P E Y T O N W O L C O T T |
| Administrators on the Move |
| Educators in the News (As-Az) |
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SUPE WON'T HONOR STATE'S 'OPT-OUT' PROVISION--
LEXINGTON, MASS. DAD ARRESTED AFTER OBJECTING TO GAY
CURRICULUM IN SON'S KINDERGARTEN CLASS
LEXINGTON, MASS. DAD ARRESTED AFTER OBJECTING TO GAY
CURRICULUM IN SON'S KINDERGARTEN CLASS
ASH, Paul B.
Chemistry/physics/earth science teacher-Dover-Sherborn Regional HS
(Massachusetts). To director-professional personnel/staff
development to ass't sup't-personnel, finance, administration, to ass't
sup't-personnel/ planning to interim sup't/Wellesley PS. To
sup't-Westwood PS (1998).
To sup't-Lexington PS (July 1, 2005).
Also, member-national board of governors/American Association of
School Administrators (AASA).
Chemistry/physics/earth science teacher-Dover-Sherborn Regional HS
(Massachusetts). To director-professional personnel/staff
development to ass't sup't-personnel, finance, administration, to ass't
sup't-personnel/ planning to interim sup't/Wellesley PS. To
sup't-Westwood PS (1998).
To sup't-Lexington PS (July 1, 2005).
Also, member-national board of governors/American Association of
School Administrators (AASA).
| "A first in America: Lexington, Mass. Superintendent of Schools orders NO notice to parents on teaching homosexual relationships, even in elementary grades." (SOURCE--Mass Resistance.org) |
| Paul B. Ash |
APR. 27, 2005 DAVID PARKER ARREST UPDATE: David
Parker, father of a 5 year old student, was arrested and
charged with trespassing at Lexington's Estabrook ES.
Background: "Since the beginning of this school year, my
wife and I have learned that school materials and
discussions about gay-headed households/same-sex union
issues have been exposed to the children. There are
definitive plans to increase the teacher/staff/adult
mediated discussions of these subjects. We have officially
stated on many occasions—to the Lexington school
(CONTINUED BELOW: See FOLLOW-UPS)
Parker, father of a 5 year old student, was arrested and
charged with trespassing at Lexington's Estabrook ES.
Background: "Since the beginning of this school year, my
wife and I have learned that school materials and
discussions about gay-headed households/same-sex union
issues have been exposed to the children. There are
definitive plans to increase the teacher/staff/adult
mediated discussions of these subjects. We have officially
stated on many occasions—to the Lexington school
(CONTINUED BELOW: See FOLLOW-UPS)
| NOTE: According to the Lexington PS Website, "The following three core purposes represent the essential and enduring commitments of the Lexington school community: - Academic excellence- Respectful and caring relationships - A culture of reflection, conversation, collaboration and commitment to continuous improvement. |
| (Above left) Squad cars at Lexington PS elementary; dad David Parker in handcuffs below (PHOTO/Brian Camenker) |
NY COMPTROLLER CITES CENTRAL ISLIPS' PRICEY EDU-TRIPS
ATIBA-WEZA, Fadhilika
Ass't sup't/curriculum & instruction-Central Islip Public Schools (6,500 students) (1,030
employees) ($122 million budget) (New York).. To sup't-CIPS (June 2004). Also,
representative-at-large/Long Island Ass'n for Supervision and Curriculum Development
AUG. 25, 2005 NY COMPTROLLER'S AUDIT UPDATE: "The Central Islip school district
paid for excessive, questionable and unsupported travel and other expenses for school
board members, including a $399 per night hotel suite and extended trips at
out-of-state conferences, according to an audit released today by New York State
Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi. Auditors found that the district lacked basic internal
Ass't sup't/curriculum & instruction-Central Islip Public Schools (6,500 students) (1,030
employees) ($122 million budget) (New York).. To sup't-CIPS (June 2004). Also,
representative-at-large/Long Island Ass'n for Supervision and Curriculum Development
AUG. 25, 2005 NY COMPTROLLER'S AUDIT UPDATE: "The Central Islip school district
paid for excessive, questionable and unsupported travel and other expenses for school
board members, including a $399 per night hotel suite and extended trips at
out-of-state conferences, according to an audit released today by New York State
Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi. Auditors found that the district lacked basic internal
| Fadhilika Atiba-Weza |
financial controls, had inadequate policies governing spending and had few receipts to verify expenses....
The audit findings have been referred to the office of Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas J. Spota. The
audit specifically identified $75,581 dollars of questionable expenses including: $56,620 in credit card
charges not supported by receipts or invoices; of these, $9,500 could not be traced to a legitimate
business purpose and $3,258 was spent on extended travel at out-of-state conferences. $8,326 in
(CONTINUED BELOW: See FOLLOW-UPS)
The audit findings have been referred to the office of Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas J. Spota. The
audit specifically identified $75,581 dollars of questionable expenses including: $56,620 in credit card
charges not supported by receipts or invoices; of these, $9,500 could not be traced to a legitimate
business purpose and $3,258 was spent on extended travel at out-of-state conferences. $8,326 in
(CONTINUED BELOW: See FOLLOW-UPS)
ATKINS-ZOUGHLAMI, Tracy
Ass't principal/English, music-Brooklyn Technical HS (New York)
JAN. 15, 2003 READING ASSIGNMENTS UPDATE: "At most city
high schools, it is rare to have one conciliation hearing a year (a
mediation between a teacher and administrators over educational
issues). Brooklyn Tech has had four in a year and a half. One
involves Todd Friedman [who] was disciplined by the principal for
teaching 'Continental Drift' by Russell Banks, a novel that was a
finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. A parent friendly with the principal
complained that it was pornographic, and [BTHS principal Lee]
Ass't principal/English, music-Brooklyn Technical HS (New York)
JAN. 15, 2003 READING ASSIGNMENTS UPDATE: "At most city
high schools, it is rare to have one conciliation hearing a year (a
mediation between a teacher and administrators over educational
issues). Brooklyn Tech has had four in a year and a half. One
involves Todd Friedman [who] was disciplined by the principal for
teaching 'Continental Drift' by Russell Banks, a novel that was a
finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. A parent friendly with the principal
complained that it was pornographic, and [BTHS principal Lee]
| Tracy Atkins-Zoughlami and Lee McCaskill |
McCaskill agreed. The principal ruled that from now on, Mr. Friedman's book selections must be approved
by the assistant principal, Tracy Zoughlami. A mark of a good manager is consistency, but that appears
missing at Brooklyn Tech. Ms. Zoughlami has assigned students 'Secrets' by Nuruddin Farah, a novel
every bit as sexually explicit as 'Continental Drift.' (In the first 17 pages there are descriptions of a 10-year-
old boy having sex with an older girl; group masturbation; and a man having intercourse with a cow.)
And Ms. Zoughlami has taught Amiri Baraka's poem 'Somebody Blew Up America,' which describes 4,000
Israelis staying home from work at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11—a far more controversial work
(CONTINUED BELOW: See FOLLOW-UPS)
by the assistant principal, Tracy Zoughlami. A mark of a good manager is consistency, but that appears
missing at Brooklyn Tech. Ms. Zoughlami has assigned students 'Secrets' by Nuruddin Farah, a novel
every bit as sexually explicit as 'Continental Drift.' (In the first 17 pages there are descriptions of a 10-year-
old boy having sex with an older girl; group masturbation; and a man having intercourse with a cow.)
And Ms. Zoughlami has taught Amiri Baraka's poem 'Somebody Blew Up America,' which describes 4,000
Israelis staying home from work at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11—a far more controversial work
(CONTINUED BELOW: See FOLLOW-UPS)
DEMOCRAT DECLARED NORTH CAROLINA PUBLIC ED SUPE
ATKINSON, June St.Clair
ATKINSON, June St.Clair
Teacher-business education. To consultant/business ed., career and tech. ed.,
instructional services-North Carolina Dep't of Public Instruction.
NOV. 3, 2004 ELECTION UPDATE: "With more than three quarters of the state's precincts
reporting, Wake school board member Bill Fletcher was neck and neck with June
Atkinson in the race for North Carolina's superintendent of public instruction. Fletcher had
a 50 percent share of the ballots cast in unofficial returns. Democrat Atkinson also had 50
percent with 89 percent of the state's 2,769 precincts reporting....With little money to spend,
Atkinson and Fletcher struggled for visibility in a crowded election season. They relied
heavily on grass-roots campaigning. For Fletcher, it was party connections he forged in
nearly two years of campaigning. Atkinson drew on her education contacts."
(SOURCE--Todd Silberman/NewsObserver.com)
(CONTINUED BELOW: See FOLLOW-UPS)
instructional services-North Carolina Dep't of Public Instruction.
NOV. 3, 2004 ELECTION UPDATE: "With more than three quarters of the state's precincts
reporting, Wake school board member Bill Fletcher was neck and neck with June
Atkinson in the race for North Carolina's superintendent of public instruction. Fletcher had
a 50 percent share of the ballots cast in unofficial returns. Democrat Atkinson also had 50
percent with 89 percent of the state's 2,769 precincts reporting....With little money to spend,
Atkinson and Fletcher struggled for visibility in a crowded election season. They relied
heavily on grass-roots campaigning. For Fletcher, it was party connections he forged in
nearly two years of campaigning. Atkinson drew on her education contacts."
(SOURCE--Todd Silberman/NewsObserver.com)
(CONTINUED BELOW: See FOLLOW-UPS)
| June Atkinson |
SUPE FOUNDED ONE OF LARGEST U.S. SUPE SEARCH FIRMS
| William J. Attea |
omitted from the agenda....Another item board members could not finalize because it was absent from the
agenda was the advertising budget. The committee is recommending spending $15,000 to $25,000 to
place superintendent advertisements in Education Week, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Los
Angeles Times and The New York Times. Attea said those types of advertisements generally have low
success rates. Board members requires detailed agenda items, also stood in the way of another decision:
changing the requested slate of finalists from five candidates to three. School Board members have
discussed doing so in the past, but Attea's request for a formal action was foiled because it was not on
the posted agenda for Tuesday night's meeting. 'I think you need to look at your open meeting law and
how you interpret it,' Attea said, suggesting a more broadly worded agenda item on the search that could
cover multiple issues. 'I can't believe your law is so restrictive that you can't conduct an orderly business.'"
(SOURCE--Lisa Kim Bach/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
(CONTINUED BELOW: See FOLLOW-UPS)
agenda was the advertising budget. The committee is recommending spending $15,000 to $25,000 to
place superintendent advertisements in Education Week, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Los
Angeles Times and The New York Times. Attea said those types of advertisements generally have low
success rates. Board members requires detailed agenda items, also stood in the way of another decision:
changing the requested slate of finalists from five candidates to three. School Board members have
discussed doing so in the past, but Attea's request for a formal action was foiled because it was not on
the posted agenda for Tuesday night's meeting. 'I think you need to look at your open meeting law and
how you interpret it,' Attea said, suggesting a more broadly worded agenda item on the search that could
cover multiple issues. 'I can't believe your law is so restrictive that you can't conduct an orderly business.'"
(SOURCE--Lisa Kim Bach/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
(CONTINUED BELOW: See FOLLOW-UPS)
HOW ONE SCHOOL DISTRICT HANDLED MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER/
COACH WHO HAD SEX WITH 15 YEAR-OLD STUDENT IN
ENVIRONMENT THE DISTRICT CALLS 'EXCITING' AND 'SAFE'
COACH WHO HAD SEX WITH 15 YEAR-OLD STUDENT IN
ENVIRONMENT THE DISTRICT CALLS 'EXCITING' AND 'SAFE'
AYERS, Jon Christopher
Teacher (social studies) and coach (basketball and cross country) - Guion
Creek MS (Metropolitan School District of Pike Township) (Indianapolis)
(Indiana). Average teacher salary: ($45,800) GCMS Mission Statement: "The
GCMS family is committed to academic success and the development of
individual strengths in a SAFE, EXCITING ENVIRONMENT that promotes
good citizenship, positive friendships and a lifelong love of learning."
[emphasis added] (SOURCE--GCMS Website) GCMS' recent renovation/
expansion cost taxpayers $17,000,000. (SOURCE--Envoy, Inc. Project &
Construction Managers)
JAN. 20, 2003 COURT UPDATE: "According to court records, Ayers had sex with
Teacher (social studies) and coach (basketball and cross country) - Guion
Creek MS (Metropolitan School District of Pike Township) (Indianapolis)
(Indiana). Average teacher salary: ($45,800) GCMS Mission Statement: "The
GCMS family is committed to academic success and the development of
individual strengths in a SAFE, EXCITING ENVIRONMENT that promotes
good citizenship, positive friendships and a lifelong love of learning."
[emphasis added] (SOURCE--GCMS Website) GCMS' recent renovation/
expansion cost taxpayers $17,000,000. (SOURCE--Envoy, Inc. Project &
Construction Managers)
JAN. 20, 2003 COURT UPDATE: "According to court records, Ayers had sex with
| Guion Creek Middle School, home of the Jaguars--and former teacher Jon Ayers |
a 15-year-old student in December 2002. It was during the Christmas break, police say, that Ayers picked
up the student at her home, drove her to Eagle Creek Park and had sex with her in his car. The girl told
authorities Ayers also picked her up on Jan. 20, 2003, a school holiday, and drove her to his house, where
they had sex. [In 2001] a second student [then 13] told police Ayers put his hands on her and tried to restrain
her as she waited in his classroom for a ride home. [She] confided in another student, who tipped off school
officials. When questioned, she initially denied that the incident occurred. Both girls testified they have
suffered ridicule from other students and nasty comments from teachers in the wake of the
allegations against Ayers." (SOURCE--Vic Ryckaert /Indianapolis Star)
NOTE: No administrators from either Pike Township SD or Guion Creek MS contacted
parents to alert them. (SOURCE--Lisa Renze-Rhodes/Indianapolis Star)
(CONTINUED BELOW: See FOLLOW-UPS)
up the student at her home, drove her to Eagle Creek Park and had sex with her in his car. The girl told
authorities Ayers also picked her up on Jan. 20, 2003, a school holiday, and drove her to his house, where
they had sex. [In 2001] a second student [then 13] told police Ayers put his hands on her and tried to restrain
her as she waited in his classroom for a ride home. [She] confided in another student, who tipped off school
officials. When questioned, she initially denied that the incident occurred. Both girls testified they have
suffered ridicule from other students and nasty comments from teachers in the wake of the
allegations against Ayers." (SOURCE--Vic Ryckaert /Indianapolis Star)
NOTE: No administrators from either Pike Township SD or Guion Creek MS contacted
parents to alert them. (SOURCE--Lisa Renze-Rhodes/Indianapolis Star)
(CONTINUED BELOW: See FOLLOW-UPS)
| F O L L O W - U P S |
| ATIBA-WEZA, Fadhilika, cont'd |
| ASH, Paul B. cont'd |
| ATKINS-ZOUGHLAMI, Tracy, cont'd |
| AYERS, Jon cont'd |
| ATTEA, Wm., cont'd |
| ATKINSON, June, cont'd |
than 'Continental Drift.' It is
this management style that
prompted outstanding
teachers like Bob Black, a
chemist and inventor of an
anti-graffiti coating; Vito
Bonsignore, an English
teacher; and Milton Diaz, a
language teacher, to leave
Brooklyn Tech in recent
years. All have done better.
Mr. Black teaches at
Barnard College, Mr.
Bonsignore and Mr. Diaz at
Stuyvesant. All say they
loved Brooklyn Tech's
students and would have
stayed, except they could no
longer bear working for Dr.
McCaskill."
(SOURCE: Michael Winerip/
New York Times)
this management style that
prompted outstanding
teachers like Bob Black, a
chemist and inventor of an
anti-graffiti coating; Vito
Bonsignore, an English
teacher; and Milton Diaz, a
language teacher, to leave
Brooklyn Tech in recent
years. All have done better.
Mr. Black teaches at
Barnard College, Mr.
Bonsignore and Mr. Diaz at
Stuyvesant. All say they
loved Brooklyn Tech's
students and would have
stayed, except they could no
longer bear working for Dr.
McCaskill."
(SOURCE: Michael Winerip/
New York Times)
Says R. Craig
Wood,
immediate past
president of the
Education Law
Association, "I
would advise not
to send [a letter
home telling
parents a staff
member is under
investigation]
because it
doesn't create
an environ- ment
that's any safer
than before. All it
is, is a hysteria-
creating,
useless
communication.
When (people)
say, 'Why didn't
they tell us,' the
question is why
would they?"
(SOURCE--CrimeN
ewsJeddah/ArtArabi
a.com)
Wood,
immediate past
president of the
Education Law
Association, "I
would advise not
to send [a letter
home telling
parents a staff
member is under
investigation]
because it
doesn't create
an environ- ment
that's any safer
than before. All it
is, is a hysteria-
creating,
useless
communication.
When (people)
say, 'Why didn't
they tell us,' the
question is why
would they?"
(SOURCE--CrimeN
ewsJeddah/ArtArabi
a.com)
KEY ELECTION
ISSUES:
Bill Fletcher (REP): -
Hold education
leaders accountable
for the effective use
of financial and
personnel resources
and the educational
results of their
decisions.
- Provide district and
school leaders with
greater flexibility to
deploy their
resources to best
meet the needs of
the children they
serve
- Improve the
leadership and
management skills
of all school
principals.
- Prioritize and
protect instructional
time, minimize
non-instructional
duties of teachers.
- Improve teacher
effectiveness with
quality professional
development
resources.
JUNE ATKINSON
(DEM):
Preparing ALL
children for their
tomorrows.
- Having top-notch
teachers and
administrators in all
schools.
- Expanding
partnerships with
parents,
businesses, and
policymakers to gain
support for public
education.
ISSUES:
Bill Fletcher (REP): -
Hold education
leaders accountable
for the effective use
of financial and
personnel resources
and the educational
results of their
decisions.
- Provide district and
school leaders with
greater flexibility to
deploy their
resources to best
meet the needs of
the children they
serve
- Improve the
leadership and
management skills
of all school
principals.
- Prioritize and
protect instructional
time, minimize
non-instructional
duties of teachers.
- Improve teacher
effectiveness with
quality professional
development
resources.
JUNE ATKINSON
(DEM):
Preparing ALL
children for their
tomorrows.
- Having top-notch
teachers and
administrators in all
schools.
- Expanding
partnerships with
parents,
businesses, and
policymakers to gain
support for public
education.
payments
improperly made
to the
superintendent
and assistant
superintendent as
reimbursement
for vacation time.
As a result of the
audit, the district
recovered these
funds.
$6,900 in
payments for
mileage
reimbursement
that lacked
detailed
information to
justify that travel
was for school
purposes.
$3,735 spent on
internet and
phone service for
board members
In addition,
auditors found that
the district spent
$57,430 on
expenses for
which there were
no policies,
including:
$28,430 spent on
meals and
refreshments at
school meetings
and events with no
supporting
documentation,
$29,000 spent on
cell phones.
“The lack of
accountability at
the Central Islip
schools puts the
district at substan-
tial risk for wrong-
doing,” Hevesi
said. “There was
so little documen-
tation that audi-
tors could not
determine whether
expenses were
legitimate or not
and the Central
Islip school board
failed to meet its
fiduciary
responsibilities to
taxpayers. The
level of
questionable
spending may not
reach the
magnitude of other
Long Island
districts, but poor
internal controls
can lead to larger
problems down
the road. I urge
district officials to
take decisive
action to properly
safeguard
taxpayer money
and significantly
improve internal
controls. To this
moment, they
have not
committed to
do so in spite
of their
receipt of the
draft of this
audit. We will
return within one
year to see if
critical reforms
have been
implemented.
The audit covered
the period of July
1, 2002 to August
31, 2004 and
examined
administrative
expenses for the
school district and
complaints from
local residents
regarding
questionable
expenses of board
members. For the
majority of the
audit period, Jerry
Jackson was the
superintendent
until Fadhilika
Atiba-Weza took
this position in
June 2004."
(SOURCE-Office of
the State
Comptroller)
improperly made
to the
superintendent
and assistant
superintendent as
reimbursement
for vacation time.
As a result of the
audit, the district
recovered these
funds.
$6,900 in
payments for
mileage
reimbursement
that lacked
detailed
information to
justify that travel
was for school
purposes.
$3,735 spent on
internet and
phone service for
board members
In addition,
auditors found that
the district spent
$57,430 on
expenses for
which there were
no policies,
including:
$28,430 spent on
meals and
refreshments at
school meetings
and events with no
supporting
documentation,
$29,000 spent on
cell phones.
“The lack of
accountability at
the Central Islip
schools puts the
district at substan-
tial risk for wrong-
doing,” Hevesi
said. “There was
so little documen-
tation that audi-
tors could not
determine whether
expenses were
legitimate or not
and the Central
Islip school board
failed to meet its
fiduciary
responsibilities to
taxpayers. The
level of
questionable
spending may not
reach the
magnitude of other
Long Island
districts, but poor
internal controls
can lead to larger
problems down
the road. I urge
district officials to
take decisive
action to properly
safeguard
taxpayer money
and significantly
improve internal
controls. To this
moment, they
have not
committed to
do so in spite
of their
receipt of the
draft of this
audit. We will
return within one
year to see if
critical reforms
have been
implemented.
The audit covered
the period of July
1, 2002 to August
31, 2004 and
examined
administrative
expenses for the
school district and
complaints from
local residents
regarding
questionable
expenses of board
members. For the
majority of the
audit period, Jerry
Jackson was the
superintendent
until Fadhilika
Atiba-Weza took
this position in
June 2004."
(SOURCE-Office of
the State
Comptroller)
administration—a request that
we be notified when these
discussions are planned, and
want our 6-year-old opted out
of such situations when
arising 'spontaneously.' Our
parental requests for our
own child were flat-out denied
with no effort at accommo-
dation. In our meeting on April
27, I insisted that such
accommodation be made and
refused to leave the meeting
room. I was informed that I
would be arrested." (SOURCE--
David B. Parker statement)
we be notified when these
discussions are planned, and
want our 6-year-old opted out
of such situations when
arising 'spontaneously.' Our
parental requests for our
own child were flat-out denied
with no effort at accommo-
dation. In our meeting on April
27, I insisted that such
accommodation be made and
refused to leave the meeting
room. I was informed that I
would be arrested." (SOURCE--
David B. Parker statement)
| William J. Attea Middle School |
DEC. 13, 1999
UPDATE--ATTEA
INFLATES SUPE
CANDIDATE'S
SALARY TO LAS
VEGAS SCHOOL
BOARD: "During a
session last
Tuesday to
announce what the
candidates are
seeking for
compensa- tion,
search firm
consultant William
Attea told the [Clark
County/ Las Vegas]
School Board
Marockie's salary is
$146,000 a year and
that he receives a
$600 a month
housing
allowance, along
with a car and
provisions for a
country club
member- ship. That
raised eyebrows in
West Virginia, after
people there began
reading
Las Vegas news
reports on the
Internet, a
Charleston, W.Va.,
reporter said.
In Saturday's edition,
the Charleston
Gazette reported
Marockie's salary is
actually $100,000
and that it isn't
embellished by the
high-priced extras.
The $146,000
represents the
maximum amount by
law, the next state
UPDATE--ATTEA
INFLATES SUPE
CANDIDATE'S
SALARY TO LAS
VEGAS SCHOOL
BOARD: "During a
session last
Tuesday to
announce what the
candidates are
seeking for
compensa- tion,
search firm
consultant William
Attea told the [Clark
County/ Las Vegas]
School Board
Marockie's salary is
$146,000 a year and
that he receives a
$600 a month
housing
allowance, along
with a car and
provisions for a
country club
member- ship. That
raised eyebrows in
West Virginia, after
people there began
reading
Las Vegas news
reports on the
Internet, a
Charleston, W.Va.,
reporter said.
In Saturday's edition,
the Charleston
Gazette reported
Marockie's salary is
actually $100,000
and that it isn't
embellished by the
high-priced extras.
The $146,000
represents the
maximum amount by
law, the next state
| Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney supports David Parker, cites state's parental notification statute |
APR. 28, 2005 ROMNEY'S
STATEMENT: "Massachusetts
Governor supports David
Parker with statement on
television the day following
arrest: "We have in
Massachusetts a parental
notification statute
specifically in matters related
to human sexuality. If a
parent wants to be informed of
what is being taught in a
classroom and wants to have
their child withdrawn from
the classroom for that
portion of the class dealing
with human sexuality, that
parent has the right."
STATEMENT: "Massachusetts
Governor supports David
Parker with statement on
television the day following
arrest: "We have in
Massachusetts a parental
notification statute
specifically in matters related
to human sexuality. If a
parent wants to be informed of
what is being taught in a
classroom and wants to have
their child withdrawn from
the classroom for that
portion of the class dealing
with human sexuality, that
parent has the right."
OCT. 27, 2005 TEACHERS'
DEMONSTRATION UPDATE:
"In a Daily News report
earlier in the week, the
United Federation of
Teachers promised a
protest against what they
believed to be “tyranny”
coming from the
administration of Dr. Lee
McCaskill, principal of
Brooklyn Tech. They fulfilled
their promise tonight.
Standing beside teachers
furious with the
administration, UFT
President Randi Weingarten
made her message clear:
she wanted change for
Brooklyn Technical High
School. Alumni, teachers
and UFT volunteers handed
copies of the UFT’s highly
critical “Brooklyn Wreck”
article to parents who
arrived for Open School
Night. By no means was
tonight’s protest
coincidentally the same
night as Open School Night.
Weingarten specifically
chose this evening as her
chance for the media and for
Brooklyn Tech parents to
hear teachers’ frustrations
about Dr. McCaskill along
with Assistant Principal of
English, Tracy Atkins-
Zoughlami." (SOURCE--Alex
Faust/BTHS News)
DEMONSTRATION UPDATE:
"In a Daily News report
earlier in the week, the
United Federation of
Teachers promised a
protest against what they
believed to be “tyranny”
coming from the
administration of Dr. Lee
McCaskill, principal of
Brooklyn Tech. They fulfilled
their promise tonight.
Standing beside teachers
furious with the
administration, UFT
President Randi Weingarten
made her message clear:
she wanted change for
Brooklyn Technical High
School. Alumni, teachers
and UFT volunteers handed
copies of the UFT’s highly
critical “Brooklyn Wreck”
article to parents who
arrived for Open School
Night. By no means was
tonight’s protest
coincidentally the same
night as Open School Night.
Weingarten specifically
chose this evening as her
chance for the media and for
Brooklyn Tech parents to
hear teachers’ frustrations
about Dr. McCaskill along
with Assistant Principal of
English, Tracy Atkins-
Zoughlami." (SOURCE--Alex
Faust/BTHS News)
APR. 2003
UPDATE:
Charged with
two felony
counts of
sexual
misconduct and
one count of
criminal
confinement for
alleged acts
involving two
female
students. APR.
9, 2003
UPDATE: "The
state must not
fail this year to
implement
reasonable
standards for
screening
potential hires
and for
disciplining
teachers and
administrators
who sexually
accost
students. More
rigorous back-
ground checks
could help end a
practice known
as 'passing the
trash,' allowing
problem
teachers to slip
quietly from one
district to
another.
Expanding the
list of offenses
for which a
license can be
revoked also
could keep bad
teachers out of
classrooms
permanently.
The issue has
broad support. It
makes good
sense. It's now
up to law-
makers to get
the job done
before they leave
town this
month."
(SOURCE--Editori
al/Indianapolis
Star)
UPDATE:
Charged with
two felony
counts of
sexual
misconduct and
one count of
criminal
confinement for
alleged acts
involving two
female
students. APR.
9, 2003
UPDATE: "The
state must not
fail this year to
implement
reasonable
standards for
screening
potential hires
and for
disciplining
teachers and
administrators
who sexually
accost
students. More
rigorous back-
ground checks
could help end a
practice known
as 'passing the
trash,' allowing
problem
teachers to slip
quietly from one
district to
another.
Expanding the
list of offenses
for which a
license can be
revoked also
could keep bad
teachers out of
classrooms
permanently.
The issue has
broad support. It
makes good
sense. It's now
up to law-
makers to get
the job done
before they leave
town this
month."
(SOURCE--Editori
al/Indianapolis
Star)
| Parkers: It's a parental righs issue |
APR. 29, 2005 UPDATE: For
David Parker, the first alarm
went off in January, when his
5-year-old son came home
from his kindergarten class at
Lexington's Joseph Estabrook
School with a bag of books
promoting diversity.
(SOURCE--Maria Cramer and
Ralph Ranalli/Boston Globe)
David Parker, the first alarm
went off in January, when his
5-year-old son came home
from his kindergarten class at
Lexington's Joseph Estabrook
School with a bag of books
promoting diversity.
(SOURCE--Maria Cramer and
Ralph Ranalli/Boston Globe)
MAR. 1, 2005
ELECTION UPDATE:
"Ballots test balance
of powers - State
legislature, judiciary
head for clash over
how to decide
superintendent
race." "The fight
over a little-noticed
state office--school
superintendent--has
turned into a grand
battle pitting the
legislature against
the courts. The two
branches of
government are
headed for a clash
this week over the
undecided race. On
Wednesday,
lawyers for
Republican Bill
Fletcher and
Democrat June
Atkinson will meet in
Wake County
Superior Court to
talk about how to
throw out thousands
of ballots the state
Supreme Court
deemed illegal.
Meanwhile, the
General Assembly
is finishing work on
bills that say those
ballots should count
and that it, not the
court, should decide
what happens in the
race....On Monday,
the Democratic-
controlled state
House voted 60-54
along party lines on
a measure that
says it is OK for
voters to cast
provisional ballots
outside their
neighborhood
polling places....
Senate Democrats
are working on a
bill, which could get
final approval this
week, that lays out
how the legislature
would decide
contested elections,
including the race
for education chief.
The bill is
unconstitutional,
Fletcher said, but
he didn't know
whether he would
sue to have it
overturned. 'My, and
every North
Carolinian's,
concern ought to be
about legislation
that is retroactive,'
he said....Atkinson
said she would use
the law to ask the
General Assembly
to decide whether
she or Fletcher won
the office. She
leads Fletcher by
more than 8,500
votes in the
statewide tally, but
no one knows what
the count will be
when the ballots the
Supreme Court
nixed come out. The
State Board of
Elections initially put
the number of
disputed ballots at
about 11,300, but
Fletcher said there
are many more.
County elections
boards have some
illegal ballots that
cannot be identified
because they're
mixed with the legal
ones, he said."
(SOURCE--Lynn
Bonner/
NewsObserver.com)
ELECTION UPDATE:
"Ballots test balance
of powers - State
legislature, judiciary
head for clash over
how to decide
superintendent
race." "The fight
over a little-noticed
state office--school
superintendent--has
turned into a grand
battle pitting the
legislature against
the courts. The two
branches of
government are
headed for a clash
this week over the
undecided race. On
Wednesday,
lawyers for
Republican Bill
Fletcher and
Democrat June
Atkinson will meet in
Wake County
Superior Court to
talk about how to
throw out thousands
of ballots the state
Supreme Court
deemed illegal.
Meanwhile, the
General Assembly
is finishing work on
bills that say those
ballots should count
and that it, not the
court, should decide
what happens in the
race....On Monday,
the Democratic-
controlled state
House voted 60-54
along party lines on
a measure that
says it is OK for
voters to cast
provisional ballots
outside their
neighborhood
polling places....
Senate Democrats
are working on a
bill, which could get
final approval this
week, that lays out
how the legislature
would decide
contested elections,
including the race
for education chief.
The bill is
unconstitutional,
Fletcher said, but
he didn't know
whether he would
sue to have it
overturned. 'My, and
every North
Carolinian's,
concern ought to be
about legislation
that is retroactive,'
he said....Atkinson
said she would use
the law to ask the
General Assembly
to decide whether
she or Fletcher won
the office. She
leads Fletcher by
more than 8,500
votes in the
statewide tally, but
no one knows what
the count will be
when the ballots the
Supreme Court
nixed come out. The
State Board of
Elections initially put
the number of
disputed ballots at
about 11,300, but
Fletcher said there
are many more.
County elections
boards have some
illegal ballots that
cannot be identified
because they're
mixed with the legal
ones, he said."
(SOURCE--Lynn
Bonner/
NewsObserver.com)
superintendent can
receive when
Marockie retires in
June 2000. Clark
County School
Board members
now want to know
where the
beefed-up numbers
came from....'[Board
member Mary Beth]
Scow said. "I
plan on asking
(Attea) where it
came from. This is a
never-ending,
twisting, turning
process.' Attea, of the
Glenview, Ill., based
firm Hazard, Young,
Attea & Associates,
is out of town with
another client, a
spokeswoman said
today.... [Board
member Susan
Brager said] "A call
has been made to
Attea, and I'm
hoping to find out
today. I would think
this would be easy
information to get.
It should have been
a top priority for
Attea.'"
(SOURCE--Terry
Webster/Las Vegas
Sun)
receive when
Marockie retires in
June 2000. Clark
County School
Board members
now want to know
where the
beefed-up numbers
came from....'[Board
member Mary Beth]
Scow said. "I
plan on asking
(Attea) where it
came from. This is a
never-ending,
twisting, turning
process.' Attea, of the
Glenview, Ill., based
firm Hazard, Young,
Attea & Associates,
is out of town with
another client, a
spokeswoman said
today.... [Board
member Susan
Brager said] "A call
has been made to
Attea, and I'm
hoping to find out
today. I would think
this would be easy
information to get.
It should have been
a top priority for
Attea.'"
(SOURCE--Terry
Webster/Las Vegas
Sun)
| The FIRST battle at Lexington Green: Americans vs. Redcoats |
SEPT. 6, 2005 UPDATE: Rally
for Parental Rights on the
Lexington Green. "It attracted
people from beyond Lexington,
the issue having been
publicized thoroughly on
conservative websites. (The
newspapers and TV stations
almost completely ignored it
at first.)" (SOURCE--Boston
Bud/The American Spectator)
for Parental Rights on the
Lexington Green. "It attracted
people from beyond Lexington,
the issue having been
publicized thoroughly on
conservative websites. (The
newspapers and TV stations
almost completely ignored it
at first.)" (SOURCE--Boston
Bud/The American Spectator)
| Brooklyn Technical HS |
FEB. 6, 2006--LEE
McCASKILL RESIGNATION
UPDATE: "The longtime
principal of Brooklyn
Technical High School,
whose management style
provoked frequent battles
with many of his teachers, is
stepping down, officials said
yesterday, after it was
discovered that he had
improperly placed his child in
a Brooklyn elementary
school even though the
family lives in New Jersey.
As part of an agreement, the
principal, Lee D. McCaskill,
will retire and pay the city
$19,441 for four years of
tuition, a spokesman for the
Department of Education,
David Cantor, said. In return,
Mr. Cantor said, the
department agreed not to
bring disciplinary charges
against the principal. The
announcement was made
days before the expected
release of a report by
Richard J. Condon, the
special commissioner of
investigation for the city
school system."
(SOURCE--Elissa Gootman/
New York Times)
McCASKILL RESIGNATION
UPDATE: "The longtime
principal of Brooklyn
Technical High School,
whose management style
provoked frequent battles
with many of his teachers, is
stepping down, officials said
yesterday, after it was
discovered that he had
improperly placed his child in
a Brooklyn elementary
school even though the
family lives in New Jersey.
As part of an agreement, the
principal, Lee D. McCaskill,
will retire and pay the city
$19,441 for four years of
tuition, a spokesman for the
Department of Education,
David Cantor, said. In return,
Mr. Cantor said, the
department agreed not to
bring disciplinary charges
against the principal. The
announcement was made
days before the expected
release of a report by
Richard J. Condon, the
special commissioner of
investigation for the city
school system."
(SOURCE--Elissa Gootman/
New York Times)
| Supe Ash: 'NO' to parental rights legislation |
SEPT. 22, 2005 UPDATE:
Superintendent of Schools
orders NO notice to parents
on teaching homosexual
relationships, even in ele-
mentary grades. Unbelieva-
ble; a first in America! You
read this correctly. This must
be the most draconian
anti-parent edict by a public
school administrator ever. In
defending this move,
Superintendent Paul Ash
cites a very strange
interpretation of Mass.
Parental Notification Law
(which WE wrote & got
passed)! Read the
Massachusetts Parental
Notification Act which the
school is ignoring. In this
case, the Superintendent
claims that homosexual- ity
is not about "human
sexuality issues" but "real
life" that must be taught to
kids. [NOTE: This law was
written and submitted before
the Legislature by the current
director of Article 8 Alliance. It
passed in 1996 and was
signed by Gov. Bill Weld.]
(SOURCE--MassResistance.org)
Superintendent of Schools
orders NO notice to parents
on teaching homosexual
relationships, even in ele-
mentary grades. Unbelieva-
ble; a first in America! You
read this correctly. This must
be the most draconian
anti-parent edict by a public
school administrator ever. In
defending this move,
Superintendent Paul Ash
cites a very strange
interpretation of Mass.
Parental Notification Law
(which WE wrote & got
passed)! Read the
Massachusetts Parental
Notification Act which the
school is ignoring. In this
case, the Superintendent
claims that homosexual- ity
is not about "human
sexuality issues" but "real
life" that must be taught to
kids. [NOTE: This law was
written and submitted before
the Legislature by the current
director of Article 8 Alliance. It
passed in 1996 and was
signed by Gov. Bill Weld.]
(SOURCE--MassResistance.org)
APR. 14, 2003
UPDATE: "Think
you would know
if an allegation
of child sex
abuse had been
made against
your child's
teacher? Think
again. These
matters are very
hush-hush,
despite
mandatory
reporting laws
and the large
number of
incidents I have
collected by
happenstance.
When the
headlines tell of
teachers
accused of
inappropriate
relations with
their students,
parents' blood
runs cold.
These
incidents-- five
in the
Indianapolis
area in the past
two years alone
with the latest
allegation
surfacing this
month -- leave
parents with
many questions.
Parents look for
answers from
school
administrators
who are stuck in
the precarious
position of
balancing the
rights of their
accused staff
member with the
need for parents
to get
information.
(SOURCE--Lisa
Renze-Rhodes/
Indianapolis Star)
NOV. 19, 2004
SENTENCING
UPDATE: "A
former middle
school teacher
and coach has
been sentenced
to four years in
prison for having
sex with a
female student
and trying to
fondle another
girl."
(SOURCE--CBS2C
hicago.com-AP)
UPDATE: "Think
you would know
if an allegation
of child sex
abuse had been
made against
your child's
teacher? Think
again. These
matters are very
hush-hush,
despite
mandatory
reporting laws
and the large
number of
incidents I have
collected by
happenstance.
When the
headlines tell of
teachers
accused of
inappropriate
relations with
their students,
parents' blood
runs cold.
These
incidents-- five
in the
Indianapolis
area in the past
two years alone
with the latest
allegation
surfacing this
month -- leave
parents with
many questions.
Parents look for
answers from
school
administrators
who are stuck in
the precarious
position of
balancing the
rights of their
accused staff
member with the
need for parents
to get
information.
(SOURCE--Lisa
Renze-Rhodes/
Indianapolis Star)
NOV. 19, 2004
SENTENCING
UPDATE: "A
former middle
school teacher
and coach has
been sentenced
to four years in
prison for having
sex with a
female student
and trying to
fondle another
girl."
(SOURCE--CBS2C
hicago.com-AP)
| Attea wants to keep supe searches behind closed doors and out of the sunshine |
JUNE 2003
UPDATE: "To Bill
Attea, it is a mathe-
matical certainty that
the more private
the superintendent
search process,
the greater the
quality of talent in
the resulting pool of
candidates...."With
some 8,000
resumes on file at
any given time,
Attea’s firm is a
major player in the
nationwide
superintendent
search
business. The firm’
s might gives it a leg
up in working in
states like Florida,
where virtually
everything is
in the sunshine. As
Attea says: “If I was
a superintendent in
Florida and my
secretary opened
my mail, the press
would have a right to
read my mail before
I do.” In Collier
County, Attea
planned to submit
only three names to
the school board,
thereby protecting
the identities of the
other prospects on
the grounds they
had not formally
applied for the job....
In general, a search
firm has a good
shot at preserving
confidentiality 'as
long as you don’t
take notes and you
have everything up
here,' says Attea,
pointing to
his head. 'People
we’ve talked to are
very high-profile
candidates,' he
adds. 'They said
they’d be interested
in considering [job
opportunities] if we
handle it this way.'
(SOURCE--Linda
Chion Kenney/The
School Administrator)
UPDATE: "To Bill
Attea, it is a mathe-
matical certainty that
the more private
the superintendent
search process,
the greater the
quality of talent in
the resulting pool of
candidates...."With
some 8,000
resumes on file at
any given time,
Attea’s firm is a
major player in the
nationwide
superintendent
search
business. The firm’
s might gives it a leg
up in working in
states like Florida,
where virtually
everything is
in the sunshine. As
Attea says: “If I was
a superintendent in
Florida and my
secretary opened
my mail, the press
would have a right to
read my mail before
I do.” In Collier
County, Attea
planned to submit
only three names to
the school board,
thereby protecting
the identities of the
other prospects on
the grounds they
had not formally
applied for the job....
In general, a search
firm has a good
shot at preserving
confidentiality 'as
long as you don’t
take notes and you
have everything up
here,' says Attea,
pointing to
his head. 'People
we’ve talked to are
very high-profile
candidates,' he
adds. 'They said
they’d be interested
in considering [job
opportunities] if we
handle it this way.'
(SOURCE--Linda
Chion Kenney/The
School Administrator)
MAR. 2, 2006 UPDATE--
SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR'S
REPORT ON LEE
McCASKILL'S AND WIFE
CATHY McCASKILL (SOCIAL
STUDIES TEACHER-BOYS
AND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL/
BROOKLYN) MISTATING
THEIR PLACE OF RESIDENCE
IN ORDER TO AVOID PAYING
TUITION: "Richard Condon,
the city’s Special
Commissioner of
Investigation for the New
York City School District,
released a scathing report
last month on former
Brooklyn Technical HS
principal Lee McCaskill and
his wife Cathy, accusing
them of deceiving the
Department of Education 'in
receiving more than three
years worth of free education
for their daughter, which is
reserved for residents of
New York City.' The
McCaskills live in a split-level
four-bedroom house with a
two-car garage in
Piscataway, N.J., but
provided fake documents to
Condon in an attempt to
prove that they lived with their
daughter in a one-bedroom
apartment in Brooklyn and
paid $200 a month rent.
Condon said the McCaskills
provided false documents
and information to enroll
their daughter at PS 29 in
Cobble Hill. When
questioned by detectives
working for the Special
Commissioner of
Investigation (SCI), they
provided documents 'which
were devised to mislead
investigators.' Condon also
said 'their sworn testimony
concerning their living and
commuting arrangements
between the two addresses
is in part contradictory and
as a general matter,
incredible and false.'
(SOURCE--Jim Callaghan/
American Teacher)
SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR'S
REPORT ON LEE
McCASKILL'S AND WIFE
CATHY McCASKILL (SOCIAL
STUDIES TEACHER-BOYS
AND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL/
BROOKLYN) MISTATING
THEIR PLACE OF RESIDENCE
IN ORDER TO AVOID PAYING
TUITION: "Richard Condon,
the city’s Special
Commissioner of
Investigation for the New
York City School District,
released a scathing report
last month on former
Brooklyn Technical HS
principal Lee McCaskill and
his wife Cathy, accusing
them of deceiving the
Department of Education 'in
receiving more than three
years worth of free education
for their daughter, which is
reserved for residents of
New York City.' The
McCaskills live in a split-level
four-bedroom house with a
two-car garage in
Piscataway, N.J., but
provided fake documents to
Condon in an attempt to
prove that they lived with their
daughter in a one-bedroom
apartment in Brooklyn and
paid $200 a month rent.
Condon said the McCaskills
provided false documents
and information to enroll
their daughter at PS 29 in
Cobble Hill. When
questioned by detectives
working for the Special
Commissioner of
Investigation (SCI), they
provided documents 'which
were devised to mislead
investigators.' Condon also
said 'their sworn testimony
concerning their living and
commuting arrangements
between the two addresses
is in part contradictory and
as a general matter,
incredible and false.'
(SOURCE--Jim Callaghan/
American Teacher)
| Lexington PS restraining order on dad David Parker |
OCT. 2, 2005 UPDATE: "A
restraining order, still in
effect, bans [David Parker]
from the school and its
grounds. He cannot attend
meetings of the school
committee or pick up his son
after class. He cannot even
vote, since the school is his
voting site."(SOURCE--Terry Leo)
restraining order, still in
effect, bans [David Parker]
from the school and its
grounds. He cannot attend
meetings of the school
committee or pick up his son
after class. He cannot even
vote, since the school is his
voting site."(SOURCE--Terry Leo)
| DA drops charges against Parker, Ash refuses to lift restraining order |
OCT. 20, 2005 UPDATE:
Parker's trial, scheduled for
today, did not take place. The
Middlesex District Attorney
decided not to prosecute the
case and has dropped the
trespassing charges against
David Parker. According to
Attorney Jeffrey Denner, there
has been no admission of
guilt, and therefore David
Parker is still presumed
innocent of any wrongdoing.
However, the new Lexington
School Superintendent, Paul
Ash, still refuses to lift the
restraining order against
David Parker, which prevents
him from setting foot on any
Lexington Public School
property. This is unfair
treatment and is nothing more
than retaliation against David
for daring to demand that the
school obey Massachusetts
Law and provide parental
notification as required. (Ibid.)
Parker's trial, scheduled for
today, did not take place. The
Middlesex District Attorney
decided not to prosecute the
case and has dropped the
trespassing charges against
David Parker. According to
Attorney Jeffrey Denner, there
has been no admission of
guilt, and therefore David
Parker is still presumed
innocent of any wrongdoing.
However, the new Lexington
School Superintendent, Paul
Ash, still refuses to lift the
restraining order against
David Parker, which prevents
him from setting foot on any
Lexington Public School
property. This is unfair
treatment and is nothing more
than retaliation against David
for daring to demand that the
school obey Massachusetts
Law and provide parental
notification as required. (Ibid.)
| Edward Freudenberg, Central Islip PS school board president |
AUG. 23, 2005
WINNER UPDATE:
Declared North
Carolina's State
Sup't of Public
Industruction by NC
General Assembly.
"North Carolina's
Dep't of Public
Instruction
"develops the
Standard Course of
Study which
describes the
subjects and course
content that should
be taught in North
Carolina public
schools and
develops the
assessments and
accountability model
used to evaluate
school and district
success. The DPI
administers annual
public school funds
totaling
approximately $7
billion in state and
federal funds and
licenses the
approximately
100,000 teachers
and administrators
serving in public
schools. The DPI's
primary offices are
in Raleigh, NC, with
three regional
alternative licensing
centers in Charlotte,
Fayetteville and
Nashville. The state
agency works
closely with nine
Regional Education
Service
Alliances/Consortia
across the state as
well as directly with
the state's 115 local
education
agencies."
(SOURCE--NCDPI)
"Superintendent
Atkinson...Finally!
North Carolina
Democratic Party
Chair Jerry Meek
made this statement
about Dr. June
Atkinson, who was
declared the winner
by the North
Carolina General
Assembly and
sworn in as North
Carolina’s
Superintendent of
Public Instruction
today: 'Almost 10
months after
Election Day, we are
thrilled that Dr. June
Atkinson was finally
sworn into the office
to which she
rightfully won. It is a
testament to her
patience and
commitment to
service that she
stood firm in
defense of the law
and the rights of
voters. Super-
intendent Atkinson
can now get to work
on reducing class
size, hiring more
teachers, and
improving our state’
s schools. She will
make our state
proud. The General
Assembly is to be
commended for
navigating through
uncharted legal
territory and
exercising their
constitutional duty to
declare a winner,'
Meek added. 'They
recognized the
voices of the 8,535
more people who
voted for Atkinson.
After months of
criticizing Bill
Fletcher, I will refrain
from kicking him
when he’s down. It’s
unfortunate that the
Republican Party
went along with his
shenanigans for so
long.'” (SOURCE--
Press release/
North Carolina
Democratic Party)
WINNER UPDATE:
Declared North
Carolina's State
Sup't of Public
Industruction by NC
General Assembly.
"North Carolina's
Dep't of Public
Instruction
"develops the
Standard Course of
Study which
describes the
subjects and course
content that should
be taught in North
Carolina public
schools and
develops the
assessments and
accountability model
used to evaluate
school and district
success. The DPI
administers annual
public school funds
totaling
approximately $7
billion in state and
federal funds and
licenses the
approximately
100,000 teachers
and administrators
serving in public
schools. The DPI's
primary offices are
in Raleigh, NC, with
three regional
alternative licensing
centers in Charlotte,
Fayetteville and
Nashville. The state
agency works
closely with nine
Regional Education
Service
Alliances/Consortia
across the state as
well as directly with
the state's 115 local
education
agencies."
(SOURCE--NCDPI)
"Superintendent
Atkinson...Finally!
North Carolina
Democratic Party
Chair Jerry Meek
made this statement
about Dr. June
Atkinson, who was
declared the winner
by the North
Carolina General
Assembly and
sworn in as North
Carolina’s
Superintendent of
Public Instruction
today: 'Almost 10
months after
Election Day, we are
thrilled that Dr. June
Atkinson was finally
sworn into the office
to which she
rightfully won. It is a
testament to her
patience and
commitment to
service that she
stood firm in
defense of the law
and the rights of
voters. Super-
intendent Atkinson
can now get to work
on reducing class
size, hiring more
teachers, and
improving our state’
s schools. She will
make our state
proud. The General
Assembly is to be
commended for
navigating through
uncharted legal
territory and
exercising their
constitutional duty to
declare a winner,'
Meek added. 'They
recognized the
voices of the 8,535
more people who
voted for Atkinson.
After months of
criticizing Bill
Fletcher, I will refrain
from kicking him
when he’s down. It’s
unfortunate that the
Republican Party
went along with his
shenanigans for so
long.'” (SOURCE--
Press release/
North Carolina
Democratic Party)
| Nuruddin Farah review |
| SEPT. 14, 1999 REVIEW: Blood in the Sun Reviewer: Anderson Tepper Be forewarned: You are entering the dense, bewildering forests of Somalian novelist Nuruddin Farah's imagination. You will be startled by shape shifters who straddle the human and animal kingdoms. You will be oppressed by elaborate self-reflection. (Here is how "Maps" begins: "You sit, in contemplative posture, your features agonized and your expressions pained ... Yes. You are a question to yourself.") You will feel the blade of circumcision (both male and female), taste menstrual blood (again, strangely, both male and female). You will find every sexual taboo -- rape, incest, homosexuality, sex with animals and young boys -- overturned. (SOURCE--Salon.com) |
| David Parker (left) with attorney (PHOTO/Brian Camenker- MassResistance.org |
JAN. 27, 2005
UPDATE--ALAN
BERSIN RESIGNS
SAN DIEGO: "The
Board of Education
announced that it
had reached a
mutual agreement
to amend the
contract with
Superintendent
Alan D. Bersin, that
will see Bersin
leave the district on
June 30, 2005. His
contract was to
have expired on
June 30, 2006 and
Bersin had
announced that he
would not seek a
third contract. As a
result, the Board of
Education has
begun a search
process and has
retained the
services of Hazard,
Young, Attea &
Associates, Ltd. , a
search firm that
specializes in
assisting boards
with the
identification and
selection of
superintendents.
(SOURCE--San
Diego City Schools)
UPDATE--ALAN
BERSIN RESIGNS
SAN DIEGO: "The
Board of Education
announced that it
had reached a
mutual agreement
to amend the
contract with
Superintendent
Alan D. Bersin, that
will see Bersin
leave the district on
June 30, 2005. His
contract was to
have expired on
June 30, 2006 and
Bersin had
announced that he
would not seek a
third contract. As a
result, the Board of
Education has
begun a search
process and has
retained the
services of Hazard,
Young, Attea &
Associates, Ltd. , a
search firm that
specializes in
assisting boards
with the
identification and
selection of
superintendents.
(SOURCE--San
Diego City Schools)
NOV. 20, 2004
AYERS'
STATEMENT
UPDATE: "Jon
Christopher
Ayers, 32,
pleaded guilty to
confinement and
sexual
misconduct with
a minor during a
hearing in
Marion Superior
Court. Superior
Court Judge
Jane
Magnus-Stinson
also ordered
Ayers to serve
three years'
probation, pay
$8,528 in
restitution and
register as a
sex offender.
'Students will
have crushes on
teachers,'
Marion County
Deputy
Prosecutor
Kristin Erato
said. 'They're
children, the
teachers are
adults, and they
cannot cross
that line.'
AYERS'
STATEMENT
UPDATE: "Jon
Christopher
Ayers, 32,
pleaded guilty to
confinement and
sexual
misconduct with
a minor during a
hearing in
Marion Superior
Court. Superior
Court Judge
Jane
Magnus-Stinson
also ordered
Ayers to serve
three years'
probation, pay
$8,528 in
restitution and
register as a
sex offender.
'Students will
have crushes on
teachers,'
Marion County
Deputy
Prosecutor
Kristin Erato
said. 'They're
children, the
teachers are
adults, and they
cannot cross
that line.'
Denner, Parker's lawyer, said
they had not yet heard from Ash
but would welcome a meeting.
'There is no good reason for
the no-trespass order to be in
place,' he said....The Parkers
have made no antigay
statements and have kept their
argument tightly focused on
parental rights to allow their
children to opt out on issues of
sexuality and lessons that
implicitly approve gay
marriage. Parker refuses to
plea-bargain on trespassing
until the school lifts its
restraining order....[Brian]
Camenker, who wrote the
state opt-out law 10 years
they had not yet heard from Ash
but would welcome a meeting.
'There is no good reason for
the no-trespass order to be in
place,' he said....The Parkers
have made no antigay
statements and have kept their
argument tightly focused on
parental rights to allow their
children to opt out on issues of
sexuality and lessons that
implicitly approve gay
marriage. Parker refuses to
plea-bargain on trespassing
until the school lifts its
restraining order....[Brian]
Camenker, who wrote the
state opt-out law 10 years
| Profile of poet Amiri Barak (formerly LeRoi Jones) |
ago, says there is no doubt
that Paul Ash, Lexington
superintendent of schools, has
misconstrued it. Even if the
law didn’t exist, he says, it’s
mind-boggling that the school
would trample parental rights
by denying a simple opt-out....
One problem is that gay
activists tend to blur the line
between tolerance, which the
vast majority of Americans
favor, and approval of
homosexuality, which meets
significantly greater resistance.
This happens often as
lessons of approval are
smuggled into anti-bias
programs. Another problem is
an older one: Public school
systems often view parents
not as allies but as annoying
obstacles to be overcome. In
this case, as the Parkers’
argument goes national, the
obstacles stand a darned good
chance of winning." (SOURCE--
Tania Ralli/Boston Globe)
that Paul Ash, Lexington
superintendent of schools, has
misconstrued it. Even if the
law didn’t exist, he says, it’s
mind-boggling that the school
would trample parental rights
by denying a simple opt-out....
One problem is that gay
activists tend to blur the line
between tolerance, which the
vast majority of Americans
favor, and approval of
homosexuality, which meets
significantly greater resistance.
This happens often as
lessons of approval are
smuggled into anti-bias
programs. Another problem is
an older one: Public school
systems often view parents
not as allies but as annoying
obstacles to be overcome. In
this case, as the Parkers’
argument goes national, the
obstacles stand a darned good
chance of winning." (SOURCE--
Tania Ralli/Boston Globe)
| Amiri Baraka was born Everett LeRoi Jones in Newark, New Jersey, on October 7, 1934. His father, Colt LeRoy Jones, was a postal supervisor; Anna Lois Jones, his mother, was a social worker. He attended Rutgers University for two years, then transferred to Howard University, where in 1954 he earned his B.A. in English. He served in the Air Force from 1954 until 1957, then moved to the Lower East Side of Manhattan. There he joined a loose circle of Greenwich Village artists, musicians, and writers. The following year he married Hettie Cohen and began co-editing the avant-garde literary magazine Yugen with her. That year he also founded Totem Press, which first published works by Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and others. He published his first volume of poetry, Preface to a Twenty-Volume Suicide Note, in 1961. From 1961 to 1963 he was co-editor, with Diane Di Prima, of The Floating Bear, a literary newsletter. His increasing hostility toward and mistrust of white society was reflected in two plays, The Slave and The Toilet, both written in 1962. 1963 saw the publication of Blues People: Negro Music in White America, which he wrote, and The Moderns: An Anthology of New Writing in America, which he edited and introduced. His reputation as a playwright was established with the production of Dutchman at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York on March 24, 1964. The controversial play subsequently won an Obie Award (for "best off-Broadway play") and was made into a film. In 1965, following the assassination of Malcolm X, Jones repudiated his former life and ended his marriage. He moved to Harlem, where he founded the Black Arts Repertory Theatre/School. The company, which produced plays that were often anti-white and intended for a black audience, dissolved in a few months. He moved back to Newark, and in 1967 he married African-American poet Sylvia Robinson (now known as Amina Baraka). That year he also founded the Spirit House Players, which produced, among other works, two of Baraka's plays against police brutality: Police and Arm Yrself or Harm Yrself. In 1968, he co-edited Black Fire: An Anthology of Afro-American Writing with Larry Neal and his play Home on the Range was performed as a benefit for the Black Panther party. That same year he became a Muslim, changing his name to Imamu Amiri Baraka. ("Imamu" means "spiritual leader.") He assumed leadership of his own black Muslim organization, Kawaida. From 1968 to 1975, Baraka was chairman of the Committee for Unified Newark, a black united front organization. In 1969 , his Great Goodness of Life became part of the successful "Black Quartet" off-Broadway, and his play Slave Ship was widely reviewed. Baraka was a founder and chairman of the Congress of African People, a national Pan-Africanist organization with chapters in 15 cities, and he was one of the chief organizers of the National Black Political Convention, which convened in Gary, Indiana, in 1972 to organize a more unified political stance for African-Americans. In 1974 Baraka adopted a Marxist Leninist philosophy and dropped the spiritual title "Imamu." In 1983, he and Amina Baraka edited Confirmation: An Anthology of African-American Women, which won an American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation, and in 1987 they published The Music: Reflections on Jazz and Blues. The Autobiography of LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka was published in 1984. Amiri Baraka's numerous literary prizes and honors include fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Rockefeller Foundation Award for Drama, the Langston Hughes Award from The City College of New York, and a lifetime achievement award from the Before Columbus Foundation. He has taught poetry at the New School for Social Research in New York, literature at the University of Buffalo, and drama at Columbia University. He has also taught at San Francisco State University, Yale University and George Washington University. Since 1985 he has been a professor of Africana Studies at the State University of New York in Stony Brook. He is co-director, with his wife, of Kimako's Blues People, a community arts space. Amiri and Amina Baraka live in Newark, New Jersey --The American Academy of Poets |
| Ayers says he betrayed the 'ladies' involved |
| Attea's fine hand refining San Diego's search for a replacement for Alan Bersin |
Ayers...
admitted his
guilt and
expressed
remorse. 'I'm
ultimately
responsible for
my actions,'
Ayers said. 'I've
not only
betrayed the
ladies involved,
but I've
betrayed all my
ex-students
and my
colleagues.'
admitted his
guilt and
expressed
remorse. 'I'm
ultimately
responsible for
my actions,'
Ayers said. 'I've
not only
betrayed the
ladies involved,
but I've
betrayed all my
ex-students
and my
colleagues.'
Attea helped shape
San Diego's supe
search with the
following profiling:
Criteria for
Selecting the Next
Superintendent
Utilizing input
received from
parents, staff and
other constituents,
the Board of
Education of the
San Diego School
District is seeking a
superintendent who
has demonstrated
strong leadership
and management
skills and
possesses many of
the following beliefs
and abilities.
An educator who
believes that:
• All students can
and will learn and,
as a result, the
achievement gap
will be closed.
• Decisions should
be made on the
basis of what is
best for students.
• Fine arts,
performing arts,
academically
challenging
programs, programs
for special needs
students, sports,
outreach programs,
and real world
learning
opportunities for
students from a
diversity of
backgrounds/needs
are essential to
maintaining a well-
rounded
curriculum.
• Staff morale is
important and is a
component of a
high-performing
school district.
• What happens in
the classroom is
the most important
issue, and that
District staff and
resources exist to
support teachers,
administrators and
other staff to
improve student
learning.
A leader who has
demonstrated the
ability to:
• Attract, motivate,
develop and hold
accountable a high
quality leadership
team consisting of
qualified members
who have had
appropriate
educational
experiences.
• Develop a vision
with the School
Board, community,
parents and staff,
then clearly
articulate that
vision and bring it to
fruition through
effective and
sustainable
implementation.
• Manage a large,
complex
organization while
maintaining a
balanced budget.
• Provide an
environment of trust,
and honor the work
done by the District
staff to increase
student
achievement.
• Work
collaboratively with
employee
organizations.
An individual who
models:
• A belief in the
worth and ability of
all, regardless of
race, religion,
creed, color,
marital status,
veteran status,
sex, sexual
orientation,
national or ethnic
origin, age, or
disability.
• A healthy, positive
balance between
work and other
activities, including
family, community
service, etc.
• Communication
skills that honestly
reflect respect for
the view of others.
• Courage, empathy,
fairness, honesty,
integrity and mutual
respect for all.
• Self-improvement,
creativity and risk
taking.
An individual with
successful
experience as a
teacher, principal
and superintendent
and an earned
doctorate from an
accredited
university is
preferred.
Leadership Profile
Assessment
The search firm
created a
Leadership Profile
Assessment form
that students,
parents, teachers,
employees,
administrators and
community
members were
invited to print,
complete and
submit by April 27,
2005.
San Diego's supe
search with the
following profiling:
Criteria for
Selecting the Next
Superintendent
Utilizing input
received from
parents, staff and
other constituents,
the Board of
Education of the
San Diego School
District is seeking a
superintendent who
has demonstrated
strong leadership
and management
skills and
possesses many of
the following beliefs
and abilities.
An educator who
believes that:
• All students can
and will learn and,
as a result, the
achievement gap
will be closed.
• Decisions should
be made on the
basis of what is
best for students.
• Fine arts,
performing arts,
academically
challenging
programs, programs
for special needs
students, sports,
outreach programs,
and real world
learning
opportunities for
students from a
diversity of
backgrounds/needs
are essential to
maintaining a well-
rounded
curriculum.
• Staff morale is
important and is a
component of a
high-performing
school district.
• What happens in
the classroom is
the most important
issue, and that
District staff and
resources exist to
support teachers,
administrators and
other staff to
improve student
learning.
A leader who has
demonstrated the
ability to:
• Attract, motivate,
develop and hold
accountable a high
quality leadership
team consisting of
qualified members
who have had
appropriate
educational
experiences.
• Develop a vision
with the School
Board, community,
parents and staff,
then clearly
articulate that
vision and bring it to
fruition through
effective and
sustainable
implementation.
• Manage a large,
complex
organization while
maintaining a
balanced budget.
• Provide an
environment of trust,
and honor the work
done by the District
staff to increase
student
achievement.
• Work
collaboratively with
employee
organizations.
An individual who
models:
• A belief in the
worth and ability of
all, regardless of
race, religion,
creed, color,
marital status,
veteran status,
sex, sexual
orientation,
national or ethnic
origin, age, or
disability.
• A healthy, positive
balance between
work and other
activities, including
family, community
service, etc.
• Communication
skills that honestly
reflect respect for
the view of others.
• Courage, empathy,
fairness, honesty,
integrity and mutual
respect for all.
• Self-improvement,
creativity and risk
taking.
An individual with
successful
experience as a
teacher, principal
and superintendent
and an earned
doctorate from an
accredited
university is
preferred.
Leadership Profile
Assessment
The search firm
created a
Leadership Profile
Assessment form
that students,
parents, teachers,
employees,
administrators and
community
members were
invited to print,
complete and
submit by April 27,
2005.
OCT. 27, 2005 UPDATE: "The
heart of David Parker's dispute
with school officials has not
disappeared. Parents and
community members continue
to examine what role schools
should play in teaching children
about sensitive social issues.
Judge Robert McKenna
accepted the deal last
Thursday that Parker's
lawyers and the Middlesex
district attorney's office
worked out in advance. Under
that agreement, Parker will be
under pretrial probation for a
year, after which time the single
count of trespassing will be
dropped so long as he does
not violate any laws. Parker is
still not allowed on school
property, where his son is now
a first-grader at Estabrook
Elementary School. Lexington
school Superintendent Paul
Ash said last week he would
be willing to meet with Parker
to discuss lifting the
trespassing prohibition....Ash
plans to propose a meeting
with Parker to discuss lifting his
ban from school property, put in
place by Ash's predecessor
after authorities arrested Parker
for trespassing. 'What I need
to know is that he'll follow the
law and won't do anything that
will disrupt the educational
process,' Ash said. (Ibid.)
heart of David Parker's dispute
with school officials has not
disappeared. Parents and
community members continue
to examine what role schools
should play in teaching children
about sensitive social issues.
Judge Robert McKenna
accepted the deal last
Thursday that Parker's
lawyers and the Middlesex
district attorney's office
worked out in advance. Under
that agreement, Parker will be
under pretrial probation for a
year, after which time the single
count of trespassing will be
dropped so long as he does
not violate any laws. Parker is
still not allowed on school
property, where his son is now
a first-grader at Estabrook
Elementary School. Lexington
school Superintendent Paul
Ash said last week he would
be willing to meet with Parker
to discuss lifting the
trespassing prohibition....Ash
plans to propose a meeting
with Parker to discuss lifting his
ban from school property, put in
place by Ash's predecessor
after authorities arrested Parker
for trespassing. 'What I need
to know is that he'll follow the
law and won't do anything that
will disrupt the educational
process,' Ash said. (Ibid.)
Why would an adult male teacher regard his 13 and 15 y.o. female students as 'ladies'? ------ Perception is all. |
Ayers'
supporters
described him
as a dedicated
teacher with
good moral
character.
A
supporters
described him
as a dedicated
teacher with
good moral
character.
A