Citizens are Calling  for Barbara Byrd-Bennett's Immediate Resignation 

Part 2 of... July 5, 2005

Part 1

COMPLETE INDEX 

                                                      An Important Message! 

Soon after I released the article, " Citizens are Calling  for Barbara Byrd-Bennett's Immediate Resignation, " dated, 6/7, Council members listed below stopped accepting e-mail notifications . They are...

Ward 1 - Joseph Jones, 6 - Patricia Britt, 7 - Fannie Lewis, 8 - Sabra Pierce-Scott, 10 - Roosevelt Coats, 11 - Michael Polensek, 12 - Anthony Brancatelli, 13 - Joe Cimperman, 14 - Nelson Cintron, 15 - Emily Liphoven Holan, 16 - Kevin Kelly, 17 - Mathew Zone, 18 - Jay Westbrook, 20 - Martin Sweeney, 21 - Michael Dolan.

Council members listed below accepted this article, " The Uninformed Blather " of James Draper - According to the Uninformed PD Editors " dated 6/27. They are...

Ward 2 - Robert White 111, 3 - Zackary Reed, 4 - Kenneth Johnson, 5 - Frank Jackson, 9 - Kevin Conwell, 19 - Dona Brady, 

The refusal of e-mail messages is not surprising and goes back to the start of this WebSite. I kept a log of these actions for citizen to reflect on, if they so chose.   Refusal or acceptance of all articles starting with these two will be placed on the FACT FINDING pages. 

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(7) 11 What should citizens think of Council members possible silence to the call for Barbara Byrd-Bennett's immediate resignation. Some officials would like to see her gone, but none at this time, are willing to take a public stand. They will certainly share thoughts with citizens...out of earshot of media news coverage. Will each council official poll fifty residents in each Ward concerning the crippling effect Byrd-Bennett is going to have on the levy? Most likely, that is not going to happen. So why did I raise the issue? The issue, a concern of echoes I understand, needed exposé and Council members likely silence toward it, opens the portals of thought and interpretation to a greater number of citizens. The silence, all the silence to issues placed on FACT FINDING pages, can be helpful to citizens voters and candidates vying for Council seats. But I must place emphasis on candidates wise enough to state something like...

" I need more then just your votes to carry our issues into Council chambers. I need a nucleus of citizens willing to walk the corridors of city hall in a unified non-violent effort at resolving these issues for the benefit of all people living in our Ward. Without that kind of active support and participation, your votes for me, are vote for nothing more then miracles to happen. In other words, the vote,  your votes for me will become meaningless and I will just become another politician, citizens would like to throw rotten tomatoes at. " 

(7) 12 Byrd-Bennett never had anything to fear from current Council members. In fact, at one point early in the plans of school renovation/construction, she sternly warned Council to back off on demands of an overdue report that outlined which schools were targeted for immediate attention. She bluntly warned them, Council is not her boss. And ever since, Council members have been acting like wounded puppies, scampering away from their civic responsibilities. But for to many callous years before Byrd-Bennett's arrival, Council members had washed their hands of school issues, preferring to pass-the- buck to elected members of the school board .  And now that the vote had been stripped from voters in this area, the buck-passing now goes to the mayor. But Campbell took a  " hands off, " attitude toward the most important civic responsibly of her career as mayor. And now because of one bungling mayor 21 puppies chasing after their own tails, Byrd-Bennett has had the privilege of being the most powerful person in local government. And that is only because the complacency had blessed her with such a powerful position. When Byrd-Bennett DECIDES to leave the post of superintendent, it will not be by Campbell's choice, not by Council choice, and sad to predict but not by citizen choice. 

(7) 13 In this series of levy writings related to the 2004 campaign, I raised a number of reform issues that are getting the top of the list priority treatment from other urban school districts but not in Cleveland. I well revisit some here by centering important information that could be helpful, especially for parents who monitor the moves of children in the classroom. If the levy passes without redress of citizen concerns, do not expect much change. But if parent frustrations over them are remembered, children still can benefit from the ongoing struggle. Byrd-Bennett is nearing retirement age. She may find herself thinking about it more then ever before, but this is not to say she will give into the impulse, " Any time soon. " But who knows, she may be thinking, tomorrow is not soon enough. There is an old standing argument about people ready to ride off into the sunset. Don't expect much from them and they won't disappoint you. Could I be wrong? But sooner or later, another superintendent well be appointed. Well he or she be another shadow of Byrd-Bennett? Don't forget, she walks in the footsteps of the elite and avoids the MacDonald's crowd. And don't forget, the " Big Guy " is pleased with her walk and just might search for a superintendent that well fit into her shoes. Either way, citizens, parents and students have little to say in who leads the schools. 

(7) 14 And when the appointment is made, officials just might provide a bigger-then-life, portrait-in-words, profile of the new superintendent that may or may not match the summation a year or so from now. Many citizens knew Byrd-Bennett's profile was off the mark soon after arrival. And the citizens who knew the portrait had smudges on it, they were either prevented from offering opinions via the media or simply could not find ways to open the doors. So parents should by any means possible, gain information about the new leader, that goes beyond a general introduction. And in turn, share the research with others. I will be reviewing track records which centers attention on reform data in areas such as class size, social promotion and direct services to teachers and students. It has been argued by many for so many years that to much of student tuition funds, end up in an administration budget that is top heavy with indirect services. Right or wrong, real or imagined, citizens need to join community active groups involved in questioning the budget until it is open to the public and understood in laymen terms. One of the biggest problems facing passage of the levy in August, is putting trust in what has been offered as truth concerning the budget. All the layoffs of teachers and budgets cuts in other areas boggle the minds of citizens and it should. How could all these cuts have happened over a period of three years? Within months after the budget received a, " Clean as a whistle " comment from former  state auditor, Jim Petro, finances started taking a nose dive. But few people knew about it until the "mayoral control " campaign became a winner. And in spite of all the pleas from the " Big Guy " in defense of Byrd-Bennett's credibility, she lost it with multitudes of citizens. If this levy goes down again, the new superintendent ( very probable if levy goes down ) should seek, ways-of-passage-advice, from Council members.

(7) 15 No. Cleveland City Council members are still trying to figure out the best ways to avoid involvement in the schools. Don't misunderstand, they all like the invitations to speak at schools and yak away about what people want to hear. But it is in the doing that citizens are looking for. Ever notice that once politicians finish speaking, they are anxious to leave before a citizens ask questions that is absent of rehearsed answer, which in turn leaves them tongue-tide? But what is worse is meeting the public at election time when this happens. And now some are out in force, raising enthusiastic voices to citizens in wards, about the development of new schools and the renovation of others. But if citizens want to see them trip over their own words, speak to them about the development of minds that take place within the walls of the Schools.

(7) 16 A few month ago, Michael Polensek raised his voice above a whimper about the rush of violent happenings at Glenville High School. He got brave. But an echo from the bravest, who hides behind the skirts of Byrd-Bennett, lashed out at Polensek and told him, he should keep his yap shut! It worked. I wonder if Michael Dolan is still trying to figure out if Cleveland really has a public school system? 

(7) 17 In past writing, I wrote two words that seemed absent from political understanding...or maybe it is just to painful raising voices above a squeak like that of Polensek. Or maybe like Cimperman, the word education as in pubic, had a traumatizing effect on to council members. This can happen if they hear to many depressing stories from parents of children in the schools. It could have a numbing effect on the psyche. Could this be just a partial answer to the proposal for an Education Committee in Council? Dead silence. Have they really been traumatized or can the silence be interpreted as complacency? Citizens, parents and students, who are not aware of the proposal for an Education Committee, ( a good alternative in absence of an elected school board ) and feel it is a good idea, start talking to candidates for Council seats who are willing to break the silence if elected. All it takes is one member, with the backing of citizens who are willing to walk with the elected, set and speak-up in city hall till the news media takes notice. Because once the media airs the concerns of a few, citizens, especially the ones that voted against " mayoral control " will join forces with others until the silence is broken. Readers who are not aware of past writings related to the Education Committee, can read more about it by going to the HomePage and type or past the words, Education Committee, in the search engine. 

(7) 18 I repeat, if this levy goes down again, the new superintendent should seek, ways-of-passage-advice, from Council members. From Council members of New York City's Education Committee. This committee was responsible for chipping away at protectors of the budget who were ( like in Cleveland ) adamant against public exposé. The Cleveland school budget needs to be open to the public, but one mayor and 21 Council members thus far, is keeping the financial books closed. This could change by electing candidates who have already felt the personal frustration of tax dollars, especially from homeowners, going into a budget that is treated as private monies. But in NY city this Fall, thanks to perseverance of members of the Education Committee, citizens, parents and students will have the opportunity

Please click - Part    3