“All zoning decisions are made behind the closed doors at Tweed. The Office off Student Enrollment Operations (OSEPO) make all student placement decisions, currently for high schools and this fall also for middle schools. The Office of New Schools (ONS) “creates” new schools, without a site, and scrambles to locate a site.”

What ever happened to the shared decision making process in education? Certainly, it is effective at the school level as an informed populace works toward improving teaching and learning within their school. The school leadership team in conjunction with parents, teachers, support staff, community members, and the principal are empowered to make decisions which impact the climate and culture of the school.

Surely, federal, state and district mandates are observed. However what is paramount is that the needs of the students are identified and met. And since the team meets monthly, opportunities are afforded to fine-tune the programs implemented. Research also takes place as best-practices are examined. And assessments are ongoing. Changes are not dictated but agreed upon by the members of the representative team and faculty and community (the stakeholders) prior to implementation. Thus, all persons who hold a vested interest in this public school have a voice. Such an approach seems to mirror democracy in action as the responsibility, rights, or powers are placed in the hands of the school. And if this can be done at the school level successfully, why aren’t educators and parents a part of the Board of Education’s team?

Why aren’t educators and parents full participants in a shared decision making process…especially when all the top to bottom and unilateral decisions are being planned and implemented?

And lastly, why are educators and parents only informed in the media of unilateral changes which impact their lives and the lives all children in New York City Public Schools?

Leo Casey is right when he said:

“Make no mistake about it: we are clear that the management of our public schools need to be reformed, and that real decision making power needs to be devolved to the schools, in the hands of school leaders, teachers, and parents. We need real empowerment of schools, not rhetorical empowerment smokescreens. We need public schools accountable to the public, not outsourced to private entities in a perpetual deferral of accountability by its top leadership”

And certainly Peter Goodman is right, Tweed decisions must be transparent. They must involve the parents and the public. And I would say, that’s the American way!