From all accounts, nobody from the Clark School community is asking for this.
It’s not that the parents, children, and teachers are delusional. They know the school could be improved. They have even articulated the needs via a list created by its School Governance Council last spring:
- Additional SPO
- Two additional certified teachers
- Bathrooms remodeled
- Doors replaced
- Tiles replaced
- Lighting replaced
- PTA system replaced
- Roof repaired
- Painting
- Grades pre-K through 6
- CRT remains
- ABA remains
- Administration and staff remain in the building
- Technology (Smartboard classrooms)
- Full time psychologist
- Full time guidance counselor
- Functioning air system (heating and cooling)
The list is holistic. Environment matters. Tools matter. Having trained professionals matters.
It’s modest. Nobody is asking for tennis courts or a swimming pool.
Tayarisha Stone, the principal at Clark School, sent a letter to parents in late October, stating her commitment to the students, while acknowledging areas in which improvement is needed:
Our third grade students increased reading proficiency by 22% last year on the CMTs. Seventh grade reading increased by 12%, and 75 students participated in afterschool activities. With that said, I am candidly honest about the challenges that we have faced in terms of low performance and sustainability. We will need to be diligent in our efforts to improve climate and ensure that all students improve academically at an accelerated rate.
She added:
The reality is that the proposed model will ultimately be decided by constituents other than me and the superintendent. As your principal I will advocate for our students and families, and communicate throughout the process. I am here to support whatever decision is made. It is in the best interest of our students and families to have the consistency of our staff, and a climate that speaks to our core values.
Instead of working with Principal Stone and the SGC, it appears that Superintendent Kishimoto intends to continue to press to shut down the school.
When the Milner School — a few blocks away from Clark — was shuttered last year, all teachers had to reapply for their jobs. It was incorrectly reported by local news that few teachers reapplied there. Former staff confirmed that only a handful of them had received calls regarding their applications.
There’s no indication that the process with the Clark School would be different. That would include firing the staff with whom children have formed bonds and reopening under a new model that nobody in the community seems to want.
The next meeting of the Hartford Board of Education is a workshop session on November 6, 2013. The meeting will be called to order at 5:30pm and include discussion on:
A. Portfolio Directors: New School Report Card
B. Process for Identifying Schools for Redesign
Wednesday night’s meeting will be held at Jumoke/Milner at 104 Vine Street.