{"id":13896,"date":"2016-10-17T09:40:49","date_gmt":"2016-10-17T13:40:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/cssp\/?p=13896"},"modified":"2016-10-17T10:45:12","modified_gmt":"2016-10-17T14:45:12","slug":"ghnaacphaltschoolclosings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/cssp\/2016\/10\/17\/ghnaacphaltschoolclosings\/","title":{"rendered":"The Greater Hartford Branch of the NAACP Demands a Halt to All School Closings"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/cssp\/files\/2016\/10\/Screen-Shot-2016-10-17-at-9.33.53-AM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13905\" src=\"http:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/cssp\/files\/2016\/10\/Screen-Shot-2016-10-17-at-9.33.53-AM.png\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2016-10-17 at 9.33.53 AM\" width=\"860\" height=\"463\" srcset=\"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/cssp\/files\/2016\/10\/Screen-Shot-2016-10-17-at-9.33.53-AM.png 860w, https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/cssp\/files\/2016\/10\/Screen-Shot-2016-10-17-at-9.33.53-AM-300x162.png 300w, https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/cssp\/files\/2016\/10\/Screen-Shot-2016-10-17-at-9.33.53-AM-768x413.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\" \/><\/a><em>(Photo credit: screen image of Greater Hartford Branch NAACP website)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Letter sent via e-mail from President Imam Abdul-Shahid Muhammad Ansari of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.greaterhartfordnaacp.org\/\">Greater Hartford Branch of the NAACP<\/a> to the Superintendent\u00a0<em>of Hartford Public Schools;\u00a0<\/em>and cc: to administrative staff of Hartford Public Schools, Board of Education members, City Council &amp; Mayor of Hartford, NAACP-CT President Esdaile &amp; Education Committee Chair on\u00a0Monday, October 17, 2016,\u00a08:50 a.m. (Letter in PDF and full text below)<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-documentcloud\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><div class=\"DC-embed DC-embed-document DV-container\"> <div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:129.42857142857142%;height:0;overflow:hidden;max-width:100%;\"> <iframe src=\"\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/3143684-NAACP-Demand-a-Halt-on-School-Closings.html?embed=true&amp;responsive=false&amp;sidebar=false\" title=\"NAACP-Demand-a-Halt-on-School-Closings (Hosted by DocumentCloud)\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:1px solid #aaa;border-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;\"><\/iframe> <\/div> <\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Text<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>From: Greater Hartford NAACP<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>To:\u00a0Superintendent@hartfordschools.org,<\/em><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>bethnarvaez@hartfordschools.org<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>Date:\u00a0Mon, Oct 17, 2016 at 8:50 AM<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>Subject:\u00a0Greater Hartford Branch of the NAACP Demand a Halt to All School Closings<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>Dear Dr. Schiavino-Narvaez:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>In a time of severe budget cuts, Hartford\u2019s school officials have focused their attention on closing schools with low performance in the hopes of cost savings, and improving system inefficiencies.\u00a0 The Hartford Board of Education\u2019s proposed closures are the result of both deliberate policy decisions and significant disinvestment in public education over time.\u00a0 Following a national pattern of destructive education reform policies and practices, the Hartford Board of Education is proposing similar reforms resulting in school closures primarily in the north-end of Hartford, which is predominately comprised of low- income African-American and Latino neighborhoods.\u00a0 This proposed action by the Hartford Board of Education will violate Title IV and VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.\u00a0 It also constitutes negative treatment and would have an unjustified disparate impact on African-American and Latino students.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>This school closing plague is not unique to Hartford.\u00a0 Across the country residents of poor communities in several cities such as, New Orleans, Chicago and Newark have filed Title VI complaints with the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights demanding that the Department investigate the racial impact of school closings in their cities.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>The Hartford Board of Education has neither been forthright nor transparent with the community.\u00a0 The Mayor, the Court of Common Council, the Hartford Board of Education, and the Superintendent of Schools assured the community that the Equity 2020 Advisory Committee would analyze school data across the city, (with input from the community), and \u00a0would develop a proposal on how the educational system should move forward.\u00a0 This proposal was to be presented to the Hartford Board of Education for consideration.\u00a0 Instead, the opposite occurred.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>The hired private consulting firm drafted proposals for school closures and consolidations that were presented to the Equity 2020 Advisory Committee.\u00a0 The north-end of Hartford will be negatively impacted with the proposed school closures.\u00a0 Empty school buildings will become prime real estate for new charter schools.\u00a0 We have observed the proliferation of charter schools led by interested parties seeking to profit from the vulnerabilities of a disenfranchised north-end community.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>The Greater Hartford Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), could not turn a deaf ear to the cries of the parents and residents in the Hartford community regarding education and the closing of schools in the north-end of Hartford.\u00a0 The adoption of multiple educational reform strategies has devastated our community schools leaving them grossly unequal compared to their Magnet School counterparts.\u00a0 There has been a total disregard for Black and Latino culture and heritage with the closing of John C. Clark, Jr. School and the proposed closing of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School, Dr. Frank T. Simpson-Waverly School, and Thirman L. Milner School as these schools are named after prominent local and nationally- recognized African-Americans.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>Based on our findings, we are deeply concerned and disturbed by the actions of the Hartford Board of Education, for systematically divesting in schools located in the north-end; leaving our students and families ill-equipped to compete educationally.\u00a0 We must reclaim our schools and our children who are at risk of educational failure.\u00a0 We must demand that the Hartford Board of Education and the Hartford City Council refrain from closing any schools in the north-end of Hartford and reaffirm the need for quality public education.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>As such, we the Greater Hartford Branch of the NAACP make the following demands to the Mayor, City Council, Hartford Board of Education, and Superintendent of Hartford Public Schools:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>Racist and discriminatory practices in our educational system, whether intentional or not, must stop;<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>Board of Education stop the closures of neighborhood schools; stop using closures as an educational strategy instead of providing the supports needed for students to be successful;<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>The Hartford Board of Education transform all neighborhood schools into quality elementary and secondary schools;<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>Respect our heritage and culture by maintaining schools named in honor of prominent African-Americans, (e.g. John C. Clark, Jr. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Thirman L. Milner, and Dr. Frank T. Simpson-Waverly);<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>Stop the alienation of African-American and Latino community- based organizations with strong ties in the communities from being at the table and factored into the social, cultural, and academic practices within our schools;<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>Call for a moratorium on privately managed charter schools;<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>Stop the practice of disingenuous strategies, (e.g. community meetings and hearings offered only after decisions have been made outside of transparent processes), that puts profits before students and alienates the communities from neighborhood schools; and<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>The Hartford Public School district must immediately deliver a strategy which will result in the increased employment of African-American and Latino teachers.<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>Irreparable harm will be inflicted on this community by deliberate disinvestment, neglect and the closing of John C. Clark, Jr. School and the proposed closing of three additional schools in north Hartford by the Hartford Board of Education.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>The Greater Hartford NAACP will seek the support of the Connecticut State Conference of NAACP Branches Scot X. Esdaile, President; Dr. Benjamin Foster, Education Chair and Attorney Darnell Crosland, Legal Counsel to get the approval of National Board of Directors to file complaints with the United States Department of Education and the United States Department of Justice Offices for Civil Rights.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>In the Pursuit of Freedom, Justice and Equality,<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>Imam Abdul-Shahid Muhammad Ansari,<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>President, Greater Hartford Branch NAACP<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>cc: \u00a0Scot X. Esdaile, President Connecticut State Conference of NAACP Branches<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>Dr. Benjamin Foster, Education Chair, Connecticut State Conference of NAACP Branches<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>Dr. Jos\u00e9 Col\u00f3n-Rivas, Chief Operating Officer, Hartford Public Schools<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>Hartford Public Schools Superintendent of Schools Cabinet Members<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>Hartford Board of Education Members<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>Luke Bronin, Mayor of the City of Hartford<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><em>City of Hartford Court of Common Council<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; (Photo credit: screen image of Greater Hartford Branch NAACP website) Letter sent via e-mail from President Imam Abdul-Shahid Muhammad Ansari of the Greater Hartford Branch of the NAACP to the Superintendent\u00a0of Hartford Public Schools;\u00a0and cc: to administrative staff of Hartford Public Schools, Board of Education members, City Council &amp; Mayor of Hartford, NAACP-CT President &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/cssp\/2016\/10\/17\/ghnaacphaltschoolclosings\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">The Greater Hartford Branch of the NAACP Demands a Halt to All School Closings<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":849,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[75],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/cssp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13896"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/cssp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/cssp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/cssp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/849"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/cssp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13896"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/cssp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13896\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13922,"href":"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/cssp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13896\/revisions\/13922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/cssp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13896"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/cssp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13896"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/cssp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13896"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}