An Open Letter to President Christopher Dahl of SUNY Geneseo
President Dahl,
I am writing in response to a letter I just came across written by the “Rochester Area Colleges” expressing their support for Mayor Duffy’s takeover of the Rochester City School District. Your name and that of your college was signed to it.
My reason for writing you specifically is, I graduated from your college in the summer of 2008 before moving back to my home city of Rochester. As an active resident of the city (most of my work in the community revolves around anti-racist education and youth empowerment), I am absolutely appalled that the name of my old college—the same institution that taught me so much about thinking critically and actively engaging in the world around me—is being attached to a document as misleading (and in fact dangerous!) as your letter to the Democrat and Chronicle dated February 23, 2010.
Since you yourself (and apparently every president of our local universities) seem to be confused about the facts, I must correct a claim made in your letter, which states: “There is considerable evidence that mayoral control improves outcomes from cities as diverse as New York City, Boston, New Haven, Hartford, Cleveland, Washington D.C., and Chicago.” In case you are not aware, THIS IS ABSOLUTELY FALSE INFORMATION. It is the same rhetorical nonsense that was put out by our mayor and his cronies in December to trick city residents into blindly, quietly consenting to his takeover.
The TRUTH is, in the cities where mayoral control has been implemented, there has been an INCREASE in the racial achievement gap, an INCREASE in the incarceration of youth, and in many cases, a DECREASE in graduation rates (especially among black and latino men). Your letter speaks of damaging statistics in 8th grade reading and math at Franklin and East high schools, but are you aware of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results that state very clearly that students in NYC—a district under mayoral control since 2002, cited by your very letter—have shown NO gains in either 8th grade reading or 8th grade math?
THIS is only a small portion of the misinformation that is out there—misinformation you are perpetuating by signing your name in support of mayoral control. Many community members have been desperately working to correct this misinformation since it was first put out to the public in late December: teach-ins have been had; experts have spoken publicly and written articles; parents, students, teachers, and other community members have held pickets and gone door to door in the freezing cold in an attempt to further spread the word. We’ve even been to Albany and back. And by signing your name and that of your respected institution, you are effectively undoing the work we have done.
I should be clear and state that there are a few statements your letter makes that I would absolutely agree with: 1) that the high rate of poverty in the city makes an effective K-12 program all the more important; 2) that the stakes are very high; and 3) that the current system of school governance is not working for our children. These statements are all very closely related. Poverty (which encompasses joblessness and poor healthcare) is a problem our mayor has the power to influence, to change. In fact, to a great extent, that is precisely what he was elected to do; and he hasn’t done it yet. Why, if he cannot do the job he was elected to do, would we give him more centralized power and responsibility? Does it take a dictator to solve the problems of a community? Why not further empower the community to solve its own problems—to further democratize the system? This is what I was taught over and over when I was a student on your campus. And this is what has worked throughout history. Mayoral control has not.
But please don’t take my word for it. Check out the works of Dr. William Cala and David Hursh, two local experts who have written extensively on this subject.
Our children and community have been played with for far too long. What we need—what has been shown to work over and over in both urban schools and suburban schools—is more community involvement, not less. If you are concerned about the future of these children—all of whom have the potential to one day attend your campus, just as I did—then I strongly urge you, as a person of power and influence, to withdraw your support for mayoral control of the Rochester City School District.
Indeed, the stakes are high. Please do the right thing.
Sincerely,
Tim Adams
(Class of 2008)
Youth Empowerment Committee
Activists Against Racism Movement