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This video shows there is still a long way to go in terms of educating children of color and valuing the informed comments of an educated and articulate parent who challenges the status quo of a Board of Education. In this case, the meeting occurred in Hoboken, NJ at the monthly Hoboken Board of Education meeting. It is also interesting that a few members of the City Council were at the meeting but decided not to get involved. Such is the nature of systemic and institutional aspects of racism. It is not only perpetuated by those in power, it is also unthreatened by the silence of others.
Some things have to be seen to be believed. Other things need to be read to fully understood. This post is a little of both. The following is a Board of Education Meeting held in Hoboken, NJ but first--- some things you may want to observe.
Some things have to be seen to be believed. Other things need to be read to fully understood. This post is a little of both. The following is a Board of Education Meeting held in Hoboken, NJ but first--- some things you may want to observe.
What to look for:
1) You will see the Board President Tom Klupfel call the next public speaker to the podium.
2) You will see Board President Tom Klupfel ask the African American woman for her address.
3) You will notice Board President Tom Klupfel did not ask the speaker before or a speaker afterwards of their address.
4) You will see the African American mother attempt to speak her truth in a public forum. Specifically how children of color are being neglected in the school district.
5) You will see her be told by Board President Tom Klupfel she has run out of time.
6) You will hear the treat that the police will be called
7) You will NOT see a number of police officers come to take the woman away.
8) The meeting will continue...Then you will see the Hoboken Teachers Union President get up to the podium and call the previous speaker(s) "clowns" who are seeking attention. I include a transcription of the President of the Hoboken Teacher's Union blog with the video.
9) You will see various people called racists. The meeting will close with other racial accusations and defenses.
Remember the definition for a micro aggression. Specifically a micro aggression is a statement, action, or incident regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group such as a racial or ethnic minority. A micro aggression is also an indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group.
Please watch for yourself and in the comments section, post how many micro aggressions you spot in this video clip.
The Principle Participants
Tom Klupfel- Hoboken Board of Education President
Cortney Wicks- Hoboken Public School Mother
Gary Enrico- Hoboken Teachers Association President
Irene Sobalov- Hoboken Board of Education Member
Please watch for yourself and in the comments section, post how many micro aggressions you spot in this video clip.
The Principle Participants
Tom Klupfel- Hoboken Board of Education President
Cortney Wicks- Hoboken Public School Mother
Gary Enrico- Hoboken Teachers Association President
Irene Sobalov- Hoboken Board of Education Member
Microaggressions are the everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership. A microaggression is the casual degradation of any marginalized group. The term was coined by psychiatrist and Harvard University professor Chester M. Pierce in 1970 to describe insults and dismissals he regularly witnessed non-black Americans inflict on African Americans. Eventually, the term came to encompass the casual degradation of any socially marginalized group, such as the poor or the disabled. Psychologist Derald Wing Sue defines microaggressions as "brief, everyday exchanges that send denigrating messages to certain individuals because of their group membership".
8) Cortney Wicks- 2:07:37 (interrupts for municipality—) 2:08:01- 2:12:37 (Thank you-stops her)- 2:13:14
10 minute recess — cops called
Gary Enrico 2:13:39 - no declaration of name or address
I’ve known Irene Sobalov…for a long long time…alright…and…I would say state publicly that you are not a racist. I know it…I know it from working with you and as far as from the teachers point of view we are with the Board of Education. This is a show that they point on (slight hand wave). Its a big show because of the cameras (waves hand again pointing behind him) and they want to get on tv these people. So they’ll do anything possible to get on..alright..I’ve said it in the past, I’ve been a board member and I know how hard it is to sit up there and people telling lies…but…thats part of what these people do. And as far as the superintendent - I want you to know that the teachers are fully fully behind you and everything that you are offering the district. I know nights like this its tough cause we’ve talked numerous times when no one’s around…and we just…you know talk about things…so, I’m asking you to ride this out..alright…cause you got a lot…to offer this district Christine alight— and I don’t want you to be swayed by these people- they are all just looking for publicity—ahhh—because in some ways….(pause)…they’re racists. But I— I had a big thing planned for tonight but I didn’t didn’t I don’t want to get into it now because its late first of all and I want to stay positive on what we’re doing here as a district. I’m here forty..starting my forty-third year (pause) and the guy…(turns to face the audience) who—is he still here that guy? He had the sweater on…basically hit it — we had many superintendents but we (fiddles with the microphone) finally got one I think that believes in the district…and is committed to the district …and they’re trying to derail it. Alright— and I want you to know Christina you have a lot— our have our support and I know the Board is behind you 100%— this is a show…believe me its just a show (adjusts microphone). Alright…its the same circus different clowns and they’re going to go off one day and we’re going to forget about them . So—hopefully—you can understand what we’re are saying as teachers (waves arm) I know I speak on behalf of my Vice President here and its (shakes head) just a show. Alright…so..Irene (gives thumbs up signal)….(pause)…all I can say is you’re not a racist . No matter what they say up here…its..its just a joke really and they’re a joke—but…enjoy the rest of the evening and…see you next time.
2:16:17
Next Speaker—
2:16:44 Linda Pizarro— gives address but not municipality
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LEAVE A THOUGHTFUL COMMENT
9 comments:
Student EY
What are the main concerns of the speakers at the meeting?
Low Expectations for Black Students
No black students identified as GT
Black Students Achievement at 12.9% and the district says they met expectations at since the goal was 8%. Comparatively, white students achieved at 62.5%
Graduating students (92%) who fail to achieve college ready metrics.
Effectively tracking students due to tiers
Institutional Racism:
No true representation of the Black Community on the Board
Breaking of rules of political recruitment on public property to influence the make-up of the Board.
Lack of transparency around funds and board members who abstain from voting
Call to create a budget that works for all students.
Compliance with New Jersey Amistad Commission Laws which mandates integration of instruction about the slave trade into the curriculum
School Security failures resulting in sexual assault
Do you see any evidence or statements about the quality of education or oversight minority students are receiving in this district?
I did not hear any evidence of oversight of minority students or the quality of their education. The items below are comments that seemed to show efforts the district had made (whether well intentioned or not)
One parent made a statement about the excellent support her own minority children in after school programming called Passport Learning. Judging from the fact that she stated her children were identified as G/T and there were no Black students who were G/T in the district, she was not Black. She also made a statement about the values in her own home that seemed to insinuate that not all minority homes hold those values.
There was a long portion of the meeting that highlighted activities for Black History Month programming including student research projects and presentations, cross-curricular learning opportunities in PE, music and art learning about Harlem Renaissance Period and important athletes. I do not want to diminish the importance of these activities, but, alone, they fall terribly short of a truly balanced, anti-racist curriculum.
Courtney Wicks talked about involvement in the Excellence Through Equity Consortium. This seemed to be a partnership between the district and a university to see other schools where equity is imbedded.
Wicks also spoke of a Diversity and Inclusion Committee, but she said she believed it had not been effective.
The superintendent seemed to say that they were attempting to level set the ratio of minority students to white students in Kinder placements.
3). This meeting was from 2018, what actions do you wish the Board of Education enacted in the next 2 years to address some of the concerns of the parents?
Equity Audit of the procedures to identify students as Gifted and Talented Students to determine systemic practices and personnel biases that impact the under-identification of Black students. Action to either decrease disproportionality or eliminate G/T programming before the next cycle of identification.
With expansion of dual credit programming and the Leap Program, set a goal for participation and completion for Black students, implement recruitment and support specifically for Black students, monitor and report progress to goal.
Conduct safety audit of all campuses.
Set clear expectations for all campus leadership regarding the district’s equity stance (which might have to be created). Exit leaders who fail to support all students and/or fail to take action with teachers who fail to support all students or demonstrate biases that are harmful to Black students.
Set rigorous academic achievement goals for all student groups.
Align fiscal priorities to stated priorities to support Black and other students of color
Student JL
Patricia Waiters speaks about the Amistad Curriculum, accuses the district of racism and politicking on public property in the appointment of new board trustees. Courtney Wicks speaks about the underachievement of the district, and the lack of diversity in the GT programs. Brian Murray speaks about switching the math curriculum, abstentions from a consultant approval process and staff salaries. Elizabeth Adams speaks about an email that went out and spoke about campus security.
Yes, Courtney Wicks most directly spoke about it in calling out the lack of diversity in the GT programs in the district. She had visited a high-achieving diverse school and was largely arguing that there's no reason the same couldn't be happening in Hoboken.
Recommendations:
1. More diversity on the board.
2. Quota ensuring reflective diversity in the GT programs.
Student SH
What are the main concerns of the speakers at the meeting? Please provide some evidence for your answer.
Viewing the Hoboken Board of Education Meeting for February 13, 2018 was difficult to watch at times. We could easily replace 2018 with 2020 given the state of affairs in our country. The main concerns from the speakers at the meeting centered around several functions of a school district as well as superintendent standards.
Framework of District Functions
Statutory Superintendent Standards
Governance Operations
Learner-Centered Values and Ethics of Leadership
Learner-Centered Leadership and School District Culture
Learner-Centered Policy and Governance
Curriculum and Instruction
Learner-Centered Curriculum Planning and Development
Instructional Support Services
Learner-Centered Instructional Leadership and Management
-CSP Field Guide, 2018
According to one of the speakers, the district has created a culture of low expectations for minority students as well as limited representation of minority membership on the board, as claimed by Ms. Wicks and Ms. Waiters, respectively. According to Ms. Wicks, student achievement for white students was at 65%, while achievement for African American students was at 12.9%. She went on to explain scores in reading and math that demonstrated a clear achievement gap. What she was most appalled by was the acceptance of this data as being ok.
Framework of District Functions
Statutory Superintendent Standards
Operational Support Systems - Safety and Security, Food Services and Transportation
Learner-Centered Organizational Leadership and Management
External and Internal Communications
Learner-Centered Communications and Community Relations
-CSP Field Guide, 2018
According to Ms. Adams, the district also has a culture of rape and a failure to adequately monitor the safety and security of students in the schools. Further, communication internally and externally was woefully lacking given that social media trends of incidents went undetected by the schools or district as well as new of the incidents that occurred broke by a media outlet rather than by the district.
Do you see any evidence or statements about the quality of education or oversight minority students are receiving in this district?
As stated above, this district is showing a culture of low expectations as described by the speakers during this meeting. According to Ms. Wicks, student achievement for white students was at 65%, while achievement for African American students was at 12.9%.
3). This meeting was from 2018, what actions do you wish the Board of Education enacted in the next 2 years to address some of the concerns of the parents?
This board needs to take account of the needs in their district and enact a plan to address these needs. They need to create actionable and measurable goals that ensure all students have an opportunity to learn in this district. Further, they need to create a mission and vision that support their beliefs about learning outcomes for all of their students and not be okay with mediocre achievement for students who aren’t white. I would encourage them to look at their district through the lens of all 10 Functions and make the necessary adjustments within their mission, vision and goals. They also need to consider the profile of a Hoboken student and put into place a plan that helps every student achieve that profile standard. Lastly, there were concerns raised about the ethics on this board. That should be addressed. How you spend your time and money represent what you believe. Right now this board doesn’t believe in all students.
Student LS
1. Patricia Waiters- NJ Association of Black Educators: Her main concern was the lack of "black representation on the school board". She felt that the School Board was racist. She claimed that School Board Members were illegally campaigning on public property in order to select certain members for open seats.
Courtney Wicks- District Parent: Her main concern was the low academic achievement of black students. She stated standardized test data that showed that black students were not being identified for G/T services, had low enrollment in AP courses, and were graduating without the skills needed for college.
Brian Murray- He was concerned that the District was not educating students effectively regardless of spending. He offered spending less per student, since the District had not made academic improvements in the last ten years.
Rena Wallia- Parent: Her main point was to thank the Board for the work to provide afterschool care to all students and their work on inclusivity.
Elizabeth Adams- School Secretary: She was concerned about the lack of school safety with an elevator that was accessible by several students and had been the location of an alleged sexual assault. She also wanted transparency of safety issues, and cited a previous incident that was not brought to parents' attention until it was released by the media.
2. From Courtney Wicks' comment that the Superintendent publicly stated that he would not track students by race, it seems that the Board has taken a stance akin to "I don't see color." In taking that stance, they seem to be governing in ignorance. Also from Courtney Wicks' comments, it seems that African American students are receiving an inferior education.
3. I wish the School Board would take a careful look at education practices in respect to African American students and put measures in place to include them in G/T programming, Advanced Academics, and improved test scores. I also wish the School Board would examine their budget to redistribute funds to programs that would help to promote equity in the District.
JS
1) What are the main concerns of the speakers at the meeting? Please provide some evidence for your answer.
Public participants who spoke at the meeting were concerned about the quality of education for African American students and overall lack of transparency within the district. Patricia Waiters voiced her concern about the lack of authentic representation of African American students on the Board of Education. She called out the illegal politicking that undermined her candidacy for the board and ensured that a less qualified and more malleable person was elected into office. Courtney Wicks used data to illustrate the achievement gap between white and African American students. She called out the district for their low expectations and placement of African American students into lower tracks. Wicks named the fight for an equitable education as a Civil Rights battle and pointed out that it could not be solved at the local level; that the issue needed to be litigated at the state level.
Brian Murry’s overarching comments addressed the fact that students are not getting what they need and that in the upcoming budget meeting, either teacher salaries should be slashed or the budget needs to be updated so that “everyone wins.” He also addressed potential illegal activity as 3 board members abstained from Approving a Consultant for the district.
Elizabeth Adams focused on school safety, sexual assaults and rape culture in the district. She shared a specific example of a sexual assault that was only shared with parents after it was made public by a local news agency and asked for more transparency and leadership from the district.
2) Do you see any evidence or statements about the quality of education or oversight minority students are receiving in this district?
Quality of Education Evidence:
Wick and Murry both voiced concern about the low quality of education students are receiving in the district. Wick shared statistics that highlighted discrepancies between academic achievement of white and African American students as well as the discrepancies between white and African American participation in Honors courses and the gifted and talented program. Murry echoed Wick’s concerns by stating that kids are not getting the education they need in Hoboken Public Schools and that the quality of education is not improving for African American students no matter which teacher is delivering instruction.
Minority Student Oversight:
Waiters called out the district for not advocating or adequately overseeing the education of minority students. She began her remarks by referencing the New Jersey Amistad Act Commission Law passed in 2002 that mandated the teaching of African American history in all NJ schools and called out the district for not teaching this history in their schools. She used this evidence to highlight the fact that the Board of Education is not providing minority student oversight. She further emphasized her point by outlining how sitting members of the Board of Education illegally undermined her own candidacy and facilitated the election of a less-qualified and more malleable board member. Waiters called the district out for abusing their power and authority and concluded that while an African American was elected to the board, it still did not provide adequate oversight for the education of minority students.
1) What are the main concerns of the speakers at the meeting? Please provide some evidence for your answer.
The speakers at the meeting express several concerns of racial disparities/bias on African American students, lack of transparency from school board members on addressing safety issues and lack of holding the superintendent responsible for student achievement. Courtney Wicks spoke on low expectations for African American students presented data ( assuming data is correct) that indicates a gap in expectations and actual attainment. She also discussed college readiness and gave the actual data that shows students are low in this area. She gave a good example in her daughter who is in the 8th grade but is not showing signs of preparation for college readiness, she then said she is in the gifted and talented program and there in one African American student in the Honors program. Student achievement is a problem as Brian Murray said there was a misalignment in the goals set up for the superintendent, the goals do not move the district forward and he said it was evident in student academic performance. These goals do not hold the superintendent accountable for improving student achievement. Elizabeth Adams spoke on the lack of the school board and administration to take action on the lack of school safety. She addressed the fact that school enrollment has been dropping due to student safety issues such as sexual assault and rape.
2) Do you see any evidence or statements about the quality of education or oversight minority students are receiving in this district?
Courtney Wicks presented evidence in the data presented ( assuming it is correct) and some of the circumstances presented. If students of color are receiving lower levels of instruction versus white peers then the district needs to create opportunities to close the gap and create equity for these students. If there is not a good number of students of color represented in Honors or GT courses. Murray indicated student achievement was low and the superintendent goals do not him/her accountable. He also mentions the Singapore math program and said they are switching out this math program when they just implemented it. He asks for a reform in budget to attract quality teachers/staff. Rena Wallia spoke in favor of all the programs that have been implemented to improve the quality of education to all students regardless of color or race. While I see her point in pointing out the programs implemented that doesn’t mean that this is helping close the gap/ racial disparities with African American students.
3). This meeting was from 2018, what actions do you wish the Board of Education enacted in the next 2 years to address some of the concerns of the parents?
School board must have a strong commitment to racial equity; thus, an example would be to look at the opportunities in the curriculum and remove barriers that historically caused the under-representation of students of color in Honors and GT programs.
School board must create structural changes that can identify areas of disparities and create structures that support these disparities.
Create goals and policies for an equitable education that will increase each student’s academic and functional trajectory to realize college/career readiness.
Use data to make decisions and identify areas of inequity in student success and participation, disaggregating data by race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, disability, and English language proficiency. Develop statistical measures to assess equity in these areas.
1) What are the main concerns of the speakers at the meeting? Please provide some evidence for your answer.
PATRICIA WAITERS: The main concerns here were the unfair practices with filling a school board seat. Ms. Waiters was a potential candidate and she feels that she has evidence on unfair recruitment and practices on behalf of the school boards. She also mentioned filing a lawsuit against the school board for these unfair practices.
COURTNEY WICKS: The main issue here were the deep-rooted practices of systemic racism for African American students that maintain their marginalization. She gave statistics regarding the achievement rates and graduation rates of AA students compared to white students. As a mother of an 8th grader she has observed these practices.
BRIAN MURRY: The main issue here is questioning budget decisions and fiscal responsibility when it comes to adopted new resources to replace those that are relatively new. He also questions the superintendent's bonuses as they are written in the contract. He used and cited item numbers from school board documents.
ELIZABETH ADAMS: The main issue here is the lack of security of campuses. She cites several incidences of sexual assaults. Her main point is for the school district to prioritize safety so that students can feel safe coming and going to school daily.
2) Do you see any evidence or statements about the quality of education or oversight minority students are receiving in this district?
Absolutely! The statistics that Ms. Wicks gave clearly show the lack of prioritization the district emphasizes on achievement and CCMR for African American students. With achievement rates for AA are at 12.9% with expectations of 8%, that's less than 10 AA kids at the high school will be college-ready. Yet White achievement is at 62.5%. She feels this is stating that AA students are academically inferior. She explains how her daughter is the only AA student in the Gifted and Talented program. She also brings up racial tracking and the impact this has on their educational future.
Ms. Wick's speech was very emotional and heartbreaking to hear and watch. She gave suggestions for equity education for everyone to confront the systemic racism that exists. Her passion is needed and I completely agree with her when she states that this is a "civil rights war".
3). This meeting was from 2018, what actions do you wish the Board of Education enacted in the next 2 years to address some of the concerns of the parents?
Beginning with a board response would be nice. They adjourned the meeting with no response. The is a poor message to the entire community on how significant the speakers' issues are to them.
Mandatory systemic racism and equity training for the boards and everyone in a leadership position in the district immediately.
Create a timeline for the district to create an equity department to establish an equity assessment, public report of findings, design a framework that entails the goals and practices for the district to adopt.
Immediately schedule community circle opportunities for community members and families to express their feelings on these topics.
Immediately schedule community circle opportunities within schools for students to express their feelings on these topics.
Main Concerns:
Patricia Waiters-Although against the law to use public property for politics, a board member went to a housing authority to use his power to recruit others to vote for a candidate. Patricia was angered by the abuse of power resulting in the lack of African American representation and was going to file a formal complaint against the board.
Courtney Wicks-African Americans have lower achievement in the district than their White counterparts. Although African Americans made up a larger percentage than White students in the school, only 8% of African Americans met expectations in comparison to 62.5% of Whites meeting achievement. Growth rates for African American students are also significantly lower, the district received an equity rating of 1 on Great Schools, racial tracking exists, and no African American students are represented in GT. The board historically has said there is not a problem, the data tells a different story, and she states systemic issues exist.
Brian Murray-The budget does not adequately meet the needs of the students as evidenced by the amount spent to pay teachers and low student achievement.
Elizabeth Adams-School safety and security should be at the forefront of all concerns. A 16 year-old male student was arrested for criminal sexual conduct of a 12 year-old female that took place in a school elevator. The district did not address the incident publicly until a month later. Issues with transparency and leadership were expressed with an ending comment of “#stoprapeculture”.
I see evidence of the lack of education quality for African American students as evidenced by the low achievement rates mentioned by Courtney Wicks. A disproportionality between African American and White students exists with also no African American students being represented in the GT program.
Opinions need to be heard from the community and a mass ThoughtExchange with the public would help the board determine the most appropriate path. A ThoughtExchange is way for the public to share actual thoughts and rate others’ thoughts. Although a diversity committee exists, there is evidence to suggest that it may not be serving the purpose intended. Without knowing what the board and committee have already put in place, I believe the board also needs to propose ongoing diversity professional development for teachers and staff members that meet the needs of the student population. Not only does training need to happen, implementation of effective strategies needs to be monitored to ensure fidelity. The board also needs to review the curriculum to ensure that the curriculum meets the needs of the students and a curriculum audit may be in order. Assessments to include GT qualification exams and scores should be examined. The board also needs to communicate more effectively and efficiently. These recommendations are only few, a fraction, and not an all-inclusive list of what needs to be done to handle the issues.
Main Concerns:
Patricia Waiters NJABE. Her concerns are with legal violations about board election processes. A seat became available and board members were politicking on public property to get who they wanted into the board. Ms. Waiters is also sharing frustrations that there is not an adequate black representation on the school board.
Courtney Wicks shares concerns regarding the inadequate performance and achievement of Black students in Hoboken. Silver Springs HS in MD is an example that she uses as one that provides equity for all students. One example she uses is that 12% equates to less than 10 students at the high school are college-ready. She gives various examples of the achievement gap at HHS, such as no Black students in the GT program and only one Black student in honors classes. Her concern is that inequity is systemic and illegal. She is demanding reform.
Brian Murray: He is sharing that there are significant issues to be addressed and the budget does not support all student learning. He argues that if we aren't educating students, then why do we need teachers?
Reena Wallia has students at Wallis Elementary. She acknowledges there is more work to be done but is thanking the board for involving the community in building programs for students. She feels that they are supporting all community and student groups.
Elizabeth Adams had spoken at the previous meeting regarding a lack of student safety on campuses. She cites cases over the past few years of reported student violence and dwindling enrollment. She feels like the schools did not report to their communities and take swift enough action.
Quality of Education or Oversight of Minority Students:
Judging by the speakers from this evening's board meeting, it seems there is evidence of a lack of quality of education for minority students. Ms. Wicks gave many examples showing how students of color were not given the same educational opportunities as white students. This includes honors and GT programs. Although Mr. Murray doesn't relate directly to the education of minority students, he does argue that the education Hoboken School District is providing students is inadequate.
Hopeful Actions for the Next 2 Years:
I would hope that first of all, the district listened more over the next two years to parents and the community. I would hope that focus groups were formed and from these categories of work were developed. These categories could then be turned into action teams that sought to more adequately serve both students and the community. Some possible focus groups would include equity, student safety, and a budgetary review process.
I'd also hope that at some time they revisit their mission and vision for students and how they strive to serve their community as a school district. It does look like, from the current website that they might have embraced the diversity in their culture, HOLA may be one example of that? I do see, however, that it does not appear they currently have Black representation on their school board. I am curious what happened regarding Ms. Waters' comments.
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