John Breish Lt. P. Clayre Sullivan School Principal Targets & Criminalizes Children and Parents of Color

This year Nani's fifth grade homeroom teacher, Patricia Moriarty, is teaching my daughter she should keep quiet about injustices in her classroom and school.  At home, my daughter is taught and encouraged to use her critical thinking skills; to read, to write, to research or verify, analyze and critique.  And, of course, Nani is taught to take a stand and defend it.  My daughter is taught learning is a whole-body experience so, when your 'gut' tells you something is not right, or you feel something is wrong - you should listen, explore and address it.  

In  my home, we also actively engage in self-criticism so that we are constantly giving and receiving feedback from one another - that is how we grow from our weaknesses and build our strengths.  At school, my daughter's teacher Moriarty is teaching my child not to question her 'authority', to memorize and regurgitate, to use MCAS "strategies" [purposed soley to train a child to perform a certain rubric or skill versus learning about the actual content in-depth] and to follow orders - no questions asked.  School has become nothing more than a holding cell for my daughter; she comes home feeling an overwhelming sense of powerlessness and oppression.

I used to ask my daughter "How was school today?" to stay abreast of new topics, new friendships and my daughter's daily growth.  Now "How was school today?" really means, Are you okay?  Did your teacher treat you in a welcoming and respectful way? Did you see yourself in the material today?  Did you feel listened to? Were you able to play, laugh, run and talk with your peers?  Was the food at lunch today edible?

Patricia Moriarty, has completely eroded my daughter's 5th grade learning experience to one of fear and intimidation, control and manipulation.

When my daughter first told me "I just don't like Ms. Moriarty," I was surprised.  My daughter has never made such an definitively negative statement about any of her teachers; she has always been fond of her teachers.

I tried to remain neutral.  "Well, honey it isn't easy to manage 28 students."  

"What is it you don't like about her?" trying to get a better understanding. 

"Well, she always does the same thing, in class...she is mean. She picks on the same three boys, [Moe, Victor and Chris] and kicks them out of class," Nani admitted slumping her shoulders and looking down in a defeated posture.

"Every day, when the boys come in, they are talking...just like every body else.  You know? We are saying hi and telling each other what we did on the weekend or the night before,"  animating with her hands.

"But as soon as they come in, Ms. Moriarty, starts shushing them."Shhhhhh...she hisses at them even though everybody else is talking and she doesn't ask the others to be quiet,"  Nani elaborates.

"Then, when the boys say "but, everybody else is talking?" she threatens to send them to the principal's office,"  Nani exclaims getting upset again.  "Then, the boys get upset and just ignore her."

The boys are Latino.  Ms. Moriarty doesn't engage with the White students in her class the same way, even though they too, are talking.  Nani further explained Moriarty has a system she uses to effectively remove all three boys from her class.  She provokes the boys by 'shutting them down' with her shushing.  When they are not immediately silent she sends one of the friends to the principal's office enraging the other two.  When the two remaining don't listen, she removes the second.  The third is left alone.  If the remaining student participates in class she ignores him and doesn't check his homework. Consequently, outraged the third refuses to listen and is sent to the hallway to sit alone for the remainder of the class.

True learning happens when all our five senses are involved which inherently includes our feelings.  How and what are these boys learning by being exiled from their classroom almost everyday?  Almost everyday, these students of color are being shamed, humiliated, punished, rejected and finally, excluded.  Consequently, these students (our children) are learning they are 'not good enough' to be a part of  their community of peers.  

At Sullivan elementary school, in-house suspension seems to be overwhelmingly used on Latino boys and girls starting as early as the third grade.  In this prison-like room, students are left for part or the remainder of the day.  They are given an enormous pile of work to do.  They are not allowed to have recess.  

So, the answer to children who exhibit a need to interact with their peers is to completely take away all social or physical or cognitive/intellectual interaction with their community of peers - just for talking in class?  

People of color being policed and jailed for minor infractions...sound familiar?  

Still, I had no proof, just my daughter's word.  Fed up, Nani started documenting what she considered a violation of student's rights to equal opportunity education.  "Mommy, Ms. Moriarty is always saying how we are taking away student's rights to learn (by talking in class) but, that is exactly what she is doing to them!"   She started taking notes in class and would come home to show and tell me about how easily students of color are kept from recess, detained in isolation and, written up.

This past winter, my daughter was in the cafeteria having breakfast (something she rarely does as she states the food is frequently 'weird').  In the middle of having breakfast Nani was startled by a loud slam.  Mrs. Gordon, a special education teacher on breakfast duty, became irate at an little kindergartner and shouted "No, not there!" slamming her hand down hard on the cafeteria table because he sat down next to his friend instead of a sequentially designated seat.

"Mommy, she made the little boy jump and he just froze looking really scared." Nani illustrated.  The little kindergartner looked Puertorican," she said.   Nani took her concerns to John Breish the principal, that same morning.

Breish listened to Nani and then, dismissively said "let Nani worry about Nani" sending her back to her classroom.

"That's when I knew going to Mr. Breish didn't work."  my daughter told me.

In other words, Nani understood the chief administrator in her school DID NOT care about THE TRUTH, he cared about keeping everyone under control.

Latino students shamed and exiled by White Teacher for talking with his friends during intermission at a 'Holiday' concert in the Sullivan School Cafeteria, Dec. 2014.

Desperately wanting principal Breish, to believe her, Nani asked if she could use her cell phone to record student-teacher interactions.  My daughter wanted to prove to Breish that she was telling the truth and, she thought if she could show him he would care and make Moriarty stop targeting her classmates.  Of course, he said "No." 

On December 22, 2014 I learned from my daughter that Sullivan School was having a 'holiday concert' the next day, the 23rd.  I asked why she was just telling me and she replied "they just told us mommy. I was told I am in the concert and I will be playing my flute."  I was incredibly upset.  Holyoke public schools are notorious for NOT INFORMING parents or, waiting to the last minute to inform us.  
I would not miss my daughter's flute debut.  The next morning, I arrived to the school cafeteria 30 minutes after start time and there were no chairs set up for parents to sit. Students were sitting on the floor, criss-crossed as directed to do by their teachers.  Breish strolls in and says "Give us 10-15 minutes; we'll get some fold up chairs for parents to sit."  I don't believe school administrators truly expected parents to come out otherwise why wouldn't the cafeteria be setup before parent's arrival?  

During intermission, I noticed the teacher in the above picture doing exactly what Nani had described.  During intermission the cafeteria was buzzing with chatter.  All the kids were restless from sitting on the floor in such tight quarters.  I was standing up against the wall next to the woman in the photo above who did not seem happy to be there.  

I noticed she kept 'eyeing' a group of Latino boys and one girl; they were not doing anything out of the ordinary but, she wouldn't take her eyes off of them.  She shushed the students consistently for about three or so minutes.

Finally shouted "You! Let's go!" to the shortest boy in the group.

Surprised, the boy pointed to himself "me?" looking confused.  He wasn't doing anything different from any of the other 100 or so students; just talking with his friends who were sitting right next to him.  The teacher seemed overly agitated.  Looking unsure why he was signaled out, he rose reluctantly from his tiny plot of space on the floor next to his friends.  He is the boy in the above picture to the left of the woman with her arms crossed defensively.  I was incensed; it was intermission and he hadn't done anything wrong - just talking and laughing with his friends.  I went over to him.

"Hi, are you okay?" I asked.  

The boy looked up with a shocked, hesitant look on his face. He must of thought I was another teacher and didn't reply.  

"Its okay," I said.  "It's okay for you to talk." I offered and then, his face opened up.  

I looked over at the teacher who had an frozen look on her face refusing to acknowledge me.  I went over to her.  

"Hi, my name is Ms. de Jesus.  I'm a parent.  I noticed you pulled him out of the group.  Why isn't it okay for him to talk during intermission with his friends?"  I asked the teacher.  

Refusing to reciprocate the introduction, she ignored my question.  

After some stammering she replied "You can go talk to the principal." 

Really?  As if that was suppose to deter me, or frighten me?  

"Sure," I said.  

This woman demonstrated absolutely no respect or accountability; she behaved the way someone does when they are caught in an act and don't know which way to go or, what to say.  So, they say nothing and run for cover.  She was running for cover; that's why she wanted to go talk to the principal.  He was going to defend her actions. 

As we walked down the hall towards the principal's office, I could hear Noreen Ewick, the assistant principal on the walkie-talkie.  We arrived at an empty classroom and were met by more White women - Mrs. Ewick and the new adjustment councilor, Heather.  I was immediately surrounded by three White woman who all seemed nervous and gave each other very animated looks.  I felt they were trying to intimidate me - it was pathetic.  

"What seems to be the problem, Ms. de Jesus?" asked Mrs. Ewick.  

"The problem is this woman who refused to tell me her name was targeting some Latino students who were simply chatting with each other during intermission. And, when I saw her single out one of the boys for doing what every other student in the cafeteria was doing, I asked "why, it wasn't okay for this boy to talk to his friends who were sitting right next to him"  I finished.  Heather, the woman and Ewick just stared blankly at me. 

"Ms. de Jesus, I understand but, we can't have you targeting our teachers [...]" Ewick asserted.  

"Targeting?  So, now, you are going to play reverse psychology with the word I used to describe her actions?" I asked rhetorically.  

There playbook is laughable.  I stood up to leave.

"If you all want to sit here and go back and forth that is fine.  I did not come here to sit and waste my time; I came here to see my daughter perform in a concert.  I left them sitting there.

I walked back over to the cafeteria and continued supporting my daughter.  At the end of the concert principal Breish came over and asked to speak with me in his office.  We sat down.  Without asking me what happened he went in. 

"My staff tells me you..."  he began.

"Whooa, whoa, whoa.  What do you mean "your staff tells you?"  Are you even going to bother to ask me what happened?  I shot back.  

"Viviana, I can not have you coming into my school and attacking my teachers." he announced.  

"Your school? This is OUR school and, I don't work for you.  You work for me so, I could care less what you would like me to do. Your staff was targeting a group of Latino students for doing exactly what I observed White students doing except no one was shushing them." I informed.

"I work for the students," he replied.  

"And, if you don't like the way I do things here then, you can take your kid to another school," trying to shut me down.

"This is my daughter's school and OUR community so, no I won't be "taking my daughter to another school just because you feel like it."  I answered.   There was no doubt in my mind, my 10 year old was not lying or exaggerating about what she was witnessing in and out of her classroom.  

In February Nani informed me parent-teacher conferences were being conducted in groups.  That is, without parents input, school administrators have determined parents should meet with all their student's teachers collectively.  Again, intimidation tactics - pathetic.  

Based on the contrasting feedback I would have about Moriarty and Mrs. Maisonave (who is an amazing teacher) I thought that would not be a good idea.  Despite the disrespectful way Breish and some teachers handle students and their parents, I wanted to respect Moriarty's privacy.  Knowing the feedback I had would not be easy to provide or receive I requested to meet with Moriarty and Principal Breish, separately.  That meeting was scheduled for Feb. 13th 2015.  Breish told me Moriarty would be coming in the office after we spoke with Maisonave.  He stated he didn't want Mrs. Maisonave to be in the room while I shared my concerns with Moriarty's classroom management tactics.

I had an opportunity to really thank Mrs. Maisonave her for the wonderful way she handles students, in the classroom.  From Nani I learned Mrs. Maisonave is half Puertorican and half French.  Nani loves Mrs. Maisonave and has shared "Mommy, she giggles when we do silly things and tells us stories about her daughter and about her personal life.  She doesn't just order us around. She acts like she actually likes us and wants to teach us."  I shared my sincere appreciation and we talked about crafting an alternative "assessment" for Nani as she would NOT be taking the MCAS.  Mrs. Maisonave respected my wishes and agreed to come up with a hands-on project for Nani.   

Moriarty never showed up.  When addressing my detailed concerns about Moriarty, Principal Breish admitted: 

"Viviana, I am NOT suppose to tell you this and you have to promise not to say anything.  I agree, some of Mrs. Moriarty's classroom practices are of concern.  But, I can not just fire her.  I am trying to help her use different tactics with the students in class.  We are trying something where if a students is being disruptive she will signal the student with her finger using one, two and three."  

Breish went on to explain that each number represented a warning, second warning and then, off to the principal's office. 

I didn't see how this "tactic" was any better.  Per my daughter the root of the problem is that Moriarty is not well received by most of her students.  Moriarty does not engage the students in lively, relevant dialogue, she is rigid and her teaching style is not inclusive nor creative. 

In response, to Breish's confession, I offered some thoughtful feedback as to why many feel the classroom has become a constant state of policing our children and teachers.  I talked about the damage the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are doing to the learning and teaching experience.  I shared my opposition to the district's compliance of the States' attempt to privatize public education.  I especially noticed how Mrs. Ewick (his assist. principal) was drawn in by my comments.  

I informed Breish about The Rise of Holyoke Schools, an organization I created in January 2015 to engage and unite parents and, build a strong parents of color constituency base.  

"We need parents to unite and oppose the state's targeting of low-income districts for receivership.  We also have to fight to eliminate the (test) prep and drill CCSS curriculum which is eliminating classroom instruction time, arts, music, physical and social development as gym and recess are almost non-existent.  Performance-based teaching assessments do nothing but create competitive and immoral practices among teachers and students.  

Rise of Holyoke Schools' mission is to drive equitable education policy at the state level.  I asked Breish if he would support my distributing information to parents about how to become involved.    

Breish's response was apathetic to say the least.  He informed me he thought there was nothing wrong with the CCSS and that it was perfectly okay for third graders to be  judged by one score - the MCAS. 

"How else will we assess them?" asked Breish.  

"The same way we were assessed before the MCAS, using teacher-created tests and project-based assessments," I answered.  

"Well, no matter what I think, Superintendent Paez has the last word."  he closed.  

Paez blocked every attempt I made to work collaboratively with school staff.  

Why would Paez not approve the distribution of Rise of Holyoke Schools flyers?  The answer is clear; Paez could care less about the working class poor who make up 80% of the districts families.   Even the Holyoke Teachers Association, has stated Paez would not approve robo-calls to go out to parents to inform them of their efforts to organize parents against our schools going into receivership.  

Why are our current Superintendent's and Chief School Officers/Principals so clueless and lacking in creativity? These men make upwards of $100,000 and they seem completely detached from the art of instruction and the human process of learning.  It seems like the more Bill & Melinda Gates, Eli Brode and the Walmart family fund superintendent academies and principal tracks; the less creative, innovative and ingenious these school chief officers become.  

Perhaps we should look at where all this 'private charitable funding" is being allocated and who its benefiting. For more on that, please read my previous posts on Common Core.  

In early March of this year, (weeks before my surgery) I applied and received a grant to conduct parent info sessions.  My daughter and I passed out flyers ourselves. In addition to canvassing that I did in the neighborhoods, we distributed flyers at the Sullivan elementary school car pick-up line.    

On March 3rd 2015, I received an email from Mrs. Noreen Ewick. Per principal Breish and Superintendent Paez we were basically told to stop flyering without Paez' approval.   

Do you see the catch 22 Holyoke parents of color face? Paez, Breish and many others says we are absentee, we are not involved in our children's education yet, he is the one blocking every attempt I made to prove us different.  

For the last three years, I have attended school committee meetings, school improvement councils and, the "H" council.  More recently I collaborated with the HTA, testified at the Foundation Budget Review Commission public hearing, gone canvassing and presented a petition requesting the City Council support our opposition to receivership (which they did).  Paez still has never supported my efforts to galvanize parents of color.  

Friday, April 10th 2015 I received a text.  

"Mommy, call the school...say you need to talk to me." 

Knowing all that my daughter has witnessed at school made this text all the more distressing.  I called the school and Maria Marquez, the school secretary answered.  I asked Maria to speak with my daughter and she placed me on hold. Marquez informed me my daughter was in Jim Desautel's office, one of the two assistant principals. I asked to speak with principal Breish.  

"This is Principal Breish, how can I help you Viviana."  

"What is going on with my daughter?" I asked.  

"According to Mrs. Moriarty, Nani was being disruptive in class."  Breish said.

"Disruptive, how?" I asked.  "Well, Mrs. Moriarty states that Nani jumped in to defend another student who was also being disruptive," he circled.

"What do you mean by disruptive?" I pressed.  

"Mrs. Moriarty was reprimanding another girl in class for talking and the girl apparently called Mrs. Moriarty a racist. Nani then, jumped in and agreed." explained Breish.  

"They were both sent to the office." he sighed.  
"I am not sure exactly how my daughter has been disruptive? It seems to me she is being honest about how she perceives Mrs. Moriarty's actions."  I countered.

"Nani needs to mind her business." Breish demanded.  

"No, you and your staff need to stop being racist," I countered.  

"I'm sorry but, I'm gonna have to put Nani in the "student support" room for the rest of the day, " bullied Breish.

"No, you won't.  I will be picking my child up." 

When I arrived I saw a police cruiser and a White police officer, pacing back and forth in Breish's office.  

Stay tuned...to part II of: John Breish Lt. P. Clayre Sullivan School Principal Targets & Criminalizes Children and Parents of Color.  

#AfroLatinaLivinMyPassion

Can Racist, Classicist & Clueless Organizing Models That Lie & Co-Opt Latino Voices Save Our 80% Latino School District From Receivership?

RADICAL: Arising from or going to the root source.   

What is transformative organizing?  

"Left wing or Transformative organizing is characterized by a militant opposition to racism, war, and the abuses of people who self-identify as revolutionary, radical, liberal, and progressive."  Eric Mann, The 7 Components of Transformative Organizing Theory.

On January 5, 2015 I attended a Reclaiming Our Schools press conference at Dean Technical High school co-sponsored by the Holyoke Teachers Association (HTA) and Western Mass Jobs For Justice (WMJWJ). The press conference was held to inform parents of their strategic vision however I (am a parent who has been (pro)active for three consecutive years yet) was never contacted by the HTA or WMJWJ. I learned of the press conference from Mathew Cunningham-Cook and Mekdes Ferguson, a young couple in their twenties. Mathew and Mekdes are new Holyoke residents who I met through my involvement in the Black Lives Matter grassroots protests back in December of 2014.

I attended the Reclaiming Our Schools press conference to advocate on behalf of parents and students who have been excluded from the State’s district review process and Superintendent Paez' Accelerated Improvement Plans. I spoke out against the racist curriculum the Superintendent is force-feeding my 10 year old daughter. A curriculum purposed to test-prep not teach. A curriculum which uses dishonest and disempowering English Language Arts (ELA) lesson plans about Christopher Columbus as a benevolent explorer to reinforce White supremacy and US imperialism at the expense of the truth which is that Columbus was a murder, liar and thief - who spread disease and shed the blood of our indigenous ancestors.

My daughter spoke up about our three year struggle with the lack of hands on, project-based learning, gym, music, art and almost nonexistent recess. She also denounced the lack of healthy and appealing lunch and breakfast options and testified about being served moldy meat. Rose Bookbinder, introduced herself as an organizer with WMJFJ. 

"I was hired to engage the Holyoke parent community to align them with the HTA's Reclaiming Our Schools vision for 'our' schools," announced Bookbinder.

"Who's vision?" Annie Rodriguez, shouted out from the crowd. 

 Ms. Rodriquez is an former HPS parent and current grandparent, grass roots social justice organizer and 'Undoing Racism' trainer. It was a blunt question. One which has proved crucial to our 80% Latino and Low income districts's unstable and depoliticized residence in Holyoke. 

Mrs. Bookbinder tripped over the question and clumsily replied "well, all of our vision." 

 In the three and a half years of going to school committee meetings and a hand full of "H" council meetings, I had never even heard of Rose Bookbinder. At the end of the press conference, about five of us huddled discussing our shear discontent at the obvious disconnect between these "organizers" and the 80% Latino parent community. Besides my daughter and I there were no other parents of color. 

Why weren't Latino residents, organizers and parents invited to speak at this press conference or even informed? We asked each other.

"Does anyone know of a good location to meet with parents?" 

Bookbinder asked cockily cutting into our circle in the privileged way White people feel entitled to invade our space.  

After the press conference about five of us POC organizers and allies got together at a 'Books n Coffee' spot.  I learned Rose Bookbinder was not a Holyoke parent, teacher and, that she lived in a hill town far out past Belchertown. Twenty two miles long, Holyoke is a considerably small town; it was clear Mrs. Bookbinder was clueless about Holyoke. 

On January 6, 2015 I attended American Friends Service Committee's "A People's Vision: Looking Beyond the 114 Congress" held at the First Churches in Northampton. This was an event which convened local grass roots organizers to highlight and discuss their work around various social, economic, labor and climate justice issues. Rose Bookbinder was present. This time she was wearing a different hat with WMJWJ.  Bookbinder presented a 'skit' for their worker center in Northampton. 

What struck me was that none of the actual "members" from the worker center where there to speak to their agency. Later that evening, I met Jon Weissman, Coalition Coordinator with WMJWJ. When I introduced myself as a Holyoke public school parent, resident and organizer he responded with a wide-eyed, stand-offish apprehension. I wasn't surprised or even paused. Just a few minutes prior, Barbara Madeloni, President of the MTA who was present had sized me up, in much the same way. 

Madeloni looked right through me when I told her "I find the current organizing model in Holyoke problematic. Embedding a "white saviour" into our community who is not associated with our community's struggle in any way further depoliticizes our community. And positions us as incapable of identifying the root causes of the systemic problems afflicting our communities. "I am a HPS parent and organizer and we are absolutely able to organize and bring change in our own communities", I told her. On January 8, 2015, I emailed Madeloni. 

Here is the email:

"I hope this email finds you well. I am glad we had the opportunity to meet at the People's Vision in Northampton. Congratulations on your new position with the MTA and your revitalization of the Foundation Budget Review Commission (FBRC); there are so many important issues that need to be heard. 

I will absolutely be present (with my daughter) to address the FBRC regarding our funding needs. Together with my daughter I hope to speak on the counter-productive effects of the current MA curriculum framework's mandate for more testing and assessment of our students and teachers via the MCAS. 

I will be posting an alert to my fb, twitter, google+ and blog to make a call to action for this Saturday's FBRC hearing in Noho. 

Lastly, I would like to address concerns I have around the MTA's current Organizing model in Holyoke. Leadership in our community is evident. I believe the MTA needs to be more mindful of engaging our community for leadership regarding community organizing as it relates to cultivating an alliance with the parents and students of color within the Puerto Rican and African American communities respectively."

Not only did Madeloni completely ignore my email, but, her organizer, Rose Bookbinder was not present at the Foundation Budget Review Commission public hearing to advocate for or with HPS parents.

I solicited Latina School Committee member Mildred Lefevbre to attend the Foundation Budget Review Commission Public Hearing together with Rise of Holyoke Schools (formerly Education Justice Holyoke) to support our testimony against the state’s systemic and historic underfunding and its threat to place our district in receivership. Lefevbre attended. We had a group of about 8 individuals comprised of Holyoke residents, youth, organizers, students and allies. 

Is it fair to say I should have received a call from someone at the MTA or HTA since they were supposedly trying to engage parents in their strategic vision for my child's education? Well, I did not.

Darlene Elias, a longtime Holyoke resident and one of the organizers of the first Holyoke Black Lives Matter protest) called me and rhetorically asked:

"Viviana, you're speaking at the 1st Reclaiming Our Schools meeting, right?"

"No? I was not invited to speak." I responded.

"Well, Gus (Morales, President of the HTA) asked me to speak but, I told him I thought you should speak, since you are an active HPS Latina parent. He didn't call you?" she asked sounding genuinely surprised.

"No," I replied.

And, I never did receive that call. On the 15th, when my ten year old and I I walked into the Holyoke High School cafeteria, I was not surprised to see we were two of the handful of Latinos. Coincidentally, Gus Morales was walking in my direction when I arrived and we ended up standing right next to each other.

"How come you haven't called me?" I asked.

"What?" Gus replied, wide-eyed; seemingly taken back by my blunt question.

"I'm an active Latina parent in this district representing 80% of the families in this district. Why wasn't I invited to speak on behalf of the parent community?" I reiterated.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought I called you but, I'm just so busy..." Gus offered.

"Will there be a public comment period?" ducking his slight.

"Uh, yes, but, look Viviana I am Union President of the HTA now; I work for them." Gus conceded looking towards the sea of white teachers."

On this blog I have denounced Superintendent Paez's complete lack of respect for parents and exposed his failing performance review by the HPS school committee where they admit he has not established good relations with the parents nor the teachers and, where I have called out Principal John Breish's racist practices.

"Viviana, believe me, I know we have a lot of problems but, tonight its not about that; its about stopping the receivership." Gus practically pleaded.

In other words, the HTA's Reclaiming Our Schools initiative strategic vision was not welcoming of speaking truth to power - that the HPS HTA is an overwhelmingly White Teachers Union, does not reflect the 80% Latino community it serves and that from its White privileged status looks down on the community it serves. I was being asked to shut up about it.

"Gus, I am very well aware and capable of respecting the agenda tonight which is to let the state know we oppose receivership." I assured him.

"Oh, okay...thank you.  You can speak before me, " Gus offered seeming very relieved.

I don't think I would have had an opportunity to speak that evening had I not "allayed his apprehensions." My daughter and I shared our Foundation Budget Review Commission hearing testimonies where we called out Commissioner of Education Mitchel Chester's racist and classicist targeting of low-income urban school districts for privatization.

The MTA's chosen parent organizers WMJWJ Jon Weissman and Rose Bookbinder were present yet I did not see hardly any parents. After Morales gave his "I bleed purple" speech Bookbinder took the podium and once again touted herself as the parent engagement organizer for the HTA's Reclaiming Our Schools initiative. At that point, it became very evident the MTA, HTA and WMJWJ had no intentions of proactively including the parent community much less allowing us to have a lead role in our own children's education.

The meeting agenda entailed presentations from key HTA union members, Morales and School Committee member Erin Brunelle a White woman who had a fit and stated "Don't speak Spanish!" when Morales spoke to me in Spanish in front of her. Last on the Agenda were 'break out' groups where parents and teachers were to collectively identify problems within the district and brainstorm action plans. There was just one minor issue getting in the way of this collective effort - almost absolute absence of parents. There were only a handful of parents and they were mostly White with literally 3 maybe 4 parents (including myself).

Those who were present were anxious to communicate with each other and vent their anger about not being informed sooner of the "Reclaiming Our Schools" meeting.

"I am very angry because I am just finding out about what is going on in our district," said one parent.

"I get a robo-call for silly things but, not for something as serious as a take-over of our district?" questioned another parent.

One Latina parent spoke no English and the organizers failed to have a translator at this meeting. Thankfully, the parent came with another bilingual parent and was able to obtain some translation. Parents at my table were frustrated because Bookbinder kept interrupting our 'break-out' discussions to make announcements which didn't pertain to the entire group.

At this meeting, my daughter along with Mathew Cunningham Cook and Mekdes Ferguson, two former members of Rise of Holyoke Schools (formerly Education Justice Holyoke) collected 50 names for a petition to oppose the State’s takeover of our schools and leveraged the opportunity by asking City Council President Kevin Jourdain who was in attendance to support the petition. Jourdain announced his support at the meeting and promised to present our petition to the whole City Council at the following CC meeting.

Why hadn't WMJWJ or the HTA thought of that? Did not the MTA hire Rose Bookbinder as the "official" Western Mass organizer for parent engagement in HPS?

Later that same evening, Rise of Holyoke Schools (EJH then) announced we would be canvassing two days later on Saturday Jan. 17th 2015 to execute parent engagement. Bookbinder asked if we would allow them to join us and we said "yes." I made the announcement to the entire HTA group that our parent of color/resident led group would be canvassing together with members of the HTA.

The night before Friday, Jan. 16th, Angie Thatcher (HTA Union member) and I stayed up til 1:00 am editing and translating the flyer we would use for our canvassing. That evening, I received a call from Rose informing me she would not be canvassing with us as she had already committed to attending a birthday party in Boston. Hmmm? Okay. So, in front of the "cameras" when the media is around Bookbinder is an organizer but, when its time to pound the pavement Boston birthday parties trump her obligation to the community she touts herself to? Negative. Its not going down like that.

Cunningham and Ferguson showed up at my house and the four of us (including my 10 year old) braved the almost negative frigid temperature to canvass. As we were leaving I saw a huge patch of ice in front of my neighbor's house. I tried to avoid it by stepping on the perimeter but, I slipped. Trying hard to steady my footing I locked my knees. I tore my right Anterior Crucial Ligament (ACL) and my meniscus. The pain was shocking and I screamed holding on to a dried up bush cutting my hands. I stood on one leg paralyzed by the pain. But, I had never had such a serious injury so, I thought I just pulled a muscle. I forced myself to squat and stand up straight.

"Let's go," I said. I had already given my word. More importantly, it was our idea to canvass; I couldn't not show up. So, I drove us down and I hopped around in the freezing cold on one leg canvassing Beaudain Village with my daughter, Dorothy Albretch, Andrea Enright, her parents, Mildred Lefebvre, her daughter, Cunningham and Ferguson. Together, we collected a contact list of about 150 names.

By the time I reached my home, I had a migraine, fever, a cold and I was nauseous. My right leg was about three times its size and completely immobile. The next day, I could not bare any weight on my right leg, at all. I stayed in bed all of Sunday. Monday I had someone drive me to my Chiropractor and when she checked my leg her jaw dropped.

"Viviana, I think you tore your ACL and if that's the case you will need surgery." She urged me to see my doctor that same day - on an emergency basis to request an MRI. I was seen by a doctor the same day and was given a knee brace and crutches. The MRI did show I had torn my ACL and my Miniscus and would need surgery. 

Tuesday (Jan. 20th) I was at the School Committee meeting which was held at Dean Tech High School.  Again, no parents (of color) just active HTA Union members. My daughter and I testified against the receivership.  I was interviewed by Michelle Kingston of CBS3 Springfield News and I bolted out to attend a simultaneous City Council meeting where RHS petition to oppose a state takeover of our district was on the agenda. 

What does it mean to be an conscious organizer?  

Stay tuned for part II of: Can Racist, Classicist & Clueless Organizing Models That Lie & Co-Opt Latino Voices Save Our 80% Latino District?

#AfroLatinaLivinMyPassion