"Coincidentally," every city in America has the same "tide."
Posted on 10/03/2009 7:07:56 AM PDT by csvset
A massive layoff of teachers and support staff at D.C. public schools triggered chaos outside of McKinley High School Friday afternoon.
The melee happened after school let out, as students and parents filled McKinley's parking. Many were upset about the layoffs of 388 school employees, including 229 teachers.
"The students were emotional, you know, they were upset to see their teachers being escorted by the police officers, knowing that they did nothing," said Saymendy Lloyd, a parent activist.
"Why do you choose to do it at the time the children are out there and you do not expect to have a reaction? When they look at their guidance counselor and teachers like family?" she asked.
At some point the interaction between a group of people -- mostly students and police -- turned violent.
Amateur video shot by McKinley student Kelvin Sherman shows one girl on the ground.
"And he just started swinging on her and throwing her up against the gate -- manhandling her, basically -- and spraying mace," Sherman recalled.
Fellow McKinley student Tamika DeBose found herself in the middle of the melee, with a police officer pulling her away from the crowd.
"I wake up and I get sprayed in the eye," she said, "and so I can't see and I'm in the middle of a big crowd and I'm like yelling to the top of my lungs, I'm like, 'I need help!'"
Lloyd and a 17-year-old girl were arrested in the melee on disorderly conduct charges.
Some students say the layoffs affect them personally.
"It's very dangerous for us and our family. A lot of teachers are going through all these cuts and I just feel as though that was very disrespectful," Tiffany Cofield, a McKinley student.
Not all schools had the same violent reaction to the layoff notices. Things were quiet at Spingarn High School, where counselor Glenda Smith learned she'd be terminated after two decades with the system.
"It's a difficult day for both staff and students," she said. "At this school in particular and at all schools across the city, because great changes are taking place."
Spingarn parent Dana Terry says the layoffs have her concerned about "the quality of the education that the children will receive."
"Because," she said, "if you're short-staffed that means if you have more kids in the classroom and ratio won't be good for learning, or the environment. Like, right now, one of the schools is asking parents to come in and volunteer."
The teachers union agrees and may now file a lawsuit, according to its president, George Parker.
"There's no way you can remove 266 teachers from the classroom and have it not impact the quality of education," he said. The discrepancy between his number of teacher layoffs, 266, and the school system's number, 229,
Police would not comment on the violence or the video other than to confirm officers made two arrests.
D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray released a statement Friday, pledging to hold hearings on the school system's layoffs.
A series of rallies in support of teachers is planned at McKinley and other schools as earlier as Monday, ABC 7 News has learned.
What, you mean a teacher gig isn't a job for life program?
How’s all that hope and change working out now — for the 99% of DC residents that voted for Obama?
Ah, it’s the old “Ya’ll gonna make me crazy- up in here, up in here” excuse.
This was worse than their regularly scheduled “It’s Friday” riot.
That wacky “Race of Peace”.....
While surely there are some good teachers fighting against a tide of community dysfunction the fact is DC has some of the highest cost-per-student in the nation along with some of the lowest academic achievement. The unforunate possibility is that some of the better teachers that fought against the Union are probably the ones that got axed.
Why were the police escorting the teachers out?
American education is in the sewer because of the TEACHERS ! ! !
I was wondering who paid for that trip to Copenhagen. Guess it was the D.C. teachers.
Just keep the chaos going. Isn’t this an Alinsky rule?
Little do these people realize, we are American and we will overcome and persevere.
That is where down sizing should start.
The impact is the quality of education will increase! Let’s keep it up and get rid of government forced indoctrination.
JoMa
That's why they were laid off.
I've been laid off before , the whole job site was laid off at once, several hundred people lost their job in a blink of an eye, and the police weren't necessary.
"some of the better teachers that fought against the Union are probably the ones that got axed".
Axed to do what?
; )
DC had a great charter school program up and running. And then...
umm, umm, umm, Barack Hussein Obama!
Private sector employees feel no such sense of entitlement.
The timing of the dismissal, the police escort, all of it was calculated to provoke exactly what occurred. They’re innately attuned to agitprop, government employees.
Pelosi’s right, there will be violence. But, it’ll be this sort, who does it.
Students, Parents Protest Over Teacher Cuts
The budget shortfall that led to 229 teacher cuts was little consolation for some students in D.C.
In a press release, schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee said school officials were doing "everything possible to provide support for our schools, to minimize any disruption and to ensure schools can focus on serving students."
Forcing the laid-off teachers out of the classroom did not sit well with some McKinley Tech High students and parents, who started protesting after seeing beloved teachers forced to leave.
Police were called in to keep things under control. During one confrontation, a student was allegedly pushed to the ground, while another student was led away in handcuffs.
District school officials announced Friday that they will fire almost 400 employees, including the 229 teachers who were escorted out of their classrooms.
The teachers who were forced to leave have been placed on administrative leave and will be given one month of severance pay.
My children go to Cathilic schools. We pay taxes for education, we choose to pay tuition on top of it. The Catholic school cannot survive without parental involvement, but I wouldn’t have it any other way! I see the boys twice a week at lunch time and my husband and I run the scouting program there. It is invaluable in finding out how your child is REALLY doing! I know who their friends are, how they treat others . 50% of the educating my child receives is from us (the parents). I think parental involvement is invaluable.
Look for improved education.
Tough luck. Your tax dollars are needed to create green jobs. “Teacher” is not green enough.
Too bad there wasnt a stack of 2x4s laying around.
Cute.
“It’s very dangerous for us and our family.
____________________________________________________
“dangerous” ???
o no you dit-ten !
:0
And who then will keep the kids in school for longer days and longer in the year, as Obama wants? His ‘national civilian army’?
It would almost seem like educating a Black person was a criminal offense... again - sort of like it was back in the 1830’s and down South through the Civil War.
The same political party who brought us slavery and secession (resulting in about 660,000 casualties) back then seems to be clinging to the same old opinion that the only way that they can keep their “N*****s” down on the Plantation - or as a loyal voting bloc of constituents - is to keep them ignorant and dependent.
And with the help of the “Teacher’s Union”, the ACLU and the government forced indoctrination industry (sometimes ref. to as “Publik Ejyookashun”) they’ve done a bang-up job of it, too - haven’t they?!
Speculation, if I may; “Payback” for GWB’s successful Charter School and Voucher program (which the Anointed One didn’t waste any time destroying, despite it’s tremendous popularity among the DC urban - largely Black - Community?
“Revenge” for the demonstrations of outrage by mostly Black Parents and Community Leaders after the revocation of said Charter school option?
What’s he got planned for us despised “Teabaggers” do you suppose?
Historically, “Progressives”, Communists and Fascists do not take criticism at all well and are extremely vindicative...
You know... like Rahm Imanuel is reported to be.
Stalin would kill you if he even thought that he might not like you. At one point he would apparently have the KGB round up anyone caught wearing glasses, as it was assumed that they might be able to read and be at least somewhat educated.
Can’t have smart Serfs running around, now can we?
We haven’t gotten there yet, thank God - but give these hoodlums time... (Please DON’T, America!!!).
My, but for our “First Black President”, Hussein is acting a lot like a White Southern Democrat of the “Jim Crow” era, isn’t he?
“Keep dem N*****s down!” sure don’t sound like much “Hope and Change” for our Black Americans, now does it? But that’s what I’m sort of hearing from this organized criminal syndicate that some people insist on calling an “administration”.
“Progressives” of both big box parties seem to USE the Black, and to some extent the Hispanic population for their political gain, but keep them ignorant, fatherless, dependent on government, and virtually enslaved while they are doing it.
How long are American Blacks (I rather prefer that term to “African-American”, BTW) going to fall for this gross exploitation and social / economic abuse?
The Blacks and other Minorities whom these Socialists (at best) are claiming to represent and champion are getting marched over with the same hobnailed boots of tyranny that have been dancing on the backs of us working class, tax paying White folk for generations.
...Only they seem to look up, grin, and say “Thank you, Massah!” for it.
Not even “Republicans” have the spine to really reform anything when they occasionally do manage to get the upper political hand.
Gee; we don’t see any DC School “Administrators” or other highly paid rumpswab political hacks among the newly unemployed, now do we?
Hmmph; funny thing about that.
Another thing that political gangsters like to do, is whenever the Peasantry gets indignant about a new or increased tax, the politimobsters threaten “vital services” like schools, hospitals, Fire and Police with cuts if they don’t get their way (and more of the taxpayer’s money).
It’s sort of like holding providers of vital services and “The CHILDREN” HOSTAGE for ever increasing tax “ransom”.
If the little people keep the resistance up, the Ruling Elite (note which party these are usually affiliated with) in most cases actually WILL cut those services, just to “teach us a lesson”.
Of course you won’t see many desk warming overpaid patronage job Bureaucrats pounding the pavement looking for a new job, nor will you see any significant trimming of excessive or wasteful “pork barrel” programs either, for that matter. You won’t notice all that, because they will be waving “THE POOR CHILDREN!!!” who “ARE GOING TO DIE!!!” in your face.
Oh; BTW - they pull this trick with other things too - like “gun control”. Buck their attempts to overthrow the 2nd Amendment, and they are apt to spring a few killers early who will happily go forth and gun down some more hapless (legally disarmed) victims just to prove the politician’s point.
They’ve done that in DC, haven’t they?
They could care less about increased crime, property loss, or even death as long as their political agenda is advanced and they get the “revenue stream” and POWER that they lust after and will never get enough of, no matter how much it is.
It’s nothing more than criminal extortion - but since it’s the “government”, they can get away with it. And by golly they do, too.
Tyrants are insatiable.
Reduced school staffing is going to lead to some dangerous situations in these schools, which apparently can be pretty rowdy in the best of times. Volunteers won’t know how to handle volatile kids or situations, and the atmosphere will be explosive. People will get hurt, and very possibly killed as a result of this political manipulation.
Do the political goons care?
I’ll let the People of DC answer that one - but IMHO the young Lady that got roughed up and gassed by DC’s finest may be only one of the first of the political casualties of this caper.
Oh BTW; which Union do those Constables belong to?
Perhaps if some brave Parents or community Leaders like local Pastors do take up some “teaching” they can dis the ACLU and bring a Bible to Class, and teach a little REAL History for a change. Heck; they let Imams and the Quoran in, don’t they?
That could get interesting, don’t you think?
Thank you for your post. I had no confidence that the Fringe Media (once the “MSM”) was reporting accurately.
When folks list the bankrupt government-run programs, SSI, Medicare, Medicaid, Post Office, Amtrak... they/we fail to mention what wonders our feds have worked on our education system. I wonder whether we can lay off (or stomp on) the whole liberal crowd and start over!
Why is it that television journalists can’t write worth a damn? I guess the editor, if they even have one, sucks too.
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