School Board Hangover
Lots of us are feeling hungover.
We didn't win.
Mattison Avenue Elementary School will bid adieu to the community in June.
I would first like to thank the three board members who voted "no" during the vote to permanently close our school - Dick Stanton, Barbara Ullery and Burunda Prince-Jones. Thank you for listening. You understand that data does not tell the whole story. Forgive us as we mend our wounds and be assured we will not forget your support when you need ours.
The 'big show' last night contained many lessons for parents, the community and tax payers. Where to begin?
The board announced in June the possible closure of Mattison. They laid out the State-mandated plan for closure of a school. And stuck to it.
Over the course of this process, we have formed relationships with this board. Even if that relationship was in the form of an email. That response said "I am listening."
Now we know the truth.
When the board members spoke prior to the vote last night, their script was flawed, their words were harsh and the disrespect they portrayed was startling. We were told that the people from Ambler were classed as 'poor', our children were 'unintelligent' and 'really, they will have much better opportunities in another school'. As one parent said "this feels like I am being told to eat my vegetables."
They misused data, wrongly quoted our state representative and publicly called some of us out. (By the way, Janice Singer, this blogger stands by my words - the board, as an entire governing body, has NEVER visited the schools they were elected to govern to see the results of the decisions they make. And, no, going to the school YOUR children attend does not count as visiting a school for an elected official.)
This is what injustice feels like. As one parent described, "I know it when I see it".
When I was on the Mattison Avenue 'campus' this morning, I had a very difficult time holding my head up and looking people in the eye. It feels like I have let everyone down. Surely something else could have prevented the closing of our school. This feels like my first teenage heartbreak - "I'll do anything!"
For now, we will nurse our hangovers. Regroup. The work ahead is, in many ways, much more challenging than the work completed. Why, you ask?
Now we know that this board lies, bullies, threatens and does not listen. We know it because we heard it, felt it, read it and have it on tape to replay when we may be lulled into a state of forgetfulness. We will harness this powerful awareness as it guides us forward.
We will not be duped again.
FedUpWithMattisonAvenue
12:28 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
I live in Ambler, I went to Mattison as do all three of my children. My children are far from unintelligent and I am NOT poor…BUT…
I have to agree with the Board. I have had two children go through Mattison and one child who still attends. I have been disappointed with Mattison Avenue for at last 8 years. I have a gifted student who was told they are average yet has to be in a reading class on their own because there is no one in the school that can read like they can. I would like to see another child in their class read like my child can. My other two children had issues with reading and had to get extra help...my now high school student has constant issues that stemmed from Mattison and my child that is in Shady Grove needs constant help and was state mandated to get that support because of his incredibly low reading levels. Not one, I repeat...NOT ONE, of my three children can sign their name or write in cursive because Mattison never taught them. So my son who is in Shady Grove now has trouble with that also. I believe that the studies they did at Mattison Avenue are correct, regardless of what the public may think. I think my youngest child will have much more offered to them because they will no longer be in Mattison Avenue. Though let me clarify that I think that there are some great teachers, a great principal and some great support staff that works there and I will be sorry to see them go, but Mattison has to be closed.
andthatsthetruth
1:27 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
It is not the school that made your children this way. My children went to Lower Gwynedd & I feel the same way. They were never taught cursive writing nor can they read it today. It is not the teachers, it is the curriculum that the Board & the administration has chosen to teach. What they are being taught is what is the problem. My youngest attended Mattison Avenue for kindergarten. I was truly impressed that they were learning how to spell & had weekly spelling tests. They also were getting use to math - subtract & add & fractions. Soon 1st grade was there & all that was instilled the year before, vanished. No more spelling. The NEW MATH required a different way of teaching so that they were building knowledge for further education. No time for the basics. Reading was another issue. How can you read and recognize words that you can't spell? I was always uncomfortable when my children were asked to read a book and have no idea what they are reading. To this day and at high school level I still don't think that they know at least 60% of what they are reading. Using the PSSA s to reference what our children know is a big fallacy. It is multiple choice. Your child should be offered all that is available for help within the school district no matter what school they attend. Mattison didn't do this to your children - the administration & district did. Sorry to say that just because your child will attend Shady Grove, doesn't mean that all of this will go away.
FedUpWithMattisonAvenue
3:29 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Oh I know it isn't going to go away. I attended Wissahickon, at my son's 9th grade orientation WHS told me that what we were taught was wrong. I don't know how I feel about my kids going to same school I did when they come right out and tell me that everything they taught me, IN THAT SCHOOL, was wrong. Am I supposed to be comfortable with this? Apparently WHS didn't teach me correctly, so how am I to feel about WHS teaching my son. I hate the "NEW MATH". It is ridiculous...they basically want kids to "estimate the answer". I asked my child to do long division, they didn't know how. How are we supposed to help our children with their homework when we don't know this "NEW MATH"....I have no problem with the kindergarten teachers....I think they are wonderful teachers....the rest of the Mattison though.....
I think the education that our children are receiving at any school in this day and age is shameful. Thanks No Child Left Behind....just graduate idiots that have no idea how to add/spell/read..etc. Wissahickon is included in that. My son should have been kept back at least once if not twice. Maybe if he was he wouldn't be struggling so much now. I blame the district and the school. It’s about time the Board did something to try to fix this.
andthatsthetruth
4:45 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Don't expect them to fix this in the next decade. They have another agenda. Creating a taj mahal atmosphere which has no substance. When I was going to school children had a responsibility to keep up with current events and on Fridays ( students choice) they discussed in class what had gone on during the week. They learned how to think and formulate opinions with the teachers challenging questions. Attending conferences it is easy to see that the teachers throw this all out there for the child to take full responsibility for their own failure. There is no thought process that it is the way the teacher doesn't motivate the child. Thank goodness that the teachers that we had motivated a thought process or we wouldn't be having this discussion now.