Letter To The Editor: Rye Board Of Education

The following is a letter sent by a Rye resident and retired teacher.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR and To the Board Members of the Rye City School District

I have lived in the City of Rye for nearly 30 years and, as a retired teacher, turn key trainer and evaluator, I fully understand that personnel issues cannot be discussed publicly. Therefore, I also fully understand that some pieces of this unusual puzzle are not accessible to the public. Keeping this in mind, the Board should understand that rumor mills create their own "truth" when no other sense can be made. That, unfortunately, is the corner that both this Board and the academic leadership of the district has painted themselves into at this juncture. In your corner, however, are many irate residents, I being one, who has seen the legal budget line depleted in January and in a tightly capped budget, eight teachers being paid instead of four.

I find it interesting that the NYS Ed archives do not show the Administrator's Manual for the 2013 test. Many others are readily available. So, the discussion of test administration and the issues of test irregularities are not out there for discussion and review. I do know, as a veteran teacher, that what is being presented here is a form of collusion by four teachers, which is just as absurd as the money that is being wasted here. The issue of copy catting from one parent to the other is no surprise. It happens in towns across the country. We used to call it the game of telephone in my day; with high tech it's merely a text message. Done. To believe that children never have their own agendas is purely myopic. 

Teachers used to have the saying to parents, "I won't believe all what I hear about you if you don't believe all you hear about me." As impertinent as it may sound, there's a strong thread of truth running through it. A child's perception, even under the questioning of a highly skilled psychologist, is often less than accurate. And yet, you as board members and the superintendent have removed four veteran teachers based on faulty questioning of children under the age of 10. 

Beyond the expense that has been incurred, you have, unless this gets resolved without further retribution, destroyed the careers of four women. A resignation would be looked at with suspicion by any future educational employer; a change of career would carry questions as well. There are no winners here, and if there are, they're well hidden. You have traded experienced teachers with novices. You have incurred incredible expenses and, the silence that you "hear" from both teachers and parents is fear of retribution. What kind of educational system that touts having a high school first in NYS and 24th in the nation can continue to run like this? 

I must, personally, applaud Mr Fox for having a conscience and not voting to continue the contracts of the subs. Unfortunately, he was out voted. By dragging your heels on this, you had left the decision at the final hour, which would've left four classes with day to day subs. A bad choice as well.

Education was once a welcoming profession; I remember when we all worked and played well together. It was short lived, however. Once schools took on the corporate mentality and board members became politicians all was lost. Then teachers became the greedy enemies who demanded livable wages, tenure was suspect when professional development was haphazardly offered and ultimately teachers became disposable like yesterday's refuse. And, you want to attract the best and the brightest. What you are finding are career changers who think the grass is greener. All too soon they will experience the same mentality from which they escaped. Only you can change that. It's in your hands.

It's time both the board and the Superintendent change course in this cruise to nowhere. It has damaged the reputation of not only four teachers. It has chipped away at the confidence that many residents have in this system.

Shelley Karlen