The Buffalo Education Cabal-- Connect the Dots
August 12, 2013
The Buffalo Education cabal, including
Administrators/Principals and Teachers union leadership and complicit Board of
Education (BOE) members, has fostered the dysfunction of the Buffalo Public
Schools (BPS) for years.
Our pathetic and spineless State legislative delegation sits
on the sidelines hoping the problem will go away so they don't have to go
begging to Sheldon Silver, the protector of the education status quo in upstate
urban districts who insures that the New York State United Teachers Union (NYSUT)
continues to fill his campaign coffers. Every year they fail to pass
legislation allowing the State Education Department (SED) to discharge the BOE
and its Superintendent to seize the chaotic Buffalo Public Schools (BPS)
and to install the best "turn around" Superintendent in the nation.
As supporters of the status quo and the incapable and
complicit members of the BOE, on whose watch the BPS has decayed into a
farcical nightmare, Sean Ryan (as was the case with his useless predecessor Sam
Hoyt), Crystal Peoples and Tim Kennedy are as guilty of the failed BPS as
the BOE and its Superintendent.
The cabal only cares about keeping its friends and family
employed and controlling a $965 million budget. The children don't matter to
them.
45 of 57 schools are failures. 46% graduated in 2012, many
of them pushed through. Less than 20% of black males graduated last year.
155 students were "dumped" on the streets in 2012,
just at East High School. Obviously that was a policy set by someone in a
high place who the Principal of East now seeks to protect and defend by lying.
The BOE thinks it is alright to allow illegal non-resident
students to attend the few schools of excellence in the system depriving
Buffalo resident students of a slot in those schools.
The average number of students passing the English SED
standardized test last year was 26%. It was 31% in math. This year the averages
were 11.5% and 9.6% respectively, which the cabal blamed on "Common
Core" standards. All this despite a budget of $29,000/ student.
Morale is non-existent in every constituency of the BPS.
Teachers and principals yearn for a stable career, without violence or
babysitting where they can actually teach their students. The majority despise
their union leaders, elected in rigged elections, but they fear intimidation
and recrimination if they speak out.
NYS Ed law §2554. Powers and duties of board of education.
20. To provide, outside the territorial limits of the
city school
district
but within the state or within an adjoining state, for
the
education of children
resident within the city school district whenever
in the judgment of the board of education, approved by the commissioner
of
education, the health or welfare of
such children makes such
provision necessary or desirable,
and the average daily attendance of
such pupils shall be
included in the average daily attendance of such
district as
certified to the commissioner in the report of the board of
education.
27,000 students were entitled to choose a performing school
prior to July 1 and BPS knew the requirement months in advance and did nothing.
Parents of over 2,200 students elected to attend a performing school.
Finally, on June 28, BPS proposed the initial
"Comprehensive Action Plan" without full BOE consultation or
approval. It was rejected by the SED. Last week they submitted an amended
plan, again without full BOE consultation and approval. The amended plan
illustrates no sense of urgency and only gives 20% of the 2,200 students the
right to attend a performing school this year. They will attempt to move 80%
over the course of three years, which is an eternity for a child who has been
denied the opportunity for an education since he or she entered the system.
The BOE has no sensitivity to the plight of the children.
When passed, the law did not contemplate or provide reasonable remediation for
a school district as bad as Buffalo, but the intent was clear: The BPS children
are suffering. No more delay, act now and if slots are not available,
outsource the students.
Despite the crisis, obvious to everyone, the
cabal wanted us to look the other way so they could slide up to SED their
illicit and deficient plan, devoid of any intent or attempt to outsource the
children to suburban schools, BOCES vocational programs, Charters or private
schools.
Why isn't every one of the 27,000 children in the 45 failed
schools immediately entitled to a nourishing education? It is interesting that
so many parents made no election for their children. It shows that the
dysfunction is generational and that the parents are victims of the same
dysfunctional school system as their children.
Why do the BOE cabal members, who caused the dysfunction,
think they have the right to secretly engage their Superintendent, without full
BOE input or approval, to dictate a policy, in response to the mandate, devoid of
any outsourcing? Do those BOE members really expect us to believe that
the Superintendent made that policy decision alone?
Why shouldn't that BOE be punished and fired by the SED for
letting things get so bad?
When will our lame and cowardly legislative delegation engage?
How bad does it have to get
before elected and appointed officials recognize the fraud, waste and abuse
inflicted on our children and finally give them an opportunity for an
education?
August
12, 2013
RESOLUTION
At an
Emergency Meeting of the Buffalo Board of Education (BOE) held on
Monday, August 12th in the City of Buffalo, said meeting having been
duly noticed and approved by this Board, the following Resolution was
adopted:
WHEREAS: The Buffalo Public School
District (BPSD) has in excess of 27,000 children enrolled in schools that are
not in good standing, and,
WHEREAS: Pursuant to federal law
requirements, the New York State Education Department has directed the BPSD to
provide School In Good Standing placement for every child whose family so
demands; and,
WHEREAS: In excess of 2,200
families have demanded school in good standing placement for the 2013-2014
school year for their children who are currently enrolled in failing schools
and,
WHEREAS: This Board recognizes the
urgency of finding an immediate solution for all of those families
demanding placement in schools in good standing for their children for
the 2013-2014 school year; and,
WHEREAS: This Board recognizes the
critical and serious lack of capacity of the BPSD to provide adequate school in
good standing opportunities in Buffalo public schools for the 2013-2014 school
year to meet the current demand and;
WHEREAS: This Board further
recognizes, in view of the fact that there are in excess of 27,000
students enrolled in BPSD's 45 schools not in good standing, that the BPSD will
continue to have a serious and critical lack of capacity to offer school in
good standing opportunities.
NOW, after having diligently
discussed, reviewed, and evaluated options available to this Board for making
school in good standing opportunities available to all students enrolled in
BPSD schools, this Board hereby resolves to amend the plan and seek authority
from the SED as follows:
1) In
addition to spaces in BPSD schools-in-good-standing, the Superintendent and her
staff shall immediately make serious, diligent and good faith efforts to locate
as many available seats in schools-in-good-standing in outlying suburban school
districts, BOCES and in private schools for the 2013-14 school year.
2) Upon
determining such availability, the Superintendent and her staff shall
expeditiously and effectively make known to the families who have requested
school-in-good-standing choices, other available school in good standing
alternatives in suburban, and private schools.
3) The
BPSD shall pay to those suburban and private schools such per student tuition
as is reasonably negotiated and/or required by law.
4) The
Superintendent shall immediately survey the parents of all 27,000 children to
determine those best suited for CTE Programs and enroll those students in the
appropriate BOCES program.
5) The
Superintendent and her staff shall prepare, in time for consideration at the
August 21, 2013 BOE meeting, the results of the aforesaid effort and
plans for further public school choice alternatives for the 2014-2015 and
2015-2016 school years, which proposals shall include options for closing
priority schools and restarting them as both charter schools and EPO-managed
schools and, if necessary a Plan for a Federal Court Action by the BOE to allow
the placement of students in Catholic and other private schools.
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