Jonathan Pelto has recently posted several times about Steve Perry, who runs a magnet school in Hartford and boasts that he has the secret to success for all students, no matter what their background.
Perry is a “no excuses” kind of guy, who sets strict rules and enforces them with a strong hand.
In this post, Pelto reprints a letter from a public school parent about Perry and his methods.
The parent says that Perry would never be able to apply the same methods to white and/or middle class students.
Perry’s rule at Capital Prep is evidence of a deep racism, for the simple reason that his bullying and obnoxious ways would NEVER be tolerated in a middle class suburban school predominantly populated by “white” children. Perry would not dare to practice his authoritarianism on such children. He is an egotist, but even he cannot be so stupid as to antagonize middle class people with lawyers who know their rights. He knows that in Simsbury or West Hartford or in Farmington, parents would be after him so quickly, if he bullied their children, that his feet would not touch the ground. The School boards in any of these towns would fire him quicker than he could fire off one of his trademark tweets. But Perry does all his bad stuff to Hartford children for the very simple reason that he knows he can get away with it.
The Hartford Board of Education recently voted 5-4 not to give another school to Perry.

Perry needs to be fired and run out of the state ASAP. Same goes for Supt Kishimoto, who condones and promotes this kind of unethical, unprofessional, and probably illegal behavior. As for the Mayor and board members who’ve also been complicit and/or quiet, they have violated the public trust and need to be voted out of office as quickly as possible.
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I am hoping a BOE member for HPS will weigh in, but I believe the vote not to give another school to Perry was 7-1.
Please read many posts by the parent mentioned above, exceptionally brilliant commentary.
Also, check this thread and read Rafael G. Parents in the CT cities are awakening to the takeover of their schools:
http://jonathanpelto.com/2013/12/07/steve-perry-continues-record-excessive-absences/
Beware and be aware of Dannel Malloy, the self-proclaimed “reform” governor.
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Dr?Steve would not be able to beat his chest and pee on every post to stake out his territory in higher SES communities. He knows this VERY WELL! He could never run a school from afar while making $M in speaking engagements around the country peddling his ‘on the job’ learned stuff (his PhD was a questionable fluff piece). He is a savy business man who bullies anyone who questions him. Works well for him. His schtick pays him well. Even Oprah, Iyanla and CNN fell for him. He’s good! Most seasoned teachers have his #, because we had kids just like him in our classes. We can spot BS from miles away. As long as the $$$ rolls in, and politicians don’t want to touch him…he will prosper. His students will graduate from his school and imitate his lack of character, BS and chest-beating. Not sure about peeing on posts.
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“Iyanla”
What is that???
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Iyanla is a family therapist on Oprah’s OWN Network who has done programs with Dr? StevePerry, Dr. Canada from a Harlam charter school and Oprah, addressing Fatherless Boys. Perry paraded as an expert and a Fatherless boy, himself. I have tweeted the Network and Iyanla to please do their homework and research Perry’s background.
I hope they have.
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Thanks, H.A. Hurley, I had no clue! I don’t have any TV service (I choose to not pay for it and the free over the air stuff requires some kind of equipment I don’t have) out here in the beautiful Missouri River hill country of southern Warren County, Missouri. When I do watch TV now I am baffled by the inanities that I see and hear coming from the boob tube.
I can barely stand to watch it, even sports now with all the commercials. Hell it took over four hours (the game itself lasts for 1 hour of playing time) to play the MU/Auburn college football game on Saturday evening due to TV controlling the breaks for commercials-good thing I had enough adult beverages to help me through, that and going outside in the 20 degree weather during commercials to “commune” with the woods..
Gimme soccer any day to watch-no commercials and the halves are 45 minutes plus injury time. No BS controlled by the television broadcasts. I’m just not in tune with what is on television these days.
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Malloy recently traveled to DC to speak to the right wing, anti-union, anti-public education American enterprise Institute where among many comments, he cited this study showing teachers “support” the national standards. Of course the study is paid for by Bill and Melinda. Please see second link where Mercedes analyzes the questions and the results.
And Dannel’s “tips” had something to do with how to sell reform. He mentions carrots and sticks as though we are mules, not professionals.
http://www.scholastic.com/primarysources/2013preview/index.htm
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Here’s the post of his AEI visit, Mercedes next:
http://jonathanpelto.com/2013/12/03/malloy-cant-contain-uses-speech-criticize-lobbying-effort-teachers-education-unions/
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Bill Gates Must Be Worried About Common Core Survival
October 5, 2013
By Mercedes Schneider
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“Malloy recently traveled to DC to speak to the right wing, anti-union, anti-public education American enterprise Institute”
It’s a good fit. The fact is, there is virtually no difference between “progressive” reformers and hard Right privatizers. The methods are the same and the practical outcomes are the same.
Ed reformers don’t “improve” existing public schools. They damage them. Which is nice if you’re a member of AEI, because they never supported public schools to begin with.
I have more respect for conservative ed reformers. At least they don’t pretend to support “public education”.
I think the only remaining question is whether “progressive” ed reformers were entirely hijacked by privatizers or whether there never were any sincere “progressive” ed reformers, because there is nothing “progressive” about privatizing public schools.
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“He mentions carrots and sticks as though we are mules. . . ”
Don’t know about mules but a number of teachers consider themselves badASSES.
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By the way I have not signed up to be a BA. I’m just one onery ol free thinking SOB.
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This man would be fired in no time in a public school. Why on earth is he allowed to travel around the country during the school year? Unreal. Oprah you are clueless.
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She may be clueless but certainly not penniless which explains her cluelessness.
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He IS an employee of Hartford Public Schools just like any other teacher or principal in the district. Capital Prep is a magnet school NOT a charter, thought he is trying to change that. Why Perry is allowed to sound off in this unhinged manner is beyond me. Maybe it’s something to do with his close personal friendships with the 2nd Vice President of the Hartford Federation of Teachers, Hartford Board of Ed chair (and Hartford Public Library CEO) Matt Poland, Supt Kishimoto and Mayor Segarra?
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