It only takes a comment from someone that indirectly knows someone who indirectly knows someone that tells me "I" made a difference back in the day when I was on stage in many different venues of the District. Maybe it was because I called so many people out on their ignorance of IDEA. Maybe it was because of the OCR complaint that turned the District on it's "diabetic ear". Maybe it was because of the IDEA state complaint I filed that listed the 10-15 people that "should" have taken care of the problem. The astounding fact is that that state complaint was filed a year after "mediation" was accepted by the trusting parent. Maybe it was because the trusting parent, a year after the first mediation, kept very good records of who she had contact with, and of the 10-15 people, she got the same result that she had received the year before, prior to mediation, which was nothing.
One more point to be made - the investigating officer from the State tried to get me to dismiss the State complaint. I wouldn't do it, because I understood the game. She said all I wanted to do was cause trouble for the District. In the end, she had to do her job.
That single mother from another country used to call me her "angel". Unfortunately, I knew I was only a brief glimpse of hope.
Never, ever, trust the system.
All of that brings me to this:
Over on the Alafia Elementary Blog - which gets more hits than a whack-a-mole at Chuck the Cheese, there are some telling comments from those who see the real picture.
What grinds my corn is that they have conceptualized the systemic issues that have plagued many a school site and they are up to the challenge. Instead of the apple-pie-throwing-PTA approach (not saying that apple pies and PTA's don't need each other), this group of people somehow have grasped the notion that what happens to one student/parent/teacher/principal/community could happen anywhere in the great county of Hillsborough, the "model school district", by some accounts.
I will commence to do what the "drive by media" does. I will take snippets of comments to advance my own agenda. The complete comments can be found on their blog.
Anonymous 10:40
............... The fight is bigger than the fight going on at Alafia. Alafia is a battle in a much bigger war. ...............
If the districts culture is not changed, this WILL happen again. Possibly at your kids middle scholl in several years, possibly their high school or maybe even right back at Alafia. As a matter of fact, if you force their hand at Alafia I expect that you might get worse right away. This administration is VERY vindictive. Has this even occurred to you?
......
You guys have sent out some redundant communications (As in form emails). You might find more responsiveness if your campaign did not come off as form letter communication. Form letters really detract from your credibility when you are lobbying and trying to get attention. Peronsalized emails are much more effective.
Harken back to this comment I made:
The Special Ed Concierge said...
Well written letters that are not acusatory but simply state the facts, the concern and the desired result have a lot of power.
Not e-mails. Not phone calls. Not verbal conversations.
Well written letters that are cc'd at least to your own file.
October 17, 2008 6:12 PM
To the next snippets:
..........As for gain, I want to see this district be what it can be. I want it to fulfill it's unrealized potential. The only way that I know to do that is to advocate and embrace a REAL culture change and that means a very different school board. To assist in this goal I have decided to approach groups of parents (and presumably voters) and try to get them engaged and to understand what is really going on here.
The voters have to fix this mess by seating a majority of outsiders on the board. The public needs to give this deep thought and analysis, not the superficial type of assessment that you brought forth. A movement needs to be started. A movement for the greater good of ALL the counties children not just your own child.
December 4, 2008 8:31 AM
Anonymous said...
To Anonymous 8:31
Thank you very much for your blog. Please also be aware that not only are parents wanting to be a part of fixing this situation, but so are teachers. There are numerous teachers, not only at Alafia but from Seffner as well, who would love to continue "fighting" this fight. The issue for the teachers at Alafia is that when Elia spoke to our school, one sentiment was apparent. We (the teachers) either needed to get on board, move forward, and make this work or we would no longer be employees of Hillsborough County Schools. When the leader of ALL the leaders comes into a forum and gives this "ultimatum?" (or would you call it pep talk, I'm not sure what I would call it) what are teachers to do? We love working with children. We enjoy the parents. We have strong relationships with the other teachers. Do we fight the fight and quit our jobs? Do we quietly go to work, smile and pretend like all has been fixed? Let me tell you, it's a confusing place to be in. I can tell you I honestly don't which way is up any more.
I applaud and appreciate so much what the parents are doing for us (teachers). I want to help as much as possible....I just don't know how.
************************
Baby the rain must fall
Baby the wind must blow
Wherever my heart leads me
Baby I must go
Baby I must go. - Glen Yarborough
Posts
2 comments:
So who do you think the "insider" is? He/she claims to be a higher up downtown. Any ideas? It is almost like he wants us to give up the fight or did I not get it? Most of us see the big picture. We have copies of evaluations dating back to 1999 where Smith has been protected by the same Sykes and Otero that are on the focus team. We get it. But right now that is not our focus. Getting SMith out of our school is the focus. We will deal with the school board later.
I don't have a clue who it could be.
Good job on getting past records. Do you have any copies of the same document but with different signatures? That was always a interesting find one for me back in the day.
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