A new-look policy committee process was introduced this past week by the Hartford Board of Education.  Prior to getting into the weeds and discussing policy, board member and policy chair A.J. Johnson began the meeting with a new segment, a “public comment” segment.  Johnson said that there had been board discussions about “creating space in committees for public comment,” and as head of the policy committee, he wanted to put that into practice at this meeting.

Absent any found announcement to the public to bring their voice to this policy committee meeting, rather than an open-door public comment segment this appeared to be public comment by invite only.  Carol Gale, President of the Hartford Federation of Teachers, Michelle Martinez, Family and Community Support Services Provider at McDonough Middle School, and Krystal Tenner, a representative of Hartford Public Schools’ F.A.C.E.S team (Family and Community Educational Supports), were the ‘public’ faces taking part in the first ever committee ‘public comment’ segment.  Ms. Gale offered comments on the pending Remote Work Policy, while Martinez and Tenner lauded compliments on the policy committee’s outreach work for ensuring stakeholder voice was heard in the crafting of the equity policy over the past year.

Chair Johnson and Ms. Gale both commented that this new ‘public comment’ segment would be a great addition to other committee meetings.  Knowing full well that Superintendent Torres-Rodriguez attends most of the other committee meetings, bringing her guests to prop up the intended message, it is doubtful that she would want that message assailed by any staff or member of the public speaking without having been scripted first.  Thereby creating the sense of ‘public comment,’ but it actually being a phony, prop job.  Not going to happen.

Later in the meeting, as those present were introduced to a new Coach Evaluation Policy, there was allowed comment by three invited guests, all athletic directors from district schools.  No coaches. 

Despite Johnson stating that “if we could have more meetings like this one, we’ll be alright.”  Of course you will, everybody is alright while they are being stroked and preened.  And that is what this BOE strives for; everything is all right as long as all comments align with theirs and the district’s Kool-Aid is being enjoyed by all.

What Johnson and other BOE members have not come to grips with is, that in reality their little crafted policies mean as much to the Superintendent and her staff as some degree hanging on the wall from that hotbed of antisemitism, MIT.  The devil is in the administration of the policy versus the intention of the policy.

Do they actually believe that by creating an equity policy the district will cease the placement of severe special needs students in regular classrooms without a paraprofessional, or hiding them away in Advance Placement Classes, severely restricting the possibility of an equitable education by all students involved?

Does the BOE realize that despite having a uniform policy, central office has advised principals to hold no student accountable for their failure to follow that policy?

The failure of the district’s graduation, attendance, and academic policies are evident by the phony numbers crafted by the Superintendent and her staff to create some illusion of the ‘good work’ being done at HPS and by the multitude of vendors schlepping for urban grant money.

If Chair Johnson wants this policy committee to be as much of a “major factor” in HPS as he constantly states that it is, then the policy committee must be the enforcers of their policies in that they must ensure that the policy is being followed with fidelity.  Do this by ensuring teacher anonymity in reporting abuses of district policies to the board and be open and honest about sharing those reports during public meetings.  Do this by holding the Superintendent accountable and letting it be known that leading by rhetoric will no longer be acceptable. 

There are two worlds at Hartford Public Schools, the one favored by the Superintendent where the BOE primps and preens for itself and congratulates itself on a job well done based on what the Superintendent spins for them, and then there is the real world, the world teachers face everyday in Hartford classrooms that local media and state officials would be shocked and horrified to learn of.

Of course, this little policy committee is merely an amoeba in the ecosystem of fraud at HPS.  Too many folks have placed personal interests over the interests of education while eschewing great rhetoric to hide their insatiable appetite for self-absorption.  Too many folks give more importance to taking advantage of what’s before them than they do trying to create advantages for students. 

This fraudulent system exists and is maintained because folks are not being held accountable.  Far too few parents are not accepting that responsibility and remain blind and happy as long as their child is smiling.  Teachers cannot hold district leadership accountable out of fear for their careers and they apparently do not trust union protections and state and federal whistleblower laws.  The BOE is not an accountability minded group and exists merely to check off boxes required by law, primping, and preening while the city burns.