John King, Commissioner of New York’s education system, was booed repeatedly when he held his first parent meeting in upstate New York. The parents expressed their low opinion of his policies, his mandates, the Common Core, the Pearson testing, and the contempt King shows for teachers, principals, and public schools.
He opted out. He canceled all future public meetings with parents.
This Long Island parent recommends that parents write a letter to Governor Cuomo. Good idea. But even better to send a letter or email to the New York Board of Regents; that board approves state policy and appoints the State Commissioner. He works for them.
First I will post the parent’s letter, then a list of the members of the Board of Regents:
“Dear Governor Cuomo, I’m writing to express my incredible displeasure at Commissioner John B. King, Jr.’s decision to cancel the state sponsored PTA town hall meetings. As parents, we have legitimate concerns regarding his educational reform policies that are affecting our children. He must have the decency to listen to our concerns and defend his decisions publicly. This is inexcusable, and he must be held accountable.
On Tuesday night, I was looking forward to asking him what evidence he had that it was educationally beneficial or a valid measure of learning to include reading passages on the 3rd grade ELA exam that the average 3rd grader would only understand 50% of the reading material according to our understanding of lexile levels.
If the State’s education reform agenda is sincere in its efforts to improve teaching and learning for our children and not a thinly veiled effort to privatize public education for profit, it is imperative that corrective measures be taken now as a gesture of good faith. I implore you to immediately decrease the duration and frequency of testing, to ensure that the tests be returned to the schools and families so they can be used to make sound educational decisions that impact learning, and eliminate student test scores from teacher evaluations since VAM has been judged to be too unstable by the same people who developed it.
Many Long Island parents, like myself, moved to this region or chose to remain here because of the quality schools that have existed for decades. The Commissioner’s policies are threatening our children’s learning experiences. The canceling of these important meetings is further evidence of the Commissioner’s arrogance. Though the Commissioner is not an elected official, he is appointed by people that are and as one of my elected officials I am requesting that you listen and respond to our concerns.
Sincerely,
Keith Gamache
(Parent of Everett age 7 Centre Ave. School, East Rockaway and Atticus age 4 future kindergartner)
231 Ocean Ave.
Lynbrook, NY 11563
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dear ___________________, I’m writing to express my incredible displeasure at Commissioner John B. King, Jr.’s decision to cancel the state sponsored PTA town hall meetings. As parents, we have legitimate concerns regarding his educational reform policies that are affecting our children. He must have the decency to listen to our concerns and defend his decisions publicly. This is inexcusable, and he must be held accountable.
On Tuesday night, I was looking forward to asking him…insert your question here.
Many Long Island parents, like myself, moved to this region or chose to remain here because of the quality schools that have existed for decades. The Commissioner’s policies are threatening our children’s learning experiences. The canceling of these important meetings is further evidence of the Commissioner’s arrogance. Though the Commissioner is not an elected official, he is appointed by people that are and as one of my elected officials I am requesting that you listen and respond to our concerns.
Sincerely,
Name
Children’s School
Address”
PLEASE WRITE TO THE MEMBERS OF THE NEW YORK BOARD OF REGENTS. THEY MAKE POLICY. THEY HIRE THE STATE COMMISSIONER:
Here are their personal emails.
abottar@bottarleone.com, mhtisch@mhtisch.com; assistant@mhtisch.com, bennrbrt@aol.com, bettyarosa@aol.com, cbendit@tacon.com, christine.cea@opwdd.ny.gov, REGENTCHAPEY@MAIL.NYSED.GOV, harryphil236@gmail.com, james.cottrell@downstate.edu, REGENTDAWSON@MAIL.NYSED.GOV, jinternetjack@earthlink.net, jtallon@uhfnyc.org, lyoung11@nyc.rr.com, maggiemadonna5@aol.com, roger@tillesco.com, abrown@brownhutchinson.com; wadenorwood@flhsa.org
They also have official ones listed here:
Diane, might I suggest that you redact the name, or at least the address, of the letter writer, or at least the names of his kids?
Seems clear the parent has already gone public with this letter.
Yeah, but his kids haven’t.
I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that so many of the most outspoken public school parents on this issue also happen to be public school teachers.
I’m not sure of your point Tim. Do I forfeit my rights as a parent simply because I am an educator as well? I live in one state and teach in another. Do I not have the right to advocate for my child’s education?
You certainly do not forfeit those rights, Ellen! The point is that we don’t get to choose when disclosure matters. You either believe in it or you don’t.
I would argue that the teachers have an ethical duty for what happens in schools, the curriculum, the tests, etc., since they spend more hours there than parents, or taxpayers, or citizens.
What do taxpayers and citizens expect of teachers and principles as public servants? Do we want them to say, “Don’t ask me, I just work here”.
They are entrusted with everything that goes on in a school. If something doesn’t look right, somebody needs to speak up.
This is basic crew resource management. Otherwise we end up with controlled flight into terrain, and the invistagators asking, how come no one said anything?
So, not only are the so-called reformers liars and bullies, but they are also cowards.
As I learned growing up in pre-gentrified NYC, scratch a bully and find a punk.
Agree, Michael. And the bullies talk about school bullying. OY.
After 12 years of having NYC PEP meetings where parents, students and teachers pleaded with the panel to reconsider the closing of schools, or the budget cuts, or the colocation of other schools (public or charter) in their school, did anyone on the PEP (there are two or three members who are the exception) ever listened to them. These meetings, whether from the PEP or town hall meetings from the Board of Regents, are just faux listening sessions so as to meet the quota of having them.
Therefore, it will be the same m.o. in a PEP meeting with those in the Board of Regents. Their goal is to push and shove the Common Core down the throats of the students. Parents and teachers can raise valid concerns, be extremely frustrated, even with the change of venue and its format. But, the Common Core will come down the pike to every school at full speed and run over every child without pulling the brakes.
Hold the Tisch accountable. Speak to Sheldon Silver and send a letter to your assemblyman/woman that King must resign.