Concerned parents and teachers from Tracey and Columbus elementary schools packed Tuesday night's Board of Education meeting. They were upset about staff reductions at their schools.
As previously reported on NorwalkNet due to budget cuts, Tracey and Columbus now have to share assistant principal, Alene LaMendola. Wolfpit and Naramake will also share an assistant principal.
"Did he look at our population?" asked Mary Conlin, a teacher at Tracey during the public comment portion of the meeting. According to Ms. Conlin, Tracey has the largest number of students of all the elementary schools in Norwalk who are receiving free or reduced lunch. Additionally she said that more than half of the incoming kindergarten class are English Language Learners. Both groups are challenging to teach.
Kim Bonaddio another Tracey teacher compared her school to Silvermine, a school that has kept its full-time Assistant Principal. Like Silvermine, Tracey is rated by the standards of the federal No Child Left Behind program as a "needs improvement" school. Also like Silvermine, Tracey has been making annual yearly progress.
"Give Tracey the same consideration as Silvermine, " said Ms. Bonaddio. "We are slowly and steadily making progress, a lot of it is due to our Assistant Principal."
Parents were also distressed. Denise Moses, whose children attend Tracey parent made an apt metaphor describing sharing an assistant principal to coordinating two homes. "An assistant principal is a core member of the school's family," she said "You cannot do both. Which event is she going to attend?"
In addition to weighing in on the assistant principal issue, the contingent of parents and teachers from Columbus were upset that the hours for Terry Lakin, the Parent Coordinator were being reduced from 37 hours to 10 hours. In her job Ms. Lakin is the liaison between the school and parents. She coordinates the parent volunteer hours and facilitates communication btween parents and the school. Ms. Lakin also runs the annual lottery system through which prospective students are chosen to attend Columbus.
Donna Spellman, the PTO co-president, told BOE that almost every parent comes into contact with Ms. Lakin. "Her job cannot be done on a part-time basis," said Ms. Spellman.
According to Ms. Spellman, communication was cited as one of Columbus' strengths by the Cambridge Report which was commissioned by the State Department of Education last year because Norwalk is a district labeled in need of improvement under No Child Left Behind.
Emily Lopez, Columbus' pricincipal also lamented the loss of a full-time assistant principal. She said that the presence of an assistant principal directly impacted the quality of education at a school like Columbus. Ms. Lopez told the BOE that she hoped that money would be obtained from the ARRA funds that would allow Columbus and Tracey to regain their lost staff.
William Papallo, the new Interim Superintendant told the BOE that since it was only his second day on the job he had not yet had time to carefully analyze the situation. "It seems from hearing the comments that there will need to be some backfilling," he said. Dr. Papallo said that he would report back to the BOE by August 18th meeting about the criteria and process that had been used by Dr. Corda for re-assigning assistant principals.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
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In these tough times, Columbus parents need to understand that they are the only school in the district that has a parent coordinator, whether that be for 37 hours or for the suggested reduction to 10 hours. The other 11 elementary schools have no such help.
ReplyDeleteI am Lifelong Teacher, and I agree wholeheartedly with the previous poster.
ReplyDeleteColumbus parents ALSO need to understand that they are the only school in the district that has a full time assistant in each classroom, thus reducing the teacher/student ratio; that theirs are the ONLY assistants who receive full benefits paid for by Norwalk taxpayers; and that this benefit can easily cost $25,000 per person.
In good times, every school should have a full time parent coordinator. These are not good times.
Even though the presence of Terry Lakin at Columbus will be missed tremendously, as well as the full time position of Herman Davenport, I am thankful that essential programs like AT and strings and the assistant teachers remain. It seems that with all of the great parent volunteers will be able to kick in and at least partially ease the strain of reducing those 2 positions. Of course, every school should be working to get what is important in making that school function.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that parents should be striving to make their schools more like Columbus rather than trying to make Columbus more like their schools.
ReplyDeleteIt seems many parents here want a race to the lowest common denominator.
That's not terribly surprising. Everyone in Fairfield County knows that Bridgeport and Norwalk are where their gardeners and truck drivers kids go to school. It's actually kind of sad the people of Norwalk have the power to buy a better education for their kids they just don't know any better because of their limited world view.
I know this will provoke a strong reaction but the proof is in the pudding. Just look at the CMT scores.
And don't give me the Baloney about not being able to teach poor kids. The Lower East Side was full of tenements and now their descendants run are leaders in law, medicine, investment banking and the media.
As a magnet school located in the ghetto, Columbus has offered such advantages as a teaching assistants in the classroom and a parent coordinator as incentives to attract people to send their kids to the school. I would not be sending my kids out of our suburban neighborhood into that neighborhood if those advantages were not offered. Also, anyone who resents Columbus having things such as teaching assistants and a parent coordinator is free to apply to have their children attend Columbus, so why don't they?!
ReplyDeleteYour attitude is frightening - you should go back and reread your post.
ReplyDeleteGardeners and truck drivers make an honest and honorable living. I feel fortunate that my kids go to school with the children of parents with a strong work ethic.
ReplyDeleteWow. I live in Norwalk and have lived in Europe, travelled throughout Asia and Africa and grew up in New York City. I certainly don't have a "limited world view." Seems this poster has some pre-concieved notion of "what EVERYONE in Fairfield County knows..." Scary.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who thinks that the attitude of the above poster is frightening re the neighoborhood surrounding Columbus should pick up the Advocate and read the police blotter on any given day. And if you are unfamiliar with those addresses, look at a map and see how close some of those place are to Columbus. Now that's frightening.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why people think that having diversity in our town is a negative. I moved to Norwalk because of the diversity. I couldn't stand the thought of living in an "all white" or mostly "all white" and all "affluent" community such as our surrounding neighbors. I think having both racial and economic diversity ultimately gives us and our children a more healthy world view, and an ability to work with many different people and communities. Yes, sometimes the road is bumpier than if you don't have to deal with some of the issues diversity, but ultimately we are all better off because of the journey.
ReplyDeleteNo one is saying that neighborhoods have to be all white and affluent. However what's wrong with expecting to have neighborhoods without crime and without failing schools?
ReplyDeleteWe are setting our expectations low and talking ourselves into accepting the "new normal" that having schools with half-time assistant principals and no parent co-coordinators is OK.
A pertinent question regarding the decision to reduce Terry Lakin's hours is about secretarial equity. Columbus has one school secretary plus Terry who fills in as her back up. What do other schools have? I think many have at least 2 office staff. Is Columbus losing office staff because it retained the Teaching Assistants?
ReplyDeleteI, too, have nothing against hard-working people who drive trucks, tend gardens or perform other types of manual labor. It's always good to have a socio-economic mix in schools.
ReplyDelete(Years ago I was president of the Board of Directors of Gardens Nursery and Pre-School, which is located between Columbia University and Harlem. It was one of the few public-private pre-schools in NYC; half the kids were relatively poor and from Harlem; the other half came from more well-to-do families associated with Columbia. It was considered one of the best schools in Manhattan.)
I would also like to note that a great majority of the descendants of immigrants from the Lower East Side did not become leaders in medicine, investment banking, etc.
I think that it is so sad that Columbus is upset with losing their parent coordinator. Kids from Schools like Jefferson and Kendall apply to Columbus but are eventually sent back because of behavior issues. There are many schools in the district, such as Kendall, who don't even have a PTO to necesitate a parent coordinator. Therefore, they do not have enrichment programs, they are not assisted to go on field trips and yet the playing fields you think are even in Norwalk! Disgusting! There is such segregation! Even people in the BOE know that the opportunities are not equal!! And yet someone suggest why don't they send their kids there...hmmm maybe becuase they love the teachers at their home schools and they somehow believe that their child is getting the same opportunity as the students at Columbus. Other schools have great assistant alsoo and it is said that they are not looked at in the same way that Columbus assistants are. And give me a break on where Columbus is located! Students at Kendall live in those areas and teachers and staff here about shootings and drugs all the time! It's not something that we read in the papers! Our students live there...they are not just bused to those areas to attend a magnet school!
ReplyDeleteQuite the contrary, Kendall had over 300 children in enrichment programs last year in their after school program.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Kendall doesn't have that many buses, only about 4. The majority of the students live in the neighborhood around Kendall, as do I, and we do NOT have all these shootings & drugs around here.
ReplyDeleteWolfpit and Naramake will also now share an assistant principal, was there was no outcry from those schools?
ReplyDeleteNaramake parent here: We understand having to share a VP, budget cuts are budget cuts. Fortunately, we have an OUTSTANDING Principal. Last year, when she was promoted from VP, we had no VP from February to June. Having a part time person will be a blessing.
ReplyDeleteThere is no justifying a fulltime assistant principal for a school the size of Wolfpit.
ReplyDeleteThere are those who question the need for assistant principals at any Norwalk elementary school.
ReplyDeleteWe understand the need to share assistant principals at Naramake - budget cuts had to be made somewhere, and we're okay with this one.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy for Naramake to have a decent, caring, and talented principal. They deserve it. I'm surprised that they had no AP from February through June.
ReplyDeleteWhat in God's name were they paying Hugh McKiernan $700 a day for? Lifelong Teacher
I am not a Naramake parent and I have never been one. In fact, I don't even know any Naramake parents. I salute them because they are reasonable and they understand the extremely difficult financial problems of the NPS. Not only do they understand the seriousness, but they understand their need to make a sacrifice. Most others point their fingers to others as those who should make sacrifices.
ReplyDeleteThe poster who posted that other schools should be like Columbus "Magnet" is delusional. The school is mediocre at best and unorganized. Have you ever been to some of thei school programas or productions?
ReplyDeleteThere have been issues that have gone to state level that many would be surprised about and in comparison to other schools it doesn't make Norwalk proud as a "Bank Street" school. Maybe this new Asst. Principal will be able to do what needs to be done. Because the new principal or previous administration sure hasn't. The school is NOT the same school it was when Mr. P. was principal. It is living off of a by-gone era and it needs to be cleaned up. There are a few good teachers there that deserve better leadership. Some of them should consider going back to school and try to become principal.
The first step to cleaning up the school is admitting there is a problem. I hope the interim or new Supt. don't fail our city with turning a blind eye to this place. Ask McKiernan about the NUMTEROUS complaints he received, that he and Corda did nothing about; some of which led to state level inquiries.
There is another absolutely incredible school only a block away from Columbus that also has and utilizes and needs it parent coordinator. Side by Side Community Charter School is a Fairfield County Charter School and open to and attended by children all over Fairfield County. It is a wonderful school that although is publicly funded, is privately run and in my opinion is one of the best schools in Norwalk. Because of the varying demographics and family situations, including financial considerations the Parent Coordinator is absolutely necessary to make sure that parents can optimize their children's experience and performance at the school. The Parent Coordinator not only organizes physical coordination of activities and classes, but also aids the parents enabling them to actively participate in and influence their child's education. Lots of parents, who did not receive the benefit of higher education are able to avoid apathy and propel their children upward in a ways that they had no way of learning from their own parents. The school is absolutely amazing -- run on a strict budget -- and succeeding in educated children in a manner not available to them anywhere else. Any cuts anywhere in the educational system in Norwalk are simply wrong -- these children are our future.
ReplyDeleteA lot of Columbus parents are delusional about the school in general. They act like a bunch of elitists all because their child's name was chosen in a random drawing to attend the school.
ReplyDeleteDelusional elitist
ReplyDeleteAll one has to do is the research. But then those who'd rather believe lies, their own or those that have been hyped, just to be considered "on top" have issues to begin with, wouldn't you say?
Wait - if a child is a discipline problem at Columbus they're sent back to their home school? WHAT!!!! I would expect anyone following the Deweyian model of education (called "Bank Street" in modern terms) to be able to teach any child in their classroom.
ReplyDeleteI am a Columbus parent, and I've never heard of any child with discipline problems being sent back to their home school! They keep all the problem children at Columbus so that they can continue to disrupt the learning process for children who actually do behave. Anyone who has attended a Columbus function such as movie night when half the kids are running wild and the parents say nothing to their precious darlings can easily see where the discipline problems originate.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you have not heard of this happening at Columbus but it has, in fact, happened. This is not rumor, but truth.
ReplyDeleteThis is probably true because there are a few parents with letters from the school stating that if they are not happy with "the old girl's club" (basically what it boiled down to) administration they can go back to their home schools.
ReplyDeleteIs Columbus a money-maker for the school system or for the City of Norwalk? I cannot figure out why everyone seems to know this is a problem place and yet no one will touch the problem. They just keep letting it fester.
There has to be a reason.
The way things are now, white children are voluntarily bussed to Columbus. If it were to revert back to a regular public school, white children would have to be involuntarily bussed in to maintain racial balance. Politically, no one would want to decide whose children that would be. The way things are now, if any parents don't like something about the school and pull their kids out, there are always other kids waiting to take their places. Re several posts up, their are enough "delusional elitist parents" thrilled with the school that there doesn't seem to be any big revolt about to happen in the near future.
ReplyDelete