Twenty-five Buffalo Public Schools are now under 'receivership,' meaning they are in the hands of the city schools superintendent. Members of Buffalo's District Parent Coordinating Council believe receivership could finally turn around struggling schools. WBFO's Focus on Education Reporter Eileen Buckley explains how the new law effect schools with high percentages of Special Education and English Language Learners students.
"The receivership law is probably the biggest game changer in terms of dealing with the barriers that we faced to turnaround failing schools," said Sam Radford, said President of Buffalo's District Parent Coordinating Council "It is very significant."
Radford attended a two-day State Education conference in Albany last week to learning about how receivership works. But without a permanent superintendent in place, Radford explains it is a little more complicated.
"Right now we've got an interim superintendent, you know who has a day-to-day, week-to- week, month-to-month contract so he's obviously not going to make a decision that the board is not going to agree with," stated Radford. "We have to get a superintendent first."
Under receivership, the power is currently in the hands of the superintendent. Five of those persistently struggling schools must be turned around in one year or an independent receivership takes over. The other 20-schools have two-years for turnaround.
Radford noted the receivership allows the superintendent to 'supersede a decision by the school board' and could request changes to the collective bargaining agreement.
There could finally be help for those schools dealing with high percentages English Language Learners students.
"We really need to make sure that each of those schools have multi-lingual parent facilitators as the liaison with the other families in the school," said Dr. Wendy Mistretta, city school parent and serves as
as Chair of the District's Multilingual Family Support Committee.
Ten of the 25-struggling schools, now under receivership, have populations of 30-percent or more of English Language Learners.
Dr. Wendy Mistretta, city school parent and serves as as Chair of the District's Multilingual Family Support Committee, explains how receivership could help English Language Learners.
Credit WBFO News photo by Eileen Buckley
"Out of the five persistently struggling schools, two of them have populations of more than 30-percent. Both School #6 and West Hertel, so that that means they are going to get substantial money to. They are going to get $675 per student n those schools," Mistretta stated."
Mistretta said receivership now provides a 'unique opportunity' to turn this new state receivership funding into support for students who are English Language Learners and their parents.
"So we need to make sure the parents are involved, determining what the matrix are to improve the school and that needs to include the matrix for involving the multilingual parents
On the high school level, more than 70-percent of students at Lafayette High School are English Language Learners. Lisa Griffith is a Parent Facilitator and her son attends Lafayette. Receivership should provide the needed funding to add more interpreters.
"Be able to fund our translators to help with parent meetings and that because they are only paid to technically be at school during the school day to translate for the students, which leaves the parents out in the cold because we have no way to translate for them," said Griffith.
Receivership will also provide funding for special education students. Nearly 25-percent of students attending the 25 the schools in receivership are consider special education students.
Parent Ebony Davis Martin is Vice Chair of the District's Special Education advisory committee.
"And as parents of students with disabilities -- we now have someone we can hold accountable to ensure that our students are receiving the services that they are entitled to," said Martin.
WBFO News asked Radford if he is more confident the new state education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia will be more effect in making sure things change in the district.
"And I am very encouraged, and here's what it comes down to she's somebody who speaks every body at the tables language from being a parent to all the stakeholder -- so they can't pull the wool over her eyes She said the question that every teacher, administrator and everyone who works in a school should ask is would you want to send your child to this school?."
Statewide, the receivership law means $75-million to districts. With new funding and the power of a superintendent to make turnaround decision, parents are hopeful the struggling schools will rise to success.
