Tuesday, October 16, 2012

The Innovation Schools are the latest snake oil to hit New Bedford - Bill Lacey

Back in the early Spring of 1964, in the borough of Queens, NY, a young woman by the name of Kitty Genovese was brutally attacked, not once, but twice in the same evening by the same man. It is widely accepted that numerous neighbors heard her cries for help but chose not to intervene. No one came to her aid, no one called police. Her attacker, Winston Moseley, incredulously returned for the second attack after sensing his crime had gone unreported and, in fact, had time to commit the ultimate offense, raping Kitty Genovese as she took her last breaths in this world. The phenomenon of being frozen between the processes of decision has since been dubbed, “the bystander effect”. It is described as one individual’s inability to understand their relationship to an event they could have control over, but assume, incorrectly, that someone else already has asserted that control, thereby unwittingly becoming part of the growing problem.

This evening, October 15, at the regular meeting of the New Bedford School Committee, multiple members of our Association, along with retirees and concerned citizenry of New Bedford presented the first coordinated opposition to the inclusion of Innovation Schools in our district. Publicly stating their names, places of residence and, in many cases, their NBPS affiliation, they cited example after example of the detrimental effects that these schools would have upon their student’s futures. I applaud the likes of Pat Benner, Elaine Santos, Barbara Swire, Lou St. John, Carol Strupczewski, Eddie Johnson and others who were willing to stand united against a concept made popular by members of the School Committee and the local newspaper’s editorial team. Our system has been besieged with “bright ideas” costing huge sums of money for years. 

How many of us in the “Lifers” stage of employment can recall the numerous trips taken by School Committee members, principals, administrators and front office personnel over the years to conference after conference, in fat cities far and wide, attended by the corporate snake oil salespeople who, after wooing them, convinced them to sign onto both short and long term contracts. 

Remember Dr. Porcaro’s “LINKS” program? The one that was going to propel us into the third millennia? Until a few years ago, I knew of one “fresh air vent” being blocked by a Porcaro Venn Diagram… I still have my white and blue notebook…you?

Here’s the first of my two points tonight~ The Innovation Schools are the latest snake oil to hit New Bedford. Two of our sitting School Committeepeople, Marlene Pollock and Jack Livramento have fallen under the spell. But why? What could Marlene and Jack POSSIBLY gain from their constant affirmation of the Innovation School proposals..?

Votes.

Let me say that again… Votes.

Marlene and Jack were the two top vote “getters” in the 2011 election cycle. And they want it to stay that way… How? Well, what little I know about those individuals involved with the UIA suggests they are accustomed to “getting out the vote”, and I’m thinkin’ if Marlene and Jack deliver what the UIA wants… well, you’re pretty quick on the uptick… I’m sure you can follow the trail from here…

Am I suggesting in this thought process that Marlene and Jack are buying votes?

Absolutely not. That could set me up for some pretty serious charges… This is still the United States of America, people… You can’t buy votes… But, then again, if you can deliver what your constituency wants, well, you sure can’t blame them if they want to support you, or make phone calls for you, or hold signs, or host platform get-togethers in their home, or endorse you from the pulpit, or…

I promised you two points tonight. Here’s the second…

I believe these proposals will not get the votes they need to survive the next round. But here’s the stuff you need to know today…

Originally, the Innovation Schools were destined to be presented as Conversion Models, meaning the faculties of those schools would have to vote, as a majority, in favor of locating them in our school system. But…then the “Big Leak” happened and the poop hit the blades… Faculty members at both Gomes and Roosevelt began to organize in opposition. That’s when the “Big Switch” happened. Rather than presenting them as Conversion Models, their respective authors pulled a fast one and submitted them as New Innovation Schools (a misnomer, to be sure, as the letter and spirit of the MGL contends that a New Innovation School should be a separate facility). Instead, what we have here, like it should come as a surprise to anyone who has been around a while, is a hybrid beast. No longer do the faculties of the Gomes and Roosevelt have a vote in the progression. Instead, a majority of School Committee members may authorize the inclusion of one or both schools.

What exactly IS a majority?

The magic number, my friends, is FOUR.

Four votes from a seven-member School Committee creates the Commonwealth’s first ever Hybrid Innovation School. Right here where Snake Oil is traded as a public commodity.

But let’s consider a different number. A more realistic number. A number comprised of School Committee members who have not already publicly endorsed the Innovation Schools and their proponents.

The magic number tonight…

is two.

And that’s where the “bystander effect” returns…

If you believe that on November 5th, when the School Committee again convenes that the UIA, the Education Roundtable and countless other “quasi interest” individuals will not be in attendance for the express purpose of public comment,

Turn up the TV

Close your window

Move to a different room

And feel the relief the “bystander effect” gives you…


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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bill, you are right on target. Marlene an jack are destroying New Bedford schools.

Anonymous said...

Love Marlene ... but in ROOOOSHa in the May Day parade lol Look if Inovation schools get me more money in my check IM IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WIth people like marlene its turing me NOW to go FOR THE $$$$$ BTW got 25 LILNKS BINDERS for sale been collection them from teachers for fun....SHOW ME THE $$$$ i dont care WHAT you do to the schools