A School District out of Control

I was surprised to see my child’s school district in the Argus in a column by Lynh Tat New Haven teacher who admitted having had sex with a minor in the early 1990s Linh Tat and where the district didn’t address the problem it was the State credentialing Board that took the action http://indybay.org/newsitems/2007/03/13/18376339.php Again another article by Ms. Tat shows more incredulous and in sensitivity by the District Administration and double talk UNION CITY — Citing a desire to improve student safety and to deter vandalism and theft, New Haven school district administrators have proposed installing video surveillance cameras on school grounds.
The proposal, which will be discussed at Tuesday's school board meeting, is one that members of the James Logan High School site council have pushed for the last couple of years, Superintendent Pat Jaurequi said.
Feedback from other school site councils and community members also has indicated support for the cameras, she said.
"I believe there is consensus that appropriate use of video cameras would improve student safety," she said.
The proposed policy calls for the "responsible and limited use of video surveillance cameras" on school grounds but not "where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy."
http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_5575109
New Haven rejects camera proposal
Installation of campus surveillance systems may return for reconsideration
By Linh Tat, STAFF WRITER
Article Launched: 04/05/2007 02:33:05 AM PDT

UNION CITY — A proposal to allow video surveillance cameras on campuses was struck down after New Haven school board members deadlocked over the issue this week, but the matter is far from over.
Any trustee may, within the next two regular meetings, request that the board reconsider the item, district officials said. If board members agree, the proposal will be voted on again.
Trustee Jonas Dino, who did not vote at Tuesday's meeting because he was away on business, said Wednesday he would like the board to revisit the issue.
Board members Gertrude Gregorio and Kevin Harper voted to approve the policy, but members Gwen Estes and Jenn Stringer opposed it.
Estes had objected to the proposed policy because it never specified that the decision to install cameras would be left up to each school, which district administrators have said is the intent.
"We can talk about what we intend, but as the policy read, it indicated that the superintendent alone would make the decision," Estes said.
"If I had gotten the (satisfactory) wording ... and gotten clarification that this policy was not meant to be intrusive, my vote may have been different," she added.
The possible infringement on individual rights also was of major concern for Stringer, who said she would never vote for the
Policy. Other places that use surveillance cameras, such as stores, are locations where individuals choose to go, she said.
"You choose where you work. You choose where you shop. You choose where you drive. But our students don't choose where they go to school. They are mandated to go by law," she said.
Supporters of the policy said cameras help deter fights, vandalism or other crimes from occurring on campus.
"When kids know there's something that might be able to catch them, sometimes they're less likely to do things," Dino said. "It's less about Big Brother watching every move we make."
Ann Brick, attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, questioned whether schools that employ surveillance cameras are seeking simple solutions to complex problems, and she worried about the potential for individuals to abuse use of the cameras.
"We're talking about schools here, not prison. While safety is important, we don't need to accept constant surveillance as the price of safety," she said.
"One of the questions we need to ask is whether we want to teach students it's OK to live in a world where their actions are constantly being recorded by a camera.
"It's hard to imagine that schools should be spending $10,000 to $
15,000 per camera in the name of school safety when apparently what they're really concerned about is stopping vandalism," she said.
Superintendent Pat Jaurequi said she won't authorize schools to install them unless there is a school board policy reflecting approval of the cameras.
The district's adult school has video cameras, but they have not been in use for about three years, Jaurequi said. The cameras were purchased before Jaurequi or the adult school principal came to New Haven, she said.
"There are cameras there, however they're not operational and they will not be operational until there's a policy," she said. "What's important to me is not to purchase cameras and expand upon what's already in place."
http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_5598762
If my child is put on video without permission I will see the district in Court!
New Haven changing its changes
District is delaying some alterations; however, the proposed bell schedule will ring in new term this fall
By Linh Tat, STAFF WRITER
Article Launched: 03/25/2007 02:31:08 AM PDT
UNION CITY — Change may be good. It may even be necessary. But too many changes too fast can be overwhelming. And change without community buy-in could be disastrous.
Depending on whom you ask, these are the situations in which the New Haven school district finds itself.
This past school year, the district set up a new bell schedule — which it later tweaked — and a new system for teacher collaboration, in addition to implementing 21 strategic plan action items to improve student achievement.
And in the 2007-08 year, some students and staff members will be affected by the closure of Cabello Elementary and by revised school boundaries.
With all the changes, some people are asking for room to breathe.
Upon the request of the New Haven Teachers Association, Superintendent Pat Jaurequi has agreed to scale back the number of new strategic plan action items that will be implemented next year.
The district has been focused on developing its English curriculum this year and was planning to work on its math curriculum next year, but teachers asked that they be given another year to fine-tune the language-arts program before moving on to another focus.
Is this management or inaccuracy based on dictatorial policy?
http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_5517912

District to scale back changes
By Linh Tat, STAFF WRITER
Article Launched: 03/26/2007 02:38:14 AM PDT
UNION CITY — Change may be good. It may even be necessary. But too many changes too fast can be overwhelming. And change without community buy-in could be disastrous.
Depending on whom you ask, these are the situations in which the New Haven school district finds itself.
This past school year, the district set up a new bell schedule — which it later tweaked — and a new system for teacher collaboration, in addition to implementing 21 strategic plan action items to improve student achievement.
And in the 2007-08 year, some students and staff members will be affected by the closure of Cabello Elementary and by revised school boundaries.
With all the changes, some people are asking for room to breathe. Upon the request of the New Haven Teachers Association, Superintendent Pat Jaurequi has agreed to scale back the number of new strategic plan action items that will be implemented next year.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_5522797
New Haven forum to focus on interventions
, FROM STAFF REPORTS
Article Last Updated: 03/26/2007 02:31:27 AM PDT
The New Haven school district's next community forum will focus on the topic of interventions for struggling students and will include a presentation on a plan for new bell schedules for the next school year.
You don’t close schools and say that you are focusing on interventions.
Watching the last board meeting on Tuesday night I was shocked to hear about the violations of the right to privacy, which seems now to be a pattern, so I called a friend who teaches at one of their schools and we went online there we saw evaluations and other private data available and expelled student names and information including address telephone number etc. We looked at a Latino teachers evaluation which was on a public computer that showed he received a negative evaluation in 2005 because of his heavy accent he taught Spanish he was terminated. Private data is to be kept secure not made available for everyone to see. After further discussions with members of NHUSD we found it was common knowledge.