Parents and Educators Stand Up to the Bullies In Henrico County’s Public Schools!

WE TOOK AND STAND!  WE TOOK A STAND!  For nearly an hour parents and educators spoke out at last night’s school board meeting regarding the horrific safety conditions at John Rolfe Middle School and the unwillingness of the administration to address it.  Parents spoke of how their children have been negatively impacted emotionally, mentally, and physically as a direct result of the unsafe environment.  One parent described the atmosphere at Rolfe as “thuggish” and “street-like” where students “curse like they are grown” and “dress like gangsters”, which directly impacts their attitudes and the atmosphere.  She also stated that the adults in the school do nothing when they see this because they will not be supported by administrators or they will be targeted by administrators.   There were repeated requests for the school board to intervene and make unannounced visits where the administrators do not have time to get things in order.  The question that was consistently asked to the board was, “WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT ROLFE, THIS HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH?” Mrs. Lucas made her fifth appearance before the school board and confronted the injustice, discriminatory, and retaliatory actions of Mr. Armstrong, Rolfe’s principal, and Mr. Morton, Henrico’s superintendent, in recommending her for non-renewal and forcefully reassigning her to another school due to her relentless advocacy on behalf of our children and educators at Rolfe.  Many parents spoke out regarding the injustice of the action taken against her as well. Several media representatives were present at the meeting and both, parents and educators had the opportunity to be heard by both the board and the media.  MR. MORTON, YOU HAVE BEEN EXPOSED!  MR. ARMSTRONG YOU HAVE BEEN EXPOSED!  HENRICO COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD, YOU HAVE BEEN EXPOSED!  NOW, GO DO THE RIGHT THING:  

•  TAKE THE NECESSARY ACTIONS TO CLEAN JOHN ROLFE MIDDLE SCHOOL UP FOR OUR CHILDREN AND EDUCATORS (EVEN IF IT MEANS REMOVING MR. ARMSTRONG, WE ALL KNOW THAT MRS. ARCHER SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE PRINCIPAL OF JOHN ROLFE….PARENTS KNOW IT AND TEACHERS KNOW IT!)
• RETURN MRS. LUCAS BACK TO ROLFE AND WITHDRAW THE RETALIATORY NON-RENEWAL RECOMMENDATION (IF THIS IS THE RESPONSE FROM PARENTS AND THE MEDIA JUST BASED ON YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, MR. MORTON AND MR. ARMSTRONG, JUST THINK OF WHAT TYPE OF VERBAL BEATING YOU WILL HAVE TO TAKE IF HER CONTRACT IS NON-RENEWED UNJUSTLY..IT AIN’T GONE BE PRETTY AT APRIL’S SCHOOL BOARD MEETING

WE WARNED YOU, HENRICO!, WE WARNED YOU!  PARENTS ARE TIRED!  EDUCATORS ARE TIRED!  THE COMMUNITY IS TIRED!  IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING, OR DO WE NEED TO TAKE THE NECESSARY ACTIONS TO ORGANIZE IN ORDER TO HAVE YOU REPLACED IF YOU DO NOT REPRESENT THE BEST INTERESTS OF OUR CHILDREN AND OUR FAMILIES?!THE BALL IS IN THE BOARD’S COURT…..FOR NOW!  

Teacher Abuse is REAL AND RAMPANT, But More and More of Us Are Standing Up!

Karen is an AWESOME trailblazer that is fighting to bring teacher abuse to the forefront of our nation’s mind.  She and I met several years ago during another advocacy challenge that I was involved in regarding students with special needs…I know, don’t I ever get enough?!  Well, the bottom line is that as long as there are those administrators and educators that have no problem doing the WRONG thing regarding our children, I will never grow tired of doing the RIGHT thing!  I know, cain’t help it, it’s the warrior princess in me!  Our children deserve people that will fight for them with all that they have.  Our teachers deserve that too.    Here is an article about her organization, which I have been a part of for a while.  Feel free to click on the link on the sidebar and join.  Read the stories of the hell that our fellow educators are going through JUST to do what they love for the children that they love.  Many of us sacrifice all that we have for our children.  Karen has fought for years and the stories on the site, www.endteacherabuse.org, motivate me to keep fighting.  The hope is that if you put up a good enough fight, win or loose, these political bullies will think twice about mistreating someone else.  Also, when other parents and educators see you standing and fighting for our children (REMEMBER THEM?), they become empowered and encouraged to do the same, then we increase our numbers, which is our real power that “they” are scared of.  You know how bullies act, as long as you are alone, they think that you are weak and do all that they can to take advantage.  When there is a group, the bully not only thinks twice, but can be beat down himself, never to return again!  

EdNews.org – The Internets #1 source for Education News and Information  - http://ednews.org

ABUSED TEACHERS SPEAK OUT ON NEWLY LAUNCHED WEB SITE

http://ednews.org/articles/982/1/ABUSED-TEACHERS-SPEAK-OUT-ON-NEWLY-LAUNCHED-WEB-SITE/Page1.html

By Ed News

Published on 01/13/2006

National Association for the Prevention of Teacher Abuse (NAPTA) Hundreds of teachers, concerned parents and taxpayers have come together as whistleblowers to stop what they consider to be the fundamental reason reform is not happening in our schools – teacher abuse. This step marks the first time that teachers have come together to speak out on what they consider to be the most powerful method of maintaining a corrupt educational system.

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ABUSED TEACHERS SPEAK OUT ON NEWLY LAUNCHED WEB SITE

National Association for the Prevention of Teacher Abuse (NAPTA)Hundreds of teachers, concerned parents and taxpayers have come together as whistleblowers to stop what they consider to be the fundamental reason reform is not happening in our schools – teacher abuse. This step marks the first time that teachers have come together to speak out on what they consider to be the most powerful method of maintaining a corrupt educational system.After years of preparation and organization, the National Association for the Prevention of Teacher Abuse (NAPTA) has formed to expose the reason for malfeasance in the nation’s schools. Its members also believe that teacher abuse is the reason behind the country’s teacher shortage, low morale and under qualified professionals.Teachers have experienced harassment of unimaginable proportions forcing them to stop their work and to disrupt the proper functioning of the educational system. In the face of personal and professional risk, these teachers have spoken out and have been retaliated against for doing so. To make the public aware of this practice, why it exists, and how it results in a dysfunctional system, teachers from around the country today have launched a web site, EndTeacherAbuse.org. The site is designed to pull back the curtains of deceit behind which educational administrations operate so that real reform can begin. The web site includes allegations of teacher abuse written by this group of brave teachers who found the courage to come forth with their stories that include:*a teacher in California who was bullied by his administrators after he attempted to advocate on behalf of his minority students by informing his superiors that the school was not complying with federal laws, which the district continued to ignore. The teacher was forced to file a charge with the U.S. Office of Civil Rights on the students’ behalf and was retaliated against so harshly by the administration that he is currently on disability diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.* an award-winning teacher from Idaho who was terminated because he wrote a letter to the local newspaper about improving academic issues at his school. It was forwarded to his administration, which abruptly terminated him on trumped-up charges of “dominating staff meetings” and for his classroom ball coming back with “blacktop smudges” after recess. Following a dismissal hearing, which he lost, the record of this termination hearing mysteriously disappeared, depriving him of the opportunity for a due process appeal. He has been forced to withdraw retirement money early in order for he and his family to survive.*a special education teacher from Illinois, who alerted her district to noncompliance of special education laws, which they ignored. She then filed a charge with the U.S. Office of Civil Rights and was terminated from her teaching position on false charges of child abuse after having more than a dozen years of excellent evaluations.*a teacher from Louisiana who was transferred from a gifted class to supervising detention students because she spoke to a reporter and made a statement that she felt it was the public’s right to know how the board had spent over a million dollars to buy out a contract of a superintendent. She was subsequently terminated on trumped-up charges.The backlash teachers suffer from administrative officials for standing up for their students and parents amounts to abuse, and it has teachers terrified about speaking out about the problems within the educational system. Instead, it allows sugarcoated information to be filtered through public relations jargon and excuses that are bolstered by administrative officials as well as union leaders who cover up administrations’ downright corruption, according to NAPTA representatives. Karen Horwitz, a teacher who says she suffered abuse in Chicago’s north suburbs and took her case to federal court, is the cofounder and president of NAPTA. “The public believes our dysfunctional education system merely needs reform, when it needs major overhauling and even legal interventions,” Horwitz said. ”With the same social protection afforded motherhood and apple pie, with tax dollars guaranteed to flow, and with the advantage of being the only institution other than prisons in which people forcibly participate, our schools function unethically as fiefdoms exempt from scrutiny, accountability and honesty, silencing teachers so that they can carry out business as usual. Many of them are closer to organized crime; they are not about our children.” Darlene Goodman of Belen, New Mexico is also a cofounder of NAPTA.NAPTA invites the public to visit its web site to learn what has happened to teachers throughout the country and why educational reform fails despite the increase in governmental funds. These teachers want to put an end to the needless bullying by administrative officials around the country who use their power and authority to achieve selfish goals. The abuse of teachers in the workplace leaves them feeling helpless and psychologically raped and needs to be brought out in the open, investigated and stopped, Goodman said. In the face of personal and professional risk, these teachers have spoken out and have been retaliated against for doing so.These teachers have courageously chosen to make their stories public in an effort to force accountability in the schools and to build the future of this country, its children, through educational honesty and a moral voice. Their intent is to expose that much of what the public hears from the education establishment is untrue; terrorized and brainwashed teachers are no more reliable than hostage victims, who know their fate should they reveal the truth, Horwitz said. For further information, please contact NAPTA President, Karen Horwitz at 847-256-7201.

The Message of The Rubber Rooms, Teachers are to be Seen and Not Heard!

A friend of our struggle emailed this to me as they wage the same war in New York City that we are waging here as we fight for what our children not only deserve, but what they are entitled to!  Thank you Jay for sharing, and I already know that I have “the mark of the whistle blower” in my spirit!**************************************************************

REMARKS TO BE DELIVERED AT THE NOV 26 CANDLE LIGHT VIGIL

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2007

David Pakter, M.A., M.F.A.

Decorated by Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani in City Hall

for “OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION”

ESTEEMED MEMBERS OF THE NEW YORK CITY EDUCATION COMMUNITY:

WE HAVE COME TOGETHER TO UNITE, SUPPORT AND HONOR

THE DEDICATED TEACHERS OF NEW YORK CITY

I wish to speak today about an issue that affects the most valuable resource this great City of ours possesses- that is to say, the education of our children.

Almost two score years ago I entered the honorable field of Education because it was my conviction that all children, whether children of the rich or of the poor, and regardless of the color of their skin, are created equal and are entitled, not as a privilege, but as a fundamental human right, to be educated as equals.

And clearly for that high aim to be accomplished, teachers, who are entrusted with that noble mission, must be allowed and empowered to carry it out, free of any pressure from outside forces or groups. Free from political or any other special interest organizations which might harbor an agenda that is antithetical to the success of the above named mission.

Now we are engaged today, at a pivotal moment in the history of New York City, which will test whether those who love this great City will show the leadership, wisdom and yes- courage, to rise up as one and call a halt to the attacks upon, and scapegoating of, the tens of thousands of dedicated teachers of this City who have given their all to the children of New York and especially those countless numbers of teachers who have suffered grievous reprisals because they had the courage to speak out and report practices that were not in the best interest of New York City’s children.

I am one of many such teachers, sometimes referred to as Whistle-blowers, if such a term is what people should apply to a person who simply takes upon himself or herself, the responsibility of recognizing his or her fiduciary responsibility of protecting our children. For that is the responsibility of every teacher in this great city.

Because I reported unethical, discriminatory, and yes- even illegal practices in the school where I had created a Medical program for highly gifted Minority students, I was viciously attacked, removed from my position of over twenty five years, and was banished to what have come to be known as the NYC Dept of Education’s infamous “Rubber Rooms”. I was exiled to a Rubber Room for documenting, on film, Federal Civil Rights violations and for refusing to surrender that filmed evidence.

And let us call these Rubber Rooms what they are- political gulags. Not that different from the political gulags that existed under Stalin, where people are sent who are perceived to be a threat to those who govern and control the system.

Thus, most of the innocent teachers Railroaded into the Rubber Rooms on trumped up charges, outright lies and perjurious statements that in a fair world would merit jail time, are not a threat to the children they teach. But on the contrary, rather a threat to the brute, naked, bullying power of those who consign those countless innocent teachers to the infamous, often dark, windowless Rubber Rooms that have been set up all over New York City to warehouse teachers that stand up and speak out in defense of the children they are duly sworn to protect.

The Rubber Room gulags of the NYC DOE, are set up as a cautionary warning to other teachers everywhere to keep in line, eyes front, lips kept tightly closed, never volunteering an independent thought or creative idea, never saying anything that might be construed as a criticism or even a suggestion that something might be done differently- or done better.

Welcome to the dark world of George Orwell. Welcome to the modern version of Dante’s Inferno. Welcome to the Rubber Room gulags of the NYC Dept of Education, where teachers, removed from their schools, report and sit each day, sometimes for years, awaiting their teacher trials that can end their career.

The message of the Rubber Rooms is that no teacher should have the audacity to question the authority of their so-called “supervisors”, principals and assistant principals, who over time, have aggrandized such unlimited power in their hands, that they can destroy even a highly decorated teacher’s whole career, virtually with complete impunity. Even a “Teacher of the Year”, even an educator honored in New York’s City Hall by former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, a candidate now running for President of the United States, is no longer safe from attack.

All the safeguards, both engendered in common labor law practice and even the rights and safeguards contained in the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights no longer seem to apply to New York City’s teachers once they pass through the school house door. This is the state of affairs that exists under the current NYC Dept of Education as controlled by Chancellor Joel Klein, Esq. Who is this Chancellor? A former Washington, DC, Federal Prosecutor who never spent a full year in a classroom in his entire life. How is it possible, that in a City and in nation that contains so many celebrated career Education Experts, that a mayor would appoint such a person to head the nation’s largest school system. A person so ill prepared to be a school’s Chancellor, that the mayor had to seek and obtain a Special Waiver from the Commissioner of Education in Albany, so that he could be appointed to an office for which he possessed zero credentials.

And this schools Chancellor, named Joel Klein, Esq. has decided that what is needed to improve the school system of New York City is his own personal brand of what in essence is a “Reign of Terror” approach lifted directly from the guide book of the former President of a giant US corporation.

That is to say: 1) Eliminate all dissenters or anyone who questions anything. 2) Create a general ongoing climate of fear in the workplace and 3) Continuously keep removing/eliminating/firing large numbers of employees to keep the rest terrorized. Now, we meet here today to condemn the final and most incredible outrage of all.  The final insult that has been perpetrated on the long suffering teachers of New York City, forced to work under an incompetent and dysfunctional Dept of Education that has gone to immense lengths to create, to manufacture, a climate of fear, a climate of intimidation, to silence dissent in the schools and ensure that teachers believe they are only safe if they pretend to be walking zombies that see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil.

In a cynical attempt to further shift the blame for any failings in the NYC school system, away from Chancellor Joel Klein, Esq.’s incompetent administration, bursting at the seams with clubhouse hacks, political cronies, assorted stooges, expensive “consultants”, and countless lackeys and hatchet men and women at the school level, the NYC Dept of Education has now hired a team of lawyers and former principals to help “build” cases against tenured teachers who they will attempt to portray as incompetent for the purpose of firing them from the school system.

It is the oldest political con game in political con game history. When things are not going well or going right, find the nearest available scapegoats at hand and shift all the blame and responsibilty upon that group. Who better to blame for all the failings of his current policies and administration, than the almost 100,000 dedicated educators of New York City?

In fact, Chancellor Joel Klein, Esq. initiated his war against the hard-working teachers and loyal members of the United Federation of Teachers from his first day in office. For Mr. Klein, Esq., the very idea of organized labor is repugnant. Perhaps, he imagines that in the back of every teacher’s weekly plan book, is a communist manifesto, that speaks of worker rights. And/or, God forbid, a copy of the United States Constitution and The Bill of Rights that speak of inalienable rights and due process. No one could ever doubt for a moment that Mr. Klein’s concept of “due process” is a blindfolded teacher standing at the end of a ship’s plank and being asked by one of his countless lackeys: “Do you prefer to jump or be pushed- the choice is yours ?” Mr. Klein, Esq. identified who would serve as his convenient scapegoats early on. New York City’s dedicated teachers.

The story of the world, the long history of people on this earth, has been the history of what may be called “Tipping Points”. Points where the delicate balance of human events makes it clear that things will go one way or the other. After years of teacher bashing and teacher blaming, after years of Whistle-blower retaliation and the consigning to Chancellor Joel Klein, Esq.’s Rubber Room gulags of any and every teacher on some incompetent administrator’s shortlist of convenient teacher scapegoats, we say now finally today- in a loud and clear voice- “enough”.

We say “enough” to the bullying, “enough” to the retaliation, “enough” to the shredding by Mr. Klein’s countless lackeys, of the simple human dignity of tens of thousands of hard-working UFT members. We say “enough” to Chancellor Joel Klein, Esq.’s Reign of Terror perpetrated over the tens of thousands of selfless educators who have devoted their lives to the children of this great city of New York.

We say “enough” to the madness of having to be bossed and berated by a Chancellor who has not a single credential, legal, moral, experiential, or otherwise, to be the head of the nation’s largest school system of over a million children,- a million children Chancellor Klein did not want his own children to share a lunch table with or drink at the same school water fountain.

We hard-working teachers of New York City, we loyal UFT members, will no longer suffer the indignity of being used as the scapegoats for the abysmal failure of Chancellor Joel Klein, Esq. and the NYC Dept of Education to address and confront the real issues and the real problems that exist in the Public Schools of New York City.

Shall we start with the inhumanly over-crowded classrooms that are both underfunded and under supplied as just one of the thousands of real impediments to New York City’s children getting anywhere near the type of quality education Chancellor Joel Klein, Esq.’s own children enjoyed via their elite private school education.

We say to you Mr. non-credentialed Chancellor Joel Klein, Esq. the following:   Stop making thousands of dedicated NYC teachers the Scapegoats for your own failures. Cease the obscene and illegal war against New York City’s most senior, experienced teachers.  Halt your obscene Gestapo scare tactics intended to intimidate, harass and retaliate against Whistle-blower NYC teachers who report wrongdoing and corruption in your NYC Dept of Education.  Stop passing the buck and lower class sizes so NYC children have the same fighting chance to learn, -as your own children had, attending elite NYC private schools.  Stop squandering millions of tax payer dollars on yet more schemes to deflect the public’s attention away from your own incompetent failures.

Be a Legend in your own mind, somewhere else, so that a real education expert Chancellor can come in and begin to clean up the mess you have made of the NYC Public Schools system.  Nearly one hundred thousand hard-working, dedicated NYC educators are mad as Hell and we are not going to take it anymore. Our patience with your unbounded Ego and Hubris grew thin quite some time ago

.

The people of New York City can spot a phony a mile away. And you do not need to create another $ 1,000,000.00 Search Committee, made up of lawyers and former Federal Prosecutors to find out who is incompetent on the job. A seventy nine cent mirror from Duane Reade, will more than do the job, Mr. Klein.  Will people be able to say you left an indelible “mark” on The New York City Dept of Education, when you are gone, Chancellor Klein ?

I believe we all know the answer to that question already, right now.   But is not a grade anyone would wish to take home and show to his Mother.

We are professional teachers who have given our all to the children of this great city. You will not make us the scapegoats for your own failures Mr. Klein. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. Unlike your administration lackeys and thugs, we build people up. We do not tear them down. We are New York City’s dedicated teachers.  Our mission in life is to create hope where there was hopelessness. Not kick people when they are down. We are New York City’s dedicated teachers.  Our mission in life is to build healthy, suuccessful and productive futures for New York’s children. Not terminate people from their jobs, make them lose their homes and livelihoods and throw them in the street. If the Police Officers of this great city represent ” NEW YORK’S FINEST ”

And if the Firemen represent ” NEW YORK’S BRAVEST “ Then the Teachers of this city represent ” NEW YORK’S MOST DEDICATED ”

We UFT Members are New York City’s proud and dedicated teachers. Our mission in life is the most important and far reaching mission anyone could ever have on God’s earth and under God’s Heaven. We are dedicated to improving and positively affecting the future. Not destroying the futures of New York City’s most dedicated servants. We are New York City’s teachers. We know who we are Mr. Joel Klein, Esq. We are the proud teachers of New York City. We are the UFT. We were here long before you. And we will still be educating, nurturing and protecting the more than one million children of New York City, long after you are gone.

David Pakter, M.A., M.F.A.

TEACHER OF THE YEAR 

So What If You Do Your Job, You Are Still Fired!

Well, by now, all of us are aware of the fact that two years of exceptional performance appraisals, mentoring numerous first year teachers, being recognized as an aspiring leader and being referred to the county’s leadership program, receiving community service awards, being hand-picked by central office staff to review alternative assessment eligibility, serving as an activist within the community is in no way a protect against being fired by a self-absorbed, politically-driven, power-hungry, cronyistic leader.   And here I thought that I left the “cut-throat world of dog eat dog in corporate america!”   The big question that many parents, community leaders, reporters, educators, and even students are asking is how those that consistently fail to do their job can be supported by the same leaders that fire those that do their job.  My answer is simple.  In this county, you can fail to do your job, be grossly negligent, horrifically incompetent, but if you “kiss the boss’ but” you will keep your job.  Heck, you will even get promoted.    You can falsify paperwork, misrepresent the facts to parents, blatantly violate district policies, repeatedly ignore state and federal codes, yet still keep your job if you are a “brown-noser” that goes drinking with the boss after work or if you are the right color… and I do not mean brown or black. But, if you do your job with integrity and competency and are not willing to bow to the compromises, lies, and other unethical acts that destroy the educational experiences of our children, you may not last long in this county.  It is sad, but true. Many have said that it was not always this way, that is until the most recent superintendent was appointed.    Parents, educators, and residents alike have said that he has taken our county back decades.  I wonder if the new school board members knew that before they extended his contract.  I have been asked if having my contract non-renewed and being reassigned bothers me.  While it did initially because I was worried about what would happen to my students and their families.   I expected those there were threatened by me to take that type of drastic action, just not to the detriment of my students, but I guess I really made them mad….lol…..    Hopefully, when they stop being “mad”, they will hear what I and many others have been saying for the past year, and get Rolfe in order for our children.   One central office person shared, under the condition of anonymity, that the only response that insecure, incompetent, fearful, unknowledgeable white people in this county have to a strong, vocal, educated, confident African-Americans that have everything to gain for our children and nothing to loose personally, is “get rid of them” before they frees others….lol…. just like they use to did during slavery days.  The outspoken slave advocating for freedom and fair treatment was either killed or shipped to another plantation by the Massa’.  I thought about their comment and agreed.     Well, I think that they are too late, others are waking up out of their sleep of intimidation and ignorance, and they are taking action.  Thank God!  Parents that I thought would never advocate for their children are advocating  with the OCR and VADOE.  Am I afraid of having “non-renewal” on my record, NO!  One has to consider what I am being non-renewed for.  I do not mind be non-renewed for speaking out about the unsafe, unjust, and illegal conditions and treatment of our at-risk schools and educators.  I don’t mind that at all.  It’s just like being non-renewed for refusing to falsify SOL scores when your principal instructs you to, you refuse, then they charge you with insubordination.  Abuse, abuse, abuse, abuse of power.      After all, there are people before me that gave up a lot more than a “teaching contract” to speak out against injustice on behalf of our children.  They gave up their homes, their money, their freedom, their health, their well-being, and some even gave up their lives doing what I am doing for the welfare of our children so that they can have a better future and a proper and safe education.  Of course, there are those that are in direct opposition to this goal and work through their system to hinder the success of our children in every way, and they do not want anyone to speak out against them, so they hide behind their titles, positions, and powers, which they use to abuse and exploit others.If you want to know the truth, I wouldn’t take nothin’ for my journey now!    To have the privilege to speak out on behalf of our children, their welfare, and their futures is the privilege of a lifetime that I am honored to sacrifice everything for…because I am not only fighting for your child, I am fighting for mine.   If what is happening at Rolfe Middle School can happen in Henrico County Public Schools in this day in time, then it can happen anywhere, at any time, with anyone’s child, with just the wave of a wand by the superintendent.  Rolfe’s deterioration was swift once the head became weak.  Even though I am gone, I still receive phone calls telling of the horrific situations that are going on as recently as yesterday…..but no one in Central Office cares enough to realize the crisis, admit the crisis, then take real and immediate action to stop the crisis.   The crisis is that of the destruction of our children.  I was horrified today when one of the board substitutes told me that one of the male assistant principals at Rolfe told the students the answers to a test so that they would stop being disruptive.  What the devil???  I was even more disheartened when I heard stories of continued hallway stampedes, fights, and much more.  The atmosphere is being set for a horrible situation to take place at Rolfe, but no one cares enough to take the drastic action needed to correct the situation properly.  They want it both ways.    Mr. Morton wants to keep the principal that he appointed, knowing that he cannot do the job, and he knows that since everything is public about what is going on at Rolfe, he has to deal with the issues of safety and incompetence, but he cannot do both, no matter how much he tries to….that is if children are the priority.Having a contract non-renewed does not bother me because I can always get another job as an educator or chemist or corporate trainer.  I have options.  Our children do not.  So, it is my duty to speak out for their well being because it is easier to deal with my contract being non-renewed than it is to deal with a child’s life being non-renewed because I chose not to speak.  It is easier to deal with myself being forcefully reassigned to another school than to deal with one of our children being  forcefully reassigned to a detention center, alternative school, or even the grave because I valued my job more than I valued our children and remained silent about horrific conditions within our schools.     I know, either you like me or you hate me.  That’s fine, but look past me and how you feel about me.  Either you are for our children or you are not.  Your refusal to join the fight screams where your alliance lies loud and clear.   Sometimes, choosing what is right is not easy and it may cost you greatly, but I know that God repays those of us that stand for what He has called us to.  To answer your question Rita, that is why I am able to keep on doing what I do, because I am called to do this and empower others to do the same!  I must admit, it is difficult to understand how a contract can be non-renewed and an African-American teacher is forcefully reassigned based on advocacy efforts to expose injustice and promote safety and excellence, while at the same time, the same school district can go on the news and say that a white male that allegedly called a group of students is “reassigned” with his contract in tact or another white male that has been charged with drunk driving is defended by the district, stating that his offense has nothing to do with his teaching contract.What message are the board and Mr. Morton sending?    It is ok to fail in your job as long as you do not challenge us or pose a threat to the systematic mediocrity that we have in place for you, especially the schools of the East End.  However, if you do your job and challenge us, work through the system, expose our weaknesses, and call us on them, then we WILL target you.  We WILL falsify action against you.  We WILL lie on you.  We WILL manipulate others to gather fabricated information against you.  We WILL violate our own laws and standards in order to expose you to danger.  We WILL ignore state and federal laws in order to carry out our own agendas to silence you.  We WILL use other teachers, parents, and even children to get you.  We WILL do whatever is necessary to get you, silence you, shut you down…lol….I swear, I feel like I am in Richmond, Virginia in 1955!    Anyway, everyone should know by now that I AIN’T GONNA SHUT UP UNTIL OUR SCHOOLS ARE SAFE FOR OUR CHILDREN!!!!  and to be perfectly honest, I would love the opportunity to be a full time advocate against Henrico County Public Schools and the gross negligence that it permits to go on regarding our children in certain schools.   See you all at the next school board meeting on Thursday at 7pm!Remember to speak for all of our children that have no voice! 

Excellence in Instructional Leadership Is NOT Dead In Henrico!

When I first arrived at Henrico County Public Schools, I was under the exceptional instructional leadership of one of the sharpest, most focused, discipline, motivated, and talented leaders that I had ever served under, whether in the corporate world or educational setting.  Based on my interactions with her and the assistant principal that I consider one of my most valued mentors and one of the most hidden treasures in Henrico County, I felt as though Henrico County would be the place that I would serve the rest of my professional career at.  Of course, when this highly competent, dedicated, and fully committed leader was reassigned to the new middle school in Henrico, I was disappointed, but I vowed to remain with the students that I felt needed me.  Even in the face of a mass exodus of educators from the school at the end of last year due to extreme dissatisfaction with the new leadership, I and many others decided to remain in the fight for our children.Well my reassignment by Fred Morton placed me right back with the instructional leader that I began my career at Henrico with.  As I entered the school, I immediately observed the difference between this school and the one that I left.   Up until that point, I only knew the school from a parent’s perspective, but I was extremely pleased with the fact that this instructional leader and her team worked very hard to establish a disciplined, structured, organized, student-focused, and team-oriented organization that works like a fine tuned machine.  As a parent, I have full confidence in this school’s leadership and faculty, and as a new team member, I have even more confidence in them.As we toured the school, this instructional leader naturally took the initiative to ensure that each and every child honored and revered the school building and atmosphere overall.  She did not hesitate to correct, redirect, or conversate with any child that she encountered, this is the type of behavior that I engaged in at the old school and was reprimanded by the other teachers and principals for being harsh, rude, and uncaring….what a difference!   As the students walked the hall, there was order, minimal noise, and absolutely no horseplaying, hat-wearing, rapping, throwing things, and definitely no stampedes as I witnessed on a regular basis at the other school.   The educators welcomed me with open arms.  Some of them I knew, other I did not, but they all worked together in disciplining the students and redirecting them to do the right things.  The students seem to understand that if they tried to play one teacher against another or one administrator against another, they would run into a brick wall, as opposed to the old school, where they would not only be assisted in playing others against each other, but the adults would show them new ways to do it! The atmosphere of these schools are stark contrasts, like light and dark, all because of competent instructional leadership whose focus was the safety, nurturing, and success of our children, their families, and educators.  Yesterday, I felt like I had died and gone to “instructional leadership” heaven where the leader not only knows their role, but walks in it to the fullest extent for the primary purpose of ensuring the safety and success of our children and educators.  No, of course this setting is not perfect, but when the heart of the leader is focused on STRIVING TOWARD EXCELLENCE, then, if you have the same heart for our children, you can’t help but support that leader and the vision fully.During my introductory meeting with my new/old principal, the Director of Special Education, who was extremely supportive, and the Director of Middle School, who stated that her sole purpose was to remind me of the expectation that I am to be “professional” here.  I gave her my “surely you can’t be serious” look.  It was clear that she was sent by the superintendent to give their two cents regarding a matter that they have yet to prove.  As I shared with her, when one is surrounded by professionals such as this, there is no need to discuss the issue of professionalism, because it is modeled and permeates through each individual within the school.  On the other hand, it is extremely difficult for one to operate in “professionalism” when one is NOT a “professional”.  If one is not a “professional”, then they will pervert the fundamental concept of “professionalism” for their own perverted purposes, no matter who they hurt or destroy.  However, it is easy to be a “crony” and keep the destructive cycle of “cronyism” going at Rolfe Middle School to the detriment of our children.   When will they ever learn the difference between “professionalism” and “cronyism”?   Like Harriet Tubman said, “I could have saved a lot more people if they KNEW that they were slaves.”  That is the problem here.  We could set a lot of things back in order if the “cronies” knew and acknowledged that they are afflicted with “cronism” and willing to be set free because of the horrific and disastrous impact that it is having on our children and our communities at large.   God requires more from us.  And as Edgar Allen Poe said, whether you believe in God or not, He believes in you and your duty that he has assigned to you in this realm. 

“Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired”, Knowledge IS Power and Justice For Our Children

That’s where we are at!  “sick and tired of being sick and tired!”  We just finished completing two more complaints to the Office of Civil Rights.  Our goal is to educate, encourage, and empower……YOU!  YOU no longer have to feel helpless or powerless.  YOU no longer have to feel as though YOU must accept any and everything that is thrown at YOU.  YOU no longer have to take discrimination, abuse, misuse, and exploitation of YOURSELF and YOUR CHILDREN without knowing your rights and putting up a fight.  KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.  This is the power that “they’ do not want YOU to know that you have and “they” definitely do not want you to exercise YOUR rights.  In fact, “they” want to intimidate, divide, confuse, and manipulate YOU so that YOU do not understand YOUR rights to the point that YOU forfeit your rights so that “they” can continue on doing as “they” please without any regard for ethical, district, state, or federal laws.   When I was a child, my mother always told me that the “law is for the lawless” when I could not understand why we have to make rules for people to do what “they” know is the right thing to do….especially when it comes to dealing with our children.  Our family was blessed more than most because my mother could stay at home with the seven of us, so when we forgot our lunch, she was there.  When we got in trouble, she was there.  When we needed to be picked-up because we were sick, she was there.  When we had a play or conference, she was there.  When we left in the mornings, she was there.  When we came home in the afternoons, she was there.  Many of our children do not have that, which does not necessarily put them at a disadvantage as many people claim.  As educators, we have the opportunity to partner with our parents and be ‘there” for our students, but we cannot do it when we, as an educational system, do not hold our customers, our children, as the most important individuals within our system.  No matter how I try to rationalize it or understand it, I cannot.  I cannot comprehend how a community can allow politics, positions, and power to be the priority over people.  I cannot.  I, too, am sick and tired of being sick and tired.  I am tired of those in position and power saying that the are acting in the best interests of children, but their actions result in the utter destruction of our children’s spirits, minds, souls, and bodies.  The very things that we, as an educational system, are charged to guard with our lives and nurture with all of our beings.  This year, I have heard the mantra, ‘FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!, FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!”…..but how can you say that failure is not an option when you take away success as one of the choices? “There is no trust more sacred than the one the world holds with children. There is no duty more important than ensuring that their rights are respected, that their welfare is protected, that their lives are free from fear and want and that they can grow up in peace.” – Kofi Annan That is our duty.  That is our call.  If we cannot or will not embrace our assignment with passion, discipline, and resolve, then we need not be associated with children in any form or fashion.  It is the responsibility of those of us that are “truly” called to identify the “imposters” that “say” they are called, but have selfish motives aimed at misusing, abusing, and exploiting our children.  Then we are to expose them, remove them, and make sure that they NEVER have access to our children again.   

Barack Obama, Michael Baisden, Jesse Jackson, and Al Sharpton and others…..

WE HAVE BEEN BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!  OUR stories are spreading!  Our stories are spreading!  Those that REALLY care about our children, their education, and our communities are getting our stories.  Thank you to those that contacted us in order to obtain these stories.  We also received an offer to hand deliver our stories to Rev. Jessie Jackson’s P.U.S.H. Community Forum that is held every Saturday on Chicago’s Southside (my hometown!).  Rev. Dr. Coleman of Virginia’ s National Action Network and Pastor Raymond Bell of DC’s National Action Network sponsored by Rev. Al Sharpton have also been notified of OUR stories.  Finally, we have had the God-sent opportunity to share with a member of Barak’s camp (another Chicago contact) and Michael Baisden’s team.   Thank you to all of those of you that emailed us with these contacts.  We followed up immediately and have received responses.  Keep THE NERVE going!  Thank you, Mrs. J for praying Psalms 35 and God’s favor over us.  Thank you, Mrs. T for sharing Joshua and his many battles with us last night.  Thank you, Madea for praying Psalms 36 over us. Thank you, to OUR village elders for gathering around us and providing wisdom, courage, and encouragement for us to continue this fight.  Thank you for beginning the phone trees and passing out flyers.  Thank you for standing for our children, educators, and schools when it really matters!   If we don’t stand up for children, then we don’t stand for much.-Marian Wright Edelman, The Children’s Defense Fund  

How to File A Complaint

The most common question that we have received for the past three days since going public with our stories is “How do I file a complaint against Henrico County Public Schools?”  You have several options, but you can also file with more than one agency.  These agencies are:The Virginia Department of Education (VADOE), The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR),  The NAACP, The ACLU are just a few.  We have emailed and faxed copies of the complaint forms to those that have requested them.  More complaints have been filed with the Office of Civil Rights.  The VADOE and OCR can be used by parents of students with special needs.  Keep on putting the pressure on Henrico until they do what is right not only for our students with special needs, not only for our children that are African-American, but for all of our children and those that REALLY work for what is best for them.We received confirmation from two more parent groups and many others are on the phone calling across the country to share what is going on in order to have emails and phone calls made to the school board so that these injustices can be stopped!  Keep going!  It is like the Civil Rights Era all over again as one grandmother said during our meeting tonight.  Another parent commented on how none of us thought that we would be here, with our children and educators being subjected to the same injustices as were the children and educators subjected to over fifty years ago in Henrico.  Times have NOT changed. We will see you at the next school board meeting on Thursday at 7pm!  We know, WE GOT NERVE!   We would like to send a special “Thank You!” to Ms. Jackson with the Legal Aid Justice Center for their support of OUR children and educators.  She has committed to spreading the word, let’s all do the same! 

Professionalism is NOT Cronyism, Why Does Henrico Protect Incompetence At Any Cost?

Well, that is the question that we have discussed all weekend.  I have spent hours on the phone with Channel Six, Times Dispatch, and many other media resources sharing OUR story, the story of the East End and how we are fighting for what is right for our children, for equality and for justice.   Thank God that more and more people are listening.  The media will be at the next school board meeting this Thursday when I and many other parents, advocates, and community leaders speak.  It is time for Mr. Morton, Mr. Armstrong, Mr. Rokenbrod, and Ms. Ellis to do the right thing for our children because it is the right thing to do, even if we have to make them.  And please, do not get it twisted, just because I am no longer in Rolfe does not mean that Rolfe is no longer in me.  Those children and their families are still my heart and I will continue to fight for them, no matter what is said or done.   The information that I received just on today is enough to right another article.  To think that people do not want the truth to get out is crazy!  The truth will bust out so that our children can be safe and in a nurturing environment.   One final note, Mr. Morton and Mr. Armstrong are confused about what true “professionalism” is.  They are confusing it with “cronysim’, and as a result are protecting incompetence at all cost, at our (taxpayer) expense.   Professionalism: (noun) the standing, practice, or methods of a professional, as distinguished from an amateur, Cronysim: (noun) favoritism shown to friends and associates (as by appointing them to positions without regard for their qualifications or failing to hold them accountable for their actions).  We, the parents,  families, taxpayers, and residents of Henrico want “professionalism” to be the norm, not “cronyism”.   I will not stop advocating for our children, their safety, their education, their futures.  Take my job, take my contract, take me out of my school, do as you please, but I will not stop exercising my constitutional rights as a parent and resident of the county and as a citizen of this country.  I am both of those before I am an employee and being an employee of this county does not negate my rights, privileges, and responsibilities as a parent and resident.  Can you hear me now!?   Now, you should understand that, it would have been so much easier to just do YOUR jobs by creating a safe, nurturing, and instructionally-sound environment for our students and teachers as opposed to trying to deny, cover up, and silence the issues.  WHEN WILL OUR CHILDREN BECOME YOUR PRIORITY?  I will continue to ask this question until you give me an answer with your actions, not your words.  Keep the emails and calls coming!   We now have five parent groups from two different churches that are making signs and planning to attend the meeting on Thursday in order to speak for our children.  Thank God!  Remember, our call is to speak for  those that have no voice.  There is power in numbers and they cannot ignore us if we make enough noise.  Eventually, they have to do the right thing and realize that it is DANGEROUS to mess with “GOD’S CHILDREN” that have nothing to loose and everything to gain!

More and More Of Us Are Coming Forward!

Monday is going to be a busy day of interviewing, meetings, organizing, and preparation.  We all worked very hard this weekend.  Thank you to the over fifty people that visited churches with us.  It is truly amazing how fast this good news is traveling.  We have spoken to and met with several former and present Henrico County Public School employees that have gone through a lot worse than any of us could ever imagine trying to do their jobs for our children.  We even have parents that are joining in on behalf of themselves and their students.  They, too, have tried to work through a system that does not work, but were, just like us, accused of wrongdoing by the ones that run the system for going outside of the system.  They do not want us to go outside the system because they know that when we do, we win!  It is just like Jesus and the Pharisees.  They ran the religious organizations of that time and Jesus knew that they were corrupt, selfish, and had no intention of doing the right things to meet the needs of the people that they were appointed to serve.  So, he went outside of the system to accomplish the goals that should have been accomplished through the system but could not be because of the extreme corruption.  Some things never change.  We have helped several parties file their complaints through the Office of Civil Rights (OCR).  Henrico County Public Schools is already under investigation by them for civil rights violations.  Many people do not know this.  The reality is that people, especially African-Americans on the East End, are tired of being mistreated by Henrico County Public Schools and as a result, we all are taking a stand.  For those of you that think that this is a personal vendetta, you are right, this is.  We take it personally when someone neglects, exploits, and/or gives our children less than what they deserve, and if it is not a personal vendetta for you, then something is wrong, especially if you consider yourself to be an educator and advocate for our children.   As an educator, the code of ethics require that your FIRST commitment be to our students, I think that many of us have forgotten that and have made our jobs, politics, getting ahead, not going against the grain, going along to get along, etc. in as our first commitment.  Basically, we as educators, have sold our children out.  Need to be reminded of your ethical responsibilities?  Here is a reminder:  

PRINCIPLE I: Ethical Conduct Toward Students

The professional educator accepts personal responsibility for teaching students character qualities that will help them evaluate the consequences of and accept the responsibility for their actions and choices. We strongly affirm parents as the primary moral educators of their children. Nevertheless, we believe all educators are obligated to help foster civic virtues such as integrity, diligence, responsibility, cooperation, loyalty, fidelity, and respect-for the law, for human life, for others, and for self.The professional educator, in accepting his or her position of public trust, measures success not only by the progress of each student toward realization of his or her personal potential, but also as a citizen of the greater community of the republic.1. The professional educator deals considerately and justly with each student, and seeks to resolve problems, including discipline, according to law and school policy.2. The professional educator does not intentionally expose the student to disparagement.3. The professional educator does not reveal confidential information concerning students, unless required by law.4. The professional educator makes a constructive effort to protect the student from conditions detrimental to learning, health, or safety.5. The professional educator endeavors to present facts without distortion, bias, or personal prejudice.

 We made our rounds to the churches and the response was so great that we ran out of flyers, but we will have more during our next community meeting.  Thank you to everyone that is supporting our children when it is clear that Henrico County Public Schools has forgotten about them and will do anything to silence those that try to remind them about our students.  Some have asked would this go on on the West End.  We all know the answer to that!  If you are interested in filing a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights, here is the website:  http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/know.html