No Confidence Dr. Louise Berry Brooklyn CT

270 people demand change through this position so far. OUTSTANDING!!! Continue the pressure, get others to sign this petition!! It's for the kids of Brooklyn, their concerned parents, and the future of education in Brooklyn.

Please remover Dr. Barry.......

An FOI complaint is the latest in the debacles that seem to proliferate on a daily basis. Cheers to Mrs. Arends for pursuing this avenue to try to get to the truth. These kinds of efforts will get us to the results we seek. Maintain your energy and dedication for the cause. Complaints like these keep the issues fresh, and out front. That is good for us and bad for them.

I think we also need to put something in place to strengthen the Board of Education. Current members are not willing to put steps in place to improve our childrens' education or prepare to replace Dr. Berry in the future by properly training a replacement.

brooklyn resident

Aside from the list of debacles that were recently in the Bulletin, the BOE chair has responded to a letter sent by a concerned parent. It seems that a reading position to be manned by a person without appropriate certification, wasn't really open at all. REALLY? Who is running this nightmare? The position is listed, filled, but never open?? The superintendent did not respond to an email sent by this same parent. (does she know about email?) Non response IS her response to anything and everything. Who made the mistake about the reading position? The response indicates that they just want that debacle to go away. It just never happened right? Someone has to own up to it. Berry usually uses "SOMEONE" when she calls people on the carpet. Never revealing her source, It could be real, or it could be a sycophant. No one ever knows, so SOMEONE made a mistake, but we'll never know who. The BOE chair scoffs at this petition claiming signatures are either not real, or not from the town. Anyone can sign this, so what that indicates is that coherent, concerned people from across the country realize that the staff, students, and community, are getting the shaft from the superintendent and that change is desperately needed. Watch out for the Berry spin at the meeting tonight. She and her cohorts will be driving the bus, don't get caught under it. it's their motos operandi!!

Let it go, woman.

I fear that Brooklyn school system is NOT preparing our students for the 21st century. We need changes!!!

This story is another example of how the superintendent cares nothing for the kids. A few years ago, the weather forecast called for a repressively hot early June day. Other schools began the process of early dismissal due to schools not being air conditioned. It was in the high 90's. Our students were toasted sitting in stifling classrooms. It was simply awful. Did Brooklyn let the kids out early??? NO WAY. To make matters worse, and to show total disdain for the staff and students, the superintendent walked over to the elementary building with gray slacks and a blue blazer on and told those who'd listen that "the heat was a mindset." No compassion, just total disregard for everyone. You can't make this stuff up.

2 more situations have surfaced concerning the superintendent. the parking issue and parent drop off debacle has now become an issue. Well lets say it's been an issue quite a while internally. Aimee Anderson has spoken to the administration about it for years. She was almost hit in the back parking lot a couple of years ago. She is regularly rebuffed by both the principal and the superintendent though. The tragedy at RHAM High School could easily happen in Brooklyn. Staff man the lot in the back and offer almost a valet experience to keep the kids safe. Poor use of staff, but at least they care about the kids. This has been an issue since the pre school building was finished. Studies are just a way of delaying. It's apparent that the situation needs to be addressed NOW. Too bad the superintendent didn't act on this as fast as she acted on the teacher movements. She can't say that she didn't have enough info. People have been telling her for years. The superintendent is the parking gestapo. She lets a few teachers park in front of the building. If you're lucky there is the chaotic back parking lot. Her favorite is to have staff park at the Middle School and walk sometimes over 100 yards to get to the Elementary building. She says "people can use the exercise." Very heartless and contrite response. The second issue is the condition of the athletic fields. The Middle School baseball team had to play all away games due to the deplorable conditions of what was once a showpiece. The town took field maintenance away from her because she just couldn't handle it. The question is, can she handle anything anymore???

Well it looks like the chickens may have come home to roost. After what seems like eons the subterfuge and mismanagement may be coming to an end. Imagine a fresh progressive approach to education in Brooklyn. Imagine having two people that combine for 174 years safeguarding the educational future of the children of Brooklyn???? change is needed desperately. It is painfully evident that the daily workings of the schools is a monumental burden for the superintendent. Change is vital, improvement the logical form of change. We need improvement in the style of performance. there is no more advantage in a musician who plays and conducts than in one that is only a beater of rhythm.

In the paper the superintendent said that she made a decision without without all of the information. Obviously blaming the principal. Anyone who is now working or has worked in Brooklyn knows that the superintendent knows everything that goes on. Her sycophants make sure of it. So lets look at a hypothetical situation: A person in a firm wants to create a new department. They present a plan, and a board of directors looks at the plan. There are liability issues in the plan that need to be explained, but the creator of the plan is not at the meeting to address the issues. So what does the CEO do? They table the proposal until the person can be there to explain it. Do they make a knee jerk reaction? NO. Obviously this was a calculated decision. It was not designed to make the school better, it was a preemptive strike based predominantly on retribution. The explanations of the superintendent don't ring true. They are desperate attempts to cover her egregious behavior. Don't be snowed at the special meeting on July 1. Ask questions, demand answers. Don't let them pull the executive session routine over your eyes. You CAN get answers. If you don't then the superintendent and her cadre of cronies are doing a disservice to the community. Remember your taxes pay for her salary, benefits, and perks (MANY). She has to answer to you, not the other way around. People of Brooklyn, use your power to rectify a long standing impediment to educational progress in your community!!!!!

Amen

I support our teachers as they've ALWAYS supported my children.

When teachers negotiate a contract, and get a tentative agreement, it has to sit in the town hall for 30 days. If residents don't challenge it, the contract is final. It would be worth it to see if that holds true for administrators as well. Administrator contracts can't possibly get a free pass. There has to be ways that a community can rescind a superintendent's contract. Brooklyn appears to have secret deals with the superintendent that are revealed at the last minute. Teacher negotiations last 2-3 months and are known to the town. Yet another problem with transparency.

This seems to be a complete nonsensical and arbitrary moving of staff. Moving one teacher out of a grade and another from a different grade back in to replace the first that was moved out? I can't think of a reason to do this on a scale of 9 teachers.

Well, well. The meeting was held, and guess what?? As predicted, nothing happened. The BOE citing "caution" will deliberate and have a "special meeting." This serves to prove that the superintendent is intimidating and controls the BOE. Two BOE cronies spoke which was to be expected, and some legal jargon from a BOE member that is an attorney. Most stood in support of a request to retract the memo made by Jen Atchinson including 7 of the 9 staff in attendance. Kudos to all of you. Unfortunately even though the BEA read a letter indicating a possible contract violation regarding the teacher position changes, both the present BEA president and a former president remained seated. That speaks volumes regarding the intimidation and retaliatory power of the superintendent. Or simply servile sycophants. Hard to tell. So nothing happened as predicted. The superintendent threw the principal under a Euclid (bus is too small) not once but twice, also as expected. The people who have signed this petition and those that have yet to sign have got to keep the pressure on both the superintendent and the BOE. Maybe some conversation with the First Selectman would be in order. If nothing is done and this is allowed to fade away, Brooklyn will be stuck with unyielding, secretive, arbitrary, and totalitarian leadership from the superintendent. What's certain is that a totalitarian enclave like Brooklyn's can't continue to exist so change will come eventually. The question is, how long will it take to occur??

My daughter will be in brooklyn elementrey school very soon, and this is unacceptable especially in a position with high power

Brooklyn resident, 3 children in BES.

I am in agreement that policy and procedures are not being followed in compliance with and according to CT teacher certification. Both disenfranchisement and unfair practices seem to be prevalent in the practices of this public leader which is inappropriate. This should certainly result in her immediate release which would be in my opinion in the best interest of the teachers and most importantly the children of this school district.