Families for Excellent Schools, the charter school advocacy group whose canvasser was confronted this week by former school board member Maria Pereira, announced on Friday it has gathered signatures from more than 5,000 Bridgeport residents “in support of system-wide change that would give every Bridgeport student access to a high-quality school.”
More than a dozen canvassers for the “Unite Bridgeport” campaign, who are collecting petitions, speaking and registering voters, will continue canvassing in neighborhoods throughout the coming weekend, with the goal of gathering 10,000 signatures by the end of September, and presenting them to the Board of Education, according to a news release issued by the organization.
“What we’re hearing, every day is that people are tired of infighting, they are concerned about the city’s failing schools and want to come together as a community to create change,” says Kara Neidhardt, state director for Families for Excellent Schools. “These petitions send a powerful message. We’re very encouraged by the feedback we’ve received from Bridgeport parents and residents.”
On Tuesday Pereira, an opponent of charter schools, challenged a paid canvasser for FES in front of Dunbar School collecting signatures for a petition to be presented to the school board. The exchange between Pereira and the canvasser was videotaped by a friend of Pereira for distribution. The advancement of charter schools–-publicly funded but operating independently of the traditional school district–-is a controversial topic in Bridgeport with members of the Board of Education split on effectiveness.
Pereira, claiming canvassers are spreading lies in support of FES, admonished the canvasser’s declaration that Bridgeport is the worst performing district in the country and decried the millionaires backing FES asserting the organization just wants to make wealthy Wall Street executives wealthier. The canvasser declared that her experience with the organization is to help improve public schools.
Kara Neidhart, CT state director for Families for Excellent Schools.
She graduated from Coginchaugh Regional High School located in Durham, CT in 2009 and went on to graduate from Holyoke College in 2013. In all likelihood, she is approximately 23 years old.
These statistics represent the demographics of the high school she graduated from in 2009 and I compared them to the BPS District in 2009.
Let’s compare these two cities based on 2000 census data.
Why did I post all this data and statistics? It’s simple. Can someone please tell me how this 23-year-old woman from Middlesex County can possibly relate to our diverse student, parent and resident populations? How can this outsider possibly think she has the right to speak for the vast majority of Bridgeport parents and families? How does this 23-year-old think she knows what is best for those who have been born and raised here, live here and send their children to the true public schools in Bridgeport?
Just another well-compensated charter school proponent who is spewing propaganda on behalf of the millionaires, billionaires and Wall Street executives who fund her position.
I received several calls from BPS parents and residents about these paid FES canvassers. They were in front of Stop & Shop on Fairfield Avenue Thursday. They approached a BPS parent who serves on the BPS Parent Advisory Council. Apparently this parent let them have it. They stated they were going in to buy some groceries and if they were still there they were going to photograph and videotape them. By the time they exited Stop & Shop, they had disappeared.
FES canvassers were also standing in front of Walgreens on Main and North.
I guess FES considers standing in front of national retailers and soliciting their customers for petition signatures, “canvassing in neighborhoods.”
Standing in front of major retailers, assuming permission of the retailers, is something that is very normal for charitable groups raising funds for their cause and by political candidates attempting to share their material and positions.
What is the problem you raise, unless they are breaking a retailer rule or request that you did not mention? Is it that they are paid advocates? Are you familiar with the Bridgeport election cycle and the distribution of “street money>?” Our political process has gotten used to cash paid to voters some of which sticks with those doing the doling out. Isn’t the FES brand of advocacy more benign? Time will tell.
I did not utilize the statement “canvassing in neighborhoods,” Kara Neidhart, CT state director for Families for Excellent Schools did.
This is a description of TRUE neighborhood canvassing.
Canvassing is the systematic initiation of direct contact with a target group of individuals commonly used during political campaigns. A campaign team (and during elections a candidate) will knock on doors of private residences within a particular geographic area, engaging in face-to-face personal interaction with voters. Canvassing may also be performed by telephone, where it is referred to as telephone canvassing. The main purpose of canvassing is to perform voter identification–to poll how individuals are planning to vote–rather than to argue with or persuade voters. This preparation is an integral part of a ‘get out the vote’ operation, in which known supporters are contacted on polling day and reminded to cast their ballot.
Standing in front of national/big box retailers is in no way “canvassing in neighborhoods.”
Maria, are assistant principal’s qualifications public information? Two years with the BOE, Principal at one school, takes a leave and ends up as an assistant at another. Dismissive, rude and acts like he is the Principal. I have been in all the schools and have never met a condescending individual as this and I am very curious. Dr. Bryan Williams. I send kids swearing out of class and being totally distracting as well as playing music and he sends them back immediately. No conversation, no support and no desire to ask why they were sent out of the class. I was totally stunned. This btw at Wilbur Cross where the students were at the swing school two years ago to return to an UN-airconditioned school. Try teaching math in 100 degree classrooms. Just thought I’d share and inquire. I was pleased to see Mrs. Tisdale, originally at Geraldine Johnson promoted to Principal at Wilbur Cross.
Steve, I am not 100% sure on this one. I think you could file a FOI request for his resume, but I am not positive. He was the original principal of Bridgeport Military Academy last year. Vallas tried to terminate his employment last year and removed him as the BMA principal. Quite a few parents and students came out to a BBOE meeting to demand he be reinstated. The majority of the BBOE supported the parents and students request and he was reinstated. I have never had a conversation with Bryan Williams and I have never received a complaint from a parent.
Well, take it first hand. Vallas should have fired him. He is a slug. He is rude and condescending. Luckily he was not reinstated. I would say he will not last at Wilbur Cross. I could not even imagine one parent demanding he be reinstated. So apparently Vallas was astute. I personally do not think he could even survive in a classroom. I have never left a school feeling like I wouldn’t want to go back again and just so you know, it was Wilbur Cross where a student stole my $450 touchpad and I never held it against the school and of course it was never even suggested the school reimburse any portion of it. So there you have it. There must have been a good reason Vallas tried to get rid of him. Credentials? I do not think Vallas could get away with that without a lawsuit. So he gets to keep his pay as the principal while he was demoted. You have to love the union, right?
He was not reinstated!
Steve, he did take a salary reduction as an assistant principal and he was reinstated at BMA. He was out ill for a while, he resigned and then rescinded his resignation. When he returned he was placed somewhere else.
Vallas claimed the reason he was removing him as principal of BMA was because he did not have his CT certification. Well the children and parents had a ball with that claim. Vallas was being sued for his lack of qualifications at the time.
Are you implying he is employed at Wilbur Cross because of the union?
Maria, if he took a salary reduction he will be the first demoted Principal to do so. I only worked with him for six days. He pretty much stayed in his air-conditioned office all day until his daily lunch duty. He was certainly not interested in my issues with the students or helping me put a teaching agenda together for an 8th grade starting the school year. No sense of urgency at all. Got the impression he was medicated and when I asked why he sent the students back to my class., he said he doesn’t answer to me. Told me he was done with me and said I should leave or he will call security. I looked at him like he was nuts. Seriously, I kid you not. I have seen it all in 30 schools, this was definitely an experience for the books. I am certain however, the kindergarten through 6th under Mrs. Tisdale will be run as smoothly as it did before her promotion at Geraldine Johnson. When a sub is willing to put together an agenda, locate all the books and supplies and be the teacher for six days. A little respect goes a long way. I cannot say if the union was any part of Mr. Bryan Williams, Dr. mind you, that part is not relevant to me. The disrespect, memorable.
Of course I did not leave and continued teaching the class ’til the end of the day. I have happily accepted a week at Discovery Magnet.
Have to improve those below-basic CMT scores or the Charters will be coming.
www .youtube.com/watch?v=fdTihf2_GGM
There is no such thing as CMT or CAPT scores anymore. The new test is called SBAC.
Steve, I cannot speak to your experience, only you can. Sounds like you had a very difficult week. I am sorry you had such a bad experience. On to Discovery Magnet School!
Discovery Magnet School???
Is that where they teach you how and where to discover magnets?
Yes!
Maria Pereira and Steven Auerbach, I think you might find this interesting:
“Why Don’t More Men Go Into Teaching?” nyti.ms/1u9Mp8y
Interesting article. There was nothing new in it and could have been written in 1964. I do know Bridgeport could use more men in the schools. Although I find kindergarten students a riot, I think woman are best with them. I personally prefer High School and 4th through 8th. I would not be happy being part of the teachers union. I believe it needs to go. Teachers need to be evaluated regularly as anyone in the private sector.
So Steve, please enlighten us.
1) What percent of Bridgeport teachers need to be fired to turn the schools around?
2) Please list the top five incompetencies these teachers possess that has lead you to this conclusion?
3) What percent of the teachers you have identified as deserving termination could be retrained/motivated by the s-hook system?
Steve, teachers are required to be reviewed annually as are most employees of any employer. You wrote “I believe it needs to go.” Do you believe the thousands of lobbyists who are paid for by the banking industry, insurance industry, charter school industry, etc., “need to go” too? The wealthy and affluent corporations and industries fund these lobbyists to protect their interests, however teachers starting at approximately $45,000 annually shouldn’t be able to contribute dues to their union to protect the poor and middle class.
Corporate lobbyists represent corporations or the 1% and unions represent real people who are your actual friends, family and neighbors.
Are unions perfect? No, I do not believe they are. Have they done great things to protect the rights of ordinary people? Yes, they have.