I worked in a school that began with the same low-performing demographics yet produced 98% of it graduates going to college. This was not without scouring the data daily with a great deal of passion, long-hours and commitment. Those (DoE, etc.) who theoretically understand the process need to offer us more than “school closings”. What is the next step, who and what needs changing, what factors are to be considered or not. This problem has not and cannot be viewed devoid of the social-emotional, psychological, economic backdrop from whence the students come. It is not an easy fix needing both compassionate and creatively-smart leadership. I would also note that to disengage the years of neglect due to historical-socio-economic disparity is a forecast for failure. Although we did not dwell on it, most of our students had to be convinced that they could “succeed” having seen very little success of a real nature in their life time. This took a tranformation on the part of our staff as well as the students. Let us not be deceived people, we can change the American educational landscape. However, we need the dedication and commitment of a global community the likes of a Marshall plan willing to put mind, body and spirit on the line. This is the new frontieir and nothing short of such an effort will bring comprehensive change.

You worked at A FAILING SCHOOL yet you generalize for MANY. ” I worked at a failing school and I can testify that the leadership at these school’s sucks” What did you do to try and change the situation? Is the place you work now any better? I give props to all teachers just for trying to make a difference. I find many posters are outsiders just looking in. Christine’s view and experience is much more concrete and leads me to believe more sincere in her experience and approach. If I were to use your comments (grammar and syntax alone Mindy) as a measure of your own success I would say, look in the mirror and tell me what you see?

We’ve put structures in place to try to make sure that all children receive attention and care – teams of teachers who look at their academic challenges and social ones, working together to find ways to help them succeed.

In addition to educational challenges our students frequently face daunting social situations from poverty and homelessness, related health issues, frequently moving and the foster care system. We have never, to my memory, used absenteeism as an excuse. We do believe that the challenges our students face and the way that they arrive should be considered with our graduation rate. Since only 2.6% of the class arrived on grade level in reading and math, we think that this should be considered when our school is evaluated.

Success in such a school does require a strong understanding of data and systemic practices – but these cannot succeed without a lot of heart, passion and understanding. These are qualities that so many faculty members in these schools possess – a commitment to those students who face the greatest challenges. This is why so many of us have struggled so hard to keep our schools open – its the knowledge that our schools go to great lengths to serve the very high percentages of students most schools would be afraid to take for fear of not meeting their educational targets.

There is currently no accountability system in place that fairly addresses the profound challenges we face. We believe that the DoE has no plan for future students such as ours – no school is waiting with open arms. We should be supported in providing even better services than we do at present since this is a population to which we have committed ourselves. I hope that the law suit succeeds in stopping the process and in forcing a genuine examination and dialogue around our outcomes in terms of the students we work with and the systemic practices that have lead to such a high degrees of need existing in our school and other schools in the same predicament.

Klein and Bloomberg have had total control of the school system for the better part of a decade: why no mention of their responsibility in the “failings” of these schools? Or is accountability only for teachers and low-level administrators?

Despite their rhetoric of reform and of being the “outsiders”, they in fact are the incumbents and stewards of the crises in the schools. In fact, many of the crises – school closings, multiple reorganizations, funding changes – have been consciously instigated by them as a tactic in their smash-and-grab assault.

In the self-congratulatory terminology of neo-liberal economics, it’s “creative destruction.” Those having to withstand it in the schools see it for what it is: greed and social vandalism.

Also, you speak of the “regular people…who see the merit of closing these schools down.” Who are these “regular” people? At the PEP school closing meeting – a sham of democratic procedure, but probably the most representative in terms of public attendance – there was virtually no public support for them. Apart from the editorial boards, loyal conduits for ed deform propaganda that they are, and with charter operators and their proxies in the DOE no doubt operating in the wings, who has been insisting that these schools be closed?

Check the failure of the principals and teachers who worked in these schools and the corrupt community school board members for decades if you want to see atrocities. Klein and Bloomberg are trying to clean up the mess.

“Either you’re for fixing schools that have failed poor and overwhelmingly minority students for far too long, or you’re not. I know what side we’re on,” said Deputy Mayor for Education Dennis Walcott in a statement. The side they are on is dedicated to the bizarre project of wrecking the public school of the nation, and subcontracting it to private contractors. No nation on earth has ever committed such an atrocity against its own children. These free marketers are the exact same arrogant persons who just wrecked our economy by capturing the regulatory processes and government agencies, and bribing or threatening cowardly politicians and editors.

But that’s not the only reason for this comment. Please note that just last May 2009, CECD2 sued DOE over a number of other tangentially related items — not school closings but a good number of other CEC-circumvention topics. That lawsuit was withdrawn circa September 2009.

http (colon) //www (dot) cecd2 (dot) net/www/cecd2/site/hosting/Law%20Suit (dot) pdf

(For the record and in light of Leonie’s comment, I was not named as an individual petitioner-plaintiff in that lawsuit, though I was then 1st VP and still am a Councilmember of CECD2.)

– Michael D. Markowitz