Do We Need more Options in Plainfield for our Students?

There has been much discussion about how charter schools are "destroying" the Plainfield Public Schools. First, charter schools are public schools of choice that are state-funded but privately operated. There is no tuition for attending a charter school. The uninformed statements by educators and elected officials that charter schools are taking away from "public" schools is misleading and well, let me be blunt, incorrect. It is yet another way to distort truth and facts for a particular agenda. 

The idea that here in Plainfield the rise in the number of charter schools has led to downfall of the district's schools is also misleading. The district's schools have been in a downward spiral during the past decade. Both middle schools are up for restructuring because they have failed to make academic progress for many years. Basically the students are not learning or progressing as they should be. Based on Dan's post, the district administration does not seem to have a clear cut plan to deal with these schools or the tenured teachers that are ultimately responsible for the many years of failure. Shouldnt this be a priority of the Board?

That is why I believe that without local educational choices other than a failing school district our parents will be forced to keep their children in the district's schools and basically have them trapped in a system that has proven time and time again that is unable to properly educate their children. They has also been unable to do so despite having the largest budget in the City and having received millions of dollars during the same period either through Abbott or the recent Stimulus funding.

Those that argue against charter schools and giving our students more educational choices are arguing FOR the status quo. From the local teacher's union that protects ineffective and incompetent teachers many of which have been in the failing schools year after year, to a seemingly innefective Board that is more concerned with who gets hired and gets what contract, our district schools under the current structure have shown that they are unable to educate our students. This is a priority that should be shared by teachers, administrators, and members of the Board. Obviously, it is not. Many of the comments that I have received reveal a system that is more concerned with power, control, and revenge than the education of students. It continues to not seem like a place for reform and innovation when it comes to education of students. Is this the case?

For example, Plainfield High School has long been considered an institution of failure when it comes to preparing students for college and employment. This is not my opinion as I have looked at the state data for Plainfield High School School. Based only on graduation rates alone, the school has failed for the past decade. This is a failure on the part of everyone, but mainly teachers that have been teaching at the school for years and in some cases decades, but have become comfortable with the school's failure. From everything that I have read teachers are mainly responsible for students learning.

I am glad that there is now a charter school serving high school students which will give more parents a choice when it comes to sending their children to a high school in the community. This will further push the high school  to improve. On another note, the high school principal now seems to being pushed out despite having not been evaluated as required by law and despite making gains in the school, notably the graduation rate which should be a critical marker for high school success. I hope that this isn't the case.

The argument against charter schools in Plainfield is not an argument based on education. It is an argument that is steeped in squabbles over money. Those in the district would rather fight to keep more money for high paying administrators, contracts for friends and cronies, large lawsuit settlements, teacher and administrator raises in a down economy and decreasing revenue rather than use the threat of increased charter schools to improve their own system which will eventually improve education for all students in Plainfield.

When will the fight and argument be based on what is needed to provide a better education for our students?

When will the question also be asked about how charter schools do more with less and have teachers, principals, and boards that keep education as the number one priority?

Charter schools have the freedom to set their own rules with regard to curriculum, teaching styles, and flexibility with hiring, salary and benefits and are usually free of the politics of local school districts and boards such as what we have here in Plainfield

There are other advantages of charter schools which can be valuable in improving our school district and giving better options to our students that are currently trapped in the failing Plainfield Public Schools.

Should we fight to stop charter school in Plainfield? If so, why?

Do you think our district is properly using resources to educate our students for the 21 century?

Is the Plainfield school district focused on education as it should be?

Why have our students been failing over the past decade?

What role do teachers, principals, parents, administrators, and board members have in the documented failure of many of our schools?

When charter schools fail, they get shut down. What should we do with a failing district?

Send me your thoughts.

ON COMMENTS AND KEEPING QUIET

I was graciously welcomed to the new world of blogging in Plainfield by Dan Damon of Plainfield Today. I appreciate the "tips" he provided me and the few words of wisdom he gave me about this new undertaking. What Dan didn't prepare me for were the comments that bloggers receive from people speaking on various posts. I had opened up my blog by reflecting on the recent school board election and former superintendent Steve Gallon.

I was going to periodically revisit this case and share some of the documents that I had in my possession but had moved on to my recent posts on the district reduction plan. I thought that as people lose their jobs the BOE would be reminded not to take away from students and teachers. I read that the BOE challenged the teacher' union to work with the administration to save jobs. That is a great idea and a sign of leadership by the BOE. Let's see if there is similar leadership at the helm of the teacher's union. I even offered a few suggestions myself. But some of the comments I received both in support and against Dr. Gallon made me wonder. Why would some people want me to leave it alone, be quiet, let sleeping dogs lay, or the let the "deceased die" which included other statements that I dare not repeat? Why was there such deep seeeded hatred by some?


Everything I have learned about this case I read in about 10 public documents that are either online or available through OPRA at the district or State. I knew that there was a period of turmoil under former Superintendent Steve Gallon that involved the certification of his two of his people that joined him for Florida that eventually ended in him being charged with allowing two children to attend school under his address in the neighboring South Plainfield School district.

I also knew that a new Board majority made a move to oust him within two weeks after being sworn in to office. Before I get a comment on this look at the timeline. Based on official records the new BOE began this action on a matter that previous BOE had already dealt with. Was it double jeopardy? This same  new Board majority eventually settled with Gallon, paid him over $100k of our taxpayer's dollars and who knows what to their lawyers. Their settlement indicated that he violated no policy, law or procedures as superintendent although they had made not one, but two accusations through tenure charges that he had before dismissing both sets of tenure charges altogether. Why make the accusation, then settle stating that he did nothing wrong? Although promised there was never an explanation given on this to the public.

The Middlesex prosector's office took a similar path when they essentially dismissed the case by never formally filing charges against Gallon and the pair about the South Plainfield enrollment issue.

What I did not know was that there are many who would rather forget the past and risk repeating it than know more about this saga and learn from it. Some of the hateful comments that were made about Dr. Gallon and even me for having a different point of view shocked me. Dr. Gallon aside, I was basically attacked personally for expressing my views and writing about factual events, facts that are available to the public and media but that went largely ignored in the effort to rid Plainfield of what one person commented the "wicked, corrupt" Dr. Gallon. Even though I don't know him personally, I have not seen proof of his wickedness or that he is corrupt. Any proof is welcomed.

The comments made were mostly personal and not based on his qualifications and record of accomplishments in Plainfield. There were also comments that looked like tips on things I should look into and blog about. Anon 7:38 p.m., I will be forwarding your comment to the Union County Prosecutor's Office.

I have combed through many documents involving Gallon's case. I started out by simply reading the OFAC report done independently by the State in which I could not for the life of me find a reference to Dr. Gallon doing anything illegal. Read for yourself here http://www.scribd.com/doc/29461318/Ofac-Report.

What I did read was an HR department under former Assistant Superintendent Dr. Garnell Bailey that was in disarray. The OFAC investigators mentioned several times that interview records that were requested from HR staff were often not presented or available. Based on an a document submitted to the State, Dr. Bailey resigned from the district before the investigation of her department was concluded.

There are other documents that include names of over 20 employees that were either not certified or were in positions that were not approved by the Board. The documents state that none arrived from Florida with Gallon but were here in the district for years. There is a reference to an employee by name that was hired and employed in Plainfield without completing a background check or being fingerprinted by HR. According to the document, the employee resigned after being directed to have fingerprints taken by Dr. Gallon, not HR.

I revisited some of the above facts to share why I have taken a differring view about this case and that it shows the worse case of how politics can take over in a school district or city. I need only mention former City Administrator Bibi Taylor. She is not serving Plainfield because of politics. What about the hate filled ant-gay flier that was cowardly distributed at City Hall?  Some politics want people to scream loud about issues they want at the forefront while some politics would prefer we be quiet.

While watching a movie last night the main character commented to his friend "we must be right". His friend asked him why. He answered "because there are too many people that want me to be quiet".

Reduction in Force at BOE: Will Students and Teachers be First?

The Plainfield BOE Agenda shows that the district will be considering a Reduction in Force to balance the budget. In this economy I have no problem with the need to cut staff and make sure that the budget is balanced. I have received a few comments that people are already being laid off. Does this have to go the BOE first?

Since the BOE is known for giving away the store in legal fees I hope that proper procedures are being done when it comes to laying people off and is doing so in a professional way. With the new BOE majority in place for over a year now I am sure that all procedures are being followed and this week they wont be approving a plan that already started with people being let go. Or will they?

The main question that the BOE and district should answer in the next few weeks is will teachers and students be first? There has been a lot of talk about bloated administrations and the Governor himself has come down pretty hard on administrator pay. As a failing district that lags behind even other failing districts and a community that continues to see too many of our youth waste away and die in the street, our schools are even more important. I believe that too often we complain and don't offer solutions to our community's problems. I will offer a few suggestions to the BOE. First put teachers and students first.

In the Reduction Plan I hope the BOE considers teachers and students first. Here are a few suggestions:
1. There should be no teachers laid off to save administrators that do not work at schools with students.
2. There should be a total review of certifications and qualifications for all administrators and staff.
3. In light of the controversy last year, any administrator that does not hold the proper certificate should be either laid off or made to teach students if they are qualified to do so.
4. A review of each department should be reviewed for the number of administrators and secretaries.
5. The BOE should know the impact of laying teachers off on the number of students in classes for next year.
6. There should be openness and transparency about how people are selected for layoffs. Asks questions.
7. The BOE and taxpayer's cannot afford to keep people who are in luxury positions. If you really have to ask what the person does, then they are in a luxury position and should not be kept. No politics or favoritism.
8. To save money the BOE should contract out certain duties that don't require a full time person. This has been popular in the private sector and is being used by many in public sectors these days. My former employer did it to save on overtime and employee benefit costs.
9. If a person's has a job that is tied mainly to projects or seasonal activities, then hire someone just to do the project when they are needed.
10. Look at Human Resources and positions that work with staff in the district. If you are laying off then you are not hiring. If you are not hiring then you don't need as many staff in your HR department.
11. There should be not cuts to programs for students at school and there should be money for all of the things students need such as materials, computers, textbooks, and supplies.

The students of Plainfield should be our priority in any reduction plan. If they are the priority then we will value our teachers. We need to make sure that the resources we have go to support students and teachers in the classrooms.

Let's see if the BOE will really put students and teachers first.

A Successful Reform Agenda?

The Gallon and Plainfield saga is a classic case of local politics and its impact on educational systems serving students who are the furthest behind and have the greatest needs. Based on court documents read that were filed by Gallon’s attorney to the State in defense of tenure charges brought against him by the new Board majority,   “Dr. Gallon arrived committed to providing stability, accountability, and leadership to a district that had experienced a revolving door of superintendents in recent years and had languished academically in its failure to provide an effective, thorough, and efficient education to its students.”

The political demonizing of Gallon during this BOE elections is troubling. One mailer went over the top in characterizing him considering that the Board that selected Gallon went to great lengths to find and hire a quality educational leader and ensure that his background was properly checked. Gallon’s attorney further supports this by stating that Dr. Gallon’s “selection and hiring process required a comprehensive background check that included a review of his criminal history, education, work experience, driving history, credit and finances, a community site visit to his former district, and a media background check. Dr. Gallon successfully met all requirements of this screening which finally included fingerprinting, a medical examination, and a drug screening.”

Gallon seemingly arrived to Plainfield with much fanfare and after a sustained, stable career as a teacher, assistant principal, elementary and high school principal, and district administrator. They had in their new superintendent a published author of several books and one who had served as a university Professor of Educational Leadership, preparing prospective students for school leadership positions. By all accounts, Dr. Gallon seemed to be type of leadership that a failing district such as Plainfield needed---young, well educated, charismatic, energetic, and proven. A review of his experiences in Miami-Dade County shows that he was assigned to some of the most challenging schools, leaving a documented track record of success in student achievement and community involvement.

His formula and approach for improving schools as he had done for nearly twenty years in Miami-Dade seem to had been working and paying great dividends to the Plainfield School District. Noted among his achievements reported in court documents, state reports and the local media, who initially embraced him as Plainfield’s educational messiah, included the development of a Comprehensive Strategic Plan with accountability measures, the launching of K-8 Centers, the creation of a School for the Arts and Advanced Studies, Districtwide Mandatory Student Uniforms, increased community involvement and access through Town Hall Meetings, and the development of an evaluation system for administrators. Based on a State Quality Schools Accountability Continuum (QSAC) Report, principals and district administrators, though required by law, had not been evaluated for nearly four years prior to Gallon’s arrival. This resulted in many earning what has now become highly controversial tenure rights although never having their performance properly evaluated.  I read a recent blog which indicated since Gallon's departure principals again have not been evaluated as required by law. I will look into this further.

After only one year, Gallon’s initiatives and approach had shown improvements in the district and according to many, gained positive attention at the State level. In his first year, he had increased student enrollment, student attendance, grant dollars, the graduation rate, and courses and programs for gifted and honors students. Audit findings at the district level had decreased from 37 to 5 over the course of his tenure. Gallon inherited a high school that had been labeled the State only persistently dangerous and a district that had been classified “In Need of Improvement” for several years under the federal guidelines of No Child Left Behind Act. Both labels would be removed from the district after only 18 months of Gallon’s leadership as Plainfield’s Superintendent of Schools. There would also be double-digit gains in each of the five QSAC categories, with Curriculum which had scored the lowest---a sad 8%---realizing the highest gain. This was an area that curren BOE Member Wilma Campbell was listed as the Committee Chairperson for the past several years.

There has been no debate about Gallon’s positive impact on the educational programs for students and operations of the district, and his unique ability to lead. His efforts to lead a positive reform agenda had proven successful. It has been said among certain inner circles that he refused to play "political ball" with old and new power brokers in Plainfield and at the BOE.  

For a district that was seemingly headed in the right direction in its overall operations and education of its students, many are still left to ponder want went wrong. Most have resigned themselves to the sad reality that this episode is just another chapter in the book of New Jersey Politics, and even sadder, the persistent problems in the City of Plainfield, New Jersey.

GRAND SLAM REDUX-WHAT NOW?

The low voter turnout in the Plainfield School Board elections resulted in another sweep by what is becoming infamously known as the Grand Slam Team. This slate headed by Board Member Wilma Campbell has become the power broker of the Plainfield Board of Education since they launched their successful campaign to oust former Superintendent of Schools Steve Gallon and incumbent Board members Martin Cox and Christian Estevez. Even though we are now learning a year later that that the rhetoric about Gallon and his leadership was more smoke than mirrors, the damage seems to already be done the district and our students.

Yesterday's sweep and recent ouster of incumbent Board Member Lenny Cathcart was fueled by more negative campaigning and lies. I will posting more about the facts in the coming weeks. Stay tuned. Their sweep was also fueled by voter apathy and a biased media in the name of the Courier News. Jay Jefferson's Cooke editorial is an example of why readers and subscribers to the Courier News has been reduced by over fifty percent over the past several years. His all out assault on Cathcart seem childish and personal. Cathcart may even wise to consult an attorney to see if Cooke's views are libelous or the Courier's bias crosses the lines of an unfair political endorsement. Further his reference to Gallon over nearly a year ago seems to be sign of desperation in holding on to a person who is long gone and whose educational work was among the best the district had ever witnessed.

Anyway, have things gotten better in the Queen City when it comes to educating students? That is the main question.

Scores have been at the bottom for years. So if it is time to sweep the "slate" clean of incumbents and start anew, Board Member Wilma Campbell who also headed Curriculum since arriving on the Board should be viewed with skepticism. There are major budget problems and many of the positive initiatives of Gallon seemed to have gone by the wayside.

As for Cathcart, many have described him as a caring and sincere Plainfielder who has dedicated his life to the children in this community. I guess his defeat last night is another sign that champions for children no longer have a place in the Plainfield Board of Education. Many I have spoken with share that the new agenda is contracts for lawyers, jobs and promotions for friend, and punishment for enemies.

Was Gallon the Victim of Selective Prosecution?

Selective Prosecution?

Selective Prosecution happens when a criminal prosecution is brought at the discretion of a prosecutor rather than as a matter of course in the normal functioning of the prosecuting authority's office. To many, it seemed that the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office would have hinged on selective prosecution if they had pursued the charges against Gallon, Kemp, an Kelly.

The answer as to why the State decided to even consider charges against Gallon, Kemp, and Kelly, making it the first known case in New Jersey to ever result in an arrest and attempt to prosecute persons for a school enrollment issue may never be known. Though the attorneys for the defendants called it an “aberration” and had planned to vigorously defend the charges, Kemp and Kelly were initially provided access to the State Intervention option but Gallon was denied. Thomas Ashley, Gallon’s high-powered Newark attorney filed an Appeal to the denial. An argument to the appeal was never heard in court and Gallon was provided the option without any explanation from the State.

The fact that Gallon, who was embroiled in a bitter battle with a newly elected School Board majority that campaigned publicly on a platform to get rid of him, yet reached a settlement in which he was paid over $100,000.00 is even more troubling and further calls into question how local and possibly state politics are played at the expense of children in one of New Jersey’s most neediest and troubled districts. The new Board majority after only one week in office took action to remove Superintendent Gallon from office. This action along with the actions of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office call into question the real motives around the Gallon saga. Were they working together? Were in local or state politicians involved?

The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office on one end should be applauded for not wasting tax payer’s dollars on what seemed to had been an already resolved, victimless matter. However, the question still looms as to the reason that arrests were made and charges were even considered against the trio in the first place. These are questions that may remain unanswered and left to speculation, rumor, or innuendo. People will continue to ask whether the matter was fueled by politics, power, racism, or a combination of the three.

The Decline of Plainfield Schools

I am a community member in Plainfield, New Jersey. I am concerned about the way politics have destroyed our community. We continueto be robbed and destroyed by politics.

I am going to start posts about the Plainfield school district which has been on the decline for years. We began to see some positive changes the last few years with Superintendent Steve Gallon. But we know how that ended or do we?

I will be sharing public information about this saga that seemed to have been totally ignored by the local bloggers and media, especially the Courier News.

Stay Tuned and Welcome to my New Blog. I hope you find it informative.