The subtext behind Montclair Schools Watch’s calls for collaboration

When Montclair Schools Watch (MTCSW) isn’t fixating on MCAS member Maia Davis, they’re obsessing on MEA President Gayl Shepard.

MTCSW’s latest post is about how Shepard promised to collaborate with the BOE and Superintendent. But according to MTCSW, because Shepard and the MEA aren’t happy with the BOE’s decision to abruptly change the teachers’ health care provider from Horizon to CIGNA, Shepard is planning – as MTCSW puts it – to “gum up the works and sabotage the system, then complain about why it isn’t working well.”

There’s subliminal word coding going on here, and it’s the same coding that the BOE’s*/Superintendent’s constant calls for “civility” have been laced with.

When MTCSW calls for collaboration from Shepard, the MEA, and concerned parents, what they’re truly calling for is surrender (this also holds true for the request for “civility”, which is really a demand for compliance, subservience, and submission). They don’t want anyone in the district to object to any of the BOE’s/Superintendent’s decisions: we should all just meekly get out of the way and let them implement whatever they’d like to do.

The underlying message from MTCSW and certain members of the BOE is crystal clear: “Silence! This is not a dialogue. This is not a partnership. This is a mandate, and your protests will not be tolerated. Anyone who asks questions will be deemed uncivil – as well as non-collaborative.”

Unfortunately, the Superintendent and BOE haven’t provided any evidence that their decisions/behaviors shouldn’t be examined. Over the past year and a half, their destructive, non-transparent, unethical, and unlawful actions have proven that they must be closely scrutinized and constantly questioned.

Given this reality, it’s ridiculous for MTCSW’s order for our lockstep obedience – I mean collaboration/civility – to be taken seriously…

*certain members