Tag: Lavalle

State Budget Fallout

Tuesday evening was a night that will live in infamy for public education advocates in New York State.  It was a night that saw the New York State legislature pass legislation that will certainly prove to be more damaging to our state’s public schools than any other legislation passed in our history.

The governor is certainly the chief villain in all of this, but numerous others emerged as well.  Senator Ken Lavalle, for example, is one of many legislators with blood on his hands.  Lavalle, who along with John Flanagan represents portions of the Comsewogue School District, was one of the dozens of legislators who ignored the pleas of his constituents in order to vote for the budget.  For legislators like Lavalle it was a grand betrayal.  One that is abusive to children, will ruin the careers of educators, and strips local control from our communities in order to pass it off to people who have never once stepped foot in Port Jefferson Station.  These legislators surely assume that it was early enough in their new terms to stick a knife in the back of their communities.  “The people will certainly all forget by the fall of 2016!” they are telling themselves.  This is clearly one of the many places they have gone wrong.  Because people won’t forget this.  Voters won’t forget the day their state government overstepped their bounds and forced it’s way into school districts.  Parents won’t forget the day their elected officials responded to calls for less testing by doubling down on high stakes testing.  Teachers won’t forget the day that tenure was obliterated and they were given a mandate to “teach to the test.”  Our brothers and sisters in other labor unions certainly took note as the state eroded due process rights and the collective bargaining rights of public employees.

Dozens of these legislators will pay the price in November 2016.  Many of the senators and assemblymen who haven’t yet been arrested for corruption will certainly be voted out by communities.  However that won’t help us in the short run.  Now we are left to pick up the pieces and figure out what direction to go in next.  Parents in our community have already done that as the “Comsewogue Parents in Action” group has not only formed but swelled to over 100 in just two days.  Local teachers unions will begin to configure their next steps while refusing to allow their own children to take the tests.

A few more take aways from this week…

  • One point that can no longer be argued is that Mike Mulgrew is clearly either actively working against his own membership or is the most incompetent labor leader in history.  I am not sure which would be worse.  Mulgrew, who declared the budget a “victory” will be up for re-election next spring.  When he is re-elected an enormous spotlight will shine on the rigged system of “democracy” that governs the UFT, the nation’s largest teachers local.  That can only be a good thing.
  • NYSUT Executive Vice-President Andy Pallotta, whose legislative record impresses nobody, got crushed again.  His failure to prevent this atrocity seriously calls into question the votes of the NYSUT delegates who last year re-elected him, deeming him the only incumbent officer worthy of re-election.  Pallotta, whose only legislative victory this term was securing a double pension for Karen Magee, Martin Messner, and Paul Pecorale (at what was possibly an enormous price) earns a large salary and a healthy number of perks from our membership dues.  The NYSUT officers even helped themselves to a 2% raise last August.  These are things that should stick in the minds of NYSUT delegates when they vote in 2017.
  • A local hero emerged this week.  Several legislators cast their vote against the budget this week.  These are the legislators with a conscience.  The elected officials who will at least be able to sleep at night as this debacle is rolled out over the next few months.  We thank these members of the legislature for standing for their communities, our children, and our profession.  From a local standpoint, Steve Englebright was chief among the supporters.  Not only did Englebright vote against the budget deal, he bucked his party in the process.  While most Assembly Dems were busy sticking a knife in the back of their community, Englebright stood tall for ours.  It was a vote that took courage and conviction and the Comsewogue community is fortunate to have such a devoted public servant as a representative.  We will fondly remember his vote when we head to the polls in November 2016.

I will leave you with an extraordinary video created by one of our students.  Chelsea Smith is a Junior at Comsewogue High School.  As part of her video production class she created a short film called, A Common Voice- Cutting to the Core of What’s Important in Education.  It features appearances by Dr. Rella and several PJSTA members.  Share it widely.  Enjoy…

Hold Your Applause

Flanagan and King
Flanagan and King

We are entering an important period of time in the push back against the education reforms in New York State.  Fearing for their jobs next November, we are beginning to see some movement from state legislators on the school reform agenda.  This is to be expected, as they have been hearing more about this agenda than anything else.  Recently Senator Flanagan indicated that when the legislature convenes in January we should see quick action on the student privacy issue.  Make no doubt, this is excellent news and it shows that finally legislators are starting to listen.

This, however, is not nearly enough.  It became fairly predictable a couple of weeks back that there would be some movement in this direction.  Legislators are fearing for their jobs and Commissioner King has had enough vitriol directed towards him that the state is now willing to throw us a bone.  But as we have stated time and again, nothing but a full withdrawal from Race to the Top in New York State is acceptable.  That is the message our legislators should continue to hear until they have delivered it.

There is a danger that with the passage of legislation restricting the data sent to inBloom people will be appeased.  That is what John King and Merryl Tisch are hoping.  That is what Andrew Cuomo is hoping for.  That is what John Flanagan, Ken LaValle, and the rest of the legislature is hoping.  That they can offer up the privacy issue in the hopes that the public will thank them, jump into their holiday season, and forget all about the rest of the abusive reform agenda.

There have been signs that some people are ready to head down this road.  Here is No Kids Data NY:

And NYSUT’s Kyle Belokopitsky…

Again, let me be clear, limiting student data that is passed on is a win for our movement.  It is something to be thankful for and a feather in our cap.  But I am not ready to throw too many plaudits in Senator Flanagan’s direction yet.  Keep in mind, Senator Flanagan is a major reason we are in this mess to begin with.  Along with Andy Cuomo, puppet John King, and puppet master Merryl Tisch, he has been at the forefront of pushing the abusive reform agenda in New York State.  Senator Flanagan has a long way to go before I am sending him a thank you card.  A lot needs to be accomplished before I can be assured that the money that his chief campaign contributor, Michelle Rhee, gave him is not being spent to continue to harm students and teachers in New York for the benefit of private corporations.

The Smithtown News recently published a great editorial, titled “Change course on King/Flanagan agenda”, about Flanagan’s role in harming public education in New York State.  It’s behind a pay wall so I’ll only give you the highlights.  All bolded emphasis is mine.

On the organized opposition against the reform agenda…

Call it the King/Flanagan agenda, and it stinks.

The opposition has become so angry that wherever Senator Flanagan, SED Commissioner Dr. John King and Regent Chancellor Dr. Merryl Tisch go from one end of the state to the other, people start screaming at them.

On what may be part of Flanagan’s motivation (though the Rhee bucks help too)…

Ever since NYSUT refused to endorse him for re-election in 2010, Mr. Flanagan has been out to get public school teachers and he is hell-bent on taking the public school system down with them.  He has jumped to the center of the charter school bandwagon, which drains money from public schools, he has fostered implementation of an inherently unfair and flawed APPR system, he has ushered in the misguided and premature implementation of the Common Core Learning Standards and he has allowed the implementation of the abusive testing of students.

After commenting on the $1 billion in state aid that Long Island districts have lost while Flanagan has either been the ranking Republican or Chairman of the Senate Education Committee…

Never has Long Island faired so poorly in terms of state aid as it has under the educational leadership of John Flanagan, and now his failed policies are threatening to destroy the quality educational system that we have enjoyed here on Long Island for generations.

On Flanagan’s hearings around the state that are dedicated to the reform agenda…

The hearings should have been held before implementing these new policies, not after.  The intent now is only to act as political cover for Mr. Flanagan, who will try to emerge as if he resolved this difficult problem.

Remember though, he is the root cause of the terrible situation facing public school education right now.  He needs to be replaced whether the problem is ultimately solved or not.

It really was a great article that reminds us that John Flanagan is one of the primary reasons we are in this mess.  So I will hold my thank you until the entire agenda is repealed.

Ken LaValle, Bodyguard to John King

Next Tuesday evening will be the final Common Core Forum on Long Island that features John King.  Earlier in the fall King cancelled his PTA Town Hall Meetings because he didn’t like to be called out on his abusive agenda.  So they created new forums for him to come around and discuss the Common Core with parents, students, and teachers.  However the rules were changed a bit as Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch descended from her ivory tower to sit next to King and hold his hand.  Additionally districts were limited to the number of representatives they could have speak and the amount of time those people could speak for.  At last week’s forum at Ward Melville High School, for example, we were limited to three speakers who were each permitted two whole minutes.  Apparently that was too difficult for Dr. King because the rules have changed once again.

At next week’s forum, hosted by Senator Ken LaValle, district’s are being asked to submit the name of the person they would like to speak for them along with the comments that speaker will be making.  Then, if you are lucky, LaValle’s crack team of hacks will choose you as one of the winners and you will get to speak.  That somehow passes for democracy in this day and age.  I can’t wait to hear what tough questions the commissioner will have to face.  Probably something like, “Commissioner King, why is the Common Core so amazing?”

Ken LaValle, no friend of public education, is making a real mistake here if he thinks this is the way to go about a forum like this.  Parents and teachers are angry.  They are angry at King and Tisch’s abusive agenda.  They are angry that their elected officials, like LaValle, are permitting their children to be bullied.  Now they will be angry that their voice is not being heard.  They are creating a situation where people will need to shout to be heard.  They will need to stand up and demand that their voices be heard.  They have created a situation that unquestionably calls for civil disobedience.

The only question remaning is whether or not those who demand to be heard will be treated like this Common Core opponent in Maryland was…

What are Pols Saying About NYSED’s King?

A few state legislators have begun to weigh in on John King’s cowardly acts from last week.

State Senator Cecilia Tkaczyk writes…

Dear Dr. King,

I was greatly saddened to read about your decision to suspend four planned PTA-sponsored Town Hall Meetings on the Common Core.Common Core and the standardized testing mandates we’ve placed on our schools, teachers and students are among the most significant challenges ever faced by our public education system. They deserve a full airing, and those involved — parents, students and teachers in every part of the state — must have the opportunity to be a part of the process and to have their concerns addressed.One of the recurring complaints on common core and testing is that parents and teachers were not brought in to the planning process. To now refuse to hold future meetings would only reinforce the perception that State Education Department is forcing the curriculum without proper planning and public input.I think the Friday night meeting in Poughkeepsie can be taken as a teachable moment.  I am certain that the Town Hall events can be structured in such a way that they provide for a useful give and take, and I strongly urge you to restore these community meetings. Further I am hopeful that you will attend an education forum I am hosting with other State Legislators on October 22, at Kingston High School from 5 pm to 7 pm.Your attendance would help assuage the frustrations, fears and concerns of the parents, teachers and school administrators in my district.Sincerely,

State Senator Jack Martins has a lengthy reply here, and ends with this…

At the moment New York needs a caring pragmatist willing to address real concerns raised by caring parents and educators who see a system being manipulated from above to the detriment of their children. Unfortunately, we have John King. He should immediately reschedule these forums or he should immediately resign.

State Senator Timothy Kennedy urged King to reschedule the meetings.

It should be mentioned that State Assemblyman Steve Englebright initially called for King’s resignation in August.  He was ahead of the curve!

The state senators representing Comsewogue have been curiously silent.  However, they say a picture speaks a thousand words…

John King and John Flanagan

Firing John King isn’t Enough

When Cuomo/Tisch water boy John King is fired they’ll just look for a new lackey to do their dirty work.

 

By now it is clear that John King will likely be fired as the New York State Education Department Commissioner.  Let’s recap why…

  • King was speaking last Thursday at what was to be the first of several PTA Town Hall meetings intended to act as a Q & A on the Common Core State Standards.  The meetings were supposed to be an hour of King presenting and an hour of questions from the audience.
  • King spoke for over an hour and a half.  When parents started to ask questions and and express anger during the remaining time, King spoke down to them and continuously told them that they needed to be quiet and listen to him.  That made them angrier.
  • On Friday King cancelled the remaining PTA Town Hall meetings scheduled for the rest of the state.
  • King released a statement in which he referred to parents and educators as “special interests.”

In the interim nobody has come to King’s defense.  Not his friend Andrew Cuomo.  Not his good pal Merryl Tisch.  Not his first day of school friend John Flanagan.  Not surprisingly they have been in hiding since King went off the deep end.

While King’s friends have been off cowering in remote corners of the state, educators and parents have become further incensed.  First at being so arrogantly dismissed by King and then by being labeled “special interests” by the guy who bows down to the all mighty Pearson.  Their outrage is beginning to reach a fevered pitch and cannot go unanswered for much longer.

By this time it is almost certain that King will get the ax.  Deservedly so.  He has almost zero experience as an educator and is clearly in over his head.  The powers that be, namely Cuomo and Tisch, will see to it that King is made an example of.  But that won’t be enough because the real problem here isn’t John King.  John King is merely a lackey.  He is the water boy for the big players in the education deform movement.  He exists simply to do the dirty work of Cuomo and Tisch.  If he is fired he will simply be replaced with another reformy type.

Without John King we will still have the Common Core.  Without John King we will still have the same high stakes testing.  Without John King we still have Race to the Top, a junk science APPR, and a crippling tax cap.  Without John King we are left with the same industry of trash that we have now… minus John King.

Cuomo and Tisch are the big guns.  They are the ones setting the agenda.  Cuomo taking money from hedge fund managers as he  seeks presidential glory in 2016.  Tisch as she seeks to further line the pockets of her fellow plutocrats.

So by all means, call for the firing of John King.  Contact all of your elected officials about it.  Scream and yell.  Get mad.  His behavior was an outrage and he deserves to be fired.  But don’t stop there.  Because that should just be the tip of the iceberg.  2014 is an election year.  For Cuomo, for Flanagan, for Ken Lavalle, another enemy of public ed, and for the entire state legislator.  If you really want to enact change, begin by voting them all out.  A King firing is a victory, but a minor one at that.  It is an action that should serve only to embolden teachers and parents.  A sign that it’s time to ratchet up the heat on the ones pulling the strings.

 

KYE- NYS Senators John J. Flanagan and Ken LaValle

Ken LaValle- ENEMY OF PUBLIC ED
John J. Flanagan- ENEMY OF PUBLIC ED- use a deferential tone when speaking to him!

Way back in July, before Dr. Rella became a celebrity, before we called for John King’s firing, and before we rallied for public ed, we announced a new series of posts that we would be writing this year.  That series would be broken into two parts.  One part titled “Know Your Friends” (KYF) and one titled “Know Your Enemies” (KYE).  The first post of the series was a “Know Your Friends” detailing a dear friend of public education, Diane Ravitch.  Today we pull back the curtain on our first “Know Your Enemies” post.

Our first KYE post is a special two for one edition featuring two of our most local politicians, New York State Senators John J. Flanagan and Ken LaValle.  Each of these state senators represent parts of the Comsewogue School District.  Each of these politicians received one of Dr. Rella’s letters regarding the scores of the NYS Common Core tests.  Each of these senators could not be bothered to show up to the rally because they do not support the will of their constituents and the rally message “Students, Not Scores”.

We will discuss LaValle first.  He issued this statement the day before Saturday’s #SNSRally.  There are a few problems with this statement…

I met with those parents, listened to their concerns,  and also met with representatives of the State’s Education Department.

He chose not to meet with any actual teachers who, you know, proctored the exams and teach the content the students are responsible for?!  Surely those reps from NYSED included the reformy John King and others of his ilk… people who are selling NY State’s public education system to the highest bidder.

I agree that the implementation of the Common Core could have been better handled

Perhaps LaValle meant. “It could have been handled better.  But we were really in a rush to get this system in place so that we can start firing teachers sooner rather than later.  If it hurts the children in the process, so be it… I have a political agenda and I am not going to let common sense stand in the way of it!”

The bill also requires the Commissioner of the State Education Department to report, annually to the Legislature about: the effectiveness of Common Core state tests in enhancing student learning and performance

The commissioner already tells us that our Common-Core assessments are “very high quality”.  I am just dying to hear his report to the legislature.

Senator LaValle, who also supported the tax cap that has crippled New York State schools, is a clear enemy of public education.  He is from the 1st Senate District.  He will likely run for re-election again next fall.  Vote him out.

Now onto John J. Flanagan.  Senator Flanagan, representing the 2nd Senate District, also chairs the New York State Senate Standing Committee on Education.  No wonder public education is a mess.  He also was a recipient of Dr. Rella’s letter.  While LaValle issued a cop-out statement, Flanagan didn’t even bother.  Maybe he was busy basking in the glow of his “Pet Lemon Law“.  He did contact Rella privately.  You can read between the lines to figure out how that went.

Senator Flanagan has known ties to ALEC.  You can read about their involvement with the Common Core to get an idea about where Senator Flanagan’s education agenda stands.

Additionally, the PJSTA knows from it’s own personal experience that Senator John J. Flanagan is no friend of ours.

A little while back PJSTA President Beth Dimino went to Flanagan’s office with the rest of the Suffolk NYSUT contingency during a NYSUT Committee of 100 event.  This was right after the Comsewogue cap budget failed to get 60%.  During the meeting Dimino confronted Flanagan about the fact that he supported the tax cap.  She told him that as a New York State Senator that represents Comsewogue and as the head of New York State Senate Standing Committee on Education that he was directly responsible for the fact that we would have to eliminate programs, have larger class sizes, lay off teachers and reconfigure our elementary schools, even though 59% of the voters didn’t want these things to happen.  She was respectful in her presentation, though in typical Dimino fashion she was passionate and didn’t sugar coat anything.  He was not pleased with what she had to say or the way that she spoke to him.  At the end of the meeting Dimino went up to him and when he shook her hand she presented him with a gift.  She gave him one of these pins…

The pin Dimino gave to Flanagan.

Mrs. Dimino told him that the gift was a pin from Comsewogue and the PJSTA and that she hoped he would wear it.  Flanagan was furious.  He proceeded to complain about her to a NYSUT official and then he called a Comsewogue School District official.  Flanagan told the NYSUT official what she said and demanded that Dimino needed speak to him in a more deferential tone in the future.  He asked the district official to “get control of” Dimino.  The individual told Flanagan that if he had actually knew Dimino he would know that no one was going to control her!

So please make sure that when speaking to King Senator Flanagan you are deferential enough.  He is after all an extremely important guy.  He will even tell you so himself.

As the chairman of the New York State Senate Standing Committee on Education, Flanagan will be holding hearings throughout New York State in the coming months to review the impact and effectiveness of recent education reforms.  Of course he could skip the hearings and just walk into any school and a teacher could tell him how destructive these education “reforms” have been.  The first hearing is scheduled to be right here on Long Island.  His office informed me that the hearing will take place during the second week in September and is by invite only.  By waiting until the school year has started Flanagan has a built in excuse not to invite many real teachers to the hearing.  That would be a disaster of course because then he wouldn’t get to hear what he wants to hear.  Holding these hearings without real educators is akin to seeking medical advice from your dog.  But we already know that public education is a rigged game and John J. Flanagan is making sure that he does everything he can to rig it in the favor billionaires, corporations, and potential big money donors.

Senator Flanagan, like Senator LaValle will likely be running for re-election again in 2014.  He too is an enemy of public education.  He too should be voted out.

#SNSRally Going Forward

An estimated 2,000 people converged on Comsewogue High School yesterday to tell the powers that be what they should do with the Common Core State Standards.  The crowd, a mixture of teachers, administrators, parents, students, and other concerned citizens turned out despite only having a week to organize the rally.

Speaking at the rally were Comsewogue Board Trustee Ali Gordon, PJSTA President Beth Dimino, NYSUT President Dick Ianuzzi, Comsewogue Superintendent Dr. Joseph Rella, Comsewogue High School student Arya Hezarkani, parent Gina Renard, New York State Assemblymen Steve Englebright and Al Graf, and former Suffolk County Legislator Vivian Viloria-Fisher.

Perhaps the highlight of the rally was Assemblymen Englebright saying, “Somebody’s head should be on the block and it should be John King!”  He was right of course, but he neglected to mention King’s host of other ed deform cronies: Barack Obama, Arne Duncan, Andy Cuomo, John J. Flanagan, Ken LaValle, Chris Christie, Cory Booker, Mike Bloomberg, Merryl Tisch…. and the list goes on and on and on.

PJSTA members should be taking the next few days to bombard their elected officials with their feelings on these matters.  Ask them if they are with us or against us.  Tell them there is no middle ground.  They will earn our votes or they won’t.  It should be noted that 2,000 people at a rally in Comsewogue is a nice turnout with only a week’s notice.  However it is hardly enough.  It’s nice to gather together, make signs, wear green laces, show our community and union pride, and scream and shout a bit.  However it all means nothing without sustained further action.  The PJSTA will again provide you with ample opportunities in the coming school year to work towards our agenda.  It’s time for you to decide whether or not you are willing to get involved.  Yesterday was the fun part.  Today the work starts.

Reality-Based Educator’s view on the rally.  Please read this, it’s worth it.

Enjoy the pics from the rally below.  Fell free to use the comments section to link to your own pics from the rally.

I don’t care what research says! You’ll do what I say… and you’ll like it!
Sign making on Friday night

Notes on the “Students, Not Scores!” Rally

Just a reminder, not that you should need it, that tomorrow is the “Students, Not Scores!” rally that grew out of Dr. Rella’s letters following the release of the NYS Common Core test scores.  The rally begins at 12:00 and is at Comsewogue High School.  There is an enormous crowd expected, so carpool, arrive early, and park wherever you can.  Speaking will be Dr. Rella, PJSTA President Beth Dimino, NYSUT President Dick Ianuzzi, and several others.  New York State Assemblymen Steven Englebright and Al Graf will be there in support.  Kudos to politicians willing to put their neck on the line to stand up for what’s right.  Be sure to thank them and to vote for them if you live in their district.  Not all politicians have the guts to do what they are doing (I am looking at you John J. Flanagan and Ken LaValle!)

Spend some time to make some signs tonight for tomorrow’s rally.  Be creative.  Have fun.  I know of at least one group of PJSTA members having a sign making party tonight.  If you want in let us know in the comments or email Beth Dimino.

Be sure to wear your PJSTA garb tomorrow (or BAT apparel if you are cool enough to own any!)

There is not much more to be said.  Tomorrow has been a long time coming.  The general public is finally catching on to what teachers have known for several years now.  To quote Karen Lewis, who seemed to speak for all of us during the CTU strike last year, “We’re tired of being bullied, belittled, and betrayed.  We have done everything asked of us, yet we continue to be vilified and treated with disrespect.”  Tomorrow’s your chance to fight back.  I know I wouldn’t miss it for the world!

Some new links of note:

Students Not Scores! now has a website!  Click here to view it and sign the petition.

Port Jefferson School District Superintendent, Dr. Ken Bossert weighs in on test scores here.  Feel free to set the commenters straight.

The UFT’s MORE Caucus has been a tremendous help in getting the word out about this rally.  Please visit their site.  They stand for everything that is right in education and we would all benefit if they were at the helm of the country’s largest teachers union.

Don’t Stop Until King is Fired!

Yesterday Diane Ravitch called for the resignation of New York State’s Education Commissioner John King.  Assemblyman Steve Englebright agreed.  Ravitch encouraged us to contact the New York State Board of Regents and encourage them to call for King’s resignation.  On Long Island our representative is Regent Tilles.  The chancellor of the board is Merryl Tisch.  Yesterday I emailed Tisch and Cc’d Tisch.  Below is my letter, followed by Tilles’ response.

Dear Regent Tilles,

I write to you today as a deeply concerned citizen, parent, and educator.  Under the guidance of Commissioner John King the quality of education in New York State has taken a dramatic turn for the worse.  As currently constituted, public education does a great disservice to the development of our children and has the ability to deeply scar an entire generation of students, putting the future of our state in grave danger.  This obviously is not something that should be taken lightly and is a matter that requires immediate attention.

As a veteran educator who proctored two of New York State’s Common Core assessments this year, I was mortified by what I saw.  Not only the inappropriate and misleading context of the exams, but the emotional impact on my students.  What’s worse is that my experience was typical of the myriad of colleagues who I discussed this with.

As the father of a daughter who is not yet of school age, I am truly petrified of what I will be sending her to when she is ready for kindergarten.  As a public educator it breaks my heart to say that.  Our children are truly the most important parts of our lives.  I am sure you can understand my sentiment.

Although I have Cc’d Regent Tisch on this email, I know that she is a lost cause.  She has proved time and again that she is there solely to cater to corporations and individuals who seek to destroy public education.  Unfortunately career educators such as myself do not have the financial wherewithal to bend her ear.  So I am appealing to you, as you are my representative.  Please, before it is too late, do everything in your power to fire Commissioner John King and do all that you can to help save public education.

Tilles’ response…

Thank you for your input. I have read several like letters.while most know where I stand on the issues involved I don’t believe the Regents are ready to take the action requested. Working with our LI legislators we need to come up to a satisfactory solution to the concerns raised.
Roger Tilles

 

Unfortunately we have seen that two of our state legislators don’t seem to be taking the matter very seriously.  My suggestion would be that we continue to bombard the board of regents, and our state legislators and let them know that this is a matter that we are taking very seriously.

 

 

 

Click here to find your New York State Senator.

 

An Interview with Dr. Joseph Rella

We were
fortunate enough to grab a few thoughts from Dr. Rella on his
recent celebrity, his interaction with our elected officials,
mainstream media’s creative filtering, and most importantly, what
we can do to continue to stand up for public education.

Dr. Rella

PJSTA: You obviously
couldn’t have imagined that your letter to elected officials would
go viral as it did. When you sat down to write it what were
you hoping to be able to accomplish?

RELLA:
Last Thursday, I wrote a letter to each of our state
legislators in light of the release of the test
scores. I also wrote a letter to our parents in
anticipation of the avalanche of negative press and press releases
from the State – lots of spin and magical thinking. I
posted them on our district
website Thursday evening. On a normal weekend
in early August, it would get about 30
hits. By Friday morning I was getting emails
from all over Long Island, California, Louisiana, Indonesia,
etc. Apparently, my words have found resonance beyond
Comsewogue.
PJSTA: What has surprised
you most about the response to the letter?

RELLA: There’s
one common theme. It was expressed best by a
teacher:
I am an elementary teacher in the Plainview
School District for almost 30 years. I cried when I read your
letter. It was such a relief to read that someone influential (like
yourself) in a school district gets it!
Thanks for being so “right-on” in your
appraisal of the current testing situation and for speaking so
eloquently for me.
Most appreciatively,
I cried when I read her
email!
PJSTA: When did you realize
that it was going to be a rallying point for groups who support
public education?

RELLA: By the
weekend people from around the Island – more
correctly, teachers, from around the Island
–were emailing and calling. Teachers who have
set up major blogs, etc.
PJSTA: Which elected
officials did you write to?

RELLA: Our three
local legislators, Senators LaValle and Flanagan
and Assemblyman Englebright.
PJSTA: Have they all
responded to you? If so, what have their responses
been?

RELLA: I spoke
with all three. They understood my
points.
PJSTA: When you say they
understand your point, are they in agreement with you? Did
they express to you whether or not they are supportive of the
Common Core and it’s implementation or is it something that they
oppose?
RELLA: Let
me phrase it this way. Steve Engelbright said that
he supports the views I expressed in my letter. He
said he would be proud to stand next to me in the “public square”
and do just that. He’s coming on
Saturday. I’m proud to know him.
PJSTA: Why should people
attend Saturday’s rally?
RELLA:
The Common Core implementation and testing is hurting
children. We need to stop it now. We need to
fix it now. If it can’t be fixed – we need to SCRAP
IT! STOP IT – FIX IT – or SCRAP
IT!
PJSTA: What would make the
rally a success in your eyes?
RELLA: We’re
going to need hundreds of thousands of emails, tweets, etc. to get
to the Governor, Commissioner, Regents, and the legislature.
The rally last June had over 10,000 people – it didn’t get a single
word of coverage down here. The traditional media is
OUT. The power of social media is the way we will communicate
with those hundreds of thousands. In fact, that’s why I’m
doing this here, on the PJSTA blog.
Channel 12’s editorial director was looking to
speak with me. They’re done. The filtering is too much
for me. Last Sunday’s NEWSDAY had a
two sentence quote from my letter. Given the tone of the
article, it looked like I was saying: “I can’t understand why so
many of our kids failed.” I can perfectly understand
it. The Commissioner told us last fall that it would happen,
he designed a test to make it happen, and then it happened.
I’m done with them.
PJSTA: What can people do
after the rally? What is the next step?
RELLA: Contact
that group above – weekly! An email or a tweet is no big
deal. We’ll probably have a “day” to do it en masse.
Numbers matter. The first question I was asked by one of our
legislators was: “How many emails did you
get?” With apologies to Will Shakespeare: They have
taught us well but we “will better the
instruction.”
PJSTA: Have you now
eclipsed Clinton Kelly as the most famous
person from Comsewogue?
RELLA:
LOL.
PJSTA: Any final words or
thoughts?
RELLA: WE (ALL of
us collectively) ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN GET THIS
DONE. Up until now, no group has gotten it done – NOT
the educational leadership – schoolboards, superintendents,
administrators – NOT the unions – NYSUT, UFT, AFT, NOT the
parents. NOT our State representatives. ONLY
COLLECTIVELY DO WE HAVE A SHOT AT DOING THIS. Also, keep
in mind that none of the rhetoric used in the past has
worked. Time to try something
different

No one is going to help
us – EXCEPT ALL OF US TOGETHER
Thanks again to Dr. Rella for taking time out of his busy schedule
to provide us with his thoughts. We are looking forward to
throngs of people at Saturday’s rally. Just a reminder it
will be at Comsewogue High School at 12:00 pm.
For more information on the rally you can follow Students Not
Scores on Twitter or use the hashtag #studentsnotscores.