Sunday, July 29, 2012
Unethical Behavior?
There was an executive session of the personnel and negotiating committee on Monday, July 23rd to discuss the interim superintendent position. Sue Haynie is the chairperson. How did the Apples find out what was discussed at executive session? Is this a violation of Board Policy?
Still waiting for a copy of the letter mailed to parents at Nathan Hale. Please share it here if you have it.
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I can't believe I'm responding to an anonymous accusation. It's actually quite flattering the amount of attention you give to our grassroots movement, which incidentally is in line with where Governor Malloy and President Obama stand on education reform.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, the only letter RA sent has been to Stefan Pryor's office in the State Dept. of Education. The letter was published in the press and on our website. We will continue to share with hartford the examples of dysfunction and complete breakdown of administrative and BOE behavior in this district at the perils of our children. NHMS is just another example of Norwalk politics and the parents of that school will need to stand up for their children and we will support them.
Parents and the majority of NPS staff have been held hostage for far too long by bullies who use their time in this district or position, or race, or political affiliation to intimidate parents and/or staff in order to protect the status quo. Whoever thought education was about the children is fooling themselves. Once you leave the classroom ( for better or worse) it's all politics.That much I have learned as a parent these past couple of years. I suspect this is the case for the other 15000 school districts in the US. No wonder we rank as low as we do on the international stage. Until the majority of NPS staff and parents stand up to the gatekeepers, things won't improve.
We all know that Sue is in your pocket. Parents not poliitcs, hogwash! Sue feeds you everything, and you feel that your empowered to launch attacks at hard working people.
DeleteLisa Thompson, you are the bully! Can't you see that you are the one who is doing exactly what you accuse central office of doing? What happened at Nathan Hale was the principal refused to cooperate with a state (and probably federal) compliance issue. I guess you don't care about accountability in the district. Well, now you are running scared because your good buddy resigned as superintendent. It scares you that the person who may become the interim superintendent will end your reign. Well, I, for one, will be happy to see that day. Apples can be very poisonous.
ReplyDeleteI am a NHMS parent and I am not aware of any letter sent to any NHMS parent urging them to protest the possible appointment of Dadonna as Interim.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree 100% with any educational group, including Red Apples, however they are working hard to change the district status quo, and for that they should be commended.
Having been active in NHMS last year, I can only speak for what happened at the school. The reading program was in existence for 7 years. If Dadonna was McCain's supervisor, then why would he let this go on for so long if it was in violation of SRBI? Wasn't he monitoring the programs in the schools that he supervised? Or did he just choose to not deal with McCain? Isn't he head of Curriculum and Instruction?
Shirley Mosby got wind that the reading class was singling out minorities in this LA class. Although she was invited by Mr. McCain on several occasions, he never went to the school to see the class, she never witnessed instruction, she had no idea if these students were learning.
Having spoken with Mr. McCain about the program in great detail, the group of kids were identified based on their reading levels and other language arts identifiers. The racial balance was dynamic year over year, and would change based on the LA levels of the incoming 6th grade class. Also, I the kids could test out of the program. So, during anytime during the school year, a student could be placed in a traditional LA block if they have reached appropriate levels.
Also, McCain asked Dadonna to come in and help him adapt the program to be SRBI compliant, but Dadonna didn't answer his requests. Dadonna wanted to shut the program down and appease Shirley Mosby in the process, the bonus for Dadonna would be making an example of McCain.
BTW, all parents were informed at the beginning of the school year that their children were placed in this LA class. Upon shutting down the program, CO was just going to send a letter home letter them know their child had been moved out of their class. It was only after some NHMS parents insisted that CO meet with the parents, that Dadonna came over to meet with NHMS parents who had children in the program. All parents that I spoke with after the program was shut down were disappointed their kids were being moved out the class because they found it to be beneficial to their children. They asked why it couldn't be amended for the remaining 1quarter of school so they could keep their kids in the program? It was a program that could have been amended to be SRBI compliant (add a staff member to the classroom or have kids in that program for 1 class of their LA block) - Dadonna wouldn't work with McCain to find a solution, he just wanted to shut it down.
So, NHMS 6th grade students went through a huge scheduling change with 1 quarter left in school and these kids were left with no supplemental reading instruction. Bravo Tony Dadonna - and let's make him the next Superintendent???
And that's the propaganda you were fed.
ReplyDeleteNo, I actually spent time with the parents, kids and the staff who run the program. I saw how it was disassembled, and spoke to the kids afterward. Did you?
ReplyDeleteYou didn't speak with the Sate Department of Education!
ReplyDeleteI have a question. In the 7 years this program was in the school, how many of those minority students were 'graduated' from that program and sent back to the regular classrooms? Don't count the ones who graduated From the school and were sent on. Also, how come in seven years the school didn't make annual yearly progress? How come the students in that segregated class didn't show improvement? McCain left because the administrator of that building would have to be replaced if there was no test score improvement. He knew that.
ReplyDeleteWhat test scores? NHMS has some of the highest in the city. Do we need to talk about the appalling test scores at other schools? And why wouldn't CO chase them out of town? Because Administrators are not properly reviewed!
ReplyDeleteYou need to call the SDE and get your facts straight!
DeleteThe Apples are here! What lies they spew forth. Don't listen to this faction of troublemakers!
ReplyDeleteThis is a call to the original person who said a letter went home to the Nathan Hale parents. Could you please explain further? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI know I have that letter here someplace.... I could have sworn that I filed it in the folder where I keep my copies of George W. Bush's National Guard record, Michelle Obama's "whitey" tape and the Hitler diaries...
DeleteRedApples even have a twisted sense of humor.
DeleteNot an Apple. More like a coconut.
DeleteAnd a twisted sense of humor is better than none at all. :)
The truth is Nathan Hale hasn't made AYP (annual yearly progress) in SIX years!
ReplyDeleteThe truth is that most of our schools are not up to par and failing a good deal of our students. As to poster 7.40... No p in Thomson and as for "running scared" you must be kidding. We're just getting started. We will continue to push for accountability and transparency from whomever is superintendent or interim superintendent and the board. We will post information that should or can be made public and hope that the citizens of Norwalk take notice and challenge the status quo. As for being a bully...I am simply a parent who is willing to challenge the system to be better for our kids and I don't hide behind annonymous when I do it and you are entitled to your opinion. But regardless of what you say, more parents and members of the community from all 4 corners of Norwalk are joining the reform movement as we work closely with CONNCAN to ever so slowly chip away at the system. If that makes me a bully ... Then so be it!
ReplyDeleteChallenging the status quo in an intelligent and forthright manner is quite acceptable, but your group goes far beyond acceptable. You are the definition of bullies in any dictionary! From everything I have heard, you harass people, and that is NOT okay. You prevent good people from doing their jobs, and that is NOT okay. You distort the truth, and that is NOT okay. I suspect you will make the Interim Superintendent's job a living h*ll, and that is unacceptable in anyone's book. All your group wants is power, Because of you, the current superintendent lost all respect from staff and the community. No one, who has any real knowledge of your groups' lack of understanding and lack of intelligence, wants you around. Get the message? We the people do not support you! We don't even like you!
DeleteThe Apples never held MARKS accountable-- they made excuses.
DeleteIt's a freakin' pep squad, not an advocacy group.
I second that!
DeleteThe fact that you won't identify yourself and your comments suggest that you are status quo staff or BOE. I don't expect things to change anytime soon. I am a realistic person... Also between the union leadership, state, BOE, central office and building principals, there is enough chaos and blame to go around. Marks was not strong enough to fight the stats quo, I will grant you that, but do not underestimate the anger in the community. Between the budget fiasco and another superintendent biting the dust and the economy still in the tank, more and more parents are willing or have to stay and fight the status quo since selling their house or putting their kids in private school may not be an option in this economy. Although I have heard that there have been a couple of dozen children pulled out of Fox Run. (currently working on enrollment drops on a per school basis)
ReplyDeleteThis will be my last post until I need to dispell another incorrect rumor about letters. Like me or not.. I am public and am not afraid as many on this blog appear to be to identify myself... Except perhaps Steve, but hey, this has always been the I hate Susan Marks blog and the the i hate the Red Apples. Soon it will be the I hate the next Superintendent (fill in the blank) blog. Whatever...
So let me get this straight. According to you, there is no one doing a good job including the State Department of Education? Oh no, there is someone doing a good job! YOU! LOL
DeleteHere's the sorry state of affairs in Norwalk-- if you're a bully with a few friends and a website, you can call yourself an "advocacy group" and get lots of time in the paper. Rather than look at specific issues that have a local impact and a local solution, the Apples want to throw mud at local officials, demean local employees and then, instead of offering a suggestion that can be done locally, start babbling (and I mean babbling) about state averages, "trend data", national education policy and how math is taught in Singapore.
DeleteThey are the proverbial empty barrel making the most noise.
Lisa Thompson is right- I am angry-- angry that I voted for Sue Haynie, and angry that the Red Apples never held Marks accountable which helped her to stay far too long.
Right on, Aug 1 at 11:38 a.m.
Delete'An Apple a day will keep anyone away, if thrown hard enough.' -unknown
ReplyDelete