Saturday Jan. 25: Stop and Reverse the Disappearing of Black and Latino Educators in NYC

Sean Ahern has led the efforts to bring this issue to the fore almost since I met him when we helped form ICE 10 years ago. He has moved steadily forward by building coalitions with all the groups named below.

This Saturday the Ad Hoc committee for Teacher Diversity is sponsoring a meeting to address the issue.

If this were only happening in NYC we would be able to look at the local conditions alone. But this is going on nationwide in urban areas where ed deform has reared its ugly head. You know, those people claiming they are involved in the civil rights issue of our times while somehow reducing the numbers people of color who are teaching in the areas that need them the most. Today we saw Boston highlighted:

A decline in the number of black teachers in Boston public schools has put the city in violation of a federal court order, prompting officials to step up efforts to recruit and retain teachers of color.

Officials in Boston seeking black teachers More diversity is recruitment goal; imbalance could bring litigation

Stop and Reverse the Disappearing of Black and Latino Educators in NYC
 

Please come to this important event and distribute the flyer below: 

• Testimonials from those pushed out and shut out
• An update on Gulino vs BOE (lawsuit against the NYS LAST exam)
• What we can do now

Saturday, January 25, 2014

3-5 PM

The Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew’s Parish Hall

520 Clinton Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238 (C train to Clinton/Washington)

A 42% decline in the number of new Black and Latino teachers hired to teach in NYC public schools since 2002 is movement in the wrong direction.

The DOE hires graduates from private universities over those from CUNY and SUNY.

A NYS teacher certification exam is not validated yet disproportionately excludes Black and Latino applicants.

Over 100 public schools have been closed in NYC’s Black and Latino communities.

Mayoral control over the DOE with its $25 billion yearly budget shuts out the voices and accountability to parents – over 80% of whom are Black, Latino and Asian.

Privately run charter schools are given a free ride to crowd existing public schools and to divide parents against parents.

The absence of DOE or mayoral oversight or direction to monitor and promote diversity in the teaching staff provides a cover for growing indifference and hostility to demands for equity.  “If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.”

The undermining of teacher tenure, seniority and due process disproportionately impacts Black and Latino teachers, denigrates the teaching profession, inhibits student advocacy and contributes to chaos and demoralization in our public schools.

The disappearing of Black and Latino educators removes the most consistent advocates for a historically accurate, culturally relevant and inclusive curriculum.

Join with educators, parents and community leaders to stop and reverse the disappearing of Black and Latino educators.  Let’s organize for a real change at Tweed and City Hall.

Organized by the Ad Hoc committee for Teacher Diversity

Contact information: Peter Bronson (917) 453-3666, (718) 805-6341 Email:TeacherDiversity@gmail.com

Endorsers (list in formation) Black New Yorkers for Educational Excellence, Coalition for Public Education, Movement of Rank and File Educators, National Black Education Agenda, New York Collective of Radical Educators, People Power, Progressive Action Caucus, Teacher’s Unite.

Stop and Reverse the Disappearing of Black and Latino Educators in NYC