Patch Blog: Let's Lower the Temperature

The is one of the best public school districts in the state … and the country.

From the news these past few months, you wouldn’t know it.

We’ve weathered our share of controversies. The , the , the increase in permit students, the … if it seems like our sleepy little town has become the site of one school controversy after another, it’s because it has.

Naturally, some of the stories were amplified by the recent . Some of them were magnified by a school district out of step with the fast pace of modern social media and grass-roots newsgathering and reporting.

And some of them are half-truths, sensationalism and near-hysteria.

Make no mistake; our school district is far from perfect, and an engaged citizenry is essential to hold our elected officials and schools accountable. Personally, I’m thrilled by how many parents are showing interest in our schools. However, as a parent and community activist, I’ve also become alarmed and disconcerted by the recent tenor of the debate.

In her , Kathy Hernandez compares the allegations against Gabriello Leko to those against Jerry Sandusky.

Let me repeat: Kathy Hernandez draws a comparison between Leko’s alleged use of the ethnic slur “Jew Boy” and the charge that Jerry Sandusky repeatedly raped dozens of little boys.

The two situations are nothing alike in any way, shape or form. I say that as the father of a ten-year old boy, and I say that as a Jew.

The allegations against Leko are very serious. There’s no place in our schools for ethnic slurs. If the allegations are proven true, my opinion is that Ms. Leko ought to be dismissed.

However, comparing the charges against Leko to the rape of children is an inflammatory, outrageous exaggeration that does absolutely nothing to solve the problems our schools face. It does nothing to legitimize the complaint, it does nothing to speed justice along, it doesn’t nothing to defend our students against such slurs, and it speaks to a troubling loss of perspective.

In this very publication, I have read . In fact, this has yet to be determined. The District is actually deciding that question within weeks.

How do I know this?

I asked.

But you wouldn’t know it.

Perhaps that's because the District has done a poor job of communication. And perhaps that’s also because the facts don't make for as juicy a headline, or perhaps it’s because they don't fit a narrative—a narrative that derides our schools, board and administration as uncaring, out of touch and anti-student.

Similarly, when the “four days” issue arose, I read comments insisting that this was a “capitulation to the teacher's union.”

Except, once again, the opposite was true. We received those evaluation days as a concession from the union, which has customarily opposed additional teacher evaluations.

But again, you wouldn’t know it.

I have read opinions and outrageous emails spreading the word that out of district students were going to “lower our performance.”

Except, when it comes to the elementary schools, the opposite is true. Permit kids scored even with, or actually outscored, resident children.

But surprise, surprise, you wouldn’t know it.

Does this mean these debates are settled? No. Does this mean those who are the most outraged are wrong at heart? No. I have enormous respect for Kathy Hernandez, who has served our community and schools for years and continues to do so. I agree with Kathy entirely on the heart of these matters. We need quick, thorough, informed and easy-to-understand communication from the district, and we need it in advance of their big decisions. We need to expect the very best from all of our teachers, particularly at the high school level. We need rapid accountability when teachers violate our rules of conduct. We need to ensure that permit kids in the high school begin to perform at the same level as our resident kids, as they currently do in K-6.

The solutions to these problems will not be found, however, in sensational comparisons to child rapists. They will be found in partnership between the community and the district.

We can’t have that partnership if we become adversarial. I don’t agree with everything the School Board decides. As we saw from a recent 3-2 decision from the Board, they don’t always agree internally either. But that’s democracy.

Lockstep agreement or knee-jerk apologizing for the district isn’t useful.

Neither is the current state of high-pitched rhetoric.

Let’s hold the district accountable. Let’s urge them to do better.

But let’s lower the temperature. For the 99% of teachers, staff and administration who aren’t under investigation, who haven’t behaved poorly, who work hard every day to watch over, encourage, educate and care for our children, let’s keep in mind how much we do right while we strive to fix that which we do wrong.