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Letters
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Georgia teacher needs national support
February 28, 2002
Dear Substance
 My name is James Hope,
and I am a 4th grade teacher in Gwinnett County, outside of Atlanta Georgia.
My e-mail address is wildyears3 @aol.com. You may have read my letter
in last month’s Substance regarding the harassment I have received
for posting a half dozen, invalid high stakes tests questions on an internet
sight. I was trying to make the point that the test was so poorly written,
that the passing scores had to be lowered to the 20-30 percent range.
I posted the questions
almost two years ago, after the test had been administered, yet I am still
feeling the heat. School police told parents in August 2000 that my wife
and I are going to jail. (My wife typed the questions.) The superintendent
asked me if I usually got my wife to commit my crimes for me. I managed
not to get arrested or fired, but I am now appealing a decision to have
my license revoked. I am continuing to teach during the appeals process.
Last week, I called
the county district attorney and found out that the school system still
has an open criminal investigation on me, based solely for posting the
six questions. The version of the test I posted from will never be used
again. In the fall of 2000, I became aware that the school police had
confiscated my phone records and had called my friends in to be interrogated.
Ironically, the school system is on the record saying they don’t
do criminal investigations.
I would appreciate
if folks would e-mail or write to some reporters from The Atlanta Journal
Constitution, P.O. Box 4689, Atlanta, GA 30302 and ask them to take a
closer look at this story. Editorial writer Cynthia Tucker at cynthia@ajc.com
and reporters James Salzer at jsalzer@ajc.com and Andrea Jones at ajones@ajc.com.
If these reporters realize that I have some national backing, then maybe
they will be willing to take a closer look.
Teachers in my county
are afraid to speak out. Last year, before administering our high-stakes
test, we had to sign a form that said we could go to prison for up to
five years for divulging test questions. The only reason any teacher would
divulge a question from this test is to prove how poorly written it is,
but this threat keeps them quiet. I’ve never met even one teacher
in my school district who doesn’t think our test is an abomination,
yet public debate is stifled.
When I first went to
court, several teachers at my school wrote letters of support to the judge
which basically said that I am a good teacher and shouldn’t have
my certificate revoked. When I asked one of these teachers if she would
consider sending the letter to the local newspaper, she said no, because
she was afraid of being terminated. I can’t blame her. Teachers are
afraid and most parents are oblivious to this.
I’m sick of the
threats and intimidation. The idea that my daughter is to be separated
from her parents because I’m trying to expose a bad test that unnecessarily
frightens children is unconscionable. I have been fighting high-stakes
testing in my community in a number of ways, which has probably contributed
to the harassment I have received. I am taking a risk by writing this
letter, since my e-mail and other correspondences are, no doubt, being
monitored.
I have seen first hand
the negative effects that high stakes testing has on children and how
it is damaging our profession. I will never stop fighting this scourge.
I will talk to anybody, anywhere, on the record. Thanks for helping.
Sincerely,
James Hope
Gwinnett County, Georgia
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Bright elementary school principal kicks neighbor out of LSC meeting
[The following letter was sent to Arne Duncan on February 23. Duncan had
not responded to the letter writer as of Substance press time (March 6)].
February 22, 2002
Dear Mr. Duncan,
I am quite upset with
the acting principal at Bright School. Today I attempted to attend the
LSC meeting and I was asked to leave. The person who had asked me to leave
was Ms. Robersone.
Before the meeting
had begun she approached me in the assembly hall and asked if she could
speak with me in the hall. I went with her into the hall; she asked me
whether I had children or grandchildren who attended the school. I told
her that I did not and she told me that I had to leave. I told her that
I was a member of the community who owned a house only two blocks away.
She told me that she would have security escort me out.
I again asked for an
explanation and she said that I might disrupt the meeting. I told her
that I was just sitting and listening and then asked her how I was disruptive
at a meeting that had not yet begun. She told me that at the last meeting
my family was disruptive. I told her that my daughter-in-law accompanied
me to the last meeting and we were not disruptive. She then made up some
claim that my daughter in law was passing out flyers.
This is absurd if she
saw my daughter-in-law handing something out at the January 31 meeting
then she is on some type of hallucinogenic drug and does not have any
business in a school with children. To avoid any further humiliation,
and not to create a scene that might frighten any students, I left feeling
quite embarrassed and hurt.
I am a seventy-two
year old man with high blood pressure who does not take his health for
granted. I have lived in this neighborhood my entire life. I graduated
from Bright School in 1943 and each of my children attended the school
and graduated from there. My youngest son, who is a teacher, also taught
there for a short time. He chose Bright school, passing up two other opportunities
to teach in quite affluent suburban districts.
My son had some difficulty
at the school with Ms. Robersone because he asked for social studies books.
A parent, Valerie Ponder, who is my neighbor, called your office to report
this lack of books and ever since that time my son was treated quite unfairly
by Ms. Robersone and ultimately displaced.
Even before my son
taught there, I often attended LSC meetings and was never asked if I had
children that attended the school. As a matter of fact, the former principal,
Dr. Tocwisch, encouraged the community’s involvement at the school.
I spoke to many people,
including Alderman O’Connor’s office, and they told me that
I had every right to be there and that she had no right to kick me out.
I also spoke with an attorney and I was told that being barred from a
public meeting is a violation of my civil rights. He advised me that I
could file suit against the Chicago Public Schools. I do not want to do
that. I don’t think anyone would win and it could be disruptive to
the educational process.
It is my request that
you require Ms. Robersone make a public apology to me at the next LSC
meeting and that someone advise this foolish women that a public meeting
means that the public is invited. Maybe someone needs to teach her the
meaning of “public”. Someone may also want to explain that as
principal she is required to be competent, literate and mentally stable.
She needs to remember that there is something called First Amendment rights.
These allow people to voice their concerns when we disagree with blatant
incompetence.
She needs to understand
that this is not Communist China and that Bright School is not her empire,
but a temporary house for her for her insanity. I fought in Korea against
Communism; I fought for the freedoms that we are all afforded today, and
I will be damned if this lady’s vision of grandeur will destroy the
powers of our democracy in our community. She has not been voted in as
principal as of yet, and she is trying everything in her power to taint
the selection process by the LSC.
I hope that you will
respond to this letter and take it seriously. If not, I guess you will
just be another one of those public servants who is either too afraid
or not concerned enough. I spoke to Edna Blanchard (in the Office of School
and Community Relations) who also informed me that I had a right to be
at the meeting, She then said she would talk to Ms. Robersone and get
back to me. I am still waiting. Maybe next week?
Maybe once again a
complaint has fallen through the cracks. Please do not let this fall on
deaf ears. I am counting on your powers to help settle this. I am a concerned
community member who is being barred from meetings that directly effect
my community. My property taxes partially fund that school and I feel
that I have some partial ownership and should if nothing else be able
to attend these meetings so I may be informed. If Ms. Robersone does not
like these freedoms that our soldiers have died for, maybe she ought to
relocate her life to a place where there are not any freedoms.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Arredondo
Chicago
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An appeal for LSC nominations
March 5, 2002
Dear Substance,
The March 8 Local School
Council Election filing deadline has been extended to Wednesday, April
3, which is right around the corner, and thousands of seats remain open
— only 3,649 candidates have filed for more than 6000 seats.
Every Chicago public
school has a local school council that’s made up of six parent representatives,
two community residents, two teachers, one high school student and the
principal.
We urge you to re-double
your efforts to empower your local parent, community and teacher leaders
by encouraging them to run for Local School Councils. LSCs make real decisions
that affect the quality of your school, like hiring the principal and
approving the education plan and budget. Training is provided to help
real people make a difference.
More than 30 neighborhood
based and citywide organizations are mobilizing in support of the LSC
elections, thanks to $80,000 in small grants provided by the Polk Bros.
Foundation, the Steans Family Foundation and the Prince Charitable Trust.
To connect to a recruiter in your neighborhood or to learn more about
LSCs, contact the Chicago School Leadership Cooperative at 312 499-4800,
office@ leadercoop. org, or www.leadercoop. org. (Please note: website
is still under construction, but you can download lots of helpful information.
Check it out.)
Chicago Public Schools
Chief Executive Arne Duncan has asked for 10,000 candidates, which means
over 8,000 candidates must come forward within less than four weeks. Please
help our schools reach this important milestone by taking three simple
action steps.
-
Raise the visibility of LSC elections. People can’t participate
in elections they do not know about. Make sure that LSC elections
are visible in your neighborhood by putting up election flyers and
posters (call the Co-op to request flyers) and by ensuring that your
local school has posters and marquee signs that visibly promote the
election. If your school does not have this information posted, please
contact the Office of School Community Relations (773 553 1400) and
the Cooperative (312 499-4800).
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Forward this letter to at least three people you think would make
a good LSC member. Most people get involved because someone they know
asked them to. Forward this message to someone who might be a good
council member. Remember, training is provided — education expertise
is not required. A commitment to young people is.
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Consider running yourself. LSC service is a great way take your
ideas and put them into action. Research shows that the overwhelming
majority of councils make a positive contribution to school improvement.
The Chicago
School Leadership Cooperative is an independent network of neighborhood
groups, reform advocates, business leaders LSCs and education professionals
working to support local schools.
Sincerely,
Andy Wade
Executive Director, Chicago School Leadership Cooperative
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College teachers move to reform union
February 24, 2002
Dear Substance,
The revolution is spreading
to the Chicago City Colleges. Inspired by the victory of Debbie Lynch,
a small group of classroom teachers and support personnel, led by Dennis
Dryzga, a Local 1600 Vice-president, is challenging President for Life
Norman Swenson and his Union Progress Coalition (UPC) for all officer
and convention delegate positions of the Cook County College Teachers
Union (AFT Local 1600). The CCCTU represents over 3000 faculty and support
personnel at the City Colleges of Chicago as well as at Community Colleges
throughout Cook County. Swenson is best known for having served time in
Cook County jail for violating a judge’s order to end a strike in
the early 1970’s.
Does any of this sound
familiar? Mayor Richie appoints Ron Gidwitz, a millionaire businessman
with little or no background in education, to be Chairman of the City
College Board. Gidwitz attempts to run the City Colleges according to
the “business model” that made his cosmetics company successful.
The one thing standing in his way is the Union contract. Late at night
while the CPS Miracle Management Team is pushing House Bill 206 (Section
4.5) through the State Legislature, Gidwitz calls some Republican buddies
in the State Senate and has them add the City Colleges to CPS “reform”
Act. Goodbye bargaining rights for union teachers and educational workers
in the City Colleges.
Gidwitz is rewarded
for his union busting activities by being appointed head of the Illinois
State Board of Education and the Mayor appoints James Tyree, the boss
at Meisrow Financial Services, Chairman of the Board. Another millionaire
businessman with little or no educational background is now running the
City Colleges. His ‘Miracle Plan” consists mainly of privatization.
Loyal union employees in the business and accounting offices are replaced
by lower paid workers employed by a company run by one of the Mayor’s
cronies. The next atrocity will occur at the March Board meeting when
all the counselors are expected to be replaced by lower paid non-faculty
“registration specialists”. The students at the City Colleges,
a majority of whom are from low or middle income and minority backgrounds,
will have no access to the many services, both personal and academic,
that qualified union faculty with decades of experience routinely provide.
The counselors will be out of a job!
In the meantime, Swenson
negotiated a contract that included many givebacks, increased workload
for many employees, and created a two-tiered wage scale that will force
new faculty to work more for less salary. Swenson’s excuse was the
Amendatory Reform Act. The contract passed by a slim margin despite sentiment
among faculty for a strike. Since the contract took effect the Board has
been swinging the ax, further depleting the teaching corps. The Union
response has been to conduct business as usual and blame House Bill 206.
Swenson and his cronies
run meetings of the Union House of Representatives in a dictatorial fashion.
Delegates are treated to hours of Officer’s Reports, followed by
motions dictated by his Officers, followed by a quick motion to adjourn.
Dissent or debate from the floor is discouraged and ridiculed.
Dennis Dryzga is promising
to return to the democratic principles upon which the union was founded.
Swenson, who hasn’t taught a class in 30 years, is a full-time president
with all the power of incumbency that was enjoyed by Tom Reece. His handpicked
Chair of the Election Committee has done his best to make it difficult
for the Democratic Independent Union Progress Coalition (DI-UPC, pronounced
“Die UPC”) to get their message out. Members of Dryzga’s
slate work in the schools all day and campaign in their spare time. The
election is being conducted by mail by Project LEAP. When it became apparent
the DI-UPC was gaining momentum the ballots were mailed out early effectively
ending the campaign.
Will the Union teachers
and other educational employees in the Colleges vote with the same fortitude,
courage, and, yes, anger demonstrated by the members of Local 1? It is
David vs. Goliath. Only time will tell. The ballots are scheduled to be
counted on
March 12. Stay tuned.
Sincerely,
Bill Naegle, President, South Suburban College Faculty Association, Former
math teacher and delegate from Marshall High School
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