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Boston Latin parents rally for headmaster - and a voice in the school's future
By adamg on Fri, 06/24/2016 - 11:52am
Barbara Peterlin and Kristin Johnson at BLS rally.
Some 100 Boston Latin School parents and alumni - and some students - rallied on the steps of the school this morning to show their support for Headmaster Lynne Mooney Teta and Assistant Headmaster Malcolm Flynn - and to demand a seat at the table for discussions on selecting the next headmaster at the exam school.
Barbara Peterlin and Kristin Johnson, both parents, said parents need a voice in determining what's comes next, on behalf of 2,400 students who, they said, now have no idea of what to expect come September.
Parents, alumni and students, many clad in BLS purple, chanted "BLS! BLS!" and also the school motto - "Sumus Primi!" - after first applauding BLS teachers and staff for their work during a difficult week at the end of a difficult year.
Parents also took time to blast the press, urging the assembled members of the media to stop simplistically "misrepresenting" the school as a hotbed of racism.
Only two black parents attended the rally.
And not all parents are joining the call for Mooney Teta's and Flynn's resignations to be ripped up.
A group calling itself BLS Parents Promoting Equity and Diversity says its members are worried that the outcry over the resignations is overshadowing the legitimate issues raised earlier in the year by the Black at BLS protests. In a statement, group member, BLS parent and BLS alumna Karen Maziarz and other parents write parents should be working together to ensure all BLS students get "a positive learning experience:"
There may be those who are pleased with how things are going at BLS and with its leadership; however, that experience does not negate the lived realities of the students of color who have voiced concerns that are counter to that outlook. To even suggest, as the outgoing assistant principal has done publicly since he offered his resignation, that there is no merit in any of these allegations or that all is well within BLS, is misguided and dangerous.
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Comments
The reporter wearing the school colors
A reporter from WBZ radio covered the rally dressed in a purple short and a matching purple striped tie. He said it was strictly coincidental - when he got dressed this morning, he didn't know he'd be covering the rally.
"Not a single black parent attended the rally."
And there you have it folks; Adams self hatred as a white man.
Yes, indeed
How self hating me to note that a rally in which people said race isn't an issue nobody who is black attended.
Except that you are incorrect
As I stated below, I was there too, and I saw at least two black women among the parents (one right in front of me, one across the steps). I did not scan the crowd (plus I'm short, so it's not easy for me to do that).
The whole "self-hating white" thing is hyperbolic (and distracting from adult conversation), but I do think you have some unfortunate selective bias wrt this story Adam.
Word Choice
Word choice have its importance. There are limits, but it does sets tone and people do read tone from them. "Not a single black parent attended the rally" versus "It has to be noted that there does not seem to be any black BLS parent in the rally" carry the same explicit meaning, but very different implicit one. The former sound hostile and carry a tone of disapproval. The latter sound more of a neutral observation in recognition of a fact that needs to be noted in unbiased reporting (though I do also admit someone can still interpret it towards the former, the number of people who may would have been fewer).
What about Asians
I would keep it in the same comment as above. Much of the issues have been framed as "People of Color" versus white. It stands highly that much of the arguments - while I don't personally agree - that if it all white, then it seems contradictory to make any claim. Then what about Asians. Are we just treated as the privileged class that much be mended? Or evidence that whites are not just going around making hostile environments and thus keeping possible BLS students out or oppressing the current ones.
Situational
If people want to make a point that requires Asians on one side of the numbers, they will define Asians that way. For example: is Boston a majority-minority city? It is if you count Asians one way; it isn't if you count Asians the other way. Does BLS have majority minority enrollment? It does if you count Asians one way; it doesn't if you count Asians the other way. Asians get counted whichever way is convenient to the person making an argument.
In this case, I'd expect the folks who have been running down BLS about racism not to count Asians as minorities. Why? Counting Asians as a minority reduces the strength of the argument that BLS is not fair to minorities. Also, a quick look at demographics shows us that no Bostonians take better advantage of BLS than Asians. BLS has more Asians than blacks and Hispanics combined, participating at three times the rate of the citywide demographic.
If the city is going to come up with a scheme to set seats aside for black kids, you know which seats they'll be taking? The ones Asian kids are in right now. I think a lot of Asian parents see the writing on the wall perfectly clearly, which may be why it's clear without question that Asian parents participated in this rally.
This political struggle about the perceived benefit of participation at BLS is not about minority participation, it's about black participation. Asians are more useful to one side in this struggle as non-minorities, and to the other as minorities. Welcome to the middle of the fight; define your ground before somebody defines it for you.
Rhetoric about racism and oppression tends to veer into dehumanization, because the motivation isn't just justice but also power and even righteous people are human. Once you define certain people a priori as part of an oppressor class, you take away some of their humanity and excuse injustice done to them - from pushing kids around at the bus stop to libeling administrators in the media when they are legally unable to respond. Agitators have gotten some white administrators forced out through this smear campaign; I will refrain from speculating on where the venom goes next.
"Only two black parents attended the rally."
At this point you look foolish, just delete it in it entirety.
Papers please
Adam is so quick and talented that he reviewed the disclosure forms and personal documents of all 100 people in attendance in a matter of minutes.
Adam, being such a sensitive and conscientious man, would never merely look over a crowd and assume he can identify each person's race at a glance.
I'm waiting patiently...
for a post of the composition of BLS Parents Promoting Equity and Diversity
Not as well as you can
How else would you know who to keep out so that they don't pollute your purity of BLSsance?
Teta is gone because she can't seem to run a school without "drowning the bunnies". She forgot that she was running a PUBLIC school.
Support for BLS' leadership
Dear adamg, I don't think anybody is negating "the lived realities of the students of color who have voiced concerns". Those students have indeed received a lot of attention and their concerns have been thoroughly investigated by BLS, BPS and by the Federal Authorities.
But what you seem to negate is that there are real, genuine people who are pleased with how things are going at BLS and with its leadership: over 1,200 people have signed a petition asking the Superintendent not to accept the resignations of Dr Teta and Mr Flynn. There may be valid reasons as to why so many people have decided to show their support for the former leadership and those reasons indeed have to do with the quality of education and their positive experience at BLS.
For the sake of accurate and unbiased reporting, you may want to start reflecting on the reasons for this large and spontaneous show of support instead of referring to it with your ungenerous 'There may be those' or - worst - assuming that those supporters may be negating the concerns that have emerged.
In fairness to Adam
I don't believe he has ever claimed to be an unbiased reporter, and can't imagine he would try to do so. I'm grateful for his extensive local reporting, but admittedly stop checking this page from time to time when I find his bias (and occasional smugness) to be a bit too much. That said, his blog, his rules.
Of course his self righteous
Of course his self righteous self would not admit to being biased. You are missing the point but that's not anyone else's problem
You don't know me at all, I guess
Where have I ever written I am supremely unbiased? I believe somebody who's been reading this blog for awhile would probably be able to figure out my basic political leanings, even though I don't tend to focus on political news.
You're missing the point, but, like you said, that's not the problem.
That's actually the definition of white privilege
FWIW, the beneficiaries of an biased & inequitable system are always pretty pleased with how things are going. A fish can't see the water it's swimming in.
and a racist can't see her own
racism.
Clearly not
I guess that white robe keeps you from seeing yours.
Thank you Mr.
Sharpton.
So how does white privilege
So how does white privilege theory fits with Asians? I have to note that I am Asian if you think I'm being a pendant.
You are not allowed to participate as you
shed sunlight on hypocrisy.
Why should they have a voice?
The Urban League and community organizers have this covered. Just sit back and take who we tell you to take.
Not a single black parent attended the rally
Were they excluded? Or did they choose not to go?
And if they chose not to go do you know why? Did you ask a black parent why he or she didn't attend?
No, I haven't called a single black parent
Then again, I haven't called a single white or Asian parent, either.
Confused
So the fact that you saw no black parents means what?
That I'm due for my eye exam?
Yeah, my original statement was wrong - I thought I'd done a good job scanning the group and obviously I hadn't. Two people out of a crowd of 100 or so still is not much, though.
So, at least 2 black parents.
So, at least 2 black parents. Did you count how many Asian parents were there? What about Hispanic (and what race they identify with)?
They were standing behind
the beam in his eye
Timing
I think people forget that the rally was scheduled during what is the work day for many people with not enough notice to get time-off.
You are incorrect re: "no black parents"!
I was there too, Adam, and while there weren't many, there were at least two black parents there who were part of the rally (both female). One right in front of me on the left side (as seen from the street), the other across from me on the other side of the group on the steps. My daughter noted their presense as well. It's also worth mentioning in the context of your 'observation' that many teachers of color were at the event yesterday, and the faculty member who explicitly interupted the mayor and spoke in support of Dr. Mooney-Teta was a black woman.
I feel that your reporting on this issue has been distinctly biased. I notice that even in this article, ostensibly about a large group of parents rallying in support of the school, you did not bother to quote either petition the parents signed - to support the students and faculty, or Dr. Mooney-Teta.
Of course, you aren't the only one. My daughter, a member of two campus civil rights groups, was pretty miffed after listening to a reporter push back strongly against two students who were speaking about the lack of depth to media reports so far (one white, one maybe hispanic - my daughter didn't know her personally). He supposedly asked if they "had ever heard any racial speech at the school, and doesn't that prove the allegations of racism are correct?".
Apparently the sloppiness of that 'fallacy of hasty generalization' caused the students to collectively eye-roll.
I will correct my account, then
And I thank you for that.
No, I didn't quote from the petition. I did quote from the other group because I had never heard of them and thought it was noteworthy there is a parent's group that made a point of staying away from the rally.
Head on desk
How do you know that any parent group "made a point" of staying away from the rally? I understand the need to note your personal observations (even if they're fallible, apparently) but assigning a group motive in a situation as complex as this seems very risky from a journalistic standpoint.
Amidst all the hubbub, there is, I'm pretty certain, a huge group of people here, students, teachers, parents, who feel that there were some important essential truths raised by BlackatBLS AND that the media uproar, attacks, and investigations that followed were completely over the top and counter-productive, especially when they resulted in these resignations. It isn't an either/or situation but it now feels as if you can't vocalize support for one without betraying the other. Most people who feel torn or conflicted would much rather just stay out of it rather than try to offer a nuanced view and risk being attacked from either side.
Excellent analysis of this issue
Sally, please start your own alternative to Uhub. Based on your comments, I would gladly read it all the time and share it with others. You are much too rational and fair-minded for this page. Thank you for another intelligent post, it's refreshing on this page.
Thank you, but...
I think there are tons of intelligent, thoughtful people on UHub which is part of what makes it a great site. It's just that these issues are almost paralyzingly difficult and painful to talk about, especially when they affect you personally, or your kids even more so. I've been talking with my kid about what's been going on but at one point she just said "I would rather die than talk about this any more." Jokingly, but I know that if she were still at the school, it'd be a source of real heartache and soul-searching.
Don't listen to what I saw
Read their own words: the entire statement from which I extracted just a small piece:
I may have misunderstood then
What you meant by "parent group" but this particular group isn't just "black parents," right? I thought you were saying that black parents specifically had made a point of not going which again, I feel may or may not be true--they may also be trying to avoid controversy or uh, have to be at work at 10:30 on a weekday.
I'm just feeling relieved at this point NOT to be a BLS parent right now, having to decide what group to join or not join...ugh, that listserv must be a hot mess.
The general BLS parents list? Not as bad as it could be.
Lots of people on it don't understand how to reply offline for one-to-one replies, which adds a HUGE amount of traffic. That's a pita. Lots of helicoptering - that's pretty sop (and also occasionally a pita).
But except for one or two legitimately troubled individuals (who unfortunately LOVE talking to people in authority/media, as it fuels their delusions of relevance), folks on the list are usually pretty civil and open to debate. Occasionally when rhetoric gets heated, there are people of goodwill (regardless of where they sit on any particular issue) who are able to say "chill out" in a non-agressive way and keep things calm - at least as calm as a virtual room filled with 300 parents of teens is ever going to be.
There are people of differing opinions wrt the current crisis, although it's pretty clear that the majority of parents on the list support Dr. Teta and the faculty and are unhappy with how Walsh/Chang have handled things. But there's a lot of breadth and nuance to how people think the school is doing and what it should be doing. Very little (none) of that gets reflected in news coverage.
Mostly, we all love our kids and want the best for them. So you know, it's easy to get emotional, but also easy to be reminded that we're all looking for similar outcomes - happy, well-educated kids growing into young adults.
Entire statement from BLS Parents Promoting Equity
Might you post this as its own post - it is too buried deep in comments.
These voices that are not part of the roaring majority are drowned out. This is very eloquently written.
Thx
Thank you, Sally.
Especially in Boston, especially when the media and self-interest groups have framed this situation in strictly racial and hostile terms, many people of good will, ( I would suggest the majority) will choose to be silent, so as not to be caught in the crossfire.
Your options are either to be labeled a racist or an Uncle Tom.
Informal poll of Uhub regulars
If you are a BLS parent specifically, I'd be interested to know:
1) Do you think the principal should have left her job over her handling of this issue?
2) Are you glad you've sent your kid that that school?
Thanks.
BLS Parent
Same answer, both questions.
Same answer, both questions.
(henryalan, thanks for the well-stated response and from saving me a lot of typing!)
I wholeheartedly agree with
I wholeheartedly agree with Henry Allen. Dr. Teta is a highly regarded educational leader and innovator. She is caught in the nonsense of Mayor Walsh and the leaders of Black, and Social Justice organizations. Why this situation? Because the leaders will jump on any little reason that would call attention to racial issues? Did they and Councilor Jackson and others do any research as to the verity of the issue? No, their modus operandi is to take any little incident to jump on racial divide. A racial divide in this country is - in my opinion - an issues works both ways. Whites are victims of racial incidents, too. Dr. Mooney Teta is being crucified because of societal situations that the underclass is being marginalized. Why don't all of us calm down and decide to work together to make this issue a non-issue. It can be done.
You ask for proof, but I'm curious
Where's the proof for your contention? Without it, you're arguing out of the same mindset you accuse others of.
Parent
No
Yes
Parent Poll
1) Yes
2) No
Serious question.
Where do you wish you'd sent them instead where you think this issue would have been handled differently or not been as issue at all? Brookline High? Madison Park? BB&N? BLA?
and Asian parents continue to be uncounted
invisible and dismissed.
Do you think she deserved to be fired, Adam?
Based on everything we know at this point?
She wasn't fired, she chose to leave at this time, in this way.
I'm no fan of Walsh or Chang, but TBF, the way this is happening now seems to have been the result of the district being blindsided by the resignations.
If Teta had been forced out, they would've simultaneously announced the interim headmaster. They're doing it next week, so it clearly doesn't require extensive planning.
If she had wanted to, she could have informed the district earlier, so a plan could've been implemented and announced at the same time as her resignation.
Lynne Mooney-Teta chose to resign this way, rather than doing it in a way that would have been in the best interest of the school. The parent community's ire about the lack of a plan should be directed at her.
Next step...
Eliminate exams all together and have Latin be an equal access school for all residents of Boston who want to achieve at the highest level possible.
Insert Horace Mann quote here:________________________
"There Is A Plaque Dedicated To Me....
In a Shaw's Parking Lot in Franklin".
Pete - The cull rate at Latin is high. You could let every Boston student of high school age in and you would still only get 500 to 600 graduates a year.
I know of two girls in my grade who flunked out and graduated with highest honors from Catholic High Schools.
It is not just the entrance exam. Latin isn't Harvard, you can't skate after acceptance.
But it's not as high as it used to be
Yes, they still do the "look to your left, now look to your right" thing with sixies, and two speakers at graduation this year riffed on that (Matt O'Malley said something like "Look to your left, now look to your right - and you'll see Boston Latin School graduates"), but I'm going to bet a higher percentage of kids now make it all the way through. Not because the standards are lower but because the school has dropped the sink-or-swim attitude that doomed so many kids - it's to Lynne Mooney Teta's credit that she helped de-boot-camp the place and made sure that help is available for kids who need it.
I do believe either she, or
I do believe either she, or Kelly changed it to 'Look to your left, look to your right, you are all going to be here when you graduate" (instead of one of you won't be here). The original iteration was pretty spot on - the attrition rate was around 50% for my class at least. Kelly also took away class rank (well, its meaning at least) which had a huge effect on the sink or swim/win at all costs mentality. As an Alumni of the Contompasis era - bring him back, the entire point of the school was to be cut throat and to prepare students for the real world.
I'll expand John.....
I predict the school will get rid of exams and simply track at an extreme level and act as some sort of charter school with Union teachers. (Like wealthy suburban schools).
Not sure how to explain it but I think the end is near for Boston Latin. You can make a legal argument that this school excludes and discriminates against x, y, and z groups based on criteria a, b and c.
That being said, BLS is a racially charged enviornment that someone like Teta isn't qualified to lead and I think it is really just that simple. In 2016 you need to be able to communicate/pander to all groups.
Awesome. Pete Nice just wrote Latin's obituary
Did you go there Pete? Just curious. Before we end Latin there has to be some way to cripple those suburban schools, just to spread the misery equally. Maybe a nice fat tax on private academies might help as well.
Build a wall
and It will be great again..
No I did not go there.
Although one of my parents was an administrator at a Boston public high school. I took the test in the 1980s and got in, but went to a private ISL school instead (my parent who worked for the BPS had some connections)
I think the home rule laws are too hard to fight legally to bring the suburban schools down to BPS levels.
Many places like California and Florida have what appear to be strange home rules where students can basically pick whatever school they want to go to in the county if there is room at that school. There are no neighborhood schools there either.
Don't worry, that's already covered.
The Edward Brooke high school will be online in the next year and plenty of high achieving minority students will progress on to that high school from the K-8 Brooke feeder schools sans any exams to get in. And maybe even some non-minority students, who knows? There are very few Asian or white kids at the schools currently though due to the applicant pool.
I'm being snarky here BTW - while the Brooke will be a good option, that's no reason why BLS shouldn't be the flagship school of BPS and all efforts need to be made to ensure that it is, both academically and otherwise.
THANK YOU ADAM! FOR PROVIDING A VIEWPOINT RARELY SEEN
THANK YOU ADAM! FOR PROVIDING A VIEWPOINT RARELY SEEN. Adam, I appreciate that you have a progressive voice, I rely on your news more than the newspapers which by being "neutral" mean they are enforcing the status quo. It takes effort to write about news in a different way.
Seems that Adam and the Boston MSM are sharing viewpoint here
You use the word 'progressive', which I think is an awkward one for this particular topic, and for a site whose mission statement says it is "a community news and information site" [emphasis mine]. But it does imply that you are looking at the coverage ideologically.
If that is the case, what ideological differences do you see on this topic - between the viewpoint of UHub and the Globe, for instance? Or the coverage in the mainstream national press?
Suggestion here
Why doesn't the group pool some financial resources, get a facility and start a private school?
?
why would citizens/taxpayers have to start a private school so BLS and BPS can avoid a discussion about how to improve outreach as well as elementary education? BLS isn't a private school.
So many stories on BLS
It must be important. Is there a 3-sentence summary of everything that's going on?
Not one that is fair and accurate.
n/t
Here you go
Educating kids is hard. It is harder when you have to consider issues of academic achievement in a neutral way while also trying to revolve external issues related to class, race and access. Mayor Walsh kind of sucks.
Boston Latin Situation in a nutshell-Thanks Vaughn
But I think I might understand it just a tiny better if someone could put it in Haiku.
Although its probably not
Although its probably not fair for me to address some of the concerns of racism because I didn't attend BLS, my sister did(class of 2011). She does admit there were some racial tendencies that existed in the school from classmates but, "systemic" racism effecting the education of minorities were nothing different from other schools in the BPS system.
Below I will address some of the concerns at BLS
"That one time I had to do in house suspension for cutting school because a Teacher saw a black girl exiting the bldg #ItWasntMe"
I believe every class does attendance, pretty sure they could've confirm if this said person was in class or skipping school. I actually was accused of cutting class at eastie got out of detention by confirming my attendance.
"Can you come to Westie to work on the group project cause my mom said I'm not allowed in Dorchester"
My parents would've killed me too If I told them I went to Dorchester as a teenager (even as a 22 yo!!!), unfortunately has a bad stigma. Lets not forget France's travel advisory.
"I don't know how to describe you, you speak too white to be ghetto"
Ebonics and slang is very common with inner city youths, as I spoke it myself. Friends would be surprised when I spoke with proper grammar. Yes "you speak too white" and "you're an oreo" were common things I heard as a teen.
"When your people's history is completely disregarded"
Unfortunately this is a very common issue in our nation not just at BLS.
"when people tell you you'll get into college only because you're black"
As F'd up that sounds colleges do have racial quotas.Now if a faculty member says that's a major problem, but if another kid says that pay them no mind and use that as motivation to prove them wrong. According to some of my teachers I should've been in prison by now.
"when your teacher calls you the name of three different black girls in the grade cause y'all "look exactly alike"
Teachers always mix up names, I'm pretty sure this happens with Asian kids as well.
"When your peers are shocked at your success because they've let stereotypes define our degree of intelligence"
This is a positive not a negative, proving the world wrong.
"When POC are the majority at every other BPS high school except for the one with the most opportunity"
Every kid has the same opportunity to attend the exam schools. Although all elementary and middle schools don't have the same preparation for the test the greatest advice would be to study the ISEE prep book. My sister did and she got into BLS, I didn't study and got accepted to the O'Bryant.
"When you can't even have a hashtag voicing your experiences without white people somehow taking offense"
So what if you offend anybody, the first amendment allows you to express yourself and your opinions.
I personally think this whole situation has been very poorly handled. Although these accusations have been blown out of proportion, these issues should have been addressed immediately with some sort of school wide meeting.