Center School Award from the City (and what McGinn Had to say)
At the Slog, they covered the mayor's award that The Center School received from the City's Human Services Coalition for student support of the race and social class at Center. What is interesting to me is that Mayor McGinn stood very clearly on the side of the students and didn't mince words (bold theirs).
Because it’s the mayor's award, it was given by Mayor McGinn himself and accompanied by a signed mayoral proclamation, which said that "Seattle is battling inequality in our schools" and "we need to have more discussion in our schools about race, not less." It concluded: "I applaud the Center School Community for their dedication and perseverance, and I agree with them that the Social Justice Curriculum should continue at The Center School."
One more big statement:
A student said to the room: "We ask everyone in support of keeping this curriculum at Center School to come stand with us." And the banquet tables emptied, as virtually the entire room swarmed up to the front to stand with the students.
We may never know the whole story on this issue and there is no one to blame for that but the district. So we are all free to consider any scenario or motive that we want. It is not enough to use vague wording to justify this situation and its outcome.
It doesn't help students, parents or teachers if we aren't all clearly schooled on what the district expects in the classroom (especially if we are talking about teacher responsibilities).
A black mark on the district. Again.
Because it’s the mayor's award, it was given by Mayor McGinn himself and accompanied by a signed mayoral proclamation, which said that "Seattle is battling inequality in our schools" and "we need to have more discussion in our schools about race, not less." It concluded: "I applaud the Center School Community for their dedication and perseverance, and I agree with them that the Social Justice Curriculum should continue at The Center School."
One more big statement:
A student said to the room: "We ask everyone in support of keeping this curriculum at Center School to come stand with us." And the banquet tables emptied, as virtually the entire room swarmed up to the front to stand with the students.
We may never know the whole story on this issue and there is no one to blame for that but the district. So we are all free to consider any scenario or motive that we want. It is not enough to use vague wording to justify this situation and its outcome.
It doesn't help students, parents or teachers if we aren't all clearly schooled on what the district expects in the classroom (especially if we are talking about teacher responsibilities).
A black mark on the district. Again.
Comments
Makes me question the leadership and the roled they played in this debacle.
The students at Center School walk to get their diplomas to a short speech written by someone they had chosen -- the teacher wrote several of them. All of the bits written by the teacher showed a teacher invested in the success of the diverse group of students he teaches (not just in the standard ways, but in every way, the artists, the musicians, the outspoken students, the struggling students, . . . )
Michael DeBell handed out diplomas and gave short speech. He appeared bemused and went off script, talking about his own protest days, against the Vietnam war and the Iraq war, and commending the students for standing up for something they believed in. I'm projecting, probably, but he looked like a man who was a little bit surprised that students still fought like that for something they believed in.
zb
Center School kids get award, but not their teacher
Proud to Wear Green
Our family started in the early years at Center. Students who wanted a smaller, more personal high school found a home there.
Jon Greenberg was my son’s favorite teacher and mentor. He should not be removed because of one opinion.
Since when is sending around an all school petition the same as bullying? If the students started harassing the student then that could be addressed. But so far they sound more mature than the grown ups involved.
S parent
Parent
So "everyone" did NOT know and the district didn't do a lot to let people know.
Charlie is right - what is the policy on allowing students to circulate ANY petition?
The district cannot discuss disciplinary actions but they certainly can explain to parents about what teachers can and cannot do in a classroom.
Joel, this is how it works. A teacher pisses off somebody but manages to keep his/her job. From that point on, the powers-that-be (too often Exec Dirs who base their decisions on personal relationships) will look for the very next opportunity to "bust" that teacher. Didn't enter your grades correctly into Powerschool? Get written up. Didn't immediately respond to a parent's email? Disciplinary action. When Sue Means and friends have their sights on you, you're toast. And guess who gets to pay for these witchhunts? Our students.
Sorry. I'm still waiting to see this investigation under the Public Records Act....
What it means is that nothing ever gets done except kabuki theater. You have no legal rights, protections or security when you work for the district. Any kid, parent, co-worker can make an allegation which is then badly handled with no procedures in place, no jurisprudence, equality or transparency. A nasty letter will then be signed by one of the morons in HR, usually written badly and inaccurately then you move on.
Yes Seattle this is your school district. A joke, farce and an enigma rolled into incompetency.
Been there done that seen that and bought the T-Shirt.
---Victim of SDS
There are many of us- teachers and former teachers of SPS who have suffered the same treatment as Mr. Greenberg-and worse.
All it takes is a denouncement by a student or parent or co-worker and the Gestapo principals who are the minions of HR set the wheels of our inevitable destruction in motion.
SPS has destroyed the careers and futures of many competent and capable teachers in their power mongering quest to install ed reform lackeys who will never make teaching a career.
Mr. Greenburg is lucky. At least he is allowed to continue teaching while the rest of us lose everything.
One would think that the SPS community would be up in arms about this. That the parents of the students we teach would be assembling at the John in protest. But alas, we are all, in the end, disposable.
There is no justice in the Reich of Seattle Public Schools.
Salander
DeBell was bemused because he has no empathy for those who call for justice. DeBell doesn't even try to act concerned for the future of my school community. "Why would we want to save Pinehurst?" (Debell quote from community meeting.)
Pinehurst was patient with Peaslee and we were strung along for 9 months. Now a letter from the superintendent, who has never talked to us directly, saying there will be "discussions over the summer about the school's future beyond the 2013-2014 school year."
I'm sorry but I don't get the feeling he intends to discuss the future of Pinehurst with Pinehurst since we have had no communication from the district for three weeks (other than the letter mentioned in the thread below).
As for pulling the band-aid off, they probably would, but the district has to show that they followed policy when closing a school. They got a slap on the wrist from a judge when they closed Summit without due process, and they do not want to repeat the same mistake. So we get platitudes instead of honesty. They may be following the letter of the law but not the spirit. I can only conclude that their efforts are not in good faith.
Is it against the rules for teachers to allow students to circulate petitions in class? Where is that rule written? Show it to us.
If that is the rule, then there are a lot of other teachers who should also get transferred.
If the Center School principal, Oksana Britsova, really has been as passive as she appears to have been through all of this, then I don't see how she can continue in that role. Surely there will be some sort of no-confidence action against her. It appears, at least to outside observers, that she has taken no role in this.
You, me, we are not alone. This is a countrywide problem.
SPS is a joke but check out Denver and they have a well established charter system and in turn same problems.
This site http://endteacherabuse.org/ is just one of many that discuss what is the real core and problem in schools.
This is why I quit teaching full time years ago. This district is not exceptional in any way.
If you want to understand why what happened at Center School happened do your homework in this district. There are many "stories" of this every year.
Good luck in getting a record of these "investigations" as they don't exist.
All it takes is one allegation. ONE and that can be from anyone and the career and employment and record of that teacher is seriously damaged. This particular case was public and in turn interesting as it exposed the district for what it is.. corrupt and idiotic
Victims of SPS
Parent
Wasn't the petition about getting that curriculum reinstated? I saw how this class created a group of students with tremendous confidence to advocate for themselves. It may be hard for district administrators to believe that Mr. Greenberg didn't put them up to it.
Blowhard
You're right, experiencing racism, classism and injustice where people live it is the best classroom. You're under the assumption that this class was operated in the safety of school walls. I can tell you that is not the case. For instance, at one point they were on the streets in Federal Way advocating for a gay rights initiative that was not so well recieved in that neighborhood. The class was commonly out in various communities to learn first hand. My daughter lost her fear of street people she'd meet at the bus stop and learned to interact with them in a respectful and personal manner.
What better way is there to address racial issues in this city than by growing young adults who are less likely to judge, able to listen and make connections with individuals no matter what their background or circumstances.
As did these students, Center is an Option school, student must CHOOSE it, nobody is ever assigned to the school.
And one former Center student is now a teacher a RBHS.
I think Greenberg is "innovative." Why isn't he considered one of the best we have in the District? Does the District even know what it wants in its teachers? Does it even understand the meaning of the words it uses to evaluate them?
I had no idea what the class really does and yes, I thought it was all classroom, not on the street. Now, I could see how confronting people in White Center, although I fail to see why those folks would be any more homophobic than, say, Richmond Beach, would be an eye- opener, I would also understand parents being concerned for their children. Likewise talking to homeless people as a part of curriculum.
It also strikes me as a little like going to the zoo to see the animals, at least the way you describe it.
I guess I'm just a crotchety old pinko who has memories of the bad old days when it was so easy to tell the right from the wrong.
Blowhard
I think you need to take Greenberg's class.
You don't have to go to White Center looking for life's lessons. There is a lot to learn here behind the polished, well educated, more refined community too. That's the point of Greenberg's class. To bring forth uncomfortable conversations and awareness that are far easier to take and leave behind from the controlled setting of a classroom or your own armchair. But for some people, that is still to hard! That is why stuff like this is easy to ignore because you can choose to, especially where there are far fewer reminders of inequities and more homogeneity of race and wealth. It may seem like much ado about nothing.
That is why what happened at McClure wil continue, just in less conspicuous ways. We live it daily.
Different world
http://centerhs.seattleschools.org/
PSP
So what was it? What rule did he break?