Schools Showdown

1) About 6 weeks ago, I sent out an email with this article (http://www.newhavenadvocate.com/gbase/News/content?oid=oid:156437) about New Haven Public Schools Superintendent, Reggie Mayo. In my comments, I wrote:

This is a very interesting article about the New Haven, CT public schools and its long-time superintendent, Reggie Mayo, who appears to be the worst (and all too common) kind of superintendent -- not the uncaring, corrupt or incompetent type (that would be fortunate because then you might be able to get rid of him), but the MEDIOCRE type. Unwilling to acknowledge the awful state of the school system he's in charge of and therefore unwilling to contemplate the radical change that's necessary, he shuts his eyes and covers his ears, year in and year out, as generation after generation of children are condemned to educational oblivion.

Everything you need to know about Mayo is captured in his comments about one of the most innovative, successful schools in the country, Amistad, which is in HIS OWN CITY...

Well, he's even worse than I thought. Based on this article (below), it's now apparent that he's a thug who will stop at nothing to harass and intimidate parents -- a mere SIX of them! -- who wanted to protest the undoubtedly attrocious schools their children are forced to attend. You really can't make this stuff up... What a complete, total and utter disgrace!

Most objected to Teach Our Children's approach — holding a protest outside a school instead of going through more conventional means of complaint. "These parents have not gone through the school system and asked for the help that they needed," said Wexler/Grant parent Corris Smith. "We don't mind people complaining ... but we feel we're being attacked."

They attacked back.

"Don't complain about your child if you're not pushin' them, if you're not attending PTOs," said Essie Barrows (pictured). "You cannot beat up every school in the system — you gotta work with your child!"

"If you have concerns, why didn't you come in when your child was failing in school? Why didn't you come in and pick up your child's report card?" charged Wexler/Grant Principal Jeffie Frazier. "We teach our children not to bash."

In one of the final speeches, a wild, performative act, this woman (pictured), in apparent mockery of the Katherine Brennan protesters, turned to where Reggie Mayo was standing in a crowd of people and cried, "You all drunks!"

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Schools Showdown

by Melissa Bailey, New Haven Independent July 10, 2006 08:19 AM Permalink Comments (1)

http://www.newhavenindependent.org/archives/2006/07/post_262.php

Melissa Bailey Photo

The handful of parents who showed up for a parent-involvement meeting watched in suprise as almost 150 teachers, parents and administrators filled the room, shutting down the meeting with a deafening pro-schools rally. The rally, an apparent counter-protest to the one parents staged outside a West Rock elementary school a couple weeks ago, out-roared all attempts at discussion and ended only with the intervention of a peace-seeking preacher.