From New York State Allies for Public Education:
Billed as an opportunity to “gather information, ask
questions and share concerns with NYS Commissioner of Education John King”, the
NYS PTA sponsored Town Hall Meeting on
the Common Core and privacy issues was anything but. After speaking
uninterrupted for 1 hour and 40 minutes, Commissioner King allowed parents 20
minutes to speak. During this time, parents expressed concerns and attempted to
share stories regarding the impact that the CC has already had on their
children. Commissioner King repeatedly interrupted parents and refused to
answer parent questions or address their concerns. Commissioner King subsequently
cancelled all future scheduled town hall meetings, called concerned parents
“special interests groups” and stated that the forum was “co-opted by special
interests whose stated goal is to ‘dominate’ the questions and manipulate the
forum,” King went on to state that “Essentially, dialogue has been denied.”
When a public official such as Commissioner King refuses to
participate in the democratic process and refuses to hear the concerns of
parents while simultaneously carrying out educational policies that affect
thousands of children, he is no longer fit to carry out the duties of the NYS
Commissioner of Education. Commissioner King, we would argue that it is because
of you that “dialogue has been denied.”
According to award-winning Principal Carol Burris of South
Side High School in New York, last week’s Town Hall meeting in Poughkeepsie, NY
highlighted the fact that “The New York State Education Department has lost its
moral authority.” Burris states. “One
might imagine that if John King had first been a principal of a New York City
public school, or the superintendent of a district, he would have become
skilled in dealing with emotional and boisterous groups….. Leaders must listen
deeply, learn and respond. They must be
willing to consider alternative courses, and even in loud crowds, hear truth.”
Anthony Cody, nationally recognized educator, public speaker
and writer for Education Week says, “Speaking truth to power, as these parents
did, is an intoxicating thing. It delivers to both speaker and witnesses a
shiver, an awakening to the fact that we do not need to suffer in silence, or
allow our children to suffer without objection. Those in power may cancel
future hearings, but these parents' voices are ringing out, like a bell that
cannot be un-rung.”
We would say to Commissioner King that in this age of
apathy, you should be proud to represent a state where parents have taken the
time to inform themselves about the current education reforms and have taken
the time from their busy schedules to engage with public officials such as
yourself. Aren’t these parents the kind
of critically thinking, involved citizens that our public schools hope to
create? We would argue that a competent leader does not run away from concerned
parents, or call them a “special interest group.” Commissioner King, you are a
disgrace to the field of education. It is not surprising that in NYS, your lack
of teaching experience would not allow you to be granted tenure in a public
school.
The NYS Commissioner of Education sends his own children to
a private school, a school that is not legally bound to carry out the same
testing and data sharing mandates that he is subjecting thousands of public
school children to. He has stated, “I
believe that every parent should have the right to choose the school that is
right for their child.” Commissioner King subjects public school students to
harmful practices while maintaining that parents do not have the right to
refuse these mandates. This certainly does not afford all parents “the right to
choose the school that is right for their child.” Commissioner King is guilty
of promoting inequitable education policies that essentially create a different
set of educational opportunities and experiences available to those with the
means to afford private school and those who attend public school. This is an attack on the freedoms and rights
that are afforded to every American citizen and on public education itself.
New York State Allies for Public Education calls for the
immediate resignation of Commissioner of Education John King as he is unfit to
carry out the duties of his position competently and he is no longer able to
conduct himself in a manner that is consistent with the principles and ideals
of the American democracy. NYSAPE urges parents, educators and concerned
citizens to:
- · Spend 10 minutes adding the attached emails and phone numbers to your contacts
- · Call, email, and fax Governor Cuomo DAILY
- · CC all emails to Senator John Flanagan, Speaker of the House Sheldon Silver, Senator Dean Skelos, Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan and Senator Jeffrey Klein and the entire Board of Regents
- · Call your local Regent
·
Let them know that:
*New
Yorkers deserve a COMPETENT leader who listens to and engages his or her constituents
*New
Yorkers deserve a COMPETENT leader who can handle the concerns and dissenting opinions of
educated and involved New York parents.
*John
King has let abusive testing and data sharing practices dominate the implementation of the Common Core
Learning Standards
*John
King runs away from the public.
*John
King calls concerned parents “special interest groups.”
*John
King is not competent to be the NYS Commissioner of Education
http://www.scribd.com/doc/176000558/NSYAPE-Calls-for-Resignation-of-John-King
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