Out of Control

The Board of Education meeting of August 28^th 2007 is once again, Must See TV. The meeting is completely out the control of the board president, being directed from the floor by former board member LaVerne Clark. No following the agenda, no five minute rule, no admonishments to “address the board”, no prohibition on side discussions with staff. It was a lesson on how not to run a meeting, starring your board of education. No one was told that was all in the past and no one suggested that we just move on.

Mrs. Clark leads a group of about 25 Parkway Homes residents in an attack on the board of education and the Valhalla School district alleging discrimination in the hiring practices of the district that have resulted in only one African American classroom teacher out of 135 positions.

Considering the Board had a strategic planning committee work for over one year to identify the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats to the district and did not once identify the racial mix of teachers as Weakness or as a Threat, this must have come as a great surprise to the board. (Though they did identify diversity as a strength, whatever that means.)

Instead of reforming the SWOT team (which as far as we know had only one African American member) the board formed a brand new committee, at the direction of Mrs. Clark to include 22 members, by my count. Sixteen residents of Parkway Home, three board members (2 from Greenburgh, one from Mt. Pleasant none from North White Plains), three staff members all chosen by Mrs. Clark.

As I understand it, the demand of Mrs. Clark’s group is for a prorata representation of African Americans in the number of classroom teachers. (Librarians, school nurses and Learning Center Teachers don’t count.) So if the African American population in the district represents 18% of the district, and the district has 135 classroom teachers, then 24 classroom teachers should be, no, must be African American. The solution seems simple, fire 23 non tenured white, Asian or Hispanic teachers and hire in their place, 23 teachers of color. That is what this new committee is going to discuss and remember Valhalla takes no minutes of these meetings, so if it is not on camera we will never know what was agreed to. LaVerne, please demand that your committee meetings be televised, the board will roll over for you.

Five years ago, control of the district was surrendered to the Mayfair Knollwood Civic Association. It seems only fair to offer the same opportunity to the Parkway Homes Civic Association. And as for the rest of us? If you didn’t speak up when Mayfair Knollwood was calling the shots, what will you do now?

Your comments are welcome.

The Single Issues, Double Standards, Triple Trouble Blog

This has been anything but a sleepy summer in the Valhalla School District. First the trophy trashing, then the upcoming bond vote, essentially completing the coverup of the illegal activities that led to the Comptroller's first audit of the district. Now we have the issue of hiring and firing of teachers based on race, the inconsistent and irrational application of district policy and once again the buck stopping nowhere in Valhalla.

It is our experience that most people can ignore everything a corrupt board of education does until their single issue is effected. Mismanagement of $38 million is no big deal. Padding the budget by one million ever year, entering into illegal deals, leasing Columbus Avenue School for $1. No one objects until it is their ox getting gored. Well finally the bad board behavior, illegal acts, double standards have caught up to them. Suddenly, inspite of the Journal News' efforts not to report on negative Valhalla issues, people are getting the message. You can't fool all of the people all of the time.