[ProgressiveEd] Report on Friday's NYS Senate Majority Task Force 4/4 Pub...
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[email protected]
Mon, 7 Apr 2003 16:00:32 EDT
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Dear Colleagues:
I want to publicly express my concern and dismay over the positions
articulated by the speakers at the NYS Senate Majority Task force meeting.
As the Principal of a small progressive high school in the Bronx, I would
argue that Klein's re-organization and reform proposals represent the first
attempt in thirty years to change the focus in New York's education
bureacracy from political patronage and monitoring of schools to a system
that focusses on instruction and has the capacity to support teaching and
learning.
Progressive small schools have fought this bureaucracy tooth and nail for
years to carve out spaces where we could do meaningful work with kids in
spite of the larger system's goals and requirements. I believe Klein's plan
represents an opportunity to expand and deepen our work. Our goal should not
be to throw up road blocks to protect bureaucratic structures that never had
the capacity to serve kids or support teachers. Our goal should be to become
active partners in this process and help the larger community of educators
understand the depth and value of our work.
Klein and his team have made mistakes but they have also shown a flexibility
and thoughtfulness that makes me believe we can work with them.
Respectfully,
Shael Suransky
Principal, Bronx International High School
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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=3D2 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=
=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">Dear Colleagues:<BR>
<BR>
I want to publicly express my concern and dismay over the positions articula=
ted by the speakers at the NYS Senate Majority Task force meeting. <BR=
>
<BR>
As the Principal of a small progressive high school in the Bronx, I would ar=
gue that Klein's re-organization and reform proposals represent the first at=
tempt in thirty years to change the focus in New York's education bureacracy=
from political patronage and monitoring of schools to a system that focusse=
s on instruction and has the capacity to support teaching and learning. =
; <BR>
<BR>
Progressive small schools have fought this bureaucracy tooth and nail for ye=
ars to carve out spaces where we could do meaningful work with kids in spite=
of the larger system's goals and requirements. I believe Klein's plan=
represents an opportunity to expand and deepen our work. Our goal sho=
uld not be to throw up road blocks to protect bureaucratic structures that n=
ever had the capacity to serve kids or support teachers. Our goal shou=
ld be to become active partners in this process and help the larger communit=
y of educators understand the depth and value of our work. <BR>
<BR>
Klein and his team have made mistakes but they have also shown a flexibility=
and thoughtfulness that makes me believe we can work with them. <BR>
<BR>
Respectfully,<BR>
<BR>
Shael Suransky<BR>
Principal, Bronx International High School</FONT></HTML>
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