BoE Prez Answers Cheap, Political Attack Letter

Different day, Same sh*t- Campaign leadership that brought the Third Reich into a Hoboken School Board Election with the infamous "Nazi Truck"

Well folks, mean season is upon us.

Recently, the Hoboken Reporter published a letter signed by the wife of "Parents for Change" Campaign Manager [Brian Murray-Patty Waiters- Lynn Dansker] captioned, "Poor Kids CAN Learn."
  
The purported author, who 'forgot' to disclose her personal relationship to Murray-Waiters' campaign manager, took big swings at School Board President Ruth Tyroler- swings aimed below the belt.  

The letter accused Tyroler of calling "poor kids" ineducable, then issued a supremely disingenuous defense of "children from low income families" for remarks that Ms. Tyroler never made:

Do I believe that there is some merit to the idea that some (not all) children from low income families may (not always) have less academic support and rigor at home, and that by not having as much academic support at home this (may) influence overall academic success and test scores? Yes I believe that support for education in the home increases a child’s likelihood of success. Do I believe children from lower income families cannot learn, cannot succeed? NO! And focusing on this point of view does not help us create strategies to overcome real challenges.

GA cannot think of anything 'lower' than publishing false, disparaging statements about kids from "low income families" by a School Board campaign- except for maybe using a Nazi Truck to attack a public school parent (what a coincidence! Murray-Waiters' 2014 campaign manager co-managed 2012's 'Move Forward' the Nazi Truckin' School Board campaign ).

One must question the character of a School Board campaign that uses its manager's wife as a proxy, or campaign leadership that has attacked a district mom* on a Nazi Truck.   (*me) 

One more: the campaign should sign their own names to their trash.

Well, that's my opinion.  Which is protected by the First Amendment and New Jersey State Constitution. 

GA was glad to see Ms. Tyroler respond to a character assassination in this week's HR.  In fact, MS. Tyrolers letter reminds us of all the great things the School Board has accomplished, in spite of its bitter, mean-spirited and IGNORANT opposition.

GA will reprint Ms. Tyroler's response in full:

All students can and do learn with district support

Dear Editor:

I am writing to reply Mrs. Branco’s odd letter which made wild and false accusations against me and the Hoboken Public School District.

The salacious title she chooses “Poor kids can learn” was followed by bizarre conjecture and innuendo made up out of the whole cloth. The only conclusion I can make is that she did it to purposely mislead those in the public about me and the Hoboken School District. The letter then continues with Mrs. Branco contradicting her own premise against me by claiming that she also understands that the effects of poverty can impact a child's academic success.

Yes, then we (and other education experts) agree, poverty can impact student success. Not limit - impact!

It is with this understanding that I have worked hard over the past five years to provide the children of the Hoboken Public School district with the tools they need to fill the gaps and provide a challenging and supportive school environment specifically to negate this possible impact.

We lengthened the school day, increased free, after school tutoring and provided up to date materials and technology equally across all district schools. We increased both remedial and enrichment programming with the implementation of response to intervention beginning in Kindergarten to catch struggling readers, aim to assist students in the upper grades regain credits and added many gifted and college level programs across the district.

We have also provided many ways for parents to receive the information and assistance they need to help their child in school.

Parents can now easily interact with teachers and staff, get real time information of their child's progress and benefit from the strengthened PTO’s, which often provide informational workshops.

We have provided full support to all staff, students and parents in implementing these and other initiatives and created a warm, positive atmosphere throughout all our schools where the high expectations have been met with great results.


It is certainly unfortunate that Mrs. Branco has attacked me and the district in such a way, but I am grateful for the opportunity to set the record straight. If anyone wishes to speak to me directly about my views and the district’s progress, please feel free to contact me at ruth.tyroler@hoboken.k12.nj.us.

With kind regards,
Ruthy Tyroler
President,
Hoboken Board of Education

Thank you Ruthy, for all of the great things you have done for our district kids- you and those who have WORKED TOGETHER to advance the schools so much in the past couple of years. 

The worst possible result for our kids is electing bitter, LOW ROAD travelin' political partisans to divide our Board and STOP the progress the BoE has made since 2009.