PS 50M Hearing CPE1 Parents Read Letter From PS 50 Teacher

"Renewal dollars were not spent on what we needed and suggested like reading and math specialists to support our students." ... PS 50M hearing, Feb. 12, 2018

But why listen to actual teachers on the ground? Just spend renewal dollars on more PD.

Three amazing parents from CPE1 showed up at the PS 50 hearing to share the reading of a letter written by a teacher chronicling the intentional destruction of the renewal school. "Support" meant outsiders including highly  paid consultants walking around and giving next steps.... Support meant being sent to an abundance of PDs without being given time to absorb..." etc, etc etc. PS 50 was closed down at last week's PEP.

No support to reduce class size, of course. Farina doesn't believe in that -- PD = the problem are the teachers.

Like if I was in one of those schools with a masters in reading and say 15 years in the system I needed more PD instead of real assistance by allowing me more time with individual kids.

I spoke to a PS 50 teacher at the PEP last week and he said he couldn't speak for fear of retaliation. That many do not think the district UFT has their backs does not help.

By the way -- who did Farina put in charge of renewal schools? The awful former Brooklyn HS Supt Amy Horowitz who lied and misled people. The UFT people knew how awful she was but sat silently while she misdirected support for renewal schools I would bet to some of her pals who made a few bucks. Now she is going to run some other program at the DOE into the ground.



https://vimeo.com/258661827

PS 42: “We Will Prevail! -The WAVE Front Page

Great story by WAVE Assistant Editor, Ralph Mancini. I'll be posting video footage as I process it.

A few previous Ed Notes posts on PS 42:
PS 42 Hearing - UFT Puts Skin in the Game
School Scope: PS/MS 42 Closing Drama –

“We Will Prevail!” 

School community refuses to give in on PS/MS 42 closure

Ralph Mancini  | on February 15, 2018

[Chapter Leader] John Krattinger led the charge against DOE forces that are looking to shut down PS/MS 42 at Tuesday night’s public hearing. Photo By Ralph Mancini

A green-shirted cavalcade of teachers, students, and other community members lobbied Department of Education officials to keep PS/MS 42 open during a public hearing on Tuesday, Feb. 13.

United Federation of Teachers (UFT) chapter leader John Krattinger rallied the troops by charging the DOE of blatantly silencing people’s voices by failing to immediately notify elected officials of their decision to shutter the Arverne-based facility, also known as The Robert Vernam School.

“If elected officials weren’t notified, what makes you think they’re telling us the truth?” asked Krattinger in rhetorical fashion while also mentioning that NYC Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña issued positive reviews of PS/MS 42 less than 12 months ago.

“The truth has reared its ugly head—gentrification has come to zip code 11692,” he exclaimed. “They want to take it away from our kids and give it to other kids,” Krattinger added, referring to what many have called the DOE’s agenda to see PS/MS 42 closed to clear the lane for two new incoming charter schools that will reportedly be zoned for new homeowners and apartment dwellers in the more affluent Arverne By The Sea community.

Those living in the poorer surrounding communities would be left out in the cold, according to Krattinger and several other teachers.

The school activist continued his rant by calling attention to the statistics that single out the Beach 66th Street location as the sole Renewal school among 20 others with a rating of “good.”

To that end, Krattinger and other faculty members mentioned that the numbers indicate that PS/MS 42 has shown 122 percent growth in English Language Arts (ELA) over the past school year and a 166 percent surge in math over the same stretch.

Undaunted by the DOE’s claims that the school’s level-one percentages among its student population in both ELA (50 percent) and math (60 percent) far exceeds borough-wide totals, Krattinger promised those in attendance that he and his fellow teachers “have moved mountains and will continue to do so.”

“Mark my words,” he declared, “we will prevail.”

Parents also weighed in, including Rhonda Williams, Lechelle Gulley and Millisa Lenihan, who felt as though their sons and daughters were being treated like second-class citizens.

Attendees at the PS/MS 42 meeting vociferously opposed the DOE’s decision to close their school by shouting, “Save 42” in unison. Photo By Ralph Mancini

Williams peppered the DOE panel with questions regarding the type of staff that will be slated to replace the current faculty staff.
She wondered why her school was on the list of sites that are slated to be replaced when data proves that PS/MS 42 is ahead of six other K-8 Renewal schools from an overall performance and progress perspective.

“How about giving us some help? How about giving us the proper education other schools are given? It’s ridiculous. Our children can learn. They’re not failures,” she insisted.

Fifth-graders Hasson Smith and Demetrius Weekes both professed their love for their environment and their teachers, as well as seventh-grader

Leilani Dyer, who felt her school wasn’t offered ample time to show real improvement.

Fellow seventh-grader Nigel Adu, however, elicited a hearty round of applause for relating how his teachers have guided him to persevere and overcome an assortment of obstacles he once had as a special education student.

“If this school wasn’t here, I don’t think I would be where I am right now,” he concluded at the end of his allotted time at the podium.

Community activist Queen Makkada lobbed a series of verbal attacks against Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña by calling her a “bully” and “law breaker” along with apprising the crowd that the DOE leader didn’t follow civil rights law in endorsing multiple school closures in Rockaway.

Toward the end of the meeting, Danielle McGuire, a PS/MS 42 teacher, expounded on the topic of time that was previously introduced by Dyer. She noted the site’s governing agency had promised to afford the school three years to grow and develop, but has now reversed course.

Less than 24 hours after Tuesday night’s hearing, The Wave learned that Fariña would be visiting PS/MS 42 Thursday afternoon to unveil her plans for a new facility slated to supplant the current school.

When Krattinger was contacted by The Wave to comment on the chancellor’s appearance, he reported that neither teachers nor parents would attend the presentation.

He further remarked that the DOE’s last-minute decision to schedule a meeting at 4 p.m. was another “dirty deal” on their part to keep faculty staff away as the school heads into its mid-winter break that same day.

An official verdict on the fate of PS/MS 42 and other Renewal schools takes place on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at Mary Bergtram High School, located at 411 Pearl St. in Manhattan. The event will kick off at 6 p.m.

DOE Fails Renewal School: It's Class Size, Stupid

The Class Size Matters advocacy group has also compiled data showing that about 40 percent of elementary and middle schools in the Renewal program — and nearly all of the high schools — have some classes with 30 or more students in them.
The group’s executive director, Leonie Haimson, called the situation “unconscionable” and noted how the DOE had repeatedly pledged to “focus class size reduction planning efforts on the School Renewal Program." “Because of the DOE’s refusal to reduce class size, the Renewal program is doomed to fail.”... NY Post

MORE's Lisa North:  As a teacher, I was rather shocked that the Renewal program did not seem to include any supports for teaching and learning. While I do think family and health supports are critical, you do need to support teaching and learning. Class size is of course key, but what and how you teach is also important. Just teaching to prepare students to pass the Regents ( so the system can show growth) will not engage or prepare students for higher education.

“Parents and teachers are leaving in droves. These schools are not being managed properly,” Mulgrew told NY1 News... NY Post

A retired principal who lied to corruption investigators, the co-author of a book written by Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña and a nonprofit headed by an insurance fraudster are among those riding Mayor Bill de Blasio’s School Renewal Program gravy train ... NY Post

Lisa and a whole bunch of MOREs attended the JHS 145 closing hearing on Monday at the school. Mulgrew did not, though UFT VP Rich  Mantell did and made a good statement. The UFT should have flooded the meeting but they are just as nervous about keeping 145 open because of the reaction of the charter lobby and Eva over losing control of the school building if 145 lived.

I have lots of video from the hearing but won't be able to get to work on it until this weekend.

We heard more shocking commentary on the massive failure to competently support the renewal schools -- I mean competently, not just throwing money at them.

Now we know not to trust the NY Post, but their recent series of exposures on the renewal program, which clearly has a political purpose to close schools to open them up for charters, still has some important information.

Chalkbeat reports:

SHOW ME THE MONEY The city has paid about $40 million a year on contracts for consultants for its Renewal program. Some payments have been to consultants with checkered pasts. New York Post

We know that Farina doesn't believe in class size reduction and always starts from the point that the problem is the teachers, who need outside "experts" to come in and show them how to do it.

If Farina added 10 real teachers to each school to reduce class size and just left them alone --- actually she also needed to put in a competent principal instead of some of her monsters. But she sure  does believe in sending in outside people to tell people in the school what to do. And oh what kind of people are they?

[Farina] claimed the 700-plus Support Center staffers would “ensure schools get the tailored supports they need,” including “teaching and learning, finance and human resources, operations, student services, special education and English language learners.”

But the source said, “These places are staffed by people who are not anywhere near experts in the field.
“In half the cases they were probably very good two-, three-, four-year teachers. But they’re not the people to be walking into a building telling [assistant principals] or principals what to do.”

Another one from the Post: Foreign language school doomed by bureaucrats

Leonie Haimson on her listserve:

With millions spent in more bureaucrats and consultants, nearly all HS in the program still have classes of 30 or more- despite specific promises to NYSED that they would focus their class size reduction efforts under the C4E law on these schools. 

De Blasio’s questionable school consultants cost taxpayers millions

Here's another article from a former student that the only change she saw when her school entered the Renewal program was more after school clubs and a health clinic- not likely to turn around a school with so many struggling students.

http://nypost.com/2017/03/05/going-to-a-de-blasio-renewal-school-didnt-prep-me-for-college/

SLOW RESULTS The city's "Renewal" school program has shown poor results for the amount of money it costs, according to a New York Post analysis. New York Post 

QUESTIONS REMAIN Anonymous staffers and students at the Coalition School for Social Change said the principal has pressured students to leave and asked teachers to pass certain students. New York Post