Roosevelt UFSD - VIOLATING STATE LEGISLATION

 New York State recently passed legislation to ensure that the workforce of a school district reflects the members of the community and student population.

The Roosevelt School District is currently composed of 56% Hispanics and 44% Black or African American.  Each of the schools that compose the district have over a 50% Hispanic population.  The High School is composed of 60% Hispanics.  Yet if you look at the staff and everyone in Principal, Assistant Principal or other high administrator position, they are ALL black or African American with few exceptions.  The exceptions are not even Hispanic.  Why is it that in a district with a majority Hispanic population, there is NOT one Hispanic in these roles.  ADMINISTRATORS NEED TO Hire Hispanics for some of these upper-level positions.  That means not just people with white or lighter skin but people who are actually Hispanic and can speak to parents in the community without needing a translator.  The only Hispanic in an administrative position is the Director of the bilingual department because the district had little other choice.

The secretaries and office staff in the buildings do not speak Spanish. Principals and other staff are constantly interrupting the Spanish speaking teachers to translate for them.  It is outrageous that the secretaries manning the front desks and phone calls do not speak Spanish.  The Spanish speaking staff at these schools should stop assisting with translation except in specific cases where they are paid to do so.  Administrators are always harping about how teachers have to know the background of their students, where they come from, issues at home, languages they speak, and so much more.  HOWEVER, this seems to apply only to the teachers.  ADMINISTRATORS NEED TO HIRE SPANISH-SPEAKING PEOPLE TO WORK AT THE MAIN OFFICE DESKS.  More than half of your population is Hispanic AND ONLY SPEAK SPANISH yet they are afraid to call the schools to ask questions and get information because they have no one they can speak to.  How are YOU incorporating the backgrounds of the community?  How are YOU providing equity?  Even the robocalls that are made to provide important information to families are occurring ONLY IN ENGLISH.  Automated calls have been placed informing families about such important items as free Covid vaccinations, Board meetings, school closings and distribution of student electronic devices BUT ONLY IN ENGLISH!  

Now let’s talk about who gets the most opportunities for advancement in this district.  There have been openings for Principals and Assistant Principals (AP), and teachers have been given the opportunity to fulfill these permanent or interim positions. However, you guessed it, they have ALL been black or African American. It does not matter if you were a Principal or AP elsewhere and are now teaching because you did such a horrendous job as Principal or AP that you got fired from those jobs.  Roosevelt will still give them the opportunity before they give it to a deserving Hispanic. If they are hiring for these positions whether promoting from within or going outside of the district, they will still not give one of these positions to a Hispanic. 

Take, for example, the recent hiring of 4 Curriculum Directors (Grades PreK-2; 3-6, 7-8, and 9-12 respectively) each at a salary of $140, 000.  None of these Directors is Hispanic and I am sure you can guess what they are instead… three are Black/African American and one Asian. The Director hired for the PreK-2 position steps into the role from his previous PreK teacher role in the Roosevelt District.  Mr. Unique Gale Wilson has no experience in any other grade level except for teaching PreK yet he was given the role of Director of PreK-2 at a whopping salary of $140k a year.  Was he really the most qualified candidate?  No, but he is Black/African American which is the most important qualification at the Roosevelt District.  The Union asked Superintendent Wortham to provide a job description of these positions to which no response has been received.  At a time where schools are preparing for an influx of students across the border as a result of President Biden’s border policies, the Roosevelt district has done nothing to prepare.  Other schools have used funding to hire additional Teacher Assistants to provide needed support in classrooms to these students who will be arriving into the United States with little to no education.  The Roosevelt district instead hired these four Directors in addition to the Reading AIS Specialist and Math AIS Specialist that each building currently houses.  We use the term “Specialist” loosely as many of these positions have been given to unworthy candidates simply because of their affiliation with certain Administrators.

Many teachers at the Roosevelt District do not apply for job positions that become available within the district BECAUSE OF THE OBVIOUS DISCRIMINATION THAT EXISTS IN THIS DISTRICT.  Their feeling is that they have no chance at the position because they are not Black/African American or are not a crony of someone in Administration.  The District should actively approach qualified Hispanic teachers within the District and encourage them to apply for upper level positions that become available.  Your student body is 56% Hispanic.  START HAVING YOUR ADMINISTRATORS REFLECT YOUR STUDENT BODY.

How about the Board members.  Do we even need to tell you about the demographics of that group or do you already see where the writers are headed with this.  Not one Hispanic in a district where the majority of the population is Hispanic.  The Hispanic population is completely disregarded.  

Equity? Inclusivity? This seems to only apply to the 46% of Blacks and African Americans.  The Administrators need to realize how hypocritical they are when they preach that teachers need to assure equity and inclusivity for their students but the administrators DO NOT ASSURE THIS FOR THEIR HISPANIC STAFF OR HISPANIC STUDENTS and their families.  Stop being hypocrites and make the needed changes. 

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