From the Times Union: Earlier
this month, Nussbaum and a parent volunteer, Debbie Kane, made an in-person
plea for another counselor and other school staffers at the monthly School
Board meeting.
Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said
afterward he agrees with Nussbaum’s message, though not
his mode of delivery. Vitti said
he has met with and emailed Nussbaum several times,
informing him he is working on
solutions.
“I respect the fact that he is an
advocate for his community and his students,” Vitti said. “But
there are always routes to
communicate his concerns. ... We don’t need to create political
theater or to politicize the problem-solving
process.”
First let me say the Superintendent has usually been
pretty good with getting back to me, sometimes it takes a while but more often than
not he does.
That being said, just because he reads and responds
to a concern doesn’t mean anything productive is going to happen. Case in point
multiple ESE teachers at a workshop last December informed the district about
on-going violations. The districts response? Do nothing until the state came in
and did an investigation and said, clean your house.
Vitti may very well have read the e-mail and responded
something innocuous but was then off to other matters. It was last spring that
he floated the open enrollment trial balloon and that sucked a lot of oxygen
out of the room, plus he has been busy giving our schools away to the
QEA initiative has dominated a lot of his time and focus. It’s not unimaginable
to think the problems at a school that has been fairly successful have fallen
through the cracks.
So what’s a counselor or teacher or parent who loves
their school and has grave concerns to do? Well talk at a school board meeting
is practically all they have left because there for those three minutes things
have at least a chance of getting noticed.
You know what I never hear at school board meetings?
Hey I just discovered/am having this problem so I thought I would come here
wait in line and bring it up. You know what I always here, I have contacted the
district a half dozen times, I have pleaded, I have begged, I have tried to be
patient and nothing has happened.
I am sorry that Vitti thinks fiercely and publicly
advocating for people’s schools and children is political theater because it’s
not, it’s often the only recourse the district leaves people.
If we are to take Vitti’s words seriously he would like to see even that go away.
Vitti and the Board have an inherent weakness in that their messaging sucks. They do not understand PR and are horrible at it. And so they need to keep any relation with the public inside situations that they can control. The action taken by the Parents at Holiday Hill Elementary over the summer should be a model for anyone looking to break this control and get action. Ignore their structure, it is set up for every advantage to be on their side of the argument. When they control the narrative the lazy media will just play along but if you give them a conflict, man they can't resist showing that and that is where Vitti's polish breaks down FAST. People do need to speak up, but if you use the avenues they approve you're just playing their game and their game is rigged.
ReplyDeleteWe teachers bring up major issues all of the time and follow the chain of command. We talk to an AP, and nothing gets done. We talk to a principal, and nothing changes. We talk to specialists from the district, and they shrug their shoulders. We email Vitti, and he attempts to pacify. What is the point? ALL they need are some counselors. We have money, but Vitti wants to spend it on useless technology and people of little consequence. Schools also need more AP's, security guards, and teachers. Our average class sizes are enormous, way higher than I have ever seen them in 9 years. The truth is that Vitti doesn't want the actual truth to get out, as the truth would tarnish his public image that the Times Union so readily supports.
ReplyDeleteMr. Nussbaum is a caring, giving man. My children attended Crown Point, and I had some dealings with Mr. Nussbaum, so I know what an asset he is for Crown Point.
ReplyDeleteOf course Vitti doesn't want anything made public. He wants everyone to think that it is great in the Land Of Oz.
The Principals were made to declare WAR on the Teachers. Then Superintendent Vitti declared WAR on the Principals. Soon Eli Broad and Bill Gates might be declaring WAR on Vitti. Then a SPLIT UP of Duval Public Schools will ensue and CHARTER SCHOOLS will INVADE for a COMPLETE TAKEOVER. Parents BEWARE! MERCENARIES are on the verge of COLONIZING our Public Schools!
ReplyDelete