These are the responses to my May 3 article, "The Mayor, a School, McGreevey & Cheney." Thanks to all, please continue to provide us with your feedback
I have a 14yr old son, just started High School, he have a lot friends in that school. He has been cutting a lot of classes and complete school days, my house was robbed by kids and the matter is in court with some of the kids. The kids have friends who are in Jail and are sending messages to my son that they will get him for snitching on his friends. I’m trying to get my son out from that school and the district refused to have him transfer to a school where I work, so I don’t have to loose a lot of time from work. They say I should move from where I live and own 2 homes to some where else.
I didn't read the article in the Times, so I do not know if the errors are yours or Winerips. Irma Zardoya, not Zadoya, retired this winter. She was replaced by Yvonne Torres, not Kathleen Polina. Kathy Polina remains the LIS of a network of 10 schools, including Kennedy. The idea, by the way, that "the blame goes above the principal's pay grade" is true, but it does not go above the principal. The LIS's may sit higher on some secret organization chart, but they have no real authority, no day to day say in the functinoing of the school, no policy-making authority. They are the most useless set of middle managers the NYC Public School System has ever produced.
In a day when no child is supposed to be left behind, it is quite remarkable that Kennedy High School principal has opted to degrade one of the most prized academic achievements of these United States - to wit, The New York State Regents Examinations. These exams are the pinnacle of achievement of any student in the state. They have always been the one thing that proves the educational advantage of the New York City public and private schools.
To lessen their academic value by lowering the standard of measurement is an embarrassment to the entire state, the Board of Regents itself and reflects quite poorly on the Governor and his educational standards. It is my hope that this matter can be handled locally. But I question that possibility in a most serious matter. The bequeathal of a New York State Regents’ Diploma was, at one time, a very honorable event in the academic achievement of a student. If this policy of pass/fail is to remain, the entire premise falls by the wayside. Why should the other students bother to work so hard to achieve something that has no more equal standard? This situation is entirely unfair to all the students involved, and to every student in the state of New York who strives to achieve this academic honor.
And now, because I cannot resist a personal story, I must tell you that as a student, I was miserable at all sorts of mathematics. If it were not for a very dedicated first year teacher during my freshman algebra, I would have failed that Regents exam. For 10 weeks before the exam, that teacher met with us on Saturday mornings to reteach what she already taught us during the week. My fellow students and I worked so hard to pass. We did all the extra homework she gave us, and most of us actually did pass. (I was delighted to have passed with 76% - if memory serves correctly.)
I was fortunate enough to be in a place and time when teachers saw that the academic achievement of their students DID reflect on their own professional dedication. I was also fortunate to have a teacher who could see that my failures were not my fault. For me, there was a need to approach the subject matter from a slightly different vantage point. If I had been in a school building today, I might have been placed in some special education classroom, when, in fact, my IQ does not warrant such a result. As you may have deduced from this writing, my English language skills are quite the antithesis of my mathematical skill.
Now, for the question: would those teachers who are speaking up, as well as those who did not, have that much dedication? Are they really able to see their students as grown up versions of themselves, as successful achievers? If the rules are reinstated, will those very same teachers reach out to the students who need a little extra help in order to pass those Regents exams with actual passing grades?
It is my hope that the level of dedication does not become lower when it is time to help the student population of Kennedy High School.
It is my hope that the principal was not reacting to a staff that may be burned out, unable to take sabbaticals, worried about safety issues or generally being mistreated after they spent so many years educating themselves to be qualified to teach at the high school level.
Somewhere, probably located at some midpoint, there is an answer to these questions and to the situation in Kennedy High School.
Thanks for the reporting and comments. I had also read the Times report on grades engineering at JFK HS and had the same feeling of shock. The worst part of it is that, because the word gets around, those really good students who scored good grades on their own will be tarred with the belief that their grades were due to school administration engineering (also known as affirmative action).
i know just what you or talkung about.my children has had it very hard at this school they attends. first thery say that they are trouble makers, then they say that they or disrestful. now its worst. ihave tried to get them transfer to another school and told the school that we would take them. but now they want to keep them out. why?
My Name is Henry Stern, President of New York Civic. Please feel free to comment on our articles, and give us your feedback. What you have to say is important to us.
I have a 14yr old son, just started High School, he have a lot friends in that school. He has been cutting a lot of classes and complete school days, my house was robbed by kids and the matter is in court with some of the kids. The kids have friends who are in Jail and are sending messages to my son that they will get him for snitching on his friends. I’m trying to get my son out from that school and the district refused to have him transfer to a school where I work, so I don’t have to loose a lot of time from work. They say I should move from where I live and own 2 homes to some where else.
ReplyDeleteI didn't read the article in the Times, so I do not know if the errors are yours or Winerips. Irma Zardoya, not Zadoya, retired this winter. She was replaced by Yvonne Torres, not Kathleen Polina. Kathy Polina remains the LIS of a network of 10 schools, including Kennedy. The idea, by the way, that "the blame goes above the principal's pay grade" is true, but it does not go above the principal. The LIS's may sit higher on some secret organization chart, but they have no real authority, no day to day say in the functinoing of the school, no policy-making authority. They are the most useless set of middle managers the NYC Public School System has ever produced.
ReplyDeleteThe Kennedy article is a perfect example of why we are trying to get enhanced whistleblower protection from the City Council.
ReplyDeleteand you like Bloomberg? How could this happen on the "Education Mayor's watch? Is Chancelor Klein asleep at the wheel of the Education Ferry?
ReplyDeleteIn a day when no child is supposed to be left behind, it is quite remarkable that Kennedy High School principal has opted to degrade one of the most prized academic achievements of these United States - to wit, The New York State Regents Examinations. These exams are the pinnacle of achievement of any student in the state. They have always been the one thing that proves the educational advantage of the New York City public and private schools.
ReplyDeleteTo lessen their academic value by lowering the standard of measurement is an embarrassment to the entire state, the Board of Regents itself and reflects quite poorly on the Governor and his educational standards. It is my hope that this matter can be handled locally. But I question that possibility in a most serious matter. The bequeathal of a New York State Regents’ Diploma was, at one time, a very honorable event in the academic achievement of a student. If this policy of pass/fail is to remain, the entire premise falls by the wayside. Why should the other students bother to work so hard to achieve something that has no more equal standard? This situation is entirely unfair to all the students involved, and to every student in the state of New York who strives to achieve this academic honor.
And now, because I cannot resist a personal story, I must tell you that as a student, I was miserable at all sorts of mathematics. If it were not for a very dedicated first year teacher during my freshman algebra, I would have failed that Regents exam. For 10 weeks before the exam, that teacher met with us on Saturday mornings to reteach what she already taught us during the week. My fellow students and I worked so hard to pass. We did all the extra homework she gave us, and most of us actually did pass. (I was delighted to have passed with 76% - if memory serves correctly.)
I was fortunate enough to be in a place and time when teachers saw that the academic achievement of their students DID reflect on their own professional dedication. I was also fortunate to have a teacher who could see that my failures were not my fault. For me, there was a need to approach the subject matter from a slightly different vantage point. If I had been in a school building today, I might have been placed in some special education classroom, when, in fact, my IQ does not warrant such a result. As you may have deduced from this writing, my English language skills are quite the antithesis of my mathematical skill.
Now, for the question: would those teachers who are speaking up, as well as those who did not, have that much dedication? Are they really able to see their students as grown up versions of themselves, as successful achievers? If the rules are reinstated, will those very same teachers reach out to the students who need a little extra help in order to pass those Regents exams with actual passing grades?
It is my hope that the level of dedication does not become lower when it is time to help the student population of Kennedy High School.
It is my hope that the principal was not reacting to a staff that may be burned out, unable to take sabbaticals, worried about safety issues or generally being mistreated after they spent so many years educating themselves to be qualified to teach at the high school level.
Somewhere, probably located at some midpoint, there is an answer to these questions and to the situation in Kennedy High School.
Thanks for the reporting and comments. I had also read the Times report
ReplyDeleteon grades engineering at JFK HS and had the same feeling of shock. The
worst part of it is that, because the word gets around, those really good
students who scored good grades on their own will be tarred with the belief
that their grades were due to school administration engineering (also known
as affirmative action).
i know just what you or talkung about.my children has had it very hard at this school they attends. first thery say that they are trouble makers, then they say that they or disrestful. now its worst. ihave tried to get them transfer to another school and told the school that we would take them. but now they want to keep them out. why?
ReplyDelete