Does Norwalk Need A Charter School?

by turfgrrl

October 1st, 2008 · 29 Comments

Tags: Education · In the News · Norwalk

29 Responses so far ↓ “Does Norwalk Need A Charter School?”

• 1 Anonymous // Oct 1, 2008 at 9:38 am

  Reverend Curtis has his own agenda, and it isn’t one that I believe meets the needs of the children of Norwalk. I admit, however, that his intentions are probably pure.

  That issue aside, the implication is that the staffing doesn’t reflect the population of Norwalk because of some failure by those in the public school system. The simple fact is that he is talking about minority teachers, and there are not that many minority candidates for teaching positions.

• 2 Anonymous // Oct 1, 2008 at 9:41 am

  I’ll bet he already knows who the principal of this school could be — someone currently in the NPS, and NOT Bob Henry.

• 3 anonymous // Oct 1, 2008 at 10:47 am

  Bruce Morris maybe. Rev. Curtis is a joke. He does not even live in Norwalk. Maybe he should move here first before shootin his big mouth.

• 4 Millie // Oct 1, 2008 at 10:56 am

  I think it’s a great idea. Let Rev. Curtis do this. He’s obviously studied this, did whatever research he needed to do, he’ll get many, MANY parents behind him and they’ll go from there. After a few years we’ll all be able to compare notes and see the difference between the two schools of thought. He wants teachers who live in Norwalk? I think that’s a wonderful idea. It’s basically a program that’ll be totally Norwalk based, community minded. The teachers will know the kids, the parents and vice-versa. (By the way, that’s the case now in the schools as it is….)

  Here’s the caveat: If it fails……what will be the reason for the failure? That’s why I say let this program go into action. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Regardless of the outcome, it’s worth a try. How could anything succeed or fail if it’s not tried first?

  I say good luck. I’d like to see who’ll go to this Charter School. Will it be “every child” regardless of their behavior? Or will they be sent back to the “regular School” if they display any kind of problem? If that’s the case, then it wouldn’t a true barometer for success, would it? Would the regular schools in Norwalk be the dumping ground for the alternative schools? Would that be fair? Will it be racially balanced? All innocent and legitimate questions that should be addressed. I truly wish this endeavor success. I hope it will work out, but if it doesn’t, how will that be explained and will there then be finger pointing all over the place? I’m not being a curmudgeon, just a realist.

• 5 Publius // Oct 1, 2008 at 11:00 am

  This is a great idea. Most likely he will invite the Amistad Academy into South Norwalk. Amistad is a successful charter school operating in New Haven. It is 98% minority and takes all its kids from the New Haven public elementary schools. When the kids enter 6th grade, only 30% pass their CMT’s. When they leave, almost 70% do (which is better than the State average). Anyone is free to visit the school and see the results for themselves. The atmosphere of the school and the kids is fantastic and it produces results.

• 6 Anonymous // Oct 1, 2008 at 11:03 am

  Please keep Bruce Morris out of this! He doesn’t do his job at BOE so he should stay away from this as well. If bruce has anything to do with it it will definately be racially unbalanced much the way he deals with the students now.

• 7 Anonymous // Oct 1, 2008 at 11:34 am

  Don’t worry about Bruce Morris because he isn’t a certified educator, and he can’t become one because he doesn’t have a college degree. Fortunately, the state, unlike the Norwalk BOE, really does enforce requirements.

• 8 Aunt Bertha // Oct 1, 2008 at 2:19 pm

  I am with Millie. I think that this type of learning environment would be a good thing. It should have the opportunity to start up. I agree #7 Please don’t let Morris in on this it would infect the idea.

• 9 Anonymous // Oct 1, 2008 at 2:29 pm

  I know that Dr. Moore has been interested in the Amistad Academy.

• 10 Anne Sullivan // Oct 1, 2008 at 2:46 pm

  Just remember that the Amistad Academy has strict behavior and parental expectation rules - and if you break them, you are asked to leave. We would all love to teach children whose parents are involved and have to be responsible for their child’s behavior - how I long to give up the social work portion of my teaching day. I spent hours last week finding someone who could help a parent understand that by filling out the free and reduced lunch form her child could receive breakfast and lunch, instead of NOTHING (which the parent was sending in)…

• 11 Anonymous // Oct 1, 2008 at 3:18 pm

  If a school has only cooperative students and parents, chances are that the results will be good. It’s an uneven playing field, and the public schools are at the disadvantage because they cannot pick and choose only the “good kids.”

  Show me a school that works with ALL of its students, even when they are disagreeable; and with all parents, even when they are not cooperative; and that staff will have my respect.

• 12 Arnold // Oct 2, 2008 at 7:51 am

  As I sit and look at this particular blog, I realize that Rev. Curtis is very right. There is NOT a school that services the children from South Norwalk. Instead of a charter school, though, just open a school like the one that used to be - Nathaniel Ely School. Look, folks, don’t gasp. The reality is that the kids from that area of town are bussed all over the city on a plan to de-segregate. What an ancient idea, in MY mind. Would any other part of town do this? What do you think the Magnet school is and the Side by Side Charter schools are? Forms of “reverse” discrimination. Typically, people from other parts of town wouldn’t be caught dead in these parts of town except for 2 reasons: Washington Street (”Sono”) or to send their children to one of the abovementioned schools, to say that their kids go to them. The Magnet school’s a good school. I don’t know enough of the Charter school. BUT……get a charter school in the Ely Avenue area. Did anyone out there ever think that the residents there WANT to get involved in their children’s education and WANT a school in their neighborhood?! They DO! Did they make the choice to get rid of the schools that were there? Have any of you seen those poor kids on the busses going to the schools so far from their homes? They have such a long ride! By the time they get to their school - probably a 45 minute ride away given all the stops- they’re already tired! Get these kids back to their neighborhood schools. Put a charter school in the Ely Avenue area, but open it to the residents there first, and sprinkle some of the familes who are from the outside, like say, Rowayton and Wilson Point. Then you’d have a REALLY diverse climate and population working hand in hand closesby to ALL of their backyards!

  Have a great day everyone! Glad to have added my 2 cents.

• 13 Anonymous // Oct 2, 2008 at 8:49 am

  #12: You are right. All of the burden of being bussed is on the backs of the minority kids, and that is because the Norwalk Public Schools, whether the central administration or the BOE, won’t do what is right, for fear of White backlash. What ever happened to the BOE study on racial segregation?

• 14 Old Timer // Oct 2, 2008 at 9:39 am

  Arnold has a point. All the educators keep talking about the benefit of parent involvement. Re-opening Nathaniel Ely would be a win for everybody and eliminate a lot of buses and the commuting time for the students in the neighborhood. I am concerned about de-facto segregation, which is why it was closed. If it was opened as a magnet school, or rented out to a private school, that might not be a problem.
  While having teachers that look more like the neighbors sounds like a good idea, it is more important to have the best teachers they can get. The time will come when making judgements about people based on racial criteria will be a distant memory, but we are not there yet, and neither is Rev Curtis.
  The fact is, teachers, like everybody else, find houses and taxes in nice neighborhoods in Norwalk too expensive and more and more of them commute from outside Fairfield County where they have found homes they can afford with lower taxes.

• 15 Aunt Bertha // Oct 2, 2008 at 5:28 pm

  Old timer loved your post and Arnold your are right on the money in your post. What would happen if indeed Nathaniel Ely was opened as a Charter school? Students would have a school in their neighborhood, teachers would have the parents nearby. Community would be a given and money would be saved on the gas wasted on the bus trips across town.

• 16 Side by Side graduate // Oct 2, 2008 at 10:25 pm

  Doesn’t a charter school like this already exist?

• 17 Arnold // Oct 2, 2008 at 10:28 pm

  You know, let’s not even call it a charter school. I think that Rev. Curtis just wants every child taken care of in their neighborhood. It’s the elephant or 800 lb. gorilla in the room, folks. No one wants to say what it is. It’s racism and that’s wrong. I could remember - and I bet many people could remember as well - when, back in the late 50’s and early 60’s, many ethnic people were leaving South Norwalk and going to the Cranbury section of Norwalk because they didn’t want to be with other kinds of people. Imagine that, and these people came here and were facing the same kinds of adversity when they came to this country. So they went to North Norwalk, or West Norwalk so their kids wouldn’t have to go to school with “them”. Then……it all of the sudden didn’t matter where you lived because “they” were getting bussed everywhere. Well, bus everyone then, all over the place - white, black, yellow, green and blue. Get everyone on a bus so that everyone could feel the same way. Don’t just pick on one segment of society and say, “Oh, look, you could come here to school…..but when you grow up, don’t come and live in MY neighborhood, ok? We won’t want you then….” Folks, the reality is that that’s what is the underlying message and I dare someone to tell me that I’m wrong. Why do you think so many teachers live out of this City? The only place that they’d be able to afford is in an area that they don’t want to live in. But, there are enough who do live here. Others just need that distance, so don’t blame them. It’s worse in the suburbs.

  Now, for the record, I’m white. I live in South Norwalk, my family came here from Europe and my grandparents remembered what it was like to be discriminated against. They told us, and also told us to be kind to EVERYONE regardless of their color, nationality or religion. For that I am grateful.

  It would be nice if the teachers could say this because this is what it is. It’s not that teachers don’t want to teach every child. They DO. But I think that we all remember (if we’re over a certain age) what it was like to walk to school, be close to home. It was nice. I don’t want to hear that some neighborhoods are bad. I know that. But taking kids out of that environment isn’t going to change the neighborhood. As a matter of fact, having a school in every neighborhood would add value there. Imagine every child walking home from school. Several things would happen:

  A drop in childhood obesity.
  Lesser need for any ADD/ADHD medication, because they’re getting exercise.
  Drug free zones around schools. More area coverage for “drug Free” zones, maybe less drug traffiking.
  Parents would be around, more involved in that school.
  Kids could enjoy breakfast at home.
  They could sleep more, and have a quality sleep.
  Friendships could form and be solid for years.
  Maybe with this a big supermarket would open up.
  The need for neighborhood crime watch would diminish because people are around.

  I can’t think of any negatives, but maybe someone will add “cons” to the list.

  You know, I don’t think anyone here is saying that any certain segment in this society is “bad”. As we all know, there’s good and bad in EVERY race. So this isn’t a race issue. This may be one of the best things that coul happen: to reclaim your neighborhood and say, “We’re not going to take this anymore”.

  In 1968, Dr. Walter Turnbull started the Harlem Boys Choir. It was a success. In Harlem. Could that happen here? Could a school be a success in South Norwalk today? Why not? They were before and they could be again, if given the opportunity, and they don’t have to be a magnet or charter. What’s happening now is failing. I think bussing is failing the children!

  I don’t know, maybe I’m starting to make sense for a change…..Thanks for listening.

• 18 Arnold // Oct 2, 2008 at 11:18 pm

  Side by Side graduate, #16, we must’ve been writing our entries at the same time. I read your entry before you edited it. You should have left it. It was good. I have the feeling that this blog site is very positive and I hope that’s what Rev. Curtis wants - positive dialogue.

  You know #16, I know MANY a people who attended the old St. Joseph school when it was there before it was the Side by Side. So many of those kids grew up to be successes today, still contributing to our Norwalk. They walked home, through Ely Ave., without any reprisals.

  Next time, leave your entry. You did well!

  Good night all!

• 19 Matthew Nittoly // Oct 3, 2008 at 4:00 pm

  I am the current Director at Side by Side Community School. Side by Side is a regional, public charter school that has been successfully operating in South Norwalk for over a decade. Obviously, I support Charter Schools and the ideology of offering children options for public schooling. I also commend this group of people for questioning the achievement gap and for wanting to take action to better support their children. However, I do question some of the things I am reading and hearing about it. Firstly, the idea of wanting a community school, where parent involvement, emphasis on a social curriculum and where personal/character development take front stage is nothing new. This is the backbone of Side by Side, which already IS a public school (PreK, elementary and middle school) option in Norwalk. If we have folks in this community that are looking to reach out and support these components to their child’s education, why not lend that support to a school that already exists and already holds these priorities in the highest regard? As far as the addition of another charter school in Norwalk, I’d have to hear more about their specific mission and set-up before I can comment.

  As a member of the Connecticut Charter School Network, I am fairly certain that there are currently no open RFPs for new charters to even apply right now, and even if there were, it is a fairly complex and lengthy process. That’s not to say that it can’t, won’t or shouldn’t happen, but I think the manner in which the media is presenting this story is a bit premature.

  I would like to make one last comment regarding the statements that I read, and that I do question the meaning of. This is not just in defense of Side by Side, but in defense of all public schools in Norwalk. In reading these articles, it was said that this newly proposed charter school will “select staff based on their professional credentials as well as their understanding of the social and cultural backgrounds of the students.” That statement was followed up by saying that current teachers in the schools of this community do not “reflect the population of Norwalk.” Based on the context of these statements, it sounds as though they were being said as one of the reasons for poor minority achievement scores on standardized tests. It also seems to imply that unless a teacher is of the same ethnicity or socio-economic background as the children they teach, then they cannot connect to the social/emotional background of a child of a different ethnicity or race. Simply put, this is absurd and insulting to me and many other educators who make a daily commitment to work in this community for a purposeful reason.

  Our staff is trained, on an on-going basis, not just in the ways of best teaching Math, Reading and Writing, but to place an emphasis on tolerance, diversity and social justice. It is integrated in our curriculum and it plays a role in everything we say and do with these children each and every day. I do agree that it is unfortunate that there are not as many minority candidates in the field of education to become future teachers. However, that remains a fact that we are faced to work with. Why not channel that energy and committment to reach out to minority high school or college age students and encourage them to make a career choice in the field of education?

  At Side by Side, not only are we trained to recognize and utilize the culture and background of children and their families, but after 10+ years of doing so, I am fairly confident in saying that we do it very well. I am also confident in saying that the success we have had has nothing to do with the race, ethnicity or cultural-background of our teachers.

  Unfortunately, the only data that people tend to look at to measure the effectiveness of teaching is “snap-shot” CMT scores and percentages that often paint an inaccurate picture. I welcome ANYONE in this or any other CT community to visit us and get to know what we have to offer and what we are all about, and to see the successful things that happen in our classrooms every day. I guess it just confused me to hear that there are a group of people within our community with the initiative and courage to speak up on behalf of educational priorities that they want to create within a new school. If only they realized that there is already a school that exists that would welcome their support.

• 20 Arnold // Oct 3, 2008 at 8:45 pm

  I applaud you, Mr. Nittoly! Great job. You know first hand. I’m wondering if Rev. Curtis looked into your school. I have nothing against Rev. Curtis. Quite the opposite, as a matter of fact. I’ve never formally met him, but I have such regard for ministers. They really have a sense of community. I have to believe that his ideas and ideals are very honest and noble, wanting right for all children. Does he have a desire for more minority teachers? Absolutely. I think that there are more now than there used to be and they’re all under the same scrutiny. They have to be.

  Neighborhood schools were not created equal a long time ago and I think we all know that. It’s an awful truth. However, what I’d love to see, as a trial/experiment, would be to have neighborhood schools once again, for a period of 10 years. Ten years goes by fast. If they’re not successful, go back to what we have implemented now. There’d be a committee to monitor the funds being distributed equally during the 10 year period if anyone wants to question. I think it would be a great try. Any comments?

• 21 Anonymous // Oct 4, 2008 at 7:28 am

  #21: Reverend Curtis has limited understanding when it comes to education in Norwalk, largely because he seeks understanding from too few people. He has long had a relationship with the superintendent, who is the worst person to ask about the schools. He probably knows both of the minority middle school principals, and they are knowledgeable; however, this isn’t enough. Has he spoken to all of the elementary and middle school administrators? That isn’t such a daunting task, since there are only 16 elementary and middle schools. Has he spoken to many elemtary and middle school parents? Has he spoken to many elementary and middle school students? Has he spoken to many elementary and middle school teachers?

  I’ll bet not.

• 22 Anon // Oct 4, 2008 at 9:07 am

  Re: #19. I read your long, long response and am not sure if you would want an Amistad in Norwalk. Sounds like you do not. Actually I am not even sure why you care or not whether there is an Amistad. Are you afraid of competition? What is the deeper cut here? A short reponse in plain English would be great.

• 23 The Truth // Oct 18, 2008 at 2:24 pm

  It appears obvious that Curtis and Co. feel Norwalk’s white teachers are not adept at teaching black students. This is saddening as I have always respected most of Curtis’s beliefs. I think his friends have gotten to him, and I think too many blacks are not willing to approach their own people and tell them, “Knock it off, get your child to do their work, stop blaming teachers, and do your job as parent.” These black parents who continually blame others have deep rooted anger (I guess due to slavery, or the civil rights era??)and need to get over it. Everyone knows there are prejudiced people, but everyone should know that any black kid who does his work is just as likely or more likely than a white student to prosper. Curtis knows this, I must believe, and he needs to communicate it. Let them call you a sell out, ignore it, and do the right thing for your kids. Tell the parents to value education no matter what color the teacher is. It’s all getting old — time to move on!!

• 24 Aunt Bertha // Oct 18, 2008 at 6:51 pm

  I love all my children no matter what.I try so hard to give parents information to help their child get the best out of their schooling.I know that children need facts and kindness and they will succeed. I would love to work in the charter school. For now I will do everything for my students possible to let them know that I am available to help.

• 25 Anonymous // Oct 19, 2008 at 1:34 pm

  All of you people here who are advocating that Norwalk “go back to having neighborhood schools”, how are you planning to circumvent the LAWS that have required minority children to be bused to city schools which have less of a minority enrollment?

  YOU are the very same people who, a generation ago, were in the trenches FIGHTING for these same busing laws so that your children could have “opportunity”!!!!!

  It sounds to me like you want to have your cake and eat it too.

  Apparently you should have been fighting to keep your children in their neighborhood schools and worked to make THOSE schools better instead of “tirelessly advocating” to “upgrade” your children’s education by promoting the busing of your children to other areas of town and forcing laws to be passed to make such busing happen - AGAINST OTHER parents’ wishes.

  Now you’re sitting here crying about how bad it is for your kids to be bused, when only a decade or so ago you were killing yourselves to get that busing so your children could go to “better” schools.

  Don’t you see how ludicrous this is?

• 26 anonymous // Oct 19, 2008 at 2:47 pm

  Tell the minister crook with expensive suits and cars who doesnt live in our city to shut the f up and go preach this bulls… in wilton where he lives. why doesnt he live amongst his people. maybe thinks his kids get better schoolin in wilton.

• 27 Anonymous // Oct 19, 2008 at 6:47 pm

  #25: You said, “circumvent the LAWS that have required minority children to be bused to city schools which have less of a minority enrollment”

  There isn’t a single law that says MINORITY children should be bused; it says that the schools should be integrated according to a formula that takes into account the racial composition of the other schools in th district. Yet, in Norwalk, the minority children are the only ones being sent out of their neighborhoods.

  Why is it that Whites aren’t bused for the purposes of integration?

• 28 Anonymous #25 // Oct 19, 2008 at 10:31 pm

  #27, you ask a very good question. Although I have to state that I’m white, and in the late 1960s I rode a bus to Ponus Ridge (and not to Roton) and in the early 1970s I rode a bus to Brien McMahon when I thoroghly expected to be going to Norwalk High. And I know plenty of kids from the West Norwalk area who attended Ponus with me but ended up in Norwalk High instead of McMahon. I could never figure out why that was so.

  I’m curious now as to who and what makes the determination in this town as to what children get bused to what schools and why. Where are the lines drawn?

• 29 Educator // Oct 24, 2008 at 7:58 am

  In today’s Norwalk Hour, October 24, 2008, there was an article regarding a recent meeting on this proposed Charter School. They stated that there were already two charter schools in South Norwalk that were successful.

  TWO???? When did the Columbus Magnet School go Charter? It didn’t. It’s a magnet school.

  I do say that the people that were listed in the article as being involved with this propsed charter school are truly dedicated to the “field”. I wouldn’t mind having this school at all if it’s for the success of our children. God knows, it’s about time that SOMEONE steps up to the plate to get some parents involved in their children’s lives, instead of having them just “spitting” them out like they were a human “puppy” mill and blaming everyone else for their children’s failures. These very parents are the ones who make educator’s lives MISERABLE because they’re NOT involved with their children’s lives, then these kids come to school swearing like drunken sailors (where do they learn THAT language? Sorry but we don’t teach THAT hard “K” sound in elemenatry school…), spitting on teachers and their classmates, bullying the good kids until they are frightened out of their minds. The good kids are afraid to tell their parents. Yes, read that line again. THE GOOD KIDS ARE AFRAID TO TELL THEIR PARENTS ABOUT THE BULLY CHILDREN. What’s wrong with THAT scenario?

  I wish you true luck, Rev. Curtis and Kim Eaton. You know exactly what it’s like because you see it every day! If you could take just a HANDFUL of these kids and work with them then I say - God bless…..

  Have a great day.

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