It's really impressive that these politicians should ascribe such power and authority to your Association. "P.E.A. drew up its mighty sword and smote the dragon with one blow"! Yeah, right. Politicians like Jonathan Hodges, Andre Sayegh and the Paterson Education Fund share equal responsibility for Dr. Glascoe's downfall in this district. They're need to hold on to power, their disrespect for the staff in the Paterson school system, and their irrational hatred of the P.E.A. all combined to create the chaos that our school system lived through these long months. Their absolute failure to "take care of business" was another dagger that they could have avoided. The school year started with the closing of the schools because of the failure of the District to correct fire code violations. Hodges was a member of the Board who screamed long and loud about these violations four years ago when Dr. Duroy was Superintendent. But he, as a member of the Board, and its President, did nothing to alleviate those violations or make certain the buildings upkeep avoided new infractions. How could the school system be cited for some of the same violations in 2007 that it faced previously? How could the District face citations about insufficient power supplies without the Board asking about the status of the school computerization? Hodges and Sayegh pride themselves on their flitting around the schools like moths drawn to the flame. HOW COULD THEY NOT SEE THESE PROBLEMS? HOW COULD THEY ALLOW THEM TO (1) OCCUR, OR (2) CONTINUE? Later in the school year, as the Herald did everything it could to deify the Superintendent; Dr. Glascoe was asked why he hadn't brought with him friends and colleagues from Fairfax County. His response was that he did not want o expose them to "the ugly culture of Paterson". I, for one, was insulted and horrified by his words; hurtful insulting words that he never apologized for, retracted, corrected or explained. It was clear that he had prejudged his new employer, the citizens of Paterson. The question that overshadowed the statement was "Where would he get such thoughts?" It became evident recently, when Hodges was quoted in the Herald as saying "He (referring to Dr. Glascoe) was brought here to disrupt entrenched patterns, to bring new ideas." And here we were foolish enough to think that he was brought into Paterson to be the leader of everyone in the school system including the staff of the district! It becomes clearer that Hodges, who has held the Association and the staff in utter contempt since before he was elected, brought Glascoe in to divide the organization, ignore our concerns, and discipline us as he might try with naughty children. They are furious about the NR/R because they didn't achieve their goal to break P.E.A. More proof? Who is the only person who has been talking about negotiations? Hodges publicly criticized Commissioner Davy time and time again for directing the Superintendent to "improve relations with the Association." Not once did he ever attempt to learn about our concerns. HE DIDN'T BECAUSE HE DOESN'T CARE. Is it his naiveté that he doesn't understand that when professionals are involved in negotiations the arguments at the table stay at the table? Does he really believe that screaming and yelling, demeaning and insulting are the way to deal with "the union"? Did he ever think that maybe, just maybe, Commissioner Davy felt that a rapprochement might serve to reach a peaceable settlement? Or is that what he wanted all along? Hodges et.al. claim we are the reason for the NR/R. Did we make the Commissioner aware of the situation our members were facing in Paterson? Yes. Did we act to protect the rights of our members? Yes. Did we choose to have the Superintendent resign without answering the seven areas of improvement placed before him by the Commissioner? No. He did that all on his own. The politicians brought the Superintendent in to regain their power and personal glory. It had nothing to do with the children. |
