A Cry In The Wilderness?

And how are the children...….?

Captured here is 57 Seconds of "disorderly conduct" at DMHS in Englewood, NJ.    The video below was posted to Instagram minutes after the melee broke out. Within minutes, the children made this go viral to neighboring towns. I see the posting of this video from what I presume is a student as a cry for help. Are we going to help or are we going to condemn the people who understand the message?

 

I have published here the opinion of a father and grandfather who  knows it is crucially important for parents to understand the severity of the situations when students are not held accountable with the full force of the District policy/law. This law should be clearly outlined in the Student Handbook for Englewood Public School Students. Professor Kelly worked for 30 years in a School District that has a School Resource Officer and an Attendance Officer. I also worked in a School District nearly 30 years that has these student support programs and more in place. Englewood does not have these and other support positions in place even though they are mandated by NJ law.
  

             On the subject of the above "57 Second" video

"I must push back on one aspect of this video, as well as commend the posting of the video. 

1. Pushback: yes, the students should receive consequences for their very disturbing display of violence; however, the underlying causes of the violence are being overlooked. 

Paraphrasing MLK: “Violence [rioting] is the language of the unheard.” The violence is a symptom of the climate in the schools. Yes, schools. There are fights occurring in other schools in the city. Parents and stakeholders must begin asking those who’ve been entrusted w/ the children, WHY?

Do ALL of the children feel supported, respected, motivated, uplifted, and “heard”? If yes, then there should not be the intense violence as displayed on the video. If no, WHY?

Parents, do you know whether the schools that are charged with educating and protecting your children are fully staffed with certified, competent and dedicated teachers, administrators and support staff? Support staff like School Resource Officers Attendance Officers, Psychologists (optimally) or Social Workers (minimally) are mandated by NJ state Law. Are they present in the schools? Have you asked?

2. Posted video: I’ve read several parents’ reactions expressing not knowing there was such discord and dysfunction in the schools. Why? Because it’s bad PR! Without this very graphic display, it would be very easy to down play the exigency of the situation. It’s very problematic to “don’t believe your lying eyes”! Only showing it to parents and not the broader spectrum of all stakeholders weakens the impact of the potential dangers suggested in our schools.

Don’t be lulled into believing that everything is milk & honey. It’s not. Fluff, feel-good articles crowing about the gains in the schools are just that, FLUFF. 

The power is in your hands now (make phone calls, regularly attend Board of Education & City Council meetings (w/ your concerns and demand answers) and in the future (your vote for those who will walk the walk they “talk” when they campaign)!"

Peace...

Thom Kelly, Ph. D

NBC Coverage https://www.nbcnewyork.com/on-air/as-seen-on/Brawl-Breaks-Out-at-New-Jersey-High-School_New-York-509459941.html ATTENTION PARENTS: If your children are fighting in school they are breaking the law. Fighting in school is "disorderly conduct". It is a misdemeanor and it applies to everyone, even School Board Members. Read below. NJ Statute: 2C:33-2. Disorderly conduct.
a. Improper behavior. A person is guilty of a petty disorderly persons offense, if with purpose to cause public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk thereof he
(1) Engages in fighting or threatening, or in violent or tumultuous behavior; or
(2) Creates a hazardous or physically dangerous condition by any act which serves no legitimate purpose of the actor.

b. Offensive language. A person is guilty of a petty disorderly persons offense if, in a public place, and with purpose to offend the sensibilities of a hearer or in reckless disregard of the probability of so doing, he addresses unreasonably loud and offensively coarse or abusive language, given the circumstances of the person present and the setting of the utterance, to any person present.

“Public” means affecting or likely to affect persons in a place to which the public or a substantial group has access; among the places included are highways, transport facilities, schools, prisons, apartment houses, places of business or amusement, or any neighborhood.

L.1978, c. 95, s. 2C:33-2, eff. Sept. 1, 1979.
https://www.lawserver.com/law/state/new-jersey/nj-laws/new_jersey_laws_2c_33-3-1?fbclid=IwAR24vWnqDGNcnTZUduZifKHEB_Q_drQerAwzWO4Lrz4-BWHpklUH2YGhjJM

And how are the children...………………?

Double Dipping in The City

On this month's agenda , I see that Mr. Kravitz is attending a two day workshop in Atlantic City. The funny thing is that the board is already paying this man a monthly car allowance for “travel within the state” yet he is also putting in for an additional $270 for travel expenses.  

Not bad to have a district that is laying people off every year because of financial issues yet they pay for this guys car and then reimburse him for travel. DOUBLE DIPPING?!

Maybe the community should require him to report back on exactly what breakout sessions he attended and how they will fit into the long range plans for the district. Or maybe he is getting a two day three night trip to Atlantic City on the community’s dime.  

Is The EPSD Warehousing Our Children?

*Substitutes have been outsourced. 

*Even long term subs have been outsourced. 

*Teacher Aides have been outsourced.

*Secretaries have been outsourced. 
*Bus and Lunch Aides have been outsourced.

At least 2 Teachers are leaving every month for one reason or another.

So what does the Human Resource Manager/Director do again? 

This Stakeholder needs clarification. 

Requirements for Substitutes changed in 2015. It is horrifying that Public Schools are leaving such a delicate area up to a "Referral Agency". This Referral Agency is a vendor. That means that the oversight for this program falls under the Business Administrator. Again, what is the Human Resource Director doing other than conducting the many exit interviews?

How do we know that the Substitutes hired by the "Referral Company" have completed the additional requirements set by the state? Who is the responsible Party employed by the Englewood Public School District to oversee this sensitive matter?

Changes to Substitute Teacher Requirements - N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-7
https://nj.gov/education/license/UpdatedSubChanges.pdf

Changes to Teacher Certification Requiremtnts (N.J.A.C. 6A:9B
https://www.nj.gov/.../edu.../license/UpdatedCertChanges.pdf

Memo to all Human Resource Directors
SUBJECT: Update to Proposed Changes to Teacher Preparation and Certification Requirements
https://www.nj.gov/.../pre.../060315Chapter9ProposalMemo.pdf

So whom do we blame for a teacher being subjected to having over 40 children per class, because of lack of Substitutes? Seems that Phantom Human Resource Director, the Business Administrator and the Outsource happy Superintendent need to put their heads together so they can STOP warehousing our children. Perhaps our School Board should also collectively wake up and begin to deal with our children as real boys and girls and their parents as real humans.

It would also be nice to read a breakdown of salary for Substitutes, Paraprofessionals & Secretaries (which the district abolished and never reinstated with a resolution) are paid like humans, which should be above minimum wage. Exactly how much of the amount indicated in the contract with ESS goes to the persons who actually work with our children.

It would also be nice to feel confident that there is an Aide on all school buses, since this is where much of the bullying is taking place.

1This document provides an overview of requirements for substitutes. For all official matters, such as issues brought before the Board of Examiners, concerned parties should rely on regulatory requirements at N.J.A.C. 6A:9, 9A, 9B, and 9C as the final authority.
https://www.state.nj.us/education/code/current/

The last I heard Englewood Public School District was over 70% free and reduced lunch. That is considered high poverty. That is definitely a Title I School District. A School Board nor a Superintendent has the power to change the law listed below. 

Take note and ask any Attorney, when the word "shall" appears within the wording of the law, the Board has no choice but to comply. Reports are coming in from parents who have been asked to have their children count heads in their classes that the numbers have increased to over 30 in many classes. 

This writer attributes part of that increase to the fact that teachers are resigning, retiring and being fired at an alarming rate and they are not being replaced. This would cause Class size to increase.

N.J.A.C 6A:13-3.1  - Pages 8 and 9 of 15 - Not FAKE NEWS, NJ LAW

6A:13-3.1 Class size in high poverty districts
(a) A high poverty school district as used in this chapter means a district in which 40 percent or more of the students are “at-risk” as defined in P.L. 2007, c. 260. 8

(b) Class size in school districts in which 40 percent or more of the students are “at–risk” as defined in P.L. 2007, c. 260 shall not exceed 21 students in grades kindergarten through three, 23 in grades four and five and 24 students in grades six through 12; provided that if the district chooses to maintain lower class sizes in grades kindergarten through three, class sizes in grades four and five may equal but not exceed 25.

Exceptions to these class sizes are permitted for some physical education and performing arts classes, where appropriate. 
https://www.state.nj.us/.../code/current/title6a/chap13.pd

How Many Children Are in Your Child's Classes?

The last I heard Englewood Public School District was over 70% free and reduced lunch. That is considered high poverty. That is definitely a Title I School District. A School Board nor a Superintendent has the power to change the law listed below. 

Take note and ask any Attorney, when the word "shall" appears within the wording of the law, the Board has no choice but to comply. Reports are coming in from parents who have been asked to have their children count heads in their classes that the numbers have increased to over 30 in many classes. 

This writer attributes part of that increase to the fact that teachers are resigning, retiring and being fired at an alarming rate and they are not being replaced. This would cause Class size to increase.

N.J.A.C 6A:13-3.1  - Pages 8 and 9 of 15 - Not FAKE NEWS, NJ LAW

6A:13-3.1 Class size in high poverty districts
(a) A high poverty school district as used in this chapter means a district in which 40 percent or more of the students are “at-risk” as defined in P.L. 2007, c. 260. 8

(b) Class size in school districts in which 40 percent or more of the students are “at–risk” as defined in P.L. 2007, c. 260 shall not exceed 21 students in grades kindergarten through three, 23 in grades four and five and 24 students in grades six through 12; provided that if the district chooses to maintain lower class sizes in grades kindergarten through three, class sizes in grades four and five may equal but not exceed 25.

Exceptions to these class sizes are permitted for some physical education and performing arts classes, where appropriate. 

https://www.state.nj.us/.../code/current/title6a/chap13.pdf

An Educated Public vs. a Poorly Trained School Board

UPDATE October 17, 2018 Article re: Choice - Another communication from a person concerned about the mandated Advanced Placement rule at DMHS. People are beginning to read for themselves. This is encouraging.

Good morning,

I would like to gain clarity on the policy of having freshman mandated to take AP biology. It is my understanding that students have no options in which Biology class they take. It is also my understanding that almost 35% of the students taking this class are passing , which leaves a huge percentage (65%) of students failing the class. What is being done to assist the majority of students who are failing this class to find success? I know that peer tutoring is an option. There is also an option of going for morning tutoring on Monday and Friday mornings with the classroom teacher where no instruction is being provided just students sitting with a study guide. Why are there no options in class selection such as Biology Honors? Are we systematically setting are students up for failure, or even planning their exits out of the Academies? As the only option that has been given is AP Biology or leave the Academies. Is this all or nothing policy common place in other schools? I received confirmation from the schools guidance department that this is the policy and it is really upsetting as the main goal when educating students is to help them achieve academic success. 

 The College Board( Advanced Placement Program) states: In what year of high school should students take AP Biology? Depending on the program sequence, most students enroll in AP Biology during their junior or senior year. Since a first course in biology and a first course in chemistry are often prerequisites, this allows time for completion of those courses and also gives students time to gain math and laboratory skills. However, there are some schools that teach AP Biology at the sophomore level with no introductory biology course and highly motivated students have been very successful. The most important factor in student success seems to be maturity and motivation. Juniors often outperform seniors, especially as graduation time nears and "senioritis" sets in. -- Carolyn Schofiel . This was taken directly from the College Boards website. 

As a parent and teacher I am very displeased with the current policy and have a lot of questions that I would like answered with exact data as to how and why  your policy is good for the students. 

Read for yourselves.....Don't take our word for it.......

The College Board

Policy: Appropriate Grade Levels for AP Courses

https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/apc/Appropriate-Grade-Levels-for-AP-Courses.pdf