PRESS CONFERENCE WHEN: TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013 TIME: 4PM WHERE: SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE, 236 GRAND STREET, WATERBURY, CT 06702 ( In Front Of The Chase Building )

For Immediate
Media Release


Contact: Education Advocates
Athena Wagner, Waterbury Community Leader
Gwen Samuel, founder Connecticut Parents Union

PRESS CONFERENCE
WHEN: TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013
TIME: 4PM
WHERE: SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE, 236 GRAND STREET, WATERBURY, CT 06702
( In Front Of The Chase Building )


STOP THE VICIOUS ATTACK ON OUR ONLY AFRICAN AMERICAN PRINCIPAL ERIK BROWN AND VICE-PRINCIPAL MARIE ZILLO!!!

THE WATERBURY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT WANTS US TO BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE NO PLANS TO GET RID OF PRINCIPAL BROWN WHILE THEIR EVERY ACTION GOING BACK AS FAR AS JUNE 15, 2012 INDICATES THAT THEY WANT HIM OUT.

1. On the last Walsh school day of 2012, Principal Brown was called to central office, ALONE, for a meeting where he was not allowed to speak. He was informed that Walsh was going to be a turnaround school and that he & possibly 1/2 of the staff would probably be gone by January 2013 with mention of him even training the new principal, according to Brown. Many Board of education were not invited to attend and had no knowledge of this meeting even taking place.To date, there are no minutes of this meeting ( WHO was in attendance, WHAT was discussed). Brown immediately held a public community meeting where I asked the superintendent WHO deemed Walsh a turnaround school and the blame was placed on the State Department of Education. She also stated that she felt that Erik would be better suited in another position. WE VIDEOTAPED THE ENTIRE MEETING! The mayor, Paul Guidone and Superintendent Ouellette attended. They denied ALL and Erik emphatically reiterated, right in front of them, all that he was told in that closed door meeting where he was NOT even allowed to speak!
Unbeknownst to them, Lisa Lessard, Gwen Samuel and myself met with the State Education Commissioner, Stefan Pryor. He clearly stated that he knew nothing of Walsh school as any turnaround school and that he had not sent any of his people into Waterbury as of yet. Ouellette did not request that Walsh be accepted into the Commissioner's Network until July 3, 2012!!! 

note: Waterbury school district was not invited to participate in the Commissioner's network until June 22, 2012
http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/pressroom/cnschools.pdf


2. Walsh is NOW in the process of turnaround and there are some serious concerns about what appear to be unethical practices, intimidation, harassment, discrimination and fallacies. They want to do an investigation, so let's investigate the following also:

A. WHAT & WHERE are the successful school reforms that Dr. Joyner himself has implemented that would qualify him appointed as the superintendent's designee on the turnaround committee. I believe that to be a fair question since there is up to $1m dollars at stake to secure for Walsh school and it's students. As a hired education consultant WHY was he allowed to publicly evaluate Mr. Brown in a very negative light ( http://www.rep-am.com/news/local/706277.txt ) given the shattered history between the BROWN FAMILY and the JOYNER FAMILY stemming from New Haven politics where both men are originally from. All personnel issues of any city employees in education is confidential and discussed privately by the Board of Education in executive session.
(see front page news article in the Waterbury Republican American, 2/24/13, "School Reformer Questions Leadership of Walsh Principal")

B. WHY did I have the need to respond via email to Kevin Egan (WTA President also on the turnaround committee), on February 4, 2013 and state: "Therefore, any actions of bullying and/or intimidation towards any member of the Walsh SGC, wether intentional or not, from the WTA president are unwarranted and certainly unwelcomed and will be reported to all appropriate authorities."
The origin of the intense discord between Kevin Egan and Erik Brown was when central office,per Kevin, gave Erik a directive to immediately "cease and desist" the number of teachers being utilized for bus duty. It was NEVER a problem for the past 7 years at Walsh and now has created safety issues and concerns for the students, parents and staff.

To add to that discord berween Kevin and Erik:
CTPU Gwen Samuel speaks towards the end of school safety public hearing regarding Waterbury Teacher contracts that allows 1 teacher to 125 students ratio in non teaching supervisory duties, equitable distribution of resources... and how we MUST use common sense approaches towards ensuring both teacher & student safety!
Walsh Elem School Parent Ramona Diaz spoke VERY well regarding this school ratio issue (in Spanish) it was translated
http://ct-n.com/ondemand.asp?ID=8710

*******NOTE********
The 2010-2013 Written Agreement between The Waterbury Board of Education and The Waterbury Teacher's Association (CEA - NEA) states:
" c) If teachers are assigned to perform recess duty in the K-5 schools, an equalized rotation system will be employed. If teachers are assigned to recess duty the teacher student ratio shall be approximately one (1) to one hundred twenty five (125)."
.......see page 19, section c.
Kevin's justification is the additional use of paraprofessional's. WRONG!!!
According to the EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Connecticut State Department of Education defines paraprofessional's.

Para's are allocated to students in classroom to help intervene with special educational instruction and special educational duties for students whom have special educational needs!
Now a Paraprofessional is there as a one on one aid for a particular special educational student period. **Or in some cases, or in some circumstances a special educational classroom.


C. Now we have a Walsh School Teacher on this turnaround committee who allegedly makes a blanketed statement (there's a witness) that ALL the teachers at Walsh don't like Principal Brown. There are at least 46 teachers at Walsh, 4 on the School Governance Council will tell you that they love & respect Brown and his work and love for the students and staff.
So let's investigate WHY these 3, Mr. Joyner, Kevin Egan and this teacher would be strategically selected for the turnaround committee. It certainly seems that this deck was intentionally stacked AGAINST him!!!

D. As of Friday, 3/22/13, @ 2:15pm, principal Brown and his asst. principal, Maria Zillo were summonsed to central office.....They had no idea what was in store for them......Maria inquired, but they refused to tell her.....When they arrived, the 2 were addressed in seperate rooms and not together as usual......They were BOTH placed on PAID administrative leave, effective immediately.....Neither was afforded their contractual rights to a union rep. of their choice at this meeting......They took Erik's school keys immediately, but Maria was allowed to return to gather her belongings........Principal was ESCORTED back to the school to gather his belongings like a criminal......They stated, in writing that this was due to staff issues and it appeared not to have anything to do with the students or his performance.......BOTH were accused of bullying teachers......He received a copy of the final audit......Mike Puffer, our newspaper education reporter stated to me & Winifred Blanchard-Ward that it was very different than the "draft" audit that the 3 of us had seen at Monday's turnaround meeting.......In the letter given to Erik on Friday, regarding the paid admin. leave, It states that this is NOT any type of disciplinary action. Erik was also give a piece of paper titled " STATEMENT"; no department letterhead, not addressed to anyone, not signed by anyone, and not cc'd to anyone, that lists specific stipulations of his leave time. One very disturbing stipulation was that he was not to contact any city employees. This clearly again denies Erik his contractual rights to contact his union to take any necessary grievable actions as they are cuty employees. I attempted to contact Marie Zillo, and like a prisoner in her own home, found that her husband is taking calls and messages for Marie dir to these same stipulations imposed by the Superintendent.

E. (see Rebublican American news article 3/23/13 " Walsh Leaders Benched " http://www.rep-am.com/news/local/712317.txt#blogcomments)

IT'S FULL OF HOLES!
The very same people who's actions (nevermind what they've said) very strongly indicate that they want Erik OUT, have now hired the lawyer. That's self explanatory. Some of the teachers interviewed may not even work at Walsh. This school was placed in the Commissioner's Network for turnaround based on low CMT scores. Why would it be in the best interest of the students, parents, staff or anyone else at Walsh to abruptly dismantle Walsh's leadership when this is the week for all make up CMT testing? At taxpayer expense, they now have hired a possible biased lawyer, 2 retired administrators, NOT from Waterbury at all, to immediately run Walsh effectively. That too is self explanatory. Regarding "Disciplines" at Walsh, the numbers are down. We now have the local Board of Education and the State Education speaking to the issue of staff development training to learn to de-escalate discipline problems so as to keep stydents in class. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT ERIK KNOWS HOW TO DO AND HAS DONE!!! It may very well be that some teachers don't and would rather have the students arrested, suspended, expelled or anything but back in their class for them to deal with.
The Leadership issues addressed in the audit do NOT all point to the principal as they would lead the public to believe. Many of those issues are the sole responsibility of the superintendent and central office. DON'T BE FOOLED!
Five (5) official complaints (past, not present) from teachers, and no grievances filed with a very powerful union in the 8 years that Erik has served as Walsh principal is a pretty good record along with ALL of his evaluations being " EXEMPLARY".

F. THIS IS ABOUT CONTROL OF THE MONEY (UP TO 1 MILLION DOLLARS) THAT WILL POSSIBLY COME DIRECTLY TO WALSH SCHOOL!
  
Related Republican American news articles:
2/19/13 Turnaround Plans Stir Jitters (pg. 1B)
2/21/13 Walsh, Crosby Told Not To Worry (front page)
2/27/13 Editorial by James Monroe, president of Scovill Homes Association (pg. 7A
2/28/13 Community Backs Principal (pg.1B)
3/1/13 Assurances About Principal (pg. 1B)
3/4/13 Teacher Arbitration Likely (front page)
3/6/13 Editorial by Erika Cooper, a Walsh Parent (pg.7A)
3/19/13 Group Addresses School Issues (pg.2B)

Kathleen Ouellette, Waterbury School Superintendent: kouellette@waterbury.k12.ct.us (203-574-8000)
Waterbury Board of Education Members: cswain@waterbury.k12.ct.us
Up for re-election in 2013 are:
Karen Harvey (D).....vice president
Jose Morales (D)
Felix Rodriguez (D)
Charles Stango (R)....president
Ann Sweeney (I)

Up for re-election in 2015 are...
Pat Hayes (D)
Greg Harkins (D)
Liz Brown (D)
Jason Van Stone (R)
Joanne D'Amelio (R)

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