Letter To The Editor:Re-Assignment of Teachers In Rye City School District

Letter to the Editor:

Following up on our Thursday January 23, 2013 electronic mail message respectfully requesting a meeting, perhaps you have begun or will begin some independent research on our claims for determination if the matters fall within the jurisdiction of the House Judiciary Committee.  For those purposes, we have taken the liberty of assembling the following links, all from mainstream, credible media outlets in Westchester County, NY (except for the first link which comes from a blog that merely copy’s and paste’s the first email from the Administration advising parents within the Rye City School District) which will substantively lay out the matters:

Administration’s May 24, 2013 email: http://www.myrye.com/my_weblog/2013/05/cheating-teachers-westchester-da-called-in-on-standardized-test-improper-coaching.html

Summer 2013 Petition to Reinstate Teachers: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/reinstate-osborn-elementary-teachers

Gannett Newspaper’s October 5, 2013 Article Advising of the Continuing Reassignment of Teachers: http://www.lohud.com/article/20131002/NEWS/310020069/Rye-teachers-still-limbo-over-testing-flap-after-five-months-no-scores-students

Gannet Newspaper’s October 16, 2013 Article Advising of District Attorney’s Return of the Complaint to the Rye City School District: http://www.lohud.com/article/20131016/NEWS/310160029/D-No-criminal-charges-against-4-Rye-teachers-accused-coaching

HomeTown Media Group’s October 24, 2013 Article Reporting on the District Attorney’s Return of the Complaint to the Rye City School District on the Basis of “insufficient evidence:” http://hometwn.com/da-will-not-charge-suspended-rye-teachers/  

Rye City Review’s November 21, 2013 Article Reporting Assignment of 4 Teachers to a 9x10 “Rubber Room”: http://www.ryecityreview.com/suspended-teachers-confined-to-rubber-room/  

Gannet Newspaper’s January 21, 2014 Reporting that 1 of 4 suspended Rye Teachers Resigns: http://www.lohud.com/article/20140121/NEWS/301210048/LoHud-exclusive-1-4-suspended-Rye-teachers-resigns-others-still-forced-leave

Since its formation on June 3, 1813, the standing committee on the Judiciary was established by the House of Representatives whose scope has expanded to include, among other things, issues relating to the protection of civil liberties, revision and codification of the statutes of the United States, and constitutional amendments.  The gravamen of the matter here is the return of the complaint by the District Attorney to the Rye City School District on the basis of “insufficient evidence,” where the Administration perilously pressed and on November 21, 2013, a full 36 days after the District Attorney advisement of “insufficient evidence,” had the audacity to bring ten (10) counts of charges against Shannon Gold, who ultimately resigned.  That is has been said that Ms. Gold had planned on seeking a career outside of teaching at some point, is of no moment here.

The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office who prosecutes nearly 40,000 criminal cases a year, throughout the 457 square miles of Westchester County with a staff of 239 people including 120 Assistant District Attorneys, 38 investigators, and 80 support personnel is the second largest investigative body in the State of New York, the expertise of which a second year Superintendent of Schools and a seven member Board of Education recklessly disregards and becomes their own “investigative body.”  Equally compelling is the Administration’s assignment of 4 grown woman to a 9x10 “rubber room,” the size of which is not even a legal bedroom in New York State, where, upon information and belief they were told to “suck it up.” 

Once you have had a chance to digest the short articles in the above links, the Committee for Election Equality, a duly formed Committee (W-4178) in the City of Rye, County of Westchester, State of New York respectfully reiterates it request for a meeting in Washington, D.C. at your convenience to further discuss these matters.  It is envisioned that a very small contingent of parents in the affected classrooms and a reassigned teacher or two will be in attendance. 

Thank you for your attention to these unfortunate matters that fly in the face of our principles of democracy.

Respectfully,