>January 11, 2007
Ridgewood Board of Education
Board of Education
49 Cottage Place
Ridgewood NJ 07451
Mark Bombace; Bob Hutton; Sheila Brogan; Linda Gilman; Joseph Vallerini
Dear Board Members;
Does the Paperless Policy for Ridgewood Elementary Schools discriminate against lower income and single parents?
In September of this year Orchard amongst other Ridgewood elementary schools established school websites and announced that paper school notices will no longer be available to parents. This policy sought to (1) reduce paper distribution costs, (2) allow easy access of information to both parents in divorced families, and (3) to reduce teacher workload.
However, this policy has emplaced a communication barrier for lower income families who simply cannot afford the high speed internet access required. These families must travel out of their homes to have access to such information thus adding an additional burden upon single parents or dual working families already short on time. Orchard School has offered to print notices for those in need however, the resultant embarrassment to both the parent who must petition for such paper copies and for the child who is singled out by receiving them has a predictable chilling effect upon such requests. Existing programs to provide donated machines are beneficial to close the technology gap, but do not provide and pay for the requisite internet connections. Low income parents are thus compelled to go to the library for any access to Orchard information. As noted above, these trips reduce the already sparse family time available to dual working parent households. Junior High and High School students can keep their parents apprised of school happenings, but elementary school children are simply not ready to do so.
While many Ridgewood residents, in fact the majority, may endorse the paperless policy as progressive, such a view ignores the public and inclusive role of our elementary schools. Orchard is not a corporate entity; it is a PUBLIC school and it is incumbent upon us to make sure that all parents have easy and clear access to information regarding school events. To do otherwise not only risks children will be left behind, it guarantees it.
Not surprisingly since the individual principal of each elementary has sole discretion over his or her school’s communication policy the application of the “paperless” policy has been disparate. Orchard’s Principal, Dr. Mueller has implemented a strict paperless policy with the lone exception of safety notices. This exception, of course, is recognition that the paperless policy cannot be expected to and in fact does not reach all parents.
Orchard HSA, while supporting Dr. Muller, recognizes the inherent communication gap brought on by the paperless policy. They have thought of creative ideas such as to “buddy” parents up in an attempt to ensure information is disseminated. The HSAs benevolence is no surrogate for the school’s responsibility to take every step to ensure parental knowledge and involvement. In short, the charitable acts of the HSA should not be looked upon to cure whatever communication shortfalls are brought about by the paperless policy. This is the duty of the schools.
This Board is thus met with a choice wherein it can elect “progress” that while advancing the laudable aims set forth in (1) – (3) above, introduces greater marginalization to our lower income families. There is, however, a middle ground which can facilitate (1) – (3) above yet maintain our schools’ traditional inclusiveness. I put forth the recommendation that the district considers creating a clear communication policy for all elementary schools. This would alleviate confusion, provide consistency regarding the implementation of a new communication tool such as the internet, and avoid alienating an already disadvantaged segment of our school’s community.
The continued use of the Websites as the primary, but not only, method of communication is warranted. However, all elementary schools should be required to regularly provide either by backpack or regular mail a paper summary of major school events, such as the Orchard AppleJuice Newsletter. This can be distributed monthly or a few weeks prior to an Event. Maybe when the district has the technology in place, the schools should also opt to use a third method of communication such as Connect Ed that dials broadcast phone messages in English and Spanish.
In closing, I found these quotes relevant. They are from the Federal Guidelines concerning parent\school involvement.
Three decades of research provide convincing evidence that parents are an important influence in helping their children achieve high academic standards. When schools collaborate with parents to help their children learn and when parents participate in school activities and decision-making about their children’s education, children achieve at higher levels. In short, when parents are involved in education, children do better in school and schools improve. (Parental Involvement: Title I, Part A, Non-Regulatory Guidance, Department of Education, April 23, 2004)
We fail our children when we leave their parents behind. This we cannot do.
I respectfully request that the issue of the internet being used as the sole communication method for notices of school events in the Ridgewood Elementary schools be placed on the agenda of the next meeting of the school board
Sincerely,
Joan O’Keefe
CC: Art Cody, Esq., Jasmine Cohn
>Encouraging anyone not to use the internet is almost a stupid as telling people they don’t need to learn English and then wondering why they cant get a job.
>get a lap top and piggy back someone elses signal ; o
>typical keep the poor in there place better not get the internet you might learn something ,I think your slipping PJ
>yea better they watch the boob tube and shut up and do as your told
>for god sake cable cost $60 bucks tell them to drop the TV and get internet with the internet you dont even have to go to school ,it make public education obsolete
>next someone will complain they dont have a car so maybe they should be given a house closes to the school to make it fair….oh brother
>I think is a plot to try to stop people from using the internet to keep them down ,
>this is a bad idea it consequence will be exactly the oppisite of its intentions if the motives are realy compassion ,but I dont think so it looks like someone is looking for victums that dont exist
>beside I didnt know the BOE new what the internet was
>trying to keep people down again looks to me ,you can learn more from the interent in onne day than you can from schooL in 10 years better spend your small funds on the internet otherwise you will have no future …
>again sounds like back to the 70’s ,this whole town needs to get on the internet and wake up ,nothing cheaper than the internet ,saves gas too and cleans the envirorment….
>”underprivileged” whats wrong dady didnt buy you a new BMW? hehehehehehehehehheheheheheheheheheh
>Internet connections are relatively cheap. The letter writer mentions “high speed” internet. High-speed internet, although popular, is not necessary. Dial-up can be had for less than $10 per month. I am guessing that these so-called less fortunate residents have cable TV, which makes me wonder about priorities, but nevertheless, you can add phone service to you cable, and with the elimination of the standard phone line, you pretty much break even, while at the same time, enjoy unlimited calling, and high-speed internet. Children need internet access a lot more than a lot of the crap they watch on cable tv.
If there are such people here in Ridgewood, I suspect that they are just technology-opposed adults, who don’t understand, or don’t want to understand, the internet, so they just dismiss it as a rich persons play thing.
>OK. This proves it. Ridgewood is totally unaware that there is an underclass and the town is made of elitist snobs.
>the only underclass in this town are some of the barflys
>Ridgewood is totally unaware that there is an underclass ,really name them where are they how many were do they live ? facts lets see some facts…
>OK. This proves it. Ridgewood is totally unaware that there is an underclass and the town is made of elitist snobs.
yes and you are one of them
>sounds like another CON like that stupid over priced student center in the Village Taj Hall just looking for a freeby for some lazy a** parent looking to bring everyone down ….
>For the taxes we pay for this school system, shouldn’t we be able to get paper notices and reminder phone calls even if we are lazy a2@@s?
>For the taxes we pay for this school system, shouldn’t we be able to get paper notices and reminder phone calls even if we are lazy a2@@s?
you forgot singing telegrams
>white guilt gone crazy
>Ridgewood is totally unaware that there is an underclass …..I’d say so with an $80 million school budget ,$9.5 village hall renovation ,and $30 million on a cho cho train station with less parking…
>underclass …..ah yes the underclass …..your private jet broke down?
>You would be surprised how many families are struggling in Ridgewood. This is not just families who maybe didnt get their wall street bonuses this year but real working poor. Where are they? A lot of them live on Broad Street and adjacent areas between Ridgewood Ave and Ackerman. Many live in two family homes throughout the village. Many live in the apartments by the Y and on Ridgewood Ave. Social Services helps many of these families in need — spend some time volunteering in the Food Bank and you will see that yes there are some actual “underprivileged” people in this town. Just wanted to clarify that for those of you confused…
>”underprivileged” why in the hell would they be in an over priced place like ridgewood ?
>I think someone is trolling for “victims” to make them self feel better about them self
>the best way to get out of poverty is to STAY AWAY FROM THE GOVERMENT
>they are trying to turn our town into a welfare town and wreck it…..
>always bring everyone down to the lowest common denominator