The conversation continues. Make sure your opinion is counted. You may read the most recent article or listen to some of the conversations with the Journal News Hall Monitor:
New Rochelle school inequity untrue, officials say
Audio of recorded stakeholders as they express their opinions as they are interviewed by Diana Costello from the Journal News
To the anonymous teacher,
To the anonymous teacher, why are you busting your chops for a disturbing and outrageous school system? Since it didn’t work for you, i rather you teach somewhere else. There are plenty more success stories from New Rochelle alumni then there are not, but I am sorry you and your family are not one. Maybe Ulster, Sullivan or Orange Ctys can hire you……Good Luck Ps. A Masters’ degree is a current requirement. What would your union say about the other 50% that you would want either replaced or to get their Masters’?Masters’=More $$$$$$$ for you. NO?
First, of all, it seems that
First, of all, it seems that people have a lot of time on their hands by running up and down the city to see what state each platground equiptment is in. As, for the equiptment at Davis, that was done by fundraising and a grant, the same opportunities that the 800 children parents’ have……P.S. All the NR elementary schools have a lot more equiptment now then ever before……….
mr sanchezs child did walk
mr sanchezs child did walk around as did other children,I think they thought they were training for the olympics.If you were to look at the outdated play equiptmenton the church st side of school it really makes you sick.Go to Davis and Ward school you will find at least 3wonderful play areas.Trinity has one small play set for 800+ children.Maybe that is why they walk around the school yard.thereIf the children can not play in the field they are forced to play on hot and overcrowed black top area. is nothing better for them todo unless theyrun and play in goose poop.
“Or is their plight greater?
“Or is their plight greater? Would the Sanchez’s liked their children to be bused into the North End school? No questions asked.will they have the same gripe about equality then?”
The comment above clearly suggests that there are disparities between the North and South End of New Rochelle, and that this person is well aware of them.
I support the Sanchez’ efforts, because I don’t believe that it’s so much about the incidents, but more about the attitude towards the children and the families that attend New Rochelle schools.
August 7, 2008 7:17 PM
The Journal News article
The Journal News article only goes to show that New Rochelle residents should not be looking to that paper for anything approaching real reporting. The reporter basically served a stenographer and appears to have done little or no fact-checking of the information she published. That goes for both sides of this issue.
As the “forced march” story was, for some reason, made a key point in her article, you might think that Ms. Costello would have provided more information about it. When exactly did this happen, what does the national weather service report the temperature to have been on that day, did other classes get taken outside that day for “exercise”, the term Mr. Organisiak used in the story. Was there some incident that precipitated the “punishment”? Was it really a punishment or just a nice afternoon stroll? What do the two teachers have to say? What about parents of the children involved? What about the children themselves? Are there any established facts about this incident? Until the reporter establishes some facts she is just passing off unsubstantiated accusations as fact.
From the article we know virtually nothing about this incident and yet is supposedly important to understanding the issues the article purports to raise.
The article and most of the comments I’ve seen on it are inane. There is REAL data that the school has that can directly answer the question of equity in the school district. Carlos would know better than most but word is that the District collects detailed demographic data about each child and then tracks those children throughout the school year in reports aggregated not just by school but by grade and right down to the classroom. That same data can be used to provide meaningful analysis of whether or not their is inequality in the District by permitting apples to apples comparisons of student performance.
I cannot accept assertions by either side in this debate that are little more than “I had a good experience” or “I had a bad experience” with this or that school or teacher. Of course there is going to be anecdotal evidence for both sides and combined it proves precisely nothing. The district has REAL data that would go a long way towards definitely resolving some of the questions being raised. It is public information, from a public school, that IS provided to the State and Federal government. Yet parents in New Rochelle are not allowed to see this data. I would say the first step ought to be for the District to disclose what it knows about performance and discipline issues by race, gender, socio-economic background, etc. so that parents can see the actual numbers and decide for themselves.
Just to be clear, I am talking about AGGREGATE data without names or personally identifying information so there would be no basis for denying this request based on privacy or security concerns.
August 7, 2008 7:09 PM
warren gross Said:
“I have
warren gross Said:
“I have the pleasure of knowing and working with carlos sanchez. he is a man of great integrity and deserves to be taken seriously. frankly the negative responses in the journal news left a great deal to be desired. i don’t see any claim of favorite treatment north vs south. i simply hear a parent with considerable hands on experience in the district pointing out some issues he calls “inequalities” which i think mean the need to concentrate more on the specific needs of “southside” schools regarding some aspects that his personal experience has indicated require a review. the differences, for example, in performance between his old school and albert leonard require a close look to bring them closer in line. mr organisciak’s remarks were fair but the remarks from the PTA representative from NRHS were both defensive and frankly ignorant lacking as he does first hand knowledge of the system. what we all can agree on i think is the need for the highest quality district performance if we are to attract both investors and residents. our district performance has dropped off over the years and the comparison to county result in 2008 across the board were disturbing. i agree with the point made earlier that our high annual school taxes merit the best we can provide and i think carlos has no other agenda. Well done Carlos, like the ex Marine you were and I hope the deciders can report openly on what is being done to bring all of the system in closer alignment while telling us what is going on with the infrastructure that seems to me to be at a breaking point. How many more kids, for example, can NRHS or Ward hold without breaking? And, if you have any doubt, I can tell you from personal experience that the teaching staff here is uniformly excellent and deserve your support.
warren gross”
Posted: Thursday August 7th, 2008 at 11:05 |
I am a resident of New
I am a resident of New Rochelle who lives in the south end. As a child I went to the “south” schools (Jefferson, IEY and NRHS). I am currently a graduate student who is working towards a degree in secondary education. I have subbed during the 2007-2008 school year in New Rochelle and have seen the disparity of the elementary schools. It is disturbing and outrageous. Something does need to be done to improve the schools. I also found disturbing that only 50% of teachers have a master’s degree in New Rochelle. This is unfair. I am busting my chops in getting a master’s degree because supposedly New Rochelle and other westchester school districts will not hire any teacher who doesn’t have a master’s degree. How can this be that only 50% have a master’s degree. What about the other 50%? Why don’t they have their master’s degree?
Something needs to be done to improve the schools, teachers, administrators, and staff. New Rochelle school’s have changed drastically since I have been in school which is only less than ten years ago. It’s evident in the streets, hang out places, and in my own family. It’s disgraceful and embarrassing to say that I am a product of New Rochelle schools.
August 7, 2008 6:26 PM
How do we go from a isolated
How do we go from a isolated incident at Trinity and geese poob ( an enviromental issue based on proximity to the sound) to inequalities of our school system. The Sanchez’s should be doing back-flips since Trinity is a Magnet school and Issac received the blue ribbon for excellence. Or is their plight greater? Would the Sanchez’s liked their children to be bused into the North End school? No questions asked.will they have the same gripe about equality then?