Guest Blogger: Reactions of a Reluctant Advocate

So, suddenly, the letter, stating that my children’s School was getting turned upside down.

I started asking questions, I called board members. Those phone calls were disastrous.  Though the board member who were willing to speak with me, were perfectly lovely, each call lengthened my list of questions. I decided to write an email to the board members and our Superintendent.  I was honestly naive enough to believe that I would be acknowledged. At this point, I still didn't realize that there was a hidden agenda.... I just wanted to make sure my children were being considered in this reorganization process and PHASE 1?  What is PHASE 1? How many phases? Why? Why? Why? I felt like my inquiries were simple enough.....but I was being met with such defensiveness.  Why? What is going on?

Then I heard other parents discussing the recent changes. We compared notes--- and that's where it started, a group of parents coming together with the same questions. We kept talking, the community then received wind of the current happenings at Our Elementary School and a group was born.  
A Facebook group? Really--it's just a place to get people together with the same questions. A way to share information and thoughts on what our Superintendent is doing and what our Board of Education has in store for us...... rumors?? No way! The STOP group is constantly researching, emailing, calling, and fact checking everything before it gets posted. That's a definite plus.....facts!
STOP is nothing. STOP is just a facebook group, but that was yesterday.  Today.....STOP is important.  A group of community members, parents, grandparents, stakeholders, & taxpayers all wanting the same thing---- a school that runs ethically, legally, and with community involvement when possible.
So, our Assistant Principal, gone,  no good reason, just wasn’t yet tenured as an Administrator and of course, “because the Board can”. Principal being reassigned—on what basis?  A “secret” survey?  Still no answers, even as we are getting patronizing offers to sit on interview committees to replace someone we don’t want to see leave (I'm not saying everyone LOVES the guy, I'm not saying he's perfect, but we know of no reason for his being moved and at some point, don’t our kids deserve a shred of stability?)Special Education Director -- retiring. We'll miss you. I feel like we just got on the same page.  Lawyer as new, made up “Assistant Committee on Special Education Chair”.  I thought to myself.....maybe I'm just being salty over all of the changes at once, but then there’s evidence that Lawyer lady is NOT the best choice our board of education had available to them. So, why? Why the need to hastily appoint someone into the CSE position? Why the hurry?
It is taking time, but STOP is crossing our T's and dotting our I's and putting Business As Usual….out of Business!

I fear there’s an agenda! A scary, scary agenda!  The terms 8-1-1, testing exempt and shared services are being tossed around.

In the same Board Meeting where the “So Not Our Guy” was appointed Superintendent effective NEXT OCTOBER, I had to endure a speech by said Guy on how important State testing is and how crucial it is that I live up to my responsibility to ensure that my child does not contribute in his miniscule way to the 5% threshold of non-participatory…..blahblahblah. BTW-SOOOO Still not Our Guy.

Is he friendly, personable?  Maybe.    However, at every turn, every breach in the faith of the community, the finger points back to him:

HIS transition plan

HIS reorganization

HIS lack of faith in our Elementary teachers

HIS belief that our children are not disciplined harshly enough

HIS belief that our children are not being pushed hard enough to get better grades on High Stakes tests

HIS plan to get rid of effective and well liked Administrators in a School he has spent almost zero time in

HIS belief that an unqualified individual should lead the our most vulnerable population into the future

HIS speech not giving even a drop of credit to our Elementary teachers and kids that worked their butts off to raise test scores, some well above other Schools.

Our kids, the ones you feel qualified to lead, the ones you want us to place in your hands, they are more than 1,2,3 or 4’s.

Why the hurry to appoint someone as Superintendent, when so many parents and tax payers are asking questions? Why appoint someone Superintendent in the face of a community wide Petition, signed by 340, asking for a robust Search for qualified candidates? Why not bring integrity back to the position and apply for the position, in order to come by it legitimately? Simply refortifies the mistrust and fear that there are agendas the public is not privy to. The personnel umbrella is only so big. Let your community be involved......return our Democratic rights to an Open Government. Afford us the chance to be truly heard. We are not just noise.....we have valid questions. We have valid points. We know our kids and we know this community. You need to hear us.  

I fear the change to come, will be in the form of violations of our children’s civil rights and I want to scream that from the roof tops, but I'm being calm and collected in a means to be heard, as an advocate, as a community.