[ProgressiveEd] Our communications with Mr. Klein/what to do next
Donna Nevel
[email protected]
Fri, 21 Mar 2003 14:03:12 -0500
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<P>Hi all, I haven't been that involved with the group so please take that into account, but I have a few reactions to Beverly's letter: One is that I have a serious problem with basing a decision about who should attend a meeting on who "set up" the meeting. This is a collective process. Some of us have more access to certain people than others for all sorts of reasons. Some arrange meetings; others make phone calls to parents; still others work on flyers, etc. I think the decision should be based solely on who people think would be best for achieving the group's goals, and that it is as inclusive as possible. The second reaction I have is that I feel having a meeting is one direction to go, and the march is another. Some may feel one is more important than the other, but I believe one definitely deosn't preclude the other. In fact, I think the meeting will be much more effective if they can see (by the march) how many community membes feel strongly about this issue. I also think individual meetings can go so far and that a continued ,visible community response is always beneficial, especially when there's a situation like this where our schools--and the families who are part of them-- have not been respected or appreciated. And third, I think this meeting is an opportunity to have our voices heard and, if it to have any potential value, it would be better to have more people, rather than just a small group. It can be very well planned in advance so people don't repeat things others have said and to make sure certain points are covered, but it is really an opportunity to have different communitites represented.. And it would be great if the meeting could have someone who could translate so that Latina parents could participate (and it wouldn't hurt for Klein to see that we're serious about being inclusive). Respectfully, Donna Nevel (parent at Crossroads... and Center for Immigrant Families, a community-based organization that works with parents and schools in District 6 and 3)<BR></P></DIV>
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<DIV></DIV>>From: Beverly McClain <[email protected]>
<DIV></DIV>>To: <[email protected]>
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: [ProgressiveEd] Our communications with Mr. Klein/what to do next
<DIV></DIV>>Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2003 12:49:34 -0500
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Greetings all.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>I'm the lucky parent who had the opportunity to engage in email dialogue
<DIV></DIV>>with Mr. Klein after writing him an angry letter regarding a brush off
<DIV></DIV>>response he wrote to our PTA secretary, Sophie Sanchez. After several
<DIV></DIV>>exchanges, and to all our surprise, he then appeared at the Children's
<DIV></DIV>>Workshop School (sadly, at lunchtime when kids weren't in class) on Tuesday.
<DIV></DIV>>He said his reason for choosing to visit us is because CWS's parents had
<DIV></DIV>>been more vocal than any school in NYC and he wanted to see for himself why
<DIV></DIV>>we were so tenacious and devoted. As many of you have done too, we applied
<DIV></DIV>>for waivers, sent emails, and responded to the Children First survey. But we
<DIV></DIV>>also collected letters, petitions, questionaires, images of our school and
<DIV></DIV>>artwork, a student video, and other items of interest and compiled in-depth
<DIV></DIV>>3-ring binders that were distributed to him, Shelley Harwaine, and the
<DIV></DIV>>mayor. I know this presentation made an impression too.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Maria (our director) says that he was there for about an hour, and it's
<DIV></DIV>>still hard to tell what he thinks of the school and program at this point.
<DIV></DIV>>He did say that he learned a lot from his visit. Main thing is we most
<DIV></DIV>>definitely have his ear, and I think it is starting to dawn on him that if
<DIV></DIV>>nothing else, the level of parent dedication and involvement in our schools
<DIV></DIV>>are HUGE assets to be appreciated and encouraged, not to be squandered.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>During our last couple of exchanges Wednesday night, after I urged him to be
<DIV></DIV>>in touch with PENNY as a group and to address our concerns, he asked who to
<DIV></DIV>>contact and sure enough�he has asked Bruce for a meeting. Since we were the
<DIV></DIV>>folks who got through to him, we feel very strongly that our director and
<DIV></DIV>>PTA president should be present at the meeting (both very diplomatic folks)
<DIV></DIV>>and agree that it should be held at one of our progressive schools...maybe
<DIV></DIV>>this time at a middle or high school. But we also think while it shouldn't
<DIV></DIV>>be too big, that several other representatives of faculty and parents from
<DIV></DIV>>other schools be there too representing the diversity of our population.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>It's my personal opinion, and the result of a unanimous PTA vote last night
<DIV></DIV>>at CWS, that we put off the TWEED march until we get a better fix on what
<DIV></DIV>>Klein is willing to do to address our concerns. It makes no sense to appear
<DIV></DIV>>confrontational until the meeting(s) indicate the need. And even if we're
<DIV></DIV>>"nice" at TWEED, we just don't think it sends the proper signal when he is
<DIV></DIV>>clearly making an effort to learn more on what we're about. This isn't to
<DIV></DIV>>say that there won't be a perfect time for it in the near future, but we
<DIV></DIV>>really don't think next Wednesday is the day.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>An added advantage too is that we can all put more effort next week into
<DIV></DIV>>Albany and going after Pataki, and personally, I think for the next few
<DIV></DIV>>days, that seems like the preferable place to put out energy until we see
<DIV></DIV>>how the meeting plays out.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Carol, I believe all the points you made make complete sense. Let's all keep
<DIV></DIV>>our fingers crossed. After watching his grace under fire this past Tuesday
<DIV></DIV>>night, I must say that while there is plenty to disagree with, I do think
<DIV></DIV>>Mr. Klein is a decent man working very hard to get up to speed in what is a
<DIV></DIV>>big mess of a school system. I reserve the right to think differently in the
<DIV></DIV>>future but at this moment in time, I'm inclined to give him the benefit of
<DIV></DIV>>the doubt.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Ah...a glimmer of hope at a sad sad time.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Beverly McClain, CWS parent
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