IHS? Amato? Shit Hitting the Fan?
I guess I’m naive to think it’s fishy for a Chief Administrative Officer of the RSD to be on the board of a charter school.
I know the heart of the controversy is the presence of Anthony Amato. One, I think Amato got driven out by impatience and flat-out racism. Two, why would a former superintendent agree to be principal/CEO of a single, new charter school? Yes, he’s been fired or forced out of the last four positions but if you look at superintendents of urban, struggling school systems, that’s the norm—no overnight blinding change in problems that have existed for generations? Fire the superintendent! Give us his head!
Amato was no favorite of mine. But I did not think he was ill-suited for the job because he wasn’t black. I did not agree that “the children” need a black superintendent.
Another point:
A governing board has chosen former New Orleans schools superintendent Tony Amato to lead the International High School of New Orleans, a move that would displace a popular principal and is vehemently opposed by many parents.
Parents, students and teachers packed a meeting of the school’s new charter board on Wednesday night to speak against the appointment. Board member Andrew Ward said Amato emerged as the clear front-runner in a field of 51 applicants, though he had been fired or forced to resign from his last four superintendent jobs.
Don’t think this is unusual. Boards run these schools, not parents. And it is made glaringly clear when things like this happen. And they happen. And will happen even more. Certain sets of parents think that a school being chartered means parents run the school then they get upset when the principal/CEO won’t meet with them or the board votes on something they disagree with and even complain about and gather to show their displeasure over.
Hm.
Rob Couhig on the IHS board? Oy vey.
.. my only question is… where will this school be located? is this why they’re closing so many public schools here?
The NOPS system was Jacked up Pre Katrina, and with these Multiple Public School Systems it’s pure mayhem
IHS has a location and has all year. Things move fast so it’s hard to keep track. The new KIPP high school will allegedly be in Douglass’ building. Carver got a reprieve. Rabouin is closing. It does often look like a public school is closed to house a brand-new or just-about-brand-new charter school. Part of the problem is a lack of transparency and the absence of a plan at any level plus the absence of a process for assigning school buildings with any degree of transparency.
Well, there are plans but…..
IHS parents are trying to meet Tuesday, May 25 at 5:30 at IHS to further discuss the hiring of Amato and the conversion to charter status.
Best of luck, y’all. The mainstream myth is that charter schools allow and run on parent input and involvement. That is not true, at least not here when the charterization was spearheaded by non-parents.
On behalf of the IHS community we hope that you will join us along with many other RSD parents to protest the foolishness that is known as RSD. The protest will be held Thursday at 1 pm at Poland
We are pulling our student out of the school. My kid loved the staff at the school. His grades and test scores were the best he has ever done. But changing the whole staff on the 2nd last day of school was a slap in the face to the whole community.
Upset, agreed and I am sorry to hear about the upheaval. I hope you are able to find a school that nurtures your child that way again. It is unfortunate that parents and students seem to be getting lost, or discarded, in the shuffling.