this type of corruption? I suspect that this is the tip of the iceberg.

We are test-prepping our kids into the dropout line (fewer than one-half of minorities nationwide are graduating). School is becoming irrelevant.

Pupils need and want to be a part of democracy, not the target of bad politics in disguise as democracy.

The pressure to use tests as the only means of educating children has dramatically increased teacher anxiety and depression, and is driving good teachers out of the profession.

It is said that tests are meant to improve education and enable children to achieve higher standards. However, dropouts have increased since the onset of high-stakes testing (especially among minorities, English-language learners and special education pupils).

Sadly, schools have been dumbed-down to absurdity. Do we really believe that 30 out of 87 correctly answered questions on a high-school math exam "meets standards"?

Cala is a professor at Nazareth College and former interim superintendent, City School District.