Sent Wednesday, October 11, 2017 2:50 PM
Dear Steve, I replied to you in great detail on 9/25 and eagerly await your response. The email thread is at the very bottom of this message for your convenience. It can also be found here. As you know, in Princeton Public Schools, Community Park has one of the higher percentages of Black and Latinx families, and of children receiving free and reduced lunch. It also has a STEM opportunity gap that, for two-plus years, has been widening for girls, children of color, girls of color, and economically disadvantaged children. Given these demographics, and your PR efforts about equity and racial literacy, shouldn't CP be a higher priority for PPS? Or do CP families and children not have as much value as those at other schools? I'm genuinely curious, because more evidence of STEM ed inequity at CP has come to light: 1.) School began 9/7 - on Back to School Night (9/28) I learned that some teachers still hadn't been trained on the new "Amplify Science" curriculum. Oddly, Eddie touted Amplify Science in a letter to parents. Why hype this if all of the teachers haven't actually been trained, especially at CP, which has an urgent need? This is concerning and demands immediate attention, as CP was burned in 2015-16 with Engineering is Elementary (EiE) which was similarly hyped, then disappeared a few months later (after being introduced mid-year, and with minimal training.) If you will recall, you backed Eddie's implementation of EiE.
2.) Your rationale of CP children missing a week of science lab when school began, due to teacher training, has a discrepancy. The new science teacher began working for PPS in July, not on the first day school. Please see below correspondence with Lew.
Justice and equity in the schools is an emerging value in the community, and on Sunday night, Not in Our Town had a forum for Board of Education candidates. Now that your contract has been renewed, will you be using your position and privilege to bring justice and STEM ed equity to CP? Regards, Jennifer
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When the superintendent responded, it was easier - and clearer - to include my reply within the body of his email. My responses to him are in red, below. The science supervisor, world languages supervisor, principal, and entire Board of Education were copied. This school year, two members of the Board of Education - out of 10 - have responded to my inquiry.
Mon, Sep 25, 2017 at 4:02 PM Subject: Re: Inquiry regarding science lab at Community Park: why has it not yet begun? To: Steve Cochrane Dear Jen, Jennifer. Thank you for reaching out with this question. I know it comes from a passionate concern about equity for our students, particularly those who may be from demographic groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the field of science. PPS has an established aversion to facts — this is why I emailed. If I had contacted the BoE sooner, perhaps this wouldn’t have been allowed to happen: DLI renewal presentation, 11/15/2016 BoE meeting. Dineen was asked if she’d encountered any problems with the program, to which she responded (52:56 mark) “I haven’t discovered any huge problems or even small problems…” Steve, it is well-documented that you, Priscilla, and Betsy knew that science lab had been taken away from DLI children without informing parents, and that it was a big issue that was still ongoing, but nobody corrected Dineen. The program was renewed — inequity continued for another year. I want to begin my response by once again inviting you to sit down with me and Dr. Cohen to talk about Science Lab at CP. Dr. Cohen extended that invitation on behalf of both us in his email of June 15. We’ve met twice: 1.) 10/27/15 DLI parents meeting at CP. You said you knew nothing about science lab being taken away from DLI students until Betsy invited you to address the issue. Your statement was disputed by Priscilla and Dineen. - When did you really find out about the situation? Did you make the call to take science lab away from DLI kids without telling families? 2.) 2/11/16 Your office, smaller group of parents. You backed Eddie’s suggestion of piloting Engineering is Elementary (EIE) for all kids in K-2. By fall of 2016, both EIE and the tenured science teacher disappeared. I have also (unsuccessfully) met twice with Eddie. Since we didn’t hear back from you, I wanted to offer again. Parent meetings have been used as damage control to keep facts from getting out to other parents — and the Board of Education. I didn’t respond; instead, I focused on a FOIA to see how much money you spent on sending the district law firm after me. A face-to-face conversation might allow for a more nuanced and solution-based exchange of ideas not only about science lab but about the many aspects of achieving equity in the Princeton Public Schools. “Nuance” — are you suggesting there is nuance to be found in girls, children of color, and economically disadvantaged children experiencing a widened STEM opportunity gap for two years? As for Science Lab at CP, it will start today, Monday, September 18. My children (DLI 2nd grade, 5th grade) finally began science lab on Friday, the 22nd. Science Lab, as you know, is a one-time-a-week, 50–60 minute addition to the required science instruction students receive from their classroom teachers. We did delay the start of Science Lab one week at CP, which means students missed 50–60 minutes of additional science. The question is, Why did we delay the start? The question is, why do you find it acceptable to respond to inequity with more inequity? Equity is not just about the time devoted to instruction; it is also about the content and quality of that instruction. Are you really explaining the concept of equity to a woman whose daughter has not had equitable science lab instruction for two years? This is sexist and condescending. If we give all students the same time but there is a variance in the quality or content, we are not achieving equity. This somewhat defines what you, Eddie, Priscilla, and Dineen have been doing for two years: a bilingual classroom aide pressed into service and rebranded as a “science teacher” or supplanting science lab with EIE for a few months, only to see it disappear. The science specialist at CP is new to our district. Yes, 2017 graduate with a BA in education. According to these Board docs, she has been with PPS since July. If she has been with PPS since then, why did Eddie not prep her in time the start of school? She spent the past week visiting the science specialists at the other elementary schools to observe their lessons, discuss the content of their units for the year, and explore the materials and strategies they use in their classrooms. As far as visiting all of the specialists the first week of school, do you stand by this statement? She also spent time connecting with the classroom teachers at CP to review their year-long plans for science instruction so that her Science Lab lessons could logically extend the learning of our students. If our equity goal is high quality instruction that is consistent across schools, then that one week of preparation and collaboration for a new teacher was appropriate. 1.) According to Brenda Sewell, “Ms. Mulrooney will be approved retroactively at the Board meeting on Tuesday. Her official start date was the start of the school year.” Yet the BoE already approved her as receiving compensation in July — has she been working with PPS since July, yes or no? This matters because you are using her newness as another excuse for further inequity. 2.) PPS has been advertising for a replacement science teacher for CP for almost two years. Why is CP, which has a higher concentration of families of color and economically disadvantaged children than other PPS schools, such a low priority for you? And because I know you have raised questions in the past about the certifications of those teaching Science Lab at CP, I want to share with you that our new Science Specialist at CP has an elementary certification, a special education certification, and a bilingual/bicultural certification. Actually, I stated a fact: the DLI teachers were not certified to be bilingual teachers prior to the launch of the DLI program. She is also halfway through the coursework required to receive her middle school science certification, as there is no elementary science certification. Only one of the other three science specialists in our district has that science certification. Good for her, she is a brand new teacher with a BA, not a BS like the other science teachers, who have years more experience and connections. I believe we are well-positioned to provide high quality Science Lab experiences for all of the students at CP this year and in the years ahead. It is your good fortune as a white man to be able to look ahead beyond this example of institutional racism and sexism in Princeton Public Schools — seemingly without consequences. What of the children at CP who have gone two years without equitable STEM education? The children who can’t look ahead because they are even more behind? Latinx native Spanish speakers — valuable for their language but not valuable enough to receive equitable education; girls already receiving less-than, starting in kindergarten; the low income kids whose parents can’t supplement their STEM ed? What plan for reparations do you have for these affected children, for all of CP? I would welcome the opportunity to talk to you more about those experiences as well as the other steps we are taking throughout the district to support and inspire students from groups that have not always been proportionately represented in our higher level science courses. I would entertain this if members of the PPS BoE, NJDOE, Mercer County Superintendent’s office, STEM advocates and a civil rights group were present. For example, this summer we offered a two-week Science Enrichment Camp for 18 middle school students who were Black, Hispanic, or economically disadvantaged. The goal was to turn them on to the wonders of science and to have them see themselves as real scientists. They engaged in numerous activities, including designing experiments for — and launching — an underwater drone from a Coast Guard cutter! A program for middle school students cited in response to an issue regarding elementary school students? This is really reaching, it’s transparent redirection, and use of people of color as window dressing — the equivalent of “but I have a Black friend.” Jen, Jennifer. I am sure you have many ideas for what the Princeton Public Schools can do to enhance educational equity for our students. I applied for your community engagement councils several years ago, and I wasn’t selected. Nobody who openly supported teachers during their contract negotiations was selected. I would like to hear those ideas and to work cooperatively with you to make changes. I have decried this inequity to you for two years, and I already work, volunteer, and parent. In your position of overseeing a wealthy, boutique school district — bolstered by two Ivy League degrees and access to countless resources — the onus is on you for equitable ideas and solutions. Please let me know if you would like to meet. Wrangle schedules for the PPS BoE, NJDOE, Mercer County Superintendent’s office, STEM advocates, and a civil rights group, and perhaps this can happen. Sincerely, Steve Sep 15, 2017
Dear Steve, Eddie, Dineen, Priscilla and Betsy, School has been in session for seven days. Why, after several years of being deprived consistent science lab instruction equitable to that of other K-5 Princeton Public Schools, CP children, at least in the 2nd and 5th grades, have not had science lab? It is yet another week of science lab instruction lost for girls, children of color, and economically disadvantaged children. Is this where the discriminatory gap in STEM begins to widen for marginalized populations, in Princeton Public Schools? There is no valid excuse for a vaunted "lighthouse district" like PPS to perpetuate two-plus years of discriminatory practices toward children, and abuse the trust of families. Regardless, I look forward to your response. Regards, Jennifer Lea Cohan Instead of the old way, i.e. trying to resolve issues of inequity via the Dineen Gruchaczs, principal, Priscilla Russel, world languages supervisor, and Eddie Cohen, science supervisor - which essentially kept a lid on the situation from most of the Board of Education and the local media - everything will be documented as it happens, and emails will be sent to all parties in positions of power (superintendent Steve Cochrane, assistant superintendent Annie Kosek, assistant superintendent Lew Goldstein, and entire Board of Education, which has a fiduciary responsibility to the community of Princeton.)
Toward the end of last school year, I emailed the superintendent and science supervisor with even more concerns about the STEM ed inequity at Community Park, and also informed the entire Board of Education. Both the superintendent and the supervisor responded, with offers of a meeting, however I'd already met with both of them twice. Parent meetings are used to placate, and to isolate information so that others don't find out about issues. Thus, I didn't even bother following up. Only two members of the BoE responded.
Jun 8, 2017 Dear Steve and Eddie, This email is an overview of my experience as the parent of a female Dual Language Immersion student, as well as a query about the current status of science lab. It is prompted by two events: 1.) A panel you participated in last night at JW about the Black student experience in PPS, Steve, where you professed, several times, a dedication to equity in education; 2.) The final Dual Language Immersion parents meeting, where Betsy Baglio and a handful of other (predominantly white) parents were also present. As at past meetings, I asked Priscilla Russel about the status of science lab. Instead of yelling at me, as she did at the first meeting of the year, she said a bilingual Spanish/English teacher had given a demonstration and was being offered the position. I asked if this candidate had a degree in science and experience with teaching science - i.e. on par with/equitable to the science lab teachers at other K-5 Princeton Public Schools. Incredulously, Priscilla responded that she did not know. I reiterated that science matters, and pleaded with Priscilla not to allow a non-science specialist to be hired. I also stated that the inequity in STEM education at Community Park is institutional racism, and begged the other parents to think of the children who lack resources to overcome the STEM opportunity gap. Since we typically communicate via OPRA requests, or an email from the PPS law firm, here is a refresher of what I refer to as the "DLI bait and switch": The DLI program launched in 2015, and was marketed to parents as being the same as the traditional track, but with 50% of the day in Spanish. Other selling points included “enhanced cognitive ability” and “narrowing of the achievement gap.” However since that launch, DLI has never had science lab instruction equitable to that of other K-5 children in PPS. Due to understaffing, and out of fealty to the DLI model, science lab was removed from the curriculum. None of the DLI parents were informed. I found out because I was tipped off. In an Ivy League town heavily associated with Einstein, and populated by many scientists, science lab is highly valued - it reflects the values of the community. This is what the DLI children have received: -- 2015-16, a few weeks of science lab “scripts” translated for Spanish instruction by the classroom teacher where the English-speaking science teacher was present, but wasn’t allowed to actually speak to the children, even if they addressed him; “Engineering is Elementary” - which Eddie introduced mid-year for K-2 traditional classes too, and you endorsed, Steve, but seems to have petered out. -- 2016-17, instruction by a bilingual classroom aide who was rechristened "science teacher" from “instructional aide.” It seems that overnight a “classroom aide” can become a “science teacher” in PPS. Why this is indefensible - There is a well-known opportunity gap in STEM for girls and minorities. Exploiting Latinx children so predominantly white, predominantly economically secure children can acquire Spanish language skills is insidious and cruel. The majority of the native Spanish speakers in DLI are Latinx children who are immigrants, or children of immigrants, low income and, in this political climate, living in fear of being deported. These children were recruited for the DLI program; their parents were told it would make them better students, and attempts were even made to get children from Johnson Park. For vulnerable, oppressed populations, every setback in education - i.e. not receiving equitable STEM education - adds up. The excuse “DLI was a pilot program” doesn’t, and shouldn’t, fly in Princeton Public Schools - “Pilot” doesn’t equate to non-accredited teachers, a lack of transparency, abusing the trust of parents, or widening the STEM opportunity gap for girls and children of color. DLI was several years in the making by people with ample connections and even a few Ivy League degrees. It's not just the DLI kids - The entirety of CP, which has a higher concentration of Black, Latinx, and low-income children than most other PPS schools, fell into a science lab abyss with the mysterious departure of the former science teacher. To quote a Princeton University scientist parent: "The science at CP is shit." Two different teachers filled in: 2015-16, a former TA, and then in 2016-17, newly-graduated general ed teacher. Embarrassingly, a group of concerned scientist parents tried to salvage the science lab. They created a new job description (which Priscilla mocked at the recent DLI meeting), and there was talk of bringing in Princeton University science students to help out. DLI is used for personal betterment - On the back of this exploitive program, Betsy touted her involvement during her Board of Education campaign, and Priscilla positions herself as an expert speaker on DLI while trying to expand the program - despite not having competently established the first one. The pinnacle of hubris might be CP Principal Dineen Gruchacz, who has been quoted in DLI’s press coverage. Like you, Steve, her career benefits by association with DLI. During the BoE renewal presentation for DLI - where Dineen hilariously referred to Priscilla as her partner in crime - she was asked by a BoE member if there had been any problems with the program. Dineen cheerily responded, “Not a one!” Not. A. One….She said this in front of you, Steve - and Betsy, Priscilla. Nobody corrected her. Optics check-in: complicit white people in power dismissing, covering up, and perpetuating inequity. QUESTIONS -- What is the status of replacing the former science lab teacher? During a national teacher shortage, how did PPS mysteriously lose an excellent science teacher? He was tenured, highly rated, had a degree in science, and experience in science instruction - like the science lab teachers at the other K-5 PPS schools. He was also beloved by the children. -- Did you know that first grade DLI was not receiving garden education? Or most (maybe all) of CP? After all the spin and attempted misdirection (“Next Gen Science Standards”), I cannot trust PPS to provide equitable education. This means I have to query my children beyond the usual "How was your day?" - that’s how I found out about garden ed. When I raised the issue at the one evening parent meeting finally populated by some Latinx parents, neither Priscilla, Dineen, or Betsy seemed to know about it. And please, no excuses about the garden ed teacher being on medical leave. I know that a substitute was available. -- Why is PPS paying money to a consultant who is not tailoring the program to the PPS curriculum and staffing ability? -- Did you know that health (which is science) is taught in English to DLI students? Which means CP is not following the DLI model of teaching science in Spanish? Why, then, couldn’t science lab also have been taught in English? In the end, Eddie, was imploding the science lab at CP, losing a great teacher, and two years of STEM inequity for children completely avoidable all along? In closing, some PR advice: Appearing on panels about racism, deflective media statements using the names of racial justice organizations, and citing associations with scholars on the district website are mere window dressing in the face of ongoing inequity at CP. Do not hire a bilingual general ed teacher and rebrand them as a “science teacher.” If you do, you remain complicit in perpetuating inequity in STEM ed at CP. Girls and children of color will continue to be casualties of PPS hubris. You must put meaningful action behind your words and statements - please show respect for the children, parents, and education. It’s not too late. Regards, Jennifer |
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