With regard to your article below — according to the NBC news report (also below), the teacher was “accused of sexually abusing a student while at school,” which quite possibly amounts to a lot more than so-called “endangerment.” Also, it is important for us to be careful not to feed into reducing that which quite possibly happened into simplistic notions and questions about children simply not having “enough confidence in the adults in [their] educational environment to tell someone what happened right away.” According to the experts, such situations are much more complex than that. For example, “Kyle Rossi, Assistant District Attorney, said, Part of it is about the reluctance of a child to disclose sexual abuse. I don’t think it’s something anyone would want to talk about. I can tell you in 99% of the cases that we see I can probably think of one where there was an immediate disclosure and that’s out of the hundreds and hundreds of cases we prosecute each year. Assistant District Attorney Kyle Rossi says they were lucky to find out about this case at all. Rossi said, when there is a disclosure, it is by accident. They confide in someone that they trust and it somehow gets to an adult that reports it. That certainly plays into how this came to the attention of the police.” And the bottom line in all of this is that the “Rochester City School District says they acted right away, pulling Lomaglio out of the classroom when it came to their attention.” IT WAS AT THAT POINT (LAST MAY) THAT PARENTS HAD A RIGHT TO KNOW THAT A TEACHER AT THEIR CHILDRENS’ SCHOOL WAS BEING INVESTIGATED AS A POTENTIAL PEDOPHILE — PERIOD!

COMMUNITY ALERT:

We learned earlier this week via Channel 10 News that a Rochester City School District physical education teacher, Matthew Lomaglio, has been “accused of molesting one of his students” at #19 School. He was arrested, and “charged with sexually abusing a boy under the age of 11. News10NBC learned the Rochester City School District has no policy that requires them to notify parents if a teacher is arrested and accused of sexually abusing a student while at school.” According to Channel 10, an “investigation began last May. The Rochester City School District says they acted right away, pulling Lomaglio out of the classroom when it came to their attention.” See additional information at the link below.

IT WAS AT THAT POINT (LAST MAY) THAT PARENTS HAD A RIGHT TO KNOW THAT A TEACHER AT THEIR CHILDRENS’ SCHOOL WAS BEING INVESTIGATED AS A POTENTIAL PEDOPHILE — PERIOD!

We can either continue to just keep TALKING about creating safe and healthy conditions for our children, or we can actually DO something. This is a clear-cut case in which we can and should do something, that is, make an organized, concerted demand that the Rochester Board of Education develops and implements (with all deliberate speed) a policy that states anytime a suspected pedophile is removed from the classroom — parents must be notified within 24 hours — period.

This is straight-forward, simple, to the point and achievable. I suggest that (as a starting-point) we gather as many parents as possible to attend the Rochester Board of Education meeting next Thursday 1/24/13, and speak out in favor of a new policy. If they fail to act (with all deliberate speed) — then we should plan our next step to ensure that such a reasonable policy is developed and adopted.

If others don’t want to speak — I’ll sign up and speak — as long as y’all stand with me (literally) — while I’m speaking. If others want to speak — you have to call the Board Secretary no later than noon next Thursday and sign up (262- 8525). If we don’t act now, the next Board meeting is not until February 14th. You see, this is a crystal-clear example of the point at which the rubber hits the road, i.e., when it’s time to stop TALKING and ACT. WHO IS WITH ME?

http://www.whec.com/news/stories/S2899045.shtml?cat=566

Also, Mr. Johnny Lee Norris is offering us space, which he has reserved at the Lincoln Branch Library (851 Joseph Ave., Rochester, NY 14621) — for a pre-meeting on Wednesday, January 23 at 5:00 PM — so that we can talk before the Board meeting on Thursday. All are welcome to attend.

From Mary Adams:

“The recommendations in the draft FMP are from the superintendent, not from the
board. The board received the document at the same time as the public received
it. We are in fact actively seeking public input. I have been spending a lot
of time and effort encouraging more public involvement from the school
communities and proximate neighborhood associations of my board liaison schools.

Please continue to encourage participation – the major current dilemma is not an
unwillingness of the board to listen — the question is, will members of the
public take the time and effort to study the data contained in the draft plan,
discuss options for making the most of the opportunity to modernize, and then
articulate recommendations to the board? You are correct, SW residents are
putting in major effort to contribute to the process — we must continue to
encourage a broader effort in order to help the board make the best decisions
possible.”

Lori

FYI: Ms. Remis had invited me to testify. The person who coordinated the speakers list (Katie) sent me a note to the effect that I had the option of submitting written testimony (prior to the Hearing) — so I didn’t submit anything in writing (see below). When I arrived at the Hearing, they had my name on a list to give testimony, but I was never called upon. So, I sat in City Hall Chambers for more than two hours listening (for the most part) to middle class suburban and rural white folk — who know little or nothing about urban education, and probably are not specifically concerned about urban conditions or children. The day after the Hearing, I had written an article, in which I pointed out that the whole fiasco reminded me of a very small fly — in a very big bowl of buttermilk. I believe (unless I’m mistaken) — I had copied my above referenced correspondence to you and other members of the Coalition For Justice in Education.

The Struggle Continues, Howard