Reminder! Parent Action Conference on Saturday

I'm reposting. I'll be there with camera - stop by and say a few words for our little film.

Dear Norman:
Our Parent Action Conference is just a few days away on Saturday, Jan. 27 at the Peck Slip School in lower Manhattan.  Please sign up today if you haven't already!

You can spend the day with fellow parent activists, learn how to advocate for your child and our schools, enjoy a delicious lunch and see a terrific movie; what could be better?

Also, this morning we held a successful press conference along with CPAC and CEC leaders, representing more than one million parents and demanding that the Mayor give parents a voice in selecting a new Chancellor. Watch out for reports on NY1 and the Wall St. Journal.

We're asking for a meeting with the Mayor to discuss how parents can provide input into his decision, to ensure that the next Chancellor has the qualities and qualifications necessary to run the nation's largest public school system and is someone who can truly collaborate with parents. Check out the oped I co-authored with Leonie Haimson in Gotham Gazette on this issue.

Hope to see you Saturday! --
Shino for NYC Kids PAC

Press Coverage of Parent Demands for Input On Chancellor, Exposing De Blasio

See the complete Video of press conf at Ed Notes:
Video: Parents demand NYC Mayor de Blasio Include ...

Reports from Leonie:

See video of De Blasio saying we need a public vetting for Chancellor when he first ran for office

Lindsey Christ (@LindseyChrist)

1/24/18, 12:04 PM

"A serious, serious public screening" is what @NYCMayor said in 2012 should happen with a Chancellor search. Now he says search will be secretive. We found the video of his 2012 comments. WATCH: pic.twitter.com/AuNDVYzxWt

NYC Public School Parents

News & video of  press conference, where NYC parent leaders demand a voice in selecting the next Chancellor, and the mayor's response (so far) -

Good story from LIndsay Christ who dug up the footage where de Blasio was running for mayor and promised to do a public vetting process.

http://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2018/01/24/parents-demand-mayor-include-them-in-new-schools-chancellor-search

School-board heads want input on new chancellor - NY Daily News

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/school-board-heads-input-new-chancellor-article-1.3775431

School Scope: DOE Decisions on Shutting Down Schools Political, Not Educational

Publishing date: Friday, Jan. 26, 2018

School Scope:  DOE Decisions on Shutting Down Schools Political, Not Educational

By Norm Scott

I reported on the magnificent PS 42 closing school info session in a recent column (the hearing is Feb. 13 at the school and I urge anyone who actually reads this column to come see how a school fights back) and followed up by attending the IS 53 session (not as exuberant but still significant – their hearing in Feb. 7 which I cannot attend) the next night where I had a chance to join the students, teachers and parents who defended the school in speaking. Many valid points were made at both schools about the seeming arbitrary nature of  the decisions to close down schools that are branded as “failing” whereas the criteria being used seem to be moving targets with the outcomes influenced more by political than educational issues.

Charters coveting space is often a factor, as is gentrification, both seeming to be operating factors in the decision to close the two Rockaway schools. In 12 years Bloomberg and his Chancellor agents Joel Klein and Dennis Walcott (yes the same guy running Queens libraries -   one of the political outrages since his boss Bloomberg did more harm to the library systems of this city than any mayor in decades) closed 150 schools and opened scads of new ones, with some of them ending up on failing lists. De Blasio and Chancellor Farina promised something better. While the numbers of closings are far less, they still have the same negative impact on micro communities.

The so-called “Renewal” schools – those branded as failing but given three years to improve – have come under severe attack by the forces of privatization funded by numerous hedge fund billionaires who would like to see entire public school systems turn into non-union privatized charters drinking at the trough of public money. They did that in New Orleans to disastrous effect. Trump Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has used her billions to create another disaster in the state of Michigan while nearby Ohio suffers one charter scandal after another. Well, actually so does Arizona, California, Florida  – well I could go on but I will spare you the dirt. If interested, Google “charter school scandals” and watch the stuff spill out of your screen, like this lovely headline from the May 8, 2017 edition of Business Insider, “Are charter schools the new Enron scandal?” Oh, what fun!

You might see commercials from an astroturf group like Families for Excellent Schools – FES – I refer to them as FEH!!!! They are oh so concerned with the poor children in these renewal schools and also love to attack the teachers who are forced to reapply for their jobs or else get tossed into the permanent substitute ATR pool. Of course let’s blame the teachers, as if the people running the DOE from the top to middle management have played no role. No one’s head rolls for putting in lousy administrators to run schools or the many awful Superintendents appointed under Farina who are supposed to supervise them. I watched District 27 Supt. Mary Barton sit there stone-faced at both Rockaway hearings while children and parents pleaded for their schools.

Last week I taped an amazing event in East Harlem (District 4) – not the outright closing but the combination of two schools in one building – an elementary school, PS 7 and Global Tech Prep, a middle school. GTP was set up as a special school focused on tech in the very poor East Harlem community. The founding principal left and a teacher trusted by everyone in the school was supposed to take over to continue the vision of the school. But last April he was denied tenure and left – he is now at Harvard – and chaos reigned. Thus Farina and her Dist. 4 Supt agent of destruction, Alexandra Estrella, doomed both schools to a death spiral so they could execute a naked power play. I have loads of videos on my blog of the remarkable students challenging the DOE reps at a hearing and calling them “monsters.” Monsters indeed!

If you still think these decisions are educational and not political, check this out. Some renewal schools have been rescued and are now in a program called “RISE.” JHS 80 in the Bronx is one such school spared the ax despite repeated reports that its principal, Emmanuel Polanco, is a horror story but is being protected. Sue Edelman, one of the top education reporters in the city despite working for the often despicable NY Post, reported that JHS 80  “is an educational hellhole. Despite receiving millions in extra dollars and services, the 655-student Norwood school suffers from out-of-control students, filthy, unsafe conditions and thuggish administrators who try to keep the horrors under wraps, insiders have told authorities.” ... NY Post, Jan. 6, 2018.

Sue is by the way the niece of my former next door neighbor, Jean Mirkin, of Mirkin Vision Care fame on Beach 116^th St. So Sue comes from good genes. Or Jeans.

Norm’s genes are always on display at his blog, ednotesonline.com.

Video Global Tech: Teachers and Parents Stand Up to DOE Plus Statements of Support to be Read at PEP

You reap what you sow and [pointing at Estrella] you are going to reap what you sow  ---- Global Tech teacher

Here are comments from a couple of parents talking about the impact of Global Tech on their children and some amazing teachers. These teachers are not only eloquent but brave. It's funny how we read so many anonymous comments on the blogs where teachers say how fearful they are. Not these teachers.

I saw Estrella pass a note to the guy next to her when Kayla Hamilton was speaking pointing out her name. I called out - vendetta? When I told Kayla the story she said, "What else is new?"

One reason we are taking aim at Estrella at the UFT to force them to take action and stop the collusion between her and District 4 rep Servia Silva.



https://vimeo.com/252572151

Here are the letters of support from a retired principal and DOE coach and the president of Southern New Hampshire University.

Video: Supporting Global Tech at Today's PEP, CPE1 Will Be in the House and More Student, Teacher Voices

Part 2 of the awesome student voices - (Part 1 is here). OMG - some of the most amazing students comments - lead off by this girl - a Muslim immigrant from Africa who just blows us away -- but one after another - all 5 of them -- heartrending stories of how Global Tech staff and fellow students became their family. A kid bullied in his old school, a girl from the  projects whose brother was shot, a girl who behaved so badly she was tossed out of class regularly, a kid whose family was dysfunctional but Global Tech got her through it.

And some disdain for the DOE.
MUST SEE 11 minutes.

After viewing read the comments by founding principal Chrystina Russell being read tonight at the PEP which will vote to merge the schools no matter what these students, some of whom will be there tonight, along with their former teachers (their video will be going up later).

https://vimeo.com/252525790



=====

The DOE notes that teachers left for "professional" reasons. If escaping unethical behavior, bullying, intimidation, and educational professionalism is what the DOE calls "professional" reasons, the organization is in a very sad state. Estrella as a leader has not only destroyed the education of the students at GTP, she's also damaged the teachers that worked so hard to get the results GTP does. ... founding Principal Chrystina Russell

The UFT response to these attacks has been -- well, problematical - and I will address that in a follow-up post tomorrow based on a resolution we brought to the UFT Ex Bd this past Monday when District 4 rep Servia Silva, a pal of Supt Estrella, pretty much used the same argument the DOE used by saying none of the teachers - almost all replacements for those who left or were pushed out -- didn't oppose the merger.

The MORE CASCADE committee is meeting at 4:30 to strategize for the meeting.

Dear PEP, 

It's a bit ironic to write you for a vote on a merger that has already happened. Writing almost makes me feel ashamed--as if I'm a cog pretending the DOE's process of public transparency, comments, and voting are real. PEP, please be aware that you are voting on a merger that has already occurred under the guise of, "sharing best practices." This is a false process. The merger has happened with zero community input. 

At the beginning of this school year, the school offices and classes were combined into one. The technology that was so well utilized at GTP was spread across the school and now has no management to enable the students to use the technology. Violence has grown in the school, with an increased need for police presence. Folks from the superintendent's office have to cover classes because of this merger that happened before you're voting tonight. Most devastating has been the impact on students with IEPs. GTP had 40% special education students, and they are now sitting in combined PS 7 classes, with several 12:1 students in general education classes. Their needs aren't being met, all because Alex Estrella wants to march forward with the orders given to consolidate without any consideration of what's best for children. As a former bilingual special education teacher, I find this reprehensible. 

Since the merger has already happened at the beginning of this school year, completely violating the due process rights of the community, there's a chance to understand what you're voting on--the school is already merged and has resulted in:

• Disarray and violence
• IEP needs not being met
• Parental dissatisfaction
• Low staff morale and feelings of disempowerment by both PS 7 and GTP staff
• A low-quality learning environment that disrespects the students that need it most--those of color and with disabilities. 
• Classrooms without teachers

The DOE itself comments: 

"The NYCDOE recognizes that students from Global Technology and P.S. 7 are combined in some classes due to teaching vacancies. The administrative teams at Global Technology and P.S. 7 are actively searching for candidates to fill the current special education vacancies to ensure that all students’ mandates are met." 

This is clear evidence that the DOE knows students with special education needs are not receiving the services mandated by their IEPs. WHY are there vacancies? Because when the GTP community would not agree with Estrella's attempts to merge the school in 2015-2016. From there, she terrorized the award-winning teacher and principal of the school. 

This was all to put into motion to merge the schools. And now that she's terrorized staff and combined the schools, special education students are paying the price. This is despicable. 

The DOE notes that teachers left for "professional" reasons. If escaping unethical behavior, bullying, intimidation, and educational professionalism is what the DOE calls "professional" reasons, the organization is in a very sad state. Estrella as a leader has not only destroyed the education of the students at GTP, she's also damaged the teachers that worked so hard to get the results GTP does. 

"The DOE commends the work of Superintendent Estrella". Is this with the exception of when she sold her house to a teacher and got fined 3k by the DOE? The DOE COMMENDS this kind of decision making? It's the same neurons she used to decide to sell a house to a teacher that were used to terrorize all teachers so that she force this merger, thereby special education needs are not being met. This is NOT commendable. What kind of standards is the DOE using these days? This is despicable--the students of East Harlem need and deserve better. While Estrella is a terrible leader, the DOE is the real culprit in this case, given that they support such substandard leadership. 

The comments note: "Issac Newtown" is a technology-based school in response to the community's concerns that GTP is the only tech-based option in the district. If the technological environment of Isaac Newton is the standard of what's acceptable for poor black and brown kids these days, then there's no question why there's such a deep digital divide. Never, ever would Isaac Newton be considered to meet the standards of wealthy children in this city or any city. I am truly offended and insulted that the DOE would have the audacity to claim that Isacc Newton meets the technological learning needs of the students of East Harlem. Once again, the DOE is showing through its actions in this merger a deep disrespect of a low-income community of color. Let it be known, undoubtedly, that closing GTP is taking the only high-quality technological school option. Pretending there's a substitute is a lie and shows blatant disrespect of the kind of education the students of East Harlem deserve. 

Given that GTP is the only tech-based option and served students with special needs well, the DOE needs to explain why it is being combined with PS 7, rather than PS 7's middle school being combined with GTP. There has been no reasoning or evidence provided as to why this hasn't been considered, nor has the isolated data of both middle schools been analyzed. 

The proposal notes that, "GTP can benefit from Hunter". GTP has ALWAYS had many programs: PENCIL, softball, Stuyvesant Prep, previous collaborations with Hunter, Citizen Schools, private business supports, track, etc. Any programs that have been removed from GTP are because of Estrella. To pretend this is about bringing resources to GTP when the school has been stripped under Estrella's leadership shows yet again a deep disrespect of disempowered low income students of color. 

Last, the public comments neglect to include the fact that Ann Weiner and Jacqueline Pryce-Harvey also put in requests to have their comments read at the hearing. Their requests were not honored. The record should reflect that they were not given access to speak at this event, and the options offered by the office of accessibility were not given at the hearing. 

PEP, the process in front of you is a facade. The merger has already happened, and the puppetry is in this voting. Stand up for the students of East Harlem. They deserve better. 

Best,

Chrystina Russell

Video: Parents demand NYC Mayor de Blasio Include Them in Chancellor Selection

https://vimeo.com/252420954

This press release and photos of this morning’s press conference are posted here: https://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2018/01/parent-leaders-demand-nyc-mayor-give.html

For immediate release: January 23, 2018

For more information: Leonie Haimson, leoniehaimson@gmail.com;

Parent leaders demand NYC Mayor give parents a voice in choice of a new schools Chancellor

On Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, leaders of the Chancellor’s Parent Advisory Council (CPAC), representing all the PTAs and Parent Associations in NYC public schools, along with the leaders of the Education Council Consortium, representing the elected and appointed members of the Community and Citywide Education Councils, along with about 30 other parent leaders,  gathered on the steps of Tweed Courthouse, the NYC Department of Education headquarters.  As representatives of more than one million public school parents, they demanded that Mayor de Blasio implement a transparent selection process for a new Chancellor, and give parents a voice in this process, as he promised to do when he first ran for Mayor, instead of the quiet, internal decision that he currently plans.

 If there is a public vetting that includes the input of parents and community members, the likelihood will be that the next Chancellor will work well with parents and be responsive to their concerns.  As the first step in devising this process, they asked to meet with the Mayor as soon as possible.

Jessamyn Lee, the Co-Chair of the Chancellor’s Parent Advisory said: “The Chancellor's Parent Advisory Council (CPAC) urges Mayor de Blasio to honor Chancellor Farina's commitment to parent engagement by including parents in the selection of the new Schools Chancellor. We are partners in the education of our children. The city trusts parents to participate as partners in the hiring of our school principals and local superintendents. The 1.1 million students in our school system are wholly disenfranchised, represented only by the voices and activism of their parents. For the Mayor to deny parents the opportunity to represent the interests of our children in this critical decision is to ignore the voices of our most vulnerable, underrepresented New Yorkers. CPAC insists that parents be included in the hiring of the Department of Education's new leader. “

Shino Tanikawa, the President of NYC Kids PAC and Co-Chair  of the Education Council Consortium said, “I sincerely hope the Mayor considers an open and public selection process that includes parent leaders.  This is an opportunity to ensure that the next Chancellor has the qualities and qualifications necessary to run the nation's largest public school system and is someone who can truly collaborate with all stakeholders including parents.”

NeQuan McLean, Co-Chair of the Education Council Consortium said: “The next chancellor will need to address the challenge of ‘separate is not equal’ in NYC’s highly segregated school system.  NYC students deserve a chancellor who will work to stop the well- documented harm done to the majority of students who attend our public schools. These students are children with disabilities, English Language Learners and children from economically disadvantaged communities. They are our most vulnerable students with the most to gain as educated and career-ready citizens. Our next chancellor needs to be a champion for these children and all children in our public school system.”

Marco Batistella, Co-Chair of CPAC,  Pam Stewart of the Citywide Council of Special Education, Eduardo Hernandez of the Community Education Council in District 8, Nancy Northrup of the Queens High School Presidents Council, and many other parent leaders explained why it was critical for parents to have a real voice in the selection process, to ensure that the next Chancellor will be successful in collaborating with parents for the benefit of  NYC children. 

For more information, see the CPAC letter here:  https://tinyurl.com/y8r5y7pu ; 

ECC letter here: https://tinyurl.com/y739q5yk

Video: Global Tech Students Defend School - Part 1

I'm putting up roughly 10 minute segments of students and will follow with teachers and parents from the remarkable hearing last week. Wednesday they are going to do it again at the PEP.

https://vimeo.com/252226798

Parent Groups Demand Voice in Next Chancellor Selection; React to Data Breach; SCA Audit

I have two stories sent out by Leonie Haimson. Tuesday morning there is 10AM press conference at Tweed. Leonie asked me to come and tape it so I will have some video up, hopefully by Tuesday night or Wed morning. Wed night I am taping the PEP meeting and Saturday taping the parent conference. I will post reports.

Linda Lyon’s film will go live SUNDAY JAN 21 @noon EST/10 AM MST

Are you fired up and ready to spread the word? Michael Elliott  and Kemala Karmen have been producing a series of short films for NPE. I was at part of the shoot in April and it was so professionally done. That a high level film maker and editor like Michael is willing to do this shows his commitment to defending public education.

The goal is to make them go viral and there is a social media strategy that can make this happen. See the guide below and also the quick things you can do if you can't handle the details of the guide.

https://vimeo.com/223903294

Hi friends,

Founding Principal Dr. Chrystina Russell comments at Global Tech hearing Focuses in Supt Estrella Violations

Since Estrella forced out the Principal and Assistant Principal of GTP, and then terrorized the teachers by denying them all tenure despite excellent performance records and recommendations from school leadership that they be given tenure, the school has fallen into disarray. This can all be traced to Estrella’s leadership moves.  ..... Chrystine Russell

Here is a fun 6 minutes. Dr. Russell is abroad and sent in a statement (see below for the text) that trashes Estrella's leadership and ties in Farina too. She apparently has the right to have her statement read at the hearing by the presiding officer -- meaning Supt Estrella. How much fun to have Estrella reading her own trashing. Well--- I'll let you see how it turns out.

Dr. Chrystina Russell comments to be read at hearing by Superintendent Estrella (as specific as an option by Michael Castelblanco from Accessibility on 1/18/2018 via email)

With the likely support of former NYC Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina and other senior leaders, the superintendent of East Harlem’s District 4, Alex Estrella has moved forward with the merger of two public schools, Global Tech Prep (M406) and PS/MS007.

Superintendent Estrella, with the support of the DOE, has violated the procedural rights of the East Harlem community, effectively merging the schools together in the 2017 portion of the 2017-18 school year. Her proposal, which was not scheduled for a hearing until January 18, 2018 and for voting on the 24th of this month, has already been enacted without consulting the community. This shows a deep disrespect from Estrella and anyone who supports her at the DOE on the procedural rights of the community, as well as a willingness to take advantage of a low-income community of color that may have limited time and means to organize, let alone access to the truth that a merger up for consideration has already occurred.

Global Tech Prep, which at one point reached the 98th percentile citywide for achievement while serving nearly 40% special education students has been dismantled by the superintendent, who started on her merger plan at the end of the 2016-2017 school year. The school is the district’s only technology-based middle school (skills sorely needed in today’s modern world, especially with a documented digital divide between the profile of students served in East Harlem versus those in wealthier districts). The rights of the community to have a quality special education option, as well as a technologically based school have been yanked by the superintendent’s actions. This has occurred with zero community consultation. It also lead to multiple violations of the rights of some of our city's most vulnerable students--those with special education needs. There are countless IEPs not adhered to now that the merger has occurred and both schools are in disarray.

Since Estrella forced out the Principal and Assistant Principal of GTP, and then terrorized the teachers by denying them all tenure despite excellent performance records and recommendations from school leadership that they be given tenure, the school has fallen into disarray. This can all be traced to Estrella’s leadership moves. Her leadership has also caused significant disruption in the PS 7 community. Currently, the teachers at PS 7 are trying to rally against Estrella by not approving her selected principal by voting “no” in the C30 process, even though this makes them fearful for their jobs given her track record of removing anyone who doesn’t agree with her tactics.

A merger may not necessarily be wrong (although in the eyes of many it is a travesty). However, a merger occurring in the 2017-18 school year with no community consultation (and a proposal being presented to the community for the 2018-2019 school year AFTER the merger has already happened) is a gross insult to the intelligence and rights of the community to be consulted before schools in their district.

Superintendent Estrella, can you please give us an answer for the multiple parents who have contacted us about their child's IEP not being met since you illegally merged the schools without following procedural rights? Additionally, why choose to so blatantly deny the rights of a community that needs you most to be heard? Why must you abuse your power by not only terrorizing teachers and staff but also disenfranchising those that need a good education most--students of color with disabilities? Superintendent Estrella, if you can't follow the simple rules of how to sell your house without a founded conflict of interest, how can you be trusted to make a decision on which of our schools to keep opened or closed? As a public school educator for over 10 years with a doctorate of urban education policy, I can confidently say your leadership is one of the grossest violations of professional conduct I've ever witnessed. Our students, families, and communities deserve better.

Video: Voices of Global Tech - A Massive Defense of the School, Savaging Supt Estrella

"Your are monsters" -  Students to DOE officials

OK. So I went to yet another school hearing -- not a formal closing but a consolidation of two schools into one - but in effect the death of Global Tech. And this one - maybe above all - blew all of us away. The mostly former students were the stars of the show -with the support of their former teachers - most had left the school last year when Estrella chopped the principal and forced him out -- he is now at Harvard -- who showed up with the former students.

Their voices must be heard and I know that an hour and 20 minutes is a lot of time - and this is uncut raw video - I only turned off the

camera a few times when there were some lulls -- but there were not many -- this was one of the most intense hearings I've been too-- but also joyous -- I chose to feature a shot of Kayla Hamilton one of the teachers who helped organize this and someone I've been in touch with over the past week. Watch the ovation she gets.
She is one of the warmest, most exuberant people I've met. I would go back to school to have her as a teacher. We hugged her as we left and asked her what else can we do. She responded with, "No, what can I do? I'm an activist now."

We will see Kayla and her crew this Wednesday night at the PEP at 166 Essex Street - starting at 6PM. CPE1 people will be in the house to support Global Tech. Come on down and see the show.

And I will be posting shorter segments highlighting some of the dynamic speakers for those who don't have time to watch the entire video.

https://vimeo.com/251763175

Another View in the UFT - Delegate Assembly Newsletter - January, 2018

Arthur, James, Mike and I began putting this out in November due to the lack of output by MORE at DAs other than when MORE has an issue to promote. We think there is a need for a regular communication to the chapter leaders and delegates even if most are Unity. Next month we address important contract issues like class size and observations and Danielson.

In this issue:

Leonie Haimson Mashes ChalkBleat's Elizabeth Green Bias

Leonie and Elizabeth used to be pretty friendly - I was also friendly with her.

Chalkbeat “Roundtable” discussion on Eliz. Green controversial piece in which she called Success charters a model educational system.  See what I just tweeted  about it below. 

https://chalkbeat.org/posts/us/2018/01/16/a-chalkbeat-roundtable-the-promise-and-perils-of-charter-networks-like-success-academy/

The incredible bias of this piece in responding to critiques that the original piece was too biased makes me think that Chalkbeat editors must be trapped in a bubble w/o any awareness of how isolated they are. 

	leonie haimson (@leoniehaimson)
1/17/18, 8:15 PM Egregiously biased discussion fr/ 3 charter school founders, 2 who say district schools can be as good as charters (!), 1 parent criticizing both, and not a single charter critic. Biased selection exacerbates problems in @elizwgreen superficial encomium to Success. @carolburris twitter.com/chalkbeat/stat…

Global Tech PS 7 Merger Update: politics rule in Supt. Estrella Land

IA Principal Graeber went from disparaging the collaborative efforts of the staff in 2016-17 as he described it: "the teachers have been running the school for too long" to desperately begging teachers to help to control classroom, lunch room and recess. This level of disrespect for collaborative leadership goes counter to 7 years of dedicated work at GTP with Russell and Baiz plus 2 years at PS 7 under GTP trained Dr. Harvey. ....

To close Global Tech is to actively discriminate against children with special needs, their families, and their rights to choose. Additionally, the superintendent has shown no consideration of how the increased number of special education students at PS 7 will be addressed, demonstrating her lack of concern and foresight in closing GTP, a school serving a high number of special education students.

....... Through already combining the schools, the superintendent has shown she neither honors the process for a school closure/merger, nor does she respect the community’s rights to give input and be heard when it comes to the educational futures of their children. ........Emails from former staff

Shades of the charges against CPE1 - that teachers were running the school -- which I have always found to lead to the best run schools. But Farina and crew are out to stamp out strong teacher voices. The serious charges about neglect of special ed students may come back to bite the butts of Estrella and Farina --- expect the tonight's event and the Jan. 24 PEP to contain some fireworks --- look for videos to come.

So tonight I'm dragging my old bones up to tape the hearing for merger of Global Tech and PS 7 in Harlem. Gloria, Myrie, Joan and Lisa from MORE are joining me and we have a very good leaflet produced by the MORE closing schools committee, which can be read at the MORE site:  CASCADE – Campaign Against School Closings & Displacement Everywhere. I love the name CASCADE. And I love working with this committee of MORE even if I have some issues with some of the other ways MORE has been operating. 

I reported on the Global Tech situation yesterday:
Global Tech Supporters Resist Consolidation Efforts of District 4 (East Harlem) Supt Estrella and Farina; Links of Estrella to UFT District Rep. 

I'm pushing our Ex Bd reps to challenge the union on Estrella at the Ex Bd meeting next Monday.

Below are excerpts from email exchanges from former staff that expose the political manipulation and personal vendettas of District 4 (East Harlem) Supt Alexandra Estrella as she puts another notch in her belt of destruction. That she is an agent of Farina, there is no question. We talked about her relationship with UFT officials in yesterday's post.

Global Tech Supporters Resist Consolidation Efforts of District 4 (East Harlem) Supt Estrella and Farina; Links of Estrella to UFT District Rep

Our original April 23, 2017 report is here: CPE1 and Global Tech - East Harlem Dist. 4 Supt Alexandra Estrella: Evil Death Star School Destroyer).

Here is some more background info from email exchanges.

One point not addressed so far is the state of both schools since the " mock merger."

The level of chaos and confusion that exists in the building is unacceptable.  Teachers are on the verge of break downs and several have quit, others are planning their exit strategy for 2018.  The new principals are both unable to control the rapidly increasing fights and classroom disruptions in the 6th grade.  Special education students are placed in classes with no special education teachers.  Students with 12:1 designation are in general education classes 70% of the day with one teacher.  

The claim that GTP students will benefit from a partnership with Hunter College is dishonest and shameful.  Hunter College was not aware of the "mock merger" and were caught off-guard by the  devastatingly negative impact on discipline and achievement.   Hunter placed a consultant in the school to try to bring order to the chaos with little positive effect. Members of the superintendent staff have been actively involved in running the school and have acted as substitute teachers on occasion in an effort to stabilize lapses in leadership that could de-rail the partnership. 

IA Principal Graeber went from disparaging the collaborative efforts of the staff in 2016-17 as he described it: "the teachers have been running the school for too long" to desperately begging teachers to help to control classroom, lunch room and recess. This level of disrespect for collaborative leadership goes counter to 7 years of dedicated work at GTP with Russell and Baiz plus 2 years at PS 7 under GTP trained Dr. Harvey. 

The flaunted restorative practice and designated classroom space is so dysfunctional that teachers are volunteering to man more structured detentions and suspensions during their lunch periods, as a last-ditch effort to save the school year.

This "mock merger" has to be brought back to the discussion and negotiating table with ALL STAKEHOLDERS represented.

We should accept nothing less.

xxxxxxxx

Here is the email that began the thread delineating the reasons for why the merger is a bad move:

I am writing this email with deep concern about the merger of Global Tech Prep into PS 7, effectively closing Global Tech Prep in East Harlem's District 4. I do not support this merger/closure of Global Tech (MS 406) for the following reasons:

There is no other technology-based school in the district, which serves a population of high-needs students. With the skills needed to be successful in today’s technological world and an already burgeoning achievement gap between students with resources and those without, how can we close the one tech school in the district? 

What is the technology plan? Each student at Global Tech Prep has a laptop, but more importantly, the kind of education that teaches them to be digital citizens in today’s complex world. There is no mention of how the very needed skills involving technology will be addressed in the superintendent’s proposal.

Based on the need for a technology school alone, why isn’t a formation considered where PS 7 would focus on PreK-5 and Global Tech on 6-8 for the community? The community deserves to have this choice. 

This addresses the lowered enrollment, which is something happening across ALL public schools in the district (this is fueled by the exorbitant number of charter schools in the district). It seems there’s been no comparison of which of the two middle schools better serves the community, which should be a key part of the evaluation of closing an existing middle school. Where is this comparison—breaking out the 6-8 of PS 7 and comparing it to Global Tech (and looking both at and beyond test scores) to support this decision?

Special education students comprise 39% of the population at Global Tech Prep, and many parents choose the school because of how well the school educates students with special needs. Closing GTP means special education parents of East Harlem have few choices for schools that really understand and can serve special education students at the level GTP can. Furthermore, closing GTP (M406) is against the principles of the laws that govern special education—every child has the right to a free and appropriate education. The standards of “appropriate” special education at other schools in the district don’t come close to the kinds of outcomes and work Global Tech does with special needs students. 

To close Global Tech is to actively discriminate against children with special needs, their families, and their rights to choose. Additionally, the superintendent has shown no consideration of how the increased number of special education students at PS 7 will be addressed, demonstrating her lack of concern and foresight in closing GTP, a school serving a high number of special education students. A data analysis of the progress made by special education students in each school at the 6-8 level is essential in making an informed decision about what's best for children, especially those with special needs. Additionally, considering the impacts of each of children with IEPs not having access to a laptop for each class (which has been essential for their success) has also not been considered.  

The proposal mentions Hunter College as a benefit coming from PS 7. Has Hunter confirmed they won’t support both schools? For example, in the Case of Citizen Schools, the program began at Global Tech and supported both. Seems the superintendent has orchestrated Hunter's support to achieve her goal of consolidating the schools based on demands from central offices. 

This proposal is for 2018-2019. However, teachers and students at the schools report that all Global Technology signs have been taken down and that the classes between the schools are merged. Effectively, this means Alex Estrella has already merged the schools in practice before the community has made a decision and the appropriate procedural processes have been followed. This isn’t a proposal open for the East Harlem community’s comments, it seems. Through already combining the schools, the superintendent has shown she neither honors the process for a school closure/merger, nor does she respect the community’s rights to give input and be heard when it comes to the educational futures of their children. 

An update on Global Tech:

The merger of Global Tech Prep and PS 7 is now slated for a vote from the Panel of Educational Policy (PEP). This panel will vote on the merger at the following meeting: 

January 24, 2018 at 6pm

PS 20, The Anna Silver School (166 Essex St.)

Global Tech Supporters Resist Consolidation Efforts of District 4 (East Harlem) Supt Estrella and Farina; Links of Estrella to UFT District Rep

I was contacted by people connected to Global Tech based on this April 23, 2017 post: CPE1 and Global Tech - East Harlem Dist. 4 Supt Alexandra Estrella: Evil Death Star School Destroyer.

My report was based on reporting by Andrea Gabor, Requiem For A School That Works-
On January 24, the PEP will vote to consolidate two schools - Global Tech and PS 7. There is an ugly story behind this move. That District 4 Supt Alexandra Estrella continues her vendettas -- many claim she is in the running for worst Supt in the city -- and note below her very close relationship to UFT District Rep Servia Silva. Is the UFT behind protecting Estrella's back despite her viciousness? Google Estrella to see the number of scandals she has been involved in.

Estrella chopped a very popular teacher who was groomed to be the principal last spring. He is now at Harvard. Most of the teachers then left the school and are scattered around but many will be coming out tomorrow to the school to protest the consolidation and, in essence, the destruction of the mission of Global Tech.

There will be a hearing at the school this Thursday Jan. 18 - I and some other MOREs are going and I will be taping. We're betting the UFT will be mum on this move.

Here is some of the background based on Andrea Gabor's reports from April. I'll be back with more updates later.

Global Tech also traces its lineage to the era of collaboration and teacher-leaders that flourished in District 4 under Tony Alvarado and Debbie Meier, beginning in the 1970s, and was, to a limited degree, revived under Bloomberg. That legacy of grassroots leadership and collaboration, which was intended to foster creativity and innovation, is now widely seen as endangered—not just at Global Tech, but throughout the city.... Andrea Gabor, Gotham Gazette

Yes, can we say that DeB/Farina rule is as bad or worse than Bloomberg/Klein? Well, not to the UFT/Unity leadership which has its seat at the table that BloomKlein denied it, but certainly not using it to defend teachers and schools.... ed notes, 4/23/17

Estrella who tried and is still trying to destroy CPE1 may be the worst Supt in the city. But just as bad is the connection between Estrella to the UFT District Rep Servia Silva, whom many teachers in the district accuse of being Estrella's cover. I just heard from someone in the district that Estella and Silva have vacationed together.

I have been in phone contact with some of the people actively organizing resistance. I will publish more info as this week goes on.

One of the ugliest are the stories of a very buddy buddy relationship between District 4 Supt. Alexandra Estrella and UFT District Rep Servia Silva. One report claimed that Estella and Silva have vacationed together. Talk to people at CPE1 and they will tell you how they suffered abuse from principal Monika Garg while Silva poo poohed it. I called Silva out when I last spoke at the UFT Ex Bd pointing out that CPE1 teachers came to MORE for help due to UFT lack of response.

Stop Closing Schools: School Scope and Videos - Rockaway - PS 42 and IS 53

There are about 4 hours of videos. It was a busy week last week and another one coming up over the closing schools issue. We have a here.

Delegate Assembly tomorrow and a big hearing at Global Tech in Harlem on Thursday. More on that outrage later. My School Scope is below the videos - which I intend to cut up into smaller segments. My own little piece of video is

PS 42 Videos

Part 1:
https://vimeo.com/250650942


Part 2: https://vimeo.com/250662998
Part 3: https://vimeo.com/250698838
Part 4: https://vimeo.com/250724680

IS 53: https://vimeo.com/251005346

Here is my upcoming column in The WAVE, published January 19, 2018:

School Scope:  Closing Schools: Bad for Students, Parents, Teachers and Community

By Norm Scott

Black Lives clearly don’t matter to DOE officials and the Mayor despite the rhetoric.

On January 9, I videotaped (see below for links) the closing school informational session at PS 42 (there will be a hearing at the school on Feb. 13 at 6PM). The auditorium was packed with hundreds of parents, students, teachers, local politicians and community members, mostly people of color and all opposed to the closing. UFT officials, led by Queens Borough leader Amy Arundell, were also present. There were 70 speakers. The meeting and pre-meeting rally lasted over 3 hours. DOE’s District 27 Superintendent Mary Barton sat in front of the room stone-faced the entire time – shades of the ghouls of Joel Klein years, led by the infamous John White, now head of the state of Louisiana schools. It was if nothing had changed from the Bloomberg years. DOE officials looking on obliviously while children and their parents and teachers pleaded to keep their community intact. The school has clearly struggled academically but has managed to triple its growth from what was obvious from the meeting and the rally before, PS 42 is vibrant  and the closing of the school, to be replaced by two new ones, will fracture that community. Patricia Finn, principal for seven years, received so  many accolades I could see her blushing from across the room. But raves for her humanity and caring, in education based on the numbers, doesn’t count for much. Many parents and teachers pointed out that area of Rockaway is gentrifying and the DOE wants to move out the poorly performing students (and teachers) and open up space for new arrivals from the additions to Arverne by the Sea. 

The next night I attended the closing event for IS 53 in Far Rockaway (the closing hearing at the school is on Feb. 7 at 6PM), a school shared with another public school, Village Academy, also under academic threat. VA may absorb some of the students, but not all. Lurking within the IS 53 building is Eva Moskowitz’ Success Academy, always in an expansive mode. People said Success is already measuring their space before the February 28 vote at the Panel for Educational policy. No crystal ball needed to see the future. Village Academcy will be squeezed and Moskowitz gets the building to add to her growing empire, a school system within a school system. A school system known to push out poor performing students and kicking them back into the public schools.  Last year we saw the same thing happen to JHS 145 in the Bronx, with a Moskowitz school in the building pushing to expand. De Blasio promised to stand up to charters, Instead he has figured out a slick way to hand space to charters by closing schools they covet.

Parent groups have pointed out how the DOE did not give the closing schools the kind of support they needed, like lowering class size for the most in need students. Instead they got consultants and PD up the kazoo. Stories abound on how the people on the ground in the schools were not consulted but dictated to – reinforcing the sense that they are the ones at fault. From what I saw in the spirit of the staffs of PS 42 and IS 53, teachers are incredibly proud of their work and many parents and students echo those feelings.

What closing a school does is destroy an educational community. One parent asked at IS 53, pointing to DOE officials, “What is your responsibility? Where are you accountable for not providing the resources to the school? For diverting so much money to wasted resources that didn’t impact the students?”

While UFT officials were at both hearings to show the staff they back them the union must take a proactive stand in support. The UFT is playing its cards close to its vest when it should be standing up against all school closings and backing the schools to the hilt. Usually the union helps by getting buses for the Feb. 28 hearing at the PEP where the vote will be held when schools show some resistance despite knowing full well the vote is predetermined. The union needs to put more public and private pressure on the politicians to try to move the PEP vote in the direction of the schools.

Norm feels the pressure all the time and also posts the PS 42 and IS 53 videos at ednotesonline.com.

Video - IS 53Q Closing - My 2 Minutes

In the DOE black lives clearly don't matter. I have 5 hours of video to process and will be putting up the wonderful comments of parents, teachers and students, so keep an eye out. For now put up with me for 2 minutes. Jeez, am I really that bald?

https://vimeo.com/250887940

Real School Reform From Deb Meier and Emily Gasoi - The Answer Sheet

Far from being “defenders of the status quo,” as DeVos calls people who don’t agree with her school choice vision, Meier and Gasoi write about what real reform would and should look like and how the current system could be transformed into one that serves all children. They argue all public schools should have the kind of authority charter schools — which are publicly funded but privately operated — have in many states today.... Valerie Strauss

Deb Meier one of my heroes since I first heard of her in the 70s. WAPO ed columnist Valerie Strauss has been on the side of real reform for a long time.

Answer Sheet

Analysis 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/12/14/heres-a-model-for-major-school-reform-that-looks-vastly-different-from-betsy-devoss-vision/?utm_term=.e6901a1c9414 

Here’s a model for major school reform that looks vastly different from Betsy DeVos’s vision

By Valerie Strauss December 14, 2017

Memo From the RTC: Cry Me a River - Once Upon This Island, Lion King, Set Building, Acting Updates

Published in The WAVE - Jan. 12, 2018

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Memo From the RTC: Cry Me a River - Once Upon This Island, Lion King, Set Building, Acting Updates

By Norm Scott

Have you ever wondered how stage actors can cry or express other emotions so convincingly, on cue, at every performance? At last Sunday’s RTC acting class teacher Frank Caiati explored the techniques and before long there was a whole lot of tearing up and outright crying as Frank took us through an extended process of using an emotional incident in our lives to trigger the reaction when students read various pieces written by others in the class. In one of Frank’s other classes I did a scene where I played the Henry Fonda role from On Golden Pond with a young lady who took the part of the daughter, played by Jane Fonda. In every rehearsal when we came to a line where I hurt her, she broke into tears – I mean really started to cry, making me feel like crap. “How did you do that so easily,” I asked her? “I had a real issue with my dad and just recall that and tap into it.” That is acting.

Since I’m not a real actor, I didn’t want the stress of getting too emotional on a Sunday morning before I had a bagel so I tamped down my emotions and just focused on being hungry. (Is that an emotion?) I asked Frank why an actor can’t just prick his finger with a pin and draw some blood whenever he wanted to cry? I guess I was missing the point of the exercise, though I did tell him that if he wanted me to play someone getting constantly pissed off I was his man since there would be no acting involved. People seem to be really enjoying the class and rising to the occasion, leading me to think that with a great director like Frank, anyone can act. Frank by the way will be directing View From the Bridge at the RTC next September, when we can finally expect it to get warm.

Once Upon This Island, a production by the Young People’s Workshop with the pre-teens at the Rockaway Theatre Company is perking along. February 2,3,9, 10 at 7PM. Matinees February 4,10,11 at 2PM. Ticket Prices: $10.00. For Reservations: Call RTC Hotline @ 718-374-6400. Or email rtcworkshops@gmail.com. The Lion King, with the teens is set for these dates: March 1,2,3,8,9,18 at 7PM. Matinees March 3,4,10,11 at 2PM

In the meantime, Tony Homsey’s  Sunday theater set building class has been building the sets for both shows. A large 12 foot wide staircase is up, 8 foot gates have been built, and a large sun and some clouds have been cut out with a jigsaw, with a lot more to come over the next few weeks. This is turning out to be a great idea as the usual crew hasn’t had to work at all during the week. Some of the students may end up joining the regulars and we may start doing Sunday morning building sessions for upcoming adult shows so the students get to practice their skills. Building sets is not like working on your house, though the skills are applicable. Like Tony says, “if they can’t see it from the Belt Parkway, don’t worry about it.” Almost all sets are built to last a few weeks before coming down. So we have to build them with the thought that is must also be fairly easy to take apart, though safety is primary, especially since there are so many young kids involved. But then again kids are smaller and lighter than adults.

After the acting and set building classes, Rich Louis-Pierre runs his sound design class, which I am not taking this time. But it seems to be going very well.

Sundays are not a day of rest at the RTC.

School Scope: Charter School Follies, Closing Schools, Mayoral Control Shams

Jan. 12, 2018 edition of The WAVE, www.rockawave.com

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School Scope:  Charter School Follies, Closing Schools, Mayoral Control Shams

By Norm Scott

I’m running past deadline not because I can’t think of anything to write but because I have so many options as education related stories keep breaking. So let me point readers (all three of you) in some interesting directions.

I am tracking the upcoming saga of the two schools being closed in Rockaway. I hope you noticed the horror stories on MS 80 in the Bronx, which is being kept open with an infusion of more money as reported on WCBS and in the NY Post: ‘Struggling’ Bronx school is a hellhole, teachers say (https://nypost.com/2018/01/06/struggling-bronx-school-is-a-hellhole-teachers-say/) --- Imagine Farina and De Blasio are keeping this place open – hey, there is an abusive principal there so why not – while closing other schools. Tell me politics is not involved.

As you may have realized, I often focus on the excesses of charters, especially Eva Moskowitz’ Success Academy chain of 46 schools (and growing). Since there is a school in Rockaway it is worth keeping people updated on the chain. We have pointed out the enormous attrition rates of students (and teachers) as Success schools. Blogger, Stuyvesant high school math teacher Gary Rubinstein, did an interesting piece, The Hidden Attrition Of Success Academy - https://tinyurl.com/yaj2z9mn -  While Success claims a 10% attrition rate a year, Gary, using data from the DOE, found it to be 17%. And since Success doesn’t backfill by adding students, kids from the initial cohort keep disappearing and by the time they graduate, there are not all that many left. We’ve reported here that there were only 17 students left to graduate high school out of an initial cohort of 73 kindergarten students. Where did the 56 disappeared end up? Probably many in public schools.

Another respected teacher blogger, Mark Weber, a music teacher in New Jersey, blogged about the misleading graduation rates at Democracy Prep charter, which has four schools in NYC, on his Jersey Jazzman blog. A misleading Daily News op ed bought the misleading data which claimed “No charter network has demonstrated more success getting its students into and through college…. last year 189 of the 195 seniors in its three high schools that had graduating classes went on to college.” Remarkable, isn’t it. A miracle you might say. But there are no miracles. Mark looked at the attrition rates for kids from their freshman to their senior years and found that Democracy Prep had shed enough students to bring their numbers in line or below many public schools. Mark also castigates main stream journalists for ignoring the attrition issue. Read him in full at http://jerseyjazzman.blogspot.com/2018/01/miracle-school-journalism-and-gorilla.html.

Must Listen for Every Inner City Teacher: The Burdens Affecting Even Our Brightest Students - This American Life

Every teacher in inner city schools has had some kids over the years who seemed very special -- super smart with enormous potential. Find out what happens to three of these students. It is like a rocket trying to escape the earth but getting pulled back by the gravity of poverty and low self-esteem. Even when they beat the odds and make it to college, their battles often just begin. I had some like this and I was in touch for a number of years, even attending some of their weddings.

This American Life on NPR had a must listen to program for not only every teacher but for everyone. The gist was that students from a poor Bronx public school, all kids of color, were paired with Fieldston, an elite private school in the Bronx. The program focuses on some of the culture shock for the poor students based on the conditions they saw in their school and what they saw at Fieldston, just 3 miles away. The reporter, Chana Joffe-Walt, did an amazing job, interviewing teachers from both schools and trying to track one of the students 10 years after they left school.

See what the impact of poverty and low self-esteem have on even the sharpest kids --- but beyond that, this production, as so many of TAL programs are -- is presented like a mystery and will have you handing on the edge of your seat. [Note- one of the principals in the program has set up a college go-fund-me campaign as per this note from the show's producers

Listen to it at: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/550/three-miles#play

Well, I’m out of space but here is some homework for you.

How Bill de Blasio Can Redeem His Education Record by Leonie Haimson and Shino Tanikawa - http://www.gothamgazette.com/opinion/7404-how-bill-de-blasio-can-redeem-his-education-record

Here’s a model for major school reform that looks vastly different from Betsy DeVos’s vision. Valerie Strauss in WAPO reports on the work of reform educators Deborah Meier and Emily Gasoi. https://tinyurl.com/y9u6b6gp

We have opposed mayoral control of the schools since Bloomberg took over in 2002. We feel no better about de Blasio. The elected parent council in District 3 (upper west side) wrote an op ed in the Gotham Gazette, Our School Governance Isn’t Working, and It’s the Perfect Time for Change, http://www.gothamgazette.com/opinion/7409-our-school-governance-isn-t-working-and-it-s-the-perfect-time-for-change.

What is working is that Norm keeps slogging and blogging away at ednotesonline.com.